If ever in recent years has the need to purify ourselves to become
more Christ-like, this is certainly it. The world we live in is so connected
that who can hide, and why would they? If spiritual awakening includes a
growing awareness of the totality of reality (and the hidden, divine essence of
all things), then our hearts should be expanding and sharing.
Yogis and other traditions teach us to face east for meditation.
Also: to meditate at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight. And, other subtle
"tricks" as well. Even if I cannot say definitively how much these
tricks add to the depth of meditation I can say for sure that I need all the
help I can get!
So it is with the Winter Solstice season: the annual period of
outer darkness is ideal for seeking the light within, where, in fact, it can
always be found. Whatever month Jesus Christ was actually born in is not the
real point. The inner, Christ-light of our innate divinity is always born in
the humble manager of our softened heart.
There is a universally accessible "worm-hole" of divine
consciousness that descends during this darkest season. In the Bhagavad Gita
Krishna says, "To the yogi, day is night while to the worldly man, night
is day." What this means is that material consciousness that attaches such
value to possessions, sense experiences, and ego recognition is like a
smothering, dark fog to the soul. By contrast, the state of humility, devotion,
and openness is anathema, like darkness, to the ego.
So when the outer light of the sun is partially obscured, the
inner light of the soul can be more easily seen with the "third eye"
of intuition (in meditation, at the point between the eyebrows). There the
light, like a 1,000 million suns, can appear. This is the light that gives
light to the outer world.
This time of year is the time for reflection and deeper
meditation. The world around us does not tug as persistently upon the sleeve of
our attention. (I find it interesting, however, that the world of egos has
created such "buzz" and frenetic activity around Christmas in a
desperate attempt to eclipse the soul's more natural inclination to go inward.)
Paramhansa Yogananda did not spurn the joyful and social aspects
of Christmas. He enjoyed giving gifts, singing carols, and having a Christmas
banquet. Rather than put the one thing "down," he added a day-long
meditation as the true, and spiritual Christmas.
The Ananda communities throughout the world have continued this
tradition. In the beginning, Yogananda (his disciples addressed him as
"Master" in the way Christ's disciples did: master of himself!) held
the 8-hour meditation on Christmas Eve. But this made it difficult for the
disciples in his ashram to prepare the Christmas banquet (which took all
night).
So Master moved the meditation day back to December 23. Some
Ananda Communities continue this latter tradition; others, like Seattle, hold
the Christmas meditation on the Saturday preceding Christmas Day. For 2015, for
example, the Christmas Meditation takes place on December 19, from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. at the Ananda Meditation Temple in Bothell. (www.AnandaWA.org)
Don't see this meditation as a standalone feature of Christmas.
NOW is the time to prepare yourself to receive the blessings of the Christmas /
Solstice season. Here are some tips to spiritualize your holidays:
1.
Get
up a little earlier each morning to sit in prayer and meditation. The amount of
time is less important than the heartfelt effort.
2.
Take
time, at least once, during the day to pause, internalize, pray and be still.
Jesus may have been born in a humble stable long ago, but the Christ (immanent
in each atom of creation) can be born in your heart at any moment, and indeed,
in every moment.
3.
At
night or at the same time every day, offer prayers for peace, sending
vibrations of peace to loving hearts yearning for peace and willing to be
peaceful "warriors" standing up for the light in the face of
darkness, crises, and troubles. The Christ light needs lightbearers to combat
the darkness of our times.
4.
One
day a week do a fast. Some can do a water fast; others should do a juice fast
(using ground almonds for protein); others, yet can fast until lunch, eating
raw or freshly cooked food for lunch; skip or repeat same for dinner. Fasting
is not only extremely healthy for your body, but see it more as a deliberate
act of will: an affirmation of your soul's freedom from bodily imperatives;
and, finally, as an act of sacrifice to help others. Good for the body; good
for the soul! [For some, simply fasting from sweets or junk or processed foods
one day a week would be a victory in itself. Choose your weapon, make sure you
know how to use it, and then enter the fray!]
5.
There's
only a few weeks before the Christmas meditation day. Begin lengthening your
meditation periods or at least do a two to three hour meditation once a week. I
have a handout we use for "How to take Longer Meditations" I can send
you: let me know.
6.
Your
gift-giving is important but let it be from your heart. Money is not the
measure of value. Goodwill is. Let your gift be something you feel good about
giving and let it be not merely a thing, but a container of soul joy: heart to
heart. It need not be overtly "spiritual."
7.
Let
your Christmas spirit flow out in practical ways: at work; at school; in your
neighborhood, church, and while shopping. Give the precious gift of your smile
to all (when "safe" to do so, of course!). Good deeds, especially
unseen by others, are precious to the living Christ in your heart.
8.
Visualize
the infant Christ resting in the cradle, the manger, of your own softened
heart. Do this anytime and all the time! Expand this to see the infant in the
hearts of others.
Remember:
it is not a coincidence that down through the centuries acts of kindness and
devotion are received or felt by all, even those who otherwise never express or
feel the same during the rest of the year. The "Christmas Carol" by
Charles Dickens pays silent homage to this reality. Dive deep and consciously,
therefore, into the darkness of the solstice to discover the candle light of
Christ within you and within all. Nurture that infant light by devotion,
kindness and goodwill, and by meditation upon the inner light. It will grow and
will light your life far beyond the solstice time.
May
the light of Christ shine within you,
Nayaswami
Hriman
