Download or read book Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest written by Jody Myers and published by Praeger. This book was released on 2007-08-30 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dressing entirely in white is normal practice on a five-block stretch of Robertson Boulevard in West Los Angeles. Western men and women, garbed in white from their turbans to their Keds, traverse the busy streets surrounding the Sikh Temple. Further north, you have to wait until Friday afternoon to see white-clad young men in yarmulkes gathering outside the Kabbalah Learning Centre greeting each other with hugs, the spaces around them filled with women and children wearing multi-colored garments. Beyond this city street, one hears of the popularity of Kabbalah in the tabloids, as celebrities such as Madonna claim Kabbalah as their new religion. How have the obscure and offensive ideas of medieval Jewish mysticism, expressed in doctrines like the demonic power of women's menstrual blood or the soulless bodies of Gentiles, been made palatable for so many from all stripes of life? With KLCs in cities such as Boca Raton, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego, Houston, and Las Vegas, the reach of this mystical tradition can be said to be nationwide. But how did its beliefs and practices become as fashionable as they are now? What do the KLCs teach so that adherents stay on? Is it a cult, a religion, or simply a system of universal wisdom as its leaders purport? Determined to uncover the secrets of this esoteric faith, the author embarked upon three 10-week Kabbalah classes among other learning opportunities, examined Kabbalah publications from the 1970s to the present, listened to KLC audio tapes, and interacted with adherents. This book presents her experiences and findings, and offers an overview of the history of the Kabbalah in this country, its beliefs and practices, its positions on health and healing of both the self and the world, its structure and outreach, and its views of men and women. She traces the origins of Kabbalah, offers a glimpse into its world, its relationships to Judaism, its place in American society, and its future.
Download or read book Kabbalah written by David S. Ariel and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2005-11-30 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today, many people from all faiths are exploring the Kabbalah. What were once controversial and esoteric teachings from medieval Jewish mystics now is becoming one of the latest spiritual trends sweeping across America. In the wake of this renewed interest comes David Ariel's Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest in Judaism, a thoroughly updated edition of his classic best selling book, The Mystic Quest. Ariel beautifully presents the complex elements of Jewish mysticism's major ideas in clear, understandable, and accessible language for Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike. Hailed as "brilliant" by Publishers Weekly, the book has a completely revised Introduction that sets a contemporary context for understanding Jewish mysticism, given the current fascination with Kabbalah in today's culture. Several chapters are substantially revised, making key ideas less abstract and more comprehensible to readers. Because it can be easy to misunderstand the intricate teachings of Jewish mysticism, the book now includes a section called the "10 Main Conceptual Principles" of Jewish mysticism, putting the main concepts in clear, easy to grasp, modern language. Concluding with how Kabbalah can be incorporated into our daily lives, Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest in Judaism, is an intellectually sophisticated yet straightforward book studded with deep insights on what Jewish mystical thought is all about.
Download or read book Divining Your Dreams written by Jonathan Sharp and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your Dreams Can Show You the Way We all know that our dreams mean something, but do you realize that your dreams can actually help you? In the Kabbalistic tradition, dreams are prized as the key that unlocks the spiritual door leading to a path of greater wisdom. In this rich and unique guide you will learn how simple and practical steps can help you use the messages in your dreams to unleash healing, creativity, and personal fulfillment. Kabbalistic experts Jonathan Sharp and Dr. Edward Hoffman clearly explain how the Kabbalah works, along with its varied, mysterious, and fascinating components. These include the Tree of Life, the Tarot deck, the hundred most important symbols from Zohar (the ancient text on which the Kabbalah is based), and the numerology of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Following is a comprehensive list of more than eight hundred and fifty dream images with interpretations, evaluations, and unique prescriptions to help bring energy and inspiration to your spiritual journey. Each dream entry includes: Meaning: An overview of the image's significance as well as a numerological evaluation and interpretation Tree of Life: What the dream tells the dreamer about where she is on her life path, specifically in terms of spiritual development and emotional relationships The Journey: Practical advice on what steps to take so that you can use your dream to take you where you want to go -- solve problems, explore possibilities, find the inspiration to live more deeply, and much more Rich, comprehensive, and full of beauty and mystery, Divining Your Dreams will be a bedside companion for years to come.
Download or read book Ehyeh written by Dr. Arthur Green and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-11-16 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can Kabbalah teach us about our lives today? What can it teach us about our future? According to the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, Ehyeh,or “I shall be,” is the deepest, most hidden name of God. Arthur Green, one of the most respected teachers of Jewish mysticism of his generation, uses this simple Hebrew word to unlock the spiritual meaning of Kabbalah for our lives. When Moses experienced his great moment of call at the Burning Bush, he asked God, “When people ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I say to them?” God answers with this mysterious phrase, “I shall be what I shall be,” and says to Moses, “Tell them that ‘I shall be’ sent you.” God’s puzzling answer makes the conversation sound like a koan-dialogue between a Zen master and disciple.... Like the koan, the text here is reaching to some place beyond words, seeking to create a breakthrough in our consciousness. What is it trying to tell us? —from the Introduction Blending Jewish theology and mysticism, Arthur Green invites us on a contemporary exploration of Kabbalah, showing how the ancient Jewish mystical tradition can be retooled to address the needs of our generation. Drawing on the Zohar and other kabbalistic texts, Green examines the fundamental ideas and spiritual teachings of Kabbalah, encouraging today’s modern seeker to stretch to new ways of thinking with both heart and mind, setting us on a rewarding path to the wisdom Kabbalah has to offer.
