Experiencing God Within

[Libby]

Experiencing God Within—A Talk Given by Brother Anandamoy, SRF Monastic

[quoting Paramahansa Yogananda from "Autobiography of a Yogi"] "To surmount Maya was the task ***igned to the human race by the millennial prophets." He doesn't say Hindu prophets, or Jewish prophets, or whatever. It is by the millennial prophets, they all have taught the same thing. To rise above the duality of creation and perceive the unity of the Creator was conceived of as man's highest goal.

Self-Realization Fellowship is…not a new sect, it is not a new religion. So what is it?

Paramahansa Yogananda was the last in a line of God-realized Masters whose mission it was to bring back the esoteric teaching which is underlying all the great religions. And that teaching, that esoteric teaching was lost in the dark ages…

(talks about the ascending and descending yugas and that we are at present in the beginning of the ascending bronze age)

Mankind per se is still very much in the dark age. In regard to understanding what life is all about, in regard to behavior, at***udes, that sort of thing. But the advantage of the new age is, they brought back the knowledge of the finer forces in the universe--energy, electricity, atomic energy, that sort of thing.

Control of the energy, this is the scientific key to—we call it yoga—but it is really the scientific key of the esoteric teachings that underlies all the great religions. The external aspects of religion, there you find big differences, obvious, because they have been sent in different times, they have been sent to different people...And then also, these various religions are deeply rooted in the history of certain people, the history of the great saints and masters, prophets of the various religions, so therefore you cannot possibly bring them all together in an external way, no way. (talks about the 400+ religions at the parliament of world religions).

A professor came from a university from India to interview [Master] in Los Angeles…and he asked him, "You claim there is an underlying unity of all religions. How come there is quarreling, even war, certainly conflict between the different religions. And the Master said, you read the same thing even in the ancient scriptures of India. There is always worshiping Shiva, that is to them the supreme God. And others who say, no, it is Vishnu and his incarnations of Rama and Krishna, he is supreme. Then he said, I often have heard him say, that if you could bring together, in the same room, all the great saints, the great masters, the great prophets of the various religions, there will be perfect harmony.

And you bring their followers together and they are at each others' throat. And he says, why? Because the great ones, they have the full vision, full experience of God. And the others, who do not have that experience, they go by dogma, and there of course are differences. And so we have to understand the key to religion is experience, not just belief…

[Libby]

"When you meditate, immerse your whole mind in God. And when you are performing a duty, put your whole heart into it. But as soon as you are through with work, place your mind on the Lord. When you learn to practice the presence of God in every moment that you are free to think of Him, then even in the midst of work you will be aware of divine communion." PY

[Libby]

"When your mind wanders in the maze of myriad worldly thoughts, patiently lead it
back to remembrance of the indwelling Lord. In time you will find Him ever with you--a God who talks with you in your own language, a God whose face peeps at you from every flower and shrub and blade of gr***. Then you shall say: "I am free! I am clothed in the gossamer of Spirit; I fly from earth to heaven on wings of light." And what joy will consume your being!"

--Paramahansa Yogananda, "Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda

[Libby]

"God is approachable. Talking to Him and listening to His words in the scriptures,
thinking of Him, feeling His presence in meditation, you will see that gradually the
Unreal becomes real, and this world which you think is real will be seen as unreal.
There is no joy like that realization."

--Paramahansa Yogananda, "Man's Eternal Quest"

[Libby]

"Pray to Him, "Lord, You are the Master of creation, so I come to You. I will never
give up until You talk to me and make me realize Your presence.
I will not live without You."

--Paramahansa Yogananda, "Man's Eternal Quest"

[Libby]

"Talk to God all the time." PY

[Libby]

"Every thought we think sets up a particular subtle vibration....When you mentally utter the word God, and keep on repeating that thought within, it sets up a vibration that invokes the presence of God."


From: In the sanctuary of the Soul, Sri Paramahansa Yogananda p 108

[Libby]

Love this from Ken Wilber:

"I have one major rule: Everybody is right. More specifically, everybody — including me — has some important pieces of truth, and all of those pieces need to be honored, cherished, and included in a more gracious, spacious, and comp***ionate embrace."

[Libby]

"Spirituality cannot be defined, but can be described as a journey to the center of the Soul."

