Comment: Let’s talk about the distant, but in fact very close history, the history of Babylon and the story of Abraham. This was 3,800 years ago.
Answer: Essentially for me, there is another perception of history. For me it is alive even now, including Greece and Rome. Everything is alive today, for without this, it is impossible. Everything exists together with us, simultaneously.
And so, around 3,800 years ago the ancient civilization of Babylon existed, which was similar to our civilization. The entire process began from that and gave a push to the development of modern civilization.
A very interesting breakdown happened in those times. It is possible to say that it was an internal revolution in humanity that was concentrated entirely in one area. Until then it was a type of commune, a family that was not particularly connected, but also not quarrelsome. And suddenly everything changed.
The fact is that a person has an ego. This makes us different from animals. As long as the ego is obedient to a person, we quietly arranged our lives and designed a kind of patriarchal order. But when this ego suddenly broke out and began to go crazy within us, we became detached from the animal world and became true humans. This created a basis for today’s breach, which is the level of the ego that dominates the world today.
The civilizations prior to Babylon were much more primitive and not egoistic. Of course, also among them there was a hierarchy, rulers, and wars, but there was no concept like, “the ego that pushes us forward.” In other words, humans were not conscious that the ego was managing them, separating them, and bringing them to mutual hatred, the demand for an “ascent to the heavens,” and the aspiration to manage and trample everyone. That clear perception of an egoistic world did not exist then.
And then another figure appeared who established the Jewish people, Abraham. It is noteworthy that Abraham came from a much respected family. In those times, one of the central pillars of society was the continuity of the generations because everything was handed down, including, until recently, the transfer of various crafts and skills.
Terah, the father of Abraham, was a distinguished spiritual leader of the people. He was so revered that they created statues of idols in his family. It is possible to understand this as simply as it sounds: They made statues of idols and related accessories. But it is possible to say that they “created” ideas and concepts; meaning that they spoke about divinity and explained it to their people according to their understanding.
So I would say more than this, they were the founders of the spirit of Babylon. It wasn’t Nimrod, but specifically the family of Abraham. This was a clear separation of power: On the one hand, there was the power of the state, “police,” the military, which was represented by Nimrod, and on the other hand, spiritual power, represented by Terah and Abraham who came after him. Each of them had a strong personality.
And suddenly at a particular moment, from a particular point in his investigation, Abraham observed with what rapidity his own and others’ cruel egos were developing. While searching for the general global force that manages everything, Abraham discovered the integral system that manages creation. His essential question was that among all things in the world, there must be something in common that basically provides for the principle of unity and leads the world towards a particular goal. After all, we see how everything turns, and even if it rolls backward, at the same time it continues to advance, like the rim of a wheel.
And so from facts and research, Abraham succeeded, through willpower, in penetrating this system by way of the filter, the screen (Masach). The filter is very simple; it is found between us. It is clear that entry into the world to come, the next dimension, is found in a place where it is possible to find a tangible bridge between people, where confrontation between them disappears and clear accommodation is created, meaning such a connection within which they dissolve one into the other. At this moment they discover gateways between them, entries into the next dimension; and you enter into it.
There is nothing new here. In our world there are three components: still, vegetative, and animate. Regarding the person, if he is prepared to nullify his ego with regard to others, to rise above the ego and nullify it together with another person, then he acquires a new characteristic which becomes an entry into the next dimension.
Question: How did Abraham succeed in discovering, from his investigation, that the main thing is found between us?
Answer: He saw that the entire system of creation is integral and good and that all of its parts support each other. It is mutually connected and united.
And here a single, ugly and damaging “nuance” was created, which was the person with his narcissism. He is, in fact, a beast, but he has an ego. And this ego pushes him towards a development that is not at all right, since it is against others, opposed to everyone, and in opposition to the still, vegetative, and animate. This means that he is not in harmony with them, in homeostasis. Instead he goes out of his boundaries, tearing everything up and dominating everything.
What for? It’s not important. What is the goal? There is no goal. It is only to satisfy the ego that is burning inside.
Abraham understood the global system of nature and the intent of the person that is absolutely opposed to it. So it became clear that the problem is within the person, that it is necessary to bring him to harmony, to be similar to nature. How is this done? He needs to be directed towards the right relationships with the still, vegetative, and animate nature, and most importantly with humans, within society.
So by looking at nature, Abraham saw an ideal; and by looking at the person, he saw its opposite. So the task was to integrate these two systems, and he understood that the whole problem is in realizing the principle, “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The civilization of Babylon encountered the process of globalization, as in our world today, and it closed in upon itself. After all, this was a small civilization, around three million people who were living in a limited space between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia.
Incidentally, they were seriously developed. From there came astrology and esotericism, and was born what is today called the new age, the new era, as there were stores, flushing toilets, and water supply systems. Many of the inhabitants of the modern world could be envious of the Babylonians. Everything was very organized, nice, and neat among them. We simply cannot imagine how they lived.
But suddenly everything exploded from within. Within 20-30 years, egoism broke out before the eyes of Abraham, and the Babylonians began to hate one another. This became a type of miniature globalization in which the inhabitants of Babylon, who were tightly linked, could no longer live together. By and large, the same thing is also happening today. We must live together, and on the other hand, this is impossible.
And so the ego that erupted compelled the Babylonians to build a tower to the heavens. This was a natural, instinctive, direct expression of the ego, and the continuation of its activity.
A new religion was created: “We must worship our ego, rise above the heavens, we must open everything up, reach the general welfare, and perhaps even equality and brotherhood. All of this is in our power to do,” This is very similar to the calls of the modern era: communism, Nazism, liberalism, and consumerism, whatever. They were all represented there together.
