HOW CAN I HAVE A SPIRITUAL CHRISTMAS?
Nayaswami Ananta: I feel a non secular Christmas is a very vital aim. It will be an absolute disgrace to have [only] materials Christmas and miss the true gem that we’re provided each December 25, additionally at Easter and the celebrations of avatars of any faith. However Christmas is a cultural occasion. The world celebrates Christmas. We are able to have a non secular celebration and actually have a deep ‘Pleasure to the world and peace on earth to males of goodwill’ celebration by penetrating into the non secular dimension of Christmas.
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I used to dwell in Sacramento, California. We lived within the Ananda middle in Sacramento. We had been celebrating Christmas however all the metropolis was celebrating Christmas with Christmas timber and lights. We included that into our celebration by noting the fantastic thing about the Christmas lights and the Christmas timber.
The Christmas tree, Yogananda mentioned, is a logo of the astral backbone, and the lights on the Christmas tree mirror the fantastic thing about the lights of the chakras. So holding that in thoughts, word additionally that the star is at all times on the high of the Christmas tree. That is the star of the Christ middle on the sixth chakra middle.
We might incorporate, as we went via the town, that magnificence as a part of our celebration. You’ve obtained to make the most effective of this as a result of it’s going to be throughout you should you dwell within the trendy world. Santa Claus—giving and rewarding good karma, repelling dangerous karma… incorporate the cultural celebration into your non secular follow, however anchor your celebration of Christmas with an interior follow of meditation, interior prayer, and chanting or singing the non secular Christmas hymns like “Silent Evening” and all the opposite hymns.
I used to be raised Catholic so I used to be introduced up with the entire non secular items. We weren’t a rich household, so the non secular Christmas was the anchor of Christmas anyway as a result of there was not a lot materials Christmas available — a bit of, however not extreme. So, a non secular Christmas—it’s essential to drive that as a result of the world goes to drive a cloth Christmas. There’s going to be a number of Santa Clauses promoting used vehicles. It’s not fairly the identical as Mary and Joseph within the inn.
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This [a spiritual Christmas] is an enormous alternative. Go concerning the follow of day by day meditation and prayer. Yogananda’s ebook Metaphysical Meditations has meditations for Christmas, Christmas morn, Christmas Eve. Incorporate a prayer into your meditation.
Meditate on the symbolism of the start of Christ within the easy environment — of the manger, of the angels bringing the shepherds to the Christ, of the kings coming to the Christ, of the animals being there, and Christmas songs. Sing the non secular Christmas songs and lengthen your meditation should you can [in the days] coming in direction of Christmas. Have a good time Introduction—the preparation for Christmas.
It doesn’t matter what custom or traditions you have got or set up in your individual life, however rejoice a non secular Christmas by participating, on the non secular degree, your life and consciousness. And construct [your spiritual life], in direction of Christmas after which via Christmas in direction of the New Yr, new consciousness.
And convey that reward of Christ’s teachings of divine love, pleasure, and peace [into your life]. You will hear these themes within the public. You will hear them from automotive sellers, casinos, inventory exchanges, and so forth. I acquired a Christmas card from my insurance coverage agent. I find it irresistible! I imply, it’s higher than nothing. You realize you’ve obtained to go along with what’s on the desk.
It is possible for you to to make use of the outside cultural symbolism of Christmas, and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and all of the traditions should you set up [spiritual Christmas] inside your individual coronary heart and consciousness and elevated receptivity to the Divine, to divine love, and interior stillness via no matter meditative practices you need to use. “Be nonetheless and know that I’m God.” Be nonetheless and know that Christ is a mirrored image of [God] the Father.
Picture by Angeles Balaguer
WHY DO WE GIVE GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS?
Nayaswami Ananta: The giving of items, as I at all times heard, was as a result of The Three Kings introduced items [to the Christ child]. The Christ Consciousness invitations us to share what we’ve been given with our brothers and sisters, so it’s pure that there might be gift-giving.
Within the Catholic custom, The Three Kings introduced items to Mary and Joseph and the infant. They had been symbolic items that indicated the kings knew that the lifetime of Christ could be performed out on the world stage and there could be struggling. One of many items was myrrh for getting ready the physique, the deceased physique.
However The Three Kings signify the traditions of the varied religions. Kriyananda used to level out to us that The Three Kings coming to the start of Christ represented an interfaith satsang. That is the paranormal custom of the items. We need to share the items that we’ve been given with one another, as a result of we’re brothers and sisters of the Divine Mom.
We’re the brothers and sisters of the Christ Consciousness in Christ Consciousness and that loving vitality is to be held in Yogananda. In our custom [Kriya Yoga and Self-realization], these Three Kings are represented by Babaji, Lahiri, and Sri Yukteswar.
The that means of the items turns into much more touching to [and for] our Kriya Yoga path. We see that because the Masters coming with items to rejoice the launching of Christ’s mission to the world of true Christianity—Divine Love, world brotherhood, the unity of all religions, sharing, giving, and the affirmation of the soul, in Christ Consciousness—being the underlying actuality of the entire world.
Photograph from Coleur on Pixabay
The problem for us, as true seekers of all paths, is to see that behind and all through all of the traditions, all true religions, and paths is the one realization of God’s Omnipresence.
The aim for us is to share the entire world—all of the items, each materials and emotional, and non secular—with one another, in order that we are able to transfer ahead in direction of the conclusion that we’re all a part of the Christ Consciousness, the Mystical Physique of Christ, because it’s referred to; we’re all a part of that physique. We’re all a part of all that’s.
The items undoubtedly transfer us in that spirit. It’s great that the custom of items persists. It’s unlucky that the materialism of the fashionable world makes {that a} main a part of Christmas. The enterprise individuals and firms see Christmas as a procuring vacation, which to the non secular world is…You’re taking what you’re given. Okay, we are able to tolerate that as a result of it’s the giving of items. It’s not egocentric, however the shopping for…there’s nonetheless a bit of an excessive amount of materialism.
A bit of extra spirituality would most likely profit all of us. That was a serious part of Yogananda’s celebration of Christmas and, in fact, Kriyananda and Ananda, because the saying goes, put the Christ again in Christmas, and put the Christ Consciousness again in Christmas…and simply push with the entire different church buildings, sanghas, and all of the spiritual traditions to rejoice the true that means of Christmas – the giving of items, particularly Divine Love, world brotherhood, peace, pleasure, and kindness, which I feel we want extra of.
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The total video “Religious Christmas” might be obtainable shortly. We’ll submit extra excerpts from the interview with Nayaswami Ananta within the weeks forward.
Photograph Credit score: Banner picture by Coleur on Pixabay
