Entries in the 'Conventions' Category

Psalms – The Spiritual Atmosphere

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What are “Psalms?”

Answer: Psalms (Tehillim in Hebrew) is a book that gives a person a spiritual mood.

They were written by King David who symbolizes Malchut, the lowest and the widest part of the Kli (vessel), which includes practically everything. This was his spiritual attainment. And so his songs, in which he praises the Creator, are accepted by all nations of the world. Everyone reads them.

In the original Psalms texts there are signs (not notes), which show how to sing them. But you can sing them in your own way, it’s not a problem.
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From the Convention in St. Petersburg 7/12/13, Lesson 4

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The Universal Wonder Drug

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe dissemination of the integral method to the masses consists of information and education. These are two great parallel issues.

It is very difficult to go out to people with information since they need to listen, understand, and internalize what happens with their minds. But there are few who can do this. Why and what for?

Therefore, it is preferable to go out to them with education, which is to say to convey to them the simplest workshops on various subjects for an hour or forty minutes. The main thing is that they should feel that they are found in a discussion circle and not an argument, rather they all only complete each other. We guide them, we explain to them the conditions for our workshop: It is forbidden to argue with anyone; we adapt to each other to find commonality within our circle that we call a “raspberry ball.”

They will feel this after half an hour and will understand us without words, we have already seen this more than once. So they will be convinced that if they work according to the integral system, they can solve all problems at work, at home with the children, and with neighbors precisely in a form like this.

The moment that we present this framework to them, it will be easier for us to talk with them. They will feel that in our engagement some kind of inner power appears in us as a result of the connection between us that can influence us, correct and change us, and bring us closer; in other words, this is something serious that truly exists, and not some kind of fantasy or nice words.

After they feel this power, they will begin to ask what this is. And then we begin to explain to them that in our world this phenomenon is called the “wisdom of crowd.”

But essentially this is the discovery of the Creator, the discovery of the power of connection. When people come closer and rise a little above their ego, connecting above it, conceding to each other, then there is equivalence of form with the Creator. When we rise to a particular level, we awaken the influence of the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) on us and we feel that we have received some kind of new power. This is a physical power of equivalence of form: action and reaction.

It is logical that if we continue to rise, we awaken greater Ohr Makif, rising even further; we awaken an even greater Light and so on. It will continue to influence us more and more strongly all the time.

In a form like this, thanks to our original ego, we rise above it more and more. We transform all of its density into ascension.

Suppose that I descend to some level within my ego, and after this I rise to that level (love), transform the negative power (-) into a positive (+) one, into bestowal, into love, into connection between us. I descend to an even lower level, and after that rise above it again, and so forth. That is how I act. The ego was created for this; it gives us the opportunity to rise above it.

The greater the ego, the more I can rise above it until I descend completely to its last “fourth level” and will rise to the highest “fourth level” which is called Gmar Tikkun (full correction).

Therefore in principle we can simply explain to people what the secret is here, what the mysteries are.

There are no mysteries here. It is necessary to work correctly with two natural forces. And since we are found only within the ego, we need a second force against it, the power of Light.

So we have something with which to go out to the masses, it is only necessary to teach, to explain, to approach people correctly, and to check from the start what they are suffering from. There is one remedy! But so it will be clear to a person, we need to speak with him about what hurts him.

Imagine that there are thousands of different “invalids” among the people who complain about everything in life: physical, mental, moral, and material problems. And for us there is one universal remedy. And it works! But in order to build a connection with people, it is up to us to know from the start from what it is that they are suffering. This is the method of integral education and information.

For educating, we create various films, videos, books, brochures, and media production that explain to people how to act and how to conduct workshops that bring a connection between people.

There is no choice! We have no other tool for connecting to the Upper Light. We can attract it to us only if we are found in some circle. This is what we must teach people. To do this, I have a conversation series “A New Life,” presenting to everyone that this is the only single remedy.

In the integral workshops it is up to us to teach young couples to cooperate correctly between them, parents how to connect with their children, and children to connect with one another. It is necessary to teach all of them in plants, factories, institutions, and offices, no matter where.

The use of integral education in schools points toward progress: a decline in the phenomenon of pregnancies, reduced gang violence, and children beginning to relate differently to each other. We are doing activities like these in prisons and we get letters from the prisoners and prison managers that they are grateful to Bnei Baruch for the amazing results from integral education.

