Entries in the 'Conventions' Category

Unripe Point In The Heart

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Most of us have relatives and friends who are dear to us who have not yet manifested an interest in spirituality. We care about them a lot and intend to rid them of suffering; is it worth waking up their points in the hearts?

Answer: That’s true, each of us has many relatives and friends to whom we would love to explain what we are preoccupied with. Possibly, it would help them too. At least, it could brighten up their lives interesting and think differently about their troubles and problems. However, we all know that it is a very difficult task, as a rule, to explain such things to those people who do not comprehend them. Why is this so?

Our methodology applies only to those who have awakened the aspiration to the goal of creation, those with the so-called “point in the heart.” Everybody has it. Modern day Kabbalists came from the first Kabbalist: Adam. Before Adam was born, for thousands of years, numerous generations possessed a latent point in the heart. Adam was the first man in this world whose point in the heart was awakened. It goes on from then. Before, each generation had very few people whose points in the heart were not dormant.

When a person’s soul (inner desire) matures (ripens), he starts to explore “Why do I need this life? What for? Maybe I should do away with all this? Or finally to find what makes life worth living?”

Such questions arise in everybody, but to different extents. Each person (especially in childhood) asks him or herself: “Why do people live?” Later in life, everyday routine suppresses this quest and people forget about it.

Nowadays, we see that due to crises and various problems, the question of the meaning of life spreads to millions of people around the world. However, people still restrict their search by questioning: “How can I get rid of the pain?” How do I get away from pain, not how do I move ahead.

Nevertheless, at this time we see millions of people who have a point in the heart. Look how many fellow students you have around the world and how many people we don’t even know but who study together with us. They don’t have an obvious desire to contact us as of yet, that’s why our task is to treat them with a lot of thoughtfulness, to never push them too much, and to find suitable reading materials for them.

I think that spreading of our methodology together with the materials we create for the 99% of the world population will gradually lead people ahead and will help many of them (millions!) to reveal their points in the heart. Others will simply follow; they will advance mainly because they tend to escape from pain somehow.

I am sure that you should search for interesting materials and give them to your friends. If you see that words do not work, then don’t talk. Printed materials are more persuasive. Try them. Be patient! Personally, I don’t know how to address those people who do not look for answers to these questions. Why do we need to force them? You have to tell people something that they are willing to hear.
[74101]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 1

Related Material:
Spiritual Search
Justifying The Creator’s Assistance
A New Desire

Dissolving In The Group

Dr. Michael LaitmanAll of our many years of study (we have people who have already been studying for 10-15 years) are only intended to make you reach a state when you begin to work in the group, as you realize that there is nothing else. And everything that you have done over the course of many years was only intended to finally make you understand that the only thing that can change you and reveal to you that what you want is right in front of you, even though it is the very last step.

We usually take a very long time to get there, convincing ourselves and trying to somehow wriggle out of it, go somewhere aside. We study Kabbalah, do anything we need to do in regards to dissemination—anything at all—just to avoid working in the group.

And even once we already understand that there is no other solution, still, at the very last moment, we escape finding reasons to not participate in this process. We cannot allow ourselves to close our eyes, throw ourselves into the group, like in water, and completely disappear in it. A lot more time passes, months, sometimes even years, until a person finally enters the group.

But we can shorten this time with our joint effort, and we will try to do it.

The length of time a person has been studying does not matter, neither does his knowledge, whether he is smart or not, strong or weak, persistent, stable, or lazy. When you enter the group and join its common force, we “disappear” in it, you dissolve in the common qualities of your friends to such extent that you acquire the integration of all their abilities, and they all become yours.

No need to come up with excuses for yourself, such as I am still young, I am not yet ready for this, maybe after some time, at the next convention. Now! There must be no other thoughts! There is nothing else beside this place and this action that we must take.

And the action is very simple—try to perform the so-called First Restriction (Tzimtzum Aleph), rise as much as possible over our egoism without taking any of its persuasions, reasons, catches, and quirks into consideration; we must understand that this points to the faults in our aspiration, our intention.

When my intention and aspiration are not strong enough, I will feel something distracting me. And this every disturbance points to what I need to add to my intention to seriously direct it and make it strong enough in its size and vector. In other words, I need to be aimed straight towards the goal and to have enough strength to direct me towards it.

This is why we perceive disturbances as a given. We never resent them, we never become mad at ourselves; on the contrary, every time they appear, we rise above them, and invest ourselves even more into becoming closer with others.

