Entries in the 'Kabbalah Study' Category

Kabbalistic Texts Are Multilayered

laitman_209Comment: In the past you have said that there are states in which a person looks at the letters in a text and they suddenly begin to disappear.

My Response: This is a phenomenon that happens when a person begins to be shaped by a particular emotion. This is a sign of emotional expression; the emotion itself having no form. So the letters that made it possible for you to describe something as emotions begin to disappear and you no longer see them.

It could also be the other way around, when a person who is reading a Kabbalistic book can suddenly see additional words appear that are not written in the text. These are not miracles because the texts that are written by Kabbalists are multilayered. If you are lucky and achieve a level like this, you will see many additional words that arose in the thoughts of the author.
[199933]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 7/24/16

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New Life #393 – Distinguishing Between Good And Evil

New Life #393 – Distinguishing Between Good And Evil
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Yael Leshed-Harel

Summary

Can we reach the absolute definition of good and evil? Why do we need it and what are the special conditions we need in order to use it as a compass in order to advance in the right direction?

Our definitions of good and evil depend on our culture, our upbringing, and our society. In order to actually distinguish between good and evil, we need an absolute definition that can be the criterion. Good—a state of balance, harmony and the complementation of all the forces of nature, evil—the opposite, imbalance.

The compass that guides us in the right direction is being balanced both physically, and in the human and spiritual sense. Total balance means being with others when there are no differences between us, trying to manage our lives so that a common force, goodness, the upper force, is revealed between us.

The right upbringing should develop the sense of the recognition of good and evil in a person. Love is good and the opposite is bad. My nature is wanting to use everything for my own sake, but since everyone is like me, I suffer…

The criterion according to which we measure every action is simple: whatever is good for others is good.

Distinguishing between good and evil means distinguishing between using others for my own sake and using myself for the sake of others.
From KabTV’s “New Life #393 – Distinguishing Between Good And Evil,” 6/3/14

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A Generation Of Fortune-Tellers And Soothsayers

Laitman_049_01Question: If we know from Kabbalah that prophecy is very harmful to the development of humanity because it limits it, why don’t the Kabbalists combat this phenomenon? On every television channel today you see fortune-tellers and astrologers.

Answer: Indeed. In the 21st century, on every television channel [in Israel], not only fortune-tellers appear, but also “grandmas” who read cards, throw beads and coins in the air, and whisper various incantations. Every year they produce astrological calendars with advice of what to do and not do is written for each one of the signs of the zodiac. And this is the 21st century!

But the worst thing is that all this is attributed to the wisdom of Kabbalah in order to raise the bar and sell it at a more expensive price, while none of this has anything to do with Kabbalah.

Question: Do you think it is necessary to make some campaign to explain this, or will it all disappear by itself?

Answer: No, Kabbalists cannot engage in public relations work. If I were to be fighting all the slanders about the wisdom of Kabbalah, I would not have enough time for anything else! There are billions of people in the world. If each one of them were to say half a word against the wisdom of Kabbalah, how would I be able to carry on public relations work with each one of them?

Their attitude toward Kabbalah comes from their limitations, from their inability to comprehend it easily. But we will still continue to develop, even though in comparison to the 20th century, this century will be darker and it will pass.
[201525]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 1/1/17

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New Life #392 – The Good Force And The Evil Force

New Life #392 – The Good Force And The Evil Force
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Nitzah Mazoz

Summary

Question: All the religions present the world as being dominated by two forces: the force of good and the force of evil. That is how it feels to the common man. It seems to him that good and evil forces are at work on him. What is the good force that does everything good and what is the evil force that brings all the troubles?

Many dream of there being only one force in the world, the force of good, and generally don’t understand why the evil force exists. This split, the constant struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness, between destruction and construction, accompanies us all through life. Why is there a conflict between these two forces?

Answer: There is no conflict. We just think that good and evil forces exist, but there are no evil and good forces in nature. It is true that there are opposing forces: plus and minus, attraction and repulsion, light and darkness.

Without the two opposing forces, life could not exist, there would be no metabolism within the living body, there would be no connection between fundamental particles or between bodies in space, which connect them into a single whole.

Life is always based on the clash between forces and flows according to the “middle line” that connects them. Two opposing forces operate, and from the balance between them the next phase of a new life is born.

In other words, the opposing forces that exist within matter and create a particular harmony between them. So from the electrons and positrons, from the opposing forces that exist within the atom, whole atoms are built that become connected together into molecules through attraction. And within the molecules, the opposing forces can even determine what is good and what is harmful to the connection between them. So they attract, take in and absorb the materials that are beneficial to them and emit the harmful materials. That is how metabolism happens, life and evolution begin.

