Changing ourselves with evolution’s help
Question from the Internet:
Kabbalah talks about making the transition to a new desire, new behavior… On the face of it, would appear to be impossible if we are in fact made of a set of selfish, egotistic desires not including the more altruistic variant.
On the other hand, if the set of which we are made, viz. Maslow, is actually not a constant but developed according to, I don’t know - our way of life? Then, perhaps aiming towards the development of a particular desire is feasible after all.
My question is in regards to the method of development. In Yoga, there is a process of development called sadhana, in which the aspirant to new or higher development engages in a particular methodology and practice to encourage said development. Does Kabbalah also prescribe a specific mode of self-interaction or outer interaction to this end?
The methodology of Kabbalah is exactly what you described, performing certain activities, exercises in order to acquire new qualities, an improved consciousness, and perception of reality.
Kabbalah calls it a “game", or the method of “faith above reason".
We have to be careful as here “faith" doesn’t mean blind belief, but it means a next, higher, more optimal state which we don’t have in our present, actual state. So from our present viewpoint, we consider it “faith”, something not realistic, tangible yet.
But through the right methodology, with the activities, exercises aiming above our present sensations, reason, intellect, “playing/acting" that next state we want to achieve, we can actually elevate ourselves to that next state, making it the new “reason/intellect", our new tangible sensations.
Then each time we rise again and again similarly.
First, this might sound mystical, fairy tale like, but it isn’t.
In our development, we are aiming at changing our inherently egocentric, self-serving intentions, subjective use of our desires to selfless, altruistic use. We want to become something we weren’t born to be.
How is this possible?!
This direction agrees with the general direction of Natural evolution, as evolution relentlessly progresses towards ever-increasing states of integration, which is possible only when the elements that comprise Nature’s system integrate through selfless, altruistic, mutually responsible, mutually complementing interconnections.
The moment we start aiming at becoming selfless, altruistic (faith) above and against our inherently egoistic, selfish nature (reason) in order to build “Nature-like" integration in small, purposeful, methodical environments/groups — since our efforts match evolution’s overall direction, progress — we “draw on ourselves" Nature’s evolutionary force that can upgrade, correct our inherent nature — which we also received from evolution.
Moreover, this is purposeful from evolution, as only by “creating" us opposite to its generally selfless, integrated system with the selfish ego, giving us the opportunity to recognize the need to change, upgrade our inherent nature, to consciously, purposefully try to change ourselves, this way Nature gave us free choice, full awareness of the process of our development other animals don’t have.
So it is Nature’s evolutionary force that helps us acquire qualities, intentions were don’t have by default, rising towards states, abilities which we can’t even imagine from our present viewpoint. But when we get there it becomes our new, realistic, tangible reality.
This is the method of “faith above reason", our path towards becoming “Human" — similar to Nature.