Comment: Scientists have often asked people who know they are about to die: “What would you change in your life?” Reflecting on their lives, people are ready to change everything: relationships, actions, even thoughts.

Is it worth reaching the end to confess one’s own mistakes to oneself?

Answer: On one hand even in the last minutes, reevaluation and reflection on the path taken makes sense. But on the other hand, what prevents us from periodically conducting such self-assessments?

Such exercises would help us and change us for the better. After all, a person would have time to “work on the mistakes.”

We need to draw conclusions in advance, at the beginning of life and not at the end when we can only regret. This is what the science of Kabbalah invites us to do.
[224116]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/27/18

Related Material:
How To Pull The World Out Of The Ocean Of Lies
The Results Of The Thousand Year Race
What Will Be The Way: Long Or Short?

Filed under: Body and Soul, Meaning Of Life, News - No Comments →

I was no more than 26 years old at the time, but I knew very well that life had no purpose or meaning, that everything was a deception and illusion. The essence and outcome of a hard-labor life on Sakhalin Island is no different from a life in Nice. And the difference between Kant’s brain and a fly’s brain is insignificant. No one in this world is right or wrong, and everything is rubbish and nonsense, and so to hell with it! (Anton Chekhov, Lights)

Question: The 26-year-old Chekhov reached this conclusion after contemplating life. All his stories and writings would be written later. What do you think can make a young man conclude life is pointless and has no meaning?

Answer: This is what he saw around him, in himself, and in books probably. This was his resume at that moment.

Question: When pressed on all sides, a young person may come to have such an idea. Please tell me what the right way to respond to such a thought is.

Answer: The right way is to close your eyes and keep going with what is required of you.

Question: That is, not to send it to hell, but to keep going?

Answer: Well, this concerns everything in life.

Question: How do you determine what is required? How does he determine what is required of him? What does it mean?

Answer: There is an upper master who requires you to do a particular job. And since He belongs to a higher nature, He is undoubtedly smarter than you.

Question: So you should follow Him?

Answer: You have no choice but to submit.

Question: Chekhov compares life in Sakhalin with life in Nice. This is a new take. How can a person compare hard labor and stale bread in Sakhalin with life in Nice with calm, aromatic coffee in the morning, a croissant, and so on? How does one conclude that Sakhalin is the same as Nice?

Answer: Because, in general, there is no significant difference except for bodily comfort. And, in general, it is the same thing.

Comment: But we still live in this material world.

My Response: We take into account all our corporeal benefits. But if you do not account for it, but judge expressly by life itself, what difference does it make?

Question: Do you also think a hard, backbreaking life somewhere in Sakhalin is the same as in Nice?

Answer: Backbreaking, I do not think so.

Comment: Well, not necessarily backbreaking, but just living somewhere out there in the village versus in Nice is the same thing?

My Response: Yes.

Question: What parameters do you take into account when you say this?

Answer: I think that as long as I am alive, it makes no difference where I live. What do I really need in order to live? I can settle on any island.

Comment: A computer and a room.

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is this what it means that a person does not need much?

Answer: Actually yes.

Question: How can we say there is no significant difference between the brain of Kant and the brain of a fly?

Answer: Both are objects; they act purely on their egoistic motivation. Although Kant seems to be checking himself, studying himself, overall both he and the fly act the same way in choosing the greatest pleasure.

Question: How are we different then?

Answer: We are not.

Question: So why are we given reason?

Answer: To understand how to live, with or without reason.

Question: What does it mean to live with reason?

Answer: Living with reason is very difficult. I must study my actions, the forces that cause them, and think about them from the side: what I am right and wrong about.

Question: Is this the constant life of a person with reason? Is it so? Is this why it is difficult?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Where are we being led like this? What you just said was that we are being led, given pleasure.

Answer: We are being led to realize the meaning of life, which is in reaching the level of the Creator.

Question: Is this our whole journey?

Answer: Yes.

Question: In this case, the fly is not being led like that, right?

Answer: There is nowhere to lead the fly. It has no freewill, none of that.

Question: What does a fly live for?

Answer: The fly exists, like everything around us, except us humans, so that we can see how the world works and could be different from all creatures.

Question: What do you think about Chekhov’s conclusion that “no one in this world is right or at fault?”

Answer: He proceeds from the fact that everyone is born and exists within the laws of nature, in the nature that they have, that is given to them from above. Therefore a person is not responsible for himself and cannot strive for anything on his own.

