The Birth of Jesus and the Adoration of the Three Wise Men - Discourse 3

[Guest guest]

The Birth of Jesus and the Adoration of the Three Wise Men - Part 1

 

Spiritual Celebration of Jesus' Birth

Communion With the Infinite Christ in Meditation

 

Jesus' Connection With India

Through the " Wise Men From the East "

 

The Spiritual Eyes: True " Star in the East "

 

Infinite Power Manifested in the Little Babe Jesus

 

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" Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to

all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which

is Christ the Lord. "

 

(p.54) To simple persons, pure in heart, God sometimes proclaims a message or

event of import to the masses. Such revelations have been well documented and

attested to: for example, the visions of Saint Bernadette that brought forth the

miraculous healing waters at Lourdes, which have benefited generations since;

and the prophecies of Fatima conveyed to three peasant children, confirmed by a

phenomenon witnessed by thousands when the heavens seemed to open and the sun

appeared to hurtle toward earth. And one whose authenticity I personally

witnessed, the testament of the holy Bavarian peasant Therese Neumann, who

relives in vision the life of Christ and bears on her own body the marks of his

crucifixion. Perhaps the Lord wisely concludes that astounding news might be

better received by the common man if conveyed through one (or a few) of their

own. Self-lauding orators with messianic ambitions make notoriously unreliable

messengers. To my knowledge, an egotist has never been so entrusted with the

word of God to man, notwithstanding avowed assertions.

 

On that first “Christmas” night, lowly shepherds, the Bible tells us, were

blessed to behold the heralding of the birth of Jesus. God and His heavenly host

celebrate the earthly incarnations of great ones whose lives are ordained to

influence the destiny of man. (p.55) It was the celestial rejoicing at the

advent of Jesus’ birth that was seen by the shepherds. Perception of the finer

vibratory dimensions are unperceived by the gross sensory instruments of the

body; but through the touch of God’s grace, the veil of matter is parted, and

with sight divine of the soul’s spiritual eye of intuitive perception glimpses

of the heavenly spheres and beings are revealed.

 

The pageantry of Jesus’ coming to earth lacked no detail of symbolic

significance. As with the shepherds on the hillside, the shepherds of man's

faith, devotion, and meditation will be bathed in the light of realization and

lead those devotees who are humble in spirit to behold the infinite presence of

Christ newborn within them.

 

Spiritual celebration of

Jesus' birth: communion

with the Infinite Christ

in meditation

 

The observance by God and His hierarchy of the incarnation of divine ones is not

only at the time of such a birth, but during succeeding celebrations of natal

anniversaries as well. Each year at Christmastime there are stronger than usual

vibrations of Christ-love and joy that emanate to earth from the heavenly

realms. The ether becomes filled with the Infinite Light that shone on earth

when Jesus was born. Those persons who are in tune through devotion and deep

meditation feel in a wondrously tangible way the transforming vibrations of the

omnipresent consciousness that was in Christ Jesus.

 

To celebrate the birth of Jesus in solely materialistic ways is a desecration of

the meaning of his holy life and of the immortal message of divine love and

God-union that he preached. Seeing in the West the shallow, often irreverent,

observance given to the birth anniversary of this great avatar, I inaugurated in

Self-Realization Fellowship the spiritual celebration of Christmas, before

Christmas Day festivities, by devoting a daylong meditation service to the

worship of Christ. The ideal is to honor Christ in spirit in meditation from

morning till evening, absorbed in feeling in one's own consciousness the

Infinite Christ that was born in Jesus. That experience is one of profound peace

and joy, more than a human heart has ever known--expanding into an all-embracing

consciousness. Often has the form of Jesus appeared before me during these

services--such love in those eyes! It is my prayer--and my conviction that it

will come to pass--that comparable observances of the real meaning of Christmas

will become a tradition throughout the world.

 

The message of the “heavenly host” to the shepherds in the countryside of

Bethlehem was “on earth peace, good will toward men.” Peace in the world starts

with peace in individual hearts. (p.56) " The peace of God, which passeth all

understanding " [1] is the peace Jesus came to bring to man; it is the only sure

foundation for world amity. It is found in the interiorized state of one’s

God-communion in meditation. Then, like an ever full reservoir, it pours out

freely to one’s family, friends, community, nation, and the world. If everyone

lived the ideals exemplified in the life of Jesus, having made those qualities a

part of their own selves through meditation, a millennium of peace and

brotherhood would come on earth.

 

A person who is imbued with God’s peace can feel naught but goodwill toward all.

The crib of ordinary consciousness is very small, filled to capacity with

self-love. The cradle of goodwill of Christ-love holds the Infinite

Consciousness that includes all beings, all nations, all races and faiths as

one.

 

The Second Coming of Christ (The Resurrection of the Christ Within You) Volume

1, Discourse 3, pg. 54-56

Paramahansa Yogananda

Printed in the United States of America 1434-J881

ISBN-13:978-0-87612-557-1

ISBN-10:0-87612-557-7

 

Notes:

 

[1] Philippians 4:7.