It is a time to think of heroes – not sporting heroes but spiritual giants and leaders who by their lives exemplify the ultimate reason for our earthly life experience.

We all tend to have heroes and heroines we admire and select according to our birth sex.

Heroes of all kinds offer us an example of having achieved the goal.

Sporting heroes serve as a focus for general adulation as well as inspiring a few to become equally great. Not many can hold the vision and so, by comparison there are very few who become followers enough as to put effort into similar achievement.

Christmas time is the time for Christians to celebrate the birth of the Christ and to focus upon Him as their Guru. To many millions of people He is the epitome of human excellence, wisdom and spirituality.  But it is not sufficient to feel awed and inspired with devotion, we must if we are sincere, take seriously the role model we have before us and gradually seek to grow to become like Him.

The teacher or Guru represents by example the vision and goal to which we aspire.

We should not feel shy to acknowledge that the essence of the Guru’s teaching is to encourage us to become skilled in emulating those qualities that will result in our becoming to some degree a likeness.

So the Christian way is to gradually become Christlike.

The way of the Buddhist is to become Buddha-like as with other spiritual teachers.

Any spiritual devotee seeks to become greater in capacity to radiate life energies of the spirit and so grow in health, wisdom and understanding. Refreshment comes maintaining the concept of his spiritual teacher or Guru.

It is therefore appropriate that we refresh our concept and personal vision of the nature of Christ at this time.

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A talk delivered by renowned philosopher and teacher of Raja Yoga, Gerrit Janssen at the Naturopathic Convention 1967 Sydney NSW

I have been asked to say a few things about the training of the mind or Raja Yoga. It is known as the Royal Path because for its noble purpose in seeking to develop human excellence and apply self control in the most difficult area of self discipline- the personality.

Throughout thousands of years Gurus or spiritual teachers have maintained that man is a spiritual being. This spiritual nature or being expresses itself through a set of vehicles known as the personality. The object of our incarnation in the flesh is spoken of in the Biblical language of “bringing the Kingdom of God upon this Earth” or, in the language of the Yogi, of spiritualizing the physical or material vehicle.

We may hear the accusation that Christians and other adherents to particular religions only adhere to their religious observances on Sundays or special days and that during other days they serve their own purely materialistic purposes.  This may be caused by the Soul or Inner Self not having sufficient grip upon the personality.  The soul and outer nature are not yet integrated. When the mind is being stilled by the practical science and techniques of Raja Yoga it will then reflect whatever the Soul or Inner Self wants to express more closely. Dissolving inner conflicts allows the personality to begin to reflect the deeper attributes and understanding of the Soul.

Now the ideas of the true Yogi perceives the Soul is that part of our being in much closer contact with God  and the spiritual Laws and energies of the Universe. When the mind is stilled it will become a clearer channel through what is known as ‘ the practice of the Presence of God’ or as the scientist says:  ‘The Presence always and everywhere of Law Universal.”

It is not only for the ultimate link with God that Raja Yoga is practised but every step along the way of disciplining the mind leads to more self awareness and ability to control  the thoughts that issue from the brain. The quality of these thoughts can and do affect the health of the body and our general well being. To develop a healthy mind and inhabit a healthy body is to practise Raja Yoga in principle.

When once the bloodstream is clear and sufficient nutrients nourish the brain, healthy thought becomes possible. We can conceive positive, constructive and harmonious thoughts and give birth to creative new ideas.

Then we will have realized the first stages of the long journey we have embarked upon under the guiding wisdom and practical knowledge of Gurus – those who have already achieved the spiritual goal and ultimate fulfilment of the human potential.

Such great and noble Souls are our spiritual guides and leaders recognized by their nobility of Soul and Royal dignity that expresses loving kindness, truth and great wisdom born of life experience.

We all have times when we are happy to make decisions and feel very confident about ourselves and about our lives.  At other times we suffer from indecision or concern about the path we are taking in our lives or careers and would like to be able to refer to someone we highly regard, who will offer some wisdom in response to our queries or problems.

For many reasons, this is not always easy to do. One of the most common reasons is that we wish to be assured of utter confidentiality and impartiality. Another may be that we do not want anyone else to perceive our seeming inability to cope, or to appear weak. So somehow we seem to manage to find a way around most of the material problems that beset us.

However, when we find ourselves at a crossroads in our life and it is important for us and possibly for our family and loved ones, that full and proper consideration should be given before making a decision or change, we are seeking greater wisdom and communication with a superior intelligence that would allow us to feel ‘right’ about our decision, then many of us resort to prayer.

When seeking answers which are concerned with the non material, and involve deeper issues about life or resolution of the perplexities of thought which can overwhelm many of us at times, we would love to have on hand a spiritual guide who has experienced what we are going through, and who has understanding.  It is a natural desire to feel the need for a spiritual teacher and many find that referring to the figurehead of their religion is sufficient. Others like to trust their own higher or soul psyche and benefit by their own inward guidance or intuition.

