In the News (from The Christian Science Monitor): “Atheism is on the rise in the United States and elsewhere while religiosity is declining, according to a new worldwide poll. “The Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism,” conducted by WIN-Gallup International headquartered in Switzerland, found that the number of Americans who say they are “religious” dropped from 73 percent in 2005 – when the poll was last conducted – to 60 percent. Those who said they were ‘convinced’ atheists rose from 1 to 5 percent. And 33 percent of the people polled said that they don’t consider themselves as a ‘religious person.’ …

“America remains way down the list of countries for self-reported atheism. China tops that list with 47 percent “convinced atheists,” followed by Japan (31 percent), the Czech Republic (30 percent), France (29 percent), and South Korea (15 percent).

“According to the poll, the following are the top ten religious countries: Ghana (96 percent of the participants that they are religious), Nigeria (93 percent), Armenia (92 percent), Fiji (92 percent), Macedonia (90 percent), Romania (89 percent), Iraq (88 percent), Kenya (88 percent), Peru (86 percent), and Brazil (85 percent).”

My Comment: This is a stage of the transition from mysticism to the true religion, Kabbalah, as Baal Sulam writes in his article “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose” that brings a person to the revelation of the Creator, the single highest force of nature.
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Baal HaSulam: “Time to Act”: For a long time now, my conscience has burdened me with a demand to come out and create a fundamental composition regarding the essence of Judaism, religion, and the wisdom of Kabbalah, and spread it among the nation, so people will come to know and properly understand these exalted matters in their true meaning.

We have to understand how difficult it is for a Kabbalist to act outside his framework. After all, there are significant restrictions on the revelations of the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Even now, when not much has been revealed yet, we see that humanity has acquired from the wisdom of Kabbalah the foundations of the animate level of existence in many aspects. It has enriched the world by different methods throughout history: by the Greek philosophers and by different students who leaked the wisdom. The religions were born as a result: first Judaism, then Christianity, and then Islam. Different beliefs stemmed from this in the days of Abraham among the people of the East.

Eventually everything stems from crumbs of the wisdom of Kabbalah, which speaks about the forces that operate in the world and which bring a person to the predetermined correction.

On this basis people have established philosophical approaches, metaphysical studies, different theological doctrines, etc. Later these patterns became a great obstacle on the way to the truth. People were confused since they took separate systematic descriptions from the wisdom of Kabbalah and they created different systems and concepts from them as they saw fit. Thus, they tried to confirm their own claim to truth and power, denying the accuracy of Kabbalah. We should learn from these examples: People have a systematic perspective from the wisdom of Kabbalah and turn it into something that is beneficial to them.

Because of this there was a ban on revealing the wisdom of Kabbalah. After all, if the Light is poured into an unprepared vessel, it is called “immature fruit,” and it is an obstacle in receiving the truth; it evokes hatred towards Israel and distances people from correction.

As a result the sages were very careful and didn’t reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah. Even if a person had heard about it he couldn’t get any information about it. Only in the last thirty years did Kabbalah books begin to appear in stores although not everywhere. Before, it was simply impossible to find them.

Moreover, Kabbalists set serious limitations regarding potential student and even spread negative rumors to keep the Jewish people from approaching the wisdom of Kabbalah. If a person is not intended for it, if doesn’t have a true burning desire, he shouldn’t deal with this wisdom. First he has to go through certain phases of development, since we are all parts of the general desire that ripens gradually.

Only today has the time come when there is nothing to fear anymore. On the contrary, we have to spread the wisdom of Kabbalah, which means to act in opposite ways.

On the whole, Baal HaSulam was the first Kabbalist to reveal this wisdom to the masses. He wrote a lot for the general public, including the newspaper The Nation and other articles. Who knows what thoughts, concern and efforts it cost him since he was in Warsaw at the beginning of the last century when he decided that there was no choice and that we have to turn to everyone.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/12, “Time to Act”

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Question: Why do you think that Kabbalah is the foundation of all religions and that religions appeared because Kabbalah was concealed?

Answer: Abraham’s religion is love towards everybody. On this basis he organized a group of students in Babel. This group existed in this quality (of course, not without the problems in realizing this condition, yet with the desire to reach it) until the final victory of egoism 2000 years ago. In the end, as egoism surpassed altruism, they fell from the relationships of love to the relationships of hatred. In the end, the sensation of the upper nature, the Creator, disappeared from them.