- Peter Kemmsies

[alanmolstad]

...... Then he said, I often have heard him say, that if you could bring together, in the same room, all the great saints, the great masters, the great prophets of the various religions, there will be perfect harmony.



well.......actually.....

as this is just all a guess anyway, my guess would be a bit different.

I believe that if you took any holy man from any religion, and put them on a world with only one other person...that you would still end up with a holy war.

[Libby]

well.......actually.....

as this is just all a guess anyway, my guess would be a bit different.

I believe that if you took any holy man from any religion, and put them on a world with only one other person...that you would still end up with a holy war.

It wouldn't be instigated by the Holy Man.

The point of that quote (IMHO) is that the core truth of every religion is the same (in perfect harmony).

I believe that core truth is unity in love for God and all things.

(Appreciate your comment, Alan...thank you)

[alanmolstad]

It wouldn't be instigated by the Holy Man.


my answer would be that the typical result of a room filled with Holy men would be the same as seen at 1 Kings 18:40

[Libby]

If there were prophets of Baal in the mix, they would not be all "Holy Men"...so, I don't think this verse pertains.

[Libby]

"It is not wrong to tell the Lord that we want something, but it shows greater faith, if we simply say: Heavenly Father, I know that thou dost anticipate my every need. Sustain me according to Thy Will."

-Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda

[alanmolstad]

If there were prophets of Baal in the mix, they would not be all "Holy Men"...so, I don't think this verse pertains.
It clearly pertains and shows us the normal and expected results of people of different faiths being around each other.

What i have found true is this> That when you run into a member of a different faith that is actually a nice person to talk to, that this fact does not stem from their religions teachings, but is really more of a credit to the person's parents and their own nice personality.

the reverse is true as well....
I have run into people of faith both within my own religion and in others that were ****s.
I dont blame their religion on this, rather I believe that mostly it's because the person is just a real ****.

What I am also saying is that regardless of how high up a person is in their faith, and how much they have a reputation of being a faith's true "Holy man", that you are still going to find the same problems with ****s as you do among the unwashed lesser believers.

There are just a lot of ****s in the world.
and that the natural reaction of men of different faith being near each other and talking is not "Lets all keep our heads and find some common ground"

rather it more like > "Lets cut off all their heads and lay them on the ground"

[Libby]

Not true Holy Men, then.

Of course there are ****s in every religion and it has nothing to do with the religion, but I am speaking of TRUE Holy Men....not ****s posing as Holy Men.

[alanmolstad]

Not true Holy Men, then.

.
Ahhh.....thats the rub.

For guess who decides who is a true "holy man" and who is not?.....

ANSWER - other holy men....

I think that what you find true is that no matter the good press behind a person we might think of as a true 'Holy man" the real truth is that all men suffer from the same faults.

In the Christian church history we see over and over again that whenever someone is lifted up on to a pedestal they sooner later show themselves to be "Not all what they were cut out to be"


And when we look at a mere man and try to convince others, "My leader could never fall" we only kid ourselves.

Take the lesson of Saint Peter for example.
He sat with the Lord
Ate with the Lord.
Was the very first to understand that Jesus was God incarnate.

and yet in spite of his brave words that he would never turn away, he did so that very night.

Yet we consider Peter the greatest of the followers Jesus taught.
His life is not considered great due to its merits, rather we consider him great in that God used him in a mighty way that overshadowed the guy's personal flaws.

[Libby]

Ahhh.....thats the rub.

For guess who decides who is a true "holy man" and who is not?.....

No, don't think so. :)

True Holy Men are apparent by their wisdom, works and how they treat people. I don't think anyone would mistake Hitler (for example) as a true Holy Man. True, he did get a lot of people to follow him, for awhile, but most were not aware of his hideous intentions and later crimes against humanity.

True Holy Men and Women leave this planet better and more enlightened than they found it. People like Jesus & his close disciples, Krishna, Buddha, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, the current Dalai Lama, Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hahn, Prabupada and my own Guru, Paramahansa Yogananda. (That is just a sampling - there are many more)

[Libby]

The ultimate purpose of our experiences in this world is to motivate us to seek with intense yearning the all-fulfilling relationship with the Divine that the Great Ones have known.

More precious to Jesus than life itself was that state of unbroken awareness of the Heavenly Father - the inexpressible comfort, joy and divine love that enwrap the soul that lives in His presence.

Cultivate that awareness by devoting time each day to release your mind from worldly cares to silently commune with God.