All of this happens through the correct integration between the two opposing forces. Without this, there is no development and no life. And without this, our universe could not evolve on the inanimate level and especially not on the vegetative level. In plants, there is a more complex integration of the opposing forces and on the animate level it is an even more complex integration.

A complex scrutiny of the definition of good and evil on all levels happens in the human brain and perception. Our intellect is based on a constant scrutiny of the struggle between the opposing forces and on the search for a form of connection that can bring maximal benefit.

It is not possible to use one force without the second force; it is possible only in the integration between them. That is how life is constructed. On the levels of the still, vegetative, and animate, this system works and develops excellently.

If sometimes we see natural disasters, this is only because we measure them with respect to us. However, in fact, the entire universe, the world, the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature advance under the influence of the positive and negative forces that operate between them and promote their evolution.

All is good until we reach the humans. The two forces of good and evil, as we call them, are operable even on humanity. If we were to become aware of the program of nature and would protect the balance between the positive and negative forces, we would live in peace and quiet.

The problem is humanity has freedom of choice. They choose the balance between the positive and negative forces themselves, according to their desire. Here the origin of our ruined nature is revealed; it is because we make decisions more in favor of what is pleasant and comfortable for us instead of making the right decision.

We are more interested in what is profitable than in truth. So we begin to pave a curved path that doesn’t pass through the middle between the negative and positive force that should be equal in the correct integration between them to promote evolution. Instead, we constantly tend in the direction of what is comfortable to us at the expense of others.

After all, all of us are a part of integral nature and we need to maintain a general harmony with the world of the still, vegetative, and animate, evolving along with nature in the same direction. If, together with freedom of choice, we were to protect the balance between the two forces, the harmony between them, we would evolve correctly.

We would not allow ourselves to use the forces of nature more than we need for living in harmony between us and with the environment. Our lives would become easier and peaceful. We would get what is imperative for our existence from nature, and we would use the rest of the power for our internal development.

All of the problems of humanity started because we began to produce more than what is required for life. This is the critical point from which humanity began to self-destruct. From then, we departed from the balance of forces and began to turn them according to the desire of our ego.

This is the general picture: there is a positive force, a negative force, and we, humans, together with our egoism, are found between them. If we were to use these two forces to balance our lives and the ego that erupts in us, we would utilize them only for our internal spiritual growth; we would then rise to the next level, called the speaking level.

Our material lives, meaning life within our bodies on the animate level, with all that is required for our existence, food and family, would remain below, in a balanced form, in the state in which they need to be. And we would use our egoism to bring the two opposing forces into a balance between and to rise to a spiritual level, to spiritual life.
From KabTV’s “New Life #392 – The Good Force And The Evil Force,” 6/3/14

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The Future Of Science

laitman_265Question: Is a Kabbalist living in the year 2017 able to distinguish between scientific work and the fabrication and distortions of pseudoscience?

Answer: For a Kabbalist, there is no special relationship with the science of our world. The wisdom of Kabbalah is indeed a science, but a science about the upper world!

The upper world projects onto our world, which reflects what is happening in the spiritual world. However, there is no clear connection between the science of our world and the wisdom of Kabbalah because material life is dominated by egoistic laws and in Kabbalah completely different laws rule. 

Today the science of our world has reached its limit, an impasse, in all fields of development except for technology. Therefore, the next stage in the development of science can only be through studying the wisdom of Kabbalah. In Kabbalah, a person changes himself and in this way his science is changed, meaning the attainment of space, the world. If a person doesn’t change himself, then within those limitations he exists today, his comprehension and perception are limited.

So I suppose that materialistic science will not continue to develop. It could be that it will continue to develop to a certain extent, but only until it fills all the human boundaries. Technology will develop further and further. It is possible to assume its developing for many years ahead, but it is not clear how this will benefit humanity.

People are becoming disappointed at a rate faster than the production of new “toys” because these do not take them out of the limits of our world.
[201450]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 1/1/16

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Religions Do Not Interfere With Unity

laitman_622_02Question: Most people in the world define themselves as believers no matter what religion they belong to. On the other hand, you talk about unity.

Religion and the wisdom of Kabbalah have their vectors aimed in different directions. Kabbalah always moves forward, religion always returns to the past. There is no common ground between them. How is it possible to find a point of contact?

Answer: It is not necessary to search for one. People will remain in their religions! We don’t bother them about that. Some pray toward the east, others toward the west; this one bows to a stone, that one to a cross, it does not matter. There are close to 2,800 different faiths in the world; it makes no difference.

Kabbalah calls upon people to rise above all religions and cultures to create a single united human society.

Question: From a practical point of view, doesn’t it seem that people who believe are in a state of complete absence of freewill and that every religion divides into “us” and “them.”

