The world treats us more harshly, persistently, seriously, and tenaciously with each passing day. Willingly or unwillingly, people feel that something has to happen or is already happening. The religious attribute this to a higher force; the secular blame it on nature. One way or another, we are under strong pressure that forces us to focus our attention and start acting.

Kabbalah teaches us that there is a way to optimize and accelerate our development. For that, we have to recognize what’s going on and observe the process as a whole. At each given moment we have to choose how to continue growing.  It is not about being right or wrong, but rather whether our progress complies with the program of nature. The closer we are to the program, the faster we progress. Everything depends on our understanding, grasp, and attainment of, and agreement with the algorithm that nature demands of us.

How do we know about this? Today, we can arrive at this conclusion from our own experience.

Scientists, psychologist, and philosophers repeat in unison that we are developing by two forces: good and evil. Good brings us goodness and evil, evil. We have no doubt about this, since each of us can interpret good and evil.

The impact of a good force is especially felt in childhood when we are cared for, loved, and protected while we are growing. Nature (or the Creator) elicits a good attitude and love in parents, immediate family, and even in the distant environment towards children. It doesn’t matter if the child misbehaves or breaks things. He is excused for doing things that an adult would never be forgiven for. Everyone pampers a child and he uses their good attitude.

As soon as a child grows up, that kind and indulgent attitude stops abruptly. From now on he becomes the one who has to take care of himself and others; he begins to “owe” others and is held responsible for his actions. To make it short, demands replaces love.

Why does this happen? We are not questioning childhood, but why is nature so demanding of adulthood, why does it stop being as kind as it previously was? Why does it start to apply a negative attitude towards us?

It is essential to understand that it has nothing to do with negativity, but rather about giving us incentive to grow. If we develop correctly, then instead of feeling bad influences, we sense benevolence. Thus, we have to realize that the whole of nature, life, and the world treats us according to our compliance with the world. If the world treats us problematically, it means that the problem is rooted in our own incorrect and imbalanced attitudes towards the world. When we adapt to the world, we begin to re-evaluate the forces that we previously considered bad to good.

What is the reason we don’t feel that negative force instigating our self-correction? If we re-connect with that force, life will again seem just like it was in childhood when everyday promised to bring something good.

Everything depends on our preparedness and upbringing. If from our early years we were brought up correctly and trained to ensure that as adults we matured with the understanding of how to correctly interact with the environment to elicit positive responses and how to correctly interact with nature, society, family, and ourselves, then our lives would have continued perfectly, without any problems.

But we do not get correct directives in childhood regarding our adulthood. It is easy to talk about these issues by using the Kabbalists’ words, but what can we do if we are not familiar with the wisdom of Kabbalah? Can we find precise directions by listening to nature’s hints? Can we form the proper attitude to everything that surrounds us? Humanity faces the problem of finding a way to avoid suffering and is trying to discover how to relate to life in order to experience the least amount of distress. Even now we continue to suffer and we will suffer more because we haven’t yet found the answer to this question.

The contradiction between what we want and what we actually possess in reality pushes adults to search further. As a result, throughout history we have developed several approaches to this problem. Baal HaSulam writes about them in his article “The Peace”; pointing out that if we honestly and realistically view nature, humanity, and life,  we will arrive at the same results that the wisdom of Kabbalah teaches us.

The main thing is to not be bribed by our egoism, but rather to rise above it to an objective level at which we do not depend on our existing sensations, inclinations, and notions. If we could rise above ourselves as independent researchers, we would detect some data that is contained in Kabbalah.

This is what the wisdom does: It raises a person up to a level where he can take a look at reality without the prism of his ego. If we could remove these “lenses” of egoism, we would easily attain the wisdom of Kabbalah. According to Baal HaSulam’s article, “The Peace,” this is scientific research with an experimental, experiential, and practical basis that works for everybody without exception and that allows each and everyone to discover the need to bestow to our neighbor.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/11/11, “The Peace”

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Question: Can questions related to the integral nature of society or news on current events serve as a topic for discussion in the courses on integral education for adults?

Answer: It all depends on the group of people and the degree of their preparation: to what extent their understanding has ripened, how well they have mastered the tools for analysis and synthesis of their knowledge and attitudes, and how objectively they can rise above themselves and distance themselves from their personal interests.

But generally, we should certainly explore such questions. We should “dissect” democracy openly before everyone and demonstrate what an absolutely egoistic structure it is, that it is nothing to be proud of. At one time, one king reigned, and everyone submitted to the will of a single person, regardless how foolish or smart and sensible, still just one. And now it is clawed apart by different parties that want to “gnaw” everyone else to death. This is not the kind of parliament that should exist. In other words, there are obviously many problems here.

At one time scientists and philosophers ruled people, or at the very least they were valued and served as advisors to the kings. A king had an army and money, all in one set of hands. But in order to control the treasury and the army, he had a few smart people. And it was much simpler and easier, there was no embezzlement, and mistakes were kept at a minimum. Everything was in a single set of hands, a king had nobody to rob—everything belonged to him. And for making certain decisions, he had a couple of smart advisors. That’s all. Small struggles behind the scenes still existed, of course, but only in minimal doses. That’s why everything was much more stable and survived for centuries, in contrast to today’s parliament.

