In the News (“The Internet’s Final Frontier: Remote Amazon Tribes,” The New York Times):

The Marubo people have long lived in communal huts scattered hundreds of miles along the Ituí River deep in the Amazon rainforest. They speak their own language, take ayahuasca to connect with forest spirits and trap spider monkeys to make soup or keep as pets.

They have preserved this way of life for hundreds of years through isolation — some villages can take a week to reach. But since September, the Marubo have had high-speed internet thanks to Elon Musk. …

The New York Times traveled deep into the Amazon to visit Marubo villages to understand what happens when a tiny, closed civilization suddenly opens to the world. …

Question: What was Elon Musk thinking?

Answer: Elon Musk was thinking about how to sell more to earn more for himself.

Question: So he was thinking about his business?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And what happens when we provide primitive tribes with modern technologies? What does this leap do to them?

Answer: Nothing!

Question: Does it not kill them?

Answer: No. It is like you put something tasty on their plate, and not even on a plate. That is it. They take only the amount they understand what it is.

Question: So you think that their innate primitiveness remains as it is?

Answer: It stays with them, and there will be no acceleration of their development.

Question: Then there is a question. The fact that children are spoiled as the elderly claim, constantly glued to the Internet, stuck in porn sites, and so on, what do you think this will do to the future of this generation? After all, they will no longer shoot monkeys, walk serenely, drink this potion, and call spirits.

Answer: Nothing good will happen. They will get uglier.

Question: They will remain just as primitive, but will be uglier?

Answer: Of course.

Question: So you do not abandon your point of view that they will remain primitive?

Answer: Primitiveness requires very proper care. That is, it is necessary to gradually, in small portions supply them with correct segments of science, literature, art, with everything that can fill them.

Otherwise, they will naturally follow their innate animal instincts. It is the same with us. They will pull out what belongs to them from there.

Question: Can you tell me how all these transformations took place in that case, from the primitive to the slave-owning system?

Answer: The society gradually changes and it gives the younger generations what it considers necessary.

Question: And in this way the slave system arises from the primitive-communal system?

Answer: Yes, it happens gradually. But there were no particular atrocities there. It was all natural for them. It was a natural transition.

Question: We talk about desire all the time. You claim that these primitive people retained the same desire?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Then how did all the transitions from the primitive-communal system to the slave-owning system occur? Did desires change over time?

Answer: Of course. Gradually higher demands began to awaken in them. And in this way they enriched themselves with new knowledge and new services. This is how it all happens.

Question: So we have reached the present time, as it is. Our desire has undergone many changes. What will push us further? And where will we push ourselves next?

Answer: I think that at the end of the day, we will see that everything we have wanted to achieve does not bring us anything good. It does not bring us any special benefits; we get nothing.

Question: And what will it give us?

Answer: For this we will have to work and very gradually develop.

Question: Still gradually?

Answer: Of course. There will be no leap.

Question: So we should not wait for it? That is, the fruit must ripen after all?

Answer: Of course. Why do you need all these leaps and speeding up?

Comment: We want it to be faster.

My Response: Why?

Question: You mean that we have to follow the path of development?

Answer: Of course.

Question: Are you against any revolutions?

Answer: Revolution is suicide. Just look at how children develop. Would you agree to give them some pills so that they develop faster?

Comment: No, we want them to develop as children should.

My Response: Yes, this is the only way.

Question: Is it the same with us?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Do we have to agree with this course of life?

Answer: Yes, this is the greatest wisdom.

Question: And this is the most difficult thing?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Why doesn’t a person want to agree with this? One really does not want to.

Answer: It seems to him that all the good will come tomorrow. But in fact, if you are ready for this “tomorrow,” then let it come to you today. However, as a rule, we are not ready for this.

Question: Is everything really good today? Can we live with it like this?

Answer: No, all the stages and steps by which we develop are necessary for us. Without it, we will not be worthy of what we receive. In general, we must agree with what nature does to us in quantity and quality.
[331892]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/17/24

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Question: In several articles Baal HaSulam analyzes and criticizes the communist system, which, in principle, corresponds to a primitive communal system, that is, life in communes. He says that we will return to this state anyway. How can you explain this?

