Spirituality
Right now, I’m reading Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah edited by Gershom Scholem.
It’s a relatively short book, actually, but fairly challenging. It looks at the Kabbalah in brief and tantalizing detail. As a non-Jew, it’s an interesting look at the more hidden meanings behind Jewish scripture. Though, to be honest, I think there are many Jews who don’t know much about the Kabbalah, much the same way many Christians don’t know much about the Book of Revelations.
The allegorical meanings of seemingly simple verses open whole new worlds of thought for me. The explanation of the creation story in mythic terms reveals whole new vistas of meaning and nuance. It has effected me in a profound and deep way. New spiritual possibilities have been opened to me. I don’t normally get into that kind of personal stuff on this site, but it’s really made me think about some things.
These are troublesome days, I think. The economy is in doubt. There is war and violence in the world which, no matter how justifiable, is always a little frightening. My life is in a constant state of flux and doubt. So, where do I turn for help in sorting things out? Toward a spiritual source of comfort. And, these days, I don’t limit myself to the Bible. So, I’m reading a book on the Kabbalah and, sometimes, I go to 365 Zen : Daily Readings to find inspiration. Sometimes, I just sit by our ponds and try to listen for whatever voice may come out of the vastness of the Universe to help me.
In any case, my point is that I’m trying to enrich my spiritual life so that the rest of my life doesn’t seem as frightening and doubtful. So far, it’s helped.