It is possible to heal with this! It is possible to raise people up with this. With the help of this, it is possible to work wonders!

Therefore, to date we have in our hands a most serious too—connection. Since our entire world was created as a result of the shattering of the one and only soul, it is up to us to gather this shattered soul, this shattered desire, like a puzzle. Then we get the feeling of the coming level, for in fact nothing is changed around us; rather, only the perception of our reality is changed.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 3

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The Convention Is Not For Me

Dr. Michael LaitmanOur convention in Bulgaria will begin in a month, on November 1st and I pin great hopes on it. Taking part in the convention is relatively inexpensive and it will be held in a very nice place. I am inviting anyone who can participate in it to come. We have to prepare ourselves. I will arrive a day before the opening, so please come then too if you can. We will set up a local tour and will have a general warm up before the convention.

This convention is not only for the Balkan area. Many people from Eastern Europe, Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey, the Baltic states, in fact, from all around the world will take part in it. Our program includes both integral education and the wisdom of Kabbalah. We will discuss many issues and many questions regarding dissemination and education with the groups that will participate in order to connect them to the general process.

I am looking forward to this event. I suppose that everyone understands to some extent that this is how he can advance in the shortest and safest way to the goal of creation and to self fulfillment. So everyone must participate in the coming convention with all his heart. There isn’t a more powerful means than the participation in the convention for the sake of others. It is the most efficient means for the revelation of the Creator.

Question: How can we rise above differences such as nationality and language barriers and connect more strongly?

Answer: This is our goal, to rise above all the differences, above all the Masachim (screens) and all the walls that separate us. Without them we could already be one soul. But after the shattering of the vessels each of us is in his own shell, and eventually we are all like a nuts in a bag, connected only by the external circumstances and not by an inner connection…
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/30/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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A Million Dollars Or The Upper Light?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: The goal of our dissemination is to supply people with what they want. What are we giving them? Is this the million dollars that they want to make, some gifts, or something else?

Answer: Our relationship in regard to the people in the world is like a relationship with little children, we give them what they need and not what they are asking for because they ask for something that is liable to harm them, and we are trying to protect them and keep them far from these things.

If we were to go out to the world and say “Ask for what you want and we will give it to you,” then your question would be correct. But we come to the world and say, “You want money, knowledge, wealth, happiness, health, and security? All of this is available with just a little effort to unite.” We don’t just offer their getting what they want; rather, we establish the conditions necessary for connection.

It is specifically their effort to connect that awakens the Surrounding Light that reaches them through us, and with its influence, their desires begin to be changed, are made more spiritual. Certainly, they still want the regular earthly fulfillments like food, sex, a normal family, various entertainments, but together with this, their desires are fundamentally changed. Therefore our appeal is called Integral Education. They begin to ask other questions.

Essentially we present them with ordinary actions that are accepted in the world. We know that if people gather and do something together most of the time they will succeed. But together with this, we do the opposite. We gather them not in order to carry out work together for the public good, but so that with the shared discussion that they do before the cooperative work, they will feel some kind of new power; a new society is created within them, a “raspberry sphere” is created within them.

Ultimately they will begin to understand that the connection brings them not only a solution to all their day-to-day problems, but also gives a feeling of warmth, elevation in life, and a little energy. They don’t know where it is coming from, but it exists.

We make roundtables around which gather people from various camps that really hate each other, Arabs and Jews, Druze and Bedouins. And suddenly after 40-50 minutes, they are ready to embrace and sing together. The aggression disappears, for the Upper Light passes through us to them. They don’t feel this. The Light works on them and they suddenly begin to understand that they need to rise above their antagonism and, specifically thanks to the hatred, in spite of the hatred, they need to feel mutual attraction and even love.

For the ego was created in order to rise above it and to reach an opposite characteristic. From the characteristic of reception, we reach the characteristic of bestowal, from hatred we reach love. So we justify the Creator who created the ego. It is said: “I created the evil inclination, I created the Torah as a spice”—take it, correct it, and receive a characteristic that is the complete opposite of evil, goodness and love.

Therefore your question, “What do we give them?” is the right question. Through us we convey the Upper Light.

