We see from our history that it was only by our fall from the level of “love thy neighbor as thyself” to self-love, the transition to unfounded hatred, that we caused the collapse of the nation of Israel and its exile. However, it is specifically now that we have the opportunity to take a step in the opposite direction, from separation, from the breakage between us, to attain connection. Then, we will restore and return the complete nation of Israel, the perfect state of Israel, and finally attain the state where no enemy will rise up against us, and not because it makes us stronger in that it psychologically prepares us for war, but we simply will be able to reject it, neutralize it, and cancel that possibility thanks to our unity.

There is a force in our hands that is unusual in its intensity, and we must try to use it. We only need to begin, and then, after several short activities aimed at connection, the attempts to become one man with one heart with one goal, to feel ourselves as one, and to want to advance toward unity, after a few days, we already will feel some unusual force awakening in us.

It’s like when all the organs of a person’s body begin to work in harmony with each other, and even though each one operates in its own direction, nevertheless, all of them work together for the sake of a shared goal in one system, and then the body becomes healthier and healthier so that nothing damaging will threaten it. We also are like that, in that when we attain balance in our systems through connection, we create a society where no one can cause any damage to it from the outside, and then, afterward, we also can solve all the inner problems, if any are left. From the moment that we approach each problem from the standpoint of connection and unity, we easily will be able to organize our lives at all levels.
[85448]
From a “Talk on New Life” 8/12/12

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Question: Kabbalists say that, as it is written, “Since the world is judged by its majority, and the individual is judged by the majority, if he performs one Mitzva, happy is he, for he has sentenced himself and the whole world to a scale of merit.” How is that possible?

Answer: In a whole system, the individual and the general are equal. We don’t understand that because we always are operated by quantitative data, but in the whole analog integral system, however, even the smallest part is crucial.

If it breaks down, the whole system breaks down. It cannot operate on half its power or on 99% of it. As long as there is even one defect, the whole system is disabled.

These are the laws of the mutual connection among the souls, which together make one desire. The condition for the connection stems from this: “As one man in one heart” when everyone transcends above the ego, “above reason.”

Of course, we advance toward this gradually by going through 125 levels on the way to full connection, but, even in the process, the principle of equality of the individual and the general affects things so that when one gram of me is added to the circular general system, it enables it to rise to the right level. We must use this principle, which means to see even the smallest action performed by each individual as important.

Question: Does that mean that my corruptions also are transferred to the system?

Answer: Yes, and Baal HaSulam writes about that, but the point is that our system is already almost totally corrupt. We begin the ascent from the bottom, from the worst state, and first correct the purest, lightest vessels, desires.

Question: Does this integral law operate on everyone or only on those who are aware of it?

Answer: First, as the group is revealed, a person enters this system and participates in its work. Besides, on the outside, there is the system of all of Israel and then of the all of the nations of the world. Each part belongs to the system according to its weight.

The unity itself is concealed, and what is revealed to us at the moment is only its crust, which is the easiest part to correct. It is here that the mechanism that enables each of us to judge the world to a scale of merit operates.

This is because, for the time being, this is our world, the part that is revealed today and is given to us so that we can work in it. We have not entered Malchut of Ein Sof in its full intensity yet. We discover a thin layer of it each time so that we can work with it.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/16/12, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Shamati, Article 138, “About Fear that Sometimes Comes upon a Person”: …And if one sees that fear overcomes him, he should say that there is no such thing as chance, but God has given him an opportunity from Above, and he must contemplate and study the end to which one has been sent this fear. It appears that it is so that he will prevail and say, “There is none else besides Him.
But if after all that, the fear has not departed from him, one should take it as an example and say that one’s servitude of the Creator should be in the same measure of the fear, meaning that the fear of God, which is a merit, should be in the same manner of fear that he now has. That is, that the body is impressed by this superficial fear, and exactly in the same way that the body is impressed, the fear of God should be.

When fear comes upon a person, he should understand that it is sent from the Creator so that we will change the animal fear that is felt in our ego to the fear of God. In the fear we should look not at our desire to receive but at our desire to bestow.

A person’s role is to take this example from Above, although he cannot fulfill it by himself and it is later fulfilled by the Light that Reforms. He has to at least to cope with these clarifications. This is why he has to prepare the environment and himself, in order to be ready to receive the problems and the fears that will come.

