Question: When a person starts saying something, I form a certain attitude to it, perhaps, disregard, maybe, hate. How should I respond correctly to the friends’ words?

Answer: If I am in the group, then I am engaged in spiritual work, and that is why I must regard each of my friends as a great sage, as a great Kabbalist, as a representative of the Creator, who is in front of me now. And if he just, so to speak, is saying nonsense, I have to see it as I don’t understand what he says: I don’t understand. What he says is absolutely true, absolutely correct, divine ideas, but I don’t understand them; this is how I should accept and relate to him, not condescendingly, not like to a small child whom I love and so I forgive him, etc., and naturally not with hatred or impatience.

I must treat him as the greatest in my generation. I have to approach everything from below; this is the condition of my being in the group. Only then will I begin to feel that the Creator substituted these phrases on purpose so that I properly formatted myself and directed towards Him, to “there is none else besides Him.”
[76387]
From the Unity Day Around the World 4/22/04, Preparation to the Congress

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Question: How can we come to integrality and unification through dissemination and the integral method?

Answer: Dissemination supports us, it obliges us to be together, to communicate, connect, discuss, and so on. But we shouldn’t forget that dissemination will be effective only if we are pursuing a higher goal: the revelation to the world of the state in which it would exist inside the upper Light, in supreme good, in love and bestowal. We are all inside this field: a field of information, a field of kindness.

If we’re pursuing this goal in our dissemination work, then through that, we evoke the influence of the surrounding Light upon us and the whole world. And, of course, through that we become closer ourselves. This intention should be present at least somehow, somewhere, in some form, but we need to take care to ensure that it is there.

We don’t have a right to forget about it, because otherwise, our dissemination won’t be effective, it would simply be a corporeal action. But if we’ll be thinking about how through this action we’re bringing the world, and ourselves along with it, towards revelation of the Creator, then we will succeed.

We can also add an intention that through this, we wish to bring pleasure to the Creator. But this is too high of a degree. I don’t want to talk about this yet, because people get confused: “Who is the Creator? What kind of pleasure are we talking about?”, and so on. Our inner psychology operates with such phrases. We cannot give anything to the Creator, no kind of pleasure. But we say it this way because we feel that this is seemingly happening in the reflection on us.

If we start pursuing this goal, then our dissemination will be billions of times more effective. And this is most important. You have to go to disseminate with an understanding that through this, you’re bringing enormous benefit to the world, helping them reveal the Creator. Moreover, the connection between us will become correspondingly greater. The problem is only in the absence or incompleteness of our intention.
[76295]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/25/12, Lesson 5

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Question: What is the correct way for the groups that are staying home to support the congress?

Answer: The groups that are remaining at home have to understand that they’re not staying home, they’re not overboard. In the spiritual world, there is no distance, time, or physical objects that separate us. The spiritual world is a field where closeness in spiritual qualities determines how close you are to a person. We have to aspire to be as close as possible to one another.

Therefore, if we’re doing the same thing, if we feel connected, if we study under the guidance of one teacher and carry out the same instructions, and if we aspire to sense our mutual connection worldwide, then thanks to the spiritual and corporeal differences between us, and as a result of our connection above those differences, we build a strong, spiritual vessel or Kli.

The strength of the spiritual vessel is determined precisely by the difference between the egoistic desires within it and by the power of the connection above them.
[76302]
From Unity Day Around the World 4/22/12, “Preparation for the Congress”

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Question: To what extent can we speak about dissemination at the Convention?

Answer: We will speak about dissemination at the Convention whenever we can. One of the topics included in the planned schedule is a lecture on dissemination and a discussion of dissemination work. It’s best for this to be the last topic of the Convention. This should be what we leave the Convention with, our outcome and way of addressing the world. This should be discussed as the conclusion of the Convention.

In principle, we are getting together to unite with one another, inside of us, meaning to pursue unification inwards, rather than dissemination, expansion outward. This is the objective of the Convention! But we should also think about how we will expand our idea because our spiritual success depends on that.

Mainly, the entire Convention will be aimed within us, within our worldwide desire, but nevertheless, the last topic will be devoted to dissemination. The topic of women will be addressed separately, including women’s organizations, as well as the topic of upbringing for children and adults. These are all topics that will be discussed.
[76516]
From the lesson on 4/22/12

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Question: The Convention is an enormous pleasure. How can we avoid falling into egoistic enjoyment?

