Guest guest Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 [Continued from a talk given by Swami Paramatmananda while he was in residence at the MA Center between 1990 and 2001.] After six months, sure enough, his wife Elizabeth got pregnant, even though she was well past the time for child-bearing. You can imagine, it was a very difficult situation for her. Soon, Gabriel was again sent out. This time he went to Nazareth, to a young virgin who was about to be married to somebody named Joseph. Gabriel gave darshan to her and said, " Behold, rejoice! You are highly favored. God is with you. You are blessed amongst all women. " Suppose you are a fifteen or sixteen year old girl, washing clothes on a stone by the village well. That is where it happened. The actual well is still there. And somebody appears before you, blazing in supernatural light, and tells you this news. What are you going to say? " Oh great, I'm so happy! " ? She was shocked out of her wits. The angel understood that and said " Don't be afraid, Mary. " Now she knows that he knows everything, or else how would he know her name? " Don't be afraid, Mary. For you have found favor with God. You'll conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and he'll be called Jesus. He will be great, and he will be called the Son of God and he'll reign over the Jews forever. There will be no end to his kingdom. " Mary said the first thing in her mind. " How will this be possible? I'm a virgin. " " Divine grace will come to you, and the power of God will overshadow you, and therefore also the holy one which is born from you will be called the Son of God. Behold Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For no word from God will be devoid of power, " replied Gabriel. When God says something's going to happen, it is going to happen. That is called satya sankalpa or a truthful resolve. This is the case with Amma also. If she makes a sankalpa it has got to happen. Many of you have read Amma's life, and you know that many barren ladies have come to Amma who blessed them with a banana. She touched her tongue to the banana and then gave it back to them. She told the husband and the wife to each eat half of the banana, and after that, sure enough, the lady got pregnant. Was it the banana, that particular kind of banana? If so, there would be a huge demand for such bananas. It wasn't the banana. Was it the saliva? It wasn't the saliva. Medical science would be hard put to figure out this one. It was the sankalpa, the power of God -- the resolve of a God-realized soul. However impossible it may seem, if God or a God-realized person says something is going to happen, it will happen. Then Mary felt at ease and said, " I am the handmaid of God. May your word be so. " This is the story about how it all happened. Now it is nine months later, out in the fields near Bethlehem. A group of shepherds are looking after their sheep at night because they were worried that wolves would come and attack the baby sheep that had recently been born. It was at that time of the year. So these shepherds were hanging around discussing their shepherd stuff, and what happened? Same thing! An angel came and gave them darshan. He was blazing in all his glory, and of course the first thing he said was, " Do not be afraid. I bring good news for you and for everybody. There is going to be born today Christ the savior, and this will be a sign for you, that you'll find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. " They soon came across a cowshed where, sure enough, they found Mary and her husband Joseph, and a little baby all wrapped up in swaddling clothes. How in the world did the family get there in the middle of nowhere? Well, Mary and Joseph were on their way out of town, because there was some problem. The king heard that a baby who would become the next king was born, and so he was searching for all the newborn children in order to kill them so that there would be no competition. That was why they were running away, but on the way, Mary went into labor and due to the crowds in Bethlehem, the only place they could find to stay was in this cowshed on the outskirts. The shepherds were wonderstruck. Then three other people showed up. They were the Magi, the wise men from the east - probably from India. It is believed that they were astrologers. They knew that a great being was going to be born in that exact spot, and so they came there, paid their obeisance and left. (to be continued) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 Amma Pranada I am follower of Amma, born Hindu. The christian stories you write are boring to me and absolute irrelevant for any spiritual cause.If you represent any Church, mention them like what type of denomination, which Christian ministries you represent, what is goal of joining Amma group etc. If you want any meaning of life, then single mindedly focus on the mantra " Oum Namahshivayyah " , nothing else, not even any other mantra like " Hare Krishna " etc. Single minded devotion is critical in life, unless you have ulterior motives. Saadhana means practice. You have to practice one not hundred. I contniuously chant " Oum Namahshivayah " whether it is Christmas day or Krishna' birth day. Do you have spiritual goal in life? Fullfil it. --- On Thu, 12/25/08, daughterpranada <daughterpranada wrote: daughterpranada <daughterpranada The Miracle of Christ - Talk by Swami Paramatmananda - Part 3 Ammachi Thursday, December 25, 2008, 9:56 PM [Continued from a talk given by Swami Paramatmananda while he was in residence at the MA Center between 1990 and 2001.] After six months, sure enough, his