Entries in the 'Q&A' Category

Don’t Hide Behind A Computer Screen

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: After the unity we felt at the convention, should a person studying with us virtually or online go look for a physical group to be in?

Answer: Going to look for a group today is not the same it was 200 years ago, when a person would leave his home with a staff in hand and go off to search. Today a person enters the Internet and is already together with us, in the common group. He already attended the convention and understands what this is.

Should he look for a physical group? I don’t know if he has that opportunity. The closest group might be several hours away from him.

Yet one should try to stay connected to people nevertheless. Sometimes you have to feel how much you don’t want that connection. Maybe by connecting to others virtually, you idealize the situation, thinking that you are already united with them completely, while in fact you are hiding behind the computer screen. So come out from behind the monitor and connect with them in reality. Go and see whether this is possible….

Obviously, now, after our unification at the convention, we are starting to feel confusion, repulsion, and separation—states that are opposite to unity, one against the other. That’s because in order to grow, we must always advance on two legs. Therefore, don’t be surprised that we are suddenly finding ourselves in opposite states. We must finally get used to the fact that these states have to alternate and follow one another.

Therefore, if a person does not have a close connection with a certain group, then he doesn’t go through these states dramatically, quickly, and intensely. All of this gets drawn out and “smudged” for him. He must nevertheless have some sort of physical connection with others. After all, we are in this world and cannot annul it completely. We cannot turn this world into a virtual world. We are here in our bodies and all sorts of connections between us because this is important. We accelerate time by having a physical connection between us.
[62923]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/12/11, Writings of Rabash

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Wrapped In A Cloud Of Unity

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What does it mean to direct all our thoughts and desires toward the Creator? How can we incorporate the Creator into this entire process?

Answer: First, we have to do everything in our power to connect in order to feel unity. We should constantly feel this unity above all the disturbances we experience in our thoughts and desires. No matter what I do, I do it feeling that the group is inside me. If you can, try to imagine that the Creator also fills us and is inside us.

I warn you: We will not be able to hold on to the state of unity felt during the convention much longer. More serious obstacles will arise, and I won’t be able to connect to the friends and will surely forget about the Creator.

These problems are given to me on purpose so that I will try to attach myself to the group and ask the Creator for help, demand that He carries out our connection. The Creator is the attribute of bestowal and love, and I want the attribute of bestowal to dwell among us.

If we don’t see ourselves as corporeal bodies, but rather close our eyes and feel the field in which we share a common sensation, then the one who stabilizes, fills, and sustains this feeling, the main force that arranges, creates, and maintains all this is called “the Creator.”

The force of bestowal existing in creation is the Creator, His front side, and the force of reception in creation is His back side. And I am the black point of “existence from absence (Yesh Mi Ain)” situated in this force field of bestowal and reception.
[62862]
From the st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/11/2011, Writings of Rabash

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As We Ascend, The Fear Will Defuse

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is fear?

Answer: Fear is always the fear of losing something. After all, I am merely the desire to enjoy. What is this desire afraid of? It is that something it possesses will disappear from it or that it will not be able to achieve something to which it really aspires. Briefly speaking, it is a fear of losing.

Confidence counterbalances the ego, the desire to enjoy. This is confidence that I will not feel any lack, that I always exist within my friends, that I will always be satisfied with them in every regard, and that we will undoubtedly reach the upper Light that will fill us. Nothing will bother me once I rise above the ego.

We have to reach the quality of bestowal. The quality of bestowal is the sensation of absolute confidence. I do not feel any lack, and I no longer have any concerns, worries, or fears. This is the state of Hafetz Hesed (one who does not desire anything for himself), as in the parable about the righteous man who lives in the woods without even a shirt. He needs nothing.

In this case, I have no problems. I separate from my desire to enjoy. By doing this, I acquire confidence in the state of Hafetz Hesed. Why is confidence called the Light’s clothing? It is because the Light of Hassadim (Mercy) is the clothing for the Light of Hochma (Wisdom). This is exactly what I need. Another word for the Light of Hassadim is confidence. Separation from the ego, the degree of separation, is referred to as confidence.