Question: Meaning all his actions are involuntary?

Answer: Involuntary, yes.

Question: Is he neither right nor wrong?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Can one have such an attitude to life? Is this not a passive option?

Answer: It is passive.

Question: What is the correct attitude?

Answer: The correct attitude is to see that life is fiercely purposeful. It has meaning, and we must reveal this meaning and reveal it in such a way that it absolutely aligns with the law of nature. And the law of nature is “love your neighbor as yourself.” The law of human community.

Question: Is this what we always have to strive for?

Answer: Yes.
[334373]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/12/24

Related Material:
Omar Khayyam’s Conclusions about Life
“The Last Secret I Have Learned”
The Most Important Thing

Filed under: Meaning Of Life, News - No Comments →

Question: If you could step into the Creator’s place, how would you answer these children’s questions? Oleg, a 4th grader, asks: “Why did You make humans the main beings on Earth?”

Answer: That is a complicated issue. I made humans intelligent and gave them the ability to correct themselves. If they refuse to do so and remain foolish, I can only agree, stay silent, and wait.

Comment: Humans have been given intelligence, placed on this Earth. The Earth is really beautiful, nature and everything are beautiful. Yet, we ruin it.

My Response: Yes.

Question: Are we a mistake or not?

Answer: Of nature?

Comment: Let’s say, of the Creator.

Answer: Of the Creator, I think we are not a mistake. But we will only realize it when we begin to correct ourselves. For now, we don’t want to.

Question: Is our path programmed and someday a turning point toward correction will inevitably happen?

Answer: Yes, I am certain it must happen, and fairly soon.

Question: Will it be a shock, a sudden thought, or the discovery of a new kind of mind?

Answer: It will emerge from within us. We will begin to feel what the other world, the new world, the higher world, should be.

Question: And we will want to reach it?

Answer: Yes, absolutely!
[337076]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/4/24

Related Material:
Whose Soul Does the Creator Give to a Person?
Why Was Man Created Imperfect?
Why Did The Creator Make The Evil Inclination?

Filed under: Children, Education, Meaning Of Life, News, Q&A - No Comments →

Intellectual role-playing games have become an alternative to traditional festive gatherings. Clerks, managers, doctors, and teachers enthusiastically prevent explosions at nuclear power plants, catch maniacs, and chase after secret submarine blueprints. In short, they fully immerse themselves in quests.

As children, we read books and watched movies about heroes, and dreamed of becoming like them. But later we realized that life leaves little room for cinematic heroism or even simple adventure. So why not play out the impossible?

But there is another side to this: a true hero should be an example to follow, should they not? And not just an example of parachuting from planes with umbrellas or performing stunts. No, a hero should be relatable to us. Moreover, beyond fighting enemies, societal problems, or disasters, they should overcome something within themselves—for the sake of helping others.

Such a hero inspires admiration, the kind that comes with goodwill, because they bring good into the world. More than that, they represent what we wish every person could be.

We all need a meaningful image of a hero who knows how to give themselves to others despite the challenges. And let everyone imagine themselves in their place; let everyone aspire to be like them. Then, when I step out of the theater or leave a role-playing game and return to real life, I will act the same way.
[224238]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/29/18

Related Material:
A Game That Becomes Our Life
Games For Grown Ups
A Game Of A Higher State: Everyone Plays Off-Key At First

Filed under: Children, Education, Internet, News - No Comments →

Comment: Broken relationships ruin people’s entire lives, and they can be confusing due to micro-misunderstandings. What is the right thing to do to prevent resentment and broken relationships, and conversely, to improve them?

Psychologists recommend trying to understand your counterpart’s point of view because the result of an action is not always intentional and that there is difficulty with some micro-manifestations because we all apply different standards to their assessment.

My Response: Where are the standards here? It is my standard: how I see others and try to measure myself in correspondence with them or how I see myself and try to measure others in correspondence with myself. This is completely wrong. It is like putting on a dress. If I put it on, my belly will stick out, my arms and legs will look thin, and the dress will seem ugly to me.

There are no general standards here. There can only be one standard: for the good of one’s neighbor. That is all. I do not perceive anyone in any way, neither myself nor anyone else. I am interested in only one thing: whether the phenomena that occur are for the good of man.

