Michael Laitman, On Quora: “If you could give one piece of knowledge that you have to everyone in the world, what would you choose? Anything as long as it is something specific.“

We began developing in our ego 6,000 years ago. This ego constantly pushed us to develop and severed us from the truth. In the past, like animals, we were connected with nature and instinctively carried out its laws. However, our ego separated us from nature. We thus found ourselves out of balance with nature and we became egoists. This is because nature is altruistic and operates by altruistic laws.

We thus became increasingly egoistic and separated from nature. In our era, globalization has revealed the great extent of our interconnectedness and interdependence, and the degree to which we hate each other. Today, we start seeing our shaky egoistic base as the base of our misfortunes. This is why we need to understand that there is no way out other than to invert our ego to bestowal, to altruism.

This is the knowledge that I would like to pass on to people. It exists in the wisdom of Kabbalah, which discusses the fact that by means of the method called “the wisdom of Kabbalah” we can change our nature, and save ourselves from extermination and disasters that are increasing in our time. This is how we provide a good future for ourselves, our children and the world, and it is how we elevate our existence from the materialistic level to the spiritual, eternal and perfect level. Unless we do so, and do so quickly, then we will reach the same outcome by means of suffering. The global crisis will nevertheless obligate us to undergo our fateful transition from egoism to altruism.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Can anybody destroy his desire?“

Desires cannot be destroyed.

Desires are the matter of creation. However, above every desire, the intention should be changed from a self-serving intention to one that is aimed at the benefit of others and nature.

Likewise, by ceasing to work with intentions aimed at self-benefit, then our egoistic desires die off. Once our egoistic desires are dead, we can then revive our desires to operate altruistically.

While we cannot destroy the desire, we can remove the desire from the self-aimed egoistic intention upon it. The desire then remains in a completely amorphous and suspended form, and its egoistic intention disappears.

It then becomes possible to work with the desire again, however with an altruistic intention.

Based on “Secrets of the Eternal Book 7” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Semion Vinokur, on August 2, 2021. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is the current economic system inherently corrupt? If so, how do we go about dismantling it?“

We need to reveal the egoism present in each of us as the source of evil, to reach a desire to use everything that we have from nature solely in order to reach a positive state, and to understand that a positive state depends on our society.

Through globalization, we see the vast extent to which we depend on each other. Our global interdependence will become increasingly apparent up to a point where every one of us will feel complete dependence on everyone else, down to the fact that if other people who are not under my control will not want to be benevolent toward me, then I will have no right to exist.

If we will all understand the tightness of our interdependence, then we will want to correct ourselves, i.e. to invert our egoism to altruism. If we will each know that we depend on everyone else, then we will want everyone else to be kind to us. Also, we will know that others will express kindness toward us only on condition that we express kindness toward them.

If we succeed in understanding our mutual dependence, the law of mutual guarantee, then we will be able to arrange our lives such that our economic system will also change and start providing everything for us in the best and most effective way possible. Our interactions, including economic ones, will then change to be for humanity’s benefit.

This change depends on one condition: for us to open our eyes and see that in nature there is a law of equality between everyone. Just like the physical and chemical laws of nature’s still level, or the biological and genetic laws of nature’s animate level, there is also a law of life—the law of altruism—in the nature of humanity. Our body’s cells merit life on condition that every cell rejects any excessive benefit beyond its necessities and lives together with the entire body, providing it with everything necessary. Similarly, like a cell, a person in society must provide everything for society.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Does God belong to any religion?“

God is the general nature and law of reality. In Gematria, the words for “God” (“Elokim”) and “the nature” (“HaTeva”) have the same numerical value, as they both represent the law of bestowal and love, or altruistic love. It does not mean the egoistic altruism inherent to us, where we perform altruistic acts in order to earn and receive something in return. Rather, it refers to the altruistic law, without any consideration of, or return to, oneself.

Our purpose in life, from God’s or nature’s side, is to bring us to full equivalence of form with Him/it. Such is God’s or nature’s goal in relation to each person. We were created by God/nature solely for this purpose.

