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-pointed-ness 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.
