Question: Lithuania is a small country. There are only 3 million of us. We strongly protect our cultural mentality, our native language, and ethnic roots. That is why we are concerned; will we dissolve in the world if we will increasingly be integrating with it?

Answer: I perfectly understand you. I lived in Lithuania back in those years, when the strong pressure from your big neighbor was being felt, Russia. I understand your worry for your people, for the nation, for the identity and identification.

However, we are talking about the need to feel oneself not as an individual, separated, opposite, hating, far away from the neighbor, but on the contrary, to feel commonness with everyone. We are talking about the fact that man is a part of the common world and must work in it accordingly, like a small organ in one unified organism.

The different organs of the body, the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, each one of them works in its direction, but all of them together obey one fixed law, and that is why the body lives. A lot of opposite processes are happening inside of it, but all of them are nevertheless coordinated by one large controlling action.

That is why, the integral movement forward, which will make us, the whole world, to be global, in no way denies the individuality of a person, a country, a people, a nation, or a society. In no way!

Individuality remains, like the uniqueness of each cell or each organ of the body remains, but this is because they harmonize with the rest of the body, and then this body lives.

Then our planet Earth also has the opportunity to exist, and in turn so do each people, each nation, each state inside of it, which have their own culture, their customs, establishments, and so on.

I often hear that fear emerges in people: “I must completely cancel myself? It is as if I will not exist? I must completely give all of myself to others and the society?”

No, no way! And the same goes for a country or a nation, preserve everything that you have!

When you are working on integration, then you create a healthy normal society inside, and on the outside you come in contact with everyone else with goodwill.

Like the heart and the lungs, they are different, but they work in partnership among each other in order to support the whole of the organism. Meaning, the integral direction, unity, does not lead to leveling out or annulment of individuality.
[74588]
From a Lecture at Šiauliai University, Lithuania, 3/22/12 

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Question: If half of the human population will not be working, then won’t an opposition emerge between those who work and must give to those who do not do anything other than study all the time?

Answer: First of all, one needs to look at those who work and those who study as everyone who participates in the same pursuit. There will not be such a concept as “working or not working.” According to our research and statistical data, 1-2% of the Earth’s population can produce all of the necessary food products and an additional 6-7% of the people can produce everything else that man needs. Everything that is necessary; do you understand? Let’s say, it’s 10% of the entire human population, and what about the rest of the people? What should be done with them? Destroy them?

We need to understand that a person shouldn’t be working in the way that he’s working today at all. Except for the past couple of centuries, never has a person been working from morning until night. Work has become the most important for him. And for comfort, kindergartens are being organized close to companies. Work in general has obtained the status of the center of life.

But why should it be this way? Why can’t a person come to work for only two hours a day, and study for the rest of the time? At that, he is working on self-education, integral development. He joins this process and each time, every day, to the extent of his changing, he must bring himself to a greater balance with nature. And this is a constant renewal. We will be obligated to do this. Nobody needs to give up anything; everyone is equal in this.

Today, when you communicate with a person, first of all you find out: who are you, where are you, what is your occupation, how much do you earn? This is all that interests us. But now we are coming to a different society. Neither the earth, nor the natural resources, or the environment (as much as we have already polluted it) will allow us to behave this way any further. We already see this.

In no way are we convincing anyone, like the rest of the scientists, that we need to act this way and not another; we simply offer a possible solution. We will be happy to hear other proposals. We are also constantly searching, supplementing this methodology with newer and newer data. In general, this work is part of the research. If you were to ask me 10 years ago, then you would have heard only a small part of what I am saying today. Besides, we have discovered a lot from our colleagues around the world with whom we are cooperating closely.
[74591]
From a Lecture at Šiauliai University, Lithuania, 3/22/12 

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Question: Each time I go to a convention, I feel a kind of heaviness, a burden that pulls us to the ground. You said that this would soon pass and we would feel the unity. How is it possible to get rid of this heaviness? What can help us?

Answer: The only force that can help us against our ego is the importance of the goal, the importance of the group as a means of attaining the goal. But the most important thing is the goal.

If we work on the importance of the goal so that it becomes the most important thing, we won’t feel that the ego disturbs us. We will begin to feel that the ego is a sign of the places within us that we still need to correct. It shows us where you can still make efforts, where you can still correct something.

It’s like a broken car engine: In the place where something is knocking, the valve needs to be adjusted, in the place where something is whistling, the connections need to be fixed, and where it is heating, water needs to be added or something needs to be cleaned.

