Entries in the 'Kabbalah Study' Category

Is There An End To Studying Kabbalah?

laitman_261Question: Is there an end to studying Kabbalah?

Answer: No. The end to studying lies in infinity. Even after we leave this world, we continue our attainment in the upper world, outside of our bodies. So do not worry, everything is still ahead.

Question: What final state should a person arrive at?

Answer: The final state is full connection with all created beings and with the Creator in a single union, in a common desire.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 3/10/19

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When Everything Disappears From Memory…

552.02Question: When I read Kabbalistic books, I undergo many experiences and sensations. But after reading, everything disappears from my head. What to do with it?

Answer: This is good! While reading, you experience all of this, pass it in your states. Do not worry that they disappear. The main thing is that you have passed through them, that they have worked within you as long as they should have worked.

Do not worry about what you have forgotten, what you read; you should not hold on to anything: not in memory, nor in feelings, nor in your heart, nor in your mind. Do not try to hold on to anything! Let everything flow. The next state will always be higher, better than the previous one. Make room for it!
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 3/10/19

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The Person Is Revealed, Not The Text

Laitman_522.03Question: Did Kabbalists write texts with codes and hide secrets with letters or words or should the books be understood as they are written?

Answer: You should understand them as they are written. Then you will see that a completely new and different meaning is found, not in the text itself, but within you, as a reaction to the text. That is, you unfold, not the text.

There is no code, no secret, no cipher in the text. The whole cipher is inside you. Your reactions to the same words will be completely different . You will be captured by what is revealed within you.

In principle, the text will be the same text and the book will be the same book; only you will perceive it in a new way. For example, when reading a book for the first time, you will feel that it says something clever and then, returning to it again after a couple of years, you will see that it describes the structure of the upper world and you are in it.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson In Russian, 3/10/19

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The Secret Of Black Holes

Laitman_152Remark: Black holes have been verified. Time stops there; the laws of physics do not apply. The gravitational field is so strong that it consumes everything, including the light.

My Comment: The laws of physics of this world do not work there.

Question: What does this knowledge give us?

Answer: It lets us understand that there is a border for time, space, and motion. Completely foreign laws are in effect there that we cannot approach or study.

That is, we can guess based on what we know that everything is different there. But how different? In a few more centuries, we still will be no closer to discovering this because we are standing behind the radio-telescopes that gave us a picture of that black hole.

We are trying to research this phenomenon with our egoistic minds that are quite mechanical rather than quantum, and therefore, nothing will come from it.

In order to perform a serious study of what lies beyond, of what happens inside the black hole, where totally different laws of physics are at play, we too need to be different.

We have only caught a glimpse of our universe to this point of transition to some other space. This is the boundary of our attainment. We call it “the border.” It is the boundary of time and space. Neither exist there.

We have no knowledge of whatever lies inside these black holes. One thing is clear: everything disappears there for us. It would be interesting to see how we would appear from up there if we looked at this world through this black eye.

Remark: This would be interesting, indeed! To look, from a different dimension, at our own.

My Comment: We would appear to be very primitive, below the speed of light. It is the most primitive state in all of nature—existence below the speed of light. This means that I am completely under the power of mechanical light. I am overpowered by it and controlled by it; I am nothing. I do not exist because my “I” cannot be felt.

Question: What will bring us to the understanding that when a person changes, so does the world?

Answer: When our world becomes a black hole where everything disappears.

Comment: When will humanity arrive at this state?

Answer: We will arrive at it through the recognition of evil, which we are gradually approaching. We can feel this evolution.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman,” 4/23/19

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New States Are Better Than The Old Ones

580.03Question: If I read Baal HaSulam’s letters and feel how I roll along with the author from one described state to another, how can I not leave this internal movement with him? How can I stay with the author all the time?

Answer: It really takes a lot of effort. But even if it does not work, do not worry, you will come to this again anyway. Most importantly, do not try to stay in a particular spiritual state. Real Kabbalists even asked to forget everything and start anew. Imagine how much they understood that new states are better than old ones. Do not be afraid of anything! Surrender to this flow, let it carry you forward.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 3/10/19

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“One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Mankind”

laitman_928Exactly 50 years ago, a significant event happened: the world watched with bated breath as man made his first steps on the Moon. All the radio stations and TV channels were broadcasting the words of Neil Armstrong: “That is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Now, after 50 years, can we say that it really was a great breakthrough for humanity?

Back then, I was a young man, 23 years old, a student, and I remember how I was inspired by these shots. I used to dream of such journeys. There were a lot of people around me and we all kept our eyes glued to the screen watching what was happening.

First of all, I was interested in this as a scientist, which I was preparing to become. It was a major breakthrough in science. Of course if you look at this event today, it does not seem so fateful. Today no one is impressed by space travel. However, at that time, people were very passionate about it. Man wanted to get out of the earthly framework, to break away from the Earth and find out what is happening beyond it.

