Swamiji gives a beautiful reminder of the meaning of Christmas. Talk excerpt 196.

From Mother Radha’s notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

[At Christmas time] Swamiji said: Two thousand years ago, a humble person was born in a stable among the sheep. This was a simple birth and a humble beginning, but the soul was, and is, so high – higher than any plane on earth.

What is your name and fame compared to that? Yet the Great Ones did not speak of themselves as great, but as the servant of the servant of the servant of God.

‘Lord, thou traceth thy birth to a humble stable of a donkey, that carries the burdens of men.’

He [the Lord Jesus] carried the karma of those who came to him. He carries the karma and projects it into the future – of dharma [righteousness].

In the Bible it says God made us in His image – that is love, mercy, sacrifice and truthfulness. That is the message of God. Mould your mind, your thought, into the image of God. Then you can say, ‘I am perfect, even as my Father in heaven is perfect.’

Sri Ramakrishna said he was Mother Kali. The Great Ones go beyond caste, colour and creed. Even stones and grass yearn for the touch of their feet.

What is the message? God dwells right in your heart – that means He is the source of the source of the body – that means the heart.

Jesus Christ said, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ [Luke 17:21]. He exhorts us to serve man. Jesus Christ did not sit in one place, not like the yogi who sits in a cave. No. He went from place to place – to save people – he taught them. He said, ‘Anything that is done to the least of these is done to me.’ [Matthew 25:40].

And Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Service of man is worship of God.’

Jesus went out to meet the poor and miserable people. Did not Jesus love children? He said, ‘Till you become as little children ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.’ [Matthew 18:3]. A child does not bear a grudge – every impurity is flushed out because of its love for its father and mother.

The free-to-read, 396 page Flipbook version of Swamiji’s biography is available by clicking HERE.

These recordings were made from the 1970s onward, by Mother Radha, a close devotee of Swamiji’s and edited for uploading here by our gurubhai and her son, Brother Tim. Please be mindful that what Swamiji was saying may have been specific to an individual or a group of people with him, at the time.

The image in today’s post was crafted using prompts to Microsoft Copilot AI.