Look into the Kalama Sutta before believing much. [Link]

Victims of the faith

There is reasonable faith around too, not just bad faith to be against.

Study the terms and aligned history to avoid being taken in. There are fine points to consider. In Self-Realization Fellowship, SRF, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), they aim "To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna; and to show that these principles of truth are the common scientific foundation of all true religions." [◦SRF Aims and Ideals]

We need to study the terms and see what they cover and cover up for innocents:

To reveal and show something is not to live up to it. Those are different things. Good for SRF and others! For if your aim is to show a complete unity that just is not there, you have really little to do! Good for some! The alternative to doing very, very little, is faking, which is not good enough, not ideal.

One may note in passing that SRF's woolly "these principles of truth" in part refers to an obscure "original Jesuism" from a time when there was no Christianity. The history of Christianity and the book of Acts in the New Testament show that Christianity was born only after Jesus was taken away, so this is an easy one to handle: There was no original Christianity of Jesus to find "complete harmony with". The sources agree on it. Thus, the conclusion: "Har du høyrt maken! That is Norwegian for "Have you ever heard the like!"

Now we are free from one of the "aims and ideals" of SRF because we have solved that little riddle. Some could appreciate that up to immensely. SRF's "shown and revealed" thing is done.

⦾ Don't stoop as low as those who claims Jesus is a guru against old Bible warnings against wolves, but not against getting accepted among wealthy humbug followers of Jesus.

Go for good meditation, and learn yoga teachings if interested

There has not been any original Christianity of Jesus. We can be still more guarded, helped or covered: Jesus in the gospels says his teachings, work, Kingdom and salvation were for Jews only (Vermes 2010:39, 41). That is what early gospels teach. So why drag Jesus into yoga? That is a billion-dollar question that Yogananda failed to ask or answer right.

We should not compare two things with each other when one of the things is missing - not compare the Bhagavad Gita's yoga and a missing Christianity of Jesus. Why? (1) Jesus taught only the Jews, his teachings were only for them, and his kingdom and salvation likewise. (2) Christianity arose only after Jesus was dead, and the gospel teachings put in his mouth were wholly absent when Christianity was born (Acts 15). Four requirements are there, and no to blood food is one of them (!) No to wrangled chickens is also in it, along with no to adultry.

We are surely on safe Bible ground when we say: "There was no original Christianity of Jesus."

After that is cleared up, turn to Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. A tradition has it that the Bhagavad Gita was composed by Vyasa. Further, it is a part of the large Mahabharata epos. Did Sri Krishna exist? There is some indirect evidence that he did. [Sri Krishna]

Now, there are hopefully no one to deny you from studying the Bhagavad Gita's teachings and learn to meditate sanely and well - even a lot of that. The Bhagavad Gita is one place to find teachings that are at least "author-put" in the mouth of Sri Krishna. Another place to find other old teachings that are at least "author-put" in the mouth of Sri Krishna is the lesser-known Uddhava Gita (online). It is full of teachings. Here is one that strongly emphasises "thou shalt not steal" and speaks of consequences.

Anyone who steals the property of . . . Brahmins, whether originally given to them by himself or someone else, must live as a worm in stool for one hundred million years. [27.54]

Not only the performer of the theft but also anyone who assists him, instigates the crime, or simply approves of it must also share the reaction in the next life. According to their degree of participation, they each must suffer a proportionate consequence. [27.55]

Thieves do not seem to benefit from stealing, then. One is to consider the said consequences.

Few Americans are Jews

Concerns of centuries gave rise to the tree of Christianity and its old and new competing branches. Most Christians are not Jews. Most Americans are not either, and see if they follow Jesus to the letter and take to crude self-maiming on his word (Matthew 5, passim).

There are about 4.2 million American adults who say they are Jewish by religion, representing 1.8% of the U.S. adult population. But there are roughly 5.3 million Jews (2.2% of the adult population) if the total also includes "Jews of no religion," a group of people who say they are atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular" when asked about their religion but who were raised Jewish or have a Jewish parent and who still consider themselves Jewish aside from religion. This is the net Jewish population as defined by the Pew Research report (2013) [1]

Few Americans are Jews. (See also Wikipedia, "Jewish population by country") Still fewer Christians are Jewish Christians. And Jesus said his teachings, healing ministry, Kingdom and Salvation were for Jews only, the renowned Bible scholar Geza Vermes affirms. (2004; 2010:37 41). How come that Gentile followers after decades and centuries started to run roughshod over gospel sayings put in the mouth of Jesus? Here is one: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (Matthew 15:24)

Moreover, all the apostles and their Ghost decided on just four requirements for non-Jewish followers. No to blood food and no to such as wrangled chickens are there, but not one special command by Jesus. Not one. The first church was founded and upheld without any sayings of Jesus. Gospels were written over the course of almost a century after Jesus' death, and reflect very different ideas and concerns. The four gospels in the Bible were chosen from dozens of gospels.

Further, we do not know who wrote the gospels. They are attributed to disciples of Jesus, but we do not know who really wrote them or whether they are the earliest sources or not. Chances are they are not. The church that called itself "catholic,", universal, claims to be the only access to salvation there is. If you are not a member of that church, leaders of that church have claimed from the first century until now, you are outside, and perhaps consigned to damnation.

