Taken from Shri.Anil Kumar's talks : The Three Wise Men
Bhagavan said that when Jesus was born, three wise men happened to visit that place. One of them said, "This child is going to love God." Another, an Arabian king, said, "No, God is going to love this child." The third wise man said, "No, he is going to find his identity with God, and that is what he is going to be called." Those were the prophecies, spoken in the heights of devotion, of those three wise men who visited the newborn babe in Bethlehem on Christmas day. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jesus Is Betrayed Jesus was always surrounded by His disciples. So many followers wanted to hear His Divine teachings. However, there was one disciple, Judas Iscariot. Judas betrayed and cheated his guru, Jesus Christ, just for a pittance, just for some money offered to him by the soldiers. That is what led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. By receiving a few silver coins, Judas Iscariot told those soldiers: "Whosoever's ring I kiss, that man is Jesus. You can catch him." The disciples and Jesus wore the same dress in those days, so Jesus was difficult to identify. That's how Judas betrayed his guru. What happened to the other disciples? They escaped on some pretext or the other. Mary was crying, watching the situation of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. To Mother Mary, Jesus said: "Mother Mary, why do you cry? Death is the dress of life." Commenting on this statement, Bhagavan said that one does not have to cry or worry about death. Just as we go on changing our dress everyday, likewise we put on a new body. Do we cry about changing our dress? Certainly not! We simply wear a new dress. . Bhagavan mentioned another statement of Jesus Christ. While there were so many people around who were helplessly looking on, there were some other people who were ready to blame and crucify Jesus, the compassionate and righteous One, the only Son of God. What did Jesus say then? "All are one, my dear son. Be alike to everyone." What a statement it is! It was only possible for Christ to say that. Enemies and betrayers were on the one hand; disciples on the other; he himself was in pain and agony. Still with all this, the Son of God could say, "All are one, my dear son. Be alike to everyone." Bhagavan also said, "People may praise Me; people may blame Me. But I bless both of them because I am beyond. God transcends both blame and praise." He is not carried away by your praise nor depressed by your blame. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saints and Sages I asked Him another question. "Swami, there are sages whom one refers to as rishis in Sanathana Dharma (the Eternal Dharma). But there are no sages mentioned in the Bible or in Christianity. I want you to comment upon this. Baba said, "No, no. What you call a `sage' in Sanathana Dharma is a `saint' in the Holy Bible. Saint Paul, Saint Luke, Saint Matthew, Saint John — they are all sages." That's what Bhagavan told us. Then I asked another question: "Swami, I am proud to say that I am from a Christian college. I spent about thirty years in a Christian college and even to this day, I am proud of my Christian college, my Alma Mater. The credit for the fact that I can speak English this well goes to the Christian missionaries, particularly the Lutheran Church in America. They sponsored our college, the Andhra Christian College at Guntur. Because of my affinity and close intimacy with Christian theology, I have one question to ask. Swami was in a good mood, so I went on asking, "Swami, how am I to understand it when Christians, while praying say, `The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost'?" How am I to understand the meaning as a follower of Sanathana Dharma?" What did Baba say? "Did you not hear what I say quite often? `You are not one but three: the one you think you are, the one others think you are, and the one you really are.' That is the meaning of `the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost'. They are the same." What a beautiful answer He gave! Sai Ram
