Picture: Jesus lamenting over the poor spiritual health of Jerusalem

You might say this is about anti-thanksgiving, those things we are not grateful for; when people lie, cheat, steal and even murder. As aspirants for realization what do we do when are lives are touched by, or we collide with, such situations?

There will be few who have not done any of these things themselves; and fewer still whose lives have not been seriously disturbed by others who do. We must have an avenue to get through such times so that we do no harm to ourselves or others; that we may actually do what we can to set the situation right.

When it comes to my own behaviour I act as if all that I do will be used as headlines in the newspaper or television. This can have a sobering effect on any misbehavior. It is interesting that when I have done something wrong, I have wanted it to be done in secret.

Knowing that to God, all of His angels and the spiritual Masters there are no secrets, there is no place to hide and everything is known, then only a fool can believe no one will know. Jesus said it most graphically when he said, That which you think you do in secret will be shouted from the rooftops!

When your life is touched by others who lie, cheat, and steal there can be no doubt that you will have some reaction. Mother Hamilton, in her fully realized state, said that others imagine that she could not feel hurt or pain because of someone else’s actions or words. She said that was most assuredly not true, she could feel deeply hurt.

So what distinguishes a realized soul from those of us in spiritual ignorance? The difference is that such hurt did not separate Mother from her conscious oneness with God, for others it does, and that makes all the difference.

And it is in this difference that you can find a stepping stone to freedom. When someone injures you through mis-behaviour, you see the situation as you imagine God would see it. You may think, “God feels pain for everyone involved, but He is also dispassionate; God is always God. And God always sees the truth of a situation, He is not blinded by a need to gloss over a behaviour.

By mentally staying connected to God you remain anchored to your vast, Divine Nature, even while you interact with the pain and disappointment of this world. Highly realized souls can feel deep pain by what others do. Master went to Mexico after a betrayal by a childhood friend and helper in his work here in America, feeling that he just wanted to return to India; until Divine Mother prompted him to stay and complete his work in America.

A touching experience occured during Sri Yuktewar’s last days on earth when he had a deep disappointment, although it did not include wrong behaviour. It happened when he had asked Master to stay with him, but Yoganandaji was keen upon attending the Kumbha Mela where he hoped to have the darshan of Babaji. When Sri Yukteswar came to know that Master had left, he took to bed for three days in a deep despair.

It can be disturbing to know that great spiritual masters can be affected by others, but it can be comforting as well. The key to finding your way through a situation is whether you take your mind off God or you keep your attention upon the One. You may still feel pain, distress, anger, and frustration, but with a perfected consciousness there is not a cloud of separation from the light of God; in fact your mind goes deeper into God, such as Lahiri Mahasaya did when he came to know he was to soon leave the body.

This is something to deeply think upon during this time of Thanksgiving. When God is present in disappointment and tragedy then pearls of Truth may be realized and the great Comforter may come to you in a dark night; these rescues from the Divine are truly something to be thankful for.

George Washington in prayer at Valley Forge

Thanksgiving has been a hallowed and cultural tradition for many years now. Times of thanksgiving, prayer, and fasting have been part of American tradition from before its inception.

When the pilgrims arrived they were poorly prepared for the harsh winter in their new colony. Without the help of Squanto, a sole survivor of the Patuxet Tribe, who showed the new arrivals survival skills such as how to catch eel, plant corn, and was an interpreter with the nearby tribes, the Pilgrims would have been far worse off.

After their first year and a successful harvest the 50 surviving Pilgrims (out of the original 100) invited a neighboring tribe, the Wampanoags, to a thanksgiving celebration. Their chief, Massasoit, had supplied precious food the previous winter for the starving colonists. Massasoit arrived with 90 warriors. Fortunately they brought game with them to supplement the supplies of the colonists; the four surviving adult women supervised the cooking for the three day feast!

During the revolutionary days it was not unusual to have a nationwide day of fasting and prayer to commemorate a battle and provide spiritual strength for gaining independence. George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving in gratitude for the birth of a revolutionary idea, a constitutional government.

This tradition was continued by presidents down to the Civil War. In the midst of the war Abraham Lincoln declared a nationwide day of Thanksgiving for all the blessings; even in the middle of a terrible war. It was intended to come toward the end of the year, giving thanks for all that was good in the year.

And that idea of setting aside a day for giving thanks has continued to today. A day for gratitude. My first thought of gratitude is for the general lack of wars in this world. While we work for a world free of all conflicts and fights, it is good to acknowledge that the bitter past has been replete with terrible death and destruction as nation has fought against nation; today, thankfully, there are no major wars.

The next point of gratitude is for the plentiful supply of food. Times past has seen widespread famines and lack that made hunger a daily pain. Again, it is relative, but today the world has plentiful supply, if not evenly distributed. This is a good for which I give thanks.

My list would continue for friends, family, and much more, but the last and most important on my list of thankfulness is for my spiritual life. My gratitude goes out to those pioneering souls who surrendered all at the feet of God and whose lives have made our spiritual path possible.

From Jesus and Babaji, to Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yuketswarji, Master and Mother as well as Swami Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai, and Swami Satchidananda, and the multitude of truly worshipful saints and realized beings down the ages, I give humble thanks for the lives they led, the teachings they generously imparted, and the truly superior examples of their lives. They dedicated their lives and their all to the upliftment and enlightenment of this world.

And to you my friends, God has given us each other that we may support each other in gaining the highest attainment in the realization of our oneness with God, and for serving one another with love. For you my heart overflows with love and thanksgiving. May you be blessed with all the good that life has to offer, and most of all to experience the Divine Presence, within and without.

Monday we had Skype Service with the Ashland Group, and as I spoke deeper levels of Truth were unfolding in my mind from the great Mind. The topic was Eternal Youth. We used Master’s, Is Everlasting Youth Possible? Understanding how mind controls the atoms of the body. The additional layer that came so clear to me was that the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon sought, and down through history mankind has sought, is to be found right within.

I am sure Ponce thought of finding some magical springwater that would keep him in a youthful body and death far away. However, the youthfulness God was showing me had less to do with the body and more to do with the Spirit. Contacting God is youthfulness itself. The Self is always youthful in spirit.

When we see a baby or a little child smiling, playing and being charming, we are reminded of our original innocence, that part of us that has not grown old in the world. In that moment we feel love, the joy of eternal Spirit bubbling up from some unbidden Source within. Being with the world too much makes us old, wary and grief stricken. Being with God makes us young, brimming with life-force and enthusiasm for what God is going to bring us next.

Surely you have been given tasks to do in this world, and there are times that like a bridge bearing a large load you can creek and groan. However, even when life seems to be straining you, even then you may feel true joy. The secret is to remain identified with the Self. Stepping back from the challenge, observe the movie of this life from the projectionist booth with God at your side. “Fine joke Ram! Look where you have put me now. Surely You mean well, You must guide me and show me the way through.  ”

Then you feel God smile. You feel a fresh spring air blow through you and you feel lighter, optimistic, and secure. The thought of Krishna comes to mind, he is smiling even when calamitous events are unfolding. Why is he smiling? Because he sees the Big Picture; not just the little frames of individual incidents. The Big Picture tells him that all is occurring exactly as it ought to, and that all is working for the highest good of all.

To be aware of the loving Hand that controls and guides all events in creation breathes new life into you, makes you young again. And, as Master points out, mind controls the atoms of the body. With the mind merged in the Infinite, then the healing salve of health, youthfulness and inner knowing that all is well must be in residence, for body mind and soul.