New Life 232 – Happiness And Suffering
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

Does the degree of our suffering depend upon the plan of nature? How can we influence it through an environment so that it will balance and direct us toward correction and a sense of eternal happiness?

Suffering is a feeling of a lack of fulfillment. It is a kind of empty place; if it were filled, I would be happy.
The feeling of suffering is necessary for our development as humans and the evolution of humanity. It currently appears that suffering is not due to material shortages, but rather from an essential lack of relationship between us. All dreams have collapsed—the communist, the capitalist, and the democratic.

None of them have ended suffering. The origin of suffering is to be found within a person, in one’s relationships with others. When we correct our nature, we will stop suffering. When a person has a higher purpose, even suffering on the way is felt as pleasure. And if there is no purpose, everything is suffering. Without suffering there cannot be any happiness; without darkness there is no light. It requires contrast, like minus and plus.

All of the wisdom of life is about making the right connection between a feeling of lack and a feeling of fulfillment, such that they don’t extinguish each other. We experience hunger for food and hunger for sex. Without an appetite, pleasure cannot be felt. Enjoyment from family is also not felt that much today.

It is necessary to awaken a desire for family in a person. If it were possible that appetite and its fulfillment would not extinguish each other, there would simply be perfect happiness. The Eastern approaches say that it is preferable not to desire; you will suffer less. But this doesn’t help us today. Women suffer more than men because they have the ability to endure greater suffering; they are much stronger.

We fear future suffering and picture bad things that are liable to happen. Nature is developing me so I can recognize that my egoism is doing bad things to me. Our nature is to benefit ourselves at the expense of others. Therefore all of us suffer. Many understand this, but nobody knows what can be done about this destructive nature. Instead, we resist change and are unwilling to go out of our comfort zone. We must anticipate what remedy will soften a blow and explain that there is a way to improve human nature, with the help of society.

Imagine a situation in which everyone loves you. There is nothing better than that. What must we do for this to happen? If we don’t advance toward a change in human nature, then a difficult future will be ahead for us. But there is room for optimism. If only we will want to change a little, then this will happen.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 232 – Happiness And Suffering,” 9/29/13
This summary was written and edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman

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