Who is my mother, brother or sister? Those who are actively attuned to my Heavenly Father—pure Spirit beyond time and space, beyond personhood—they are my spiritual family which supersedes all other relationships. (Spiritual translation of Matthew 12:48-50) Jesus was making an important point to those around him. Even the special bond of an eldest son to a mother is secondary to spiritual communion in God.
I watch as the nearly full moon descends into the western sky. It is a September harvest moon, and in its radiance I feel an even greater after-glow from yesterday’s equinoctial group meditation. What glory there is in divine communion not only with our Heavenly Father/Divine Mother, but also with all brothers and sisters coming together in spirit as well. This superior union in Spirit connects us all and is greater than bonds of blood, greater than friendships based on common worldly interests, for it goes to the innermost core of the Atman or Soul—my part of God.
The infinite Lord has been teaching me over these many years the nature of this spiritual bond. When I sat at the feet of Swami Satchidananda, he said at the time of my departure—after spending four months at the Ashram—“Whenever you think of the Ashram, you will be here.” I had some notion of what he was saying, but really I had only touched the surface of those deep waters to which he was alluding.
Through deepening experience new ways of connecting with not only the Ashram and Swamiji but with all God’s creation began to reveal themselves to me. Truly, I could think of Swamiji half way around the world and I did feel I was with him. This form of connection is different than a psychic connection–in which I know something about someone else through intuition—I asked God to take that away from me because I could feel its allure to my ego-sense. No, this connection happens in a Divine Field: in knowing God-experience I also commune with whatever God reveals about different ones He brings to mind. In this field there was no ego allure, but a deep feeling of compassionate, loving Spirit.
Information coming from this inner communion varies according to Divine Will, from specific information to a general sense of being, from past life influences to what may occur in coming times. No curiosity or delving into more than what is given is triggered by such inner communion, but a very simple trust that whatever comes to me is what is needed in the moment. Physical proximity is not a requirement. Spirit is a time and space annihilator, for communing through Spirit operates through a substratum present in all creation. In Spirit, everything exists equally, without distinction of high or low and the many opposites that occupies material relationships. Really, when it comes to it, there is no such thing as brother or sister, mother or father, there is only one Being who is perfect, pure and all-pervading—all expressions are of this one Spirit. Therefore, I am really only knowing something about my Self, for there is no other.
As we sat in meditation on this powerful equinox inwardly communing with infinite Spirit, various disturbances that others are experiencing effortlessly come to my awareness—for I feel no difference between various parts of God. Physical discomfort, emotional pain or blockages and restless thoughts all dance across my mental screen. And what do I do with these? I pass them on to the feet of God, I surrender them to Him. It may be something from those sitting in the room with me, it may be from those who are at a great physical distance—in Spirit it makes no difference. There are times when the pain or disturbance is excruciating, but it is all God and therefore it is all good. It is all about surrender to the Light; letting go of all that that keeps us from knowing our oneness with God or pure Spirit.
And this is why on both a human and a spiritual level kinship in Spirit is of superior value. Spiritual Relationship is geared toward mutual advancement in God-awareness. Other relationships can also be important, but they cannot match the highest common good that is derived from communion through infinite Spirit. “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”