Entries in the 'Inner Work' Category

A Cog Railway That Goes To Infinity

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can we explain to simple people how the Light that Reforms works?

Answer: This can be explained with many examples that show that man is a result of his environment. For example, children who were lost in the woods and brought up near animals acquire the behavior of these animals, and animals that live near people become more human-like.

A person’s environment does everything. I can advance without the environment, similar to when nature was changing and thereby revealing in me different forms of existence as well. Once, I was like an amoeba. Then, I became a more complicated creature. So it continued, on and on, until I developed into a person that I am now, under the influence of the environment, nature. As nature changes, it changes us.

Now, we are discovering that everything changes: Explosions happen on the sun, the climate changes, and magnetic and geographic poles are shifting. We do not yet know what is happening here. We do not yet realize the thousands of factors that influence us and cause us to advance.

Everything happens through the environment, but this environment is called Nature. It seems to be inanimate, and some changes are taking place there—possibly, according to a certain program, but maybe not. We constantly want to find out about it because we think it is an accident, not a program. If we knew that everything is happening according to a plan of nature, we would have a completely different attitude toward it.

Today, we are facing a problem. We are encountering sudden, dramatic climate changes, and we want to know whether these changes are happening according to a plan or if they are accidental. Are we contributing to these changes in nature (and there are many studies regarding this), or are they so random that there is nothing we can calculate here?

Although, what kind of accident could it be? We study the processes that occur within the Earth, and we know that we live on the thin cover of a blazing volcano. This is why a really important question arises: whether or not we affect these processes? If we have no effect, then “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die,” as people say. However, if we can affect them, then how do we do this? Is it with thoughts and desires or burning less oil and gas? Scientists are looking for answers to these questions because they suspect an upcoming, unpleasant course of events.

The globality of the world, which is being revealed to us now, has to ultimately make us smarter. We should realize that everything around us is a single system, and we are also inside it. There is a mutual influence: We affect the external system, and it affects us, We change through its affect on us.

This brings us to the solution that derives from the wisdom of Kabbalah. Can we intentionally change the environment so that it would affect and change us in the direction of the same goal, but in the good and fast way?

A problem then arises. We must change a lot of data placed in our mind. First of all, we must understand that we exist inside a universal, global, general nature where all the parts exist in unity, and that this entire process has a plan, a tendency, according to which we have always developed. Really, even when we look at the evolutionary process, we see that there is a certain plan of development in it. Suddenly, we forget about it because it refers to our ego, which suddenly makes us dumb. “There is nothing but me.”

If we first begin to perceive the image that there is a global, integrated, common system with humanity inside it and that we must come into balance with it, then we will be able to ask: “What does nature demand from us right now? Is it to come into balance? What kind of pressure and which conditions will it use to do it? Can we realize it on our own?”

We really begin to understand that nature cannot do it alone. We can call it the Creator (Elokim) Who has a mind and feelings, or we can consider that it does not have feelings. Either way, it is still nature; this does not make a difference.

We will only feel pressure on the still, vegetative, and animate levels, only on the level of our body. This is because we must build the environment for the human, “speaking,” level on our own so that it would change us with its pressure, giving us the proper form. This is why all the suffering, such as wars, misfortunes, and epidemics will be on the still, vegetative, and animate levels, on the level of our animal body, its life and existence.

This will continue until I realize that all of still, vegetative, and animate nature is a common, global system and that I must become like it on my level. To be global in the human sense means to treat this system as our own, where everything is interconnected and exists in unity and harmony.

Then, another stage begins. I build the environment for it to change me, to make me more global and integrated, connected to all parts of nature and all people. I want to do this since suffering forces me to do it. Suffering on the level of this world will lead to our understanding of the fact that our nature is completely interconnected, integrated, and we must be connected with all its components.

What will this provide? When I build this system, essentially, I am building an adapter between myself and the upper Light, the Creator (Elokim), the degree in nature that is above this globality and integration, above the structure of Malchut of Infinity. I as if make myself similar to the Light, even without knowing about it (we are referring to all of humanity that does not know exactly what it is doing). The Light influences me, does this work—lifts all of us to the next level.

The Light influences us and introduces into us the system of upper laws on the instinctual level, which replace the habits and laws we have artificially decreed upon ourselves. This is called “above reason.” I unify actions on my level, and I suddenly receive a new form of existence, a spiritual life on the instinctual level. I rise to the next degree. This is called “I labored and found.”

