Audio Version Of The Blog – 11.21.13

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The Science Of Unity

Dr. Michael LaitmanRecently, we have been working actively with a wide audience, going to people with the method of integral education so we could learn a little about and feel who these people are and what they want.

However, we must not forget that Kabbalistic principles are the basis of the method of integral education. Although we explain them for beginners in ordinary, everyday language, we do not mention the inner psychology revealed by the wisdom of Kabbalah, the essence of our internal relationships with each other.

We do not talk about nullifying our desire before the desire of the other, surrendering ourselves to the group in order to enter it, and nullifying the desire of the entire group to become similar to the Creator. Of course, we do not tell this to beginners at the first lectures. However, later, they will begin asking themselves about the origin of these forces and properties that they suddenly feel in the process of studying: warmth, attraction, the desire to rise above this world, the reluctance to be inside matter. Where does the force of unity come from?

First, we explain that this is the force of society that is revealed within unity. However, then we will have to disclose that this is the general force of nature that governs it, only it is concealed from us, and by means of our unity, we can reveal it. This is the force of the Creator ruling the world and managing us, and because He wants to come closer and to be revealed in us, we feel that we are not ready for this, and we experience the crisis because of this.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is the foundation of integral education, and that is why a person who does not study Kabbalah cannot become an instructor of integral education. He will understand nothing in this method. We see ourselves that, after ten or twenty events, we have nothing to say to the audience. We need to penetrate deeper into things and explain the inner psychology of our connection to them.

Then, we begin talking like psychologists communicating among themselves in technical terms not understood by layman, discussing in detail every aspect of our relationships with each other and the internal phenomena in man.

Therefore, we will have to teach the audience more and more of the elements of Kabbalah. In the beginning, we do not have to use special terms, but can explain things just in plain words. Later, Kabbalah gradually will be revealed because we have no other language to explain the relationship between humans and between the human being and the Creator other than the terms of Kabbalah.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is the science of connection, the revelation of the Creator, the force of bestowal and love. It should be our highest basis, according to which we live and from which is derived all our wisdom, all our forces. Due to it, we know how to make contact with the Creator by means of unity in the group through which we draw strength and pass it to the public. However, because of this, the audience connects with us and, through us, with the Creator, and gradually, the following words will be realized: “…for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,” and “…for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” that is, for everyone.

This means that everyone must reveal the Creator fully, to reveal the force of bestowal and love within himself, within his vessel, which will be equivalent to any other vessel. Indeed, every person ultimately must connect with the all the other broken desires, to correct the breaking and reveal a whole, corrected vessel, and in it, the force of bestowal and love, the force of perfect union.

Therefore, we cannot leave the wisdom of Kabbalah. Integral education cannot move forward separately from it. We must continue to study it to strengthen the integral methodology by the elements of Kabbalah, weaving them together, and thus advance.

A person who has just begun studying cannot go to work with the external public immediately. He will not be able to carry the spiritual force to it because he does not have the inner force yet, connection with the group for the sake of reaching bestowal upon the Creator. The instructor must draw strength from the wisdom of Kabbalah and study it constantly.
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From One America “Virtual Convention” Day One 11/16/13, Lesson 2

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Beware Of An Additional Minus In The Account

Dr. Michael LaitmanOur personal ascents and descents should not affect external dissemination. As organizers, instructors, and teachers, we always have to behave consistently with the outside public. People should not feel that you are going through ups and downs. You must maintain contact with them every day, providing them with everything necessary, and your inner states are your personal matters and nothing more.

It is desirable to be like that in relations with friends. Friends have to see you in constantly high spirits, inspired by the importance of the goal, joyful, and to feel your support. And for that, you sometimes you really have to play at that.

At most, you can complain that you are a little tired today and can find some physical reasons, but don’t let them suspect that the reason for your bad mood is internal. Externally, you have to appear cheerful, striving only forward, showing everyone an example.