Having been left in darkness, they resorted to guesswork concerning the upper world, the goal, and the purpose, and this gave rise to the creation of far-fetched theories, which over time became religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

However, the biggest problem with the Creator’s concealment is that all religions separate people and evoke in them if not hatred, then at least rejection and disregard.
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Question: There is supposed to be a big Mitzva according to the commentaries if somebody takes baby birds from the nest when the mother bird is not there. I researched the subject a little bit more, and the commentaries say that it is because, when the mother bird comes back to the nest and doesn’t find her babies, she screams to Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu, and this draws the attribute of pity (Rahamim) on the entire world.
What does this mean in Kabbalah? There is a nest on the wall of my house with babies, and we see the mother and father running in and out to feed the children. I don’t dare touch them.
Answer: You shouldn’t!!! All this is decided on the spiritual level, not on the material one. There is a huge confusion in performing commandments in the physical world; see Rambam.
Question: If religion is for everyone, why doesn’t it accept people with non-standard orientations?
Answer: People create religions and exploit them. Hence, religions are turned and manipulated as it is convenient.
Question: I grew up as a Christian, and, since three years ago up until now, I have been studying Kabbalah. However, a couple of days ago, a friend of mine who is Jewish told me that Kabbalah was only meant to be studied by Jews, and that, indeed, it was a sinful thing for us non-Jews or gentiles to study Kabbalah, that it opened very dark portals.
However, I feel so comfortable studying Kabbalah. It really helps me find a connection with the Creator. I don’t want to stop practicing the religion of my parents, Christianity.
My question is: Is it possible to still believe in my parents’ religion or at least keep a certain respect for it, and be able to continue on the path of Kabbalah, or is it just something I should definitely do?
Answer: Please continue, and tell your Jewish friend that he doesn’t understand anything in Judaism.
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Question: Looking back on the way, I see how Pharaoh is constantly walking by me. Not long ago a new trend has emerged, systematic vector psychology, and many think it is very similar to Kabbalah. This means that Pharaoh is becoming more cunning.

Answer: The Kabbalistic method is very direct. It speaks about one thing only, but gradually it reveals more and more. A person discovers greater depth and motion in the Kabbalistic text ,and if he operates accordingly, he reaches a point of adhesion with the Creator, with the one force that manages everything. Everything else was invented by man.

But in order to direct us to Him, this force constantly formats us more accurately, more finely, until we become as sharp as the attribute of bestowal, in order to enter the “needle’s eye.”

Throughout history man has invented different methods. 3,800 different methods, beliefs, and religions have officially been counted, but there can be more or less since they disappear for lack of believers. New theories are constantly emerging. Since the middle of the 20th century there have been many new methods based on different scientific findings. In addition there have been many methods that are used by secret services, for example, the development of a person’s internal mental powers. People don’t even know about it.

All these methods are based only on the ego and its development. If it seems that it is a development above the ego, it is still altruistic egoism that characterizes 10% of the world’s population who want to do each other good, to preserve the ecology, to protect nature, the animals, etc. In other words they deal with the altruism of our world, yet it is still the same egoism.

There is a very thin border, a struggle, clarifications, and examinations: “So what is the pure method for attaining the upper Light?” It comes down to the constant internal clarification of our direction.

I believe that all the other methods are very helpful. Everything in the world was created in order to help “clean” people from different confusions and mistakes.

On this basis we have to clarify what the truth is. This means that you don’t clarify psychology, not different methods of intellectual training and not ESP, but rather resemblance to the Light, by drawing the Light upon you. This is the whole difference between the Kabbalsitic method and other methods.

All the new methods that seemingly resemble Kabbalah are given to us by Pharaoh or by the Creator through Pharaoh. It is written: “I have hardened his heart,” and this is in order to sift, to sort out, the people who may be a burden on our groups.

So we shouldn’t feel sorry about the many people who come and that later 90% of them leave. The wisdom of Kabbalah chooses only those who belong to the Creator, those who can really mediate between Him and the rest of humanity. The spiritual world is built on quality not on quantity.

We are happy about every person who arrives, but everyone is free to choose. We don’t underestimate anyone in any way, but if a person leaves, it is his free will. This means that he still has to work on himself on other levels and he isn’t ready to come yet. He received something from us; he will later process it, and after a while will return to us. If he doesn’t, then he has his own way and he will end it in his next life, while we want to finish it in this life.

The wisdom of Kabbalah spreads knowledge, like a farmer who plants seeds while walking in the plowed field, and if someone picks up what falls, that’s good. It doesn’t depend on our desire. We can only hope that as many people as possible will hear about it and then it is already the Creator’s work.
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From KabTV’s “Foundations Of The Integral Society” 4/08/12

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Question: Please answer my question: Does saying the prayer (Shema and Shema Yisrael) and putting on a Tefillin let you receive the light any faster? If not, please explain why Jewish tradition does this?

Answer: No. This is because these “traditions” are behaviors in our world that are identical to the higher correction that everyone must perform in his 613 desires, aiming them at “love your neighbor.”

Question: For centuries, Kabbalists have vigilantly complied with all the traditions and customs of its people. They emphasized the importance of their physical and spiritual performance. [Baal] HaSulam and Rabash were no exception. Why do we not apply spiritual importance to physical activities?

If physical actions are not so important, then why were the Jews fooled all these years? Why could everything not be explained clearly so that people do not lose time and hope in vain?

Answer: The time has come now to do that.
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Question: What is the role of religion in the integration process, and is it possible to integrate all the world religions together?

Answer: I began my life as a specialist in biomedical cybernetics. Then I got my PhD in philosophy, became a professor of ontology and theory of knowledge, which is what I’ve been doing for many years. I don’t see any connection between religion and the integration method we’re talking about here.

