Question: In Japan, they have rock gardens. Although this is an inanimate level of nature, the Japanese say that there is life in them. Where does this feeling, this perception come from?

Answer: It suggests closeness to nature, when people really feel some kind of life in the inanimate things. This, indeed, is the case.

Comment: However, on the other hand, the Japanese are characterized by the development of technology, that is, a certain level of egoism.

My Response: All this is external and artificial.

I was in Japan. They really have great capabilities, modern equipment and everything else. But at the same time, it is clear that all this is absolutely external, and not theirs. Inside they are completely different.

Internally, they preserve themselves, their attitude to life, regulations, family, to everything that exists, and in no case do they connect themselves with everything external that has come to them.

They took from the outside world everything they needed to surround themselves with this outer shell and with its help to protect themselves from the outside world. For them, all innovations are not a means of communication, but in some way a means of isolation, because behind the beautiful and perfect outer technological shell they remain the same.

There is nothing special here. Historically, the isolation of the country for many centuries, plus religion and forced proximity to nature, in connection with earthquakes, tsunamis, and all sorts of similar problems has left its mark on them.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Branch of Sakura” 5/15/11

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Do Jewish people have a common genetic background?“

No. However, they have a predisposition to universal unification in order to attain connection with the upper force. That is the reason for their leaving ancient Babylon.

Their common genetic background exists in their descendants, which are souls, and the same soul goes through several bodies. This is called “the incarnation of the souls” in the wisdom of Kabbalah. For instance, Jews existed in all states from ancient Babylon to their current incarnations, they went through all of these lives. They even know their incarnations, or they can find out how they passed through various cultures, such as Spanish, German and Eastern European, all the way until today. Moreover, after they spread from Babylon throughout the world, the underlying desire that developed humanity was growing both in them and in the nations of the world.

Today, the desire’s development has reached a certain level where more and more people feel a predisposition to universal unification. They are identical in every way to those of us who came from ancient Babylon, even though they have been distant from us throughout the 3,700 or so years since we left Babylon. This predisposition to universal unification that more and more people are feeling is a desire that increasingly surfaces today—one to discover the upper force and to undergo a process of correction in order to do so, i.e. to change the desire from personally benefiting oneself to benefiting others.

Based on KabTV’s “Close-Up. Around the World” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on February 20, 2011. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is a fully realized human being?“

A fully-realized human being is one who develops and attains the degree called “human” through one’s efforts.

There are four degrees in nature: still, vegetative, animate and human.

The lives we are born and raised into are still not the fully-realized human level. In our inborn desires, thoughts and behaviors, we stand between nature on the still, vegetative and animate levels, and nature on the human level.

What is a human, in the fullest sense of the term? In Hebrew, the word for “human” is “Adam,” which comes from the word for “similar” (“Domeh”), from the phrase, “similar to the most high” (“Domeh le Elyon”). That is, being human means attaining similarity to the upper force.

How can we reach similarity with that force? It can be done by positively connecting to each other up to a point where we relate to each other as this force does: out of absolute love and bestowal.

While the still, vegetative and animate levels of nature have several examples of how they function out of a well-oiled altruistic connection, we have no such examples among humanity. Why? It is because we need to develop this new degree of fully realizing ourselves as human beings from our own efforts. Doing so will lead us to the revelation of the upper force that created and sustains us.

Based on the video “What Is a Fully-Realized Human Being?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What’s the point of fighting wars anyway? Why don’t we just negotiate things?“

I very much hope that in the current Russia-Ukraine war, we will learn that there is no point in fighting anymore.

The wars where we detach from the other side, and kill and bomb them with brute physical force, and where the side that physically overpowers the other side comes out seemingly as the winner and smarter due to it winning a physical war, should be replaced with a different kind of war.

The different kind of war is based on our same competitive spirit, which includes an intermingling of hatred, envy and various other characteristics. However, it should be a battle of the mind, an inner scrutiny of intellect and emotion, similar to how scientists argue over their findings and opinions. There should be wars of inner scrutinies in determining who is right and wrong, but not wars that erupt in physical conflict.

In the end, however, we will find that we can only succeed by connecting above our divisions and differences. That is, we will find that it is not a matter of determining which side is right or wrong, but above such a determination, the connection between us lets us transcend to a new harmonious and peaceful level of existence. It is my hope that we will discover the tendency to unite above division in the current war.

Based on the video “What Is the Point of Fighting Wars Today?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Comment: Yuliya asks: “Dear Michael Laitman, from your explanations it turns out that a person who lives only for himself is not a human.”

