In the News (from Raw Story): “’There is a cyberwar going on,’ Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union, said during a cybersecurity debate at the Geneva Press Club.

“’Just like a conventional war, there are no winners, only destruction,’ he warned an audience of reporters, diplomats and technology experts.

While Toure declined to pin the blame on individual countries, such attacks have become common currency. …

“In an increasingly connected and Internet-dependent world, cyber attacks by governments and criminal gangs alike have the potential to wreak havoc on everything from the financial sector to key public services, Toure said.

“’No one single entity can do it alone. We have to change the mindset. Are we mentally prepared to work with one another?’ he asked.

“’In this arena, there’s no such thing as a superpower anymore,’ he said, given that is it cheap to create viruses and launch attacks.

“’It’s the human brain that’s driving this. So we’re all equal in this, and we need to come together. That’s the new order. It’s not one country. It’s not like a nuclear power, where the technology, the knowledge base and the infrastructure and the funding are required for that.’

“’We have to treat cyberspace like we treat the real world,’ he added. ‘What’s true in the real world is true in cyberspace. Some people say we’re in a new environment where the rules are completely different. We’re not. Because humans are at the centre of this.’”

My Comment: As nature reveals itself as an integral whole, our connection and interdependence will be constantly revealed in increasing scale and depth. Agents like Snowden (not traitors) and residents are required to let the world know that “everyone’s hands are in everyone elses.” Thus the process of liberation from boundaries only shortens. This requires a psychological revolution in people by means of the method of integral education, but this is only possible in the integral analog system in which we find nature and ourselves.
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Everyone knows that family life is not easy, and it should not be allowed to drift. If we, as a couple, advance along the path of mutual development, then we can define three “territories” in our relationship:

• The indivisible territory where love reigns between us.

• The common territory where we are in agreement and carry out analysis. This is a place of free choice that we can fill with love as well.

• Everyone’s individual territory where the other partner never enters. Here, a person looks at things from his own point of view, prefers something, doesn’t accept something, even if in contrast to the other, and thinks about something private. After all, we are all people, complex systems.

These territories, in turn, are subdivided into smaller parts, but we are limited to the general division.

The point is that we cannot manage without a primary, basic love. It is like royal marriages where they did not even know each other before and do not have a common point of contact, a point of love. However, young people of today as a rule get married on the basis of some attraction toward each other, driven by at least one spark that happens between them.

Question: How can partners build their relationship correctly in order to fan this spark, to extend the common territory?

Answer: First of all, we turn to the mind, not feelings. A warm feeling that once passed has already disappeared, and the memory of it is deformed by layers of subsequent phases. People even don’t realize that this is a natural thing, hormonal, material, and moreover, is subject to habits and various standards, just as artificial as it is changeable. For instance, if I have grown accustomed to family closeness, then my feeling is more stable, and if my partner matches my physical nature, he or she has a greater impact on the subconscious level.

In short, a flash of the familiar feeling was spontaneous, without thought, and now we want to engage the mind to analyze this outburst. Only the mind will help us to retrieve it from the past, that beautiful past when we used to walk hand in hand and live in harmony, unable to part, and were so passionate that we looked like a couple of idiots with perpetual smiles on our lips. We want to recreate this feeling so that it would sweeten our life and give it taste, meaning, and in this way, we will also be able to radiate warmth and involvement to our children and loved ones. I don’t even mention that according to numerous studies that harmony in the family strengthens health and promotes longevity.

This is why we need to turn to the mind.

First of all, we agree with each other as to how much my partner can demand from me and I from her. Everyone rejects some part of his comfort, in other words, his egoism, and supports and encourages the partner in the daily routine, in business and discussions. We demonstrate this approach to each other as a good example.

Second, each of us turns and relates to the other as to the best, most important, most clever, unique person in the world. We do not shy away from exaggeration, do not avoid high words and compliments. On the contrary, we look for them. I make a list, for example, of twenty lines, although it is not that easy and use it as often as possible. Habit becomes second nature. I really will begin seeing in my “half” what I ascribe to her.

