Question: In our world it is customary to lower yourself before a person you deem important. Why is it so difficult to lower yourself in the spiritual world?

Answer: In our world we lower ourselves before an important person because by doing so, we profit. Our egoism always carries out actions that are profitable for it. If a person is influential, powerful, and wealthy, then it’s worthwhile for me to lower myself before him and to be next to him, to serve him, because I know that usually a small person receives from a big one, and I expect to receive something as well.

That is how we usually act in this world. And if we don’t act that way, then we receive blows that make us learn this principle. Suppose I don’t want to listen to what a policeman says to me. Then I receive a fine or get called to court where I receive a punishment. So next time I will listen. That is, in our world it is egoistically profitable to listen to a powerful person, and if I don’t understand this, then life will teach me with blows.

However, this does not work in relation to the Creator because He is concealed! After all, if His quality of bestowal became revealed to you, then you would run after Him like a thief who runs ahead of the crowd, yelling, “Catch the thief!” It would seem that you love the Creator from the bottom of your heart because you can receive so much from Him. Who wouldn’t want to cleave to this force, which controls the whole world? It’s clear that this is what every person does.

That is why the Creator cannot become revealed to us as great, mighty, and generous. He can only become revealed as an example of the quality of bestowal, which we have to acquire on our own. But then you won’t want Him and will run away from Him. That is why He cannot become revealed to you—not from the good side nor from the bad, not from the side of fulfillment, nor from the side of intention.

The only thing that remains for us is to work with the environment. The Creator gives us a small desire for bestowal, but everything else has to be revealed by us in the environment that inspires us to bestow, to build our desire for the upper force. We receive help and awakening from above only to the extent of our exertion in the studies, the environment, and dissemination.

It’s impossible to advance in any other way. Otherwise we would chase Him, wishing to swallow Him up, or would run away from His quality of bestowal, being scared of the possibility of becoming that way ourselves.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/11, Shamati

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A Virtual Lesson on Fundamentals of Kabbalah
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In the News (From France24.com): “Flooding, drought, and superstorms boosted by climate change are not only poised to ravage human habitats but mental health as well, according to Australian researchers.

“’Recent experience shows extreme weather events also pose a serious risk to public health, including mental health and wellbeing, with serious flow-on consequences for the economy and wider society.’

“Up to now, however, few efforts have been made to assess the psychological impact of climate change-enhanced weather events, which in Australia have destroyed communities, farms, and businesses.

“In poorer countries with less capacity to absorb such shocks, the consequences on mental health are likely to be even greater, the report warned.

“’The emerging burden of climate-related impacts on community morale and mental health – bereavement, depression, post-event stress disorders, and the tragedy of self-harm – is large,’ noted Tony McMichael, a professor at Australian National University, in introducing the study.

“Statistics from Australia show higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse, violence, family breakups, and suicide after extreme weather events, with impacts more pronounced in rural and semi-rural areas according to the report.

“’Evidence is emerging that drought and heat waves lead to rates of self-harm and suicide as much as eight percent higher’ when annual rainfall is at least 300 millimetres below average, it said.

“Children in particular are vulnerable to pre-disaster anxiety and post-trauma illness, the researchers noted.

“This is due not only to direct exposure of life-threatening situations and dislocation from family and community supports, but also to ‘the reality of living with long term threat,’ noted Ian Hickie, director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute.

“Climate change will also render already stressful conflicts over resource use, especially for water, even more volatile, he added.”

My Comment: But namely man by his behavior, his lack of aspiration to balance with nature causes the changes of nature, its instability and variability. And then nature itself reacts to these changes and backlashes. It’s because nature consists of the following parts: still, vegetative, animate, and human. A human is the highest part of nature, not because of his animal body, but due to his desire and reason.

For thousands of years, nature was developing desires and reason in humans. While the desires and the mind were evolving, nature did not put obstacles for us. But at the end of the last century, the individual development in each person came to an end. Since then, the desire and the mind started to unite with nature in one integral network. The world became globally and integrally connected. The network between us made us interconnected.

However, the desires and the mind remained egoistic, and thus, are opposite to the network, and in the process of convergence, evoke greater hatred and crisis: Egoists cannot function in the common network. And because man’s desire and mind are the highest, that is, the most influential in the connection network between all parts of nature, people suffer more than others—and from all other levels.

It is the time for everyone to draw a conclusion because nature will force us anyway! Is it not better to change our inner nature: egoism?
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In the News: “The global economic crisis is leading to a possible ‘developed economy’ recession in the U.S. and Europe, which may be hard to alleviate, according to Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Bill Gross. …Strife between rich and poor in the U.S. is sending Treasury yields lower, Gross wrote.” (Source: Bloomberg.com)

“Italy’s highly-paid footballers are threatening to strike over new taxes being brought in on those earning more than 150,000 euros. …The proposals have sparked a storm of criticism in Italy as the country attempts to clean up its public finances to avoid becoming the next victim of the debt crisis.” (Source: Dailymail.co.uk)

“Spain’s Socialist government is considering an increase in capital-gains tax as a result of the economic crisis but will not raise tax rates on earned income, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, prime minister, said on Monday.

