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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
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Chiron
Russia
397 Posts |
 Posted - May 08 2009 : 06:42:18 AM
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| How is this Judaism Yogic? What are the similarities in practices? |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2009 : 5:48:46 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Chiron
How is this Judaism Yogic? What are the similarities in practices?
Y'know - I don't know ...
... although, Kabbalah almost always involves pranayama, energy practices (including tantric/sexual) and meditation.
Good question - and causes me to view this group (Kabbalah) // what I'm saying here from a different angle - and that's appreciated!
Originally, I was going to answer your question (and it's still part of the answer) by saying that I don't call a group "yogic" because of its practices, or "lack thereof" ... but based on whether the objective of the group itself *is* Yoga - Union - Oneness - Enlightenment.
That's the primary way in which I know that this specific Kabbalah group is yogic - and by that definition, *all* Kabbalah groups are yogic.
However, just as many realization-oriented yoga groups overtly state that they are not "Hindu", or part of any religion --- so this group, and other Kabbalah groups - state that they are not part of "Judaism the religion", but rather, use symbols and teachings from the Torah and Judaism in a Kabbalistic way.
Easy clarification:
AYP is yogic ... but AYP is not Hindu.
Likewise, Kabbalah groups, the Sophian Fellowship (Christian Kabbalah) and so on - are for realization-oriented people from all cultures and religions; as long as a person is sincere, and willing to be open-minded enough to genuinely learn and not detract from the group's efforts ... literally everyone is welcome and encouraged to partake.
As Dave Stringer (Kirtan recording artist) says:
"Yoga is not about belief; yoga is about practice."
That same statement is true regarding Kabbalah; Dzogchen (non-dual Tantric Buddhism); other Tantric schools (philosophic non-dual Tantra, not neo-Tantra) -- each of these disciplines is about realization, and the practices/teachings that get us (t)here - not about doctrines, dogma about God or Truth, and not about mental prejudice (aka "beliefs").
Kabbalah groups also tend to have a guru-disciple based lineage (as traditional yoga/yogic groups do) - their gurus are just called Rabbis!
Kabbalah teachings (as with non-dual mysticism of all stripes) are also based on the emanation-return of consciousness ... from unity to egoity-physicality, and back home to conscious unity and liberation (the unity of pure awareness where we started - yet consciously home now, and with the added creative power of the conscious union of unity-potential and diversity-actuality -- aka enlightened humanity -- as state of being not possible by remaining in original, formless potential, only.
This is exactly the foundational understanding of consciousness and life that all true, original Tantric (both Hindu & Buddhist) teachings, and other non-duality/reality oriented teachings of all traditions are based.
It's actually probably more accurate to call Kabbalah "Tantric Judaism" rather than "Yogic Judaism" -- I use "Tantra" and "Yoga" kind of interchangeably ... but true, non-dual Tantric paths (i.e. Kashmir Shaivism - *not* to be confused with Advaita Vedanta -- the two schools differ greatly on some fundamental points) include yogic practices and teachings.
In a nutshell:
Kashmir Shaivism is Non-Duality Including Practices.
(As opposed to certain groups claiming to be Advaitic, who reject practices.)
So is Kabbalah.
So are other mystical paths, ranging from Sophian Gnosticism/Christian Kabbalah, to certain Alchemic/Hermetic paths, to Christian Mysticism, Sufism, Taoism and Tantric Hinduism and Buddhism (non-dual Tantra is actually thought to *pre-date* Hinduism, and therefore Buddhism - non-dual Tantra and/or Kabbalah are the two oldest formal spiritual systems in the world.)
Abhinavagupta, who is as close as anything Kashmir Shaivism has to a founder, or "primary sage" is on record as saying that not only are practices supported within non-duality -- they are essential -- because they allow the awakening of consciousness from the misperceptions of Maya, into the reality of "liberation and enlightenment".
Or (as they refer to it) - Shiva Consciousness, or Identity with Shiva - the ability to say "Shivo'ham" ("I am Shiva") from the place of actual, subjective experiencing.
