The World Was Created For Me

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe convention in Berlin is about to begin. Our intention has to be simple: I wish to unite with the others and through this unity, receive new, additional, greater forces that will help me see the entire reality within. I wish to feel that all that was not mine is mine, everything external is internal, and that the Creator is also within. I wish to unveil everything within me and treat the creation as my internal world, even if it’s egoistically for now.

Question: So, instead of exercising the principle of “There is none else besides Him,” I should say: “There is none else besides me?”

Answer: True, there is none else but you. The Creator, the friends are all within me; all of it is me. One should tell himself: “The world was created for me.”

You may object to this: “I bring everyone within, but still treat them egoistically. It is as if I have found my children. Previously, I didn’t know they were mine, but now I discover it is so. Then, naturally, I will love them, if only expanding my egoistic Kelim (vessels) and considering what advantage it will give me. So, I am simply cultivating my will to receive, aren’t I?”

Don’t worry. While you’re at it, you will also feel the force of resistance, and then unification with the friends will not become another dab of selfish desires. To the contrary, it will be done above your egoism. Oneness is formed one degree higher.
[33773]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/2011, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
The Winning Lottery With A Jack-Pot For Every Person!
The Right To Serve The Friends
The Effort Comes From Below And The Sensation—From Above

Tell Me Who You Are, And I Will Tell You What Your World Looks Like

Dr. Michael LaitmanEverything occurs within a person. On the spiritual path, he starts realizing that there are no forces outside of him. The forces of nature, the strength of the group, everything is within him, and he treats it all as relevant to himself. In this case, the group enters, the friends’ forces appear within, and the person sees more clearly that everything depends on the degree of his qualities.

For example, this weekly chapter of the Torah (“Mishpatim”) tells us about judicial precepts. It prohibits marrying under certain circumstances, laying with beasts, stealing, judging unfairly, and so forth. All of this refers to the internal “lawsuit”: A person must build correct relations with his “beast,” “thief,” and “another’s wife.” Everything is within.

While arranging the forces of my soul, I continue to see the external world, but at this point, I realize that the forces of all external objects reside within me. I come to such a conclusion, becoming more aware of how my attitude changes and draws the real picture within me. I start viewing the external world as a copy, a projection, of my inner properties. It is I and only I, within myself, who changes the picture of the world by altering combinations of forces, properties, and desires.

I become more and more aware that this picture is formed and painted solely by me. As a result, its entire image changes as well. There is no other; this is the only way I see it.

A person works within with his desires, intentions, thoughts, and attitudes. This is precisely how Kabbalists advise us to relate to everything we have within. A person breaks himself down into 613 parts, desires, and sees that his inner world, as well as the outer one, does change. As soon as an attitude changes, so does the world.

Everything is now inside a person, and he finally sees the authentic picture. Time after time, he asks for the new forces of bestowal in order to reach the true form to the best of his ability.

One always has only one instrument to ascend to the next rung, his environment: the teacher, Kabbalistic texts, and the group. He constructs a place out of them where he receives the forces to change and the form of change, advancing therewith.

Thus, gradually, thanks to this work, all the enormous desire for pleasures transitions to the area of the property of bestowal, in parts, piece by piece.
[33744]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/2011, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
A Construction Plan “HaVaYaH”
Everything Depends On The Observer
Working In Sync

On The Way To Pharaoh

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe get together, listen to a lesson, and do something without much desire for it or even with an opposite desire. After all, I enter the group and perform various actions so that I may feel good.

However, these actions were suggested for me by Kabbalists. I read their books along with the others, and while I’m at it and despite the fact that I expect it to do me good, I nonetheless start wishing for the friends to feel good. It almost seems like I get “corrupted” because I turn away from what I want. This is how Kabbalistic material works on me in the beginning.

The changes occurring in me seem very odd. I neither desire nor comprehend them. In the beginning stages, I am totally confused and don’t know what is happening, but, eventually, I start agreeing with and even anticipating them.

I start wishing for such changes to visit me and begin “moving the hands” of my intention clock. Previously, I egoistically wished to be in the group, study, and participate in everything so that I may feel good. Now, however, I do it for the changes within me. I want to turn myself to desire aimed toward the others, their good, the thoughts about the others, and stepping outside of myself.

