Page 339 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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on a more profound and symbolic level. While the profundity and glory of universal life is less perceptible for the majority of people, it is as visible as the blazing sun to spiritually evolved beings such as Christ, Buddha, Krishna or Rama. Therefore, one can clearly see the spiritual journey of the soul, a journey that is the ultimate destination of every person on earth, re ected in the life of Christ. The sufferings of the limited soul, its aspiration for attaining God-realization, the stairways of spiritual evolution on which the human consciousness must ascend, the challenging obstructions that it courageously faces and surmounts, the glorious vistas of transcendental Consciousness that it will encounter on its march towards God, the magni cent transformations that it undergoes, the sublime and glorious Bliss and peace that it will ultimately realize—all these are re ected in the life and teachings of Christ, as well as in all great spiritual personalities who are adored in the various religions.
In this spirit, let us explore the mystic symbolism implied by the birth, cruci xion, and resurrection of Christ in the light of the philosophy of Vedanta.
The Birth of Lord Jesus
Saint Matthew provides a quote from the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and