In this way, we raise our level, “modernize” ourselves. Even though we do all the actions on the corporeal level, meaning try to connect with others and treat them with love, nature influences us in order to lift us even higher. Thereby we raise ourselves with the help of the environment. Nature did it on its own on all the previous levels, but now we must obligate it to do it because this way, we acquire a new mind and feelings.
[54614]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/9/2011, Rabash’s letter

Related Material:
Stubbornness Always Has A Limit
Becoming Global On The Inside
The New World Needs A New Human

An Idea Driver

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe only feel the territory of our unity when we care for the vast world. Unity must happen through caring for someone just like spouses begin to feel like parents by caring for their children.

This is why we need to put our efforts into mutual, proper, and well-organized circulation. We produce interviews, video clips, songs, and other content. We need to create an ever increasing stock of ready materials so that we could take the needed materials from there, translate them to different languages, and put them to use.

This type of concern for the world will unite us into one. The only way to fix the connection between us is by bestowing to others. This is the spiritual law. I am unable to contact, unable to move, if it does not beget bestowal toward somebody. We need to work together on this, and better organize ourselves.

Do not wait for the initiative from the center in Israel—act independently. We have our own problems in Israel right now. It is becoming a hot spot in the world. So realize your own initiatives, adapted to your conditions.

After all, we are not disseminating the wisdom of Kabbalah, but the knowledge about the true state of the world. You only need to learn the correct presentation and continuously improve it along the way. Only circulation will allow us to develop.

The main work direction is the Internet and communication with scientists. Based on their information, we go up to the government and down to the people. We act like an “idea driver” that disseminates essential knowledge in society and the Internet.

Virtual dissemination does not require enormous investment. There is no need to over-prepare materials. The main thing is to bring the ideas to the people. The key factors in these days are simplicity and accessibility. People like it when they are spoken to in a simple and unpretentious manner. Let us learn this together, and the faster, the better.
[54965]
From the 4th Lesson, Kabbalah Convention in Toronto, 9/16/2011

Related Material:
The Global Matrix: There Is No Time For Ourselves
Know The World You Live In
The Open University Of The Integral World

Physics And Lyricism

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhen we properly define Kabbalistic terms, we see that Kabbalah isn’t some out-of-this-world science, but that it deals with realistic things: our interrelation and the correction of human nature. It allows us to transform hatred into interconnection and to search for ways to rise above our nature. It also allows us to understand that “God’ is a quality of complete bestowal, and this quality has to reign between us. Instead of sensing only our bodies, which are essentially just bags full of electrolytes, we’ll sense things that exist outside of us.

How will this happen? Simply put, if I direct all of my attention, care, thoughts, and desires outward into the general system, then gradually I gain the ability to sense others. I provide my “animal” with all the necessities, and the rest of me is fully immersed in our interconnection. It’s similar to the way a mother cares for her new born baby: All of her thoughts and feelings are directed at him.

After we reach this state, we are ready to sense the spiritual world. And we really do begin to feel it. That is, we begin to feel things outside of us. Before we only perceived things within our five senses, sensing the world from within. After all, “this world” is drawn on the back of my brain as a reflection of my five senses. In essence, I see myself because I see the projection of my inner qualities. But when the relations between us become more important than my inner sensations, I cross over to an out-of-body perception.

This constitutes the revelation of the Creator or the revelation of the quality of bestowal to a person. One reveals what he has created and built. By exiting himself, a person becomes similar to the Creator or the force of bestowal. A person attains the quality of bestowal to the degree that he builds it, meaning that the Creator reveals Himself according to the level the person has attained. After all, the “Creator” (Boreh) means “come and see.” Come and you will see, feel and measure what you’ve attained.

By perceiving reality and the Creator in this way, we cancel out many stereotypes and preconceptions. We begin to really engage in our inner science in which we are both the researchers and the subjects under examination. We feel the results and become them. We attain the quality of the Creator, which becomes our quality—our adhesion to the quality of bestowal.

Thanks to this perception of reality and to the changes that we must undergo, we completely change our attitude toward pain, suffering, and to the complaints we present to others, to the Creator and to ourselves. We understand that we exist within Nature and that there isn’t anyone to blame. There is no one to search for or hope for someone’s mercy and protection.

