Allah is"closer to him (the human) than [his] jugular vein.” (Quran 50.16)
> Aug 29, 2007
> Dear devotees of the Adi Shakti,
>
> Namaste - i bow to the Self that resides in you!
>
> So what can we make out of Jesus' claim that"Ye are gods"? What
> has it got to do with second birth (Kundalini awakening)? What is
> their relationship with Shri Mataji's Self-realization? What is the Self
> actually, and how is it realized? To answer these questions i have
> quoted Brian Hodgkinson:
>
> The Self as Spirit
>
> Vedanta accepts this logical introduction to the enquiry into the
> self. Self as subject should never be confused with any object.
> Anything that the self observes cannot be self. Can anything
> positive then be said of it? The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad has a
> great deal to say about the self. For example:
>
> athis Self is nearer than all else, dearer than son, dearer than
> wealth, dearer than anything. If a man call anything dearer than
> Self, say that he will lose what is dear, of certainty he will lose
> it; for Self is God. Therefore one should worship Self as Love. Who
> worships Self his love shall never perish ... This Self is the Lord of
> all beings; as spokes are knit together in the hub, all things, all
> gods, all men, all lives, are bodies, are knit together in that
> Self.”
>
> (pp. 121, 135)
>
> 'He wanted every form, for He wanted to show Himself; as a
> magician He appears in many forms, He masters hundreds of
> thousands of powers. He is those powers; those millions of powers.
> He is Spirit; without antecedent, without precedent, without inside,
> without outside; omnipresent, omniscient. Self is Spirit. That is
> revelation.'
>
> (p. 136)
>
> The connection between these two passages lies in the assertion
> that self is spirit. Self is dear, self is to be worshipped, self is
> love, because it is spirit. What can be observed is material.
> Things in space, including human bodies, are material, made of
> gross elements; things in the mind are subtle, made of finer
> material and observable as imagined objects or thoughts, feelings
> and emotions; but the witness of them all, of all materiality, is
> of a different order. It is spirit. To know that spirit is
> revelation. To know that spirit is not to know an object; it is to
> realize that one is spirit.
>
> Brian Hodgkinson, The Essence of Vedanta,
> Arcturus Publishing Ltd., Canada, pg. 42-3
>
> All the Holy Scriptures - Torah, Bible, Qur'n, Upanishads, Vedas,
> Puranas, Granth Sahib - uphold the Self as Spirit, the essence and
> presence of the Divine in humans. That is why Jesus answered them
> in the temple," Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?.”
> Self-realization is a slow process of confirming the same divinity
> i.e., realizing the Divine within humans. No external images,
> rituals or human contacts whatsoever are needed for this inner
> journey to realize and meditate in the Kingdom of God within. The
> Self also overcomes the deep divisions and sheer ignorance that ail
> all religious and spiritual organizations, including Sahaja Yoga,
> for Self is God. And when you maintain Silence on your Self you are
> always in meditation, prayer and contact with God Almighty!
>
> regards to all,
>
> jagbir
>
>
Believing it to be an error i double-checked"nearer than all else":
>
> athis Self is nearer than all else, dearer than son, dearer than
> wealth, dearer than anything. If a man call anything dearer than
> Self, say that he will lose what is dear, of certainty he will lose
> it; for Self is God.
>
because it could also have meant"dearer than all else, dearer than
son, dearer than wealth, dearer than anything.” But it is indeed
"nearer than all else.”
In the Quran it is said that Allah is"closer to him (the human) than
[his] jugular vein.” (Qur'an 50:16). That is only possible if Allah is
within them i.e., as their very Self. Thus the worship or meditating
on the Self fits perfectly with the strict interpretation of Islamic
monotheism.
"Islamic Monotheism
Muslims do not have a separate god of their own whom they
call"Allah.”The name"Allah"has no connotation at all of a tribal,
Arabian or even a Muslim god.”Allah"simply means the one and only
true, universal God of all.”Allah"Is a proper name belonging only
to the one almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the
earth and all that is within them, the Eternal and Absolute, to whom
alone all worship is due. God states in the Qur'an that His name is
Allah. Hence, Muslims refer to and call on Him by His proper name,
Allah.