Your ego works in the same way, showing what is still uncorrected in you. If you advance towards the goal, if you want to direct yourself correctly, you discover the ego as “help against you. ”It pulls you by the legs, and this means that you don’t have enough strength. Here you must add strength and then advance forwards.

If you didn’t have this indicator, you wouldn’t know what you need to correct, just like in the engine or, for example, in our body. The biggest problem in the physiology of the body is the diseases that progress without us feeling it. During this period they don’t even cause pain or any other negative sensations. While if I feel unpleasant sensations, I immediately go to a doctor and stop the disease in the beginning of its development, and not when it already reaches a state where it isn’t possible to cure or to operate it.

That is, we need to relate to the ego correctly and rationally; we have to interact with it and not just annul it: “I don’t want you! I hate you!” No, the ego is support along our way.
[74108] 
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 1

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Question: In order to come out of Egypt our ego has to go through the “ten plagues,” what does that mean?

Answer: The ten plagues of Egypt are the ten plagues that a person feels on himself, on his ego, which help him get rid of the ego. If I didn’t feel the blows, I would want to stay in the ego. But because I feel the blows while in my ego, they help me break away from it.

Each blow is stronger in quality than the previous one. Suppose I lost everything that I have in gambling, (although it isn’t about that at all), the next blow can be the loss of someone dear, etc. Actually nothing in the world happens with money and not with one’s relatives and not with anything, but the inner feeling is as if you lose everything.

There is an article in the book Shamati about that, when a person enters spirituality he thinks that he leaves the whole world, his family, and that he is detached from everything. This detachment is necessary. The ten plagues help us rise systematically above certain layers of our ego until we totally exit it, which means that we escape it.

Above the last level we are in total darkness making one more effort. The darkness symbolizes that we don’t know what is expected ahead. But since we are headed towards the attribute of bestowal, the darkness helps us.

If you are moving forward towards the Light, your ego is only too happy about it. But when you are moving forward in the dark, you can be sure that the ego will not disturb you, won’t do you any evil, and won’t take everything for itself afterward.

Question: That means that this is some kind of a trick?

Answer: This “trick” was in Egypt before the ten plagues, when no matter how hard we tried, everything was aimed at the ego. Therefore, “The children of Israel cried from the work” in building the two cities Pithom and Ramses.

Here, however, this is it, here we are headed towards the dark and not towards the Light as we were used to saying. What is more, all these blows and all the advancement are based only on our growing connection, which brings the group to this state where on the one hand the ego is revealed, the great internal hatred, and on the other hand, the clear recognition that only mutual guarantee can lead the group forward. What does that mean?

When you see that there is great hatred, you are ready to connect with everyone in order not to ever worry about anything for yourself, but only about others. All your enemies are also ready to care about one another. This readiness is revealed despite the great hatred, when you can’t even imagine how it is possible to wish these people good, and that you now have to think about them as the most important thing and in no way think of yourself. A serious, juicy detachment from the ego is taking place here!
[74545]
From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 4/1/12

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Question: Can the Book of Exodus help us get out of egoism?

Answer: The fact is that any spiritual action must first be reflected in our world. That is why the story of getting out of egoism was first shown in a small group of people, and today it is repeated in the whole world.

No book in the world can help us with that. Only by passing the stages of correction, will we be able to understand and comment on it correctly.

This is a problem because people read it like a historical novel. But I see in it the description of the most serious internal changes in a person, which he must pass through in relation to the group and together with it, finding within himself a force that is called “Moshe” (Moses) from the word “Limshoch” (to pull out). This force pulls the group out of egoism and raises it to the revelation of the Creator.

Moshe is the point of connection that we reveal between us, and which guides us. The upper Force is revealed inside this point.

Thus, we come to Mount Sinai, to the mountain of hatred, around which we stand. It divides us, and we see only hatred in front of us, but we stand around it because we have nowhere to go.

In spite of this hatred, we have to guarantee for each other in our collective mutual guarantee. But if we get stuck in hatred, in egoism, that will be the place of our spiritual death.

Question: But after the exodus from Egypt, there was no state when a whole group got out of egoism. Next, only individuals exited, but not groups. There is no such experience. What should we do?

Answer: You should continue to work. And we are doing it. What is the difference? The work in the group was described then, so it came from there: “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” “from the love of friends to love for the Creator.” That is all described in those sources.

