The Light of a Distant Home

Question: What does it mean to experience the Light?

Dr. Laitman's Answer: To experience the Light means to feel pleasure. In this world, I can enjoy different things that delight me or don't, depending on my state of mind. One time I enjoy staying in bed and don't want to get up to attend a lesson; another time, I am dying to jump out of it, but they don't let me get up and tell me to stay in bed for another week until I get well.

In other words, this isn't an absolute pleasure, just like sweet, soft, or warm, all have limited, conditional meanings. Sometimes, they give me pleasure, and another time quite the opposite feeling.

Common pleasure that we experience in our collective desire to feel pleasure (the will to receive) is called the "Light." It's because the Light that existed initially created our desire, a vessel, and now the desire receives pleasure when the Light fills or unfolds in it. That's how we are designed! Therefore, when the Light leaves the desire, it cries and wants to bring it back. This is how the entire creation is made.

But the Creator wanted for you to desire the Light by your own will and not just to receive it and enjoy. Beside the pleasure you feel, He wishes you to have an understanding and awareness of the Light: Where does it come from? Where is its source? Why did it create you and what does it want from you? It is as though the Light wants to show you: "Look from what a distant star I came here; there, everything is so wonderful and good, and I want to take you with me!"

Therefore, it hides from you and starts trying to get your attention with various indirect actions, from every side. It plays with you until you finally start wishing to know the source it came from, rather than chasing the pleasure it can bring, and despite the pleasures it brings.

In truth, if you desire to come to it, to its "home," it means you love Him and not just the pleasures He sends to fill you. You have to love Him so much as to be ready to "fly away" to that place, that "star" where He came from, just to never part with Him again. And you do it despite the fact that you completely renounce the pleasure, thereby showing Him how much you love Him.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/10, "The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy"

Learning to Be an Adult

Question: If the Light is the most absolute, total pleasure, then I want to get to know it better. How do I do that? It seems to have come to take me along, but I didn't notice it....

Dr. Laitman's Answer: You must decide whom you do choose: the Light or the pleasure it brings? If you choose the pleasure, it won't work.

It's only at the beginning that the Light raises you by way of pleasure, so you may grow up and be an adult. Likewise, we raise children in our life. Our children receive, taking everything for granted and keep growing until they reach a certain age, and then we tell them: "Hold it, from now on you are an adult." He can scream that he wants to remain a child and keep getting candy; it won't work. If you grew up, you have to do your duty in the army and work; you must act as an adult.

What does it mean to be mature? An adult can't run after pleasure; he must go for bestowal! You live in the society and have to bestow to all others: go to work, contribute to society, and then you will have the right to exist.

It is exactly the same in the spiritual world. An adult doesn't wish to simply enjoy; he strives to reach an exalted and great purpose in his life. To be mature means to be in bestowal, to work not for the sake of the pleasure but for its source.

This is the kind of loyalty that is expected of us. This is when we establish a connection with the Light itself, not just with what we receive from it.

Hence, we are presently entering a new era, when the Light is no longer giving us pleasure. It no longer promises us that there are nice things ahead, and we don't run forth in anticipation of receiving some new pleasures any more. Nothing attractive lies ahead.

At this point, we don't have a choice but to transition to a new paradigm: rather than chasing after pleasure, to go after its source. And if we don't wish to do so, it will get worse. The Light will still force us to do it by cutting us off from the opportunity to enjoy anything. Then, we will start asking: "What is happening? What is my life for? Why is the pleasure gone? What do I do?"

You begin asking not about pleasure, but rather about its source: "Where did the pleasure go? What happened with its source? Where did it used to come from?" And so we advance.

For as long as we keep receiving pleasure, we don't ask about it. But as soon as we don't get it in the present and don't expect it in the future, it becomes a problem. I start seeking where it was supposed to come from: "Why hasn't it come? What happened there?"

And at this point, I begin to see that if I wish to reach pleasure, I have to get closer to its source. And to get to it means to replace my desires to receive with the desire to bestow.

From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/10, "The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy"