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If I do something kind for someone even when it conflicts with how I genuinely feel, like if I notice I’m feeling jealous or judgmental. Does that kindness still have real value? On one hand, I’ve recognised a negative trait in myself through self-reflection. On the other, I’m choosing to act kindly anyway because I believe this is what the creator would want me to do.
So does that choice reflect a genuine attempt at equivalence of form or is it just pretending i.e. acting in a way that doesn’t match who I truly am?
Hi Brenda,
If we revealed our true nature and acted genuinely, then we would all see that we’re 100% egoists thinking only about our own benefit. Even if we try to do something nice for others, that too stems from our egoistic nature.
But that’s okay. No one is demanding of us to be saints. No one is demanding of us to have superhuman strength and to conquer our ego. All that we need to do, and all that we’re capable of doing actually, is just to try. That’s it. We just need to try to be above the ego. We don’t need to succeed, we just need to try. When we make such efforts in the Kabbalistic group and while studying the Kabbalistic sources, that’s enough to extract the reforming light which works on us and turns this aspiration into something real.
See my reply 491790 below to Steven and check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2012/03/building-blocks-of-the-first-spiritual-degree/
Albert @ KabU
My dog got a fit and is in the hospital and slowly recovering, she wont be the same again, have to take a pill everyday. I was thinking how do I try to understand the creators intention here.
I have thoughts of my dog getting a fit again, its hard to get her to the vet since I don’t have a vehicle have to call a taxi, if it happens in the night its gonna be difficult, i live alone what if it happens when i go out. I don’t know what to do, I’m riddled with such fears and I don’t know how to navigate them than just feel bad.Hi Migara,
The Creator, and everything He sends us, operates on the frequency of bestowal. While we are looking at life through the lens of reception. As such, we operate on two completely different frequencies. So it’s currently impossible for us to understand Him. We first need to correct our nature and become similar to Him. Only then will we begin to understand Him and to comprehend properly all that we see in life.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/09/learn-the-creators-language/
Albert @ KabU
Hi,
Could I please have more information on bestowel and receiving?
I took care of a local park as a volunteer. When I did this before learning of equivalence of form, I felt that I was doing it with the intention of others benefiting from it. Now I wonder if I am doing it with equivalence of form in mind. Is accepting that as my intention still altruism? Is this bestowal and receiving, or is it between people directly? I I am not properly grasping something about Bestowal and receivingThank you
Hi Steven,
Bestowal is the Creator’s nature. While our nature is that of pure reception. So it’s impossible for us to truly bestow. At best we can perform more and more covert actions of reception.
For example, I go to the store and I give them my money, but obviously I want something in return. It’s the same with all of our actions of bestowal in corporeality. Either I do it to receive pleasure directly or indirectly from fame, honor, money, or even the pride of knowing that no one knows about this action, or even avoiding pain or guilt is also part of this same calculation.
So real bestowal, above any calculations for receiving for oneself, does not exist in our world. Real bestowal is purely the Creator’s quality. If we want to acquire such a quality, we first need to correct our nature. This is done by the force of the light we evoke through the Kabbalistic studies. This light begins to work on us, even if we don’t have the true desire to bestow. Even if we’re just like little kids, pretending to be spiritual grown ups. It takes this aspiration of ours and corrects it little by little, building in us a true desire for spirituality, for the spiritual qualities of love and bestowal.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
Albert @ KabU
Will there be any females who lead any of these discussions/lessons at KabU? I think their input should be as valuable and important as the other voices.
I feel that I understand the material intellectually, but I keep losing the intention of altruism in my daily life. I then feel confused about whether or not I am walking the Path of Light, or the Path of Pain. What is a way for me to increase my faith so that I may be pleasing to Him (reaching equivalence of form?) Am I trying to hard by myself rather than allowing the Light?
Thank youHi Steven,
Our spiritual work is not directly in our hands, rather, it’s a result of the environment that we find ourselves in.
We’re like a seed. If we plant the seed in fertile ground, then it’ll get all the right nutrients and grow. If we put it in the desert or just keep it on a shelf somewhere, nothing will come out of it at all. So all of our work boils down to finding the best spiritual environment in which to plant that seed. And what will ultimately happen to it is a result of the environment we put it into.
The spiritual environment consists of the Kabbalistic books, group, and teacher. Our job is to place ourselves under the influence of that environment. So for now, perhaps that’s simply by setting time to return to the Kabbalistic texts and lessons and reading through these Q/A forums. And in the advanced semesters we’ll also learn how to do this type of work in a group.
We’ll learn about this in depth in the next semester, in the meantime, here’s a quote on the topic from Baal HaSulam’s article “The Freedom”:
“However, there is freedom for the will to initially choose such an environment, such books, and such guides that impart to him good concepts. If one does not do that, but is willing to enter any environment that appears to him and read any book that falls into his hands, he is bound to fall into a bad environment or waste his time on worthless books, which are abundant and easier to come by. In consequence, he will be forced into foul concepts that make him sin and condemn. He will certainly be punished, not because of his evil thoughts or deeds, in which he has no choice, but because he did not choose to be in a good environment, for in that there is definitely a choice.
Therefore, he who strives to continually choose a better environment is worthy of praise and reward. But here, too, it is not because of his good thoughts and deeds, which come to him without his choice, but because of his effort to acquire a good environment, which brings him these good thoughts and deeds.”
Albert @ KabU
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