Since the process was so rapid, strong unrest brewed within the society. Large factions were created: for Nimrod, against Nimrod, etc. But Nimrod was a very serious leader, and Terah, Abraham’s father, served him, so to speak, as his right hand, as the spiritual leader of the people.
And Abraham, as a son and student, had to go follow the same path. In the history of humanity, continuity had always been desirable, especially in those times.
But here something interesting happened. From his investigation, Abraham discovered a completely different picture and it became clear that the ego was given to us not to manage us, but so that we would manage it, and with its help, rise above it and truly ascend to the heavens. This is not to those heavens to which the Tower of Babel would raise us, rather to the heavens above which we rise, against it, against our ego that continues to grow. In other words, this was a completely different system!
Question: So Nimrod, who understood that the ego separated people, proposed separation, spreading out over the face of the globe, and Abraham’s intention was the opposite, connection and work on this ego?
Answer: There were a number of streams here. The first stream was similar to the modern inclinations: “In spite of the ego we will fight against our nature. With the help of science, culture, and education, we will flatten it. It won’t be possible for the ‘dog’ that sits inside each one of us to break out.”
Another stream proclaimed the opposite: “Tear everyone else to pieces and dominate. That is how we advance. All of life is a struggle, egoistic, and competitive, and the strong survive, like in nature.” At any rate, it appears to us that this is what is happening in nature.
Question: This was the intention of Nimrod?
Answer: No. Nimrod thought that the true development of civilization could be attained through balance. But this was not balance with nature, but with the ego. “We are neighbors and don’t get along with each other as neighbors. Someone throws garbage in the wrong place, slams the door, and makes noise that disturbs those who are sleeping, and so on. So we will separate and meet from time to time, and suddenly everything will work out between us. We can sit together, drink beer, and remember our old common home where we took turns for the shower and the toilet.”
And so Nimrod thought that we had to separate. If we separated and everyone was given a small apartment, we would solve this problem. Just get away from each other and everything will be okay.
This decision is directed towards realization and management of the process. That means, in principle, to remain in control, and in this manner, to solve the problem of the large ego and social conflicts.
Nimrod understood that the ego is bad, but together with this, he only needed to be concerned that the people remain as a people and that everyone would live well and correctly together. “So we will build a tower that will symbolize both the connection between us and the separation, the dispersion.”
This was not some kind of foolish idea, this was a philosophy: “I don’t recognize any god. Globalization and integration are derived from nature, and we will flow with it without giving up the ego. Yes, we can develop this civilization calmly and well, along with our growing ego.”
Essentially, this is what capitalism today also proclaims: Each in his house, in his corner, in his particular area. This is mine; that is yours. Each one has his own inheritance. And a common government, a national structure also exists, and so on.
This means that Nimrod is every modern government and modern perception in general. It is possible to say, that in part, what Nimrod thought has been realized: People scattered all over the globe and began, as it is called, to speak in different languages, and continued to live according to the laws of the ego.
Nimrod’s position is very understandable and rational. He logically solved the problem that had been created. And Abraham went out with an absolutely different revolutionary thought that was derived from attaining the inner characteristic of nature.
Today we have again come across the same problem, but there is nowhere to disperse. The ego has grown and we are so stuck, linked, to each other, and it is impossible to separate. If there were several additional nearby planets and a “bridge” to reach them, we would make the same attempt again. But we have a single planet Earth and now we have no choice but to solve the problem through the way of Abraham.
Today, the forces of separation and disengagement are growing. Moreover, families divorce, many children separate from their parents, etc. Each one is searching for some corner of his own to be detached from everyone there.
And what is interesting is that there are so many places in the world! In my flights above our planet I see clearly that humanity occupies only a few percentages of the entire area of the planet. But people cannot go far away from each other. They simply cannot. This means that we have reached a situation where the idea is no longer about an area for settlement, nor physical distance. Today we are linked much more tightly.
So Abraham began to advocate his theory. Clearly, it seemed illogical and unnatural. In fact, it was impossible to prove it.
But there is a higher logic in it. After all, Nimrod, in principle, did not offer an absolute and final solution to the problem. He said: “We, with the ego that is growing in us naturally, must only disperse a bit.”
And Abraham said, “This won’t help us because the ego is growing with an absolutely different goal in order that we will rise above it! We will not disperse in all directions; rather, we will rise above the ego and use it specifically to connect with one another, so that the ego will be used by us as an ‘opposing helpmate,’ meaning that it will oblige us to rise above it.”
It is difficult to understand this and to agree with it. But if you do this, in fact, you will be linked to all of global nature. This is a clear and logical conclusion: You become an integral part of nature because you are linked with all of humanity and become like the nature of the still, the vegetative, and the animate. Only unlike that, you have reached this general integral state through your own power.
So you begin to feel the general nature, its general law, and the general power that is called the Creator. And you go out to the next level of development above the ego. Now you feel the world, not by way of your physical eyes, not by way of the animalistic, corporeal senses, but you begin to feel it by means of a completely new logic, by means of new desires, which are not beastly, not with an egoistic face, but from a truly human level.
In conclusion, all modern civilizations emerged from ancient Babylon. Babylon is the basis for all of our civilizations, and furthermore, for all of our spiritual development.
[141874]
From KabTV’s “Babylon Yesterday and Today” 8/18/14
Related Material:
How Did the Dispute Between Abraham And Nimrod End?
Throw All The Power Toward The Main Matter
The Perfect Society Of Abraham, Part 1
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Question: What is the connection between the unity of the Israeli nation and the wisdom of Kabbalah?
