| Kabbalah
and Education A Kabbalistic Approach to Spiritual Growth |
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| Kabbalah and Jewish Meditation |
Part
23 According
to Kabbalah, the subconscious level of mind can only be rectified through
right-action. The subconscious of our physical soul--that is, the life force
within us that drives the vital functions of the body--has a physical
worldview. It is concerned with survival, self, territory, and as such is
the root of ego, desire, selfishness, etc. Nevertheless, it is an aspect of
the soul--which has both a physical and a Divine side--and as such is
partially physical, partially spiritual. Because of its dual nature, it
joins the body with the mind and so enables thought to generate action. Meditation
calms but does not actually transmute the physical level of self. This is
only accomplished by action--by forcing the physical soul to actively serve
the Divine soul, to invest its physical energy into performing actions
commanded by God. We employ the same techniques to train the physical
soul as we would use to train for any physical activity. Through
forced repetition of appropriate behavior the trainer impresses a habit of
right action upon the trainee. The body (or unconscious level of being) is
thus programmed to act in accordance with mind. In this way the physical
soul is purified. A rectified physical soul is one whose habitual way of
behavior is in accordance with God's will. Prayer
becomes an action (and not just an intention) when it is audibly expressed.
The body is forced to stand (in the Amidah), bow before its Creator,
use its breath to pronounce words that proclaim the sovereignty of God, and
plead for a world of spiritual perfection. In this way the animal soul
becomes rectified, both by the physical discipline of prayer as well as by
the power of its words and their content. A
meditation that also employs some kind of meaningful action, such as
chanting a verse of Torah in a prayerful state of supplication, is actually
a simple form of prayer. (It is integration
inter-included within inspiration). This, too, effects a certain
cleansing of the subconscious. Likewise, when we pray with great
concentration--which is called service of the heart--we experience
the expanding of conscious awareness associated with meditation. (It is
inspiration inter-included within integration). Once again, the domains of
inspiration and integration are not exclusive. Each encompasses and actually
relies upon the other. And so in the cycle of daily practice, there is an education process happening through the alternation of meditation and prayer, which become inspiration and integration in our constant work of returning to God.
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