Why go into all that when discussing "Yogic Judaism"?
Because, if anything, the Kabbalists go the Shaivites "one better" -- their *name* for God is "I Am".
Of course, the central point-mantra of Kashmir Shaivite philosophy is AHAM (Sanskrit for I AM).
Which carries the same meaning-power as the Hebrew term -- YHVH -- the true "I" as symbolized by the Four Worlds of Atziluth, Beriah, Yetzirah and Assiyah -- the levels of Awareness-Conscioussness of Emanation, Creation, Formation, Action (the Four Worlds of Kabbalah) or Father, Mother, Son, Daughter -- the sacred doctrine of the "Son of God" was around *long* before Reb Yeshua became famous under the Greek version of his name (Jesus).
Or, as the Kashmir Shaivites would have it, the Four Levels of Speech:
Paravak, Pasyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari.
(Supreme Speech, Unified Awareness, Mixed Awareness, Gross Awareness -- aka Emanation, Creation, Formation, Action).
"In the beginning was the Word."
"God *SAID* 'Let there be light'."
"The 72 *Names* of God."
(As in - both the Kashmir Shaivites and the Kabbalists use speech and word - and name - as a primary symbol for the power of consciousness.)
There are other similarities too numerous to go into at the moment - but basically ... there are even people who think that Kabbalah and Kashmir Shaivite yoga may have had a common origin.
Is there any truth to that?
I dunno.
aBRAHM{a} and SARA{swati} don't seem to be available for comment ...
Mazel Tov & Aum Shalom,
Kirtanman |
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mahabaratara
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 6:47:33 PM
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quote:
Kabbalah and Kashmir Shaivite yoga may have had a common origin.
I believe they do.
You should look at the links between Sanskrit and Hebrew.
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Yonatan
Israel
849 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2009 : 05:32:59 AM
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Thank you Kirtanman,
Your post was very interesting and informative,
ShalAUM
Ahava ve Or,
Yonatan 
quote:
aBRAHM{a} and SARA{swati} don't seem to be available for comment ...
Nice.. |
Edited by - Yonatan on May 16 2009 06:45:36 AM |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2011 : 8:42:55 PM
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Hi All,
My research into connections between yoga, meditation and Judaism - specifically Kabbalah, has continued -- and I've recently discovered a few more interesting pieces of information I wanted to share.
Kabbalah, by the way, is to Judaism as Yoga is to Hinduism ... the practices-centric, dogma-averse, consciousness-opening path that is connected with that religion.
Here's an overview on YouTube, of the Shema, the centerpiece of the Jewish morning and evening prayer service from the perspective of Kabbalah, by one of the 20th century's most respected Kabbalah masters, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, which addresses some yogic / non-dual facets of the Shema which even those who know it well may not have heard, before.
Rabbi Kaplan is likely best-remembered for his two books which describe yogic Judaism in rather staggering detail:
Meditation and the Bible
&
Meditation and Kabbalah
He goes into the importance, in certain Kabbalah schools, of the yamas and niyamas (aka "commandaments").
He also touches, lightly (as does AYP) on asanas (devotional movement, in Kabbalah, aka davening).
He spends a fair amount of time, especially in the second book, linked above, covering "kriya kabbalah", or AKP (Advanced Kabbalah Practices .... ) ... which involves directed breathing, visualization, and specific head and neck movements (sound familiar? ) ... all falling into the general category, known elsewhere as pranayama.
He also gives quite a bit of emphasis to the importance of withdrawing externalized perception, completely (aka pratyahara).
Then, he speaks of the importance of concentration, kavanah in Hebrew, (aka dharana) in attaining a true state of meditation, or hitbodedut, aka dhyana.
Finally, he addresses the true union with God which becomes available through cleaving, or devekut -- a term that can be, and has been, translated as absorption -- a term which some of us are even more familiar with by the name samadhi.
And so, let's see ... out of eight limbs of yoga, the Kabbalah would appear to have specific, millenia-old teachings and emphasis, especially via the great Kabbalah masters themselves, from the Torah forward on .... well .... eight.... of them.