No one demands sincere feelings from me initially. I imagine a beauty queen in my style: A beautiful, highly sensible, a wonderful hostess, a perfect mother, attractive, sexy, and so on. I relate to my wife as if she meets all these parameters until I really recognize all these qualities in her.

In essence, we use the same principle in the group for work with the friends, raising them in our eyes.

So, I mentally paint an image of the best wife in the world, the image that encompasses all aspects of life, all situations. However, it is not limited to fantasies. I work on myself to really treat my wife as if she is that image. I literally “program” myself and our relationship.

Question: So, do I have to ignore reality?

Answer: There is no objective reality. I always see the things that I paint on the “canvas” of my consciousness. In fact, I do not notice my partner, although we live together. I am so used to her that, only occasionally, do I focus on more prominent edges behind the external appearance. In addition, by nature, men are more superficial, while the woman looks deeper, and in this sense it is easier for her to overcome external obstacles.

Either way, having painted an ideal for myself, I “clothe” it on my partner. From now on, she is exactly like this for me and the point is not in appearance. I internally infuse all her qualities with perfection. Let it be selfish. “This is my wife, and, thus, it is the best it can be.”

Of course, this takes effort. I generate this attitude as if I see a painted ideal before myself. All the virtues of the world concentrate in it. I mentally put her on a pedestal, on the queen’s throne, and do not lower her from this height no matter what. Everything in her is perfection, and if I do not like something, it is because egoism covers my eyes.

I repeat, the main thing in this picture is not the external details, but the respect, the reverence, with which I am imbued, the value that the ideal gains in my eyes. Precisely this value, this attitude, I transfer on to my partner. Nothing prevents my imagination from being turned in the right direction and becoming programmed with a certain vision.

We are engaged with a partner in this inner work mutually, deliberately, and consciously. We discuss it. We show each other examples in every situation, accept each other as perfect. Indeed, our eyes see a different picture although later even this will change. However, we shift toward a new relationship, planned for the time being, but serious.

For example, the house is a mess that I cannot stand, and at the same time, I behave with my wife as if she has put everything in its place. I accept the order the way she sees it. I am not looking even for excuses. I initially want and make myself see everything in her and everything that depends on her as perfect.

This is our conscious, mutual concessions, the rejection of egoistic attitude. Working in this way, in a week, I suddenly will find out that everything has changed. It turns out that I really see her as flawless in everything, as she sees me. Love blossoms in our common territory.

In one word, “no pain, no gain.” Love comes when I show my partner an example that I accept him or her, that he or she is very welcome, despite all the negative that I see in him or her. I show love, the same love as for my own baby who is always irresistible in my eyes, however it may be.

In the end, a fairy tale will come true, and love that sprouted and got stronger between us will require no tricks. Any problem will provide us with new opportunities for compromises, concessions, and even more love.

That is why it is said that love will cover all transgressions. It can grow only with their help. If it were not for them, I would not even look at my wife. In this way, any glance reveals something bad for me. This is human nature.

This is where the work begins where we must learn to look at life objectively without dependence on our own desires, fantasies, and passions. We are building the world ourselves, not wishful thinking but by our attitude together we recover the desire from oblivion until it replaces the previous reality.
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From a “Talk about New Life” 7/30/13

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Question: For a person to be included in an integral network, at least two conditions must exist. On the one hand, it is necessary to annul ourselves in relationship to societal opinion in order to absorb everything from it. On the other hand, we need to place ourselves in such a state where my opinion is also useful to society. Are there additional conditions?

Answer: In order to create correct, equal relationships with society, we really should use many various conditions. But for now we are in pretty complicated interactions within society that are constantly changing.

First of all, when we talk to people about the creation of an integral society, it is preferable to take some narrow group. This could be a group organized within some company or in the framework of group activities, clubs, and so forth. That is, it is better to take a limited number of people, a few groups of ten, and manage the work of integral education among them.

