Enter Into Joy

Sunday, January 2, 2011

And enter into the world of the infinite

Infinity Dots Mirrored Room, 1996, by Yayoi Kusama 

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand-writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You
— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;
            the spirit is boundless.
Before you begin to pray,
            cast aside what limits you
            and enter into the world of the Infinite.
Turn to God alone
            and have no thoughts of self at all.
Nothing but God exists for you
            when self has ceased to be.

Dov Baer (d. 1772) was the chief disciple and successor of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov or “Master of the Good Name,” founder of the Hasidic movement of Jewish mysticism, which places devotional prayer at the center of the spiritual life.

Right Hand:

“and enter into the world of the infinite . . . “

At this moment in time, I feel bogged down . . . limited. Infinity looks to me like a never-ending stream of emails + obligations.

Yet I know that the wonder world is one rotation away, one adjustment of the lens, one step and boom . . . I’m in . . . to that Boundless Spirit described a couple of days ago.

Why, why, why does this petty, self willed, ego-driven combat have such a hold on me? When the real world is glowing with beauty and stillness? I do not have an answer to that question yet. I’m like a boxer, foolishly determined to stay in the ring, after age + experience have shown me all they can about waving + walking away from the ropes, the mat, the crowd + the ceiling.

Left hand:
“and enter into the world of the infinite . . . “

Describe the world of the infinite to me.

It is energy that never ceases, light that always shines. Possibilities, connections that our brain may catch a glimpse of. Everything awes you + nothing should really surprise you when you enter infinity. There will be joy.
— Karen Blessen

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