Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Which one do you think is the function of autistic people in the world we live in?“

The human soul is a diverse and multileveled phenomenon.

I understand that there are autism classifications according to various external and internal signs, and the use of tests to determine the phenomenon. However, in my perception of humanity and reality in general, I would not consider autistic people separate from others, because we are all autistic to a certain degree.

In some ways, we are normal, in some ways geniuses, and in some ways stupid, peasants, workers, freemen, masters and servants. In other words, we find everything in everybody in various combinations.

The function of autistic people in the world depends on their incorporation in their respective social environments, because our environment is of primary importance in differentiating each person from others. I think we simply have yet to find the optimal method by which we could connect people classified as autistic with everyone else.

Autism is a social problem of the relationship with the surrounding environment. For instance, if an autistic child is in supportive and encouraging surroundings—a group or friends who organize supportive and encouraging interactions with older children who know how to behave well—then I am sure that it is possible to pull the child out of any state because the influence of the environment, especially on the autistic person, produces an immense effect.

I do not know the medications specialists use, but in my perception and understanding, a supportive and encouraging influence that is goal oriented—not only on a child but on any person—is able to shift the person out of any state. It can make any normal person autistic, and vice versa.

Based on KabTV’s “The Last Generation” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on July 7, 2015. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Ross Sneddon on Unsplash.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Do you like nature? Why?“

I really love nature, especially the inanimate and vegetative. I like to walk in the mountains, fields and forests. When I walk in such places, I feel a sense of goodness, pleasantness and calm.

I perceive nature as divine harmony. In our world, however, we cripple nature’s animate and vegetative levels. But in principle, we can still see harmony, agreement, complementarity and reciprocity throughout nature. Such phenomena bring about corresponding feelings in a Kabbalist.

The wisdom of Kabbalah highlights nature’s harmony and describes how we should aim for the same harmony in human connections. By achieving harmonious connections among us all on the human level, we then balance with nature and come to experience the full harmony and peace that exists in nature.

Based on KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Drug of a Kabbalist” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laiman on September 3, 2011. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Which is more important between praying and working?“

There is a parable about a fisherman who was transporting a passenger by boat. The passenger urged the fisherman, “Hurry up, I’m late for work!” Then the man noticed that one of his oars had the word “pray” written on it, while the other had “work.” Curious, he asked, “What is that for?”

“To remind us,” replied the fisherman, “not to forget the importance of both prayer and work.”

“It is clear to everyone that work is necessary, but prayer seems unnecessary. Why waste time on prayer?” the man persisted.

“It may seem unnecessary, but it’s not,” the fisherman replied calmly. He then pulled out the oar with the word “pray” and started rowing with only one oar. As a result, the boat just spun in circles.

This parable shows us that not everything depends on us, and there is always room for prayer. At the same time, if the fisherman had pulled out the oar that said “work,” the boat would also spin in place. Without work, there is no progress. Praying alone is not enough.

Most importantly, we should direct ourselves in accordance with the development of nature and humanity. Advancing according to the laws of nature means doing everything in our power and leaving the rest to the Creator. In Hebrew it says, “HaShem Igmor BeAdi,” meaning “the Creator will finish for me.” That is, we do all that we can, and the Creator completes the rest for us.

That does not mean just praying to the Creator when we hit a dead end or terrible suffering. It means accepting the Creator as the force of nature that determines everything, and trying to resemble that force.

It is constant movement: we exert effort, but we know that the Creator will finish the work for us. We can then advance correctly, i.e., in a way that brings us closer to the Creator. We move ahead using both oars and pray that they complement each other.

Based on KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” on May 15, 2023. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Photo by jean wimmerlin on Unsplash.

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Comment: Question from Ghenghis: “Thousands of years of wars, revolutions, famine, and poverty, right up to the troubles of today’s reality. If a man needs a piece of bread, what is the role of books in his life? Why are they needed?”

My Response: It is written that, “If there is no flour, there is no Torah; and “if there is no Torah, there is no flour.” That is all. So it is interconnected. Torah means a blessing from above, from the upper force of nature. Without this there will be no bread, and vice versa, without bread you cannot achieve real blessing.