wife Elizabeth got pregnant, even though she was well past the time for child-bearing. You can imagine, it was a very difficult situation for her. Soon, Gabriel was again sent out. This time he went to Nazareth, to a young virgin who was about to be married to somebody named Joseph. Gabriel gave darshan to her and said, " Behold, rejoice! You are highly favored. God is with you. You are blessed amongst all women. " Suppose you are a fifteen or sixteen year old girl, washing clothes on a stone by the village well. That is where it happened. The actual well is still there. And somebody appears before you, blazing in supernatural light, and tells you this news. What are you going to say? " Oh great, I'm so happy! " ? She was shocked out of her wits. The angel understood that and said " Don't be afraid, Mary. " Now she knows that he knows everything, or else how would he know her name? " Don't be afraid, Mary. For you have found favor with God. You'll conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and he'll be called Jesus. He will be great, and he will be called the Son of God and he'll reign over the Jews forever. There will be no end to his kingdom. " Mary said the first thing in her mind. " How will this be possible? I'm a virgin. " " Divine grace will come to you, and the power of God will overshadow you, and therefore also the holy one which is born from you will be called the Son of God. Behold Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For no word from God will be devoid of power, " replied Gabriel. When God says something's going to happen, it is going to happen. That is called satya sankalpa or a truthful resolve. This is the case with Amma also. If she makes a sankalpa it has got to happen. Many of you have read Amma's life, and you know that many barren ladies have come to Amma who blessed them with a banana. She touched her tongue to the banana and then gave it back to them. She told the husband and the wife to each eat half of the banana, and after that, sure enough, the lady got pregnant. Was it the banana, that particular kind of banana? If so, there would be a huge demand for such bananas. It wasn't the banana. Was it the saliva? It wasn't the saliva. Medical science would be hard put to figure out this one. It was the sankalpa, the power of God -- the resolve of a God-realized soul. However impossible it may seem, if God or a God-realized person says something is going to happen, it will happen. Then Mary felt at ease and said, " I am the handmaid of God. May your word be so. " This is the story about how it all happened. Now it is nine months later, out in the fields near Bethlehem. A group of shepherds are looking after their sheep at night because they were worried that wolves would come and attack the baby sheep that had recently been born. It was at that time of the year. So these shepherds were hanging around discussing their shepherd stuff, and what happened? Same thing! An angel came and gave them darshan. He was blazing in all his glory, and of course the first thing he said was, " Do not be afraid. I bring good news for you and for everybody. There is going to be born today Christ the savior, and this will be a sign for you, that you'll find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. " They soon came across a cowshed where, sure enough, they found Mary and her husband Joseph, and a little baby all wrapped up in swaddling clothes. How in the world did the family get there in the middle of nowhere? Well, Mary and Joseph were on their way out of town, because there was some problem. The king heard that a baby who would become the next king was born, and so he was searching for all the newborn children in order to kill them so that there would be no competition. That was why they were running away, but on the way, Mary went into labor and due to the crowds in Bethlehem, the only place they could find to stay was in this cowshed on the outskirts. The shepherds were wonderstruck. Then three other people showed up. They were the Magi, the wise men from the east - probably from India. It is believed that they were astrologers. They knew that a great being was going to be born in that exact spot, and so they came there, paid their obeisance and left. (to be continued) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 > Amma Pranada > I am follower of Amma, born Hindu. > The christian stories you write are boring to me and > absolute irrelevant for any spiritual cause.If you represent > any Church, mention them like what type of denomination, > which Christian ministries you represent, what is goal of > joining Amma group etc. > > If you want any meaning of life, then single mindedly focus > on the mantra > " Oum Namahshivayyah " , nothing else, not even any > other mantra like " Hare Krishna " etc. > I have better things to do on Christmas day than read messages like these. I've known Pranada for several years from my local satsang group and can tell you right off that bat that she does not represent any church. Furthermore, Pranada's commitment to her sadhana and devotion to Amma's teachings are second to none. She doesn't need reminders from any Hindu-über-alles fundamentalists. If you want to attack other members, play the Hindu supremacist card or wave the India-right-or-wrong flag, take that garbage somewhere else. Maybe you don't think Amma is Hindu enough. Or patriotic enough. Well, you're right. She isn't Hindu at all, as she says " my religion is love " . So if you are waiting for Amma to assert that India should become a Hindu theocracy, to advocate that the Indian government should boot all Christians and Muslims out of the country, and to welcome Hindu patriotic zealots like the RSS and Shiv Sena into her organization, you are going to be disappointed. If you really are a devotee of Amma, as you claim to be, you surely would not find talks by Swami Paramatmananda - one of Amma's leading swamis - to be " boring " and " absolute irrelevant for any spiritual cause " . Keval (digging humungous lumps of coal out of my stocking!