Journey to Enlightenment Part 01

Author(s): Chitrabhanu, Chetana Catherine Florida, Nirmala Hanke, Raksha Penni Helsene
Publisher: Create Space

Page 53

Spring 2001: Our Consciousness Changes
Dear Lighthouse Students, Members and Friends,
MANY BLESSINGS OF HEALTH, PROSPERITY, AND BLISS TO ALL OF YOU
We can easily become confused by all of what we read and listen to from others, if we are not doing daily meditation. Without meditation to guide us to truth, we are influenced by others' perceptions of truth, and we never get to experience first hand, the truth within ourselves. Within you, within each one of you, lies the love, light and perfect truth that you are. The greatest journey one can take in a lifetime is to seek out the Divine Self. Understand that the Guru (remover of darkness) is within Self. An outer Guru or teacher can act as a catalyst for your inner Guru. However, outer Gurus cannot do your work for you, or remove your karmas. They can help you understand how to work to release karmas, but it is up to each individual to heal and dissolve his or her own karmas.
In order to know the Divine Self, one must work on removing the karmas (conditions) which cover the Divine Self. The karmas (conditions) which cover the Divine Self can ultimately change a person's perception of truth. If we never search for truth through meditation, we can be persuaded by someone else's perception of truth. I'm not saying to never listen to another's truth. What I am saying is to keep on searching for the perfect truth you need to experience within you. Each person's truth will be in accord with that person's level of consciousness (development of soul). It is important to hear another's truth with this understanding. I would like to give you what I feel is a beautiful example of this.
Many years ago when I met Gurudev Chitrabhanu, I was a meat eater. I told him I was, he listened, he didn't say how bad or wrong this was. Nor did he even mention the violence I was doing to the animals I had eaten, or the violence I was doing to myself. At that time my level of consciousness was clouded by violence, and I had no awareness or understanding that I was being violent. On the contrary, I didn't think I was a violent person in any way.
Slowly, slowly, being around Gurudev, hearing him lecture and receiving his Blessings, I began to find my Truth. Through my daily meditation and with Gurudev as a loving mentor and catalyst, I began to see parts of myself I didn't even realize I had, parts that fell in the category of being a violent person. I began to see that it was violent to eat meat. I began to look at animals, in their eyes, and see loving beings who want to live their lives as much as I want to live mine. I did not become a vegetarian because someone reprimanded me or because it's "healthier" not to eat meat. I became a vegetarian because the compassion and understanding, love and light from Gurudev and my daily practice of meditation changed my level of consciousness.
54 - Journey to Enlightenment