Bible Discourse 13 The Second Birth of Man—In Spirit

Discourse 13

The Second Birth of Man—In Spirit

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, Verily, say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus saith unto him, “How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Verily, Verily, say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, “Ye must be born again.’   The wind bloweth, where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

--John 3:1—8

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, Verily, say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:1—3

Nicodemus visited Jesus secretly in the night because of the social customs prevailing at that time. In fact it was said to be courageous for a ruler to visit Jesus even though he trusts that Jesus was a messenger of God. Jesus directed Nicodemus’ attention towards the heavenly Source.  God is everything—mundane as well as miraculous.  Jesus told him any one contact him.  One should undergo soul awakening by which he will get spiritual ‘second birth.’

Miracle of enlightened mind is superior to physical healing and the subjugation of Nature.  One should thrive for esoteric perception i.e., focus on actual communion of soul with God than exoteric or outer particularity i.e., dogmatic behavior.  Each human had both exoteric and esoteric traits. True religion is founded upon intuitional perception of the Transcendental Reality.

Jesus said: Put not your faith in miracles performed by the hands of men, for He who rules nature is alone capable of doing super natural things, while man is impotent to arrest the wrath of the winds or cause the rain to fall.

“One miracle, however, is within the power of man to accomplish. It is, when his heart is filled with sincere faith, he resolves to root out from his mind all evil promptings and desires, and when, in order to attain this end, he ceases to walk the path of iniquity.”

The lofty Sanatan Dharma of Vedic philosophy --- It was summarized in Upanishads, the essence of Vedas. And in six organs of Vedas or metaphysical knowledge.  And complete essence of Vedas narrated in allegorical way in Bhagavad Gita.

Buddhism – Controlling of mind and depth in meditation was taught in this.  It advocates intuitive knowledge to realize the transcendence of Nirvana.

Sufism – It anchors on the intuitive mystical experience of the soul. 

Jewish religion – the esoteric teachings based on inner experience of the Divine.

The elite traditions of Western philosophy and metaphysics eulogize the intuitional power of the mind.

Pythagoras—Greek mystic, philosopher, and mathematician—580 B,C:  He emphasized the inner experience of the intuitional experience.

Plato—428B.C.—His works are primary foundations of Western civilization.  His works taught the necessity of supersensory knowledge to understand the eternal truths.

The Neoplatonist sage Plotinus –204…270A.D.—After practicing Plato’s ideal of intuitional knowing of Reality he understood the detachment of Body and going within. He taught his disciples: “Strive to bring back the god in yourselves to God in the all.”

The Gnostics (first three centuries A.D.); the early Church fathers such as Origen and Augustine; great Christian luminaries like Johannes Scotus Erigena (810—877) and Saint Anselm (1033); the monastic orders founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1091—1153) and Hugh, Richard, and Walter of Saint Victor (12t  Century)—all practiced intuitive   contemplation of God.

Jesus’ esoteric teachings reveal the universality of religion.  Jesus spoke the necessity of ‘second birth’.  He emphasizes the importance of intuitional perception of truth. The New Testament is full of intuitive knowledge.

Baptism of the body by water as a prerequisite for entering into God’s kingdom after death (John 3:5); that Jesus is only ‘Son of God’ (John 3:16); that mere ‘belief’ in Jesus is sufficient for salvation, and that all are condemned who do not so believe. (John 2:17—18). This is dogmatic than esoteric understanding.  It is essentially the ignorance between man and the maker.

 Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, Verily, say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus saith unto him, “How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

--John 3:3—4

The soul has to be born again in bodies till it gets liberation from the physical bondage and get back into its native state by removing the karma. Till then he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The ordinary man adds new karma with his material desires as such he will take many incarnations to free him for his soul bondage. Then he can ‘see the kingdom of God’.

‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.’

                                              (Mathews 5:48)

The principal import of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus goes beyond an implied reference to reincarnation. That is why Nicodemus asked Jesus as to how adult could reach God’s kingdom.

“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”.   (John 3:5)

Water means protoplasm.  Physical birth is not enough for man to be fit to see or enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus did not instruct his disciples to practice the ritual of water baptism. This is nowhere specifically stated in the four Gospels.

Jesus said to his disciples after his resurrection, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you”     (Mathew  28: 19—20)

John the Baptist declared: Though baptized with water, Jesus “shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” (see discourse 6)

Jesus said man cannot know anything about the heavenly kingdom of God.  Man should develop his intuition through meditation so that he will be able to behold and enter into the astral and causal kingdom of God. This body is born of water or protoplasm. Man can awaken the ‘sixth sense’, intuition, spiritual eye, then ultimately his cosmic consciousness. God, in fact, wanted this so that man can enjoy his dream-drama as a cosmic entertainment.  But because of maya or Satan, man ignores his endowments and remains attached to his mortal body.  God cannot be known by logic, science, and bookish knowledge.

That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.                                 (John 3:6) 

The truth is that that both consciousness and matter are perpetual or permanent  duality as long as Spirit manifest its creation.

The Transcendental Absolute has a dual manifestation. It is subjective and objective, noumena and phenomena. Spirit vibrates as conscious Cosmic Light. It is its objectiveness. This vibratory Light condenses progressively.  It produces causal, astral, and physical creation.

Spirit is immanent in the Cosmic creative light. It is Cosmic consciousness. This sustains all. It is Christ consciousness i.e., God in creation. It is soul in causal, astral, and physical microcosm of man.  This is the subjectivity of Spirit.

Consciousness and body are vibrations of eternal spirit. Each perpetuates its own nature.  Ordinary man cognizes the physical flesh and ignores the consciousness within it.

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, ‘Ye must be born again.’   The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound there of, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit”    (John 3: 7—8)

Jesus was describing a metaphysical law of noumena and phenomina. Noumena means substance or cause.  Phenomina means appearance of substance or effect).  Souls come out of Spirit. 

It is difficult to find the source of the wind. Likewise it is impossible to find the source of Spirit.  Bhagavad Gita says the birth and death of all creatures are veiled, and the middle is manifested. (Gita 11—28)

Man has three states viz., Jagrata or waking state, swapna or sleeping state, and Causal or dreamless state. There is one more state i.e., Tureeya or super conscious state.

This body is the temple of Spirit. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God dwelleth in you? (I Corinthians 3:16)

With Kriya yoga and help of true guru, man can enter the kingdom of God in this life time itself.  Spiritual birth can be bestowed by a true guru.  Human body is given by the parents but spiritual birth is given by the God-ordained guru. With guru given guidance one will become dwija or twice born and then becomes a Brahmin, knower of Brahman or Spirit.   Jesus, like great masters of India, conferred the actual baptism of Spirit—“with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”  One will feel and send the divine current into the brain cells in the practice of kriya yoga.

The term ‘born again’ means much more than merely joining a church and receiving ceremonial baptism. Christ and Masters say it is necessary to become saintly before death. Man is same before and after death.  Man can know that he is Light and consciousness of God or Spirit  through kriya yoga. 

Man should not remain a rational animal. He should get rid of the fetters that bound the Spirit in him.  Wake up! You are the intuitional child of immortality.