Audio Version Of The Blog – 03.14.12

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Nature Can Handle This; Give It A Chance

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (form EurekAlert): “Mitsch, an environment and natural resources professor at Ohio State University, has led the effort to compare the behavior of two experimental marshes on campus – one that was planted in 1994 with wetland vegetation and another that was left to colonize plant and animal life on its own.

“The two wetlands now contain nearly the same number of plant species, and almost 100 more species than existed 15 years ago. When the two marshes were created, researchers planted 13 common wetland species in one marsh and left the other to develop naturally. Water from the nearby Olentangy River has been continually pumped into both marshes at rates designed to mimic water flow in a freshwater river wetland setting.”

My Comment: All this suggests that the initial conditions are not important: The main thing is to allow wetlands to develop naturally. We have the opportunity to return to nature: If we leave it alone, limit ourselves to the necessities of life, in a few years, we will find ourselves in a healthy world again.
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Science Isn’t The Truth, But The Search

Dr. Michael LaitmanSince we perceive the world in our consciousness, we perceive only part of the surrounding world and only to the extent that our consciousness can perceive and feel it as a general picture—in our view (Partzuf), in our ten Sefirot. And because the Reshimot (the informational genes) and, consequently, the Partzuf (the vessel in which we sense the world) are constantly changing inside us, it seems that the world is also changing. All our study of the world is relative to our attributes. Therefore, whatever we feel and research in our sensations we perceive as the truth.

Based on the previous states (Partzufim), we make assumptions about future states. Theoretical scientific assumptions are also based on that. We call them “the models of the world.” This means that science is a method of models and can therefore be mistaken. If we are mistaken in our understanding of the world, that is, if we cannot build the right model based on our Reshimo (our internal data of development), we find ourselves in a world that we don’t understand. If we continue to regard it according to the previous models, we fail, experience crises and even disasters.

We must constantly build new notions (models) of the world. Otherwise we will come into conflict, opposition to what surrounds us and will feel a negative response from nature and society. The problem is that the egoism manages us, and we want to create models of the world that will please it, and not models that will reflect the world the way it is revealed to us (in the Reshimot). We are convinced that our assumptions are correct and do not want to acknowledge that it is our egoism that pushes us to such perception of the world.

We have to acknowledge the fact that the stage of our development that we have reached does not allow us to follow our distorted image of the world blindly. In fact, we must rise above our egoistic nature in order to perceive our development correctly and build the right models of a new world.

To do that, the wisdom of Kabbalah is revealed to us. It explains how we should feel this world correctly and objectively, above our egoism. Then we will stop foolishly fighting nature; instead, we will understand its wholeness and sublimity and together with it rise to perfection.
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Being My Own Master

Dr. Michael LaitmanA person doesn’t care whether he receives or bestows, but rather how he feels about it. If I feel good, I am ready to bring you a present every day, every moment. The main thing is that it brings me pleasure.

The problem is not giving the present, but feeling pleasure in this. The moment I feel that bestowal fills me, I will give you whatever you want. I don’t think about whether to give or not to give, but about how to derive pleasure from it.

There isn’t much room for philosophy here because we are merely the desire to enjoy, and so we can do anything if it brings us fulfillment. The question is how to perform actions without receiving any fulfillment?

This is why we were given the desire to fill ourselves egoistically so that above it, we will build our attitude to the form of fulfillment. I have to check myself: How do I enjoy? This means that I grab myself by the throat and now decide how I should enjoy: this way or the other. Until then, I strangle myself and don’t allow myself to receive anything.

Then I become independent. I am free with regards to the filling, and am able to stop myself from receiving fulfillment or, on the contrary, to fill myself. This makes me similar to the Creator because He is the master both of the desire and the fulfillment, and so I also become the master and have control over the two.

We don’t understand how we can strangle ourselves with our own hands and how free we are once we reach that! It is such a high status that only in it am I called “Human.”

Until then there is only an automatic calculation in me and nothing more than that. It is like wanting to stop smoking because it is unhealthy. It all depends on what is more important to me.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/11/2012, TES

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The Goal Of The Group

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe have gathered to lay the foundation of the group for those interested in learning the laws of nature and following them. Our development represents a path that allows us to rise from unconscious development under the pressure of the forces of nature at the animate level and reach the level of conscious development appropriate to the human level. The difference between animate development and development at the level of human is in the understanding of the process of our natural development and its conscious realization.

