Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the perfect life?“

Life is perfect.

The myriad dreams we each have of a perfect life are detached from what a perfect life actually is, and our problem is that we fail to understand what a perfect life is.

To start with, we cannot experience perfect lives if we try to receive everything for ourselves. Why? It is because we constantly compare ourselves to others, and thus from the outset, no matter how much we gain, we will always feel our shortcomings. Therefore, a perfect life can only be in the very opposite, not in the direction where we receive and have more and more, but that we will receive nothing at all, and that our fulfillment will come from the desire for abundance to pass through us to fulfill everyone—that others will experience perfection in everything that they desire.

Likewise, in order for others to experience the perfection that they truly desire, they would need the same inclination: to need nothing but for the abundance to pass through them to everyone, and for everyone to be fulfilled.

Perfection comes about when no one wants anything for themselves, but only to fulfill others. Everyone then exists in a special kind of correction, enjoying the perfect life, experiencing a world full of abundance and joy.

Based on the video “What Is the Perfect Life?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash.

Filed under: Q&A, Quora | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Preparation to the Lesson

Shamati #198 “Freedom”

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom” 

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 3,” Chapter 3, Item 1

Selected Highlights

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson | Add Comment / Ask Question →

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

Filed under: Audio Version of the Blog | Add Comment / Ask Question →

What can you do if you understand with your mind how important it is to feel the greatness of the Creator, but it does not penetrate into your heart? Imagine that you go into the future world and see that there is only the Creator in it, “none else besides Him,” and that everything is full of His glory. This is the true form of reality that is revealed before us.

We need to feel this form now in our state, in this world, so that this whole world of deception and concealment does not obscure the Creator from us. Try to do it! Try to build through your ten such attitudes to everything that happens in the world as if there is no concealment, but only the revelation of the Creator, “none else besides Him.”

This is what our prayer should be about. There is no other prayer other than for the Creator to be revealed as the only force in the world.

Egoism does not let us escape its slavery and it forces us to think about ourselves all the time and does not allow us to see anything else. All the degrees of the spiritual ladder that we have to climb lie in the fact that in every state we annul our egoism, which conceals the Creator’s actions from us and we instead reveal that He alone does all the actions. It was the Creator himself who arranged such a concealment in order to teach us how to rise above concealment and reveal Him.

After all, through our fight against concealment we acquire Kelim, which we do not have now, for revealing the Creator: restriction on our will to receive, the screen, and reflected light, or in other words, faith above reason, love for one’s neighbor, which leads to love for the Creator. That is, we come to annulment of our egoism above which we establish the force of bestowal.

We give the Creator the place to rule over us and He is fighting this war with our egoism. We just need to make room for the Creator in our hearts.

We all have made quite significant progress toward this state. It does not matter that the blitzkrieg does not work, but this is the demand of our time, which obliges us to pull the entire world after us.
[299028]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/14/22, Writings of Rabash “Who Hears a Prayer”

Related Material:
Is Concealment Hiding Within Me?
Concealment Is Good
Concealment And Closeness Of The Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 6/16/22

A story that was published in The Wall Street Journal a few weeks ago was brought to my attention. It said, “The number of babies born in America last year was the lowest in more than four decades.” “The total fertility rate,” the story continued, “fell to 1.64 … the lowest rate on record,” adding that “Total births were the lowest since 1979.” If you consider the huge number of migrants pouring into the US each year, with birth rates far higher than that of American women, and that maintaining the size of the population (replacement level) requires a birth rate of 2.1, it is clear that things are changing in the US.

In many ways, the US has been in decline for several decades. As for its fertility rate, I believe that 1.6 is not the bottom. In a generation where parents do not enjoy their children, it is no surprise that they do not want to have them.

The natural structure of a family is long gone. Families where both parents are at home, and for both of whom it is their first marriage are almost obsolete. As a result, today’s children do not even expect a traditional, organic family structure. People grow up alone, live in their own rooms from an early age, and often keep to themselves even in social settings such as school.

Why would people in such a state want to have children? They do not feel connected to anyone and have no desire to have children of their own, whom they would have to raise only to become alienated from them as they are from their own parents.

Therefore, instead of having children, people prefer to spend their time following their own whims and focusing on their own dreams, and raising a family is rarely one of them. If you add to it the fact that raising children costs a lot of money, then the whole idea seems wholly unappealing. The only thing that seems appealing to today’s young people, and even those who are not so young anymore, is the motto: Take care of yourself; nothing else matters.

