Our Vessel Is Outside Of Us

It is very difficult to scrutinize and convince yourself that neither your mind nor your emotions can bring you spiritual discernments, and that the only way to receive them is through the connection with the group as a vessel, with the Surrounding Light as a filling. It is very difficult to be convinced that our spiritual vessel is found outside of us - in our connection with the group, and in the fulfillment and correction of this connection by the Surrounding Light. On the way there we must undergo numerous discernments.

At first, one is sitting, eating and dancing with his friends without a problem, but afterwards he begins to hate them, envy and control them. Later on come additional discernments, and thus the process repeats itself alternately. But the most important thing is to understand that all scrutinies must be done toward the environment and all of a person's internal discernments are worthless. His vessel is not inside of him. Therefore Kabbalists write so much about the correction of the breakage.

The Point Of Connection With The Giver

The vessel for spirituality is built above the vessels for lust, honor, control, envy etc. If it is important for one to be above all of those sensations in his connection with the Giver, even if he does not receive a response from it, he truly is at the point of connection with the Giver, with the Creator, in the "point in the heart." But beforehand he must go through situations of envy, hatred, honor, lust and be ready to relinquish them. How can one succeed in that? Only by being situated in the right environment, otherwise the person justifies himself and imagines that he is receiving spirituality inside his vessels of honor and envy.

There are only two external forces that can save a person: the force of the group and the Surrounding Light. And neither of these forces is even remotely in him. In order to attain this awareness one needs great assistance from above, a cure, because many people were allegedly worthy of this point of contact with the Creator, but did not attain it. In order to succeed, one must fear that he too may not attain it.

Although the world is becoming global and everyone needs to reach the same point, there is no relinquishment of the vessel. Time is becoming thicker, but the discernments remain identical and everyone will need to go through them.

Placing Ourselves Under The Environment’s Influence

The fact that we change along our path is very good. The only question is what causes a person to change, what influences him and changes him? And the thing that best advances a person is the right group's influence which is aimed toward the revelation of Divinity.

As a rule, we advance solely by external influence. If I were lost in a forest, I would grow as a beast or an animal, and if I were to stumble upon a society that advances spiritually, I would grow to be like it. Everything depends on the environment.

In fact, from above we are brought to an environment. We do not choose to come to it. We only choose the degree to which we place ourselves under its influence. And that determines everything. Placing ourselves under the environment's influence means to put ourselves under the influence of the teacher, the books and the friends. And they will influence me to the extent that I wish to be influenced by them, to completely lose my head. I cannot determine that I want to be influenced by them in one thing but not another. If I make such scrutinies I do not consider them higher than me. Therefore the only scrutiny is to subjugate myself before the group.

Whoever does so toward the right environment, advances accordingly. This is the only force of development that exists, because the Surrounding Light, the Creator, lies in the attitude and in the connection between us and the environment. Therefore choosing an environment is our only free action.

The Group Is The Lifesaver In A Stormy Sea

We are in a stormy sea; if only it could be as stormy as possible, but the storm's intensity, which a person experiences depends on his ability to hold onto the board, the lifesaver, which is the group. Therefore, the pace of our advancement depends only on the connection with the group. The more we hold onto it, the more we will be thrown up and down and given all kinds of feelings such as envy, hatred and confusions. But we must not fear that. We must only hold onto the connection with the group above all those sensations. "Holding onto the connection" means to organize the day's schedule and perform what was determined by the group. And against that we will receive disrespect toward them, and the friends will appear small to you. And here will be room for work.