Audio Version Of The Blog – 4/1/21

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Knowledge And Consciousness

 202Question: You say that there is a very interesting interaction between the mind and feeling. On one hand, our basis is feelings, and on the other hand, we are still talking about a conscious approach. Does this mean that a person that moves into the spiritual must do it consciously, the mind is involved?

Answer: Yes, it’s just that we are not aware of it.

I had a friend who was an organ tuner at the Dome Cathedral in Riga. He once told me how to tune this ancient instrument. It involves is terrible math! Such calculations, such formulas! What did its makers know, what did they seem to understand?! All this is hearing and all this is feeling.

On the one hand, mathematics, formulas, waves, columns of air pressure, and so on. On the other hand, we can say that this is not a conceptual, but a sensory apparatus: how it affects the membrane, the hearing, penetrates inside, reaches the heart. Where does this all happen? How can we divide this into sensible and intelligent systems?

Comment: Traditionally, psychology and all the sciences associated with it divide the human psyche into the sphere of the conscious and the extra-conscious. Then there are more divisions: the extra-conscious is divided into the subconscious and the supra-conscious, which is responsible for creativity. But feeling works on the subconscious level. In general, most of the personality belongs to the extra-conscious.

My Response: We just unconsciously process them with our conceptual, mathematical apparatus. Just like a person who listens to music. If we knew all his perceiving, sensory apparatus, we could describe it all. These are pure formulas.

Question: But the result of this processing is the final product, our knowledge. That is, we can already own the mind and somehow manage. Is it possible to say that the knowledge that I can impart to others belongs to the realm of consciousness? Is it right to identify consciousness and knowledge?

Answer: No, I don’t think so. Knowledge is the amount of information acquired by a person that helps one exist. This is one’s archive of actions, practices, experiences, and everything that he has.

And consciousness is the possibility of perception at a certain level. A person with a small amount of knowledge can have a consciousness that a huge elephant does not have.

That is, knowledge is accumulated material, and consciousness is the possibility of perception.
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From KabTV’s “Meetings with Kabbalah” 1/3/19

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“What Is The Meaning And Importance Of The Exodus From Egypt?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: What is the meaning and importance of the exodus from Egypt?

Passover describes salvation from exile in Egypt, i.e., from the period of slavery to our egoistic desires called “Egypt,” the increasing feeling of distress we develop in that state, and its eventual exit after coming to an intolerable feeling that we cannot exit our egoistic desires, but we feel a dire need to do so.

When we feel these opposites, the waters of the Red Sea (in Hebrew, it is called “the Final Sea” [“Yam Suf”]) open up, and we cross.

We have no idea how it unfolds in such a way. On one hand, it is considered miraculous, but on the other hand, it takes place after we reach desperation from our own inability to overcome our egoistic desires. That is why it is known as an escape at night, in darkness. The darkness symbolizes our lack of self-confidence, i.e., our inability to exit our egos by ourselves. We simply do not understand how we could possibly exit the control of our egoistic desires, which are our very human nature, as we find ourselves powerless to do so with our own strength. Also, we cannot understand how there could be another force in reality that could somehow change our nature. Yet, it is precisely this upper force that becomes disclosed and which changes us.

This is why the exodus from Egypt, i.e., the exit from the control of our egoistic desires, is considered miraculous. It is an act performed on us from the upper force, above our egoistic nature, in response to the need we prepare for that exodus on our behalf.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

“In Exodus 32, God Calls The Israelites “Stiff Necked People”. What Does That Mean?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: In Exodus 32, God calls the Israelites “stiff necked people”. What does that mean?

The people of Israel are given blows, such as the ten plagues of Egypt, in order to reach a realization that individually, their egos will not be able to sustain them, and that they will need to demand a force outside the ego—the Creator’s force of love and bestowal—in order to unite above the ego and overcome the blows.

They are called “a stiff-necked people” because as soon as they receive such blows, they immediately forget about them and their purpose—to rise above their egoistic desires in order to connect with the altruistic quality, the Creator—and thus they return to their egoistic desires.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

“What Does Maror Symbolize?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: What does maror symbolize?

When we set off on the spiritual path, it initially appears very enticing, attractive and interesting. We become fueled with a new sense of purpose in life, and understand that great attainments and revelations await us.

After some time on the spiritual path, we reach the understanding of what spirituality means—to give, bestow to and love others—and enter a tough period where the initial spiritual attraction wanes and we feel confused and rejected by the notion of spirituality.

This latter period is known as Maror (bitter herb).

How is it possible to endure the period of Maror? The dark sensations of this period come to us in order for us to remain locked on the spiritual path and goal, sharpen our senses, and eventually enter into a new dimension and attain a new sense for perceiving and sensing reality.

In order to stay locked on the spiritual path and goal, we need to be part of a spiritually-supportive environment, which encourages, helps and raises the importance of the spiritual goal of love, bestowal and connection above all the transient corporeal goals in our lives that can seem all the more attractive as they supply instantaneous pleasure, despite such pleasure being short-lived.

This Maror period of the spiritual path is when several people leave it, and the sole advice to reach the other side of the darkness and distastefulness of such a state is to participate in a spiritually-supportive environment that increases the spiritual goal’s importance above all else. This is why it is written that heroes (heroes [in Hebrew, Giborim] as those who overcome [in Hebrew, Mitgabrim] the ego) emerge from that period, by having no other choice, and also by feeling a sense of mutual responsibility toward everyone in the spiritually-supportive environment—that they each depend on one another in order to raise the importance of spirituality (love, bestowal and connection) over corporeality (the desire to self-benefit).

