By: Michael Berg
Perfection Exists Within
All of us have at one point or another done something, or perhaps many things, of which we are not proud. In fact, we may even feel that because of our actions we have somehow damaged our soul, rendering us incapable of growing and maturing spiritually.
To this the Kabbalists say the soul can never be damaged; it can only be covered up.
The spark of soul inside every one of us is perfect and pure beyond words. At every moment we are connected to the Light of the Creator and no action can sever this connection. We can veil this connection, thereby preventing our soul from shining as bright as it can for ourselves and others, but we can never destroy it.
At the core of our being, we are perfect and pure. Always.
We must know this if we are to lead the fulfilling lives we are meant to lead. Keep in mind, this is not meant to be a nice message designed to make you feel good about yourself. This lesson is connected to the fundamental kabbalistic concept that states, blessings cannot rest on darkness.
The idea is, when we share with someone, Light is revealed. Naturally, we want to add that Light to our spiritual bank account. However, what the Kabbalists are saying is, if our view of ourselves is dark, then the Light can’t come to us because there is no affinity.
For those of us who are a little too hard on ourselves, we need to change our self-perception so that we can experience the Light our actions are revealing.
Remember this always, we can connect to the Zohar, pursue actions of sharing, and do everything the kabbalists prescribe to reveal Light. However, if we are missing this one essential ingredient, then the Light we reveal will have no place on which to rest.
Seeing our perfection is the groundwork on which Kabbalah is practiced. We must be ever-vigilant to not push ourselves off the path with thoughts of, I don’t deserve, I’ve caused too much damage – to others and to myself, I cannot grow and change now.
It’s these very thoughts that block the Light of the Creator from permeating our lives.
When we desire a deeper flow of Light and blessings into our lives, we must be conscious of our innate perfection. It doesn’t mean we are not honest with ourselves. We have all obscured our souls with layers of selfishness and hurt, and there is an on-going removal process that needs to take place. But our negative actions can never extinguish our spark of Light.
To put a fine point on it, there is a distinct difference between thinking, I am a bad person, and thinking, I am a perfect soul that is partially covered up by actions I have done.
Self-loathing is so sabotaging because if we are trying to connect to the Light while thinking badly about ourselves, then we simply cannot draw the Light. Therefore, to combat this tendency of unproductive self-criticism, we must strengthen our consciousness to see beyond the clutter, and into the pure, powerful truth at the center of our being.
The Kabbalists take this thought one step further. If we want to help the people in our lives, then we have to see their perfection as well. When we only see the darkness within our friends, students, children, and colleagues, we cannot help them. Only by seeing their perfection can we be of any real assistance.
When I want to help a friend who has done something wrong, I must restrict my natural tendency to judge, because once I am in that frame of mind, it’s useless. I can’t help him any more, certainly not in a lasting way. Rather, what I need to do is remind myself that he is connected to the Light, he is a perfect soul, and all that I am doing is helping him to remove those veils so that his perfection can shine.
This week, concentrate on your greatness. Let this be a focus for your morning prayers or meditations. Remind yourself that you have an amazing soul and that you are always tremendously connected to the Creator. As you strengthen this consciousness, the Creator’s Light can shine brighter than ever before.
