St Nicholas Celebration Dec. 6, 2010

Mahavatar Babaji Ecard for December 6, 2010
(Click on Card to Enlarge)

St. Nicholas

From Bhakti Marga: 6 December 2010:

Please join us for the celebration of one of the patron Saints of our chapel and one of the greatest Saints of all times! (At Swami Vishwananda's Shree Peetha Nilaya, Springen, Germany)

17h Beginning of the liturgy with the Story of St. Nicholas and then blessing with Myrrh and Procession of the Icon inside the Center followed by distribution of St Nicholas Bread.

Maha Lakshmi’s St. Nicholas Prasad

The woman, in despair,
Laid her head down on the table.
The red rose of springtime had long lost its bloom.
Snows of winter hung on the windowsill in cold
Testimony of Old Man Winter
Wrinkling his frosty brow.
Children played on sleds and toboggans
On the hill outside the woman’s window…
And some just watched.

The shoes were placed just outside the door
On December 6 for St. Nicholas to fill…
As was Germany’s tradition
Since...well...long, long ago.
Where will come the means to fill
The children’s shoes the mother worried…
In deep and sorrowful despair.

She fed her children a meager meal
Of porridge and bread and put them to bed.
All through the night she prayed for help from above
That some kind soul would
See the empty shoes and place a little
Something in her children's St. Nicholas shoes.

As dawn came the mother peeped into the room
Of her children ever so peacefully sleeping there.
Then she dried her eyes and went to the door
To bring the children's shoes inside to slip into them
All that she had…
One penny each for the candy store.

The woman opened the door
And in amazement and bewilderment
She wonderingly beheld. . .
Her children’s shoes overflowing...
With candy and toys and fruit and all good things.
Each shoe was filled to the brim
And spilling onto the floor.

The woman’s tears welled up again and she prayed:
“Dear Heavenly Father Who art in Heaven,
Hollowed be thy name…
From where your bounty came
I shall never be certain.
Oh Heavenly Father
Thank you from a mother’s heart
That we have learned from our
Beloved Guru, Swami Vishwananda…
You are bound only by love”.

-Utpalavati

Diwali November 5, 2010

Mahavatar Babaji Quote of the Day:
What happened to the pristine creation of God, the Father Mother? It is simple. Humanity in its devotion to the ‘I’ or the ‘ego’ came to know of Itself as the creator without remembering that creation on Earth is a co-creation between the Creator and the human being. In other words, the illusion of separation from the Oneness, the Divine Supreme Being came about. And that known as loneliness came to be experienced. It is time to reconnect, to create unity!
-Babaji http://atmakriya.org/mahavatar-babaji

Diwili: The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali", which translates into row of lamps. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas) (or Deep in Sanskrit) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.

Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and fire crackers.Deepavali is widely celebrated in both India and Nepal.

The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

In each legend, myth and story of Diwali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Diwali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and wherever it is celebrated as the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of firecrackers, joy, togetherness and hope.

How to Celebrate Diwali

Christ Resurrection Celebration Sunday April 4 2010 EASTER

Sri Swami Vishwananda: He has resurrected. He is resurrecting inside everybody. He is going to resurrect everybody with Him and let the old person which is inside of you die to let the new one resurrect together with Him. The actual resurrection of Christ is to show that resurrection is possible, to show that God-realization or your true realization is possible. He has shown it. He has shown the way. That is why He has said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light”.

The Resurrected Christ with Mary Magdalene
The first person to see Jesus after the
Crucifixion and Resurrection

Resurrected Christ: Many Christians regard the resurrection of Jesus as the foundation of the mission of Christ. Jesus showed, “I am the way, the truth and the life (light). Through his teachings and resurrection of his rising from physical death into Divine Light, Christ exemplified “the way” that we all may resurrect into Divine Light.

The Resurrection of Christ provided validation of his Incarnation. The Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians: 'If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.' (Corinthians 15:19-20)

According to Paul, the entire Christian faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus on the third day, and the belief of life after mankind’s death. Christians annually celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

The vast majority of Christians; Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and adherents of the Assyrian Church of the East accept the resurrection of Jesus as a real historical event. -Utpalavati