The more I advance, the more my ego grows according to the principle of “he who is greater than his friend, his desire is greater than his.” Every time, I am given a greater ego, even greater concerns and worries. As I rise above this, I acquire a greater quality of Hesed. This means that I acquire greater confidence. I do not depend on my desire to enjoy. I am not concerned about losing or not attaining something.

When we attain spirituality, the degree of Hafetz Hesed, we stop worrying to such an extent that one even stops concerning himself with whether he will attain the upper Light. This is an absolutely opposite state: I wanted to attain the spiritual world so badly, to acquire the quality of bestowal; I thought that it would give me unlimited possibilities. Suddenly, I discover that I do not want anything. I am fine as is. Then, I begin to work with the ego in a different way.

We will speak about these advanced stages, but our first stop is to attain a state where I rise above everything that I now have, when I dissolve in the group. Then, I really do not feel any lack, and I can begin to reveal the upper Light.

What is the upper Light? It is a degree of one’s bestowal to the others, a concern for how much he fulfills others through himself, instead of being concerned with how much he receives and how fulfilled he is. It turns out that we begin to add another dimension over the level we have achieved by rising above our ego. How much will pass through me toward the others? How much stronger will we connect into our common Kli (vessel)? Everyone fulfills everyone else.

Try to think of it this way: No one is capable of this on his own, but it is possible through helping each other, as it is written: “They helped every one his friend.” This is the only way the spiritual vessel, the Kli, becomes revealed. It is in the interconnection, care, and help. This cannot happen in any person individually; he will not be able to feel the Light.

Individually, it is possible to separate from one’s ego and not desire anything. But when I rise to a state where I do not desire anything, what is the problem? What am I missing? I lack the connection with others for all the goodness, the upper Light, to stream through me to them. Then, the Light becomes revealed, passes through me, and I feel my bestowal to others. This becomes our common spiritual vessel because there is nothing within me, alone. It is only formed in the unity between us.

We already know that we need to work with these states of mutual sensations. We need to try a little bit more, just a little bit, and then it will happen. We must hold on to this state.

Right now, we are beginning: Everyone is trying to rise above himself and connect with others in heart and mind. We must invent a certain higher dimension where we all exist. We achieved this state in the Arava desert. We had this sensation. Now, we must achieve it again.

Let us try to do this: Everyone, rise and connect to the common desire, the common sensation, the common thought, hovering over us. Do not have the sensation of the body, rather let this “animal” live near us, like a dog near its master.

We have to be connected together in one common desire, confidence, where we exist above our ego. The Light of Hassadim that will fill us then is the Kli for clothing the Light of Hochma.
[62578]
From Preparatory Lesson, The World Arvut Convention 2011

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To Be Born In Order To Never Return To This World Again

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What can we do in order to never again return into this world?

Answer: When I strive to achieve a mutual sensation between us: unity, unification, solidarity, mutual guarantee; when everyone depends on everyone else, and everyone feels the common desire born between us because a new notion came into being, a spiritual Kli, the common desire to bestow; once I find it (it already exists), then I am born on the spiritual level.

As soon as I connect to it, I enter a new world. After all, in it, in this common desire, I reveal the Light that awakens and exists in it according to the law of equivalence of form: The Light only bestows, and this desire also exists in bestowal. The more friends connect to this desire, the more they strengthen it, and then the Light can be revealed more inside this desire.

This is why being born means to connect to our common desire that already exists. Many already feel it at this convention. And those who ask this question: “How can we be born?” must simply find this new reality, the common desire. This feeling will also remain after the convention, and will be developing in every one of us.

Friends will go home, become submerged in their problems, but the same feeling we have attained at the convention will return to them because this reality is already connected to him. And the purpose of all the confusion, descents, and everything that happens to everyone will only be to once again return him to the feeling of the common desire (heart). This way a person will develop time and time again: His ego will grow by turns, and he’ll acquire a greater connection with the common desire over it. It is similar to the way the heart beats in and out.

