Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can I as an individual save our environment?“

If we want to save our environment, then we need to change only one thing: our attitudes to each other.

Our development has reached a state where forces of separation are expanding throughout humanity. Likewise, we are coming closer to a state where we will feel that all we lack is a positive attitude to one another.

All kinds of efforts outside of changing our attitudes to each other will do nothing to save the environment. Such efforts stem from lacking a comprehensive understanding and perception of reality, and seeing the true interrelations between us and nature.

Being the most developed of nature’s levels—still, vegetative, animate and human—nature’s balance depends solely on us humans reaching a positive attitude and connection among each other. This is because every qualitatively higher level of nature has much greater power than its preceding level, and humans occupy the highest level in nature. Therefore, positively affecting the environment, the climate and nature in general can be achieved by reaching positive relations among each other on the human level. On the contrary, by letting our divisive drives tear apart human relations, we also destroy nature.

Therefore, the more we humans will be able to correct ourselves—changing our divisive attitudes to each other to positive ones of mutual support, encouragement, responsibility and concern—the more we will receive positive feedback from nature. And the more we develop without undergoing such a correction, the more we will receive negative feedback from nature, with natural disasters and pandemics among them.

It is thus very important for us to organize our thoughts, desires and qualities so that we understand that a shift to a better future, including what we perceive as saving our environment, depends solely on changing our attitudes to each other: from egoistic to altruistic.

Based on the video “The Need for an Attitude Shift” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: Are there any desires that do not need to have limits placed upon them?

Answer: I would say no. But in order to bring spiritual states closer to us, we can say that I can use everything that I need for bodily existence without even thinking that I am using it egotistically because my nature compels me to do this.

Question: Is there a connection between spiritual curtailment and fasting in our world?

Answer: In principle, when a person begins to reduce his egoistic desires, thoughts come to him that it may be less worthwhile to use all kinds of fillings of our world. Perhaps then he will be closer to the spiritual state? These are natural questions for beginners.

Question: In many spiritual practices and religions there are customs of fasting, meaning not eating food and even not drinking water for some time. Does it have something to do with the roots of the contraction?

Answer: Yes, it is connected, but this is not a direct consequence. I would say that these are customs.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 11/16/21

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Question: If everything is predetermined in terms of pleasure and suffering and if we understand where man is going and how he will behave, then why did nature do it this way? Where does it want to lead us?

Answer: Nature developed from the primordial element, a desire in its purest form, which evolved through inanimate, vegetative, and animate forms until it reached the form of “man.” Likewise, a person in our world, through his development, comes to his next form.

Each phase that we go through—inanimate, vegetative, and animate—develops itself. At each stage, according to the law of negation of negation, a person starts to feel that he can no longer remain in this state, he must radically change it, rise from it, and feel it is no longer acceptable for him.

And then the previous state degenerates and the next step manifests itself. So from the inanimate, the vegetative part of desire with corresponding vegetative nature evolves, then the animate, and then man appears.

We are now at a very interesting stage. We worked out our previous stage of development, came to its denial, the rejection of it, we see that our world and our lives are finite, flawed, and temporary, and we do not know what to do next.

We do not see the next stage yet, but the current stage is practically unbearable. We can no longer stay in it because it leads to self-destruction, terror, disintegration of families, disintegration of culture, and the end of science.

That is, we have reached the final stage in everything, but we do not see the next one yet. It should begin to reveal itself. Therefore, the science of Kabbalah is now being revealed as a means of transition to a new state.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Fire Island” 1/1/10

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Question: Is the restriction a one-time action or should it be done every time?

Answer: It should be done constantly, Each time is different, depending on the circumstances. Some pleasures come to the Kabbalist, and he constantly calculates whether he can use them or not since he is, at the same time, a conductor of light into our world.

Question: What is it that comes to a Kabbalist?

Answer: Let’s say you get a million dollars every day.

Comment: But this is unrealistic. If I did receive a million dollars daily, I would, of course, do the calculations.

My Response: You could if you are able not to receive it.

Question: Is a Kabbalist constantly being given such proposals from above? It turns out to be an interesting life!

Answer: What do you mean “interesting”? It turns out that his life is in constant tension, and he must behave correctly.

