Audio Version Of The Blog – 03.27.12

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download: MP3 Audio
[audio:http://files.kabbalahmedia.info/audio/eng_o_rav_2012-03-27_declamation_blog-rav_full_mus.mp3 title=’27.3.12′]

When Money Runs The Show

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe ecological catastrophe that we face is the result of an endless pursuit of revenue accumulated through selling products and the competition of billion-dollar bank accounts. We had the illusion that this would never end, but now it is over; there are no more consumers left and we have nowhere to move forward.

The crisis manifests itself in education, culture (interrelations), and ongoing difficulties when it comes to satisfying of our immediate needs. Manufacturers still have the potential to develop, but there is almost nobody who is able to buy their goods. Large pools of the population of Western countries who lost their income cannot purchase goods at the same rate they used to. Previously, goods were produced and consumed within a complete monetary-commodities cycle. Now, the cycle is broken.

At some point capitalists arrived at the wrong decision: They started to play with finances alone, separate from products. A large, inflated “bubble” was created adding its contribution to the overall crisis. Because the bubble is devoid of real content, it is blown up with the help of advertising and a game that takes place between various banks and financial systems.

Thus, in all spheres of human activity, in education, culture, interpersonal relationships, people are not able to live as they used. Humanity is helpless.

Let’s take Spain as an example: Young people who received a university education in Europe cannot find jobs; they cannot marry because they have no ability to provide for their families, nor can they make progress in their professions. Everybody wants to put their knowledge into practice, have a family, buy a house, etc., but nobody needs them. People cannot realize themselves; they cannot find a place for themselves anywhere; they cannot lead a normal life. All they have is unemployment and uncertainty.

This is spreading around the world. A person has no solution in a situation where I care only about myself and do not care about the world; if we don’t care about others, we cannot provide others with a means of subsistence. We do not care about each other; therefore, on one hand, we toss out a huge amount of surplus goods, and on the other hand, the surplus does not get to the correct destinations where they are desperately needed. Our ego doesn’t allow us to take care of others. Only if we feel a threat do we begin satisfying their needs.

As another example, let’s look at Africa, which once produced many products and developed remarkably. But then the Europeans began dumping their imports there with slashed prices. This destroyed the local market; Africans stopped producing staple goods; people abandoned their previous jobs and professions. Later on the same companies that artificially lowered prices while introducing their products started to raise them once the local competition was eliminated. As a result, Africans were left without mean, and their impoverished situation persists to this day.

There are very harsh conditions in the world and they are exacerbated by a deepening global crisis. It impacts both developed countries and Third World nations, some of which are only beginning to develop. All of it is caused by human egoism. But we are also already feeling that we are connected: We are all floating in one boat; if someone damages the boat, it affects everyone. We cannot advance. Our egoism works like a boomerang and hits every single one of us.

In Europe, it appears in a very peculiar way. In order to achieve power and success, European nations initiated mutually beneficial connections, and it is impossible to break them apart. Severing them would cause complete obliteration. Consequently, instead of a common market, joint production, and a united society, we witness a dangerous state, which doesn’t allow anybody to move a finger without the consent of others.

We’ve already approached the necessity of taking each other into consideration. Even though European history is filled with wars and conflicts and numerous counts of tragic events, slaughters, and the subjugation of one nation by another…still, today there is no other way for Europeans but to transition to cooperation even though it will yet be originated by hatred and indifference. It’s not enough just to reckon with others; we see that it doesn’t work. It gradually becomes clear that a common market doesn’t tolerate old economic laws that are built on an egoistic foundation. The old system is not functional any more.

Today, both human nature and the environment bring up a new condition: Egoistic compassion doesn’t work; we have to implement love to our neighbors.

It’s hard to pronounce these words. They seem so unrealistic, so far from us. Our hearts reject them.

However, we will continue to approach this state if we manage to attract the compelling force upon us. Today, Nature forces us to gain love for our neighbors since the only alternative to it is death from hunger, disease, and cataclysms. It’s our duty to form an alternate force that would oblige us to move towards mutual love.

