Preparation Prompt: What does transitioning from a self-centered perception of reality to one grounded in altruism entail?

[Julian Edwards- KabU Instructor]

Preparation Prompt: What does transitioning from a self-centered perception of reality to one grounded in altruism entail?

[Margaret]

It means for us to emulate how our Creator acts towards us, so that we can behave selflessly towards our fellowmen and women, putting them before us.

[Anthony]

Taken the attention off me and putting onto the Creator and others

[Sol Belo]

I agree with the views expressed by fellow participant Nikkias in 220000

[BEN]

inverting our desire to receive in order to bestow. and this is through betowal to the friends

[Niklas]

Here is what I understood:

– Each of us is born with an ego
– This ego determines all of our actions and all that we perceive. Our entire life. Everything. Completely.
– The ego is given to us, so that we can make discernments based on it. That is, in each and every situation we have a helpful guide inside us that shows us what NOT to do. Based on that, we can try to walk in the opposite direction (or at least as much against the ego as we can)
– These discernments of what to do in order to best nullify the ego are ONLY done in the group and given to us by others because we ourselves will never be able to make altruistic discernments because we cannot escape our ego (Theoretically, one can escape the ego by oneself, but this only happened to the very early Kabbalists because their ego never was meant to grow to its full measure. Since our generation is meant to deal with the biggest form of egoism, it is best to forget about the miniscule possibility of escaping the ego by oneself altogether and immerse oneself in a Kabbalistic group instead)
– Nullifying the ego lets us progress spiritually on the Path of Light instead of on the Path of Suffering
– With every altruistic discernment that we make, the ego grows stronger, so that we are able to make even more advanced discernments
– Eventually, the ego has finished its job of being our antagonist in life and just gives up because there is nothing that it can teach us anymore by being a bad example to us
– Then, we live in full bliss (whereas on the Path of Light we live in partial bliss).

Many Eastern teachings have understood that bliss is experienced once the ego is gone. However, they try to somehow get rid of it and/or suppress it instead of working with it. This can always only work temporarily because the ego is there to teach us certain things and it will always resurface (and strengthen) until it has taught us everything that it is supposed to teach us. Additionally, the longer we suppress the ego the more crooked its form will be once it inevitably resurfaces again.

Is this correct?

[Talya Machuca]

<p style=”text-align: center;”>What does it mean to shift from an egoistic perception of reality to a perception based on bestowal?</p>
 

Egoistic perception: equal to getting the bigger piece so I am better, smarter, & richer  then the others.

 

Bestowal: If I win, all of us win, because we are part of each other, if I create something is for the common good of all society.

 

[Author]

Replies