How Devotees Rise
Photo by Nayaswami Jyotish (View more art by Nayaswami Jyotish)
Purity of Heart
Reading and Affirmation for June
From the book The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning by Swami Kriyananda
Rays of One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the Bible and The Bhagavad Gita
How Devotees Rise
Truth is one and eternal. Realize oneness with it in your deathless Self, within. The following commentary is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
Last week we asked the question, Why do devotees fall? and we considered the downfall of Judas in this context. Jesus, in answer to Judas’s criticism for allowing Mary to rub his feet with spikenard, a very costly ointment, said, “The poor always ye have with you: but me ye have not always.”
Jesus is saying here that there is one supreme “injustice” that needs eradication: poverty, yes, but not of a material kind: poverty in a spiritual sense.
Divine blessings are not common in this world. They are extraordinary. When they come, we should give them priority above every other consideration.
Never allow a moment of inner joy, for instance, to be set aside for lesser “duties.” Divine attunement is our highest priority. As Lahiri Mahasaya, the guru of Yogananda’s guru, said, “To listen to the heart’s inner sound (AUM, which issues from the very center of our being) is man’s highest duty.”
Mary was not, at that moment, communing with the Master inwardly. She was serving him outwardly – but in a spirit very different from the restless fussing for which Jesus had reprimanded her sister, Martha. Those who see a radical difference between the paths of action and meditation should understand this distinction. To serve in the right spirit is necessary, for only thereby can we overcome our karmic tendencies toward restless activity. The important thing is that that spirit be always inwardly focused: that in everything we do we act in loving service to the Lord.
Therefore the Bhagavad Gita says in the third Chapter:
The state of freedom from action [that is, of eternal rest in the Spirit] cannot be achieved without action. No one, by mere renunciation and outward non-involvement, can attain perfection.
Whenever the spirit of God descends upon you, however, remember the words of Jesus, “Me ye have not always with you.”
Thus, through holy Scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
111. Demand to find God at any time, anywhere
Teach me, O Father, to find Thee in the cave of my heart, that I may walk with Thee everywhere. Teach me to hear Thee in silence, that I may hear Thy voice beneath outer noises. Teach me to find Thee in inner peace, that I may be with Thee calmly in the midst of outer tumult. Hubbub or silence, tumult or peace: I care not, so long as Thou wilt teach me to find Thee anywhere, at any time.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from The Beatitudes & The Rays of the One Light
To the devotee who loves God for Himself alone, the Lord reveals Himself at last, even to His deepest, most hidden mysteries.
We will take these sacred words into our meditation together for deep reflection and contemplation. But firstly, we will listen to some beautiful music by Swami Kriyananda, called “God's Call Within”
God's Call Within
Listen to God's Call Within
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflect
Meditate
Refection & Inspiration from The Beatitudes & The Rays of the One Light
For Today’s Reflection….
What came to me was, in order to rise to a higher level of consciousness, understanding and spiritual awareness, we must set out on a personal journey to love God for ourselves and to embrace Him alone, without the distractions of external influences. This truth inspired me to focus on the excerpt below from the Beatitudes.
To the devotee who loves God for Himself alone, the Lord reveals Himself at last, even to His deepest, most hidden mysteries.
So, how do we truly love God alone in our hearts and minds? How do we earnestly ask God to reveal himself to us in meaningful ways that speak to our hearts, allowing us to understand his presence and guidance in our lives?
In my morning meditations for Sushumna Chapel, which, at this time, isn’t available for the public yet… I have been spending over 6 months focusing on a prayer called “Demand that God reveal Himself” by Paramhansa Yogananda.
O Father, with the bursting language of my craving for Thee I pray to Thee: Reveal Thyself! I invoke Thee with soul-born prayers: Come! Show me Thyself as Thou art!
Alongside the prayer, I will also play the chant "Reveal Thyself" by Swami Kriyananda and take it into my meditation… There was one week during the 8 week online course that I delivered… During meditation, I was in contemplation, asking Divine Mother why I needed her to reveal herself to me, and what significance would her revealing herself, have in my spiritual and healing journey. Why was it so crucial for me to understand her presence in my life?
To help me understand my questions, I came across this passage below by Paramhansa Yogananda from his book The Divine Romance that I wanted to share with all…
A Loving Message for America
“It is easy to remember God in India, because there everybody talks of Him. Here, if you talk about God anywhere except in church on Sunday you are regarded as a fanatic! But America is advancing rapidly in spirituality. There is more understanding and desire for God here than in most other parts of the world. And I believe that a great blessing is going to come upon you. You must cultivate those qualities in your souls that will make all nations look up to you. The two most important commandments to be obeyed are these: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength….Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”² “Neighbor” means whoever is drawn into your path. When you have followed these two commandments, all others will be kept automatically.
He who is humble and loves God is the greatest of all. It is easy to rationalize and say that you have no time for God, but in your heart and in the background of your mind you can always pray unceasingly: “Reveal Thyself, come to me! Thou art my life.” Hold these thoughts no matter what you are doing. Whether struggling with a problem or enjoying some accomplishment, let God be ceaselessly in the background of your mind: “I love Thee alone, I seek Thee alone. Reveal Thyself.” Then God will come to you.
Thoughts are like the honeycomb; the love of God is the honey. If you are really sincere, God will come to drink the honey of your devotion from the honeycomb of your thoughts”.
That same week, I went to visit the park with my son and my nephew…. Whilst my son and nephew were playing on the hill, I sat on a bench in front of the pond and took a photo of myself, where a halo appeared around my head. In that moment, Divine Mother was revealing herself to me in the form of radiant light, which I was unaware at the time…. Because I was so in awe and shocked…
Here are some photos below…
Even when I walked the light would follow me…
Through my practice of prayer, meditation and chanting, expressing my love, having faith, calling on Divine Mother to reveal herself, which she appered to me through her light crowning me with her beautiful halo will be one of her many deepest mysteries, that I will never be able to comprehend and be ever grateful for….
I would like to conclude with some words by Paramhansa Yogananda
“Never go to sleep without meditating. Sleep you can have any time, but not God. Whenever people leave you alone, in the little gaps of time between duties, sit quietly and pray to Him: “Reveal Thyself. You are here; you can’t fool me. You are within me and all around me. I love You alone.” He will come to you, in clouds, in light, in faces—in all kinds of ways. God talks to His devotees through intuitive feeling, through friends, through lightwriting, and through a Voice heard within”.
Aum Peace Amen
Blessings & Love
Rev Dinah Pemberton