Category: spirituality

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

The following is a discussion generated by a letter from a reader of my new book: The World of Pond Stories; this recent inquiry offers an opportunity to have a discussion about the dynamics of spiritual writing and my experience while writing. Hope you enjoy this interchange.

Inquiry Letter About Spiritual Writing

Hi Stewart:

As I was reading your latest book, I was wondering what your experience was like as you write them. The influence of the Idries Shah books is obvious in many places. I was particularly affected by the story of the Three Sisters which seemed to have a very similar impact to The Tale of the Sands.

As an amateur composer of music, every so often I get into a mode where new music seems to be coming into my head from somewhere and all I need to do is to capture it. Other times, it feels like a more labored experience requiring a lot of trial and effort.

So when you write your books, particularly the last one, is your everyday consciousness pretty much just acting as a receiver? A lot of the material feels like it was generated this way.

Also, how aware are you of the multiple levels present of which every now and then I get a small glimpse? I suspect that some of your writing and things like the overall plot of the Turtle prophesy cannot be contrived by ordinary consciousness and refer to deep transformational processes. (more…)

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Yesterday as I was waiting in line at the grocery store, it occurred to me that life has a way of coming full circle.  As I struggled with physical pain and growing impatience waiting, compounded by persistent aches, I remembered back to when I was a community worker helping severely disabled mentally ill people.  Often we would take small groups on outings; at the time, their favorite place was a local fast food restaurant.  Many times, a worker would order and bring it back to the table for a group member; the higher goal was to have a person order themselves; plan and place their order by waiting in line, count the change, make sure they got the right food and bring it back to the table to eat.

For many this was a difficult task because of the steps involved, potential for error and inherent anxiety of looking foolish in front of others. Some people couldn’t easily count change or figure out what they wanted in relation to the amount of money they had available. (more…)

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

I Wonder Why?

Sometimes I wonder why
There are so many people,
And why
There are thousands of birds,
And why
The earth is filled with insects,
And why
The ocean has all those fish,
And why
The land nourishes plants,
And why
There are so many things
I can’t name them all.

O Lord, is this endless variety
To convince us You exist?

-SB

Introduction

When we were beginners on the spiritual path, there were many things we had to learn and experience.  One day while sitting in our teacher’s office, he offered the following words, which are expanded below and help frame this present discussion.  “Looking at the earth from the moon, all worry and care is lost in the majesty of the earth’s Oneness.”  Often we came looking for answers to life problems and this view- this mystical view of Oneness -was always the answer to life’s infinite variability and vulnerability.  While this view of Oneness was transitory- it would come and go- it was the antidote and when we were in this state we knew Infinite love and peace.

Multiplicity of form and seemingly endless variability is a wonder and joy of creation and exists, in part, so we might question, why? It is part of the journey and part of the answer. (more…)

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

While some look at this world and see chaos and destruction, others see optimism and growth. Yes both are present; and beyond these opposites, what is actually occurring?

According to Tradition humanity is evolving to a higher state; this is over millennia- and if you wonder at your role in all of this check out my new book and the short piece below.

*     *

One traveler at a time, humanity is evolving to a higher state of consciousness. This evolution is both individual and collective. As a race of people we are reaching Higher. This evolution is purposeful and directed so it may be attained.

To help safeguard this Plan there is a hierarchy of servants who work on many levels. Collectively humanity has a potential and destiny. Many of the holy books speak about this potential. These references are part allegorical and part literal. (more…)

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

“I saw my lower self in the form of a rat. I asked, “Who are you?”  It replied, “I am the destruction of the heedless, for I incite them to wickedness. I am the salvation of the friends-of-God, for if it were not for me, they would be proud of their purity and their actions. When they see me in themselves, all their pride disappears.”*
-Hujwiri

Introduction

Thoughts are energy and man/woman is fundamentally a being of conscious energy; creating his/her own body, events and thoughts, moment to moment.

For most spiritual travelers this essential aspect of who they are is left out of their early education; and this ability to master thoughts operates like a magic wand. It is said, he who controls his own thoughts is master of both the upper and lower kingdom; this being the dual aspects of our soul- where both baseness and sublimity exist.

Now when groups of people think the same thought and work together to manifest a potential, the power of thought forms is magnified, and often the miraculous occurs. Consider the power potential of a group of people praying and projecting their thoughts across the planet; this eventuality has been proven by numerous scientific studies concerning distant healing. Also consider the potential effect of a nation of like-minded citizens who joined together with singleness of purpose; we in America saw this with our own Revolution and more recently the world has awakened to groups of terrorists pushing their brand of fear and fanaticism.

In the following, we will examine from a spiritual perspective, the importance of controlling/mastering our thoughts, why we seemingly cannot control certain thoughts/feelings, how students in spiritual schools are taught to handle this situation, and finally offer selected techniques to monitor and control our thoughts. (more…)

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Duty is a task that you must accomplish; it is a requirement of the situation and something which many people can do.  For example if you are a baker you must come to work on time, complete your work and act responsibly to customers and co-workers.  These are some of the general duties of a baker.

If these duties were to be totaled, they would constitute your overall service as a baker. Service can be described as the compilation, total or outcome of a variety of duties and usually described in relation to other people. Therefore you bake bread for others.

Service on another level relates to duties which are communicated and carried out on a spiritual plane. When one is in service to God/Light personal will is stilled and the servant acts in accord with the Master’s Desire.

Here the servant and Master are one and the duties which are performed constitute the higher service. (more…)

By Ele-Elleid Kay

I was born on the Oneida Reservation in Wisconsin where I lived on and off for about 30 years. I was too white on my mother’s side of the family to be a registered tribal member, but my heart was too red to fit into the uncultured ways of the city that overlapped the reservation. As I became an adult I worked on the reservation with the youth, the men coming out of the prisons, and worked with drug and alcohol and domestic violence issues. I felt led by the Creator to work with these souls and take them to ceremonies where they could face the demons that I also had to face in the past. My own life and years of experience impassioned me to live and die for human rights and to strive to build a world that is safe for the next seven generations. (more…)