The Nativity – A Beautiful Light Within

 

What has become of Christmas? With the true meaning lost within the busy quest for self-gratification, there is little time to read of study the real meaning of Christmas, yet our very survival on this planet depends on us elevating our hearts and soul to another level, one where ME becomes we….The soul of man today dwells in unrelenting noise that drowns out all contact with that blissful inner harmony that can only be found in inner silence. This inner and mystical silence wherein the purest spiritual state can be achieved is the Silent Night…”

 

beauty of the arts

The Nativity

In the Christian story of the “Nativity”, the King of Kings as the Son of God is born in a stable among the beasts of burden. This most noble and glorious of Beings is depicted as being born in the most lowly of abodes. His room is a manger fit for animals, his bed is made of straw, his source of heat is the very breath of the beasts that so very wilfully share their quarters with him. The stable is not a castle or a mansion. The Shepherds are not noblemen and there are no servants waiting on him. Why does this most glorious, exalted and long awaited wonderful event transpire through such humility, modesty and lowliness? Why this event is called the Silent Holy Night?

This image of the divine child is a most beautiful symbol revealing very profound principles and truths. The stable sheltering the beasts represents the material aspect of our beings as that which belongs to the body, form and matter. It is that which belongs to the physical self, which houses the animal appetites and the desires of the senses. It corresponds to that which is the lowest aspects of our being, that which binds us to the earth. Just as the blooming of the beautiful sacred lotus flower on the surface of the waters has its roots below the surface anchored in the mud underneath, so too our highest spiritual understanding is rooted in that which is the lowest in us.

The comforting warmth given off by the breath of the beasts is allegorical of the alchemical fire of the vital force resident within every cell in our body. It is this fire that incubates the divine child within us. The darkness of the Holy Night represents the unconscious mind that has begun to be illuminated by a star which the Magi seek to behold and follow to the manger. If we meditate on this beautiful picture of the kings of the East adoring the Divine Child, we realize a beautiful image. The stable is no longer perceived as something lowly when divinity has found abode within it. The radiance of this infant as the unfolding and birthing of a man-god reveals the consummation of the alchemical wedding of heaven and earth. What a beautiful and sacred temple our lowly stable has become as we realize a most wonderful presence within its simple and humble manger! What a blessed and sacred temple the body of man truly is!

The soul of man today dwells in unrelenting noise that drowns out all contact with that blissful inner harmony that can only be found in inner silence. This inner and mystical silence wherein the purest spiritual state can be achieved is the Silent Night. If we keep vigil, and we receive the higher grace of God, then we will become conscious of that Holy Night, where we will perceive the star of the Magi and follow it to its crib in the manger as the inner depths of our beings, and there behold the new born Divine Infant representing our birth into a new and higher spirituality. In this way we will realize our own divinity as our inner master reveals himself and manifests his light into the world.

Merry Christmas and All Best Wishes to all. ~ Steven Kalec

 

“I AM” – Inspirational Quotations

…

All that Krishna says of himself is true of us, or potentially true of us… We too are bound in time and space, but also ‘without beginning and without end’. We too have an ‘ordinary form’ and a ‘supreme form’, a concept spoken of by St Paul in terms of the ‘Body Terrestrial’ and the ‘Body Celestial’…

The beauty is when we dance with both, as Krishna does to the sublime music of his flute…

….

(¯”•.¸*♥♥♥* ¸.•”¯)
♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥¸¸.•*¨*¸.•*¨`*ི♥ྀღ

“It is only through silent awareness that our physical and mental nature can change. This change is completely spontaneous. If we make an effort to change we do no more than shift our attention from one level, from one thing, to another. We remain in a vicious circle. This only transfers energy from one point to another. It still leaves us oscillating between suffering and pleasure, each leading inevitably back to the other. Only living stillness, stillness without someone trying to be still, is capable of undoing the conditioning our biologoical, emotional and psychological nature has undergone. There is no controller, no selector, no personality making choices. In choiceless living the situation is given the freedom to unfold. You do not grasp one aspect over another for there is nobody to grasp. When you understand something and live it without being stuck to the formulation, what you have understood dissolves in your openness. In this silence change takes place of its own accord, the problem is resolved and duality ends. You are left in your glory where no one has understood and nothing has been understood.” ~ Jean Klein, “I Am”

….

(¯”•.¸*♥♥♥* ¸.•”¯)

….

Sri Yogananda told people before he died, “There’s nothing left of Yogananda, God only resides in this form..”  

….