The essence of the human level is that instead of developing under the compelling forces of nature, a person studies the laws of nature and follows them consciously. Thus, he wins twofold: He moves on his own accord and quickly, without suffering blows and gladly accepting all the changes within himself. He penetrates the laws of nature and becomes the master of his destiny.

It should be made clear that the cause of all our suffering is our lack of understanding of the laws of nature with respect to the individual and society. We study and are able to understand nature at its still, vegetative, and animate levels, but since we are at the level of human, we cannot comprehend this level, that is, the attitude of nature toward us. We can study only what is at the level below us.

Nature is integral, whole, and it gradually develops all its parts, including us, to this state. Until our time, we were developing in a simple, linear, egoistic progression, instinctively obeying the orders of nature within us. However, recently, we have completed the phase of our linear, egoistic development and further must become, individually and all together, similar to integral nature. The objective of our natural development is to learn the essence of nature, its program and purpose.

By studying the laws of integral, analog systems, we recognize that it means our complete unity in a single society, mutual bestowal and love. We realize that this is completely opposite to our egoism, the nature in which we were created. We wish to fulfill only our personal desires. This is opposite to that level of full interconnectedness that we have to achieve according to the plan of nature.

By uniting in spite of everyone’s egoistic desire through our actions of mutual bestowal, we are building a model that is similar to nature, to its quality to give to and to fulfill its parts. Through our efforts of mutual bestowal and love, we leave behind the impact of the harsh driving forces of development and advance toward the goal: complete integration and similarity to nature.

We can be proud that we evolve consciously, not running away from the blows like an animal, but by attaining the force that governs us. This raises us to the highest level of nature, to its complete attainment, toward being fulfilled by its upper force and goodness.

Although we have not reached the goal, we have the desire to achieve it. This also should be important for us, although we are still at the beginning of the path. However, we hope that we will reach this exalted goal.
(On the basis of Rabash’s article “Purpose of Society (1)”
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Being Forced To Love

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should I do with the hate towards the friends that I reveal on the spiritual path?

Answer: Learn from the authors of The Book of Zohar. Gathering together in order to “engage in the Torah,” that is, discover the Creator, they felt hatred towards one another first. This was the result of the great work of connection they did previously. Each time a new state, a new desire to receive, a new Reshimo (the informational gene), was revealed to them—and everyone felt it as corrupt: “I hate the others and I love myself, I want everything for myself.”

This is the right preparation: the revelation of new conditions that I have to correct now. First I discover the corruption and then I work on the correction, for which I need the Torah. It says: “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as a spice.” When the evil inclination is revealed, I can turn to the Torah for help.

If you don’t discover the evil from the start, you don’t reach the Torah either. In this case you don’t learn the method of correction, but theory. The “Torah” is the Light that Reforms that you draw from the writings of Kabbalists to the extent that you discover the evil within you and suffer because you don’t want it. This is because you yearn for bestowal, and the evil that is revealed to you disturbs you by not letting you reach it. It’s not that it brings you misfortunes or bad luck in this life; it prevents you from reaching bestowal in particular.

So the preparation for the lesson is the most important thing, as Baal HaSulam writes in “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 17. This is how one should approach the study. Wherever people study you can check: Do they reach the recognition of evil? Do they not just beat themselves on the chest and confess, but truly discover the evil in them?

A person doesn’t discover this with regard to his neighbors, colleagues, or family members, but only in relation to the friends, when he hates them instead of loving them. He tries to connect with them with all his heart, with all his might, but he cannot. Instead, he feels how hateful and repelling just the thought of it is.

There is no greater rejection and disapproval—after all, it is as if you are being forced to love. It comes to very difficult sensations. And it is then that you should engage in the Torah, that is, the method of correction.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/13/2012, “Introduction to TES

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Why Are The Guns Roaring?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What can we say to a person who is sitting in the shelter today under the missile attack in the southern part of Israel?

Answer: That he should join the dissemination of our message because this is the only means by which the world will become a better place. Through our message it will receive the “Light,” that is, the force of correction. There is no other way and no other action that will draw the upper reforming force. The wisdom of Kabbalah is based on drawing the Light that Reforms.