Download or read book The Quest for God written by William Switala and published by Page Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Quest for God is a study of the explosion of interest in newer approaches to spirituality that took place in the west among Christians, Jew, and Muslims in the twelfth century. The book explores the historic internal and external forces that influenced members of the three major faith groups who were looking for new ways to approach their personal relationship with God. It contains a detailed explanation of the new attitudes and religious practices that emerged among the three groups during that century. This includes special emphasis placed on the mysticism of Christian monks and nuns, the Kabbalah of the Jews, and the tenets of Sufism in Islam. It also paints a clear picture of the role played by the leading figures, both male and female, who pioneered this effort. A unique feature of the book is the linkage of similar imagery, biblical references, mystical attitudes, and actual religious practices utilized by all three faith systems to achieve a newer more mystical approach to spirituality. The fundamental development of spiritual approaches initiated by these three faiths laid the foundation for many of the spiritual practices we have today. Each of the three faiths is covered in a separate section. Preceding the discussion of the spiritual elements of each is a chapter dealing with the historical setting in which that faith operated. A final chapter summarizes the entire work and shows the common characteristics that each group had and links them together.
Download or read book The Kabbalist written by Semion Vinokur and published by Laitman Kabbalah Publishers. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the dawn of the deadliest era in human history, the 20th century, a mysterious man appeared on the socio-political scene carrying a stern warning for humanity and an unlikely solution to its suffering. In his writings, Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag described in clarity and great detail the wars and upheavals he foresaw, and even more strikingly, the current economic, political, and social crises we are facing today. His deep yearning for a united humanity has driven him to unlock The Book of Zohar and make it--and the unique force contained therein--accessible to all. The Kabbalist is a cinematic novel that will turn on its head everything you thought you knew about Kabbalah, spirituality, freedom of will, and our perception of reality. It is the first book of its kind to try to convey the inner workings and sensations of a Kabbalist who reached the highest level of attainment, a person who is in direct contact with the singular force governing all of reality. The Kabbalist carries a surprising message of unity with scientific clarity and poetic depth. It transcends religion, nationality, mysticism, and the sheer fabric of space and time to show us that the only miracle is the one taking place within, when we begin to act in harmony with Nature and with the entire humanity. It shows us that we can all be Kabbalists.
Download or read book Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism written by Dan Cohn-Sherbok and published by ONEWorld Publications. This book was released on 2006-03 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kabbalah is often associated with pop-stars, their distinctive red wrist bands, and media scepticism. In this fascinating work, Dan Cohn-Sherbok bypasses the hype, exploring the mystical tradition's spiritual and textual development from the early rabbinic period to the present day.
Download or read book Kabbalah written by Tim Dedopulos and published by Viking. This book was released on 2005 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You may have read about the Kabbalah in newspaper stories linked to celebrities such as Madonna or Demi Moore, or you may have come to it through religious studies or through a spiritual quest of your own. If you have just begun to study the Kabbalah, or even if you are simply intrigued and want to know more about it, you can learn about its history, its meaning and its practical applications to your life in this book.
Download or read book The Path of Kabbalah written by Michael Laitman and published by Laitman Kabbalah Publishers. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kabbalists state that there is no reality at all, but something called His Essence, the Upper Force, and this is what we perceive as our world. As uncanny as it sounds, this notion hides in its wings the very prospect of freedom, for every person, for every nation, and for the entire world. The structure and the perception of reality are the surface of this book. But the story of humanity, or more accurately, of the human soul, is the undercurrent that drives the reader forward in this book. It is about you, about me, about all of us. This book is about the way we were, the way we are, the way we will be, and most importantly, it is about the best way to get there. In this neatly structured composition, every part speaks of a different aspect of Kabbalah. It starts with our perception of reality, our perception of the Creator, and the evolution of our soul in the spiritual worlds (including explanatory drawings). The book also clears up misconceptions about Kabbalah and explains, in plain words, how to experience the spiritual realm of our lives.
Download or read book Science and the Spiritual Quest written by W. Mark Richardson and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addressing fundamental questions about life, this unique volume examines the way in which distinguished scientists of different faiths explore the connections between science, ethics, spirituality and the divine.
