posted by Kamala on Dec 18
Dearest Friends and Family,
In the mornings, we often read a verse in Paramahansa Yogananda’s commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. Recently, Amma commented that studying the Bhagavad-Gita is good, as the battle that it describes is really the one we all face within ourselves, conquering dearly and often tightly held fears, shames, insecurities, the negative tendencies within as well as without ourselves. Its a book that can open our discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal if studied with reflection, right intention, etc.
Link and I have found amazingly, that many topics in our minds, or concerns that we raise to one another will be addressed that day in our reading. This correlation has been so close, that sometimes we look very suspiciously at our copy, wondering if the pages just float up to our vision on the topic they do by some other mysterious agency. Amma and the Rig Veda have said, “May noble thoughts and ideals come to us from all sides.” So, even our thoughts perhaps are receiving a special assist. I’m not one to believe in Angels, but I do know that Anni is always trying to help us and guide us towards what is REAL.
Amma has emphasized studying the scriptural works of a real Jnani, a Self – Realized person. This is why Paramahansa Yogananda’s works are so enthralling. Really, India has so many writers that have written so well in English, who touch so profoundly and clearly on the nuances of the Indian metaphysical understandings, that it is a great pity her educational system does not take them into account, but still refers to the old Shelly, Byron, Shakespeare, Kipling, Steinbeck, etc. who are often devoid of that subtler metaphysical expression. She should instead fill her children’s minds with noble thinking by reading Tagore, Premchand, Yogananda, Gandhi, Subramanium, Thiruvalluvar, there are so many worth while authors, many who have written in the very best English… its a great pity, and actually a great loss to the self-esteem of Indian students. Paramahansa Yogananda’s English is impeccable, his vocabulary awe-inspiring, his sense of compassionate humor that runs through his commentary is dry and delightful. His footnotes, exhaustive, and informative.
Today, Link and I were discussing the rational mind, and the intuitive mind. At least these are the words we are using. The rational mind is logical, and justifiable. The intuitive mind is logical,but unjustifiable. Its easy to go into the logical, rational mind, and shut off the intuitive mind. Along with our discussing this, we found reference to this subject in a book a friend loaned to us. Its an extremely relevant work, for your reference:
“The Laws of the Spirit World” by Khorshed Bhavnagri, (2009) Jaico, Mumbai.
In very simple language, it covers many principles in Samkhya and Yoga philosophies. I found nothing in the Laws that it describes to be in contradiction to anything I have heard Holy Mother Amma talking about. The exception, for me, the first three chapters, deal with the ways a set of parents came into contact with their sons who were killed together in a car accident, 29 and 30 years of age. It was devastating, and the parents, after 29 days, began to reconnect to the spirits of their sons, through first a medium, then, automatic writing, and then, into their own two-way communication from within themselves.
Logically and rationally, the automatic writing does not appeal to my mind. One of my dear friends does it, she has familiarity with many ‘alternative’ ways of knowing. I’m always skeptical, but I have to bow to the fact that it is very obvious that she does indeed touch spheres of being that are not in the realms of my rational mind. Perhaps because I grew up in a scientifically based society, I tend to reject ‘para normal’ phenomenon. But, at the same time, although I cannot rationally understand it, there were innumerable people who were able to help Anni with her suffering through healing mechanisms that transcend all logic. I am eternally grateful to everyone who tried to ease her sufferings. I remember once, it was so hard for her to sleep at all, and then, for 1 hour, she suddenly slept deeply. At the end of that time, she woke up, the phone rang, and Priya Raji of our Connecticut Satsang group called, and said that they had just done an archana for Anni, that it was very intense for everyone involved, and that they really felt it would help her. It was during this time only that Anni could sleep. We noticed this several times. Whenever groups of people were praying for her, she could sleep. In one notable case- there were a group of healers that connected nightly for Anni. Only during the time that they were doing their healing things, would the pain let up, and Anni could sleep. God Bless all of you, who tried to help my innocent, suffering child.
As we go through life, we realize that every kind and selfless act brings about a debt, although the doer would feel no such reciprocal obligation. It is the truly selfless that we all love, whom, if possible we want to repay in some form. Further reflection upon the selflessness we are beneficiaries of, makes us realize that we are debtors all, to almost everything. If not everything. I haven’t figured it out yet. As Gandhi observed, As debtors we have only duties, no rights to speak of.