Therefore, those who establish themselves on the spiritual path—to move toward love, bestowal and positive connection with others, detached from egoistic self-interest—reach what is called “the path of exiting the exile (i.e., the darkness of living for the sake of corporeal self-aimed goals) to the Land of Israel (i.e., to connection with the spiritual force of love, bestowal and connection).”

Maror is self-aimed fulfillment. To the human ego, Maror is sweet, tasty and enjoyable. However, when we want spirituality, we discover such sweetness as bitterness. That is, we find how we want to achieve love, bestowal and positive connection among people, but that it is impossible because our egoistic nature constantly desiring self-aimed pleasures stands in the way.

Therefore, the principle spiritual work in Egypt (i.e., while immersed in our egoistic desires) is in chewing Maror. It is the feeling of being unable to exit Egypt (the ego), and the constant effort to hold a desire and prayer to achieve the spiritual goal. If we stay locked on the spiritual path and goal while we endure such a state, then our spiritual desire turns into a true yearning for help from the upper force in order to give us its spiritual nature: love, bestowal and connection.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

“How Would You Summarize The Purpose Of Life In One Sentence?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: How would you summarize the purpose of life in one sentence?

The purpose of life is to achieve the center of connection between us in order to perceive and sense our exit into a higher dimension, where we are balanced with nature.

Based on a Virtual Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman given on October 30, 2016. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

“Can Left Handedness Be Corrected? If Yes, How?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Can left handedness be corrected? If yes, how?

There have been cases in the past where people tried forcefully re-educating left-handed children to be right-handed, despite the children usually being very talented and versatile.

There is a generally negative attitude toward the left side. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, it is also written that “the left rejects and the right adducts” (in Baal HaSulam, Shamati (I Heard), article 1). This stems from spiritual roots, where qualities of love and giving come from the right, and qualities of reception come from the left. We thus instinctively incline toward love and giving that the right represents.

Figuratively speaking, we would like to present ourselves as “right-handed,” although by default we are “left-handed.” In other words, we generally want to present ourselves as good, generous and loving, when in reality we are the opposite. Inside, we all only think about how to receive.

Therefore, instead of trying to change children’s or anyone’s left-handedness, we should change our will to receive at the expense of others to its opposite: a will to love and give.

Nature created both forces—giving and receiving, right and left—on purpose, and we need to learn how to make the left (i.e., reception) act as the right (i.e., giving). The wisdom of Kabbalah (“Kabbalah” is Hebrew for “reception”) grants us this ability, i.e., how to receive (Heb. “Lekabel”) with a giving intention.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

“Why Are There People Hostile To Israel?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Why are there people hostile to Israel?

The role of the people of Israel is to show the world the method of correction, which teaches how to positively connect to one another. However, the longer it takes to bring the method of correction to the world, the more people consider Israel unnecessary.

Some special individuals still feel from the root of their soul the unique importance of Israel. They are called the “righteous of the nations.” According to their root, and not according to Israel’s current status, they feel that Israel is a good place, and that the people of Israel will reveal the method of connection to humanity.

The people of Israel’s role is to come together, and by doing so, become a conduit for the force of love, bestowal and connection to stream through to humanity at large. The revelation of such a force will clarify to everybody how to live together with positive attitudes dwelling in everybody’s connection. This is what the “righteous of the nations” feel about Israel.

At the moment, the people of Israel are positioned opposite that state. Egoism and divisiveness tears away at the nation, which distances them from connecting positively to each other. This is the reason for so many people’s hostility toward Israel. Beyond various reasons that appear on the surface that many people come up with for their hostility toward Israel, on a deeper level, it is the fact that the Jewish nation is divided and failing to realize its fateful role in the role—to unite and become a conduit for humanity to positively connect through their unifying example. This is what it means that Israel needs to bring the world the method of connection and correction, and for the time being, more and more people feel that Israel is a source of division and hatred in the world.

If the people of Israel became a connected whole, the world would also change, and all hateful and hostile attitudes among the nations of the world toward Israel would disappear.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

Desire—The Basis For The Functioning Of The Universe

583.01Question: If we consider desires from a purely scientific point of view, then such consideration requires their concise definition. Could you give such a definition?

Answer: At the heart of the entire universe is the desire to be fulfilled, to enjoy, to attain, to receive, to absorb. In a cruder form, we define it as egoism, the will to receive.

We see that this is practically the basis of any creation, even inanimate, even more so vegetative, animate, and speaking. Naturally, the higher these states are, the greater the will to receive, to enjoy, is.

Kabbalah deals with both the study of this desire and the study of its implementation, which is the maximum fulfillment. This is the essence of this wisdom.
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From KabTV’s “Integral Course” 3/19/21

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A Word — An Imprint Of The Upper Force

151Question: There are no words in the spiritual world. And yet, Kabbalah uses them to pull us into the spiritual world. What is a word? How should we use it?

Answer: A word is a set of forces that combine with each other in certain ways, passing from letter to letter and word to word, forming a specific order of forces that, by changing and mixing with each other, create words out of letters and sentences out of words.

In general, these are the forces of the universe, which includes still, vegetative, and animate natures, and us—all of it together. That is, words tell us about what is happening in this world and in all of the worlds.

Words are a record of vectors, a record of upper forces. Thus, when we read the Torah correctly, as it is explained by The Book of Zohar, we are talking about the entire program from the beginning of creation to the end, with all of its sequence, how it passes through all the matter of the universe, dividing and creating it.

It is as if it sculpts the universe and kneads it, as dough is kneaded, from the inanimate, vegetative, animate, and human parts. In this case, all the parts are connected to each other, and each of them develops. This is what the Torah talks about from the beginning to the end.
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From KabTV’s “The Power of The Book of Zohar” #8

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