Audio Version Of The Blog – 3/11/20

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download:MP3 Audio

My Thoughts On Twitter 3/11/20

Dr Michael Laitman Twitter

Baal HaSulam, famous 20th century Kabbalist:
Nature, like a professional judge, punishes us according to our #development. Hence, to the extent of humanity’s development and achievement of #economic and technological progress, #suffering and disasters will increase!
From his article “The Peace.”

The most dangerous virus is our egoism. By not using our inner egoism, we will neutralize the external viruses—like cures like. In order to heal from the destructive egoism, our actions must become altruistic, as a single humanity on this small planet earth.

There are only two forces in nature—negative and positive. Moreover, the wisdom of Kabbalah says the negative force must always be under the positive force’s influence. We can affect this by our efforts to come closer to each other, which will lead to victory over all diseases.
From Twitter, 3/11/20

Related Material:
My Thoughts On Twitter 3/9/20
My Thoughts On Twitter 3/8/20
My Thoughts On Twitter 3/6/20

“Coronavirus: A Lesson In Mutual Responsibility” (Thrive Global)

Thrive Global published my new article: “Coronavirus: A Lesson in Mutual Responsibility

In less than three months, COVID-19, a.k.a. Coronavirus disease, has taught us a lesson in humility before the forces of nature that we had refused to learn for more than a century.

Staff in protective suits spray disinfectant on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) train after Indonesia confirmed new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia March 10, 2020 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/NovaWahyudi/ via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT.

Who would have thought that a virus, and not a particularly deadly one, would press the world’s kill switch? Who would believe in the beginning of this year that a measly flu-like germ with the name of a beer brand would paralyze aviation the world over, crash stock markets globally, start an oil-price war between OPEC and Russia, put entire countries under quarantine, shut down schools and universities the world over, cancel major sports events, and all within ten weeks?

In less than three months, COVID-19, a.k.a. Coronavirus disease, has taught us a lesson in humility before the forces of nature that we had refused to learn for more than a century. It taught us that our protections, safety nets, and struggles for power and dominance are useless when nature decides to play its tricks on us.

“Most of all, Coronavirus is teaching us a lesson in mutual responsibility. It is forcing us to recognize the painful fact that we are interconnected and interdependent the world over.”

But most of all, Coronavirus is teaching us a lesson in mutual responsibility. It is forcing us to recognize the painful fact that we are interconnected and interdependent the world over. Because when a virus that started in Wuhan, China, can kill your loved ones in Chicago, Illinois, don’t you wish your countries would not be embroiled in a trade war? Wouldn’t it be nice if countries could collaborate just once and take collective action to stop the spreading of the virus? Wouldn’t it be much more helpful if we realized that we are responsible for one another even when we are half way across the world and don’t want to hear about it?

A Wonder Drug for Earth

Ironically, this pathogen is like a wonder drug for Earth. For decades, we have been warned about the harm that overconsumption is doing to our planet. For decades, we have been told that we must restrain our greed, excessive depletion of natural resources, and the shopping frenzy that has become our favorite pastime. For decades, we have ignored the warnings. Now, nature is forcing us to simply stop: no flights, no shopping, no entertainment. Quarantine yourselves at home and reflect on your actions, your commitment to others, and theirs to you.

In truth, nature is kind; it could have taught us the same lesson with far more aggressive measures. It could have caused a nuclear disaster like the one in Chernobyl or an earthquake like the one that devastated the nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. It could have made Ebola far more contagious and destroy half of humanity. It could do a million things we cannot even imagine that would all but obliterate humanity. But it is not; it is giving us a chance to reflect on how we live and start living more responsibly toward each other and the planet that is our common home.

Now it is time for us to help each other learn to care for one another. It cannot happen if we try alone, but since we’re all trapped already in one boat, much like the passengers on the virus-hit Diamond Princess in Japan and the Grand Princess in California, we should all embrace mutual responsibility and start building a more balanced and considerate way of life. Evidently, nature has a far greater cache of penitentiary measures than we can ever counteract. So far, it has been merciful and gentle with humanity; we do not want it to pick up the stick.

The world we live in now is the brainchild of our egocentric mindset. If we do not change our thinking, the world will not change for the better however we may try to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and diminish deforestation. But if, instead of our current attitude, we will begin to nurture mutual consideration and responsibility, our world will reflect it and will transform in sync with our new state of mind.

It is written, “They who sow the wind, reap the storm” (Hosea 8:7). If we sow egoism, we will reap its consequences many times over. The current crisis is but a sample of what might happen. But likewise, if all of us aboard the ship called Planet Earth, sowed mutual care and mutual responsibility, what would we reap? Can we even begin to imagine the benefits?

Maybe now, when everything is put on hold, we should take a moment to reflect on our mindsets and start reforming the relationships in our lives. Maybe now is our chance to reverse course, to start imagining different courses for our lives. Maybe now we should start thinking less in terms of me and mine, and more in terms of community, society, and humanity. After all, who knows how many more breaks nature will give us?

— Published on March 10, 2020

Development Of Egoism And The Method Of Connection, Part 7

Laitman_115.05The Golden Calf—Symbol of Egoism

Question: As soon as the people of Israel received the method of connection at Mount Sinai, separation between the people began again: the golden calf, the Korah uprising, the complaints of the people, the spies, and so on.