My Response: Everyone you see in our world is like this.

Man comes from the word “Adam,” Adam from the word “like,””Domeh,” similar to the Creator. That is, the spiritual image that we grow in ourselves, starting from the spiritual birth and beyond, is already a man.

Question: Basically, do we exist precisely for this? Is that why we are called human? Are we potentially going to be humans?

Answer: Of course.

Question: Do you think there are hardly any such people?

Answer: Yes. But we must strive for this.

Comment: But you say that there are only a few of them.

My Response: Very, very few. But we will achieve this in the future.

Now there is a period that leads to that, preparation.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/25/22

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Comment: Natasha is asking: “You are talking about correction of the world, but it is such a long process, it will all happen sometime in the future. What can we do to realize right now that we urgently need to change our attitude to each other? I see that neither wars nor suffering help. What will help then?”

My Response: It can be a long process when, firstly, it does not depend on us and when it takes place through some external actions. When you need to build something, to do something, or even destroy something.

However, if this is the process of realization, you can say two words to a person, and it will shake him up and that’s it. He realized everything.

Question: What happens within him then? What turns over?

Answer: Cause and consequence. He begins to understand the relationship between cause and consequence. And this changes absolutely everything in him.

He begins to understand the reason why we exist in such a terrible way. The reason is not in you or in me, but in the egoism between us. It means that this egoism is between us, it is not yours and it is not mine, and it is not that you are good and I am bad, or I am good and you are bad, no one is bad! Between us! The Creator specially created egoism between us in advance so that we would understand.

He even says: “I created egoism between you so that you would destroy it. It is in this way that I want you to understand that there can be something opposite of connection, love, and interaction. In this way, you would come to this connection, love, and interaction by removing the opposite.”

Everything that we attain in our world is attained from the opposite state. As they say: “The advantage of the light is from the darkness.”

Therefore, it can happen very fast.

Question: Is this understanding, in fact, the process of correction?

Answer: Yes, when you say, “Ouch!” and besides the pain you understand, in this “ouch,” the cause of this pain. You refuse it in advance, instantly, right there. You do not want it in any way. By this you reach correction. You do not need to do anything else.

Question: Why are we not saying “ouch” now? After all, it seems like the right time.

Answer: We do not understand that this thing that exists between us and prevents everything good is only our egoism.

Question: Why do we always have hope that egoism will lead us out, that it will get better?

Answer: We want to rise above each other. This is the problem.

So how can we humiliate ourselves relative to others? It does not matter what others will think, how they will look at us, what conclusions they will draw from our behavior. We just need to bow our heads down and start acting.

Comment: And we will hear: “Rag! Not a man! Who is he?”

My Response: No, I do not think so. If a person really acts in this way, people will understand that he is doing it consciously.

Question: Does this also apply to the leaders who lead the nations?

Answer: Everyone. To set such a good example. This is when the correction process will begin.

Question: Why can’t the Creator do like in your fairy tale? Like this: “Whoosh!”

Answer: The Creator did everything opposite of this. He must do everything opposite of this. Because only in this way will we attain the greatness, perfection, and the quality of love.

Question: Out of complete lack of love?

Answer: Of course, only like that.

We have to come to the understanding that we are coming to an end. We have no other choice but to make an effort over ourselves to transfer ourselves to the next state.

We just need to say, “Whoosh!” And everything else will happen from above.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/28/22

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Comment: Irina is asking: “During this war and these events that are happening, I suddenly have a feeling that I cannot plan anything, that I do not decide anything, that everything is decided for me. They took away the meaning of living the way I want! I have to live as someone else wants! I feel like an animal being led wherever they want: into slavery—so, into slavery; to slaughter—so, to slaughter. And this is called life! How can I break free out of this circle? This is not life!”

My Response: It has always been that way. You just did not realize that you were being controlled. Now you have grown up internally and feel that you are being controlled. This is a completely different state.

What is this for? In order for you to maybe be able to change yourself. To find out why you are being controlled, who is controlling you, what for, why, and how to change yourself so that you can enter this governance yourself. This is already recognizing that you are in a state of spiritual growth.

All these people and governments are in fact puppets. Who is behind them? The upper force that controls all of us through all sorts of figureheads.

It means that we must understand from where, what for, and why, and try to see this upper force that leads us to a certain state and controls us. To come in contact with it in such a way that we would receive all kinds of control signals directly from it.

