Sathya Sai Baba. Supernatural Experiences and Divine Transformation. Book Three - Святослав Игоревич Дубянский
Шрифт:
Интервал:
Закладка:
45. Sathya Sai Baba on the three stages of the spiritual path of Jesus Christ
Sathya Sai Baba said that only a few were able to realize the most important part of the spiritual message of Jesus Christ, which he preached to all mankind. The most important part of the teaching of Jesus Christ is that God is the original nature of the soul of every person – God is the True Self of every person.
Sathya Sai Baba also said that people should accept Jesus Christ as their spiritual guide, follow his example, and go through the same stages of the spiritual path that Jesus Christ went through.
Passive worship of the Savior, following the formalities of church tradition, or using outward symbolism is not enough to be a genuine Christian. Jesus Christ himself told his disciples that they should follow him.
Sathya Sai Baba explained that in the beginning Jesus Christ realized he was "the messenger of God." After that, he realized he was "the son of God." At the highest stage of his path, he realized his oneness with God. These three stages of the spiritual path are universal; every spiritual seeker passes through them.
Sathya Sai Baba advised people to stop perceiving Jesus Christ as the greatest object of worship and accept him as their spiritual guide and example on the spiritual path. It may seem that this is too strong a statement. We are accustomed to think that Jesus Christ is the greatest world teacher, the only son of God, originally perfect and divine.
How can we accept him as an example for our spiritual path? The philosophy that Sathya Sai Baba expounded may be difficult for some Christians to accept. Quite a lot of people tend to perceive Jesus Christ as the originally perfect Godman.
Sathya Sai Baba pointed out that Jesus Christ was a truly unique person, and that he was born with a special divine mission. However, Sathya Sai Baba showed that initially Jesus Christ did not have the fullness of self-realization; he gained it as a result of the path of meditation and prayer.
Having gained the highest spiritual realizations as a result of intense spiritual practice, Jesus Christ set a great example for everyone by showing with his life that in order to gain spiritual experience intensive spiritual practice of meditation and prayer is necessary.
In order to uncover the greatest treasure of the spiritual heart, it is important to practice, and not just philosophize on spiritual topics. Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of God is taken by force. This famous phrase signifies the need for intense spiritual practice. He also proclaimed that the kingdom of God is in the hearts of people. This means that the vector of spiritual movement is directed exclusively to the inner world.
46. The real Jesus Christ who walked the earth
In our time, "Biblical Science," which studies the life of Jesus Christ and the first Christian communities from the point of view of historical science and archaeology is actively developing. This is a truly unique and interesting topic. Who was the real Jesus Christ and who were the first Christians?
In many ways, the image of Jesus Christ, and the information about him that we have now, was formed under the influence of the development of church tradition. The important question is: what were Jesus Christ and the early Christians of the early centuries really like?
It is very important for modern people to know about the real life of Jesus Christ, and to collect as much information as possible about his life and teachings, as well as about the spiritual life of early Christians. The ideas we have about Christianity today took shape several centuries after the life of the historical Jesus Christ. In a later era, churches began to form, which sometimes created their own concepts about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
What was the real Jesus Christ like? What was his life, spiritual path, and true philosophy?
In modern Christianity, there is no knowledge of reincarnation, while in the early centuries, Christians knew perfectly well about the process of reincarnation of the soul. Another important fact in the life of Jesus Christ was that he lived part of his life in India, where he studied philosophy and meditation, but later this invaluable information was hidden from people.
Now we know quite well about the male disciples of Jesus Christ, but among his disciples there were also women, in particular Mary Magdalene. What role did she play in the community of disciples? Was she a chief disciple, or perhaps even the wife of Jesus Christ?
What difference does it make for us as Christians to assume the family life of Jesus Christ? Is his mission diminished if it turns out he was married and perhaps even had children? Of course not. The great spiritual message of Jesus Christ about love and searching for God in one's own heart does not change in any way, even if we can find evidence about his family life.
Another big topic is the relatives and especially the brothers of Jesus Christ. Perhaps his main student was his older brother, James, whose life and work was later silenced. After all, it was Jacob, the brother of Jesus Christ, who led the Jerusalem church and the first community of disciples.
47. Jesus Prayer
In his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba often spoke about the spiritual power of the practice of chanting the holy name of Jesus Christ. During one of the Christmas lectures, Sathya Sai Baba quoted wonderful words from the Apostolic Letters, which say that everyone who prays with the name of Jesus Christ will be heard and saved.
Sathya Sai Baba said there is a wonderful and simple way to practice the prayer of Jesus Christ, which is the constant repetition of his name: "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."
Sathya Sai Baba said at the very beginning of the spiritual path, it is difficult for
