Question: A samurai came to a sage and asked him if there really is hell and heaven.

“Who are you?,”  the sage asked.

“A samurai,” the warrior answered.

“You’re lying,” said the sage, “You have the face of a beggar.”

The samurai drew his sword. The sage said, “That is how the doors of hell open.”

The samurai understood and, bowing, hid the sword.

“And that is how the doors of heaven open,” said the sage.

Is it possible not to pull out the sword for any insult? Meaning, not to go through hell before heaven?

Answer: It is very difficult. I think it is almost impossible.

Comment: So, the road to heaven is paved through the hell that you are passing through. This is serious.

My Response: What can you do? This is how we were created. This is our incomparable egoism.

Question: In principle, it does not forgive anyone, it must immediately answer?

Answer: Yes. The first thought is to draw a sword because that is who we are; there is no getting away from it.

There is no way we can turn ourselves around so that we are guided by the good since, “I created evil.” It is like the words of the Creator. “And He created the Torah to correct it.” But it is evil to start with.

Question: Why was evil created in the beginning?

Answer: In order for a person to realize his nature from edge to edge. From evil to good, both manifestations fully, and then lean toward the good. Then indeed they will be guided by good over evil. But one cannot exist without the other.

Question: So, one way or another we go through hell to heaven, right?

Answer: Certainly.

Question: Then what is the wisdom of man? We say, “Man is wise.”

Answer: It is to see in advance, without going through hell at every step, that you need to act differently. But this comes from very big trials and experience.

Question: So, does the experience of constant hell lead to the fact that a person becomes wiser?

Answer: Of course, like that Japanese sage.

Comment: You often say that a person can concede. You even used the words “submission,” “annulment,” and “annulment of oneself.”

My Response: These are all very difficult states that you still must go through hell. I do not believe that a person can overcome himself in advance without having a lot of experience. It is impossible.

Question: You are now talking about rising above your egoism. What is it to rise above egoism?

Answer: That means to feel egoism in all its possible manifestations in life, even in nature, and to rise above it all the time. To bow your head, that is, to reduce your egoism, reduce, minimize, suppress.

Question: If you constantly do the exercise of suppressing your egoism, annulling yourself, will it help?

Answer: I do not think this exercise is even possible. This is philosophy. It is possible only if it is gradually, gradually exercised in a suitable society. There should be an environment where everyone wants it. They cannot do it, but they want to.

Question: Do they have a feeling that they cannot accomplish it?

There must be an awareness of evil. And then they all together, in front of each other, together can, helping each other, get out of this fetid pit.

Answer: Certainly. There must be a revelation of evil. And then they all together, before each other, they can help each other, and get out of this fetid pit.

Question: Who is responsible for the way out of there? Us?

Answer: Yes, us! We have to ask, beg, think, speak, and show examples to each other, and thus act. Everyone who has more egoism, of course, becomes higher. In general, this is the work.

Question: If this work is done in the society of those who want to get out of egoism, does it help others?

Answer: It helps others, not even only by example. It does not even matter if they see it or not because it is a force of nature, and it is thus added to the general equation of nature and outweighs egoism first, and then altruism.

Question: Are you saying that if this group manages to rise, it will begin to lift everyone after it?

Answer: Yes. We must act.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/29/23

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