It all begins from fear, since the desire to receive feels only pleasure or sufferings. The greatest sufferings for it are the fears: from the smallest fears to the greatest threat.

If the desire is opposite from the Light, the Light summons a feeling of darkness in it. Here we should understand that in answer to this egoistic anxiety that we feel now, we have to draw the upper force with the support of the environment, the society, and prayer. We have to summon the Light that Reforms so that it will turn our vessel of receiving into a vessel of bestowal.

Then we will still feel fear, but it will be fear from not knowing when we can bestow, connect, and resemble the Creator when we can adhere to Him, to give Him a chance to reveal Himself to the created beings. Thus we will turn the darkness into Light and the night into day.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/14/12

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Question: During the course of integral education when we begin our practical work, it becomes clear that people don’t understand what it means to “rise above one’s self” or “to unite.” They ask to be shown how it’s done and where can they see an example of such behavior?”

Answer: It’s impossible to see. Maybe it’s possible to draw something abstract so that there’s something to strive towards, but nothing more. Through the training the group develops a common sensation. This is somewhat of an exit from one’s self, from one’s instincts. This exit from one’s self assumes a couple of stages.

One is to “enter” your conversation partner. This is a basic psychological training that is used widely for various purposes. I begin to sense, to study the other person because for some reason it’s something I need to do or it’s of interest to me. Or I may simply want to rise above myself and treat a person with kindness, like relatives treat one another.

However, even when I try to enter another person’s feelings and thoughts, then his heart and mind (his feeling and thoughts) become as though my own. Let’s say that I’m able to obtain closeness to him and his inner environment, but all that I’m doing in reality is substituting my “animal,” my own instincts and rules of conduct for someone else’s, but I don’t actually rise above our general animal level.

We have to imagine something totally different. The exit from one’s self should not be into another person. When I train to sense another person, these sensations shouldn’t ultimately be aimed at sensing all that is within the other person: his subconscious thoughts, instincts, and reflexes. I’m not interested in the “automatic mechanism” that operates within him. Rather I’m interested in each of the friends’ aspiration to ascend above themselves. I try to connect to their aspiration to ascend and reach the next level, which is the human level. I try to be together with them and each one of them tries to do the same in regards to others.

Through this we create a commonality. We create thoughts and desires that are detached from our animal qualities and are aimed at rising above our current level. We wish for our communication to consist of love, understanding, and to be above our world and our life so that each one of us would vanish in this new commonality, in this new picture of a single desire and single mind.

We have to imagine this and to constantly cultivate it in such a way that the sensation of our commonality appears as the heart and mind of the group. This will be of utmost importance to us and our “I” would vanish within this. My desire to ascend would hold the people around me and everything that pertains to my instincts, reflexes, and habits would fade away as something totally useless and nonexistent at the moment. I wouldn’t use them to the point where I would gradually get used to living in this new commonality that I’ve created above my own self.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” 2/29/12

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Question: How can we keep the feeling of workshops during the breaks, meals, and so on, at the upcoming convention?

Answer: We must prepare such external conditions so that they always keep people in this state. A person comes to the convention in the morning and leaves in the evening. During this time, he must go through many spiritual states and, in the evening, leave not as he came in the morning. He goes to bed and literally turns off.

Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, it is the same thing; that is, these are three days of very serious work. We must do everything to ensure that the entire convention is held at this pace and in such a sequence that people are constantly moving forward. Even the breaks and meals must influence him in this way, forcing, moving him forward.

A convention is a very serious event. Alcohol is absolutely prohibited. We must rise to a level where it will not be necessary. We have enough adrenaline at the workshops. You will feel that you are all together, in “one skin”; the Creator will clothe into you.

Question: How can I see the world as one creation? How can I see unity above the breaking?

Answer: It should be opened to you not mentally, not in the mind, but manifested in your feelings. The internal connections of the world will be revealed, and you will see this within yourself.

Question: How do I feel the common need, Hissaron?

Answer: This arises out of a total inclusion into each other because all of our left, meaning all kinds of egoistic feelings stem from the mutual inclusion.

Question: What Kli, vessel, would you like to see in front of you?