Answer: The thing is that in primitive communities people were governed by completely different forces. People felt equal and no one had any surplus.

What they extracted from nature in the form of food or plants, they used immediately.

They had no desire to hoard because everything would spoil, and if there was any excess, they would simply give it to the common fund.

According to Kabbalists the kind of social system that should exist in the last generation is that everyone works, everyone understands that they depend on everyone, and no one runs away from their responsibilities; on the contrary, everyone strives to contribute what they can.
[333184]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 8/8/24

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Question: Baal HaSulam writes that people are divided into two types: 10% are altruists and 90% are egoists. What is the root of this division?

Answer: This stems from the properties of nature. The light, when creating the vessel (Kli), forms it from ten Sefirot (emanations, parts). The uppermost part is Keter, the pure property of giving. Then come Hochma, Bina, Hesed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut, which is the part most opposite to the property of giving.

Therefore, between Keter, the property of complete giving, and Malchut, the property of complete receiving, are all our other properties. Based on this, we can say that 10% of people living on Earth strive or would like to live in a society of giving, love, and mutual assistance.

Question: And 90% are pure egoists who only want to use others?

Answer: Not entirely pure, but generally inclined toward egoism to a greater and greater extent depending on what dominates in them: egoism or altruism. Nevertheless, closer to  Malchut are those parts of humanity that possess enormous egoism.
[332125]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 7/11/24

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Humanity is moving toward realizing how vicious its egoistic nature is.

Therefore, nothing but problems await us in which people will feel the evil of their nature. And since it is impossible to get rid of it, it is imperative to correct it; otherwise, our lives will become worse than death. This is what awaits all of humanity.

We must explain to humanity what the way out of this is, why these states that come from nature (the Creator Himself) are correct, and that this is how nature moves us forward. It created egoism in us, but gave us feelings, reason, and the ability to reprogram ourselves like a computer.

We have one program embedded in us: receiving for ourselves with maximum benefit at every moment of time in any situation. This program works in us automatically. We need to reinstall and run a second program in ourselves instead; we don‘t have it and must get it from the outside.

The previous program will gradually be replaced by a new one in levels; it starts with the lowest, then more and more, and so on until it completely fills all our egoism and all our desire, which will gradually begin to work differently thanks to the new program being installed. That is all, nothing more.

Then we will understand that the work according to the previous program was given to us from above. We did not even understand that existence in another program was possible. And now, when we see that a new program begins to work in us, it is a discovery for us! And we begin to help it so that it works and reigns in us.

There is a very small difference between these programs. Only one parameter changes. If before I thought only about my own benefit, now I think about the benefit of others. This is the parameter in our consciousness that is called intention.

The rest of the program remains the same: the maximum use of desires, properties, everything that is in us, only now we begin to learn again how to work with a different intention: for the sake of others and not for ourselves. Only this vector changes, and everything else remains the same. Egoism works to receive in order to bestow and before it worked to receive for itself.

All this is very conditional because we imagine ourselves not connected with what is outside of us due to the shattering of the common soul. And when this soul begins to be revealed as a single whole, I begin to strive to bestow to others, just like to my child, more than to myself.

The question arises: am I working egoistically or altruistically? It is not clear at all. Before I thought that I was bestowing to strangers, but now it turns out that it was all for myself. It turns out that we were deceiving ourselves.

In general, all this must be understood. The main thing is to understand that we are only installing a new program. Our properties do not change. Everything that is created in us is necessary. A person should not refuse anything. One should only try to install a new intention—ostensibly for the sake of others and not for oneself. And gradually one will see that this is not for the sake of others, but for myself, that I am using enormous egoism in this—620 times more. The concept of 620 times is conditional; it is billions of billions of times more than before.
[332512]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/24/20, “Preparation for the Convention”

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Question: Adam HaRishon had one program and the Creation had another. Are we starting to follow a third program?

