Holy Spirit/Shekhinah (Shakti) is manifestation of God (Brahman) among mystics

[Guest guest]

, " semirafields "

<semirafields> wrote:

>

> Dear Danny and Jagbir,

>

> I found the following definition of non-duality, which is helping my

> understanding of this subject.

>

> It is inherent that there will be abuses in organisations and

> systems where duality is a factor, such as the Jewish conception of

> God as the Father, excluding the Mother aspect. It does not make

> sense and is unnatural to concentrate on one aspect only, excluding

> the other, as has been done for centuries in the organised

> religions. This is why I cannot see the Holy Spirit as 'feminine'

> only; surely the Spirit is both. It cannot consist of one aspect

> only.

>

 

Yes, Semira, it is true that mainstream religions like Judaism and

Christianity look upon God as a Father-figure, excluding the Mother

aspect. The feminine aspect has been suppressed for millennia, a

belief that was only kept alive by the gnostics/mystics. And you are

also right to say the Spirit is both.

 

However, it is the creative aspect of the Spirit that does everything,

from His Spirit hovering over the water (Genesis 1:2) ages ago during

creation to the granting of second birth and unraveling the mysteries

of the kingdom of heaven today:

 

" The disciples came up and said to Him: " Why speakest Thou to them in

parables? " And He answering them: " Because to you it is given to know

the mysteries of the kingdom of heavens, but to them it is not given " "

(Matthew 13:10-11; see also Mark 4:10-11; Luke 8:9-10.) " Many other

signs there fore also Jesus did before His disciples, which are not

written in this book " (John 20:30; see also 21:25.)

 

Semira, there are indeed " Many other signs there fore also Jesus did

before His disciples, which are not written in this book " . All you

need is to slowly grasp Shri Mataji's teachings which not only explain

the Savior's parables but synthesizes all religions into a wholesome,

harmonious and collective path.

 

i think Dan Costian makes a compelling case of this underlying unity

of all religions .................... that the Holy Spirit/Shekhinah

(Shakti) is the manifestation of God (Brahman). Those who seek the

mysteries of Shri Jesus' parables through rabbis/priests and salvation

through the synagogues/churches probably will not understand/believe

what Dan is talking about.

 

with love and best wishes,

 

 

jagbir

 

 

" The Shekhinah (=dwelling, resting; from shakan = to dwell) first

appeared in early rabbinic literature, referring to the divine

presence among the people in Israel. It occurs for the first time in

Targum Onkelos, an Aramaic translation-paraphrase of the Hebrew Bible

(1st-4th century CE.) Here, " God " is replaced by " Shekhinah " or " God's

Shekhinah. " For instance, Numbers 5:3 which says: " in the midst

whereof I dwell " became: " in the midst whereof My Shekhinah dwells. "

Some sources of the Babylon Talmud (B.T.) wrote about the intention of

God to dwell in the universe since the first day of creation; but that

became possible only after the construction of the Tabernacle where

His Shekhinah came to rest, as well as on Mount Sinai or, later, in

the Jewish Temple.

 

Thus, Shekhinah appears as the manifestation of God, which it is

possible to know as men. That could be characterised through some

peculiarities which perfectly agree with those we have mentioned in

the present work.

 

First of all, the Shekhinah fits well with the Spirit of God. Like it,

She (it is obviously a female noun) bestowed the divine grace upon the

Prophets. The Talmud claims that Shekhinah is All Pervading like God

Himself (B.T. Sanhedrin 39a.) Nevertheless, She was frequently

associated with specific places and persons (B.T. Shabbat 92a)

especially with the Prophets: Moses (B.T. Sotah 11a, 12b; Sanhedrin

11a; Yev, 62a; Shabbat 87a) and other outstanding personalities to

whom She granted the gift of prophecy (B.T. Yoma' 9b; Sanhedrin 11a;

15b.) She is said to rest only upon the righteous and depart from the

unworthy ones (B.T. Sotah 3b; Yoma' 22b; Pesahim 117 a; Sanhedrin

103b.) She also grants protection (B.T. Yev 48; shabbat 31a.) As in

the case of the Holy Ghost, the Shekhinah descends only when the

believers are gathered. Thus, when a quorum of ten men (Minyan) are

assembled in prayer (B.T. Berakhot 6a.)

