Question: In Russia we have several groups of 10-12 people each, who specialize in integral learning. They have been studying the materials for six months, they have begun to write articles, and now the time has come for practical training. These are the circles we are preparing to become teachers and educators. What are our goals and objectives?

Answer: I think that first they need to study the materials on integral education and upbringing, learn to conduct focus groups, master classes, lectures, and then do practical training.

Groups can be much larger than 12 people. Let others join them – large social circles still need to be exposed to the integral knowledge.

First you need to make a class where you would teach and involve people in preparing materials for the publishing of books on the integral method, because this makes them advance.

Second, it is necessary to form them into a group, which will use this material (even before the actual book is ready, but parts of it are being prepared) and present these excerpts, these small works to different specialists, who will comment on them. This group will work with the material, get in touch with the specialists, and have various talks with them.

This way, this kind of work, the collection of materials, will basically turn into the formation of a certain community, a club, which will then generate their ideas in a more practical way, adapted to the social environment the club is in.

Our objective is to turn these people into active disseminators of the notion of the integral community, who would realize this through the search for appropriate scientists and specialists who agree with the integral ideas. I think that this is what matters most.

Because no matter where we are, we primarily must establish connection with people who society recognizes as the bearers of knowledge, who could join us and support us and one another to make this idea accessible to large circles of people. It is very important to the general population where the idea comes from; in other words, it must be a big community.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/31/12

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Opinion (From Slon.ru): “Report ‘On the required proportion of altruists in society: a model study’ (the Institute of Management Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow).

“The prosperity of the economy is based on the correct proportions of altruists and egoists. If a society consists only of egoists, it will be ruined: Altruists are needed not only for moral or philosophical, but also for purely financial reasons. In an unfavorable environment, a society of egoists is unsustainable. However, the number of altruists greater than 10% among egoists is also harmful to society. …

“The researchers then altered the conditions of simulation: They made several participants ‘altruists;’ they always voted for the ‘suggestions’ that increased the ‘capital’ of society as a whole. While there were few ‘altruists,’ they acted to the detriment of themselves: Their ‘capital’ decreased, even if the ‘capital of society’ grew as a whole. The more ‘altruists,’ the better the society as a whole. The maximum benefit of society is when all are ‘altruists.’ …

“The researchers then complicated the model and introduced a different type of altruism – targeted support for the poorest in society, where members can go broke. Result: The total number of bankruptcy was reached when there is a minimum of 10% ‘altruists-philanthropists.’ A further increase in the share of ‘altruists’ leads to the state when they need to be protected, and the growth of this demand outstrips the growth of ‘protection,’ which they can provide. If society is too focused on ‘protecting the poor,’ it generally becomes poorer.”

My Comment: That is why up to 10% of altruists (See Baal HaSulam “The Last Generation”) is needed in the world for the egoistic society to prosper until it finds, as today, its final state and turns to the method of integral correction in order to reach a society that consists of altruists.
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Question: Can you give an example of a joint, practical exercise that can be given to married couples in the integral education course?

Answer: First of all, we need to be concerned that their mutual influence on each other will be constant. Apart from that, during the time from meeting to meeting, they must maintain a connection between themselves, share impressions every few hours.

Couples work together in a partnership. Sometimes one of them is higher than the other and sometimes they are equals. They learn all of this in a new system of mutual relationships, doing homework every day. During the day they do follow ups:

How many times, in one way or another, did they have to remember the principle “love covers all transgressions,” how many times did they need to go above their ego in order to see their partner positively instead of negatively, and within themselves to see their egoism as negative instead of positive.

Each one exchanges the criticism of the partner with self-criticism, meaning, in clarifying his or her own attributes that are displayed in the other as bad. Couples note how many times they supported each other at home, and how many times that they were in contact with other couples, let’s say, once every three to four hours, by phone or internet or through conference calls.

And so they advance forwards every day meeting at the course and receiving new, methodological explanations. After a learning session should follow a workshop and homework for the next day.

