The last Rising Leadership Forum (RLF) session I attended drove me to think about the journey inward. I reflected on the lessons, sessions and the people as I watched them. Standing at the edge of a journey towards the unknown. It takes courage to strip down in front of a mirror and look at yourself. It takes courage to go on a journey with yourself and share this journey with others in kind.
The forum is a journey towards the unknown for people and for the facilitators. When people walk away, they say “magic happened” they can’t easily explain the experience, but I have thought about it a lot. There are many reasons why people experience magic. I can only scratch the surface on some of the reasons but today as I am thinking towards the next session, I am reflecting on some of these reasons and lessons. I am also realizing that every time I go, I am also exploring and learning things for the first time.
I’ll share a few today. Initially as I thought this through, it was in the context of the facilitators guiding exercises and focused thinking. It also refers to the love they put into the work and energy they share which serves as a reference point. As I think of this today, I am considering the underlying mechanics or reasons why this drives people towards the idea of magic.
There is a concept called Tikkun Olam which refers to various forms of action intended to repair, heal and improve the world. From the mystic side of Judaism, the word “repair” it means something more like “return to the divine light.”
What is a “divine light” in our world today? As you may know I am not religious, but concepts drawn out in religion where useful don’t escape me. My interpretation is that light or “divine light” connected to a greater source. The energy of the universe, some people may refer to “higher power” or G-d for the religious. Regardless of what we call this light, we can say that light is energy.
We as human beings have this light within us, but it is hidden behind many masks. For us to see the light we have to observe it in ways that aren’t inherently obvious. All of us have light within us but some of us don’t know how to tap into it. Some of us don’t even know that it’s there. We are physically carrying around the weight of our human body, our interactions with the physical world and our very limited perception of that which goes on around us. I also discovered that in religious text and thinking, there are references to these ideas.
In Bereshit / Genesis, when the first humans are exiled from Eden, God makes them garments of skins. Our mystical tradition reads this creatively to suggest that we didn’t have skins at all until we ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — before we ate from that tree we were garbed in pure light. At havdalah, when we hold up our hands to the flame, we see glimmers of light reflected in our fingernails — maybe a reminder of the light in which we were once clothed, or maybe a reminder of the light in which we will be clothed in the world to come, since there’s also a teaching from the Zohar that in the world to come we will wear garments woven out of the brightly shining mitzvot we performed in this life. – Reference Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
To heal or repair the world is to understand what exists in the world first and to have an idea about all that is possible. My mother used to talk about “all the possibilities” and she instilled this in me and Stacey for sure. Without proof, It takes faith and a deeper commitment to look within to find our own light. It takes an understanding that even if we can’t see it within ourselves as individuals that it is there, that it DOES exist.
First step on the journey is to open yourself up to the “possibilities.”
If we can at the start of this first session together, establish that we are going on a journey and it is to understand ourselves and discover our possibilities, it gives us a chance to see the light within ourselves.
One more reference from the Rabbi- Skin keeps us safe. But — at least according to the Sfat Emet — it shouldn’t keep us from shining. You might remember that when Moshe came down from Sinai his face glowed, maybe because his inner light was able to shine through his physical skin. It’s as though his skin became transparent, and everyone was able to see his true light. And it’s worth remembering that his light was too much for the people, so he had to veil to protect them from the radiance he acquired as a result of his experience of God. Sometimes people don’t want to see radiance. Maybe it scares them, or reminds them of how their own light has been kept from shining.
It goes without saying that most of us hide from our own light. We ignore it and it may scare us. There are many reasons for our light to be obscured.
Leaving RLF this time, I’d thought it was “beyond magic” when a facilitator helped a person “self-discover.” The question is how?
It is a multitude of process and practices with a number of different modalities, tactics, techniques and environmental factors that seek to “engage the willing.” At the start of the program people don’t know if they would be willing.
What does this REALLY mean?
Imagine the facilitator is a concierge of sorts. You arrive at this place away from your home. It is also away from your current work environment. It may be somewhere you have never been before. The burden of deciding what you will do today is removed. You are provided with limited options and generally guided to where you need to be. The important thing is learning and focusing on yourself.
You are introduced to others, most if not all you have never met. No one knows you; no one knows what rank you are, what title you carry, your weight, your burden, your true self. The stage is set with the goal in mind.
The goal, the objective is to find your star. Where is your star? Is it in the heavens above? Is it in front of you? Is it behind you?
The facilitator gives you a compass, a map, information on how to solve puzzles along the way and people you’ve never met to help you. Now go… and discover the possibilities. Finding your star relates to finding your light. Pulling the strings and discovering where this takes you toward the source.
The key factor(s)
It is your willingness to tap into your own light, to look for it even when things become dark, to pull threads of light into the fabric of some construct that you can convert into a feeling, or emotion or word which conveys and connects you with others and the world.
