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…)

An uncontrolled experiment with the Earth

Renowned climate change expert, Michael Mann, says the burning of fossil fuels has brought humanity past the critical 400 parts per million threshold of CO2 in the atmosphere, and urges citizens to make their voices heard on the climate change issue.

Jason Francis interviewed Michael Mann for Share International, November 2013

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Healthy Activity: Antidote to Life Problems

by Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Problems are placed before you so you can overcome them.
- A. Hussain

Introduction

When life is kicking our butt and things seem out of control; and we are worn down by every day problems, how can belief in something beyond self, help us reach higher?

Healthy activity has long been known as a corrective to some of the problems of daily life. Simply by switching our attention from the problem to something more enjoyable or taking purposeful action targeted at solving the problem; many times our mood becomes lighter and more positive. (more…)

What Happens When We "Die"?

At traditional times of togetherness such as Christmas we remember those who have departed and ponder the fate of personalities we have loved and shared our pathway with.

What is Life?

Spirituality considers the physical universe as but one manifestation of an infinite and eternal source (= Spirit = God). The universe almost certainly holds an enormous variety of life forms in addition to humanity and the creatures we share the earth with. The nature of our source is an insatiable thirst for experience, and it is this thirst that is responsible for this multitude of manifestations, including the bio-chemical phenomena called “life” possessed of varying degrees of free will.

The key points are:

1. all that exists comes from source and is part of source, individuality is an illusion
2. source is unbounded, whereas all manifestations are finite

The end of a given life, ie the cessation of function of the supporting organism ( “death”) is actually the point at which the associated life-force (soul) returns to its natural state of pure Spirit, much like an individual rain drop falling back into the ocean. (more…)

Islam: Religion of Peace & Love?

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

"Say ye: 'we believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no difference between one and another of them, and we bow to God.'” Koran, Chapter 2, Verse 136*

Often I get forwarded e-mails from fellow travelers who are fearful, reading the headlines about Muslim extremists. These extremists are using their religious beliefs to justify deadly action against others of their own faith; and others who they designate as non-believing or Westerners. In America and across the world, this is a real threat to the way we live and maintaining our personal freedom. These Muslim extremists would tell us how to live, what to believe and kill any who deviate from their view.

Sadly this is the not the first time that religious belief has been used to justify action and war against others. History is full of examples and it is such a powerful tool and motivator, follow what God wants, that it is continues to be used today. Just read the Old Testament or follow the accounts of the Crusades; Jewish and Christian history is full of examples where deadly force was used to protect and further a cherished belief system. Today in this matter there is little choice; all freedom loving people must stand their ground, raise their voice and fight against those who would take from us.  It is clear that we are long past solving this problem only with words. (more…)

Wellsprings: A Fable of Consciousness

Selections from the Novel by William T. Hathaway

Cosmic Egg Books 2013

2026. The earth's ecosystem has broken down under human abuse. Water supplies are shrinking. Rain is rare, and North America is gripped in the Great Drought with crops withering and forests dying. In the midst of environmental and social collapse, an old woman and a young man set out to heal nature and reactivate the cycle of flow by using techniques of higher consciousness. But the corporations that control the remaining water lash out to stop them.

In the novel water is analogous to consciousness. People are out of contact with their own inner wellsprings of consciousness, so their lives are withering. And their ignorant actions have driven the earth's water deep underground, so nature is withering. Human life and the earth's life are trapped in suffering. The story shows the two main characters evolving their consciousness to a level where they can sense the water and restore its natural flow for humanity and the earth. A blend of adventure, ecology, and mystic wisdom, WELLSPRINGS: A Fable of Consciousness is a frightening but hopeful look into a future that is looming closer every day.

It's also a love story, which is of course also good for our consciousness.

The book begins with the narrator, Bob, getting ready to leave his hometown in California after graduating from high school: (more…)

Up Into The Healing Light

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

With all the miraculous advances in modern medicine, much of the time doctors only guess at the cause, falling far short of a remedy or cure.

In some ways, we have made doctors into more than they are. All in the hope and basic need for rising beyond pain, illness and death.

