David A. Cooper - Ecstatic Kabbalah

Without the support and commitment of my life-partner, Shoshana, this book never could have been written. We have co-taught at dozens of retreats, and she has been steadfast in seeking authenticity and truth. She never wavers in naming things as they are, bringing clarity and wisdom. So, although I have written some words here, Shoshana is hidden under the print on every page and between every word. Indeed, that would be her teaching, to get into the spaces between wordsto learn how to be with the silence, the openness, the simplicity.

I also want to acknowledge our long-term students, who have been so important in the mutual discovery and development of spiritual practices that really are transformative when applied with dedication. All of the techniques that appear in this bookmany of which are being described in writing the first time everhave been refined over years of committed practice.

My deepest appreciation goes to the founder of Sounds True, Tami Simon, who came up with the idea for this book. Tami, an amazing innovator, consistently brings the highest level of excellence to her commitment to make available to the world the broadest audio collection of spiritual teachings on this planet. She is an inspiration to many as a wise woman, as well as being a sensitive, extraordinary corporate director who, as a committed spiritual seeker, does her best to bring higher consciousness into the way she manages her business and her life.

And, of course, to the entire staff of Sounds True, without whom Tamis vision could never be realized. Special thanks to Mitchell Clute and Aron Arnold, who helped in the editing of the book and the production of the CD that goes along with it.

Thanks and blessings to you all.

Kabbalah has long been perceived as a secret teaching available only to an elite group of people. While it is true that in the past one needed to have a working familiarity with Hebrew to study Kabbalah, the teachings have always been accessible to students who were interested in learning them. Moreover, during the past century, a large number of translations have been made available to readers with various backgrounds, and the mysterious wisdom teachings of Kabbalah can now be found in bookstores around the world.

There are two forms of kabbalistic study. One form continues to be dependent upon the Hebrew skills of the student, as it involves esoteric manipulations of letters, words, and phrases in an attempt to search out hidden secrets in the Bible. The other way does not have special prerequisites, for it is a method that directly links the interested student with his or her own inner wisdom. This direct experience can be accessed by anyone willing to undertake simple meditative practices. It has been used for thousands of years and is known today as ecstatic Kabbalah

Ecstatic Kabbalah is built upon the principal that the infinite light of universal truth is always present at all times. This ever-present light is not something that we need to acquire. That would be like trying to fill a bucket that is already completely immersed in the water. However, if the bucket has a tight cap that seals it, then it will be able to hold the water out. This example is appropriate to the kabbalistic teachings. We are always standing under an intense beam of light; however, we are sealed tight in our own sense of a separate self, and thus we experience an inner darkness and fail to realize that we are actually immersed in this light.

From a kabbalistic perspective, the body and mind of every individual have the potential of holding large amounts of the infinite light. Most of us, though, are not careful about what we bring into our minds and bodies, and we persist in a continuous ego inflation that keeps us sealed beneath veils of self-delusion. However, we can discover our inherent potential by undertaking fundamental meditative practices that quickly strengthen the body and mind in a way that the pervasive light immediately becomes sharper and more focused. A dark room can be lit by a single candle.

This book and its accompanying CD are designed to help individuals discover for themselves the power that lies within. The practices described are built upon techniques that Kabbalists have used for many centuries. They are quite powerful and yet can be undertaken by anyone who is sincerely committed to personal spiritual development. The simple Hebrew words or phrases that are used in some of the practices are easy to memorize and do not require any background. The benefits of working with these extraordinary practices will begin to reveal themselves fairly quickly. If you are willing to undertake a daily practice, the benefits will become increasingly stronger in a matter of months.

A sixteenth-century kabbalistic sage, Moses Cordovero, said: The ancient Jewish mystics had special methods of concentration which showed them how to cast off [the sense of] their physical bodies, and thereby strengthened their subtle minds in such a way as to apprehend the sublime, heavenly realms. This was the experience described by sages who practiced thousands of years ago. It continues to be available to us today.

Cordovero also said, If one wishes to acquire knowledge of God, he or she should concentrate in a special way ... and will then come to understand the hidden secrets of spirituality and will merge with the Divineattaining oneness. The goal of our practice is this oneness, the recognition that all of Creation is interconnected. This is an idea that is expressed in many ways, but it must be experienced deeply for anyone to realize its true meaning. Merging with the Divine goes beyond thoughts and concepts, but it is something that can be touched in the heart.

A teacher from the late thirteenth century, Rabbi Shem Tov ben Avraham Ibn Gaon, said that ones concentration can lead to discovering the secrets of the chariot, [the mystical vehicle that carries one] to have visions of God ... and he will look into his [own] mind like one who reads a book in which are written great wonders. Thus we are instructed to work with these methods with the promise that we can attain profound inner visions. The secrets are not something we learn from outside of ourselves but are to be discovered within our own minds.

There are dozens of hints in the writings of Jewish mystics that they engaged in contemplative practices to attain altered consciousness. Some of these writings go back millennia. There are Talmudic passages, written over two thousand years ago, that refer to the mystical holy chariot mentioned above by Rabbi Shem Tov, and that have restrictions as to who was qualified to receive these teachings and practices. While we know that there were many learned practitioners, it is also clear that there were warnings to keep practices secret, not to be taught to the masses.

This little book reveals a number of teachings that were held secret for centuries. The power of these teachings will not be experienced in merely reading the words. Indeed, one might wonder: Whats the big secret, anyway? The fact is that many of these teachings cannot be taught with words; they arise only from engaging the practices. If the reader simply reads and does not undertake the practices, very little will be gained.