Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Who is spiritual?“

One is spiritual when one is above our world.

“Our world” is the egoistic desire that constantly calculates self-benefit at the expense of others and nature. If we aim ourselves outwardly in order to bestow contentment upon others and nature, when the outcomes of our acts are unrelated to those who perform them—even indirectly—then we are considered spiritual.

In other words, being spiritual means attaining an intention to bestow to others and nature above our inborn desires to enjoy ourselves alone. With such attainment, we come to sense our eternal and perfect existence as a single soul, i.e., as a great desire that wishes to enjoy through the intention to bestow to the upper force of bestowal that creates and sustains life.

Such an existence is above time, space and motion. It is in no way linked to the sensation of the animate body, but is rather felt in a new inner space in our senses, in an intention to bestow that we develop and attain.

Based on the book The Kabbalah Experience, Ch. 11 – Concepts in Kabbalah by Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: If it weren’t for your explanation of Kabbalah, I would never even want to hear what it is. But when faced with your explanations, I felt that there is truth behind it. Usually, this feeling holds you for a while, and then gradually goes away. And you are left alone with a lot of criticism. What should a person do in this case?

Answer: I do not care about lulling a person, appeasing, calming, or giving him the strength to resist those criticisms that begin to brainwash him as if sympathizing with where he, the unfortunate, has ended up, and so on. I am not interested in that! This is the fate of man, he must cope with it himself or he will not become a Man!

I am not going to come to anyone’s aid! I am being completely serious. Not because I am indifferent to the fate of a person but because he will otherwise not survive! It is necessary to push the little chick so that it flies. There must be a push! There is no escape from this.

This will only make you stronger! Only in the fight! In no case should this opportunity be taken away from a person. That is why I never help anyone! I watch with compassion how one suffers and how he cannot find himself!

I remember how once, emotionally I said to my teacher with pain: “Well, help me!” And he grinned right in my face. I was ready to tear him to pieces! I was in such a terrible inner state that I could not see day and night. I was tormented, boiling, smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, I could not see anyone, I ate myself up. I had such inner experiences, searches, misunderstandings, malfunctions, that death is better than such a life!

And my teacher, who, in principle, was to blame for the fact that I felt this way, grinned and did not even help! In anything! He only said: “It is okay. A little more, a little more. It will pass.” What “will pass”? And so on for months and months.

It is a very complex process when a person acquires the quality of another world and accommodates two worlds: the material world, acting under the egoistic force of reception, and the altruistic world, acting under the force of bestowal. These are completely different, opposite, contradictory worlds! At the beginning of the journey they are not connected to each other. A person is either in this or that half. And only then can he build a middle line.

It is in such a struggle, confusion, and clarification that a person consisting of two parts of the world is born.

But this is not an endless process. For each degree there are a certain number of states that we must go through. This is our evolution. This is the only way we can develop. In fact, this is a wonderful way of development!
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Insurmountable Criticism” 9/3/11

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the best way to make a wish come true?“

First, you should have a great desire for your wish to come true.

Also, you should examine whether your desire aligns with—or is in contradiction with—the developmental course of nature, which leads everyone and everything to higher states of connection.

After such an examination, you should find and surround yourself with people who also wish to achieve a state of positive connection. You will then gain an understanding of how to advance to your desired result of a harmonious and peaceful connection with others and nature.

Based on “Kabbalah in the Modern Turbulent World” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: There is the phenomenon of cryptocurrencies of late. This is not ordinary paper money, but some informational data, which today is increasingly capturing all areas of monetary relations. It can already be used to pay in stores and online.

What is this phenomenon? Previously, money was just gold and silver, which were accepted all over the world. Now, instead of money, some data appears. Why do people come more and more to this type of money?

Answer: Cryptocurrency is more convenient. I do not have to carry a bag of money anywhere, my pocket does not tear from gold coins, they cannot steal my checkbook, and so on. All this is much more reliable.

Of course, along with this, there are inconveniences of how to store it, how to write out checks, how to do something else, and so on, but in general this is progress. It will continue, we cannot do anything with this. I think that no one can interfere with the development of cryptocurrencies.

Question: But here countries are faced with a problem because they cannot regulate cryptocurrencies, since in this case, the money is sort of above the country. This is a kind of distributed value, which is managed from a huge number of devices that are not tied to the country. Why is money rising above state power?

Answer: Because countries as such should have been liquidated long ago, there is no point in their existence. People should be outside the countries and communicate freely with one single currency—a gold coin, or not even a gold, does not matter what it will be. That is how things should be.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah in the modern turbulent world” 8/3/23

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What’s the difference between mind and thought?“

Thoughts are nonexistent in and of themselves. Rather, they occur in the mind.

The mind derives from desires.

Our desires derive from the desire that exists in nature.

The desire that exists in nature derives from the intention that exists in nature.

Such a chain manifests in us in order to create desires. Accordingly, desires surface thoughts, and thoughts weave together the mind.

When a certain network of thoughts forms within us, which we can own and operate, we can then evaluate our desires—the influences from nature—and try to connect our mind with nature’s mind, and our desires with nature’s desires.

