Paramahansa Yogananda - The Second Coming of Christ

F rom t he O rigi n al Unc h ang e d W ri t ings of Param h ansa Y oganandas In t e r pre t a t ions o f t he Sa y ings of

JE S US C HR I S T

And ye shall know the truth,

And the truth shall make you free.

(John 8:32)

May Paramhansa Yoganandas

interpretations of the Holy Scriptures

reveal the Universal Christ

to each Truth-seeker.

Publishers Note

Paramhansa Yogananda was born on January 5, 1893 in Gorakhpur in northeastern India near the Himalaya Mountains. From the earliest years of his life, he longed to know God, to taste the thirst-quenching waters of Spirit.

His search for the Infinite led him to Sri Yukteswar, his Preceptor. Under the guidance of this God-realized teacher, he attained Supreme Realization and was given the revered title of Paramhansa [ Notes: Paramhansaliterally, param, highest; hansa, swan. The hansa is represented in scriptural lore as the vehicle of Brahma, Supreme Spirit; as the symbol of discrimination, the white hansa swan is thought of as able to separate the true soma nectar from a mixture of milk and water.] by his Preceptor in 1935. Paramhansa Yogananda [ Notes: Yogananda means Bliss (ananda) through divine union (yoga).] later brought the special Techniques of Concentration and Meditation to the Western World, including Kriya Yoga which is the scientific method to accelerate the devotees spiritual unfoldment.

In addition to bringing the Techniques of Concentration and Meditation to the West, Paramhansajis great spiritual mission included imparting his intuitively-perceived interpretations of the Christian Bible. Throughout the text of The Second Coming of Christ , Paramhansa Yogananda uses capitalization to place emphasis on a specific truth to aid the reader. In the instances where there is redundancy of material, he includes it because it relates and clarifies the new material introduced.

Preface

These spiritual interpretations, received and interpreted through Christ Consciousness, are the methods which the Masters have taken to show the world the common, scientific platform of intuitive perception, where the Christian Bible, the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, (Hindu Old and New Testaments), and true Scriptures of all true religions, can find unity. The Spiritual interpretation of the Christian Bible reveals and liberates the Truth hidden in the dark caves of theoretical and theological studies.

Jesus Christ was crucified once, but His Christian teaching has been, and is now being crucified by ignorant people. The understanding and application of these intuitively-perceived teachings are attempting to show how the Christ Consciousness of Jesus, free from theological crucifixion, can be brought back a second time into the souls of men.

These spiritual interpretations are born of intuition, and will be found to be universally true if they are meditated upon with intuitive perception.

PARAMHANSA YOGANANDA wrote:

O ChristThou Rarest Flower of Hearts.

O Thou Great Lover of error-torn brothersas unseen monument of the mightiest miracle of love was established in each heart when the magic wand of Thy Voice uttered: Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

O Shepherd of Souls, wandering hearts are of themselves seeking the one fold of divine devotion. We have heard the ever-calling music of Thy infinite kindness. Our one desire is to be at home with Thee, to receive the Cosmic Father with joyous, open eyes of wisdom, and to know that we are all sons of our own One God.

(Excerpts from the original 1929 edition

of Whispers From Eternity).

The Universal Christ

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.

(John 1:12)

As a small cup cannot hold an ocean within it, no matter how willing it may be to do so, likewise the cup of material human consciousness cannot grasp the universal Christ Consciousness, no matter how desirous it is, but when the student, by the Praecepta [ Notes: Initially the organizational name and the written teachings in America of Paramhansa Yogananda were known as Yogoda Sat-Sanga Society and Yogoda Course, respectively. He later enlarged his written teachings and changed the name of them to the Praecepta. The Techniques of Concentration and Meditation and Kriya Yoga as taught in the original Praecepta Lessons are available from Amrita Foundation, Inc.] method of Concentration and Meditation, enlarges the caliber of his consciousness in all atoms (Christ Consciousness) within his own. This is what is meant by received Him. Thus, according to Jesus, all souls who can actually find their souls one with Christ Consciousness, by intuitive Self-Realization, can be called the Sons of God.

All Scriptures, such as the Bhagavad Gita, or the Hindu Bible, and the Christian Bible, have a three-fold meaning. In other words, the Scriptures deal with three factors of human beings, namely, the material, the mental, and the spiritual. Hence, all true Scriptures have been so written that they serve to be beneficial to the body, mind, and soul of man. True Scriptures are like the wells of Divine waters, which can quench the three-fold material, mental, and spiritual thirsts of man. In addition, the Scriptures, in order to be worth-while, should really help the businessman, the mental man, and the spiritual man. Although both the material and the psychological interpretations of the Scriptures are necessary, it should be remembered that the scriptural authors undertook with great pains to point out to man that the spiritual interpretations are of supreme importance to him.

A materially or intellectually successful man may not be truly, scientifically successful man who makes a perfect success of life; whereas, a spiritual man is the happy all-round man, who is healthy, intellectual, contented, and truly prosperous, with all-satisfying wisdom. Since by intuition the spiritual authors first sought to make man primarily spiritual, I give the spiritual interpretation with the psychological and material interpretations interwoven. These interpretations will help alike the spiritual aspirant, the intellectual man, and the businessman.

These intuitively-perceived spiritual interpretations of the words spoken by Jesus Christ are to be studied every day conscientiously and meditated upon by true Christian and all true devotees of God.

Universal Christ Consciousness appeared in the vehicle of Jesus, and now through the specific techniques of concentration and meditation as taught in the original Praecepta Lessons, and these intuitionally-received interpretations of the Scriptures, the Christ Consciousness is coming a second time to manifest through the consciousness of every true devotee of God.

A Sacred Remembrance

When Paramhansa Yogananda began writing his intuitively-perceived interpretations of the sayings of Jesus, he prayed for Christ to guide him in divining the true meaning in his words.

Paramhansaji was blessed with the presence and vision of Jesus Christ many times during his life. On one such occasion, in later years, he asked a question of Jesus pertaining to these writings.

It was a time of silent prayer and his room became filled with an opal-blue light, and Christ appearedradiant and about him a glow of golden light. Looking into his wondrously beautiful eyes, he asked Christ if he had pleased him in the way he had interpreted his teachings.

At once a Chalice appeared at Christs lips, and then came over to touch his own, and Christ answered:

Your lips have quaffed the same LIVING WATERS from which I drink.

Words of matchless assurance! This holy response was sacredly cherished within his heart.