So far we have: (1) If you are not a Jew, the teachings, kingdom and salvation of Jesus are not you, says Jesus in the gospels. (2) If you are not a Catholic, that's bad too, a Catholic says. And so on further. A condemning attitude is smelled. (3) And then came the yogi Yogananda. After about five years among rigid Christians in the USA, he started to proclaim that "good old Jesus" was behind him and his kriya yoga, but it goes contrary to bible stuff and seems to be one more bluff.

Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), the organisation he started and one day repented he had started, spreads his teachings all the same. Some of them. They are not keen on showing how he hailed Mussolini and dictatorship -

The black danger of public prayers

Non-Jews were not called to follow Jesus. There are some who disregard the teachings of Jesus and still claim they follow hip by selected phrases or lip service. Jesus of the gospels taught a few things about public prayer too, in Matthew 6:5-6.

Now, the SRF aim is to 'reveal' - without saying 'to live fully up to' or 'function all along according to" sayings of Jesus. Good for them! They may escape self-maiming and giving away their property on Jesus' commands, for example. But what about their public prayers? Shewbreads are of many sorts.

Offering many public prayers - is it better or worse than being crazy?

In many ways the demands of Jesus on followers make them victims, but he told the followers not to pray in public [Matthew 6:5-6]. In SRF they do pray in public. And there are Christians that still meet and pray in public. There is so much vain or wrong in the world -

Christians who say they follow Jesus without doing as he tells - but tells Jews only . . . Should public prayers be overlooked?

Jesus also asks the followers to dispense with their own property, turn the other cheek, let robbers prosper by the lack uprightness in Christians of the Other Cheek, and so on and on. (Matthew 5, passim; Geza Vermes 2010:23)

Regardless of that, Christianity from its start with the Apostolic Decree from around 50 CE and onwards, did not include any of the commands of Jesus, so a non-Jesuan Christian does not have to act self-destructively and self-ruinously on the crazy-looking commands. Have a look at Acts 15 and 21:25 and think for yourself. There it is all shown, along with "no to blood food and three more requirements under that Deal, or Pact if you like.

No commands of Jesus in the first church. An interesting point is that no commands and promises put in the mouth of Jesus go into the foundational deal of Christianity, just the four requirements and getting a Holy Spirit on board. That is it. The four gospels were selected from among many that were written later, and with still later additions, including forgeries. It stands out that in the four later-added, canonised gospels, Jesus says his teachings are for Jews only (Matthew 15:24). It means a Christian of the non-Jewish sort may do away with commands, promises and teachings put in the mouth of Jesus, for they are not menioned in the Apostolic Decree that founded the Christian church. I allow for other views in this, but the gospels are clear: Jesus said his teachings and healing work, Kingdom and Salvation were for Jews only. The renowned Bible scholar Geza Vermes affirms it. (2004; 2010:37; 41).

It stands out that gospels were not needed for a Christian in the early church, for there were unlikely any gospels at that time, but there was a church. Without the early Christians, the agreeing apostles and the Spirit, as it is said, there would be no later Christianity. [WP, s.v. "Apostolic Decree"]

Adhere to the basics and protect yourself. How? Strive to live by the Kalama Sutta, for one thing.

Why call Jesus guru or "Lord, Lord" without being Jews? Back to the SRF or Yogananda: "Reveal" goes easier on many than living up to. Could that fine point save SRF members? Hardly, for in SRF they also claim Jesus to be one of their gurus. So they are faced with this: They call him "Lord, Lord," without being Jews, without necessarily acting self-destructively and self-ruinously, and without giving away their houses, farms, gold watches and other property just by being asked to by some of the millions of hobos in California or elsewhere, for example. Jesus rounds off some stark denouncements of pretentious fakers in Matthew 7:19-23.

However, you don't have to be a confused lamb, or what? If you are no Jew, Jesus says his words and lordship are not for you, and you know you should be glad, considering his doom talk. All the apostles and the Ghost that is supposed to hold all true Christians on track by good guidance and things, agreed to make life easier for Gentile followers, that is, non-Jewish Christians. (The Apostolic Decree).

Jesus for Jews only is according to gospels. Should we trust them? It seems to me that after gospels were added, the promises and views in them caused wrong outlooks. They did not help the martyrs to run on water, fly into the air from Colosseum and other arenas in the vast Roman empire. The poor chaps thought the end of the world would "come soon" anyway, for that was gospel-said - by Jesus in them. He was wrong, and they were wrong to believe it. And the powers they thought they were to possess, must have failed them big time.

Has anyone cast mountains in the sea by a mere command, for example? If not, it could be high time after all these years. But wait, you should say, the commands and promises and pretty-looking words on the signs of the saved, the power of prayers and of doing better than Jesus who was nailed on a cross and denied his last prayer there - according to the gospels, that is - they are for Jews only! That is what the gospels say.

