The Cross and the Lotus Journal Page 35 the Cross and the Lotus Journal Is Published by Center News
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Strive to make each meditation memorable, deeper, and more profound. Do not limit God-experience in any way, for the In- finite is indeed just that—infinite! Explode the little box your The Cross and The mind has placed you in; soar upon waves of Light in the ex- pansive ocean of Spirit. Yogacharya David Hickenbottom Lotus Journal Can medicine or mind heal the In all matters you should disease of a dead man? Why submit to the will of God. It not? Because Life Force is the is no good grumbling and September 2014, Vol. 15 No. 3 only supreme, invariable power feeling worried. The object by which any or all methods of of all spiritual practices is to healing can be made effective. remain calm by resigning to Dedicated to the Realization of God and Service to Him in All Forms A method of healing is the will of God in all cir- inferior or superior insofar as cumstances. Ours is to play it is capable of rousing or our part well in this life, stimulating the inactive Life with full faith in God. Our Force in any diseased body real success lies in living part, thus electrocuting the such a life. Therefore disease. Therefore, all Ramdas advises you not to methods of healing are really be dispirited. You are entire- indirect ways of rousing the ly in the hands of God. Life Energy, which is the real Those who trust in Him are and direct healer of all diseases. never lost. Paramhansa Yogananda Swami Ramdas Mother Hamilton and Marge Ranney (1916–2014) September 23 is Mataji’s Jayanti & December 27 is Papa’s Sannyas Day The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 35 The Cross and The Lotus Journal is published by Center News Baptism of Aurelia Rose Jones The Cross and The Lotus Publishing Mount Vernon, WA, U.S.A. We are happy to welcome another little soul to our spiritual Website: www.crossandlotus.com family. Aurelia Rose Jones was born on November 3, 2013. She E-mail: [email protected] was baptized by Yogacharya David on June 29, 2014. Her parents, Briana & Scott Jones, big sister, Lillian and several members of her family were in attendance as well as the Seattle church group. The cross and lotus symbolizes the unity between East and West. The lotus is the sign of illumined consciousness, the thousand petal lotus of the crown chakra. The cross is the L– R: Lillian, Scott, symbol of the body surrendered to the will of God. Following the way of the cross results in Aurelia, Briana and the resurrection of illumined consciousness. Yogacharya David The Cross and the Lotus, symbol of man. East and West blended, join hand in hand. Marching toward the infinite light and life divine. Calendar of Events Lift up your eyes and see the star, Sept. 22 Fall Equinox (7:29 p.m. PDT) descending from heaven where e’er you are. Be filled with the peace and ecstasy of God’s almighty love. 23 Mother Krishnabai’s Birthday (1903) Aum-Amen. 24 Rosh Hashanah (sundown)–ends sundown on Sept. 26 The Reverend Yogacharya Mother Hamilton 26 Lahiri Mahasaya’s Mahasamadhi Day (1895) 30 Lahiri Mahasaya’s Birthday (1828) Oct. 3 Yom Kippur (sundown)–ends sundown on Oct. 4 © 2014 The Cross and The Lotus Publishing is dedicated to the publication of materials that promote God-realization. Our spiritual lineage begins with Jesus Christ and Babaji and flows 12 Swami Satchidananda’s Mahasamadhi Day (2008) down to us through Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, Paramhansa Yogananda and 13 Thanksgiving Day (Canada) Yogacharya Mother Hamilton. Nov. 12 Swami Satchidananda’s Birthday (1919) The Reverend Yogacharya David Hickenbottom continues this lineage with the help and 27 Thanksgiving Day (U.S.A.) support of many sincere devotees. We are dedicated to realizing God and serving devotees of Dec. 16 Hanukkah (sundown)–ends sundown on Dec. 24, 2014 every race, color, creed and religion. 21 Winter Solstice (3:03 p.m. PST) Mother Hamilton often said she was the product of two fully illumined Masters, her own 25 Christmas Day, Mother Hamilton’s Birthday (1904) Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, and Swami Ramdas. We therefore feature articles about Swami Ramdas and Anandashram. We bow to the feet of Saints and realized Masters of all 27 Swami Ramdas’ Sannyas Day (1922) religions. Journal Editors: Larry & Cate Koler Page 34 The Cross and The Lotus Journal The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 3 Dear friends, From the Master’s Kitchen Sickness, old age and ultimately death One of the recipes originally published in Master’s Lessons are the great mysteries of life. When such events are ubiquitous, then why call them Different Stuffed Celery mysteries? It is because these difficult