Fasting From the World

My family and I decided a few months ago to start following the Holy Sabbath, which is one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by the Lord. I am not Jewish by birth, yet the thought of fasting from the world for one day a week felt necessary.  I needed my family to come together without the gadgets distracting us from being present with each other. It felt like a survival technique for the sake of my families happiness. The world is chasing after materialism and consumerism at every step. So each Friday as the sunsets, we set the dinner table, cover our heads, light the candles for dinner and withdraw from the outside world for 24 hours. Away from computers, phones, money, cars, movies, tv, shopping and social activities..... it is such a peaceful time for us, a time of renewal for us. We wake up early, pray together, take a peaceful family walk, play games with the children, garden, read books, sing and in general have a wonderful time together as a family. We used to spend our Saturday's rushing around town buying things, coming home exhausted and eating pizza in front of a movie to drown out in blissful unawareness.

God wrote the laws of life not in the pages of books, but upon the canvas of our hearts.  They are in our breath, our blood, our bones, our eyes and ears, and in every part of our being.  They are present in the air, water, earth, plants and in the sunbeams flickering on the edges of leaves.  They all speak to us so that we are reminded to fast from the world for a while. But we shut our eyes and ears so that we may not see or hear.  Yet in truth our happiness lies not in our senses, not in fulfillment of our lustfulness, nor in seeking after riches, or in feeling self importance. It lies in our spirit which is eternal and full of grace. If we feed the body from dawn until dusk but give not one drop of water to our soul, then we live in the kingdom of darkness wherein all unhappy things dwell.  If we fast from the world, and go by ourselves into quietness and show our fasting and prayer to no person of this world, then all the angels of our Earthly Mother and Father come and fill us, and we are nourished and satisfied.

If we do not fast from the world, we will forever be bound to it. Seek the fresh air of the forest and of the fields, and there in the midst of them you will find the angels of life.  Take off our shoes and breathe long and deep, and bathe in the holiness of life, away from the call of illusion.

The World is A Bridge

It is not a new God that I speak of, but of Almighty God Who has existed since all time and Who will still be, after the end of things.  It is of Him that we discourse to everyone, who, like innocent children, are not capable of comprehending God by the simple strength of their intelligence, or of penetrating into His Divine and Spiritual Sublimity.

There is a silence where the soul may meet it's Maker, and where the fount of wisdom is.

All who enter are immersed in light nd filled with wisdom, love and power.  The silence is not circumscribed, it is not a place enclosed within a wall, or guarded with the swords or words of men!

Men carry with them the secret place where they may meet their God.  It matters not where people abide, on mountaintops, in deepest vales or in the quiet home, they may abe oce, at any time, fling wide the door and find the Kingdom within the silent repetition of God's Holy Names, for it is within one's soul.

God gives you this, and assures everyone of nourishment.  For He is the nourisher of the orphans and the provider of the poor, and offers those who are troubled recovery and peace.

The world is a bridge.  Pass over it, but do not settle down on it.

The world is but an hour.  Spend it in devotion, for the rest is of no worth.  Do not build upon it.

Those who seek the world are like those who drink sea water.  The more they drink, the more they thirst, until it kills his life.  The world consists of three days.  Yesterday, which has passed, from which you have gained something or nothing.  Tomorrow, of which you do not know whether you will reach it not.  Today, in which you exist, so avail yourself of it. 

Practical application of the day - Do not waste precious time, no put it off for tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come.

The words of Yeshua from Gospels of The Essenes.....

The Basis of Faith - Foundation of Devotion

What is the Basis of Your Faith?

Is your faith dependent upon stories?  Would you lose faith in God or Jesus if he hadn't died upon the cross 'for you'?

Would you lose faith if you found out he was married and had children?

Is your faith based upon the teachings Yeshua gave to the world, or is based upon church doctrine which have nothing to do with the life and times of Jesus? 

Does it matter if Jesus' mother Mary was not a virgin?

Would it change your faith if you knew that Jesus had 5 siblings, 4 brothers and a sister, who all came from the womb of Mary? 

