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I have heard it said ” what is hateful to yourself do not do to another ” wouldn’t this be subjective to how an an individual perceives what is “hateful” ?, and beyond this if its something the person is views as “hateful” and they are actively trying not to do that said thing within the group but then another does this said thing in the group . This then resistance will also show the breakdown in the connection between the person and the group within self/ego ultimately ? (seeing themselves as higher than the friends ) which then they must pray for assistance from above to annul themselves to see the merits in the friends ?
When one sees resistance in or through the friends , should they see this as being hyper literal, as in what they are seeing in the friend is perhaps inside them as well ? or should it be its the connection in which is flawed in another way by the ego? or perhaps even both ?
I was recently traveling and participating in some group work when a stranger sitting next to me asked what I was doing. As I tried to explain Kabbalah, I realized I either had too many words or not enough to really capture it. I mentioned that most people think of it as Jewish mysticism, but that’s not really what it is. Instead, it’s about developing an authentic relationship with the Creator. Still, I felt like my explanation didn’t fully do it justice.
So my question for this forum is: How do we describe what we’re doing when people ask? What’s the best “elevator pitch” for the school? I’m not trying to teach it, but when someone unfamiliar with Kabbalah asks, what’s the simplest and clearest way to explain it?
Is it worth watching the morning lesson when you are the only one there from your ten? I just wonder because of the importance of the connection with the ten if it is even worth watching?
Hi, In the Zohar for All, on page 103 in “The Mother Lends Her Clothes to Her Daughter”, it says in the commentary- “If, regardless of reason, man changes his properties, he is automatically moved as though by an invisible current to a room that corresponds to his new properties.”
What is “If, regardless of reason”?
Does this have to do with faith above reason?Thank you!
Hi, …I am wondering if our ego is like the engine, which is driving us, constituting our human nature and needed in order to survive- is it thus the same as the psychological ego, which creates our sense of self, self-esteem, self-awareness and judges us and the environment?
And assuming, we cannot eradicate the ego, we have to give it a proper direction, that is the intention, does that mean, in the work with friends, overcoming the ego means building a second pathway of bestowal while the ego stays as it is, or actively silencing the ego, like not listening to the impulses we get from our prefrontal cortex at this time? And in case of a “hurt ego” (which can cause quite some damage) …what is the spiritual perspective? The same?
I can discover the difference between the Point in the Heart and the ego either by the ego suffering in some way or by rising above it. Both, the ego doesn’t like. If the ego suffers, it’s more inclined to let me go above it, but I still have to rise above it. So, the way is to rise above it to love of friends, love of the Creator. When this happens the ego is shown in its proper role, having no role but to be help-against-me, to rise above it.
Hi, thanks so much for answering all these questions that are currently burning in me. I am aware that this is my ego, too…(and I have wondered if I should better just stop writing so much).Still, it is so helpful to get these answers, because it really reduces some of the confusion. Especially when it comes to the ego. And exactly there, I cannot help asking whether I am on the right track.What you wrote, was just so helpful. Now, I am wondering, do we really have to work „against“ the ego, or simply learn not to listen to it?
Like in the example with the cell and the organism… if we are like cells, and both the ego and the point in the heart would be like cell compartments each having a different function. The ego would help the cell (which is the human being) survive and the mind to grow desires (like letś say the mitochondria raise energy for the cell), but other than that it couldńt do anything functional for the body (which is the whole of creation). And the point in the heart would link the cell to the body, (like a transmittersystem that makes communication with the rest of the body possible). But most likely it would not raise energy for the cell, unless itś a different energy that comes through the connection with other cells. That would mean, to survive here in this world I need the ego. To connect to spirituality, I need the point in the heart. I cannot swop them. Thinking of it like that, makes me feel that the work with the friends is double precious, for once the point in the heart can grow, can connect. For another, thinking of this thoroughly positive approach- seeing the friends higher than me, feeling equality, focussing on love of friends in a group where everyone is concerned for the others… well, all the reason the ego is needed for, is gone. I suppose if there ever is a chance of „rising above the ego“, it is in such a group, because in this work we grow beyond that level of existance that the ego has been designed for. In such a society we may learn that we dońt need that „ego survival mode“. And if it doesńt come to rest, well, yes, than I know I have work to do to put it back to its place. May I see the work like that? May I see the ego like that? Or do I fool myself here?
We can’t clarify it much yet, because we don’t yet distinguish the Point in the Heart from the other desires in a clear way, but then we will use the Will to Receive like a beast of burden in its headstall. Not the ego – the ego is the Will to Receive with an intention to receive – but the Will to Receive, we can use. And in the meantime, I just have to use it like everyone, in all the regular situations.
My spiritual work is done in the known designated place: the group. The two spheres will bridge later.
If a person corrects a desire is that desire corrected forever? Are there some desires that we need to correct more than once? How do we know what desires to start with? I guess we start with the least coarse desires but how do we know which ones they are?
It’s corrected forever. The fact that it seems I correct the same ones, it’s because they are not corrected yet. Additionally, a desire has to be corrected on all 4 levels of Aviut, which is why you have such a notion that a desire might be corrected again. It’s also not up to us which desires to correct. We correct what is put in front of us. That’s the spiritual desire, whose correction is to be in the ten. There is nothing else in front of us.
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