Kabbalah in the Philippines via The Kabbalah Centre

Last night, my wife and I attended a free introductory talk on the Kabbalah courtesy of the Philippine chapter of The Kabbalah Centre. It was held at the classy Bonifacio High Street branch of Fully Booked. I'd just like to go on a slight tangent here. I must say that the Fully Booked branch in Bonifacio High Street is practically the mecca of bookstores for the whole Philippines, which is saying a lot, considering the lack of titles and the almost intentional missing volumes among multi-volume works prevalent in bookstores here. It's a virtual cornucopia of book titles and choices, and while still no Barnes & Noble, you could leave a bookaholic like me there the whole day and I'd be oblivious to the world (either that or I'd get a nervous breakdown trying to decide which book to buy first). It also conveniently houses a Starbucks at the third floor so you can have coffee and dessert without having to go far from those beloved books. If I won the lottery, that bookstore branch is one of the places where you'd likely find me. The only other bookstore branch that comes close is the National Bookstore building in Cubao (beside Gateway Mall), but that branch has a greater proportion of trade and college books and school supplies, and it doesn't have the same "I want to stay here" ambience as the Fully Booked one.

Going back on topic, ever since embarking on the path of esoteric spirituality, I've always been interested in the Kabbalah. I've already read several books on Kabbalah and the Tree of Life, including a couple of good ones like The Spiritual Essence of Man by Master Choa Kok Sui and Kabbalah for the Modern World by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. However, interactive instruction from a teacher is still different, that's why when the opportunity for a free talk came up, I grabbed the opportunity to attend. Of course, I already knew that they would likely just give a short overview of Kabbalah and then invite the attendees to enroll in their courses and/or buy their books (which was how it happened). Still, I wanted to find out what they were all about. Besides, it was an excuse to get out of the house in the middle of the week.

From my research on the Internet, it turns out a lot of people know the Kabbalah Centre as the organization that counts Madonna, Ashton Kuscher, Lindsay Lohan and other famous personalities as members. Actually, shame on me because I never knew that tidbit about them. Then again, it's not as if I'm a die-hard fan of those stars anyway.

I didn't know there was a Kabbalah Centre in the Philippines, and actually there isn't. The local chapter is just a study group that was formed about 2-1/2 years ago and they just meet weekly and receive instruction from a teacher via Skype webcast (how modern can you get). However, the study group is still big enough to be recognized in the Kabbalah Centre website.The reason they hosted a free talk was in order to entice enough volume of students to expand the Philippine chapter into a full-blown Centre with its own instructors, classrooms, etc.

Upon entering the talk venue, it seemed the Philippine chapter was living up to the reputation of its international counterpart because my wife immediately identified several TV hosts and other media personalities who were members and mentors, while the others were obviously from the "A" crowd by the way they talked and dressed. Those in attendance were not to be outdone as other famous personalities were also sighted. As the other guests started filing in, I jokingly told my wife that we were probably the most underdressed that evening. This was no ordinary talk, it was a power meeting calling out to the creme of Philippine society.

Finally, the webcast started. On the screen was Nikki (I won't mention her last name to protect her privacy), a young Filipina-American working as a full time instructor at the Kabbalah Centre (Los Angeles). She is the one assigned to oversee the Philippine study group and I must say I admire her dedication (it was 4 a.m. in L.A. by the time the webcast started).

A lot of what was discussed I had already encountered not only through the books I've read but also through my exposure to pranic healing and Arhatic Yoga. My interest lies more with the mystical Kabbalah, but I got the impression that the Kabbalah Centre was more concerned with the principles of Kabbalah (at least among the lower courses) and how it applies to your daily outlook and attitude in life. Since the Philippine chapter seems to be at the level of the lower courses, it doesn't seem that I would be able to get to the topics that I'm really interested in. Even the Tree of Life and the sephiroth are topics for higher courses, way beyond beginner level. Nothing wrong with their emphasis, in fact it's great, but it's just a difference in focus. Still, I liked how Nikki explained the subject matter and how she answered the various questions fielded by the audience.