Question: Does “If there is no flour, there is no Torah” mean “if there are no necessities”?

Answer: Of course.

Question: But obviously Ghenghis is not asking about the Torah, but about books in general. Why do I need them if I am hungry? Why do I need them if there are such troubles and suffering around?

Answer: You really do not. You only need to know one principle: how to approach the Creator and follow His instructions, which brings about balance in the world, in the universe. That is it.

In the course of my life, I need only one true guide: how to use this life to achieve its true single upper goal, which is to reveal and adhere to the Creator.

We must acquire the properties of the Creator, the properties of bestowal and love, and thus unite with Him. This is the purpose of life.

Question: There are certain books for this, but do I not need all the other books, all these novels? Do I need any of them at all?

Answer: No, of course not. Because they are written by humans and because they are imperfect and only twist a person. What do we get from them as a result? They just mess with people’s heads people!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/17/23

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Question: Is it possible to develop a sect from Kabbalistic teaching?

Answer: A sect is a certain structure of a closed organization where there is an unquestioning submission of the members of the sect to the guru and the so-called truths they blindly bow down before. It is possible that sects have their own paraphernalia, some conditional actions, mantras, physical techniques: dances, postures, etc.

It is impossible to make a sect out of real Kabbalah because the most important principle of Kabbalah is the spiritual development of a person. Therefore, entry and exit are absolutely free! This is the first thing.

Secondly, Kabbalah is based on personal comprehension. Third, there is no pressure on a person to do something or think this way and not otherwise. As far as you can, you adapt this knowledge inside you.

In addition, all Kabbalistic literature, which has existed for thousands of years, is absolutely open to everyone.

Comment: But sects also use well-known literature, for example, the Bible.

My Response: Maybe. Frankly, I do not know. Sect, not a sect, I have never been interested in this. I am interested in teaching Kabbalah and spreading it.

And what they say about us… People will always talk! Sometimes such opinions are suddenly revealed about me that I cannot even imagine how people can think like that if we are open to everyone.

Books in all languages, television, the Internet—everything is absolutely available. Please, come to a lecture. If you do not want to leave the house, there are virtual classes. What is there to stir up the mystery if we act quite openly? And yet, sometimes people have such ideas!

I attribute this to the fact that a person must work out his understanding of nature, society, and the universe. Therefore, these representations are formed in it. A person needs to pass them.

So it was at all times. Kabbalists have always been in a terrible state of exile, even from their own society. They lived as if within the framework of the Jewish religion, but they were not perceived there, not revered in any way, in no way respected. It was very hard for them!
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From KabTV’s “I Got A Call. Kabbalistic Sect” 8/27/11

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can we live our lives with happiness?“

In our corporeal lives, we come into contact with various pleasures, but we remain unhappy because the moments of pleasure instantly disappear. They are temporary because the contact with a pleasure in order to receive it for self-benefit alone cannot sustain itself for longer than a moment.

At the end of all such moments is death, hopelessness and disappearance. Due to the limited nature by which we encounter pleasures, we thus have no happiness in our lives. It is our world’s inherent flaw.

Happiness comes about when we make contact with a dream, one that is eternal and perfect.

Therefore, having happiness in our lives means we need to attain eternity and perfection.

How can we attain eternity and perfection? It is by rising from this world—a level of perception where we constantly try to enjoy for self-benefit alone—into the spiritual world—a level of perception where we enjoy through a new sense of bestowal upon others and nature.

Even when we rise one degree into the spiritual world, and we find how it is still an incomplete state, we nonetheless then understand that we have made a very significant leap into a spiritual perception of reality. We then acquire much clearer direction to our lives, different ideas about the world, the universe and existence, and the understanding that we are dealing with eternity, perfection, infinite fulfillment and infinite knowledge. We then feel that whatever we want, we will be able to obtain.

Based on KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Happiness” on January 18, 2011. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: What is the truth, if according to Kabbalah, everyone lives in a delusion?

Answer: The truth is what, in my current state, seems true to me today, because it coincides with my feeling, perception, understanding, and with what I am used to and what I know. At the moment, this clearly fits into my internal matrix, and therefore, it is true for me.

