Entries in the 'Free Will' Category

You Need to Live Now

760.4Question: Victoria writes: “So often I want to forget everything that has happened. So many days, so many years have been wasted, so many mistakes have been made. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot forget. My memory again and again emits pictures of the past that cannot be erased.

Tell me, why are we given memory? If only it were given to learn, to memorize something necessary. But no, it often breaks the heart. So, what is it given for?”

Answer: I think that this occurs in you because you are very eager for the future, and therefore, for some reason, you feel sorry for the past, that you did not have time for something. Do not worry. One should always think that every moment that has passed is made by the Creator, and it all depended on Him alone. Therefore, in no case should we worry about the past, the future, or anything, but only the given moment.

Question: So, you can say thank you for what happened, whatever it was, right?

Answer: For everything that has been, for everything that is, and for everything that will be. But the most important thing is to live now. Only in the present. In Kabbalah, there seems to be no past or future tense, only the present.

Question: Do you ever regret anything in the past? Does your memory ever cut out something that makes you suddenly shiver?

Answer: It is all gone.

Question: Do I live in the compartment of today?

Answer: Not even in a day, but the moment.

Comment: Now we are talking with you, this is this life. And everything that has been and everything that will be is not a concern anymore.

My Response: All this does not depend on us in any way.

Comment: Teach me to live like this. I can say that, but if I am tested in a second, I will be a rag.

My Response: No, I am clearly not worried about the past. Although, if you count how much time I have wasted and for what, then of course it is…

Comment: Heaps.

My Response: But that is how it should be. Agree with the fact that the Creator does everything, and that is for sure for the past! And you fully support Him, trust Him, and accept Him.

Question: But how about the future? Everyone dreams of something about the future, everyone hopes for something that will happen in the future. It cannot be taken away from a person.

Answer: If you are thinking about the future, then, you are taking it away from the Creator. This is also forbidden.

Question: Is this also His prerogative?

Answer: Yes.

Question: So, if I define this formula for myself, what is it?

Answer: At the moment I am connected with the Creator, merge with Him, cling to Him and I do not want anything else. That is how a child sticks to its mother, and that is what he wants. This is it, nothing more! That is how we should be.

Question: So the basis of this formula is to stick to the Creator?

Answer: Yes.

Question: His past, His future. And yet this is my present, is it mine? Do I exist here after all?

Answer: I do. In the present, that is me. And only I determine, so to say, that I want to be with the Creator, to hold on to Him.

Question: Right now?

Answer: Yes.

Question: I see. Then will all the sorrows go away?

Answer: There is nothing else. Nothing.
[309139]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/12/23

Related Material:
Material and Spiritual Memory
The Influence of Solar Activity
Humans Are Electrolytes

Arena for Developing a Relationship with the Creator

423.01The society in which we live egoistically dominates us; it sets all sorts of standards for us: dress like this, comb our hair like this, look like this, be tall and thin and not fat or short, and so on.

This was created on purpose in order to better show our egoism. It turns out that a person exists in a variety of external negative influences. This state is called Galut (exile), when our qualities of bestowal and love are in exile from the spiritual and under the power of egoistic values, assessments, and attitudes.

Therefore all our efforts should be aimed at replacing these egoistic social attitudes with spiritual ones, and I will look at the inner world of a person, not at his externality, and I will evaluate him by his thoughts, not by how pleasant and good it is for me. This is our constant work on ourselves.

Here Kabbalah puts a person in very strict conditions where one must constantly engage in introspection and understand that a public egoistic machine is working on him by supplying him with its attitudes and egoistic standards every minute: “You must do this, look at people in this way, evaluate them according to such and such criteria.”

And a person must constantly resist this. Then he will see in the society around him, in the egoistic machine that acts on him, the guiding hand of the Creator, which thus educates him and leads him to a state of absolute love for all.

In this case the world becomes the arena, the place where we unite with the Creator in our mutual love for him. In fact, this world disappears; it does not exist. It is like a place where we simply connect, the Creator and I.