When I work with the public, I begin to need the Creator. For I invest, I promise, I work with people. If nothing succeeds, this will be a disaster. I am like some kind of robber or con man, I get myself into a dangerous situation and wait to see if I will succeed or not. If I don’t succeed, then I will get blows or worse, they will shame and curse me.

Therefore I am compelled (and this is the best situation) to turn to the Creator, for ultimately I feel a need for Him. For the first time in my life I truly need Him. This is because I feel that my ego, my pride, the terrible shame that I am liable to feel if I won’t succeed, simply burns me. This is the worst feeling. And without a choice, with the friends we are ready to do everything in order to succeed.

We are really lucky that in our time there is an opportunity like this. Otherwise we would not build this chain, we would not be ready to turn to the Creator, for our appeal would be egoistic.

And since we begin to think about the people, our appeal to the Creator is true MAN. In fact, everything is very simple. We only need to begin and you will see how the Creator puts the conditions before you that insert you into this system: lower, upper, and you in the middle.

Specifically you are the middle; therefore, without a choice, both from above to below and also from below to above, you don’t act for your own sake. Ultimately you merit receiving the anti-egoistic parts, first zero, after that the first, the second, the third. This is to say, you begin to feel the spiritual worlds: Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, and so forth.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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What Shall I Bring To The Creator?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Man’s nature is such that he doesn’t wish to recognize his inner evil. Only when cornered does a person feel forced to admit the need for correction. What is this evil that hides within me?

Answer: Unfounded hatred; it destroyed Rabbi Akiva’s disciples. There is no other evil. Everything else is evil from the view of my ego. Only unfounded hatred represents the very evil that resists the good: loving others as we love ourselves. This is the only criterion that I measure myself and my corruption by. All other “vices” are not viewed as flaws by the Creator. They are not considered a good cause to appeal to Him. He expects an authentic plea. The entire system of correction is designed for the broken Kelim, or the desires that are unable to unify.

Question: So, we must constantly feel this evil and not sugarcoat or hide it from ourselves, correct?

Answer: From Psalms: “I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). Otherwise, what will I point out to the Creator? What will I require Him to correct? It is really very simple. I wish to participate in the life of the group; I am attracted to it, and at the same time I see that I am unable to do so. This is exactly what we experienced during a Kabbalah congress. Having gathered together, we immediately realized that we don’t want to and cannot unite. This is what is called discovering one’s own evil. It is great! Now we must keep this evil as our target and demand to be reformed.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/10, Introduction to The Book of Zohar

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There Is No Prophet In His City

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Is it worthwhile for me to talk about what we are doing with integral education at my workplace?

Answer: No, at work, it is better not to engage in dissemination activities. It is better that some stranger come to your workplace, for example, your friend from the group, that nobody knows this is linked to you, that you don’t have any relationship to this.

There is a saying: “There is no prophet in his own country.” Usually if a person portrays himself at work as an expert in any area not related to their profession, then as a general rule, he isn’t taken seriously: “We know him. He grew up with us, we were in the same kindergarten, he went to school with us”; that is,  you already don’t have the relationship to be a teacher.

“There is no prophet in his own country.” A prophet must come from another place.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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Learning To See The Upper World

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In our group we have a situation whereby some want to disseminate but cannot, and others cannot and don’t want to. What is your advice for those who want to disseminate but in the meantime are unable to compel themselves to do so?

Answer: It is forbidden to compel anyone. But the people who want to disseminate must do so. Nobody has the right to restrain and obstruct someone; the instruction has already been given for everyone to be involved in dissemination. Whoever is still against it, let them be against it; that’s their own business. But in no way can someone obstruct the others; otherwise we need to expel him from the group.

If a person doesn’t want to disseminate, sits quietly, and in the meantime doesn’t feel the importance of it, although he sees that everyone is involved in this, while he is so special and has no desire for it, we let him stay. We hope that he will wise up and change. Either he will have to leave the group or with time, he will also begin to be involved in dissemination.

There are people who don’t know how to speak and also don’t need to; they will help in some other way. A group that doesn’t disseminate gradually becomes weaker and people leave it. They stop feeling the need; there is no new desire, no new blood. They don’t work with the public and have nothing to do; they turn sour: “How much can we learn the same things, how much can we speak about the same things?”