At the end of the talk, I didn't sign up for their course, but being in a bookstore, I did pick up a few of the books published by the Kabbalah Centre as well as other related titles found in that branch (I made Fully Booked quite happy that night). It's not that I'm not interested in what the Kabbalah Centre has to offer. Studying something that approaches a subject from a different perspective is always nice, so that you can compare it with what you are currently doing, but it was simply the practical considerations of time and cost that I had to weigh. I'm already quite involved with pranic healing and Arhatic Yoga, so that already takes up a lot of my time. I was glad I went, though, since I was able to browse the book titles not normally available in other branches or other bookstores.

I hope they succeed in putting up a Centre here. One of the ushers told me that her previously horrible boyfriend totally changed after studying the Kabbalah, that's why she got into it as well. The emcee also mentioned an increase in her spirituality after getting into the Kabbalah, so any system that has that effect can't be a bad one at all. And if they get enough of the creme of Philippine society into it, hopefully it would start a positive change among its members that can eventually trickle into that portion of high society that controls and governs the Philippines, so that we can have the beginnings of societal change that everyone is praying for.

On Symbolism and Works of Wisdom

Many esoteric teachings are couched in symbolism and allegories that only make sense to the initiated or to the disciples of a spiritual teacher (when the teacher deems the disciple ready to learn the deeper teachings of a story). This is easily illustrated in the Bible when Jesus would speak in parables to the crowd but would later explain the meaning of a parable to his disciples.

Based on the writings of Master Choa Kok Sui, he explained that many spiritual teachings were kept hidden from the masses because people of long ago could not easily understand these inner teachings. Before the modern era, most people were concerned with day-to-day survival and the proportion of educated people was much smaller, so there was a point to hiding the different teachings in the guise of parables, stories and fairy tales that use everyday elements that ordinary people can easily grasp. 

An example of this is the story of Sleeping Beauty. Prince Charming kisses Sleeping Beauty to wake her up, which refers to the divine energy "kissing" the sleeping kundalini energy at the base of the spine to awaken it. Kundalini is attributed with the female aspect, while divine energy is attributed with the male aspect, hence Prince Charles (the male) waking up Sleeping Beauty (the female). The mom of one of my friends is an astrologer and she told me that if one thoroughly studied the mythologies, many nuggets of knowledge and wisdom can be pried from them if you know how to unlock the symbolism.

The inner teachings are kept hidden not only due to difficulty of understanding, but also to protect the teachings from those who would abuse them. In a way we are blessed because many of these inner teachings are increasingly made available to the public as the educational formation of the masses has increased. Of course, not everyone believes in anything beyond the physical, and among those who do believe in something more, some are shackled by the religious dogma imprinted on them since childhood.  This inevitably serves as a barrier to those who are not yet ready for these inner teachings.

However, intellectual capacity is not the only reason for the spread of these teachings. Based on the various material I've read, the world is being prepared for a convergence of forces that requires the knowledge of these teachings. In one sense it's discomfitting, but on the other hand, any change is bound to be painful at first, but thanked for later on. If you are indeed the recepient of even a small part of these teachings, then reflect on Matthew 13:10-17, which goes:

"Then the disciples went up to him and asked, 'Why do you talk to them in parables?' In answer, he said, 'Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted.  Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has.  The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. 
So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled: Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and look, but never perceive!  This people's heart has grown coarse, their ears dulled, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me. 'But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it." (emphasis mine)

This is only the start of the journey however, as knowing is not the same as understanding. Again going back to the Bible example, Jesus kept alluding to his death and resurrection all throughout the Gospels but the disciples never really made sense of it until after it all happened. Always pray for divine help, guidance and protection and be humble, so that you may always stay on the correct path.

Child-like Innocence

A couple of esoteric works I've read mention that the incipient student must have the same child-like quality mentioned by Jesus in the Bible.  There are three instances where Jesus makes reference to a child and the Kingdom of God. They are found in Matt 18:1-6, Matt 19:14 and Luke 18:16-17. There is also a similar reference in the Gospel of Thomas (obviously not included in the Bible), but I think the passage from Luke 18:16-17 sums it up best: "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein (emphasis mine)." You may visit Wikipedia for the relevant passages.

