Communion with the Infinite Christ in Meditation
An excerpt from The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You
Each year at Christmastime there are stronger than usual vibrations of Christ-love and joy that emanate to earth from the heavenly realms. The ether becomes filled with the Infinite Light that shone on earth when Jesus was born. Those persons who are in tune through devotion and deep meditation feel in a wondrously tangible way the transforming vibrations of the omnipresent consciousness that was in Christ Jesus.
To celebrate the birth of Jesus in solely materialistic ways is a desecration of the meaning of his holy life and of the immortal message of divine love and God-union that he preached. Seeing in the West the shallow, often irreverent, observance given to the birth anniversary of this great avatar, I inaugurated in Self-Realization Fellowship the spiritual celebration of Christmas, before Christmas Day festivities, by devoting a daylong meditation service to the worship of Christ. The ideal is to honor Christ in spirit in meditation from morning till evening, absorbed in feeling in one’s own consciousness the Infinite Christ that was born in Jesus. That experience is one of profound peace and joy, more than a human heart has ever known—expanding into an all-embracing consciousness. Often has the form of Jesus appeared before me during these services—such love in those eyes! It is my prayer—and my conviction that it will come to pass—that comparable observances of the real meaning of Christmas will become a tradition throughout the world. The message of the “heavenly host” to the shepherds in the countryside of Bethlehem was “on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Peace in the world starts with peace in individual hearts. “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding” [Philippians 4:7] is the peace Jesus came to bring to man; it is the only sure foundation for world amity. It is found in the interiorized state of one’s God-communion in meditation. Then, like an ever full reservoir, it pours out freely to one’s family, friends, community, nation, and the world. If everyone lived the ideals exemplified in the life of Jesus, having made those qualities a part of their own selves through meditation, a millennium of peace and brotherhood would come on earth.
For nearly a century, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) has celebrated the true meaning of Christmas with an eight-hour meditation to commune with the Divine, the Source of all love and peace. The tradition that Yogananda started continues each year at Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) ashrams, temples and centers around the world and, for the first time, will be livestreamed from the SRF website on December 19, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Central. The video of the meditation will be available on the website until Christmas Eve so that all can participate. More information about the all-day meditation will be available on the SRF website beginning in December at www.yogananda.org.
