Discovering Your True Self

The Human Condition

At essence we are each eternal spirit surrounded by various increasingly transient layers, the most permanent of which being our life purpose. Beyond this lie the various personas we adopt for different roles, and beyond these the consciousness of the moment created by the circumstances of now. Our outer layers are largely junk, created both internally and externally, that we must recognize as worthless and in so doing allow what truly matters to shine through.

The details of life are utterly irrelevant. What seems important in the now is ultimately insignificant. We’ll all soon be dead. Life is nothing more than an experience-giving machine. What really matters is the experience we acquire during the process and carry with us into eternity.

Human experience is inevitably imperfect. Life is not a vacation but a tough school presenting hard lessons, along with the potential for great satisfaction. Inevitably we will make mistakes and fall short of the ideal. But perfection is not our purpose. Our purpose is to learn from our experiences, as such there are no bad experiences or mistakes, only lessons. (more…)

Be a Difference Maker

"Please sign in," the security guard tells me as I approach her desk. She sits behind a large, wooden circular desk in the main entrance of the lobby of an old state government building. Day in and day out it's the same story for Amy. "I can't let you in without a valid ID." "Please be sure to sign out as you leave." And her all-time favorite, "No, we do not have a public restroom."

I come to this building regularly for consulting work. The first time I met Amy, I smiled politely and thanked her for pointing me in the right direction. Over the next several weeks, we made small talk or chatted with each other. I make it my mission to put a smile on her face at least once every time I visit. Make a difference. (more…)

A Buddhist - Christian Path to Satisfaction

Like most religions Buddhism and Christianity both consist of philosophical and “supernatural” aspects. This post draws on the key philosophical teachings of Buddhist pragmatism and Christian kindness to identify guidance for satisfaction and fulfilment in the 21st Century.

Life is Short, Fragile and Uncertain

A human lifespan is but the tiniest drop in the cosmic ocean. Life is fragile; it can be cut short in so many ways - illness, accident, at the hands of another. It is subject to countless unpredictable external influences, many with the power to drastically affect life’s course, or mercilessly terminate it.

Life is like being given $100 and knowing it will vanish at some random unknown future time. Rationally, you’d spend and enjoy it now. That is living primarily in the moment, ie mindfully. (more…)

The World

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Q:   Why does the world as we know it exist?

A:   The world is a magnificent cornucopia, filled with wondrous and delightful items. Here we can find exactly what we are looking for.  If we seek enjoyment of the senses, there are many opportunities. Similarly if we seek to learn and draw closer to our higher self, this opportunity exists as well.

In part, the earth phase of our existence is an opportunity to learn, create and experience all the parts of self and grow closer to that which we wish to become. (more…)

Essential Buddhism for Modern Life

Buddhism is based on teachings of the Buddha (dharma), Siddhartha Gautama, who lived some 2500 years ago. It is estimated to have some 500 million followers, over 7% of the global population [Pew Research Center]. While traditionally considered an Eastern 'religion' it is gaining popularity in the West in recent years with some 4 million adherents in North America in 2010 [Pew Research Center], likely seen as an antidote to the perceived stresses and ultimate emptiness of modern life.

Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion. It has no God, but rather offers a description of the nature of reality and guidance on how a being with free will might negotiate that reality.

The ultimate Buddhist goal of enlightenment can take a lifetime (or several) of the contemplative existence of a monk to reach. However, such devotion is not essential to benefit from Buddhist teachings, even in the midst of worldly life. (more…)

The Most Important Question Ever Asked

What's the Deal with Free Will?

Whether or not we have free will is (arguably) the most significant question we ask about ourselves and the reality we inhabit. It is synonymous with: is (our) existence meaningful? (or just an accidental curiosity of indifferent fate?)

What is Free Will?

In a deterministic universe every event is the result of its causes, and in turn acts as causes to following events. There is no place for free will.

However, science suggests that at its most fundamental level nature is not deterministic. It is governed by quantum mechanics which, to the best of current knowledge, means that fundamental particles behave randomly. But because there are so many of them, on aggregate they average out to appear deterministic. But randomness is not free will.

Free will is the ability to act as a first cause, ie in some way that is not the result of preceding events. (more…)

Spiritual Traveler: The Grand Bazaar

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Traveler:   What is the purpose of life?  From your perspective, why do we come here to live, work, experience, enjoy our self and then journey to another place?

Master:       The great cycle of life is an opportunity to experience who we are on many different levels and join in partnership with the Creator.  Within each of us is a spark that is most like the Light.  We are sons and daughters of a King who have come here to create our own reality, daily.  Once we understand this, we can consciously use our many abilities and spiritual capacity to fully enjoy and participate in this multi-level experience called life.

Life is the grand bazaar; an opportunity to do many things and have all kinds of adventures. (more…)

Thoughts on the Nature of Reality and Human Experience

Origins and Predestination

The best current scientific evidence indicates that the entire universe began some 13.7 billion years ago when the totality of matter that was concentrated into a single point began to enlarge rapidly in a hot explosion, known as the Big Bang.

But, that being so, does it imply that all the information in the universe was also contained or formed in this ginormous explosion? That is, the entire destiny of the universe, including the miracle of life, wonders of technology, momentous historical events, right down to the placement of every object, the timing of every happening to the tiniest degree. Not just on this earth but throughout the entire universe. All coded, inevitably, in that single occurrence.

According again to best current scientific evidence, the answer is no. Quantum theory suggests the future is not completely defined or caused by the past, but rather is subject to a degree of random variability at the most fundamental level of reality. But when viewed from a human macroscopic level the enormous number of randomly influenced micro-events appear more or less deterministic.

That raises the question of whether that random variability is truly ‘random’, or is somehow itself ‘caused’ by something outside the universe, something that for want of better terminology might be called spirit or God? (more…)

Fear- Causes and Remedies

By: Lt Col R K Langar

In Bhagavad Gita Divine qualities are enumerated wherein fearlessness is placed on top of all divine qualities. If there is fear in our heart we cannot realize our true Divine nature. Fear is our worst enemy which causes, among other things, inefficiency within us and we cannot give our best in any situation. In this article we shall examine as to what are the causes of fear and how fear can be overcome. (more…)

Free to be Peace

by Michelle Sullivan

Forward: Dedicated to Sarah, with all my love.

Wherever you are is perfect for you. I share because not sharing feels like witholding the cure for cancer, such is the difference in my quality of life before compared to after my experience of God's peace.

I hope with all my heart this writing helps you as you allow God’s peace inside. What you do with this is entirely up to you, from "this is crazy" to "I already know all this."

Who we truly are came to me/was one with me for one eternal moment after I entirely let go of my own struggling over knowing why/what we are, my first and biggest experience of God's all-encompassing peace that enters after letting go of my struggle. I've attempted to describe what that experience taught me and how I've lived that experience, best I can, ever since. (more…)

Is Nature Random?

Life isn't always 'just'. 'Bad' things happen to 'good' people, and vice versa. When stuff happens seemingly regardless of our personal choices/actions it can cause us to question our beliefs about the nature of reality. And in particular whether there is some purpose or meaning driving the universe.

Science has been incredibly successful at discovering and explaining the mechanism by which the physical universe operates. However, science itself in the form of quantum physics has shown there to be not just a practical but an absolute theoretical limit to our knowledge of reality. At the very limits of our understanding the fundamental building blocks of the world around us behave randomly. It is the huge number of such random micro-events that statistically give the appearance of determinism (cause and effect).

But what might lie beyond this impenetrable veil at the limit of potential knowledge? And how might 'randomness' at the micro level give rise to apparent randomness at the level of our experience? (more…)