On the one hand --- wow.
On the other hand -- what works, works -- and human neurobiology is, indeed universal.
That's why AYP has worked out so nicely for at least a few of us, here.
And, as my research continues, I'm finding that the world's esoteric systems aren't just "a lot like" yoga; as far as I've found so far ... they're identical.
And, for some strange reason, if you're not into geeking out on stuff like that, like I am .... and just want to experience it all for yourself .... well, the simplest and most brief overview I know of, that is still 100% complete, is .... right here:
AYP.
And if you're beginning to feel that yes, indeed, maybe Judaism is beginning to look just a little bit yogic .... you ain't seen nothin' yet!!
Wholeheartedly,
Kirtanman
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JosephUK
United Kingdom
212 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2011 : 4:21:40 PM
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Very interesting.
Joe |
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porcupine
USA
193 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 06:11:44 AM
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well InI know two things they say 'everything is god' and also 'all things are yogas', all mysticism is the same mysticism oneness is the same oneness, true oneness can never be lost, just as the tree of life is verily, all things
Has InI ever realized how languages are set up to vibe with each other, and to give strange impressions to those who don't speak them or try to go on intuition?
Some people take a long time to speak and InI think that's cool because its hard to choose the right thing to say and sometimes InI am one of those people.
Could it mean that these are literally living languages? That they converse and react to eachother just as plants within an ecosystem, letter by letter, and sound by sound, creating strange natural patterns, through their coincidental(?) synchronicities.
So much of our lives we forget, what is forgetting and remembering?
hedonism through plants, planted 27 or so potatos today in random patches around town, finally, some life!
what would happen if these were all spoken together probably a real process of the matrika (spirit of sound, Great Mother) they are products of the same essence which is intangible only esotericallly known, as an inner aspect the witch in the amp enjoys the raspberries
the prophecy is complete, love is pouring out a pure spiritual current in a place away from study overwhelming and of its own, plain and broad life is alive, realization of God is the beginning of animism, how long have the deer leaped with us between the clouds, how long the sacred patterned wrapped us and our soul, distributed upon us all as we could understand it, the thus come of aloha, hakuna matata, trickster fairy of the heartlands by the way of boat of dream, oh karina passing swiftly the prismatic raincoat, offering upon a city street.
compassion, like relaxation, often times we may not realize simple ways we could be giving more, or living more harmoniously and it is wiser, to come together in giving, give unto the overt and underlying unity of nature, forget previous knowing, let it all come over you as the first time, which indeed it is. The unknown.
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Iagramew wemagraI
.......................b
......................g e
.................s o o o s u r
...................r metta e
...................u osofo t
.................o o o o o o e
......................y a
.......................t
peace & love throughout the universe
back to the forum!
follow your heart!
Nature Spirits! |
Edited by - porcupine on Apr 13 2011 08:31:14 AM |
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mahabaratara
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 5:36:32 PM
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Wow thanks for the insight Kirtanman.
Keep this up!
I love it.
You are all my brothers and sisters. |
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porcupine
USA
193 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 10:17:21 PM
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We are the Sidhe, the first people that we know of to build what is like your computers out of grass and tune into the internet with a series of rocks, vines, and resonators all occuring naturally in nature, we harness the energy of natural features and find where it invites us in and live lives many think of as elemental
in magic much like science it is the bringing together of elements, in a sacred transformational process easiest understood through the slow alchemy of the seasons, the spheres of energy, in drawing and astral sight gather around the caster, much like the base elements around the scientist, and over time through some arcane energetic process of animism in which what appears as metaphor literally takes place as physical reality in a series of jumps into other levels of consciousness and planes, only the process is usually more somatic and imaginatively based, whereas the scientist is more grounded and works directly on a physical level, in a way science could be seen as a kind of white magic which gives unto society, though in the opinion of many in the magical community, its dogma has become a bit oppressive and ignorant of the infinite power of the mind, though quantum sciences and physics are a classic crossroads where this wounded healer aspect, and inability to stray too far from prior belief systems is overcome and new paradigms are able to grow in a fertile pasture/grove/wood of the spirit, among dreams which are not distinguished from reality
in fact, it is the dreams which are the beginnings of revolutions among high vibration spheres inside of us, which come together by means of the will, and an unconscious force which some call mana or ness, which actually is the whole of what we interact with daily and live upon, the energy of everything.