Today’s reading was about the necessity of being led by our conscience, the necessity of developing that way of self guidance and knowing, and how the logical mind just kills it. In a footnote, (pg.356) Paramahansa Yogananda had an interesting anecdote about George Washington’s visions of the guardian angel of America. Here it is:
“Among respected accounts of the current age is the experience of George Washington, a revelation bestowed on him by a heavenly being during the dark days of the American Revolution, in the year 1777. His was a vision of the future of a great nation arising on the American continent. An angel, “a singularly beautiful female, “ appeared to him: “a new influence, mysterious, potent, irresistible, took possession of me…Everything about me seemed to rarefy, the mysterious visitor herself becoming more airy, and yet more distinct to my sight than before…I heard a voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’” A remarkable scene of “ a dark shadowy being like an angel, standing or rather floating in midair, between Europe and America” unfolded a vision representative of the American Revolution and America’s ultimate victory. Similarly, a second vision unfolded, predicting the Civil War.[long after the life of George Washington]
“And again I heard the mysterious voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’” At this, a third vision of great conflict was revealed to him. Then, “The dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth, and blew a long fearful blast. Instantly, a light as of a thousand suns shone down from above me, and pierced and broke into fragments the dark cloud which enveloped America. At the same moment the angel upon whose head still shone the word, ‘Union, and who bore our national flag in one hand and a sword in the other, descended from the heavens attended by legions of white spirits. These immediately joined the inhabitants of America, who were well-nigh overcome, but who immediately taking courage again, closed up their broken ranks and renewed battle. Again, amid the fearful noise of the conflict, I heard the mysterious voice saying, ‘Son of the Republic, look and learn.’ As the voice ceased…the dark cloud rolled back, together with the armies it had brought, leaving the inhabitants of the land victorious…
“…I found myself once more gaping upon the mysterious visitor, who, in the same voice I had heard before, said, ‘Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted. Three great perils will come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, passing which the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land and Union.’” (Condensed from “Washington’s Vision, “ National Tribune, Vol. 4, No. 12, December 1880) This footnote in: Yogananda, P. (1995) God Talks with Arjuna, The Bhagavad Gita: Royal Science of God-Realization, the immortal dialogue between soul and Spirit A new translation and commentary. Self Realization Fellowship. Los Angeles.
There are many sources which claim the story as true, some of them are what I term rather doom-saying, fundamentalist type, others, the intellectual shredder type, claim it as false. Its always interesting to note other view. I found this response to a ‘false vision’ blog, which I think is worth noting in one’s consideration as to whether the story is true, and therefore, worth our thoughts or not.
Source: http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2007/01/02/washingtons-valley-forge-vision-that-never-was/
James Armbruster says:
January 30, 2008 at 11:02 pm
What is amazing to me, is that all these websites use the story of a 99 year old man. From that, some websites discount it as a story of a 99 year old man, told in the third person and therefore isn’t true. Others, just take it as true. There is nothing to say it is true, other than a reporter reported it as true.
However, there is another source, there are Washington’s letters and personal prayers, which mention this vision as well.
[bold italics mine.]
Either way, if a person chooses not to believe that he had this vision, no matter what is brought as evidence, the story will be discounted, and the unbelievers will continue to not believe. Somewhere in this clash of beliefs, the believer will have their character assassinated. I believed it originally, and after finding other sources, I now know that my belief is well founded. God Bless America!
US Senator, Ron Paul’s friends maintain a blog in the interests of informing an unalert American public:http://www.dailypaul.com/forum On it was stated:
I also post this because there has been a campaign by globalists to destroy the ‘character’ of these founding fathers of The United States of America. I am so appalled by this when I read comments by people dissing these founders as though they were some kind of low life. I am so sick and tired of it. And some of this is coming through so called ‘Christian’ organizations who are spreading lies about the founders being ‘evil masons’, ‘practicing witchcraft’ and other ridiculous tripe.
One thing is for certain. These founders could never be capable of producing such sacred documents like the Declaration and the Constitution if they did not harbor such deep feelings of love and intense desire of freedom for humanity from all forms of bondage.
Early Americans who were vigilant about our country knew of this vision.
When I first read this a year ago, it gave me gooseflesh.
One thing is certain. We are to stand up for Truth, and we must become strong enough to resist evil and unrighteousness. Amma has stressed again and again, that if we keep SILENT in the face of bad behaviour or unrighteousness, that we become guilty of it as well.
This life is a Great School, we all pass out of here, and we are being tested continuously as to whether or not we will be fearless in obeying our conscience, or not. Anni was and is SO FEARLESS. Holy Mother Amma is totally FEARLESS. Those who are truthful, never have anything to fear.
May we all become fearless lions and tiger cubs of our conscience!
Loving you,
Aunty Kamala - PS A painting by Arnold Friberg, 1999 from website listed below, of George Washington communing with the Greater Intelligence that holds us all, through prayer and conscience.
http://ww3warnings.blogspot.com/2010/04/george-washingtons-vision-of-future-of.html