Ask not just for the granting of a specific wish or prayer, but to know Him as the beloved of your soul whom you trust to guide you, and care for your highest well-being.

-Sri Daya Mata

[Libby]

If you are feeling down, perhaps unworthy because in some way you have slipped from the path, bring it to God and ask him about it. In your mind, sit him down and ask him if he still loves you. You will invariably see that the God's love is unconditional.

SRF

[alanmolstad]

thank God for Libby.....and a topic that has squat to do with attacking and defending Mormonism.


Now Im not really that into ...(eh?. what is this section about???, , oh yes ...) Hinduism, but I do totally enjoy the chance to read about a new topic, and help it along with a little "BUMP"

[Libby]

Thanks, Alan. It's nice to have your company over here.

Peaceful over here, isn't it? :)

[Libby]

" In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul constantly hums, unheard by any;
God, God, God! "

PY

[Libby]

"In the universal sense, love is the divine power of attraction in creation that harmonizes, unites, binds together....Those who live in tune with the attractive force of love achieve harmony with nature and their fellow beings, and are attracted to blissful reunion with God."

PY

[alanmolstad]

"In the universal sense, love is the divine power of attraction in creation that harmonizes, unites, binds together....Those who live in tune with the attractive force of love achieve harmony with nature and their fellow beings, and are attracted to blissful reunion with God."

PY


Eh?

Umm...so I take it you smoked a lot of gr*** back at school right?.....I thought so

[Libby]

Eh?

Umm...so I take it you smoked a lot of gr*** back at school right?.....I thought so

Not that much. lol

Makes perfect sense to me. ;)

[Libby]

O Father, with folded hands I come to offer thee my whole being. I saturate my prayers with deep love. Give me toward Thee the simple, sincere, devotion of a child.

PY

[Libby]

“Making others happy, through kindness of speech and sincerity of right advice, is a sign of true greatness. To hurt another soul by sarcastic words, looks, or suggestions, is despicable.”

― Paramahansa Yogananda, Where There Is Light

[Libby]

http://youtu.be/k2OOl8fY2Cc

[Libby]

What is meditation? Becoming one with the soul. It means banishing the consciousness of being related to the body and to human limitations, and trying to remember that one is a soul.

Meditation is the science of reuniting the soul with Spirit. The soul, descending from God into flesh, manifests its consciousness and life force through seven chakras, or centres of light, in man's cerebrospinal axis."

God has not to be earned. He has only to be sought. Meditation is the only way. Beliefs, reading books — these cannot give you realization. ... Meditation brings proof of the existence of God. ... The more you meditate the more you will feel the endless joy of God.

-Paramahansa Yogananda

[Libby]

Self Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens, Encinitas, CA (http://youtu.be/gHx0KKsda6A)

This is close to my home. I love going here.

These videos shows more of the grounds.

http://youtu.be/zQVHv7POhKg

http://youtu.be/2hABk3EWHdY

[Libby]

Lake Shrine, Pacific Palisades, CA - Another beautiful SRF Meditation Center (http://youtu.be/U8e7Dq7AUQc)

Been here many times. Beautiful setting. There is a shrine dedicated to Gandhi, on this site, which holds some of his ashes.

[Libby]

"The true state of meditation is oneness of the meditator with the object of meditation, God." -PY

[Libby]

Thought I would share this here.

Evidence Builds That Meditation Strengthens the Brain (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314170647.htm)


Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.

Eileen Luders, an ***istant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification ("folding" of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain's neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.

There is much more at the link. It seems meditation improves memory, concentration, processing information and much more.


The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of neural tissue. Among other functions, it plays a key role in memory, attention, thought and consciousness. Gyrification or cortical folding is the process by which the surface of the brain undergoes changes to create narrow furrows and folds called sulci and gyri. Their formation may promote and enhance neural processing. Presumably then, the more folding that occurs, the better the brain is at processing information, making decisions, forming memories and so forth.

Interesting stuff.

[Apologette]

It wouldn't be instigated by the Holy Man.

The point of that quote (IMHO) is that the core truth of every religion is the same (in perfect harmony).

I believe that core truth is unity in love for God and all things.

(Appreciate your comment, Alan...thank you)

Oh, please, you really need to research Indian Hindu sadhus. They get into all kinds of altercations with those of other Sadhu traditions - throw rocks at each other. You are greatly deceived.

[Libby]

Well, we are all deceived, in a sense.