All of our freedom today is just maximum freedom from responsibility. Overall, understanding freedom is a big problem.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #5, 12/13/11

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Question: Let’s say there are elections in Russia, I am watching the news and receiving information about who won, who lost, and so on. How can I make this information integral so that it completes the overall picture?

Answer: The integral picture can help you draw a conclusion that society is separated, that it doesn’t see a corrupt system in democracy or its absence (which, essentially, is the same thing), and not only in Russia but in America and all the other countries as well.

If we can’t arrive at a common understanding of where we are and what we should be moving towards, then this speaks of a lack of connection between people in society. Imagine that a large number of societies is forced to exist on one territory and live under one “roof,” which they currently divide into an enormous number of parties or mafia structures. Each of them, naturally, desires to increase its influence at the expense of others, to snatch a piece of the common pie (it doesn’t matter for whom and for what, whether it brings benefit or harm), that is, each of them only takes his own interests into consideration.

And this is called a “democracy,” when I’m only thinking about how to be victorious and crush everyone else? Yet this is what everyone else is thinking about. They are not united by one common idea, everyone simply has their own opinion about how to lead towards it. Yet they can all be working in harmony. What kind of a government will it be if it is once again built on fighting? Is this what we call democracy? Where is this democracy?

Democracy can only exist when the public is educated, when it has an understanding of the next degree. And this next degree isn’t the kind that can be seen one way by one party and differently by another; it is the kind that is leading us towards unification with nature, towards an integral society.

The agenda of all parties should be the study of integral society. We need to lead people towards this. Then we will feel comfortable and achieve the most optimal state in our health, studies, family life—in everything because it will correspond to nature.

Hence, let us agree that this is our goal. But our current state is bad, and everyone understands that more or less equally. How can we bring ourselves towards this goal, to draw to it as close as possible? What opportunities, theories, and foundations do we have for that? And here we will work constructively with one another, complete each other. We will argue, but our goal will be becoming an integral society, and we will be working only for the sake of achieving this goal.

If we are not going to act accordingly, we will see how all that destroys the state. The government shows us an example of protectionism within each part of society and between governments in relation to each other.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #5, 12/13/11

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Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
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The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “Bo,” Selected Excerpts
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If the term “force of nature” is not completely clear, we can explain the stages of development to a regular person looking for a real good, with empirical evidence. It’s clear to all of us that a positive attitude to one another is good, absence of crime is good, and serenity and safety are also good. If we help each other and everyone will have what the others have, this will be better than our present miserable life! Everyone would agree with this.

Great! Now let’s acknowledge the affect of the environment on us since it can be seen at every given step in life. Any group can manipulate its members through persuasion. A person can be forced to think in a completely opposite way if there are 20-30 people around him who say that black is white. This is a proven fact that can’t be denied.

Therefore, if the environment does in fact influence an individual, we can create an artificial environment where everyone will treat each other well. We will oblige everyone to behave in this manner, and every transgression will be answered with polite criticism at first, and then with stiff denial.

There is no other choice. After all, we wish to live having everything that a human being requires: a home, food, family, health, pension, vacation, and so on. All this in normal proportions and not in the form of many zeros in our bank accounts, meaning in accordance with one’s natural needs.

If you desire this, you have an opportunity to create this environment, where everyone will care for everyone else. And this will happen only by changing our attitude to one another. In addition, even if we treat each other well out of desperation, artificially by accepting the mode of behavior and acting as in good environment, thereby we acquire a habit, which becomes our second nature. We actually become like that!

Until now we were savages, ready to swallow up everything around us. By joining this game, we literally turn ourselves inside out like a glove. And then over the course of some time, everyone will change and from being a savage, everyone will turn into a human being.

As a result, we become a completely new humanity: We reveal additional opportunities. By acquiring balance with nature, I begin to feel it, and then I reveal new abilities in me with the help of which I create progressive mechanisms and turn worlds upside down, literally. I know all the laws of nature because I am similar to nature.

What’s unreal about this? Let’s play and build such relationships. We have no other choice! Everything depends on education, meaning the influence of the environment. We are sufficiently mature, experienced, and intelligent people. We see a threatening future and we provide a piece of advice that lacks any mysticism.

Humanity has no chance of escaping this development, and we are offering a remedy that prevents illness. All the negative impacts of nature are brought about by our incongruence with it. Therefore, any blow that I experience indicates imbalance with nature. For example, if it’s cold, I need to turn on the heat or put on warm clothes; if it’s noisy, I need either to install a noise reduction system or close my ears. In other words, I must carry out some action in response to every phenomenon.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” Episode #4, 1/1/12

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Question: What is the difference between “I awaken the dawn” or “the dawn awakens me?”

Answer: “The dawn awakens me” means that I am being awakened from above. Multiple attempts are made, but they will be paused if I am unable to make an effort to awaken.

There might be a few more attempts to awaken me in this life, or I might be left alone until the end of this reincarnation, and I will continue living like everyone else, going with the flow of life.

