Bible Discourse 22 Repent Ye, and Believe the Gospel

Discourse 22

Repent Ye, and Believe the Gospel

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into the Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.             Luke 4: 14—15

Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he4 departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtalim: that it might be fulfilled whichwas spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The land of Zabulon, and the land of Napthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which satin the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, “”Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”                            --Mathew 4:12—17

…Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God,  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel.”                       --Mark 1:14—15 

Jesus had been in Jerusalem for the Passover (Discourse 12), after which he taught Nicodemus in Jerusalem (Discourse 13—15) and then spent time in the Judean countryside where many persons were baptized by his disciples (Discourse 16).  When John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herold Anipas in Machaerus, a fortress on the shore of the Dead Sea east of Judea, Jesus departed Judea for Galilee, passing through Samaria (Discourse 17—19).  Reaching Galilee, he healed the son of the nobleman of Capernaum (Discourse 20).  The verse in the Discourse 22 continue the narrative of events after Jesus’ return to Galilee.

Early chapters provide a background of the esoteric core of the teachings of Jesus. From now, the New Testament chronology of Jesus’ life and teachings shifts from the Gospel of St. John to the synoptic core of the teachings of Jesus. And to the Gospels of Mathews, Mark, and Luke.

Jesus began to teach openly to the masses in simple terms. “Repent ye, and believe the gospel….the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   It means “Forsake your slavish worship of matter; withdraw your overflowing consciousness and turn it inward towards Spirit  In intuitional communion, align your actions, thoughts, life, and will with God’s Word of salvation-bestowing truth; and you will know, with the conviction of personal experience, that the kingdom of Heavenly Bliss can be found here and now.”  

Jesus returned from Judea. He went to Capernaum. Capernaum is on the Sea of Galilee.  It is at the lands of Zabulon and Nephthalim.  This has fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.

Cf. Isaiah, one of the oft-cited Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Christ:  “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali…by the way of the sea beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Nations.  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.  Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before Thee according to the joy invest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou has broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor….

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, : and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and hi name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon hi kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”

Zabulon and Naphalim were son of Jacob after whom two of the twelve tribes of Israel were named.  The city of Capernaum, where Jesus dwelt during most of his ministry, was between the lands anciently belonging to these two tribes, on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee.     

God used the prophet Isaiah as His mouthpiece to declare the coming of Jesus. It is to awaken the realization of the subtle presence of God through the prophecies of Saints.

Everything is predetermined in accordance with Law of Karma. Ten lakh years of Karma, good or bad, shall hunt the human being. Man is a panch Indriya jeevi or man is a living being with five senses. Some times he may be having sixth sense also. Man is having three bodies and five sheaths. These three bodies are divided or distributed to five sheaths. The three bodies are Causal, Astral or mental, and Physical. These sheaths are also called koshas. They are: Annamaya kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vignanamaya Kosha, and Anandamaya Kosha.  1) (a) Annamaya Kosha is distributed to Physical body.  All moving and non–moving beings belongs to this. They are called inert bodies. They are having no intelligence or little intelligence.  (b) Annamaya Kosha and Pranamaya Kosha together are distributed to different types of worms. They are also can be called inert beings with a little difference of having no intelligence or little intelligence. But these are comparatively superior to non–moving beings. They are called ekeendriya Jeevis or dwi Indriya jeevi Or species with one or two senses. The senses are having no or very very primitive intelligence.  2) Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, and manomaya Kosha all three koshas together are distributed to different types of birds, and animals. They are also can be called inert beings with a little difference of having no intelligence or little intelligence. But these are comparatively superior to non–moving/moving beings and with three or four senses. They are called teeni Indria Jeevis or chatwari Indriya Jeevis. Or species with three/four senses. The senses are having very primitive intelligence (birds) or primitive intelligence (animals).  3) (a) Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, and manomaya Kosha, and Vignanamaya Kosha all four koshas together are distributed to different categories of men/women.  They can be categorized into intelligent or dull people. They are comparatively superior to moving beings and with four senses. They are called pancha Indria Jeevis or species with five senses. They have less or more intelligence.  (b) Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, and manomaya Kosha, Vignanamaya Kosha, and Anandamaya five koshas together are distributed to men/women.  They are known as saintly people. They are the most superior moving beings and with six senses. They are called pancha Indria Jeevis or species with five senses. Their third eye is opened. Mostly they work with intuition. They may be in the world but they are of not the world. They are beyond Maya or delusion or illusion.  

