Ego – Friend or Foe?
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Where is the “Blessing” in Persecution 2?
Affirmation for September
by Swami Kriyananda
Rays of One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the Bible and The Bhagavad Gita
Ego – Friend or Foe?
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.
Jesus Christ begins his Beatitudes with the words:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
To be “poor in spirit” in such a way as to merit the kingdom of heaven doesn’t mean to be poor-spirited. Rather, it means to see oneself as owning nothing, since all belongs to God. For all is a manifestation of His consciousness.
St. John of the Cross wrote, “If you would own everything, seek to own nothing.” That which the ego relinquishes, offering it up to soul-consciousness, is reclaimed forever in cosmic consciousness. Nothing is ever lost. Paramhansa Yogananda tells the story in Autobiography of a Yogi of the levitating saint, Bhaduri Mahasaya.
“Master,” said a disciple of this saint once, ardently. “You are wonderful! You have renounced riches and comforts to seek God and teach us wisdom!” It was well-known that Bhaduri Mahasaya had forsaken great family wealth in his early childhood, when single-mindedly he entered the yogic path.
“You are reversing the case! The saint’s face held mild rebuke. “I have left a few paltry rupees, a few petty pleasures, for a cosmic empire of endless bliss. How then have I denied myself anything? I know the joy of sharing the treasure. Is that a sacrifice? The shortsighted worldly folk are verily the real renunciates! They relinquish an unparalleled divine possession for a poor handful of earthly toys!”
The Bhagavad Gita in the third Chapter states:
"All things are everywhere by Nature wrought
In interaction of the qualities.
The fool, cheated by self, thinks, ‘This I did’
And ‘That I wrought’; but – ah, thou strong-armed prince! –
A better-lessoned mind, knowing the play
Of visible things within the world of sense,
And how the qualities must qualify,
Standeth aloof even from his acts."
Thus, through holy Scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
179. Make us Transparent, that Thy Light may shine through us unimpeded
The sunbeams of Thy love shine equally on all the members of Thy cosmic family, whether prophet, hero, villain, tiny moth, or me. It is our own fault if we make ourselves opaque by our own mental and emotional dullness. Teach us to wipe away the dirt of error from the windows of our understanding.
Our arms are weak for the task, owing to our long inner spiritual resistance. O Master Cleanser, lend power to our efforts, that we may wipe away every last spot that clings to our minds, obscuring our transparency and preventing free entry to Thy light. Oh, make us fully clean again, invisible in our egos because transmitting only visions of Thy beauty, which lies within us.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from The Beautitudes
For only by placing truth above human opinions shall you attain wisdom.
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”
What Lightning Flash
Listen to What Lightning Flash
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflect
Meditate
Refection & Inspiration from The Rays of the One Light
Today I was inspired by “For only by placing truth above human opinions shall you attain wisdom” from the beatitudes.
I have always felt called to walk a path grounded in truth and integrity. To place truth above human opinions, I believe, is to transcend the ego and the influence of societal norms. Choosing instead to align oneself with a higher, unchanging reality that remains loyal, eternal and steadfast beyond the temporary conditions of this world.
Reflecting on my own life, there have been many times that I have practised this by rising above the ego and choosing to follow what feels right, even when it goes against the norm or what others might expect or think. It is in these blessed moments of courage, self-awareness, and clarity that I have observed true wisdom and when profound insights begin to unfold naturally for me.
Prayer
Divine Mother
May we always tune into the Divine Friend within each of us, with the tender curiosity to look within ourselves, not to blame or complain. But with accountability to seek the truth and wisdom that the most difficult times are often the ones we create for ourselves through our own thoughts and actions, not because of others.
With the tender presence of our kindness, may we trust in the journey of the vision of our inner beauty, of deeper truth, transcending the external and embracing the eternal light that guides our soul into the silence of the boundless divine grace.
Aum Peace Amen