“The ultimate goal is to realize that the body, and all else in this universe, is essentially Spirit. The ordinary man is not aware of this. Jesus the Christ was.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
Happy Sunday!
Last Sunday a loved one told me “Jesus is not dynamic”. In my mind I fully disagreed with this idea but I didn’t make any argument.
First, I wanted to say in reply, “well I’ll tell him that when I speak with him later”. I know Jesus lives.
Next, knowing my loved one is currently into the Bible, I thought of all the saints and revelations that have come to people from Jesus in the last 2000 years. The devotions to the Sacred Heart came from Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque encounters with Jesus in the 1600s. There are so many humans who have had encounters with Jesus – Saints and common seekers (like me). ‘A Course in Miracles’ is a major example of this.
Next I thought about how Abraham says we are the leading edge of evolution so, how could Jesus not be dynamic if ALL is expanding?
This conflict in my mind caused me to seek out Yogananda (as I mentioned last Sunday) as I felt he was a great example of an alternate view of Jesus away from the Bible. My search prompted me to start on daily lessons in devotion from the webpage yogananda.com.au. I also began reading a book I ordered in August, “Revelations of Christ: Proclaimed by Paramhansa Yogonanda by His Disciple Swami Kriyananda”. (I don’t remember why I order the book back in August in the midst of my Sacred Heart revelation … another miracle of preparation!)
I learned things I didn’t know about Yogananda from these two sources.
When I read “Autobiography of a Yogi” a few years ago it opened for me the belief that everything is possible in God. It also brought me great admiration for the strength of Faith and Belief in other cultures around the Earth. I recall Yogananda writing of the teachings and miracles of his Gurus but not so much about himself. This week I learned more of Yogananda and that his teachings were devoted to clarifying the teachings of Jesus Christ. He came to the west to profess the Truth of Christ’s lessons as a person from outside of Christianity.
I am barely 10% into the book and lessons of the webpage but am learning that Yogananda was a great Saint and mystic like his Gurus and the Saints of Catholicism.
I am also awe-struck as I recognize Jesus has sent Yogananda to me to be my guide in this path of understanding and devotion to Christ that I have requested. I recognize that I hold blocks to reading and understanding the teachings of Jesus directly from the Bible. My mind will question it all because I believe that many words of Jesus were altered to suit dogma and doctrine of religions over the past two millennia.
I learned from what I read this week is that there is just one Truth. That every mystic and Saint speaks the same Truth and that Jesus was the Truth manifested into man by God so that we are given a chance to hear and choose to turn back toward God.
I stand corrected. There is only one Truth.
Jesus teaches us that Truth. In this way I can see he is not dynamic.
But, my experience of Jesus is dynamic because he never lets up on bringing me the piece of the lesson I am ready to grasp.
I asked to walk the path of devotion.
I ask to understand.
Truth, the way of salvation, is the biggest lesson to learn. I am so very grateful that God is giving me the teachers to help me through my lessons.
Lord Jesus, back in August I accepted your heart. And I accepted your hand in leading me. Thank you for sticking with me even though my attention may shift from you as I go through my human life. I am so grateful to reflect each Sunday and see the continuity of your Love for me.
It feels really good to feel corrected. I did not understand why when I began writing this. I think it has to do with feeling more connected. It felt really good to tell my loved one he was right and feel re-connected to him. My heart feels good so I think my connection to God has improved by this experience.
So It Is.
”Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” ~ Matthew 7:7