“The time is fulfilled”  signifies that the time for the event to happen is ripened. As such the advent of Jesus was foretold by Isaiah was long before.  Jesus felt the divine vibrations in Galilee.  Jesus put all his love of heart and dynamism of soul into giving God. At the auspicious time, Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost (ohm) vibration and he was baptized in Spirit by John the Baptist. He began his mission in Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.”

The light of Christ wisdom shall dispel the darkness of ignorance.  The declaration of the Isaiah is known to Christ.  That is he has been diviney guided.  “Later, when preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read aloud from the book of Isaiah other prophesies that were fulfilled in the unfolding of his divine dispensation.”  (Discourse 39) Ignorant people in Galilee were receptive to the wisdom of Jesus.

Gita says:

Yetusarvaani karmaani mayisannyasya matparaah

Ananyenaiva yogena maam dhyaayanta upaasate           6

Teshaamaham samuddhartaa mrityu samsaara sagaraat

Bhavaami chiraatpaartha mayyaavesita chetasaam            7

O Arjun, those who completely surrender all their Karma (actions) to Me, consider Me as their only Goal, and meditate on Me with complete fixity of mind on Me—I am rescuing very quickly such Yogis from this circuit of mundane existence.   (Gita 12—6 &7)

Isaiah speaks of worldly people as sitting “in the region of shadow of death”.  For ignorant people life is mystery.

Rushibhir bahudaa geetam chandobhir vithaih pruthak

Brahma sootra padaischaiva hetu madbhirvi nischitaih        5

Mahaa bhootaanyaham kaaro buddhi ravyakta mevacha

Indriyaani dasaikamcha Panchendriya gocharaah               6

Ichchaa dweshas sukham dukkham Sanghaatas chetanaa dhrutih

Etatkshetram samaasena  Savikaara mudaahrutam            7

                                                (Gita 13—5,6 & 7)

The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetra has been proposed by the Rushis through four Vedas in different ways. It is also proposed with illustrations by Brahmasootravaakyas logically.

 

When Nature or Prakriti is manifested out of Parabrahman, it is of pure, intangible, and unmanifested. This unmanifested Prakriti is named as Paraprakriti. This Paraprakriti has several synonyms. They are: maaya, sabda, paraasakti, prakriti, Mahaprakriti, Moolaprakriti, Kaali, Durga, and Mahaamaaya, suddha tatwa maya  etc.

Paraprakriti with its three Gunas, Satwa, Rajas, and Tamo, hide the real nature of Parabrahman, and will emerge as tangible, impure, and, manifested Prakriti or nature.  This manifested prakriti or nature is called Apara prakriti.

God beyond Creation is called Sat (God the Father) and God in Creation is called tat or Krishna/Christ Consciousness. 

Manmohan may be an individual. He is referred as husband of some one, brother of some one, Doctor, Engineer, or Manager etc. Likewise the God beyond Creation is referred as Parapurusha, eeswara, and Parabrahman.

The God in creation is referred as Kootastha purusha, and  Krishna/ Christ Consciousness.

The pure individual Soul in Man is the integral part of Spirit only. Rishis, Munis, Yogis and Sadgurus are the pure souls. They are the representatives of Para Brahman.  They incarnate to give direction to us.

With the influence of senses, Suddhaatma will be subjected to body attachment and hence become impure Jeevaatma. 

Satwa, rajas, and Tamas Gunas are the cause of man’s Idea, subtle, and physical bodies.

Karanasareera , Idea body, consists of 9 Tatwas.

They are:

(a)The consciousness of God the Father (This normally nobody mentions), Three Gunas (satwa-positive, rajo-neutral, and tamo-negative), and pancha Mahabhootas (five subtle electricities). Total nine. They constitutes Karana srushti or ideational creation)

(b)Five or pancha mahabhootas or electricities,  Five or pancha Gnana (wisdom) Indriya tanmatras or powers, five or pancha karma Indriya tanmatras or action powers, five or pancha pranas or life forces, and antahkarana i.e., mano (mind), buddhi (intellect), chitta or sphere of thinking, and ahamkara (ego) plus the consciousness of God the Father (This normally nobody mentions), Total 25. They constitutes    Sookshma srushti or subtle/astral creation.

