Ego – Friend or Foe?
Beatitude 9
Affirmation for September
by Swami Kriyananda
From the book The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning by Swami Kriyananda
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.
Inspiration from the Rays of One Light
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3
We will take these meaningful words into our meditation together for deep reflection and contemplation. But firstly, we will listen to the beautiful Psalm of David, sung by Mary Kretzmann.
Psalm of David
Listen to the Psalm of David
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflection from the Rays of the One Light
Peace Sangha
This week, I was moved by the words of Matthew 5:3 from the Rays of the One Light.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Here is a poem I created called “The Door into God’s Heart.”.
The Door into God’s Heart
The door into God’s heart
Empty enough to receive
The blessing is not weakness
Trusting that Love alone is enough
In that simplicity
Divine Mother reveals herself
The Divine exchange
Openness, healing, love and divine light
A space for peace to grow in the light
Aum Peace Amen