Answer: No, there is only one program called the plan of creation (Machshevet haBriya), and it is constantly working. Depending on what level the souls (desires) are at, more or less broken, this program behaves one way or another. It is just like in a computer, there is nothing complicated here.

Question: Then why do we say that we are returning to the state of Adam? He did not have any egoism, did he?

Answer: There was, but it was hidden, which is why it shattered. Adam had everything. There is nothing new; there is only revealing data.

Question: Will we still have this egoism after the final correction (Gmar Tikun)?

Answer: Billions and billions of times more. Otherwise, how will we achieve a vast corrected state without a huge ego?
[332628]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/24/20, “Preparation for the Convention”

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Question: Baal HaSulam writes that there are two paths to realizing the idea of Kabbalah. The first is the natural path of development, a path of suffering. The second one is the path when people, after some educational process, will be able to advance to altruistic properties consciously. How can this take place?

Answer: The preliminary stage of the second path of development is realizing the evil of our egoistic nature. I think it is already happening.

In other words, all current confrontations, crises, and wars between Russia and the Western World have to change humanity gradually and show that no one wins anything in a war and there are no victors.

We are practically going through this state. We means all of humanity. That is because at the end of the days, meaning at the end of human development, we will not be dividing ourselves into countries, not even into continents, but instead, we will begin to aspire to rise above our nature. That is much bigger than mutual agreements between people, countries, etc.

Even though we do not realize it yet, I hope we are already starting to learn the laws that will bring us to complete correction.
[332046]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 7/11/24

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Adhering to the Creator is a task that must be achieved by each of us in this world. That is why we are gathering together. After all, if we existed as one person, like as our prototype Adam, we would not be able to achieve anything.

The fact is, our feelings come from egoistic qualities. But if we are in a state where we feel something outside of ourselves, then we can begin to work on ourselves.

Therefore, one person is not enough in the world, but several people are needed, at least ten. If we mean that we must attain complete union with the Creator, then it is possible only through ten stages, as we study from the four stages of direct light.

In other words, the originally created egoistic desire had to be divided into many parts. Depending on how much this desire develops and becomes more and more opposite to the Creator, we are divided into more and more particles, that is, people, each of whom carries an egoistic element that can be corrected.

If only a few people were not separated by egoism, this collective object would not be able to correct itself. Therefore, we are divided into structures such as individual atoms so that any combinations can be created from them.

That is similar to various chemical elements of which there are not so many, only slightly more than a hundred, and the multitude of compounds they create between them. The result is life in its endless, eternal, perfect movement.

The molecules of inanimate elements are connections of atoms. When molecules combine, they can produce something, generate something from themselves, and make their own copies.

From what the Creator created, we see that everything must break apart and fall to the lowest level and then assemble into atoms, atoms into molecules, then more complex structures in which life, reproduction, division, and so on appear.
[332158]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/23/20, “Preparation for the Convention”

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Question: A knight was walking. Along the way, he lost his horse and armor and only his sword remained. The knight was hungry and thirsty.

Suddenly, in the distance, he saw a lake. But right by the lake sat a three-headed dragon. The knight drew his sword and with his last strength began to fight.

He fought for a day and for a second day. He cut off two of the dragon’s heads. On the third day, the dragon fell, exhausted. Next to him fell the exhausted knight. And then, with his last strength, the dragon asks: “Knight, what did you want?” The knight replied: “To drink some water.” The dragon said, “Well, you could have drunk.”

I want to ask you. We are constantly in a struggle: for honor, for freedom, for our homeland, for whatever we want. I have a feeling that all these enemies we fight to the death are all made up. Is that so or not?

Answer: Yes, all of this is the product of our empty egoism.

Question: So you can simply drink the water? Why are you fighting?

Answer: Of course.

Question: And tell me, what is not made up? What struggle is not made up? They always say: “The struggle for life.” Is a person born for struggle or not?

Answer: A person is born to find work and peace in it, as well as to provide for himself, his loved ones, and family, naturally. And in this he should see his primary purpose.