What kind of force is that? It is our surroundings that are organized in a way that pushes us to unite even more so than ecology, economics, education, possible lack of food supply, etc. do. Society must be strong enough to sustain our egoistic nature, impose a new type of relations among us, and thus lead us from one edge to another—from hatred to love.
From KabTV’s: “A New Life” Episode 13, 1/11/12

Related Material:
Why Do We Need Money?
Money Cannot Buy Happiness
The World Of Fake Money

The Crisis Of Education System Is The Crisis Of Humanity

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion (Natalia Shlemova, Moscow State Pedagogical University): “The main problem of the whole system of Russian education, from preschool to higher education, is that it does not teach people to think, does not teach to understand. Due to the absence of such methodology and dialogic structure, the education system is authoritarian, designed for passive acceptance of information by students. It lacks algorithms, mechanisms, and paradigms of understanding, creative awareness, and development of acquired knowledge.

“The collapse of the system of secondary and higher education reflects the final stage of the global crisis of human nature.

“The breakdown of the education system, the core of a developed society, indicates a serious failure in the mental evolution of the human race, while the development of the mental body of the entire humanity is the main task at this stage of its evolution.”

My Comment: The transition to a new stage of development involves the negation of the old, up to a state of being unable to exist in it, as well as a new vision: clear, obvious, not far-fetched, practically perceived, planned, calculated, not revolutionary and violent, but based on necessity. Almost everyone denies what exists, but does not see its replacement. Our dissemination of integral upbringing should become more specific.
[73593]

Related Material:
The Purpose Of Education Is To Find A Calling In Life
Education In The Global Community
Where Is The Truth? – In Nature

Introductory Lecture “Jerusalem At The Heart” – 03.27.12

Kabbalah for the Nation Introductory Lecture Series, “Jerusalem at the Heart”
Download:
WMV Video|MP3 Audio

A New Desire

Dr. Michael LaitmanOur program today amounts to clarifying a primary and fundamental element in our development: the search to sense the upper force. Much in this search pertains to man’s psychology because we begin at the most basic psychological level, just like any regular person in our world. But then from basic psychology we start ascending higher. Why? Because the aspiration that we have within and work with is called the point in the heart.

That is what we must develop; that is what we must expand. This point has to become massive to us, bigger than anything else, filling the entire horizon. Through it I need to start sensing nature, its eternity and perfection, harmony, the upper force, information—everything! This can only happen if I cultivate my point in the heart.

The point in the heart no longer pertains to simple psychology. It appears only in special individuals after a great many lives over the course of their evolution, having arrived at a state when the desire for a new layer, the “Human” degree, arises in them. They’ve developed through the still, vegetative, and animate levels of matter and lived through many different incarnations as humans in our world, but now a new desire emerges in them, which begins to gradually develop them toward sensing the upper force of Nature.

Today this desire is emerging in millions of people around the world. And we have the method to actualize it.
[73744]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/12, Lesson 3

Related Material:
Feeling The Force That Controls Destiny
Choosing Another Focus
Separate Your “Self” From A Mortal Body

Feeling The Force That Controls Destiny

Dr. Michael LaitmanAll our work is to find in ourselves the opportunity to sense the force that fills the world, controls the world and our destiny, leads us through life, and determines all the events in it—what will happen to each of us, every minute.

To do this, we need to constantly delve into ourselves, specifically through ourselves. We will not be able to find anything in the mechanical world that surrounds us. Only through refining our senses, increasing our inner sensitivity will we begin to feel the fine layers of nature as well as its information layer. This layer will reveal to us the entire program of creation, everything that should happen to us, and what has already happened, and will raise us above the sensation of time, space, and mechanical movement into an entirely different area.

Thus, we have to constantly go deeper and search in ourselves for the sensation of this information layer, of this force that controls everything. It may be called the basic force of nature, the upper force of nature, or the Creator because it creates everything and contains the whole program of creation. To accomplish this, we get together to increase our impact on each other and thus help each of us to unite together.

We start to create a new sensory organ in a collective feeling, which is able to reveal for us the force that surrounds us and penetrates everything. Being in such constant and correct connection between myself and others, I rise above myself, exit myself, and begin to feel what is between us. This becomes most important.