The main thing is to have patience towards our friends, like we are patient with small children, our favorite small child. There is nothing we can do about it; it is also our egoism, which does not allow us to connect with others and shows us where we must bring ourselves closer and position ourselves.
[75085]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 2

Related Material:
Dissolving In The Group
Three Levels In A Group
Tuning In The Group

Three Levels In A Group

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe are usually on one of three levels in relation to our friends:

1. When the friend and the group are greater than us, in other words, we regard our friends and the group as higher than us in order to feel their greatness;
2. When friends and the group are beneath us;
3. When they are equal to us.

When I regard them as those greater than me, I put myself in a state when I am able to learn from them, receive from them what they have, like someone small learns from those greater than him. They are able to influence me. I receive their energy, strength, and excitement.

If I perceive them as being smaller than me, then I am able to give to them like a big one gives to the small.

I have a certain kind of communication with them in either case, when I either receive the greatness of the goal from them, or ignite it in them by introducing my might, my investment into the greatness of the goal, the greatness of unity. And all this is in order to reach a state of being equal to them. And then we will really be friends.

In the case when they are above me, they are my teacher. When they are beneath me, they are the students. And only when we are equal are we friends. This is the way we attune our thoughts in regard to the group. And I always see: where I can add, what I can receive, and where I can become completely equal with them.

The comparison must always be the goal. And the state of being below or above them is the state when I adjust myself in relation to them.
[75081]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 2

Related Material:
Dissolving In The Group
Tuning In The Group
Conditions For Receiving the Upper Knowledge

Tuning In The Group

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn relation to our friends, we take into account not their personal properties, but rather something that belongs to our spiritual path. I don’t care about their everyday problems. We sweep all of this aside and forget everything that exists around us. We are interested only in one thing—their aspiration upward! This is their point in the heart and I am dealing with it! This is my tuning point!

It absolutely doesn’t matter to me what properties they have. They may be impatient, good, or not so good: It doesn’t matter! All of these are our animal earthy properties. They all stay at the level of our world. The most important thing for me is to unite with their point in the heart. This is what they aspire to the same way as I do.

The tuning in the group is a very special and fine action.
[75078]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 2

Related Material:
Three Levels In The Group
A Narrow Bridge Into The Creator’s Domain
A New Level Of Unity

Lie, But Honestly

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, Shlavei HaSulam (The Steps of the Ladder), “What is a Blessing and a Curse in the Work”: Each day, man needs to start anew and say that today he will be awarded to see “I am your God” and that he will not escape from the battle. He should not say I already prayed many times that God will give me the vessels of bestowal, and I will exit the desire to receive for myself, and I did not receive any answer for my prayer, so what is the benefit of praying again?”

The truth is that we never request vessels of bestowal because it is impossible.

Yes we ask for what is called “bestowal.” We ask to be able to love the other, but that is how we call it; this is not bestowal; it is not love for the other or bestowing desires. We never truly pray for the spiritual world, or the spiritual state, or spiritual vessels. In our current desire, in our current mind and feeling, we simply are not capable to request it, and we do not even know what it is.

Therefore, it is said: “I labored and I found.” One needs to put effort in what Kabbalists tell us to do, to follow strictly their recommendations, and to understand clearly that we do not have any chance to come directly and independently to the correct prayer; we cannot break our heart and raise a request for correction (MAN).

At first each one of our prayers is based on how to receive, to gain, and to take advantage of the friends, the Creator, of any one. That is the fact and there is no place to escape from it. But above us, there is a system of breakage that translates our actions, our broken requests, to correction.

On the way from above downward, the desires broke, and on the way back, when I rise from the broken state, they are corrected in this system. They rise as if I requested what is needed, as if I really plead for love and bestowal to the other and for connection with the friends and the Creator whom I am ready to accept as goodness.

This system is the broken world of Nikudim and the world of Atzilut that was created later is the adapter: On one side of this system, there are the false world, the worlds of BYA that are disconnected from the Creator, and the states opposite to bestowal, in which we exist. On the other side, there is the Creator, perfection.

My plea for love is a lie, but we all arrange this lie in a correct form as if we really want something besides self-benefit. If between us, we come together in the correct form, if we arrange the study and all our actions correctly, then our request goes through this system that corrects it, and this is what is called “I labored and I found.”

Although we don’t know the world of Atzilut, it does its work. And that is why we need to do exactly what Kabbalists tell us without lying to ourselves or being ashamed. It is true that we do not request spirituality, but scream like a baby and mother knows what he needs. Mother needs only a tiny scream from the baby to know what his needs are.

