* Cracking the Happiness Code – To crack the happiness code, we must start by realizing who we really are, what our nature is. more…
* Better than the Virtual World!? – Our attraction to the virtual world indicates great progress in human evolution. It plays an important role in humanity’s preparation for spirituality. more…
* The Freedom Blues – When you realize that there is no freedom in this world, you’ll begin asking about the meaning of it all, and then you’re on your way to real freedom. more…
* The Desire Grows – Humanity Evolves – Whether it is the tiniest movement of our body, or humanity’s entire evolution, all we do is motivated by one thing only – the desire for pleasure. more…
A transcript from a public lecture filled with Q&A given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD in Toronto (January 7, 2007) is now available. Rav Laitman first gave an overview of humanity’s egoistic development and some of the key stages of egoism’s growth in this development, and then answered the following questions:
? Is there a connection between the Torah and Kabbalah?
? How do Kabbalists feel about all the existing religions?
? Are you aware of the energetic images which constitute the Kabbalistic tree of life, and which were received as a consequence of extrasensory perception?
? From what I heard, famous Kabbalists are of the Jewish faith. Are there any Kabbalists of other faiths?
? Will everything written in the Torah occur in reality, or is it just an object of one’s imagination and unreal?
? What is the Creator? How do you see Him?
? How do you feel about Berg’s Center?
? Can a person join a group the moment he realizes or feels his “point in the heart”?
? Is it possible to change your fate once you grow spiritually?
? How does a person’s diet influence his studies in Kabbalah?
? How does Kabbalah differ from theosophy?
? Has any scientific data been collected affirming Kabbalah?
? Why did the Book of Zohar only become available in 1995?
? Are there Kabbalists-scientists who are not of Jewish descent (except Madonna)?
? Why do you call egoism an integral part of Kabbalah? Why is it egoism specifically, and not another positive word? Doesn’t egoism refer to a situation when something is done for one person, while Kabbalah wants the opposite, for everyone?
? Based on Kabbalah, as a science, can you assert that there is immortality?
? For how long does one need to study Kabbalah, and what will happen once a person learns it?
? Does having a grasp on Kabbalah help to conquer illnesses?
? What awaits North America?
? What can you tell us about the works of the Roerichs and the Blavatskys?
? Are the laws of the Upper Providence known?
? Can one study the original sources in translation?
? What do cybernetics, the theory of informational governance, and Kabbalah have in common?
? Why did Kabbalah become available during World War II?
? Kabbalah rejects religion. What connection does Kabbalah have with following a religion? In particular, what is the meaning of the Kippah (yarmulke)?
? Is there such a thing as reincarnations of souls?
? Is there a separation between the soul and the body after death?
? How can we tear a teenager away from drugs? What does Kabbalah say about this?
? How do the governments of different countries that are in authority today feel about Kabbalah?
? Is asceticism necessary in order to achieve the Upper spiritual world?
? Do you teach about the spiritual world?
? There are lots of different directions in Kabbalah. Which of them is correct?
? Are the Ari and Chefetz Chaim primary sources?
? Does Kabbalah engage in medical treatment, such as acupuncture?
? What happens to the soul after a person dies?
? Do all the feelings remain in the soul after death?
? Can Kabbalah explain the fact of life after death, or rebirth?
? Can you briefly state your opinion about the spiritual act called “the blow of fire,” or Pulsa Denura?
? Does this mean that there exists only one reality? …and we will need to return in order to achieve the proper level, or a transition to another reality?
? Is it possible to study Kabbalah without a teacher?
? Who is a Kabbalah teacher?
? How important is it to undergo the beginner stages of the revelation of egoism in one’s development? Is it possible to reach the Upper level, by-passing the lower stages?
? Are the books that laid the foundation for Kabbalah also written by people?
? Is Kabbalah the only way to attain the Upper level?
? How do I rid my wife and children of super egoism?
? By learning Kabbalah, do you believe in God?
? You mentioned that the world is becoming more dangerous. When will this change, when will it become better?
? Is it possible to receive the information we need without studying from books?
? You said that only by developing the soul and attaining the Upper World is it possible to fix our fate. In our understanding, this means finding a better position in this world, getting married successfully, making more money, or finding a better job. If a person attains the Upper World, doesn’t he become a part of the governing system?
Each of us is a piece in a puzzle that was once a single common soul. That soul was shattered into 7 billion pieces and now it is time for correction—to regroup the pieces.
In the Kingdom of Desire
Kabbalists tell us that we all come from one soul, called “the soul of Adam ha Rishon” (The First Man), which was created by the Creator. They also explain that the Creator’s nature is that of complete love and benevolence, and that He created the soul of Adam ha Rishon with an entirely opposite nature: a desire to receive delight and pleasure.
