Question: Suppose we film a class of integral upbringing. Could the instructors then watch themselves at work?

Answer: I think that this is what matters most, the main instrument, this is why we introduce video recording everywhere. When a person looks at himself from aside, it’s much easier for him to see his “blind spots,” the faults in his behavior, which he usually fails to notice.

Comment: But we must treat this very delicately.

Answer: As a rule, we don’t usually point directly at it. It doesn’t work as this can only break a person. We must bring him to the realization that he must rise above himself (doing so on his own, independently), yet also doing it with the help of others, drawing the example from them, always feeling that he is beneath them.

In this case, there is no teacher and student. Here, a student can appear to be higher than the teacher in the teacher’s eyes. In reality the teacher will always feel like he is lower than the students. Everyone who really is a degree higher than others will feel like he is lower than others. And this will help him rise and be higher. Thus, here egoism works for us, it begins to help us.
[77351]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/27/12

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[Show slideshow]

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Opinion (Avinash Dixit, Professor of Economics at Princeton University): “The hurricane analogy seems especially apt as I write this; the winds buffeting the world economy, assisted and in some respects even caused by policy follies, have already produced a Great Recession, with fears of more to come…

“At least one prediction can be made with high confidence; think of it as the central path in the cone. On it, in the course of the next century there will be several financial and economic crises…

“What about the extremes of the cone of uncertainty? United States and Europe are on the right edge. Dysfunctional politics and continued adverse demographic trends will trap these former economic giants into relative mediocrity in the world… From time to time they may enjoy a little growth, but much of the time their economies will stagnate while new dynamic economies of Asia, and parts of South America and Africa, grow faster. Europe and America will remain burdened by debt, both private and public, and suffer periodic bouts of inflation and currency crises…

“On the left edge of the cone of uncertainty we find China and India, whose inevitable and irresistible rise to world domination is being forecast so confidently today, in the early years of the 21st century. Regional and ethnic inequalities in each of these countries will explode into repeated civil conflicts. The police and armed forces needed to cope with this situation will take up large fractions of their governments’ resources, leaving little for productive social expenditures or public investments.”

My Comment: These are some tips and no solutions…
[77975]

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In the News (from BBC News): “Although a protest vote against the stringent austerity measures enforced on Greeks had been widely expected, in the event the two main parties that had agreed the bailout terms, New Democracy (ND) and socialist Pasok, attracted less than a third of the vote.”

My Comment: If the leaders are doing everything just for themselves, now and in everything, what social maturity can be expected from the citizens who are losing everything!? If the government had showed an example of patriotic instead of egoistic attitude towards the fate of the country, it would have been able to lead the masses. And if it’s not able, then it’s also to blame for not educating the population.
[77972]

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Question: When specialists work with people, they often encounter qualities in a person which are obvious to everyone, but the actual person does not realize he has them. In psychology this phenomenon is referred to as a “blind spot.” Can these qualities be discussed and revealed to people in groups of integral upbringing?

Answer: This will not work. You can only speak about this in a completely indirect manner, saying that all of us experience these states, not just you or me.

It’s written in every article on integral upbringing that during the process of transition from an egoistic state into an altruistic state, we begin to understand, perceive, and comprehend that there are things that we actually don’t perceive, certain peculiar “blind spots.” But they exist in reality. People around us can see them in us; they understand that so far we don’t realize that we exist in this “blind spot.” It’s as if an enormous light is blinding me and I’m not able to see anything, but the others can see me and everything around me very well.

Generally, a person always exists in a state like this, but we can only talk about it according to the person’s level. We can’t point directly at this “blind spot,” but we can guide him indirectly towards this state, taking him down an alternate route. But never directly, this will not work; on the contrary, it will only worsen the state.

He must realize it through the others, indirectly, and experience it. First, he must find the necessary feelings for this state. He must learn that he doesn’t understand something here that there’s something he doesn’t feel, and it needs to hurt.

And once it begins to hurt within him, he’ll feel disappointed, like he doesn’t understand something, is disoriented, and sees that something is happening in other people and it’s not yet happening in him; in other words, he must start feeling envious, jealous, and proud. It’s these feelings that usually blind him, not letting him see. Everyone has these states. They accompany people until complete correction. Always!

But we must understand that these “blind spots” are the states that we must correct. And this “blind spot” must always guide us forward as a light from a flashlight. This is why the group and everyone else must somehow use their qualities, attitude, and relationships to paint for me the sensation of the “blind spot” which I fail to notice in me, and the fact that I am blinded by my pride, my foolish egoism, and my narrowness, and it’s here that I must rise above myself.