That is why there are no other principles. The spiritual system, the system of all the worlds does not change; it is manifested in the same way just on the lower layers of egoism, which must be corrected. But the laws remain the same.
[74543]
From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 4/1/12

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Question: It is written, “I, HaVaYaH, do not change.” What does this symbolize in our work?

Answer: The Light comes from Above, and it is all bestowal. It is good and benevolent, and it created “existence from absence,” something from nothing, a desire that is absolutely controlled by receiving. It only wants to feel good.

Then, the Light begins to develop the desire by putting it through four phases. As a result, it doesn’t feel itself simply as Light, but as the one who receives, who is opposite to the source. This summons shame, a terrible feeling, and it has nothing more than that.

It turns out that receiving is a good thing, and there is nothing wrong in being the opposite, but these two factors together create a feeling in me that I cannot bear. It tears me to pieces, and I am ready to do anything just to not remain in this state even one second longer. I am ready to do anything. Even committing suicide is no problem. The main thing is not to suffer, not to bear this oppositeness.

This is true shame. We don’t know it. We use the word, but we don’t know what it means. In Part One of The Study of the Ten Sefirot, “Inner Reflection,” Baal HaSulam says that shame was prepared for the high souls, and they are the ones that discover it. This is because, in order to do so, one has to feel the Creator, His pure bestowal, and one’s own pure receiving to the fullest. One contradicts the other.

The process that is described here flows from the top down and is called “the four phases of the Direct Light.” So, by its influence, the Light leads the created being through his development.

This is the structure of HaVaYaH: the tip of Yod, Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. This structure is fixed, and it appears this way from the top down.

Until now, the development was done by the Direct Light. From this point onward, it is your turn. However, you feel terrible shame. It simply burns you from the inside, and you can’t bear it. Therefore, from now on, you won’t be able to relax until you balance the shame.

First, you want to escape it, but that doesn’t change anything. Everything remains the same. It isn’t possible to relax, and you have to change yourself, but how can you do that?

The created being simply “goes crazy.” The shame tears him from his place, tears him from his desires, and keeps on pushing him forward to end of the road. He cannot rest until the one who receives and the one who bestows become equal in their bestowal.

Only when we reach Gmar Tikun (the end of correction) will we stop changing. Then, the shame will disappear, and the oppositeness between the Creator and us will disappear.

So, the Creator says “I, HaVaYaH, do not change,” which means only that I brought this process down. However, this is enough to not allow us to rest until Gmar Tikkun.

Only then will we reach harmony and begin changing together with Him, according to Him. The Creator won’t be the first. We will merge with Him into one to such an extent that all the differences in thought, in our desire, and in every other way will disappear. We will start everything together in cooperation.
[74047]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/30/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: How can we ascend anew to the level of connection we had at the Arava Convention? How can we make sure that our work is direct, without any questions?

Answer: Everything depends on our intention, on whether every second, no matter what I may be saying, doing, or hearing, I think about greater closeness, unification, and the creation of a common feeling within where the Creator, the Light, will be clarified.

It’s like a person who has either a great problem or great joy. Suppose that a very pleasant encounter awaits me in the evening such as a dinner with people dear to my heart or some special event. During the day, I have to work, interact with co-workers, and solve problems, but I abide all day in anticipation of what is to come at night. Alongside the problems and concerns that I deal with every minute, I’m absorbed in the thought that in the evening, something wonderful and pleasant awaits me. I have two thoughts!

The same thing happens here. We can be interacting or doing anything. We purposely close off from everyone in order to ensure a maximum possible concentration of intention between us. This intention should be constant. Whatever we are listening to, doing, or saying, we have to constantly feel tension, seek and strive toward the sensation of oneness between us, the connection in which the Creator has to manifest Himself. This is what we need to do.

Secondly, you said that we felt it in our past unification in the desert. I don’t want to remember that; it was in the past. Right now, I want to ascend and feel a completely new next state. I don’t want to return to the past or even think about it. Each time, I stand before something completely new, and this new state will be better and deeper than the past one. This is the only way we should think.

Therefore, don’t try to awaken former feelings within you; they will only cause harm. Don’t live in the past!

Our next actions should be directed toward coming closer practically and at creating a new sensory organ. This should be much stronger, much more evident and clear than what we had in the desert or in other places.

Together with all our friends around the world, we should feel that we are ascending collectively, developing within us a new sense organ and building the conditions for sensing Him. We will feel Him. It is just around the corner, it already exists within us. Only a little bit more, and He will begin to manifest Himself.
[74033]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 1 

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Question: The upcoming Saturday is traditionally called Great Saturday (Shabbat HaGadol) as it leads into the holiday of liberation, Passover. What makes the spiritual work that is carried out on this Saturday special?

