The Consciousness of Mashiach
Sunday, January 24, 2016
From Bereishit A, 283. At that time, Israel (the
elect) shall each merit to receive their soulmate. Thus, it is written: "A
new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you..."
(Ezekiel 36:26), and "your sons and daughters shall prophesy..."
(Joel 3:1). These are the new souls that shall appear among Israel (the elect)
in the future, as is stated: Messiah son of David shall not come until all
souls of the body are exhausted, referring to the old souls. Only then shall
New Souls come. (The Unabridged English Translation of the Zohar)
In the Sefer Yetzirah,
Mishna 2:5, one finds a discussion in the commentaries on the formation of
a golem - an image of a human being made of clay or other natural substance,
which is then brought to life, but not having a human soul. There are three
principle levels of interpretation of this Mishna,
one of which concerns the distinction of the bestial versus the spiritual human
being.
Many Jewish mythologies have played upon the idea of the
golem in the creation of Adam, for according to several schools of thought Adam
is formed by the malachim but without
a living soul. Accordingly, unknown to the malachim
the Most High entered in and breathed the living soul into Adam, and the
"golem" became a human being. In other words, the potential human
life-form was generated by the natural order, but the Gift of a Fiery
Intelligence and Living Soul comes from the Divine Order. In general, from a Kabbalistic
perspective, the present humanity on the collective level stands in a twilight
zone between the completely bestial state and the completely spiritual state -
the state of a golem and the state of an authentic human being.
Essentially, the soul as it manifests in the ordinary and
unenlightened person is almost completely a product of karmic conditioning,
just as is the body and life that appears in the material dimension. Thus, the Nefesh and lower Ruach, apart from the actual influence of the holy Neshamah, does not actually reflect or
bear the Light-power of the Supernal Soul - while perhaps the potential of the
soul of Light exists within all peoples, it is not actualized and realized and,
in effect, does not exist. In this sense, the soul as it manifests in the vast
majority of humankind is a product of the dominion of the strictly natural
order which is beastial or animalistic in its quality. Only through the
influence of the Neshamah, which
generates the upper Ruach - the true
human spirit or intelligence, is the soul of Light activated and realized, thus
entering in. In effect, it is the reception of a New Soul, and it leads to a
radical transformation in consciousness, and the personality and life-display.
Thus, frequently in the teachings we hear of the sons and
daughters of Darkness and the sons and daughters of Light; by children of
Darkness is meant those who have not yet brought the soul of Light into
themselves. This is clearly the case in the midst of humanity bound to herd
consciousness as yet - the true individuation and enlightenment of many has yet
to begin.
Correctly we can say that the Supernal Soul, which consists
of Neshamah, Chayah and Yechidah, is
an expression of the Soul of the Mashiach
(Messiah) - that the inmost part of our soul, the soul of Light, is Messiah.
The Messiah is not so much a single person separate and apart from ourselves,
but is who and what we most truly are in our inmost being. Thus, quite
naturally, only when a greater part of humanity embodies their Supernal Soul -
their soul of Light, will the coming of Mashiach
transpire. For the true Messianic Era is the dawn of supernal or Messianic consciousness
in a larger segment of humanity on earth.
Now in this passage the term "soulmate" may be
understood in a number of ways. Obviously, it may be understood as ones ideal
male or female counterpart - one's soulmate in the typical sense. Yet, it may
also imply a great soul from among the elder races - the soul of a great
tzaddik or maggid, with which one's soul of Light has an affinity, and with
which one might be able to merge and thus bring into incarnation. Essentially,
this can be one way in which Holy or Enlightened Ones can help facilitate the
enlightenment and liberation of other soul-streams. Likewise, it can be a way
of bringing in a greater influx of Light during dark and perverse times to help
establish some balance in the play of forces. Thus, in effect, the soul
"mates" itself with a great soul, and embodies something of the holy
sparks of that great soul.
To understand this teaching one must consider the nature of
a kavanah, and the power of the
focused mind, heart and life on a single view by which radical changes are
brought about in the apparent flow of "reality." One must consider
one's own experiences of the Light-continuum and Light-presence, and the
affects/effects on space-time-consciousness when the Light-continuum is
engaged. There might be something quite literal in these teachings from an experiential
perspective - though not literal as a concept apart from the actual experience
of the Continuum. Given many of the experiences in the Continuum, would it be
fanciful to propose one could enter into the Continuum and exist it with a New
Soul?
Perhaps this might speak of a gradual process of
self-transformation, but it may also speak of a more radical and swift
self-transformation, like a thunderbolt enlightenment, as it is called.
Something of this very principle is operating in the Tibetan Tulku phenomenon:
Is the reincarnation of the old Lama always actually found, or often times is a
soul having an affinity found with which such an enlightened soul might merge?
Indeed, these teachings do relate to the idea of the Living
Presence and Power of all realized individuals of the past, present and future
embodied in each individual who becomes fully self-realized, and all becoming
enlightened in the one, as the one in all. It is this basic truth upon which
this method of acquiring a New Soul is founded - it is an expression of this
truth. Though we must say, there are specific conditions necessary for this
particular lightening flash method, without which it is less effective. The
foundation of these conditions is a complete self-offering to the Holy One,
Blessed be He.
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