 

Its form of manifestation reminds us of the Holy Spirit: fire ( " fire

that eats fire " : B.T. Yoma 21b), light, more radiant than the sun,

shining upon the righteous in heaven (B.T. Sanhedrin 39a; Hul. 60 a;

B.B. 10a), or even the vibrations of the sound (B.T. Hag. 15b; also

Lamentations Rabbah.) In the Targum, as in the Talmud, Midrash and

many medieval mystical texts, Shekhinah was equated with Kavod (=glory

of God), heir to the biblical " cloud of glory " that dwelt in the

sanctuary as a visible manifestation of God (Numbers 9-10.)

In the Talmud She is clearly associated with Ruah ha-Qodesh (=Holy

Spirit) (Joshua Abelson, The Immanence of God in Rabbinical

Literature, London 1912.) The demiurge character of Shekhinah is also

connected with the 13th century kabbalistic text of Zohar. The

creation is described as occurring through a series of Sefirot

(=emanations) that emerge from the Hidden God, who is Ein Sof

(=endless, infinite.) Thus, the Shekhinah is identified with the

feminine Malkhut (=kingdom.)

 

As a divine hypostasis, the Shekhinah emerged (in the 13th cent.) as

a " quasi-independent feminine element " within God, envisioned as a

Queen, Princess, Bride and Matrona (=Lady.) She comes after the ninth

emanation of God named Yeshod (=Foundation) (Gershom Scholem, On The

Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, New York, 1965.) The reader will easily

recognize here: the Avatars (or Sefirots, i.e. emanations), and Jesus

as the ninth Avatar (Yeshod connected directly with Yeshoda/Yeshu —

Krishna/Christ; see chapter. XIX B), while the following Avatar had to

be the incarnation of the Holy Spirit (Shekhinah), announcing the

tenth male Avatar of Vishnu as Kalki. At the same time Jesus is also

Ganesha who governs the Mooladhara (lit. " root of the support " , i.e.

the foundation.) According to Zohar, the Shekhinah is not only the

Daughter but also the Mother and thus She becomes a symbol of " eternal

womanhood. " As such She assumes countless images and names (apud.

Scholem.)

 

As in the case of the Virgin Mary from which originated a deep form of

popular worship, Scholem (Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, 1941;

reprint New York 1961) has shown that the concept of Shekhinah was not

only the most significant and lasting innovation of medieval

kabbalastic literature, but also responded to a " deep-seated religious

need " among the Jewish people maintaining its widespread popular

recognition. In his turn Arthur Green (Heschel, 1993) credits the fact

that Shekhinah as the feminine element of God came out of the

conviction that both Man and Women were created in the image of God.

As far as the popular devotion towards Shekhinah is concerned, it is

to report here that the traditional blessings: " Barukh attah Adonai "

(Blessed are Thou, O Lord) comes to be altered into " Barukh Yah

Shakhinah " (Blessed are Thou, Shekhinah) (apud Response; A

Contemporary Jewish Review, 1982, nos. 41-42.)

 

The infant Moses is depicted in the arms of an unnamed woman on the

wall of a third century synagogue in Dura-Europos (south-eastern

Syria.) Contrary to the opinion of Erwin R. Goodenough (Jewish Symbols

of the Graeco-Roman Period, New York 1964) that woman was not the

Iranian Goddess Anahita but rather the Shekhinah (Raphael Patai, The

Hebrew Goddesses, New York 1967.) Thus it becomes the earliest extant

representation of Shekhinah in a feminine physical form.

 

Last but not the least, it is worth mentioning that Patai and others

have compared the Shekhinah to the Virgin Mary, since both appear as

feminine manifestations that created a link between God and the

material world....

 

It should be pointed out from the very beginning the Scripture

distinguished between two kinds of baptism: the water baptism made by

John for repentance and the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire made

by Jesus which is the real baptism. Jesus received His Power through

the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Immediately after His baptism He

started working miracles.

