Publications
Light Upon Light
"Award-Winning Finalist in the Religion: Eastern Religions category, of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News." See the overview here.
Now available for purchase at Amazon.com. Click here.
Listen to an author's interview with Andrew Vidich at InsideScoopLive.com
Light Upon Light is a book to touch the heart, and awaken the spirit. It takes the lives of some of the great spiritual masters of the last millennium, from Rumi, to twentieth century saint Darshan Singh, and illuminates their inner quests. More than simply biography, Light Upon Light delves into their perceptions of the world, the innermost workings of their minds, and the life incidents that led them to enlightenment. In this sense Light Upon Light is not about the spiritual path; it is designed to take the reader and carry them into the spiritual path, and perceive the wisdom of the masters from within. Using meditation as the inner technology of the spirit each of these masters traversed the inner landscape of the spirit and through the power of the Divine Word or Light of God achieved spiritual liberation.
While author Andrew Vidich PhD has exemplary academic credentials, he writes from the heart, and calls the reader to a direct experience, a “felt sense” of the core of these masters’ teachings. This is a book to be treasured by both long-time spiritual students, and those new to the great masters of the path.
Read sample chapters here.
Articles
The Prophetic Light
Nur Mohammadiyya
Perhaps no doctrine is more central and critical to a right understanding of Islam and the role of the Prophet than the concept of Nur Mohammadiyya. Ironically, no concept in Islam is more shrouded in mystery and lack of understanding than this one. Few know the general importance of the concept and fewer still its mystical significance. Literally translated the term means the Light of Mohammad but it has also been referred to as the First Light, Prophetic Light and sometimes as the Ancient Word or Kalma i Qadim. This concept developed as early as 300 years after the death of the Prophet by mystics like Sahl al Tustari and al Hallaj, later became a central feature of classical Islamic philosophy under the authorship of Ibn Arabi perhaps the greatest of Islamic mystics and theologians. By understanding it in its totality and its varied implications we can do much to understand the role of the Prophet in Islam and prophetic revelation in general. By truly grasping its significance we can take a few baby steps in helping to heal the cultural and religious divide not only between Islam and other traditions but also within the Islamic community itself.
The Healing Science of Meditation
A New Model for Healing
Let me begin by relating a Sufi story, which may provide for us a point of hypotheses in terms of our inquiry. This story, tells of a man named of Mullah Nasruddin known for his iconoclastic wisdom. As the story goes, he was a self-employed businessman who traveled back and forth between the borders of Saudia Arabia and Egypt. During this time, there was a border guard whose job it was to inspect all traders as they entered or left Egypt to make sure they were not carrying any contraband. Every time that he crossed the border, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for four years, he would be accompanied by a donkey carrying a saddlebag on his back. Each time he was inspected by the border officer who never found anything suspicious. This continued for 4 years. Then, Mullah Nasruddin retired a wealthy man. One day, after his early retirement, he is sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Cairo sipping coffee. The former border guard happens to see him and is overwhelmed with curiosity. He wants to know how Mullah Nasruddin had become so wealthy in only four years. So introduces himself and says, "Mullah, I have retired myself and have no interest in persecuting you I just want to know how you became so wealthy in such a short time. What were you doing for those four years?"
Spiritual Dimensions of Leadership
Respected Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Nations, Esteemed Professors and Honorable Governors and Friends:
We live in difficult times and the world is seeking answers to the rising tensions and conflicts proliferating allover the world. How can we best address these conflicts requires not only knowledge of the situation, experience in resolving conflicts but also spiritual leadership.
During the Middle Ages a British knight returned to the castle one evening
after a long, hard day of battle. He had led a band of knights whose armor
was dented, their helmets were crooked, and their feather plumes were broken
off. Their horses were limping and the knights were so exhausted that they
were falling to one side of their saddles. The king saw them coming and
went to greet them.
“You look terrible. What has befallen you?” He asked the leader.
The leader of the knight straightened himself and said, “Sire, we have been battling on you behalf all day, fighting hand to hand combat defeating other knights, and burning down the town of your enemies to the West.”
“You’ve been doing what?” asked the astonished king.
The knight repeated his statement louder and slower to make sure the king
heard it.
“But I don’t have any enemies in the West.” cried the
king.
“Oh, said the knight, and after a thoughtful pause, “Well, I
think you do now”.
More coming soon