Answer: One ready to do anything for the sake of unity. Nothing else is needed! With this, we come into accord, in balance with the upper Light. It is manifested in us, and that’s all. The implementation really is not easy, but the principle is very simple: There is a force that will work in you if you give it this opportunity.
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From a Virtual Lesson 7/29/12

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Question: How should we imagine this single field that exists outside of us? What do people need to do when training in groups of integral learning?

Answer: Let us imagine that we are connecting to the desire of another person. In other words, we do a regular psychological practicum. I try to determine the desires, intentions, and thoughts of a person.

What are the stages that people and groups experience while they gradually enter these states? Primarily, people need to feel each other, like during regular psychological training. How do I feel the person with whom I am speaking? How do I connect to him? How do I determine what his desire is, to become involved with him, and reach a good attitude toward him, to learn to love him and communicate with him?

In other words, his desires, which are referred to as his heart, and his mind that leads these desires, must become critical to me, the way a mother feels regarding her infant when she desires to fully serve him with both her desires and her mind. The heart and the mind is what a person has. This way, it is as if I were taking a step toward all the participants of the group, radiating kindness at each one of them, and everyone does this in relation to everyone else.

This common attitude in the group, which we are constantly developing, must create such a level of reciprocity in it that begins to create a certain field between us. This field of mutually good attitude must acquire a certain foundation.

Why do we do this? We are not just doing this to have a good relationship between us. We now want to lift them to the next level so that we could exist in this mutual field of kindness, a field of mutual attitude toward one another and so that we would maintain it.

This common, good field between us—let us refer to it by its mutual quality of bestowal—needs to be created through our mutual guarantee when I think about you and you think about me. We must develop ourselves constantly this way through a good attitude. We must perceive this mutual warmth from everyone toward everyone in order to create something mutual, even independent from us, like a mutual child of ours.

We can refer to this common image of us, already independent from us, one we already are beginning to work for, a group. Life in this image, this group, must be the main thing for us. This group is what we actually assume a society to be.
[85174]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 02/29/12

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Development means constantly limiting the desire, which is inevitable. Even the most advanced educational approaches that do not use punishments still limit children but in other ways. An embryo in his mother’s womb also develops by limitations. All of nature is based on this principle, and if we kept it in our development, we would certainly avoid troubles and sorrow.

But we followed the opposite path and removed all the obstacles: Free your ego, abuse others as much as you can, abuse the whole world for your own interests. A person sees himself as great when he manages to steal millions and is respected for it. We have totally distorted our way by giving up any form of restraint. Our desires are not limited by anything and we can also see that on TV, in modern cultural and educational forms. Judging by what is happening with children and the youth, we are cultivating a generation that grows by beastly models and not human models of behavior and thinking. What kind of models does advertising present?

We see the outcomes: Without limiting ourselves, we reach collapse and sufferings, and we begin to understand that we have to change. This is what awaits us since we are not really suffering yet.

If we were as flexible as babies who can be easily directed to develop in the right way, if we responded to what is going on with the same speed, with the same readiness they do, then everything would be just fine. We could see that the Creator is the perfect educator and we wouldn’t come to Him with any complaints.

But in order to do that, we have to respond correctly to His educations and to be sensitive. Kabbalists tell us how we can acquire this attitude; they say we should connect and be “good kids,” we should be sociable, kind, and responsible for one another, to create mutual guarantee, etc.

Clearly, children don’t want to listen to anyone. They only want to go in every direction. But the grownups impose discipline on them and so does the Creator, although He hasn’t started to treat us seriously yet. One way or the other, the same laws penetrate through all the worlds, but the point is that we have to learn from nature and not invent artificial limitations.

This refers to the educators of children too. Nature shows us how, when, and in what way to limit them according to the stages of development. Actually nothing depends on us, we only carry things out. If we studied well the laws of creation and children’s’ nature, we would know exactly how to act in every phase, now and in the future. Ideally, an educator carries out nature’s orders. He never invents anything new but only implements its plan. This is his obligation: to gradually, day by day, bring the little person’s nature to match the upper nature.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/9/12, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”

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In the News (from Finmarket.ru): “There is unanimous agreement among US bank chiefs that their biggest threat is the fallout from the eurozone financial crisis because the European governments begin to save together with European consumers.

“This is easily explained: unemployment in Europe hit record after record, as the recession continues to deepen. As a result, EU citizens have to change consumer habits – it can have a lasting impact on the economy and corporate profits. Changes in consumer habits have affected the income of European corporations.