Those who trust in invalid promises in a faith that has not worked, may get in trouble. It matters to know what is what - and to mark hypocricy and black greed, too:

George Cheyne, a Scotch physician, when a person was talking about the excellence of human nature, exclaimed: "Hoot, hoot, man. Human nature is a rogue and a scoundrel, or why should it perpetually stand in need of laws and of religion?"

⦾ All religions are not alike; some are worse than others.

The mess. Worth noting is that teachings of Jesus in the edited four gospels are self-contradictory, at times wrong, and largely inferior on the important issue of proper righteousness. He supports scapegoating and keeping Canaanites slaves forever, for example. That is to say, he stands for inhuman suppressions and worse.

What is more, Jesus says prayer in public is a show-off or disrespect God [Matthew 6:5-6]." And if you disregard it and thus disrespect God (!), what does Jesus say will be your fate? The answer is a typical, loaded denouncement [Matthew 7:19-23].

In SRF they offer lots of public prayers, and Yogananda has authored a whole book of such outpourings, called Whispers from Eternity [Wfe]. You may ask: "Are these people really evildoers because they offer public prayers?" So far as they are placed under the verdicts of Jesus by their own guru's Jesus-load decisions, they supposedly are. The merely alleged Jesus-followers are denounced by him, after all. But for Gentile Christians (Non-Jews) the fiftheenth chapter Acts is a valid deal (pact) having no-more-than-four requirements, repeated in Acts in 21:25. It appears to be an easier deal, unless you eat black pudding or black sausage - such very common foods among Christians - not to speak of adultery. [Devotion]

The sage works to make people calm and pure of mind, says the Tao Te Ching, by non-doing it (by wu-wei). [Chap. 3] Can you believe that?

To be headed by nuns - how good can it be?

The doctrine of priestly celebacy was unknown to early Christians. The earliest Christian leaders were largely married men, according to the New Testament. Self-Realization Fellowship is headed by monastics. Is there anything wrong with that, or with being councelled by nuns and monks as to your married life?

Well, there were no nuns and monks in early Christianity; Monasticism was unknown in Christianity until the end of the 200s CE. It is a later-comer. But SRF's aims and ideals hold that the fellowship wants just to reveal and show the alarmingly non-existent "original Christianity of Jesus", and not to live it! It makes sense not trying to ride a dead horse, and even more sense not to try to ride a horse that never was found. Yes, yes. So SRF may have their nuns and monks and be led by women if they like, and they do. [Note 2] [WP, s.v. "Clerical celibacy"].

The guru Yogananda and the fellowship he formed and one regretted having formed, have clearly added elements of later Christianity to what was at work in the times of Jesus. It was not Christianity - which came only later - but teachings for Jews only.

Being marred or misled by common demagogy is far from finding gold.

There is a danger that giving up adequate and fit control won't help all. Hope not to fall victim to crazy talk and guru plots.

Law Talk

Now for a Jesus quotation:

I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them." [Matthew 5:17]

So Jesus ignored parts of the Law he claimed to fulfil. The "original Christianity" of Jesus is not clear-cut, and he also goes against the Law of Moses in it, even though he claims that to Law to be valid to the letter [Matthew 5:17-19].

"Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death [Exodus 31:15]". Jesus allowed Sabbath work and said,

Till heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law till everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:18-19]

613 do's and don'ts too

What is included in the Law that Jesus goes for and himself breaks? From that Law, Jews enumerate 613 things to do and not to do, the 613 Mitzvot. One of these old commandments is "Keep the Canaanite slave forever (Leviticus 25:46)." So it is not only lack of foreskin and a forced Sabbath (Saturday) rest that marks the Jew - and the Law that Jesus appears to vouch for for Jewish followers, and still breaks. There are further do's and don'ts for gullible Jesus-believers below.

Not putting Jews to shame, but -

One item from a selection there: "Not to put any Jew to shame (Lev 19:17)"

How can you reconcile this with denouncing him as fits:

"If your brother sins against you . . . tell it to the church and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. [Matthew 18:15-17]

There are carnal brothers and symbolic brothers.

"If any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them," says Jesus in Mark 6:11. Jesus sent twelve disciples into Jewish lands and told them to "shake dust" against the non-believing Jews [Matthew 10:14], and "it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgement, than for that city." [Matthew 10:15].

Sodom and Gomorrah lay on the Jordan River plain, which was compared to the garden of Eden for its well-watered and green pastures, suitable for grazing livestock. [Gen.13:10]. Might Jesus have had in mind a prosperous land of plenty, milk and honey, if the cities actually existed? [WP, sv. "Sodom and Gomorrah"]

If Sodom and Gomorrah were well off in a tract of plenty, being almost as well off could be good too, but Jesus did not explain just what he meant by what he said. "When in doubt, win the trick [Edmund Hoyle]."

The doggy bone of "Jesus Christianity"

As mentioned above, there has never been any Christianity of Jesus - He had followers among Jews. Jesus claimed he came for Jews only, and taught for them only, and never used the term Christianity either. However, if we take Yogananda's words about "original Christianity" to mean many of the inconsistent, in part erroneous or forged gospel-recorded teachings of Jesus, we do have as mire foundation for the house that will come blubbing down. For your own good:

1. Discern between stupid Jesuism and not stupid (Jewish) Jesuism.
   
2. Do the same for Gentile, Common Christianity - discern between stupid and not stupid.

⦾ Stupid is also as stupid believes. There is much stupid faith around, and mental disease too.