Peanut butter: 2 tbsp. times elicit questions that elude answers. Parsley: 1 tbsp., minced Ignorance of these answers produces suf- Tomato pulp: 1 tbsp. fering. Onion: minced We come to know this life has divine origins, yet suffering in life seems to fly Mix together 2 table- in the face of a loving Creator; life taken spoons peanut butter, 1 ta- on the surface appears as a series of blespoon each of the finely meaningless and unrelated events. However, when examined minced parsley and toma- deeply, all of life is known to be a divine creation; it is absolute- to pulp. Add a little minced onion if desired. Mix well and stuff ly meaningful and everything is connected. This has been attest- in tender stalks of celery. ed to by saints and spiritual masters around the globe and from Comments from our C&L chef, Angela Victory every religion. September brings hungry kids home To discover this hidden truth one must see past the veil of ob- from school and peanut butter snacks are scurity that prevents one from discovering the verity of the ages. popular. This reminded me of a grown-up Then life, with all of its beguiling and bewildering faces of good version of an old classic. I am going to and evil, pleasure and pain, highs and lows can be experienced play with the recipe a bit more—making it with a new degree of wisdom otherwise unknown. This spiritual more like spicy peanut sauce, a little less wisdom gives a new perspective on all of life, including change thick—with healthy crunchy celery sticks. of life circumstances such as going from health to sickness, from A portable snack with all natural ingredi- plenty to lack, as well as the approach of death. ents for clean eating. Think of packing this From a human standpoint the seeking of pleasure and the up before you leave the house and sitting avoidance of pain is a primary driver in life. Even delayed grati- down to your lunch break, chanting and fication, such as passing down one’s wealth can be pleasurable thinking of Master. through anticipation of future happiness for oneself or others. The spiritual seeker also pursues happiness, however it is O Thou Who art Lord of the harvest, pleasure derived neither from the senses nor from this world. The Giver Who gladdens our days, Since the body will become sick, grow old and die, there is noth- Our hearts are for ever repeating ing in this world that can promise unending bliss—only com- munion with divine Spirit may fulfill this deep need of the soul. Thanksgiving and honour and praise. Amen Therefore the spiritual seeker is considered the wisest of human John White Chadwick, 1840-1904 beings, the most discriminating and ultimately the most fulfilled. The worldly have denounced spiritual seeking as escapism, or an Page 4 The Cross and The Lotus Journal The Cross and The Lotus Journal Page 33 unwarranted hatred of human pleasures; however this is not the ties of the present moment in your center. Work up to one mi- case with true seekers. nute in the pose. To come out, straighten the right leg and relax There have been those practitioners of past and present who your arms. When you are ready, swivel the feet to the left for the are mentally unbalanced who go beyond dispassion for this other side. Finish by stepping the right foot forward to Mountain world and violently eschew sensory derived pleasures, even tor- pose, where you began. Sense any changes in your body, mind, turing the body; however, in many cases these are not true spir- and soul. itual seekers but unbalanced minds working out their own agen- Benefits: Increases stability, strength and balance. Opens the da. The discriminating mind recognizes the superior virtues of chest for easier breathing and improves circulation. Alleviates spiritual experience and the allure of sensory experience fades in depression and fatigue, and can slim the waistline! Jai Ram! Na- importance. Now Divine Will is revealed in the stillness of the maste. body and mind of the seeker and that takes precedence over the simple desire to satiate the senses. This transformation from human to Divine is usually a gradual one, with the ardent devotee learning to turn away from the con- stant demands of the sense-driven mind and attuning itself to the higher, true guidance of the Divine Mind. There may be a long period of time in which the sense attractions impinge on the calm mind, and therefore a struggle for mastery commences. From the outside materialistic perspective this can seem an unwarranted struggle. However, when the prize of Self-realization is under- stood and its benefits fully appreciated, the struggle is consid- ered little in comparison to what is gained. With full realization the towering spiritual insight understands that the body will go through changes, but Soul is forever un- changed.