From the moment that you could have set an example for others and did not do so, all their negative states are immediately credited to your account! It is like communicating vessels. If you cannot fill them, that’s it! Their desires that you did not want to fulfill are transferred to you and fall on you as an additional burden. It is important to be aware of that.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/18/13, Writings of Rabash

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The Turning Point Of Development

Dr. Michael LaitmanCurrently, humanity has reached a new stage of development and now must work together to correct the world. There is no alternative because the current troubles are caused by the revealed Light that urges us to start to unite. Otherwise, it will still continue to move closer to us, but in catastrophic ways, like an asteroid that threatens to collide with the Earth.

The Light is really getting closer and day by day we are confronted with the consequences of it. Jobs are cut, diseases and problems multiply, the perversions of human nature are growing, mutations; in other words, serious changes for the worse are taking place in human society and the surrounding world.

Moreover, the elites and governments lose their means of influence that allow them to manage the world, and they don’t know what to do. Previously, it was possible to pull one or the other “rein”: money – army, money – army. But in these days, money has lost its aura of omnipotence, and the police and military methods are not efficient in the conditions when more and more countries are knocking on the door of the “nuclear club.” In my opinion, about twenty countries possess nuclear weapons today.

As a result, we are faced with a big problem because we are required to initiate the correction of the world. I am talking about all those who are together with us, who feel the point in their heart: We must awaken unity. And if we are not able to unite before the Light approaches us, we will advance by the path of suffering.

The situation is this: If we are drawn to the Light, we feel the positive (+) and move by the path of hastening (Achishena). If we do not want that and remain in our egoism (Ego), we see the opposite side of the Light (-) and advance as “scheduled,” “in due time” (Beito).

The Turning Point Of Development

Thus, today we have found ourselves in a state of choice, at the point of the question mark, from which we can rise or fall. At this turning point, people who have an attraction to spiritual development, who have felt the point in the heart, who have received from Above the desire to think about this and learned about the program and the goal that is beyond our normal life, can make all of humanity follow them. And they must do this. Kabbalists of all generations have written about it.
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From One America “Virtual Convention” Day One 11/16/13, Lesson 1

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Connection With The Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanThere are two steps in human development: the highest and the lowest. Moreover, we (WE) represent the higher one because we have the point in the heart (•). We worry about the development; we feel and understand its importance; we care; we are not indifferent; we have a connection with the Light, which we do not know about ourselves.

On the other hand, humanity has no direct connection with the Light, and people live in the framework of our civilization, taking care of common needs for food, sex, family, money, honor, power, and knowledge. They don’t need anything else.

However, today there is a special situation: The world is being plunged into crisis. Practically everyone feels this and can’t do anything. Here, we should understand that this crisis is caused by the steady approach of the Light, which is manifested in us, undermining the family institution, destroying children’s education, depriving us of empathy in relationships between people, and weakening us. In general, the many facets of the crisis bring us to a point when the former welfare and old hopes seem to “slip through our fingers like water.” This is happening because we are not able to enter in contact, in connection, with the Light that is being revealed more and more.

So, we have a reason to reach out to people and explain why they feel bad. Baal HaSulam writes about this, that we must become “a kingdom of priests,” to reach out to people and tell them how to correct the situation, how to deal with the crisis. After all, the exit of it is in unity (Σ) by the method of integral education (∫).

If we unite, the crisis will disappear because in our unity we will begin to reveal the Light. It’s us now, but we don’t match it; it’s concealed even more, and as a result, we feel the growing darkness. If we match the Light, then we manifest it in the original quality, illuminate life with goodness, which builds all the connections between us and fulfills us.

Thus, we have only two simple opportunities:

  • Either to unite, becoming similar to the Light so that it’s revealed in us;
  • or not to unite, and then it will be revealed anyway, but in its time, on the path of pain and suffering caused by our growing divergence between it and us.