This is what is required from us. “Do everything that is in your power to do,” and this will bring good results.
[72041]
From the Arava Convention 2/25/12, Lesson 7

Related Material:
To Receive The Payment, Move To Spirituality
Through Contradictions: Truth
Polishing The Request For Bestowal

Religion And The Process Of Integration

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the role of religion in the integration process, and is it possible to integrate all the world religions together?

 

Answer: I began my life as a specialist in biomedical cybernetics. Then I got my PhD in philosophy, became a professor of ontology and theory of knowledge, which is what I’ve been doing for many years. I don’t see any connection between religion and the integration method we’re talking about here.

Generally speaking, religions talk about the need to become integrally connected to others, to live a good life, be kind to others, love one’s neighbor, etc. But in truth, they only talk about it, and nothing ever gets implemented. Moreover, religions are full of various rituals and blind faith, all of which is absent from our method. It addresses the person, all people in the world, because all of humanity is integrated and interconnected.

Therefore, I don’t think there’s room here for religions. It’s everyone’s personal business, because religious persuasion doesn’t hurt or oppose our method in any way. Hence, you can be an adept in any religion and practice integrated upbringing at the same time.
[74854]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/22/12, Preliminary Lesson

Related Material:
We All Believe In Something
The Myth Makers
The Complaints Against The Creator

The Call Toward The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanBefore each lesson, it is very important for us to formulate the correct intention: “What are we studying for?” I do not simply arrive, sit, and listen to the smart things about the structure of the upper world or to the passages from The Book of Zohar, articles, and other materials. This is not the point. These are just the means for attracting the upper Light.

So what am I studying? I am sitting together with friends. A special connection is being formed between us and it must be such that it lifts us up to the realm of the upper Light, towards the upper level to which we direct our common desires, only the common ones! Individual desires mean egoistic desires. Common desires are already desires for bestowal towards unity.

As soon as I raise these desires up, the MAN (if I really can raise them together with the group), the upper Light (UL in the drawing) descends upon us from above immediately, which corrects us and draws us a little closer.

And every time we rise up, we get closer, more and more. And so it is until we unite into one point. However, this is not a point any more since it has opened up our egoism.

We simply have assembled it together and this is why we look like one point, but in reality there is great egoism below us, above which we have risen. And then we reveal the upper Light inside of ourselves, not in the form of the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif, SL in the drawing) any more, which changes us with its influence, but in the form of the Inner Light (Ohr Pnimi).

So what do we need books for? So that while we gather together we read about what happens in the upper World.

In fact, we do not know what is going on there, since we do not guess and do not actually know what actions these are. But in doing so, we evoke the upper Light upon ourselves. That is why there is “I + the group + the book”, and these are the essential conditions for our work.

Between the group and me there must be interferences, various questions, and problems. However, between the book and me there are no hindrances and no questions, and it is not important if I understand anything or not.

In any case, I do not understand anything because in the book, it tells about what is happening on the next level in the spiritual world about which I have not even the slightest idea. I am only reading words, but this is enough in order to summon the upper Light upon myself.

In the end, the study with the books and us is purely formal. It is absolutely unimportant how much a person knows and how much he understands! What is important is how much his unity with the group and the book arouses the desire inside of him, raises the voltage. Towards what? Towards the quality of bestowal.

If he is asking for the quality of bestowal, is aspiring towards it, trying not to deceive himself, and clarifying together with the group that he would like precisely this, then he all the more clearly discovers inside of himself what the meaning of the Creator is, the quality of bestowal, what it means to become closer to him, to get closer to the quality in himself, and to discover it in himself. When he is engaged with this desire, although it is small and deceptive, he himself does not understand what he is asking for. How can he really ask for something that is opposite to his nature?

However, such gradual aspiration moves him forward. He mutters like a child, not really knowing how to speak, utters the words incorrectly, and nobody understands him except his mother. In the same way the Creator understands us. However, we ourselves do not understand. We think, in fact, that having united together, we are demanding and asking, so where is what we want?

However, even if we do not want anything, He perceives it correctly, knowing our state, from which we cannot do anything in any other way. This is the case when the mother understands the babbling of a baby or simply understands him without words. This is exactly what we need. This is what is called the call towards the Creator, or the prayer, MAN.
[74580]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/12, Lesson 4

Related Material:
Preparation Period: A Voucher To The Spiritual Life
Keeping The Direction Towards The Creator
Why Do We Need All These Obstacles?!