The only question is, do I understand that this is about myself? Then I exist normally in clear planes.

Suppose Newtonian mechanics exist in certain planes. And there is also the mechanics of Einstein, and the geometry of Lobachevsky, Riemann, and Euclid. That is, everything is relative. There is nothing absolute in nature since everything comes from a person who perceives the world in his way. And although he was created this way, while changing, he anyway perceives the world in a different way, and therefore, truths change from century to century.

For example, when the car was invented, everyone said that practically it could not operate faster than 10 km per hour because a man would experience sensations in the brain that could drive him crazy. This shows how we perceive everything relatively.

Nothing is absolute. I often give the example my teacher RABASH gave. When you see an airplane or some kind of bird flying in the sky, how do you know if it is 20 cm long or half a meter?! Or maybe it is 200 meters long, but from a distance it seems small to you. Therefore, until you have measured it, until you have precisely attained it, or until you have specific and absolute measurements in relation to you, you cannot talk about it, or anything for that matter. And even when you measure, you measure everything in relation to yourself.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Where Is the Truth?” 8/27/11

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Comment: Alexander writes: “You say that over time all evil will disappear. Then why has it not disappeared to this day? Many generations have changed over thousands of years; we should have been reborn into better people, but the evil has only increased. Somehow your formula does not work.”

My Response: My formula can work only when we try all the possible outcomes, that is, when we make sure that nothing works! Nothing.

Then we will understand that we have no solution except to just treat each other as relatives. Not as our relatives today, since it is also egoistic when we think of them, but our relatives as ourselves, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Question: Does this mean that over time all evil will disappear?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Should we just poke in all directions that we can?

Answer: Absolutely!

Question: Why can we not be given even some tiny hole to get through?

Answer: We would run into some kind of Leninism again.

Question: Will nothing happen until we go through all the roads and all the paths and run into a dead end everywhere?

Answer: In general, yes. Such is our egoism. It must make sure that there is no other way but love for the other.

Question: Is this kind of work on wear and tear here?

Answer: This is what love means—”love your neighbor as yourself.” When I have tried everything, and only this gate is open.

Question: How will I come to this formula? You are now saying, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” but let’s say I cannot hear you. How do I come to the conclusion that this is the gate that I need to enter?

Answer: You will see this gate before your nose and realize that there can be no other gate! There is nothing besides this gate, just emptiness.

Question: Is this what is written by the great Kabbalists, that you go and there is no gate? You walk along the wall, and there is no gate. And suddenly at some point, when you are exhausted, you suddenly see the gate. And it turns out that it always was there.

Answer: Yes.

Question: And I did not see it?

Answer: No.

Question: What did I need in order to see it? It was always there, it just was!

Answer: There was not enough disappointment.

Question: Should I be disappointed in everything?

Answer: Absolutely. In everything! So that only one thing remains—adhesion, brotherhood. We do not know what it is. We all use some kinds of substitutes and surrogates. But then we will feel it.

Question: Can you at least give a hint? It is clear that if we do not feel, we will not be able to hear you. But what do you mean by brotherhood?

Answer: Brotherhood is when we are all in the same desire, intention, and in complete adhesion and connection, unity everyone with everyone. We return again to the system called Adam as one person in one body, in one heart. This is the correct future.

It should be before us! This is how this future should stand before me as an obvious, achievable, and necessary state.

Comment: You have just depicted what we must come to after all the wanderings and disappointments.

My Response: That is why they are needed, to come to such a state.

Question: Isn’t that idealism?

Answer: This is not idealism, it is precisely the system of self-education.

Question: But am I inside this system?

Answer: I am inside this system, but I need to find my identification with it, meaning that I should be in it, participate in every aspect of it, and I want it to become reality.

Question: Are we, in principle, still inside this system, broken, scattered, searching, and suffering?

Answer: But we have to agree with it. We need to want it to be manifested, and not remain in this fog, in the form of a negative, as it is today.

Question: So, are we required to manifest this?

Answer: Yes.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/29/23

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What defines our current times?“

We are in a new transitional era.