In addition, one should allot separate time for clarification of the past day. It could be that something was not successful, so what can be done to succeed? And it can be that today, during the course, instead of going forward according to plan, it is worthwhile to go over the lesson and workshop on the same subjects and questions that accumulated from yesterday.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 7/11/12

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I must understand that in my mutual relationships with others, the positive force is on the outside, and the negative force is inside me. It isn’t by chance that it is written, “Man’s heart is evil from his youth.”

It is a problem of how we perceive ourselves and the world. We naturally imagine that the world is corrupt and that we are corrected. We take care of ourselves, think about what is good for us, and look at everything from the perspective of how to use everything to our benefit. I constantly worry about one thing only: “How can I feel better?”

This indicator, this inner program that is constantly active inside us, is the ego. This program focuses all my thoughts and desires in one direction: to use the world for my own benefit.

If I imagine that my hardware, my “iron,” is the starting point, my abilities, my attributes, the potential of my thoughts and desires that are in it, then the ego is my software. This software of self-fulfillment was installed within me.

My attributes are neither good nor bad, but the egoistic software that operates me obliges me to use them for my own benefit and, at the same time, at the expense of others since this enables me to feel above those who are around me. This is our ego, the evil inclination. The inclination itself is the “iron,” and the evil is the software, the addition.

Now, I must turn this software from evil to good. The inclination stays the same, but I change the method of using it. I see that the endless chase of self-benefit only harms me in the end. The evil inclination is bad for me, but, when I begin with the help of the environment to change it to a good attitude toward others, it actually brings me good, too.

How does that happen? Why do I feel good when I treat others well, and why do I feel bad when I harm others? It is because I come closer to the truth this way and begin to feel that the others and I are the same thing.

It is like a mother who “merges” with her child. It brings us together so closely that we feel as one whole and merge into a new, inseparable system of mutual relationship by stopping to differentiate between what happens to myself or to someone else.

Thus, all of humanity becomes one family. Perhaps not right away, but it’s a start, and we already understand this approach that is totally based on psychology.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 7/11/12

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Question: It has come to my attention that Israelis are very easily switched to feelings. While, say, in Russia, a person is used to solving problems with reason, and when I ask him: “What do you feel?”, he answers me with a question: “And what are feelings?”.

However, throughout the seminar on the integral method, which was carried out for regular people, I did not have to explain it. Maybe, it is a phenomenon of the influence by the common integral field?

Answer: I think that it is not only the influence of the common field. If you are not dealing with high level politicians, big public figures, and leaders of all kinds, who, by the nature of their work, have become so “covered up,” then everyone else can very quickly and very easily switch over to feelings. This can be seen in the results of the roundtables.

Even ardent enemies can face each other there, for example, Arab representatives from the so-called “occupied” territories and students from Tel-Aviv, who are absolutely different from each other, Bedouins from the Negev and so on. Meaning, that it can be professors and right next to them, the recently arrived repatriates from Ethiopia, Africa. And suddenly it turns out that the integral approach brings them to such a common denominator, that, say, after 40 minutes of talking, you no longer feel any difference between them.

That is an amazing phenomenon! It cannot be explained by anything other than the fact that we are moving towards commonality coinciding with nature, which begins to be revealed within us on the next level, today it is felt as unwanted, as a crisis and so on. And in reality, if we move towards it, then it turns out that here, in us, a kind of new force is emerging, new opportunities, a new internal structure of nature.

We suddenly jump up to a new platform, which is moving somewhere, and it becomes simple and easy for us. And based on our new commonality, which we literally have created in 30-40 minutes, we can reach agreements and solve various questions. We want to stay in this feeling. It must constantly be cultivated and developed, and then it will become the most important thing for us in our lives.

First and foremost, of course, we need to provide basic living conditions, food and shelter, for everyone. But in principle, this is what is actually physically needed for man, as a representative of the animal world, all else will be evaluated from the point of view of commonality. And maintaining this commonality, common confidence, common support, interaction, warmth, safety, everything that man subconsciously feels coming from what he has attained in this connection will be most important for him.

