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.
-Traditional
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.
In this situation, mind questions so heart might respond. Or stated another way;
Imagination blocks you like a bolt on a door,
Burn that bar.
– Rumi
Substitute for the word imagination, expectations, ordinary thoughts, emotions and comparison with others.
The task of the spiritual traveler is to learn to ask the question in one mode of thought, and listen too or experience the answer in another. Like pre-setting the stations on your radio; Station #1 presents the inquiry-where are my spiritual experiences? Click to Station #2, spiritual awareness; which answers the question: spiritual experiences are natural outgrowths of a higher state of consciousness. They present at their own time. This higher state of consciousness is Love of God and a heart that is empty of all else. Again, The Secret Protects Itself.
Remember while the every day consciousness (ego) may be filled with all kinds of concerns, the traveler must learn to still them, for a time, so the heart- that burns for God- might come forward.
In this example, presetting the device for spiritual awareness, often with the help of a teacher, facilitates the change of station.
You must learn to listen to the quiet whisperings of your heart to perceive these answers and have these experiences. Often this training is supplied through right study, with right people, and in the right place. It usually involves freeing oneself of expectations and strong emotions.
Second, seeking spiritual experience is different than seeking God. Our teacher used to say: ‘When you come to me, come to me about God. Do not come here for anything else.’ Often this deception, in the spiritual search, about outcome is buried so deep that it requires continual work to offset its effect. The Secret Protects Itself.
Expectations & Emotions
Each spiritual traveler is born into a world of expectation. Daily behaviors and societal standards are presented by family, friends, co-workers, country, religion and self.
Overtime, these expectations form our operating system and world view. We want to go and do based upon what we have been taught and what we desire for self and others; expectations set standards for behavior that have attached to them a whole series of emotions. For example, joy at accomplishing our goal or sadness as we fail.
This set of personal expectation or goals, in time, can entrap and bind- yet serves an essential function for society as a whole; and is often the basis for our daily behaviors.
For the spiritual traveler, these are the chains that must be temporarily broken- for the Higher Consciousness to work. Cognitively and emotionally they are a door that blocks the inner awareness.
As indicated above, attached to expectations are emotions: both enrich our lives and help make us human. However, in a spiritual quest, they fill our consciousness and must be stilled temporarily so the Higher Impulse can be perceived and heard. Emotions and expectations are ‘a noise’ in our consciousness: blocking other things from happening.
In a spiritual quest, typical expectation sets run something like this. Many times, spiritual travelers are unaware, because these expectations are hidden, that it is precisely these sub-conscious thoughts, along with their emotional attachments, that are blocking spiritual progress.
• I have been meditating for five years and surely something should have happened by now. Or I cannot meditate for more than 2 minutes and surely this inability must be holding me back.
• Everyone knows, ‘we have been given enough for the journey;’ therefore I can pick and choose what I like from different paths. This technique has worked for me in so many areas of my life (i.e., picking a vocation, car and companion).
• When performing spiritual exercises, praying, or doing good works we all have an expectation about how we will be rewarded; for example, this activity will make me a good person, I will gain in good works and I feel good helping others. When the spiritual traveler has these often hidden feelings; these feelings become their reward and they do not travel further. This mind set is a form of ‘spiritual greed’ and must be disarmed by a neutral mental posture.
• When I reach a high level of spirituality, my life will be perfect and complete. Spiritual knowledge is one aspect of a healthy life; spiritual awareness serves as a catalyst to enable other things to happen.
• I love to meditate and pray; it makes me feel so peaceful and I am one with everything. Or I feel so good when I work at the soup kitchen, helping the homeless. Think about the emotional attachment.
In order to maximize spiritual potential, the traveler must learn to recognize when their expectation set is operating. Also the traveler must learn to differentiate between an emotional and a spiritual experience. While expectations and emotions are an important part of healthy living, for many, because they have not been disarmed- both become an obstacle to spiritual experience. The Secret Protects Itself.
We are the means of reaching the goal. It is necessary that seekers should cut themselves away from us and think only of the goal.
– Bahauddin NaqshbandIf love manifests itself within you, it has its origin in beauty. You are nothing but a mirror in which beauty is reflected. Because beauty and its reflection are both from that one source, it is both treasure and treasure-house.
– Jami
About the author:
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Learning from Life - 11 Lessons
By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff
This piece has not been an easy one for me to write or think about. There is much that I would like to forget and get past.
Also, I searched my motivation for this piece and concluded: it is based primarily upon the belief- life is the great classroom and we learn much from personal, every day experience.
About 2 months ago I was in hospital with a heart attack; now after the shock waves have subsided a bit, I have had time to reflect on all of this. Also, I am still occupied with the after effects. I am in cardiac rehab, changing certain life habits and still don’t have all my strength or heart capacity back; in multiple ways, this experience has clearly affected members of my family.
Some learning happens right away and other lessons take longer; both the doctors and EMT’s said I was lucky to be alive. There was a 100% blockage in my major heart artery and 60% in another; they have a nick- name for this particular attack: ‘the widow maker.’
Fortunately, I was at a family Thanksgiving dinner when this occurred and people acted quickly.
Sometimes, I still wonder why I am here. Perhaps there is more that I have to do, accomplish and enjoy.
Anyway, while I try to work this out, so far here are 11 things I learned and seem to have relearned again. In some way, I hope sharing this helps.
- Life is fragile and may be over in an instant.
- Flesh is weak and can be broken; yet spirit fights and lives on.
- In order to heal, you need a support system and love of others.
- After an event like this, fears, pains and sorrows are shared by those who love you.
- When pain enters- it is a game changer- often bringing you to your knees.
- Enjoy this moment- it is all you have. If there is something you want to do- do it now.
