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The Truth You've Been Missing about Christmas...
How These Holy Days Illuminate the Path to Your Inner Light
Merry Christmas Happy Chanukah, and if you don’t celebrate - happy New Year,
In a few days I’ll be sending an email with some spots on my calendar to kick off the new year. I’m organizing my own mastermind for entrepreneurs on a 7 figure+ run rate.
Last time I did this on insta, didn’t send to my list even, and it booked up in 15 minutes.
So I’ll be interviewing about 12 people a day for that group and spots will go very quick.
Now -
As we move into the truly holy day of Christmas & the start of Chanukah, I want to share something profound, inspired by the teachings of Yogananda and the luminous story of Jesus Christ’s birth.
As mentioned yesterday - make no mistake about Christmas or Chanukah being merely a time to give and receive gifts or hangout with family—rather, it is a call to awaken the divine presence within ourselves.
A Nativity Unlike Any Other
Yogananda wrote great lengths about Christ in his 2 volume series, “The Second Coming of Christ” in which he details a spiritualized interpretation of everything Jesus said.
He taught that the birth of Jesus Christ on earth was no ordinary event. It was literally a moment in time of the arrival of a perfect being. Centuries before that sacred night, prophets like Micah and Isaiah foretold his arrival, and at the moment of his birth, the wise men from the East and humble shepherds alike were guided by a radiant, divine star as told in the bible:
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'" (Matthew 2:1-2, NIV).
This star, known as the Star of Bethlehem, is often represented by the star atop the Christmas tree—a symbol of divine guidance and the light that Christ brought to the earth. While the Bible describes the star as a physical phenomenon, many spiritual teachings, including those of Yogananda, interpret it as a representation of the inner light—the spiritual illumination that Christ's presence awakened in the world.
So - Yogananda teaches us that this star was not merely a physical star, but the spiritual eye that shines within us all.
"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." (Matthew 6:22, KJV).
So that’s what Jesus brought to the earth. An inner light that transforms, heals, makes good.
Imagine being alive at that time? Insane. Just seeing a guy in robes walking around healing the blind and raising people rom the dead and walking on water. Imagine the tiktoks of that. Jesus def would have been world #1 influencer / streamer.
Adin ross x Jesus stream would have gone crazy.
Anyway -
This "single [spiritual] eye," as Jesus described it, is the light of the body. When it is open, the whole being becomes filled with divine insight, energy, vibration. All wise men, guided by this light, recognized the infant Jesus not only as a child in a manger but as a divine incarnation—a soul born to uplift the world.
Jesus is A Prophet Revered Across Traditions (Yes even for a Jew like me)
For those of us from Jewish or Muslim backgrounds—or anyone who has felt a sense of distance from the story of Jesus—it’s important to see him as not only the central figure of Christianity but as a universal teacher and guide.
If you truly hold strong to your native religious belief, I encourage you to look at the story of Jesus with an open mind.
In Judaism, many individuals throughout history have seen Jesus as a prophet, a rabbi, and a teacher whose life exemplified love, compassion, and spiritual truth. While the historical relationship between Judaism and Christianity has often been in turmoil, there are countless Jewish voices who recognize the wisdom and divinity in his teachings. After all, Jesus was born into a Jewish family, steeped in the traditions of Torah and the Psalms. His spiritual awakening was deeply connected to the God of Israel—the same eternal force of creation that Moses, Elijah, and other great prophets sought to honor.
For Muslims, Jesus (known as Isa in the Quran) is revered as a mighty prophet and messenger of God. His miraculous birth, his profound teachings, and his role as a guide to the straight path are celebrated in Islamic tradition. He is also seen as a sign of God’s grace, a healer, and one who brought light into the world through his example. The Quran speaks of Jesus with immense respect, emphasizing his humility and devotion to God.
When viewed from a spiritual lens, Jesus transcends sectarian boundaries. He becomes not merely a figure of belief but a model of pure surrender to the Divine, a reminder of what happens on a spiritual level when we align with God’s love and truth.
Now - even still - I am sure that our Christian brothers and sisters, some of them at least, are a bit weary at my message so far.
So - to those who believe that ‘salvation hinges on the verbal confession of Jesus as the Son of God’, I offer you a broader spiritual perspective to consider. Jesus himself emphasized the inner transformation of the heart, the cultivation of divine love, and the alignment with God’s will above outward rituals or declarations. In Matthew 7:21, he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” This suggests that salvation and spiritual awakening are less about the precise words we utter and more about the state of our soul and our lived alignment with divine principles. Therefore - recognizing Jesus as a spiritual teacher and embodying his message of love, humility, and service can open the door to divine grace, even for those who do not articulate faith in traditional terms.
How to “Resurrect” The Christ Spirit Within
Yogananda spoke of experiencing the Christ not as a figure of history but as a living presence within.
This divine presence is a universal spirit & consciousness available to us all. When we meditate deeply, opening our hearts as cradles of devotion, we allow the Christ Consciousness to be reborn within us.
Here’s how Yogananda encouraged us to honor this day in a way whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or even I’m sure atheists can appreciate:
Devote Time to Meditation: Set aside extra time for divine communion today. On this Christmas morning, meditate deeply to feel the ‘Christ light’ within.
Offer Your Heart to God: Picture your heart as a tree of meditation, decorated with the rare gifts of devotion.
Carry this Connection Throughout the Day: It’s not really enough to just sit down and meditate a bit and hope that you can feel a little peace. You have to let the presence of peace penetrate every cell of your body so deeply that the effects last after the meditation. That way you can create your life from the literal gardens of heaven, without making
This is the true second coming of Christ - when Christ spirit enters your body and being, you bring Christ into the world. Do not wait, follow these steps now.
Let this Christmas more than a gift giving extravaganza but a time of profound spiritual rebirth within you. Open your heart to the infinite presence, and let it transform your life.
Happy holidays,
Arlin
P.S. If you happen to be alone, and never tried an all-day Christmas meditation, this might be the year to try...