Friday, May 20, 2005

Rules of Study

We call upon Napa Naidu Apasai now for some instruction in terms of how to go about understanding a difficult portion of Torah, the Zohar or the Bahir. He was called the Moroccan Menorah. His times were filled with adventure and high wisdom. We are pleased to have him with us on this day.

"First of all learn to study Torah with a light touch. Sometimes even a sense of humor will prevail where serious introspection will leave you wanting. These books we study and make so much of are woven tapestries of human thought. As such they are filled with threads of meanings which overlap sometimes blurring the brilliance lying beneath all of these layers. Consider yourself a diver of mysteries unafraid to go deeply into those pools of dark water that await your probing of their depths. What you intend to find are the ways in which you may live a better life. It is truly this simple. The practical operation of Kabbalah was never meant to obscure the meaning but came as a result of guarding these secrets from eyes who were only too ready to condemn at the least sign of blasphemy. It is amazing that the knowledge came through at all but thanks to the inventions of numerous kabbalists the secrets of kabbalah may be revealed with persistent and directed study.
Napa Naidu Apasai's Seven Rules of study:
     Begin with a map of what you expect to find and expect to find your connection with the Holy One, the Ultimate Connection, the Divine Inspiration and expect to feel what you find in the entire energy body you inhabit.

  •     1) Read the references to Torah and the commentary and then look for the connection with your Heart's Desire.
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  •     2)If it doesn't at first appear step back. Look for secondary or tertiary meanings. Sometimes you will have to dig deeply here. The effort you make will be rewarded because the brilliance is most certainly there.
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  •     3)Any of these writings will lead you to connection. Even those which appear contradictory on the surface. By all means get beyond these surface meanings such as when there are battles taking place and there is action which you would not call spiritual.

  •     4) Leviticus could be aptly named the labyrinth of Judaism. The laws in their complexity conceal a much deeper meaning. Most will not penetrate this labyrinth becoming mesmerized by the detail and specific instructions given there. Most will not go deeper but you will prevail.

  •     5)Keep uppermost in mind that this is a journey and that in parts of this journey there will be a jungle that is overgrown to content with. Amongst your spiritual gear have with you at all time your spiritual compass and let it lead you to connection. This spiritual compass always points within towards your Totality of Being.

  •      6)Study these sacred texts and any text where connection is the end in sight not as a scholar but as a child who is looking for the bright colored stones in the garden. Study by uncovering with gleeful abandon the overgrown path in this garden where the gems of wisdom are to be found in scattered places around a fountain.


  •      7)Be practical in your approach. You will know you have found a gem by the delight it brings you. You will feel the connection and you will be able to work in your new understanding immediately into your everyday life. This understanding you find deep within is for this moment. Every world to come that you are preparing for is simply another moment of discovery.
  • Wednesday, May 18, 2005

    A Parable

    This story takes place in El Jadida, on the western coast of Africa, in Morrocco.
    This is where a little known Kabbalist by the name of Napu Naidu Apasaid took up residence in the 14th Century. A tale is told about his travels during the time between Passover and Shavuot.
         One morning Napu awoke under a tree filled with colorful leaves. He had paused there the night before to rest and so hadn't noticed the colorful leaves.
         "What is this miracle I see before me. Never have I ever seen a tree with such beautiful colored leaves." He walked away from the tree and the leaves became a normal shade of green. He walked back under the tree and the leaves turned marvelous shades of blue, gold, orange and red. At first he thought it must be a trick of the light but then he verified that the sun had yet to fully rise over the hills beyond the forest.
         "I must give thanks for this wonder that I do not know." The instant he said this out loud the wind blew and caused the leaves to blend together all in a shimmering white light. The white light highlighted a corridor where Napu could see people laughing and beckoning to him.
         "Here goes nothing," he said plunging into the vortex formed by the white light. At the other end he met men and women who were all scholars of the Torah. They were laughing and talking loudly to one another. One moment there was silence and then everyone clapped their hands for the wonderful revelation which was given. Looking around Napu looked for all of the famous sages and prophets including the forefathers and Moses. He was led to a stream by a woman of timeless beauty. As he refreshed himself, he asked, "Where are all the famous sages of the Torah?"
         "Oh they are here only they don't have to show themselves any longer. Here we are all equal in Torah. In fact I think I met one of them once, Elijah I think he was called but he didn't stay long enough to get to know him. Everything is different here. We don't have to worry about rules or what something means. Torah is revealed here in every moment. There are no arguments and no reputations to be made. That is for another world. All all souls here participate and study Torah. Perhaps you would like to see our Torah.
         "Of course," he said as he was handed a Torah. It was a book much shorter than the one he was used to.
         "What happened here? Where is the rest of the Torah?" He asked now standing up by the clear stream he had taken a drink from.
         "Oh it's all there. You see we just took the good parts. Everything else we left out."
         "You can do that?" He asked incredulously.
         "Look around you," we can just about do anything here. Napu saw people floating past him, some slowly and some so fast their forms were blurs against the background of the forest. "Remember to become that which you are seeking and do not lose sight of the one." The lights grew fainter and then Napu was back inside of the forest by the many colored tree. Her voice faded. She was no longer there when he turned to look. From that moment on, he knew how to travel weightlessly through the air. There were many things that he learned as well as many stories about his travels. This was one of those stories.