The Kind Of Persistence Needed On The Path

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Does stubborn persistence on the path help overcome all the obstacles in the work?

Answer: It isn’t just stubborn perseverance that’s required of us, but also persistent clarifications. My task isn’t to simply endure like a concrete block, unyielding to any changes and standing on my previously formed opinions and understanding. Naturally, this is not the path of advancement. The Creator wants us to be developing, to analyze our states each time, and to reach more and more qualitative, internal clarifications.

In spirituality, power is not determined by quantity, not by amplifying the “volume.” Greater power always means higher quality. In spirituality, there are no quantitative changes in a force, but only changes in quality.

Every higher degree is above not because it’s simply more powerful. There are three stages: embryo, nurturing, and maturity (Ibur, Yenika, Mochin), and each contains 10 Sefirot. How are they different from one another? In this world, we clearly see that a tiny baby first grows into a big child and then fully grows and becomes an adult. But in spirituality, everything is determined by the measure of understanding, the quality of clarifications.

At first, a person doesn’t know or feel anything and isn’t capable of discerning and clarifying anything. But at least he annuls himself; this is called the still level, NHY (the lower part of the Partzuf: (Netzach, Hod, Yesod). And after, in every state he is already able to remain in bestowal (Hafetz Hesed)HGT (the middle part of the Partzuf: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet). When he unites with the higher reason, with the upper force above him, this is called HBD (the upper part of the Partzuf: Hochma, Bina, Daat).

All of these are qualitative clarifications and not mere stubbornness. Stubbornness is required for using every moment correctly.
[81747]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/27/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Rejecting Our Present Selves
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Enjoying The Game With Death

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Why is it that we prefer to stay within the suffering and don’t want to escape it, as if we even enjoy it?

Answer: We enjoy our suffering. The whole world enjoys suffering because there is a very simple way to escape it and attain a wonderful state of goodness, which is even impossible to describe. But people prefer to suffer.

Our desire to receive is responsible for this; it likes to suffer. All of our pleasure comes from overcoming the suffering. It is really masochism. All of our pleasures, from the smallest to the greatest, of all kinds, come only from suffering. We enjoy having been able to avoid suffering a little bit, rising above it, but in any case, it is all rooted in suffering. This is the nature of the desire to receive.

In order to enjoy, we need a deficiency and then after, to fulfill it. In our case, the deficiency is the lack of fulfillment, death. And a little above death is already considered pleasure, but nonetheless, it is still associated with death. Pleasure, is when there is a little more than the state of death.

However, spiritual pleasure is different, there is pleasure from bestowal there. Thus, even the lowest, basic level already gives strength and symbolizes life, since I don’t feel deficiency in anything. I don’t personally need anything for myself. I am in the state of Bina, Hafetz Hesed (Desire for Bestowal),” like a monk who lives in the forest and doesn’t even feel the need for a shirt.

And above this state, I feel even more life, even more bestowal, even more freedom. While at the same time, in our desire to receive, we feel only death and suffering and can’t escape it. Without this, the ego can’t feel pleasure. We must always add a little “salt and pepper” to the food to spice it up.
[81744]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/27/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
To Suffer In Order To Live
Egoism And Pleasure Are Incompatible
The Beckoning Light Of The Future

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 07.04.12

Preparation to the Lesson

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Writings of RabashAccording to What Is Explained About Love Thy Friend as Thyself” 

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The Book of ZoharSelected Excerpts “Beresheet Bet (Genesis 2),” Lesson 132

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 2, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 64, Lesson 22

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Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 20, Lesson 8

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