I admit I still didn’t read, “God is a verb.” It is on my shelf. I hope I will get to it and not just because this is Rabbi David A. Cooper‘s most famous work, but also because it promises new concepts in the study of spirituality and Kabbalah. Meanwhile I dipped my toe into the rabbi’s work by reading and listening to his Ecstatic Kabbalah. As I already confessed one thin, might as well confess another one. The book, but particularly the CD was intended to be used for meditation. Reading the book from beginning to end and listening to the CD in a similar way has no chance to bring the expected results.
The ten sessions on the CD (totaling 80 minutes) range from 15 to three minutes. Yes, in this decreasing order as the first session is the longest, the second one is the shortest and the rest is in between. (There are prompts in the book, telling you when to close the book and turn on the CD to meditate along with.) They are all spoken words by Cooper, there is no music. “Spoken word” is not best expression to describe them, as he sings, hums, resonates, vibrates, sooths and guides you along the sessions. It is as if you’d have your personal meditation guru in your living room. Along with the echo. This was not a compliment: I found his voice harmonic but the recording sounds like it was done in a too large empty chamber, making it harder to feel intimate with the voice.
The book is short but beautifully designed. Following the five page introduction comes the 8 main chapters on 83 pages. The volumes is rounded up with an eight page appendix (on sounds, breathing techniques and practices) and a single page about the author. I found the historical perspective on the development of ecstatic Kabbalah in the introduction providing a useful framework for the rest of the book. In the first chapter Cooper defined, compared and contrasted of enlightenment and ecstasy. Next he takes on Kabbalah itself: “ a collection of methods and teachings that are used in an attempt to understand the nature of the universe.” It was refreshing to discover that this understanding very much coincides with mine. Chapter four is devoted to one of my favorite kabbalists, the de facto founder of ecstatic Kabbalah: Abraham Abulafia. (We consider him the “de facto” founder as the works of others of his and previous eras who might have developed similar techniques were lost.) Chapter four we learn (and start using) Abulafia’s practices. In chapter five comes a favorite topic of many kabbalists and non-kabbalists: the names of God (and how they can be utilized through chanting). Presence” the topic of the next chapter may be familiar for those who are familiar with the Buddhist mindfulness concept. But here we go through a six phased approach to gain a deeper sense of our own presence. Next we depersonalize ourselves by trying to see through God’s eyes. In the final chapter the thirteen attributes of God play the central focal point for the spiritual exercises.
I am still more interested in academic/scholarly Kabbalah than practical or meditational. But for those who are looking for a practice that can help them this seems a wonderful resource. Cannot speak from first hand (or is it first breath) experience though. But even for academic perspective this is a useful book of resources on the topic.