But everything else is my own, like my beastly body. When I desire to exit myself completely, to feel what is outside of me, there I find this upper force of nature.

Connecting with it is the goal of our existence. And we all want to achieve this.
[73747]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/12, Lesson 3

Related Material:
A New Desire
Separate Your “Self” From A Mortal Body
The Purpose Of Creation, In Brief

Do Not Let The Door Close

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: A new door was opened to us at the convention in Vilnius. How can I put the foot in and not let the door close?

Answer: First of all, we should fear losing it, be in awe of the greatness of the state we have achieved, and strengthen our impression as much as possible.

We will not get through this door at once. It will take months to do so. After all, we are entering a period of labor, and childbirth happens in different ways: Sometimes it takes a couple of days, and sometimes a couple of weeks. Anyway, no matter how much time we may need, we are talking about a process that includes labor pangs, but not about a one-shot event.

We are on the road, and if you want the process to keep on developing, you should accept it correctly. You continue your path not because it is pleasant and exciting. You do not care about the state itself—the main thing is to know that it brings maximum pleasure to the Creator. You have to turn the vector from reception to bestowal.

If you add this intention, you will advance. True, it will immediately leave a bland taste in your mouth, but it will ensure your progress. Later, you will taste the real flavor, but already in contact with the Creator, in bestowal. And now you summon the Light to realize this.

But if you are inspired by pleasant sensations, if you are glad that you have finally tasted the delight of unity with friends, this feeling has a bitter taste of egoism and thus will not stay with you. After all, you need to be advanced, so your state will be taken from you. You will get a fair shake, forget about it, go searching for, and again approach it, but you will be more ready to be imbued with intention, not feeling.
[73724]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/26/2012, Questions about the Convention

Related Material:
Evolving At The Speed Of Light
Traps Set By Egoism
Purifying The Intention

Solution To The Crisis

Dr. Michael LaitmanNature will not change. It guided us for thousands of years in the development of our egoism until the point where our egoism became integral. We cannot do anything about it.

It is illustrated by recent events in Europe. There was a multitude of thoughts and agendas on how to divide Europe, European market, and the commonwealth anew—to separate and part ways to make it easier to bear economic problems of each country.

However, it proved impossible, and as a result Europe took the direction toward further integration and deepening of mutual relations. This decision came about literally in a matter of the past few months since no one had wanted it before. It’s simply impossible to separate even a single country. The separation of Greece, Spain, or Portugal from Europe will cost much more; it is by all means more beneficial to maintain the unity. It is being calculated and decided on the highest levels.

It turns out that we have arrived at such a state where we are obligated to be correctly and integrally interconnected. As to how to achieve it, we do not know. But, perhaps, if we do find out how to solve it, we will overcome all the crises: the family, economic, education, societal, governmental, and global crises.

Hence, the problem lies within man: How do we change ourselves to be in homeostasis, in balance with Nature? The fact is that the main law of Nature is the law of balance. Nature constantly gravitates to equilibrium. It’s the law of physics.

The equilibrium is supported by Nature on all levels: the still, vegetative, and animate levels. And only man breaks this law with his excessive egoism: He consumes more than he contributes, pollutes more than nature can reclaim, and so on.

This violation of the law of balance is basically the problem of our crisis today.

How do we reach balance? It can be done only if we begin to correct man himself. Therefore, the problem lies in man—in his correction. Furthermore, this problem is large and global. If we do not desire to be similar to nature, if we don’t want to consume only to the extent to which we contribute, nature will force us toward this through the crises.

We see that every day hundreds of thousands of people become unemployed because we do not need the majority of the production; it was excessive. We were producing absolutely unnecessary things or making them become obsolete sooner so we could produce, sell, and profit more.

Ultimately, if we ourselves do not curtail production to the necessary, reasonable level so as to exist sensibly, nature compels us to do it through the crisis. Unwillingly, we find ourselves unprepared, thrown out onto the street. Thus we see what is happening with the entire humanity.

The world is enveloped in a severe crisis. If we do not take it under control, then within this year we will see what terrible consequences it can still prepare for us. Hundreds of millions of people will lose their jobs, and we’re not ready for it.

