The number of people in the world who suffer from depression is increasing. Rejection, not understanding the meaning of our existence, drug use, and terrorism, are all indicators of our disappointment in life.

We have come to the point where we must bring the world to a rational, balanced state. Now, since now many people find themselves unemployed and have nothing to do, it is a very dangerous social factor and governments are afraid of that. So what can be done?

It is impossible to destroy millions and even billions of the supposedly superfluous in the world simply by wars. It would be a war after which nothing would remain. There is no reasonable solution, even if we approach the problem according to Malthus: “Let’s just purify humanity of all the redundant elements and cut it in half”—this will not work!

We see how the collapse of one tenth of a nuclear power plant in Japan had terrible effects throughout the world, most of which we still don’t know about, like in Chernobyl, because the information remains classified.

But even these small “problems” are enough to stop the construction of nuclear power plants around the world. The decision makers understand the threat and so they stop building them. But by this single action, we can see that there is no problem and no solution. The problem is somewhere else all together: How can we bring billions of people to a balanced state?

So we should see the release of so many people from their work as the transition of man to another kind of work, to productive social work, so that we can really make human society more beneficial for everyone.

This can be implemented only through the integral education of everyone. Thus we raise a person to the level of integral understanding, of the global management of nature, and then he treats himself, the world, and everything else differently.

First he understands that the problem isn’t just about rich people and poor people, about good or bad leaders, or about billionaires who take everything for themselves, but he understands that there is a clear trend here, and this is how nature develops us. This means that we should take on a form that is adapted to nature because we cannot do anything against it. The only thing we can do is to understand the laws of nature. If we are adapted to the laws of nature we will bring ourselves to the most comfortable state.
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From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 2/26/12

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By understanding that we are in an integrated, closed, giant sphere that constantly develops us; we simply need to study its laws and try our best to act accordingly. Then we will naturally feel better.

Now we are preparing a presentation for the UN about the program of education for adults.

We are developing an education program for the unemployed for the Spanish government. The rate of unemployment among people below the age of 40 in Spain has risen to 60%. This is a very serious problem for the country because these people are gradually losing all hope and they cannot build a family. They are in a terrible situation: People who graduated from European universities now find nothing to do. The most important thing is to make them part of the normal development of growing and improving.

We believe that instead of unemployment benefits, these people should receive scholarships. By studying, a person becomes a useful member of society because he or she gives society an integral part that balances the nation and society with nature.

Consequently great forces are released: kindness and goodwill instead of hatred, a careful attitude towards the society one lives in instead of protest movements, etc. All the sharp edges and all the problems gradually disappear. Now we are preparing this program.

We are facing grave problems because we are still egoists. Although we understand that we can transcend to a global and integral society and we see that it is necessary, we are still very far from it.

Therefore, the integral education is designed to gradually and softly prepare us for that, not by blows and suffering as a result of the crisis, but by recognition; to soften us by understanding, by getting closer, rationally helping us through to the next phase. This is the mission of our institute.

There are other people in the world who are working in the same direction. In the meantime they are very few, but we are in touch with them.

By the way, when the integral system is gradually accepted something interesting happens: Many resources are released. People begin to treat what we have correctly, and suddenly there is a balance: everything is enough for everyone and everyone is happy. This is what a person actually needs. Therefore, we should see how nature is pushing us towards this state.
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From a Lecture at Šiauliai University, Lithuania, 3/22/12

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Question: When will our work have a real impact on the reasoning of scientists and researchers?

Answer: We need to help them see the whole picture. They are already talking about the signs of an integral world, but they cannot gather individual observations into one system, into a unified methodology.

In addition, they are afraid to delve deeper into this topic because the idea of an integral world leads them to a confrontation with those in power. Current governments are still acting egoistically and individualistically, failing to realize that by doing so they are destroying themselves. Politicians lack an integral perception. Unlike them, scientists observe nature and speak about what they see. Who hears them is another story.

There is another problem: However wonderful the words spoken by various experts and specialists may be, no matter how much they pontificate about interconnection and the need to unify, they don’t have the means to implement it. Money and military might won’t help here. Even if all the people in the world exclaim, “Yes, we want to be one global village!” what will happen after this unanimous declaration of their will? Nothing, except for a world war. After sensing even more acutely the ties that bind them to each other, they will unleash a war in order to sever this connection.

Scientists do not have a solution; they don’t know how to change man. So why scream about how harmful egoism is if you do not have the remedy? In the past, doctors didn’t tell patients that they were terminally ill. There were no means to even slow down the progression of an illness, and therefore, a person was left in the dark so he would suffer less. “Do not put obstacles in front of a blind person,” says the Torah. Why reveal the truth if you are unable to help a person deal with it?

So without revealing the wisdom of Kabbalah, without the message of mutual guarantee proceeding from us, humanity doesn’t have a single chance to correct anything. And this is now our problem: How can we establish connection with people and explain to them that it is possible to correct egoism and thereby correct the world.