My Comment: We are facing the bankruptcy of corporations, the disappearance of the middle class, the emergence of hundreds of millions of unemployed, food riots, etc. if mutual responsibility and mutual concern and bestowal are not achieved through unity. Integral education should teach us how to create, step-by-step, a single administration, for both the EU and the whole world.
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A society is neither you nor I, but something we create together between us in our good, mutual relationship. This is the image of Adam—Man. As we begin to transform our entire life to maintain this image as much as possible, we understand that even in our current lives, we do not need more to exist properly and reasonably, but the main thing is for a proper upper community that is above us to exist between us.

Moreover, it is easy to maintain because everyone aspires toward it. I feel that everyone has the same attitude as I toward this community, this group, Adam, and this constantly influences and supports me.

This is called the law of universal mutual guarantee, when everyone of us acts this way and understands that he is supporting the rest. By aspiring higher toward our common denominator, he demonstrates to everyone else how much he aspires toward it and sets the example for others, and, as we support one another in accordance with this, we very easily ascend and become fully included in the community with our hearts and minds.

Additionally, our animate level will remain a level below, and we will begin to feel the difference between them. I consent for the animate level to receive as much as it needs since I understand that it is best if it does not consume cakes or other things. It needs whatever is good for it because this will make it healthier, better. It will feel more comfortable, and when I separate from my incorrect animal relationships, my human level, on the contrary, begins to feel comfortable and, well, to feel like it is alive.

We also begin to perceive nature in our new human image, the proper communication between us, like in a common sensor, a common vessel. We begin to feel its laws, which guided us in our evolutionary development and we understand why nature is pressuring us now this way.

We suddenly begin to perceive its attitude toward us as benevolent and kind, since we become balanced with it on this new level because, just like in nature, everything between us is now based on bestowal, reciprocity, unity, connection, globality, and integration. Without any special pain, we automatically lower our animate level to its normal state where we only work the necessary number of hours per day, and in this way provide a normal existence for ourselves, nothing beyond the necessary comfort level, not through a society of excessive consumption, but through reasonable consumption for a reasonable existence of the body. In this way, we separate these two levels: the animate, where our body remains, and the human, which we beget.

This is why, in general, the current crisis is defined by us as the buffering point of the new birth of mankind. When you begin to explain this to a group, it certainly needs time to adapt to this idea, to the understanding of it, but then when people try to connect through their mutual communication, when they begin to discuss this, suddenly, certain auxiliary forces appear, abilities that a person did not know he had appear from within him.

In reality, they were inside, but they were suppressed, and moreover, they tried to come outside. In general, this was the source of our personal, family, social crises, drug abuse, depression, and so forth, and, here, we suddenly begin to feel free from all this pressure, the boundaries and distortions that we had. In general, this is the essence of the main idea and the very fundamental approach.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/29/12

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Question: A person learns by example. What kind of examples should one see all around?

Answer: One should see solidarity and a good attitude toward others, above self-love. Indeed, the work is precisely in rising above the ego.

In life, typically if I’m at odds with somebody or if I don’t care about them, I don’t even notice them. I couldn’t care less about my coworkers—my relationship with them doesn’t extend beyond a friendly greeting. In light of the above, if we want to escape all the troubles, we must extend deliberate bonds above our ego. On the level of this world we perform the same work as in the spiritual: We begin to express a slightly warmer attitude toward one another. Why? Because our duty is to establish a connection. After all, therein lies the special power that is capable of mitigating our problems.

Such must be our approach: above the isolation and indifference we form—perhaps not love—but a mutual connection, so that we could feel as one nation.

It’s no accident that the crisis is demolishing borders and clearly demonstrating that all people are interconnected as though we all live in the same country. If we were to combine all our systems into a single whole, we would rise above the crisis.

It follows that I must find strength and direction in my environment, which must convince me of one thing only—that our unification will neutralize all problems. Everything that’s fraught with negativity today will instantly turn positive, as if by the wave of a magic wand.

Question: So all we’re talking about are positive relationships?

Answer: Yes. That is sufficient. I don’t care about anybody else, but together we start working on building a better society through the connection between us, one that’s brimming with life, prosperity, and optimism.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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