At the level at which you are, begin to create the conditions that enable you to fulfill your wish to correct the world. And then you will see how ever greater powers and knowledge will come to you. And then, maybe, millions of dollars as well. It all depends on how much you are able to implement them correctly.

Question: Here, of course, you need to understand the most important thing, the goal: For the sake of what am I implementing it?

Answer: It should be only for the sake of the upper force of bestowal and love in the whole world, in all of nature.

Question: How is this different from a simple calculation? I was created by nature in such a way that I have an automatic program that makes decisions, and I am in agreement with it. And here, as you say, you have to think, make some effort. For what?

Answer: If you wish by your volitional effort to become similar to the higher nature, the Creator, then you must look for how to become similar to it. And to be like this force means to do good.

Question: Yes, but in a person there must be some kind of inclination for this. Why should I become like this power? Especially if you say that this is the force of love and bestowal, and nothing will come of it for me.

Answer: You will get nothing from this and you won’t get anything for it.

Question: Then why?

Answer: To be like the Creator. Otherwise, you want to work for a fee. It won’t work.

Nature has laid forces, desires, in us and they will lead us to this. But with our thoughts, thinking about it, we can hasten this metamorphosis. And although it seems unrealistic, there is no choice. Everyone will come to this.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 11/16/21

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Comment: In one of the clips you said that sports should become different. Competition should be directed toward unity.

Vladimir writes: “In order to be better, and especially to be the best, it is necessary to suppress everyone and be stronger both physically and psychologically, and particularly mentally. I am talking about sports as a former athlete and an acting coach.”

My Response: This is true in the sports that exist now because it is the result of the egoistic world. However, if we are talking about a new world, then sports should be different there, only in order to improve the health of a person and create correct and kind connections between people. The competition will be in this.

Question: Then who is the strongest?

Answer: The one who can most influence the world in a good way in order to show how it is possible to change the world for good. He is the champion.

Question: Will there be envy and competition here, the way it exists in sports?

Answer: It exists everywhere. Competition is about being really the most effective in creating a good connection between everyone.

Question: Do we need to radically change the entire system of today’s sports, the Olympic Games and all the championships?

Answer: Yes. Even all the games between people that are based on competition or on one team being against another should be in the completely opposite direction; everything should be inverted.

Question: What are two teams competing with each other for?

Answer: They do not compete with each other. They compete in order to help each other clearly express themselves and their aspirations for unification.

The team that played more consistently and correctly together wins. The score is not based on points, who scored and who did not, but on how one team played together against another.

Question: Nowadays popular sports are martial arts, boxing, and fights without rules.

Answer: I do not think it is possible to explain here in a simple way what the future of these sports is. All these are Greek and Roman things that have reigned in the world for thousands of years. I think they have no future.

Although in the ancient Olympic games a friendly attitude was welcomed. At least, there was no talk of pills, injections, and other things. Not because they did not exist, but because the spirit was different.

Question: How can I win in a clean way?

Answer: Practically, it is not to win, but to demonstrate the beauty and capabilities of the human body.

Question: What will we come to?

Answer: We will come to the fact that we will be demonstrating that the actions of the Creator were kind, good, and we want to support Him in this. The way a father looks at his children and they show him that he made them externally and internally beautiful.

The beauty of sports will be in the fact that we want to demonstrate our good intentions, our kindness, and our inner beauty. It absolutely will not be about being fastest, strongest, and so on.

Question: Is this just because our father is looking at us, and he wants to see us like this?

Answer: Yes, this is the most important thing: how can we give Him pleasure from His creations with completely different thoughts, completely different intentions, and completely different results. Everything is different. Everything will exist, only in a different way.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/4/21

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Comment: Kabbalists write that the Creator has no thought of Himself. That is, the Creator is a force that does not even think whether He exists or not. This is somehow strange.

Answer: It is strange for us. The Creator is simply another force of nature opposite to us. Just like every moment we think only of ourselves, there is a force opposite to us, the Creator, who never thinks of Himself in any way. He thinks about things other than Himself.

Question: Is there something else beside us?