This tendency toward comfort is bound to our hard wiring for eliminating fear and pain, controlling change, and continual life.

Our body and worldly consciousness is tied to the here and now: wishing to go on for ever.

Yet, the soul is of a different fabric, a celestial rider taking us higher and higher; nightly flying us home- far beyond the stars and up into the Healing Light.

O Child of Light, awaken each morning, with this primal knowing in your consciousness and you will be a spiritual traveler, living forever.

_______

Register for my upcoming retreat weekend atop Bangor Mountain, in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, Kirkridge Retreat Center on Sufism & Enlightenment, May 30- June I, 2014. For information scroll down to program listing: http://kirkridge.org/programs/upcoming-programs/. Then click on Detailed Information for full program highlights.

Read my 2 books: Sufism for Western Seekers: Path of the Spiritual Traveler in Everyday Life and The Ferryman’s Dream.  Both books are also in Kindle format and available on Amazon.com or local bookstore.

To contact author go to: www.stewartbitkoff.com.

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The Secret Protects Itself

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

The sight of someone eating will not appease your hunger.
The spiritual experiences of others cannot satisfy your yearning.
-Traditiona

Q: Daily, I pray, regularly give to charity, do good works and always try to be a good person, yet spiritual experience eludes me. O I am so frustrated. Please, how do I go about having spiritual experiences?

Additionally, I feel unless I have these, I will remain incomplete. O how I yearn to draw closer to God. I thought by following my birth religion and the Path, spiritual experience would be natural outcomes?

A: The answer to this question, like so many others on the spiritual path cannot be thought out or answered by ordinary reasoning (ego). The answers must be experienced or perceived through another mode of consciousness; intuition or Higher Knowledge must provide a personal answer. The Secret Protects Itself. (more…)

A legal duty of care - protecting our planet

Interview with Polly Higgins

by Katy Olivia van Tergouw

London barrister and author Polly Higgins discusses the legal aspect of the Earth's right to life, which is threatened by the Ecocide practiced by commercial interests. Source: Share International, October 2013 

"The crime of ecocide is a natural evolution of law: the Ecocide Act is not radical in its remit. On the contrary, it is part of an evolution of legislation dealing with the impact of pollution and the principle of superior responsibility. In the eyes of the law, creating the crime of ecocide is not about closing the door to evil. It is in fact about protecting a higher value: the sacredness of life, all life." - Polly Higgins

During her years as a barrister in London courts, where she represented both individuals and corporations on discrimination cases and corporate law, Polly Higgins became convinced that the Earth needed a good lawyer. The planet was also being treated unfairly and the tools of Ms Higgins' trade were not adequate. Quite simply, the laws to protect the interests of the Earth do not exist.

In 2010 Polly Higgins proposed to the United Nations that Ecocide be made the Fifth Crime Against Peace. At present the Rome Statute sets out Four Crimes against Peace (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression). Her book, Eradicating Ecocide: Laws and governance to prevent the destruction of our planet won the 2011 People's Book Prize for non-fiction, and has been followed by Earth is our Business - changing the rules of the game. (more…)

Re-Imagining the Holidays

Six ways to resist the trap of overabundance, and create traditions brimming with gratitude

By Sara Wiseman

Are you dreading it, already?

You know… the whole shopping-gifting-cooking-cleaning-eating-drinking socializing-relatives-traveling season just ahead?

From Thanksgiving to New Year's, many of us get trapped in a cycle of overabundance—the state of having too much. As in: more than we can use. More than we can process. The cup not just full, but over flowing.

It’s gotten worse in recent years, starting with Christmas decorations that go on display at Halloween to the frenzy of Black Friday. We’ve become a culture of excess and a society of waste, moving from the next new thing to the next…without ever taking the time to enjoy any of it. We have so much, and it’s arriving so fast, that we can’t use or even experience it all.

This overabundance—having more than we really need—creates stress, lowers vibration and zaps energy from mind, body and spirit.

Now, I’m all for abundance! I’m certainly not one to pass up on anything that brings pleasure or beauty or connection to my life. But when we become trapped in the cycle of overabundance—the endless circle of want, get, want, get—our lives fall out of balance. (more…)