 

While in the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus was asked by the chief

priests, the scribes and the elders: " By which authority doest Thou

these things and who gave Thee this authority, that Thou shouldest do

these things? " And Jesus answering said to them: " I also ask you one

thing . . . the baptism of John, was it of heaven or of men? " (Mark

11:27-30) The question received no reply.

 

The Saviour told His disciples: " Ye will receive power, the Holy

Spirit having come upon you " (Acts 1:8.) While waiting for the Day of

Pentecost, Jesus ordered them: " Do ye remain in the city till ye be

clothed with power from on high " (Luke 24:49.)

 

The ritual of the water baptism deviated from the Hebrew tradition of

the flesh sacrifice, in sign of the covenant made by Abraham with

God: " Every male among you be circumcised " (Genesis 17:10.)

The water immersion originated in India and it is still practised by

the Hindus as fervently as it was thousands of years ago. Manu's

second book of laws, dedicated to the sacraments, contained the

command of pouring holy water upon a new-born baby before cutting the

umbilical cord and of afterwards putting a mixture of honey, clarified

butter (ghee) and salt on his tongue with the help of a golden spoon

while mantras were being uttered. This practice is also in use

throughout India today. The Atharva-Veda says: " Whoever has not been

cleansed with the Ganges' water, will be subject to as many wanderings

as the number of years spent in the uncleanness " (the wanderings refer

to the punitive reincarnations of the spirit.)

 

The prophet Zechariah was known to baptize with water during the pre-

Christian period, when Darius ruled. During the same time, the water

baptism was also practised by the Essenes. But what made John's

baptism unique was that, beyond the immersion ritual, there was a

moral purification implied.

 

The water baptism performed by John was only " for repentance " : " He

came . . . preaching [the] baptism of repentance " (Luke 3:3; also

Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:4.) He said: " I indeed baptise you with water to

repentance, but He that comes after me shall baptise you with [the]

Holy Spirit and fire " (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; also Mark 1:8; John

1:33.)

 

Not only the Water element but also the Fire was known to have

cleansing powers. This is in current use with Hinduism and other

spiritual fields but also with the Old Testament. " I . . . will

thoroughly purge away thy dross and take away all thine alloy " (Isiah

1:25.) " I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine

them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried "

(Zechariah 13:9.) The conception of Purgatory, typical for the

catholic dogma, was based on it. Beyond this primitive level of

understanding the Bible, which has usually stopped at the literal

text, still had the deeper meaning of the Scripture; here, the fire

symbolises the Kundalini energy that is the expression of the Holy

Spirit.

 

The term " fire baptism " that is commonly used nowadays, originally

referred to the martyrdom of the Christians sent to death for their

belief. It was a substitute of the water baptism that they had not had

time to receive.

 

The sprinkling with water was mentioned in the Old Testament where God

said: " I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean;

from all your uncleanness will I cleanse you " (Ezekiel 36:25.) But not

only that: " I will put My Spirit within you " (Ezekiel 36:27; also Joel

2:28.) The position of Jesus towards baptism was strict since it could

not be devoid of the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Saviour

clearly delimited it from the water baptism made by John for

repentance. " For John indeed baptised with water, but ye shall be

baptised with the Holy Spirit after now not many days " (Acts 1:5;

11:16.)

 

Through this Christ actually announced the day of Pentecost. From the

fact that baptism granted power, it was beyond any doubt that the Holy

Spirit descended upon the baptized person. Or the later was called the

twice-born (dvija, in Sanskrit) or enlightened one (Buddha) in Yoga.

The state of Yoga, Self-Realization or the awakening (activation) of

Kundalini was thus obtained.

 

The Gospel of Philip (11:3) was not far from the same

interpretation: " Truth did not come into the world naked, but it came

in types and images. The world will not receive the truth in other

way. There is a rebirth and an image of rebirth. It is certainly

necessary to be born again through the image. Which one? Resurrection.

