Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is love at first sight sustainable?“

Love at first sight is not true love, and it is thus unsustainable. True love, rather, has a different foundation, infrastructure and cause.

To love is the meaning of life. There is nothing greater than love.

When love fills us, we are alive. When love disappears, it is worse than death.

Love is when we have something that we can do for another person, and it fulfills and enlivens us. There is no stronger emotion than love.

Why does love fade away? It is because we have to renew it. Love is like a pet that we need to constantly feed. By doing so, we can continually renew our love up to a point where it can be felt endlessly.

Based on the video “Love in the Movies – A Kabbalist’s Response” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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From Ivan Ivanov: “Michael Laitman, please comment on the state when peace will come between brothers.”

My Response: When they feel that they are brothers! And this state does not exist today because there is huge individual egoism between them.

Moreover, this egoism is not the same; one is because of one thing and the other is because of something else. And so they do not meet even in their egoism one against the other. Therefore, they are wrong.

That is, there is no real war. Hatred does not really manifest itself. In some way, here and there they brush against each other, but they can immediately remember that they are close.

Question: And what should happen to make them really feel like brothers?

Answer: These people—they must develop.

Question: To become human?

Answer: Yes. And then they will be able to realize what they are here for, who they are, and so on. They just want a quiet, peaceful life. I am not saying that it is wrong, unfair, or maybe low—no. But this suggests that they need to develop.

Question: And if I develop into a human, what will I want?

Answer: If you develop into human, then you will want human, higher relationships, and corrections that will vibrate like connections in hearts, in thoughts, in understanding, and in clear penetration into each other so that we can see through each other and understand where else we do not connect.

We do not have to be equal, but we have to complement each other properly. Through such penetration into each other to see where I can complement my neighbor and he can complement me in order to create an absolute sphere together in which we will reveal the Creator—perfection, perfection from two opposites that, in general, cannot connect.

Question: Is this the state of true brotherhood?

Answer: Yes. That is what we need to look for and not to run after each other with machine guns. In general, all the hatred—it will later be revealed what it was for.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 2/28/22

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What could humans learn from fungi?“

Israeli researchers discovered how a fungal network manages the exchange of nutrients between trees. Fungi connected to tree roots communicate the transfer of minerals, nutrients, water and carbon, while the trees funnel their carbon to the fungi in return. The researchers also found that the fungal network serves to strengthen and recover trees that developed certain problems.

Therefore, one thing we can learn from fungi is that there are complex and smart connections in nature. Among us humans, we actually have much more complex and profound connections, but due to our egoistic nature, we have no idea how to approach them. Fungi and trees, however, use their connections to their mutual benefit because they contain no such ego.

However, nature made us human beings with the ability to connect two opposite qualities, the negative egoistic quality of humans and the positive altruistic quality of nature. It is so that we can correct our egoism into its opposite—altruism—and by doing so, reach nature’s higher degree. And for us, nature’s higher degree is one of love, bestowal and positive mutual connections among everyone.

On one hand, fungi have a certain awareness of something missing in the ecosystem, and pass on certain forces to complement it. Among us people, on the other hand, we can see opposite examples, such as people continually amassing more and more wealth to a point where they do not know what to do with all of their surplus, while others starve to death.

We would thus be wise to learn from fungi about the intricate connections in nature, and that we can positively realize our interconnections by prioritizing the benefit of others over self-interest. Our eyes see an egoistic reality, but behind the scenes, from the perspective of nature itself, is an altruistic reality, and if we filled our connections altruistically like nature, then we would experience harmonious, peaceful and whole lives.

We would then gain nature’s wisdom. We would understand how the intricate connections in our reality work, and how we could maximally benefit our lives by mutually complementing each other through positively realizing such connections.

Based on the video “The Wisdom of Fungi” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Jesse Dodds on Unsplash.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can we help disabled children?“

School trips are no ordinary experience for 12-year-old Mayan Hanan, who has a rare disease that makes him struggle with severe pain during long walks. His class arranged a special wheelchair capable of navigating through the varied terrains. Mayan shared: “On this trip I felt that I’m like everyone else and that I’m equal among equals. Everyone really made a big effort for me.”

