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Hi, so everything Kabbalah is speaking to is at the level of internal feelings and thoughts? As things open up, that’s where attainment is perceived unmistakably? In terms of a root, this is a sort of feeling?
Hi Ilya,
Yes, you can say that. Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/01/the-four-stages-of-attainment/
Albert @ KabU
In the “related” section, in the “Ask the Kabbalist” clip, the first question was from someone asking about crossing the barrier and whether it happens individually, as a group, and how long. Rav Laitman’s answer was that nowadays it takes a group, in fact the worldwide group, and at the same time. Also, that it can’t be said how long, but he thinks a year or two. I presume this clip is from some years ago. How have things worked out? What has experience shown since then? Is it expected that there would be another worldwide wave? Or is it expected that groups studying together progress according to some other quality? Thanks and just trying to understand what to expect.
Hi Ilya,
Things are definitely speeding up. We can see it in the world. It used to take months for news to spread and for humanity to react and change. Nowadays these things happen exponentially faster. It’s the same with our spiritual work. What used to take years and years of studies now happens much faster.
As for waves, corona was a big one. Many new points in the heart awakened during that time. It also turned all of our physical groups into virtual groups. The spiritual work in the group is still there, it’s just mostly virtual these days.
As for what to expect, expect a gradual, step by step introduction into the wisdom of Kabbalah. Upon completion of the graduate semester in KabU, you’ll be more than ready to connect directly to Rav Laitman’s lessons. At which point we’ll no longer be your instructors, but rather friends, equals on the path, working together towards our common spiritual goal.
Albert @ KabU
At which point we’ll no longer be your instructors, but rather friends, equals on the path, working together towards our common spiritual goal.
I look forward to the day.
To clarify, at least at the time of the video, Rav Laitman responds that the crossing of the barrier happens in a worldwide group, all together. I guess some time has passed since then, there are more people studying now, are they awaiting another “critical mass” or does it happen by some other measure that varies person to person or group to group. I may be misunderstanding as I’m thinking in terms of time/space, feel free to direct me to future lessons if this is covered more there.
Hi Ilya,
We learn that “there is no time in spirituality”. Meaning that there is no point in waiting for something to happen since attaining spirituality does not depend on time. Rather it follows the law that “there is no light without a kli (vessel)”. Meaning that if we don’t have the vessel (desire) we have nothing with which to get the light (the fulfillment for that desire).
In other words, everything depends on us, if we build the right desire for spirituality, we will right away reveal it. If not, then even if a few more thousands of years pass by, we will still not reveal it. This follows the rule that “there is no coercion in spirituality”. Meaning if we don’t want it, we will not receive it.
And although we spend a lot of time studying, the goal is not simply to pass time or to acquire knowledge, but through the study to draw the light, a special force that helps us to build the right desire. Meaning that we don’t need to be super strong, wise, or talented in order to succeed in Kabbalah, all we need is to extract more and more of this light and it does all the rest.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
As for crossing the barrier in a group. That is correct. First of all we do spiritual work in a group of ten. This is the foundation of all of our work. It’s like we’re building a certain nucleus. Once we build that nucleus, we will be able to gradually add to it more and more groups of tens until we’ll come to include the whole world in that connection.
This will be more relevant for us in the advanced semesters of KabU when everyone will receive their own Kabbalah group with whom to put this into practice.
Albert @ KabU
Is there any commentary or clarification you can provide on the “Walking the Path of Truth” article. In the article, it’s written:
Let me clarify it to you a little: you shall see its tip, but not its entirety, except when He delivers you.
I’m not sure I see even the tip. He seems to be saying that there’s a middle line, it’s easy to stray from, and the effects are exponentially detrimental. Specifically:
This is because there is one who walks who is worse than he who sits idly. It is he who deflects from the road, for the path of truth is a very thin line that one walks until one comes to the King’s palace.
Are these the three lines?
1)
one wishes to complete one’s soul and return it to its root
2)
one wishes to understand the ways of the Creator and the secrets of the Torah
3)
one wishes to attain the Creator
And we need to want them all equally?
Does he crave the three above discernments equally?
Should I take away that the three main lines are 1) correction 2) the ways, how the Creator works 3) the Creator, and I should check that I desire all equally?
Hi Ilya,
Yes, you can say that. If we examine these three things individually, we’ll understand that we need all three in the equation, otherwise it won’t work.
Nearing and attaining the Creator works according to the law of equivalence of form. Meaning that we need to become similar to Him, to His qualities of love and bestowal. We perform this correction through the light that we extract, especially during the Kabbalistic studies.
So if we’re just yearning directly for the Creator, without correcting ourselves beforehand, then we’re deluding ourselves into thinking that we’re nearing Him.
If we just want the studies, without the goal of correcting ourselves to reveal Him, that too is not good. We’ll just become scholars and not those that attain Him in practice.
And if we just focus on ourselves, on our own point in the heart, that too is not enough. Since the process of correction involves us connecting our points in the hearts together. So just focusing on our own correction is not enough.
You can see from the above that we’ll deviate from the goal if we focus on just one of those three components. Essentially we need all three.
We’ll learn about these things in the more advanced lessons.
Albert @ KabU
Are there people who have worked to live without ego? Is that even a goal? Or is just acknowledging our own when it rises and circumventing it the way? I’m getting better at recognizing my egotistical ways and I stop myself and reflect and sometimes I act better !
Hi Sherry,
In Kabbalah, we don’t work on eradicating egoism, but only on rising above it. This is because we cannot attain high levels of spirituality without the ego. In fact the more we advance, the more our egoistic desires grow. They turn into a type of mountain that we climb over. The bigger the desires, the higher we can climb, and the higher the spiritual degree that we can attain. On the other hand, if we were to eliminate our egoistic desires, then accordingly, we would only be able to attain a tiny degree of spiritual attainment.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2011/02/the-worse-the-better/
Albert @ KabU
Dear KabU team.
Many thanks for answering our questions as we grow. However I’m still struggling with the ff.
1. what do Kabbalists refer to when they talk of the Torah vs The Light of the Torah. Is the Light different from the Creator as other spiritual groups refer to the upper Force as the Light. Even Jesus is at times referee to as the Light by Christians.
2. what is meant by the Force of Development, is this refering to the Ego, the Desire to receive.
3. In a practical setting how Do Kabbalists control the Ego in everyday living, do they not have sex,go out on a date, drink a glass of wine. Considering that we are told not to kill or suppress the ego but to work with it.
4.
Hi Frank, good questions!
1. The light has multiple connotations. When we use the word light, we’re not referring to colors or waves but rather that this is the force that is opposite the desire. All that was created was the desire to receive pleasure. The force that created this desire and fulfills it is the light. So the light is the Creator, the pure quality of bestowal. We can also say that light = pleasure, since this is what fulfills that desire.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2014/12/what-is-the-light/
2. It depends on the context. In the past we did develop thanks to the ego. But in order to really speed up our development, we need to place ourselves under the reforming light that we extract especially from the Kabbalistic studies.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
3. We need to keep in mind that “necessities are neither praised nor condemned”. Meaning that the normal necessities that we need in order to maintain a normal life are not considered egoistic.
As for dealing with the ego, in practice we don’t suppress the ego, but we only work on making the desire for spirituality the most important thing. Then naturally the rest of our desires will fall into place. For example, it’s like with an artist that is so involved in his art, that he fulfills all the rest of his desires out of necessity so he can quickly return to his passion. Same with us, when spirituality is the most important desire, then we will be able to properly relate to all the rest of our corporeal desires in a balanced way.
Albert @ KabU
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