Baptism

Satsang (Discourse) given by Maitreya on, "Baptism and Other Topics."

12/27/88 Satsang (Discourse) With

Maitreya

Question: What's the use of the humor or laughter in the Plan of God? Or why did God give the human being this kind of aspect?

Maitreya: Laughing is the closest way to Pure Consciousness. When you really laugh, in a sense when your funny bone is tickled, there is no mind there. You just laugh with such an absence of mind, you don't think about your problems, and you don't think about yesterday, or tomorrow. You are in the moment. That's why one of the Masters said, "If you cannot meditate, just laugh silly!" In true laughter a lot of healing power is released and psychic centers are cleansed.

Have you heard that record? There's nothing but laughter. If you listen to that laughter, it's contagious. After you listen to it for awhile, you start laughing with the record. And after that you feel very happy because you're closer to God.

God always laughs. Even when He looks serious and angry, He laughs inside. When He looks serious and you think He's really angry with you, inside He's laughing at you. He says, "Look at my child, he's so unhappy, he thinks I am angry with him." But inside He's just smiling and laughing because He knows that child is going to grow up and become a beautiful man or woman.

Question: What's the real meaning of baptism? In THOTH it talks about The Holy Ghost, The Holy Grace, but I would like to know more about this.

Maitreya: Baptism really means to turn around, to return. If I'm going one way, I turn around. That means most humans are facing the world or Maya. So when they decide they no longer want that but the only thing they want is God, they turn around. That moment all their sins are forgiven. That's why Esa always said to the people who turned to him, "I forgive your sins," or "Your sins are forgiven." So you are pardoned in that moment.

You realize that when you turn around, everything in your past is pardoned, and you can forgive yourself. You can start all afresh, with no past but one future toward God. If you really understand, and are committed to that one-pointedness toward God, you will receive His Grace.

Grace is The Holy Ghost. That's why it is said, "Salvation is only possible by The Grace," and The Grace burns all the impurities that are already there and for which you have not yet forgiven yourself.

The Holy Ghost is like a fire. Karma is like the chaff, like a burnable, very dry thing. Chaff is much more burnable than wood. Grace burns that chaff away.

So Grace just burns that chaff up and after you really continue your path, little by little you see you are freer and freer. A great dance starts with you and God. That's where the Kirtan goes on. The Dance goes on with the Lord, you feel His Grace all the time, and you start laughing inside all the time too.

Question: You were explaining baptism, about its relation with the personal development. The personal thing is that you decide to turn around, to go back inside of you, etc. But what about those like John the Baptist and others who give baptism to others?

Maitreya: Those who have Grace, can baptize others. They can forgive the sins of the sinners. That is why John the Baptist baptized with water. Water is the symbol of consciousness. So symbolically he was cleaning them of their sin. Baptism is a way of giving another chance to the person. So when John the Baptist baptized them and then they came out of the water, it was like a new beginning. They could start building their lives on God from then on. As John the Baptist said, "When Esa comes he will baptize you with The Holy Ghost."

So the real baptism is not just using the water but receiving The Holy Ghost, The Grace. You can receive Grace only when your focus is 100% on God all the time. The less of you is there, the more of God will be in you. As it has been said, "Those who will keep to the end will be saved."

So before reaching Pure Consciousness there's always the possibility of falling back. Those who receive baptism, either symbolically or from The Holy Ghost, have to keep their minds on God, otherwise, they will sin again and the effect of baptism is going to be cut. But anytime they return to God they'll see that the face of God is right in front of them. So there's always a chance of returning again.

Question: His question is, in the next community to come is there a way to be baptized by you, or are there other kinds?

Maitreya: Well, when I initiate someone they receive The Grace, The Holy Ghost. Eventually we will have a few who will know how to initiate the Word to other people. So when I'm gone the torch will be passed on to others to continue. But I'm going to be around all the time anyway. However, you can receive The Grace other ways too. It's up to the Father, to whom He gives it and to whom He doesn't.

Actually, His shower of Grace is always showering humanity. The only reason they cannot receive it is because they have put up the umbrella of their egos. So they're just protecting themselves from the shower. And protecting themselves from showers can be of three kinds too. It can be from ignorance, passion or knowledge.

