Jesus Christ and the Infinite Christ

Before considering the nature of a Jesus Christ in his human form, let’s consider the nature of a Jesus Christ in his divinity. In the gospel of St. John, Chapter One, John writes, of Jesus: "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not."

In this chapter — the most cosmic or metaphysical of all the gospels — St. John does not even use Jesus’ name, although the context (contrasting with John the Baptist and the Baptist’s role vis-à-vis Jesus), makes it clear that the words are referring to Jesus.

How could it be that Jesus Christ made the world? This would mean that Jesus existed before the world was created? Surely he would not have existed then as a human: with a human body and personality? Jesus was not declaring, “Hey, dude, I’m, like, THE MAN who created all this!”What an absurdity.

When Jesus made declarations in the first person, such as, “I an the way, the life and the light. No man comes to God except through me” (a paraphrase on my part), he was not making an egoic claim. True, some of his followers have interpreted these words in sectarian terms and have used them to justify putting down the founders and gurus of other faiths.

Even for the “blasphemy” for which he was crucified (“I and my Father are One”), it is clear in Jesus’ own words that he spoke in reference to his divine and overarching nature, not his human personality and body which had been named Jesus.

Just as a wave of the ocean cannot claim to “be the sea,” so, too, no human being can claim to BE GOD. One might affirm (or indeed speak from the realization of a Jesus Christ) that one is a child of God but cannot claim to be God Himself. Waves of the sea partake in the sea but cannot limit or define the sea itself.

Jesus referred frequently to the Father as the source of his inspiration and guidance to do and say what he taught and did. Near the end of his brief ministry, he also spoke of sending the Holy Spirit. So even in this, one can see that Jesus saw his divine nature as part of a greater, Infinite consciousness. He was in no way limiting God to himself. (And therefore he could not have limited God to appearing only in the body and personality of Jesus Christ, born in a tiny mud ball of a planet at one miniscule point in time, place, and history!)

Divinity appears in human form as a conscious, or Self-realized, manifestation of the same divinity which lies at the heart of all creation and which is our own true, if higher, Self. God appears in the form of his saints and saviors (meaning fully realized souls, or avatars) to give the promise of our own immortality and to help awaken souls to our divine destiny to also become one with the Father.

As St. John declares in that same first chapter: “As many as received Him, gave He the power to become the sons of God.” How much clearer can it get?

The stages of enlightenment are found by retracing our steps-not backwards in time or form (like having to go back to being monkeys or amoebas)-but upwards through the spiral staircase of the inner, astral spine to heaven (cosmic consciousness).

First we are awakened to the existence of divinity in human form. “Whom do men say I AM?” Then, through the magnetic exchange of a divine level of consciousness through the vehicle of the guru’s human persona (not merely while incarnate but afterwards as well, through disciples, teachings, stories and ultimately through inner attunement: "at-One-ment").

As this divine consciousness grows within us from the seed of its birth in the human heart, we begin to feel and perceive its subtle, vibratory manifestation in all creation (known as the “Word,” or the “Aum”).

Past this we begin to perceive the silent, still Presence or Witness centered at the heart of the primal, creative vibration. This is the “only begotten” consciousness of the Father that can be found IN creation. This is known as the Universal Christ Consciousness (or Intelligence) which in Sanskrit is the Kutastha Chaitanya.

Only by re-uniting with these two manifestations of the Holy Trinity can we finally ascend to the third (and seed consciousness) that lies beyond all vibratory spheres: the Father, or, the Infinite Spirit whose nature is pure Bliss. This nature, which is our own nature and the nature of all things in creation, is described as Ever-Existing, Ever-Conscious, Ever-New Bliss (or Satchidanandam).

Thus, our spiritual journey should begin with an openness to God’s presence in his saints and the masters. We should, as Krishna counsels in the Bhagavad Gita, learn at the feet of such teachers the truth teachings of wisdom and right action. We should learn the art and science of meditation that we not limit our journey to the intellect, or even to good words alone.

We should strive to commune inwardly with that Divine Presence that is, as Jesus taught in answering the question, “Where is the kingdom of heaven,” “within you.” Without concern for time and progress, we should strive to fulfill the two great commandments which can make us free: Love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love thy neighbor AS thy Self.

Blessings to you,   Nayaswami Hriman

Meditation: mental or devotional?

"There are two kinds of people....." Well, you've heard THAT before, I know. Meditation is practiced now by millions of people. One study I saw recently said 8% of the population. Like yoga (postures), however, most of what's taught is stripped of spiritual or religious content. That's neither good nor bad, of course but it runs to the question of what is the purpose of meditation? Is it a mental exercise? A kind of brain gymnasium workout? Is the goal to achieve cessation of thought and emotions in order to experience and enter a quiescent or quietist state? A trance? Blankness?