Such is an example that what helps a child with a disability is to support them, participate with them, and identify with them.

To identify with them means to understand their suffering, to accept them as equal and to wish for us to live and participate in everything together. And participation means sharing everything that we have 50-50.

How can we share the disability of another person? We can take half of their disability by adding our strength to theirs. And the disabled person supports the able-bodied person by providing an opportunity to help and feel that they contribute.

What exactly does a disabled person give us? This is the crux of the matter. It seems to us that the able-bodied person gives to a disabled person only because we fail to understand how much the disabled person gives. Participation gives us an opportunity to connect and to act together.

What is the correct attitude toward people with disabilities? For the able-bodied, it is a call from the general forces of nature that we need to take these supposedly disabled persons into our society, take care of them, and bring them to a state where they feel no disability at all. It depends only on our correct attitude toward such people: that there is no disability and that we are equal in everything in life.

How are we equal? We are equal in that we share all good and bad things among us equally. When we reach these feelings, even if only a little bit, then we will feel ourselves in a different state. We will be in a different world, one of true equality, which is worthwhile to live in.

Based on the video “Disability Equality from a Kabbalist’s Perspective” 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: “Is infinite energy possible?“

Infinite energy exists in the attitude of nature toward us, an attitude of unconditional love and bestowal.

As nature is a force of love, bestowal and connection, when we use this force to benefit others, we discover infinite sources of energy, light and beauty.

In principle, we lack nothing on condition that we use everything to benefit others. Why is there such a condition in nature? It is because nature is whole. In order to relate correctly to nature, we as a humanity thus also need to be whole like nature.

We should thus invest in improving human connections up to a point where we relate to each other as nature relates to us: out of absolute love and bestowal. We would then discover infinite energy as we use that energy for the benefit of others.

Based on the video “How to Extract Infinite Energy from Nature” 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: “If all wars end eventually, what event could end all wars in the world?“

The end of all wars will come about when we all aim at mutually complementing each other.

It cannot be a state where one ego will overpower another ego, but rather one where we mutually concede to the upper force of connection, love and mutual bestowal for the benefit of all people in the world.

In such a state, everyone will be directed at positively connecting above all egoistic and divisive drives.

Based on the Daily Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on March 8, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: Anna writes: “My husband and I have been married for three years, and feelings are only growing. But I can’t let go of the thought that this is all temporary, that all this can pass. I don’t want our feelings to cool down. How can I do this?”

Answer: If you share these feelings between yourselves, then the mere fear that they will pass will somehow continue them.

And the main thing is to study your nature mutually, you and him, and thus help each other in manifesting this egoistic nature and rising above it together. You have to understand that this egoism is against you, and when together you create more and more bonds between each other, you will thus rise above it. But it will not go anywhere and it will constantly grow and force you to grow in the same way.

Question: So is the trepidation a good thing? Should there be constant fear that the relationship will suddenly change?

Answer: Yes. Trembling, fear, and anxiety that we will fall from our good attitude toward each other is the guarantee that we will hold on to it.

Question: So your advice is not to destroy this anxiety?

Answer: No. This is called “Ira” in Hebrew; it is not just fear, but anxiety, a special anxiety, the anxiety of maintaining good relations.

Question: Does this mean that they are getting closer to true love between them?

Answer: Yes. They seem to be climbing a mountain. Egoism grows all the time and becomes more sophisticated and therefore sharper. But it is the joint work that raises them and brings them even closer together.

Question: And what is there at the top?

Answer: At the top, spiritual rapprochement will begin, which will create a higher connection between them, which is in fact supra-egoistic. And they will begin to connect with each other in such a way that they will understand each other internally without words, instead only with thoughts, and will intertwine with each other.

Question: Is this the highest state of connection?

Answer: Yes. Just as snakes in a pit intertwine with each other, so they will intertwine, not selfishly, but in a mutually kind attitude toward each other.

Comment: You compared it with snakes, and immediately it became somehow uncomfortable.

My Response: Why? This is very relevant and direct.

Question: Are these snakes in us?