However, humanity itself cannot understand the method of correction or feel something because it doesn’t have the most important thing, the point in the heart. Thus, it’s up to us: Due to the point in the heart, we have a connection with the Light. So, precisely we have to become a connecting link between it and the whole of humanity.

Moreover, if in all the generations since Adam until now, Kabbalists created only certain groups, today, it’s not enough. In the past, the spiritual power of the group was sufficient to reveal the Light. There were various times when groups were comprised of only a few men, or dozens, or hundreds, or thousands. However, we have to integrate our small groups into everyone else.

Connection With The Light

We, our group, cannot obtain connection with the Light if we don’t take into account all of humanity. We have a great desire and yet we are not able to realize it. Years pass and we are seemingly “idle.” Enclosed in our groups, we are like a dog that runs around trying to catch his own tail. There are plenty of efforts and little effect.

Why? It’s because we lack the need, the feeling of lack. We don’t have that big minus with which we could reach the Light. And we will not have it no matter how hard we work.

That’s why the groups “tread water” for years. They must have all of humanity connected to them, not billions people at once, but it’s necessary to begin to work in this direction. They need to “go to the masses” and connect them to us.

Then in response, we will get a great desire, a great need. Yes, it’s just a simple “earthly” natural need based on the ordinary necessities; however, we turn this into a spiritual impulse and ask the Creator for spiritual fulfillment. We raise their desire and ask: “Give us the Light! Give us unity!” This spiritual desire awakens the Light that affects us in response, is revealed in us, and we bring it to the people.

Connection With The Light-2

Thus, this Light resolves all problems. In our world we lack nothing but the connection between people. Through the correct interconnection, we will be able to arrange everything. The only thing is to build the relationships between us correctly.
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From One America “Virtual Convention” Day One 11/16/13, Lesson 1

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Benevolence – A Sign Of Intellect

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion (Matthieu Ricard, French academic who became a Buddhist monk, the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama, international bestselling author):Altruism, empathy, compassion – these words today are increasingly heard in the psychological, neurobiological, and even economic research.

“With the advent of globalization, we can clearly feel that we are all in the same boat. In the face of global environmental problems, watching the deepening gap between rich and poor, between the North and the South, we understand that the time of competition is gone, and now we need cooperation.

“Without it, we will all lose. We are keenly aware that the notorious individualism and egoism bring us bad luck. We feel lonely because of them, too much delve into ourselves and fall into a state of depression.”

My Comment: But the problem of psychologists is that method of correction of human nature is only in the hands of Kabbalists—the Kabbalists are willing to share it with the whole world, it’s just that the world does not wish to hear about it. Perhaps, there is a need for a joint effort of many experts so that we all can convey the opportunity to overcome the crisis of civilization to the minds of the masses.
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An Action Without An Intention

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: All our actions, everything that we do, must be aimed at the revelation of the Creator. This is the only way we can determine the effectiveness of our action. And if, after the analysis, it turns out that it is not aimed at the revelation of the Creator, then is it better to “sit and do nothing,” as it is written?

Answer: No, no matter what state you are in, you should still act. There are cases in which a person seems to be “dead,” but he still must come to the group, to be present in it  even if he sleeps during the lesson, he still must perform certain basic actions.

A mechanical action isn’t really mechanical. If I can perform even the tiniest movement, it means that my desire participates in it since otherwise I wouldn’t be able to move.

Not a single molecule or atom could move if there weren’t any desire active in it. The electrons that spin around the nucleus are desires since all of matter is a desire to receive. In all the atoms, molecules, and electrons, there is a great desire to reach a state of saturation.

A state of saturation that is achieved in elementary particles—as a result of the big bang, for example—descends from the spiritual level and operates the whole universe in all the stages of its evolution. This is why they are moving ceaselessly in search of pleasure for fulfillment since it is only this way that they can express their need for fulfillment. They think that they are chasing fulfillment.