The greatest romance is with the Infinite. You have no idea how beautiful life can be. When you suddenly find God everywhere, when He comes and talks to you and guides you, the romance of divine love has begun.

~ Paramahansa Yogananda

The Shirdi Sai Photo – Sathya Sai Memories Cont.

ღஜﾚo√乇♥ & GrATItUde ღ

Love in thought is truth.
Love in action is right conduct.
Love is understanding, is peace.
Love in feeling is non-violence.
Love is a bridge over the sea of change.
Do not build a house on it.

-Sathya Sai Baba

ღஜﾚo√乇♥ & GrATItUde ღ

Where there is Faith, there is Love;
Where there is Love, there is Peace;
Where there is Peace, there is Truth;
Where there is Truth, there is God;
Where there is God, there is Bliss.

-Sathya Sai Baba

A Silent Lesson from long ago.

Teachings are given in many different ways by Sai Baba. He often  ‘disguises’ his teaching lessons by changing his personal form,  from beloved Sai in an orange robe. to a  physical form we do not know! I have had this happen to me on 4-5 occassions. The ‘other’ ‘forms’ of Sai, are often strange or outlandish characters that one would not normally know or speak to. These characters appear to know everything about us. I find these experiences to be the most delightful of all the teachings that Sai gives to his devotees.

– Sathya Sai Memories

My Dutch friend and I were sitting together one morning in the old darshan area,   the time –  between darshan and bhajans. We both had our purses. They were allowed back then.

I  remember the experience clearly because it was a few days before my flight home. I had been clearing out my room in the ashram, given away my entire collection of Swami photos and posters. I had one more photo in my purse and a packet of vibuthi that I decided should go to my friend. Although I loved being with Swami, I did not see him as my guru, nor did I want to keep photos or vibuthi or any form of attachment to him.

My friend was reluctant to take the vibuthi and the photograph but as I insisted, she took them and put them away into her purse.

Bhajans began and the old mandir- darhsan area, filled with an enormous crowd of ladies.  At the end of the bhajans, Swami came out and blessed everyone, then if I remember correctly, he returned to his upstairs room in the temple. As soon as the signal was given for us to rise and leave the darshan area, the ladies rose altogether and scrambled to leave by the main entrance. The  horrendous rush caused chaos  up to and outside on the pathway. I had difficulty passing through without bumping into everyone…..

Once outside of the main gate, a little old lady dressed in white approached. She tugged at my arm, and when I tried to loosen myself, she grabbed my hand, placing a small photograph of Shirdi Sai Baba into my palm.

“You keep this,” she said.

I turned to her and motioned that I did not want a photograph. She looked at me in a pained way but  she  insisted I keep it. I remember her closing my fingers around the little photograph with much love. She gave me a beatific smile and disappeared back into the crowd.

I stood for a moment or two examining the photograph. When I turned it over, there was an interesting message on the other side.

“Look at me whole-heartedly and I, in turn, look at you similarly. Sitting in this Masjid, I speak the truth nothing but the truth. No Sadhanas, nor proficiency in the six Shastras are necessary. Have faith and confidence in your Guru. Believe fully, that Guru is the sole Actor and Doer. Blessed is he who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to Be Hari. (God).”

What a surprise to read such a  message and what shocked me more was the photo of Shirdi Sai now in my hand. The lady seemed to know how I felt and by giving me the photo, she’d indicated my lack of faith in Swami. This had to be clearly the case, for the message on the backside of the photo also seemed to be telling me as much. It  most likely was an  indirect message from Swami himself.

Some years later I found the very same message in the Shri Sai Satcharita on page 98. The message is incorporated in the story of one, Mrs. Radhabai Deshamukh, who visited Shirdi to be with  that earlier Sai Baba. She wanted Shirdi Sai to give her a mantra but he would not – and Shirdi Sai tells her during a long discussion how he himself, was not given a mantra only the unabated love of his guru.

Spiritual Experiences – Inspirational Quotations

¸.•*¨*¨Love`*•.¸¸

INNERVIEWS

WHAT ARE ‘innerviews’ or religious experiences? From what I gather there are as many different types of innerviews as there are people. Religious experiences are as old as mankind. The bible tells us of visions, revelations, dreams and other divine experiences, in which they have happened to the prophets. Moses for example, was looking after a flock of sheep when be noticed a bush on fire, but not burning.   Suddenly a voice spoke to Moses, telling him to take off his shoes because he was standing on Holy ground. Then God revealed himself to Moses as “I am who I am”. The Buddha, after much searching came to enlightenment during three nights of  contemplation. He saw his previous lives pass before him and had revealed to him the holy truths; the knowledge of suffering and the removal of suffering was also revealed to him. Jesus Christ was baptised in the river Jordan when suddenly a voice from above proclaimed, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased”.

