Week 10: Dogmatism VS. Common Sense
Rays of One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the
Bible and The Bhagavad Gita
by Swami Kriyananda
In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 7, Jesus warns:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Therefore the Bhagavad Gita says, in the second Chapter:
The sage who knows God has as little need for the scriptures as one might have
for a pond when the whole land is covered in flood.
Excerpted from Week 10
Dogmatism VS. Common Sense
Wake me, That I may Know That the Terrors of Mundane
Delusion are Only Dreams
By Paramhansa Yogananda
Wrapped in the blanket of hope I slept long. I dreamed
I was sitting on a throne, my face wreathed in smiles.
My smiles withered, and the petals of my merriment
dropped away one by one. Suddenly I beheld myself in rags.
Seated on the hard stones of poverty I wept, and my teardrops
fell on the unheeding, unrelenting stones of my
present circumstances. The world passed me by in mocking
silence. I cried out for Thy help, and Thou didst wake me at
last through the force of my desperation. I laughed to
find myself at last neither rich nor poor, but safe forever
in Thy arms. Oh! Waken all anxious souls from their dreams
of smiling opulence and crying poverty. O Maker of
dream-worlds, deliver me forever from the nightmares
of disease and death! Wake me to immortality!
Wake me to unshaken calmness, that I may know the
fierce terrors of mundane delusion to be only dreams.
What stood out for me in the reading from the Rays of One Light was….
“Jesus here, as indeed many times during his teaching, counsels people to use their God-given common sense, and not to rely on high-flown but undemonstrable claims. Common sense goes beyond abstract reason, for it is rooted in actual experience. Even common sense, however, is deficient when the judgment called for goes beyond sensory experience. Ultimately, what he emphasized always, therefore, was intuitive perception”.
So I thought I would use my intuitive perception to proceed with todays offering, rather than what makes common sense.
I came across a reading by Paramhansa Yogananda Called Give and Forget which I thought I would share as it ties in with both our reading and prayer from Whispers from Eternity today. And I thought it would be a great way to set our intentions for Easter too. Also, Paramhansa Yogananda shares in his message about Power and on Wednesday 1st March we changed our affirmation for the month to
“I am Power”.
It was nice to receive his message and gain some meaning on what power means as we journey into the eight qualities of God every month.
“It was also nice to know that he is guiding and supportting us in the Sushumna Chapel”.
Give and Forget
by Paramhansa Yogananda
Resurrection was celebrated last Easter. Jesus gave a great example. People that you do good to turn around and slap you. Expectation is meanness, is littleness. Give and forget. If your neighbor slaps you, just say he does not know any better, but don’t say it loudly. Resurrect yourself from the littleness of life, little things that disturb you. Do you think you are completely unbalanced, ruffled, shattered, whipped, lacking power? No. You have power; you don’t use it. You have all the power you want. There is nothing greater than the power of the mind. Resurrect your mind from the little habits that all the time keep you worldly. Smile that perpetual smile—smile of God. Smile that strong smile of balanced restfulness—that billion-dollar smile that no one can take from you.
I was on my way to Los Angeles once and met a man for whom I felt sorry. I thought, "What is the matter with this man? I must resurrect him. He has buried himself beneath this artificial habit of gloom." I said, looking at him, "Are you happy?" He tried to kill me with a gaze. I looked straight at him. What have I to fear? Nothing. He said, "Is that your business?" I thought, he had killed me in his mind and he could not kill me more. He said, "Yes, I am happy." I said, "No, I can tell what is in the mind." I call a spade a spade. He said, "Why shouldn’t’ I be happy? I put fifty to sixty thousand dollars a month in the bank." I thought, "Poor soul!" I said, "Tomorrow you may not be here to carry a cent. Have you opened your bank book with God?" Later he invited me to lunch, but he was inwardly antagonistic to me. Then we talked and he loosened up. I said, "Don’t rely on riches. You may die and not have even a chance to make a will. These material riches are not yours. Open your bank book with God." He said, "Meet me in Boston." I said, "Meet me in Los Angeles." but he did not have time. Then in Boston I was at the hotel where he stopped and the hotel manager said, "Don’t you know what happened to him? He was coming from a hockey match and was struck down by a truck and never regained consciousness." I felt very badly. See, he waked up a little bit but not enough.
When I Awake
by Swami Kriyananda
1, When I awake I’ll see Thy face,
When I awake I’ll see Thy light!
When I awake I’ll see Thy face,
When I awake I’ll see Thy light!
Mother awake me from my dreams!
Mother awake me in Thy light!
Hand in hand we’re dancing together,
dancing together in Thy light!
Mother awake me from my dreams!
Mother awake me in Thy light!
Hand in hand we’re dancing together,
dancing together in Thy light!
2. When I awake I’ll end all sorrows,
When I awake I’ll know Thy joy!
When I awake I’ll end all sorrows,
When I awake I’ll know Thy joy!
Mother awake me from my dreams!
Mother awake me in Thy joy!
Hand in hand we’re dancing together,
dancing together in Thy joy!
Mother awake me from my dreams!
Mother awake me in Thy joy!
Hand in hand we’re dancing together,
dancing together in Thy joy!
3. When I awake, I’ll end all fears,
When I awake I’ll find Thy love!
When I awake, I’ll end all fears,
When I awake I’ll find Thy love!
Mother awake me from my dreams!
Mother awake me in Thy love!
Hand in hand we’re dancing together,
dancing together in Thy love!
Mother awake me from my dreams!
Mother awake me in Thy love!
Hand in hand we’re dancing together,
dancing together in Thy love!
Blessings & Love
Rev Dinah Pemberton
P.S I read the prayer “Wake me, That I may Know That the Terrors of Mundane Delusion are Only Dreams”
in Sushumna Chapel Silent Morning Meditation
You can view here if you would like too.