All of this is also permeated with calculation for personal benefit so far. After all, bestowal is closeness to the Creator, an opportunity to break free from our tiny world, and so forth. Still, we start seeing alterations in our intention and expectations. This is described as going from Lo Lishma (not for Her Name) to Lishma (for Her Name), meaning from egoistic intention to the altruistic one, making small steps as beginners do.

Afterwards, I tear even farther away from calculations for personal benefit. I want to fall into a trance, withdraw from myself, stop sensing myself, and soar above egoism and personal calculations to feel free.

Again, it is I who feels good being free. It is as if I am drugged, drunken, and unrestricted by my egoism. Still, at this point, I am already aware of the evil and understand that egoistic desire prevents and pulls me away from the goal.

Finally, a person starts putting effort into working against his Pharaoh, in spite of and above it, desiring to rise to bestowal.
[33747]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/2011, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
Make Us Desire!
The Intention That Provides Strength
The Tree Of Life

Supernatural Transformation

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can we discuss love for the Creator if we don’t know what it is?

Answer: Love is an expression of desire. Frankly, no matter what we are talking about, we discuss only what occurs within the desire and the derivatives thereof.

True, we don’t know what love is. What should we do then? First, we receive a demonstration of what we have. All properties and forms are programmed within us as reception. Based on them, through mechanical efforts in the group and the study, the reforming essence of which we don’t comprehend, our natural properties gradually start transforming.

Why? By way of which force? What happens to us? We don’t know. We just “watch” the changes that are occurring in us. Today, I don’t think as I did yesterday, and I don’t desire what I did then.

But doesn’t any person change day to day? That’s right, but we are talking about qualitative alterations. Yesterday, I wasn’t attracted that much to bestowal, love of others, and connection with them, but today, it is a bit more appealing to me, a little clearer and more acceptable in my eyes.

How did this “supernatural” transformation happen to me? I honestly have no clue. This is why it is called a miraculous force, Segula (remedy).
[33751]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/2011, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
Make Us Desire!
How To Keep The Love From Cooling Down?
Freedom Is Only When You Love

Make Us Desire!

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhom does the Creator, the Upper Force, the omnipotent property of bestowal, Nature, help? It helps those who desire to be like it.

It comes to people who “trust in her mercy,” meaning anticipate to receive correction and obtain the property that governs Nature: the property of bestowal. The property called “the upper grace” comes specifically to those who have reached such desire.

Essentially, everything is done according to a person’s desire. I have to work on mine so as to have it changed and improved until I truly wish to bestow. Then, I will acquire the property of bestowal. Therefore, we should constantly think only about desire.

Truth be told, I cannot really start wanting a new desire to bestow. If I did want it, I would already be in it. After all, besides desire, there is nothing else; hence, to want to bestow is to be the one who bestows. As to bestowal, a person immediately receives what he wishes for to the corresponding degree.

However, we keep moving from receiving desire to the bestowing one by wishing to bestow not seriously, but just for fun. Therefore, our work always comes down to a plea to make us desire to bestow. Then, we receive the desire to bestow followed by an opportunity to actualize this property.
[33754]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/2011, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
Supernatural Transformation
The Creating Thought
On The Way To Pharaoh

Leave It To The Creator – Laitman Unplugged

Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 27

Dr. Michael LaitmanDear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

What Is a Prayer?

By not being able to exit the will to receive for oneself and feeling needy of the Creator’s help, a need is born within for the Creator’s assistance. And His help is through the Torah since the Light in it reforms him, meaning he receives vessels of bestowal.
– Rabash, The Rungs of the Ladder, “What Is the Basis upon which Holiness Is Built

From one’s praying to Him, to draw him near by Dvekut (Adhesion), called “equivalence of form,” discerned as the annulment of the will to receive to be in order to bestow. The Creator says about that, “My sons defeated Me.” That is, I gave you the will to receive, and you ask of Me to give you a will to bestow instead.
– Baal HaSukam, Shamati, Article #19, “What Is the Creator Hates the Bodies, in the Work
[32790]

Related Material:
Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 26
Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 25
Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 24

Yearning For The Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: A person’s only job during the reading of The Book of Zohar is to draw the Light that Reforms. Why, then, does The Zohar describe the structure and mechanics of the spiritual worlds in such great detail?