Question: So that I receive directly from this force? Roughly speaking, why do I need intermediaries? By this I remove these intermediaries and work directly with it, right?

Answer: Of course. This is the level of Moshe (Moses)—the one who talks directly to the Creator. Everyone can come to this. If we get out of slavery, we reach the level of Moses.

This is why we are driven into such states, so that we come out of them and directly connect ourselves to the upper force that wants to lead us somewhere. We are given all the problems just to turn our attention to the upper force. Therefore, it is said about the Creator that He is very jealous.

Question: Is He jealous because we do not pay attention to Him but to everything that happens around us? And we should pay attention to Him?

Answer: Yes.

Question: So, are you saying that this direct dialogue is not just possible but necessary? Is that where we are being led?

Answer: He will force us to do this. But it is better to do this sooner.

Question: Will every inhabitant of the Earth be directly speaking with the upper force? What will happen then if this fantasy takes place?

Answer: We will discover the upper force within which we exist, which controls us and leads us to the next degree of development.

We will discover that He surrounds us, includes us, and controls us in everything and by everything and wants us to enter into such a connection with Him that we understand His every action, His every signal to us.

Question: Why does He need it?

Answer: So that we rise to His level. Through this we reach our highest state of development—to be like Him, to see everything, to understand everything, to execute everything, to do everything, to be at the highest level of nature. To see everything from one end to the other. That is, we become eternal and perfect.

Comment: As they used to say at school: “Man is the crown of nature.” The man who mutilated everything around him.

My Response: This is the recognition of our current state. It is terrible, of course! Worse than animals! It is out of this recognition that we come to connection.

Question: What about what you say all the time: love, connection, and good relations?

Answer: We must cultivate this within ourselves by force. From this forced cultivation we will come to this feeling. We will come to this.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/25/22

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Question: There are some things that come to a person easily, while other things are much more difficult. Let us say unity. Is it worth considering it this way: it is hard for me to unite with another person, and this is my contribution?

Answer: No. One should really try to reach any kind of contact in any place, under any conditions. The main thing is good relations. Different levels of them, but kind, and positive, when I wish another individual what I wish for myself.

At the same time, a good connection arises between people when they feel each other and permeate each other emotionally.

Each one of them understands the desires of the other, the qualities of the other, and how he can complement and fulfill them. We must feel this! To do this, you need to be in a group that is working on unity, and then you will feel.

We need to find such a group; we have a lot of them all over the world. With systematic participation in the work of the group, you will see how you accumulate internal sensations and knowledge, which begin to form into a new sense; it is called feeling your neighbor. You will begin to understand that until this time you did not feel your neighbor.

You did not feel people at all! You felt in yourself their model, which you created for yourself egoistically to get as much as possible from them and give them as little as possible, according to a simple egoistic law. This includes your children, this includes everyone. Now, when you do it in a new way, it is completely different.

Therefore, we must open courses and constantly, everywhere, teach people the elementary laws of commutation.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. How to solve any problem?” 5/1/14

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Can American and Israeli Jews stay together?“

A recent survey of US and Israeli Jewish millennials conducted by the American Jewish Committee shows that roughly a quarter of the respondents in the US have been forced to hide their Jewishness due to the anti-Israel climate, which also made roughly a quarter of the respondents rethink their connection to Israel.

In times where the anti-Israel climate intensifies, American and Israeli Jews can stay together as a result of us Jews strengthening ourselves. Also, we need to accurately define what being Jewish means, and what it means to be an Israeli in the State of Israel and in today’s world.

A Jew is one who aspires for unity with everyone (the Hebrew word for “Jew” [Yehudi] comes from the word for “united” [yihudi] [Yaarot Devash, Part 2, Drush no. 2]). People who have no aspiration for unity cannot be considered Jews.

If we accept and start living according to the true spiritual meaning of being Jewish, then one’s place of residence would not matter, whether it be Israel, America or the moon. We would all live according to the same values. If you aspire to positively connect with others, then you are a Jew because you want unity with everyone.

Based on the video “Can American and Israeli Jews Stay Together?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How is envy or jealousy ever good?“

Envy is a great developmental force. It is bad only if it sets us on a destructive course. However, if envy makes us build and improve ourselves, then the envy is good.

Envy is a characteristic quality of our egoistic desires. With its help, we see that others have things that we do not have. It thus makes us develop ourselves.

Envy integrates us, and such integration can continue up to a point of grasping other people’s desires, thoughts and qualities.

Based on the video “How Can Envy be Good?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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