An Interview with Dr. Amin Dezhakam (Part 2)
Interviewer: You have said that expectations stem from need [a needy person expects others to satisfy their needs]. Could there be another reason?
Dr. Amin: Expectations stem from both need and impurity, and I think impurity is the more accurate explanation. If we look deeper, we see that expectations arise from a person’s inability to do something themselves. For example, I might expect you to type all my university assignments. If I were capable of doing it myself, I would not expect you to take time away from your own work and plans to do it for me. You might willingly choose to do it for me as a friend, a legion-mate, or a relative. But if I ask you to do it and expect you to do so, that is a different matter.
Interviewer: As our Worldview Master, do you never get upset anymore, or have you simply learned to deal with it?
Dr. Amin: I still do. I have come to realize that there are negative (destructive) forces in existence that I am not strong enough to face. In other words, if they come after me and challenge me to a fight, they could crush me. What I mean is that there are many forces far stronger than we are. But first, I do not challenge them to a fight, nor do I claim that I can fight all negative forces and defeat them. At the [Congress 60’s summer] camp we attended recently, I got into an argument with one of the longtime Congress 60 members who criticized our work [the camp arrangements], and I lost my balance. We had worked very hard and spent several months planning everything. Of course, he expressed his criticism very poorly, but that did not justify my reaction. When I lost my balance, another longtime member who was there was surprised. A few minutes later, however, I went over to him and said, “I have come to help us resolve the bad feeling that has arisen.” This had a very positive effect.
Interviewer: Didn’t you once say that the word “wish” has a negative connotation? If so, why do people make wishes during birthday celebrations [celebrations marking the anniversary of a person’s liberation from addiction] at Congress 60?
Dr. Amin: (Laughing) Sometimes I get caught up in certain issues. Perhaps it is simply in my nature to pay too much attention to details, and maybe I was wrong. I look at certain words from the perspective of worldview [how we perceive and understand the world around us and within us], even when those words are commonly used in society. For example, Arezou (wish) is a girl’s name in our society. We can’t exactly tell people to name all their daughters Khasteh (a want or desire) instead! (Laughing) Overall, we shouldn’t be too sensitive about such things. Still, it is better to say “a heartfelt want” or “a dream” rather than “a wish.”
Interviewer: Mr. Amin, what creates a perceptual veil [hejab, a barrier that prevents us from seeing things clearly]?
Dr. Amin: Dr. Amin: Several things can create a veil. A veil is a covering that prevents you from seeing something clearly—or from seeing it at all. For example, we might see something upside down, see it as smaller or larger than it really is, or not see it at all. If we look at the definitions discussed in the Worldview teachings, we see that conceit [or grandiosity] has this effect. When we see our own position as higher than it actually is, it is as if we are looking down on people from above and, as the expression goes, “seeing others as beneath us.” This expression is used in society to belittle people. In general, all negative feelings, such as fear, can create a veil. For example, we might be afraid of something small, see it as a huge monster, and become unable to face it. This, too, is a veil. Behind negative feelings, however, there are always negative structures—structures made up of false beliefs, attitudes, and ways of thinking. In my view, these deterrent beliefs [those beliefs which prevents a person from doing what is right] may ultimately stem from arrogance. When a person’s beliefs and thoughts are rooted in arrogance, they see many things in a distorted way. This is undoubtedly the greatest veil. Therefore, we can say that deterrent beliefs rooted in arrogance and negative feelings rooted in fear can create veils.
Interviewer: Is deciding to do something enough, and what is the difference between a decision and a want?
Dr. Amin: Making a decision is the middle stage of getting something done. First comes the want. Then we think about it, make a plan, and consider it carefully. We make a decision only after going through these steps correctly. At that point, the decision has a solid foundation. The remaining steps are to take action and review the matter again. People whose thinking processes [contemplation] function properly can be relied upon to follow through on their decisions. Once they make a decision, you can count on them to act on it, because once they make a decision, they know the matter is as good as done. However, when it comes to people who lack [sound] contemplation and are driven by their momentary feelings, nothing is reliable or certain.
Interviewer: Dr. Amin, you used to own a fast-food shop. Were you happy with it, and do you still cook nowadays?
