The Kabalah of Secret
Over the past several months, a new movie called "The Secret" has
been
generating growing attention and excitement across America and beyond.
If you haven't heard about it yet, chances are you will. It's a
phenomenon.
According to the film's producers, an eclectic group of visionaries,
authors, motivational speakers and internet millionaires, The
"Secret"
is the so-called "Law of Attraction". This "Law" states
that our
thoughts and emotions, if we hold them consistently enough, will
generate our physical reality.
Is The Secret real? Yes, as far as it goes. But there's far more to
the story than that. The phenomenon of The Secret, as exciting as it
may be, is only a tiny part of the vast cosmic transformation that was
predicted by the Torah thousands of years ago.
Geula – Seeing Through Walls
"In the sixth century of the sixth millennium, the gates of supernal
wisdom will be opened, as will the springs of earthly wisdom,
preparing the world to be elevated in the seventh millennium." Zohar
"And the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d like water
covers the ocean bed." (Isaiah 11:9)
According to the Hebrew calendar, this is year 5767 since the creation
of the world. We are living in the times of which the Zohar speaks.
That's why so many things are becoming possible that were never
possible before.
When G-d created our world He concealed within it a vast reservoir of
untapped spiritual and physical potential. This latent potential is
now beginning to assert itself in virtually every area of life.
Whether in technology, medicine, science, psychology, or the
ever-accelerating search for spirituality and meaning, new boundaries
are being broken every day. This is no accident; it is a sign of the
times.
In these amazing times there are fewer limits than ever before on what
human beings can experience and achieve. G-d is giving us a glimpse of
the infinity that lies beyond the walls – a glimpse that points to the
underlying oneness and purpose beneath the surface of our diverse and
conflicted world.
As we get closer and closer to the times when, as the prophets say,
"The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as water covers
the ocean bed", it becomes easier and easier to sense those vast,
uncharted depths. And the more we relate to that underlying reality,
the more we can see it poking through.
The Torah tells us that "ein od milvado" – there is in actuality
nothing here but G-d.
Great tzadikim, holy people profoundly in touch with this deeper level
of truth, have often been able to create miracles at will. Undeceived
by the apparent reality of our separateness, by the seemingly
immutable limitations of the natural order, they have the power to
"see through the walls" and access higher planes of existence,
creating or shifting physical circumstances from their spiritual source.
However, for ordinary people, trapped within physical bodies in a
physical world, it has always been a great challenge to experience
this deeper truth as a tangible reality. But that was then. This is now.
In these times, poised, as we are, at the edge of history, moments
before the final geula (Redemption)
people to begin to see through the walls. That means that you and I
have far more power than ever before to access the realm of the
miraculous in every aspect of our lives.
G-d's relationship with us has always been in a sense like a game of
hide and seek. He conceals Himself in the illusion of separateness and
the fragmented, confusing details of life and waits for us to find
Him. But in these times, more than ever before, He lets us choose the
rules of the game.
When we refuse to allow the limitations of our emotional tendencies
and physical circumstances to get in the way of our relationship with
G-d, of our trust, our confidence, our creativity, our joy, G-d
responds in kind. Life becomes miraculous, unbounded by those
limitations. We become partners in Creation.
That is our destiny.
You and G-d – Two Partners in Creation
"Know that everything above" - all that transpires in the spiritual
realm - is "from you," [dependent on your conduct]." The Maggid
of
Mezeritch
The physical world, although it experiences itself as separate and
sourceless, is actually only the end of the long "chain of
creation".
Like the tip of an iceberg, which is the visible part of a vast
mountain of ice concealed below the water, our physical reality is the
crudest, most visible manifestation of its underlying spiritual
source. Far from being separate, whatever happens in the physical
world is simply an expression of what is happening on the spiritual
plane.
Like every relationship, this works in two directions, each mirroring
the other. Just as the spiritual reality inevitably expresses itself
in the physical world, our thoughts and actions here below have a very
powerful effect on the spiritual realms. And by the same token, once
there is a change in the spiritual realms, there will automatically be
a corresponding change in the physical world as well.
That means that by changing our thoughts, emotions and actions, we
change our world.
The Infinite Power of Joy
"When man below is of a "radiant countenance" and filled with
joy and
gladness, he then draws down upon himself the same qualities from
Above." Zohar (II, p. 184b)
"Joy breaks through barriers." The Rebbe
"Joy breaks through all the boundaries of golus (exile). "The Rebbe
Kabbalah and Chassidus explain that the greatest channel for accessing
this miraculous power is joy. True, each of us has our "nature", the
ingrained beliefs and tendencies that limit and define our choices in
life. However, joy – simcha - breaks through those ordinary
limitations within you, allowing you to express yourself in ways your
everyday nature does not allow. In the same way, in the macrocosm, joy
breaks through the limitations of the entire natural order, allowing a
more transcendent, unlimited light to flow into the world. This light
affects not just you, but the world around you as well.
