Kabbalah Course Discussion Group

the biggest parallel i always draw with everything to taoism is the idea that basically there are two "things"

that which exists
and that from which it comes

in most every system you find this basic dichotomy because it is unavoidable lol its the only way we can relate to existence

taoism has a high emphasis on the idea that the source is unknowable
but you find most systems actually have a parallel to that idea

nagualism for instance insists that as soon as you name the nagual it becomes a part of the intellectual inventory ie the tonal and that the nagual is the only part of us (or existence) with the power to genuinely create something new

the tonal makes classifications out of what the nagual has created

even christianity has passages such as "the lords ways are higher than your ways just like the stars are high above your heads" (thats a paraphrase)

i wont be surprised if the 21 steps of reunification turn out to have parallels to a lot of other systems

from what i have seen the work is the same for everybody, its only the way and structure the ideas are presented which really changes

but im wrong all the time lol so dont take me too serious

anyway this is very cool!

Connor L. wrote: The end of the video with the questions of gods' names... Yeah, it's interesting. I think you have to understand that most people taking the course will have not studied religion before. Most people coming to Kabbalah come from the desire to make that connection for the first time. So, it was probably just confusing for them, whereas I felt like it was a pretty basic thing to ask.

Some people do not yet know how to separate spirituality from deity from religion from ___.

I guess I take my knowledge beyond religion for granted.. I've questioned religion since I was a teenager. I forget sometimes some people have never done so..

Mareeka wrote: Connor: "there is no path, everything is the path."

While Kabbalah has a "method" which I take to mean a path, I get a sense that it is a path of everything on the path."

That is quite possible. To be honest, I do not know enough about it yet to fully understand what they mean by it. Thank you for the thought.

Why do you take method to mean path? Do you feel method is a collection of totality? So, it defines how we view everything?

Exactly, Edan. It's astonishing, the vast number of people who have never even considered a higher power beyond a familial forced introduction through Sunday School. haha.

Ob1, feel free to watch (or speed through.. they stall a lot) the course video if you want.

Have you studied Kabbalah before?

Also, thanks for those thoughts! I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this.

Edan wrote:
The question about the purpose of studying the Kabbalah was interesting, about whether attaining greater pleasure was the sole purpose. I don't think I've ever come across the idea of 'spiritual pleasure'... the end purpose is becoming as the creator, but this spiritual pleasure is entirely new to me.

I have heard something like this before: we are here in our life to transform from misery to happy, the purpose of being alive.
Mostly, out of east - Indian wisdom traditions.
Maybe the idea of heaven in the New Testament was never supposed to be an after-life concept.
Maybe that was a mutilation of the older wisdom traditions?

spiritual pleasure:

present day words we hear: being in the now, being in the flow . . . just adding a few to Connor's

Mareeka wrote: Maybe that was a mutilation of the older wisdom traditions?

Also possible, I doubt it would be the only time something was mistaken over time.

Connor L. wrote:
Why do you take method to mean path? Do you feel method is a collection of totality? So, it defines how we view everything?

I take method to mean process.

i havent, no

i was introduced to the kaballah tree of life many years ago (probably around 1996 or so when someone i knew introduced me to the works of aliester crowely but when i began to follow up on kaballah i found that it was a secret system (turns out i would have been just in time if id have looked further lol life is funny!) and so i made the judgement call that the people who really understand the kaballah arent talking about it and basically just disregarded whatever i may have encountered on the subject for that reason

also i meant to say that when he talks about how we arent in touch with the full picture of higher spiritual truth that this basic idea is fundamental to all paths

that might be in a later video
i have only my cell phone for most of the day and it isnt compatable with flash player

i had actually given up on being able to participate in the thread but i basically highjacked the laptop for a couple hours and so i watched as much as i could while i had the chance lol

anyway, on the idea of seperation from higher truth there are parallels all over

maya is a common word
mamon is usually taken to mean only money but imo the idea is much bigger than that

but im impressed with the quality of the system so fa
i do see a sort of scientific approach and i like that