The Shambhala Guide to Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism by Perle Besserman gives the general reader more accessible and practical insights into this arcane spiritual path than any other resource available. "Living an ethical life, being pure of heart, and remaining socially integrated continue to remain the touchstones of character for the Kabbalist," notes the author, who also wrote the classic Kabbalah: The Way of the Jewish Mystic.
In this enlightening paperback, Besserman unfurls the different levels of the Kabbalistic universe and ponders the teachings of such spiritual masters as Rabbi Akiva, the Baal Shem Tov, Isaac Luria, Abraham Kook, and Aryeh Kaplan.She explains meditation techniques including gazing, listening, chanting, recitation of Hebrew letters, and reflection on the names of God.
Besserman sheds light on the important roles of imagination and visualization in the Kabbalistic quest for dissolving the ego and union with the Ancient of Days. She writes cogently about the teacher-disciple relationship, correspondences, the supernatural (golems, reincarnation, and spirit guides), and Kabbalah in the twenty-first century. The timeless spiritual wisdom of Jewish mysticism speaks to the contemporary yearning for devotion, unity, understanding, and transformation.