Answer: Go ahead, enjoy it egoistically, since this is also a good thing. A person has to live by enjoying, so let him enjoy. And afterwards he will gradually figure these pleasures out.

That is, under no circumstances should a person fall into depression, engage in any kind of criticism, critique, discernments or analysis, which might bring about rejection, separation, and a descent. One should only engage in goodness and strive upwards!
[76514]
From the lesson on 4/22/12

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Question: How can I prepare for a workshop correctly? What do I, as a participant, pass to the whole group during the workshop?

Answer: As a leader, I “throw out” a question, or an idea, or a state. We should discuss this state.

Everyone should think about what he would say about this state, and how he will complement, not repeat, but add to what has been said so it becomes a joint whole opinion on the given topic.

Question: What should I watch out for at the workshops? What is not allowed to say?

Answer: It’s not allowed to say negative things, but only positive things.

In general, the whole convention is based on the fact that we rise above all our negative issues: personal, group, and world. We think only about unity and live only by this. That is why we don’t touch any problems. We will mention them a little bit at the lectures, but the workshop is built only on ascent.

We talk only about the degree to which we have to rise. We imagine it; we constantly try to adapt to it. Cancelling ourselves, by the connection between us, we try to feel what this higher degree is, the Light that surrounds us, what quality this is, etc. That is, in no way you should fall below the level to which we want to ascend.

Question: How can we find out whether the workshop was successful or not?

Answer: The workshop was successful if people leave it with the feeling that they have obtained the most important thing.

Question: What can individuals or groups who connect with us virtually do during the workshops?

Answer: They should participate with us in the workshops.

He, who is sitting alone in front of the computer, will feel our atmosphere. He will listen to the focus group; we will broadcast it specifically for individuals.

As for the groups, they also discuss the same questions that I “throw out” to the groups in front of me. It doesn’t matter for me who is here in front of me or who is in the world.

The groups around the world discuss the topic of the workshop and do the same things as the groups in front of me. If he is alone, he listens to the focus group and seemingly participates together with it.
[76458]
From the Virtual Lesson 4/22/12, Preparation to the Congress

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Question: What exactly is our work in unity?

Answer: I have to yearn for a connection with the text that we study, to want that everything it says to be fulfilled in my connection with the general vessel, with the whole desire. I want to discover all the phenomena The Zohar talks about in my connection with the group.

The Zohar talks about the still, vegetative, and animate levels of the desire, nothing more. So there, it speaks about the sages, land, trees, animals, and donkeys—everything applies to the four phases of desire. We shouldn’t be distracted from this internal meaning and imagine an external picture.

Even if it “diverts” us, we have to hold on to the internality as hard as we can, and we always keep this struggle inside us with mixed success. The main thing is to try, which means that you are performing corrections and raising the internality over the externality, raising it higher and higher.

These are the greatest corrections, which only we can perform as the lowest level of the system. Until now no one could do that, not even the great Kabbalists of the past. We, in our generation, perform this most important work by raising the internality over the externality at the base of the system.
[76319]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/24/12, The Zohar

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Question: What can I get from the friends’ words during the workshops, but can’t get from the lesson with the teacher?

Answer: When the teacher speaks everyone is silent, that is, they agree with what he says. There is a plus and a minus in this.

There is no internal work during this time because you are involuntarily suppressed, silenced by the knowledge, the height of the teacher as he is initially higher than you.

When you are together with the friends, you are working with someone who can be higher, lower, or at the same level with you. And here, you have a lot of work on lowering yourself, removing your “I,” canceling yourself. And in addition, you need to consider any of your friends to be the greatest. In this way, you “adjust” yourself to the Creator, prepare yourself to go by bestowal above reception, faith above reason.
[76384]
From a Lecture on Unity Day Around the World, “Preparation for the Congress” 4/22/2012    

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Question: How can women create a strong common desire to maximize the ability to support the men during the convention?

Answer: To this day, we cannot explain to the women that they’re doing spiritual work just as men do, the only difference being that the style of their interconnection is somewhat different from the connection between the men.

With men, it all starts with a very simple friendship, with shared activities. They swim together in the sea, sit around, share meals, and study. With women this connection is much more complicated. But when they set a higher goal for themselves and understand that for the sake of this goal they need to unite, then they can accomplish it and achieve the goal. That is, the exalted goal becomes like a master for them, and they’re prepared to unite for its sake.