The image must rise through the image. The bridal chamber and the

image must enter through the image into the truth; this is the

restoration . . . The Lord [did] everything in a mystery, a baptism

and a chrism and an eucharist and a redemption and a bridal chamber "

(16:9-30) To make the concepts more clear, the gospel

continued: " Baptism is the 'holy building'. Redemption is the 'holy of

the holy'. 'The holy of the Holies' is the bridal chamber. Baptism

includes the resurrection [and the] redemption: the redemption [takes

place] in the bridal chamber. But the bridal chamber is in that which

is superior to [ . . .] " (69:22-29.) " Those called 'the holy of the

hollies' [ . . .] veil was rent [ . . .] bridal chamber except the

image [ . . .] above. Because of this its veil was rent from the top

to bottom. For it was fitting for some from below to go upwards " (6:34-

37; 70:1-4.) As previously shown (chapt. XX C4), the Sahasrara or the

Kingdom of heavens is nothing else other than the bridal chamber or

the holy of the holies that lies above all the other chakras; actually

above the entire body (the image is the subtle body; or sometimes

Kundalini) because it is on the top of the head. The rent of the veil

is the awakening (resurrection) of Kundalini (some from below — since

it is at the bottom of the spinal cord) to go upwards until it reaches

the Sahasrara. This is the redemption that occurs in the bridal

chamber. Here is the significance of the baptism that included the

resurrection and the redemption.

 

As opposed to Indian custom, the baptism of new-born babies was a

relatively late ritual in Christianity. Initially, it was done once a

year, before Easter, when the catechumen (the one which was called

up), who was preparing for the baptism had already fasted (hence

purified) for forty days. The ritual itself included a number of

exorcizing techniques, making the cross sign on the forehead and

putting salt in the mouth (the same as in the Indian ritual; see

above.) The priest blew over the candidate's face, touched his lips

and ears with saliva and put an ointment on his chest and back. On the

day of the third exorcism, the candidate said the Creed or Our Father

and then was completely immersed into a special pool. Many of those

practices are already frequently done by Yogis, i.e. those who have

had their Kundalini energy activated. When, however, literally taken

from the Scripture without a proper understanding and mechanically

applied by persons in whom Kundalini is not yet active, such

techniques are devoid of any meaning and value, just as it happens in

the ordinary baptism that has become an empty ritual. The breathing

over the face showed that the awakening of Kundalini was like breeze

or a breath felt, however, on the top of the head and in the centre of

the palms! The Lord's prayer is a powerful mantra to open the Agnya

chakra and the touching on the chest and back (on the chakras

actually) have the same purpose. But, when all these are done by a

person in whom Kundalini is still inactive, they have no effect at

all. It was Evdokimov (quoted work) who rightfully said: " The way will

only be opened through the baptism ex Spiritu Sancto. "

 

The way is the Sushumna and the opening implies the awakening of all

the chakras through the rising of the Kundalini.

 

The emerging out from the water (original cosmic matrix) after

immersion symbolises the second birth from which resulted a purified

being, connected to the divine source of new life. It is the

liberation from all earthly conditionings and the rebirth of the

spirit in a pure body. The Kundalini is the living water that Jesus

and the Gnostics told about.

 

With some Native American tribes, the second birth was connected to

the cult of Mother Earth. Smohalka, a native American prophet from the

Umatilla tribe, described the ritual where it was said: " Shall I ever

enter Her body again to be born again? " (Bala, Chetan, pp. 34-35.)

That was also the dilemma of Nicodemus, one of the leading Pharisees

who was told by Jesus: " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except any

one to be born anew he cannot see the Kingdom of God. " Nicodemus says

to Him: " How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second

time into the womb of his mother and be born? " (John 3:3-4) To which

Jesus replied: " Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, He

cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is

flesh; and that which is born of Spirit is spirit " (John 3:5-6.) The

Gospel of Philip says: " Spirit mingles with spirit, and thought

consorts with thoughts, and [light] shares [with light. If you

(sing.)] are born a human being, it is [the human being] who will love

you. If you become [a spirit], it is the spirit which will be joined

to you. If you become thought, it is thought which will mingle with

you. If you become light, it is light which will share with you.