Generally speaking, religions talk about the need to become integrally connected to others, to live a good life, be kind to others, love one’s neighbor, etc. But in truth, they only talk about it, and nothing ever gets implemented. Moreover, religions are full of various rituals and blind faith, all of which is absent from our method. It addresses the person, all people in the world, because all of humanity is integrated and interconnected.

Therefore, I don’t think there’s room here for religions. It’s everyone’s personal business, because religious persuasion doesn’t hurt or oppose our method in any way. Hence, you can be an adept in any religion and practice integrated upbringing at the same time.
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From the Vilnius Convention 3/22/12, Preliminary Lesson

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Opinion (Jason Palmer, Science and technology reporter, BBC News): “A study using census data from nine countries shows that religion there is set for extinction, say researchers. The study found a steady rise in those claiming no religious affiliation….

“The team’s mathematical model attempts to account for the interplay between the number of religious respondents and the social motives behind being one. The result, reported at the American Physical Society meeting in Dallas, US, indicates that religion will all but die out altogether in those countries.

“The team took census data stretching back as far as a century from countries in which the census queried religious affiliation: Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.

“’In a large number of modern secular democracies, there’s been a trend that folk are identifying themselves as non-affiliated with religion’…The team then applied their nonlinear dynamics model, adjusting parameters for the relative social and utilitarian merits of membership of the ‘non-religious’ category.

“They found, in a study published online, that those parameters were similar across all the countries studied, suggesting that similar behaviour drives the mathematics in all of them.

And in all the countries, the indications were that religion was headed toward extinction….

“Obviously we don’t really believe this is the network structure of a modern society, where each person is influenced equally by all the other people in society,” Dr Wiener said.

“However, he told BBC News that he thought it was ‘a suggestive result.’

“’It’s interesting that a fairly simple model captures the data, and if those simple ideas are correct, it suggests where this might be going.’

“’Obviously much more complicated things are going on with any one individual, but maybe a lot of that averages out.’”

My Comment: Since we are in a dynamic process of the continuous growth of egoism in us, a person constantly asks himself how this or that behavior is profitable for him, and if his egoism finds no benefit for itself, then this behavior is rejected. Thus, we always choose (sort) new actions, goals, environment, etc.

Once, our egoism brought us into religion, but today it has outgrown it and takes us from beliefs not supported by reality. It requires proof, and if there is none, it cannot hold itself in obedience without an apparent benefit for itself. That is why all religions will die out and will be replaced by cultures. In essence, even today, every religion is mostly the culture of this or that nation, its customs, but not faith.
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Question: What is the right way to turn to the friends for help so they would ask the Creator to open my heart, and how should I carry out this request when a friend asks this of me?

Answer: All religions have a custom where a small person addresses a great rabbi or priest, asking him to pray in his stead and paying him money for it. And the latter then turns to the Creator with his request.

But just think: How is it possible to obtain a vessel, a place for revealing the Creator, if you have not built, felt, and realized it yourself yet? How can someone else create this instead of you, having a different root of the soul? How can they make the request and work for you? This is simply impossible. One person cannot do this for another.

Every person has his own root of the soul, so how can someone else, having a different root of the soul than me, carry out my work? He does not have the basis that I have, and neither does anyone else. We can only strengthen and complement one another, but no one can do the work for you.

But in that case, what does it mean to pray for the friends? When we pray for a friend, we ask all together for help to come to him. But after that he has to figure everything out on his own. It’s as if we are bringing him the medicine, our help. And after taking that medicine he can join us with greater force and become our partner. But no one can direct a request upward for someone else.

We can only unite all together and help one another. Therefore, a friend does not turn to the Creator instead of you asking for your correction. He can ask for help for your sake so you would receive the force and begin realizing it yourself.

That is exactly how we act in relation to the whole world, and this is how Kabbalists acted when writing their books for us, through which they conduct the Light to us. This is how every one of us acts in relation to another person. We depend on one another, bringing the Light of correction and fulfillment to one another. But we do not do the work for one another.

Everything happens only between you and the Creator, but with the help of the group. Through the group you come to the Creator. You attain the Creator personally, individually, but through the group.

If a friend turns to you for help, you connect with his desire and your desire becomes twice as big. And then you connect the desires of other friends to it, more and more. It’s preferable to have at least ten people, according to the ten Sefirot in the vessel, and then we make a request all together.

That is why there is a custom to gather at least ten people to pray around a sick or deceased person.
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From the Arava Arvut Convention Lesson #4, 2/24/12

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Question: Why do the daily lessons start at 3 A.M. Jerusalem time? Is there a special reason for it?

Answer: This is how we studied with my Teacher Rabash.

Question: Many of your students come from the orthodox Judaism and follow its main principles: observe Shabbat (Saturday), eat kosher food, and so on. So when in one of the morning lessons you said that “the orthodox cannot be my students,” it confused us.

Answer: I do not have a single orthodox student! Many of them listen to the lessons from home, but are not in direct contact with me.

Question: What is Amalek: a historic personality of a force within us?

Answer: Everything is within man, including history.
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