shema

anti-methodolatry

There are few Abrahamic sects who have understood shema more than the Sufis, who call it dhikr, and they offer a warning via The Idol.

A certain dervish sat on a tomb, dressed in a shroud and weeping. Uwais el-Qarni said: "Tell him that the method has become an idol; he must transcend the practice, for it has become an obstacle."

the way of the way דרך הדרך

When it comes to shema, hachayim practice drach hadrach, or the way of the way.

God speaks to us differently, both as individuals and across different cultures, and the method of attunement is far less important than the establishment of chibur muda. (חיבור מודע, conscious connection)

the seeds of abraham

זרעיו של אברהם (zra'av shel avrahem)

Theosis & Abiding

Christian mystics speak of theosis, the gradual union of the human soul with God through love and presence. In contemplative prayer, the believer “abides in God and God in them,” cultivating a shared field of awareness that mirrors the Shema’s unity of being.

Dhikr & Muraqaba

Sufi Islam approaches the same unity through dhikr, the remembrance that saturates consciousness with God, and muraqaba, the inner witnessing of being seen by the Divine. These practices train the heart to dwell in continuous mutual awareness until selfhood and God-consciousness resonate as one.

Devekut & Kavanah

Jewish mystics understood Shema as devekut, the cleaving of human awareness to the Divine Presence. Through kavanah, intentional inner alignment, the practitioner attunes their consciousness to God until the boundary between “the one who prays” and “the One who is present” dissolves.

grow your own garden

When it comes to understanding matters of the spirit, no one can transmute a full harvest to you.

Hachayim offer zar'i hatodaa (זרעי התודעה, seeds of consciousness), but it is up to you which you choose to plant and grow.