Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “Why Should We Question the Meaning of Life?”

We do not choose to question the meaning of life. It is rather the emergence of a desire beyond our corporeal desires for food, sex, family, money, honor, control and knowledge, and more and more people are awakening with such questions in our times.

When we question the meaning of life, we start connecting with people who wish to expand the scope of their knowledge to discover the answers to life’s most fundamental questions: What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Where are we from? Where are we now? Where are we headed?

These questions urge us to expand our feelings, to consider the world we are in, whether there is anything above our world, controlling it, a certain mechanism setting the world in motion, its cause and effect and its goals. When we ask these questions and cannot find their answers, we then start our spiritual search.

I remember when the question about the meaning of life first arose in me. I was only around five or six years old, yet I felt old, internally dissatisfied and detached from everyone. Other children were running around in the yard and playing, and I was thinking: “Why is all this happening? What is the point of it all?”

Of course, life goes on and you take interest in some hobbies, maybe some sports, hormones develop and you become interested in relationships. However, somewhere deep down, the question about the meaning of life still dwells and does not let us go. We pass through the motions of life as if mechanically and feel how meaningless it becomes.

We could attend symphonies, exhibitions and museums, trying to somehow cling to this world, to know and taste what people consider special. But why? We could look at a painting and think: “Someone took a couple of months to paint it. They painted it beautifully, but then what? What’s the point?”

I remember a teacher at school saying, “The meaning of life is to eat delicious food, relax, go to the cinema, read an interesting book,” and so on. It turned out, as the sages say, that you live not according to your own will, you get a little pleasure, calm down and forget about a higher meaning. Otherwise, life would seem like hell.

But what if we cannot silence the questions? Today, there are millions of people around the world who cannot stop asking about the meaning of life. These questions make us start to expand the field of our feelings.
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Question: What is the difference between experience, reason, and knowledge? Or is it the same thing?

Answer: Try to define experience, reason, and knowledge yourself, and you will see that they differ from each other.

These are not just three different words, but three states in a person and three completely different approaches to exploring our states.

Question: Is faith above these parameters, or is it based on one of them?

Answer: A person must create a platform within himself on which he will use the method of faith to study his states. That is the fourth approach to exploring the world.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/1/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Embrace of the Right, Embrace of the Left”

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Breaking the silence
Of an ancient pond
A frog jumped into the water—
A deep resonance. 
(Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa)

Question: The concept of shibui refers to a Japanese aesthetic of a refined understatement in artistic representation. It has an underlying notion of life’s transitory and evanescent nature. This is reflected in traditional Japanese clothing that is more beautiful on the interior than the exterior fabric.

What is hidden beauty?

Answer: Hidden beauty is something one cherishes, treasures! It is more important to him than anything in the world.

Question: And this, it turns out, is not shown off and put on display?

Answer: It is not shown to anyone. Many nations have many prohibitions against exposure.

Question: Is it the same in spirituality?

Answer: In spirituality, necessarily.

Question: But how can I, an outsider, feel this hidden beauty if it is hidden?

Answer: You don’t need to feel it; you should strive to create your own beauty for yourself.

Question: Am I ever looking for another beauty?

Answer: No, you will not find the beauty you are looking for there.

Question: Won’t I find it in others?

Answer: No, no way. You will not be able to find another person who could display your beauty, what you need, or what you prefer.

Question: Is my life the search for my beauty? Specifically beauty?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What other word would you use to define beauty?

Answer: I would call it inner perfection, harmony.

Question: Where is the upper one you keep talking about in this? Where is the Creator here?

Answer: The Creator determines this from above. And we get it below and thank Him.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/23/23

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Question: Are there states when you feel that you have to cancel all your knowledge or it will drag you down?

Answer: Yes, it is a lack of faith.

Question: How can you cancel your knowledge correctly? Do you have to forget everything you learned, what you knew, and start everything from scratch?

Answer: No, you just have to move in the quality of bestowal and relate to everyone based on that quality.

In order to attract knowledge for the sake of bestowal, we must strive for it and at the same time for knowledge in order to be above. In this way we will obtain this stage.

Question: Is there a difference in what kind of knowledge to strive for?