Or is meditation, per se, an act of devotion to God? If so, God as what? Whom? A blazing light, a thundering sound, as peace, Bliss, unconditional love? As a guru or deity?

No doubt my perspicacious readers are anticipating that meditation is either-or, or BOTH-AND and of course you would be correct.

To reach a higher state of conscious awareness one must first let go of the lower state. Just as you can't reach up to get something off a shelf if you are holding grocery bags in your hands. You first have to put the grocery bags down!

So the process of meditation necessarily involves an emptying of restless thoughts and a calming of agitated emotions, desires or attachments. The experience of emptiness is by no means passive or boring. In fact it is dynamic and thrilling, even if so deeply calm that those very words are inadequate to describe the experience. Thus it is that the goal of meditation is sometimes described in such terms. It's natural enough, for sure.

Since we accept that there "two kinds of" meditators, this must surely mean the "other" meditators are the opposite. Rather than to empty themselves, they seek to expand or fill their consciousness with a higher reality. Such aspire devotionally to worship or become One with the object of their devotions. Their approach to meditation might involve some preliminary chanting, then inward (perhaps mantric) chanting, visualizing their deity or guru and mentally placing themselves at the feet of their Lord!

In fact, a meditator can do both: first empty; then fill! And the filling need not be devotional. It can be mental or at least impersonal, such as visualizing a golden light, or an aureole of peace, compassion or tranquility. The filling can also be energetic rather than mental. This takes place when the object of meditation is to experience that dynamic vitality that enters the body and mind in a heightened state of consciousness.

(Just for the sake of completeness, I will acknowledge that meditation is practiced for health (physical and mental, including stress reduction) as well as the two main purposes outlined above. But in this case it still holds that one way or the other one is taught what to expect or to achieve and it's usually some variation of either emptiness or fullness in the forms of relaxation and/or happiness.)

There's another duality experienced by meditators. Take, for example, the experience of inner peace. One meditator may mentally reach up to and seek to BECOME peaceful while another meditator may want to relax and receive peace into himself. Both are valid and perhaps we could say that one represents an extrovert tendency and the other introvert---but those are just words and a way to express the difference in terms we might recognize from daily life.

In terms of ultimate spirituality (described as "enlightenment," "samadhi," "cosmic consciousness," Oneness and the like), some seek salvation as an end to mortal or egoic existence (usually in relation to suffering). Others seek it for the Bliss or joy it represents. Others, yet in order to share it with others. All of these are valid motivations. The only caveat is that rejection of life is contractive to our consciousness whereas Oneness with All necessarily is an expansion of consciousness. So the contractive part is equivalent to the emptying aspect of meditation.

Paramhansa Yogananda explained that the emptying experience precedes the filling of Divine Bliss. I've heard it said by other teachers that it is just the opposite: we get joy first, and then we transcend even that. Well, as Yogananda is my guru, naturally I "side" with him, but as my teacher, Swami Kriyananda puts it: who truly aspires to non-existence? Complete lack of feeling of any sort is equivalent to non-existence because feeling and consciousness are inextricably linked. So even logically and humanly speaking, Yogananda's promise of eternal joy in God is not only more attractive but it makes more sense. True, when a body dies, it would appear that the "end" of mortal existence is no-thing, but aren't appearances in this world deceiving?

Anyway I stray from the topic. A balanced form of meditation will focus on the emptying through methods of relaxation: yoga postures, energizing movements, diaphragmatic breathing and the like. This prepares the body-mind for expansion of consciousness using chanting, affirmation, visualization, and advanced pranayam practices such as kriya yoga.

However, transcendence comes through perfect stillness. It is not enough to "practice" meditation methods. When doing ceases, Being be-comes. Thus always leave time in your meditation sitting time to go beyond techniques of any kind and just BE. God in the Old Testament says "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." Few people interpret the "I" of I AM as pertaining equally to our higher and true Self.

Finally, I will toss my hat into the ring by saying that as much as I enjoy the emptying and the thrill of silence, I find greater awakening and joy when I also offer myself at the feet of Infinity, and especially in the form of my guru whose eyes and image and feeling of his Presence I can detect when I invite him lovingly into my heart.

Yogananda taught us to be life affirming, not life negating. Ok, ego-negating to some degree, especially as it relates to selfishness or self-indulgence in the senses, but more generally to invite God into the summer of our lives. This means, among other things, into the summer of our active lives, dedicated to high and ethical ideals and actions.

Meditation is the quest for Joy! Blessings, Nayaswami Hriman

There Ought to be a Revolution!

