Entries in the 'Egoism' Category

The Only Program of the Universe

226Question: 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?
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/24/20, “Preparation for the Convention”

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The Beginning of the Realization of the Egoistic Human Nature

290Question: 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.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 7/11/24

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Why Does the World Need a Lot of People?

944Adhering 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.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/23/20, “Preparation for the Convention”

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How Do You Defeat a Dragon?

583.04Question: 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.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/17/24

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The Essence of Narrow Egoism

204Question: 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.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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The Ego Is Both Enemy and Helper

961.2Question: 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.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Is there a Limit to the Development of Egoism?

232.01Question: Baal HaSulam writes that there is a law that the branch is close to its root. He hints that we are the consequence of some upper force, which is the root cause. If the Creator is one, unique, and unified, then the urgent need for individualism manifests in us. So what is the problem?

Answer: On one hand, we are given egoistic properties and we inevitably fulfill them. On the other hand, we must rise above our egoism to altruism. And we cannot do it.

Moreover, our ego drives us into a corner as we are eager to fight with each other and make our lives miserable.

Question: We see that egoism constantly develops and narrows. Is there a limit to its development or is it endless?

Answer: No, we are gradually beginning to understand the narrowness and baseness of egoism. It does not allow us to exist in joy, correct communication with each other, in mutual assistance. Egoism manifests itself in a negative form.

Question: Let’s say that in 200 years, it will stop developing. Can we say that egoism will stop growing at some point?

Answer: I cannot say that in 200 years it will stop. Egoism develops along with us and forces us to be more egoistic each time. When this stage of egoism in us ends is not written anywhere and it may not end. It will be eternal to the extent that we must limit it.

If over time we understand how much it brings us down and does not allow us to create the right society, family, ourselves, and children, then to the extent that we begin to comprehend its harm, the terrible, narrow, vile life into which it plunges, we can act against it.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Learn to Recognize Evil

626Question: What is the process of realizing evil? Let’s say the first stage is when I begin to separate: there is me and there is my ego that I have received from above. I no longer associate myself with it. The second stage is when I start feeling ashamed by it and feel its evil. The third stage is when I want to get rid of it. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes, but these are long processes. There are many more steps here and we have to go through them.

Question: Is it possible to learn the realization of evil or does it happen naturally within a person?

Answer: It is possible and necessary. If we do not study it, then we will be going through all of this by the forces of nature. It will start forcing us, pushing us, and beating us, and we will still have to change

Question: Where in society can one get an example of ideal relations?

Answer: There is nowhere in society that one can get such examples. We have to start from zero. After all, there are four types of egoism in every person. We gradually have to correct each type from zero to the fifth level.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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What Could Be the Standard of a Correct Society?

229Question: If you look at the process that is happening now in the development of humanity with slightly different eyes, is it correct? We see how people’s lives have become easier. Society limits egoism. If earlier you could go out and do whatever you want with impunity, today the individual is very much protected. In principle, this is correct, is this progress?

Answer: This is progress, but of course it is still not enough.

Question: Yes, this still does not lead to the recognition of the evil of human nature. From the point of view of what Baal HaSulam writes and what we study in Kabbalistic sources, recognition can only exist when there is some kind of standard. What could this standard be? What should we look up to?

Answer: Kabbalists describe this as an example of the last generation, as an example of human society reaching some new milestones so that we climb them like degrees of a ladder, and at each degree we master new rules, new obligations, new types of connections between us.

We cannot yet implement the principles set forth in Baal HaSulam’s article “The Last Generation,” but we can compare our current state and relationships in society with the way it should be.

Question: In other works, Baal HaSulam writes that the Creator Himself is the standard. But we cannot take Him as an example since He is concealed and everyone deciphers the Creator as they wish.

Therefore, I ask: How can a person come to the recognition of evil if he has no standard, no society with correct ideas from which to take an example?

Answer: No, we will gradually build such a society, starting with nurseries, kindergartens, schools, and ending with higher educational institutions and society. We are trying to introduce an educational image, an educational force into all these institutions, to give them the right leadership. Still, the world is changing.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Do All People Deserve Help Equally?

533.01Question: Effective altruists deny the view that some lives are inherently more valuable than others. For them, all lives are equally valuable. It makes no difference whether I help a person survive in Africa or Latin America, a small person or a big one, of any race, nationality, or religion.

Is this correct? Do all people on Earth equally deserve help?

Answer: I believe that no, they do not. There are people who can bring enormous benefits to others, and there are those who no matter how hard they try, they will not succeed. We need to identify such people in advance as positive or negative for the development of humanity and somehow take their future into account.

Question: What are the criteria for this assessment? Should we start from the goal?

Answer: First, start from the goal. Second, we need to clearly understand how much we can invest in these people, and what they represent as a valuable resource for humanity.

This cannot simply be about making donations. There must be a clear definition of what we wish to achieve from our investment. I think we still have a lot of work to do in this regard.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 6/30/24

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