There’s only room for a scientific approach: We exist in a system of forces that is subject to precise laws. Kabbalah defines this as follows: “I did not change my Name,” “the upper Light is at absolute rest,” “a judge has only what his eyes can see,” and “the law was given and cannot be transgressed.”

We use the language of emotion and prayer, but if we don’t want to become confused by all this, we must “test the harmony with algebra” and achieve precise measurement of forces, directions and vectors, equations, graphs, and formulas. Only then will we be able to measure our sensations and efforts, our hatred and love both quantitatively and qualitatively through various contrasts. This is the only way we can avoid confusion.

We are sensual creatures, our matter is the desire to receive pleasure. However, we conduct work on ourselves like true researchers. We rise to work above our desires by means of restriction and the screen, and this is called working in faith above reason.

So let’s become comfortable with languages of lyricism and physics. In essence, they both speak of the same things, we only have to avoid becoming confused by them. Then we’ll clearly understand the entire creation.

The science of Kabbalah teaches how to conduct research and create a precise objective language that describes sensations. By doing so, we’ll understand the whole reality and the Creator—the force of bestowal that reigns over the entire reality. We’ll get to know Him completely and then reach the goal.
[54844]
From Preparation Lesson, Kabbalah Convention in Toronto, 9/16/2011

Related Material:
The Creator Is Not A Person
The Path To A Perfect Reality
The Inner Vision And The World Of Forces

The Simple Truth Of Today

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe must understand one simple fact, that success in the modern world depends upon our proper interconnection. This is revealed to us by the general crisis. The crisis sends us a message: “You want to achieve success in everything you do? But just take a look around: Everything you’ve done up to this day is in a state of crisis. It must be clear to you that from this day forward you cannot succeed in anything you do unless you correspond to a global and integral system.”

This correspondence is called mutual guarantee! You must come to know that being successful and producing something good depends upon your proper inclusion in the global network and that this inclusion is impossible without mutual guarantee. If you can do it, you’ll succeed. If not, you’ll waste time and only make it worse for yourself.

It isn’t difficult to achieve success. Each person can feel what mutual guarantee is, and each person can imagine a proper family that is warm and caring.

Nonetheless, mutual guarantee must be learned. Each person will ultimately have to change their opinion of Kabbalah and understand that it is a higher wisdom, and that he’s engaged in the correction of his soul. We must get rid of the fear associated with Kabbalah and understand that this wisdom is very natural. In it we learn about an active force within human society. We must get to know this force or we simply won’t be able to exist.

Who can argue this fact? After all, we won’t be able to sustain ourselves unless we reveal this force. People think that it’s some “out-of-this-world” science that talks about upper realms. But in reality, nothing is closer to us than Kabbalah.
[54679]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/2011, Rabash’s article

Related Material:
The World’s New Director
The Inner Revolution
End Of The First Eppisode. What’s Next?

The Creator’s Blocks

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the purpose of the revelation of evil between the friends in the group?

Answer: Evil rules between us. All the connections between us are bad. A broken system is being revealed to us. “Broken” does not mean that the system broke into separate pieces. It means that it works completely opposite to the way it should. In other words, the system itself is pointing to its proper form.

After all, if evil does not become revealed, how will we know its opposite? This is why we didn’t speak about the global, integrated, common, and absolute crisis before the entirety of evil became revealed in our world in the 21st century. The evil, which was gradually being revealed here and there, did not seem to be so bad. Now, this entire system is revealed in complete evil with its different forms, directions, and interconnections in everything that exists opposite to good.

Regarding this it is written: “I created the evil inclination.” As we reveal this evil, we see Who created it. “I created the evil inclination,” the Creator says, “I am playing with you right now. I am presenting you with a broken form. And you need to see that it is broken, opposite to the proper form, and that I made it broken purposefully out of a proper perfect form, as it was before.” The Creator says: “At first there was good. I broke it with Light so you could do an opposite action—turn evil into good using the same Light.”

Why do we receive all these bad states? Because by turning this evil into good now, I attain the Creator, this upper force of bestowal; I become wise, sensitive, understanding, and incorporate all of reality within me. I become like the Creator. I do the Creator’s work, I take it upon myself.

This is why we got a broken system.
[54833]
From Preparation Lesson, Kabbalah Convention in Toronto, 9/16/2011

Related Material:
The Whole World Under One Umbrella
Bring Your Hatred To The Light
About Love And Hate

Friends, Don’t Hold The Line!