“’If a crisis comes and you then have to develop your social policies, it seems reasonable that an important part of society should make a small effort to help those in difficulties,’ Mr Zapatero said.” (Source: The Financial Times)

“On August 30th, at the meeting on socio-economic issues, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko…said that private businesses should prop up the state and share their super profits with it which resulted from soaring prices.” (Source: caspionet.kz)

“Now, as both France and Spain consider introducing a wealth tax, a group of 50 rich Germans have joined the ‘tax me harder’ movement by renewing their open call to Angela Merkel to ‘stop the gap between rich and poor getting even bigger.’

“In Italy too, one of the country’s richest citizens has come forward to offer to pay more tax….

“Luca di Montezemolo, the multimillionaire Ferrari chairman, made his offer in an interview with the centre-left daily La Repubblica earlier this month.

“In Spain, the Socialist government is reported to be considering the reintroduction of a wealth tax scrapped just three years ago.” (Source: Guardian.co.uk)

My Comment: No transfer of money between various parts of society will help. Undoubtedly, it is necessary to eradicate beggary, poverty, to bring everybody to the level of normal existence. But beyond that, the problem cannot be solved by monetary injections! People do not realize exactly what they want.

Everybody feels the problem of existence in the world that has become unmanageable. But no one sees how to solve this problem because its solution is not at the level of our egoistic desires and thoughts, where we used to solve our life problems. Rather, it is in the ascent above them to the sphere of altruistic relationships.

People still cannot accept the fact that we deal with nature that develops us according to its plan. They consider themselves above it, although everything that is in us has been created by nature, and it is above us.

The reason for this attitude towards nature is that the upper forces of nature are hidden from man, hidden namely because of their perfection, but it seems to man that they simply do not exist, and he is the only master in the world. That is why he has become accustomed throughout history to do whatever he pleased in the world: Everything is permissible, there is no responsibility, and no one demands accountability.

But this time has passed like a carefree childhood. Adult life begins, obliging us to pay for everything, even for the unrealized desires and thoughts. Nature takes into account people’s desires and thoughts. The egoistic ones, to the detriment of others, cause negative consequences, and vice versa, the good ones bring positive results.

Sure, this looks like mysticism and religion, but we will have to think, scrutinize, and discover that we are surrounded by the force of nature, which we have to consider and try to be in balance with as we are familiar with and take into account its particular forces of gravity, electricity, or magnetism. A violation of the laws of nature brings the violator suffering.

As we develop, we are obliged to observe, as growing people, more and more laws. Today, we are required to fulfill the law of balance with nature, not by each of us, but by society as a whole so that the entire humanity takes the form of a unified whole in its mutual connection (mutual guarantee) and thus becomes equal to the general law of nature—to maintain harmony in all parts of this single organism.

Solution: The rich should set aside funds for the education of society in mutual guarantee and the explanation of the new laws of the world,  global and integral ones. This will provide an opportunity to redistribute wealth and excess so as to achieve material balance and spiritual harmony.
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Question: How can we explain to people the true meaning of social justice?

Answer: Along with the external demands, people feel deep inside the bitterness of inequality, of social and national injustice, of various differences. A person values himself not for who he is, but in comparison with others. Never before have we lived as well as today, but when we look at each other, we feel bad.

Of course, there are people who truly live “from paycheck to paycheck,” and their living standards should be immediately raised to the minimal level. However, all the other imbalances need to be fulfilled primarily by way of mutual unification.

No “just distribution” will help here: It will only aggravate conflicts. Any addition to someone would  raise rumors and criticism, discontent and resentment. Try to increase salaries in one of the sectors, and it will be hated. Even if this is not done at my expense, and even if I am not supposed to get more, I am still wondering why the money was given to them and not to me.

In what case will I be happy for a person who was given a raise? Only if I am connected to him by the ties of love. So, first, I should be taught the right attitude so that I consider him. For starters, before we even reach mutual guarantee, we need to understand that we completely depend on each other.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/2011, “The Nation”

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Report: Global Risks 2011. The Risks Interconnection Map illustrates the interconnections between the following factors: liquidity/credit crunch, slowing Chinese economy, retrenchment from globalization, global imbalances and currency volatility, asset price collapse, extreme commodity price volatility, extreme energy price volatility, fiscal crisis, extreme consumer price volatility, regulatory failures, illicit trade, corruption, organized crime, fragile states, terrorism, geopolitical conflict, global governance failure, weapons of mass destruction, space security, online data information security, critical information infrastructure breakdown, treats from new technology, infrastructure fragility, economic disparity, demographic challenges, migration, food security, water security, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, climate changes, biodiversity loss, air pollution, flooding, storms and cyclones, ocean governance, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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In the News (From rt.com): “Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko has called on his political opponents, the European Union, and Russia to sit down for a round-table discussion about the current situation in his country and its future.

