The Spiritual Pioneers of Second Life

The BB Second Life team broadcast live from their virtual outpost

Second Life -- Sunday, June 29, 2008 -- Second Life broadcasted live from its virtual outpost located at what is termed "in world" in the realm of Virtual Reality. The men and women behind the avatars prepared for a bona-fide "gathering of friends" to be featured in a special segment of Yeshivat Haverim. This gathering, though virtual, was no different than what we see week-to-week, including inspiring news, hugging, singing, and lots of smiles!

After the SL team manager shared Second Life's mission to “colonize the whole continent!”, the amazing ARI Kabbalah Band took the stage and rocked the lecture hall playing the recent BBToronto hit: LIVING IN UNITY. L'Chaim, Second Life Team!!!

   

ARI Online and Second Life – A World Beyond Our World

The ARI Online Kabbalah Group's Second Life introductory lectures are quickly gaining popularity

Second Life – May 18, 2008.  The ARI Online Kabbalah Group's introductory lectures are quickly gaining popularity as more and more Second Life residents are attracted to the listed event.

Sunday evening, May 18, 2008, the ARI Online Group presented another topic in a series of introductory lectures, entitled “The Goal of Humanity.” The presiding lector, SunTzu Rikugun (Rob Taylor), delivered a powerful and provocative discourse on the quintessential purpose for our existence. In Rikugun's own words: “Kabbalah teaches us that the purpose of the entire spiritual governing system comes down to bringing humanity to a state of pure unconditional love”...”To attain this love, we have to go beyond our world and ascend through the Upper Spiritual Worlds...”

“The desire to elevate humanity to it highest potential has to come from within a person. An individual, him or herself, determines everything.”

The powerful discourse penetrated the hearts of the guests and evoked a stimulating exchange of questions and answers, moving several people to pursue further investigation into the query by obtaining registration forms from the kiosk.

It was the amazing ARI Online Kabbalah Band, however, that really captivated the hearts of the guests and, created an atmosphere of utter transcendence. One guest avatar even took the liberty to create an amazing light show expressing the elevated sensations, giving everyone present a sense of awe, and, what can only be described as unconditional love – a “world beyond our world!”

Rikugun's brief introduction to Kabbalah Music communicated precisely what was experienced in the lecture hall that evening: “Music speaks to us in a language of feelings and emotions, therefore it is close to Kabbalah. Kabbalistic music is inherently located at a high spiritual level and delivers the listener to the realm of eternity and perfection.”

The band members included, EddyJai Ryba (Edward Rodgers) on percussions, Iblesq Alter (Boris Iomdin) on the bassoon, and Nekuda Henhouse (Kamilla Lurie) played the keyboard in this particular event. It was a tremendous performance, given by all!

ARI Online Group has open enrollment and conducts ongoing free lectures including question and answer sessions as well as concerts. The group’s next lecture is scheduled for June 15, 2008 at 6:00 PM, SL time.

 

ARI Online Event in Second Life

ARI Online’s Band Takes Center Stage at Second Life Book Fair

 

Second Life – April 25, 2008. The ARI Kabbalah Center Band made its debut at the Second Life’s Book Fair on April 25, 2008. The band members belong to ARI Online, a Second Life Educational Kabbalah Center that introduces Second Lifers to the authentic Kabbalah. A peaceful mood permeated the concert hall when guitarist Kabbal Laville (Doug Etheridge), and keyboardist EddyJai Ryba (Edward Rogers) took the stage and played the intriguingly harmonious music of the late Baal HaSulam to Second Lifers. Avatars mingled quietly while enjoying the sounds of the band. 

                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lecture on the Introduction to the Authentic Kabbalah followed the concert. 

The speaker discussed the principles of Kabbalah, an ancient wisdom which explores the basis of spirituality. He says that timeless questions debated by intellectual sages throughout the ages such as why we are born, and what is the meaning of our lives, are answered through the Wisdom of Kabbalah, which according to him, is a holistic method of attaining peace within, on a spiritual level.
 
ARI Online Group has open membership and conducts ongoing free lectures including question and answer sessions as well as concerts. The group’s next lecture is scheduled for May 4, 2008 at 6:00 PM SL time.

Perception of Reality in a Second Life

Second Life -- June 15, 2008. The ARI Online Kabbalah Center presented its fourth discourse in a series of ongoing introductory lectures, entitled, The Perception of Reality. The ARI Kabbalah Band performed a prelude to the lecture reminding the audience that music can be a surrealistic experience.