Question: Do women need to prepare for the convention in some special way? Perhaps we should do it together somehow or correspond with each other? Or should we only unite internally?

Answer: The importance of unification should be the same in women as in men; this is first. And second, they need to understand that they also need to achieve unity. Women are able to unite for the sake of a higher goal, and they need to explore and scrutinize this possibility.

The Bible tells about how Moshe’s sister Miriam united all the women together before exiting Egypt, how the women worked on themselves in Egypt, and how it was precisely that feminine part which nurtured Moses, that is, the force that then pulls us out of Egypt.

Question: What should women expect from the workshops?

Answer: The women, like the men, need to discuss all the details of unification. Let them try to do that; let them discover what is for them and what isn’t. In this manner, they will find their own path in a practical way since otherwise it won’t work.

On one hand, women ask: “Why not?” But when you offer them the work of unification, they say: “This isn’t for us!” And so a problem arises. And it’s unclear what can be done, what action to take, and how to approach this problem?

Women need to unite for a common cause, like in a huge number of existing women’s organization, where women can unite in order to achieve something not between, but outside of themselves. So let them unite in order to achieve something outside themselves as well, and for that purpose they can connect—not against anyone, but for the sake of accomplishing something. They can do it!

Question: Do women need to unite in order to achieve the goal or in order for the men to reach it?

Answer: They need to unite to attain the result together. Let them clarify this, and they will see the middle point into which they need to fit exactly to complement the men. And in no way is their work any less than the work of men; it’s actually greater.

Question: How should a woman prepare her husband for the convention?

Answer: You wash, dress, and feed him, then hand him his backpack, and let him go to school. I’m speaking absolutely seriously: Prepare him like you would a child. That is, let him know that you expect great accomplishments from him, that you hope that throughout the convention he’ll really go in the right direction with good and necessary thoughts. That’s how you get him ready. When it comes to that, a woman has what’s called the wisdom of life.

Question: How do men work correctly with women’s support during the workshops?

Answer: Men shouldn’t pay attention to it yet. Later, when we really become properly interconnected, we’ll feel the women’s influence, pressure on us.

It’s good when we can sense that; it obliges us. Let’s hope that we’ll be able to feel that too.
[76299] 
From a Lecture on Unity Day Around the World, “Preparation for the Congress” 4/22/2012     

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Question: We see plenty of faces at the convention, many new people. What should or shouldn’t we talk about?

Answer: What do you mean “plenty of faces, many new people”? Am I really interested in what a person looks like, or whether he or she is old or young?

The soul is ageless. The soul has no form. The soul is the property of bestowal. If so, I don’t look at anything else! That is why I neither notice nor remember people; I don’t recall their names because I am interested only in their internal field that they resonate around, that they emanate, but not in their looks or names. What’s the difference?

Question: In order to generate this field, what should we talk or not talk about?

Answer: You should talk only about the goal, only about the topic of the convention, only about maintaining the greatness of the goal, only about the positive, and in no way about the negative—that’s what Rabash writes in his articles.

A convention is not the place to make calculations. We do all that before the convention—take an example from me.

That’s it: The convention is starting, and we put aside all the problems; this is the past, and we should rise above it now. All our negative qualities, properties, connections, and contradictions between us, all that is left below. Now we rise above them and talk only about unification, about the necessity, about what we achieve by virtue of unity, about how impossible it is to reach it in any other way, about how we can’t reach it on our own, and hence need the upper Light.

All our work is precisely in order for us to realize that we cannot achieve anything ourselves. But this is after we perform a certain number of joint efforts and see that we aren’t able to do this. And then the upper force will be revealed in this huge frustration and huge desire, and it will perform the correction upon us, revealing the Creator within us. 

Question: What should I do if during a workshop a friend either talks too much or doesn’t talk at all? How can I relate to this correctly?

Answer: If he doesn’t talk, try to encourage him, to hug him, or to involve him in a conversation so that he participates in a discussion in some way, “breaks” a lack of contact, and makes contact somehow.

If a friend talks a lot, it is necessary to limit him because everyone should speak up, that is, the maximum number of people should speak within 2-3 minutes. He can say a couple of sentences, but they should be thought through in advance. He “shoots” them out, and the microphone is given to the next person.
[76360]
From a Lecture on Unity Day Around the World, “Preparation for the Congress” 4/22/2012    

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