There are many different ways that one can interpret the statement above. One way of looking at it is that children are easy to teach because their minds are not clouded with the prejudices and crystallized behavioral patterns most often associated with adults. On another level, children are more trusting and innocent, hence lessons and experiences are easily imprinted upon them. And on the next level, the Kingdom of God is pure and rejects anything impure (Law of Attraction again: like attracts like) therefore one should be as pure in thought and character as a child, in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

The importance of the above passage was brought home to me because of my wife's experience this morning. I usually wake up earlier than her in order to do my daily exercises and meditations. While I was lying down on the bed doing some stretching, my wife was beside me but half-awake. Then she saw a disembodied face of a woman looking down at me. The features were beautiful and of white complexion with long, black and kinky hair. But then my wife suddenly felt a stab of fear at the thought of seeing an apparition then the face shrank to about the size of the palm of the hand and changed into that of a child but dark-skinned with short kinky hair, like what an Aeta would look like (in the Philippines, the Aeta are an indigenous tribal people found in the mountains of Northern Luzon), although the features were still beautiful and harmless. My wife gave out a short cry and that's when I shook her awake.

Based on that experience, I just thought that when seeing things in the inner world, fear, misconceptions or prejudices can distort one's vision of a true, beautiful thing into a form that matches your preconceived notions of what you "should be" seeing. And that's how I remembered the parable of Jesus and how we should see with the eyes of a child, in order to properly perceive the inner world.

Climbing the Ladder: Thoughts on Arhatic Yoga

Some of you may have noticed that I sometimes make reference to the term "Arhatic Yoga" in a couple of my posts. I cannot really divulge any details since I'm not authorized to make any statements about it, but so that you are not left scratching your head everytime you hear the term, I guess it would be safe enough to stick to generalities and how it relates to my life.

Arhatic Yoga was also founded by Master Choa Kok Sui. Developed concurrently with pranic healing, it was a work in progress even as he was busy spreading pranic healing in the late 80's. Currently, it is one of the optional higher courses offered at certain pranic healing centers around the world. You need to have taken at least the first three pranic healing courses (Basic, Advanced and Psychotherapy) including the course on Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul.

As the name implies, it is a synthesis of different yoga systems. The goal of Arhatic Yoga is to accelerate one's spiritual development, a statement that would be difficult to understand on its deeper level to someone not already familiar with esoteric teachings. That alone is already a lengthy topic, so I will not dwell on it here, but hopefully you will get a glimpse of what I mean in the next few paragraphs.

If you will notice, the different yoga systems deal with certain aspects of  one's nature. Many are already familiar with hatha yoga, which develops the physical body through certain exercises. Then there's raja yoga, that deals with the mind; karma yoga, that deals with action, and so on. Since Arhatic Yoga is a synthesis of all these systems, then you get the idea that Arhatic Yoga deals with developing and harmonizing the totality of one's being.

Anyone familiar with yoga would know about kundalini, mudras, meditations, etc. But these are methods and effects. The real core, for me, are the purifications (outer and inner, which includes character development). Unlocking the potentialities of one's being doesn't necessarily make you more enlightened, it just makes you more capable, either for good or for evil. In Hindu and Buddhist tradition, the simplest definition for the term arhat is "saint." So the goal is to produce saints, not monsters.  Because of this, certain discernment is needed when accepting students, that's why one does not apply for the course but is instead invited when one has reached a certain level of readiness. 

How then does this differ from other spiritual systems out there? I would say that the differences lie more with the methods, but the goal is the same. So it really depends on what system "calls" to your soul. After all, taking by example the Roman Catholic tradition, we know the stories of ordinary people who became saints just by living the Word of God (you may even have "living saints" close to you in the form of a loving mother, a generous aunt, a charitable grandfather, etc.). Of course, for some people, having an organized system of exercises and meditations saves a lot of time as opposed to experimenting on one's own and casting about randomly. It's really up to the person and what one's soul mission is.

I must hasten to add, though, that despite all the Hindu or Buddhist references, Arhatic Yoga is not a religion. It is a system of knowledge that helps your spirituality, whatever your religion is. In fact, I know several Catholic priests and nuns who are Arhatic Yogis.

If you want to know more details about Arhatic Yoga, you can check out this website or  watch this short video series by Master Stephen Co (one of Master Choa's disciples) giving a few details about Arhatic Yoga.