Answer: You do not know this yet. Strive, and as a result, it will lead you to the desired result.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/3/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Receiving in order to Bestow”

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It is known that the Sitra Achra has no lights…. Therefore, as one rises from one’s bed daily and washes oneself to purify his body from the filth of the body, so one should wash oneself from the filth of the Klipa (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 59 “Concerning the Staff and the Serpent”).

Question: It is said that Sitra Achra (Klipa, evil spirits) does not have its own lights, but at the same time we can easily fall under its power.

Where does the Klipa get its strength and power without lights?

Answer: From us, because our egoism works for the Sitra Achra. And only if we go against it do we gradually weaken it.

To do this, we need to unite in a ten, accept the desires of the ten as higher than our own, and so continue to advance.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Concerning the Staff and the Serpent”

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Question: The twelfth commandment is to bring the first fruit of the tree (Baal Hasulam, Introduction of the Book of Zohar, “The Commandments of the Torah”, paragraph 245).

What does this mean in spirituality?

Answer: From everything that you have in the vegetative and animate world, from everything that is born and comes to you as suitable for consumption, you must separate a tenth and not use it. In this way you confirm the governance of the Creator in all nature.

Question: What is the difference between the eleventh and twelfth commandments? One says that one should separate the tithe of the fruits of the ground, and the other says that one should separate the tithe of the first fruits of the tree.

Answer: The only difference is in the technique, how and when it is done. But in principle, the essence is the same, separating the part that you cannot correct.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 12/10/23

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Question: How should we discover the desire and striving for the Creator: in faith above reason or in reason?

Answer: Both in reason and in faith above reason. With a bit of luck, you will figure it out.

Question: Through what actions can a person gain mercy in the eyes of the Creator?

Answer: Only through love for his friends.

Question: Can Bnei Baruch be called the spiritual world?

Answer: Of course. Bnei Baruch is a separate part of our world that strives for universal connection.

Question: What is the rigor of the performance of actions in improving the ten?

Answer: For all of you to be as close to each other as possible.

Question: Before entering Israel, Moses taught the people the laws of the Torah. How can we adopt these laws in a new way so that we can change egoism to bestowal?

Answer: “Love your neighbor as yourself” needs to be checked every day. How committed you are to this principle?
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/2/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “And If the Way Be Too Far for You”

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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “What Does It Mean that the Right Must Be Greater than the Left, in the Work?”

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Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “Is Technology Detrimental?”

Technology serves us with medical breakthroughs saving lives and innovations that aid our professions and our day-to-day living. However, much technological progress wreaks havoc, as it goes into making more and more sophisticated ways of killing, hurting and exploiting people.

How can we then make sure technology benefits us?

On one hand, we are far beyond advocating for stopping technological advances and regressing to a primitive form of existence. We do, however, need to revise the ways in which we take the reins of technological development, and steer our innovations responsibly. If we fail, then we can succumb to a third or a fourth world war, and we might then truly degenerate to a primitive state.

Navigating technology beneficially for humanity does not mean stifling it with rigid rules and moral constraints, which is a point that often arises in relation to this topic. It rather requires its creators and operators to continually strengthen an attitude of mutual benefit, consideration and support for one another.

We should thus encourage connection-enriching learning, showcase examples of care and kindness, learn about the altruistic and integral underpinnings of nature, and seek how we can generate an increasingly socially-cohesive atmosphere that continually fuels people with confidence and happiness.

By doing so, we can tune our attitudes to each other from our inborn self-concern to a much more mature concern for others and nature as a whole. Such a transformation is the key to ensuing a positive path forward for technology, helping us reach states of more balance among each other and with nature.

Our misuse of technological advancements originates from a heart bloated with self-interest motives, lacking the learning of the nature-set need to reach positive connection and mutual consideration among each other. We have let our divisive drives push us to exploit, abuse and manipulate each other, thus using technology to overpower and deceive others.

Therefore, if there is any fear of technology turning against us and bringing about much harm to our lives, we should seek to upgrade the attitudes of those behind technology’s development and use. When we tune our hearts to genuinely wish for the utmost benefit to other people and nature, we will then use technology in a beneficial manner.
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