The Spiritual Side of Kali - A Brief Introduction By Jeff Davidson
In response to several thoughtful questions from visitors to our site regarding the nature of the "Spiritual" facet of our Art, we decided it would be helpful to provide a general overview of what this program is - and what it is not.
The Soul of Man is our most precious endowment from the Lord of the Universe. Whereas the physical body remains bound to the gross confines of the material world, the Spirit is limitless in its power to seek and attain "treasures" far beyond the physical realm. To hold the precept that "Man is created in the image of God" is to acknowledge that there is a spark of Divinity within each of us containing the indelible essence of our Creator, much the same way that a physical cell contains DNA from our biological parents. This spark, or Light becomes dim only when unfortunate circumstances in the human condition such as sickness, pain, or anger cause us to forget our innate Divine essence. During these times of hardship, we are commanded to "Remember" our obligation to transcend the darkness, and re-connect with the Light.
There is nothing 'supernatural' about metaphysics. The practitioner who is aware of, and has activated his spiritual consciousness is often capable of acting in such a way that seems to defy the parameters of the finite boundaries of our physical environment. This is most assuredly not accomplished through "magic" but rather is an example of the latent power of the human consciousness, activated either through systematic training or by a fundamental need to sustain life. Feats of chi/ki/tenagabatin attributed to the martial arts masters of bygone days are an example of this. The ancient teachers recommended focused breathing, movement, and the repetition of certain words/sounds (such as a Holy Name, or a phrase from scripture) as a means of channeling energy from the Upper Realms. When performed consistently as a spiritual discipline, we are able -God Willing - to align our body with our higher Self, our Self with our family, our family with our community, and our community with the environment we share.
The spiritual facet of Kali is also concerned with natural modalities of healing. We believe that a disease, which afflicts the body, often has roots in the spiritual component of the person. Although anger, hatred, low self-esteem, pain, and fear are termed ‘mental’ or ‘behavioral’ issues by some modern scientists, we take these to be low states of spiritual "vibration" needing healing and elevation. Even if God Forbid, the physical body suffers under the influence of a debilitating chronic or terminal illness, the Inner Light can still be made stronger, even as the physical form declines.
So, the spiritual nature of Kali does not involve "witchcraft," "spells," or the worship of "spirits" or "djinns." Neither does it make use of any religious iconography, ritual paraphernalia, or any decorum associated with the "occult" or "new age" teachings. Nor does it require the practitioner to follow any particular religious doctrine - other than submission to the Will of the Creator. Rather, we are firmly committed to realization and development of the Spirit as the means of achieving our highest potential as human beings.
My sincere thanks to Ustaz Hussein Udom of Rimah Online Combatives for suggesting the necessity of this essay.
