Models Of Post-Crisis Development

Dr. Michael LaitmanEditorial in the News (by Paolo Raimondi, economist and editorialist, Italian economic daily ItaliaOggi): “The main problem of the current crisis is the idea that finances are able to create real values. Finances play a role in the credit system, providing the transformation of scientific discoveries into new technologies. The next crisis will be a terrible combination of the financial and monetary crises.”

Comment: The next crisis will be that of a society which disagrees with the current socio-economic ties and opposes the new, altruistic connections, the evolutionary development that nature obliges us to undergo.
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How To Overcome The Weight Of The Habitual Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: It is written that inner work has to become a habit. But on the other hand, one has to leave one’s world and all of his previous habits, and enter an unknown place, the way the Creator sends Abraham off, or like crossing “the Red Sea.” How can I break through to this new path, because I feel that if I remain the way I am, I will stay in the same place?

Answer: This is a very wise observation. Habit is good for attaining the current level. But in order to rise above it, one must leave his land, the way Abraham did.
Leaving an old habit means wishing to acquire a new one. But we are always acquiring a new habit, a new nature, a new degree.

If I want to learn something, then I take an example from a specialist. To him, this science has become habitual, but for me—it hasn’t. He has a habitual understanding, attaining, and behavior, whereas I do not. But I want to become the same as he. That is why I have to leave behind my habits, which I acquired in the past and which I have on the current level. Once I finish mastering this level, I cleave to something higher.

However, when I do this in spirituality, I have to look at the inner behavior of the upper one, rather than the outer behavior. I won’t see anything by looking at the externality. I must somehow discern what I have to cleave to inside of him, what quality I have to reveal in him, how to use him in order to rise to his level and learn from him.

I have to demand for him to elevate me because I am held back by my old habits like by brakes. On one hand, they support me on my level, but on the other hand, they cling to me and don’t let me rise higher.

I have to receive a special force against these bonds, against the habits, which will pull me out. These habits are like the earth’s gravity, like a weight that does not allow me to tear away from the ground. If I weigh 100 pounds, then I need a force greater than this weight in order to elevate me. It has to be at least 101 pounds. Otherwise I won’t go up.

And the same thing happens in spirituality. I have to ask the upper one to apply a greater force to me than my current habits and force. These are very simple mechanics.

How can I ask Him to cancel my entire previous nature, which I have gotten so used to!? We are like little children who are so attached to their old blanket or pillow that they cling to it and don’t agree to let go of it for anything. That is why I need an environment to enable me to leave behind my dear habits and acquire something new, something higher!

It’s as if you are hearing an inner voice telling you, “Go forth from your land”—this is an awakening coming from Above. This is what the Creator says to Abraham. We are buried inside of our habits and are unable to even think about leaving them. Inside of my habits, I feel confident and better than ever. If a person feels any aspiration to leave his habits, this is coming to him from Above.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/19/11, Shamati

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The European Debt Crisis Is A Vicious Cycle

Dr. Michael LaitmanEditorial in the News (by Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission): “Neither the declaration of any country’s insolvency nor its exit from the Eurozone are reasonable measures. If you try to break this vicious cycle by having one of the countries declare itself insolvent, then the other countries, which gave it loans, will be pushed to the verge of bankruptcy. What will happen then?”

Comment: It is impossible for anyone to break their ties with the others. But when the ties are egoistic, whoever goes down takes the rest with him and uses their demise purposefully to save himself.

Therefore, the only alternative is to rise above egoistic, protectionist solutions and begin to act only on the basis of common, global, integral, total dependence and mutual guarantee. There is no other solution. Egoism itself is pushing us to change it.
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Every Person Should Adjust Himself From Within

Dr. Michael LaitmanChanges are now required on the part of man. He must change himself internally, rather than changing anything outside of him. The systems that we built, economy, society, and education, were developed according to our growing egoism. But now it is time to stop because we have begun to develop internally in a way that does not accord with our growing egoism, but with the correct form of our ego, the form of bestowal, mutual connection.