Of course, we should provide additional explanations, but on the whole, we should understand that the masses will approach spirituality quite easily. They won’t feel any ups and downs and will have no difficult questions. Unlike us, they don’t have a “plus” and a “minus,” but only a “minus,” emptiness, which is filled by unity. Eventually, they will agree to connect in order to fill themselves.

Thus they can spare themselves of many unpleasant situations on the path and achieve in ten lessons of study what you did in the course of ten years. When you look at their group, you will wonder: “For fifteen years I learned to hate the friends, whereas they love each other after several lessons.”

This is what you will see. After all, you are performing corrections and they are not. They simply learned how to receive pleasure correctly, they caught the right direction: “To connect? Then let’s connect, as long as we receive pleasure.” But you, looking at them from the side, will envy them.

We should refer to scientific research and logically convince a person that we must unite. Then a person will understand the reason for everything that happens—our imbalance with nature—and will agree to connect in order to reach equilibrium with it.

I should have a balanced attitude towards the whole world, including the ecology, the family, the friends,and so on. I have to become the one who bestows, meaning, a well-functioning, corrected part of the whole. It is enough that I agree to move in that direction, and the trend will immediately change. Eventually everything will work out. The clouds will clear and we will see the blue sky, so to speak.

Question: So who should a person connect with?

Answer: With the world, but first, with the group. It isn’t enough to love the world while being detached from it, like the celebrities who tell us on TV: “Who loves you more than I do?” This means that we will have to gather people into groups.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/12/2012, “Introduction to TES

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Healthy Sunbathing Under The Reforming Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should we focus on while reading The Zohar: the Light or the deficiency?

Answer: What can you do with the Light? We only know that there is a great, perfect force in nature that is good and benevolent to the good and to the bad, that is, to those who want to advance according to its laws and those who do not.

We are actually in a field of Light where the attribute of bestowal is. It is similar to the laws of physics that determine the behavior of any force field, such as electromagnetic or gravitational. In order for this field to influence us most effectively, we should keep its conditions and resemble it. Then, it will operate on us most strongly.

Our sensitivity to this field depends on how much we want to correspond to it. All the still, vegetative, and animate nature move naturally toward the Light, whereas man does not. He needs to determine his attitude to the Light by himself each time, as if to turn himself and place himself under the most suitable and effective influence.

Thanks to the fact that a person turns in different angles with regard to the Light, he studies the Light, gets to know his nature, desire, and the order of his development and its form. He understands why he has to turn himself specifically this way. As a result, the attributes and desires are evoked in him that oblige him to look for the appropriate influence concealed in the Light.

By doing all this work, a person studies creation and the forces that operate in it: the desire to receive and the desire to bestow. There is nothing else besides that. The mind he attains during this process belongs to the upper level, to the Creator. This is because neither the Light nor the desire belong to the upper level, to Godliness.

The mind of the Host who creates and controls everything is what manages both the Light and the vessel. As a result of a person’s turning his vessel each time relative to the Light, he begins to understand creation and to know the mind that is above the vessel and the Light. This is the chance we were given: to attain the acting mind. It is like looking at a table and by that attaining the mind of the carpenter. This is all our work.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/12/2012, The Zohar

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Only A Miracle Will Melt The Stony Heart

Dr. Michael LaitmanOur correction consists of acquiring a “head.” This is the entire difference between the initial Malchut of the world of Infinity from which all the worlds have expanded, and the Malchut of the world of Infinity in its final, third, state to which we return as we complete the correction.

The entire difference is in this head because Malchut of the world of Infinity is completely filled with the Light both in the first and the third state—only the mind is added. A simple desire, which existed before, now operates with intention and makes a calculation about how much it can receive for the sake of bestowal, how much it can give for the sake of bestowal, and whether to not receive at all or to receive egoistically.

From the Creator’s authority all these decisions are passed on to the creature, to man himself. Then, a person acquires an opportunity to please the Creator in the same way that the Creator pleases him, like a guest who accepts the host’s treats. For this reason, he attains the same position, the same degree, as the Creator.

We need to work on our intention on this path, but sometimes it is necessary to separate from the Light, the Creator, the Host, so that His greatness and absolute power that spreads to the entire universe will remain hidden from us, allowing us to keep our independence. Even when I feel free, like a child left home alone by his parents, I still try to behave well, as if the Host were always with me.

And this is despite the fact that my nature constantly resists, conceals the Host from me, and leads in the opposite direction. Everything is made the way it is so that I imagine the Creator before me and thus, study and reveal Him.

