Bible Discourse 61 The kingdom of God is within you Jesus’ Teachings about God’s kingdom –the core of his message to the world.

Discourse 61

The kingdom of God is within you

Jesus’ Teachings about God’s kingdom –the core of his message to the world.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, ‘Go and sit down to meat’? And will not rather say unto him, ‘Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink’? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.’”

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

And when he saw them, he said unto them, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”

And he said unto him, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

And when he demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, ‘Lo here!’ or, ‘lo, there!’ for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

                                                             Luke 17:7—21

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, “There was in a city judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, ‘Avenge me of mine adversary.’  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, ‘”Though I fear not God, not regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest her continual coming she weary me.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

                                                                 Luke 18:1—14

    

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, ‘Go and sit down to meat’? And will not rather say unto him, ‘Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink’? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.’”                                                                             Luke 17:7—10

Jesus desired that no one should expect gratitude and honor from Heavenly Father just because one follows divine path and obey divine commandments. Such behavior is good for his own development.

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

And when he saw them, he said unto them, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”

And he said unto him, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

                                                                       Luke 17:11—19

Jesus said: People take the gifts from the giver of giver forgetting the God. Jesus was dissatisfied about the ungratefulness of nine lepers out of ten lepers who were healed but did not express their gratitude to the Father. Only one leper was present to express gratitude.

The Jews in the time of Jesus were proud of their religious traditions. The leper who came and thank Jesus to glorify God and  express gratitude was considered to be ‘a stranger’ and a ‘low caste’ to the customs of the so called purist Jews.

And when he demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, ‘Lo here!’ or, ‘lo, there!’ for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”                                                                  Luke 17:20—21

Jesus addresses man as the perennial seeker of permanent happiness and freedom from all suffering. The kingdom of God is within you. Your soul is reflection of immortal Spirit. Jesus’ teachings about God’s kingdom is the core of his message to the world.

The Gospel records that ‘Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.’  His exhortation to “seek ye first the kingdom of God” is at the heart of his sermon on the mount. ‘Thy kingdom come’ is the only prayer he has given to his disciples. 

Again and again he spoke of the kingdom of the Heavenly Father and the method of its attainment.

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

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”        Luke 13:24

“No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.  And as Moses has lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”           John 3:13—14

“And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”       Mark 9:47

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”                         John 10:9

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”   John 14:6

From the above, God’s kingdom is to be found not by ‘observation’ but by interiorization of the consciousness to perceive the Divine Reality “within you.”

Cosmic Consciousness lies within and behind the Layers of matter, energy, and thought. The kingdom of God is not separate from the kingdom of matter, but is both within it. 

“If those who lead you say, ‘Look! the kingdom is in heaven,’ then the birds of heaven will precede you.  If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you.  But the kingdom is within you and it is outside of you.  If you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will realize that you are children of the living Father.  But if you do not know yourselves, then you will dwell in poverty and you are in poverty.” (The Gospel of Thomas, verse 3)

His disciples said to him,”….When will the new world come?” He said to them, “What are you looking forward to has come, but you don’t know it.” (The Gospel of Thomas, verse 51)

Jesus’ disciples said unto him: “When will the kingdom come?” Jesus answered “It will not come by waiting for it.  People will not say, ‘Look! Here it is! Or ‘There it is!’  But the kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth and people do not see it.”  (The Gospel of Thomas, verse 113)

Communion with the holy comforter brings attunement with Christ Consciousness within the body.  Through deeper communion with Christ Consciousness comes realization of soul’s oneness with omnipresent Spirit. The little self expanding to its infinite self to ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new bliss.

Raja Yoga is the royal science of realizing the kingdom of God within oneself.  Bhagava Srikrishna says in Bhagavadgita:

Gneyam yattat pravakshyaami yagnaatwaa mruta masnute

Anaadi matparam brahma na sattannaa saduchyate          Gita 13—13

I will tell You in detail of That which is to be known, because such knowledge bestows immortality. The One which has no beginning cannot be described as Sat or Asat.

Sarvatah paanipaadam tat sarvatokshi siro mukham

Sarvatah srutimalloke sarvamaavrutya tishtati                 Gita 13—14

Parabrahman is pervaded in all worlds encompassing with hands, eyes, heads, faces, and ears everywhere. 

