We, the chosen species, with reason and knowledge, have become a toy in the hands of the blind nature, which leads us astray, and who knows where? (Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”)

Question: Igor writes: “I have a hundred questions about this one passage. Why does such a great Kabbalist, Baal HaSulam, call nature blind?”

Answer: Because it acts according to its own law and does not turn anywhere. And that is why such a movement is called blind.

Question: So it is still directed by someone or something, and it moves without changing. Is this called a “blind state”?

Answer: Yes.

Question: He asks: “Is it blind nature that has led us to war now?”

Answer: This is the so-called blind nature, yes. It controls our egoism, and it leads us constantly, constantly into contradictions among ourselves until we realize the harm of such relationships and want to correct them.

Question: It deliberately brings us into collisions, and the stronger the collision, the faster we realize something?

Answer: Of course.

Question: “How can those who have knowledge and intelligence, as it is written here, be called a toy in someone’s hands? After all, do they have intelligence and knowledge”? That is, us.

Answer: It does not matter. In fact, nature still controls them. It increases or decreases the egoism in each of us and in all of us together, and we are thus controlled.

Question: But do you agree that we are intelligent and knowledgeable?

Answer: Relatively. But not higher than our egoism.

Question: So it is higher than us? Does it decide everything?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Igor asks about the same sentence: “It says that we are being fooled. Somehow I really do not like this.”

Answer: We are shown how limited we are, how stubborn and unidirectional we are, and how we lead ourselves to bad results.

Question: That is, on one hand, they say that we are reasonable, but on the other hand, we can be fooled. Doesn’t this indicate some kind of contradiction, that we are not intelligent?

Answer: No. Our mind works only within very limited boundaries and in no way prevents us from being stupid egoists at the same time.

Question: Igor asks, “They say that it is unknown where it (nature) is leading us. You say all the time that it is known where it is leading us—to unity, love. Yes or no?”

Answer: Toward unity and love, but in a very tough way.

Question: We do not know where it leads?

Answer: Yes, because we are in continuous struggle with each other throughout life, throughout history.

Question: So our task is to succumb to blind nature?

Answer: No! What are we going to do with this? On the contrary, we need to find out that we are in the hands of blind nature and that the only thing we can do is to correct ourselves.

Question: Is this what it wants from us, blind nature?

Answer: Yes. Awareness of evil.

Question: Can we say that we are the ones who are blind?

Answer: Of course.

Question: And that is why we perceive nature blindly?

Answer: Yes. But we cannot do it any other way; it is very difficult.

Question: So, you have no complaints against humanity?

Answer: I have no complaints against anyone.
[321315]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/6/23

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The war reveals to our people [Israel] that everything depends on our connection. Everyone says that the enemies will retreat in the face our unity and that our separation gives them strength. Let us hope that the unity of the nation will only increase until complete correction without wars.

It is encouraging to see how the people of Israel have suddenly united, how people have begun to appreciate each other. No one needs to explain anything anymore. Every soldier on the front feels that he is in his place and wants to stay there. He feels better among his friends there than among ordinary people in the center of the country.

It is such a difficult path, but we are going through huge corrections, the whole nation is, and are honored with unity. When soldiers come home on leave, they say that real life is there, at the front, and they want to return quickly despite all the danger.

This is a huge lesson for all of us, and let us hope that it will leave an indelible mark in our hearts that will never be forgotten. The main thing is to be with all your heart and soul with those soldiers on the front line and pray for them.

At a time when unity and brotherhood are growing on the front, the discord that existed before the war is beginning again in the rear. But this contrast will help us realize how undesirable disunity is and will help us make the right decision.

To anyone who is fighting against a real, obvious enemy that wants to destroy us and throw us out of our land everything is clear. But there is also an inner enemy, and each of us will have to feel that he is standing against his egoism and must grab it and strangle it.

How can we recognize this inner enemy? It is very easy. Everything in me that helps me get closer to others is my friend, and everything that alienates me and awakens hatred for others is my enemy.

This war has softened the hearts of the people. But the nation of Israel has experienced such terrible catastrophes in its history and still has returned to separation. Let us hope that this time there will be no return to the old habits.
[323600]
From the 3^rd part of  the Daily Kabbalah lesson 1/11/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Writings of the Last Generation”

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Question: What are your wishes for Israelis in the new year 2024?

Answer: Precisely for Israelis, apart from striving for connection, I have nothing to say. This striving for connection should be above all, and then we will defeat all those who wish us destruction.

Comment: When you say “striving for connection,” what does it mean to you?

My Response: We must raise the importance of connection above all of our other actions, states, and problems.

Comment: There are political problems; there are security and economic problems.

My Response: It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is connection. All problems can be solved through it.

