Božićna poruka za sve predanike i ljubitelje Boga
Svake se godine podsjećamo na značaj rođenja Isusa koji je rođen u malim jaslicama. Prva slika koja mi dolazi u misli je poruka poniznosti. Zašto bi se bogospoznati učitelj inkarnirao u takvom stanju?
Podrugljivo je nazvan kraljem Židova, ali oni koji razumiju dubinu Njegove inkarnacije znaju da je Isus bio kralj u srcima svojih predanika. Biti njegov predanik znači slijediti njegova učenja. A dvije najvažnije zapovijedi su: „Ljubi Gospodina Boga svojega svim srcem svojim, i svom dušom svojom, i svim svojim umom” i „Ljubi svoga bližnjega kao sebe samoga.” (Matej 22:37 i 39). Ovo je filter za sve one koji sebe smatraju kršćanima. Ove su zapovijedi univerzalna načela i mogu ih primijeniti svi ljudi. Ako živimo po tim mjerilima i kada „tražimo najprije Kraljevstvo Božje” tada „će nam se sve ostalo dodati” (Matej 6:33). Ne trebamo moliti za bilo kakvu materijalnu dobit, jer će nam biti dano prema našim potrebama, ako je to korisno za naš duhovni rast. Bog nas nije ostavio ovdje na Zemlji da tražimo stalno zadovoljenje svojih osjetila i neprestano jurimo za svojim željama nego da „nosimo jedni bremena drugih [tj. služimo jedni druge] i tako ispunimo zakon Kristov.” (Galaćanima 6:2)
Isus Krist nije došao prije 2000 godina radi onih nekoliko ljudi koji su imali veliku sreću da ga susretnu licem u lice. Došao je prenijeti poruku za tisućljeća koja dolaze, za sve one koji će „danomice uzimati križ svoj i slijediti ga” (Luka 9:23). To znači, prihvatite ono što vam život nudi, dobro ili loše, i znajte da sve dolazi od Boga, ne da vas muči ili kazni za vaše grijehe, već da vam pomogne da shvatite da je ovo mjesto privremeno mjesto na kojem ne biste trebali graditi palaču, ali da „postoji još jedno nemanifestirano područje koje je superiornije u odnosu na ovo nemanifestirano mjesto materijalnog svijeta; ono je vječno i ne biva uništeno kada sva druga živa bića iščeznu” (Bhagavad Gita 8:20), a to je mjesto gdje trebaš uložiti svoj um i srce, Vrhovno prebivalište Najvišeg Kralja i to pravo „Kraljevstvo Božje je u vama” (Luka 17:21).
U hinduizmu imamo nešto što se zove antarayami, sanskrtski izraz koji znači ‘unutarnji svjedok’ ili ‘onaj koji kontrolira iznutra’ u srcima svih živih bića. Drugi izraz za Boga koji obitava u srcima ljudi je Paramatma, ili Išvara, punina Boga koja se očituje u nama, kako bismo u sebi shvatili da možemo imati unutarnji i vječni odnos s Bogom. Ako postoji odnos, to znači da je Bog osoba, a ne zrak, ne samo nezainteresirana svijest, ili prazan prostor, ili udaljeni entitet. On je Duša naših duša, Nadduša i vječni pratilac naših duša, život za životom, koji nas vodi na svakom koraku našeg života, od početka našeg postojanja. On je potpuna manifestacija Išvare, živog Boga. Nažalost, On je uspavan u većini ljudi, ali oni koji ljube Boga svim svojim srcem, umom i dušom, znaju da je to Istina.
Mnoge velike ličnosti, sveci i mudraci, učitelji i proroci, dolaze nas podsjetiti na ove vječne istine. Ismijavamo ih zaokupljeni svakodnevnim brigama i problemima, pronalazeći vremena, ako i toliko, jednom tjedno ili jednom godišnje za posjet crkvi ili hramu. Ali „zar ne znate da ste hram Božji i da Duh Božji prebiva u vama?“ (1. Korinćanima 3:16). Trebali bismo svakodnevno ići u taj hram i razgovarati s nevidljivim Bogom, tako da se On očituje kroz vapaje naše pobožnosti.
„Još jednom čuj Moje vrhovno učenje, najtajnije od svih; zbog toga što si Mi tako drag, Ja ću izreći što je najbolje za tebe. Usmjeri svoj um na Mene, budi Mi predan, štuj Me, klanjaj se preda Mnom i doći ćeš k Meni. Obećavam ti da ćeš sigurno uspjeti jer si Mi drag. Napuštajući sve dharme (manje dužnosti), nađi utočište samo u Meni. Ja ću se pobrinuti za sve tvoje grijehe; oslobodit ću te. Nemaj straha.“ (Bhagavad Gita 18:64-66)
Krišna je rekao da se samo njemu utječe, a to je i Krist izjavio kada je rekao: „Nećeš imati drugih bogova osim mene.” (Izlazak 20:3) Um bi trebao biti jednosmjerno usmjeren na Boga, isključujući sve bogove, tj. sve materijalne želje, kao i sve želje za moći, ugledom, slavom ili imenom. Bez obzira na to kako Ga vizualizirate, „postoji samo jedan Bog – Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti – postoji samo jedna Istina (ili istinsko Biće), a učene osobe je nazivaju mnogim imenima” (Ṛg Veda 1.164.46). On može imati mnogo oblika. Može ga se oslovljavati brojnim imenima, ali postoji samo Jedno! Kršćani Ga zovu Isus ili Jehova, muslimani ga zovu Allah, hinduisti ga zovu Krišna, ili Rama, ili Narayana, i mnogim drugim imenima.