This is a very complicated method. We will speak about it in the future and discuss the different approaches and solutions to it. We must help every person and all of humanity to see this “blind spot” before them. In other words, we must help all realize that this not-yet-activated area of comprehension is your next degree; it’s through the realization of evil, the realization of goodness, that you begin to perceive goodness behind evil.

But in general the “blind spot” is simply our obvious egoism, which doesn’t allow us to feel that we are in it. We believe that everything is normal and right, and we don’t feel that we appear foolish and limited in the eyes of the others. If we were to feel it, we would burn from envy, jealousy, and pride, which would force us to come out of egoism.

This is why we must very carefully spell out a forgiving method of revealing a person’s “blind spot” to him.
[77355]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/27/12

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Opinion (Joseph Stiglitz, an American economist and a professor at Columbia University): “The basic idea is: A few powerhouses like China, Germany, and Japan, plus some commodity-based economies, have thrived in a system where they do all the exporting, and a few countries like the US run massive trade deficits.

“But that system is coming to an end, as countries realize that their trade deficits are unsustainable, and seek to become trade surplus countries at the same time. Of course, not everyone can run surpluses, so this becomes a game of hot potato, with everyone pushing the deficit to someone else, via currency devaluation and other aggressive trade moves.

“An alternative framework for the global financial system: a global reserve system, reform in WTO allowing developing countries to engage in industrial policies, global financial market regulations and capital account management, with a focus on limiting destabilizing short-term capital flows, globally coordinated monetary policy, with globalization, effects of monetary policy.”

My Comment: How reality changes the opinions of economists. They can see before them, at a distance, the only solution: total unity, partial or complete. However, they don’t know how to make the first step toward this future until they meet us.
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Question: How can we treat the group better and work together more efficiently in order to minimize our descents?

Answer: It is impossible to prevent descents. We have to feel them fully, but on condition that we constantly rise above them. This means that I have to feel the descent in the ascent! It means that I don’t feel the “minus” itself, but rather the “minus” to the extent that I have to rise above it to the “plus.”

It is similar to the technique in which we don’t measure the resistor itself, but only its resistance to the electrical current. This is how we measure it. We measure the phenomenon itself and not the essence of the object in which it takes place, because the phenomenon itself is unattainable.

Therefore, we always yearn to rise and in relation to it, we measure our descents. We constantly rise above them. I asked about that in the workshop during the convention in North America: “Where does the good inclination come from?” It doesn’t exist on its own, since the Creator didn’t create two different inclinations. When we correct the evil inclination, it turns into the good inclination. The two inclinations in a person indicate that he has succeeded in turning part of his evil inclination into the good inclination.
[77937]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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Question: I am trying to ask for the Light through the connection with the group, but how exactly should I ask for it?

Answer: Ask for connection. We never know how to ask for the Light, we don’t know how to pray. Every time we turn to the upper, it should be with an accurate request. All a person has to find out is what he wants from the upper. Even if you want the worst things, direct them to the upper. If you direct them to the upper, you begin to gradually correct your request and make it right.

This is called “clarifications,” like the whole ladder of spiritual steps. We begin by wanting to “swallow” everyone. So turn to the upper with that, be consistent, and thanks to the Reforming Light you will understand what is good and everything will change. Don’t think that asking for something already makes you a righteous. But turn to the upper!

This is how we start our life in this world. Look at a baby, how dirty he is when he is born, how he dirties his diapers. But it is said: “The mother will come and clean her son.”

Only do what you can, but persistently and constantly! Then you will advance! The treatment of the upper can be soft and gentle, and it can be strict and tough. But this is the only way changes take place in the lower. The main thing is to go on.
[77931]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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Receiving the Torah means getting to know the Creator who is revealed in our connection with each other. Events that happened at Mount Sinai indicate necessary conditions that need to be realized: to feel an exile from the state of connection and unity and the lack of sensation of the Creator that is being revealed inside of this connection to the extent of groaning from the work.

And all of this happens under Pharaoh’s blows, which we go through trying to connect despite all the rejection, hostility, and hatred that gives egoism an opportunity to escape. But still, we aspire toward connection and are ready to accept it in any shape or form in order for it to happen.