Would it shake the foundations of everything you exist for if you knew that Jesus survived the crucifixion and went on to live a full life in France and India with his family, preaching in Eastern countries?

Does it make Jesus's words any less powerful if any of the above were true in reality or not?

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Practical Application for Faith, the Foundation for Devotion:

If the idea of Jesus having been married 'offends' you in any way, take this day to ask yourself why it affects your life so deeply?  As a Jewish Rabbi, was he entitled, if not expected to marry to continue his bloodline?  His human-ness should in no way shake anyone's faith, for that faith has no solid foundation in anything real.  Jesus walked, lived and breathed as a divine being, but nevertheless he had a body, and therefore had attributes of humanity within him.  It does not make his teachings any lesson powerful or important if he was married and ha children.  It is not un-natural to marry and have children. 

Focus on what constitutes your faith.  If Mary was married 3 times as history reveals, and if she bore 5 children from her womb, one of them being the Divine Teacher Yeshua (Jesus), how does this make her love or Jesus's message any less powerful or important?

There is nothing 'wrong' with having being married and having children. 

Women are not 'less' because they have children, they are MORE. 

If the teachings of the Master matter more to you than what he did or did not do in his lifetime, then your faith is rock solid.  He did not come here to Earth to have you worship that facts of his personal life.  This is so American gossip column!  Whether he was married or not, and whether he had children or not matters ZERO.  His words, his deeds and his powerful teachings are timeless, and that is ALL that we should focus on, for that is what he came to give us.  Whether Mary was a virgin or not is not the focus for us.  In reality whether she was married or not, makes not one bit of difference to the teachings and power of Jesus's words and deeds.  History books tell us she had five children, Yeshua, James, Joses, Judah, Simon and a daughter Salome.  Does ths mean she is any less important, powerful or pure? 

Why is a woman considered 'pure' only if she remains a virgin her whole life?

Where does this belief come from?

 The ancient one's would have thought it very strange for a young girl from a powerful lineage like David, to not marry and have children!  It would have been unheard of it.  It would be her duty in fact!

Surely a woman who bare's children naturally within married life is still able to be pure, powerful and divine.

Check in honestly with yourself today, and question what makes your faith. 

Is your faith threatened by someone who believes different to you?

If so, your foundation requires some work.  Do the work to fill in the cracks and holes, and build your temple upon strong faith based on spiritual practice and teachings which make you more spiritually devoted and pure in consciousness. 

I in no way intend to offend anyone's belief, I honor Jesus and Mary to the highest degree.  I am merely here to present questions to help faith become real.

Saints Association

"I've not taken Saint's association! 
I have spent my days attempting to make more money,
Gaining attachment for lumps of clay,
Throwing precious gold away; 
I've spent life in this way,
In total self-absorption! 
I am proud of my education,
Yet I neglected my devotion,
Forgetting my highest aspirations,
I found cruel shelter in mundane knowledge,
Which keep me bound,
Trying hard to enjoy the fruits of my labor. 
My mind is very fickle! 
I make bonds with sly people,
Who are clever with words
They become the object of my focus
and I am falling, falling, falling. 

By Bhaktivinode Thakura - a great devotee and poet

The Vedic Scriptures of Ancient India state that rotten desires which sit in the heart, driving us daily to try and satisfy urges, are easily cleansed away by a moment's association with a Saint.  All lust, ignorance, greed and envy leave the heart, and the mind becomes pure.  Karma is terminated and unwanted addictions to inauspicious things are banished!
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I am a fortunate person.  I lived a full life in London, England.  I worked for many world famous musicians and travelled the world first class.  I was very popular and had many wealthy, beautiful high class friends.  I gained respect from everyone everywhere I went.  I was young and beautiful, and had a high powered job. 

But somewhere inside of me, there was a thirst for something that nothing could fill.  The higher I would go, the more I would feel the hole inside engulfing me, demanding I give attention to it.

I decided I needed a holy pilgrimage to India to search for a Master, just as Jesus searched out John.  It was as if I had an insatiable thirst. I came to Mathura, and met a real Saint.  His name is Narayan Maharaja (http://www.purebhakti.com/).  Sitting before him reminded me of how it might have felt sitting with Jesus and hearing from him 2,000 years ago.  I knew the the minute I crossed the threshold of the doorway into his temple, that there was something here for me, something really special.  For there was an energy pervading the airspace around me, not like anything else I had ever experienced.  There was a sweetness that was palpable.  He does not live in a big fancy house, nor drive expensive cars with chauffeurs, nor does he have Rolex or Cartier watches or diamond rings flashing about as he waves at us.  He does not have beautiful women or young boys hiding behind closed doors to satisfy his sexual fantasy, nor does he eat opulent food and stuff himself until he is fat like a ball.  It is here that I felt fulfilled, like nothing else in my life would ever be the same.  It is true, nothing has ever managed to fill me like sitting there at his feet.  That Kingdom which has been described for thousands of years by every great prophet in history, felt close, really close!  I could feel the Kingdom in my heart, like an inner awakening, a calling, and when I would pray in his company, I was like my heart melted and become one with his. I would pray deep and sincere prayers, like at no other time in my daily life.  My chanting and spiritual practice (sadhana) had fruit, I and I could feel something stirring in my core, as if I was tasting and drinking of the divine.  It is there that I am fulfilled in all ways.

The benefit of the Saint...... is unlimited!  I can't imagine living this life without such an experience.  It is a meaningless existance without him.  Saint's have always come to Earth, it is God's mercy to us, for without them, the doors might not be so readily open to us.  To gain just one moment in his association, that is the goal, it will change your life forever.  The benefit is more than I can write in words.  It is an experience that every soul should experience at least once in their lifetime.

If just now a Saint would come, who could show me grace, and grant me one drop of that sea of devotion, then so easily, from these ropes which I have bound myself, I would be set free and could cross far beyond this worldly ocean. 

The Mood of Unmotivated Prayer

Prayer reaches God when we are sincere.  In India, Vaisnavism is one of the leading forces of Devotional life.  The great mystical Saints of the Vaisnava lineage teaches us to cry and pray that the Lord our God will accept us.  Prayers should be pure.  The only thing worth praying for is that our mind may be more and more attracted towards God.  We shouldn't pray for the things of this world, for they give temporary pleasures and pain!.  The proper mood of prayer is to become genuine in one's relationship with God, through love and devotion to God.  Prayer purifies the heart and attracts the attention of the Lord.  A repentant mentality is most conducive for spiritual advancement because "sinful desires burn up in the fire of repentance".  Being an ocean of mercy, the great Saints will rescue the repentant devotee desperately trying to escape the sufferings of material existance.  We should submit our most confidential problems and desires in prayer and lamentation songs, and patiently ask the Lord to help and heal us.  To begin upon the path of devotion  (bhakti-yoga), Yeshua (Jesus) teaches that we should "love God with all thy heart and all your soul".  So how does one genuinely love God more than any of the other things we love.  To pour out your heart and beg for mercy.  An example of this is the prayer of a great Vaisnava Saint Madavendra Puri, "I have indulged in numerous lifetimes, in every form of sinful activity, yielding to my lust and other passions which have led me to great sufferings.  Yet, now I am giving them up.  Realizing the Truth, I now surrender myself into Your protection which alone can save me from fear.".  Bhaktivinode Thakur prays like this "My only desire Oh Lord, which I submit at Your lotus feet, is that you please awaken in my heart constant UNMOTIVATED devotion to You.  Let the attachments I have for material things, be transferred to attachment for You alone.  I pray my love for You may remain undisturbed both in misfortune and properity.  Day after day may my love for You increase by the power of Your Holy Names.  May I live in heaven or hell, as a bird or a beast, but may devotion to You always remain in my heart". 

The language of prayer should not be cheap.  Use words full of feeling, carefully chosen in it's most sincere honest yearning.  God is interested only in the love you have to offer Him.  He is already taking care of your everyday existance, according to the wheel of samskara (karma lifetime after lifetime).  "Please bless me and keep my mind always pure and forever fixed upon You, for I am helpless without any shelter.  Please be my Guardian and Guide.  Reveal within me the Kingdom which I so yearn for".