There was no need to close ones eyes to hear the trickling of water through a mountainous stream, or the sound of thunder walking the skies as a storm rolls away, or the rise and fall of a baby’s breath sleeping in her crib. There was some unnamable quality, of some emotion, that seemed just out of reach as the Kabbalistic pieces played, and, at the same time seemed to envelope the crowd, shrouding the senses in a peaceful cocoon. The five man band included  keyboardist, Eddyjai Ryba (Edward Rodgers), violinist, Iblesq Alter (Boris Iomdin), bassoonist, Geoffrey Gloster (Geoffrey Best) and percussionist, Gene Galicia (Gene Gussman). The lofty music was an appropriate accompaniment to the engaging lecture which examined mankind’s perception of reality and the Kabbalistic path to spirituality. The five man band opened the stage for lecturer and Kabbalist, SunTzu Rikugun (Rob Taylor).

As explained by SunTzu, reality is divided into two parts: the self and what one perceives outside of  oneself. The surrounding reality is attainable through the acquisition of a sixth sense. The operation of this sense is the method of achieving “adhesion” with the Creator, which according to Rikugun’s is man’s purpose in life.

SunTzu described Kabbalah as a science in which the student becomes his own experiment. Mastering a new sense that is able to perceive the true surrounding reality is a new experience for a person. This experience gradually elevates one to higher levels of attainment, which in turn, causes a person to research his own self along his path of discovery. What is the journey? What is the discovery? What is this insatiable quest in our lives, and the subsequent surge of interest and study of the ancient Kabbalah? According to Rikugun, it is the desire to understand the Upper Forces, and attainment, degree by degree, that brings us to “equality of form” with the Creator. Simply put, Kabbalah is the path to the Creator.

The riveting lecture and Kabbalistic performance was attended by over twenty people with the lecture hall being filled to near capacity.

ARI Online Group has open enrollment and conducts ongoing free lectures including question and answer sessions as well as concerts. The group’s next lecture is scheduled for June 30, 2008 at 6:00 PM, SL time.

Introduction to Authentic Kabbalah On Second Life

ARI Online Kabbalah Education Center Opens Virtual Classroom For Second Life Community

Toronto, Canada – March 28, 2008 – ARI Online Kabbalah Education Center, a leader in distance learning and Internet TV is proud to announce the opening of a virtual classroom for the Second Life community, the most popular virtual reality environment in the world. ARI Online has designed a new introductory course on the wisdom of Kabbalah specifically for residents of the virtual world called, “Understanding Yourself Through Kabbalah”. The first introductory Second Life lecture will take place on Sunday March 30 at 10:00AM.

Foremost Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman, the founder and president of the Ashlag Research Institute commented on the expansion to the virtual world, “There are millions of people using Second Life and our hope is to attract them to Kabbalah, explain what the wisdom of Kabbalah is and how much it can benefit them.”

The Second Life curriculum provides a response to escalating global issues by demonstrating how we all interconnected at a higher reality. The goal is to begin recognizing this parallel reality to ours in order to restore harmony on our planet. By teaching us how to reach wholeness, completeness and balance with nature, the method of Kabbalah enables us to discover our role in creation, and what can be done to lead the world to stability and peace. Classes also provide insights about where the world is heading, and how we can help avoid future crises.

The Second Life series of lectures will address the many misconceptions about Kabbalah while shedding light on current affairs: The escalating global crisis: natural disasters, terrorism, collapse of health and education systems, collapse of the economy; Freedom of choice -- where we have it and where we don't; Reality -- how we can expand our perception of the reality we live in and learn to design it.

According to North American Director Tony Kosinec who has introduced thousands of students to authentic Kabbalah over the years, “Second Life’s virtual reality environment provides the ultimate conditions for becoming acquainted with the hidden wisdom. People from all walks of life are very drawn to these concepts but prefer to participate in an anonymous manner until they understand what it is truly about.”

About ARI

The Ashlag Research Institute is dedicated to bettering humanity through research and education. The Institute researches the ancient and contemporary wisdoms, to reveal the integral and global system of laws exhibited in today's world; the same laws that are the foundation of universal existence.

Through this research the Institute intends to reveal a coherent understanding of the natural phenomena transforming our world, and provide solutions to the current global crisis.

The Institute is committed to sharing its research with all of humanity via multimedia channels in popular and attractive formats to provide insight, direction, and solutions. The Ashlag Research Institute welcomes open dialogue, collaboration and joint research with all interested organizations and individuals.

ARI Online in Second Life asks – WHO AM I?

Second Life – June 30, 2008. Picture this in your imagination, if you will: you're lounging on the deck of your 32 foot cruising yacht and it's a beautiful day – the sky is cobalt blue and the sun is sparkling. The surface of the water is topped with ripples of currents, and you can hear the gentle clap up against the sides of the boat. All of a sudden, the wind picks up and the waters become rocky, beginning to whitecap, but just enough to respect the power of nature. Suddenly, the sea changes again, the waters calm, and you are lulled by the gentle movements of the rocking waves. That is the sensation one experiences when listening to Kabbalistic music. That is indeed the sensation one experiences when listening to the amazing ARI Kabbalah Band who performed their fourth live concert in Second Life!

