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…)

This Old Campus

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Awhile back, one of my associates suggested that I write about what is going on in my life; focusing on what it is like for me growing old. In the main, I have resisted doing this because I have struggled with the aging process; particularly as this period has filled with sickness, going to doctors and watching those I love deal with illness and death.

Often the day is not pretty, yet, it is often filled with opportunity to use spiritual practice. Exercises like living in the moment- are essential aspects to my new life. For when the sun comes out from behind the cloud: one must stop what they are doing, celebrate and breathe deep the glorious moment. (more…)

For living purposefully Avoid six Cs

By Lt Col R K Langar

Human life is a gift of God and we should live in a purposeful manner to evolve ourselves. We must live righteously by cultivating divine virtues within us and use them in our day to day conduct. At the same time we should avoid certain traits which can cause hindrance to our living righteously. The title of this write up says that we should avoid six Cs. Six Cs which we should avoid in our daily life are corruption criticism, comparison, complaining, copying others and competing with others. I have discussed these traits in this write up to enable readers to understand as to why we should avoid them. (more…)

Meeting at Journey’s End

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Now I do understand it. I will tell you what it is: Does this path have a heart?  All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traveled long, long paths, but I am not anywhere.  My benefactor’s question has meaning now.  Does this path have a heart?  If it does, this path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn’t. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens your life.  -Don Carlos* (more…)

Will power completes the task

By Lt Col RK Langar

Various factors contribute towards completion of any task which we undertake. Out of these one factor which is common and most important for completion of our task or our duty is our own will power. Will power is defined as a positive and creative function of mind which impels, propels and enables a person to complete a chosen moral task despite all obstacles coming his way. Will power simply means ‘I will do it’. Will power can also be defined as our capability to avoid an amoral act however tempting it may be. Our problem of life is our inability to do things which are right and at the same time our inability to resist from things which are wrong. This is an aspect of an ordinary human nature which slides down easily because to raise oneself to perform a moral act requires through understanding and self effort. Some time we perform wrong acts on the plea that whole society is doing so. Such a tendency is due to our weak will power due to which we easily get influenced by the  will of the majority. We forget that to accept that majority is always right is a wrong belief. Obedience of social laws and our code of conduct should be perfect for developing our will power. (more…)

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…)

Living in the present is real living

By Lt Col R K Langar

Many of us do not realize the value of living in the present. They feel that present will not give them the happiness they are looking for. Happiness for them lies in remembering some happy moments of the past. They also hope that the future will give them thrilling moments which the present has eluded them thus far. Not only that they also have some regrets of the past and anxieties for the future due to which they do not understand the value of living in the present moment.   Living in present is the real living because the good doings of the present will not only neutralize ill doings of the past but shall also make your future an affair to remember. What we are now are the effects of our past deeds and what we do now shall have a direct bearing on the quality of our future life. Time wasted now in remembering the past or imagining the future can be usefully invested in living in the present. (more…)

Living inside out and not outside in

By Lt Col R K Langar

Introduction

The title of this write up says that a human being who is potentially divine has a wealth of values and beauties inside him which give him strength. Therefore he should live in this world as per his inner strength which should influence the outer world. And at the same time man should be so strong internally that nothing from outer world should influence him which is not in line with his belief system. When I say man is potentially divine it means that the soul or Atma is a ray of God Almighty, the one without a second, and the Atma has all the Divine virtues which need to be manifested to their pristine glory by human effort by yoga and by thinking about them and by imbibing them. (more…)

Life Path Choices

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Now, that I am older and had many opportunities to drink from the fountain of life; I offer the young person starting out and trying to making their way into the world, the following advice, and a simple exercise to help you figure this potential out:

Be who you are;
Seek to express yourself in the world
And don’t let others hold you back
From this individual expression.  (more…)

The Importance of Being Independent

Independence and Quality of Life

Life is a process of accumulating experience(s). Before being born into this world we decide, with guidance from more advanced souls, the kind of experiences we will seek during our life. We also decide the role we will play in the lives of others, ie to help them accumulate experience.

But for all our best laid plans the key characteristic of a human being is our free will. Throughout life circumstances conspire to keep us (more or less) to our pre-determined agenda. But we have the power of choice, every step of the way. There are no right or wrong choices, as all routes bring experience; but some paths clearly bring a higher quality of experience than others. The recognition and valuing of the faculty of independent choice determines the quality of our life. (more…)