Audio Version Of The Blog – 07.24.12
Posted on July 24th, 2012
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In order to bring a person to the attainment of the true reality that is outside the limits of his perception, understanding, and ordinary feelings, the Creator puts us through a gradual process of development. So we have the opportunity, while living in this world, to prepare ourselves for the perception of the true reality. If we prepare ourselves, then according to the plan of creation that operates on us, which brings us closer and closer to this true reality, we eventually discover it, which means that we attain the revelation of the Creator to His created beings.
But if we don’t prepare ourselves correctly and don’t use our life in order to correct our perception, but try to enjoy it directly in our ego, we feel pain as the Creator gets closer to us. Wherever we operate by using our ego, we feel the general global crisis and different problems in all the areas in life.
Wherever we use our ego, which is not ready for correction and for a change, we feel a crisis: in education, in culture, in the economy, in finance, in ecology, in the break up of the family, in terrorism, and in drug abuse. If we examine the painful points in the imaginary picture of our world and try to find out where the feeling of crisis and pain stems from, meaning the bitter taste of the refreshments on the King’s table, we see that all the bitterness stems from our growing ego.
Anywhere our ego (which was supposed to be corrected but was not prepared for this) is involved, we encounter a crisis and all the problems that are being revealed in the world now. So the conclusion is that we have to prepare ourselves with the help of all the opportunities we have.
If we work in the group, in the study and in dissemination seriously, using all the means that were given to us by the Creator, we will feel a good sweet taste by getting closer to the revelation of the Creator, and not bitterness. It all depends solely on our preparation, on the work that is seemingly our free will.
You were brought to the study, to the group and were given all the explanations as to what you should do; now decide! You are free to do whatever you see fit in the King’s palace, but if you forget that you came there in order to prepare yourself for the festive meal, you will feel an awful taste when it arrives, since you are not prepared for it. So everything is in your hands and it all depends on the preparation.
[83692]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam
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Question: I am taking the International Kabbalah Academy course online. How important is it for virtual students to come to the convention in Kharkov? Can we virtually participate in it as we do in our lessons?
Answer: No way! You will never replace the direct interaction. You can keep taking the Kabbalah Academy online courses and gain knowledge. However, without real unity it’s impossible to unite and connect in order to sense the Creator in our connection. After all, the revelation of the Creator is our main problem. This is precisely the reason for our existence, for the existence of this entire world, and for our courses.
[83699]
From the Virtual Lesson 7/8/12, “Kharkov 2012”
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Opinion (Dennis Meadows, American scientist and Emeritus Professor of Systems Management, co-author of The Limits to Growth): “It is difficult to break the dependence of ‘personal dreams’ from GDP growth. So much attention in the world is focused on GDP growth and personal wellbeing because business needs to profit in the short term. Companies do not make a profit when you study, communicate with friends, read, or love. They profit when you buy something. That’s why friendship is not advertised, but a lot of products are advertised. That’s why the majority create a personal vision in terms of consumption. …
“But in the long term, catastrophe cannot be avoided. Catastrophe is not a particular year, but a process, which can last for centuries. …
“I think that it is possible to prepare for this period and mitigate the consequences. In this case, both efficiency and changing ‘personal dreams’ can help. …
“The main problems today are not in science, but in society. In science, I would single out a few basic points that need to be addressed. The first one is accumulation of energy. …
“The second one is finding new alternative sources of energy. …
“The third one is inventing the ways of producing, delivering, and storing food, which will be resistant to a shortage of fossil fuels, as the existing agriculture intensively uses hydrocarbons. Also, new ways must be resistant to climate change, especially changes in precipitation and an increase in temperature extremes. …
“In the 21st century, the circumstances will be formed so that science will have to develop and implement the concept of ‘stability and flexibility,’ but not in terms of ‘sustainable development,’ but in terms of ‘system resilience.’ Moreover, this resistance should be not only technological, but also social. We face many challenges; science will not only have to open new horizons, but to solve problems. …
“The monetary system should be changed: …the existing concept of money is based on the concept of continuous growth. If there is no growth, there will be no basis for the existence of the current monetary system. …
“Education today is a preparation for life in the next 50 years. The current historical period is based on cheap fossil resources and will end in the coming decades. What will those people who studied to be an economist, financier, banker or lawyer do?
“In the USA in 2008, we saw the situation when a huge number of lawyers and investment bankers, who had performed the same and not the most necessary work, suddenly became redundant and found themselves on the street. …I believe that if you choose science and have a good education in science or engineering, then you know how and why nature, technology, and something works…When circumstances change, you will be in great demand!”