To do this, we must put together an entire list of forms of behavior for the person in regard to society and the society in regard to the person.

We already know that if a person diminishes himself in regard to society, this helps him listen to the society’s views. On the other hand, he must add something from himself. This is to say, he needs to present himself as a very important component of the society and be prepared to give something to it.

Every member of a group must understand that in order for people to have some kind of motivation and incentive, we need to talk to them about the importance of the goal that they will attain.

Besides this, they must support each other with a good spirit and exalted attitude. Special means, like songs and shared meals, are imperative for this, something that will connect them so that they don’t just sit and talk.

They must always organize events like talks around a roundtable and workshops where they exchange opinions and learn how to converse. It very well could be that they need to invite actors who will speak with them and guide them as to how to speak to each other.

We are speaking here about our inner nature that wants to exploit everyone only for its own sake. That is, I know that I am an egoist and I am ready to shoot everyone. We understand that this is our essence. Yet, beyond this, outside it, is up to us to play at being good people, to play with myself and with others without pretense but seriously, precisely in order to see and build such a society. Like little children who play at being adults, we gather in small groups of three to four people.

In order for the action of the game to be effective, we require actors and even directors and producers who will explain to us, “Now, we are playing at being in a future society that we want to attain. Therefore, first of all, we need to discuss in a workshop what we want to attain, fantasize a little, and then implement it.

In a form like this, we awaken the integral forces that are concealed in nature and that connect all of us. The truth is that we already are found in this network, yet we still want to cause the developmental forces to influence us, which will direct us forward.

If a child plays at something, with this he arouses a developmental force on himself and grows in this direction. One child collects stamps, a second wants to design and build, and a third wants to be an athlete. He wants to! The main thing is that he yearns! The idea is that it is not through training, rather through desire. This desire attracts the integral force to the person that attaches him to this model. It is in this way that the person approaches it.

The same thing happens here. We need to play as much as possible at being in the new integral society. We must describe it to ourselves, imagine it, speak together about its future form, and together with our teachers, even with directors and actors who organize our system of change, training, and the correction. It is not important what we call this; we need to play at this.

Together with this, the game will remain a game. We will not be ready to get carried away and play so much so that, suddenly, we pretend that we already are living life in a wonderful form, for example in some kind of utopian “Sun City.” Our ego will not allow this. It grows all the time and will carry each one into his own particular egoistic niche.

This game is very effective. It shows us how we describe our future to ourselves, how we imagine ourselves as different and corrected, our interactions, connections, and society as a whole.

We can discuss and decide how we will organize the social development network, the system of public education for our children, the life of the family in the integral society, everything that is possible. How, for example, can we work in the healthcare system and the financial, economic, and business systems, and so forth. What will we say what will be in this society and what will not. Which problems are liable to be created and how will we solve them. All these need to be topics of workshops. All of us must discuss this.

In this form, we rise and come closer to integral conditions. We can see what we lack, how it will be possible to materialize this, and we try to realize this partially in the connection between us and a little in imagination, and meanwhile, this fantasy will remain in the realm of a dream. Yet, it will develop more and more, and approach some kind of real picture.
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From KabTV’s “Wisdom of Crowds”-2, 5/14/13

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Preparation to the Lesson

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Igrot,” “Letter 17“

The Book of Zohar — Introduction

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15

Writings of Baal HaSulam “Peace in the World“

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During the convention we had the feeling that we were in a general vessel and all the differences between us disappeared, all the differences between people were simply erased. Everyone had certain personal feelings but only on the corporeal, physical level, a feeling of sickness or hunger, but above that there was one general feeling of connection.

But this feeling of connection was not clarified. We simply felt that we were together. Now, when the convention is over we have to assimilate this feeling of togetherness in order to expand this feeling and to add the mind, the understanding, and the discernments to it. This is called Sefirot, which we have to start “to count” – “Lispor” (from the same root in Hebrew) and to examine with accurate detail. Then we will see how we can actually work with the new vessels correctly.