By “man,” I mean all of humanity, the general image of man. I do not in any way try to measure myself in correspondence with one person or another, then I will definitely get lost.

Question: How can we correctly understand the point of view of another person and determine whether it is correct or not?

Answer: I cannot understand another person. How can I understand him? How can I get out of myself in order to understand another person?

We simply must act in a way that is good for another person—for everyone! That is, in addition to what is necessary for my existence, in everything else that depends on me, I must act for the good of others.

This is natural. Very often due to our habits, we make some movements, gestures, or say some words or expressions that others may even find offensive.

We may not even feel or understand this. We must tune our hearts. The heart must be tuned to kindness to another person! Nothing else will work.

If a person is warmly tuned to another, it will still be perceived correctly. Even if he says something wrong and fails to express himself somehow, the other person will feel him.

Direct your heart to another person, to all people, to good! You need to get used to this. You need to educate yourself to do this. It is necessary to maintain the same attitude toward the environment, toward the surrounding society, and then everything will be fine!
[254793]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/28/19

Related Material:
The Three Vectors Of Evolution
A Day Of Spontaneous Kindness
Leading The Desire To The Light

Filed under: Children, Education, Man and Woman, News - No Comments →

Question: The Riga-based writer Mikhail Dymov asked students from Riga schools, aged 6 to 10 to write to the Almighty and ask Him pressing questions and to ask for the most important things. And so the children asked the Creator.

If you don’t mind, I ask you to imagine yourself in the place of the Creator—what would you answer the children?

Lena, a first-grader—a first-grader—asks: “Why is the world without tenderness?”

Answer: Yes, this is how our world is. There is no tenderness in the world because people do not love each other.

Question: Then why was it created?

Answer: To bring the world as close to this as possible. That is something we must achieve on our own—independently and thoughtfully.

Question: What does it mean for life, for our world, if a first-grade girl is asking such a question? Please explain.

Answer: It means the world is already becoming serious and ready for corrective action.

Question: Even if such questions reach the youngest children?

Answer: Of course, yes.

Question: So do you believe that children feel more deeply than adults? Perhaps she sees this in how her parents interact or in interactions around her?

Answer: She sees it exactly as she sees it.

Question: And we fail to see it?

Answer: We do not see it.

Question: What is happening to us? Over the years does something gradually dim our vision?

Answer: We get used to and resign ourselves to what exists, and we do not want to see the bad because it feels unfixable. And so we live like that.
[336982]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/4/24

Related Material:
Adult Questions from Children
The Nature of Egoism
The Unruly Nature Of Egoism

Filed under: Children, Education, News, Q&A - No Comments →

Victor asks:

Your Moses led the people to the land of Israel, he did everything that the Creator told him. And then, when they had already approached the border, the Creator suddenly said to Moses: “Turn over your duties—you will not enter this land. You will die here on this mountain.”

How is this possible? It is clear that people committed all sorts of sins before the Creator, but Moses was His devoted servant. Let him enter, he was waiting for this moment so much!

Comment: Indeed, in the Midrash Rabba it is written even more coolly. There are even thoughts of Moses, who says: “I have walked so much, let me at least touch this land! After all, I was walking and dreaming of entering this land.”

My Response: You walked and dreamed of fulfilling the desire of the Creator every day, every minute, with every step.

Question: Is this the main thing? Was it my goal to come to this, in fact? Is this my final test, then, which I have to pass?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is this not cruel?

Answer: It may seem cruel to us.

Question: Is it necessary that I deserve to enter there? Or do I have to, as you say, annul myself and work as He guides me every moment, and that is it?

Answer: You must devote yourself to the Creator every moment.

Question: Then there is a question. It is written there that there were sins of the people, and there was the sin of Moses. Can it be said in relation to the sins “Because of your sins you will not enter.” Can this happen?

Answer: In general, yes. It is written this way.

Question: Is not to sin a possible option, or will we sin in any case?

Answer: It is impossible.

Question: So, we sin?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Can we say that today humanity is being punished by the Creator for not entering a land?

Answer: In general, yes. Of course, judging by our daily states, we are undergoing punishment. But on the other hand, this punishment is still purifying us, changing us, and bringing us closer to the Creator.

Question: Can I come to terms with what is happening while I am living with this thought?

Answer: What else can you do?

Question: Does it mean that I am going through purgatory?