My Comment: The author does not suggest a solution. He believes that we will hold in this limbo for a long time and survive by conserving energy and food. The limit of the growth of egoism has been reached; it no longer develops, and that is why it does not require “fuel” for itself. It has become closed, global, and integral and thus requires correction, to be brought to the form in which it will be able to exist, that is, not withdrawing into itself, but becoming included in others. It forces itself to be corrected, like the Pharaoh who drove people out of Egypt through oppression.
[83782]
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Question: There is concern that a person who is mentally included in the general integral system will stop applying regular physical effort, and it is possible to say that he will turn into an abstract slacker. Will there be place for linear human efforts in the integral world?
Answer: We were evolving throughout human history under the influence of the egoism developing in us. Egoism was going through various stages: physical egoism, food, sex, and family and egoism that directed us towards wealth, fame, power, and knowledge, but today, we have reached an impasse and need something higher.
The attracting force of the past egoistic development disappears; a person rushes to something, but where, it is unknown. That is why we have all these spiritual methods, techniques, manipulation, New Age, and the like. People are suddenly become attracted to religions again; truly, it seems “back and forth,” but in reality, it is a search that will pass quickly.
We enter into the integral. That is, now humanity will begin to understand that our next state is the creation of an integral society.
And what is wrong with our egoism?
Today, we have reached the line, and from here, we will start building an integral system or become like the integral system, nature, which is the same.
How do we do this? We do this with the egoism that grows in us.
What does it mean growing; we have said that it no longer grows?
It begins to grow so that you will transform it into integral. This is a completely different egoism, which will oppose and hinder your becoming integral. And on the basis of it, looking at it, you can change yourself because you will be able to see all the negative disturbances, this breaking in this mechanism, and how to correct it and become integral.
Why do we need this system?
We need it so that through all kinds of breakdowns, failures, suffering, various conflicts, the lack of understanding, and egoistic rejection of other people, my egoism dragged me away again.
Why do I need, on the basis of it, to try through my efforts to enter into the integral system with everyone?
Because then I obtain skills, learning like a pupil who does exercises. A pupil is given homework all the time; he should feel: correct or incorrect. The incorrect turns into the correct, it is said: “The experienced one is better than two inexperienced.” “The experienced one” is the one who realizes his transgressions, mistakes. That is, we are constantly analyzing our mistakes, but they are not our mistakes; thus, our egoistic nature is specially developed in us, not because we want this, but in order that we rise above it and create an integral community.
That is why egoism is growing, but this is an entirely different egoism, directed against the community.
This is another kind of work. If earlier I used egoism linearly and through it constantly advanced, developed egoistically, now I consciously, pushing against it, transform it into integral unity, connection with others. Today, it is building material for me; I build with its help.
Comment: So, for egoism to be manifested, do I have to interact with the world physically, do I have to be in this world?
Answer: Our world was created this way for this purpose because in it we can be simultaneously in egoistic and in higher qualities.
[83674]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12
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Question: Many family members of those friends that have included themselves in the integral system began complaining that those friends became lazier and stopped taking care of some necessities. What is the correct way to deal with this? After all, shouldn’t a person put in the effort and fulfill his family obligations just as everyone else?
Answer: Everyone must actualize his necessary participation in family matters, and it should be done as part of the effort in his spiritual advancement. You must attend to your family’s needs. This is working with the same egoism, not only with personal egoism but also with family egoism. This work contributes to your advancement.
Comment: To the neighbors, this person should appear absolutely normal, caring for his family, earning money, striving to solve corporeal problems, etc.
Answer: To a certain extent. However, he shouldn’t strive to earn more than what is needed for the basic necessities. Everything he earns in excess of that, he is ready to give up for the purpose of uniting the world in any efforts and events. This is how he operates.
[83671]
From a “Talk on Integral Education” 5/30/12
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Question: How can we fulfill the recommendations of integral education in daily family life, in the mutual relations between a husband and a wife?
Answer: I don’t see any problem here. In the lectures for couples, we teach the chapter called “Free Will.” It provides information about nature and society from which we conclude that a person is a product of the environment. So if he wants to change, he only needs to choose the environment that will change him. It’s up to a person to decide, and the fulfillment is in the hands of the environment.
Suppose there are several rooms before me and in each room there is a special environment. One room will turn you into a criminal and in another room you will become an intellectual, in the third room you will be perfect, in the fourth room you will know how to make the right decisions, and in the fifth room you will become a perfect family man. You choose a room, go through it and come out from another door fully formed, an Oxford graduate or an armed robber, a gigolo, or a businessman, etc. It all depends on those “four walls.”
This is the reason that it’s so easy; all you need is to teach a person this principle and to prepare the right environment for him. Then he will undoubtedly succeed. So the problem we are facing is divided into two parts:
Thus we provide him with everything that he needs.