1. The Deep Faith Certificate and the fooled Jesus follower

A sordid follower thinks he has to do everything Jesus says to call him "Lord, Lord" and not end in hell as a hypocrite for it. Well, it should not be like that at all for a non-Jewish Christian, and that is what Acts 15 and 21:25 tell. [More].

All commands and demands of Jesus were absent; there were just four requirements for Gentile followers, that is, for non-Jewish Christians.

James spoke up: "Brothers, it is my judgement that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood."

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided - all agreed - and wrote a letter, saying, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.

You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell." [cf. Acts 15:13-29 passim; 21:25].

Such is the Bible's all-deal for non-Jewish followers. These New Testament verses prohibited blood food, making it binding on the Christian church. The Apostolic Decree is still observed today by the Greek Orthodox. - To enlarge on this a little: An Early Christian council was held in Jerusalem and dated to around the year 50. The council decided that Gentile converts to Christianity did not have to keep most of the Mosaic law, including the rules about circumcising males, and confirmed Acts 15 well. [More, including sources]

The naïve Jesus follower who is not a Jew, should think he came too late, and that the Deal for Christians was dramatically changed in Acts 15 and sustained in Acts 21:25. The verses offer glimpses into the Early Christian counsil in Jerusalem.

As a helping hand to pigheaded "Jesus believers" and folly believers today, why not let them apply for a Real Follower's Certificate, based on doing what Jesus says his real, Jewish follower has to without a foreskin and with or without Saturday work, and so on. The core of the certificate may be ticked off boxes with public tests - followed in due time by some document testifying to the miracle-working in all its glory. A true faith certificate - such a wonderful idea against being taken in and then fooling oneself into the false belief of being a genuine follower without showing any signs of it!

A Faith Certificate against false faith

First, be reminded that the gospels came after the first church was formed, and are not essential, then, but secondary or second-hand matter. Second, if the gospels and bible scholars like Geza Vermes (2004; 2010) tell the truth, the teachings and salvation of Jesus were for Jews only. His sayings about powers and prayer simply do not apply to Christians that are non-Jewish. So there is a chasm between the amassed gospel teachings for Jews only and us, and between Jesus and non-Jews too, since he said he and his teachings were for Jews only.

The apostles and the Ghost decided to make life easier for non-Jewish converts, and did not include any special commands by Jesus - no self-mutilating, self-impoverishing talk! You should see the good sides to that much more lenient Deal and profit from it all right if you can.

Fellows who say they follow Jesus without being Jews, do they show the signs of the faith the gospels say are the signs of the real followers? Test the spirits, check their fruits - in this case the miracles claimed to mark the real, Jewish followers. Jesus says he did not want others:

The feats to get all right documented

Can throw mountains into the sea by sheer commands, without tools and helpers - specifications of the least volume thrown is needed here. (A mountain with a mass that equals the Cheops pyramid in Ghisa may be the minimum - Doing greater works than Jesus, according to John 14:12 etc.) Is a converted Jew (Jesus said he came for Jews only), agreeing to the 613 things to do for Jews (at least the Law of Moses): Foreskin check should not be omitted. Can drink deadly poison without harm. The poisons do not have to be killers - when the hard-headed "faithor" is near death, antidotes can and must be given. Has actually raised a few dead persons - three or more would be great ("All is possible for the one who has faith" is the teaching.) Has sold all her or his belongings to obey Jesus. Has torn off limbs on the command of Jesus, etc. (They may put them back on afterwards, to show they master miracles or deep faith. Counsel: Try it with a tiny part of your nail first -) Has suddenly stilled wind and waves. [Mark 4:39-40] Has walked on water and soared over clouds - better than Jesus! [cf. John 14:12; Matthew 14:25-31; Acts 1:9-11]

Demonstrating even six or seven of these could be worth a hurrah -

⦾ A certificate - how simple! And yet so neglected for strong reasons to keep silent in the matter -

The rest of this article is for Jewish followers of Jesus, the only followers he said he wanted, according to the gospel of Matthew (10:5-8; 15:24). If you are a non-Jewish Christian, the words of Jesus and Jesus himself should be ignored, since he promised the Spirit of Truth to enter after his demise. Acts tell of that. It is possible to discuss these matters a lot, but Christianity is founded in the fifteenth chapter of Acts. There are four requirements and not even one command of Jesus into it . . . (WP, "Counsil of Jerusalem")

2. Non-stupid follower

Jesus himself teaches inMark and Matthew that healthy ones do not need Jesus. So go for holistic health. But if you are a genuine, qualified Jesus follower (Jewish and so on), you should at least have power that goes beyond Jesus [John 14:12] and regardless of that bible passage, have the faith that accomplishes "anything", the gospels hold in a few places. The reservation about "anything" is linked to "Can God create a stone that is so huge that he cannot lift it? - Can God pluck hairs off a completely bald man?" Don't be too quick to believe anything that is written. Compare:

1. Jesus looked at them and said, "With God all things are possible." [Matthew 19:26]
2. Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." [Mark 9:23]
3. "If you have faith ... Nothing will be impossible for you." [Matthew 17:21]

Thus, when Jesus comes with a winnowing fork in his hand and is intent on clearing his threshing floor and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire and accuses you of hypocricy and things like that because you felt you could call him "Lord, Lord" without doing all he told you, and without qualifying as a good Jew, you have the right to maintain [Matthew 3:12]:

"Back off with your destructive commands of maiming myself for mere wishes, of being hated by all for your sake. I for one not have to show the "miracle tricks" and cut off my foreskin either. (John 14:12)."

