“Sunder all limitations that the cradle of your consciousness
may be big enough to hold the Infinite Baby Christ.”
—Paramahansa Yogananda
Warm Christmas wishes reach out to you from all of us in Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda’s ashrams, and prayers that during this sacred season honoring the birth of the beloved Lord Jesus, you may feel through your devotion and meditation-tuned consciousness the infinite Christ-love that permeated his life. When the heart and mind open to the touch of God’s grace that comes to us through those who purely reflect His light, the illusory veil that separates us from the Divine is lifted. The darkness of this strife-torn world recedes and peace fills our being. New hope stirs within us, along with the soul-memory of our true, limitless nature. Such are the ever-renewed gifts of the universal Christ Consciousness.
The victorious life of Jesus is meant to rouse in us courage and faith that we, too, can manifest the divine consciousness that is within, waiting to be awakened through God’s blessings and our inner receptivity. As the hearts of individuals change, the consciousness of humanity will also be changed by the influence and uplifting vibration of those who base their lives on the laws of love and truth. Each of us has a part to play in that transformation as we expand our own consciousness to receive the infinite Christ that was incarnate in Jesus. No barriers exist between us and that universal Christ Presence except in our own mind and heart. “If you want Christ to come in a perceptible way in your consciousness,” Gurudeva told us, “you must break down all obstructions.” Take into your Christmas preparations the liberating thought that you can choose to remove from the vast expanse of your consciousness the constricting barriers built by maya and the ego’s fears and prejudices. What healing peace is felt when we clear the mind of resentments, of critical or self-centered thoughts, and absorb into our being the compassion and inclusive spirit Jesus expressed, the humility that leaves no need for outer recognition, and the all-forgiving love that kept him untouched by enmity amidst the severest of trials. As you nurture those qualities that lead to soul-freedom, you will allow the Christ-love and Christ-peace that are the true spirit of Christmas to enter your heart.
The ultimate experience of God as Jesus knew Him unfolds in the deepening silence of inner communion. A boundless love begins to well up in the heart that cannot be contained but overflows in a widening circle to encompass all souls as our own. The perception of that oneness is the supreme gift God offers to each of us. As you receive the universal Christ in the temple of your soul and honor him in thought and action, may your Christmas joy be complete and remain with you all the days of the new year as an ever-increasing awareness of that Christ Presence in your life.
A blessed and joyous Christmas to you and your dear ones,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
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