Answer: Religion is just like in a family, every culture, and every profession. Anything can separate people.

But it is possible to successfully transcend religious differences. They don’t need to separate us. The time of religious wars has passed. It is not a problem if I believe in one thing and you believe in something else.

Everyone understands that for the world not to explode, we must establish the right mutual connections between us. What relevance is there between this and religion? You live here, I live here, we must reach an agreement like neighbors. If we are hostile toward each other, what is the benefit?
[200127]
From the Webinar “The Year in Review” 12/26/16

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My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/13/17

twitter

Our problem: the deterioration of social ties—the basis of society, economics, and politics. We weren’t brought up to connect.

Don’t blame Trump. We’re moving to a new stage of development. Hence the decline of social ties, family, society, economics, politics.

Henry Ford, “The International Jew”: “Society should demand that Jews fulfill the ancient prophecy: to bless all nations.”

Liberals, Republicans, and the Jews Between Them

Trump shows how the Internet can make traditional media and the UN obsolete. If we communicate, we can gradually solve our problems.

Kabbalah says the world must transition to a new paradigm. Trump can make for a smooth transition. Otherwise, crisis and war are ahead.

Tell Finland: Universal Basic Income will be successful only if recipients study and work with the method of human connection. #UBI

Now evident: The EU’s liberal governments can’t solve pressing national problems and only retain power by manipulating the media.

From Twitter, 2/13/17

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My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/12/17

twitter

Germany has lost the EU leadership. The EU is in stagnation. Now it’s France’s turn to lead the EU. Who is next?!

The EU didn’t keep its promises to bring its citizens a prosperous economy, jobs, equality and social security. This is Germany ‘s loss!

Only by mastering the method of connection above differences, can we enjoy ever greater contradictions that strengthen the connection.

Kabbalah—the method of connecting egoists—becomes revealed precisely because society now faces its egoism, yet must remain connected.

Likutey Halachot [Assorted Rules] Item 4: The main requirement for man is to achieve connection above contradictions to the degree of love

Specifically politicians, who are in constant conflict, can appreciate the merit of Kabbalah: creating connection above contradictions.

Kabbalah enables a two-tier human connection: natural selfishness and rejection below, altruism and attraction above. This is the correction!

Kabbalah enables connection ABOVE contradictions. That’s why in the future only Kabbalah will turn people into true liberal pluralists.

Our egoistic development will expose our inability to understand each other. Then, we’ll need to use Kabbalah for human connection.

Liberals, Republicans, and the Jews Between Them

[#201914]
From Twitter, 2/12/17

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Only The Desire Is Important

laitman_527Question: Is the advancement of a student accelerated by constantly asking for clarification of questions that interest him but he doesn’t understand?

Answer: No! This doesn’t indicate anything. There are idiots that constantly ask questions because from their point of view it is necessary to know exactly how, what, and from where, and there are those who are the opposite, who are quiet all the time. You literally shake them up so that they will say something, but they are silent.

There is no significance to the style in which a student learns. Some write down every word, others look at the ceiling as if they don’t hear anything. It doesn’t matter! What is important is only that a student wants to learn something from me and then according to the degree of his desire, I take his point in the heart, his small Kli (vessel), and begin to fill it.

So, I have patience, and I don’t get tired. I am ready every day to do this and am afraid to miss a day. If I fly abroad, I try to have  a lesson to save the day. I count my days according to those hours in which I teach.
[200355]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 8/7/16

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Malchut And Bina, Salt Water And Fresh Water

laitman_740_01Question: What is the spiritual root of fresh water resources such as lakes and water reservoirs, and how do they differ from the spiritual root of salt water?

Answer: Salt represents Malchut and water represents Bina. The connection between Malchut and Bina, i.e., the ascent of Malchut to Bina or the descent of Bina to Malchut, generates life. This is the difference between our life and the upper life.

Salt water is Bina that received Malchut’s special attributes. There is a greater amount of salt water on the surface of the earth and very little fresh water. Most of the fresh water is desalted water that goes through filters and is evaporated, etc. There are also many different systems that balance the attribute of Bina and the attribute of Malchut.

Question: In geographical Israel, there is the freshwater lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the saltwater Dead Sea.

Answer: The two lakes are total opposites. The Kinneret is fed by water descending from above, from Mt. Hermon, from melting snow and from rainwater.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point in the world, which is a depression in the ground completely covered by salt. The sea raises the salt in the earth and even the fresh water that comes from the Sea of Galilee becomes salty. The source of the salt water in the Dead Sea is different from the source that fills the seas and the oceans. This is a very special physics of this particular geographical location.
[200287]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 8/14/16

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