Without prayer, no advancement can be made.  The Buddhists, Hindus, Vaisnava's, Catholics, Muslims and Sufi's all pray upon japa mala rosary beads to purify their consciousness so that they can be pure enough to realize the Kingdom within.  We should always be anxious at every step to use every moment to advance our love for God.  Here is an example of a great Vaisnava Saint's daily schedule. 

8pm - 10pm - Sleep (2 hours)
10pm - 4am - Writing
4am - 4.30am Rest
4.30am - 7am - Chant on japa mala rosary beads
7am - 7.30am - Correspondence
7.30am - 9.30am - Study of ancient scriptures
9.30am - 10am - Bathe and eat 1/2 ltr milk, fruit and 2 capati's (flat breads)
10am - 1pm - Court duties (he was a Judge)
1pm - 2pm - Refresh at home
2pm - 5pm - Court duties
5pm - 7pm - Translate ancient Vedic Sanskrit scripture
7pm - 8pm - Bathe and eat dinner 1/2 ltr milk, rice and 2 capati's (flat breads)

Summary of Daily Schedule

Sleep 3 hours
Write 8.5 Hours
Japa, prayer and study 4.5 hours
Work 6 hours

PRACTICAL APPLICATION - Where do you waste precious time?  On the phone?  Text messaging?  Drinking?  Sleeping?  Watching tv?  Talking about nothing important with people?  Shopping?  Computer?

See where you waste time daily and make a concerted effort to cut down on these wasted activities.  There is a time for work, a time for sleep, time for family..... where is your time for God?  Is it once a week at Church or the Temple / Mosque?  Or is it daily?  The Muslims pray and bow to God 5 times a day, as well as spend time chanting japa mala rosary, repeating God's Holy Names.  The Vaisnava's bow and pray 3 times per day and spend at least 2 hours daily chanting Gods Holy Names repetatively.  Try to use the example above, of Bhaktivinode Thakura's amazing life rhythm to inspire a change in the way you spend your time.  See where you leak time, and plug it up doing things to advance your consciousness towards the goal of life i.e. entrance to the Kingdom.  We don't have to die to enter the Kingdom, we need to enter the Kingdom now.  It is here within us now, not when we die, it is always there for us to dive deep into.

The Kingdom Within

The Kingdom of God is not a mytholgical place invented by Christians.  It has been the central teaching of each and every Avatar, Prophet, Guru, Teacher and Incarnation throughout history.  So what is the Kingdom?  Is the Kingdom a perfect world, ruled by God, which will come into existance at the end of time, after the apocalyptic show down between good and evil, when Jesus returns to earth to judge sinners and annihilate the evil-doers forever?  This is what the majority of modern day Christians and Catholics believe.  Yet, I do not believe that this is what Jesus, John, Mary, Magdalene, Prabhupada, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, Gurudeva or any other divine teacher means.

"The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say "lot, here it is!" or "There!" for behold, the Kingdom is within you".  In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus teaches us further that "the Kingdom is spread out over the whole world and people do not see it.  The Kingdom is within you, and all around you.  Jesus never said it was a world to come.  Rather he said it is already here, as a potential present reality, available to those with spiritual sight.  So how does one discover it?  Is it a place, like an actual planet?  Is it a state of consciousness?  Or is it both?  In The Gospel of Mary Magdalene he reveals "the true child of humanity is within you.  Follow it.  For thoe who seek it, will find it".

The Master says, "Seek and you will find".  So how does one seek?  Does one go through life wanting the Kingdom yet not actively seeking it within?  Does one sit still, close ones eyes and focus on the breath?  Does one stand on one leg and raise ones hands in the air for days, weeks or months at a time?  Should one be celibate, or married to get there?  Is everyone qualified to go there, or is it available only to the Jews, who are said to be the 'chosen race'?  Or only to the Brahminical races of India?