With no regrets, he will refuse all kinds of excess just to maintain this feeling and to exist in it, to live in it, so that there he would have everything necessary for life, and most importantly, the perception of himself in a warm environment, in harmony. This is because here he begins to feel the revelation of a special force, a special quality. This comes from the global integral nature, which today begins to influence us this way.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12

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Question: There is concern that a person who is mentally included in the general integral system will stop applying regular physical effort, and it is possible to say that he will turn into an abstract slacker. Will there be place for linear human efforts in the integral world?

Answer: We were evolving throughout human history under the influence of the egoism developing in us. Egoism was going through various stages: physical egoism, food, sex, and family and egoism that directed us towards wealth, fame, power, and knowledge, but today, we have reached an impasse and need something higher.

The attracting force of the past egoistic development disappears; a person rushes to something, but where, it is unknown. That is why we have all these spiritual methods, techniques, manipulation, New Age, and the like. People are suddenly become attracted to religions again; truly, it seems “back and forth,” but in reality, it is a search that will pass quickly.

We enter into the integral. That is, now humanity will begin to understand that our next state is the creation of an integral society.

And what is wrong with our egoism?

Today, we have reached the line, and from here, we will start building an integral system or become like the integral system, nature, which is the same.

How do we do this? We do this with the egoism that grows in us.

What does it mean growing; we have said that it no longer grows?

It begins to grow so that you will transform it into integral. This is a completely different egoism, which will oppose and hinder your becoming integral. And on the basis of it, looking at it, you can change yourself because you will be able to see all the negative disturbances, this breaking in this mechanism, and how to correct it and become integral.

Why do we need this system?

We need it so that through all kinds of breakdowns, failures, suffering, various conflicts, the lack of understanding, and egoistic rejection of other people, my egoism dragged me away again.

Why do I need, on the basis of it, to try through my efforts to enter into the integral system with everyone?

Because then I obtain skills, learning like a pupil who does exercises. A pupil is given homework all the time; he should feel: correct or incorrect. The incorrect turns into the correct, it is said: “The experienced one is better than two inexperienced.” “The experienced one” is the one who realizes his transgressions, mistakes. That is, we are constantly analyzing our mistakes, but they are not our mistakes; thus, our egoistic nature is specially developed in us, not because we want this, but in order that we rise above it and create an integral community.

That is why egoism is growing, but this is an entirely different egoism, directed against the community.

This is another kind of work. If earlier I used egoism linearly and through it constantly advanced, developed egoistically, now I consciously, pushing against it, transform it into integral unity, connection with others. Today, it is building material for me; I build with its help.

Comment: So, for egoism to be manifested, do I have to interact with the world physically, do I have to be in this world?

Answer: Our world was created this way for this purpose because in it we can be simultaneously in egoistic and in higher qualities.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12

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Question: Many family members of those friends that have included themselves in the integral system began complaining that those friends became lazier and stopped taking care of some necessities. What is the correct way to deal with this? After all, shouldn’t a person put in the effort and fulfill his family obligations just as everyone else?

Answer: Everyone must actualize his necessary participation in family matters, and it should be done as part of the effort in his spiritual advancement. You must attend to your family’s needs. This is working with the same egoism, not only with personal egoism but also with family egoism. This work contributes to your advancement.

Comment: To the neighbors, this person should appear absolutely normal, caring for his family, earning money, striving to solve corporeal problems, etc.

Answer: To a certain extent. However, he shouldn’t strive to earn more than what is needed for the basic necessities. Everything he earns in excess of that, he is ready to give up for the purpose of uniting the world in any efforts and events. This is how he operates.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” 5/30/12 

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Question: How can we fulfill the recommendations of integral education in daily family life, in the mutual relations between a husband and a wife?

Answer: I don’t see any problem here. In the lectures for couples, we teach the chapter called “Free Will.” It provides information about nature and society from which we conclude that a person is a product of the environment. So if he wants to change, he only needs to choose the environment that will change him. It’s up to a person to decide, and the fulfillment is in the hands of the environment.

