The Holy Spirit and the Light [En'light'enment]

[Guest guest]

(HSS) New Heading #8

The Holy Spirit and the Light [En'light'enment]

 

 

 

8. / Heading

 

 

The Holy Spirit and the Light [En'light'enment]

 

Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me.

 

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

 

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I

Have loved long since, and lost awhile!

 

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,

Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.

To rest forever after earthly strife

In the calm light of everlasting life.

 

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/a/leadkind.htm

 

 

In the beginning was the Word [the Omkara of the Adi Shakti] and the Word was

with God [God the Father] and the Word was God [God the Mother]. She was in the

beginning with God. All things came into being by Her, and apart from Her

nothing came into being that has come into being. In Her was Life and the Life

was the Light of men. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did

not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)

 

Shri Mataji explains about the Omkara of the Adi Shakti:

 

" Christians have to rise above this Christianity and have to understand that

it's such a great thing that Christ came on this earth as the incarnation of the

principle of Ganesha. Ganesha becoming Mahavishnu is a very big thing, which one

should try to understand. Ganesha is the Son of Shiva. Shri Ganesha is the first

one who was created before anything, any atmosphere, anything, because He [shri

Ganesha] is the Omkara and the Omkara is the first breaking [away] of Adi Shakti

from Shiva, that sound of Omkara. From there started Omkara and He is the one

who is the embodiment of that Omkara. So the " Sound " is Shri Ganesh; [it] is His

power that was created first, as the foremost thing, just to create Holiness.

" Pradakshna " [is] this holiness [that] was created. Pradakshna [Holiness] was

created and then everything was created in the Sea of that Holiness. " ((Shri

Mataji Nirmala Devi – Christmas Puja, Ganapatipule, India – 25/12/90)

 

She says that human beings do not need to remain in the darkness of spiritual

ignorance, but that the Holy Spirit can awaken within them and enlighten every

area of their lives:

 

" Reality and truth are not products of rational or linear thinking. They are

derived from absolute wisdom as it manifests itself spontaneously, coming from

the light of the Spirit. The truth is that the Spirit is the reflection of God

Almighty in our heart. Only after Self-Realisation [the Baptism of the Holy

Spirit] is there a direct experience of the Spirit. It then manifests its powers

in the human personality and its light enlightens the consciousness into a new

awareness. The divine intelligence of the Spirit radiates on all sides. It does

not have a linear movement like rational thinking. It is not partial,

tendentious or manipulative, but is simply like the rays of the sun. It

enlightens every area of darkness and ignorance. The power of the glowing

reality radiates from the Spirit on all sides and penetrates into all the

deepest questions and problems. The power of the Spirit is unlimited and it

continues enlightening every area, even the most difficult and obscure. There is

no question of it reaching a point where it must recoil and lead the mind into

confusion and error, as the linear consciousness inevitably does. On the

contrary, it enlightens wherever one's attention goes, and one sees reality with

complete clarity in a balanced and tangible way. That is because reality is what

it is. Unlike the limited ego (blind consciousness), the Spirit neither wishes

nor needs to manipulate any idea to fit in with rational projections, to suit

the demands of an argument or of some mental construction. The trouble is that

truth cannot compromise. It stands on its [own] foundations of deep, pure love. "

(Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Book, Meta Modern Era – 29 September 1995)

 

Christ spoke about the Light in Himself that enlightens every man. He came to

give that Light. If anyone wanted to have their enlightenment, He would give it

to them:

 

" I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness,

but shall have the light of life. " (Christ Jesus – John 8:12)

 

John the Baptist confirmed that in Christ was the true light of God:

 

" There was the true light which coming into the world, enlightens every man. "

(John 1:9)

 

According to Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, this light of God can be passed on to

others. She says that if one candle is lit, it can light other candles:

 

" It's like one candle which is enlightened, can enlighten many candles. It's

like that. If you get that awakening, you can awaken thousands. " (Shri Mataji

Nirmala Devi- Interview on Liberty Radio - London, England – 12 July 1999)

 

However, Shri Mataji says that a candle cannot light itself, but needs another

candle, which is already lit, to light it:

 

" A candle which is not enlightened cannot get enlightened by itself. So, you

have to go to a person who is enlightened. " (Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi –

Interview on Liberty Radio – London, England – 12 July 1999)

 

Christ Jesus passed on this enlightenment, to those who received Him:

 

" But as many as received Him (Christ Jesus), to them He gave the right to become

children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of

blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. " (John

1:9; 13)

 

And Jesus cried out and said: " He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but

in Him who sent Me. And he who beholds Me, beholds the One who sent Me. I have

come as light [enlightenment] into the world, that everyone who believes in Me

may not remain in darkness. (Christ Jesus - John 12: 44-46)

 

Jesus therefore said to them [the multitude]: " For a little while longer the

Light [of God] is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may

not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

While you have the Light, believe in the light in order that you may become

children of Light. " (John 12:35-36a)

 

Shri Mataji says that only if we allow our Spirit to fulfil its own nature and

character, will the Spirit manifest in us:

 

" If you do not allow your Spirit to fulfil its own nature and its own character,

the Spirit is not going to manifest itself. So you are the vehicle. You are the

lamp, you can say, as far as the body and mind are concerned. But this light of

the Spirit, if it has to manifest, then it has to be of a very unique type,

which emits all its light outside and gives light to others. And this

light-giving quality you have to improve gradually. You'll be surprised, only if

you will try in your life, in your relationships, in your endeavours, to give

light to others, to make their lives better, not to show off or to be

egotistical, but to be loving… you will really understand that you are the

Spirit because the Spirit loves… and in love you are forgiving… Not to forgive

is difficult, but to forgive is best. At least when you forgive, there is no

headache for you. " (Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi - Diwali Puja Synopsis – Cabella,

Italy – 10 November 1991)

 

In fact, Shri Mataji says that until the Spirit is awakened within, religion

cannot really be absorbed or established:

 

" Until the Spirit is awakened, no religion can be absorbed or established within

us. It just cannot be imbibed. It remains on the outside and when it is on the

outside, it moves away from a balance. People either become power oriented or

money oriented. They do not move toward the Spirit; they are not

" Spirit-oriented " . When the light of the Spirit comes, then at once human beings

discover this (Self} principle established within. For this, human beings do not

have to make any effort. [it happens] spontaneously. (Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi –

Birthday Puja Synopsis – Delhi, India – 21 March 1992)

 

The Psalmist in the Bible, sings about the Lord being his light and salvation:

 

" The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the

defense of my life. Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my

flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host

encamps against me, my heart will not fear. Though war arises against me,

inspite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the Lord that

I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in Her temple [within]. For in

the day of trouble, She will conceal me in Her tabernacle; in the secret place

of Her tent She will hide me. She will lift me up on a Rock, and now my Head

will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in Her Tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing! Yes, I will sing praises to the

Lord! " (Psalms 27:1-6)

 

Now the Lord is the [Holy] Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is [awakened

within] there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

 

[spiritual understanding and gender emphasis based upon Shri Mataji's teachings]