Dr. Amin: Yes, I did, and I really enjoyed my work. I make very good hamburgers and pizzas, and I still cook occasionally.
Interviewer: When will the continuation of the Worldview pamphlet be ready?
Dr. Amin: One lesson I learned from my experience in Congress 60 was the importance of keeping service in balance. Whatever you want to do requires the right conditions. Some tasks cancel each other out. In other words, you need to be in the right mental and emotional state to write, and I was not in that condition. I could speak well, but I couldn't write well. Since I have about six or seven different responsibilities in Congress 60, I am trying to balance my tasks so that I can have the focus I need to write. Going to different places and doing different things is good, but it may mean that you cannot get other things done. I’m now trying to prepare and get myself into the sensation [mood] for writing because I’ve tried so many times, but I just haven’t been able to.”
Interviewer: Which of your CDs [instructional audio files] do you like the most, and which ones do you think have the greatest impact?
Dr. Amin: It’s hard to choose just one, because each of them is useful at a particular stage. For instance, the CD The Knot of Love might really help someone dealing with a romantic issue, while it might not mean much to someone else. Overall, though, by the grace of God, some CDs have turned out to be extremely influential—like Deterrent Waves of the Mind. What makes it so good is that it works for different people in various situations. The CD Polytheism (Shirk) is great, and so is The Knot of Power.
Interviewer: What was one of your main negative traits in the past?
Dr. Amin: My worst trait was that I would become extremely angry whenever someone did something or something happened that went against the principles I believed in. This anger was quite abnormal, and I came to understand its cause through the CD The Triangle of Personality. My personality had been damaged in one of the ways described in this CD, and this made me somewhat prone to being dictatorial and seeing things within rigid boundaries. Whenever something fell outside those boundaries, I would become extremely angry. Of course, this has improved a great deal.
Interviewer: Is inferiority a subcategory of grandiosity (conceit)?
Dr. Amin: It is not a subcategory; they are two sides of the same coin. If a person has conceit, they will inevitably experience inferiority as well. It is like a seesaw: you cannot stay only at the top or only at the bottom. When you ride a seesaw, just as you go up, you also come down. It is also like a spring. When you stretch a spring and then let it go, it compresses in one place and expands in another. If this spring takes five years to expand, another five years to reach equilibrium, and another five years to compress, the movement is so slow that you won’t notice it, and you’ll assume it is always expanded. Similarly, when a person has conceit, its opposite effect [inferiority] might not show up until ten years later.
Interviewer: Do you have any advice for readers and members of Congress 60?
Dr. Amin: I hope that everyone in Congress 60 will focus more on improving the quality of their own learning, whether they are Guides or serve in any other role. Their first priority should be to begin their own purification and refinement, rather than rushing to reform others. We should always focus on our own learning and personal purification, begin the process of refinement with ourselves, and remember to show love to those younger than us and to one another. Keep this as your compass: whenever you find yourself in a situation where you seem to be right but are acting out of hatred or negative feelings, question both your actions and yourself. Look for what is wrong in your own conduct so that fine and positive feelings can emerge first and love can prevail. Love and self-purification must take precedence over service positions [such as Guide, Marzban, and Agent]. Service positions are good, worthy of respect, and necessary. However, love and self- purification and refinement must come first. If we can put these principles into practice in Congress 60s—seriously and genuinely, not merely paying lip service to them—we will continue to grow. But if attaining a position becomes the priority, and I forget these principles and begin to desire a position for its own sake, the quality of our work will decline. We will drift apart, our relationships will become based on personal interests, and gradually we will grow distant and alienated from one another. This will not lead to good results. I firmly believe this, and that is why I always try to be mindful of my actions and behavior, because a person’s past attributes do not remain the same. I may be a Worldview teacher now, but if I do not act properly and make mistakes over the next five years, I could become an unbalanced person who is no longer reliable or trustworthy.
Interviewer: Mr. Amin, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me.
Dr. Amin: Thank you, too, for your work. I wish you every success.
Translated by: Companion Samira, Legion 7, Sheikhbahaei branch of Congress 60, Isfahan, Iran
Revised by Elahe
October 19, 2026
http://c60ghazvin.blogfa.com/post/136