Many Christian Saints have written down their religious experiences. Julian of Norwich, wrote with insight and vision of her religious experiences. This makes her a favourite today. Her expression “All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well”  is now a beloved phrase. In Lourdes, Bernadette Soubirous had an experience in which the Virgin Mary, revealed herself as ‘The Immaculate Conception,’ and promised Bernadette happiness in ‘the next world’. Bernadette, was to receive more messages from the apparition; one led to the miraculous discovery of water, and another, for a chapel to be built in the Grotto. Bernadette’s experiences were recorded and people from all over the world came to the small grotto in Lourdes, for healing. Today, it is a pilgrimage centre for Christians.

However, spiritual experiences are not exclusive to the prophets, saints, mystics or even the good. Religious experiences happen in all cultures and in all religions. Prophets, tell us time and again, to treasure our inner voice. ‘Innerviews are a spontaneous gifts of grace from the divine to his beloved children. We have chosen a few recorded innerviews or experiences, which we hope will inspire and delight the reader.Here they are:

¸.•*¨*¨Love`*•.¸¸

A MOMENT IN TIME

“A few years ago, I was feeling rather low and depressed. My life seemed to be falling to pieces around me. I was laying on my bed trying to make sense of it all, when suddenly I felt a light all around me. The next thing I was aware of, was being taken upward towards something of intense brightness. From the brightness, there appeared a figure and a voice said, “Go in peace and everything will be shown unto you.”

From that day forward, I have not worried over difficulties. I know I am guided and protected. I believe I always will be.”

-anon

¸.•*¨*¨Love`*•.¸¸

NECTAR OF THE GODS -Sathya Sai Baba’s Ashram – 1991

“During a lengthy stay in Sai Baba’s ashram in 1991, I devoted extensive time to meditation. I rose  at dawn to attend morning chants  in the Mandir. (Temple).  Afterwards, I would join the lines for darshan and remain in the Mandir compound until after bhajans. My morning austerities would end with a steep climb up the hill leading to the meditation tree. There, I would sit for around 15 minutes enjoying the peace and the gentle cooling breeze. This routine lasted for weeks. I never felt tired or hungry. On the contrary I felt elated. The elation increased as the weeks passed by, my often nervous nature disappeared and for the rest of my trip, I became utterly at peace with myself and others.

Towards the end of my visit, I  sat for some time under the meditation tree. On one particular morning,  I heard an inner voice say:  “Stay always sweet – remember sweetness is the nectar of the Gods.”I am sure it was not my imagination playing tricks, because the phrase ‘nectar of the Gods,’ was unknown to me.”

– family member

¸.•*¨*¨Love`*•.¸¸

ALL WILL BE WELL Heidelberg, Germany, 1973

“At birth, my daughter was two months premature. The doctors had only let me see her for a few seconds before she was rushed off to intensive care and placed in an incubator. The doctors told me that her chances for survival, were not good. I was given a room by myself to recover from the shock of her birth. The little room was dark, dingy and cold. I remember feeling incredibly lonely and afraid. Suddenly, the room became filled with a presence. It was not a single presence but many. I don’t know how to describe accurately what actually happened – but the presence seemed to be  sending me waves of love and peace. I fell asleep within seconds. I knew I was being looked after and everything would be well. It was!”

-friend’s experience

ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE

“For many years I kept African Violets. They were my favourite house plants. One day, I was admiring one that had made a remarkable recovery from over watering.Mentally, I began to talk to it. Suddenly, I became aware of a tremendous feeling of love flowing from the plant to me! In fact, I felt that I became the plant, and it became me and that we both were one with the universe! It was a beautiful feeling. I suppose I can only describe it as a deep peace. The feeling only lasted for a few seconds, but was like nothing else I have ever experienced.”

-Meg Maxwell and Verena Tschudin from “Seeing The Invisible” *

Meg Maxwell and Verena Tscgydin have written an excellent book on the subject of religious experiences. The book title is ‘Seeing The Invisible’ and is available in the New Age section of any large book sellers. The sale proceeds of the book go to the Alister Hardy Research Centre, which has in it’s archives, more than 5,000 personal letters, collected over 20 years.