“‘As head of state, I suggest that all sober-minded people who love their country, regardless of their political stance, get together at the round table, look each other in the eye, and assess what each of us can actually do to improve the situation in the country,’ the Belarusian president said during a meeting with officials, adding that ‘our goal is unity’ and that the future should be decided through a dialogue rather than ‘on the barricades.’”

My Comment: The key is to begin correctly and then stay on course: to discuss openly based on the actual laws of nature, which dictate the necessity to reach consent and mutual guarantee. As soon as we advance at least a bit in this direction, the country and society will prosper according to the similarity with Nature.
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Opinion: (Stanley Fisher, the Governor of the Bank of Israel): “’We’ve run out of our normal bullets and out of our heaviest bullets, but there could be room for quantitative easing if that decision was made, and that would have an impact.’

“’We are at the end because the economy went through a massive recession and the financial system was very badly hit, including the banking system and housing finance. Many people have mortgages that are under water, and that situation hasn’t been fixed yet.’

“There are clear concerns almost everywhere that we could have a very slow period, both in the United States and in Europe.’

“’The difference among governments is that there are governments that are cutting back already, …and other governments that don’t see a way of doing that without reducing demand seriously.’

“’We are in very difficult territory. This is not where the textbooks five years ago would have expected us to be: with interest rates at zero, with massive budget deficits. In those circumstances, you’re operating under extreme conditions, and the textbooks aren’t quite sure what to do in those cases.'”

My Opinion: If Stanley Fisher, who led the Israeli economy faultlessly over the years, is talking about the unpredictability of the situation, it means that the world economy is at the lowest point of the fall. It’s time to realize this and act using the new economic methods: the method of the “integral” economy, where everything is calculated as “for the family.”
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Recently, I participated in the Celebrating Life Festival 2011 that took place in Bremen, Germany. The festival serves as a platform for exchange between different spiritual movements.

I was invited to give two lectures at the event attended by 800 people. The audience received them very warmly; people asked concrete questions and bought all the books we brought for sale.

[Show slideshow]

The lectures were organized by Mr Kamphausen, our publisher and distributor in Germany, Thomas Hübl, the initiator and organizer of the event, as well as our Kabbalah study groups throughout Germany.
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In the world of Infinity, the Light and desire merge into one whole with no difference between them. We are incapable of understanding how it is possible: Do they blend that much or just become alike? How can these two different qualities, reception and bestowal, merge into one?

It happens that one is much stronger than the other and overshadows the other with its power so much that the other becomes absolutely inconspicuous. But this is not something we call becoming one whole. At the moment we cannot grasp how two opposites can merge into one, yet nevertheless remain as two opposites.

For our rational mind, one cancels the other because this rationality is very limited and not capable of combining two opposites. This begets the whole complexity of perception, of our ability to understand the spiritual world and its concealment from us. Our present organs of perception do not capture spiritual reality, even though we are in it.

In order to gain independence and freedom of will, we have to come out of a spiritual state and return back to it from its complete absence. Like the Creator created the creature as “existence from absence,” the same way we should come to His “existing” reality—out of absence: attain reality out of absence thereof.

Then, we will understand what the creature is and from it, who the Creator is. As it is said: “Know Him by His actions.”

Therefore, the world of Infinity divided into two parts: the Light and the vessel, which merge and remain in unity in it. The descent of the worlds from the world of Infinity into this world means the divergence and separation of the opposites that merge into one whole there.

The lower the worlds descend, the further the opposites separate, in a cone-like manner, and get closer to our world becoming two completely separate poles. And now we are capable of perceiving them—one separate from the other, understanding that they cannot co-exist.

That’s why truth and faith, or knowledge and faith, the desire to receive pleasure and the desire to bestow, the work for oneself and for the other, I and the Creator, exist separately in our consciousness. It turns out that the truth of the world of Infinity: “He and His name are one” get separated in our world. And a common vessel, desire, divides into multiple parts; people become opposite to and separated from one another.

Therefore, we see that our fates are completely different, and we don’t understand why one person is given such luck, while the other punishment. We see that there are good and bad times, ascents and descents, and inequality among people. After all, one person earns a lot and easily, but the other labors hard and barely earns a living.

Some are healthy, the others are sick. One was born a prince, and the other was orphaned and left on the street. It only seems to us that all this “injustice” exists, but in reality, everything is arranged absolutely perfectly.

In fact, our vision divides all reality into separate incidents and different times. Therefore, some parts separate from others for us, and we begin to attribute each state to different people, assuming that one is blessed, while the other has bad luck.

However, the cause of that is our distorted perception. And it will remain such until we correct it. Then, everything will join into one whole, and we will see a perfect world.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/2011, Shamati # 43

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