Sarvendriya gunaavbhaasam Sarvendriya vivarjitam

Aasaktam sarva bhruchchaiva nirgunam guna bhoktrucha  Gita 13—15

Bahirantascha bhootaanaa macharam chara mevacha

Sookshmaatwaattadi vigneyam doorastham chaantikechatat   Gita 13—16

avibhaktamcha bhooteshu vibhakta mivacha sthitam

bhoota bhartrucha tagneyam grasishnu prabha vishnucha   Gita 13—17

jyotishaamapi tajjyoti stamasah paramuchyate

gnaanam gneyam gnaanagamyam hrudi sarvasya vishtitam   Gita 13—18 

The Parabrahman is the only thing to be known. This is shining all the sense faculties, yet transcending the senses, It itself is not having any senses, It is unattached, sustains of everything,  not having any Gunas (Satwa, Rajas, and Tamo), It exists within and without of beings, It is Movable and unmovable,  cannot be grasped by ignorant as it is very subtle, It is nearer and also farther,  It is indivisible but appears to be divisible among the living beings, manifests the beings, sustains, and destroy them.

And it is the Light of all Lights, Light of Suns and Moons, It is different and beyond from Ignorant Tamas, embodiment of pure wisdom, embodiment of bliss, the only thing that is to be Known,  has to be attained with Pure wisdom, and is said to be the Dweller of all hearts.                             

Patanjali, the Raja Yoga exponent, outlined eight steps in ascending the kingdom of God within. This is known as ashtanga yoga. Its salient features are:

1.   Yama: moral conduct: abstaining from injury to others, falsehood, stealing, incontinence, and covetousness.

2.   Niyama: purity of body and mind, contentment in all circumstances, self-study (contemplation), and devotion to God.

        The first two steps yield self-control and mental calmness.

3.   Asana: disciplining the body so that it can assume and maintain the correct posture for meditation without fatigue or physical and mental restlessness.

4.   Pranayama: techniques of life-force control that calm the heart and breath and remove sensory distraction from the mind.

5.   Pratyahara: the power of complete mental interiorization and stillness resulting from withdrawal of the mind from the senses.

6.   Dharana: the power to use the interiorized mind to become one-pointedly concentrated upon God in one of His aspects through which He reveals Himself to the inward perception of the devotee.

7.   Dhyana: meditation deepened by the intensity of concentration (dharana) that gives the conception of the vastness of God, His attributes as manifested in His endless expansion of Cosmic Consciousness.

8.   Samadhi: union with God: the full realization of the soul’s oneness with spirit.

Through meditation, one gains access to the interior infinitude of God’s kingdom.

You concentrate on the spiritual eye. It is the Christ Consciousness centre between the eye brows. Then you will find the door to the kingdom of God.  Learn the meditation from a sadguru or true guru. Convert the Physical body consciousness into astral body consciousness and then into Cosmic consciousness. All the attachments to matter and physical body will evaporates. 

The physical body tissues are made up of cells. The astral body is composed of lifetrons. These are the intelligent units of light or life energy.

When man is a state of body attachment, it contracts life energy into atomic components, the lifetrons of the astral body are compacted, gets identified with the physical form.

By metaphysical relaxation, the lifetronic structure begins to expand. The grip of flesh loosens. By deeper and deeper meditation, the energy frame of the astral body expands beyond physical frame. It has the potential to merge with all pervading Cosmic energy. God as the Holy Ghost, Holy Vibration, is the Light of Cosmic Energy. We are that light.

Samam kaaya sirogreevam Dhaarayan nachalam sthirah

Samprekshya naasikaagram swam disaaschaa navalokayan  Gita 6—13

Prasaantaatmaa vigatabheer brahmachaari vrate sthitah

Manassamyamya machchittoyukta aaseeta matparah     Gita 6—14

The Kriya Dhyanayogi must keep his neck, spinal cord straight and erect.  He should not look hither and thither, make his gaze fixed in kootastha, the place between his eye brows.  He should be peaceful without any fear consciousness and maintain celibacy. He must meditate on Me and Me only and should not have any other goal except reaching Me.  He should be in ecstatic unity with Me by trusting me.  

By keeping the gaze in kootastha, the third eye will be opened.  The opened third eye will pull all the outgoing life force towards it. 