You should have freedom and other things it takes to defend yourself. Help others to aim for good health over and above being a "sick sheep." Those are parts of gospel teachings of Jesus - you may make a sensible selection and stand firm.

Sometimes we could help ourselves all right by penetrating beneath the surface of things, facade and decor. At any rate, congratulations if you maintain you are a devotee of a good guru or good Buddhism. In so doing you cannot have broken the high reborn Christian's deal. Basta.

⦾ Not doing things Jesus called for, commanded and claimed, is indeed possible. A Christian that maims his foreskin and other parts of his body has misunderstood the basics of Christianity and ignored that the self-maimer commands of Jesus, surreal promises and other such stuff were for Jews only - but not all Jews, only ill [depraved] ones, Jesus really says. The teachings of Jesus - commands and all - are only aimed at depraved Jews, as sound ones are not called and healthy ones do not need him. That is what early gospels tell (Mark 2:17; Matthew 9:12-13; 12:11).

3. The Foolish Gentile Christian

The fool has probably not seen that he or she is free from the burden of following Jesus and adhering to what he said for Jews only, after the happenings of Acts 15 - or maybe he or she acts in freedom from Jesus all the same. It could depend on the degree of foolishness, and in what ways it comes out.

Only four requirements remained for non-Jewish, Gentile followers, it says. Freedom and ease are given. One should make use of them, like the talents of a parable.

For example, confused Christians may cling to an abandoned command, "Thou shalt not make thee any graven image" - without realizing that Acts 15 does not bother to include that command for Gentile followers. The history of Christianity shows that Christians in numbers have stuck to crosses, Marias and other icons all along - not all sorts of Christianity have done so, though.

⦾ Christianity for non-Jews requires only four things. Which are they? No to blood food is among them. For all that, in many countries blood food is traditional Christmas food. Clownish? Maybe. It seems rather equal to adultery in the Good Book. [Acts 15; 21:25]

4. Better Christians: Buddhists and Hindus?

Nearly all Christians are non-Jews, that is Gentile followers. For such followers there were just four requirements, and not eating blood sausages and blood pudding is maintained as too important to cast away, seemingly. Most Christians do forget it, though. They also seem to ignore they are to be hated and persecuted by all, even though that is what Jesus says is the fate of his own. Think about it: You have to get famous like president George W. Bush to be know to many, and if all do not know you, all cannot hate you, can they? In sound maturity lies salvation from being hated and persecuted by all too.

Have that spirit that surpasses being a dupe. Just be better than him and do not follow self-molesting, risky dictates either: do not turn into a sick sheep or willy-nilly, then. You are allowed that in the "Jesus deal", methinks, and favour yourself throughout.

A good thing is that for non-Jews - Gentile followers - most words of Jesus were discarded to ease the burden. That is what Acts 15 is about. Claim eased burdens instead of being made one of the martyrs.

The great-looking promises and commands of Jesus were discarded. No gospels were written, letters by Paul and others were most like not written either - so grasp the essentials to be free from what is not really needed: Just drop eating blood sausage and blood pudding and adultery, and you have two out of four requirements covered. Even more positive: if you find yourself under the deal for Gentile followers, like most Christians, it is not forbidden to excel Jesus. That is where yoga may help you. Speaking of miracles, Patanjali enumerates many of them in his Yoga Sutras. Buddhistm has many others, in addition. And the guru Yukteswar mentions the eight famous yogi powers that may be developed:

• The power of making one's body or anything else as small as he likes . . .
• The power of magnifying or making one's body or anything else . . . as large as he likes.
• The power of making one's body or anything else . . . as light in weight as he likes.
• The power of making one's body or anything else . . . as heavy as he likes.
• The power of . . . obtaining anything he likes.
• The power of . . . bringing anything under control.
• The power of satisfying all desires . . . by irresistible will force.
• The power of becoming Isa, Lord, over everything. See John 14:12. [Hos 94-95]

Here you have the glimpse of winning yoga. It does not even exclude the smart Jesus-anchored variant (the second type above). Maybe you rise to some of these winning ways of life, or all of them, or maybe you rise above them too, through the good help of yoga methods. Good to know! The Mila Grubum about the fascinating Tibetan yogi Milarepa, is a book that captures such matters.