This is possible only by adding to the previous level and ascending to the next level. From the next level we will be able to “count” the previous level. This is the only way to do it, from the state a person is in. In the current state, a person cannot attain such a Sefira (counting) since he needs the ten measures that are ready and enable him to count from Malchut to Keter and back.

This level is now being formed, and we cannot digest or count it yet or explain it in detail. The main thing now is to try to hold on to what we have attained and not to be satisfied with that, so that the descent will be from the desire to attain more!

The descent should not be in our feeling, not as a result of losing the pleasant feeling we had during the convention which is gone now. We have attained the feeling of the attribute of bestowal and now we want to hold on to it above the daily routine that will pull us away from it day after day.

We can use the vessels that we have now discovered as a standard, as a parameter, and can start establishing clear measures in us, which are called Din (judgement), mercy, the middle line, ten Sefirot from Keter to Malchut and back through the Returning Light, and different levels of Aviut (thickness). We can begin to compare which vessel is developed, where the apple is red and ripe and where the apple is small and green. In the meantime it’s not a conscious choice, just like a small child’s, but we will understand what and why we choose.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/17/13, Writings of Rabash

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Question: After the convention, why was there no feeling that it had ended and we quietly went home?

Answer: Indeed, there was no feeling that the convention was over, and that’s why it’s very important to hold yourself in this state. We need to recall the state that was there, to strive for it. But not because we felt good in it, rather because we don’t want to lose the sensation of bestowal in relation to others that we achieved there.

We want to remain in the same feeling. We need to distinguish clearly: a pleasant feeling or the feeling of belonging to a unified whole. This is a huge difference! I don’t care whether I feel pleasant or not. I don’t want to depend upon my feelings, but to stay only in bestowal, giving, and belonging; to swim in this single current wherever it takes me, as in the current of life.

Nothing else is required! Just keep this feeling of belonging to the unified world group, to the common vessel. This feeling of belonging must be felt within us so no disturbances can separate us. This will be keeping the covenant. If these concepts are imprinted in you, the “letters of work,” we will be able to reveal this theme more deeply, at a more inner level.

And it doesn’t matter here in what group a person is, in what place, in what city. Correction should be done here as well, so there is no feeling of difference.

I suggest opening a page on the Internet called “The Convention that Never Ends,” where everyone will be able to briefly share his impressions and support others, post excerpts from articles and clips. Everyone can visit it once or twice a day for five minutes and check whether he is in the same feeling of unity. Thus, we will support each other to feel belonging to that common desire, the state of unity, in which we were able to stay for a long time.

We have caught it well, and that is why we have no feeling that we are parting. We left without goodbyes and tears, and it’s very good. The separation on the physical level is not relevant to that spiritual connection that everyone has achieved, and thus he does not feel inside that he is parting. This is very important.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/17/13, Writings of Rabash

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Question: What can I do so I will always hate evil?

Answer: In order to say that something is good or bad, we have to measure it compared to something. Therefore it says: “Those who love the Lord, hate evil,” this means that they always yearn for attaining an increasingly greater goodness. According to spiritual values, goodness is bestowal and evil is receiving. They actually establish an environment that constantly tells them that bestowal is good, and thus they advance. This is why they perceive it as the hatred of evil.

We discover the Upper Light, the attribute of bestowal and the concealed love according to the equivalence of form. This is why we have to constantly create and increase the attribute of bestowal inside us. The pure attribute of bestowal doesn’t exist in the created being. Instead there is the attribute of receiving with the intention of using it in order to bestow. If this is how we use our nature, in order to bestow, to give, in order to give as much as we possibly can, it means that we bestow.