Desires are primary, and the mind serves them. It turns out that the size and versatility of our desires corresponds to the size of our mind that tries to serve and satisfy them.

Based on a Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on January 15, 2017. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Anthony Tori on Unsplash.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What determines a good goal?“

A good goal is one that is set for the benefit of all people and not just for one person or a single group.

Secondly, a good goal needs to cause no irreparable harm to nature in the process.

These two rules are essentially complex and they encompass a lot.

Based on “Kabbalah Express” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on July 31, 2023. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: Can birth rates be regulated?

Answer: Birth rates can be controlled with the help of money and housing. If young couples are provided with conditions such as money and living space, then, I think, this can increase the birth rate. But these are huge public expenditures.

Question: You once said that there is a certain global plan in increasing or decreasing the birth rate with the help of which a correction is made. What is the meaning of this process from the point of view of Kabbalah, from the point of view of a common desire?

Answer: Of course, this refers to adopting a certain general plan for the movement of mankind to a certain limit.

But I do not think that we can talk about it now because we are still in an absolutely imperfect state. First, we need to solve a lot of problems, and only then, when we see what a family can be, what a person, children, and so on can be, will we be able to solve questions about the reproduction of generations.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah in the modern turbulent world” 8/3/23

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Dear Michael Laitman,

You have been a replacement for me for radio and TV for a long time. I have been with you for three years. I want to ask a question, Where do desires come from?

Moreover, such desires are shameful to admit. And sometimes you cannot get rid of them. They were not in me, generally, I have a completely different character. Please tell me how to deal with such desires that are not good? 

Answer: I do not know what “bad desires” means.

Comment: A person is somehow uncomfortable with the desires that suddenly arise in him.

My Response: Well, desires arise. Man is a complex animal after all. He consists of an animal part, a human part, and possibly a spiritual part.

Question: Meaning, desires from all degrees come to him?

Answer: Yes. So there is nothing to worry about. All desires have the right to be revealed and to exist in a person.

Question: Any desire?

Answer: Absolutely any. And a person can have all kinds of relationships to this.

Question: What does one need to do if bad desires arise, even those that shake a person?

Answer: I see. What to do? Shake yourself, shake them off, and continue to exist. You need to engage in something else, and then the desire will change.

Comment: Please answer the question “where do they come from and why?”

My Response: From above! Why? In order for a person to develop. In order to develop him.

Question: When you say “develop,” what does it mean? So that some specific desires arise in him?

Answer: Desires, emotions, intentions, and so on, such that will match the more developed person that he will become.

Question: You said “from above.” Is there a bank of desires that one needs to go through?

Answer: Yes. There is a bank of desires that we have to go through, each of us and all of us together.

Question: And when this bank is emptied, desires pass, what happens next? When all the desires have already passed through me, what does it mean?

Answer: The end of the world. We have worked out all our desires and are at rest.

Question: The end of the world, what is that in your opinion?

Answer: The end of the world means that there is no one to live onward, there is no need, and there is no goal.

Question: So I will not be coming back here?

Answer: No.

Question: Where will I end up? This world has ended. Where do I end up?

Answer: In the next world.

Question: And what is there in the next world?

Answer: Happiness, peace, and all good things are waiting for you in the next world.

Question: I already like this. That is, in principle, this whole chain of desires should lead me to the world where there is happiness, peace, everything?

Answer: Yes.

Question: How should I work out these desires in order to come to this peace and happiness?

Answer: You will come to it anyway. So, do not worry. The only thing you need is to agree that you will be brought there. And therefore, in accordance with this, live calmly, breathe calmly, and be peaceful toward the upper force that will lead you there.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/20/23

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Question: What is the inner Kabbalistic meaning of common currency? Is it a human effort?

Answer: Yes, it is the universal equivalent of human effort. In Kabbalah, money is the expression of the screen, and the screen is everyone’s anti-egoistic effort.

Question: But this effort is built in relation to others. Can I somehow measure it or buy something with it?

Answer: Of course. In the same units. You can measure your anti-egoistic force in grams, in Newtons, in anything.

Question: What is a wealthy person from the standpoint of Kabbalah?

Answer: Someone who has many anti-egoistic forces, and can use them.

Question: Is there a direct relationship between one’s screen and material wealth?

Answer: No. Our world is not yet created to give us material manifestation.

Question: There have been very different Kabbalists throughout history in terms of their means. Baal HaSulam, for example, gave away all his money to have none the next day. They say the Ari was a very rich merchant. Is there any relationship or special mission of the Kabbalist here?

Answer: Everyone acts as he sees fit for his spiritual ascent.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah in the modern turbulent world” 8/3/23

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What was the happiest moment in your life?“

I think the happiest moment in my life was when I found my teacher, Kabbalist Baruch Ashlag (the Rabash).

I had been looking for a teacher for several years. I traveled to many different teachers, asked them many questions, but I received no answers.

Then one day, all of a sudden, by chance, I found my teacher.

Based on KabTV’s “Kabbalah in the Modern Turbulent World” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on August 3, 2023.

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