It is revealed to me that the whole world was created just for this. All this trumpery, lots of people and everything that happens to them, their influence on me and my influence on them are needed only to work out my relationship with the Creator.
[309979]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. To Hate, but Also to Love” 7/29/12

Related Material:
Secret Language Of The Creator
If It Seems You Are Going Backward
There Is None Else Besides Him: The Flirting Of Lovers

There Is No Pressure in Kabbalah

962.4There are no manipulations in Kabbalah. Why do we need them if the whole system is intended as the realization of freewill? Therefore, it is forbidden to put pressure on a person, to drag him in clearly or secretly, no matter how.

Such tricks are possible only at the level of our world, in egoistic systems. After all, a special calculation is done for this.

Even when parents force a child, for example, to acquire a profession that he does not want, to become this or that way, or some state institutions force people to act a certain way under a fear of punishment, those who exert such pressure pay dearly for doing that. After all, here you are conflicting with the plan of the Creator to bring a person to the image of a “man”! It is horrible!

These people, these systems in the next generations will go through great earthly and spiritual suffering before they come out of this state, as they have limited others in their freewill.

Most importantly, a person must develop freely! Only then will he fulfill his purpose. One who limits the other will have to make a double correction. This is a terrible thing!

All of humanity is moving in this way on the level of our world. But in spirituality this does not exist at all. There a person is the master of his fate.

Therefore, the teacher does not ask the student practically anything, he only says: “Are there any questions? Ask.” Are exams suitable? No. Does he push anywhere? No. He only pushes his students into some actions that can continue to develop them, but he in no case dictates anything, it is impossible.
[309755]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Coercion in Kabbalah” 6/9/12

Related Material:
Levels of Shock
Can Your Students Hear You?
Only The Desire Is Important

Why the Future Is Concealed

760.4The vision of the future is concealed from the ordinary person. And this is rightly so because it would take away someone’s freewill.

On the contrary, a person is given darkness and emptiness. Do you want to get to a state where you are above time? Please go, but on your own, when you will be in this layer consciously and will not do anything to harm others.

You will always be silent even if you begin to exist in this layer. And this will never limit your free movement: you will not succumb to some stupid fanaticism in order to swim fatalistically through this layer.

A person rises to this layer only with a screen when he takes on the responsibility to move forward, although he sees the future predetermined 100%, he wants to implement it himself. This is called faith above reason.
[310037]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Kabbalists Versus Psychics” 7/14/12

Related Material:
Why Can’t We Know The Future?
How Can You Foresee The Future?
Is It Possible to Change the Future?

The Main Idea of Kabbalah

294.3Kabbalah reveals to us that “there is none else besides Him.” The Creator is behind everything that happens around us. The main thing is not to be distracted from the thought that all this is Him, to look for Him in all the images around you and inside you.

Apart from the thought that “there is no one else besides Him,” everything else is controlled by Him. This thought is also given by Him! But you must grasp it and begin to cultivate a free, separate, opposite state in yourself from it, and to become similar to Him, a person, Adam.

Question: How can you not become religious when you start talking like many do?

Answer: No, these are all words; they have no meaning. The meaning of the words is completely different.

In religions, everything comes down to physical actions. They do not have an internal apparatus. Their internal actions are in the form of repentance and so on. Kabbalah, however, is directed in the opposite direction from religion, toward the revelation of the Creator.

Religion exists due to the concealment of the Creator and is in no way interested in revealing Him. Therefore, it says: “Be a simple kind of man, obey, and that is it.” But Kabbalah is interested in developing a person.
[309933]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. The Global Puppeteer” 7/28/12

Related Material:
There Is None Else Besides Him
Secret Language Of The Creator
Four Languages Of The System Of Creation

Step to the Left, Step to the Right

546.02In the News (EurekaAlert!): “Researchers from Japan have found that young infants can make and act on moral judgments, shedding light on the origin of morality.

“In a study recently published in Nature Human Behaviour, researchers from Osaka University, in collaboration with Otsuma Women’s University, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, and the University of Tokyo, revealed that 8-month-old infants can punish antisocial behavior exhibited by a third party. Thus, the motivation driving punishment might be intrinsic as opposed to learned. …

“‘We wanted to know whether third-party punishment of antisocial others is present at a very young age, because this would help to signal whether morality is learned.’