⦾ The basic fact is that many statements of Jesus were discarded in the deal for Gentile Christians of early Christianity, by the Spirit and all the apostles. [ Acts 15; 21:25]

5. SRF, a Detour?

On your way through life you may encounter Self-Realization Fellowship, SRF. SRF has a Hindu monk as its founder, and sticks to his teachings. The fellowship had a broader scope when it was new, aspiring to be fit for all religions. By and by evidence has turned up that makes it fit to label it as a Hindu cult that has bhakti, devotion, as one of its key elements.

As the Encyclopaedia Britannica indicates, most Hindus are cult members, and bhakti movements of Hinduism tend to generate cults in time. Vishnu worship started out like that, and is the biggest cult of Hinduism: about nine out of ten Hindus are Vishnu worshippers. Krishna is believed to be Vishnu incarnated. Krishna is another of the six claimed and worshipped SRF gurus. (cf. EB, sv. "Hinduism > The rise of the major sects: Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism")

How are the teachings of Jesus fitted to the SRF variant of Hinduism, then? In SRF, Jesus and his teachings are adapted to Hinduism, and not the other way round. Certain elements of his teachings are ignored, others are "interpreted" by Yogananda. In some respect they mean to hail Jesus as one of their six, claimed gurus, but they disregard many of his sayings, such as his no to other Christs than himself.

SRF does not take off from Gentile Christianity, as far as I know, but is Hinduism that seeks to incorporate some hardly suitable parts of the teachings of Jesus to itself, through interpretations that contain deep belief in karma, reincarnation, yogi miracles, and self-help methods to reach God (Atman, the Self), ideally - called heresy by a Catholic professor, "Father Matheo". Mind that "You say tomato, I say tomato" - a Catholic says "heresy" where others may say "self-help" provided there are good key methods and freedom to develop.

Some of the novel definitions of Yogananda, for example of the Holy Spirit that fell on early Gentile Christians, is that that Holy Ghost is Aum. The bible has it differently, for your information. You will not find most of the key elements of traditional (Gentile) Christianity in SRF. Two questions are: To what degree are SRF and Yogananda sailing under false colours? Are all who call themselves Christians, real Christians? Who "owns" proper Christianity? As glimpsed here and there, neither Jesus, all the Apostles and the Spirit of Acts 15 are in tune with most contemporary religious flocks who like to call themselves Christians but eat blood food and choose wealth, not shared belongings and so on. [Link]

A core belief in SRF is that Jesus and a secretive yogi called Babaji, are in constant communion and have planned self-help salvation - despite words in the gospels that go against the whole thing. Another part of the SRF faith is that Yogananda, the founder, also was on intimate terms with Jesus.

The first and most telling reason for leaving SRF alone, is perhaps that Jesus warns against false Christs, and the SRF world is rather filled with yoga Christs. The second reason may be that Jesus aptly tells that healthy ones do not need him. If you aim for holistic health, shun Hindus that claim to be in communion with Jesus, then.

Either such Hindu gurus do not tell the truth, which is not good, but asat, or they have not reached a higher level than the morally inferior bully level of Jesus and his Father: As Buddha shows, it is decent to aim higher and better than seeking to sacrifice innocents and other victims for the sake of helping criminals to ease and plenty is not righteous, no matter what is told in the Bible and SRF.

SRF may help some into some loosely understood "medium level" of development above baboons, altogether, but it requires wise discernment on your part. It is better to aim for better than being a sick sheep, in conformity to words by Jesus. That takes us to high and health-giving forms of Buddhism and Hinduism. I thank God they exist.

⦾ You need to inspect the kriya yoga hype of SRF, for obvious reasons.

6. Wise Buddhism and Hinduism

In the light of "healthy ones do not need Jesus", as he says, it must be best to drop guru-gurus that say they are in communion with Jesus too, and not only Jesus. There is something better, says Jesus: Health and a highstanding moral that functions without vicarious sacrifice, which is unjust. Why believe that Jesus died for your sins even before you were born? Why get bound like a dog in a leash to learn kriya yoga when it is free from other sources? Why make yourself grossly dependent when you can remain free and grow in freedom? In SRF you get bound to Yogananda for lifetimes, according to an oath you have to swear (against words of Jesus again), in order to learn kriya yoga. You can learn kriya yoga in freedom from other sources, however. I have to recommend that above getting bound by an oath that violates Human Rights laws.

When I was young I had taken up TM, and yet was fooled into SRF by the hype of astounding evolution through kriya yoga and much else. I did not notice at first the downsides to the guru-given deals involved. It was hard to extricate oneself from Yogananda.

If we aspire to get all-round healthy and not need Jesus and all that, back-up is essential, and proficiency. To steer well, Buddha's non-dogmatic guidelines are very helpful along with sound yoga meditation methods - I recommend TM - and good fellowship - which is, ideally, good friends. A flock of five or more would be great help. Buddha explains who are bad friends and who are good friends.

In this I do not speak of more religions than three. I just bring out points from three of the most widespread ones. Not all variants of Buddhism and Hinduism may be worthwhile in all respects, though. That needs to be taken into account. Good inspections matter, and not all fellowships teach fairly, but take to dogmatism instead.

⦾ Good inspections before committing matter. You may learn kriya yoga for free, and also in freedom in the Satyanandayoga line, but not in dogmatic SRF.