Today, the world is revealing the spiritual form. It’s a miracle to see how humanity is acquiring the form of bestowal—total interconnection.

In the beginning, we became separated from each other. There was a breaking on the scale of the universal system, and as a result, no one was connected. But now the system has started to close and we are becoming more and more tightly connected with one another. This is called “the integral world.”

We are revealing the system that is showing us the corrected world. However, it is showing it to us from the outside, while we have to adjust ourselves to it on the inside.

In essence, this is the Creator, the Light being revealed to us! If we bring ourselves into harmony with this connection and universal globalization, and if our desires acquire the corrected form, then the Light will be revealed inside them.

We should try to understand that the old methods are no longer effective and there is nothing we can do with them. This must be acknowledged as a fact. Nothing will help unless we think about connection. There is no other way for us to correct this world.

We will not have any instruments to use in the economic system. Even in the army, the hero that wins does not do so by his own force. Nothing will work in our world besides the power of connection! The more we unite, the sooner we will succeed, and everything will work out in the world and in society, from the inside out.

We have reached the actual implementation of the method of correction, and we cannot escape it. Time obliges us to this.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/16/11, “The Nation”

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Globalization Is No Longer A Process, But A Condition

Editorial in the News (by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum in Davos): “We live in a new reality where globalization is no longer a process but a condition.”

By Igor Agamirzian, expert on the new economy, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Venture Company: “For the first time in history, humanity is living in a new historical reality. New technology has taken communication beyond physical location.

“The development of social networks is radically restructuring the organization of society and creating communities beyond geographical location. We still do not realize what is happening, but we will see these changes in the coming years.

“In the era of industrial development, the mid-twentieth century, the order of the economy came from large businesses, whereas today it is coming from the needs of the individual. The entire modern economy is driven by demand and is becoming community-oriented. This leads to the globalization of technological business and science because people’s needs do not depend on their countries of residence.

“The globalization process is ordered by the population of the planet.”
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Questions On The Evil Inclination

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: My question is that there are people I know who are religious, and they complain about their lives. They pray for things to change, and when it doesn’t change, they blame others around them.

All of this is coming from their egoism. I’ve tried explaining this to them without mentioning Kabbalah at all, but they don’t get it. It’s frustrating for me to watch them make the same mistakes over and over again. But it seems like even if I try to help, it only gets through a little and then they are back to the same old complaints about their lives and problems.

How can I actually help them? I used to get defensive because they would blame me for their problems and started fights with me. How do you approach egoistic people without getting into arguments or making them think you are judging them?

Answer: Only development and a strong public opinion will gradually change them. They will be the last to reach correction. For the time being, leave them be. Correction must start with the lightest part of egoism.

Question: Our job is to reveal the evil inclination. However, what if we reveal it, but cannot get rid of it ? How can we correct evil inclinations like stealing or cheating ?

Answer: To the extent that you find the evil inside yourself, you have the power to correct it!
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http://www.laitman.com/tag/kabbalah/

Weekly Torah Portion – 08.19.11

The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “Ekev,” Selected Excerpts
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The Light Awaits On The Other Side Of The Crisis

Dr. Michael LaitmanWith each new day the world plunges into increasingly greater darkness, helplessness, and despair. People are losing all hope in the future and cannot understand what can be done about it.

We can continue talking and confusing one another, bringing millions of people on the streets to break windows and burn things, but what next? There is no answer! Even the police and the government aren’t strong enough to oppose the protesters. That is how low everything has fallen and sunken in despair.

The government is only focused on internal affairs and fighting over seats—it doesn’t care about the people. It has completely lost touch with the people. And this isn’t the problem of one particular country, but of the whole world. That’s the state we have reached. There are no more strong individuals that appeal to the people. This is the face of our generation, as it is written by the prophets: “The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog.”

And they are unable to do anything about it because the government has no strength and no money to solve the problem. The only solution is to find a simple and accessible language, a sincere approach to explain to people what’s happening to the world. This would help them understand that there is only one solution, which they don’t yet perceive as acceptable because it exists on the side of globality and integrality, on the other side of the crisis.