Download or read book Kabbalah Month by Month written by Melinda Ribner and published by Jossey-Bass. This book was released on 2002-08-29 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher Description
Download or read book The Shambhala Guide to Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism written by Perle Besserman and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-20 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jewish mystics from biblical times to the present have explored the hidden secrets of the Torah in quest of a single goal: to lose the self in the Infinite "No-thingness" (Ein Sof) and be at one with God. In language accessible to the layperson, this Shambhala Guide provides a detailed introduction to the complex world of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. With an extensive background in meditation practice, Perle Besserman emphasizes Kabbalah's spiritual disciplines, grounded in righteous living, devotional practices, and meditation. She discusses the Kabbalistic universe, including the four worlds and ten sefirot; Jewish meditation techniques and instructions for beginning meditation; mystics and teachers from Rabbi Akiva and the Baal Shem Tov to Aryeh Kaplan; the often uneasy relationship between Kabbalah and mainstream Judaism; and applying the ancient wisdom of Jewish mysticism to life in the world of today.
Download or read book Surfing Rabbi written by Nachum Shifren and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing up under the spell of one of the world's most coveted surf spots. Norm "Shifty" Shifren risks missing his own bar mitzvah to take his first shaky ride at the mecca of surfdom -- Malibu Beach. An assimilated Jew who barely acknowledges his spiritual roots, Shifren pursues his dream of becoming a big-wave surfer, lifeguard and triathlete. Shifren's circuitous journey evolves into a spiritual quest that takes him from the pristine waves of Hawaii and Mexico, to an intermarriage in Germany and soldier duty in Israel, and finally, to a small orthodox shterl in Israel, where he learns the mysteries of the Jewish ancients...His true-life saga is one of new-found Jewish consciousness and eye-opening self-revelation. Ultimately drawn to the insular, yet joyous ultra orthodox Lubavitcher Chassidim, Rabbi Nachurn Shifren's life comes full circle as he finds G-d not in the synagogue, but in the majesty of Jewish mysticism and the vast power of the ocean.
Download or read book God in Your Body written by Jay Michaelson and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-08-18 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your body is the place where heaven and earth meet. The greatest spiritual achievement is not transcending the body but joining body and spirit together. But to do this, you must break through assumptions that draw boundaries around the Infinite and wake up to the body as the site of holiness itself. This groundbreaking book is the first comprehensive treatment of the body in Jewish spiritual practice and an essential guide to the sacred. With meditation practices, physical exercises, visualizations, and sacred text, you will learn how to experience the presence of the Divine in, and through, your body. And by cultivating an embodied spiritual practice, you will transform everyday activities—eating, walking, breathing, washing—into moments of deep spiritual realization, uniting sacred and sensual, mystical and mundane.
Download or read book Kabbalistic Metaphors written by Sanford L. Drob and published by Jason Aronson. This book was released on 2000 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kabbalistic Metaphors: Jewish Mystical Themes in Ancient and Modern Thought places the major symbols of the theosophical Kabbalah into a dialogue with several systems of ancient and modern thought, including Indian Philosophy, Platonism, Gnosticism, and the works of Hegel, Freud, and Jung. The author shows how the Kabbalah organizes a series of ancient ideas regarding God, cosmos, and humanity into a basic metaphor that itself reappears in various guises in much of modern philosophy and psychology. Recognition of the parallels between the Kabbalah and modern philosophy and psychology provides us with valuable insight into both the Kabbalah and modern thought, and helps pave the way for a new Kabbalah, one that is spiritually and intellectually relevant to contemporary man.
Download or read book Spiritual Judaism written by David Ariel and published by Hyperion. This book was released on 1998-09-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first comprehensive guide of its kind, a noted Judaic scholar applied Jewish spiritual principles to daily life.
Download or read book Kabbalah A Very Short Introduction written by Joseph Dan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2005-11-30 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction, Joseph Dan, one of the world's leading authorities on Jewish mysticism, offers a concise and highly accurate look at the history and character of the various systems developed by the adherents of the Kabbalah. Dan sheds light on the many misconceptions about what Kabbalah is and isn't--including its connections to magic, astronomy, alchemy, and numerology--and he illuminates the relationship between Kaballah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. The book provides fascinating historical background, ranging from the mystical groups that flourished in ancient Judaism in the East, and the medieval schools of Kabbalah in Northern Spain and Southern France, to the widening growth of Kabbalah through the school of Isaac Luria of Safed in the sixteenth century, to the most potent and influential modern Jewish religious movement, Hasidism, and its use of kabbalistic language in its preaching. The book examines the key ancient texts of this tradition, including the Sefer Yezira or "Book of Creation," The Book of Bahir, and the Zohar. Dan explains Midrash, the classical Jewish exegesis of scriptures, which assumes an infinity of meanings for every biblical verse, and he concludes with a brief survey of scholarship in the field and a list of books for further reading. Embraced by celebrities and integrated in many contemporary spiritual phenomena, Kabbalah has reaped a wealth of attention in the press. But many critics argue that the form of Kabbalah practiced in Hollywood is more New Age pabulum than authentic tradition. Can there be a positive role for the Kabbalah in the contemporary quest for spirituality? In Kabbalah, Joseph Dan debunks the myths surrounding modern Kabbalistic practice, offering an engaging and dependable account of this traditional Jewish religious phenomenon and its impact outside of Judaism. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
