Many Are the Pathways to Truth
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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
Many Are the Pathways to Truth
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.
On the dedication page of Swami Kriyananda’s book The Path appears the following account:
A group of Paramhansa Yogananda’s disciples had gone with him to see a movie about the life of Gyandev, a great saint of medieval India. Afterwards they gathered and listened to the Master explain certain, subtler, aspects of that inspiring story. A young man in the group mentioned another film he had seen years earlier, in India, about the life of Mirabai, a famous woman saint.
“If you’d seen that movie,” he exclaimed, “you wouldn’t even have liked this one!”
The Guru rebuked him. “Why make such comparisons? The lives of great saints manifest in various ways the same, one God.”
The Bible contains a similar account in the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 9:
And John…said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
The more central a truth, the greater the number of contexts in which it can be applied. Truth is like a pure white light, containing within itself the full spectrum of the rainbow.
Let no one tell you what your path to God ought to be. Many are The Paths. Select your own according to the dictates of your own nature, no matter how out of step that puts you with other people.
Sri Krishna in the third Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, states:
Trying even unsuccessfully to fulfill one’s own spiritual duty (dharma) is better than pursuing successfully the duties of others. Better death itself in the pursuance of one’s own duties. The pursuance of another’s duties is fraught with (spiritual) danger.
Thus, through holy Scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
I will broadcast my Voice with the Chorus of Thy Songs
With the soft finger-touches of my soul-intuition, I tuned the radio of my inner perception. At first I caught only the sounds of nearby experience. Then came a symphony of inner harmony, followed by sweet strains from my heart’s orchestra of finer feelings. And then came the swelling chorus of my age-long cravings for Thee. All these I caught on the radio of my soul as I kept tuning my perception, waiting to catch the whispers of Thy voice, O Guardian Angel of all souls!
With infinite patience I went on tuning my radio. At last, when I was almost prepared to give up further trying, Thy song burst upon my heart. Oh! let me broadcast through my every word, now, the chorus of Thy songs.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from The Rays of One Light
And John…said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
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 Paramhansa Yogananda, “What Lightning Flash”.
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
Peace Sangha
Today, I was inspired by the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 9, from
The Rays of the One Light
And John…said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
Luke 9:49–50
I wanted to share with you an experience from this week that I believe resonates wth today’s message.
I encountered a man struggling with his mental health. As he entered the space I was in, speaking loudly, everyone fell silent and eventually left. But strangely, I stayed, as I never felt afraid.
He began speaking to me about Jesus, as he was smoking, he began choking, saying that he was going to stop. People watched, surprised that I was talking with him.
As a child, I always sensed something special and spiritual in those who struggled with mental health. I would feel sorry for them. As I got older, my analogy was proven to be right. As I learned through life and through studies, I began to see that there is a thin line between mental health and spirituality.
There was a moment when he shouted at me because I asked him what did he like about Jesus. I remained calm and simply radiated love toward him, and listened as I believed Jesus would have. He paused, apologised, and said, "I’m going to be calm now and left." I remember sitting alone with everyone gone, giving thanks.
I could feel God’s presence so strongly. In that moment, I realised God was showing me my own strength, something I often feel others don’t see in me.
Five minutes later, he returned and said he was going home. I smiled and asked, "Are you going to behave now?" He laughed, said yes, and left.
This verse speaks deeply to my experience. I never judged him. He came into the space that I was in, and in his own way, cast out devils. Everyone fled, but I remained. He brought Jesus into that moment, and through that sacred presence, I saw him not as someone against us, but as someone quietly aligned with Jesus, a Divine Child of God.
Through him, I learned not to judge myself. I saw my own strength reflected in that moment, and I was reminded that I am indeed strong and I am a Divine Child of God, too. For this, I am deeply grateful.
God Bless you all.
Aum Peace Amen