Week 33: Does Satan Exist?
Our Affirmation For August
Stanza 8:
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10
Blessed are they who, when persecuted, dare to stand firmly by the truths they know. Through steadfastness to high principles they shall be deemed worthy, after death, to enter the higher heavens.
Swami Kriyananda
From the book
The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning by Swami Kriyananda
Rays of One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the
Bible and The Bhagavad Gita
by Swami Kriyananda
Chapter 4 of the Gospel of St. Matthew:
Then [after baptism] was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
The Bhagavad Gita, in dealing with this undeniable reality, quotes Arjuna in the third Chapter, and then Sri Krishna’s reply:
“Yet tell me, Teacher! [said Arjuna] by what force doth man Go to his ill, unwilling; as if one Pushed him in that path?” [Krishna replied:] “Desire it is! Passion it is! born of the Darknesses, Which pusheth him. Mighty of appetite, Sinful, and strong is this!—man’s enemy!”
Week 33 Does Satan Exist?
118. Prayer Before Meditation
O Father, my little prayers are all roused in reverence, waiting for Thee. My little joys dance in tune with the temple‐bells of inner harmony. The muffled drum of my craving beats deeply for Thee.
My passion and my ignorance wait tremblingly to be sacrificed on Thine altar. I shall say my prayers with mystic beads made of my crystal teardrops, and polished with my love for Thee. I shall cleanse the altar of my heart with my repentance. Come! I long for Thy presence!
What inspired me from this week’s reading from the Rays of One Light to share with everyone was…
Yogananda, quoted in The Path, said, “I used to think Satan was only a human invention, but now I know, and add my testimony to that of others who lived before me, that Satan is a reality. He is a universal, conscious force whose sole aim is to keep all beings bound to the wheel of delusion.”
In our meditation, I thought we would spend some time reflecting on Yogananda’s words above and what message he is trying to share with us…
But before we enter into our reflection and meditation we will listen to My Krishna is Blue by Paramhansa Yogagnanda.
My Krishna is Blue by Paramhansa Yogananda
Let’s Reflect on Paramhansa Yogananda’s Message to us
“I used to think Satan was only a human invention, but now I know, and add my testimony to that of others who lived before me, that Satan is a reality. He is a universal, conscious force whose sole aim is to keep all beings bound to the wheel of delusion.”
