Lekh-Lekha – Genesis 12:1-17:27

Oct 25 to 31, 2020 | 13 Heshvan 5781

Go To Yourself: Journeying into Essence

We, too, are Avram and Sarai. This parsha calls each of us to ask, “What is my purpose, and how can I move toward fulfillment in this moment?” From Or HaTorah, the expression Lekh Lekha literally means “go to yourself,” to your essence.

Let’s explore the Light this parsha shines on our capacity to journey from a multiplicity of outer forms to an awakened inner experience.

Go-you-forth from your land,

from your kindred,

from your father’s house. (Gen 15:1)

G’d is calling us to abandon our ordinary way of thinking, to ascend to a higher spiritual plane. Fortunately, we don’t need to leave home to do it. The door we stand before opens toward the One, uniting us with All.

Entering the Door of Trust

Already a spiritual adept seeking connection with the One Being, nonetheless, to deepen spiritually G’d called Avram (the Exalted) to leave the land of Haran, of ego-driven striving — ultimately, to enter the land of Unity (Israel). In the Journey from outer striving to trusting inner guidance, he becomes Avraham, the Exalted Father of Nations. And Sarai becomes Sara, the Princess. Name changes like these indicate spiritual transformation.

Be not afraid, Avram,

I am a delivering-shield to you,

your reward is exceedingly great.  (Gen 6:12)

You know the saying, “Trust in G’d and tie your camel?” In our modern, rational, goal-directed culture, more often than not we “tie our camel” but forget what’s most important, to trust G’d.

Seeing Beyond the Rational Mind

This parsha takes us beyond the rational mind to into the realm of direct experience – of Presence. Like Avram the smasher of Form, we are called to trust that which we cannot see. This invites me to contemplate, “What forms do I cling to, from material substance to mental concept?”

Occurrences out of the ordinary are a repeating theme in this parsha. When Hagar gave birth it was to be expected. But Sara giving birth in her 90’s could only happen through divine intervention. How many other examples of “beyond rational thought” are there in this parsha? Like Hagar, we are invited to touch the vibrational energy of Angels directly.

How can we connect with the interior world and, ultimately, bring this awareness into every day life?

Role of Conscience

The Covenant of Circumcision reminds us to “cut away” all that blocks our heart from connection with the One. The human capacity for conscience is a more subtle tool than simply discerning right from wrong. It is the fine-tuning that allows us to know whether or not we are acting from Love. Whether or not we are responding in Harmony to create Beauty. I see this as our Grand Mission and Purpose as human beings. How that plays out in each of us unfolds as we awaken and connect with the life beyond the duality of form.

The similarity of experience among mystical paths is striking. I wish to share with you the beautiful imagery of the Sufi poet, Fariduddin Attar. Living not far from Tehran in the twelfth century, he penned what is known as “The Conference of the Birds”:

O Goldfinch! … When you have burnt up your attachments the light of G’d will manifest itself more and more. Since your heart knows the secrets of G’d, remain faithful. When you have perfected yourself, you will no longer exist. But G’d will remain.

Rather than acting from willfulness, rather than striving toward a goal, we learn from this parsha to listen to divine direction. From the prayer Khatum, by Hazrat Inayat Khan:

Disclose to us Thy Divine Light, which is hidden in our souls, that we may know and understand life better.

For this week’s practices, we will seek to open the door to divine guidance. To continue our progression from the external to the internal, and ultimately, to bring the two together, in the marriage of heaven and earth. Individually and together, we can work to tame our willful self-centeredness that sometimes forgets, even denies, the world beyond our five senses. 

WEEKLY PRACTICES: Journey into the Unknown

With the Soul Manifestation Process, we set our intention to strengthen the movement of divine qualities in our lives. Experientially, we are actuating the Tree of Life within. For our practices this week, we’ll draw from the story Avram, who becomes Avraham, fulfilling his destiny to be the father of two great nations.

To open the door to the unknown and venture forth with a sense of trust and protection, we will follow these practices of breath, light and sound.

Suggestion: Do one practice a day, or do all 6 consecutively. Remember… have your Journal nearby to jot down any insights that may arise.