We are talking precisely about the correction of man. Nothing else will help here. Many already understand that all evil is contained in human nature. However, they throw up their hands: “A human being is egoistic and nothing can be done about it.” If we don’t supply people with the method of the correction of egoism, if we don’t explain that it is actually attainable, the world has no chance. So far, however, we’ve been working half-heartedly.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/30/2012, “Preface to The Book of Zohar”

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Our approach to replacing the current education method includes both theoretical developments and practical work, and pertains both to children and adults. Today there are many others in the world who conduct similar research and practical work either parallel to us or based on our work.

Presently the situation in schools has become so complicated that it’s dangerous for kids to be there. Too often they become victims of peer pressure, bullying, cruelty, and violence. It seems that the only reason kids attend school is to learn bad examples.

In contrast, we are implementing a new system of education and upbringing. The integral method rules out a form of education when children sit opposite an instructor, who stands before them and demands of them certain knowledge, which ultimately results in exams. First and foremost, we turn studying into a game, a discussion, or a conversation. Children sit in a circle with an instructor on equal terms, and not as lesser individuals against someone greater than them, and discuss some topic. Through this mutual discussion they begin to understand the material and naturally and easily absorb it within.

Having gone through such education, our children enter universities as early as 13-14 years of age. They perceive the material completely differently: freely and easily. They recognize all the particular items they study as parts of one integral whole.

Additionally, we have great success with younger children being taught by older ones, like when 12-13 year olds teach 9-10 year olds. This practice has proven to be very beneficial for both. The older kids are proud of being able to teach the younger ones, and this pride raises their self-esteem. And the younger kids are proud that the older ones pay attention to them.

This way we solve many psychological problems and issues by removing all conflicts and tension in the classroom and school.
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From a lecture at Siauliai University 3.22.2012

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Question: The egoistic modern personality rests on such human concepts as honor and dignity.

Answer: Even having no dignity and honor, everyone tries to emphasize that they uphold honor, tries to play the role of a modern gentleman.

In mutual integral interaction this doesn’t exist. Here we declare that the only true value is our unification. The only thing that matters is whether a person is able to unite with others, to understand them, and to open himself up so that they will understand him and unite with him into one whole. All the good that there is in the world and us is realized only in this.

Anything else that is not under the label of unification is faulty, and we simply denounce it. What is more, these denouncements are essential in order to unite. This means that they are actually positive! Without them, we wouldn’t be able to achieve anything.

All our negative attributes are needed in order to create the positive attributes; on top of them and in contrast to them, we build everything that is positive because initially there is nothing positive in us. Thanks to the ego that grows in us, we can constantly develop the attribute of bestowal and the love of others, which is opposite to it.

Question: A person with an “inflated” sense of honor and dignity perceives such a group of people as spineless losers.

Answer: We are like that by nature. Nature operates us by instincts! We receive an education in kindergarten and then in school; nothing is our own. The natural instincts are not mine. So who am I? My instincts operate me, my body and throw me into battles with others, and all this isn’t me! I only experience suffering as a result of everything that my distorted nature does with me and everything that I was taught by the society.

Actually I have nothing in life. I am a poor puppet that suffers from having been made this way in a corrupt factory.

If we reach this conclusion, then there is nothing to be proud of. On the contrary, let’s help one another. And if we don’t want to correct ourselves, if we don’t wish to help, it also is part of our negative attributes.

Naturally, it is necessary to ensure continuous cooperation, mutual help, and, of course, constant, serious training in a group.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #13, 12/18/11

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The Šiauliai region site and the news portal of the Lithuanian TV channel published an article titled “Šiauliai University Has Signed a Contract with the ARI Institute (Israel).”

On March 22, at the library of Šiauliai University, the Vice-Rector for International Relations and Development Professor Teodoras Tamošiūnas and the director of the ARI Institute Professor Michael Laitman (Israel) signed a cooperation agreement between Šiauliai University of Lithuania and the ARI Institute (Israel).

At the press-conference, Professor Michael Laitman presented the principles of the integral education and upbringing. Professor Teodoras Tamošiūnas said that Siauliai University has a long tradition of teacher training, and thus integral education, advocated by the professor from Israel, can be developed in Siauliai. The Vice-Rector said that the visit of Professor Michael Laitman to Šiauliai University and signing of the contract with the ARI Institute indicate the recognition of Šiauliai University.

According to the lecturer Vida Skačkauskaitė, who participated in the press-conference, the system of integral education aims at creating a new human being and society. According to her, Šiauliai University that began to apply and promote the method of integral education can serve as a model for other institutions of Lithuania.

After the signing of the contract, the library of Šiauliai University hosted a conference, during which Professor Michael Laitman gave a lecture on the topic of “The Integral Upbringing: Why?” There were also other speakers from France, Ukraine, and Israel.

Professor Michael Laitman is a Professor of Ontology and epistemology, MSc in bio-Cybernetics, Doctor of Philosophy. Professor Michel Laitman is a member of The World Wisdom Council and the founder and director of the ARI Institute. Using innovative ideas that are suitable for solving the acute problems of modern upbringing, he is seeking positive change in the education strategy. The professor presented a new approach to education, which applies the laws of the interconnected integral world.