The way of self reliance offers many benefits, but demands immediate effort to create a psychological attitude that provides us with a basis for direct experiences in consciousness. Often the simplest technique in this discipline is to begin meditation. It requires only that we are seated comfortably with erect spine if possible, eyes closed, remain still, regulate the breath and patiently attune to a single peaceful thought, to appreciate the results. Only when the thoughts become still can we allow our deeper intelligence and intuition to guide us.

This practice prepares us to be receptive and to benefit from a greater wisdom source than our own – from our spiritual Guru.

There have lived many great human beings who have arrived at life wisdom through experience. Some of them are still known to us and their teachings are preserved in the many cultures and religions as well as the legends that are retained.  Many have written their messages to convey to us the essence of the truths they have extracted and through this medium, many of us have benefited by studying their books.

They are the earth graduates, who have become more than human or greater human beings.  They are the wise ones who have found the answers to our common questions about ourselves, about life, the universe and about the Supreme Consciousness we call God.

Although there are many scholars with an ability to understand several languages and therefore are freer to explore, most of us are generally limited to the writings of our native culture. Here we will always find enough to inspire us and to motivate us toward our ultimate responsibility –to put the spiritual principles into practice in daily life and into our personal self culture towards human excellence.

From the better known teachers and the written works with which we become familiar, we learn to select specific words and encouragement.  Sometimes the little sayings or songs of childhood remain in our consciousness as a ready reference at all times when we seek to elevate our mood or remind us of a principle that works.  It is generally the simplest teachings that appeal to our hearts and minds even though we may choose to study the complexities.

The inherent spiritual wisdom of the east is well acknowledged and in contrast with the intensive development of western culture towards material ends, it is the spiritual wisdom of the orient that has inspired us to understand a new dimension and purpose to human existence.  The term ‘Yoga’ was initially perceived by westerners as a most revered system of discipline towards spiritual realization and it is hoped that in spite of the over-popularizing of Hatha Yoga, it will always be respected for its spiritual aim.

We make our own reference list regarding wisdom but the few given here present a few of those who have offered universal spiritual encouragement to us all.

Albert Einstein

Apollonius of Tyana

Aristotle

Aurobindo

Bacon, Francis

Bhairavi Brahmani

Buddha

Cicero

Dante

Gandhi

Gibran

Goethe

Hermes Trismegistus

Jesus

Kabir

Kipling, Rudyard

Lao Tse

Lin An

Locke, John

Manly Palmer Hall

Manu

Marcus Aurelius

Meister Eckhart

More, Thomas

Patanjali

Plato

Pythagoras

Ramakrishna

Ramana Maharshi

Shankaracharya

Socrates

Solomon

Suzuki

Tao Puri

Thoreau

Tsiang Samdup

Tzu Ssu

Vyasa

Yogananda

The Great Gurus or Mahatmas are the wise ones who have lived through unknown numbers of human existences to have experienced all that life on earth dictates and learned all that has been necessary to achieve human excellence. They are the earth graduates, who have become more than human, or greater human beings.  They are the wise ones who have found the answers to our common questions about ourselves, about life, the universe and about the Supreme Consciousness we call God.

Some of these wise ones remain with us as leaders, guides or teachers. Many have developed great insight into human nature in their particular line of teaching. Others reveal the potential for development and application of human talents. Some offer us a simple philosophy as a guiding light through our difficulties and pain. Others make us aware of the power of our spiritual self beyond our personality limitations. Each possesses an understanding of human nature, including our own.

It is said that ‘Every pleasure, pain and problem has an echo in the Master’s heart’. We are drawn to the teacher who will not only direct us, but understands our personal problems and yet encourages us to overcome them. We seek their wisdom and compassion and need, perhaps most of all, to know of their existence so that by their example, they can inspire us.

It is a common experience that when we are in need of a little wisdom, the right book, or words often seem to present themselves.  The following is a limited selection of words of wisdom from great and wise men and women, whether they are advanced human beings known as saints, philosophers, poets, scientists, religious leaders or traditional Gurus.

Be active, with the Activity of Inner Life.

Lao Tse

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Life is a quarry, out of which we have to mould and chisel and complete a character.

Goethe

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Perfection has to be worked out, has to be accomplished.

Imperfection, limitation, death, grief, ignorance, matter are only the first terms of the formulary; they are the initial discords of the musician’s tuning.  Out of imperfection we have to construct perfection, out of limitation to discover infinity, out of death to find immortality, out of grief to recover divine bliss, out of ignorance to rescue divine self-knowledge, out of matter to reveal spirit. To work out this end for ourselves and for humanity is the object of our Yogic practice.

Sri Aurobindo

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The strongest desire of everything, and the one first implanted by Nature, is to return to its source.  And since God is the Source of our soul and has made it like unto Himself…therefore this soul desires above all things to return to Him.

