Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry Newsletter

See Divine Mother blessing us all in Her Love December 2013 Newsletter Dear Ones, This is our first Christmas at Ananda since the passing of wami !ri"ananda# $an" precious memories flood m" mind of his Christmas music, and of him leading the all da" meditations each "ear# %n honor of his memor", % share below his 1&&1 tal' on the Christmas Mystery. $a" the (ight of Christ shine upon "ou) *lessings, $ar" !ret+mann Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry

The Christmas Mystery

Excerpts from a talk by Swami Kriyanan a !"# Donal $alters% &''&

,)-e human beings ha.e a tendenc" to loo' at the world around us superficiall"/ -e don0t see
beneath surface realities# -hen it comes to religion, we .iew it in terms of its outward manifestations1 Christianit", 2udaism, 3induism, *uddhism, %slam1but o.erloo' its essential message of inward reformation# -orshiping superficiall", we blind oursel.es to the deep truths on which the trul" great religions were founded# Our essential realit" is not our outward humanit"/ %t is the eternal soul# 4or we are not this bod" with its trappings of nationalit", language, se5, and competiti.e ambition# till less can we achie.e self6definition through the religions to which we adhere1sometimes with such fanatical lo"alt"7 Our essential realit" is be"ond e.er" ph"sical and mental limitation# This one inner realit", although defined .ariousl" in Christianit", 2udaism, and 3induism, and though appearing outwardl" in the garb of male or female, of American, African, or Asian, is fore.er be"ond form# Though we, as human beings, are born into imperfection and limitation, our eternal, indeed our onl", mission in life is to learn how, through the lessons of earth life, to unite our souls with the %nfinite ource of all life#

-hen 2esus said in the *ible, ,% and m" 4ather are One,8 he was declaring that he had united his soul with the %nfinite pirit# 3is words, albeit spo'en in truth, might ha.e seemed boastful, had the" not been meant as a challenge and an inspiration to us all to ,go and do li'ewise#8 3e was sa"ing that he had accomplished what he had come on earth to help all of us to accomplish/ to unite our souls with the endless source of Di.ine (o.e# And that is what all the great religions are about# Theologians ha.e attempted logicall" to define the eternal truths, but no .erbal statement can possibl" replace the actual e5perience of those truths in the soul# The religious spirit is that aspect of human nature which reaches up in longing for eternal realities. And religion is that teaching and code of behavior which inspires and guides mankind toward the fulfillment of this soul aspiration. %n this deeper sense, a self6st"led atheist ma" be more trul" religious than man" an a.owed religionist, albeit without reali+ing it# 4or if he e5presses selfless lo.e for others, and ser.es them with dedication and humilit", what, essentiall", is missing9 %s :od pett", that 3e would re;ect such a man simpl" because he doesn0t belie.e in 3im with his mind, and embrace all the bigots who worship 3im through grandiose pra"ers while feeling no charit" for his other human children in their hearts9 Does the human parent, on disco.ering his human child after "ears of searching for it, re;ect the child if it refuses to accept their relationship9 3ere is a good <uestion/ Do Christians lo.e (o.e because 2esus lo.ed9 Do the" not rather lo.e 2esus because he manifested the principle of lo.e so perfectl"9 And do 3indus lo.e the great truths propounded in The !hagavad "ita because it was !rishna who taught them9 Do the" not rather lo.e !rishna especiall" because he was such an inspiring manifestation of those eternal realities9 3uman beings achie.e greatness onl" insofar as the" manifest higher principles# Alwa"s, it is principles that count, not the countless forms in which principles ha.e, at .arious times through the ages, been dec'ed# (et us then, during this Christmas eason, .iew the birth of 2esus not onl" as a particular e.ent in histor", but as a particularl" sweet e5pression of a uni.ersal truth# (et the birth of Di.ine (o.e in that little form two thousand "ears ago inspire us to concei.e and gi.e birth to that (o.e within oursel.es, through the .irgin purit" of our hearts0 de.otion# %n this wa", Christmas can become a hol" season not for Christians alone, but for people e.er"where on earth, regardless of an" religious affiliation# The three wise men represented the other world religions in their .isit, filled with respect and adoration, to the Christ child# (et us, li'e them, open our hearts and souls to =ni.ersal (o.e, as it calls out to us from the altars of e.er" religion# Thus, we ma" sol.e at last the eternal challenge to our understanding/ the Christmas $"ster")8

()n the $or was ma e flesh* an welt among us* !an we behel his glory* the glory as of the only begotten of the +ather*% full of grace an truth#, "ohn &-&.
>ainting b" Gerard van Honthorst, 1622