Suppose there are several rooms before me and in each room there is a special environment. One room will turn you into a criminal and in another room you will become an intellectual, in the third room you will be perfect, in the fourth room you will know how to make the right decisions, and in the fifth room you will become a perfect family man. You choose a room, go through it and come out from another door fully formed, an Oxford graduate or an armed robber, a gigolo, or a businessman, etc. It all depends on those “four walls.”

This is the reason that it’s so easy; all you need is to teach a person this principle and to prepare the right environment for him. Then he will undoubtedly succeed. So the problem we are facing is divided into two parts:

• To help a person decide, so that he will choose the right “room” which means the right environment.
• To prepare this environment for him.

Thus we provide him with everything that he needs.

Gradually people will join the new environment, expand it in quantity and reinforce it in quality. As it becomes more attractive, it will be easier for people to choose it and everyone will have a chance to be corrected. It isn’t difficult, all a person has to do is to become part of this society, and it will influence him.

Of course, the process of incorporation and improvement has to be accompanied by the right tools, but on the whole it’s very simple: A person doesn’t have to change himself, he only needs to establish the right connection with the right environment.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 7/11/12

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Question: How can we explain to the 99% of the population about the internal work they have to do?

Answer: When we gather, we think only about how our discussions can help us feel the general force, the general warmth, the general connection, and unity so that each one will stop feeling himself and feel only “we.” “We” is not the general sum of all of us, but “together.” And the “together” has to constantly melt so that you will totally lose all your individuality in it.

In the individuality that is lost, in this new force, in the new thought, just like in one man, in one figure that we create, we discover the inner part of nature and start feeling that this is the plan; that this is the motion. On the whole, we don’t create this, but surprisingly we discover within the unity the new level of our state, of our recognition, the existence outside the body, above corporeality and even above our existence, in another dimension. We can explain all that.

Gradually as a person begins to feel things, he will begin to hear and to believe. First, of course, he may say that it’s “new age” or mysticism and that he doesn’t want to come near such maneuvers of consciousness, etc. but we can bring him to that.

When people gradually turn to unity, by feeling relaxation, warmth, and the energy of life, and that they can solve all their problems correctly from this perspective, etc., it will fill them. They will understand and feel that they depend on us and that we have to organize them since they cannot do it on their own. They are like kids pretending to be grownups and instinctively, internally they will feel that they do need a leader to help them get started. We will have no problem holding unity events with them in the future too. Since we will be connected to them, they will begin to connect through us to the more internal levels of nature and to feel its plan, its motion, and the force of unity. Nature will begin to appear as one single thought.

I think that it will happen quite soon, and that within a year we will be able to speak about this openly. Actually, not just to speak about it, but to hold workshops presenting the task of uniting to such an extent to be able to feel the hidden natural forces and the hidden options.

In general everything stems from practical work. We are not managed by theory. Although we have many sources, we cannot rely on what we don’t understand correctly. We have to feel every step we make, and to what extent we get a response from society, from nature, from within, and by comparing all this, to advance step by step.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12

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Question: When a person encounters a negative situation in life he usually begins to ask questions such as, “What’s going on? Why did it happen to me?” As a result, it “triggers” either inherent religious mechanisms or thoughts about balance or fairness.

Answer: The paradigm is very simple. If I understand that there is one force that manages us and that we operate according to this plan, whether willingly or without choice, we still have to carry it out just as we have done throughout our whole evolution. This means that everything that happens to me is fulfilled according to this plan. Thus the positive or negative events occur only in order to help me and the people around me advance.

After many discussions about these states where I am impressed by others and by how they understand and see their life, I begin to understand that the most negative phenomena lead to the best outcomes when I use them to unite and to rise above myself.

It’s these phenomena that push me out of this life and help me rise in my feelings and my mind to unity, and so they are actually the best and the most desirable. I have to be more thankful for them rather than for those positive feelings that make me relax and not yearn to advance. It’s because in this case my desire is full so why should I rush anywhere.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12

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