God/nature leads us to this goal where we resemble Him/it. That is why we are called “human,” which in Hebrew is “Adam,” from the word “Domeh,” “Lehidamot” (“to become similar”). We need to become similar to God/nature by transforming our ego to altruism, to a form of bestowal. When we complete such a transformation, we complete our role in this world, and we then no longer have to return to this life. We then remain solely in the eternal spiritual life, without dressing into the materialistic body.

We need to use our freedom of choice by means of society’s influence upon us so that we become similar to God/nature. From God’s or nature’s side, He/it pushes us via positive or negative forces—depending on what we choose—pushing us toward the same goal.

It can also be added that God has no religion, because religions are an invention of people who wish to give themselves a psychologically-justified explanation of our existence in this world having a certain goal.

God is our general nature, which advances us to become eternal and perfect like Him.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why is it socially acceptable to hoard wealth while so many go without basic needs?“

We exist in an egoistic nature that constantly develops. It makes us want to enjoy at the expense of others and nature, and it is the source of all misfortunes and problems. We can fight with the many problems that we encounter, whether they be poverty, disease, inequality, oppression, drug abuse, depression, stress, anxiety, and the list goes on and on. However, in the end, all problems are an outcome of the constantly growing human ego.

Human egoism has been developing since ancient times. Our desires were originally very small, merely wanting to provide for our basic survival needs. They later developed through stages where we aspired for money, honor, control and knowledge. Moreover, the desire for knowledge is the desire for information about how to more effectively exploit people in order to optimally fulfill our egoistic desires. Money is equal to all the other pleasures, because everyone aspires for money. This is why, in our world, money gives people a sense of confidence in the present and in the future. If society would hold no value on money, then we would not accumulate it.

If we knew that our life depends on attaining nature’s eternity and perfection by unifying “as one man with one heart,” that precisely by means of attaining an altruistic sense of existence in our connections we would reach another level of life, and another guarantee for our lives—then we would be able to change our approach to money and stop treating it as a value that surpasses everything else.

This is why we need to realize the general law of nature, the law of altruism. By becoming equal to the law of altruism, we can merit perfection and eternity. Accordingly, we will also reach a state where money will disappear from the world.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What would affect the future of humanity most likely in a positive way?“

In our world, there is just one force that governs everyone: the will to receive pleasure. No matter what we do, we are constantly searching and choosing that which will ultimately bring us the greatest pleasure in the most optimal and safest way.

Humanity develops through intellect and emotions, which are sufficient to gain knowledge to better succeed in this world. There comes a time when humanity feels that it is not enough anymore, and finds itself in trouble, seeing that there are problems and obstacles. This pushes humanity toward the search for different methods, ideas, inventions and gadgets to mitigate life, to seek how to better advance. However, what we start finding is that our technologies and scientific discoveries bring us more harm than good.

We have reached a state where the development that we aspired for and respected suddenly becomes increasingly dangerous. From various harmful elements being released into the environment, to many countries possessing nuclear weapons, or toxic chemicals in our food, and even our actions toward each other have become increasingly toxic.

An inner enemy, our ego, stands in the way of positive further progress. The wisdom of Kabbalah reveals and teaches that our salvation is in developing positive human connections. Our connections, the connections between all of us, are all that we need to fix.

Based on the video “What’s in the Way of Humanity’s Future Progress?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “If Darwin’s theory is right about life beginning in Africa, then why are African states less developed than Western states?“

It is possible that life was conceived in Africa, but our civilization began developing only with the emergence of human egoism, which is the force positioned behind our progress. This happened in Mesopotamia, ancient Babylon, around 4,800 years ago. The story of the Tower of Babel in the Torah narrates is about the outburst of human egoism at that time. In their pride, people wanted to achieve the heavens, expressed allegorically, to build “a tower up to the sky.” As a result of the ego that developed, they started hating each other and thus stopped understanding each other. This is called “the intermixing of the languages.” Then, they wandered away from each other because they did not want to and could no longer be together as a unified human society.

