Question: By striving for pleasure and running away from suffering, is it possible to predict your next step?

Answer: You cannot predict the next step because you do not know exactly what desires will awaken in you and what will be needed to realize them. But you will always reflect based on the desires that arise in you how to best realize them: give as little as possible and receive as much as possible in all your actions.

See how you sit, as comfortably as possible in the present condition, how you talk, how you behave, subconsciously or consciously, no matter how.

Question: What is wrong with this behavior? What doesn’t work in it?

Answer: In principle, this model itself could be correct. It is aimed at ensuring that we realize ourselves with maximum profit, and at every moment of time maintain greater confidence, security, fulfillment, and advancement.

But the fact is that I am commanded by the values ​​that I receive from society. And it imposes on me things that I do not at all need.

Each of us brings our aspirations for wealth, fame, power to society. And it turns out that I want to use society to make money, to impose on it absolutely not the values ​​that it needs, but what I need to get from it. I invent all sorts of things in order to sell and thus gain knowledge, power, fame, and money.

As a result, I impose my values ​​on others, and since this already becomes a legacy of the whole society, it imposes on everyone else in the form of advertising and everything else. It turns out that we advertise to each other absolutely unnecessary things, on which each of us wants to earn something, either fame, or power, or money. Thus, we sell each other completely unnecessary stuff.

Question: But why are we sure that we need it?

Answer: Because society makes us believe it. If society says that this is good, then striving to win recognition and respect in its eyes, I do what it imposes on me.

For example, now I am sitting in a suit. It would be more comfortable for me to sit in my pajamas. Why am I not doing this? Because society forces me to dress like this, and I want to get approval in its eyes so that they will listen to me, respect me. Therefore, we behave this way, whether we understand it or not.

Thus, society forces us to actions that, in principle, are opposite to my natural impulses and desires. In fact, I would not want this, I would just like to exist in peace. Society is constantly developing in its desires and it forces me to desire what I absolutely do not need. But this is how we go.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Marriage Contract” 8/19/09

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Question: A certain teaching tradition has developed in Kabbalah based on the fact that there is content, but the form, methods, and commentary on it are determined by the teacher himself. In this case, we are too dependent on his personality.

And there is another approach when forms and methods of the work are clearly prescribed, and the task of the teacher is not to deviate from what is offered to him.

Which is correct: to focus on personal factors of a person or on the approved technology?

Answer: I don’t think you can separate one from the other. But since Kabbalah is an ancient science that has been taking shape over many thousands of years, it is natural that we should attach ourselves to those great personalities who laid down this structure.

Kabbalah has developed several trends that have taken shape over the past 500 years in Western Europe, the Baltic States, and the Middle and Near East. Each of these regions includes different sub-areas. They are described in different sources and there is a lot of material on all the branching directions. This regards explanations from the sources to the consumers.

And if the teacher’s charismatic personality also manifests here, then of course, he can change something, compare and apply it. I do not think that the science of Kabbalah is a rigid science that cannot be changed and somehow adapted to the audience, to the teacher, especially in our time. The main thing is to convey its essence, i.e., the revelation of the Creator to every person in our world. This is the subject of its study.

The Kabbalistic methodology is changing and will continue to change, and we must look at it very pragmatically and not go into inertia.
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From KabTV’s “Integral Course” 3/19/21

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Question: We received the question: “I would like to hear your opinion about helping someone—should we help or not? Why doesn’t the person you helped always thank you? After you raised him, helped spread his wings, he runs away and becomes an enemy.

Or maybe we are wrong to expect gratitude? Maybe there shouldn’t be any? Is it egoistic to expect gratitude? Why do you feel empty after helping a person like there is a black hole inside? Or is it not worth interfering at all and trying to help. Let him pull himself out?”

Answer: I will answer you very simply: if you want to help someone, then you must tune into the fact that you are helping. That is, it goes only from you to him, to this person—a man, a woman, a child, an animal, no matter who—but you help without any expectation to receive something in return no kind attitude, gifts, or gratitude. Nothing! Then you will really be helping.

Comment: This, of course, is like aerobatics—not expecting that they will at least say “thank you.”

My Response: One word: “Thank you” can be worth billions. Imagine if a baby smiles at its mother, how gratifying and what a reward it is for her! So, it depends on whether you are expecting some kind of answer back.

Question: Is it possible to be brought up so as not to expect an answer? Is it possible at all?

Answer: This is real bestowal. Otherwise, you do everything for the sake of gratitude.

Question: And then it is not considered that we did something for someone?

Answer: Yes. Check how much selfless help is in your help, what percentage, and what percentage is precisely because you still hope to receive some kind of answer or gratitude. And then you may not have such unfulfilled expectations.

Question: But she asks: “Why do you feel empty after helping a person as if there is a black hole inside?”

Answer: Precisely because you expect that you will get something for it. And therefore, if there is no counter-filling, you get the feeling of a black abyss. It is just our nature. What are you going to do? Get ready to do something truly altruistic.

Question: What exercises should be done in order to tune in to it?

Answer: Only toward it and not reverse. Only toward another and not back to yourself. You must make sure that you have the energy and desire for it. And you definitely do not have it, this energy and this desire to do it, no matter for whom. If it is important to someone, whoever he is, then this is already your reward.

Comment: That is, if I act toward a great person …

My Response: Great, close, kind, good, beautiful, relatively ugly, relatively dirty, no matter what and how.

Question: Am I already getting a reward?

Answer: Yes, on the spot. This must be very explicitly felt in you. It is very difficult.

Comment: You demand something almost impossible.

My Response: Not almost, it is impossible! But this is the truth. This is a Kabbalistic calculation.

Question: One way or another, will we come to realize that this is how we will live?

Answer: Yes, life will gradually put us before such inner psychology, and we will see who we are, that we are disgusting animals and cannot rise above ourselves even if we really wanted to! And then we will all shout to heaven together to give us strength, understanding, and reason how we can do so that all this does not come back to my filthy egoism!

Question: In fact, when you say all the time in your videos: “You must learn how to do good or convey goodness in your thoughts toward another person,” are you actually talking about this?

Answer: I speak from this point of view.

Question: Step by step, a person will slowly achieve this?

Answer: Yes. It will happen.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 1/14/21

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic “Vexing the Good Inclination Over the Evil Inclination”

Selected Highlights 

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