Audio Recording – Coming Soon

Breath:

Sitting comfortably with an upright spine, breathe in and out through your nose. Inhale deeply. Exhale completely, eliminating all of the spent air in your lungs. Inhale deeply and focus on your abdomen. Exhale completely. Inhale and focus on your chest, then exhale completely. Once more, inhale and focus on your forehead, and then exhale completely.

Breathing comfortably, imagine the light of the North Star, the clear light of guidance, filling your forehead. On the next breath, imagine this clear light filling your head. On the next breath, fill your upper body. And then your torso. And now, breathe in the clear light of guidance and exhale light all around you. As you continue to breath comfortably, feel this light of guidance enter through your forehead, and radiate outward in all directions.

With eyes closed, breathe in through the mouth as if sipping through a straw. Breathe out through the nose.  This is the purification breath of fire. Sense the warmth in your body. Focusing on the inhale, imagine you are breathing in light. Exhale through your nose, carrying away all impurities. 

Contemplation:

Following your breath, mentally recite these contemplations drawn from the words of this week’s parsha and from the Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Visualization:

With eyes closed, breathe in and out through the nose. Let your breath be gently and refined. Allow your breath to become shallow. Keep your body still. Breathe gently in and out through the nose.  This is the subtle breath of ether. In this refined state, imagine Light entering through the top of your head, your crown center. Breathe in Light through your crown, exhale Light through the palm of your hands. Allow yourself to receive any shift in awareness that happens. No effort; simply receive in stillness. When you are ready, open your eyes and breathe fully, deeply. Feel a sense of gratitude for the experience of stillness filled with Light. 

Sound:

Similar to mantra, to practice Wazifa is to repeat a Name (quality) of G’d. The meaning of the Name, which is encoded in the sound vibration, will be revealed to you through repetition and focus.

This week’s Sufi practice with sound vibration will focus on protection, shielding and connection wth G’d: Ya Wakil, Ya Qadir and Ya Wadud. 

As a starting point, we can say that Ya Wakil (yaa wa-KEEL) means to rely on G’d entirely. Ya Qadir (yaa KAA-dir) is the expression of divine purpose. Ya Wadud (yaa wa-DOOD) is divine love’s most intimate manifestation.

As you inhale, hold and exhale, softly repeat each Name out loud, 33 times. If you are practicing daily, see the suggestion in the table below. Afterward, feel the effects of the sound vibration on your being.

Zikr:

Meaning “remembrance”, Zikr is the repetition of a sacred phrase with the intention of returning to the essence of Unity. Continuing from last week, we will repeat the central Jewish prayer known as the Sh’ma.

In Hebrew:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד

Shema Yisrael YHWH Eloheinu YHWH Echad

The Sh’ma can be translated as: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one”. LORD is the unpronounceable four letter word יְהוָה – YHWH, the Name of G’d that can’t be named. Instead, we’ll use the word “Adonai“, meaning Lord, or “HaShem“, meaning The Name.

When practicing Zikr, it’s best to use the original language in which the prayer was revealed. As you inhale and exhale, softly repeat out loud, 33 times. Afterward, feel the effects of the vibration on your being.

Nature:

Excellent! Now it’s time to return to the every day world, refreshed, renewed and reconnected. Through out the day, in a quiet moment, ask yourself, “What is my purpose?”

When you wake up in the morning, recall this week’s practice. When do you feel most secure? When does fear arise? The next time you feel you are in need of courage and endurance, practice the fire purification breath. Breathe in the the mouth and out through the nose, feeling the heat of your body. What affect does that have on your emotions?

To develop trust, practicing gratitude turns the knob on the door. How can we recognize the support we receive now? Happiness is making a bouquet of flowers of those within reach. What’s in your reach right now? When we recognize the simple blessings – a comfortable bed, a full belly, a friend – the shift in perception is like the tuning of the harp. 

Shabbat Shalom!
After 6 days of practice, when Shabbat arrives, observe how this week’s practices shape your Shabbat experience. Be sure to check in Sunday morning for next week’s parsha.

You are invited to comment on how the contemplations and practices for this week have shaped your experience of daily life… any big Ah-ha’s? Please share your thoughts and feelings below.

חַיִּים
L’Hayyim…. To Life!