What are the basic attributes of Allah? The Qur'an mentions the"best
names" (or attributes) of Allah. Instead of enumerating them all, we
will examine a few. Some attributes emphasize the transcendence of
Allah. The Qur'an repeatedly makes it clear that Allah is beyond our
limited perception: "There is nothing like unto Him .” (Qur'an
42:11)"Vision perceives Him not , but He perceives [all]
vision.” (Qur'an 6:103)"Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (Qur'an
112:4) A Muslim never thinks of Allah as having any particular image,
whether physical, human, material or otherwise. Such attributes
as"The all-Knowing," "The Eternal," "The Omnipotent," "The all-
Encompassing," "The Just," and"The Sovereign"Also emphasize
transcendence. But this does not mean that Allah is a mere
philosophical concept or a deity far removed. Indeed, alongside this
emphasis on the transcendence of Allah, the Qur'an also speaks of
Allah as a God who is close, easily approachable, kind, affectionate,
loving, forgiving and merciful. The very first passage in the Qur'an,
repeated at the start of every chapter is"In the name of Allah, the
Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful...”The Qur'an tells us that
when Allah created the first human He"breathed into him from His
[created] soul .” (Qur'an 32:9) and that Allah is"closer to him (the
human) than [his] jugular vein.” (Qur'an 50:16) In another beautiful
and moving passage we are told," And when My servants ask you, [O
Muhammad], concerning Me—indeed I am near. I respond to the
invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them
respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be
[rightly] guided.” (Qur'an 2:186)"[1]
All the Holy Scriptures - Torah, Bible, Qur'n, Upanishads, Vedas,
Puranas, Granth Sahib - uphold the Self as Spirit, the essence and
presence of the Divine in humans. Prophet Muhammad foretold an era
will come when humanity will re-commit itself to God and there will
be peace and prosperity in the whole world.'
"By the token of time (through the Ages), man is in a state of loss,
except those who truly believe, act correctly and act together in
mutual counsel of Truth and patience' (Al - Asr 103).
The Islamic calendar does not start with the birth or the death of a
person, but with an event, the migration of believers from oppression
to freedom, freedom to practice 'submission to the will of God' in
order to attain peace within and around. The advent of Prophet Jesus
(Alaih Salaam-peace be upon him) was similarly an epochal event in
the history of humankind. The Qur'n calls him a 'sign', a 'mercy',
a 'witness' and an 'example'. He is Messiah, Messenger, Prophet,
Servant, Word and Spirit of God. The calendar may not be exactly
precise but the millennium can serve as an important point of
reference in the Divine scheme of message and revelation. And take us
into the future.
The future is very dear to us. Even if it has not arrived yet, the
future is already in our thoughts. On the other hand, the past is a
collection of good and bad experience, its use is in shaping the
present and shaping the future....
Muhammad, (SAWS - Allah's Mercy & Peace be upon him), task, defined
in the Qur'n, is to be ' giver of the glad tidings as well as a
warner'. The Our'n reminds us of nations who were destroyed -
because they had rebelled and disobeyed - and gives us a glimpse of
the life in hereafter of people who do good and who love and obey
God. In the scheme of divine revelation, the past, present and the
future are one continuum....
In Islam service to humanity is a function of their duty towards God.
The Qur'n says: And from among you there must be a society,
community or party that should invite people to all that is good and
enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all
that is wrong.' (Ali-Imran, 3:104)
In inviting people to goodness and forbidding from the wrong, Muslims
will need to join hands with other believers who share a great deal
of these values about good and bad and about right and wrong. The
conflicts that we witness today are not conflicts between religions,
they are conflicts of irreligion. Therefore, those who believe in God
and know the right from the wrong - Jews, Christians and Muslims,
especially - can join together to build a not a perfect, but an
incomparably better world than we live in today: a society of
neighbors who are just and fair to each other.
The second half of the millennium has seen two world and several
local wars. It saw nuclear incineration of entire populations. It
invented a savage new crime against humanity: ethnic cleansing. The
new millennium ought to be different. Let the people of faith and
goodwill work together to turn it into a thousand years of peace and
prosperity, love and mutuality.
Prophet Muhammad, (SAWS - Allah's Mercy & Peace be upon him), has
foretold that 'fter many years of bad times, an era will come when
humanity will re-commit itself to God and there will be peace and
prosperity in the whole world.'
