The Baptism of Jesus - Part 5

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The Baptism of Jesus - Part 5

 

(p.106) The various processes of baptism and their corresponding effects or

spiritual states should be explained.

 

Different types of

baptism

 

The ritual of baptism by immersion in water originated in India, which laid

stress on purification of the body precedent to the purification of the mind.

Students who sought instruction in the spiritual life from a holy man had first

to purify their bodies by bathing, which in itself was the beginning of

cleansing the mind, by showing proper respect to the teacher, and by

interiorizing the thoughts in expectation of the blessings and the value of the

lessons to be received. " Cleanliness is next to godliness " is a worthwhile first

lesson. Immersion in water opens the pores of the skin, letting out disturbing

body poisons and calming and soothing the circulatory system. Water cools the

nerve endings and sends reports of calm sensations throughout the vital centers

of the body, balancing evenly all the vital energies.

 

Life came initially from energy, then from nebulae, then from water. All seeds

of life are irrevocably connected with water. Physical life cannot exist without

it. One who bathes every day and meditates immediately thereafter will feel the

power of " baptism " by water. To bathe with the consciousness of purification in

a holy river or a lake, or other natural waters surrounded by God's scenic

grandeur, is a vibrantly uplifting experience.

 

While baptism by water as a sacred rite has its valid points, including the

temporary cleansing of the mind, the ceremony, to be of lasting value, must be

followed up with continued lessons in spiritual living and God-contact.

Otherwise, the mind begins to revert to its old habits; their evils wear away

the salutary effects of the baptismal ritual. Unless wickedness is purged by

meditation and constant spiritual vigilance and endeavor, the initiated simply

remain possessed of the same devils with a penchant for misbehavior. A story in

India illustrates this point metaphorically: A saint said to his would-be

disciple, " Son, it is necessary to bathe in the Ganges to purify the mind from

sin. The sins will leave you while you bathe, for they cannot tolerate the holy

waters. But take care, for they will wait in the trees skirting the river; and

as soon as you come out of the sacred influence of the holy waters, they will

again try to jump on you. "

 

(p.107) It is the mental attitude of faith and devotion in which one receives a

ceremonial baptism--whether by immersion or the modified symbolic way of

sprinkling water on the head--that determines the blessings received; and it is

the continuity of right thought and action that assures the lasting benefit. The

initiate thereafter should regularly baptize the self with Spirit by immersion

of the consciousness in the wisdom, magnetism, and spiritual radiation of the

Holy Ghost in meditation.

 

As the intent of baptism is to bring about an uplifting change in the

consciousness by some form of symbolic immersion, it is good to consider how one

can be " baptized " unknowingly by one's associates. The would-be " initiate "

should therefore be discriminatively aware of the waters into which the

consciousness is immersed.

 

Vibrations of other people can be received by an exchange of magnetism. One who

comes near a holy person will be benefited; this is baptism by spiritual

magnetism. The saint's thoughts and magnetic aura cast out a vibratory glow that

changes the consciousness and brain cells of those who come within range. All

who visit or live on the same grounds where a master lives or has lived will

automatically be transformed if they are in tune. If that attunement is deep

enough, even from thousands of miles away a holy person's uplifting vibrations

can be received.

 

If one loves poetry and is much in the company of a poet of noble ideals, one

will be baptized with wholesome elevated feelings and the appreciation of the

goodness and beauty in everything. Such baptism by feeling makes one

aesthetically imaginative and sympathetic.

 

If one associates long with persons of high morality and self-control, one's own

life will feel a positive reinforcement of moral consciousness and self-control.

 

If purposely and attentively one associates with successful creative business

minds, the consciousness will be baptized with a creative business sense.

 

 

Baptism by the Holy

Ghost

 

The ultimate baptism, acclaimed by John the Baptist and by all Self-realized

masters, is to be baptized " with the Holy Ghost, and with fire " --that is, to

become permeated with God's presence in the holy Creative Vibration whose

omnipresent omniscience not only uplifts and expands the consciousness, but

whose fire of cosmic life energy actually cauterizes sins of present bad habits

and karmic effects of past erroneous actions.

 

(p.108) The macrocosm of the universe with its diverse beings is made of the

divine vibration, or cosmic energy, of the Holy Ghost, imbued with the Christ

Intelligence, which in turn is a reflection of the Cosmic Consciousness of God.

Man is a microcosm of the universe: a combination of body, life force, and

consciousness. His consciousness is a reflection of Christ Consciousness, his

soul differentiated by his own personalized ego. His life force is

individualized cosmic energy. His body is condensed cosmic energy, enlivened by

specialized life energy. [1] Life force vibrating grossly changes into

electrons, atoms, molecules, and bodily flesh; life force vibrating

progressively finer becomes consciousness. In the human being, the body, life

force, and consciousness--being three different rates of vibration--are held

together by the nucleus of ego and its pure nature, the soul. In order to free

the soul, the Christ in man, from the limited threefold vibrations of the human

body, life force, and consciousness, the divine consciousness in man has first

to be baptized or united with the Holy Ghost, the original cosmic vibration of

'Aum', the Word, the primal manifestation of God. Thence, the consciousness

merges in the Omnipresent Christ immanent in creation and ascends to the

transcendent Cosmic Consciousness, the Father. No one can reach God the Father

except through the Holy Ghost and Christ Consciousness.

 

The Second Coming of Christ (The Resurrection of the Christ Within

You) Volume 1, Discourse 6, pg. 106-108

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] Cosmic energy in the body works as five specialized currents, empowering the

performance of the crystallizing ('prana'), assimilating ('samana'), eliminating

('apana'), metabolizing ('udana'), and circulatory ('vyana') activities of the

body.