ARE WE INTERESTED IN THE MAN?
The important thing about the man called Jesus was his spirit, which we call Christ. And what we are interested in is not the man called Jesus but the consciousness within him, which is Christ Consciousness.
You have the same thing in every theology with a different label. You could have Moses Consciousness, Krishna Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness or Christ Consciousness. It means the same thing. It means “that” consciousness to which man has to aspire. That is the true meaning of the words, “No man goes to the Father except through me.” It means, “Reach the stage of consciousness that I have reached, and then you become one with the Father.”
This consciousness, although in an embodied form, is a universal consciousness, and, being a universal consciousness, it is in all of us. It permeates every cell of our body. But the difference is that, although it permeates within us, it is lying dormant, while in the realised man, it is awakened. That is the difference!
All spiritual practices are meant to awaken that Christ Consciousness within man. It is not something gained from outside, but it is there inside, within you, all the time.
It is like going to a doctor. A doctor can never cure you, but he can give you medicines that will stimulate you and help bring about a balance within you to get rid of the illness. That means you cure yourself, and the physician gives you what is required to bring that balance. That is what the teacher does.
YOU HAVE TO EVOLVE YOURSELF
The teacher shows you the path, but you must walk with your feet. There is no other way. No man can evolve you. You have to evolve yourself.
That is why Jesus said, “I am the way.” Or rather, Christ said, “I am the way.” The way is to reach Christ Consciousness, for that is the way.
One knows what life is when one reaches that pure level of consciousness. Most people in the world do not live. They exist. It is just existence, not living, for to live is to be awakened. To live is to be alive to all the forces of nature around us, in that deep alertness.
Deep alertness means vast awareness, where the entire universe is comprehended. When that is done, you are in the realms of pure consciousness that we can term “Christ Consciousness.” When that is completed, and you have reached the personal God, you automatically can merge away into that which is impersonal.
Every man has the ability within himself to reach pure consciousness, and one does that by practising spirituality. When one reaches the pure level of pure consciousness, it does not mean that one is adding to that consciousness, for in this universe, you cannot subtract one ounce of energy, nor can you add one ounce of energy. It remains a quantified whole.
ENLIGHTENMENT
That is why consciousness is already present within every one of us, requiring and awaiting awakening—waiting for the light to shine through. And that is called enlightenment.
When the light shines through, it is enlightenment. And when enlightenment comes, and the light shines, it is called illumination. You illuminate yourself and your surroundings. These terms always signify the same thing: that purity of consciousness, which is Christ’s Consciousness.
Only one interpretation of that pure consciousness is that when a man reaches that stage, he feels integrated within himself. When he feels integrated within himself, he thinks that all this is but one, and no separation exists.
You can discard the entire Bible if one fact can be remembered: “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” That is the most essential teaching. That is the butter or cream churned up from this vast milk vessel. “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” But to truly love thy neighbour as thyself, one must recognize the oneness between you and I. There is no you and I.
… Gururaj Ananda Yogi: Satsang US 1979 – 24