Answer: We can’t connect to something we have no idea about. There has to be some connection. That’s first. Second, when we read, even without much understanding, and it seems to us that some part is described more clearly while the other less so, we still become permeated with intentions and discernments.

Nonetheless, there is a difference whether we read a text that we partly understand or study a totally unfamiliar text, possibly in a foreign language (although it is also useful since you still absorb the spiritual force hidden in it). In any case, it is desirable to read and try to understand as much as you can, not mentally, but rather being closer to it emotionally. I strive to feel it as I do and imagine how it might feel at a spiritual degree in reality.

The difference between these two concepts helps me yearn to advance. This advancement can be illusory, confusing, and tangled, which doesn’t matter. The key is our effort.

This is how a baby evolves. It exerts effort, and nature doesn’t expect him or her to do more than make the effort. As a result, a child gains intelligence. In other words, during the preparation, in the time of darkness, our Kelim (vessels) don’t require us to be completely adequate to that dose of the Light, that form of it that must unfold.

The Reshimot (informational genes) that unfold in us do not give us a clear, precise understanding of a spiritual state, and, hence, we don’t have to form it correctly. Moreover, we will never be able to do so since we always reside in the dark relative to the upper degree. The AHP (Awzen, Hotem, Peh) of the upper one is always dark, always more exalted, and always bestows more than we do.

Therefore, all we need to do is exert effort, and in return, we receive a force from Above which corrects us: the Light that Reforms. This occurs in exactly the same stages and in the same order as it does in our world. There is no difference in this.

As young children grow in our world, so do we grow in spirituality. The world our children develop in is confusing to them as well, but they act in it instinctively. As for us, we mature by making an effort.
[33764]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/26/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “Who is This”

Related Material:
The Light Of Distant Degrees
Aspire To The Light Of Wisdom!
The Language Of Spiritual Forces

Everything Requires A Skill

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can a working woman with children combine preparation for the convention with daily domestic chores?

Answer: I advise her to listen to our programs while doing domestic chores; she can do so by turning on our television channel or Internet site. For a woman, it is easier to accomplish: she can switch on the TV and continue working around the house. This alone puts a person under the influence of the right environment.

In addition, if it is possible, open my blog and read it daily; as much as the time allows, enter the Sviva Tova (Good Environment—the worldwide Internet connection) site and answer the questions. Usually, a woman’s time is more limited than a man’s; but if she finds the time for all of this, then she should try listening to Kabbalistic music.

If a person is eager but can’t find time to do more, then such conditions are arranged for him or her from Above, and it is enough for preparation. And the rest we will do together at the convention.
[23868]
From the Introductory Lecture Series Kabbalah for the Nation 10/12/10, “Preparation for the Convention”

Related Material:
Prepare Your Heart For A Spiritual Gift
A Spiritual Ambulance
A Woman’s Role In This World And The Spiritual World

Unhealthy Mutations Of Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the root of man’s psychological and physical illnesses? And how can a person not studying Kabbalah influence these processes? Can you recommend some actions a person can make to solve these problems?

Answer: The root of all illnesses is egoism’s mutation due to an incorrect or incomplete combination of egoistic qualities inside of us. Each of us contains 613 main egoistic desires. Their incorrect combination with each other evokes flaws that are the sources of all the psychological and other illnesses on the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature in man. That is, our illnesses also divide into these four levels.

Kabbalah is not a means for improving something specific in this world. But if you study it and advance along the path according to the root of your soul, going precisely from the point in our world where you are now until the point in the upper world that you must reach, you will thereby gradually enter states that will change your fate. But only you personally can influence it and no one else.

This is not some kind of magic, hypnosis, or other influence on one another. None of this exists in the slightest! A person changes only when he changes himself. By studying Kabbalah, you change yourself; there is no other way. For example, I have children and grandchildren, but I cannot influence them in any way. Anything I attain is what I have attained. What happens inside of me happens only in me. And it’s the same for every person.
[33813]
From the lesson in Moscow on 1/16/11

Related Material:
Light Instead Of Medicine
Kabbalah Moments: Change The Frequency
The Cure For Every Disease