Additionally, the current rate of migration is well over 200,000 people crossing the southern border each month. With a fertility rate much higher than that of American women, the influx is creating a fundamental transformation. The ethnic balance is shifting.

This process would not be so significant if it were only a shift in the balance of ethnicities. The point is that immigrants are coming to the US from a completely different background and with a completely different set of values from that of most Americans.

The America of forty or fifty years ago is gone. Already, the psychology of many Americans, their values and approach to life are very different from those that dominated the country just a few decades ago, and the changes are continuing.

Eventually, a new society will form in America and a cohesive society will emerge in America. What remains to be seen is how soon, and more importantly, at what cost America will arrive at that point.

Filed under: Children, Facebook | Add Comment / Ask Question →

From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 6/16/22

Many studies show that writing is good for the soul. These studies do not speak of writing prose or novels, but of simple, intuitive writing where a person takes a pen and paper and writes whatever comes to mind for several minutes without stopping. No corrections should be made, no deletions, and no changes of any kind. It is simply writing to express one’s feelings and thoughts. This technique is part of what is called “writing therapy,” which in itself is one of the “expressive therapies.” Personally, I think it is a great way to organize one’s inner makeup and improve it.

You cannot compare expressing yourself verbally to expressing yourself in writing. When you speak, your words vanish as soon as you say them. But when you write what you want to say, it stays. As a result, the whole act becomes imbued with intention, if you can put it that way.

This self-organization is very important because this is the therapy in the technique. Writing organizes our inner systems and rearranges them in a better way because we not only express ourselves, but once our thoughts are on paper, we can look at them, examine ourselves through the text, and perform a kind of self-correction.

When we write, we can examine our inner makeup. Our basic makeup is a desire to feel joy and pleasure. In itself, there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel joy and pleasure. The problem is that, if not corrected, the desire to receive works in devious ways that hurt others. We call it “ego,” and our sages refer to it as a “serpent.”

You cannot kill the serpent with one blow. The way to deal with it is to bring it out one piece at a time, and examine it. Once you realize that it is the serpent, the desire to receive that enjoys hurting others, it is possible to restrain it or work with it in non-harmful ways.

When we write down our thoughts and detect the serpent, we cannot sweep it under the rug and pretend that it does not exist, since it is written down on paper. I cannot pretend that I did not say it or forget what I said, since it is not said, it is written down. At the same time, if something is too hard for me to deal with at the moment, I can always come back to it later. Once it is on paper, it will not go away.

For this reason, I do a lot of writing, and I recommend this practice to anyone who wants to examine one’s inner makeup and become a better person.

Filed under: Facebook | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “In Response to Norwegian Labeling, Israel Should Cherry-Pick Its Goals”

Norway has just joined the group of European countries that implemented a 2019 European Union and UN Security Council resolution that establishes an obligation to label products originating in “Israeli settlements”—areas Israel gained control of in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, which are disputed by Palestinians—so consumers can make “informed choices” when shopping.

The EU court’s decision has long been viewed by Israeli authorities and manufacturers as antisemitic and discriminatory since Israel is the only country singled out. Despite the fact that there are more than 200 territorial disputes worldwide, the labeling measure applies only to Israeli goods.

Wine from the wineries in the Golan Heights, oil from the olive groves in Judea and Samaria, and a selection of fruits and vegetables from East Jerusalem exported to stores in Norway are labeled as coming from the “Israeli settlements” or from the “occupied territories.”

It may be necessary to condemn such decisions, but in reality, there is no need to lose any sleep over it. Nothing will happen if Norwegians will not drink Israeli orange juice for breakfast or will not season their salmon with Israeli olive oil. Israel will know how to export and distribute its products all over the world. Also, there are shortages in many countries due to the war in Eastern Europe, so it is not difficult to market products where there is a demand.

Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark already implement labeling practices for Israeli products. They have long been known for their anti-Israel stance. It is due to their nature and common spiritual root with Germany. They are also ideologically closer to the Arab world and lean toward them.

Fighting directly in international organizations like the UN or condemning the decisions of world governments like the government in Oslo is a war without any chance of winning. It’s like fighting windmills. The reason is that behind the labeling of our wines and olives there is a deeper story.