And how has Arhatic Yoga impacted my life? For no body of knowledge is ever truly alive unless it affects one's life somehow. As of this writing, it hasn't even been a month since I took the first Arhatic Yoga course but I'm happy that I was entitled enough to have a chance to take it. I've had to make a few changes already, particularly in terms of scheduling. The additional meditations and exercises are certainly regimented enough that a change in schedule is really necessary. But overall, I've become even more aware of how what I think, feel, say and do affect other people, either positively or negatively. The tools are simple, but the execution can be difficult, but I'm working at it everyday so that I can become a positive influence in others' lives. This chance at positive change is perhaps one of the most valuable legacies that Master Choa left to the world.

I chose the title of this post in reference to Jacob's Ladder in the Bible.  The imagery represents the end goal, and the effort one needs to put along the way in order to get there. That pretty much represents how a life of spirituality develops. The task may be herculean, but the hard won fruits of that labor will make everything worth it.

2012 (The Movie)

Unless you're squirreled away someplace far from civilization (hard to believe, if you're reading this blog), you would most likely be aware of the upcoming 2012 film directed by Roland Emmerich. I enjoyed watching "The Day After Tomorrow" so this next film of his should be as evocative and breath-taking in its scale. And of course, there's John Cusack (I'll never forget Grosse Pointe Blank; that fight scene with Benny Urquidez was real gritty, to me topped only by the fight scene in Wheels on Meals, also featuring Benny Urquidez opposite Jackie Chan).

The timing of the movie couldn't have been better from a marketing perspective, with everyone conscious of how we're just a few years away from 2012. Anyone who has read anything about December 21, 2012 has had "apocalypse" blared out to them so many times that I need not focus on the details here. Just going by the trailers, the Roland Emmerich version doesn't seem to detract from that premise. For sure, the first trailer where flood waters were cascading over what were presumably the Himalayas certainly got my attention. I think I have an idea though of how some plot devices are going to get worked out, but I won't spoil the anticipation by mentioning them here. I just hope that the ending doesn't disappoint. Many movies start out strong but fall flat on the ending.

But although I'm just as excited as anyone about watching a (hopefully) entertaining film, on another level I'm also wondering if the film is just making things worse. Any student of esoteric knowledge would know that thoughts have power, and are the basis of such popular material written on the Law of Attraction. There is already an underlying anxiety (whether subliminal or conscious) about 2012, and it's currently punctuated by the not-so-rosy picture we see in the news everyday.

Both manmade and natural disasters abound and although these events have been happening throughout the course of recorded history, it hasn't happened with such frequency and in such number. And the miracle of the Internet and mass media makes the impact of each disaster event more immediate and personal as you see the effects on your TV or computer screen. So with the current world anxiety level, you add another epic disaster movie to be seen by millions and millions, then you just upped the energy of fear by a few scales and maybe people will unintentionally attract the very things they don't want to happen. Of course it's just a movie, but not everyone can always make that distinction.  For example, after watching "300" there were some people who actually believed that the Spartans fought in the buff.  You can check Yahoo! for the Top Ten films that would make your history teacher cry.  Unmanaged, fear mongering can be a powerful tool to sway millions to the detriment of all.

This is not to pronounce on the accuracy or inaccuracy of all that's being said about 2012, but if you believe in the Law of Attraction, it should give one a pause for thought.

The Solfeggio Ascension Frequencies (Solfeggio tones)

I was recently introduced to the Solfeggio tones via the Friday discussion group composed of a couple of pranic healers. I'll give a brief overview of the Solfeggio tones and my experience with them, but if you want more detailed information, you can visit the Solfeggio tones website where you can also download a free copy of the tones. But first check out the precaution I'll mention towards the latter part of this article.

The premise of the tones is that certain sound frequencies resonate with the body and its auras, thereby producing balancing and healing effects that facilitate one's eventual ascension. Curiously, in the Thiaoouba Prophecy, they also talk about both the positive and negative effects of sounds on the human aura, but I digress.

According to wikipedia, solfeggio "is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable." Going beyond the technical terms, it's a way to teach how to read and sing the different notes on the musical scale.

The Solfeggio tones were supposedly found in Gregorian chants, particularly the hymn to St. John the Baptist, but these tones were "lost" as time went on but were recently rediscovered by Dr. Joseph Puleo. But there are suggestions that their roots go back further to Arab musical origins, and if so, makes it one of the Islamic contributions to medieval Europe.