“To tackle this problem, the researchers developed a new research paradigm. First, they familiarized infants with a computer system in which animations were displayed on a screen. The infants could control the actions on the screen using a gaze-tracking system such that looking at an object for a sufficient period of time led to the destruction of the object. The researchers then showed a video in which one geometric agent appeared to ‘hurt’ another geometric agent, and watched whether the infants ‘punished’ the antisocial geometric agent by gazing at it.

“’The results were surprising,’ says Kanakogi.  ‘We found that preverbal infants chose to punish the antisocial aggressor by increasing their gaze towards the aggressor.’ …

“’The observation of this behavior in very young children indicates that humans may have acquired behavioral tendencies toward moral behavior during the course of evolution,’ says Kanakogi. ‘Specifically, the punishment of antisocial behavior may have evolved as an important element of human cooperation.'”

Question: How do you feel about this? Do we have it in us? Can this point be developed in us?

Answer: Yes, but this is not because of the correction of a person. This is because people today are born with such developed qualities that they are more empathetic and understand empathy more. This is a consequence of the development of the soul.

That is, the suffering has accumulated and concentrated in such a way that people can feel the other.

We see this both in public relations and in what people write and say. People are learning. People are learning and they are ready to understand each other more. This is based on egoism; there is nothing altruistic about this.

Question: Does it mean that now precisely such souls are descending into the world that can empathize?

Answer: They understand empathy more because they are more interested in it personally.

Question: What should it develop into?

Answer: They will conclude that altruism is preferable to egoism.

Comment: You keep adding that egoism is the basis of everything.

My Response: Of course. This is already good. This is a form of developed socialism.

Question: How can we accelerate this? Should this be accelerated?

Answer: It can be through all kinds of examples and encouragement.

Question: You keep saying that it is necessary to create a society that will constantly encourage these good deeds. Do we then disperse this empathy more and more?

Answer: Possibly, yes. It is possible that this will accelerate it in some way.

Question: What is the final state of this point of empathy?

Answer: The final state is the creation of a good, correct, real socialist society.

Question: What, in your opinion, is true socialism?

Answer: It is an ideal social system when everything is done to make people feel good. But absolutely everyone.

That is, everything is built in such a way that you cannot do something in one way here and in a different way there, better for some and worse for others, and so on. This is a must for everyone!

Question: Do we have these presuppositions? If we just need to develop this, then we will reach such a society?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: Then a person is born in order to reach this socialist society in such a form.

My Response: Of course.

Question: Where is this upper force that you talk about all the time? Where is the Creator?

Answer: Without the upper force, they will not be able to do this.

Question: What do we have to tell the Creator to get there?

Answer: Allow our egoism to agree and come to such a result.

Comment: Otherwise, our egoism says: “I need more, not him.”

My Response: It will not allow us anywhere. Any step aside, either to the left or to the right, will mean death. Moreover, in such fanatical, ugly, and underhanded forms that with all our pre-thought-out and prepared beautiful intentions, suddenly we will see that I cannot dodge it in any way. I want to reach out and give, but instead, I suddenly see in the process that I cannot give, but only take.

Comment: I see. This is egoism.

My Response: Yes, it is such a fight within yourself, but it is beautiful.

Question: But is it really important for me to see this? To say that this is inside me.

Answer: Of course.
[308424]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/13/22

Related Material:
A Beautiful Act of Friends
How To Manage Pain
Man Is Someone Who Is Compassionate

How Can We Soften the World?

962.1Question: Does the external picture that a person sees, in principle, show his internal state? Suppose he sees crises, cataclysms, revolutions, you name it, what should his reaction be to this?

Answer: Baal HaSulam writes that everything depends on the world because people have free will. As they come closer to each other, they invite upon themselves the upper light upon themselves and move in a good way toward a predetermined goal, to complete equivalence to the light.

If they do not know this method or do not want to know it, then they move by evil, suffering, and being opposite to the light. Nevertheless, they advance toward the light.

Especially in our time when everything is accelerating, it is a staggering process! Everything rises like from the bottom of the ocean upward, huge masses of desires are awakening! This will be revealed in the upcoming years.

I hope it will be revealed in a good way. I really hope so! Otherwise, it will be a very serious, hard transition, with extreme right-wing elements, dictators, Nazis, and terrorists. A person will be afraid to leave the house and even just to be in it. There will be no salvation anywhere!