Since everything you feel is mirrored Above, your joy and happiness
not only expands you beyond your own boundaries, it causes G-d to go
beyond His own "nature" and pour additional blessings into the
world.
Trust, a Channel for Divine Blessings
"Tracht gut, vet zein gut! (think good and it will be good)" the
Tzemach Tzedek, third Rebbe of Chabad
"Blessed is he who puts his trust in G-d, for G-d will be his
security." (Jeremiah 17:7)
The Rebbe explains that there is a fundamental difference between
emunah, faith, and bitachon, trust. Faith is the unshakeable belief
that everything comes from G-d, and that everything G-d does is for
the good. Trust, however, is more than just belief. Trust is the
certainty that the good that G-d bestows will come out in a way that
feels good to you.
Faith will profoundly affect your outlook and behavior, but it won't
necessarily change your heart. Trust is different. Trust alters your
feelings. Trust makes you happy.
When you truly trust in G-d, you feel like a very small child in the
care of loving parents. The child knows that his parents will take
good care of him. He assumes, without even thinking about it, that he
will always have more than enough of what he needs in every area of
life. A trusting child has no cause whatsoever for worry or anxiety.
He feels happy, peaceful and secure.
By the time most of us have passed early childhood we've learned all
too much about failure, disappointment and fear. That innocent,
heartfelt trust is gone. No matter how much faith we have in G-d's
goodness or love, most of us no longer have the childlike certainty
that everything will turn out just fine.
Paradoxically, that's what makes trust, bitachon, so very powerful.
It means letting go of all of your doubts, worries and fears, even
when they seem to make so very much sense according to the natural
order of things. To trust means to simply connect to G-d's infinite
love and goodness, knowing absolutely He will not let you down, that
He will make sure that you're safe and well provided for NO MATTER
WHAT. From the perspective of this kind of trust, it doesn't matter
whether the solution to your troubles seems impossible to achieve. It
doesn't even matter whether you deserve to have things change or not.
Obviously, as a responsible human being you should do your part as
best you can – but knowing that success does not depend on you.
Total trust, if it is real, can't help but make you happy. But there's
more to it than that.
Your authentic, unconditional trust comes from a very deep place in
your soul, and is very precious to G-d. When you trust in this way,
you have gone beyond the illusion of separateness. You have raised
yourself, in a sense, higher than the limits of the physical world and
connected yourself directly to your Creator. This one action is so
profoundly powerful that it will bring blessings, even miraculous
blessings, into your life - even if you may not fully deserve them.
The Rest of the Story
"All delicacies will be like dust" (Maimonides, Laws of Kings
(referring to the time of Redemption)
Like the myriad breakthroughs in communication, medicine, science and
technology, the phenomenon of The Secret is just another manifestation
of an accelerating spiritual transformation.
As we continue to move closer to the Climax of History – the Ultimate
Redemption – the physical and spiritual planes continue to move more
and more into alignment and our thoughts have an ever more profound
and direct effect on our reality. However, once again, this is only a
small piece of the story. What we can accomplish and where we are
going is far more profound and complex than that.
Maimonides, in his Laws of Kings, says that in these times "all
delicacies will be like dust". On the surface that means that just as
dust is infinitely plentiful, there will be great physical abundance.
Those material luxuries that were once scarce, reserved for people of
great power and influence, will be available to ordinary people. For
most of us this has already begun to come true.
However, there is a deeper explanation as well. In our times, at the
Climax of History, we have the power – and the obligation – to look
beyond the struggle for survival, beyond the elusive lure of status,
success and material prosperity, toward pleasures and possibilities
that are far more compelling and real. We are in the midst of an
ongoing and accelerating journey toward consciousness. That is why
"all delicacies will be like dust". Not only will they be plentiful,
but they will be relatively valueless – like dust – compared to the
far greater and more exciting pleasures in store.
Yes, we can communicate instantaneously with anyone in the world. Yes,
we can send people into space. Yes, we can create medical miracles.
Yes, we can crack the genetic code. And yes, we can attract material
abundance into our lives, far more easily than ever before. And all of
those things have great value. They are all fulfillment of prophecy,
and bring us closer to our ultimate destiny, a world that is full of
joy, goodness, abundance and G-dliness for everyone, forever.
But the real question is not how much we can get, but how far we can
go; how we can use these newfound abilities to bring the world – and
ourselves - even more quickly toward our ultimate destiny.
Kabbalah and Chassidus hold the keys to unlocking this treasure house
of human potential. As the Blueprint for Creation, it is what will
allow us to break through our unique challenges and access our
unprecedented opportunities. It will help us to fulfill our purpose
and meet our destiny.
That's where the ultimate Secret lies.
The phenomenon of The Secret reflects a growing recognition that
everything in the physical world has a spiritual source, and that
through connecting with that source we can change our lives and our
world. To learn much more about what Kabbalah has to say about The
Secret and the amazing possibilities of our times, click here to
register for the new two-hour class, Kabbalah of the Secret at
http://www.Kabbalah