Answer: It is thanks to our great, insidious egoism that if we start using it correctly to draw closer and to wrap ourselves around each other, that in this way we will rise closer and closer to the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 1/3/22

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Comment: A letter from Irina: “We were together since the first grade at school, and we never quarreled. He used to carry my school bag already in the third grade, and all the boys laughed at him. But we became even better friends, and everyone envied us. After school, we studied at the Institute of Technology together, in the same department. In the third year we got married. Our parents were friends. We gave birth to two children. I do not understand where the irritation, rejection, and hatred have come from, we knew each other thoroughly!

Today we are already divorced. Until now court trials and disputes have been going on. It was a terrible break-up! I cannot hear his voice, I cannot see him! I have constant inner pain! I do not understand how this could have happened to me! I do not know what I did wrong!”

My Response: You did not work on yourself. You thought nothing would change. But a person is constantly changing, not to mention two people, and even more so those who have known each other and have been together all the time. They change a lot throughout their lifetime. And since they were used to each other, for them the slightest changes lead to very sharp internal reactions.

It turns out that I can suddenly see another person as mean, disgusting, opposite to me, constantly perceiving me and my attitude ambiguously, and so on. It is precisely because they know each other too well. Therefore, now even the slightest change causes huge disturbances between us.

Comment: According to human logic, the better we know each other, the closer we are and the greater is the love between us. And you claim that it is the other way around.

My Response: The bigger the commotion can be. Therefore, we need to constantly arouse all sorts of allegedly negative properties and relationships between us so that we can train with them and turn them into positive ones.

Question: So you say that marriage is a constant exercise?

Answer: A permanent one! As my teacher said: “Love is a beast that lives between you, an evil beast. And if you constantly feed it, then everything is fine.”

Question: What does this beast grow into if it is constantly fed?

Answer: It will be big next to you. And you will be dealing with it together until old age.

Question: And this beast is called love?

Answer: Yes. And in fact, it is very, very scary.

Question: So they must see in advance that their relationship will change sharply and oppositely?

Answer: Yes, they should foresee it. And they should even play it.

Question: What do we feed this beast with?

Answer: With concessions. That is, we can deliberately annoy it and learn to concede.

Question: Please, reveal the secret of a long married life together. What does this mean for you?

Answer: For me, it means to let the husband live his life.

Question: And what about the wife?

Answer: The same about the wife. And if they have something in common, it is, of course, children.

But neither with my studies nor with my profession do I in any way invade her respective area and she does not invade mine. In this way we give each other the possibility of life—inner life, basically, after all.

And the most important thing is taking care of children. It is our common area. In principle, after all, people couple and get married in order to give birth and raise children and grandchildren.

Question: What is love?

Answer: Love is the desire to let another person exist next to you in a way that is comfortable for him. This, I think, is the secret of love and a long, normal life together, although it is very, very difficult because we live for a very long time, twice as long as we used to. And that is why it is not easy.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/9/21

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Question: What does a covenant of salt mean?

Answer: Salt is a substance that does not spoil. On the contrary, it preserves everything that is put into it.

Therefore, the covenant that we make between us and with the Creator means an eternal covenant. Salt in our world represents exactly this quality of the covenant.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 12/28/21

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the spiritual root of circumcision?“

The spiritual root of circumcision is the desire to cut ties with our egoism.

Egoism is the desire to enjoy at the expense of others and nature, and those who wish to detach from it do so in order to connect with the Creator, the quality of love, bestowal and connection—the positive force of nature—opposite to egoism.

Egoism prevents us from feeling the Creator. It dwells in our heart, i.e. in the desires behind our thoughts and behaviors. As such, it is written, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart” (Deuteronomy 10:16). The human ego constantly grows within us, and at a certain point of our development, we awaken spiritually, recognize the ego as an evil quality positioned against a positive force of love, bestowal and connection, and reach a state called “circumcision,” where we feel the need to rid ourselves of the ego. We are then left with only positive intentions toward others, which is the revelation of the upper spiritual world. We can then feel the spiritual life of love, bestowal and connection with everyone up to a point of loving the Creator, the divine and benevolent force that governs and fills reality.

Based on the video “What Is the Spiritual Root of Circumcision?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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