Empedocles, a pre-Socratic philosopher who lived in Greece in 490–430 BC, had a very fascinating theory: he proposed powers known as Enjoy and Strife that act as forces to bring about the mixture and separation of elements. In truth, in this theory he grasped the essence of what animates nature: attraction and repulsion. These forces control every thing in the universe, from the most easy and simple movements to the most complex ones such as electrons in sub-nuclear levels or even the behavior of men.
If we transfer this theory to quantum physics, which is concluding that each little thing in the Universe is connected, we can infer that there is a force that unites everything, and this force can be known as “love.”
In Kabbalah, the force that connects, attracts and unites is known as bestowal or altruism. Everything that exists in nature works under this law or force. The sun, for example, makes life doable with its heat and light the moon dictates the tides the grass grows with out sacrifice to feed animals. Everything has its purpose and every thing lives in perfect harmony for the sake of the whole. When a lion eats a deer, the deer doesn’t believe the lion is cruel, nor does the lion feel guilt for hurting the deer. Both act with out question according to their inherent nature, and as a result, the ecosystem stays in balance.
If everything is so excellent why is there so much suffering on Earth? All the suffering is created by us, human beings. Even though nature works in bestowal or altruism (the force that connects every thing), men function in egoism (the force that separates everything). Therefore, we have two opposite forces running together in the exact same location: nature is attempting to connect and we are trying to separate. This antagonism causes pain and suffering.
Kabbalah teaches that the source of this suffering is the egoism that acts in this world as a force of repulsion. In nature, everything takes only what it needs for survival and passes everything else on for other people. In this way, harmony is maintained and there is sufficient for all. On the other hand, we function egoistically, thinking only about self benefit. We want far more and more of every thing, not caring about the impact on the entire. As a result, we have wars, famine, illnesses, violence, and the resultant suffering.
How can we change the way we realize this world in order to avoid this ‘repulsion’ we are experiencing these days? We first have to change our perception of reality. Have you ever noticed the Magic Eye 3D puzzles? At first glance, these look like colorful repeating patterns of dots. If you let your eyes go out of focus, nonetheless, a three dimensional picture pops out. Nothing has changed but the perspective of the viewer.
Kabbalists tell us that the identical happens with our world. When we operate based on our egoistic nature, we perceive a world filled with suffering. If we alter our human nature to operate on nature’s altruistic programming, then the picture we perceive will be fully distinct. We will see how our actions affect every person else on the planet, and we will care far more for their well being than for our own. With this new perspective, we will make distinct choices on how to live.
This sounds wonderful in theory, but is it realistic? Science has already come to the conclusion that every thing in the universe is interconnected, but can we understand this identical connection on a personal and social level? Kabbalah supplies us with a methodology to attain this state of connection and bestowal. In performing so, we will finally be able to recognize the true purpose of our lives. We will merge with the force Empedocles known as “Love,” and “Strife” will disappear.