Cautions

There is much foolery in the world.

To be on the safe side, try out some moderate steps first, and do not fall in small things, for example by not eating shrimps when offered, and not getting rid of narcissistic freak plots that hinder the good things you are rightfully after. You are allowed to do it; Hope that. Have high hopes. It is all parts of those original teachings - that you do a lot better than Jesus. By this you may find out that Buddhist, basic teachings are really fine to live by, and many Hindu teachings too.

⦾ The original teachings of Jesus demand you maim yourself for mere desires - do good instead.

To develop is not forbidden

The age of commandments has passed. The age of logic is here. - Yogananda [Dr 75]

How did commandments pass while many of them are still counted as valid? Is the age of logic really here?

Buddha taught by rational reasoning to help followers develop. That the age of commandments passed, happened 2500 year ago in the Buddhist world. He says, "Refrain from killing" or "Avoid killing" instead of categorical, absolute commands "Thou shalt not". His way of teaching morals is in harmony with developmental psychology - from "must" to "ought to", roughly sketched. The commands-religion speaks of outerdirectedness, which is a low ladder on the rung towards individual, high moral.

⦾ Logic - which kind of logic? There is quantum logic too, nowadays, and parts of it seem not to correspond to how humans experience and sort out the work experience. [Thd]

Good Guys or What?

Check yourself: Have you put tzitzit on the corners of clothing (Num 15:38)? Have you ever bound tefillin on the arm and on the head (Deut 6:8)? So!

If you think you have to follow Jesus in all respects to count as a Christian, you are not very much informed (1st form of Christians above). Here are not a few things you agree to then, on his Matthew sayings which he himself broke - [Matthew 5:18-19]. Note in passing that if the Law he vouched for in that place had been strictly applied to the pregnant Mary, mother of Jesus, she should have been stoned on her father's doorstep with a good chance of this outcome: No Mary, no Jesus foetus alive. The Law that Jesus vouches for, was ignored for him and his mother, and that is relevant. Do not fool yourself. There are good reasons to drop inconsistent teachings altogether, but go ahead in the right way. That way of progress has its hallmarks.

To exemplify how Jews and Jewish-Christians are bound: There are certain foods that are prohibited to Jews, and some that are allowed if they have been handled in ritually accepted ways. According to the Law, animals that both chew their cud (ruminate) and have cloven hooves are kosher (allowed).

The following are called treif in Jiddish (unclean and unsuitable for Jews and SRF members who fancy they are under the original deal of Jewish Jesus - note well): Hare, mouse, ostrich, snail, swine, tortoise, crabs are considered unclean according to the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. All shellfish are generally considered unclean. Examples of animals often considered to be unclean by their characteristics are alligator, bear, clam, crab, dog, dolphin, donkey, horselobster, magpie, parrot, prawns, shark, shrimp, squid, snake, skunk, and turtle.

This list is just a selection. Today rabbis are uncertain as to which insects are specifically permitted, so now all insects are prohibited to be on the safe side - But there is more: An allowed (kosher) animal or bird must be slaughtered according to Jewish law (Shechita) to be eatable - after their throats have been cut swiftly with a very sharp knife in the hands of an expert. Also, the animal must be determined to be free of 70 different categories of injuries, diseases and abnormalities.

⦾ Shrimps are considered unfit food - ritually unclean - by stiff rules of old. By lots of rules - in part from lack of vets - Jews seem bound.

Some Don'ts

Not to degrade a beautiful woman (taken captive in war) to the condition of a bondwoman (Deut 21:14)

Not to do any work on the trees in the Sabbatical year (Lev 25:4)

Not to do work on Shabbat (it includes Saturday day) (Ex 20:10)

Not to enquire of an ob (a ghost) (Deut 18:11)

Not to give occasion to the simple-minded to stumble on the road (Lev 19:14) (this includes doing anything that will cause another to sin)

Not to give up hating the enticer to idolatry, and not to save the enticer from capital punishment, but to stand by at his execution (Deut 13:9)

Not to intermarry with Gentiles [non-Jews] (Deut 7:3)

Not to offer up any offering unsalted (Lev 2:13)

Not to put any Jew to shame (Lev 19:17)

Not to rebuild a city that has been led astray to idolatry (Deut 13:17)

Not to refrain from putting a false prophet to death nor to be in fear of him (Deut 18:22)

Not to remove the entire beard, like the idolaters (Lev 19:27)

Not to round the corners of the head, as the idolatrous priests do (Lev 19:27)

Not to sell a Hebrew maid-servant to another person (Ex 21:8)

Not to sever completely the head of a fowl brought as a sin-offering (Lev 5:8)

Not to slay an innocent person (Ex 20:13)

Not to take a pledge from a widow (Deut 24:17)

Not to tattoo the body like the idolaters (Lev 19:28)

Not to travel on Shabbat outside the limits of one's place of residence (Ex 16:29)

A man shall not wear women's clothing (Deut 22:5)

The breastplate shall not be loosened from the ephod (Ex 28:28)

⦾ Do not intermarry with non-Jews and led astray by idolatry or idolatrous priests and not tattoo and travel widely - don't think Yogananda followers adhere to such deals of quack Christianity. They praise it with their lips, but their hearts are "far away in Hindustan". They are Hindus, first and foremost.

