Author: abracad

  • Award Winning Author Dr. Stewart Bitkoff Releases Book Beyond The River’s Gate

    Beyond The River's Gate cover

    March 2014, Pennsylvania, USA. Award winning author, Dr. Stewart Bitkoff, released his most recent book, Beyond the River’s Gate, which is available for purchase at Amazon.com. A must read for all who seek a spiritual path, it offers a unique and in-depth analysis of spirituality and religion in a way that is sure to resonate with modern-day travelers.

    Through his innate ability to explain religious and spiritual complexities, Bitkoff illuminates areas in which religious teachings are helpful or lacking. Further, he explores basic concerns that people have about the differences in religious forms, the spiritual journey, and its connection to challenges in the world today.

    Comprised of two parts, the first encompasses 99 questions and answers covering a vast array of spiritual and religious topics percolating the minds of many, such as, Why are there so many religions?, Which religion is really “right, if any?,” What is spiritual experience?, Is spiritual experience the same as God or “the Light?,” How do I go about finding a teacher to guide me?, How can so many strong faiths co-exist?, among numerous other questions. The second section, presents stories, verses, quotes and observations to help further explain the interrelatedness of all religions and spiritual capacity. (more…)

  • Right living is living with right choice

    By Lt Col RK Langar

    One way of looking at life is that life is unpredictable and we have no choice but to react as we face different situations. We often say that we have to do what society is doing. But when we fill up our inside by manifesting the divine virtues inherent in us (our Atma is a fraction of God) than we realize that what ever we do, it is with our choice. Even if we do a wrong act we give approval to do it and we cannot say that we were forced to do it due to outer temptations and circumstances.  When I say I am leading a life as I want to live what it means to that I have a free will to decide my course of action irrespective of outer situation, or circumstances. Free will has been bestowed upon human beings by God since we have an intellect to reflect and discriminate between right and wrong and then use our choice based on our free will to take the right course of action. That we have a free will is authenticated in Bhagavad Gita when at the end of His teachings Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that  Arjuna should reflect fully on what has been taught to him and act as he chooses. The Gita also says that in all our actions of body, speech and mind there is one non human factor called Daivam or destiny or fate over which we have no control. But that does not mean that we have no free will or choice. Our past karmas which we perform based on our choice decide where we are born- our social status whether we are born in a poor or rich family. Once we are born and grow up we have freedom of choice, based on our free will, to act as we choose. (more…)

  • Spirit light?

    On Sunday evening, 3 March 2014 approx 8pm, I was walking home from Spiritualist church along the raised esplanade parallel with the sea. I notice a bright white light down at the beach level ~200m ahead, like the light on a bicycle. It was moving and kept going in and out of sight, then disappeared.

    As I got closer it reappeared now at the raised esplanade level a little further along than before, approx 100m ahead. It appeared to be behind (from my standpoint) a parked van, still moving and going in and out of sight.

    Finally, just as I was about to turn off to my home the light was shining over the back of the van, still moving, as though its source were between me and the van, but there was no visible light source. NB: I didn’t go closer, so cannot 100% rule out a natural cause.

  • America, Freedom & Sufism

    By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

    Q: What do you think would be the correct vision to meet the spiritual thirst of American people in terms of spiritual orientation and training?

    A: America is a special place; America offers the spiritual freedom, alive in each person’s heart to choose what is best for self and others. Here in this country each traveler can freely choose their own life and how they wish to live.

    Our higher destiny is alignment with Ultimate Truth and helping others. Some Americans quickly forget that this country was founded by travelers who wanted to be free of the restrictions, rules and the tyranny of others. Leaving the countries of Europe, with their monarchies and religious authoritarianism, these travelers chose to find a world where they could help create a reality more like the spiritual freedom within. (more…)

  • Gaiam TV – A Spiritual Streaming TV Network

    By Tom T. Moore – Copyright 2014

    Recently I was flown to Denver, Colorado to record two, back-to-back one-hour interviews with Gaiam TV about my three The Gentle Way books and my FIRST CONTACT: Conversations with an ET book.  The first interview aired on February 4.  I thought everyone might like to know more about this streaming subscription, Internet TV network.  They will never compete for the large number of subscribers Netflix has.  Instead, they have chosen to be a niche streaming service specializing in inspirational, spiritual (not religious), paranormal, UFOs, astrology, yoga, and exercise topics. (more…)

  • Wheel of Life

    By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

    What once was
    Will no longer be
    And cannot be again!

    What is developing
    Is another form.
    Another variation.
    A new spoke
    On the Wheel of Life.  (more…)

  • Finding a Spiritually Sound Political Stance

    We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
    Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

    Human experience is a paradox. Our fundamental purpose is to experience unique individuality, and the many lessons this state presents. However, at essence we remain in oneness with our Spiritual source, and also share the common purpose of re-discovering that oneness as we journey through life.

    Humans are clearly the most successful species on the planet. Our achievements tower above anything found in the animal kingdom. Much of that success thus far is due to our social nature and membership of “society”. But society needs structure (eg leadership, direction) in order to function. The way in which that structure is determined and implemented is through politics. (more…)

  • The Tapestry

    By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

    Traveler: O Holy One, I have climbed the mountains and traveled the roads. I have made my way through wind, rain, sunshine and now snow to find you. Please tell me, in order to sit at your side, why must the road be so long and the journey so varied?

    Master: Before I answer your question, first, you must answer one of mine.  Do you agree to this arrangement?

    Traveler: Hesitantly and with some annoyance in his voice, he replied, “yes.”

    Master:  And from all this going and doing, what have you learned? (more…)

  • Health is the greatest gain

    By: Lt Col R K Langar

    Introduction

    Health is the greatest gain said Buddha more than 2500 years ago. What a beautiful statement he made which is more than valid in the present time. Health is a state of well living in all dimensions  of our personality  and not merely absence of  disease or infirmity. The dimensions of our personality are body, mind, intellect and spiritual. To this we can also add emotional and social health. Health is a dynamic expression of life. Health is love, joy, enthusiasm and maturity. A person who looks after all the above  dimensions of the personality and keeps them in a good order is an asset to the society, besides bringing happiness to him own self. It is a state when the body, mind, intellect and soul or Atma are in harmony with each other with and with the world outside. It is a state when our capacity to deal with the situations we face in life is largely enhanced. (more…)

  • A Commuter’s Guide to Enlightenment

    By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

    Are you a commuter fed up with the daily grind? I was too until a light bulb went off in my head and discovered a way to use meditation activity, practical traveling strategies and spiritual exercises to help turn my daily ride into something more.  This book’s philosophy and point of view will appeal both to commuters and non-commuters, having something to offer everyone.  Particularly, those of us faced with repetitive, mundane chores we have to do out of necessity, and, if given a choice, would choose not to.

    A major question tackled concerns the applicability of spiritual teachings to daily life.  In a society that prides itself on outcome, often there is a healthy skepticism about the usefulness of spiritual values in an often hard, bottom line and scientifically oriented and demanding modern world.

    Is it really possible to make something more of an annoying, emotionally draining and repetitive commute to work?  Spiritual teachings assert that under certain conditions and with a little preparation, we all can reach higher and it is possible to transcend daily activity.  Often, it is a matter of attitude, training and expectation.

    Hopefully, you will enjoy the following book excerpts, begin to view your commute in a different Light and read further by purchasing your own copy. (more…)