Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Three,” “From We to Unified,” Lesson 5

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Three,” Workshop 5

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Three,” “Summary of the Convention,” Lesson 6

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Three,” Workshop 6

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Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Two,” “Turning and Plowing the Evil Inclination,” Lesson 3

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Two,” Workshop 3

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Two,” “Transition from Me to We,” Lesson 4 

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day Two,” Workshop 4

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Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day One,” “Conclusion of a Union”

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day One,” “About Thrill,” Lesson 1

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day One,” Workshop 1

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day One,” “About Circulation of Evil in Nature,” Lesson 2

Convention in St. Petersburg, “Day One,” Workshop 2

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The subject of the second lesson at the convention in Saint Petersburg is “The Cyclical Nature of the Evil Inclination.”

In my opinion, everything is clear here. Wherever I turn, I am immersed in my own evil inclination. Whatever I do, whomever I think about, it is only to exploit this person, to benefit myself somehow, and after that forget him, in that I remove him from my mind completely.

If I become familiar with the force of my ego, I will gradually be able to feel how disgusting and despicable the discovery of this evil within me is to me, how much I would like to be released from it and transform it into good. For in fact, it won’t leave me, I simply transform it into a yearning for others, into bestowal to others, into love for them.

That is how I value my foul and terrible evil inclination, even though strangers don’t see anything wrong with it.

First, I reach awareness that I have maintained and cultivated my ego, I have thought about how I can fill it. After that, I see that it enslaves me and I don’t enslave it. So what am I wasting my life on? Now I begin to hate it, because it connects me to it, obliges me to do everything for it. I must work for its sake all the time, because it, like Pharaoh, secretly reigns over me.

And then I reach a state where I discover this control, feel how the ego is choking me to the point I can no longer remain in it; it is killing me. As a result, I am released from its clutches.

And when I am detached from it, from its control over me, I will begin to control it. I will begin to manage it with the help of the Upper Light.
[143619]
From the Lesson on the Topic: “Preparation for the Convention, 9/9/14

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 Question: What kind of result must we reach at the convention? With which thoughts and feelings do we disperse? And what does this line amount to in us?

Answer: We must connect internally to all the participants in the convention so that the convention will not end. We continue to go forward, upward; within us we feel what we attained from the connection all the time, and distance only compels us to increase and strengthen this feeling. In this manner we rise to the next level.

You cannot imagine what kind of tension exists today among our groups abroad, especially in North and South America. They are preparing for the convention and are doing everything possible and impossible.

We connect and separate, again connect and separate, all the time. This separation is necessary so that above it we can maintain the previous connection.

When we disperse, each person going on his separate way, we are given some opposition, and above it, we return to feeling the previous unity. And then the unity that is multiplied by the opposition will give us new intensity, a new spiritual level.

Question: You said that in the American and European groups there are very intense tensions. But there are also other places in which there is an absolutely different attitude towards the convention. Aren’t we infected by “viruses” from them?

Answer: I am not afraid of this. The same intensity that is gathered at the convention itself becomes such a shield that no viruses can frighten us and no hackers can disturb us.

But if you have information that some groups or isolated individuals are opposed to our idea, we should try to explain to them before the beginning of the convention that unity is the condition for attaining the spiritual world. They simply haven’t heard this yet. Each one of us knows that on their own. How much time must pass until we began to hear it? So don’t be afraid; everything will be okay.
[143509]
From the Lesson Topic: “Preparation for the Convention, 9/9/14

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Question: To what state must preparation for the Saint Petersburg convention bring the world group?

Answer: Before the convention the entire world group must be in a state of arousal and excitement where awe, happiness, elevation, expectation and despair exist together.

This must not be something external, but internal. Each one must experience these states within himself.

Our friends throughout the world must prepare such that they will become softer, more flexible. Just as we work on dough, kneading it, so we also must work on this mass.

Besides this, we want to put ourselves under the influence of the Creator, so that He will make of us something that can be digested. This is our mission. We want to become active participants in this activity, and not spectators.

As it is said in the wisdom of Kabbalah, everything depends upon preparation.
[143518]
From the Convention Preparation Webinar, 9/4/14

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Question: In what way should our covenant be revealed in the convention?

Answer: In warmth. Effective communication that must occur between us. It has to simply explode so that we will begin to feel a warm void among us that opens us up to one another and doesn’t let us restrain ourselves in order to express our love.

Moreover, it is mutual support, a mutual effort all over the world when the friends all over the world express their support and their awe and confirm their oath of loyalty to our covenant.

Therefore, we must feel some tension. Of course, the upper force can do whatever it wants with us, but each of us is committed to the friends, to keep all the advice and the commands of the Kabbalists and do everything in our power to keep the covenant with the others.

A person should understand that if he doesn’t accept this condition, he is not part of our stream, and he doesn’t float onward in our common general boat. He can stay in the convention but nothing will happen to him.

Everyone must realize and recognize the fact that taking an oath is the central issue in starting the spiritual path. Just like on Mt. Sinai: “Do you agree to be as one man in one heart? If not, this will be your burial place!”

If we are going to make a covenant now, it should include everyone by stretching a hand over the ocean, over the continent, no matter where. Everyone has to feel that they are with us in a continuous two-way connection.
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From the Lesson on the Topic: “Preparation for the Convention,” 9/4/14

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Question: How can we use the gathering of friends (Yeshivat Haverim) to unite at the convention?

Answer: The gathering of friends is a part of the day when we are tuning to receiving a new portion of the Upper Light because these meetings precede the lessons and workshops, i.e,. our upcoming spiritual actions.

To do this, we must get ready, unite, and remind each other about our goal that it is achieved in unity, that it is the mutual support that is our freewill, and this is our only free action; all the rest does not depend on us. The gathering of friends should remind us about this.
[143516]
From the Lesson on the Topic: Preparation for the Convention, 9/9/14

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Convention in St. Petersburg, Preparatory Lesson 1

Convention in St. Petersburg, Preparatory Lesson 2

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Question: Should the groups of “ten” that are formed at the convention be composed at random from unrelated people, or is it possible to keep those groups of ten that have already worked together for a few years?

Answer: If people want to be together, maybe it’s good. But I would like to warn them that this shouldn’t be habitual. This could nullify what we could attain.

We must attain connection above all possible problems, especially beyond the place where we connect, where we are not familiar with each other. This doesn’t mean that we must choose people who are our opposite.

But still, when we come from somewhere with our group of ten where everyone has been acquainted with each other for some time, has discussed various subjects in circles and workshops hundreds of times, what kind of innovation can there be here?! What is there to work on? Everything would roll along on our habitual pattern. I don’t think this is good.

A group of ten that is shaped and created in a convention must maintain one composition from the beginning of the convention to its end. But if this will be a group of ten that has worked for years, then it creates a problem. I personally would not want them to put me in a group of ten like this. I am familiar with these guys, we have talked about everything among us; one could say half a word and I already know what another will add. I have no surprises with them, I don’t need to change and adapt myself; this isn’t good. So I don’t think that this is the way it should be done, to the contrary.

It is said that we should always see our friends as new. As new! I am going to discover them on a new level. And this begs the question: “Will this work for me with those same faces I have seen in front of me for years?” I work well with them; we have gone through many conventions together. It could certainly be that because of this I will not be able to struggle with myself to approach them, for even in this way they seem close to me.

So I would not recommend being included in a group of ten that has more than two very close friends.
[143453]
From the Convention Preparation Webinar, 9/9/14

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