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If the nation of Israel were to unite in mutual guarantee, where is the guarantee that it would be able to achieve peace and safety?

Answer: This is the law of nature. Nature put a problem before us, and we, the people, will continue to fail in every way if we do not conform to it. We must attain compatibility and become similar in qualities with nature. When we do not suit it, we fail greatly.

This is especially true of the nation of Israel because it has this method of correction. When it does not do it, it stops everyone standing behind it.

Imagine that there is a line of seven billion people behind you, and you are the first one in line. You are resisting; you do not want to go. All the people are pushing you from behind, and you will not let them pass. This is the state that the nation of Israel is in.

In this way, we are acting against nature. Nature’s common program operates throughout all of evolution from the very moment the universe appeared, from the Big Bang (even the world of Infinity) until today, trying to bring everything into balance. Nature does not tolerate imbalance, and there immediately appears pressure intended to compensate for it. Even Aristotle said: “Nature abhors a vacuum.”

This is why we must carry out the law of nature. If we do, there will be no negative influence over us from anywhere. When we complete our special mission, peace will reign around the world.
[54702]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/2011, Rabash’s article

Related Material:
Accelerating Exponentially
Nature Does Not Tolerate Imbalance
The Mission Of The Nation That “Aspires To The Creator”

Tell Us About Spirituality!

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is it like to bestow?

Answer: We cannot ask questions about sensations because if I feel something, I feel it. And whatever I do not feel—I am not yet able to feel. And this is why there is no answer to the question: “What is it like to feel something I do not feel?”

In our world we can ask this question in hopes to receive a clue of something similar, already familiar to us. But it is pointless to ask about a sensation I have never had in any shape or form and have nothing to liken it to. What can I compare it to, what do I point to? Nothing.

I asked Rabash, my teacher, this question. He said the following: “The first spiritual degree is the Light instead of a tiny spark that created this entire world, everything that exists in it, all the pleasure that fills all the matter of the still, vegetative, and animate nature over the entire time of existence of reality, over the course of all generations.”

It can be said simpler. There are seven billion people in the world. All their pleasure put together is a tiny spark in comparison with the Light you attain on the first spiritual degree.

But this is quality wise, not quantity wise. You perceive eternity and perfection in this attainment, and only then you are able to value them. And all of this happens according to the desires you have prepared.

Question: How can you receive all this Light without “exploding?”

Answer: You do not “explode” because you prepare the desire ahead of time. Desire must precede the Light. It is a proper question. If I tried now to consume all of this enormous Light, you would really need to “pick my pieces off the wall,” as if there was an atomic explosion. But this is when we receive within egoistic desires that absorb everything into themselves.

But when I come out of my ego into the bestowing desires, I acquire an unlimited vessel, and the Light merely goes through me towards the others. It does not stop within me. I receive pleasure from it going through me towards the others. I fulfill the desires of others to the extent that I connect them to me, and the Light goes through me without stopping. This is why I enjoy, and I do not have a problem with it. After all, I do not detain the Light, it goes through me and moves on. The Light cannot even stop for a moment; the second it stops, it disappears.

This is why the method of reception of Light is called “the wisdom of Kabbalah,” a science about reception. This is because you can only receive the Light under the condition that you transfer it to others. Then you are not limited and remain eternal and perfect.

Hence, it is impossible to receive the Light egoistically. When you approach it egoistically, you feel even greater darkness.
[54836]
From Preparation Lesson, Kabbalah Convention in Toronto, 9/16/2011

Related Material:
True Or Egoistic Bestowal
As A Result Of The Crisis, Only The Necessities Will Remain
Bestowal Makes Us Related To The Whole World

The Creator Is Not A Person

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How does a person form the quality of bestowal within?

Answer: There is no Creator without the creature. And the Creator is that very quality of bestowal that we form. If we don’t form it, the Creator doesn’t exist.

What does exist, then? There is His unattainable essence, Atzmuto, the original root of everything, which is utterly unconnected to us. We form and construct the Creator by exerting efforts and producing the quality of bestowal. We generate this quality by the common work between us. If we actualize and beget it, that is what will be called “the Creator.”