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 Aum Namah Shivaya, Thanks for these very beautiful stories by Swamiji. I was raised Catholic and reading his talks are really inspiring. I also read The Mystic Christ and it answered so many questions for me when I first came to Amma. I had so much confusion but that book changed my life and my life with Amma forever. Jai MA!! Jai Jai Ma!! Namah Shivaya, adriane Ammachi , " daughterpranada " <daughterpranada wrote: > > [Continued from a talk given by Swami Paramatmananda while he was in > residence at the MA Center between 1990 and 2001.] > > After six months, sure enough, his wife Elizabeth got pregnant, even > though she was well past the time for child-bearing. You can imagine, > it was a very difficult situation for her. > Soon, Gabriel was again sent out. This time he went to Nazareth, to a > young virgin who was about to be married to somebody named Joseph. > Gabriel gave darshan to her and said, > " Behold, rejoice! You are highly favored. God is with you. You are > blessed amongst all women. " > Suppose you are a fifteen or sixteen year old girl, washing clothes on > a stone by the village well. That is where it happened. The actual > well is still there. And somebody appears before you, blazing in > supernatural light, and tells you this news. What are you going to > say? " Oh great, I'm so happy! " ? She was shocked out of her wits. The > angel understood that and said " Don't be afraid, Mary. " Now she knows > that he knows everything, or else how would he know her name? > " Don't be afraid, Mary. For you have found favor with God. You'll > conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and he'll be called > Jesus. He will be great, and he will be called the Son of God and > he'll reign over the Jews forever. There will be no end to his kingdom. " > Mary said the first thing in her mind. " How will this be possible? I'm > a virgin. " > " Divine grace will come to you, and the power of God will overshadow > you, and therefore also the holy one which is born from you will be > called the Son of God. Behold Elizabeth, your relative, also has > conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her > who was called barren. For no word from God will be devoid of power, " > replied Gabriel. > When God says something's going to happen, it is going to happen. That > is called satya sankalpa or a truthful resolve. This is the case with > Amma also. If she makes a sankalpa it has got to happen. > Many of you have read Amma's life, and you know that many barren > ladies have come to Amma who blessed them with a banana. She touched > her tongue to the banana and then gave it back to them. She told the > husband and the wife to each eat half of the banana, and after that, > sure enough, the lady got pregnant. Was it the banana, that particular > kind of banana? If so, there would be a huge demand for such bananas. > It wasn't the banana. Was it the saliva? It wasn't the saliva. Medical > science would be hard put to figure out this one. It was the sankalpa, > the power of God -- the resolve of a God-realized soul. However > impossible it may seem, if God or a God-realized person says something > is going to happen, it will happen. > Then Mary felt at ease and said, " I am the handmaid of God. May your > word be so. " This is the story about how it all happened. > Now it is nine months later, out in the fields near Bethlehem. A group > of shepherds are looking after their sheep at night because they were > worried that wolves would come and attack the baby sheep that had > recently been born. It was at that time of the year. > So these shepherds were hanging around discussing their shepherd > stuff, and what happened? Same thing! An angel came and gave them > darshan. He was blazing in all his glory, and of course the first > thing he said was, " Do not be afraid. I bring good news for you and > for everybody. There is going to be born today Christ the savior, and > this will be a sign for you, that you'll find the baby wrapped in > swaddling clothes lying in a manger. " > They soon came across a cowshed where, sure enough, they found Mary > and her husband Joseph, and a little baby all wrapped up in swaddling > clothes. How in the world did the family get there in the middle of > nowhere? Well, Mary and Joseph were on their way out of town, because > there was some problem. The king heard that a baby who would become > the next king was born, and so he was searching for all the newborn > children in order to kill them so that there would be no competition. > That was why they were running away, but on the way, Mary went into > labor and due to the crowds in Bethlehem, the only place they could > find to stay was in this cowshed on the outskirts. > The shepherds were wonderstruck. Then three other people showed up. > They were the Magi, the wise men from the east - probably from India. > It is believed that they were astrologers. They knew that a great > being was going to be born in that exact spot, and so they came there, > paid their obeisance and left. > > (to be continued) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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