"When I started taking the classes, it made me stop and think before I reacted. I actually thought about what I was doing before I reacted to it. I had that little moment where I said, you know what, maybe this is a learning experience, maybe you’re getting something out of it. And sometimes I did: instead of exploding I got something out of it."
- Jonah, former Rikers Island prisoner
The Power of Cause and Effect
To help understand that none of us are actually "victims" of the world around us and that our choices and actions directly impact ourselves and others, The Kabbalah Centre: COI participants learn to recognize the chain of Cause and Effect—one of the underlying principles of universal law. Participants begin to see the interconnectedness between themselves and the world.
The Transformation Formula
Reactive behaviors such as greed, self-indulgence, anger, and envy keep us from opening ourselves to others and leave us stuck in the darkness. Genuine life-altering transformation takes place when we rise above our everyday reactive behavior. By overcoming our desire to react, we actually transform ourselves and our destiny.
| An obstacle occurs. |  |
Stop! Don't react automatically. Your reaction, not the obstacle, is the real challenge. | |
Take a positive action step that is supportive of yourself and others. |
The Resistance Principle
The concept of resistance is best illustrated through the three components of a light bulb:
- The negative pole corresponds to our Desire to Receive for the Self Alone;
- The positive pole is the fulfillment we seek;
- The filament acts as a resistor, pushing back the current that flows from the positive pole and preventing it from connecting directly with the negative or receiving pole. The resistance is what turns on the light.
The more difficult the situation, the stronger our urge to react. The greater our reaction, the more resistance we have to apply to stop it. The more resistance we apply, the more spiritual Light is turned on in our lives.
The Power of Sharing
Sharing is a powerful tool that can bring happiness and fulfillment into our lives. The reason for sharing is not simply because it is a "good" or "right" thing to do, but because by sharing we end up with more rather than less, especially when we share without any hidden agenda or expectations. Even if we do not have material possessions, such as money, that we can share with others, we can always give non-material “belongings” like happiness, joy, love, and friendship. What we share comes back to us!
"I was stubborn and caused my family a
lot of pain. I try to be helpful now. I try to
give back. I try and lead by example."
- Salvador, former jailed drug addict