One will find the gigantic milky ocean (ksheerasaagar) in it. That will convert into infinite colours. Not only that several opulent stars also will be visible in that ocean. With the gradual ascending dedication, devotion, and pure love, there appears in it a five pointed silver star. When the sadhak penetrates into it, the love will be completely purified, he will get intuition, the unblemished pure wisdom. Then he will enter into Srikrishna Consciousness, the God in Creation, and then into Cosmic Consciousness, the God beyond Creation. That will provide the sadhak with eternal beatitude.

The sadhak who roams in Brahma is real Brahmachari, and not the one who is unmarried.  The sadhak should enter into Omkar, Sabda Brahmam, if he hears it, lest into the Great effulgence, if he beholds it. 

Yunjannevam sadaatmaanam yogeeniyatamaanasah

Saantim nirvana paramaam matsam saamadhi gachchati   Gita 6—15

The yogi is thus obtaining the salvation and eternal beatitude causing unlimited peace and tranquil, by keeping his controlled mind constantly on Soul meditation.

Diiferent Yogas:

1) Hathayoga: To discipline the body,  certain bodily postures are illustrated.

2) Layayoga: To hear the auspicious sound of OM, and getting immersed in that sound.

3) Karmayoga: To do Karma without expecting any result.

4) Mantra yoga:  To do Root word (Beejakshar) chanting, and OM chanting, in Chakras, Om chanting in Sahasrara Chakra, and tokhar Kriya etc.

5) Rajayoga: Pranayama Techniques i.e., to control Life force as per the Ashtaangayoga of Patanjali.  

God’s kingdom of supreme happiness is the birthright of everybody.

Avajaananti maam moodhaa maanusheem tanumaasritam

Parambhaava majaananto mamam bhoota maheswaram   Gita 9—11

With My transcendental nature I manifest all beings and dwell  in their bodies to protect them and the Cosmos.  The ignorant are unaware of this and insinuating me.

Yatoyato Nischarati manaschanchala masthiram

Tatastato niyamyai tadaatmanyeva vasam nayet              Gita 6—26

The unsteady mind has to be deviated from the objects of the senses in which it is wandering. Then it has to be established in the Soul and should be subjugated to the soul.

Mind is like a soiled cloth impregnated with habits accumulated from several births.  The soiled cloth appears to be more dirty than before after every washing. When the outer dirt layer is washed out, then the inner dirt layer which is subtler than the outer layer will occupy its place. The cloth becomes cleanser after 3 or 4  four washings. Likewise when the outer layer of thoughts and habits are annihilated, then the inner layers of past births will take their place.  The mind becomes pure and reaches  thoughtlessness  state with continuous, incessant, and intensive sadhana. The state of thoughtlessness state depends upon both the longevity and intensity of the sadhak.  After complete eradication of thoughts the state of thoughtlessness is reached. 

Sree Bhagavaan uvaacha:-

Asamsayam Mahaabaaho Manodurnigraham Chalam

Abhyaasenatu kaunteya Vairaagyena cha Grihyate           Gita 6—35

Sri Bhagavan said:

Oh mighty armed Arjuna, undoubtedly the mind is unsteady and difficult to control.  But it can be tamed with practice and dispassion.

Asamsayataatmanaa yogo dushpraapaiti me matih

Vasyaatmanaatu yatataa saknovaaptu mupaayatah          Gita 6—36

This is my firm view that unity with Spirit cannot be achieved by the man with unsteady mind.  The steady minded sadhak can easily attain unity with Spirit.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him I will trust...

“There shall no evil before thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep them in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone....

“Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him.:

“I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him:I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.”   (Psalms 91:1—16).

God is within you, behind your feelings, behind your thoughts. Those who are wise never miss their daily engagement with God in meditation.

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, “There was in a city judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, ‘Avenge me of mine adversary.’  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, ‘”Though I fear not God, not regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest her continual coming she weary me.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”                                          Luke 18:1—8

All devotes who seek with sincerity, intensity, and perseverance will receive God’s response. If the true devotee deeply meditates, and intensely prays, he intuitively knows the presence of God as an unending joy.     

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”                                      Luke 18:9—14

The publican had humbleness and sincerity and created good karma and hence is able to receive God’s grace than that of Pharisee. The Pharisee is egoistic and hence imagines himself to be great but he is a fool.