Question: And after that? Should there be something more?

Answer: After that, he should develop.

Question: What do you mean by develop?

Answer: Develop his egoism, which pulls him forward, and thus gradually delve into nature.

Question: To what end?

Answer: To the meaning of life.

Question: So in any case, a person must move toward the meaning of life?

Answer: It will always be there in a person. It will always stand before him as an unresolved task.

Question: And why will it always be unresolved, unresolved, and unresolved?

Answer: To pull him out of this world.

Question: “Pull him out of this world,” what does that mean to you?

Answer: To pull him out of this petty egoism, to understand where the goal ends that nature or the Creator wishes to lead him to, to let a person master it and find peace.

Question: And we, in principle, exist at the level of petty egoism?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Does the Earth exist at this level?

Answer: Of course, yes.

Question: And great egoism, is it the desire to get out of this state?

Answer: Yes.

Question: But you still say it is egoism?

Answer: Of course.

Question: And there is still this three-headed dragon. If you say that a person must always develop egoism, you do not need to constantly chop off its heads or do you?

Answer: Egoism—the more you chop at it, the faster it grows.

Question: So more and more heads grow in its place?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Should you still chop it off or not?

Answer: You should.

Question: And the heads will keep growing?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: And chop again.

My Response: But each time they will be more complex, higher.

Question: And you will need to develop in order to chop off the heads again?

Answer: Yes.

Question: I see. And at what point will the dragon say, like in the parable: “Well, you could have drunk. Why are you fighting with me?” Will such a moment come?

Answer: No, we will not have that.

Question: We will not? We will have to keep fighting?

Answer: Yes.
[331373]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/17/24

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Question: In his articles, Baal HaSulam writes about narrow egoism. He says that there is a difference between the fact that a person just wants to enjoy, which is really our nature, and narrow egoism in which a person wants to enjoy at the expense of others, using them. What is the problem here?

Answer: The problem is in enjoying at the expense of someone else. Generally I feel good when I enjoy myself and maybe even better when I compare myself to others and see that I am better off, luckier, and so on.

This is growing egoism, which depends on the ego of society and the people.

Comment: So this is different from animal egoism, because animals do not have this.

My Response: No, in animals, everything is only focused on themselves.

Question: But in relation to the goal of creation, the development of humanity, what is the problem with narrow egoism? Suppose a person uses another, that is natural?

Answer: The problem is that he does not want to let the other grow and reach certain heights in profession, society, family, but wants to be above him.

Comment: So what is the problem here? We have been developing this way for tens of thousands of years. And what have we achieved? In principle, a normal society—look at the progress. We live tens, hundreds, of times better than a hundred years ago.

My Response: Undoubtedly. But this happens not by decreasing egoism, but by increasing it. There is nothing good about it. Because if I look to the future, it turns out that by being more egoistic, I win compared to the others. I want them to be less egoistic so that I have the opportunity to dominate them.

This discrepancy practically makes people unhappy.
[331490]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Question: What are the stages of recognizing the evil of our egoistic nature? Is it a cumulative process and recognition comes suddenly? Or is it happening gradually?

Answer: The recognition of our egoism occurs gradually. It is not present in newborn children. As they grow, we gradually teach children in kindergarten, at school, and further in life that egoism harms them both when in contact with other people, in mastering skills for some kind of work, and so on.

It turns out that on the other hand, egoism helps us. It corrects us and forces us to be better than we really are so that we do not show ourselves as complete egoists in relation to other people. After all, in that case they will treat us the same way.

Question: How does the recognition of the harmfulness of our egoism occur? Look how many wars, how much suffering is there. Where is this recognition? Do we see how the ego harms us?

Answer: We see it and slowly abandon it. People have no other choice. I cannot go out on the street and rob others.

Question: In principle, yes. For this reason, society has created such laws.

Answer: Society must continue to create all kinds of restrictions on human behavior. We see that each generation assumes other obligations—new, better ones. In this way, we gradually rise above our egoistic nature.
[331718]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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