Entries in the 'Spirituality' Category

Do Not Expect Miracles From A Kabbalist

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: You have mentioned many times that people who have been studying Kabbalah for many years look just like everyone else and cannot be told apart. At the same time, people whose desires have been corrected change the reality around them and possess a completely different power of attraction. Are there any external signs that distinguish a Kabbalist?

Answer: I have met and spent some time with several students of Baal HaSulam. I was 35 years old, and they were 75. I felt like an infant in their arms. I never saw them do any miracles nor did I hear any special conversations. They all tried to be very regular people, and they actually were.

A Kabbalist does not spread any waves around him. A person who begins to listen to a Kabbalist, to understand him, to correctly adapt his words and thoughts, and to realize his suggestions within him begins to perceive himself and the world in a different way. This is not because there is a Kabbalist influencing him. Kabbalists do not influence other people. It is not permitted! This would kill another person’s freedom of will.

How do we teach a child? We constantly provide him with exercises and tell him how things are done, but he must do it on his own. Otherwise, he will not grow. This is why Kabbalists never change and can never change anything around them. There are no tricks. Nothing can change if man does not change.

I have many relatives, friends, and beloved students, and there is no way I can help them besides explaining it to them one more time, telling it in some other way. There is no other way. And when a person turns away from me, there is no way for me to turn him around. I also leave him. That is it. There is nothing I can do, even though it hurts.

Do not think that a Kabbalist is capable of something supernatural that a regular person cannot do. No, he cannot. Of course, he reveals this world to a greater extent as his desire becomes corrected, but he only reveals it for himself.

Over the course of history, there were many Kabbalists who were unable to teach. They attained spirituality, performed corrections in the upper world in the network of souls between us, and prepared this entire system to be closer to humanity, but not more than that. It’s the same way that we prepare the current world for our children and grandchildren, and no other way.

Do not look for tricks in Kabbalah. There are no miracles. This is an enormous, difficult job for each one of us to correct ourselves against our nature. This is what all of humanity must realize in our time.
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From the 3rd lesson at the Moscow Convention 6/11/11

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The Light Is The Answer

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can you explain this phenomenon that urgent questions that arise today are answered by you tomorrow?

Answer: It is a very good question! I often hear about this from my students. They say that perhaps I know, that I intentionally ask someone a question and give him an answer the next day, or someone asks today and I “catch” his or her questions, and the like.

It is nothing like that. It is very simple: A question emerges in you, a desire to be filled with some information, some sensation. You become included in the group, in the lesson, and get an answer or fulfillment. In the same way, you can take my lesson from a month ago and see that I answered your question. This is only because a question has emerged in you—only because of this.

The Light is called the answer; it is all around us in unlimited quantities. Even now, we are in the world of Infinity, but we only feel its smallest, darkest part. There are many concealments around us, 125 curtains of concealment. Thus, we sense only our world.

Once a person has a desire for a more exalted state directed not inside himself but outside, he immediately begins to discover new questions and to get answers. It all depends on desire; there is nothing else.

The Light around us is at absolute rest, and you attain it. What we lack is desire. Thus, if I connect with the group, if I try to connect with the friends, I perceive their desires. Then, I acquire a larger vessel, a greater opportunity for fulfillment.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is the main directive of Kabbalah. This is the key tool for receiving the Light. What does “love your neighbor as yourself” mean? It means that you need to attach his desires to yourself. Then, you will have at least twice as much. In reality, it is not even twice, but multiplied by the resistance of your egoism. You will have a huge desire.

While you are connecting your friend to yourself as yourself, you have to rework all your egoism from reception, from rejection, into bestowal. You form a massive vessel. The Light will fill it right away, and you will reach spiritual attainment.