And the most important task is still ahead of us all: to organize workshops for the masses, whereby unification creates within them an absolutely new feeling, a new power, a new level of existence. They will begin to rise above themselves, completely new thoughts, a new outlook, a new—shared—mind, will appear in them.

All the upper worlds exist in our world, they are here now as well. But people don’t see them, they don’t have the “glasses,” this vision, they are not ready to discern at this frequency. They see everything in a particular range of frequency, but they don’t have the “equipment” for seeing the upper world.

We need to bring humanity to such a state. After all, after a number of workshops (even after the first workshop) they start feeling that something fills them from within. They begin to look at things in a completely different way, with another perspective of the world; they begin to think and speak differently, they feel as if they are floating on a cushion of air. After that it is possible to talk with them in another way.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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What Are You Living For?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If I don’t have the motivation to be involved with dissemination, in spite of all this, what would compel me to go and disseminate?

Answer: This would be the aspiration of your own soul. It is not found in you. Rather, it is in your link with others. However, what are you living for?

As of today, you exist like “beasts.” You were born, you live on what is allocated to you, and you die. You haven’t found anything. You haven’t done anything. No memory of you will remain. After that, you again will appear in that beastly form, for they again will give you the opportunity to realize yourself, but again from that same point, only in a worse state because you have not utilized the past. You need to catch up, to repay the debt.

What are you learning for? Why? Where is your greatness of the Creator? The Creator is the characteristic of love and bestowal. How have you elevated it? The greatness of the characteristic of bestowal and love is expressed in this: that you are devoted to this characteristic and strive to realize it.

Question: However, if I go to disseminate, this is also an egoistic calculation.

Answer: Certainly, you begin to disseminate from an egoistic calculation, but when you begin to work with the masses, then their desires and shortcomings penetrate into you. The imperative that they will succeed appears in you because they become precious and important to you, like your own children, and you already begin to ask for them, and even though, in principle, you also are asking egoistically, you are asking for the others and not for yourself, therefore, you begin to receive an ascent.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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Growth Is In Width And Not In Height

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can a person continue on his way and not be in despair that he still has not attained anything after studying for so many years?

Answer: You did not do anything in order to achieve something. You have been involved with the wisdom of Kabbalah as egoists for self-fulfillment. You did something among you in a group. You brought no good to anyone. You have not been involved with dissemination. You are stewing in your own juices.

What do you mean that you should have something? What acts of bestowal have you done? Why do you suppose that you deserve something? Based upon what?

Sure, I always encourage you, “Come, go ahead, and more…” For what purpose does the Creator require so many people today who are learning the wisdom of Kabbalah? Why does He awaken this desire in you? This is so that they will go forward, to the people. Moreover, he grows them not qualitatively, upward, like the great Kabbalists of the past, but quantitatively so that they will begin to enter into the masses.

Before you now is opening the practical realization of the wisdom of Kabbalah. If you will begin to be involved with this, then through you the Upper Light will pass and you will receive it. If it won’t pass through you to the masses, then you never will receive it. This is because all of your requests are egoistic, “Give to us!” Therefore, your fate is in your hands.

For many years, we have been involved with dissemination for the purpose of attracting people like us. For this, we have prepared a group. We have prepared ourselves.

Now, we are beginning to realize the wisdom of Kabbalah among the masses and precisely in the form of integral education. Humanity must unite because love of the other becomes the foundation for the integral method. There are no lofty materials and explanations here. If we disseminate this, then we surely will succeed.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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The Rules Are The Same For Everyone

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Are the rules of our workshops suitable for workshops we hold for the 99% of humanity?

Answer: Absolutely. The rules at all the levels are the same, only the expressions should be selected so that they would not alienate people. The law is the same in all the worlds, including our world. And all things considered, the connections between us are the same. Only we are not talking about the Light, Kli (vessel), MAN, MAD, etc. We present it in everyday terms: connection, love, alienation, convergence.

The wisdom of Kabbalah was considered a secret and was not revealed until people began to need it. And as soon as the need appeared, and the world was shown as integral, globally disassembled, and broken, the wisdom of Kabbalah was revealed immediately, and now we have to tell everyone about it but only in the usual terms of our world.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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