Question: So if the basis is connection, then will all other problems disappear?

Answer: Yes.

Question: How can we get this into the heart and into the brain?

Answer: I don’t know. Each of us just needs to shut up when he wants to say something against someone! That’s all.
[323549]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/1/24

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Breaking the silence
Of an ancient pond
A frog jumped into the water—
A deep resonance. 
(Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa)

Question: The concept of shibui refers to a Japanese aesthetic of a refined understatement in artistic representation. It has an underlying notion of life’s transitory and evanescent nature. This is reflected in traditional Japanese clothing that is more beautiful on the interior than the exterior fabric.

What is hidden beauty?

Answer: Hidden beauty is something one cherishes, treasures! It is more important to him than anything in the world.

Question: And this, it turns out, is not shown off and put on display?

Answer: It is not shown to anyone. Many nations have many prohibitions against exposure.

Question: Is it the same in spirituality?

Answer: In spirituality, necessarily.

Question: But how can I, an outsider, feel this hidden beauty if it is hidden?

Answer: You don’t need to feel it; you should strive to create your own beauty for yourself.

Question: Am I ever looking for another beauty?

Answer: No, you will not find the beauty you are looking for there.

Question: Won’t I find it in others?

Answer: No, no way. You will not be able to find another person who could display your beauty, what you need, or what you prefer.

Question: Is my life the search for my beauty? Specifically beauty?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What other word would you use to define beauty?

Answer: I would call it inner perfection, harmony.

Question: Where is the upper one you keep talking about in this? Where is the Creator here?

Answer: The Creator determines this from above. And we get it below and thank Him.
[322764]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/23/23

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Question: What are your wishes for people in 2024?

Answer: To strive for peace. That is all. It is most important.

Question: What is needed for this?

Answer: To do this, you just need to strive for peace.

Question: Does everyone need to do it?

Answer: Everyone and in all its manifestations. That is, try to consider where some anti-peaceful actions are visible and look for how we can extinguish them. Today we do not yet have a single methodology, theory, or desire to do that.

Comment: There is not even a single call for peace.

My Response: Yes. So the world is in a confused state.

Question: So is this your wish for each person?

Answer: Yes, for each individually.

Question: And if you see that there is no peace, how should you live?

Answer: We must still strive for unification. There is nothing else. And I hope that our internal movement toward this, toward uniting everyone, will win and change the world.

In general, of course, the state of the world is very, very shaky.

Question: Between what and what?

Answer: Between the possibility of a huge, huge, everyday, all-around war of everyone against everyone.

Question: And will this grief really be for everyone?

Answer: Yes, of course.

Comment: Someone is thinking of sitting out.

My Response: No, I think that in general it will not be possible to sit out. Here we need to make some categorical decisions.

Question: But is this your main and only wish?

Answer: Yes. Only the desire for peace in the world.
[323497]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/1/24

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In the News (CNN.com): “Elon Musk warned in a new interview that artificial intelligence could lead to ‘civilization destruction,’ even as he remains deeply involved in the growth of AI through his many companies, including a rumored new venture.

“’AI is more dangerous than, say, mismanaged aircraft design or production maintenance or bad car production, in the sense that it is, it has the potential — however small one may regard that probability, but it is non-trivial — it has the potential of civilization destruction,’ …

“Musk said Monday night he supports government regulation into AI… . Once AI ‘may be in control,’ it could be too late to place regulations, Musk said.

“’A regulatory agency needs to start with a group that initially seeks insight into AI, then solicits opinion from industry, and then has proposed rule-making,’ Musk said.”

Question: What do you think about it?

Answer: He deals with it. Obviously, we should at least listen to him.

Question: Do you think it is possible that a machine would suddenly turn against a human?

Answer: Of course. We may not even feel it, but it will be perhaps directed against us.

Question: So, do you think there could be a conspiracy of machines?

Answer: Not in such a crude form as a “conspiracy of machines.” It is hard to point to anything that we invented that was only positive.

Question: Because we invented it?

Answer: Yes, we did. And we always turn it to the negative side.

Question: You do not find much positive in a human, do you?

Answer: Man is an egoist. I do not find anything positive in it at all. We see in ourselves how uncontrollable we are. And artificial intelligence will also eventually be uncontrollable. Whatever man invents, it is still for his harm.

Question: What can be done and how can we make man invent something for good? In order to squeeze something positive out of us, what needs to be done?

Answer: There will always be something negative about it. Always. Look at what humanity is doing to itself.

Comment: Yes. It goes little by little…

My Response: To self-destruction.

Question: But it will not come to it, right? It will not happen?

Answer: I don’t know if it will come to it. It seems to me that there is a possibility of it, and a big possibility that we can begin to self-destruct.

