Driving the Money Changers Out of the Temple - Part 2

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Driving the Money Changers Out of the Temple - Part 2

 

Meekness does not mean

to become a doormat

 

(p.229) Spirituality abhors spinelessness. One should always have the moral

courage and backbone to show strength when the occasion calls for it. This is

well illustrated by an old Hindu story.

 

Once upon a time, a vicious cobra lived on a rocky hill on the outskirts of a

village. This serpent extremely resented any noise around his dwelling, and did

not hesitate to attack any of the village children who disturbed him by playing

thereabout. Numerous fatalities resulted. The villagers tried their utmost to

kill the venomous reptile, but met with no success. Finally, they went in a body

to a holy hermit who lived nearby, and asked him to use his spiritual powers to

stop the death-dealing work of the serpent.

 

(p.230) Touched by the earnest prayers of the villagers, the hermit proceeded to

the dwelling place of the cobra, and by the magnetic vibration of his love

coaxed the creature to come forth. The master told the snake it was wrong to

kill innocent children, and instructed him never to bite again, but to practice

loving his enemies. Under the saint's uplifting influence, the serpent humbly

promised to reform and practice nonviolence.

 

Soon thereafter, the hermit left the village for a year-long pilgrimage. Upon

his return, as he was passing the hill he thought: " Let me see how my friend the

serpent is behaving. " Approaching the hole where the serpent dwelt, he was

startled to find the hapless reptile lying outside, half dead with several

festering wounds on his back.

 

The hermit said: " Hello, Mr. Serpent, what is all this? " The serpent dolefully

whispered: " Master, this is the result of practicing your teachings! When I came

out of my hole in quest of food, minding my own business, at first the children

fled at the sight of me. But before long the boys noticed my docility, and began

to throw stones at me. When they found that I would run away rather than attack

them, they made a sport of trying to stone me to death each time I came out in

search of sustenance to appease my hunger. Master, I dodged many times, but also

got badly hurt many times, and now I am lying here with these terrible wounds in

my back because I have been trying to love my enemies. "

 

The saint gently caressed the cobra, instantly healing his hurts. Then he

lovingly corrected him, saying: " Little fool, I told you not to bite, but why

didn't you hiss! "

 

Although meekness is a virtue to be cultivated, one should not abandon common

sense nor become a doormat for others to tread over with their misconduct. When

provoked or unfairly attacked, one should show noninjurious strength in support

of one's just convictions. But even a pseudodisplay of anger should not be

attempted by anyone who has the tendency to lose his temper and self-control in

violent behavior.

 

Jesus " hissed " at the merchants and money changers because he was not willing

that the house of God be demeaned by worldly vibrations of selling and

individual profit. His words and actions signified to the people: " Remove this

crass commerciality from God's temple, for materialistic vibrations quite

obscure the subtle presence of the Lord. In the temple of God the singular

thought should be to possess, not worldly profit, but the imperishable treasure

of the Infinite. "

 

(p.231) The subtle law of magnetism is that each object or person or action

radiates a characteristic vibration that engenders specific thoughts in the

consciousness of one who enters its sphere of influence. The vibration of a

candle or oil lamp in the temple induces thoughts of unruffled peace or of the

illumination of wisdom--light being the first manifestation of Spirit--whereas

any form of commerciality involving worldly goods stirs restlessness and sensory

desires. There may be no negative vibration attached to the unobtrusive selling

of scripture or other God-reminding books in the temple when offered as a

service to devotees, provided the proceeds are used to support the house of

worship and its spiritual good works. The selling of other merchandise in the

house of God, and marketing goods for individual profit, set up derogatory

vibrations contrary to the purpose and spiritual consciousness of the holy

place.

 

" The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up. " The disciples corroborated the words

of Jesus with this scriptural saying. The fervor to worship God inspired by a

sanctuary dedicated to the Supreme Being should be all-consuming, uncontested by

material zeal or vibrations that would swallow up the spiritual vibration of

God's presence. [1]

 

Driving restless

thoughts from the

temple of concentrated

prayer

 

The subjective admonition to be drawn from this action of Jesus in the temple is

that the sincere worshiper of God must reverentially observe the law of devoted

concentration. To give superficial attention to one's prayers, while

entertaining in the background of the mind thoughts of one's life

enterprises--getting and having, planning and doing--is to take the name of God

in vain. The manifesting power of concentration comes from centering the mind

upon one thing at a time. " Buying and selling " --the unending " busy-ness " of

material life--should be carried on in the marketplace of one's duties; whereas

it is distractingly intrusive in the temple of prayer--just as an altar and

preaching in a shop would be an unwelcome imposition on the legitimate conduct

of commerce. Halfhearted, unconcentrated mental rambling during the time of

prayer brings neither a response from God nor the focused power of attention

necessary for material success.

 

Though God tries to respond to the earnest prayers of His children, His voice

resonating in intuition-felt peace is wholly distorted by restlessness-producing

transactions between the senses and the outer world, and by the aroused

attention-demanding associated thoughts. (p.232) The Lord recedes humbly into a

remote silence when the temple of His devotee's concentration becomes a noisy

marketplace desecrated by these mercenaries of material consciousness. Soul

intuition--the inner Christlike preceptor and guide of man's sublime thoughts

and feelings--must come and wield with will power the whip of spiritual

discipline and self-control to drive out the intruders. Repeated practice of

scientific techniques of meditation fully concentrates the attention within,

blessing the temple of inner communion with a tranquil surcease of sensory

commerce. The devotee's consciousness is thereby restored to a sanctuary of

silence, wherein alone is possible true worship of God. [2]

 

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

You) Volume 1, Discourse 12, pg. 229-232

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 disciples were quoting Psalms 69:9.

 

[2] Meditation--concentration upon God--is the portal through which every seeker

of every faith must pass in order to contact God. Withdrawal of the

consciousness from the world and the senses for the purpose of communing with

God was taught by Christ in these words: " But thou, when thou prayest, enter

into thy closet (draw the mind within), and when thou hast shut thy door (the

door of the body and senses), pray to thy Father which is in secret (within

you) " (Matthew 6:6; see Discourse 28).