It’s just like a baby who has nothing to give his mother except for the joy that she feels when he receives from her everything that she wants to give him. This is why receiving remains receiving but the intention of in order to bestow is added to it.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/25/13, Shamati #54 “The Purpose of the Work”

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Question: How do you use hatred as a means to keep us away from evil?

Answer: It is hate that separates us from those we hate. We don’t need anything except to hate the ego. There are two stages: purity and holiness. The first stage of the correction is the purification from evil. This includes the whole process we go through from the beginning of our work until the revelation of evil, and then from the revelation of evil until the level of Bina, to bestow in order to bestow, don’t do unto others what is hateful to you.

This part of the correction is called the recognition of evil and exiting it until we escape from Egypt. Then we enter the phase of correction of to bestow in order to bestow, which is called the work in the desert. Then we enter the land of Israel by purifying our desire as we aim it at Yashar-El (straight to the Creator); we turn it into Israel, which is called the conquering of the land of Israel. Then we reach the phase of love thy friend as thyself.

This is done in stages: I detach myself from the ego, from evil, purify myself, and the moment I discover that my ego is my enemy, I begin to hate it, and so I have to break away and escape it. I am ready to jump into the Red Sea, anywhere I can, as long as I can escape and be saved from the pursuit of the ego. I receive ten blows (plagues) from it that force me to come to the final decision and that doesn’t leave me any chance of remaining inside my ego.

I cannot stand it anymore, as I see that it only brings me trouble and pain. All this is a result of the Surrounding Light that shines and bestows upon me. I feel so evil in relation to it, to the attribute of bestowal, to any revelation of the Creator in a cloud, in a pillar of fire, in a burning bush… Only when the Creator brings me to Pharaoh do I realize that he is a tyrant and wicked. Pharaoh is revealed in contrast to the Creator, and when I stand in the middle, I see who is a friend and who is a foe.

I cannot bear the domination of Pharaoh anymore, since on the other side the Creator is by my side. I already begin to see the difference between bestowal and receiving, and this summons the hatred of evil in me. It’s impossible to come to Pharaoh without the Creator! Otherwise I will not see that Pharaoh is evil, since before he seemed so good to me when he raised Moses as his grandson. Even before that, in the beginning of the period of exile, the good Pharaoh ruled until he died and there rose a new king in Egypt who did not know Joseph. Thus we gradually go through the phases of the recognition of evil.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/25/13, Shamati #54 “The Purpose of the Work”

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Opinion (Robert Cummins, Professor at Deakin University, Melbourne Australia): “A loving partner, up to $100,000 of household income and a social activity that offers a sense of purpose is the new ‘golden triangle of happiness’ according to Deakin University psychologist Professor Robert Cummins….

“’More important than money is having a good intimate relationship,” he said.

“’You only need one person to share your life and having that person is incredibly important. People who haven’t got someone to share their life in an intimate way – where you can share your troubles – are very vulnerable to the bad things that happen to them. This is extremely consistent across all of our surveys.’

“’The magic number is $100,000 of gross household income. It’s not that more money makes it better, it is that you need a certain amount,’ he said. …

“’Having something interesting to do is the third element. People are happier if they are active; in a footy club, in a sewing circle, whatever,’ he said.

“’If you can combine that activity with social contact and a sense of purpose then that is best.

“’People who do volunteer work combine those very well. There more active they are and more socially connected the better they are. …

“The culmination of 29 Australian happiness surveys over 12 years by Melbourne’s Deakin University has revealed it doesn’t matter where you live, whether your collar is white or blue or whether you’ve got kids or not – if you live within the golden triangle you’re more than likely to have a permanent smile on your face.”

My Comment: The goal of creation is to delight the created beings. In the course of its development, humanity is becoming aware that happiness is in the correct connection with the environment. We are at this stage of development—in the transition from individual to collective. And then, considering we are together, instead of I, having felt the value “in dissolving” in the collective, we break away from we to the fulfillment with which this “we” will be filled, meaning, we will feel the Creator, the Source, we and I.
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