We are made of these elementary particles, so we chase pleasure all our life. This yearning is revealed on a different level but in the same direction. So, we must perform mechanical actions, even though they cannot be performed on the emotional level yet.

Sometimes, we think, “Why should I sit with these people? What have I got to say to them? I don’t want that at all. How can I lie to myself and to others?”

Lie to yourself and to others. Pretend. Act like you are their friend! However, remember that it is an act, a lie, since you are doing this consciously. This is part of your development.

“How can I do that? After all, I am an honest person! Why should I sit with them, eat with them, and hug them? I don’t care about them at all. If we loved one another, it would different, but I don’t feel that they are my friends this way.”

That’s right! You don’t feel them, and you even will hate them like Rabbi Shimon’s students. What will you do then? Should everyone leave because of the way they feel? On the contrary, you should be aware and rise above this as you understand that this is how our ego speaks inside us.

Act, although you don’t want to, because your desires are inside you, and the actions are on the outside. After the actions, there will be new desires since the Upper Light influences even actions without a desire. As it is written, “Mitzvot do not require intention.” Even if you perform them mechanically, they summon the Upper Light.
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From the Talk about Group and Dissemination 10/21/13

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A Quantitative Hero And A Qualitative Hero

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe don’t need to demand that other people know and understand the method. They simply must understand that the crisis will continue for many years. Today many are writing about this, but in the meantime nobody comprehends that the fall will continue for years until the last drop of normal existence is squeezed out of us.

This is a law of nature that is understood by those who see a little more deeply than others; there are no miracles here. If we look at the future under the right light, then a terrible picture will open before us: the cruelty of people, spiritual and material emptiness, withdrawal and degeneration of the younger generation, deserted cities, and the complete indifference of human beings who are not ready for anything. The ego will begin to devour itself and will end its existence, like a cancerous tumor that kills the entire body and it itself dies afterward.

We must explain all this to the general public, arrange integral workshops for them, and not just speak about love and friendship, but solve our material problems together. Together with this, they are solved with great ease because within them a higher force participates. People don’t need to know this, it is not necessary to frighten and confuse them. It is enough for them to understand that within connection and unity is found a unique force of nature that helps us. And they will feel this through our workshops.

It is said that there is a quantitative hero and a qualitative hero. A quantitative hero extends in width while a qualitative hero extends in height. Therefore in order to be a quantitative hero, we must connect the masses, to ourselves. And then we can go upward.
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From the Bulgaria Convention “Dawn Of A New World” Day Three 11/3/13, Lesson 5

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Turning Off The “Sleep Mode”

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Love for the Creator and  Love for the Created Beings”: …here comes Hillel’s statement to the foreigner who came before him and asked to be converted, as it says in the Gemara, “Convert me so that you will teach me the entire Torah while standing on one leg.”

He told him “That which you hate, do not do to your friend.” This is the entire Torah, and the rest means just go and study. We see that he told him that the entire Torah is the interpretation of the verse, “Love thy friend as thyself.”

The Torah tells us of the methods to ascend to the step of “Loving your neighbor as ourselves.” From the very first word until the very last one, the Torah clearly explains how we should act and what we will be going through in order to completely implement this principle.

Question: What kind of accuracy is it if nobody understands what it’s talking about?

Answer: It’s a process. When one begins to perform the method in the group, little by little one begins realizing and sensing what hatred and love are, which is completely alien to us now.

Today, we hate or love others only on the material plane, but here they are revealed in the concept of complete love, unity, and another spiritual step. Then, our self-measurement becomes totally different. Before, we just lived in this world, experienced numerous sensations in it, and entered into various relationships at an “animal” level.

But now we have started to implement unity among us. By doing so, we rise to a totally new level. We join the group that is not just an assembly of people but much more. In the group, we share diverse relationships between each of us with others. We build the connection that I call a “raspberry ball.”