If, however,  “I awaken the dawn,” then I hasten time (Achishena). It is important for me to awaken and accelerate time, thus every moment of life becomes precious to me, and I work really hard to make sure I do not waste it or take it for granted. This is what it means to “awaken the dawn.”

Man’s entire work consists of “awakening the dawn,” and it does not matter what he receives from it. He might need to keep awakening the dawn for a long time until he sees some kind of a response.

It is important to understand that man always works with his vessel, desire, and that the upper Light is in the state of absolute rest. And if you have made a lot of effort to awaken the dawn and have not yet received anything, this does not mean that there is a lack of Light. There is a lack of effort in revealing the Light, which is inside it.

We await a reward as if we have paid in one place and wish to receive in another. I work with the actual revelation, which is right here before me, and all I need to do is reveal it more and more in the same place.

So I have no one to blame in my lack of success in awaiting the dawn; everything depends only on my effort. And if I have not yet managed to awaken the dawn, then I have not yet made enough effort. Because if I had made enough effort, I would definitely find it: It would have awakened.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/25/12, Shamati #175

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Question: The question about the existence of a single upper force, which controls the entire creation, causes an essential argument between people: Some believe that it exists, and others that it does not. Do you belong to the first, the approach that is inherent to religions?

Answer: No, it does not pertain to religions. I build entirely on the practical evaluation of
 nature without any prior assumptions. This approach neither pertains to religion nor faith, nor any other direction, which has historic roots and no other basis.

Question: If we rely on the study of nature, how do we understand “the law that includes all the laws”?

Answer: If we were to supplement this lecture with scientific data from research and experiments, it would be the actual proof, which precedes the questions. There really are many opinions, but we rely on the data from the evaluations of nature and the human 
society.

There used to be a notion that nature is one, and we only scrape some tiny grains of knowledge from it, which do not seem to be related to one another. But now physics, chemistry, biology, zoology, and other sciences are already interconnected. We study the foundations of each one of them, atoms and their different kinds of connections. These foundations are broad, common forces, but at every level of nature: still, vegetative, animate, and human, they operate according to the level.

For example, if the force in the atom attracts and rejects the particles, in an animal body it compresses and expands the lungs, and on the level of the brain it manifests in the form of a contradiction between agreement and doubt. Two opposite tendencies operate, but they are controlled by one force, which balances them, because all of nature strives towards 
balance.

The presence of two forces in nature does not contradict the existence of one law, which controls both forces. Modern science states that we depend on each other, and the manifestation of the crisis on the human level obligates us to realize that we all exist in one system. And this also pertains to nature, but to the “human” nature.

As we study the climate and other processes in the world, we learn that every phenomenon concerns everyone. However, at the given stage we see a purely broken picture because we only perceive a small part of our reality. But because we suffer and experience unpleasant states, we should study them as quickly as possible and thus turn negative forces into positive ones.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” Episode #4, 1/1/12

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Question: I feel that the Creator is constantly presenting me with different opportunities, but I don’t use a single one of them. What should I do?

Answer: Most importantly don’t give up. Always try to do something in order to make sure that you can’t. The only thing that depends on me is to try and do something but the end result isn’t up to me. In turn, the Creator shows me that I’ve failed. Then I try again and once again I fail. But this doesn’t bother me; like a persistent child I keep trying. A child can try a thousand times to do something he can’t and he won’t give up. Learn how to act from a child. The only difference is that a child’s actions are driven by nature where as we have to apply our own effort.

My only concern should be making sure that I do all I can in the given circumstances. This is called being the Creator’s slave: I ask for nothing in return except for the opportunity to do something. This is the minimal spiritual state. If you attain this state then it will be the beginning of your spiritual life, the small state (Katnut). If you do something and await the reward, then you’ve clearly deviated from the correct path.
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From the 1^st part of the Daliy Kabbalah Lesson 1/24/12, Shamati #175

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Opinion (from WND Money): “‘With no existing government or financial institution solvent enough, respected enough or feared enough to lead the required re-balancing in peace, we believe the world will experience a painful re-calibration of economic strength and geo-political standing during 2012 in the midst of widespread civil insurrection and cross-border war,’ writes Charles Ortel, a managing partner with Newport Value Partners, LLC in New York City.

“‘The transformation of a contented and silent Majority into an irascible and vocal Majority will break many conventions in the United States and in other developed nations as incontrovertible evidence piles up weekly and perhaps daily over coming months that the status quo is broken for young and for old, as well as for workers and investors alike,’ he warns.

“Ortel foresees that civil unrest will intensify in the United States and in other developed nations…

“‘Some will manage to contain their activities to peaceful protests. However, we believe the far more likely scenario is that violence will result, especially in the United States where the wider population has more ready access to weaponry and where mobs have proven impossible to restrain.’”

My Comment: Many of my students are economists, and I see how difficult it is for a person to accept a new vision of society, world, family, and his, his family’s, and national sources of income. It is necessary, as Baal HaSulam points out, to create an example of a small town, which had undergone bankruptcy, plant closures, and revived itself in a new integral style.
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