- Why one lives and another dies, is beyond our understanding.
- Be kind and generous to others. That is what the Universe wants. Suffering shows you this.
- We carry within the seeds of our own destruction and end.
- Death is part of life; they are tied to one another.
- Healing can be difficult and take a long time.
Now after reading this list, if you would like to share what you learned through personal adversity, I encourage input.
God/Light willing, may you continue to be healthy, growing closer to your lasting self.
-SB
About the author:
Check out my new book on Amazon: The Appleseed Journal.
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Keep It Simple
By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff
When life becomes confusing and over whelming, there is a management technique I use that has been very helpful.
I learned this technique while working at the psychiatric hospital and we were getting reading for our routine four year inspection by The Joint Commission; during our leadership meetings one of our Directors offered a personal leadership technique that has stayed with me. He said, every day when he comes to work, he has 4 things/goals that he works on and these will help prepare us for the inspection. Although there were thousands of regulations that had to be met, we need to keep it simple and focus on 4 areas; we don’t have to think about or work on anything else. These included: taking action to improve patient living areas; improving patient medical records, improving patient programming, and improving evaluative techniques to raise operational standards. Daily, he did something in each of these areas and wanted each of us as managers to do the same; and similarly have our staff do something in each area and eventually we would get the job done.
By keeping it workable we did very well on this inspection; simply by asking ourselves, and taking necessary action, what we could do to improve things in each of 4 areas, daily.
Over the years, I have modified this technique a bit depending upon how I am feeling. So on those days when I really need to get-it-together, because the haze has settled in, I ask myself, what one thing I am going to do to make things better for myself or others. I make a goal list and work on these things. I intentionally keep the list short, so my task is not over whelming; crossing off targeted areas when accomplished. Also, as the day progresses, I am free to add things as I feel better.
Now let us use this technique in another area: like a spiritual journey and the ever present question, ‘am I improving and making progress?’
One day, I asked one of my teachers if I was making progress on the spiritual path, he offered, do you think of God more often? Daily do you pray and try to do things for God? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you are making progress.
Remember, pray and talk to God. Think of God and what will please God. Help others. Help yourself. Help the world.
Daily, do one thing. On the days you are able, do something in each of these areas and gradually your life will improve.
Keep it simple.
About the author:
Check out my new book on Amazon: The Appleseed Journal.
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What is Spiritual Experience?
By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff
True knowledge comes from the light of certainty, by which God enlightens the heart. Then you will behold the things of the spiritual world, and by the power of that light all the veils between you and that world will be removed.
-Al-Antaki
Q: What is spiritual experience? Is spiritual experience God?
Man is a world of many levels. In this age we are just beginning to experience and explore the complexity of consciousness and spiritual experience.
What is thought? What is consciousness? How is thought and consciousness different, or similar, to spiritual experience? Is spiritual experience the same as religious experience?
Historically other cultures have studied what we are beginning to call consciousness and spiritual experience. Some of these cultures have hundreds of words to describe the complexity of this experience. Today we have a few (e.g., states and stations).
One of the limitations of this inquiry is that it is impossible to describe in written or verbal communication the intricacies of a multi-level experience. We can talk about it,
write about it, but it is not the same. A spiritual experience occurs on many levels simultaneously in our body and consciousness.
An example poets and songsters have been trying for eons to describe the complexity of romantic love. At best their words and songs are an approximation of this sublime and multifaceted experience. Further, overtime, this experience changes, grows and becomes deeper.
Similarly while words can get you close they are not the same. Once you have tasted of authentic spiritual experience, you realize words may take you to the door, but cannot get you inside the room.
To further confuse matters, different religions and paths, use different words to describe, what is believed to be the same or similar experience (i.e., peace of God, Unity and Nirvana). Experience must be experienced within the context of a specific path or system. Conversely it is specified by spiritual teachers that the closer the traveler gets to the Source, regardless of path, the more similar becomes the unifying experience.
Spiritual experiences are distinguished from emotional or physical experiences by the level of spiritual energy involved. These experiences are not similar to other experiences and involve a different part of our consciousness. Also these experiences are given or provided so you can learn something and move forward along the path.
In the beginning of a traveler’s training, there is a period, where the student is provided with experience that opens the door and awakens the soul. This experience is akin to feeling one with all living things and is a unifying experience. In part it is a foretaste of things to come, displays the direction to travel and helps place the student on the path.
Some think this is the end product and are content, because it is a sublime experience, to try and repeat this over and over. It is a beginning and there are numerous other experiences along the way.
Spiritual experience is not God. It is experience of the essence from which we all came, through a part of this essence that is the center (heart) of our soul. Remember that which enters the physical (universe) is different than that which exists outside the universe. God is greater than the creation.
The Potter’s Bowl
The following is an old example to explain this. While it is possible to know a great deal about a potter by examining a bowl, we cannot know the potter in entirety. We may hold the bowl and feel its texture, examine it under different lights and over time feel artistically one with it and the potter. However no matter how many aspects of the potter we experience through his creation, the potter is greater and more complex than this one work. In time the potter can go on to create all sorts of things which may be totally different. Each of these creations, all have aspects of the potter in them, but under examination do not explain all that is required to make the piece. For example where did the idea of design and choice of color come from? How did the artist learn his craft? Over time what were the factors that influenced him? You can not get all of this from one bowl or studying the artist’s life. Always the potter remains different and greater, more complex, than the bowl.
He who is intimate with worldly wealth will find his intellect destroyed; he who is intimate with people will become lonely; he who is intimate with work will be preoccupied; and he who is intimate with God will attain union.
-ShibliWhen more than one gets together to call the Name of God, the spiritual energy that is produced is glorious.
– A. Hussain
About the author:
Check out my new book on Amazon: The Appleseed Journal.
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