This last Sunday I spoke about Kali, the fierce image of the Divine Mother. As usual, when I experience God speaking through me, I am also being taught. In my uplifted state during the talk God showed me a deeper meaning behind the imagery of Kali. For, in all sacred images and stories there are greater truths being alluded to—sacred imagery is always pointing to the supreme Reality. However, when the story is taken only at its face value, the mind becomes fixated on the fascinating but bewildering outer images of the parable. Jesus said,
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand…15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. (Matt. 13:)
For those who focus on the outer story alone debates ensue, and the reasoning mind can easily pick apart such images and tales for their inconsistencies, historical inaccuracies, and sometimes just plain illogic. Predictions of a future savior can fit into this category. For the past three thousand years there has been the prediction of a Messiah (Mashiach) in Judaism—a righteous king such as David who brings peace to this world and ends hunger. Christians have been waiting two thousand years for the second coming of Christ to appear from the clouds of heaven and brings a thousand years of peace. And for the past 1,400 years many Muslims have waited in anticipation for the return of the 12th Imam to bring peace and justice to this world. Coincidently, the looked-for return of these saviors will usher in the supremacy of their respective religions—leaving only one religion standing. Since these three literal scenarios are mutually exclusive, only one of them can be correct. Of course, none think their own religion will be on the losing side, but see themselves standing triumphant over their stunned competitors.
Now, you can either be a believer in one of these looked for prophecies, or see the whole thing as hopeless confusion, or perhaps use these histories to analyze current day events (today many orthodox Christians are in support of making Jerusalem the official seat of government for Israel because of predictions in the Bible state that this a prelude to the return of the Christ). However, for the practical spiritual aspirant, the understanding comes that from the beginning these predictions were not intended to be worldly based. Rather, the savior parable is a description of a coming inner spiritual illumination; for the striving devotee, New Jerusalem is a name for an enlightened state of consciousness; and the predicted thousand years of peace is the same as the thousand petalled lotus—the spiritually illumined brain.
For those who perceive the one true Creator behind all religious impulses the world over, then, as Mother Hamilton stated, there is only one God and one religion—a religion beyond secular divisions. There is only one supreme truth—and all the various religions are but descriptions of man’s relationship with that truth, or God. In the end, all religions are expressions of the same human desire to know God.
For God to be true, then the Divine Principle upon which God is understood must be universal—equally true for all. Mathematics is true no matter what language you speak or where you are from; even if you are from another planet, the principles of math will be the same. The symbols we call numbers can look different depending on your native land; language may differ but the unfolding logic of math must be the same. Similarly, the logic for realizing God and the experience of knowing God will follow certain universal principles no matter your language, culture, customs or religion.
To truly appreciate a religion, you must unlock its symbols—someone else’s religion can look alien simply because their language and symbols are not familiar to you. In India the Mother Kali is a much worshipped form of the Divine Mother. On the surface one may wonder why? So many images of God are pleasing, but she is not. That fierce image of Kali is intentional and filled with meaning. We may explore its meaning when we break through the cocoon of the outer story and take wing on direct perception of truth.
As God was showing me while I was giving the talk, the fierce face of Kali and her accompanying symbols is the outer form only—the outer fierceness symbolizes this world. Just as the image of Kali is terrible, tongue dripping blood, holding a sword, skulls hung about, so too can this world be terrifying with wars, famines, pestilence, illness, suffering of so many varieties that are all too common. Yet, mystics from time immemorial tell us that the world is God, is a sacred expression of its Creator. One can wonder how anyone can say that when there is so much hardship? It is because the mystic dives deeper and comes up with a magnificent pearl of wisdom. The spiritual master sees not merely the outer fierceness of the world, but perceives the Divine Presence underlying all creation. To the penetrating mind the beautiful Divine Mother reveals Herself behind the ugly image of Kali, and the suffering of the world.
That guiding Presence ensures that the suffering engendered by the horrors of this world eventually leads an aspirant for truth to detachment, detachment is necessary for Self-realization, and with realization comes true freedom beyond the thralldom of this world—for true freedom is oneness with God.
Our shortcut to knowing this freedom is to acknowledge that the things of this world can never bring lasting happiness. We do not need to wait for the harshness of this world to tear us from our clinging to the body and things of the world; for, the alternating currents of good and evil will ever be a part of our experience in this life. To practice detachment from duality and put our minds on God is the pathway to mystical union with the Infinite. Seen from this perspective, the fierce face of God wakes the soul from its indifference, it challenges the narrative of worldly attachments, and sets us on our way to realizing the sacred Divine Presence. Then, through eyes informed by the Divine Presence the beauty of the Creator is seen shining throughout all creation.
I had a beautiful demonstration of grace through the Divine Mother as Kali. In pilgrimage I was at the temple of Dakshineswar in India. It was here that the great Ramakrishna worshiped the image of Kali and where he came to realize God. While walking the temple complex I came to the Kali Temple just as the doors were opened to reveal the statue of Kali. There was a large crowd pressing in to see the image. As I stood behind the crowd I thought that while I did want to see the statue that Ramakrishna had worshipped, I did not want to enter this press of humanity.
As I stood apart from all the people, with Swami Vishwananda beside me, a side door of the temple opened; a priest came out and walked directly over to me. He took my hand and indicated I should come with him—I followed him back to the side door. Swami Vishwananda came in behind me and we were ushered through an inner hallway right up front to the image of Kali, with the pressing crowd behind us, separated by a gate. The temple priest did not say a word, but gracefully arranged for this darshan of the Mother Kali in such a remarkable way. Why I was singled out is a mystery, one can only say the Divine Mother wished it so.
Just as the Divine Mother arranged for this darshan, so God arranges for knowing the Divine Presence for the sincere and aspiring heart, bypassing the fierce noisiness and confusion of this world, taking you into your inner temple of silence where Divine Mother reveals Herself. The message comes, you should not be dissuaded by the outer fierceness of the image of Kali or of this sometimes-harsh world, but dive deep in devotional meditation to find the pearl of realization that reveals the beauty of God, both within and without.