The task of the soul of Adam ha Rishon is to become similar to the nature of the Creator, becoming as loving and giving as Him. To the extent that the soul succeeds, it will be awarded the greatest pleasure in reality. more…
Everyone’s Pursuit of Happiness An article linking themes from the film The Pursuit of Happyness to everyone’s life.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Thomas Jefferson, final draft for the United States Declaration of Independence.
“The idea that it’s ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’ and not ‘life, liberty and happiness’ is that the elusive nature of happiness is such that all someone can ever give to you is the opportunity to pursue.”
The Pursuit of Happyness is a film about Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), a man who in unfortunate circumstances (homeless and financially insecure) struggled to earn financial and domestic stability for himself and his son. The Pursuit of Happyness has been received warmly by the American public as an inspirational tale of determination, courage and hard work (i.e. the pursuit of happiness), that by using these qualities one can achieve a better life (i.e. achieve happiness).
“Happiness” is portrayed in this film as a better state than what we already have, and “the pursuit of happiness” is the path we must endure to achieve happiness. In particular, Chris Gardner defines happiness as a state of financial and domestic stability for himself and his son. We can all relate to this goal, especially if we already have these comforts, and look upon being homeless as a lesser standard of life that must be overcome.
The Problem with the Pursuit of Happiness
A major problem with us today is that many of us already have these comforts, but still aren’t happy. We have our security, and simply living securely isn’t good enough and we want more.
Ironically, if Chris Gardner were already living securely, with a comfortable home, good job and family, and strove to make more money for a bigger house and a flashier car, and then if he continued fiercely striving for more power and respect, we would no longer consider this an inspiring story of determination and courage, but one of ambitiousness and greed.
Such a story is more characteristic of The Godfather than The Pursuit of Happyness! However, in both cases and in every area of human life, we can conclude that everyone is involved in this very same aspiration to a better state of life, in the pursuit of happiness.
What is at the Source of the Pursuit of Happiness?
This common pursuit of happiness is that we all view our current situation as lacking something, and need to work (we need to pursue…) in order to fulfill this lack (we need to pursue happiness). Right now, take a moment to think about what you want. Just by thinking about it, you’re already feeling that you are lacking this thing and you need to do something to achieve it.
This brings us to the question: What is at the source of this pursuit of happiness? What makes us happy?
That one person pictures to himself a secure family life as happiness, and another pictures love for another person as happiness, and another pictures a huge amount of wealth and power as happiness, and for another it’s a new dress, CD, car or gadget… to all this we can pose a conclusion: that it is not the money, the respect, the power, the food, or anything that we picture to ourselves that makes us happy… that before all these things, we have desires for them—we want them—and only the moment when we fulfill our desires is when we feel happiness.
Now that we understand that it is not money, food, family, sex, knowledge, honor, power or any physical thing we can picture to ourselves that makes us happy, but the act of fulfilling our desires, we can start learning how to also take part in this pursuit of happiness, directly at its source—desire and its fulfillment.
Where am I and Where are Others in the Pursuit of Happiness?
The thing with all these desires is that none of them leave us with a true feeling of happiness. Why? It is because precisely at the moment when we fulfill them, they disappear. New desires then enter us and force us to pursue their demands. It is as if we are constantly in the pursuit of happiness, and we either never reach happiness, or the moment we do, it immediately slips through our fingers.
The reason for this is because the whole time we are only trying to fulfill one person—me. In other words, our desires are all self-aimed, and can never be lastingly fulfilled. However, we constantly find ourselves yearning toward something better, something lasting and eternal, and feel that somehow, somewhere, it has to exist.
The trick to achieving true happiness is precisely the opposite of what we’re accustomed to thinking: we cannot achieve true happiness by trying to fulfill our own desires, but only through pursuing the fulfillment of others’ desires. In other words, we need to feel that the more others are happy, the more we are happy. We need a desire that grows and expands when it is fulfilled, drawing more and more fulfillment, and through this desire I feel happiness from making others happy. This is a desire for unlimited, endless happiness. We all have this desire, but we just don’t know how to fulfill it yet; we don’t know how to pursue it.
If we return to what Will Smith said at the beginning of the article, that “the elusive nature of happiness is such that all someone can ever give to you is the opportunity to pursue”—the wisdom of Kabbalah is the method which gives us the opportunity to achieve unlimited happiness. It is a time-tested method of discovering happiness fulfilling others, and guides us in learning how precisely to fulfill others so that they will become happier and happier. Our happiness then multiplies by the amount that we are able to fulfill others and make them happier.
To find out more about this desire for unlimited happiness and how to fulfill it, check out the following videos and links:
Why Am I Never Satisfied? 04:37 Our inborn egoistic state never allows us to be completely satisfied. Perceiving Reality describes what we should do with our ego in order to experience boundless, complete and ever-expanding satisfaction. Click here to view the video at Kabbalah TV
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