Dante

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The knowledge of the absolute Spirit, like the effulgence of the sun, or like heat in fire, is naught else than the absolute Essence itself.

Shankaracharya

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The unity of life is man’s great truth upon which foundation he may build the empire of his soul.

Manly Palmer Hall

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Religion is the search for a value underlying All things, and as such is the most comprehensive of all the possible philosophies of life. A deeply moving religious experience is not readily forgotten, but is likely to remain as a focus of thought and desire.

Professor Allport in Personality, A Psychological Interpretation

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There is a continuity of mind, as the yogis call it. The mind is universal. Your mind, my mind, all these little minds, are fragments of that universal mind, little waves in the ocean; and on account of this continuity, we can convey our thoughts directly to one another.

Swami Vivekananda

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He is rich who is rich in truth: he is poor who is poor in truth.  All else is of little moment.”

Manly Palmer Hall

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Association with the wise leads to detachment, then to freedom from delusion, then to unshakable truth, and then finally to Jivanmukti (Liberation while living).

Shankaracharya

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A new religion will be given out, yet it will be but a facet of the old.  There is but one religion, as there is but One God.  Truth Itself is infinitely greater than can ever be mirrored in all the teachings, the philosophies, the  religions of the world. Each of them catch and reflect, as it were, one beam of the Light.  Whether the reflection is a true one or not, depends upon the purity of the mirror.

Jesus

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Neither shall they say Lo here! Or lo, there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Jesus

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I believe in God – who reveals Himself in the orderly harmony of the universe. I believe that Intelligence is manifested throughout all nature. The basis of all scientific work is the conviction that the world is an ordered and comprehensible Entity, and not a thing of chance.

Albert Einstein

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Our life is simply what our thoughts make it.

Marcus Aurelius

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For there can be no religion more true or just than to know the things that are.

Hermes Trismegistus

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He who would understand the Plains must ascend the Eternal Hills, where a man’s eyes scan Infinity.  But he who would make use of understanding must descend onto the plains, where Past and Future meet and men have need of him.

Tsiang Samdup

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Man is a seed which he himself must make to sprout, and he must die as a seed in order to live as a tree.

Claude Bragdon

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Most men are vexed and miserable because they do not use their hearts in the enjoyment of outward things, but use outward things as a means of delighting their hearts.

Lin An

The desire to find a spiritual teacher or Guru is usually innate in the spiritual seeker who yearns not only for a mentor but for a spiritual ‘parent’ above and beyond all the skills and the limitations of physical parents, friends, guides and teachers.

Many of us are enriched through our education and our selected reading that encourages and inspires us to feel confident about living our lives. We are satisfied by making contact with other and sometimes similar people, philosophies and principles but rely upon our inner voice of intuition.

However, it is natural that we wish to know someone more advanced than ourselves who can extend a benign influence and act as our life guide, able to give us encouragement to validate our own efforts and clearly point the way. We also need to know that there are progressive degrees of accomplishment towards human perfection and that varying heights already attained by others, can become realistic goals for ourselves.

The spiritual Guru is such an example of a human being who has grown in wisdom beyond the stature of others around him and is therefore equipped to guide others towards similar increased spiritual understanding. In Indian culture it is traditional to seek such a teacher when individual practical life responsibilities have been fulfilled. It is not advisable, although westerners are sometimes moved to do the same, to assume that such a custom is rewarded. It is not necessary to break our western traditions and to attempt to emulate other customs. We also have our wisdom and spiritual teachings of universal truths.

However, some journey abroad to seek their Guru and many are disappointed in their spiritual aim. Perhaps this is because there exists a natural law by which Guru and chela meet and it is likely that it is the Guru who determines that meeting point. This is a law  not restricted to nationality or culture, but is a purely spiritual factor, universal in its nature.

Spiritual Gurus do not seek devotees who adhere to and rely upon them. Gurus do not appreciate being made an idol or being ‘put on a pedestal’ but are most pleased when their pupils mature to stand on their own feet as independent and whole human beings. Only poor teachers allow themselves to become the support upon which their students rely. They desire only a loyalty and faithfulness deserving of any friend and teacher within that special relationship.

Although great spiritual teachers welcome followers, and are happy to lead the way and to take the role of generators of spiritual energy, all insist that we as individuals can only grow by our own efforts. So it is that each great religion instructs that the spiritual life must be balanced by the practical application of principles in daily life.

We may not be fortunate enough to meet such a noble human being to direct us in our deepest needs as our spiritual guide but our Guru exists in the subtler realms nevertheless. We gradually become more aware of this, usually in our meditations.

Until the time comes that we meet the One who embodies our concept of human perfection itself, we must remain true to the object of our religious devotion and continue to learn from those of our fellow beings who express one facet or another of those qualities that give evidence of the spiritual proving greater than the physical outer husk. Our greatest comfort is in remembering the wisdom already known to us, and that in the meantime, great Nature endures as our ever-present Guide.