(c) Five or pancha bhootas or five electricities,  Five or pancha Gnana (wisdom) Indriyas or wisdom senses, Five or pancha Gnana (wisdom) Indriya tanmatras or powers, five or pancha karma Indriyas or action senses, five or pancha pranas or life forces, and antahkarana i.e., mano (mind), buddhi (intellect), chitta or sphere of thinking, and ahamkara (ego) plus the consciousness of God the Father (This normally nobody mentions), Total 30. They constitutes Sthoola srushti or physical creation.

From these Five Physical  Electricities, the following manifested:

Jarayu= Animals with four legs,

Andajam= the beings that come out of eggs like birds, and  crawling creatures (Sareekrupams) like snakes etc., 

Swedajam= mosquitoes, worms etc and

Udbhijam= trees and plants that cannot move and confined to a fixed place.

The physical antahkarana consisting of Mano(Mind), Buddhi (Intellect), Chitta and Ahamkaara (Ego) is manifested from Physical Five Electricities called Akasha Panchakam. Akasha menans Space, Pancha or Panchakam means Five. 

Death will not give salvation to impure soul, Jeevaatma. After death, the jeeva with subtle and idea bodies will travel in astral field. With the practice of Kriya yoga, both subtle and Idea bodies also will be liberated. For this some time is required.

Pancha Mahabhootaas (Five electricities), ego (Ahamkaar), Intellect (Buddhi), the Primal Nature (Moola Prakriti), Ten Senses (five Gnanendriyas, and five Karmendriyas), five Indriyavishayas, i.e., Sabda (Sound), Sparsa (Touch), Roopa (seeing), Rasa (taste), and Gandha (smell), desire, hatred, happiness, grief, the consciousness of Body and Indriyas (senses), knowledge of profession, and courage—the conglomeration and conglutination of these things is called Body, Kshetram.  

Jesus in the power of Spirit preached the gospel i.e., “good message” or enlightening revelation of God’s pronouncements –commandments and laws for attaining the kingdom of heaven and its happiness.   Jesus preached truth as he got it through his own God-realization: “The kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is to be found within the consciousness of man.

“Repent ye” means withdraw your consciousness from matter of Maya to God.   In Holy Science, Swami Sri Yukteswar expatiated the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ “repent”.  The English verb “repent” derives from the Latin paenitere , “to be sorry”.     The word “repent” is taken from metanoein in Greek. Its meaning is to turn in the opposite direction. Meta  means “ to change, or to be in opposition to” and nous means “mind”.  Man should direct his senses to Sushumna or the sensorium.  Then he will hear Pranavasabda ohm or the word of God. Hearing ohm, he could see the true Spiritual Light.  He could withdraw his self from the outer world and concentrate on the sensorium or the Sushumna. This is known as Samyama.  By this Samyama or concentration of selfthrough yoga technique of meditation, man becomes baptized orabsorbed in the holy stream of Divine sound ohm.

“He begins to repent and return toward his Divinity, the Eternal Father, whence he had fallen.  See Revelation 2:5: ‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent.’ “”   

Jesus’ exhortation to “believe the gospel” does not refer to studyof or belief in scriptural writings per se. In the original Greek in the New Testament, the word gospel is euangelion, “good news”. Jesus wanted the people not only believe his message, but also have faith in practcing his divine revelations.

Vedani “apaurusheyani” means they are not written by somebody but by got them in hearing intuitionally through severe penance. Similarly Bible is the text (s) heard from heaven. But the ultimate test of truth is one’s own realization, and direct experience through meditation so that one can hear by being one with God the Father. The science of Yoga unifies the diverse paths of religious belief. The purpose of religion is after all to find Yoga. This can be possible through yoga. The withdrawal of life force and mind within through chakras or plexus in the spinal cord into the God through scientific meditation yoga techniques.