Answer: This Saturday is called “great” because additional Light is present in it. In spiritual work, this Great Saturday doesn’t come to a person according to a calendar on a wall, but can happen any time of the year.

Nevertheless, there is a connection between the material branch and its spiritual root, and the upcoming Saturday is in some ways unique. Additional Light acts during Great Saturday, and it is capable of awakening a person to exit the exile to which the holiday of Passover is dedicated. This entire time is special and extremely favorable for inner work.

This influence appears on the still level, but we nevertheless respond to that kind of influence too. It is felt in all aspects of life. Even nature is waking up; it is springtime!
[74057]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/30/2012, Shamati #190

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Question: Can men and women who want to become instructors, educators, and organizers of integral education study together or is it better for them to study separately?

Answer: I think that it is better to study together, but without children because children need other examples and other generalizations; they need to be talked to at a different level.

Groups can be comprised of people of various ages from 18-20 to the elderly. Perhaps, we need to sort them according to their age, for instance, groups from 20 to 30, or from 25 to 40 (major groups), or from 40 to 60, and groups for the elderly.

Question: During the process of preparing instructors of integral education, does a person need to practice this method on oneself?

Answer: Moreover, he needs to experience this, to feel this, because he needs to form an integral perception of the world. Only then will he be able to be an instructor or educator. That is, he must clearly see the world differently than his students do. They look at the world individually, egoistically, but he should be one level higher.

If he does not have it, he cannot teach. He will just show people some memorized tricks, but will not be able to pass the spirit of integrality to them: “Do like this, think like this. And if you make this decision or vice versa?” If he does not have a feeling of the integral technique, if it does not live in him, he will not be able to teach students and gradually advance them to an integral perception of the world.

It is impossible just to learn this. First of all, you need to reformat yourself, only then you become a true instructor.

It is not that I graduated from a university, got a diploma, and now here I am ready to go and work anywhere. A diploma, a certificate of teaching ability, is a person’s adaptation to the new world, his perception of himself, his inner changes and only that.
[74466]
From KabTV’s “Foundations of an Integral Society” 2/26/12

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Question: You say that integral education is not only essential, but it is the most important thing in life. What is so important about it?

Answer: Today nature puts us in a very tough framework when demands decline and a person has no need for anything except a normal, balanced, reasonable existence. We must make a transition from a society of unrestrained, unlimited consumption, although previously we thought our consumption would grow endlessly!

I was still a child when the Americans began advocating the consumer culture. They thought that it would be infinite, eternal, just like the communist propaganda on the other side of the world. But how could such a society be if we siphon all the natural resources from the earth and with them manufacture goods with built-in obsolescence, and so after a short period of use, we discard them into a landfill? As a result, cities are surrounded by huge garbage dumps that pollute our water sources and all the environment and our natural resources. We need to spend vast sums just to procure what is necessary for our existence: clean air, water, food, biological supplements and vaccinations, and huge purification plants, etc.

This means that the world has become more and more difficult because of the useless overproduction so that only a very few people (500 or 1000 people in the world) with exorbitant bank accounts that eventually will be useless for them as well, but they still don’t understand this because of their limitations. And for this we are destroying our only home, Earth?

I am not part of any environmental movement in any way. I am simply talking about the law of nature that obliges us to act differently. We are carrying out the main essential rule for our existence. These aren’t just nice words that teach us something beautiful; it is a necessity. We are beginning to feel it in our daily life.

We should understand that work hours can be reduced for a great number of people employed in manufacturing; we need this to raise ourselves to another level of development, a level of harmony with nature. Then we will begin to perceive nature differently, that it leads us, as it has done so during the many years of our development, towards a specific goal—to become equal to it.

What does it mean to become equal to nature? When we look at how the inanimate, vegetative, and animate parts of nature exist, it is clear that they simply exist. So what does man exist for? Is it only in order to live an ordinary “human” life? Then we are considering the human level as just a part of the animate world. Or is there another goal here that is above our perception?

We are able to study whatever is on a level of development that is lower than us, but we cannot examine what is on our level of development because a lower level can be examined only from a level above it. In order to rise to a higher level, we must attain integrality. Then we will be able to understand why man was created and what the purpose of his existence is. We shouldn’t push these questions aside thinking that they are childish and that they have no solution.
[74347]
From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 2/26/12

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