So, if I ask a question today, I can get an answer today and tomorrow; it does not matter when. Usually, it happens during the lesson when you are included in the collective desire and in the collective Light which thereby manifests around you, in the so-called Surrounding Light.
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From the 3rd lesson at the Moscow Convention 6/11/11

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The World Is Ready To Hear

Dr. Michael LaitmanKabbalah is the method that talks about the need to unite with each other according to the plan of Nature, the single force which controls the entire universe, all of us, all of creation. Since the days of ancient Babylon, this science has been hidden from humanity. Kabbalah only states that this teaching would be passed through a tiny “stream” from teacher to disciple for thousands of years, from ancient Babylon to the present time, until our world becomes a modern Babylon, meaning the world turns into one whole with complete interconnection regardless of borders, countries, continents, nations, races, groups, and the religions that have emerged over the course of history. Our interdependence will become so strong that it will eliminate all these barriers.

On the other hand, our egoism will remain and continue to develop. Because of this, we will hate each other even more. We will repel each other automatically; we will think only of ourselves subconsciously and instinctively. We won’t consider the others and will only use them maximally for our own profit. This will be our nature for 3700 years, Kabbalistic sources said.

We will come to enormous egoism, and it will be natural for us. We will not even realize that it is special, but only that this is us and this the manner of our life. Nonetheless, this egoism, together with our extensive integral connection and the communication that we have developed between ourselves, will eventually turn us into Babylon again.

Besides that, during the last stage of development when this huge egoistic society becomes global, we will practically deplete all the natural resources and sources of: energy, oil, coal, gas, water, minerals, and metals. Everything is coming to an end. Even if we’d like to grow our egoistic potential, it won’t be possible.

The consumer society that developed during the 20th century has exhausted itself, emptying the Earth of all resources, and as a result, we cannot continue in this life even physically. We have reached such a confrontation with each other and the environment that it forces us to do something.

Our society will become different—uncontrollable. Recently we see revolutions taking place in different countries; we see how communication and connection between people urges them to demand social change. However, we still do not understand how or why this happens: Today it is there, tomorrow it may happen here or elsewhere. We do not see where any of this leads.

In this state of confusion, not being able to understand the next stage, we see the science of Kabbalah being revealed to the world again. I remember when I studied with my teacher, we used to travel to special, Kabbalistic places and sit there together, across from each other. During those evenings and nights, he tried to tell me that the time would come when Kabbalah would be revealed.

What does “revealed” mean? “Revealed” means that it is not you who starts talking about it, but people who want to hear start coming. It depends not on you, but on the ones who will listen.

We see that this time has come because there are plenty of people from different countries, on different continents, in various languages, who want to hear what nature, the Creator, demands from us. They want to know what we should resemble, how we should change ourselves, on what level to rise, how to enter an entirely different dimension, how to perceive the general level of nature, eternity, and perfection, and to feel this here and now in our world. It is said in the science of Kabbalah that such people would appear at the end of the 20th century.

I did not really believe it: I did not see these conditions. However, at the end of the last century, thousands of people became interested in Kabbalah, subconsciously and instinctively sensing this urge thanks to their desires which had developed and reached maturity. In the next stage, a new dimension is conceived in this finally ripened egoistic desire.
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From the 1st lesson at the Moscow Convention 6/10/11

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A Smart Child Playing Bestowal

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe only creation is the desire that appears “from absence” by virtue of the Light and gradually reaches its condition. At the beginning it simply wants to enjoy, but later it starts to understand that it is completely under the rule of this desire.

This is how desire grows gradually until it realizes its full opposition to the Light. The first time, it happens during the 4th phase of the expansion of the Direct Light, in the state called Malchut of the world of Infinity.

The creature cannot sustain this condition and restricts itself. This forces it to establish a new relationship with the Creator. It feels obliged to become like Him and strives to do this, until all its attempts bring to their mutual penetration into each other, which is called “the breaking of the desires.”

It seems to us that the breaking is something negative. But in reality it is the other way around. Because of this, the creature understands its full inability to be like the Creator.

In order to become a giver and be similar to the Creator in the state of breaking, it lacks only efforts. Later, it will be able to reach bestowal and rise from a much worse state. However, firstly, it has to experience the realization of evil, prayer, work, good deeds, and until it has all these, it will not be able to become equal to the Creator and to be like Him.