Whereas we live inside the crisis! And we need to rise above it and then look. At this time it isn’t clear how we’ll be successful and how much we’ll be able to do, but that is our responsibility. Let’s hope for success.

I very much want for the entire world to advance in the good path, which is why I’m infuriated by those who are fomenting unrest and instigating the masses. This doesn’t add anything—it’s tantamount to tossing matches to ignite the fire. You don’t see an appeal to heart and mind, a readiness to enter into dialogue and negotiations, but only the desire to destroy everything.

But if a force is aimed only at destruction without a plan to build anything new, it is destructive and must be destroyed first and foremost. A solution must be put forward before anything else. But screaming for no reason and having no means or a program is simply childish. Then you’re left with simple student riots.

If you’re seeking a serious solution, you need to set up a round table and discuss the issues with economists and other people who understand the situation. If you want to influence something, you’ll need to involve yourself in politics and existing systems. You cannot begin to build anew all that humanity has been creating for thousands of years. Are you really smarter than the rest?

It is understood that this happens not from great intellect, but from losing the sensation of the future. For the first time in history a generation has arrived that doesn’t have a sense of tomorrow. It has no program.

This has never happened before! There were always revolutions of some kind, but in them people sought to achieve some specific goal and thought it was a way of achieving it. But here people are rebelling without a clear, material reason. There is only darkness ahead, and therein lies the whole problem. They have no desire to marry, have children, or achieve anything in life. They see that none of it brings fulfillment.

And then, all they have left is rioting and drugs. And that’s understandable because they resort to it out of despair. Therefore, as long as no solution is offered to these people, the same behavior will persist throughout the world. At any rate, people are finally beginning to understand that Kabbalists know what they are talking about.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/2011The Zohar

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Without Resistance

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can we explain to people the benefit of unity? What will it give them?

Answer: Through unity, you will reach balance with Nature, and then, you will experience no shortage of anything.

Our problem is that our every action requires efforts, energy. But if you are in balance with Nature, in harmony with it, you scarcely put forth any effort. You function as a perpetual motion machine, with virtually no fuel, no effort, and no resistance.

Today, all your actions are caused by the fact that you are opposite to Nature. But imagine the reverse situation: Anywhere you come, everyone is immediately ready to help you with anything, and you are ready to help them. Everything becomes immeasurably easier; you spend infinitely less energy, material, and time; you have infinitely fewer problems. And that is in everything.

Equilibrium eliminates resistance. A relationship you enter provides free movement from one to the other. This refers to the production of anything and to everything you extract from nature. Abundance appears everywhere because each element reveals to us the Inner Light, additional energy.

In their time, the scouts sent to the land of Israel after forty years of wandering in the desert told about the land’s huge fruit. That is what they had in mind. Yes, this is difficult, but there is no way out. If you want to bring good to the entire society, you must abolish and eliminate our oppositeness to Nature.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/2011, The Zohar

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As One Nation In A Family Circle

Dr. Michael LaitmanIsrael is overcome by a wave of social protest, but if we’re talking about the problem in general, the solution is simple: mutual guarantee, universal unification. But what does it mean?

It means that the entire nation watches as its representatives sit together at a round table and form a joint forum. A round table is exactly what we need to solve problems the way it is done in a family. We figure out who suffers most and begin to help him. Then we move on to the next in line, make calculations, find ways to compensate, and balance out the situation….

Everything is decided in a family circle, without coercion or opposition. We present our common demands to the government as terms.

We need a non-governmental forum comprised of our specialists: economists, sociologists, lawyers, and so on. Needless to say, we need experts who understand matters of law and other professional issues. If not, we would need to begin everything from scratch, whereas humanity is already several thousand years into its development. Our society has developed certain interconnections which we cannot ignore.

So, together with the help of these specialists, we as one whole nation bring to light the general picture and proceed to problem solving. We do it without shouting or excess noise, but by setting our main goal as unity and always aspiring toward it.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/2011, The Zohar

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