The Shambhala Guide to Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism

by BESSERMAN, PERLE

• ISBN13: 9781570622151
• ISBN10: 1570622159
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-01-20
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

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 incorporating the ancient wisdom of Jewish mysticism to life in the world of today.

Author Biography

A descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, Perle Besserman has studied Jewish mysticism with Rabbis Zvi Yehuda Kook and Aryeh Kaplan. She has written several books on mysticism, including Kabbalah: The Way of the Jewish Mystic (published under the name Perle Epstein), and is the editor of an anthology in Shambhala Pocket Classics, The Way of the Jewish Mystics. She presents workshops on women's spirituality around the United States and in Europe.

Table of Contents

Pronunciation Guide	xi
Introduction	1	(8)
What Is Kabbalah?	1	(4)
Preparing to Practice	5	(2)
The Kabbalist Community	7	(1)
The Goal	8	(1)
1. The Kabbalistic Universe	9	(19)
The Map of the Chariot	10	(2)
The Map of the Body of God	12	(1)
The Map of Sefirot	13	(6)
The Four Archetypal Worlds	19	(1)
Ascending and Descending	19	(5)
The Map of Letters	24	(4)
2. Jewish Meditation	28	(25)
Meditation Techniques	30	(3)
Gazing	31	(1)
Chanting	32	(1)
Listening	32	(1)
Meditation on the Sefirot	33	(2)
Letter Meditation	35	(10)
Prayer as Meditation	45	(8)
3. The Teacher-Disciple Relationship	53	(23)
The Israelite Nation	53	(4)
Mystical Companions	57	(2)
The Tannaitic Sages	59	(3)
Medieval Mystics	62	(4)
The Mystics of Safed	66	(5)
The Hasidim	71	(5)
4. Correspondences	76	(26)
The Ten Stages of Meditation	76	(5)
The Faces of God:	81	(3)
The Holy Ancient One	81	(2)
The Small Face	83	(1)
The Tetragrammaton	84	(1)
Creation	85	(1)
Measuring the Body	86	(1)
The Throne	87	(1)
The Heavenly Chamber	87	(15)
5. Kabbalah and Everyday Life	102	(11)
Raising the Sparks	102	(3)
Sexuality	105	(2)
Food	107	(3)
Purity	110	(1)
Kabbalah and Mainstream Judaism	110	(3)
6. Kabbalah and the Supernatural	113	(11)
The Golem	114	(1)
Reincarnation	115	(6)
Spirit Guides	121	(3)
7. Instructions for Beginning Meditation	124	(15)
Yesod/Foundation	124	(1)
Assiah/Action	125	(1)
Yetzirah/Formation	126	(5)
Gazing	126	(1)
Listening	126	(1)
Swallowing	127	(1)
Binding	127	(1)
Climbing	128	(1)
Building	129	(1)
Timing	130	(1)
Sanctifying	130	(1)
Atzilut/Emanation	131	(5)
Cosmic Dancing	131	(1)
The Still, Small Voice	132	(1)
Meditation on Incense	132	(1)
Gerushin (Contemplation)	133	(1)
Shefa (Divine Influx)	134	(1)
Shema (Hear O Israel)	134	(2)
Beriah/Creation	136	(3)
Tzeruf (Permutation)	136	(1)
Hagah (Chanting)	136	(1)
Chakikah (Engraving)	137	(1)
Chatzivah (Hewing)	138	(1)
8. Kabbalah for the Twenty-first Century	139	(8)
Secularism	140	(2)
New Directions	142	(2)
Family and Community	144	(1)
No-thingness in a World of Things	145	(2)
Suggestions for Further Reading	147	(4)
Index	151