|
Modes
of Spiritual Practice
Rabbi David Zaslow
August, 2004
Their
are three primary forms of spiritual practice, and every religion
utilizes all three in various combinations during worship.
Within each religion are denominations that emphasize one
or two forms of practice over the other. In fact, I believe,
that the particular recipe of spiritual practice is the what
defines a denomination. The three forms are:
1)
Liturgical: a fixed body of chants, prayers, readings, and
songs interspersed with specific rituals (standing, sitting,
bowing, etc.). The liturgical approach is fixed in order to
create consistency and a sense of safety for the each member
of the congregation.
2)
Ecstatic: an ecstatic experience of G-d is accomplished thorough
a combination of movement, breath, and voice. It may contain
a prolonged chant, or a chant in combination with a movement.
It is unpredictable in length, and the actions of the participants
are unpredictable. Some leap, somersault, circle, spin, or
wave hands. But the result is the same: a sense of union with
the Divine.
3)
Contemplative: through one of many meditative practices (quiet
chant, repetition of a syllable or word, silence, privately
talking to G-d, walking, etc.) each religion uses some form
of meditation in it's approach to G-d or Reality. Sometimes
the meditation uses some liturgy (I.e. chant); other times
it silent and aims at emptying. In fact, the contemplative
tradition itself has several categories: the emptying forms
(i.e. Zen); the visualization forms (i.e. Lurianic Kabbalah
and Tibetan Buddhism) and mindfulness (Tich Naht Han’s
teachings, Japanese tea ceremony, putting on t’fillin,
etc.)
Denominations
can also be distinguished by their level of formality. Within
Judaism, for example, some synagogues are casual, somewhat
unpredictable, spontaneous, and informal (I.e. in hasidic
and Renewal communities) even though they are following a
fixed liturgy. Other groups are more formal and fixed (I.e.,
services begin and end at fixed times). But all our synagogues
use some combo of the liturgical, contemplative, and ecstatic.
During
Shabbat or any Jewish holiday, you will probably find yourself
attracted to different forms of worship at different times.
For example during Yom Kippor afternoon you might need more
silent, contemplative time whereas the evening of Yom Kippor
it is the predictability of the chanting and fixed melody
of Kol Nidre that is just what your soul needs. Honor your
instincts to shift and express yourself in words, chant, movement,
and silence. If you are sitting in a group, for example, and
you need to be alone in silence simply cover yourself in your
tallis (prayer shawl) as a personal tent and mishkan (sanctuary).
Or, if during the ecstatic chants or songs you are drawn to
stand up and move, please do so on your own. As you are inspired
by others around you, so you will inspire others as well.
Measure for measure - as the congregation is an expression
of many individuals, each in his/her own mode of worshop (liturgical,
ecstatic, contemplative) all at the same time, so the multiplicity
of the Divine’s thirteen attributes will pour down on
each of us in a single and unified stream. The result of this
kind of worship will be a heightened sense of the deep interconnection
between self, community, nature, and G-d. May we all be blessed
this year with great davvenen (prayer), deep listening, and
profound personal transformation. And from these sacred personal
states may each of us affect the world around us for life,
health, peace, and good. Amayn!
|