if you go around the tree of life for instance to each branch continously you will learn a bit at each branch, and in your cycle eventually come to see how it all fits together, you can slowly notice which spheres are attracting you, then give attention to the quality of those spheres, not loosing oneself in appearances of angels and heavenly realms, but not shunning them or their guidance either, but knowing at the core that everything is emptiness, that wholeness is silent,
eventually it all activates itself, the mystic is able to embrace the realm of society at a point forever sanctioned, which was set apart ancientlly as the point of integration, of spirit and matter, a neutral ground, overcoming old distinctions and living in a way true to your heart, to your divine purpose, as you gravitate continously toward a non linear realization which is somehow equally present at all parts, a different kind of intuitive intelligence which has always nurtured and governed the world, this way of being and knowing is a key place where miraculous things can occur. the elements are activated in full and begin to come together, you get used to putting them together, and notice the resonances between certain combinations, and the feeling of all in harmony, then again all of them dissolve away, and they are all one, all things are one, and love shines in all of them
the reality of these energies is overwhelming not only within but also without, the beauty of the spiritual path, and the jewish tradition is its mystical aspect of the fragmented self, of the self in mystical ecstasy, which speaks even from another mouth, even within the plants themselves, and the synchronicity of random events which orbit round our perception by some intricate law of energetic attraction/repellance yet we recognize it as the self, as I am, so is the world, as the world is so am I, let us breath, let us cultivate our energies positively, and fall to no false limit, attain our ambitions, and come to rest again in blessed harmony with nature and eternity though our wonder at the divine, which is everywhere...
it is percievable as the wayless way, which takes all things and makes them wander, causer of all senseless simple actions, and life lubricating poetries, elbow grease.
the actual trappings of ego are overcome and the underlying pattern which is the fundament of the self and existence becomes apparent, alive in every tradition, non tradition, and random expression, like the Great Mother, it is known to transform to any form which it need come in, most compassionately, (be wary for sometimes She is hard to recognize, and it is only later that we know, but all is part of the plan,) for to the One who sees truly all forms are equal and immaterial, to the One who sees truly the end of suffering and key to life is in this realization, the doorway to that expansive and loving realm, from which all good things come and all lessons are taught.
let us be as impermanent as possible in our doings and impressions, let us move like the wind, be rooted but spontaneous as the mushroom, by divine blessing reaching where few can, and bringing our experiences to synthesis, as wholeness in stories, and good vibes compassion and love for all which does end suffering, which does blossom unto the world, and is our true fruit, which comes naturally in the sequence of events, which shines through the obscuring fog like a warm light and brings life and good spirits, like a sacred dance, the fairy way, which is alive in every creature, all creations which were created, all to express the various aspects of the Oneness, and which dance in dreamlike peace, avatars of the inner processes of that One and come together in the end, and beginning in Wanti!
everything is important, nothing is inconsequential, all of our wonderings and questionings are divinely inspired, follow the heart and you later shall find what was deeply individual is actually shared at a higher place, in the true home, which in the current world is near yet far, fragmented, but applying the lessons we learn and through intent and practice it comes back together again and the world is healed.
we actually become the world, return our spirits to their true home within all things, we dance our dance of ecstasy in glee and humor and array of experiences to learn, but never truly forget our home, which is our solidarity and wisdom, and comfort, which we are always connected to, by remembering and opening the pathways again, it lives again strong as ever, and comes to us, alive and free, shaking from our heads the cobwebs, instilling in us the quiet earthy blessing of the seeds and cairns, remembering us to the fascinating and divine living equation of reality.
all is one in you, deep within is the essence and source of all things, where all meets in unity. |
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Yogic Judaism
