Draydle Consciousness

Draydle Consciousness To Dray means to spin or tum. The four sides of the Draydle are marked by 3 Nun, :i Gimme/, :r Hay, and ~ Shin, the first letters of the phrase, "Nes Gado/ Haya Sham,• a great miracle happened there. The following is an alternate, kabbalistic and psycho-emotional reading of the letters of the Draydle which denote four important spiritual paths and draw the hidden worlds of the Kabbala into our consciousness. Shin- Shafal - Humbling Intimacy The Shin.of the Draydle,according to Jewish mysticism, connotes Sh.afal,humility. Viewing oneself as being sh.afaldoes not suggest unworthiness or self-hatred. One can respect and love oneself and still act with shiB.ut.if one directs his or her actions towards the greater good of the collective in which we all take part. Conversely, when one is not sh.afal,one can become overly pre-occupied with oneself and too boxed up in an individual, unshared reality. This may lead to unhealthy habits such as isolating oneself, causing one to lose one's basic grounding. The spiritual practice of shiB.utinvolves rejection of being 'self-intending', and disengagement from being preoccupied with one's self-improvement as an ultimate goal. Paradoxically, this practice enlarges one's world and increases one's chances for intimacy with others. Perhaps this is why, when we get a Shin.when playing Draydle,we add to the pot. By experiencing ourselves as sh.afal,our l.ifeintention is realized as the collective grows larger. Gimel- Galgal - Dancing on a Wheel "One doesn't stay long in any particular state," is the message of the Gimel. Gimel is the first letter of Galgal,wheel, suggesting fluidity and the unending cycles of transformation through which we must deal with our karma,the residue of our past actions. The Galgalsuggests that we enter into balance by making peace with our "other side"; with the reverse way of seeing the current events inc- .IIIAaB q our l.ife;with the parallel universes we avoid; with the shadow. The Gimel of the Draydle suggests surrendering inflexible positions as an ongoing spiritual practice. Perhaps this is why, when we get ~ u - , _ a Gim.elwhen playing Draydle, we take everything from the pot. We have become so free and ll Bf open that the universe pours through us, allowing everything to come to us. to that of the GimeL Nivdal (the separate) -/ connotes a transcendent constant, the background to our consciousness. The Nivdal is like a mathematical equation which we hardly ever experience directly. Remembering the Nivdal helps us· recognize that the sequence of time is really an ever-presence, like a long comic strip, that Adonai El.bad suggests a Hologram in which every point of time and space is distributed everywhere. In spiritual practice, the Nivdal suggests a state of simplicity, of "zero" mind, that opens us to identify with the larger Self of the universe as does a rock, a worm, or a Zen master. Perhaps this is why, when we get a Nun when playing Draydle,we are passive, neither giving nor taking from the pot. Our self has become as enlightened as a rock and we watch everything with the point of view of the witness, with, perhaps, a little smile curling at the edge of our lips. Hay- Hiuli - the Universal Solvent While the Nivdal smiles from a distance, the Hiuli (formless) enters closely, reminding us of the active Force, the amazing power of healing that can enter anything, transform anything, fix anything, change anything, and heal anything. While the Ayn So[, the infinite unity, is utterly beyond mind, beyond forms, beyond creation, and beyond the beyond, it is very present in our lives- at births and deaths, in healings, in acts of love, in the process of T esh.uvah., and in the depths of each single breath. Spiritually, the Hay suggests we practice the spiritual and emotional state of being healed, feeling whole and perfect exactly as we are right now, this moment, this day, in this lifetime. A mantra helpful to bring us to this state is, "It is perfect. You are loved. All is clear. I am holy." Perhaps this is why, when we get a Hay when playing Draydle,we take half of the pot, a sign that we are in an open partnership with the Higher Power, sharing equally and joyously.