Some Do's

The High Kohein shall marry a virgin (Lev 21:13)

The newly married husband shall (be free) for one year to rejoice with his wife - shall be exempt for a whole year from taking part in any public labour, such as military service, guarding the wall and similar duties (Deut 24:5)

Affix the mezuzah to the doorposts and gates of your house (Deut 6:9)

Bind tefillin on the arm and on the head (Deut 6:8)

Celebrate the festivals [Passover, Shavu'ot and Sukkot] (Ex 23:14)

Circumcise the male offspring (Gen 17:12; Lev 12:3)

Destroy idolatry and its appurtenances (Deut 12:2-3)

Do unto false witnesses as they had purposed to do (to the accused) (Deut 19:19)

Dwell in booths seven days during Sukkot (Lev 23:42)

Examine the marks in fishes and locusts (so as to distinguish the clean from the unclean (Lev 11:9,21)

Have a place outside the camp for sanitary purposes and to keep that place sanitary (Deut 23:13, 14-15)

Keep fire always burning on the altar of the burnt-offering (Lev 6:6)

Keep the Canaanite slave forever (Lev 25:46)

Let the land lie fallow in the Sabbatical year (Ex 23:11; Lev 25:2)

Make a parapet for your roof (Deut 22:8)

Marry the widow of a brother who has died childless (Deut 25:5) (this is only in effect insofar as it requires the procedure of release: The widow formally release the brother-in-law (if he refuses to marry her) (Deut 25:7-9)

Pay wages to the hired man at the due time (Deut 24:15)

Put tzitzit on the corners of clothing (Num 15:38)

Read the Shema in the morning and at night (Deut 6:7)

Rejoice on the festivals (Deut 16:14)

Release debts in the seventh year (Deut 15:2)

Rest on Shabbat (Ex 23:12; 34:21)

Restore that which one took by robbery (Lev 5:23)

Set the mother-bird free when taking the nest (Deut 22:6-7)

Slay the inhabitants of a city that has become idolatrous and burn that city (Deut 13:16-17)

⦾ Slay idolators, burn their cities, and keep the Canaanite slave forever, says the Law that Jesus finds fit to go for in Matthew 5:17. You find more tolerant things to do than to say you adhere to it, like SRF, while worshipping Divine Mother etc.

Rhetoric Aside

If you study the common practices and directives of SRF, you will find the church does not normally demand any parapet on the roof of members . . . At least I do not know of any such case. And what they do to the corners of clothings, beards, and Canaanite slaves, birds know. Maybe they do not have to deal with such issues, depending on how free they have become.

But it could work well to ask an SRF minister whether he salts any offerings to Divine Mother, for example. Try to ferret out the right answer to each and any of the 613 commandments, since they do form part of that "original Christianity of Jesus Christ", on his own word in Matthew 5:17. I think for my part and am happy to tell that SRF has nothing to do with many of them. They just fake that they stand for slaying the inhabitants of a city that has become idolatrous and burning such towns. There are many wildfires in California today anyway, and more to come, possibly.

Also, in addition to the typical Jewish deals, founded on the Law, Jesus demands self-maiming, self-impoverishments, and strong miracles of his true followers, such as casting mountains into the sea - which no one appears to do. In part because the Christianity of Jesus - that of miracle-working emissaries - failed and gave way. Most disciples left him, it says. (Acts 15, etc).

Is there a way out? Not only one, but two and three. They may work best together.

1. There is ample reason to drop notorious hypocricy, but politely, to your own advantage. It is good for health and personal development, if done with tact. There can be much salvation in that recognition alone.

2. Go for rational handling and good consistency. There is next to nothing original in the teachings of Jesus; a lot can be found in the Old Testament and many other old texts. What was "original" was claiming to stand by the Law while twisting and breaking it. Suspect there is not much of value in an original Christianity like that. I would say you can eat prawns and shrimps again. Traditional Christianity (common Christianity) holds the keys to unlock the trap:

3. It is part of the teachings of Jesus that you can do better than him in a positive spirit [John 14:12], so jump ahead. At least think positive thoughts and aim well. The apostles and the Ghost found it was better for non-Jews not to be ridden by commands of Jesus at all. Acts 15 shows all that. Also, Peter was told in a vision in Joppa [in Acts] that he could eat reptiles - If you have faith that you can replace or ignore the commands and teachings of Jesus and God of the Old Testament, nothing of the sort is forbidden to you. Then you do not have to keep the Canaanite slave forever and things like that either. "If you have faith . . . Nothing will be impossible for you. [Matthew 17:21]." "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer [Matthew 21:22]." Judaism and Christianity is based on vicarious sacrifices. Believe that vicarious sacrifice is ugly, and adhere to better moral standards, to your benefit.

It will be very good to go for TM and key points of fair self-help Buddhism (above) and help oneself and not need to fall victims to plots through "Jesus" and other so-called Christs.

⦾ Suggested: sustained self-help by fit parts of the Yoga Yajnavalkya, handy Buddhist teachings and TM.