The first time I heard these tones, I immediately felt thirsty. Then when our hostess turned up the volume, the hairs on my arms would stand in rhythm with the tones. Then over the course of dinner, I had to make three trips to the toilet. Presumably, these are all signs that my body was adjusting itself though luckily I didn't experience any of the after effects mentioned in the website such as headaches or nausea. Based on my experience, it seems there really is something to the tones, at least when it comes to detoxification.

A few days after I first started listening to the tones, I still got thirsty when listening to the tones and tended to move my bowels more, though not as dramatically as that first time.  If nothing else, the detoxification alone is already good. One of the people I was with mentioned that her daughter lost 7 pounds in one night after listening to the tones. I guess the effects vary depending on the individual.

Much later, one of our pranic healing teachers, who is clairvoyant, was asked to listen to the tones and observe the effects. She noticed that when the tones started playing, diseased energy from the people in the room were really getting expelled from their bodies. However, with that much dirty energy coming out, it was like a huge cloud of dirty exhaust from an old car trapped in an enclosed garage; it can contaminate others in the room. Imagine if a cancer patient started listening to the tones. You don't throw your trash on the floor for others to accidentally step on, and the same principles apply in this case. You need to clean up as you go. 

The Solfeggio Tones website doesn't mention this, but it's just simple etheric hygiene, that's why I feel compelled to mention the following: play a healing and purifying sound at the same time you listen to the tones to help clean up one's expelled energy.  Based on clairvoyant observation by our teacher, the OM sound is an example of a healing and purifying sound that complements the Solfeggio Tones. There are other techniques that pranic healers can make use of to make the most out of listening to the tones. But if you're not a pranic healer, after listening to the tones and the OM, take a bath or shower, and preferrably mix salt into the water to wash yourself with (adding lavander oil to the mix is also good). If you want to learn other techniques, I suggest that you attend even the Basic pranic healing seminar, then you can do self-healing on yourself as you play the tones and the purifying sound.

For those interested in trying out the tones, just be sensitive about your current health condition and take note of the precautions above.  Also, if applicable,  consult your doctor as it may produce other unanticipated effects.

Pranic Healing: The Start of a Journey

Even as a kid, I was already fascinated by the sci-fi and fantasy genre. From hurtling through space exploring new planets, to fireballs and other spells casted by wizards, these vivid images were part and parcel of my imagination. Of course, they only remained as images in my mind since we've always been taught that the only reality out there is the one that comes from material science.

I wasn't totally taken in by materiality since I believed in (and had some experience with) paranormal phenomena.  And of course, being raised a Catholic, we were taught about God, angels and devils. But I thought that was the extent of the unseen world and our interaction with it.

Being introduced to pranic healing changed all that. I found out about pranic healing around late 2007 through my wife. We attended a few free healing sessions, but I was skeptical at first and eventually stopped going. As fate would have it, around June of 2008 a close college friend of my elder sister dropped by the house. She's a doctor based in the province, but had just come from abroad and since she was in Metro Manila anyway, wanted to touch base again with my sister.

It turns out that not only was she a pranic healer, she was an Arhatic Yoga practitioner as well. It was she who finally convinced us to take that first step of attending the Basic Seminar, and the rest is history. For those unfamiliar with pranic healing, it is an energy-based healing system introduced by Master Choa Kok Sui. Although some Sanskrit terms are used (e.g. the word "prana"), it is not a religion nor does it lean towards any particular denomination or sect.

Pranic healing helped me expand my consciousness by making me realize that there is more to the inner world than the picture painted by popular belief. It seemed to awaken a hunger in me for more knowledge, a yearning I always had but never fully confronted before. But more than making me appreciate the gift of becoming a healer, what struck me most about pranic healing was the focus on character building. Perhaps this is why people from many walks of life, including many Catholic nuns and priests, are magnetized by pranic healing. It is common to hear people say that pranic healing has enhanced their spirituality and made them a better practitioner of their religion (whether it be Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.).

I can attest the same thing from personal experience. Pranic healing has changed the way I deal with others and with how I view myself. Not only that, I am really thankful for the opportunity to help others through healing. Although I never physically met Master Choa (he passed away on March 2007), I'm very thankful for the opportunity he gave people like me to grow and to learn more about myself.

More information about pranic healing can be found in the www.pranichealing.com and www.pranichealing.com.ph websites.