“Silence” – Inspirational Quotations

our family photos (lol

a few of our family photos

“If you want to be happy, learn to live alone and to be  comfortable with yourself. Plunge into introspection about every experience that has  a meaning to you – good books,  problem solving , religion, philosophy and inner happiness. Contented, self-chosen, habitual seclusion is the price of real happiness. When you are forced into a crowd of talkers, retire within the cell of your deep thoughts and enjoy the peace of your inner  of silence.”

-Sri Yogananda

 

“We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the  soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and a particle is equally related; the eternal ONE.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson–Over Soul

“I wish to remain in the Silence with the sunlight steaming in

never alone –

ever in the presence of

the lover within all lovers

who lives within

after every other lover leaves.

-Thank You!

-Rumi

and last but not least one of my favourite quotes:

“The less you talk, the more will become your mental power. With the increase in your mental capacity, there will be increase in your power of discrimination too. Consequently, you will give up “individual discrimination”. Because of this, you will begin to consider ‘the good of the world at large’ rather than your own individual welfare.For when the world suffers, you too, suffer. You must cultivate such broad feelings from a young age.”

[Ref:Bhagavan’s discourse at Brindavan May 24, 1992]

Om hari Om – hari, hari, Om.

A Silent Lesson – Sathya Sai Memories Cont.

A Silent Lesson

Teachings are given in many different ways by Sai Baba. He often  ‘disguises’ his teaching lessons by changing his personal form,  from beloved Sai to one we do not know! I have had this happen to me on 4-5 occassions. The ‘other’ ‘forms’ of Sai, are often strange or outlandish characters that one would not normally know or speak to. These characters appear to know everything about us. I find these experiences to be the most delightful of all the teaching experiences Sai gives.

– SathyaSai Memories

My Dutch friend and I were sitting together one morning in the old darshan area,   the time –  between darshan and bhajans. We both had our purses. They were allowed back then.

I  remember the experience clearly because it was a few days before my flight home. I had been clearing out my room in the ashram, given away my entire collection of Swami photos and posters. I had one more photo in my purse and a packet of vibuthi that I decided should go to my friend. Although I loved being with Swami, I did not see him as my guru, nor did I want to keep photos or vibuthi or any form of attachment to him.

My friend was reluctant to take the vibuthi and the photograph but as I insisted, she took them and put them away into her purse.

Bhajans began and the old mandir- darhsan area, filled with an enormous crowd of ladies.  At the end of the bhajans, Swami came out and blessed everyone, then if I remember correctly, he returned to his upstairs room in the temple. As soon as the signal was given for us to rise and leave the darshan area, the ladies rose altogether and scrambled to leave by the main gate. The  horrendous rush caused chaos outside the gate. It was difficult to pass through without bumping into everyone…..

Once outside of the gate, a little old lady dressed in white approached. She tugged at my arm, and when I tried to loosen myself, she grabbed my hand, placing a small photograph of Shirdi Sai Baba into my palm.

“You keep this,” she said.

I turned to her and motioned that I did not want a photograph. She looked at me in a pained way but insisted I keep it. I remember her closing my fingers around the little photograph with much love. She gave me a beatific smile and disappeared back into the crowd.

I stood for a moment or two examining the photograph. When I turned it over, there was an interesting message on the other side.

“Look at me whole-heartedly and I, in turn, look at you similarly. Sitting in this Masjid, I speak the truth nothing but the truth. No Sadhanas, nor proficiency in the six Shastras are necessary. Have faith and confidence in your Guru. Believe fully, that Guru is the sole Actor and Doer. Blessed is he who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to Be Hari. (God).”

What a surprise to read such a  message and what shocked me more was the photo of Shirdi Sai. The lady seemed to know how I felt and, by giving me the photo, she’d indicated my lack of faith in Swami. This had to be clearly the case, for the message on the backside of the photo also seemed to be telling me as much. It  most likely was an  indirect message from Swami himself.

Some years later I found the very same message in the Shri Sai Satcharita on page 98. The message is incorporated in the story of one, Mrs. Radhabai Deshamukh, who visited Shirdi to be with Sai Baba. She wanted Shirdi Sai to give her a mantra but he would not – and Shirdi Sai tells her during a long discussion how he himself, was not given a mantra only the unabated love of his guru.

Shirdi Sai photo – courtesy of The Internet.

The above picture was contributed by Sai Devotee Vengalam Praveen Reddy at the University of Dallas, USA.

The picture is claimed to have been sketched/taken the day before Baba’s samadhi though there is no supporting material.

Says Praveen,

“I could get this picture accidently when some one gave the picture for development in some picture lab and I was there when the person came to collect it. I requested and got a copy of that.”