The Baptism of Jesus - Part 8

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The Baptism of Jesus - Part 8

 

The three aspects of

spiritual initiation

 

(p.114) The word " initiation " (in Sanskrit, 'diksha'), as used in India, means

the same as implied in the term " baptism " adopted by the West. Initiation by a

guru is the interior consecration of the disciple into the spiritual path that

leads from the domain of matter-consciousness into the kingdom of Spirit. The

true initiation, as has been shown, is baptism by Spirit: coming in contact with

a saintly person who can by a glance or a touch send the vibrating light of

Spirit over the devotee to change and uplift the consciousness. This real

baptism cleanses the consciousness of the initiate with the Holy Light of the

spiritual eye and the sacred sound of 'Aum'. Whosoever can see the life current

of the spiritual eye changing and spiritualizing the brain cells and the very

composition of the mind of the initiate is one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost.

He sees the light of the spiritual eye and throws that Light of Spirit onto the

consciousness of the devotee. When that vibratory power passes through the

initiate, it cauterizes present bad habits and past karmic seeds lodged in the

brain. By the consciousness of God which is within him, a great spiritual soul

can transfer to others who are receptive an experience of some of his own

God-consciousness.

 

This spiritual baptism is threefold. First, when the teacher bestows initiation,

he sees the Light himself as he baptizes the disciple. Second, when the teacher

sends that Light into the initiate, which the devotee may or may not see

himself, it remains a little while with its full vibratory power to effect a

spiritual change in the devotee; but it is temporary. A master's blessings can

for some time hold that Light within the disciple, but the devotee must also

make the effort to retain it. Third, to keep the Light permanently, the devotee

has to make it his own through conscientious endeavor in meditation and in

following the spiritual guidance and practices, the 'sadhana', given by the

master.

 

The surest way to find God is to learn about Him from one who 'knows' Him. To

follow a master whose path has led him to God-realization is to reach assuredly

the same Goal.

 

The scriptures of India speak of the liberation of the soul in terms of a

calibrated formula, which, providentially, seems to favor the " spirit is weak "

syndrome in man. (p.115) Of the total requirement to achieve salvation, it is

said that 25% is the disciple's spiritual effort, 25% is the blessing of the

guru, and the remaining 50% is the grace of God. The aspirant should not be

tempted into complacency, however, waiting to be moved by the spirit of the

blessings and grace, for it is the catalyst of the devotee's effort that makes

the formula work.

 

The necessity of following

a true guru on the spiritual

path

 

As the devotee's effort and the guru's blessings are equally necessary to the

disciple's progress, we are taught in India the first requisite importance on

the spiritual path of following faithfully one's guru. He takes personal

interest in the welfare of the devotee's soul and lays before him a path of

spiritual discipline that leads as far as the God-seeker wishes to go.

 

In the early years of my spiritual search I was blessed to have frequent

association with saintly souls whose God-consciousness transported my

consciousness into supernal realms. But it was not until I met my own

God-ordained guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, and received initiation from him, that I

understood fully the transforming power of the sacred guru-disciple tradition.

Baptized in a radiance as of a thousand suns, my whole being was blissfully

enwrapped in God's love and secured in the care of Guru's wisdom. The 'Kriya

Yoga sadhana' imparted to me at that 'diksha' was the " pearl of great price "

with which all doors to the Divine Presence would be opened.

 

A guru is not an ordinary spiritual teacher. One may have many teachers, but

only one guru, who is the agent of salvation appointed by God in response to a

devotee's demands for release from the bondage of matter.

 

Ministers in churches and priests in temples are oftentimes chosen only by a set

standard of their intellectual knowledge of the scriptures, or by virtue of

sacerdotal authority ceremonially conferred on them by a formally higher

ecclesiastical superior. No guru can be developed only by years of study in the

intellectual factory of a theological seminary, which deems it has attained its

ends when it confers B.D. [bachelor of Divinity] or D.D. [Doctor of Divinity]

degrees. Such titles can be won by men of good memory; but character,

self-control, and the wisdom of soul intuition can be cultured only by knowledge

and application of advanced methods of deep daily meditation that produce

Self-realization and actual experience of God.

 

Neither can one be a guru by self-choice. He must be ordained to serve and save

others by a real guru, or else he must hear in reality the voice of God asking

him to redeem others. (p.116) As has been shown, this law was honored even by

Jesus, who received his guru's blessing before beginning his ministry--just to

set the right example. Self-appointed gurus are much misguided by listening to

the voice of their imaginative ego in their subconscious mind. Those who thus

falsely anoint themselves as gurus, or exult in the veneration of followers who

are encouraged to look on them as such, are not empowered by God nor their own

spiritual attainment to grant salvation to anyone. It is admirable to lecture

and teach good principles; but without possessing the qualifications of a real

guru a teacher cannot redeem souls, nor should he presume to accept others as

disciples until he himself has progressed far in his own Self-realization.

 

True gurus train first their inner selves in the theologically advanced school

of intuition and God-communion in meditation. They spiritually baptize

themselves in Spirit before they aspire to initiate others. They teach not for

mundane gain or glory, but for the singular purpose of leading souls to God. A

guru never seeks for himself the devotion and obedience of his disciples, but

transfers that reverence to God.

 

It is not necessary for a disciple to be in the company of the guru in order to

receive his blessings. What is most important is to be spiritually in tune with

the guru, for his help is transferred to the disciple primarily on the inner

spiritual plane rather than through material means. If the disciple is

uncarping, unconditionally reverential and loving to the master, and faithful in

following his precepts, his receptivity makes the task of the guru easier.

Attunement links the help of the guru with the sincere striving of the disciple,

even if the guru is no longer incarnate on earth. My guru, Sri Yukteswarji,

wrote: " To keep company with the Guru is not only to be in his physical presence

(as this is sometimes impossible), but mainly means to keep him in our hearts

and to be one with him in principle and to attune ourselves with him....by

keeping his appearance and attributes fully in mind, and by reflecting on the

same and affectionately following his instructions, lamblike. " [1]

 

Many who were born centuries after Christ have attained God-realization through

devotion to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, whom they followed as their guru or

savior. Jesus said, " Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I

say? [2] The secret of the saints is that they practiced what Jesus taught and

exemplified; and by their single-hearted devotion they were able to attain

ecstatic interiorization, as do adept yogis, which is necessary for communion

with Christ.

 

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

You) Volume 1, Discourse 6, pg. 114-116

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] 'The Holy Science', published by Self-Realization Fellowship.

 

[2] Luke 6:46.