Answer: In general, yes.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 11/16/21

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic: “Love for the Creator”

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”

Selected Highlights

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Question: Why do we have difficulties studying the material when the second restriction (Tzimtzum Bet)  is explained?

Answer: Because the first restriction is made upon the egoistic desire to receive that is naturally in us.

And with the second restriction, it is not entirely clear what it operates on. It operates on the fact that there is no opportunity to receive but only to become like the property of bestowal with no reception.

That is, there is this first opportunity when I receive and my intention is to receive for the sake of the Giver in order to give Him pleasure. And the second one is when I do not receive because I cannot receive in order to please Him.

Question: Can you give an example? Let’s say, I have several million dollars, and I do not use it at all because I understand that I will use them for myself and will not be connected with the upper force and it is important for me to be in touch with it. This is the first state.

The second state is when I determine that I can use some part, for example, a $100,000 not for myself, but for others. And then to the extent that I use this opportunity for the sake of others, I am connected to the Creator. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes. But this is not the second restriction. It is just using whatever resources you have.

If you do not have a Masach and you can only close yourself from receiving, then this is called the first restriction. If in addition to this you have the opportunity to fulfill yourself for the sake of others, for example, to receive something for the $100,000 in order to pass it on to others but nothing for yourself, then this is already using forces over the first restriction.

And if you cannot realize the second option, then maybe you have the opportunity to make yourself just like others without receiving. But these are purely spiritual concepts, and then you will become like others, not receiving.

Question: So can you give some examples of the second restriction in our world?

Answer: Yes. When you receive something from someone and pass it on to someone else; for example, if you received a million from someone and you have the strength not to take it for yourself but to pass it on, just as Bina receives from Keter and passes it down.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 11/16/21

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Question: Today, many agree that human problems are related to the fact that one is not in balance with nature. But everyone has different ideas regarding the actual term “equilibrium.”

In one of your conversations, you said that living in ecologically clean places, eating right, and being closer to nature does not mean being in equilibrium with it. What does a Kabbalist mean when he talks about balance with nature at the human level?

Answer: Equilibrium with nature is similarity to the Creator.

The Creator represents all of nature around us, its general law divided into a multitude of all kinds of particular laws. This is a causal relationship between all natural phenomena, the implementation of this law in life at the inanimate, plant, animal, and the human levels. All this is called nature.

If we knew this and were harmoniously connected with it, then we would really be in a state of the highest harmony, perfection, peace, and good.

The problem is that man, as the highest stage of development, is flawed in his private nature. He drives himself into a dead end because he is opposite to the general nature, which is built on bestowal, connection, interconnection, and love. Everything for him is built only on receiving, hatred, and power, he crushes everything under himself. By this, he introduces into nature tremendous disturbances not only at his own level, but also at the lower animate, vegetative, and inanimate levels. Moreover, this is the influence at a cosmic scale.

We cannot imagine how much we affect the cosmos, for billions of light years, the waves of which diverge at infinite speed, not at the speed of light. We influence the entire universe and in a very negative way. Therefore, we perceive the world in a dark form. For example, a person gets up in the morning in a bad mood and everything around him is bad, like as they say, a “rainy day.” And another time, on the contrary, the same day, but something shines on him.

Thus, in contradiction with nature, with its property of bestowal and love, we simply destroy the whole world. We need balance with it.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Two-headed eagle” 1/1/10

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Question: Why is it specifically through the body that the development of the soul to the human level takes place?

Answer: The development of the soul does not happen through the body. We exist in the body in order to develop the soul and to be independent of its development. So that I, while constantly on the animate level and starting from it, could develop the soul.

It is not dwelling constantly in the soul, but being able to change it, to make circuits, to ascend constantly, to be independent of your spiritual state, to descend into the body again and ascend to the new degree of the soul again; to descend again and ascend again, and so on.

The soul is the organ in me that I correct and fill. While working on my soul, I exist separately, just like, for example, I would create some kind of mechanism and work on it. I abstract from the soul and look at it objectively. That is why there is a necessity for such a state as our physical existence.

After all, by looking at yourself from the outside, you become more objective. One can ascend the levels of his soul because he also has a body in which he exists.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Individualist” 1/15/10

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