So the real answer to receiving The Grace is foregoing the ego. Of course, as long as the physiological and safety needs of the people have not been taken care of, it is harder for them to forego the ego. However, when their physiological and safety needs have been taken care of, that is when they have to become completely submissive to God, one-pointed, focused on Him. Otherwise both the communities and societies which prosper but keep their egos, usually fall into destruction, because they use their prosperity for sensual enjoyment, instead of using that extra time and comfort to meditate, have Satsang, and focus on God.

That's why in the Communities of Light although we will be prosperous, we will focus on God instead of sensual things. So our relationships will be based on The Grace and the Oneness of God. And we will realize all the time that our prosperity is because of The Grace of God. The more we realize that, the more God will Grace and Bless us.

Actually, according to our teachings in THOTH, many nations have been blessed and graced through history. As long as they understand that their blessing comes from God and they say, "In God we trust," they continue to prosper. But when they reach a state of prosperity where they say, "No this is our prosperity and in ourselves we trust," then what God does is just take His Grace away from that nation. Suddenly you see the same nation that was so prosperous and full of joy becomes confused, and it starts going down the drain. They fall to the original lie that, "We are God." This will result in self-centeredness and that is the cause for Grace to be taken away from them!

So whenever you see a community, a nation, or a person prosperous, that is because of God's Grace. If we realize that in our own community also, we will be prosperous.

I started the Mission with one cent in my pocket, and I didn't even have a visa to stay in this country. With the comparison that I myself don't work in the outside world, God has Graced us so far. And we accept that this is because of His Grace and Blessing and we are hoping that His Blessing and Grace will be multiplied fold after fold.

So always know, and that knowing should be an inseparable part of the Communities of Light forever, that whatever we receive is from God. Also we have to do our best, and be industrious and hard workers, but always rely on God's Grace.

Question: If you are a human and you are looking for Pure Consciousness, and God gives you the chance to be in front of Maitreya His Unique Son, His Beloved Son, what would be the question you would ask him, in such a way that you're going to receive answers to reach this Pure Consciousness?

Maitreya: Well, Maitreya has already been given the answers. If you read THOTH and His teachings, all the questions have been answered. Really what we are answering here is a repetition of the same answers to the same questions, with maybe some further clarification. We continue answering these questions over and over so eventually people get their answers. Anytime the same question is asked, we probably answer it a little differently or it will be expanded further.

But if you really read THOTH and our teaching and meditate, every answer has been given. So if you understand Maitreya and His teaching, when you come in front of Him you have no question. Then such a person gets on with the work and does whatever is necessary or uses his or her talents to further the Mission.

Question: I still have more questions.

Maitreya: That's alright, that's OK. It's understandable. Everyone should ask questions, and the answers should be repeated over and over and over. When you reach the point that you and Maitreya are One, how can you ask a question of yourself? OK, what's the next question? Remember what Esa said, "Those who are sick need a doctor." So if you didn't have any questions probably you wouldn't be here anyway. You'd be a missionary or something out there answering questions.

Question: I'm really interested in participating in this Mission, for a community. My problem is that I don't have any money, I am kind of nude with no money in my pocket.

Maitreya: From the money point of view?

Question: Yes. He doesn't want to feel like a parasite. He knows that he can work with his hands and he doesn't need any money to do this. But he's one more person to be feed in the community, so it means that the community needs more money to feed him. So because of all of this he is not sure of his decision!

Maitreya: Well, we are trying to create efficient communities. In an efficient community, each person who participates should contribute more than what he takes. That doesn't mean money. It means mental contribution, spiritual contribution or any kind of contribution.

As long as a person truly is dedicated to the Mission and feels one with the rest of the community, he will also understand the principle of putting into the community and taking from it. If a lot of people come to the community, take much and give little, then that community is going to be drained. That is the Law of the universe. If you take more from something and give less than what you take, you are draining the resources.

So as long as that is understood, then you have to evaluate to see if you can participate or bring more than you can take. Then you become a responsible kind of person in the community and that is all that is needed.

I want your talent and your intellect and your intelligence but I don't want your ego.

Audience: My ego is still there!

Maitreya: That's OK, we'll work with it. Money is not everything. The most important thing is to understand the principle of the community.