In the depths of their hearts, haters of Israel feel that we hold the key to their good future in our hands. Hatred of Israel is not a transient phenomenon, but a measurable law of nature. When we unite across all conflicts and disagreements, the hatred against us diminishes. On the other hand, when we are separated and emotionally distant from each other, hatred toward us grows in the world, and it strikes us again and again with bursts of antagonism, such as in the form of UN resolutions calling for labeling products from Israel.

The correct spirit that should be created between us is a spirit of connection and unity, an Israeli spirit of mutual guarantee, which is the only force that is able to neutralize the negative forces against us. There are even stronger and greater forces between us that even we are unfamiliar with, and even if the whole world were to slam the door in our faces and lock it with seven locks, by virtue of the spiritual connection between us, we could open it, or rather, induce our great enemies to open the door to us.

We are a nation that carries within it the social idea of ​​”love your neighbor as yourself.” Only a return to this love can eradicate the hatred of the world toward us. It’s not about holding hands and singing in a circle like in kindergarten, but the feeling that should be in our hearts that we are connected in a circle like friends, united like a warm family, united like a nation characterized by reciprocal care and support.

If we act in this way we will become a “light unto nations,” a light that will pass to all the nations of the world, and that will not only bring about a change in the punitive Norwegian labeling, but change in every area in our reality. As it is written, “The Israeli nation had been constructed as a sort of gateway by which the sparks of purity would shine upon the whole of the human race the world over.” Rav Yehuda Ashlag, (“The Arvut – Mutual Guarantee”)
[299097]

Filed under: Anti-Semitism, New Publications | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question: Today, many people are asking the question: “Which desires are mine and which are imposed on me by society? Why does society determine what is good for me if I feel inside that it is not good at all, at least for me? How can I resist this society?”

Are you saying that feelings like envy and jealousy are considered positive in Kabbalah?

Answer: Of course. They develop us. Imagine a child who does not look up to adults and does not want to be an adult. Unfortunately, he will remain undeveloped.

Imagine scientists who do not envy each other and do not strive to outdo one another; imagine people who do not compete and do not want to become richer, stronger, bigger, higher, and so on. After all, all this only makes us human and drives progress; otherwise, we would not have climbed down from the trees.

Comment: But, while being raised, we were told all the time: “Being an egoist is bad.”

My Response: No, it is very good.

The term “Kabbalah” comes from the word “to receive.” The more a person wants to receive, the bigger he himself becomes. The whole problem is how he uses this natural quality. If it is given to us by nature, it cannot be bad.

Whether it is good or bad depends on our implementation. Therefore, children should be told: “Be envious only of what is good, and try to become greater than him. You see how well he does, and you do even better. You see how strong he is, and you become even better. You see how he can draw or something else—try it, maybe you can too.”

It is said: “Envy, lust, and honor take a person out of the world.” Either they kill him, so to speak, or, on the contrary, raise him into the spiritual world—that is the thing. These are the strongest natural qualities inherent only in man. It all depends on how we use them: either to the detriment or to the benefit.

There is an anecdote about the Decembrist granddaughter’s view of the revolution. They told her: “We are making a revolution so that there would be no rich.” She answers: “My grandfather also wanted to make a revolution but so that there would be no poor.”

That is, the difference is in the vector, where we are going, what we are heading toward—either good or bad. And the qualities themselves are the tools of our development. They should never be suppressed in a child. On the contrary, let him be envious, let him be jealous, let him be proud; it is all very good.

All in all, they can be called ambitions. Big ambitions lead a person to something big.
[298443]
From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Does the Creator exist?” 5/9/11

Related Material:
Jealousy And Envy Are Unique To Man
Envy Is Not A Flaw
“How is envy or jealousy ever good?” (Quora)

Filed under: Egoism, Free Will | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Comment: Viewers of a clip in which you talk about Armageddon, about the end of the world wrote in response: “It is easy to see that these two people have no idea what Armageddon is. Those who study the Bible know perfectly well that Armageddon will happen in the future because it is a war between God and Satan.”

My Response: They are absolutely right.

Comment: You said that Armageddon exists, the end of the world and this war in general is already happening. It is happening inside of us. This is a fight against egoism, which is rising and trying to defeat us. He says: “This is a fight between God and Satan.” Explain then what he said.

