Series -’GOD IS GREAT’ ( Blog Entry No.7)
GOD, JESUS-’Christ’ and ‘service to poor’ : Some Thoughts of Swami Vivekananda
Some Thoughts of Swami Vivekanada, an Indian Monk are presented here with an ‘INTENT’ of spreading the message of Global Cross Cultural/Inter-Cultural Understanding, one of the purpose of this Blog :
See God in his son- "Christ" and other messengers:
“But mark this giant that came; centuries and ages pass, yet the energy that he left upon the world is not yet stretched, nor yet expended to its full. It goes on adding new vigour as the ages roll on.
Now what you see in the life of ‘Christ’ is the life of all the past. The life of every man is, in a manner, the life of the past. It comes to him through heredity, through surroundings, through education, through his own reincarnation–the past of the race. In a manner, the past of the earth, the past of the whole world is there, upon every soul.
What are we, in the present, but a result, an effect, in the hands of that infinite past? What are we but floating wavelets in the eternal current of events, irresistibly moved forward and onward and incapable of rest? But you and I are only little things, bubbles. There are always some giant waves in the ocean of affairs, and in you and me the life of the past race has been embodied only a little; but there are giants who embody, as it were, almost the whole of the past and who stretch out their hands for the future.
These are the sign-posts here and there which point to the march of humanity; these are verily gigantic, their shadows covering the earth–they stand undying, eternal! As it has been said by the same Messenger, "No man hath seen God at any time, but through the Son." And that is true. And where shall we see God but in the Son?
It is true that you and I, and the poorest of us, the meanest even, embody that God, even reflect that God. The vibration of light is everywhere, omnipresent; but we have to strike the light of the lamp before we can see the light.
The Omnipresent God of the universe cannot be seen until He is reflected by these giant lamps of the earth–the Prophets, the man-Gods, the Incarnations, the embodiments of God.”
Religion is realization of GOD:
"Many years ago, I visited a great sage of our own country, a very holy man. we talked of our revealed books, the Vedas, of Bible, of Koran and of revealed books in general. At the close of the talk, this good man asked me to go to the table and take up a book; it was a book which among other things contained a forecast of the rainfall during the year. The sage said "Read That". And I read out the quantity of rain that was to fall. He said, "Now take the book and squeeze it". I did so and he said "Why, my boy, not a drop of water comes out. Until the water comes out, its all book, So until your religion makes you realise God, it is useless".
"Many years ago, I visited a great sage of our own country, a very holy man. we talked of our revealed books, the Vedas, of Bible, of Koran and of revealed books in general. At the close of the talk, this good man asked me to go to the table and take up a book; it was a book which among other things contained a forecast of the rainfall during the year. The sage said "Read That". And I read out the quantity of rain that was to fall. He said, "Now take the book and squeeze it". I did so and he said "Why, my boy, not a drop of water comes out. Until the water comes out, its all book, So until your religion makes you realise God, it is useless".
"A man may believe in all the religions in the world, he may carry in his head all the sacred books ever written, he may baptise himself in all the rivers on the earth, still if he has no perception of God, I would class him with the rankest atheist. And a man may have never entered a temple, nor he performed any ceremony, but if he ‘feels God’ within himself and is thereby lifted above the vanities of the world, that man is ‘holy man’, a saint".
‘My God is ‘the poor’ /service to the poor is service to God:
"…And may I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls-and above all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable. My God the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of worship."
"Look upon every man, woman, and everyone as God. You cannot help anyone, you can only serve: Serve the children of the Lord; serve the Lord Himself, if you have the privilege. If the Lord grants that you can help any one of His children, blessed you are; do not think too much of yourselves. Blessed you are that that privilege was given to you when others had it not. Do it only as worship. I should see God in the poor, and it is for my ‘salvation’ that I go and worship them. The poor and the miserable are for our salvation, so that we may serve the Lord, coming in the shape of the diseased, coming in the shape of lunatic, the leper, and the sinner!"
Posted Master: @run , through "Intent’ Postoffice
Knowing God before Jesus, this writing allows confirmation of much in my heart.
A little known fact worth further contemplation for ME at least….is Jesus is Jesus. There were no last names during his life where he lived.
"Christ" was given to him on the cross.
The word Christ=the Divine energy, greative energy, the Divine spark of God within.
Jesus was Christ – but many other different religions, also had a "Christ" to my understanding.
Your second to the last paragraph….oh so true……resonates within.
Thank you for your additional knowledge!!!!
Daer Kashzca
Loving Namaste!
Glad that you like the post.The purpose of quoting from vivekanada about Jesus/Christ is for the spread of the message of intercultural understanding among general readers.It is not a theological study of Christianity.
Jesus/Christ to me is a personification of pure consciousness(Divine Principle/God)-'as son of God' for spreading the divine message for understanding of laws of God, among masses, as are Krishna and other prophets and incarnations of God.simply Divine consciousness personified with a particular mission at different places and in different time for the welfare of humanity at large.
All love them all,equally,and salute in reverence!
With Best wishes
@run
Excellent blog & articulately written. Thank you for sharing your Intent & thoughts. Joy is a Choice! Choose Joy Moment by Moment!
Dearest Arun,
Appreciate the reply sounds as tho we're saying the same thing, using different words, perhaps….appreciate your loving comment!
Love and learning,
kashzka
Dear Carrolyn
Loving namaste!
Thanks for all the appreciaion !
It has enhanced JOY in my heart!
Best wishes!
@run
Dear Kashzka
"YES"
,they say-"Ekam sat Vipra Vahuda vadanti"in sanskrit.
(Truth is One,wise people call it by different names(words)!They come from the same source.
best wishes and love!
@run
Dear Arun-
Wrote you last night-thought
on friend list, access denied.
Questions as wanting to learn,
Thank you also for
the knowledge given above.
Namaste!
Kashzka