What does the golden calf mean?

Answer: The golden calf is all the egoism that people took with them from Egypt. They cannot get away from it, it is always with them. Sometimes they rise above it, sometimes they do not.

Thus, the golden calf is a symbol of egoism that pulls them back to the same states. It is not about geography, although they want to return to Egypt, but it is about their feelings, at what level of communication they want to exist.

After all, we talk about society. Therefore, the desire to return to the state in which they are separated from each other is the worship of the golden calf, that is, of their egoism.
[260095]
From KabTV’s “System analysis of the development of the people of Israel,” 7/1/19

Related Material:
Development Of Egoism And The Method Of Connection, Part 6
Development Of Egoism And The Method Of Connection, Part 5
Development Of Egoism And The Method Of Connection, Part 4

The Wisdom Of King Solomon: “Two Are Better Than One”

Laitman_198Comment: The synonym for the wise man is, as it is often said, King Solomon.

It was the best time in the Jewish state. In his time the Temple was built. He wrote great books. He was engaged in education, and in general there was a hold in all matters.

There are quotes that are attributed to him. They are very deep and at the same time very simple. Please comment on them.

“Two are better than one, since they have good reward for their toil.

“For if they fall, one will lift up his friend, but woe to the one who falls and has no second one to lift him up.

“Moreover, if two lie down, they will have warmth, but how will one have warmth?”

Everything is so simple.

Answer: No, it is not simple. These are great and seemingly simple facts, but unattainable for the ordinary person to simply take and implement.

This refers to the internal unity of people, above hatred, when each of them is a separate entity. This is huge work of a person on himself, moreover, according to a serious technique.

Question: Do you think it is not just said: it is good to be together and not alone?

Answer: No, this is King Solomon. Would he just say that?

Question: Do you mean he clearly understands that people cannot be together?

Answer: Of course. It is the disclosure of internal hatred that is necessary in order to discover the extent to which we must reach in order to become so close to each other, to warm one another. This is not bodily warming, it is when you work on my soul and I work on your soul.
[260054]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman,” 12/5/19

Related Material:
The Wisdom Of King Solomon: “Do Not Grab A Dog By The Ears”
People At War
A Long Way To The First Spiritual Level

Who Am I?

552.02Question: I began to analyze myself and came to the conclusion that now I do not know who I am. Will Kabbalah help me figure this out?

Answer: Kabbalah definitely will help you figure this out. But is it so important to figure out who you are?

I would not try to find out, although, as stated in Kabbalah, a person seeks to know the root of one’s soul.

In principle, we should find this out, but not who I am now, because there is nothing to talk about about the animal body, these are only compact, small instincts, nothing more.

Who I really am, we will come to this at the very end of our correction when we correct all our egoism, specifically given to us for this.

In fact, we are huge, great, spiritually very high creatures, we only have to reveal this. And we will reveal it.
[260304]
From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 1/5/20

Related Material:
How Can You Get To Know Yourself?
The Depth Of The Point
From External Dissemination To The Revelation Of The Creator

“Why Are We Alive?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Why are we alive?

Why are we alive? Many people ask this question and it leads them to change their lives in one way or another.

I engaged in that question a lot. I studied bio-cybernetics, the systems of the human body, thinking that I could attain the meaning of life by doing so.

But I didn’t find its answer in that field.

I found it only many years later in the wisdom of Kabbalah.

The question about the meaning of life always disturbed me, because without knowing its answer, I had no view of why life is worth living. Today, I see the younger generation especially feeling this question, even if they don’t ask it with exactly those words. Finding no answer to this question makes our lives feel meaningless, and we feel a lot of negative phenomena as a result.

To find the meaning of life, we need to find the source from which life is created and develops.

The source of life is the upper force.

We can call the upper force “the Creator,” the “upper light,” “nature” and many other terms, but essentially, there is a source of life, and the question about life’s meaning and purpose stems from it. Ultimately, we exist in order to attain the meaning of our lives.

How we attain the meaning of life is another question.

How can we attain the source of life?

It is a question that humans specifically ask, and not all kinds of forms and organisms on the still, vegetative and animate levels of nature. Moreover, not all people ask this question, and those who do, ask it in different intensities.

Every generation feels an increasing need to answer the question about the meaning of life. Especially in our generation, this question is expressed by more and more people feeling depressed, stressed, lonely, anxious, and getting into drugs, extremism, and finding themselves in all kinds of other problems.

The wisdom of Kabbalah has emerged on a mass scale in our era precisely to answer the question about the meaning of life. It provides a method by which we can undergo self and social transformation in order to feel a new sense of reality, one that is complete, interconnected and full of goodness and happiness.

We attain the meaning of life when we attain a clear perception and sensation of the force that created and develops us. Such a new perception gives us a distinct understanding of why we were created. By attaining life’s source, we attain nothing less than eternity and perfection while we are alive in this world.

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 3/11/20

Lesson Preparation

[media 1] [media 2]

Writings of Rabash, “What Is the Reason for which Israel Were Rewarded with Inheritance of the Land, in the Work?”  (1991)

[media 3] [media 4]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 3. Part 8, Item 5

[media 5] [media 6]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Peace” 

[media 7] [media 8]

Selected Highlights

[media 9] [media 10]