Years ago, probably in the 1940's, Paramhansa Yogananda, author of "Autobiography of a Yogi," and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship headquartered in Los Angeles, encountered difficulties with the Los Angeles Planning or Building Department. In the way people do, a small group that included Yogananda were complaining about government red tape. Someone pipped up and said, whether humorously or in frustration, "There ought to be a revolution!" Yogananda was quiet for a moment and then said calmly but with quiet conviction: "There WILL be a revolution."

I recently finished a book by David C. Korten, "Agenda for a New Economy: from Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth." In briefest summary it's about how and why America should dump Wall Street in favor of Main Street. America and the western countries, and truly most of the world, is faced with a large bank overdraft. We have overdrawn the balance in the account of natural resources, energy usage, fair trade of useful goods and services, fair wages, respect for differences in race, nation, culture, and religion and so much else.

The rubber band of over-indulgence is near to snapping. There ought indeed to be a revolution and I think there WILL be a revolution. Naturally, as a yogi, I hope it will be peaceful but, let's face it, the odds of that happening are slim to nothing. We've seen riots occur spontaneously in different countries when price spikes in food, or shortages in basic commodities take place, or when wages or hours are cut due to austerity measures. And these are small potatoes.

There need not be any violence if enough leaders and citizens shared a common vision of what's needed. And if any country can gather the will to make drastic changes, I think America, for all her many faults, can do its part. But it's going to take a lot more hardship before the political and cultural will rises to the challenge. We saw a glimmer of heartfelt national unity immediately after the 9-11 attack. It didn't last long but we saw and felt it. And so did other countries.

But what David Korten is describing, even if it is but a fraction of the large areas of human activiity that are in desparate need of radical change, requires the overthrow of powerful people and vested interests. As Gandhi and King knew firsthand, those in power do not relinquish it willingly. Bankrupting them would of course do it but what we've seen is the bailouts only made those who triggered the need for the bailout, richer.

Faced with such odds, the authentic thing for most of us is to turn our back on that which we cannot change. Let the "dead bury the dead." Let's start new and promising things: small and creative businesses, communities, sharing with others what we have learned and have.....creating, in short, community, in all its rich variety of forms.

We need to revolt from and break away from dependence on government handouts, and go on alone. A song, "Go on Alone," is something of Ananda's theme song. It takes courage to leave a career, a "good" job, a looming pension, a comfortable home but haven't thousands (or more) already been forced to give up these things already? Why cower in the darkness, hiding your head in the sand, hoping the sandstorm will pass over you and everything will be just like it was before? It won't! The mainstream news is not worth exposing yourself to.

It doesn't take a whole population to effect a revolution. Study any revolution, peaceful or otherwise. It's usually a statistically insignificant percentage of the population that ignites the movement! And I'm not talking about being AGAINST anything but FOR sustainable, community, balanced living. If enough people stop borrowing money to buy consumer goods, and begin living real lives with real people who share real values, the edifice of power and greed will tumble like the walls of Jericho!

America is the best place for this second American revolution. Many here may seem greedy, selfish, and self-indulgent, but I think that's mostly what we've had the luxury to do for a relatively short period (since WW2). In general, America still has vitality, drive, creativity, and, yes, even high ideals.

A part of this better half of America died with the last of 3 assassinations: Robert Kennedy's. The election of Richard Nixon marked a detour or turning point in losing touch with our ideals, however flawed they have always been in their implementation. The cynicism and distrust brought about what we saw in ourselves in Vietnam and in some of our citizens' public brutality and hate during the height of the civil rights movement exposed and wounded our national self-image. We descended into self-involvement and haven't stopped since.

But now the necessity to pull out of this drunken binge of galloping consumption and debt will be the saving grace of this country's creative vitality and ideals. We have to recognize the opportunity and seize it.

Everything is going to be turned on its head: religion, politics, construction, manufacturing, retail, farming, health......and on and on. The basic trend will be that the individual, and relatively small or smaller groups of people, will need and will seize the initative to implement changes. These will largely be outside government control or influence, though in some cases, in partnership. With the federal, state, and local governments crushed under their own debt, imagine the thousands (or is it millions) who will become unemployed? Lord help us if we stop waging wars: what will become of all the soldiers and their contractors?

Yes: a tsunami is heading our way. It mgiht seem far offshore and too small to notice but by the time you see it, it will be too late. Those who live a God-centered life and guided by grace and strengthened with Divine power, who step off the wheel of unsustainable living and do so in harmony with others of like mind will not only find greater fulfillment but can act as instruments to help many, many others: whether by example or directly.

I am not a pessimist. I am an optimist. I base these things on what Paramhansa Yogananda predicted before his death in 1952 and what my teacher, Swami Kriyananda, has warned audiences about for decades, and from what knowledgeable forecasters in all fields are saying, and what just makes good, common sense.

Blessings, Hriman