The Baptism of Jesus - Part 9

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The Baptism of Jesus - Part 9

 

(p.117) There is a beautiful revelation of the way to that divine contact hidden

in the Biblical verses where John the Baptist describes himself:

 

" I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the

Lord, as said by the prophet Isaiah " (John 1:23).

 

 

Highway to Christ

Consciousness: " the

straight way of the

Lord "

 

John prepared the way for the extremely short ministry of Jesus by baptizing and

preaching to the masses to make ready, as best he could, a not very enlightened

generation. For his own part, his quoting the veiled prophecy of Isaiah in the

Old Testament [1] was not only a confirmation of himself as the one foretold to

announce Christ, but a pronouncement of the true preparation required to receive

Christ--in the coming of Jesus at that time, and for all future times.

 

When one's senses are engaged outwardly, one is engrossed in the busy mart of

creation's interacting complexities of matter. Even when one's eyes are closed

in prayer or in other concentrated thoughts, still one is in the domain of

busyness. The real wilderness, where no mortal thoughts, restlessness, or human

desires, intrude, is in transcendence of the sensory mind, the subconscious

mind, and the superconscious mind--in the cosmic consciousness of Spirit, the

uncreate trackless " wilderness " of Infinite Bliss.

 

John the Baptist spoke from his inner spiritual state as having attained

realization of the omnipresent Cosmic Vibration: " I am in tune with the Sound of

Creation vibrating in the wilderness where there are no desires or restlessness.

The human expression of my voice crying--that is, trying to teach people from my

cosmic consciousness--emanates from the Voice or Word of the Cosmic Vibration

coming out of Spirit. With the divine power of that Voice, I have come to

declare the consciousness that is in Jesus. "

 

As John heard within himself in the wilderness of silence the all-knowing Cosmic

Sound, the intuitive wisdom commanded him silently: " Make straight the way of

the Lord. " (p.118) Manifest the Lord, the subjective Christ Consciousness in all

cosmic vibratory creation, within yourself through the intuitive feeling

awakened when in the state of transcendental ecstasy the divine metaphysical

centers of life and consciousness are opened in the straight spinal pathway.

 

Yoga treatises explain the awakening of the spinal centers not as some mystical

aberration but as a purely natural occurrence common to all devotees who find

their way into the presence of God. The principles of yoga know no artificial

boundaries of religious isms. Yoga is the universal science of divine union of

the soul with Spirit, of man with his Maker. Yoga describes the definite way

Spirit descends from Cosmic Consciousness into matter and individualized

expression in all beings; and how, conversely, individualized consciousness

ultimately must reascend to Spirit. Many are the pathways of religion and the

modes of approaching God; but ultimately they all lead to one highway of final

ascension to union with Him. The way of liberation of the soul from its ties to

mortal consciousness in the body is identical for all: through the same

" straight " highway of the spine by which the soul descended from Spirit into the

body and matter.[2]

 

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

You) Volume 1, Discourse 6, pg. 117-118

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] Isaiah 40:3: " The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye

the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.' "

 

[2] " And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of

holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it....but the redeemed shall walk

there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs

and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and

sorrow and sighing shall flee away " (Isaiah 35:8-10).