They stopped understanding each other, and then humanity began developing by means of its ego. This is how we have developed throughout history—by means of the ego that is inherent to us, from one generation to the next.

It is only in the person, in this special creature of nature, where the ego develops even over the course of a single lifespan. A one-day old calf is like a grown bull, i.e. it is already an animal that is ready for everything it needs to do in life. In us, however, the ego grows over the course of our lives, and we thus do not know what we need to do. As such, we need education and support from society.

Therefore, we are very far away from our early days in Africa and even from Babylon. Today, we are immersed in the developing egoism, which demands to be quickly tamed. If we tame our ego, then we will achieve a new positively connected society, and if not, then we will approach the level of the end of our civilization.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: Ariel writes: “I do not understand anything you say, but there is a feeling that this is the truth. How do I deal with this?”

Answer: Let it be. It is simply that this is really the truth; this is actually how it is. It is about what is happening in the world, it is what Kabbalists have predicted for the world throughout history. So let’s not try to rewrite history to suit ourselves, but understand that it is unchangeable. What is written must happen.

All we need to do is use our mind to try and make this history happen a little above us, a bit over us. In other words, we hear how the Creator scolding us, how He is directing us and showing us where and how to change. And this should be enough, His pointing His finger should be sufficient for our advancement.

Question: Ariel writes that he does not understand what you are telling us, but he feels that it is true. Is it good or bad that a person does not understand?

Answer: It is good. This indicates that he has a correct, normal perception.

Comment: Actually, a person is usually guided by knowledge. He understands that he cannot grasp what you are saying within reason. He only has a feeling that it is true. So he stays and listens.

My Response: Yes. That is enough because a soul is a feeling and not knowledge.

Question: When you met your teacher, how did you feel? Did you understand what he was talking about?

Answer: Virtually not. Practically, I did not understand it. I felt that it was the truth. That is all. But what the truth is, I did not know.

Question: How can this be? This goes completely contrary to this whole world.

Answer: It is how it is from above. There is nothing you can do here.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/22/21

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Does globalization promote democracy or consolidate dictatorship?“

Globalization shows us the extent to which we are interconnected and interdependent when humanity becomes a single whole. It demonstrates that we belong to a single organism or body. It does not lead to greater democracy, a dictatorship nor greater development, but to a key dilemma that we will increasingly face in our era: On one hand, we find ourselves in globalization, becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent, and on the other hand, we see the extent to which we become increasingly detached and divided from each other.

In other words, globalization reveals an imbalanced and unreliable world that needs to completely change its self-organization, as well as a need for a major change in perception. We need to reject our egoistic attitudes to each other and to nature and apply a new mutually altruistic approach. The interdependence unraveling today shows us that we need to do just the opposite of our egoistic makeup: like cells of a single body, we need to depend on each other and unite with each other as a single system. As such, globalization, which develops and today becomes revealed to everyone, can bring humanity to the realization of evil—that we run on an egoistic operating system, one where each person prioritizes self-benefit over benefiting others and nature—as well as to the realization of good, which we will find in a shift to altruism, where we will each prioritize benefiting others and nature over self-benefit.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What are the three most important values we should teach our children?“

We should give our children knowledge about the world’s structure, about the fact that the world is an integral system, how people are interconnected and interdependent, and with such understanding, how we should behave accordingly.

When we understand the extent of our integrality, we should aim our attitudes and behaviors at no less than loving and caring about other people as we love and care about ourselves.

Such interrelations are necessary in order for us to enter into harmony and balance with nature. Otherwise, if we fail to achieve balance with nature, if we remain detached with no perception and sensation of ourselves as a single system, then we will evoke suffering upon ourselves.

Also, on the other side of the same coin, to the extent that we achieve harmony and balance with nature—a global and balanced unification with nature—we will achieve a safe, peaceful and harmonious life on a different spiritual, eternal and perfect level. It is because doing so elevates us from the animate physical level of existence, which we now feel, to the level of spiritual existence, which we will feel as soon as we start ascending from the level of negative egoistic connections to the level of positive altruistic connections.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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