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Sharing Christmas 365 Days a Year
This article is taken from a talk given by Swami Kriyananda in Ananda Italy on December 23, 1998. It is translated from the Italian.
From the Fullness of the Heart
The members of the Ananda Italy choir did not come to Ananda because they sang or because they were musicians, but because they loved God and wanted to serve. It is amazing to hear what beautiful voices they have. This is the fruit of yoga. One of the first fruits of the practice of yoga is that the voice becomes sweet. I think that those of you who are new to this practice will see this in yourselves. It is really as Jesus said: From the fullness of the heart come our words, our voices.
You can learn a lot from a person just from his voice. I remember at the beginning, when I was creating Ananda, I was giving classes in many cities in Northern California in order to earn money to buy the land for Ananda Village. A woman telephoned me and was interested in taking a class I was giving on meditation. I could tell just from her voice, and I don’t know how, that she practiced Transcendental Meditation. In fact, after having talked for awhile, she told me that she practiced this type of meditation. You can hear in the voice if someone is a yogi, especially if he has devotion. For this reason it is beautiful to listen to the singers – because they sing with more vibration. There are very well-known choirs in America, they are very professional, but I don’t really like them as much as our own. Even if our singers are not professional, they sing from the heart, and this way of singing is very sweet.
Yesterday evening we were talking and I said something that has astonished me for years. It is that none of my close friends is of my own age. Why? Because people my age are old! Here is an example of what I mean: An old man might say, “Ah, life is hard!” Then you might respond by saying that yes, life is hard, but you learn many things, you grow, there is joy even in the difficulty, there are many blessings. You can say whatever you like to make conversation. And what is his response? “Yeah, life is hard!” You can’t talk with people like that. And too often they are only twenty years old and talk like that.
There was a man I knew who would sing a certain melody. Years later, I heard him and he was singing the same melody, like a broken record. Too many people live their lives like that. We need to live in the present, in the moment. We need to be ever creative in everything that we do in order to make every moment a new moment. This is the message of Jesus. He was born to bring us life. As he said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus also said, “Let the dead bury the dead,” which is to say that some people are already dead without knowing it! We have the possibility of a life that is not only an existence but that can be full of joy, full of gratitude. This is the message of Christmas – that we can live in a consciousness that changes our whole life.
Right Attitude
This year I can say that I have passed through difficult experiences, but I am very grateful, because in this way you see that outward life is all a dream, that it is not important. Also, God gives you these tests to make you stronger. The third thing is that tests make you love Him because there is nothing else to love. Is it worth it to love things that become dust? And so tests should make us even more loving toward Him.
When I was in Greece, years ago, I went into a store and saw many pictures of the Nativity scene. In each one Mary was sad. I asked someone, “But why is she sad? She’s given birth to Christ, and it should be a joyful moment!” And the person answered, “Yes, but she already knows that he will die on the cross.” How absurd! He did not suffer as a man suffers. If he had suffered in that way, it would not have been a lesson. The beautiful thing is that his suffering, which was real, was for us. He suffered for our ignorance, an ignorance that made it possible for people to crucify him. When God loves us, He wants to help us, and we refuse Him. This was Christ’s suffering. He didn’t suffer as a man suffers, thinking of himself: “Why am I the one who has to be put on the cross? Why do people hate me?” Jesus didn’t think like that. Even his last words were, “Forgive them, because they are ignorant: they know not what they do.”
Jesus was thinking of others. This is joy, when we can follow his example, not think of ourselves, but think of sharing. Sharing is maybe the most beautiful thing about Christmas. Gifts are only symbols of sharing love, friendship and gratitude – and of being aware of a reality greater than that of normal consciousness.
“Normal” is a word that needs to be understood on a higher level. For example, when someone says, “I made a mistake, but I am only human,” my response is, “No, you are not yet human.” To be truly human is to understand the potential that humans have, and that is to become like Christ, to become free in your soul. This is the potential we must realize as a man, as a woman, as a human being. When we can forget this little “I”, we begin to understand that there is a greater “I,” which cannot help but love. You can’t help but live in joy because this is the whole meaning of life.
Yesterday evening, I scolded our singers a little, when they sang a piece of mine on the "Three Wise Men". I said that it would be better next time if they stand together, because in that way they can hear each other and balance the volume level. One singer sang too loudly and another too softly. I think that this is also an example for life, like that story of the old man who says, “Yeah, life is hard,” and doesn’t listen to anyone. So it is when one lives only in his own groove, without being aware of other peoples’ reality. He doesn’t listen to others. He doesn’t understand that we are each part of a choir, singing together. What we do needs to take into consideration what others are doing. This is probably the principal lesson of the Ananda community. It is a cooperative community not in a political or economic sense, but in a human sense. We try to cooperate with one another, to consider what others’ needs are, and to listen to others. Even someone who is new may have something wise to give that no one else has. God can even speak through the crickets, dogs and everything. God uses many things, many instruments, to express His voice.
The Spirit of Christmas
Those of you who don’t live here can take with you this spirit above all. I don’t want you to return home thinking, “Oh, at Ananda, in Assisi, it is so beautiful, but unfortunately it is a place where I can’t live right now, and the reality there is different from the reality that I have to live.” It doesn’t need to be like that. What you get here need not be the memory of a beautiful temple, wonderful people, delicious food, inspiring songs, etc. Take with you above all this spirit of cooperation with others, of listening to others, of understanding how, as Jesus taught , he is in everyone. When someone suffers it is He who
suffers through that person. When you feed someone, it is him you are feeding – not just one person, because he is in all. We can hold a thought like, “I live with Christ, I live with the Masters, I live with God.” Everyone is a part of this.
Even if we are surrounded by ignorant people, it doesn’t matter, because they are sleeping angels. We need to respect them, even if they don’t respect us. One feels so happy loving, and so unhappy not loving. Therefore, even for egoistic reasons it is good to love everyone, share with everyone, listen to everyone, respect everyone.
I have noticed this also going into shops where people think only, “How much will this man spend?” If you give respect, if you think, “This is my friend,” people change, they become sweet and soft-hearted. So listen to others and allow them to say what they feel to. If someone is foolish, respect him for the fact that he has the potential not to be foolish, and thus gradually, come to a higher understanding.
Instead of becoming old, we should be ever young in the joy of Christ and God, to sing together with them, to think that each person has his own part to play. So, when you are cooperative with others, you see that this beautiful Christmas we have now can last all year. This, above all, is the message of Christmas – that Christmas is not only December 25, but can be 365 days a year. I would like you very much to take only this consciousness from Ananda: that you enjoy Ananda every day of your life.
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Ananda is located in the tranquil hills of Umbria, Italy on “Strada Statale 444” between Assisi and Gualdo Tadino. It is the largest retreat center in Europe for Yogananda’s teachings.
Ananda Associazione • Via Montecchio, 61 • I-06025 Nocera Umbra (PG) • ITALY