Question: Yes, but can we rely on the upper force to somehow bring us to our senses? You always talk about upper management.

Answer: The upper force is not ultimately the higher intelligence that we mean. The higher power is something that may be above our egoism, and we have absolutely no contact with it. We have no connection with what is higher than our egoism.

Question: And before this abyss that is right in front of it, can we suddenly slow down and realize that we must rise above egoism, that it was it that brought us to this?

Answer: How can we know this?

Comment: It will come from above somehow. There is no other way, you say.

My Response: I have no idea.

Comment: You don’t want to give us a small chance.

My Response: I would not give man a chance.

Comment: After all, it is God’s creation.

My Response: No, no, we are not God’s creatures, and we cannot hope that the Creator will always protect us and always somehow separate us. I personally do not hope so.

Of course, He is ultimately good that does good. But maybe we achieve this good through huge, huge failures, suffering, and wars.

Comment: We see that this is indeed the case.

My Response: But that is not all. What the Bible says and so on could be much worse.

Question: But the reason that things could be worse, maybe it will still somehow enter us?

Answer: No, we see that this does not calm the human.

Question: I am always trying to find some way out of this situation from you. And you say that a human is still a negative system?

Answer: Yes, of course. Man is a negative system, and is constantly moving toward self-destruction, and before that, practically nothing can stop him.

Question: Can we attract positive things? We can at some point, right?

Answer: We hope so.

Comment: Another idea about artificial intelligence is that it will lead to humanity not having to work.  Then the main question will be the search for the meaning of life. That is, we will come to the meaning of life from boredom, from the fact that we will not have a job.

My Response: Is the meaning of life now to work?

Comment: Yes, it looks like it, correct. 🙂

My Response: It is not clear: now the meaning of life is to work, and then the meaning of life will be not to work.

Question: So you do not accept this logical connection?

Answer: No.

Question: Are you saying that we need to look for the meaning of life now?

Answer: We must develop in such a way as to understand that work itself also has meaning. And we definitely need to make our work as high as possible, that is, one that would raise man, turn him into a reasonable human. It is true.

Comment: In principle, work to earn money, work to support the family…

My Response: No, no. It is all going to go away soon.

Question: And if, let’s say, the work in which I had the meaning of life ends. How do I not lose the meaning of life with this job ending?

Answer: When you feel that you do not need to work in order to live, then you have the opportunity for another goal in order to live.

Question: So if I grasp the goal, then any changes taking place at a lower level are no longer important. I do not work or I do work, it does not matter. The main thing is to grasp the goal. What is it about?

Answer: I think that this work will be so that we rise all the time and get closer to the Creator in our unity.
Our job will be in how much each of us will refine ourselves every day to rise above ourselves.
[322371]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/9/23

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Natasha writes:

Hello, dear Michael Laitman! It is very important for me to know your opinion. The fact is that my niece, who is only 18 years old, is dying of cancer. And yesterday the doctors told us that she is to die in about one month.

Throughout her illness, the whole family supported her and told her that everything would be fine and that she would overcome everything. But now the doctors have pronounced their verdict, and she will be gone in a month. I do not know what to tell her. I really do not know. I will be standing in front of her, she will look me in the eye, and I will have to say something. What should I say?

My Response: You should say that there is nothing worse than this world, and all of us will eventually move to another world and it will be better there. A person will meet this with understanding and relief.

Question: So you think this girl already understands inside her that she will leave?

Answer: Of course she understands it.

Question: In the case that she understands it, or in any case?

Answer: She will understand it. This will remain inside her. And she will accept this departure as a good transition to a better state. It is not a lie, not at all. On the contrary, you alleviate a person’s last suffering here in this world. And let her go.

Comment: That is, this world is not the best one.

My Response: It is the worst one.
[322531]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/20/23

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Question: Alexey asks: “Explain how I, such an imperfect, wicked person, can adhere with God? How?”

Answer: God is waiting for those who are imperfect and wicked, but still want to adhere to Him.

Question: Does it mean that Alexey has already made the first step?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Do we need to feel that “I am imperfect and wicked”?

Answer: Yes, then you should aim to the Creator and see that He is waiting for you.

Question: What if I do not feel that I am imperfect and sinful? What if I do not feel it?

Answer: Then why do you need the Creator?
[322661]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/23/23

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Question: A wise man was asked: “Why is there no trace of sadness on your face?” He replied: “I do not have anything worth being sad about losing.”

Is it really possible not to be sad about anything at all?

Answer: In principle, it is a good state.

Question: Do you think it is possible?

Answer: It is possible.

Question: Even though there is so much sadness around?