Until the creature has obtained the spiritual vessel, that is, has obtained the understanding and sensation,feeling its own effort and the realization of desire, it is impossible to say that the creature is similar to the Creator. The little one cannot be a giver. He can do something small, play with his toys. But if he really wants to become like an adult, he has to develop a variety of sensations in himself.

Thus, after all the spiritual and historical development given to us as a preparation from Above, we discover that two desires are co-existing within us: our own and an additional desire. A human within us starts with this. One’s own, natural desire pulls a person towards the pleasures that he sees in front in him. The additional desire pulls him to special, spiritual kinds of pleasure; however, he cannot feel anything besides pleasure.

We see in a person of our world his material, physical body. It is not about it, but about the desire drawing him in two directions. One is directed to what is revealed to a person in his or her five sense organs. The other is called “the point in the heart,” and it’s still unclear to a person to where this desire is drawing him and whether it is worth using it.

From the moment these two desires are manifested in a person, he is called a human. Because of these two states, he can become similar to the Creator (Edome), that is, to be called a human (Adam from the Hebrew word Domeh” or similar). One needs only to find out about the means, to learn how to use these two desires awakened in him or her.

One desire is old and is called an “old and foolish king,” the other one is new and growing like a “smart child.” If one wants to deal with them correctly, this is possible only with the help of the upper force. Thus, he cannot advance on his own and needs a mentor.

Everything is given from Above: People are led to the right place to study; all the necessary conditions are created for them so that they can accept this guidance and use it. Everything is given from Above except for the effort that we have to add ourselves! These efforts build a human.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/7/2011, Shamati #161

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The Screen To Reveal The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In the upcoming conventions, if we wish the Creator to be revealed, what should we be asking for?

Answer: The Creator’s revelation is love and bestowal that unfold between human beings. Within this property, we find its source, the upper force that created us, and feel it inside ourselves.

Hence, the Creator’s name is “Boreh,” meaning “Bo uh Reh” or “come and see,” discover. You discover Him within yourself, in your reformed properties. They serve as a screen, a monitor, where you can find your world.
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From the Virtual Lesson on Fundamentals of Kabbalah 5/29/2011

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Offering The World A Solution

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Millions of people around the world desire to grow spiritually. But what about the rest?

Answer: Everybody is suffering; everybody feels bad. Look how unrest is growing around the world. Isn’t it obvious that we are on the verge of adversity? This process is accelerating at a remarkable speed. I recently received a letter from Spain where the regular folks are facing serious problems. Unemployment is sky rocketing.

This is how the Creator is pushing and turning everyone to face Him. Willing or not, people start asking: “What do we do? How to do we get out of hardships?” First, to avoid hardships is the key: If a person has nothing to eat and no money to pay the rent, if he or she lacks necessities, spiritual matters will hardly interest them. But you can show them what the solution is.

Read what the analysts write, search wherever you want: Today, nobody has any solutions to the problems the world is facing. At least that much is already evident. Those who are still in power as well as political commentators are fully aware that we have come to a dead end. Nobody has the courage to raise their hand and offer a solution of their own. It is too obvious how unrealistic and impractical anything they may offer is. In this type of situation, only we can speak out. And we must hurry to do so.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/25/2011, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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Aspiring To A Point Of Equilibrium

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe exist in the field of Light (the quality of love and bestowal called the Creator), which fills all the space we occupy, only we can’t sense this Light. In its influence on me, it is like a physical field, whether gravitational, electromagnetic, or electrostatic. If I have a spiritual potential (charge), I begin to move within this field to a point of equilibrium with it.

Just as an electron behaves in an electromagnetic field, a person behaves in any given place: He or she aspires to a state of balance, living in a field of his or her sensations. But sensations are forces, too! We study them in the wisdom of Kabbalah just as others study the influence of physical forces. Except we don’t perceive their existence in our world.