Gradually people will join the new environment, expand it in quantity and reinforce it in quality. As it becomes more attractive, it will be easier for people to choose it and everyone will have a chance to be corrected. It isn’t difficult, all a person has to do is to become part of this society, and it will influence him.
Of course, the process of incorporation and improvement has to be accompanied by the right tools, but on the whole it’s very simple: A person doesn’t have to change himself, he only needs to establish the right connection with the right environment.
[83677]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 7/11/12
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Question: Suppose something happened to me and I feel such a sense of shame that I’m ready to disappear. What should I think of at this point? Should I think of the goal?
Answer: That doesn’t help. What does it mean, “I should think of” or not? You must be prepared in advance for all sorts of influences from the environment, books, friends, the group, and other things that are the effect of the common field on you so that you are reminded of the goal. That is, you set up an external “reminder” for yourself, otherwise you won’t remember. You begin to associate the goal with what happened to you. And that’s the main thing. It means that you already know that what happened was intentional and happened for a reason.
Where do I feel the pain and shame? In my egoism. So, I have to rise above it. Or conversely, let me stay with the feeling of shame because it directs me towards the goal. Then I’m ready to experience it all the time in myself so as to not forget about the goal, to be associated with it, and to move towards it. And let my sense of shame be stronger and stronger, so that I will move toward the goal and it will get closer and closer.
It’s here that we begin to deal with the re-evaluation of values, and thus rise. From now on what will dominate the movement, achievement, and attainment of higher states of love and bestowal above the feeling of egoism as evil and everything that’s in it is basically shame.
Question: Is the mechanism that you described suitable for the 99% of the population?
Answer: Not only for the 99%, but for everyone because the desire to receive is the only matter.
[83599]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12
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Question: How can I relate to the Creator if He is the property of bestowal?
Answer: Really, what is “the property” anyway? Is it a physical force? Can I really love or hate gravity? For example, I can like it on the condition that it does something good to me. But that doesn’t mean that I love or hate it. I realize that it’s something inanimate and therefore I relate to it according to my feeling, according to the benefits I get from it.
I enjoy the sun. But, do I really “love” it? How can we love the sun compared to loving a plant, an animal or a person?
So, how do I relate to the Creator? First of all, it is said about Him: “I HaVaYaH change not.” The upper Light is in absolute rest; it is “Good that does good to both the good and the bad”; the Creator treats us with absolute love.
On the other hand, the Creator is called the Great, the Terrible, and so on and so forth. All evil comes from Him; all the good originates from Him. Everything is so contradictory that I get confused.
If something is unchanging, it’s bad. Why do they tell us that the Creator doesn’t change?
Baal HaSulam explains in his letter number two, that if a father relates to his son with absolute love, it makes the son hate him instead of love. After all, if there is no reaction whatsoever on the father’s behalf, the son sees that it doesn’t matter how he treats his father; in any case, his father responds to him with absolute love. It prevents the son from developing love, and it does not allow him to change, see the connection and stay in contact. It’s as if he is facing an inanimate object. Plants have a certain level of reaction, animals respond even more strongly, not to mention the human being. Then, positive and negative reactions penetrate in each other and create a new liaison, a mutual inclusion.
But if the Creator doesn’t change, and at the same time He is so kind and loving, then what can I feel for Him? There is no way I can take Him into consideration. And yet, if I cannot consider Him, then I leave Him out of the picture, as if He doesn’t exist at all. Why would I consider someone who never changes?
It’s a very deep notion that was explored not only by Kabbalists. However, Kabbalists strove to demonstrate that at all times the Creator is “Come and See”; so I reveal Him. I cannot reveal Him Himself, His essence, but only His form that is dressed into matter. That’s why when we attain Him in His full entirety, we reveal His ultimate and perfect shape and really see Him as the Absolute, the Perfect, the Eternal, the Good that does good.
In all other states, we regard evil or good that come from Him depending on the level of our own corruptness, as it is said: “Everybody judges according to his own flaws,” and then, we have the opportunity to relate to Him to the degree of our own deficiencies and corrections, and thus see Him as good or bad.
And yet, we have to believe what the great Kabbalists who revealed Him in His true form, say, that He is absolutely good and bestowing.
So we have to relate it to our desires (Kelim): At this moment, we see the Creator to the extent of the correctness or corruptness of our desires, but when we attain Him at the end of the ladder we will reveal Him as the Good that does good.
Then all contradictions will be gone; we will get a “roadmap of advancement” which is scaled to our attitude to the Creator. It allows us to see how we change and accordingly how the Creator changes in our eyes.
We express gratitude to the Creator for giving us the ladder of concealment; with its help we can attain connection with Him. Otherwise, we won’t be able to connect with perfection.
[82488]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/9/12, “The Book of Zohar”
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