To tap into oneself for something so elusive and special in such a way that you can spark others to pull their “light threads” into something real for them. Once they see it, they become “aware” and this awareness inspires them to seek more.
The forum is not a normal journey although we like to think it is, it is a mining exercise where we are looking for the light within us. We are digging with different tools, searching through darkness, ripping in some cases with our bare hands to find the treasure. The treasure is a string connected to the source. The more string we pull the closer we get to that source and that source is the universe itself.
This concept transcends any specific religion and within itself is universal.
Different religions have different ways of expressing the idea of light being inside a person. Here are some examples:
- In Islam, there is a concept of an-Nur, which means “the light” in Arabic. It is one of the names of God and also refers to the light that God created and bestowed upon the prophets and the believers. The Quran says: “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. God guides to His light whom He wills. And God presents examples for the people, and God is Knowing of all things.” 1
- In Christianity, there is a concept of inner light, which is the direct awareness of God that allows a person to know God’s will for them. It is based on the teachings of Jesus, who said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 2 The inner light is also associated with the Holy Spirit, which is the presence and power of God in the hearts of the faithful. The inner light is especially emphasized by the Quakers, who believe that God reveals himself within each individual’s conscience and consciousness3
- In Hinduism, there is a concept of atman, which is the true self or the soul of a person. It is also the source of light and life within the body. The atman is identical to Brahman, which is the supreme reality and the ultimate cause of all existence. The Upanishads, which are ancient scriptures of Hindu philosophy, say: “As the sun, who is the eye of the world, cannot be tainted by the defects in our eyes or by the objects it looks on, so the one Self, dwelling in all, cannot be tainted by the evils of the world. For this Self transcends all!” 4
Both traditional and beyond!
- In Buddhism, there is a concept of prabhasvara, which means “clear light” or “luminous mind” in Sanskrit. It is the innate nature of the mind, which is pure, clear, and radiant. It is also the source of wisdom and compassion. The prabhasvara is obscured by mental afflictions and ignorance, but it can be revealed through meditation and enlightenment. The Buddha said: “Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is defiled by incoming defilements.”
- In Judaism, there is a concept of neshama, which is the highest level of the soul of a person. It is also the divine spark that connects the person to God. The neshama is the source of light and life within the body. The neshama is also associated with the Torah, which is the sacred scripture and the instruction of God. The Zohar, which is the foundational work of Jewish mysticism, says: “The neshama is the secret of the Torah, and the Torah is the secret of the neshama.”
- In Taoism, there is a concept of yuan qi, which means “original breath” or “primordial energy” in Chinese. It is the vital force that animates all living beings and the universe. It is also the source of light and life within the body. The yuan qi is derived from the Tao, which is the ultimate reality and the natural order of all things. The Tao Te Ching, which is the classic text of Taoist philosophy, says: “The Tao is like a well: used but never used up. It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities. It is hidden but always present. I don’t know who gave birth to it. It is older than God.”
There are so many references, but do you need them?
- Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism):
- Zohar: “The human soul is a candle of God.”
- Sufism (Islamic Mysticism):
- Rumi: “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
- Gnosticism:
- The Gospel of Thomas: “If your leaders say to you, ‘Look, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that you are the children of the living Father.”
- Baha’i Faith:
- Bahá’u’lláh: “O SON OF MAN! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image, and revealed to thee My beauty.”
- Theosophy:
- Helena Blavatsky: “The soul is the reflection of the absolute; the light of the One infinite spirit.”
- Ancient Egyptian Spirituality:
- The Book of Coming Forth by Day (Book of the Dead): “I am the one who enters and emerges in the form of light.”
The reality is that we are here today and that if we look within ourselves, we will see it. To look within ourselves, we need to have the ability, the tools, the willingness and we must have courage to face ourselves and our possibilities.
It is beyond magic, and it is real.
Happy Sunday and thank you to the facilitators of RLF for helping me discover “the possibilities” I think Ma would be proud.
With Love.. Howie
The entire Gospel written by John spells out the light from within that came from G-d. All the Mystics of the catholic tradition of the Christian faith has spoken of this light within on numerous occasions. For example, read the “Dark night of the soul” by St. John of the Cross. The hard part as you mentioned Howie is to have the courage to expose this light, which means being intimate with others (not in a sexual way but in a way to expose themselves without skin as you mentioned in Gensis about Adam and Eve). We can’t move forward with our false selves and that means we need to expose this light, which makes us feel vulnerable exposing our true selves in G-d. But we must trust G-d in this process. This is why we humans have religious beliefs… is to team up with the Divine and share in this experience. We cannot get there alone…we are in the image of G-d and to gain likeness with the Creator we need to do the Will of the Creator and be part of the loving individuals that help bind humanity. Good work and much success Howie. Shalom
Let each of our light shine through for the world to heal.
Happy Birthday, my friend. Best of everything to you and yours.
T.