Christmas is known to all men the world over historically as the memorable day of the birth of Jesus, the Saviour. Yet, it also symbolises a very deeply significant truth of the spiritual life. Jesus Christ lived and symbolised Divine Consciousness. He was born at a time when ignorance, superstition, greed, hatred and hypocrisy prevailed upon the land. The rulers were arrogant and unrighteous. The people were avaricious, indolent and heedless. Morality was neglected. They were intent upon worshipping mammon than adoring God. But Christ worked a transformation in the lives of people. He gave a new and a spiritual turn to their lives. People started upon a new way of life.
Those conditions of darkness, impurity and materialism that prevailed before the coming of Christ signify to you the inner state of the seeker’s personality before a spiritual awakening had taken place. In that period the seeker has no thought of God or higher spiritual life. He is immersed in the pursuit of the material things of this external physical world. He is the slave of his senses. He is desire-ridden.
If this state of things must cease and the seeker must enter into a new life of spiritual aspiration, purity and devotion, then the Christ-spirit must take its birth within his heart. That is the real Christmas when the Divine element begins to express in the heart of the man. From then onward, light begins to shine where darkness was before. Ignorance gives place to the beginning of wisdom. Hatred ceases and love blossoms.
There are the forces of good and evil, of light and of darkness, that operate in the human consciousness of man. We can overcome and eradicate completely the undivine elements and fully manifest the supreme Divine element in all its radiant light and glory only through living of the Christ-life in the utmost faithful detail. This is the great path which leads us to Immortality, Supreme Bliss and Eternal Peace.
To live a Christ-life, first of all, the child-Christ has to born in us. The first manifestation of the Divine urge in the form of spiritual aspiration and the recognition of the spiritual ideal signifies the birth of the infant Jesus within the seeker’s being. From thence starts the living of the Christ-life in all its spiritual details of sublime purity, mercy, compassion, love, selflessness, desirelessness, prayerfulness, etc. So also, starts the life of earnest Sadhana, of self-restraint and simplicity, of unbroken serenity and peace, balance of mind, and perfect dedication to the worship of God through the service of man. This is the spiritual implication within of the Christmas that is celebrated without.
With the advent of this Christ-spirit within the heart of the seekers, all human desires come to an end and they are replaced by pure higher divine aspiration. You break free from your slavery to the senses. You begin to live a new life, a divine life of purity, love, renunciation, humility, non-attachment and selflessness. You begin to live a life of complete faith and dependence upon God. Helping others becomes a real joy to you. You become a living witness of the Divine. All your life’s activities flow towards God.