When the point in the heart appears in a person, he begins to move to a place where he can receive the fulfillment this point requires. These people “enter” our groups or “suddenly discover” us on the Internet. It all appears very unexpected to them…. And that’s how they begin to study the wisdom of Kabbalah.
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From Lesson 2, Convention in Madrid, 6/3/2011

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The Antenna That Receives The Creator’s Signal

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: You give many examples from science when we speak about Kabbalah. There was a famous inventor in Italy named Guglielmo Marconi who perfected the first radio receiver, improving its sensitivity to such an extent that it allowed for a connection at a great distance. So, do we need to improve the sensitivity of our soul the same way to develop a connection with others? Is faith the very same antenna that ensures our connection with the Creator?

Answer: Guglielmo Marconi was a great scientist, and he had many secrets. He only revealed a small part of his discoveries to us. He discovered waves we do not yet know about, which readily envelope our globe and even completely penetrate it. He was a unique genius.

When we come “outside” of ourselves, we begin to perceive the general energy field which fills the entire space between us. This field is God, the Creator. To perceive it means to attain the Creator, the upper force that connects all the souls. Then, we, together, and He, this upper force, the thought called “the Thought of Creation,” become like one whole. This is why man is called Adam, from the word Dome (similar to the Creator).

We reach a state where we simply join Him, meaning exist in Him being aware of and comprehending it. This force that we join is called the power of faith.

Faith is the Sefira of Bina (from the word “Havana” or understanding). In other words, “believing” does not mean closing your eyes and moving like a blind person, relying on something someone said. Not at all! Faith is based on the force of bestowal. When I am able to change the channel of my inner “radio receiver,” I tune to the same wave, and the information I receive from it is called faith.
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From the Lecture in Rome 5/20/2011

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Understanding The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In the wisdom of Kabbalah, you talk about man’s ego, about unity with everyone, and about us needing to reach balance with nature. But how does this relate to the connection with God (Elohim)?

Answer: In the wisdom of Kabbalah, we talk about nature. According to Gematria (the numerical value of the word), “nature” and “Elohim” are the same thing. That is, if we talk about the upper force, nature, God, or the Creator, whatever you want to call Him, everything around us is just a manifestation of that force.

If we talk about the upper force, then what is the difference in how we call it: “Elohim” or “nature”? There is the upper force (really the upper!) which gives birth to and rules over everything, and we want to know how to connect with it, how to reveal it, and to understand it.

Thus, if I exit myself, my ego, and begin to reveal the reality outside me, above my ego, this is called the understanding, realization, and revelation of the Creator. Naturally, all this happens within me and only relative to me.

Gradually, I organize my desire, my spiritual structure, meaning the property of bestowal and love towards others: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Hesed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod,and Malchut. According to this structure, I know the connections between them and thus reveal the Creator.

Elohim is also called the “Creator” (Boreh), from the Hebrew words “come” (Bo) and “see” (Reh) because we have to “see” Him, reach the state in which we understand Him, as if seeing firsthand. We are created by Him for this purpose.
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From the Lecture in Rome 5/20/2011

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Kabbalah For Modern Times

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Are you familiar with the writings of Kabbalist Isaac the Blind (Rabbi Yitzhak Saggi Nehor, 1600-1235, Provence, France)?

Answer: We study three main sources of the wisdom of Kabbalah: The Book of Zohar, the writings of the Ari (mostly his book The Tree of Life), and the works of Baal HaSulam, the great Kabbalist of the 20th century. Baal HaSulam handed down the entire wisdom of Kabbalah to us in the form most suitable for its publishing and distributing to everyone in the world.

Among all the great Kabbalists, starting with Babylon and to this day, each generation produced many other Kabbalists. But some of them concealed themselves and others wrote very little since until very recently, just thirty years ago, to reveal any part of Kabbalah, one had to receive special permission from Above. Hence, Kabbalists rarely wrote and when they did, it was in a secret form.

And only in the 20th century, when the time has come for the revelation of Kabbalah to everyone so as to correct the collective ego, Baal HaSulam wrote what was permitted to distribute. And we are offering this specific part of Kabbalah to the world.
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From the Lecture in Rome 5/20/2011

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