The spiritual Partzuf we construct in the relationships between us is our desire to receive that we have restricted and filled with the Reflected Light, the desire to bestow, and together with it, revealed within the quality of bestowal called “the Creator.”

In other words, “the Creator” is the Light of NRNHY that we reveal in our spiritual vessels corrected to bestow. In reality, “the Creator” is the common Light of NRNHY that we ultimately attain. Baal HaSulam writes that the general Light of NRNHY that fills Malchut of the world of Infinity is called “the Creator.” And that the smaller portions at the intermediary stages are degrees of His attainment.

The Creator is not a person; He has no individual characteristics or image. This is why you cannot turn to Him for you are the one who constructs Him. The Creator has no form—you are the one who gives Him form. Over your desire to receive you place the corresponding desire to bestow, and it means that you have constructed the Creator. There is no other way.

If you think that the Creator has a form before you have constructed it, that means you worship a certain image, an idol. This is the meaning of “alien work” or idol-worshipping.

These are the principles of the right attitude toward nature. This is why you cannot picture various images or resemblances to yourself. This was Abraham’s first discovery, when he “broke the idols,” meaning he realized that he was the one forming the quality of bestowal. And until then there exists only a certain original root that we cannot imagine in any way.
[54876]
From Preparation Lesson, Kabbalah Convention in Toronto, 9/16/2011

Related Material:
Tell Us About Spirituality!
Break The Idols In Yourself
The Creator Does Not Exist Outside Of Us

The World Of Pain Will Dissolve In An Ocean Of Goodness

Dr. Michael LaitmanMutual guarantee is the only way to counter the blow that nature casts upon us today (if the revelation of the Creator can even be called a blow!). Mutual guarantee will put us in concord with the blow, and instead we will sense it as a positive influence.

If today we connect by ties of mutual guarantee to the degree that we are supposed to, we will sense goodness in this world and will succeed in everything. Baal HaSulam writes in his article “The Creator’s Concealment and Revelation” how a person’s outlook changes. We would see healthy people, a blooming economy and industry, and perfect families. There would be no sick, unfortunate, and hopeless people. There would be no use of anti-depressants, no drugs, and no divorces.

Our world would be harmonious and we would only be concerned with achieving an even greater state of harmony with the Creator, with the force of nature, which would reveal itself to us more and more.

We must bring ourselves into correspondence with the perfect system of connections in the shortest amount of time possible. We can’t even imagine yet what a perfect connection means; however, we must achieve it in a short period of time. I can’t even imagine how fast this should unfold—each day will feel like a new life. The changes will be so rapid that people will lose their sense of time.

Today we sense that there is morning and evening; we say things like “come tomorrow,” “in a week,” or “in a month.” However, this will disappear because we’ll lose our sense of time. Time will become a change of states, to the point where people won’t even think in terms of morning or evening. These notions will disappear from their consciousness and time will only be measured through changes taking place within them.

This is how we rise above time and space. All of our sensations will no longer depend on them. We will continue to eat, drink, and do things in this world, but a new mechanism and new attitude will begin to get a hold of us, until this entire world will disappear, and we will smoothly transfer into a new state. The importance of this world will be lost to such an extent that we will simply stop seeing and sensing it.

The extent to which we rise in order to connect to one another is the extent to which this world will begin to disappear.
[54519]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/2011, Rabash’s article

Related Material:
An Obscure Cloud Over The World
Learning To See The Good
Indifference Kills Quietly, Like A Cunning Serpent

Amalek, A Cunning Enemy

Dr. Michael LaitmanFor a person aspiring toward spirituality there’s no greater enemy than Amalek. When Amalek takes over, we feel tired, confused and lose the importance of spiritual work. He takes away our desire to apply efforts to reveal the Creator and become like Him. We begin to find many reasons why this isn’t worthwhile doing. And this is called the power of Amalek.

He doesn’t come at us as an obvious or revealed enemy, but sneaks up inconspicuously and implants a feeling of tiredness, laziness, making spirituality seem unimportant. You can do a thousand different things instead of doing a very important, specific, and properly defined action that will bring you to the goal. You’re ready to do anything but that! This is called Amalek.

He doesn’t reveal himself as an attacker and a hateful enemy whom you know you have to destroy.
[54522]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/2011, Rabash’s article

Related Material:
Indifference Kills Quietly, Like A Cunning Serpent
The War Against Amalek
Is There Life Without A Screen?