Answer: Yes, You need to grasp the fact that you must adhere to the Creator every moment and stick to Him as much as possible.
[335038]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 9/1/24

Related Material:
“From Afar You Will See The Land, But You Will Not Come There”
Why Didn’t Moses Enter The Land Of Israel?
For What Actions Does the Creator Punish a Person?

Filed under: Conventions, Crisis, Group Work, News, Q&A, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Question: I read an article that says the Italian thinker, writer, philosopher, and politician of the 15th century Machiavelli wrote:

If you are chosen as king, and the crown turns out to be big, then first it will fall on your eyes… And you will not see anything!

Then it will fall on your ears… And you won’t hear anything!

Then it will slide down to your lips… And you won’t be able to say anything!

In the end, it will fall on your neck… And it will become your collar, by which your own slaves will lead you to execution!

And you will see everything, you will hear everything, and you will be able to say everything…

But no one will listen to you anymore and you will have nothing to say!

Please tell us: The crown symbolizes power; what does it mean when it stays on your head and does not fall?

Answer: When it is on your head, it means it crowns you, that you are the king. It is the symbol of the head of the state.

Question: So you are the first person in the state. You are a parent, and so on. What does it mean when the crown gradually falls off, that it is too big? What is it regarding a leader? What happens to the authorities when they do not hear?

Answer: The leader sees nothing.

Question: Doesn’t he see anyway?

Answer: Look at these leaders.

Question: Can you tell us why this is so?

Answer: Power! It is all about the power.

Question: So when you treat it like, “It is all about me, this is my power”—is that the end?

Answer: That is the end. You are being gradually shut out from the whole world.

Question: So it turns out if the crown on my head does not fall, then do I not say: “I am the power, I am the king”?

Answer: The king must learn from everyone, he must understand that all wisdom is, in fact, among the people, among the masses. And those he selects and brings near him are not his close ones.

Question: So I won’t be able to learn anything from politicians or my close associates?

Answer: Correct.

Question: The quote says the crown goes through all the states, falls on the throat, becomes a collar, and you are led by your slaves to execution. And now you see everything, you can say everything, but no one hears you. What does it mean that slaves are taking you to execution?

Answer: That you stopped being an authority to them. Conversely, they see their future in your destruction.

Comment: That is, all these revolutions, coups, and so on is when the crown fell on the throat, and the slaves would lead one to execution. But this has happened in our history all along.

My Response: Sure.

Question: And slaves are the ones who always lead them to execution. Why is this happening? Do we never learn?

Answer: No, a person who reaches power stops hearing and listening, and is no longer capable of anything.

Question: How do you see the future politician keeping this crown?

Answer: I see a future politician surrounded by the smartest people! They are chosen as advisers only because of their special abilities. The king is elected by them and thus exists for the good of the country.

Question: Should there be fear, an awe in him: “If I …”?

Answer: There must be responsibility. He should constantly be in touch with them, constantly working with them.

Question: And when his “I” suddenly wakes up in him: “I am the leader, I am the king”? What should he do about it?

Answer: It is necessary to convince him that he must kill his “I” all the time.

Comment: You once said the leader of a state, say, a king, a tsar, should be a father to his people.

My Response: Yes.

Question: When you say this, what do you mean by it, other than what we understand?

Answer: He must care.

Question: Is that the main thing?

Answer: Yes, caring about everyone.

Question: Is such a level of empathy possible?

Answer: In general, yes.

Question: Do you see such leaders arising in the future?

Answer: I do not know. We are already on a different path. So that…perhaps through some obstacles…

Comment: Thorns.

My Response: Yes, we will break through.

Question: Will we break through?

Answer: We will.
[333851]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/29/24

Related Material:
The Orbit in which the World Revolves
When Will Rulers Begin to Listen to Sages
Only A Sage Can Recognize A Sage

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, News, Television - No Comments →

Question: I read a story about a Korean woman who was flying from Seoul to California with her four-month-old baby. Before the flight, she handed out 200 small bags to all the passengers.

In the bags were earplugs, sweets, and a note: “Hello, I am Joon Woo, I am four months old, and I am flying to America with my mom and grandma. This is my first flight, and I might cry. My mom prepared candies and earplugs for you. Please use them if it gets too noisy because of me. Please do not be upset with me. Sorry, and thank you.”

As a result, this boy, Joon Woo, behaved wonderfully and slept for all 10 hours.