I postoji jedan tajni ključ kako možemo osvojiti Njegovu ljubav: „Ponizni će vidjeti Boga svoga” (Psalam 69,33) i Isusovim riječima: „Blago čistima srcem, oni će Boga gledati.” (Matej 5:8)
Kako se Božić bliži, prisjetimo se poniznog Isusovog primjera, a slijedeći njegov primjer i primjer Krišne i svih istinskih ljubitelja Boga, postanimo bolja verzija sebe da ispunimo Kristovo i Krišnino obećanje, budemo s Bogom u ljubavi i uživamo u Njegovom kraljevstvu zauvijek.
Swami Kanjalochana
Božić 2021.
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Christmas message for all devotees and lovers of God,
Every year we are reminded of the significance of the birth of Jesus who was born in a small crib. The first picture that comes to my mind is the message of humility. Why would a God-realised master incarnate in such a condition?
He was named the king of Jews, mockingly, but those who understand the depth of His incarnation know that Jesus was the king in the hearts of his devotees. And to be his devotee is to follow his teachings. And the two most important commandments are, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22: 37 and 39). This is a filter for all those who considers themselves to be Christians. These commandments are universal principles and can be applied by all people. If we live by those standards, and when we “seek first the kingdom of God” then “all these things shall be added unto us” (Matthew 6:33). We don’t need to pray for any material gain, as we shall be given according to our needs, if that is beneficial for our spiritual growth. God did not dump us here on Earth so that we seek constant gratification to our senses and endlessly chase after our desires but to “bear one another’s burdens [i.e. serve one another], and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
Jesus the Christ did not come 2000 years ago for those few people who had a great fortune of meeting him face-to-face. He came to deliver the message for millennia to come, for all those who would “take up his cross daily, and follow him” (Luke 9:23). This means, accept what life is offering you, good or bad, and know that everything comes from God, not to torture you or punish you for your sins, but to help you realise that this place is a temporary place where you should not build a palace, but that “there is another unmanifest realm which is superior to this unmanifest place of the material world; it is eternal and does not get destroyed when all other living beings pass away” (Bhagavad Gita 8:20), and that is the place where you should invest your mind and heart, the Supreme Abode of the Highest King, and that true “kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
In Hinduism we have something called antarayami, a Sanskrit term that means ‘inner witness,’ or ‘the one who controls from within,’ in the hearts of all living beings. Another term for God dwelling in the hearts of men is Paramatma, or Ishvara, the fullness of God manifested inside of us, for us to realise within us that we can have internal and eternal relationship with God. If there is relationship, it means God is the Person, not the air, not just indifferent consciousness, or empty space, or distant entity. He is the Soul of our souls, the Super Soul, and the eternal companion of our souls, life after life, guiding us every step of our lives, since the beginning of our existence. He is the full manifestation of Ishvara, the living God. Alas, He is dormant in most people, but those who love God with all their hearts, minds and souls, they know this to be the Truth.
Many great personalities, saints and sages, masters and seers, come to remind us of these eternal truths. We mock them, busying ourselves with the mundane worries and problems, leaving the time, if so, once a week or once a year to visit the church or temple. But “do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16). We should run to that temple daily, and commune with the invisible God, so that He become manifest through the cries of our devotion.
“Once again hear My supreme teaching, the most secret of all; because you are so dear to Me, I will declare what is best for you. Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, bow down before Me and you shall come to Me. I promise you this for certain, for you are dear to Me. Abandoning all dharmas [lesser duties], take refuge in Me alone. I will take care of all your sins; I will liberate you. Have no fear (Bhagavad Gita 18:64-66).
Krishna said to take refuge in Him alone and this is what Christ also declared when he said, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) The mind should be one-pointedly focused on God, excluding all gods, i.e any material desires, and also any desires for power, fame, glory or name. No matter how you visualise Him, there is only one God – “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti” – there is only one Truth (or true Being) and learned persons call it by many names” (Ṛg Veda 1.164.46). He can take many forms; He can be addressed by numerous names, but there is only One! Christians call Him Jesus or Jehovah, Muslims call Him Allah, Hindus call Him Krishna, or Rama, or Narayana, any many more.
And there is one secret key how we can win His Love: “the humble will see their God” (Psalm 69:32) and in the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8)
As Christmas approaches, let us remember the humble example of Jesus, and by following his example, and the example of Krishna and all true lovers of God, may we become a better version of ourselves that we fulfil the promise of Christ and Krishna, and be with God in Love, and enjoy His kingdom forever.
Swami Kanjalochana
Christmas 2021