Over the generations, the human ego—the desire to enjoy at the expense of others and nature—developed to a point where we can no longer satisfy ourselves, and we are reaching a state of helplessness in continuing to try and fulfill ourselves by the same egoistic means.

We experience more problems and crises on all scales than ever before, with rising depression, loneliness, anxiety, stress, mental health problems, drug abuse, divorce rates and suicide rates, to name a few.

Our past egoistic modus operandi is clashing with a new globally interconnected and interdependent world, and we find that everything we have done over the millennia fails to work in satisfying us today. It has reached a saturation. Likewise, we do not know how to progress from here.

Of course, we still have people claiming that we can solve today’s problems through money, power or various other scientific or technological means. However, we will see how no such proposed solutions will not help us, because they fail to deal with the core problem: that we ourselves need to change. In other words, our egoistic connections between us—person to person, group to group and nation to nation—need an upgrade to altruistic ones, where we can experience our relations in harmony, peace and happiness.

Since the human ego meeting the globally-interconnected and interdependent world surfaces increasing problems, it is precisely that point of human connection that we have to fix.

We discover how we are tightly connected, but we continue relating to such a state egoistically, in terms of “What will I get out of this?” As such, we feel our increasing connection as an increasing burden.

As humans, we are the highest of nature’s many elements, and as such, our civilization has to find some kind of a solution in realizing our connections positively. By doing so, we will solve every problem, and without a solution that connects us all together harmoniously, we will solve nothing.

We can liken humanity to a single organism, with each of us as its cells. When cells consider their self-benefit at the expense of the other cells, the organism collapses. We thus suddenly discover that humanity acts like disconnected and discordant parts of an organism. Now the question is: How do we positively connect? What is the method that can bring us together in harmony?

Connection-enriching learning should be our primary engagement today in order for us to optimally realize our current transitional era. The time has come for humanity’s elevation to a higher level of consciousness, for us all to feel like one big global family. We have to open our minds and hearts to such a perception.

If we reach positive connections among each other, transcending our egos, sharing the pain of others and willingly turning ourselves into a means for fulfilling them, we then discover the divine quality of love and bestowal enter our lives, and it guides us to life’s highest state.

Based on the talk “Make a Better Person of Yourself by Connecting With Others” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Neale Donald Walsch. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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Question: Let’s say that you raise the importance of some process, and a person listens to you and gets involved in it. Then you radically change the process, and he gets involved in what you say again.

But after this happens several times, a person begins to wait, does not do any actions either in one direction or the other, and accordingly loses. What is the correct way to act in this case?

Answer: I will only say one thing. Do you want to get out into the upper world? Then stop being a smartalek and wait for what I say. Close your eyes and go! Since you do not see the upper world, you have no other option but to blindly follow the recommendations of the teacher.

You can turn to any other methods, and they will tell you the same thing. How do you think you can climb to another degree?! Offer me another method!

You can go to anyone, turn to any other sources, and they will tell you the same thing! If you want to change, you should just close your eyes and follow the teacher.

First, choose a teacher with your eyes open, and you will still have to close them and blindly follow him.
Gradually, as you progress you will begin to understand, feel his path, and gradually involve analysis and synthesis of everything that happens to you on the way. There is no other way.

When you were born, did you check what Mom was doing to you?! It is the same on the spiritual path when you grow up! You have not been born into the spiritual yet, but you already want to start checking something with your earthly mind. This is why nothing works for you!

And so it is with everyone, except those who agree to annul themselves and realize that spiritual birth, as well as earthly, means the complete annulment of the present state: I cannot climb with my earthly brains and poke around in some unearthly spheres of the next degree and the next dimension because there is no man there.

At the next degree, we are all connected by our points in the heart, our desires and thoughts to the spiritual and to mutual bestowal. That is, both desire and reason merge together there.

Our next degree is a degree independent of our bodies, a degree where only our heartfelt, sensible striving for a common connection to find the common power of bestowal and love so that it will be revealed between us.

What can you do with your earthly brains that are tuned only to fill your flesh with vital animal power at that degree?! Nothing! You can only prevent yourself from getting up.
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From KabTV’s “I Got A Call. How Can You Be Trusted?”

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