I hope that we will not reach this point, that our influence on the world will nevertheless make it reasonable and gentle.
[309133]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. World Terror” 5/19/12

Related Material:
What Is Happening In The World?
Can The World Develop In A Good Way?
Open The Upper World Here And Now!

We Consider Ourselves to be God

294.2Question: What does a dog think about man? “He feeds me, takes care of me, walks me. He must be God.” What does a cat think about a person? “He feeds me, takes care of me. I guess I am God.”

What do we humans think about the Creator? He feeds us, He takes care of us. What do we think about Him?

Answer: That we are God.

Question: Why? Why can’t I say: “Thank You! You take care of me. You are God.”

Answer: Because by doing so, I lose my independence.

Question: Do I want this freedom, do I need independence?

Answer: Yes, of course. This is how we are created.

Question: So, He as if cut us off from Himself?

Answer: Actually, He concealed Himself so I would re-establish the right relationship with Him myself.

Question: Is this possible only if I do not see Him?

Answer: Yes. If I cannot find Him, but keep looking for Him, I gradually realize that He is, in fact, the center of my existence.

Question: At what point do I start looking for Him? At what point am I dissatisfied with myself, my efforts, and my capabilities?

Answer: When you become utterly disillusioned with your search: for yourself, life, the purpose of life, the Creator, and so on, then you start getting closer to finding Him.

Question: Do I have to reach disillusionment?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: But I have to invest in the search.

My Response: Absolutely, everything you have got.

Question: Is it about doing everything myself; should my efforts be such?

Answer: Yes. And after you realize that you cannot do anything yourself, you begin to wonder where is this connection with the Creator found?

Question: You said: “I cannot do anything.” Is there really nothing I can do?

Answer: Nothing. Until one puts up his hands and completely entrusts himself to the upper force, nothing will work.

Question: Today we see that wars and crises are nearing, there will be more and more of them, environmental disasters, and so on. Will this lead us to the point of realizing that we cannot do anything?

Answer: Good question. What we see today, I doubt will lead to the realization. Humanity still has very little awareness of its situation, its dependence. It thinks it can still do something.

Question: So I have to pull this “rug” out from under me to see I can’t do anything?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And this is the main theme: “We cannot do anything without You?”

Answer: We cannot do anything without the Creator.
[308254]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/15/22

Related Material:
A Hole In The Soul The Size Of The Creator
Why the Creator and not God?
Is God Good Or Evil?

A Person and Fate

760.1Question: Does a person have a fate?

Answer: Yes, he does.

Question: What is fate?

Answer: Fate is what is predetermined.

Question: Does it mean that somewhere something is written about each person? To what degree of detail?

Answer: It depends on the person himself. There are people who are born, go to school, then to work, and then to the cemetery.

And there are people for whom all these change very often. It is not clear why this is one way for some, and the other way for others. It depends on the inner structure of the soul.
[307907]
From KabTV’s “Blitz Questions and Answers” 1/6/23

Related Material:
Kabbalah—A Method Of Changing One’s Fate
How Can You Affect Your Fate?
Karma Or Spiritual Development

What Can We Influence?

294.1Question: If all states Malchut must go through are predetermined and we are parts of this Malchut, meaning, this desire, what can we influence? Do we only feel it and that is it?

Answer: No. We are part of Malchut that can change everything. We cannot only change these states but also their purpose. In other words, we are not able to change the laws of creation, but we can change their result.

Question: But if there is something that is planned out up to the end of correction and these states already exist in potential, can I change them? I can only feel them. These states should pass through me and that is it.

Answer: Yes, that is correct. We cannot really change either our path or our goal. They are predetermined. But each moment we can check ourselves whether we are on this path, if we can accelerate it, whether we agree with the path of our development, and so on.

We can change ourselves, our attitude to what is happening, but not what is really happening.

Question: So, if the program has, for example, World War III in it, then it will happen and I can only change my attitude to it?

Answer: No, we can change the course of history itself.

Comment: This is confusing if all states are predetermined.

My Response: All states are predetermined, but we can change them because we can come to them in many possible manners and ways.
[307781]
From KabTV’s “The Study of the Ten Sefirot (TES)” 1/1/23

Related Material:
Influencing Events
Responding To The Call Of The Creator
Ahead Of The Blows Of Fate