Essence of Serenity: Reflections on Paramahansa Yogananda
Inspired by minimalist line sketches that capture the transcendent serenity of Paramahansa Yogananda—the revered Indian yoga master who brought ancient meditation techniques to the West and authored "Autobiography of a Yogi"—these contemplations emerge from the elegant simplicity that art reveals in spiritual truth.
Divine Harmony Within: Our Path to Christ Consciousness
In the silent temple of our hearts, we find the living Christ. We need not search afar for that which dwells eternally within us. The peace that surpasses understanding is not merely a distant promise but our Divine inheritance, waiting to be claimed.
When we sit in the sanctuary of meditation, stilling the restless waves of thought, we begin to feel His presence. It is there—in that sacred silence—that we commune with the Christ Consciousness that permeates all creation. We are not separate from this Divine reality; we are immersed in it, as fish swim in the vast ocean unaware of the very element sustaining their existence.
Many of us seek peace in the outer world, in possessions and pleasures that fade with the setting sun. Yet true peace flows from the eternal fountain within. As Jesus taught us, "The kingdom of God is within you." This kingdom is not a place but a state of consciousness—our consciousness when unified with Christ.
In our daily practice, we must remember that meditation is not an escape from life but a deeper entrance into it. When we close our eyes and focus on the spiritual eye, we open ourselves to the light of Christ. We enter the cave of silence where the infant Christ of our newly awakened spiritual awareness is born.
Our spiritual journey is not one of acquiring something new but of removing the veils that hide what we already possess. The Divine light shines eternally within us, obscured only by the clouds of our restless thoughts and desires. Through the practice of meditation and devotion, we part these clouds to reveal the radiant sun of Christ Consciousness.
Let us together walk this path of inner communion. Let us join hands in the recognition that we are all cells in the cosmic body of Christ. When we touch this truth in the stillness of our being, peace flows naturally like a river from its mountain source.
As we end each day, let us affirm: "We are not alone in our seeking. The Christ who walked in Galilee walks now in the hallowed temple of our hearts. In His presence, we find the peace that the world cannot give nor take away."
May we all awaken to the Christ light within. In that awakening, we shall know peace not as a concept but as our very essence—our Divine birthright as children of the Infinite.
— Mitchell Royel