What do you think of the mother’s attitude, the Korean woman’s, toward others?

Answer: This is certainly commendable.

Question: Please tell me, what plays a bigger role here: a national trait or upbringing?

Answer: I think it is more of a national trait. I don’t know them well enough, but it seems to me that they have this characteristic—not to disturb others.

Question: Can this be nurtured in a person, and should it be?

Answer: It can be nurtured, and it should be. But who will take on this task?

Question: So, here you have this question here: “But who are the judges?” Meaning, “Who are the teachers?”

Answer: Yes.

Question: So the teachers must fully embody this quality in order to nurture it.

Why is it that some people are uncomfortable disturbing others while others say the opposite: “Why are you bothering me?” Why does this happen?

Answer: It depends on upbringing. It depends on how much each of us is willing to look at the world through different eyes.

Question: Through the eyes of not wanting to disturb others. Am I instead always looking through the eyes of being disturbed?

Answer: Of course.

Question: Is this how most of the world is? “I’m being disturbed.”

Answer: The natural world is the one that looks from its egoism.

Question: If we consider the cause of divorces using the example of this Korean woman, could we say that if we care about making others comfortable with us, there would be no divorce?

Answer: Yes.

Question: So what is the root cause of divorces?

Answer: Only that we do not understand each other.

Comment: That is, I feel uncomfortable with you, and I start to…

My Response: Yes. I cannot put myself in your shoes.

Question: If I may ask, what is the cause of wars, using the example of this Korean woman? If one country cares about making it comfortable for another country to live with it, there would be no wars. Such fantastic scenarios…

But in what case does a war occur?

Answer: When one side refuses to understand the other side.

Question: Will this ever end? Can we be educated like this Korean woman and gradually…

Answer: I hope so. But this requires very serious investments in people.

Question: In education? Do you mean purely financial or spiritual investments as well?

Answer: Serious investments of effort and money. Of everything possible.

Question: Will anyone ever decide to do this?

Answer: I think so, because eventually there will be no other choice. It seems to me that we are currently in a transitional state where this might happen. People need to be given such an education that they will feel the need to change themselves.

Question: Tell me, will this happen? You say that we might be approaching this. Will it happen because of pain, suffering, or through understanding, from some light ahead?

Answer: Through pain and suffering.

Comment: You still believe that…

My Response: I believe… I am a materialist.

Question: A materialist. So through blows, essentially?

Answer: Yes, only through blows!
[333900]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/15/24

Related Material:
Are There Conflicts In Nature?
Rise Above The Oppositions
There Are No Enemies, Only Partners

Filed under: Crisis, Education, Globalization, News - No Comments →

Follow your path and do not look back at people’s pain. Only by walking your path can you help people surpass themselves. (Unknown)

My Response: Yes, in general, healing lies in a person overcoming himself, rising above himself. This is something you can help with but nothing else.

Comment: You walk and ignore people’s pain. The fact that you are following your path helps them. There are a lot of contradictions here!

My Response: This all needs to be analyzed; it is not simple. But overall, the attitude toward the world as a system that needs to come into balance, and that is what we need to learn.

Question: When we discuss the topic of overcoming suffering you seem to come alive. Why, can you tell us?

Answer: Because by addressing suffering much can be explained to people, and they are willing to listen. How else can it be done?

Question: What is the main explanation you would like to give regarding overcoming suffering?

Answer: It is according to Kozma Prutkov: “If you want to be happy, be so.”

Question: Be happy! And where is the suffering in this?

Answer: If a person is unhappy, they suffer.

Do you want to be happy?

Comment: Yes.

My Response: We will!

Question: Do you see even a deep philosophical aspect in this?

Answer: Yes, exactly when you want to be happy, you must overcome what prevents you from being happy, and you will be.

Question: Please tell us, what kind of happiness are you talking about now: “If you want to be happy, be so”?

Answer: It is the harmony of a person with nature, with higher forces, and generally with the whole world.

Question: Regardless of what happens around?

Answer: Regardless of what happens.

Question: Regardless of what turmoil is inside me?

Answer: It doesn’t matter.

Question: So I must come to this calmness?

Answer: Yes.
[330238]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/6/24

Related Material:
If You Want To Be Happy, Then Just Let It Be!
The Main Problem Of Humanity: Lack Of Happiness
Health, Not Wealth, Makes Us Happy

Filed under: News - No Comments →