The Gospel of Thomas tells us "The Kingdom is like a merchant who discovered a pearl among his consigned goods.  The merchant was wise and he sold the goods and bought the pearl for himself.  So too should you seek the enduring treasure which does not perish, and which no motheats and no worm destroys.  What you must do is unify that which is outside you with that which is within.  You must make the male and female one and the same, and that which is above you becomes that which is below.  Then you will be able to enter the Kingdom.  Whoever seeks, will find.  It will be opened for him.  When you go forth naked and unashamed.  Have no care from morning to evening, and from evening to morning, about what you shall put on.  For what is the profit if one gains the whole world and loses his own soul?  Visible things that decay and change and go their way through impulse have always been attracted downwards.  When they are destroyed, they become one with all the bests of the perishable realm.  Therefore, I say to you, be sober, and do not be deceived".  To finish he concludes "why do you wash the outside of the cup? You should recognize that He who made the inside also made the outside".  Here is our clue for todays practical application.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR THE DAY:

Today, ponder on what activities you could do that could daily assist you in seeking out the Kingdom within in a more fervent way.  If you have a busy life, which most of us do, how could you create some time each day for deepening your inner-life?  If you have children, perhaps getting up earlier in the morning when the mind is calm and the house quiet, and you have no 'needs' pulling at you.   Once you have figured out a possible route to a deeper life, schedule it, and be committed to it, and watch the miracles happen around you.

More on the Kingdom another day......

The Passion of Christ

To the Gnostics, Cathars and bloodline followers of Yeshua, known as Christ in the modern world, Jesus did not die to save anyone from sin.  The implication that a loving God, which God is, would require a bloody sacrifice for his satisfaction of any sort is unthinkable.  Yet still to this day millions of Christ followers believed that Jesus, the Messiah, the most famous Jewish man in history, was killed for them, so that they could be saved!  One cannot be saved by someone else.  The teacher comes to implant the seeds of wisdom whereby the follower can him/herself do spiritual practices to attain the goal of life i.e. entrance into the Kingdom of God, or pure Bhakti (devotion to the Divine).  By one's own merit, due to the causeless mercy of the Guru/teacher, the disciple can advance according to their own daily efforts.  An example of this is the nuns and monks of all religions, Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, Christian etc who daily recite chants, incantations and prayers to invoke the mercy of God.  It is the recitation of God's sacred Holy Names, over and over again, that ultimately frees us from sin, not the death of a beloved teacher who came to Earth to enlighten us with his sweet teachings.  Jesus suffered and died on the cross, not because of our sins or to save us, but because the Sanhedrin, the leaders of the Jewish temple, were envious of his magnetic appeal, and holy abilities, which they lacked.  He spoke and elaborated on teachings in ways that elevated ones consciousness out of rules and law mentality.  They, however, could not expound on the scripture in this way, because they did not live the path, they merely followed the rules of the path.  Envy was the real reason for Jesus's suffering and death.  To those who lived and breathed with the Master, one cannot imagine every saying to them that Jesus died for their sins!  It would have been unthinkable.  Jesus was a Shakti-Vesa Avatar, predicted in Judean, Roman and Ancient Indian Sanskrit texts.  Shakti-Vesa means a person within whom God has invested all His energies for a specific purpose of bringing souls back to the Kingdom.  This line of holy masters still continues to this very day.  Not necessarily because they are bloodline of Jesus and Magdalene, but more so, because they have realized the Kingdom, they have seen it within their own inner eye, and this is their qualification to give the Kingdom to others.

Practical Application:- Today, take responsbility for your own actions in life.  Do not think that you are being saved just because you are Christian, Hindu, Vaisnava, Catholic, Muslim or any other religion.  You must think good thoughts about others, do good deeds to others, lift people up everywhere you go, and never try to pull someone down.  Walk the path of love in every instance.  Make friends wherever you go, do not preach to someone, rather love them and build trust so that wisdom may be exchanged.  We do not need anyone to convert to our way of believing, for that shows lack of faith and also lack of integrity.  If you have faith, walk it.  Become like Jesus, live like he lived, walked like he walked, talked like he talked, heal like he healed, eat like he ate, fast like he fasted, pray like he prayed, love like he loved.

More tomorrow......
Krishna Rose