But right now we need the very first contact between us, and I am asking everyone to find it. We have the time for this, everything happens within a fraction of a second. Make an effort! I am very glad that we have come to this state. I feel that this place is filled with a common single desire that was created here. Connect to it; it invites everyone!
[62785]
From Lesson 7, The World Arvut Convention 12/8/2011

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Fundamentals Of Kabbalah – 12.11.11

A Virtual Lesson on Fundamentals of Kabbalah
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Not A Matter Of Taste

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How does the bitterness and sweetness of perception relate to the scale of truth and falsehood?

Answer: They are absolutely unrelated, but we are inclined to draw parallels according to our nature. It is the same for a child. The sweet is the truth, and the bitter is falsehood. He does not understand otherwise. This is why he will not agree to take bitter medicine. We need to overcome the bitter taste to reveal the truth above it, above the apparent falsehood.

Question: So how can we see the truth behind bitterness?

Answer: For this, we need the influence of the environment. Bitterness and sweetness are bodily sensations, and no one can tell me how I perceive them. I know what is sweet and what is bitter in my perception, but how can I distinguish true and false? Who will set these criteria? Would it be the mass media, teachers, social opinion, or some special group?

When I join a group and adopt its criteria of true and false, it is in a clear, sane, and firm manner. Then, these criteria begin to contradict the bitterness and sweetness of my beastly sensations. I join the group, submit to its importance of the goal, the importance of truth, and it acquires the highest meaning in my eyes. Then I  am ready to work, regardless of the bitterness. This work above bitterness for the sake of the truth means that I am advancing through faith above reason.

It is only possible to nurture the notion of truth in the group. It is because truth is when our interconnection is more important to me than any bitterness of my egoism. Let this value be artificial. In the future, I will leave the animate degree and go to a different state where sensations are not divided into bitter and sweet, but into true or false. Then an even “juicier” bitterness and sweetness will become revealed to me on the new degree, and once again I will rise above them toward truth and falsehood.

Every time truth, that is, faith, the power of bestowal, group unity, mutual guarantee, must surpass the bitterness that accompanies it.

Question: In general, all of my sensations are distributed on the scale of bitter and sweet. How can I distinguish true and false in my desire?

Answer: I perceive the truth and falsehood in another place. This is not where sweetness and bitterness manifest, but above it, on the human degree within me.

I perceive nothing but bitterness and sweetness on the still, vegetative, and animate levels. However, there is also the level of Human, the one who is united with the environment, with the group, who nurtures the part in him that rises above the body, is opposite to the body, outside of it, and comes from the other.

This is the vessel where we perceive true and false instead of bitter and sweet. There, a person perceives unity, mutual guarantee, his attitude toward a fellow human being, and finally, he perceives the Creator. Within this part, he creates his opposite copy. Thus, he creates the Creator. This is because the attitude toward the other and the Creator is the same.

Question: Then why do I need to perceive bitterness and sweetness at all?

Answer: How and where will I build my upper part? Within my desire that only perceives bitterness and sweetness, there is a point that allows me to form an intention over my desire, which is my attitude toward my neighbor or similarity to the upper one. This way, I build the Human within me over the still, vegetative, and animate levels.

[62393]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/2/2011, “The Peace”

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The Source Of Comfort And Well-Being

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In order to bring the entire world to the final correction, do we need to completely tear away from it?

Answer: We don’t need to tear away from the world at all in order to correct it. How can we correct something in which we do not take part?

We need to rise in order to acquire the spiritual force: the force of bestowal, love, and connection between us. Then, when we acquire it and can safely hold onto it, we will be able to correct this world and control it.

We will see that essentially, we don’t need to do anything at all. Due to our unification, the upper degree will be revealed in our world to such an extent that it will acquire harmony and balance.