On the threshold of the next millennium, Muslims have a duty towards
the world and towards the fellow humans. It is their unilateral
obligation to invite others, and to work together in building a
better and a peaceful world: a world which is free from oppression
and exploitation, where rights are a reality and where justice
prevails over hypocrisy.”[2]
"Verse 3:81, among many other verses, provides the definitions
of"Nabi" (Prophet) and"Rasoul" (Messenger). Thus," Nabi"Is a
messenger of God who delivers a new scripture, while"Rasoul"Is a
messenger commissioned by God to confirm existing scripture; he does
not bring a new scripture. According to the Quran, every"Nabi"Is
a"Rasoul," but not every"Rasoul"Is a"Nabi.”Not every messenger
was given a new scripture. It is not logical that God will give a
scripture to a prophet, then ask him to keep it exclusively for
himself, as stated by some Muslim"scholars" (2:42, 146, 159). Those
who are not sufficiently familiar with the Quran tend to think that
Aaron was a"Nabi," as stated in 19:53, who did not receive a
scripture. However, the Quran clearly states that the Torah was given
specifically"to both Moses and Aaron" (21:48, 37:117). We learn from
the Quran, 33:40, that Muhammad was the last prophet (Nabi), but not
the last messenger (Rasoul):
"Muhammad was not the father of any of your men; he was a messenger
(Rasoul) of God and the last prophet (Nabi).”[ 33:40 ] ...
The mission of God's Messenger of the Covenant is to confirm existing
scriptures, purify them, and consolidate them into one divine
message. The Quran states that such a messenger is charged with
restoring God's message to its pristine purity, to lead the righteous
believers - Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, and
others - out of darkness into the light (5:19 & 65:11).”[3]
The Adi Shakti's advent and declaration that the Last Judgment and
Resurrection has begun will one day compel people of different faiths
to put aside their ignorance and learn to worship, pray and meditate
on their own Self, the God Almighty (Brahman) within all. This will be the promised era
when humanity will re-commit itself to God and there will be peace and
prosperity in the whole world. That will come about as Shri Mataji's
Divine Message to humanity confirms their own existing scriptures,
purifies them of misinterpretation and false dogma, and consolidates
them into one divine message - Silence on Self! She is without doubt
the Rasoul (Messenger) charged with restoring God's message to its
pristine purity, and lead the righteous believers - Jews, Christians,
Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, and others - out of darkness into
the light (5:19 & 65:11).
regards to all,
jagbir
1. www.forumfss.org/articles.html
2. Dr. Shahid Athar , Millennium - An Islamic Perspective
(Millennium & Religions Conference. Chicago, Nov 20, 1995)
3. Mahmoud M. Ayoub, World Religions: The Islamic Tradition
Prophet Muhammad: "God is closer to man than his own veins.”
"If we consider the most ancient evidence left by homo sapiens, we can see that man has always been aware of the existence of a Supreme Being, who is Lord of all things and of all living creatures.
Using every conceivable means, human beings of every era have always tried to show their feelings of deep respect (and reverence) towards God and to perform what is due to their Creator.
This is why Islam has always stressed the possibility of direct communication with God. Even those who have fallen into idolatry have never denied the existence of the Creator, but have simply put their idols and images in His place. And this is still happening today. This being the case, how can we recognise a true prophet and what is his or her mission?
The mission of the prophets is to reveal the will of God, that is, to provide a logical and tangible explanation of religion as it is experienced in our daily lives.
Genuine monotheism - the belief in a Supreme Being - means (or implies) the unshakeable oneness of the whole creation between man and God. Monotheism proves then, the pointlessness of idols and of images that come between man and God. The mission of the prophets is thus to set human beings on the right track, and in order to do this, the prophets have used two parallel and complementary paths:
- the way of learning, based on theology and philosophy
- and the way of Self-Knowledge or Self-Realisation
This is why we find in our Holy Book, the Koran, both scholastic discourse and phrases which hint at the"Way in"to knowledge of the Highest Self. The concrete means of putting this message into practise is what is offered to us in this age by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.