This really was a giant leap for humanity, looking up from Earth, we established for certain that the Earth is round. In ancient times, people generally considered it to be a disk. I remember being struck by images from the Moon: the globe rising above the horizon just as we usually see the Moon rising in the sky. It was a very interesting inversion.

We began to understand that we are in a vast universe that is empty. There is no other life in the entire universe except for the one unique ecosystem which connects inanimate nature, plants, animals, and people on Earth, and gives us life. We took a step into space, opening a new space, but it was dead.

Here humanity is beginning to realize two opposites: we face the endless open space of the universe, but there is no life in it, just stones and a vacuum. Therefore, we need to take care of our planet—there will be no other place. It is necessary to perceive all people as living together in one house. I do not see that going to the Moon has changed people’s attitudes in this sense. But at least it has triggered research in this direction.

Over the past 50 years humanity has developed significantly, but for the worse. We have proven that we are alone in the universe and that the Earth is a unique place that gives us life. Yet, despite this, we are destroying it, approaching an irreversible red line, and we do not consider anyone. It shows us how destructive our egoism is; it is killing us and we need to do something about it.

The next “small step for man, which will become a giant leap for humanity” will be a step toward unification between us. To do so, you do not need to step on the Moon or another planet, but you need to step on yourself. Each person must step on his own egoism, then we will really make a huge breakthrough for all humanity because we will be able to save ourselves from self-destruction.

If each of us takes a small step out of himself, stepping on his own selfishness, it will elevate us all much higher than the Moon and the stars in a completely different dimension. We cannot abolish our egoism, but we can rise above it. This requires a special force; no rocket will be able to raise us above ourselves.

Each person is held by the force of gravity of his own egoism, and therefore, it is necessary to awaken the opposite force, which will tear him away from the love for himself. The wisdom of Kabbalah is intended for this purpose and only it gives us the power to elevate ourselves above the surface of the Earth, to tear us away from the egoism that presses us to the earth.

We would like to rise and grow above our egoism, but we cannot. This requires a special method of connection, which is taught by Kabbalah. Then we will feel ourselves in a rocket in the boundless universe. By breaking away from egoism, we will understand what special forces the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, and the entire universe have. We will learn why this system is built this way and what our role is, why we exist in it. Everything will become clear to us; we just need to rise above our egoism.
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/18/19

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The Source Of All Existing

Laitman_138Baal HaSulam, “The Writings of Baal HaSulam Volume 1, “The Quality of the Wisdom of the Hidden in General,” This Superior Principle Is Defined in One, Unique, and Unified One: It is obvious that the upper one is one. He comprises the whole of reality and all the times—past, present, and future—for one cannot give that which one does not have. Had the whole of reality and the existence of reality not been included in Him they would not have emerged from Him, as is evident to any scrutinizer, and without minding that we find corruptions in the manners of the existence of reality.

Indeed, know that this is the study that the sages of the hidden call “one.” The first to study it was Abraham the Patriarch. (This is explained in the Book of Creation and is therefore attributed to Abraham the Patriarch.) This means that there aren’t two authorities here—good and bad—but only good.

The fundamental principle of the wisdom of Kabbalah is that there is only one force, one goal, one path, and one movement, in the universe, that is, only one source, besides which nothing exists. Hence the saying: “There is nothing else besides Him.”

All that seems to us to exist besides Him, is in fact, Him. The fact that someone somewhere and somehow sees that something supposedly exists is just a slight misalignment, a difference from the center, when you have to combine two lines so that they hit the target slot exactly. Then, the person will again begin to feel that there is none besides the Creator.

All deviations from the concept of “one, unique, and unified” are given to us so that we will repeatedly strive to confirm it and merge ourselves with it. This is the goal of our development. Development is to enter and dissolve in this unity.

It does not fit into our mind, memory, nor in our analytical capabilities because for this we need to completely redo our approach, our view of the goal, the world, space, time, motion, and in general, everything. We should relate everything to only one sensation: I exist or He alone.

Question: So, I do not exist? Is there only Him?

Answer: Of course, I do not exist. I exist only when I differ from Him or when I merge with Him.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 1/27/19

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The Structure Of The Universe, Part 2

laitman_251Stages of Development of Creation

The Creator emanates the Light (+) of fulfillment, satisfaction, which gives birth to a desire for it, the Kli (vessel) (-).

The Light is stage 0 (Keter). The first stage, Hochma, is already a desire to receive that wants to enjoy the Light. This desire is natural, instinctive. We usually depict it in the shape of a cup receiving the Light.

