South African Sophian Gnostic Circle
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Hitbodedut - Self-Isolation
posted Sunday, 16 September 2007
The Master taught, “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).
Lord Yeshua is speaking about Hitbodedut, which literally means “self-isolation.” This may mean a physical spiritual retreat, closing oneself in a sacred space or going out into the wilderness where one may entertain spiritual practice without being disturbed. Yet it may also mean a state of deep mediation in which one’s consciousness is completely removed from the outer senses and externally appearing reality, and even from thought itself. Thus, Lord Yeshua may be speaking of a space set aside for prayer and meditation in one’s home – an altar or shrine space, or even a room set aside. This is certainly recommended in a practitioner’s home and is very beneficial. However, the Master may also be speaking of going within the sanctuary of the heart and closing off the outer senses to pray and meditate in God’s presence – if he is speaking of an actual space in one’s home, it is for the sake of this prayer and meditation in God’s presence; turning inward and upward: Godward.
One may seek to enter directly into Hitbodedut by meditating on nothingness (ain), however, such meditation is very advanced and should not be practiced alone, but one should have an experienced teacher and guide, and prepare oneself before hand. Generally speaking, it is better to seek to enter Hitbodedut through Hitbonenut, which is filling the mind with something, and thus consciously directing the mind and concentrating the mind. Hitbonenut is contemplation which becomes meditation when the mind is completely concentrated – completely filled with the subject or object of contemplation. Here, Lord Yeshua is speaking of contemplative prayer – an interior dialogue with God; hence, going within and filling one’s mind with prayer.
This is a very powerful practice, which is common to the spiritual life among Christians, and it can lead to the state of mediation (Hitbodedut) and higher levels of consciousness. The basis of this practice is taking time each day to seclude oneself in prayer, and to reflect upon one’s past deeds and one’s present situation/condition, and pray for the future; from this foundation one may then extend one’s prayers for others, praying for the needs of others, as well as one’s own needs. Just as primordial mediation is part of every other practice in our tradition, so is this practice of Hitbodedut part of our daily spiritual practice – a central practice Master Yeshua taught his disciples.
What is the nature of this interior dialogue with God? It is heartfelt prayer – prayers of the heart, as though in conversation with one’s closest and most beloved friend; hence, a most intimate dialogue. We might say that it is akin to good therapy, but rather than seeking answers from outside of ourselves, we seek our answers from within us – from the Anointed and Mother Spirit.
This, of course, may be carried into our daily lives, for it empowers an ongoing interior dialogue, and inwardly we can pray and speak with God anywhere and anytime; building an intimate acquaintance with God the Holy Shekinah – the Divine Presence and Power is with us, within and all around us. Indeed, as one cultivates one’s prayer life in this way one finds one’s prayers more effective; after all, when we ask something of a friend they are more likely to respond to our request than asking something of a perfect stranger – and the more intimate we are with God, the more the Light-presence and Light-power flows with, in and through us. It’s only natural that this is the case.
Gradations of hitbonenut and hitbodedut
In our teachings hitbonenut and hitbodedut are distinct, at least in terms of initial practice and experience. Hitbonenut is “contemplation” in the sense that awareness rests upon external objects of meditation – hence contemplation; though it is also a state of directed awareness in contemplation of a subject, such as a passage from the scriptures or a mystery of Kabbalah – hence, the mind being held to an object or subject of contemplation, whether external or internal. In any case, there remains some interaction between the apparent external and internal space; in hitbodedut, however, at least in initial developments, there is a closing off of the senses and awareness directed outward so that we might go deeper within and pass into higher peaks of consciousness – hence meditation. On one hand, as “self-isolation” hitbodedut can indicate an actual physical spiritual retreat, as when Elijah retreated to a cave on Mount Carmel; on the other hand, it is the closing of the doors of the senses to direct one’s consciousness completely inward and upward, Godward. In a manner of speaking, hitbodedut is an evolution of hitbonenut – having directed one’s awareness to a single object or subject of contemplation, then to a single point of thought and desire, a collapse between the knower and the known may occur; this is the fruition of *hitbodedut-meditation*. Of course, there are various ways to enter into a state of hitbodedut-meditation.
When we speak of the potential for a state of perpetual meditation we are speaking of an evolution of hitbonenut through the generation of higher consciousness – divine consciousness, in hitbodedut; it is the play of “running and returning.” Essentially, through hitbodedut we enter into higher vital and mental states of consciousness, and eventually even breakthrough to the supernal or supramental consciousness; what we experience and recognize in hitbodedut when we are completely turned inward and upward must then be “brought down,” as it were, integrated and actualized so that we can maintain the higher state of consciousness in action – awareness being turned outward again, and yet remaining inward. This will produce a very different experience of hitbonenut – different gradations of hitbonenut; at a certain point, in non-dual realization, the distinction between hitbonenut and hitbodedut may vanish altogether as the relative perception of the internal and external space, awareness and energy of consciousness merge so that there is no difference between the apparently external and apparently internal.
The various gradations of hitbonenut and hitbodedut that may arise involve various gradations of kavvanah-concentration and devekut-cleaving; kavvanah and devekut are always involved, and it may be said that dependent upon them is the gradation of hitbonenut or hitbodedut that arises in our experience.
Thus, in general, we speak of “meditation” and “meditation practice” – but then within practice are these various grades of experience in consciousness; these terms may be used to point to techniques or to the states of consciousness that arise, all depending upon the teaching being given.
Now, in this we see that hitbonenut and hitbodedut become broad terms, representing various gradations of experience – what might be meant by hitbonenut can venture into some lofty heights, as in primordial contemplation taught in the “Melchizedek teachings” of our lineage; a state of consciousness in non-dual realization in which all that arises naturally and spontaneously self-liberates as it arises; hence a state of Pure Radiant Awareness or Non-dual Gnostic Awareness that may manifest in repose or movement just the same – abiding in the “Great Natural Perfection” as it is called. This assumes, however, full recognition of the Ain Nature of Mind, the Clear Light Nature, and the recognition of the inseparability of all that arises from that Ain Nature; hence the need for hitbodedut to establish oneself in the recognition of the Nature of Mind, the Nature of Being.
What we seek is an integral self-realization in Christ, in Supernal or Messianic Consciousness; the embodiment of Divine Consciousness in all activities. An integral self-realization, this non-dual realization, is something of a challenge, of course, for it is one thing to abide in a state of higher consciousness or Divine Consciousness while remaining in spiritual retreat, withdrawn from the world and worldly activities, but it is a another to attempt to do so in the midst of life, at work, in family and so on; yet this exactly is our noble ideal or aim – a realization that integrates all life, all levels of consciousness and all activities, all being uplifted in the Mystical Body of the Risen Messiah.