An Easter Message From Sri Daya Mata

"O Spirit, command my soul to arise from the sepulchre of littleness into Thy vastness of everywhereness. Lift its matter-caged consciousness into omnipresent freedom in
Thee."
— Paramahansa Yogananda
Easter 2007

This greeting is to wish you a blessed Easter, with my heart’s love and prayers that the loving, all-pervading divine consciousness that was present in the Lord Jesus and sustained him
throughout his mission on earth may awaken within you. Countless worshippers over the centuries have revered the miracle of Christ’s resurrection and have been touched by the tender
forgiveness of the Divine that he expressed in his life. He and all God-united souls show us that the Heavenly Father is a God of love, who does not punish His erring children but feels for
them and uses only the attracting power of love to draw them back to Him. In every instance throughout each day, know that you can freely turn to that One who understands you always and
looks beyond human flaws to the radiant soul-nature that is your real Self.

The lives of Christ and all the Great Ones should arouse in us the will to follow their divine example with faith, that we too can gain their blissful state of ultimate liberation. It may seem that
Christ’s great triumph of unconditional love and surrender to God is beyond our human capacity to attain. But he demonstrated for us that spiritual strength is the culmination of many daily
victories — of compassion over unkindness, of self-control over the temptation of the senses and human nature, of forgiveness over resentment. The resurrection of our own consciousness
begins by practicing in the ordinary situations of life the attitudes and actions that make us less entangled in this ever-changing world and more anchored in God. When you say “no” to some
temptation, you are resurrecting your divine freedom of choice from the habits that bind you. When you uphold a principle with courage, though it would be easier to remain silent, you are
practicing inner Christlike strength. When you refuse to allow rancor a place in your heart, even if the ego feels hurt, and reach out instead with compassionate understanding, you are
expressing the Christ-spirit of forgiveness.

You can refine your consciousness again and again by choosing daily to act in harmony with your higher Self. And, above all, in the inner stillness of deep communion with God you can
experience to the fullest His purifying love and grace, which frees your soul from the bonds that the human will and efforts alone cannot remove. Guruji said: “Go so deep within the great
silence that you feel the one Life that pervades all creation. Then you will find the Christ presence.” I pray that you will feel within you this Easter that transforming Christ presence — the
Christ-love that ultimately removes all barriers of separation and unites us with the Divine Beloved of our souls. As your consciousness expands in Him, may you include in your love and
prayers His dear children around the world.

A joyous Easter to you and your dear ones, with boundless blessings,

Sri Daya Mata