What are we to do with them if, say, we come to a state where we indeed do not need any excessive production? With the modern technology people don’t have to work as much. At a maximum, 10% of the population can provide the entire planet with food, clothes, shoes, and everything else that is necessary if they work approximately two hours a day. What will people do with the rest of their time?

Here, we arrive at an interesting conclusion: Man must work, but not manually and not to produce the material product, but to produce the internal and spiritual product. He has to reform himself into an integral part of society and nature. Thus he will generate positive energy and will put himself, society, and nature into balance. Then we will receive from nature the right bestowal and will be interconnected with it correctly.

Many scientific articles cover this topic. Many distinguished experts with whom we established contact are working on it.
[73540]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/22/12, Preliminary Lesson

Related Material:
The World At A Crossroads
The Final Landing Of The Ego
The Discrepancy Between The Two Systems

“We” Is A New Sensor

Dr. Michael LaitmanAs of today, we are still on the level of the animate development. We have passed the still, vegetative, and animate levels of development and have not reached the level of “Human” yet. The level of “Human” is the collective image in which we are all tied together integrally.

What does the integral connection give us? Why does nature push us in that direction by its law of balance, obliging us to connect?

Today we perceive the world through our five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. If we are connected integrally, we will begin to feel both ourselves and others as if one integral whole, and a new sensation of “we” will appear in us.

This new integral sensation, this new sensor, will enable us to feel the integral nature. We will begin to feel the force of nature, which surrounds, drives, and manages us and which gives rise to all phenomena. It is the force that determines our future, our fate.

We begin to feel the flow of life—the past, the present, and the future—as one flow of information. This is what we can feel when we acquire an integral connection with others. By that a person rises to a level that is higher than his beastly body and begins to feel what exists beyond matter—the forces, the currents that exist outside us, above us.

This is called the level of “Human,” the level of additional information, that which determines our entire life. Nature pushes us towards this level so that we will know the meaning of our life and its purpose. This is what the integral connection between us gives us.

So, we face a very interesting problem that seems to have an easy solution. But although the solution is at hand’s reach, it totally contradicts our ego.

This is why we are concerned with spreading this knowledge that reduces suffering: We want to start feeling this necessity not by suffering but by recognition; we want to understand why everything happens the way it does in advance. When a person begins to see that the world is global, why and how he is interconnected, he already begins to foresee the events and to understand what and how should happen if we act one way or another.

We hope that this method will become the method of making new decisions, and that humanity will be able to come out of the crisis—not only the economic crisis but the general crisis as well.

The crisis is actually the birth of a new state. It is like labor pains, when the baby makes an effort to come out of the womb, into our world. We too are currently going through the same turning point in our awareness, in our understanding of the world and of ourselves.
[73525]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/22/12, Preliminary Lesson

Related Material:
Humanity As An Integral System
A Spiritual Turn
Labor Pains

Smooth Education

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: The education process at a university is divided into semesters, and then there are exams. It is combined into receiving a diploma, further education, postgraduate studies, doctorate, and so on.

When it comes to the integral upbringing, does it make sense to go from one course to another or should this process be constant, smooth, without strict subdivisions into semesters?

Answer: Clear division only exists for beginners because we have to give them a feeling that they are advancing: first course, second course, certificates, diplomas, grades, rewards, and so on. But later all of this disappears.

A person becomes so much a part of the individual, common, and global generalization that it turns into his advancement, his greater inclusion into the integral system. And here special division into courses no longer exists.

People will spend their entire free time studying, and basically their entire work day will free up. In this case after about 2-3 months of intensive studies, a person will already imagine a certain common picture, its general form. And then, I think, at most after six months of studies, we will simply be able to combine them into one big class, one big auditorium, or a group because the best thing for them is to constantly communicate with each other.

And then, like in any society, an active core will appear in this group, with more passive and peripheral individuals connecting to it.
[72308]
From a “Talk on Integral Education” #11, 12/16/11

Related Material:
The Industry Of Integral Creativity
The Particulars Of Group Formation
How Do You Understand A Japanese Person?