(78:28-79:3.) Yogis become one with the Spirit (Atma), they become the

Spirit. This is only in this way that the Kundalini (manifestation of

the Holy Spirit) will encounter the Atma. The rebirth is the birth of

the Spirit, that is the enlightenment granted by the Kundalini, the

manifestation of the divine spirit. In order to remove any trace of

doubt about its significance, Jesus continued by mentioning the breeze

felt by everyone when the Kundalini has been awakened: " The wind blows

where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it

comes and where it goes; thus is every one that is born of the Spirit "

(John 3:8.) After which He reminded us that Moses lifted up the

serpent, that was a symbol of the raising of the Kundalini....

 

L. Heart wrote: " Kundalini has been protected against the curiosity of

the masses through a strict esotericism along centuries. Nevertheless,

thousands of pages would be needed to quote the initiary texts that

glorified it or to present the symbols used by art and architecture to

render it. "

 

Let us, however, mention the notable orientalist, Theofil Simenschy

(Cultura si filosofia indiana in texte si studii/Indian culture and

philosophy in texts and studies, Bibliotheca orientalists, Bucharest

1978, vol. I, p. 40): One drastically needs to be initiated by a

proper master in order to grasp the mystical teachings. This is the

reason why, most of the time, a European does not understand almost

anything from its esoterical (secret) teaching as we find it, for

instance, in the Upanishads or in the philosophy called Yoga "

Closer to us in time and space, Aristotle reserved his more special

doctrine to a couple of chosen disciples, one of whom was Alexander

the Great. Jesus Himself, as the Bible says, imparted secret doctrine

to His disciples only:

 

" The disciples came up and said to Him: " Why speakest Thou to them in

parables? " And He answering them: " Because to you it is given to know

the mysteries of the kingdom of heavens, but to them it is not given " "

(Matthew 13:10-11; see also Mark 4:10-11; Luke 8:9-10.) " Many other

signs there fore also Jesus did before His disciples, which are not

written in this book " (John 20:30; see also 21:25.)

 

It was frequently said that Jesus' words were not even understood by

the apostles themselves: " Peter answering said to Him: " Expound to us

this parable. " But He said: " Are ye also still without intelligence? " "

(Matthew 15:15-16; see also 16:9; Mark 4:22-24; 6:52; 7:18; 8:17,21;

9:10,32; 10:38; Luke 2:50; 9:45; 18:34; 24:25,45; John 10:6; 12:16.)

The New Testament epistles often mentioned the hidden things revealed

to the prophets, saints and apostles by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:3-

5,9; see also 1:9; 6:19; Romans 16:25; Corinthians 2:7; 4:1;

Colossians 1:26; 2:2; 4:3.)

 

A strict protection of the spiritual secrets would later characterise

the Christian church. Irenaeus (A 130-202) showed that the tradition

had not been conveyed by the written but by the spoken word and

implied the " mysterious secrets preached by the apostles to the

perfect ones, without the others to know " (Adversus Haeresis III 2.1;

3.1.) This was not, however an exclusive privilege since, according to

Origen (A.D.185-254): " The fact that certain doctrines are kept hidden

from the masses in order to be revealed only after the transmission of

the exoterical teachings, is not specific to the Christian religion

only " (Contra Celsum.) And Cyrill of Jerusalem (A.D. 315-380)

mentioned: " We do not openly speak about mysteries even in front of

the catechumens; we do often talk, however, about many things in a

covered way, so that those believers who know, should understand and

those who do not know, should not be shocked " (Catech. 6.29.) Pseudo-

Dionysius the Areopagite wrote in the 5th century: " See that none from

the non-initiated should hear these things " (Theologica mistica, 2.)

We can, by no means, guess at the mysteries preserved in the archives

of the famous and hardly accessible Vatican library. Very few people

have had the chance to reach them and even fewer have revealed what

they found. Many of them have taken these secrets to their graves. "

 

Dan Costian, Bible Enlightened,

Computex Graphics, 1995, p. 331.