This is why our world is called the revelation in concealment, “Megillat Esther (scrolls of Esther).” We begin this work the very first time we begin to feel the desire to understand the meaning of life. From that moment, I remain confused and unable to understand who I am and why I exist, where I am going.

The first thing I need to do here is to calm down and understand that every moment, I am in the best state for advancement. There is an entire system of Partzufim, worlds, Sefirot, and Reshimot (spiritual genes) operating above, and this entire mechanism is only intended to help me. All the worlds are only created for man to constantly provide him with the best state for advancement toward the goal of creation, his perfect state.

The one who accepts this a priori already has a different attitude toward everything that happens to him. Then, he stops complaining and seeing problems everywhere, disagreeing with his states, and everything that happens to him and the world. This only testified to his foolishness and nearsightedness. Now, he begins to search for how, according to what formula, with what attitude, he will be able to derive the maximum benefit from every state for the attainment of the goal.

There are certain conditions set ahead of time that I do not understand because I am unfamiliar with the entire system. This is why we need to accept as given every current state where I have ended up with my desires and thoughts, my heart and mind, and direct it toward the attainment of the goal.

The goal is adhesion with the Creator, the attainment of similarity to Him. This is why I need to try to imagine the Creator in every state and become like Him, take my example from Him like a guest from the host. As it is written: “I to my Beloved, and my Beloved to me.”

One who understands his state, accepts it as given, and correctly directs himself so that “Israel, the Torah, and the Creator are one” advances this way. Then, he finds a mentor, books, the group, and the goal. All this is before him; all the roads are open.

This is a gradual, step-by-step process that ends with a great miracle. We can see the end of all the corrections in it because all corrections are intended for revealing the “stony heart,” the point that separates us from the Creator, called “existence from absence.” We are “absence,” while He exists. We want to overcome this difference, which is called the attainment of adhesion.

However, we discover that it is an abyss that cannot be stepped over, just as one born a woman cannot become a man, and one born black cannot become white or red. We cannot change the qualities we have received from nature.

The biggest difference of all the possible differences is the one between “existence” and “absence.” We reveal this difference in the form of the stony heart, which is corrected through a miracle called Purim.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/9/2012, Writings of Rabash

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Balance On The Level Of Thoughts

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: You have defined the modern world order in the following way: “The lack of mutual participation has led us to the loss of a point of reference.” Is this the final outcome?

Answer: This simply is the consequence of our inability to use the two forces: bestowal and reception (which is referred to as lack of mutual participation). This leads to the loss of a point of reference, and we do not understand where we are. The lack of mutual participation means that the force of reception and the force of bestowal within me are not balanced, and this is why I am not able to compromise with anyone.

I do not understand where I am because of my inner lack of balance. This is because I see through my channels of perception, and when they are crooked and not balanced, I see a crooked world and do not understand what is happening with it.

This is obvious in government officials, economists, and bankers who are not able to find the way for our world. And they will not find it! They will do whatever they can to stretch things out and postpone the end as much as possible. In this way, they will keep dropping us into even worse states until millions of people come into the streets and start trouble to the point of a world war, epidemics, and natural cataclysms.

This is about the world of forces, and we possess the highest force in all of nature. As we bring the forces inside us into balance on the human level, the highest level of the entire system, we bring into balance the entire universe, on all the other levels of nature: the animate, vegetative, and still.

This is because we are on the highest degree in power and comprehension. We have the ability to establish balance among the most delicate forces that exist in nature: the power of thought. All the other forces are lower than the power of thought. These are very corporeal forces activated by the power of thought.

This power is not the power of our thoughts, but the thought contained in nature, the common program, the engine that works and spins everything.

So, we are at a special point of our development. Until now, nature was fully ruled over us, and it has brought us to the lowest point of our development. Now, we must rise on our own and acquire the force contained in nature: the force of balance between good and evil, between egoism and the desire to bestow, between the force of reception and the force of bestowal.

If we manage to acquire this instrument that will help us combine these two forces, we will gain power over all of nature before us. After all, we and nature are in the same system, and we are becoming an active element in it, a live, moving, and developing element that gives life force to this entire system.

We can call this force the Light that enlivens this entire system. So it follows that you bring this entire system to life.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #12, 12/16/11

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