Then we cross the Red Sea and reach Mount Sinai, although there is still a long way to get closer to that state. And then we gather at Mount Sinai (the mountain of hatred); this means, we finally managed to unite around our hatred and to accept the condition of a mutual guarantee: to become one man with one heart. Under such circumstances, a force of correction becomes revealed to us. It turns out that in order to gain this power, it is necessary to go through a number of states by increasing and clarifying our demand, which means building a vessel suitable for the correction, both in the mind and in the heart. By realizing that we need nothing else but that, we will receive the revealed method of correction and the power allowing us to go above reason.

With this power we can fight against our egoism, which continuously grows, but now it grows consciously and under control. It is clear that we are making unpleasant discoveries and revealing new evil in the left line, but then we correct it in the right line. So we gradually learn how to correct all our egoism to finally enter the land of Israel.

The most important moment in this work comes after elation and ascent achieved as a result of a big convention. After all, there comes a new phase, beginning with a hardening of the heart, a new invitation to Pharaoh, who hardened even more. And then, above all, commitment to lower oneself and accept this process is important. Although we still do not feel that such states are absolutely necessary for us, we must accept them as inevitable, that is to trust the higher teacher leading us forward.

It is the Creator who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and here we need to rise to a certain level of canceling ourselves by accepting this hardening and working with devotion. It is necessary to accept the fact that there is none else besides Him, and strive to stay connected, no matter how hard the state comes in.

And such difficult challenges are usually given after big gatherings, the general feeling of inspiration and connection. But we must realize that difficult states that come afterward is a time of real work. Now you are given an opportunity to properly treat a new egoistic nature, a new broken Reshimo, which you must work with.

But the mind and the heart forget about it, and a person gets confused thinking that everything that is happening is the truth and not a game coming from above. There, the general opinion of the group and mutual support should come to the rescue. Apart from confusion and mixed feelings everyone goes through, a person must receive a second point of view from the group that is beyond this confusion, in order to show where this special state and all mixed feelings are coming from. It comes from a new Reshimo that purposely is revealed to us by the Creator to perceive it correctly.

All development goes through the stages of HaVaYaH beginning with the “tip of the letter ‘Yod’“, that is completely unknown to us. Then passes the stage of “Yod-Hey,” the development from top-down, and then “Vav-Hey,” our preparations, perceptions, and reactions from below. Thus, when a new state is put in us in the stages of “Yod-Hey,” it is important to learn how to properly accept it. Not everyone is capable of doing it yet. We should not blame them but the overall strength of the group that did not provide sufficient support, knowledge, and feeling that all these states are given to us in order to advance.
[77940]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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No matter how difficult spiritual attainment appears to be, in reality, there is nothing simpler. Imagine a system that is completely unified, wholesome, connected between all its parts, all minor details. Everything operates in absolute harmony and aspires towards a single goal—everything is aimed towards connection, making a common analysis, in other words, the Creator, which exists between us.

We reveal Him as a consequence of the harmony that arises between us through our constant efforts to connect between us harmoniously. As a result of finding harmony inside our desires, we reveal the Light that fulfills them.

The Creator is in us! We are in the world of Infinity, so let us reveal at least the very first, the easiest and smallest degree of this perfect state. To reveal it means to make yourself correspond to it, become equal in qualities, attain balance with the Light that fills it at least on the very first degree—Nefesh de-Nefesh de-Nefesh of the world of Assiya.

For this it is necessary to achieve equality of all parts of the common vessel. But how can it be achieved when equality cannot be measured? The only thing that can be measured is the difference between one and the other, Delta. But when things are identical, we cannot appraise them because we lose the scale for measuring them. How can two absolutely black colors be compared, or how can one compare white to white? We need a certain difference to appraise things.

However, we must verify our equality, because if I am not completely equal to another I cannot consider him my friend—I am not connected to him by a mutual open connection. And this is why we need two qualities: reception and bestowal. I must bestow to the group as someone big in relation to those who are small, giving them the greatness of the goal, the recognition of importance of the Creator and friends. And on the other hand, I must lower myself to the same extent in relation to them in order to receive influence and support from them, as I perceive them as the greatest people of the generation.

In other words, I achieve maximum bestowal and maximum lowering of myself. And these two maximums lead to my equality. I cannot build equality on its own, just by considering myself equal—this equality is not worth anything. Equality is only revealed as a consequence of two extreme states: the highest and the lowest.

And when everyone in the group works this way: in the maximum and the minimum, giving everything to the group and receiving strength, awakening, and inspiration from them, then it is as if they were becoming connected by a single open pipe. Before, we all used to connect to each other through pipes, through which the energy flowed, but now, they all merge together and we get one big lake, one common reservoir is being discovered.
[77934]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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