To back up this Truth, if you will allow me. I will quote these words of the Prophet Muhammad, who tells us: "God is closer to man than his own veins.”And the Prophet says: "With the knowledge of the Spirit, man will begin to know himself, so as to finally achieve knowledge of God.” "With the purification of his inner being, man becomes conscious that he is the Spirit.”
It is thus the experience of spontaneous Self Realisation - which is revealed by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi - and Sahaja Yoga - which is the practise which she teaches - both spontaneous Self Realisation and Sahaja Yoga are in perfect harmony with the teachings of Islam. It is because of this revelation by Shri Mataji that I have wanted to speak to you tonight.”
Ayatollah Dr. Mehdi Rouhani
Royal Albert Hall, UK — July 3, 1997
“That you have to be born again, that you have to be baptized, that you have to become a Pir, that you have to become a Brahmin — all these descriptions have come to us from all the great scriptures. It is very easy to say that we don't believe in God, we don't believe in any Incarnation, we don't believe in Jesus, we don't believe in any religion, we don't believe into anything; is very easy to say. Even it is easy to say that we believe in them, we believe in God, we believe in Christ, we believe in Krishna, Rama, all that. Both things are equally the same.
When you believe in God you believe in the darkness and ignorance, and when you do not believe in Him also you are in ignorance. By believing into you close your eyes, accept the faith and go along with it. Of course it shows that you are conscious of some Power which is beyond. Such people have a great chance. But in the case if you go to these extremes in this kind of faith then you start only believing in Christ, only believing in Muhammad, only believing in Krishna — I mean depending on where you are born. How human beings are so narrow-minded?
If you are born in England either you will be a Catholic, or a Protestant, or maybe one of these witchcraft people. You believe into anything because you are localized in a place; there has been some identifications because your mother believed into something, because your father believed into something, or you paid for it. And this faith can become such a blinding effect on people that you develop absurd types of groups which call themselves as Christians, Hindus, Muslims — whatever you may say — and are extremely, extremely exclusive, blind, and fanatic.
Today one of the problems of the times of the modern times is fanaticism. Now this fanaticism has been growing. The more people try to get out of this fanaticism, it grows more. For example those people who have given up religion, who gave up God in the sense that they never gave up — you cannot give Him up, He has to give you up — those who felt that they have been able to give up God have done nothing good. They are equally useless. I mean they had by giving up God they have given up all ideas of any control by any divinity on anything. But what have they achieved — suicides, bad society, sick people. They have achieved nothing.”
Shri Mataji Shri Nirmala Devi, Being Born Again
Caxton Hall, London, U.K. — May 12, 1980
"But I move in a society of another kind as you know and in that I meet many ambassadors and great intellectuals, and they all say that these disciples of Christ were all stupid fools because they have not been to universities. What university did Christ go to? This is how it is a big chasm now, between the people who feel Christ is the embodiment of Divinity and those who are intellectuals of this kind who are challenging Christ. But Sahaja Yoga can prove that Christ resides on this centre of Agnya there at the cross; because when the Kundalini stops at that point, at the Agnya point, you have to take the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Then the Kundalini rises in its dignity. That is the Gate He said.
So now as far as the tradition is concerned, I'm rather doubtful how the tradition took over every religion. Even Hinduism is like that. Islam is the same. Any religion you take [to], the tradition is nothing but the tradition of going down, down, down, down. If it was a right tradition, there would have been no problem. Todsy we have so many churches, so many fightings. You see the Vatican [involved] in the Mafia and the Mafia [involved] in the banks. I can't understand!
But Christ, you gave Him the thorn to be adorned on his crown. What kind of crown these people wearing? In India also, we have now started another kind of competition with your crowns. So somebody is making a big umbrella of gold. I must say crown is alright - they are wise, but an umbrella is dangerous. They are playing with Divinity. They have no sense that God Almighty has a tremendous wrath for such people. The religion of Christianity or any religion is the religion of the living God. At different times, there were great flowers on the Tree of Life, but we plucked them and said," This is mine; this is mine"And we are fighting the dead. But in Sahaja Yoga, you will know the beauty of all these great prophets and you will be amazed how they have enriched us; all of them.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Christian tradition and Christ
Vienna, Austria - 8 September, 1984
www.sahajayoga-shrimataji.org
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