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"Renewal, Easter, Rebirth, Spring"(Sermon Cherag Zahra-Latif Williams) Easter Sunday April 16 Attendance: 10 The Upanishads There is a Spirit who is awake in our sleep and creates the wonder of dreams. He is Brahman, the Spirit of Light, who in truth is called the Immortal. All the worlds rest on that Spirit and beyond him no one can go: This in truth is That As fire, though one, takes new forms in all things that live. He is within all, and is also outside. As the wind, though one, takes new forms in whatever it enters, the Spirit, though one, takes new forms in all things that live. There is one Ruler, the Spirit that is in all things, who transforms his own form into many. Only the wise who see him in their souls attain the joy eternal. He is the eternal
among things
that pass away, pure Consciousness of conscious beings, the ONE who
fulfills
the prayers of many. Only the wise who see him in their souls attain
the
peace eternal. The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha Our original Buddha-nature is, in all truth, nothing which can be apprehended. It is void, omnipresent, silent, pure. It is glorious and mysterious peacefulness, and that is all which can be said. You yourself must awake to it, fathoming its depths. That which is before you is it in all its entirety and with nothing whatsoever lacking.... and This day my birth
is fruitful,
my human life a blessing; this day have I been born in the race of the
Enlightened, now am I their son. And henceforth mine is the task of
them
who work worthily for their race. The Zend Avesta of Zarathustra And do Thou, O Mazda! A great Creator! Come to me with Thy Creative Mind! And do Thou, Who bestoweth gifts through Thy Cosmic Order, bestow alike, long-lasting gifts upon us, that this life may be spent aright! ........ All these gifts of the Good Spirit are offered back in gratitude unto Thee, by the Mind and the Deed of the generous man whose Soul goeth forth hand in hand with the thoughtful man, whose life progresseth in harmony with the Cosmic Order. What is, then Thy Kingdom, O Mazda? What are Thy riches? Thine Own, in my
actions,
that I may become Living with the Cosmic Order and Thy Good Mind.
Psalm 40 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods! Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God, thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us; none can compare with thee! Sacrifice and offering thou dost not desire; but thou hast given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required. Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart." [Psalm 116:15 ]
O
Lord, I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid. John 14 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. ........... And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave
you desolate;
I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no
more,
but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day
you
will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
THE KORAN Allah will bring all things to light, be they as small as a grain of mustard seed, be they hidden inside a rock or in heaven or earth. Be steadfast in
prayer, enjoin
justice, and forbid evil. Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you.
That
is a duty incumbent on all. Do not treat men with scorn, nor walk
proudly
on the earth: Allah does not love the arrogant and the vainflorious.
Rather
let your gait be modest and your voice low. He that surrenders himself
to Allah and leads a righteous life stands on the firmest ground. To
Allah
shall all things return. The first birth is the birth of man; the second birth is the birth of God. The human heart is the womb from which the Lord is born. Thou art my spirit, I am Thy body, my Holy one. Let the sun of Thy divine spirit rise from my heart, that morning may break out of the darkness of life. My life is a wave of the ocean of thy eternal life. Let my soul become thy life. The image of Christ is in the Church, the book of Christ is with the clergy, the love of Christ is in the heart of his worshipper, but the light of Christ shines through the illuminated soul.
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Portions of Gatheka 20
Sufi Mysticism, VI: The Way Reached by Harmonious Action used for sermon Very often one is apt to think that study, meditation, and prayer alone can bring one to the way leading to the goal. But it must be understood that there is a great deal to be done by action. Few indeed know what power every action has upon one's life: what power a right act can give and what effect a wrong act can have. People are only on the lookout for what others think of their actions, instead of what God thinks of them. If one knew what effect an act produced upon oneself, one would understand that though a murderer escaped the hands of the police officer, the murderer has not escaped from the fault he or she has done. One cannot escape oneself-, the greatest judge is sitting in one's own heart. One cannot hide one's acts from oneself. No doubt, it is difficult almost impossible-for one to judge the acts of another person, for one does not know the condition of another. One can best judge oneself. People, however wicked, are not pleased with themselves with their wrong actions. If one is pleased for a moment, this pleasure will not continue. One might ask: what is right and what is wrong? No one can stamp any deed as right or wrong. But there is a natural sense in one which distinguishes between right and wrong, just or unjust, a sense even in the child. One sees the line and color in art or decoration. One sees if the tablecloth is not laid straight on the table and when a line that should be straight is not straight. Even a child knows when things should be harmonious in line and color; a child normally loves harmony in line and color. There is a natural tendency in the heart of each person, the natural instrument that the masons use for building a house. ...For the mystic, therefore, action is a most important thing. During my travels from place to place, coming in contact with different people and having the opportunity of staying with them, I have met some who have perhaps never in their lives read a book of theology or studied mysticism. Their whole life has been spent in work, business, and industry, yet I have felt their spiritual advancement, which came naturally from their right action in life. They had come to a state of purity which another might find by study or meditation. On the subject of action, one might ask what is the best road to take in everyday life leading to the ideal of life? The best way of action is to consider harmony as the first principle to be observed. In all circumstances, situations, and conditions try to harmonize with one's fellow-creatures. It is easy to say, but most difficult to live; it is not always easy to harmonize. If we question why it is so difficult, the answer is that it is not always that people are difficult and not pliable; it is we ourselves who cannot bend. ...A harmonious person can bend and is pliable, and can meet another. No doubt, in order to harmonize, one has to sacrifice; one has to bend to people one does not want to bend to. One has to be more pliable than one is by nature, and one has to be more clever than one really is. All these efforts will not succeed unless one makes an effort and unless one realizes that harmony is the most essential thing in life. Why does a mystic give such great importance to harmony? Because for a mystic his or her whole life is one continuous symphony of music, each soul contributing to the symphony by his or her particular part in the music. Success, therefore, depends upon the ideal of harmony the person has. Very few people in the world give attention to harmony. They do not know that without this, there is no chance of being happy. Only the harmonious ones can make happiness and partake of that happiness. Otherwise it is hard to find happiness in the world. The fighter has no peace; battle will be ever increasing. It is the peacemaker who is blessed. No doubt to make peace, one will have to fight with oneself in order to be able to make peace with others. Whatever a person's education or position in life or the amount of one's possessions, if there is one thing lacking in one's life and heart, nothing can bring one peace. Think what value it would be if one knew what a thing it is to create harmony. This is the main thing in life, in everything one thinks and does. |