Answer: This is because there are all sorts of unrealistic hopes and dreams.

Question: I build something impossible in advance, and then despair. But how can I not build? How can I not hope for something? Is it possible? This is no longer a human being.

Answer: Why not a human being?

Question: But I am making some plans, right?

Answer: What for?

Comment: This is an interesting question. It is, basically our life, step-by-step we make some plans.

My Response: What are you building? There is no need to build anything. It is what it is. Something will move, it has moved; something has stopped, it will stop.

Question: Is it possible to live like this?

Answer: Yes. And this is not a limitation, this is not from weakness. This is from wisdom.

Comment: So I agree with everything that is given to me. Somehow, since childhood, we always had dreams and goals.

My Response: During childhood, we want to run like little children, from corner to corner, back and forth aimlessly.

Question: Otherwise we will not grow. Are you saying that at some point this growth should stop? Should another growth start?

Answer: Yes, more internal.

Question: What does this wisdom that I am acquiring do within me?

Answer: It gradually slows you down.

Question: What is my inner wisdom to which I come over the years?

Answer: Where to run, for what?

Question: Should I answer this question or not?

Answer: You do not have an answer.

Question: Should I look for it?

Answer: You will be looking. While you are looking for it, you will be running. Then gradually, as you become convinced that there is nowhere to rush, you will stop. And this is right.

Question: What am I waiting for then? I stopped.

Answer: You are not waiting for anything. You just see that no movement can replace peace.

Question: Am I coming to a state of peace?

Answer: Yes. Both internal and external.

Question: What do you call the peace that I come to?

Answer: The lack of motivation to move.

Question: Then what is movement?

Answer: The desire to change your state.

Question: Is the right thought not to change my state? It is what it is. What about this phrase “Honor the madmen who can trace gay dreams, to please the human race”?

Answer: Why would you want to drive the world crazy? Let them just understand that annulling their egoism before the Creator is our highest movement.

Question: Is this what we are coming to? Is this peace?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is this what we call bringing the Creator into this world?

Answer: Yes.
[322577]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/9/23

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Irina writes:

I had everything: happiness, love, warmth, affection. The war came and took it all away from me. My husband and I thought we were going to be together forever. I understand everything you’re talking about, or rather, I did. I don’t understand it anymore. I do not know how to live anymore.

Question: She is asking how to go on?

Answer: Day by day, that is how to go on, without looking either at yesterday or tomorrow. Just automatically live through today.

Question: What should you invest in to call it life?

Answer: You don’t need to invest in anything. Just live.

Question: So I live, I go to work, meet people, eat, and so on. That’s it?

Answer: That’s it.

Question: Is that a way to live? Without plans for tomorrow or the future?

Answer: Yes. No plans! This is the best thing. Then there are no disappointments or expectations.

Question: But how can you cope with the feeling that you had everything: happiness, love, warmth, affection, then the war came and, as I understand it, even took Irina’s husband away?

Answer: I don’t know what to say. There are usually no words for this.

Question: But those close to us try, as do others, to make us feel better, give us some kind of solace. What solace can we offer Irina?

Answer: To be more involved with our programs and get closer to us. This is what I can advise her.

Question: I don’t think she is our student. She is watching our programs and is clearly familiar with our clips. She writes: “I understand everything you’re talking about.” Or rather, she understood, but no longer does. When a person receives such a blow, what is the advice?

Answer: Still she should not distance herself from us. Hold on to us. And then everything will fall into place.

Comment: You said, and I believe she’s heard it in your lectures and all our materials, that you must accept what comes to you.

Answer: Yes, there is nothing more you can do.

Question: What lies behind this word “accept”?

Answer: Everything that happens comes from above, but we must still agree with it. We must agree. What are the options? It is very painful, and thoughts keep straying to the past, to how things used to be.

Comment: To how kind and warm it once was.

Answer: Yes. Yet the same question, why? The best thing is to keep on going about your day, try to act automatically.

Question: To such a degree on autopilot? What would happen if I lived like this, if I heeded your advice?

Answer: You would slowly get used to the fact this is how it should be, day after day. That’s all.

Question: Would a new understanding, a new happiness, and a new life emerge if you keep on going like that?

Answer: It would no longer be the same happiness, but things would calm down.

Question: Tell me, why is this given to a person?

Answer: So that, first of all, a person would justify what is happening. This is how things work, and this is how it all comes from above.

Question: You always say that a person is not given more than he can bear. Even when the most precious thing is taken away?

Answer: It doesn’t matter what.

Question: Does this mean a person is strong and is able to endure it?

Answer: Possibly.

Question: Can I tell Irina this too, that she can endure? Does this apply to her as well?

Answer: Absolutely!
[322481]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/13/23

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