Right now, there is a big problem in the world that is not being advertised too much. It is the problem of cooling. We cannot imagine what could befall us over the next few years. The Gulf Stream could disappear, and North America, England, and Europe could turn into Siberia. This could be accompanied by famine and other huge problems. In addition, the crises in finance, education, upbringing, family life, and so on are obvious.

All this would come suddenly into balance on all levels of human activity and the environment as soon as we restore the balance on the next, higher level because the forces of governance descend to our world from there. However, for the time being, because we do not correspond to the upper level, we experience this lack of correspondence as a universal crisis.

Therefore, restoring the balance on the next level will cause forces of correct interaction with our world to descend from there. Then, both worlds will exist in harmony with each other. We suddenly will find that we are living in a comfortable world. Everything is okay, everyone has everything that they need, and there are no problems.

Thus, we cannot correct our world physically. No matter how much we try to correct and improve it, it just gets worse. Yet, if we reach harmony on the upper degree, we will bring our world into balance, comfort, convenience, and safety. This is what we are engaged in.

One cannot correct himself and his environment on the same level where he is situated. One needs to ascend to the next level for this.
[62361]
From Sunday Virtual Lesson Series 11/27/2011

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A Chance To Enter The Upper World

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How should the group look at a friend who has the opportunity to go to the convention, but let his egoism stop him from going?

Answer: It’s unfortunate that a person would waste such an opportunity. He simply doesn’t understand what he is losing.

We must understand that for each one of us, the Creator provides certain circumstances. Within these circumstances, we must perform to the utmost of our ability.

Of course, one must weigh out the situation and make sure that he’s not going to lose his job, spend all of his savings to buy a ticket, or get into a conflict with his family. However, after sorting things out, if a person sees the opportunity to go to the convention but does not go, he is not applying the necessary effort for entering the upper world.

Such a person shouldn’t complain to us, to the Creator, or to anyone else. Most of the time, people like this leave us. They try to justify themselves by blaming us and our method, and ultimately, they leave.
[62365]
From Sunday Virtual Lesson Series 11/27/2011

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December 8, 2011, Evening

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: It is said: “The end of an action is in its initial thought.” Can you draw us a picture of the end of the last day of the convention, a complete whole picture, with the Machsom (barrier)?

Answer:

I have nothing else to say.

It will be mutual guarantee fully realized between us, when we discover the system of mutual interconnection between the souls. It is already instilled in us, and we only have to discover it at its smallest level. This will be enough in order to enter the first spiritual degree and to start bestowing the Light upon the world. Thanks to this, other people will also begin to discover the wires of mutual connection between them, and so we will heal the whole world. Humanity will stop its hard and steep fall and will immediately see that there is a solution.

This is because the current crisis is actually a great opportunity to rise, and people will feel that immediately. The system of mutual connection will be revealed between them, and they will understand where the solution lies and why all this is happening.

I really hope that this is what will happen. On our part we have to add only the intention: We want to realize all that in order to become equal to the upper force, in order to repay the Host with the same goodness He wants to give us.
[62256]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/1/2011, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”

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Escaping True Death

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Today, the New York group will be disseminating on Wall Street. How can we use this action to feel that we are “one?”

Answer: We must help each other and be together with them in our thoughts. I am very glad that there is a very strong core who always work on Wall Street. I hope that the other groups around New York and individual students will soon join this action, and that they will all unite in the end.

I hope that they will get together for the convention and will participate together with us in the same activities, forgetting all differences and personal animosity. Everything needs to be left aside as if it does not exist. However, do not cancel it out. Simply rise above the animosity, separate from it, and make a restriction over it.

During a tsunami, an earthquake, or a big fire, all the animals run together, and none of them would attack another. The main objective is escaping true death. Now, we must act the same way. Forget all the disagreements, get together, and join the convention events.

Participating in dissemination of our materials is the most important thing. We will be elevated from Above only and only by making the world understand that it needs us. If the world does not need us, we will not budge; nothing will happen with us.
[62356]
From Sunday Virtual Lesson Series 11/27/2011

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