Michael Laitman set up new landmarks and explained how to live in the new global village of humanity—more technologically connected in our interconnected world.

His view encompasses different areas of human life: social, economic, and environmental. In addition, a special focus is given to education, a system that provides universal values​ and thus creates a harmonious society in our so closely connected reality.

Over the past three decades, Professor Michael Laitman published over 40 books that were translated into 18 languages.

Photo: Sigita Inchyurene
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Question: I see the system of the integral upbringing as a large quantity of groups around the entire world: virtual and physical ones. This is a huge mass of people. Among them there might be people whose point in the heart is awakening. Do we need to create some mechanism of “career growth” for them, meaning the transition into groups with more intensive study?

Answer: They will make themselves known and will want it. They will come to the instructors themselves, offer their help, and express desire to participate in this process. Obviously, then they will transfer to the groups that we belong to. There will be a lot of people like this. I hope there will be hundreds of millions of them.

Nevertheless, the majority of people will stay as inert as today. We will be obliged to provide them with upbringing and education. There is nothing we can do since this is a pyramid. The majority of people exist at the basis of the pyramid, and it is very hard to move it from its place. However, due to the crisis related problems, they will develop the receptivity.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #14, 12/18/11

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Question: You said that the key to success is concessions.

Answer: Yes, willingness to concede is one of the necessary conditions. Learning about mutual guarantee should be a gradual process. First of all, we need to study human psychology and the psychology of the relationships between two friends, spouses, parents and children, neighbors, and relatives (for example, with mothers-in-law or people with whom conflicts are possible), and then we should proceed with studying the relationships in a workplace, with one’s nation, and with the whole world.

In other words, starting with close and understandable sensations that anyone can experience and by developing perceptivity, skill, and acuteness of feeling within people, we have to gradually bring them to working with wider circles of society. As a consequence, we’ll be able to understand which countries, parliaments, and rulers can unite with each other.

Let us imagine these structures and the form in which this can be realized. When we become involved in this study, we begin to understand what changes need to take place in the world.

We see that all of today’s leaders aren’t able to solve anything; they have not been brought up in the spirit of mutual guarantee and lack the knowledge of integral systems. They do not look at the world through the “glasses” of mutual guarantee. They need to gain the perception, awareness, and understanding of how to achieve that, how to connect one with the other, all the way to the point of attaining love. And of course, the willingness to make mutual concessions is necessary in this process.

This doesn’t mean that I conduct business negotiations with you, and while forming a contract I initially include clauses that will allow me to retract later in order to swindle you. We build honest relationships from the very beginning. From the very first item of any agreement it is clear to us that we cannot violate it. We cannot run away from each other.

It follows that all the problems, on all levels, are problems of upbringing. Mutual guarantee is the network of connection between us that ties us to one another in the entire world. It became revealed now, in our time. A few decades ago, in the 60’s, the founders of the Club of Rome started writing about it. At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists started talking about the fact that we are all interconnected through what they called noosphere. Since then and to this day all kinds of research is being conducted in this area.

The system of mutual guarantee has become revealed, and it binds us together, not allowing us to run away from each other. By wanting to violate it, we can unleash terrible wars, but then suffering will still force us to reach this form of mutual connection, mutual concessions, mutual guarantee, and mutual love.

Someone might object, saying that humanity has already thought about this. Five hundred years ago, various utopians wrote about it, and then the communists, Kibbutzniks, and others. All of this is true, and we only need to understand that never before in history was this a mandatory condition of our development. There were individual people who saw that this is necessary for humanity and that ultimately, humanity will come to that. Thomas Mann understood this, and then the communists in Russia and in other countries, but they were all isolated individuals whom the people never followed. They foresaw to many years ahead, and it seemed to them that they could implement it immediately.

And we are starting to talk about this today because the all-encompassing crisis shows us exactly what we are lacking: We lack mutual guarantee. In other words, it’s happening not because we wanted it to happen, but because it’s necessary for our development, and nature is forcing us towards it.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” Episode 5, 1/5/12

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Question: How do the interpersonal relationships change during the process of integral interaction?

Answer: It stems naturally from the changes a person undergoes. We don’t set any limitations; we don’t demand that our listeners comply with any conditions or conventions except during the lesson. In order for a person to perceive correctly the material we study, we limit ourselves to one topic only or to several topics that can come under the main topic of the lesson.

On the whole, there are different situations that the participants feel, from rejection to acceptance, and this repeats interchangeably, in waves. It all has to be studied and discussed. We are really interested in conducting the lessons in the form of a court trial so that people will reveal themselves to the maximum.

Suppose two people who cannot look at one another come to the lesson. They admit it and want to clarify their relationship. Otherwise they will not advance and will hold other people, their group, back. They will be punished for that, so to speak, in the form of a much stronger response on nature’s part because they harm the unity of the group by not being able to work out the relationship between them.

So perhaps under certain pressure from the members of the group (depending on what kind of a descent they are in), the clarifications begin. We are very happy when we encounter such cases, when all of it can be deciphered, researched, and corrected.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #13, 12/18/11

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