Give A Person What He Is Ready For

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In recent years we have been talking a lot about the work for the 99% of the planet’s population. If I have already changed and I see the world corrected, then why should I be changing them?

Answer: If they were not suffering then, possibly, you would be right. If they were not looking for a way out of their condition, then of course we would not be addressing them.

The science of Kabbalah was hidden throughout all of the millennia. The first time it was revealed was 5,773 years ago, but then it was hidden again. Its second revelation happened in the Ancient Babylon 3,700 years ago. However, nobody used it practically and it was hidden again. Now, throughout the past decades, it is gradually being revealed again. This third revelation is characterized by the fact that it is global.

A serious need exists in the world: how to go on living? Humanity has finally discovered the futility of its existence. What is life? A form for the existence of protein matter and that is it? But since you have already developed to such an extent that you are constantly suffering and you are constantly lacking something, then these sufferings are drawing the questions: What do I need this life for, how, and why?

Since before those questions were revealed, while the sufferings were not revealed in a more or less global form in the family, in society, culture, and science, and today even in economics as well, we did not come out to the large masses.

However, if a person does not need anything today as well, then don’t tell him anything. Let him live peacefully. The Creator gives him desires on a particular level, and he fulfills these desires: He has a home, a garden, chickens, a small yard. He is fine; it is enough for him; so don’t touch him. You have no right!

However, if a person is suffering, try giving him something so that he will find an answer to his question about suffering.

But if suffering is manifested already in the global form: the terrible state of children in schools, the detachment of youth, depression, drugs, suicide, lack of work, and the complete destruction of the past relationship towards life, then we can speak, but in general, not addressing each person. Speak about the reason behind what is going on, about our egoism, and how we can come to a better life if we correct it a little, if we change our relationships between us.

Practically, we are only advising about how it is possible to improve our state and only where people have a big question about this. That is why we disseminate Kabbalah only in those places, where it is necessary, where people really do have a need.

Question: If I go to disseminate to the 99% of the population without the minimum preparation, will I bring them more benefit or harm?

Answer: One needs to study about this. We have special courses open for educators and teachers, for people who work with the masses, for lecturers. All who participate in dissemination are required to pass these courses.

Everyone is obliged to this without exception. Everyone! Each one must take these courses and keep developing constantly. And this helps. First, this shapes a person; addressing others he becomes connected to them, and in the contact with them, he begins to form himself.

Dissemination is an effective means for spiritual ascent.
[74577]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/12, Lesson 4

Related Material:
Spiritual Search
Our Students Are Our Hope
We Know What To Do

Support On The Spiritual Path

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Each time I go to a convention, I feel a kind of heaviness, a burden that pulls us to the ground. You said that this would soon pass and we would feel the unity. How is it possible to get rid of this heaviness? What can help us?

Answer: The only force that can help us against our ego is the importance of the goal, the importance of the group as a means of attaining the goal. But the most important thing is the goal.

If we work on the importance of the goal so that it becomes the most important thing, we won’t feel that the ego disturbs us. We will begin to feel that the ego is a sign of the places within us that we still need to correct. It shows us where you can still make efforts, where you can still correct something.

It’s like a broken car engine: In the place where something is knocking, the valve needs to be adjusted, in the place where something is whistling, the connections need to be fixed, and where it is heating, water needs to be added or something needs to be cleaned.

Your ego works in the same way, showing what is still uncorrected in you. If you advance towards the goal, if you want to direct yourself correctly, you discover the ego as “help against you. ”It pulls you by the legs, and this means that you don’t have enough strength. Here you must add strength and then advance forwards.

If you didn’t have this indicator, you wouldn’t know what you need to correct, just like in the engine or, for example, in our body. The biggest problem in the physiology of the body is the diseases that progress without us feeling it. During this period they don’t even cause pain or any other negative sensations. While if I feel unpleasant sensations, I immediately go to a doctor and stop the disease in the beginning of its development, and not when it already reaches a state where it isn’t possible to cure or to operate it.

That is, we need to relate to the ego correctly and rationally; we have to interact with it and not just annul it: “I don’t want you! I hate you!” No, the ego is support along our way.
[74108] 
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 1

Related Material:
An Opening For The Light
Not Good To Be Ignorant Of Your Illness
The Eternal Engine

Moments Of Unity, The Vilnius Convention, Part 1

Here are some pictures from the European Kabbalah Convention that took place in Vilnius, Lithuania March 23-25, 2012.


[74566]