Definitely, it’s not a “ball” per se, but rather a system that manifests itself among us. It exists and we have to awaken it and bring it to life by attempting to include ourselves into each other, connecting with each other, and hoping that the Returning Light comes and unites us.

We see that we are not capable of doing so on our own. Each time, when we try to become better (1) we see that we have become only worse (2). This will last until we reach a state that is called “49 gates of impurity” upon which we will acknowledge that there is nothing good in us whatsoever and that we are completely evil. Then, according to this understanding, we will feel a necessity to ask for the Creator’s help.

Turning Off A “Dormant Mode”

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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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On The Decline Of Progress

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”: It is difficult to understand how such a statement (“Love thy friend as thyself”) can contain the sum-total of all the Mitzvot in the Torah.

It is said that the commandment “Love thy friends as thyself” is the greatest rule in the Torah. In other words, it’s a program that governs all of reality, it’s a program called “love.” It includes the still (S), vegetative (V), animate (A) and speaking (S) nature. Thus, everything and everybody is subject to the influence of the force of love and progresses in accordance with it whether willingly or not.

 

At the Final Stage of Progress
 

Love acts as an affectionate and caring mother and constantly expands the desire to receive. This is what the Light does: It nurtures the desire to receive.

 

At the Final Stage of Progress
 

However, while the entire system grows, its sufferings are enhanced since it advances egoistically. On one hand, I would like to “swallow” the entire world, but on the other hand, who will let me?

So, it turns out that I suffer more in spite of the new “opportunities” I get. We are given more choices; every day we hear about new sources of pleasure. We can even “touch” and “smell” them, but we can’t really immerse in them completely. Each time we observe the pleasure from the side and in the end, just add to our frustration.

This is how progress has unfolded for thousands of years until now: We cultivate sciences, technologies, culture, and education and still remain “unfilled.” There are plenty of vessels that are ready to receive pleasure, but so what?

Let’s take a smart phone as an example. When I hold it in my hand, I actually hold the entire world in my palm. I have a chance to talk with whomever I want, get to know what’s going on in the most remote places of the world… But what do I actually do? I chat about nonsense or “kill time” by playing virtual games. In the long run, I remain empty. The younger generation spends all their time like that, they sacrifice their future potential and overwhelm themselves with emptiness. We act as if we are little children.

It means that the Light has led us to withering and degradation, to deterioration and indifference. It was totally inconceivable to us that it would turn out this way.

Pleasures do not stimulate hopes anymore. On the contrary, we are disappointed in them and today, all we want is rest. We have realized that we will never get what we want anyhow, so let’s just “smoke and forget about everything.” It’s not an accident that drugs are being legalized lately. People have to be “calmed down” somehow.

So, what did long-term progress bring to us? Nothing! We wanted to become stronger and more powerful, and now we prefer to reduce our demands and be satisfied with as little as possible so that we can be filled with the sluggish calmness that we aspire to.

We have capitulated. We have helplessly raised our hands in surrender. By not following the principle of “Love thy friend as thyself,” we multiply our suffering.

This is where the problem hides. Love is a general, universal law that embraces all of reality. We cannot escape from it. The more we adhere to it, the more success we will achieve, and vice versa. We constantly experience failures because we don’t even try to implement this in life. Being indifferent to this principle, we don’t realize how much we lose and how much we could gain from it.

Meanwhile, “love your neighbor as yourself” is a general rule for all corrections. In other words, all parts of the inanimate, vegetative, animate, and speaking nature have to come together in a relationship called “love.” We cannot alter this rule. It will always be this way.

At the Final Stage of Progress
The method of correction explains to us how to correct our “territory,” meaning humanity together with other levels of nature, so that they all become similar in properties to the upper force, the Creator. Ultimately, we only have to comply with the law of love. And for this, we have to correctly interpret what love is, what kind of law it is, how far away we are from it at this time, and what are the ways of following it.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/16/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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