Confidential Information

4 › 2 › 22

Make a Huge Needle

Make a huge needle with a two meter wide eye, and then you should go to heaven even if rich. Thus, it will be easy for most rich guys to enter heaven on the word of Jesus. You see, Jesus holds it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. [Matthew 19:24]. Be this creative if necessary! There are easy ways open today. You do not have to worry yourself insane about heaven entry any more, for can rich people enter easily, who cannot?.
This "Gothamic solution" to an old problem may appear childish and insane to many, but have the faith in it that saves - OK? Good! It is taught that you have to become like little children - but not in all ways. You may not have to use diphers or gett all toothless for that reason. Make a fit selection of what marks little children. The tiniest ones do not understand a word - not a word of Jesus either. They have proper faith along with mustard seeds, all according to him. [Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17]
Jesus teaches the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children. I feel confident that a big needle project may appeal to many. [Matthew 19:14; Luke 18:16].In contrast to salvation as a gift, and from Jews, Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) taught other self-help methods than a huge needle, most notably kriya yoga and hong-so. He taught that kriya works like mathematics and did not work like mathematics without devotion. That borders on Gothamic too, if it is not Gothamic.

To be better able to withstand life's turmoil, some learn lessons of others - it may be terse sayings and keynotes of university textbooks, and so on. An alternative is to give oneself away, which comes much closer to giving in than we like to think of.
The able worker does not underscore the value of having what is needed easily within reach, or near and available. And a friend in need is a friend indeed (Proverb).

More Early Yogananda Teachings!

Jesus advocated more or less socialist community living, and Yogananda writes:

Little-group models of ideal civilizations must be started in every community for happy and peaceful living, with much meditation and much chivalry shown. These groups should be well balanced, financially secure, and they should exist always in high thinking and plain living.
This is how it should be worked out. . . . buy and build twenty-five small cottages, by . . . own labour, on twenty acres of community-owned farm land . . . Hats should not be worn. All the people should wear sandals or go barefooted.

Someone: "Shriek. Barefoot and bald in the howling winter cold? But hopefully caps will be permitted by the boss!"
Yogananda goes on:

"In India I have seen men who after great mental preparation by fasting, concentration and deep prayer can walk on blazing red-hot fire without harm . . .
A matter-sensitive man . . . must not follow a method which may be powerful but which may kill him . . . He must feel that the snow and the burning sun are but materialized God-consciousness . . . [East West Vol 3, No 5: Yogananda's article "Overcoming Pain and Sorrow"].

Yes, freezing to death overcomes pain and sorrow, but who wants that? After all, very, very few in the world of matter seem able to wholly ignore the world of matter. Yogananda further:

Parents should be satisfied with one child and exercise moderation and self-control in marital life. . . . Then, when the twenty-five children grow up, each one should be sent, with limited financial help, out into the world to earn ten thousand dollars each . . .

These are fine teachings for animals, or what?
Then, these children, grown into fully-developed men and women, should marry ideal mates . . .
These twenty-five couples should then build other communities such as their parents built . . . [Why not better?]
Each spiritual colony should take the vow of plain living and high . . . renunciation of luxury, and the joint ownership of lands, transportation, education, food, and money, and they should eat and dress in the community way, but spiritually each soul in the community must be unencumbered so that he may develop and advance as deeply as he can.
If people would follow the above rules, then . . . from everywhere pestilence, famine, and disease would flee . . .
THIS WILL ESTABLISH ABSOLUTE UNIVERSAL PEACE AND HARMONY.
[Yogananda, in East West, Vol. 4, April 6, 1932]

I think I had better comment a few more points right here. Say no to going bald and barefooted in the snow or burning sun. Ten thousand dollars in our days may secure less than ideal mates, and how many ideal mates are there? Must you believe that for every Jack there is a Jill? If you successfully go for not being encumbered by Yogananda's hosts of shoulds - they are many, many - then you may live full well.
Do you know what? Good projects are basically designed to move on open-endedly, and in many respects like villages. Such projects can last.

Literature

   USER'S GUIDE to abbreviations, the site's bibliography, letter codes, dictionaries, site design and navigation, tips for searching the site and page referrals. [LINK]
   DISCLAIMER: [LINK]
   © 1997–2008, Tormod Kinnes. All rights reserved. [E-MAIL]