The five man band included Bassoonist, Geoffrey Gloster (Geoffrey Best), Arvut Tomorrow (Tomer) on the keyboard, percussionist, Gene Galicia (Gene Gussman), violionist, Iblesq Alter (Boris Iomdin), and guitarist, Al1WorldKli Whybrow (Al Perez).



Following the calming currents of the concert, lecturer and kabbalist, SunTzu Rikugun (Rob Taylor) took the mic, and set the audience sailing on virtual waters -- the sea of infinity! The riveting 45-minute lecture entitled, "Who Am I?", probed the unrelenting questions in life: “Why is there suffering?”, “What did I do to deserve this?”, “What is the point of it all?”, culminating in that one essential question: "For what reason do I exist?"

According to Rikugun, the question of “Who AM I?” is directly linked to man's responsibility of becoming one with the Creator. The path to the Creator is an exploration and discernment between the essence of our being (the “I”) and our egotistical nature (the “self”), which is driven by our will to receive. Created with this will to receive, we are controlled by its demand and are driven to receive unlimited pleasure, therefore, the unyielding, unrelenting question actually becomes: “Who is He?” --who is the Creator?  Quoting Rikugun: “Since there is no such independent existence of what we perceive as the “I”, The question, "Who am I?", can only exists outside the Creator. We are different from the Creator only in wanting to resemble Him and to attain His degree.” Thus, the exploration of free will comes into play, and the question of whether there is any such thing as free will.

Rikugun's lecture, like white-capped waters, challenged conventional teachings regarding freedom and the control of one’s life. According to Rikugun every desire we experience, even ones we perceive as negative, are given to us by the Upper Force. By engaging all our perceptions and applying the methodology of Kabbalah, one is guided back to the place in which we achieve “equivalence of form” with the Creator. It is on this level of correct understanding, that we are able to actualize the state of pure bestowal.
There's only one prerequisite to achieving this amazing potential, and that is simply having a true desire to know “Who am I?”

 
The ARI Online Group has open enrollment and conducts ongoing free lectures including question and answer sessions as well as concerts. The group’s next lecture is scheduled for July 14, 2008 at 6:00 PM, SL time.

WHY KABBALAH?... in Second Life

Second Life -  July 14, 2008.  As part of an ongoing series of free concerts and lectures conducted by the Online Kabbalah Education Center, approximately thirty Second Lifers attended the event entitled, "Why Kabbalah?" A marvelous mixture of Kabbalistic melodies and a direct, yet intriguing, explanation of spirituality and Kabbalistic concepts was examined.

To kick-off the evening, the Kabbalah Band played some of the most moving jazz renditions of Kabbalistic music performed to date. Evoking notions of nature: winds whispering through willows by the lake, the movement of eagles' wings against the backdrop of a blue sky, the call and reply of birds perched amidst majestic trees...

The animated music provided a calming effect and a receptive mood, prior to the lecture. 

So, "Why Kabbalah?" According to Kabbalist and lecturer, SunTzu Rikugun, humanity is inherently interconnected by an “operating system”, a “controlling-force” that is yet to be defined. Rikugun suggests that, until an individual is motivated to inquire into and understand the underlying forces that connect us, spiritual fulfillment remains unrealized. Rikugun explains that our lack of spiritual fulfillment is realized not only by the fact that we're never satisfied, but that we simply do not know how to relate to one another. From this premise, he asserts that we need to start asking ourselves vital questions: why does humanity exist? Why were we born? Why are we living this particular life? Where were we before this life? What will be the fate of humanity?

The lecture continues to develop the principles of the study of Kabbalah. Again, Rikugun asserts that it is a “precise system” that enables us to understand our spiritual root and connection with the Creator, whereby we learn to scrutinize our thoughts and feelings, and begin to examine the ”Upper Worlds.” The study is intensely personal in that it involves the investigation of one’s own nature, evaluating the sensations of pleasure, pain, suffering, disappointment, etc., against the backdrop of the singular Force that inherently binds humanity. The essential goal of the study is to “correct” the egoistic condition, establishing oneself in “equivalence of form” with the Creator, and to become unequivocally and wholly altruistic. In making these inner corrections, a person acquires an additional spiritual force, which Kabbalists refer to as, the “sixth sense”, through which one enters the spiritual world and can perceive the actual interconnection of the souls that exists.

The evolution of humanity through attainment of the Upper Worlds must occur while here on Earth. Kabbalah serves as the premiere method for bringing the human race, the pinnacle of creation, to its highest spiritual potential. This entire process comprises the quintessential demand for authentic Kabbalah, as it provides the specific technique that can teach us what it means to be a human. 

As always, the lecture ended with a stimulating exchange of questions and answers.
The Kabbalah Group has open enrollment and conducts ongoing free lectures including question and answer sessions, as well as concerts. The group’s next lecture is scheduled for August 4, 2008 at 6:00 PM, SLT (Second Life time).