None-the-less, true God-realized beings would all agree, at the core.

[Libby]

"The Kingdom of God is Within You" Luke 17:21

I'm going to put some quotes here, from SRF, to try and explain and clarify the belief about finding God "within". Yogananda did not teach that we would "become gods", but rather that we will find God within, through prayer and meditation...and with real devotion, have an actual awareness, realization, and connection with God.

“Forget your dream-born mortal weakness. Wake up
and know that you and God are one.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda

[Libby]

Here is a portion of a poem, by Yogananda, that describes the relationship between man and God.

"I [God] exist without the cosmic shadow,
But it could not live bereft of me;
As the sea exists without the waves,
But they breathe not without the sea."

[Libby]

"God is not merely a name. God is the life that is surging within us; the Life by which we see and love one another."

"The way to God is not through the intellect, but through intuition. Spirituality is measured by what you experience intuitively, from the communion of your soul with God. It is so simple if inside you are always talking to Him, ‘Lord, come to me!’"

"One scriptural description of the Infinite is that He is Sat-Chit-Ananda — ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss. Ever-existing means that He is eternal; ever-conscious means He is always conscious of His eternal existence; and ever-new Bliss means that He is a joy that never grows stale. Every human being is seeking that kind of experience. (Sanskrit term for God is Sat-Chit-Ananda — eternal Being or Truth (Sat), infinite consciousness (Chit), and ever new Bliss (Ananda).)"

[Apologette]

What "god" are you inviting into you?

[Libby]

The God who Created this universe and all that is.

I am not "inviting him in". He is already there.

[Apologette]

The God who Created this universe and all that is.

I am not "inviting him in". He is already there.

"But as many who received Him (Christ)"............you must receive Him by an act of faith. You are not Him. Why have you left Jesus, Libby, exchanging Him for pantheistic gobbledegook? This stuff you're posting comes right out of the sixties communes!

[Libby]

Actually, "this stuff" is many centuries older than even Christianity.

[Libby]

In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul constantly hums, unheard by any;
God, God, God!

PY

[Libby]

"The joy of God is boundless, unceasing, all the time new. Body, mind, nothing can disturb you when you are in that consciousness — such is the grace and glory of the Lord. And He will explain to you whatever you haven’t been able to understand; everything you want to know."

PY

[Libby]

"As the mind and the feeling are directed inward, you begin to feel God’s joy. The pleasures of the senses do not last; but the joy of God is everlasting."

PY

[Apologette]

Actually, "this stuff" is many centuries older than even Christianity.

Bologna. In any case, when Yogananda or any of the other "gurus" rise from the dead, then you can put your faith in them. As of now, Jesus Christ, alone has overcome death. And, unless we "live in Him," death has dominion over us - which is why we must be born-again.

[Libby]

I don't put my "faith" in Yogananda, nor would he want me to. My faith is in God.

In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul constantly hums, unheard by any;
God, God, God!

PY

[Libby]

God has not to be earned. He has only to be sought. Meditation is the only way. Beliefs, reading books — these cannot give you realization. ... Meditation brings proof of the existence of God. ... The more you meditate the more you will feel the endless joy of God.

PY

[Libby]

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall be called the children of God.” Paramahansaji in his commentary on this verse in The Second Coming of Christ gives us a greater understanding of what these words mean: “They are the real peacemakers who generate peace from their devotional practice of daily meditation. Peace is the first manifestation of God’s response in meditation. Those who know God as Peace in the inner temple of silence, and who worship that Peace-God therein, are by this relationship of divine communion His true children.” - Brother Achalananda, V.P. SRF

[alanmolstad]

my basic idea that i talk about on the 1st page of this topic is that the Bible has a type of commonidea to it about man's ability to get along with others.......we can't.

We cant get along with each other.....
Cant in the future
Cant now.
Could not in the past.

Now, the more liberal of us might try to say that it was just a few bad men that caused all the trouble in our history, and that if we just had a bunch of "good men" around to run things better, then we would not see all this fighting.

But I totally disagree with that idea.

The bible teaches us that not only will men always disagree with each other, regardless of how closely they might hold to their understandings on things like "who is god", and "What is right and wrong"

In fact....the Bible gives us a few stories of when all the world was just down to two people, or just one single family, and even then you see the same type of trouble and anger, and hate , and suffering by the hand of another as we have seen in every other generation in history.