My Response: Satan, in fact, is the greatest human egoism that is within each of us, and it will always reveal itself more and more. God is that positive force concealed from us, which we must also reveal out of nature.

As a result of our actions, we must reveal both God and Satan. Both of them will be revealed within each of us and between us. This state is the war that is called “Armageddon.”

This war is going on inside each of us. Where else can I correct my attitude toward others?

Question: Does it turn out that there is God in me and there is Satan in me?

Answer: Yes, of course.

Satan is from the word “Sote,” that is, the one who strays from the path of bestowal and love. The one who has strayed from the path is called “Satan.”

Question: Then the fight between God and Satan means getting him back on the path. What is the path of God?

Answer: Only toward common adhesion and support, toward such a connection that there is no empty space between us. Then the Creator is revealed within us.

Question: Does it mean that we need to be pressed together?

Answer: Yes, so that we live these feelings.

Comment: You said that Armageddon is happening right now.

My Response: This does not mean that it is happening right now, and later it will not be. It is already beginning to manifest itself.

Question: Do you think that this is just the beginning? That is, is the fight still ahead of us?

Answer: Yes. Baal HaSulam noted that from the beginning of the 20^th century onward we are entering the period of the last generation.

Question: Is it precisely the period of the war of Gog and Magog? Will it get worse if we do not understand it?

Answer: It is going to get worse, but I think we can cope with all that and correct ourselves so that all the worst will turn into the best.

Question: Can we avoid the peaks of this war?

Answer: Undoubtedly.
[298171]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/25/22

Related Material:
Suffering And Hatred Are Included In Love
The War Of Gog And Magog, Part 12
It Is Worse Than Armageddon

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, News, Q&A | Add Comment / Ask Question →

In our country that First World War resulted in a new, historically unprecedented, form of statehood, not only in the realm of economic, but likewise in that of the aspirations of nationalities. From the point of view of the naturalist (and, I think, likewise from that of the historian) an historical phenomenon of such power may and should be examined as a part of a single great terrestrial geological process, and not merely as a historical process. …

Mankind taken as a whole is becoming a mighty geological force. There arises the problem of the reconstruction of the biosphere in the interests of freely thinking humanity as a single totality. This new state of the biosphere, which we approach without our noticing it, is the noösphere (Vladimir Vernadsky).

My Response: This is what Kabbalah says, only in different words. It is necessary to understand where Vernadsky suddenly had such an awakening from. He suffered tremendous shocks, he was unconscious for many hours and even days on the verge between life and death.

It was his egoism, and not his body, that endured the strongest stresses. Not only on a spiritual, but also on a purely physiological level, such preconditions arose in him that he began to feel the delicate layers of the universe.

Suffering purifies a person, raises him above egoism. Egoism, when experiencing pain, automatically shuts itself, protects us, not wanting to suffer.

As a rule, when a bad time comes, we say: “We do not need anything. We have something to drink, to eat… Let it just be peaceful, we do not want anything else.” And when the good time comes, we are ready to consume everything: “No, give us the whole world.”

Vernadsky experienced a very stressful state when his rejection of egoism occurred at all levels of his being, both physical and moral. Therefore, he realized that the future existence of man and humanity lies precisely in that sphere—he called it the noosphere—where a person rises with his spirit above the body despite his egoism.

This egoism, this so-called body of ours, not physiological, but internal, exists so that with its help we can transform into a completely different being, which will identify himself not with matter, but with his inner essence.

Vernadsky experienced it inside himself during the loss of consciousness, during the rejection from his body, in all these sensations, which were quite strong and obvious, left him with very serious informational bases, which he then developed further.

Usually, in a person undergoing these conditions, they are gradually erased. Vernadsky’s were not erased. He is really a special man who experienced a way out of egoism into a completely different, supra-egoistic, spiritual state. Therefore, he was able to more or less describe the transitional and the next states of humanity.

He had no conceptual, descriptive apparatus. After all, he was a geologist by profession and dealt more with inanimate nature. And he suddenly began to feel in it and through it the vegetative, animate, and human levels of nature. Thus, for him, all these levels turned out to be ascending to a state where he discovered that he was rising above our world.
[297897]
From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Prophet” 11/23/11

Related Material:
Receiving Illumination Through Suffering
The Sufferings Are Different
Why Do I Suffer?

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, Kabbalah Study, Science | Add Comment / Ask Question →