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What is a good way to use the ego?
Is the ego the driving force behind defending a believe or view point?
I understand that a bad usage is when used for self interest at the expense of others.
Yusbel,
The will to receive is the will to receive, you can’t escape that, we need to receive air, water, food, sustenance.
First things first, before we start correcting anything, let’s identify where we see that we are not just receiving but receiving at the expense of the other. Later we’ll begin to understand what to do with that, but first we need to identify where we will be working.
Seth@KabU
Hi, does faith above reason refer to connecting to the upper force or other points in the heart (or at least trying to do that) in spite of the reasoning of the ego, which may tell us not to do that because it’s a a calculation against the benefit for our ego? In contrast to faith below reason in religious practice, which simply tells us to believe in something that we do not attain? Is that the difference?
And if that‘s so, does that mean to live with 2 separate concepts at the same time when studying Kabbalah? Faith above reason for the spiritual group and reason for daily life? If yes, how to overcome the confusion arising with two concepts at the same time, and the increasing feeling of separation and loneliness in everyday life?
Verena,
Imagine that you are holding your child in the grocery store. On the one hand you are holding and comforting your child and on the other hand, you are navigating the isles, thinking about dinner tonight, having memories of different things as you look at all of the items on the shelf.
It’s like two systems.
So the kabbalist is in this world and her heart stays connected to another system of love and connection.
Of course there is confusion. It’s like landing in another country where you don’t speak the language, of course things will be confusing until you stabilize yourself there and get acquainted and accustom to how things work there.
Regarding separation and loneliness, we need to receive powers from group of friends, to integrate with them, to constantly help each other raise the importance of the sublime goal which we are working towards and to uplift the spirits in the group.
Step by step, you are moving in the right direction.
Bookmark the reading material that inspires you the most and return to that again and again in different states.
Everything will work out.
Seth@KabU
When I ask for the Creator to change me and my perception, I also ask for the same thing for everyone so that we can all reach a higher level together. Does this type of prayer actually benefit others since the Upper Light does not change? Must each person do this for themself?
Or is it only MY perception that is incorrect since everything exists inside me? Then when it is corrected, I will see the rest of the world corrected?Carly,
There is your personal correction and there is the general correction.
As you correct yourself, that part of you that exists in everyone else is also corrected.
Everyone will need to come to this, but in a different way. For example, think of all of the technological innovation and how much mining for lithium and cobalt and how many processes and how many years went into making the cell phone and today, a 5 year old can pick it up and use it, it is all prepared for him.
Similarly, the others will need to engage on some level, but you are part of the pioneers who are preparing everything for them spiritually.
Seth@KabU
I’m not sure I can verbalize this question but here goes. I mean, when religious people pray, they ask for things, for help, for favors, etc. and expect the Lord to answer them. A Kabbalist’s prayer is an inner heartfelt cry for correction of oneself, to understand and attain the qualities of the Creator, am I right? So my question is, should we have no expectations when it comes to having an answer to our cry for help with the corrections of the ego?
Marita,
We are learning about very exalted things but we are at the beggining of the path. It is like sitting down to play piano on day one vs. being Beethoven. Both people are playing piano but there is a huge difference. So while you talk about the final form of the prayer that it is all for the sake of the Creator and we are pure pipeline of His light, that is the goal. In the meantime we can’t help but pray and act and think with some benefit for ourselves. That is normal. We try to refine that over and over again and understand ourselves, Him and the process we are in, getting closer and closer each time.
Seth@KabU
I have a question on prayer. I get that true prayer is self-examination and self-judgment…that the goal should be to change me…not make bargains with the creator. I shared this with my wife; she asked a good question. What about when we pray for others? For instance, if I have a best friend whose daughter is in the hospital. My religious background says I should pray for her. Pray for her doctors that they will correctly diagnose and treat her and that she will be returned to good health. Is that okay for me to do because it’s for someone else and not for me? Or is it still egoistic, in that it’s my friend’s daughter, and I would like my friend to be provided relief so he can return to being my friend without the worry about his daughter? Is my asking for a good outcome in this situation just another example of bargaining with the Creator? Should I not be praying for others?
David,
Pray for everything. Speak to the Creator about everything and also tell Him that you want to pray more and more for Him, for the others and not just for the sake of my own ego. But anyway, ask for everything.
You see how it is with our own kids, when they are young they ask for toys, when they get older they ask for a car, the desires develop naturally. Same with us. The main thing is that we are connected to the Creator as much as we can. And then we try more and more to ask not for the sake of our egos, but this takes time and is nuanced and in fact is impossible since He Himself created us as egoistic.
So when we pray, we examine why am I praying and then we see that at the end we can’t escape from self interest and this leads to the true prayer that He will give us a second nature.
Keep going David. Pray for her, pray for your family, pray for everyone and ask Him to make our prayers true.
Seth@KabU
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