After the Light created the desire, it began to transform. Now it wants to be like the Light, and therefore, it refuses to enjoy. The Light gradually transfers its properties of bestowal, and the desire, which now wants to bestow on its own and be similar to the Light, empties out. This is the third stage, Bina.

Question: If at stage one I wanted to receive, then in stage two, under the influence of the Light, do I suddenly want to bestow, become like the Light?

Answer: Under the influence of the Light you begin to change.

The third stage is a very interesting one. It is opposite from the first stage, meaning that here the created being achieves the state opposite to the one it was created in. Afterward, Bina decides: “If I want to bestow, I must realize myself.” Therefore, with its desire to bestow, it creates a new stage called Zeir Anpin.

This is a desire to receive but a very small one, not as big as the stage of Hochma.

Question: Why is stage two insufficient? After all, we become like the upper force that bestows.

Answer: No. We become like the upper force in our intention, but not in our form. We do not bestow anything in Bina, we simply refuse to receive. But when Bina realizes itself in Zeir Anpin, the third stage, this is how it realizes itself as similar to the Creator.

Therefore, Keter is the property of the Creator to bestow. Hochma is the realization of this desire, bestowal. Bina receives the property that Hochma passes on to it, and in turn, refuses to receive.

But for now, it has nothing to give and it does not even want to.

In the third stage Zeir Anpin, Bina realizes its property of bestowal. It is as if it has given birth to it, created this next property, and fulfilled it.

Question: So, in this third stage, I both give and take a little?

Answer: Yes. Zeir Anpin is complex, compound, as if it consists of two parts, as does Bina. Hochma also consist of two parts and so does Keter. Meaning, the desire to receive is always present.

When Zeir Anpin is completely filled by Bina, it begins to feel that what is most important to it is to be filled rather than refusing to receive. Therefore, the property that desires to be filled is called Malchut (kingdom)—the kingdom of desires.

Malchut is completely opposite to Keter. Meaning that finally the creation, which is completely opposite to the Creator, wants to realize what He has planned for it. Meaning that the Creator wants to bestow, and Malchut wants to receive what Keter wants to bestow.
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From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah” 11/27/18

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laitman_548.03The Plan Of Creation—To Bring Enjoyment To Creation

Question: What is the purpose of creation?

Answer: The purpose of creation is of utmost importance. It precedes everything created to where we are now.

The purpose of creation is to bring enjoyment to the creation. In order to accomplish this, creation has to have a desire to enjoy. Therefore, first there has to be a lack in creation, a sensation of what creation wants. The main quality of the matter of creation is the sensation that it lacks something. This is called “the desire to receive pleasure.”

This desire should develop gradually because creation will be able to determine what is desirable and undesirable for itself, at what stages, in what form, etc., only if the desire develops in a gradual manner. In other words, creation cannot be created immediately. One can quickly build a machine that will perform a certain function, but in order for creation to be independent, for it to become similar to its Creator, for it to enjoy, the desire has to go through certain stages of development.

Question: It turns out that even the Creator cannot create a creation at once, without any stages of development?

Answer: The answer is no. If creation wouldn’t go through a gradual process of development, then it would not be a creation. It would be like a robot, similar to the inanimate, vegetative and animal levels of nature that automatically carry out their programming without any freewill and independent participation on their behalf.

To create a human being is to develop the desire to a point of independence, bringing it to an awareness who it is, what it is, who controls it, and why and how it has been created specifically the way it has. On one hand, this desire has to have qualities opposite to the Creator, and on the other hand, it has to have the opportunity to achieve the Creator’s properties. This is how creation can eventually reach perfection. Therefore, everything begins with the Creator’s influence on creation.
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From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah,” 11/27/18

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Infallible Kabbalists?

laitman_961.2Question: Is there a personality cult in Kabbalah? Do you believe in the infallibility of some authors or should everything be treated with a certain degree of skepticism?

Answer: Frankly speaking, I, with my little spiritual attainment, cannot afford to rate Kabbalists. Indeed, despite the fact that I feel, comprehend, attain, and dwell in some spiritual space, I am in it at the level of a fifteen-year-old boy in our world.

What can I say about it? In the spiritual world when you comprehend even at such a level, it gives you the feeling that you are just a young person, you still don’t know much, and therefore, you cannot open your mouth, criticize, or give any assessment.

Can I criticize such great Kabbalists like my teacher Rabash and his father Baal HaSulam or those who preceded them: Baal Shem Tov and the Ari? They are all in absolute attainment of the Creator. Therefore, I have nothing to say in this matter.

I accept their books as absolute knowledge. Those are people who made no mistakes in rising to their level, and their level is practically in the Final Correction (Gmar Tikkun).

The only difference between them is that each attained it from the root of his soul, so there is a difference in the presentation. But for me, it is actually good. I read from one angle about the attainment of the upper world, then from another, from a third, and it develops me.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 3/10/19

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