“Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.’” – Genesis, Holy Bible Noah was chosen by God to be the father of a new humankind at a time when the world became so wicked that it led to the Great Flood. Heeding Divine instructions, He built a giant ark that would protect Him, His family, and representatives from all species of animal-people during the disaster. During His time, Noah was the only man who loved God and worshipped Hirm. In the Book of Genesis, it was stated that Noah was “righteous and blameless in His generations and walked with God.” During a 1992 lecture in Japan, Supreme Master Ching Hai expounded on the world’s situation during Noah’s time. “In the Bible, it describes clearly that because of the world's backward situation, people were depending entirely on material things and lacking morals, so God created the flood to clean up the Earth.” When people started noticing Noah building the ark, they were curious and gathered around Him. Noah explained God’s commands and urged them to pray to God. In 2008, Supreme Master Ching Hai mentioned Noah’s story through Master Rumi’s poetry. “When the flood happened, Noah had already built an ark, and put a pair of animal-people, each, in His ark already, and all His family members, and belongings, and necessities, and supplies for a while already in the ark. And He came in, but His son did not come in and did not want to. who wouldn't get in the ark in the time of emergency like that, and still rebelled against a good intention. Maybe he hates his father, but by doing this, he goes not against only his father, but he goes against his life, right? The flood is there, so the son also feels like, it hurts his pride, his ego, that his father is even right, because all this time he has never believed in his father.” As the Book of Genesis explains: “For forty days the flood kept coming on the Earth, and as the waters increased, they lifted the ark high above the Earth. The waters rose and increased greatly on the Earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. Every living thing on the face of the Earth was wiped out; people and animals… were wiped from the Earth. Only Noah was left, and those with Him in the ark. The waters flooded the Earth for a hundred and fifty days.”

In 1989, during a lecture in Hsihu, Taiwan, also known as Formosa, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of Mahavatar Babaji’s spiritual vibration. “Yogananda’s Grandmaster wanted to visit Yogananda’s Master. But because the Master was too excited, when He returned, He couldn’t find the Grandmaster, Babaji. Babaji hid in the sunlight. His vibrations were very subtle. Yogananda’s Master was too excited, so the inner vision was obstructed. He did that to Himself. Understand? Babaji was in the sunlight, and you couldn’t see Him. He was masked by the sunlight.” Paramahansa Yogananda’s own encounter with Babaji upon the eve of His sacred mission in the West is touchingly described within its pages. At the time, Sri Yogananda was sincerely praying to God for blessing and assurance on His journey ahead. Then, Mahavatar Babaji appeared at His door in the form of a young man. Babaji explained: “Kriya Yoga, the scientific technique of God-realization, will ultimately spread in all lands, and aid in harmonizing the nations through man’s personal, transcendental perception of the Infinite Father.” In 2005, while speaking with one of our Association members, Supreme Master Ching Hai shared important information about Mahavatar Babaji. “Babaji was one of the disciples of one of my Councils. (Oh!) There are 50 Councils, remember I told you? (Yes.) The 16th Council was here, was on earth before. No, no, I mean on a planet earth, some other earth, not this planet. And He was one of His chief disciples. And He attained 120-degree enlightenment instead of 100. Like Fifth Level, He got 120 when He left the planet. And He now resides in the Astral region. So, He can materialize any time into the physical body, any time, and He can stay as long as He wants, because He is in charge of taking care of the Astral and the physical region right now. He is the chief. So, He can appear and disappear, of course. His whole group is in the Astral! He can live in both worlds because He’s in the special mission.”

“All the Saints, since time immemorial, whether or not They incarnate on the planet in the human body or are invisible, or They live forever, for example, like Babaji in the Himalayas, whether or not They live forever in the physical body or in the invisible manifestation, They’re always thinking of us and wanting to help us. That’s the only thing They do: helping all sentient beings. It’s just that sentient beings cannot always perceive it or receive it fully because of obstruction of karma, ignorance or all kinds of false conception or thinking.” “My nature is Love; for it is Love alone that can change this world.” – Mahavatar Babaji (vegetarian) Mahavatar Babaji refers to the great Spiritual Being frequently appearing physically on this Earth, in various forms, for several hundreds of years. In 1946, Paramahansa Yogananda first revealed the existence of the Mahavatar Babaji to the world at large. He can manifest a body for as long as is necessary to perform the required spiritual assistance, either to those who yearn for His Divine intercession or to those in dire need. Many of Babaji’s appearances, for instance, have been in the form of famous Heavenly personalities. Mahavatar Babaji is in fact the leader of a team of similar Beings, all residing on the astral level, sometimes materializing together as a formidable Group. Several of these encounters are memorably recounted in “Autobiography of a Yogi.” Mahavatar Babaji is a Spiritual Being who can intercede when required in order to lessen or completely nullify the karma of an individual, or even a group of souls, in accordance with His Divine mandate of assisting in the spiritual ascension of humanity. Paramahansa Yogananda describes His ever-watchful presence throughout His life, patiently monitoring Him through a mundane existence, before awakening Him to the truth of His real spiritual self. Speaking of His eternal Love for His disciple, Mahavatar Babaji said this of leading Him back home: “Though You lost sight of me, never did I lose sight of You…. Through gloom, storm, upheaval, and light, I followed You, like a mother bird guarding her young.” In 1991, Supreme Master Ching Hai also mentioned this wonderful story of how Lahiri Mahasaya received initiation into Kriya Yoga meditation from Mahavatar Babaji.

Biographies of Saint Wenceslas have had a powerful influence on the concept and image of a monarch whose power stems from his great piety. Immediately after his death, he was honored by the Bohemian people as a martyr and Saint. One preacher, Cosmas of Prague, stated, “But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his ‘Passion,’ no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.” During a lecture given in France in 2007, Supreme Master Ching Hai further explained how such qualities of humility are a sign of a good leader. “When you don’t care about position and power of a kingdom, then you can be the best king. Because you don’t do it for position, for gain, for respect from your subjects, but you’re doing it to take care of your people, to discharge your duty, as predestined before you’re born.” Pope Benedict XVI called Saint Wenceslas “a martyr for Christ” during his 2009 visit to the Czech Republic. The pope stated that the Saint “had the courage to prefer the kingdom of Heaven to the enticement of worldly power.” To close our program, we have a beautiful rendition of “Good King Wenceslas,” recorded in 1952 by the renowned choir Robert Shaw Chorale. These verses of the Christmas carol recount the journey of Saint Wenceslas and an assistant delivering food and pine logs to a peasant’s home on Saint Stephen’s Day. Through the freezing cold trek, the page fears that he may collapse in the snow. Saint Wenceslas tells his page to follow in his footsteps, which miraculously warm the page’s freezing feet. May we, too, follow in the saintly footsteps of the good King Wenceslas, with his deep faith and great propensity for forgiveness, remembering God and showing kindness and compassion to all beings.

Saint Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia, is well known from the popular 1853 Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas.” The carol was written to celebrate Saint Stephen’s Day, or “Boxing Day,” traditionally a day for charity and benevolence following Christmas Day. The duke’s martyrdom and life story gave rise to his reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and the patron Saint of the Czech Republic. Born in 907 in Prague, Saint Wenceslas was also known as Vyacheslav. He was a descendant of the Přemysl family, who reigned from 800 to 1306 and were the first house to rule Bohemia and its lands. In 925 Saint Wenceslas took control of the kingdom and ruled justly and wisely at the young age of 18. He assigned a considerable amount of territory to his brother Boleslaus. Being a peace-loving and well-educated man with sound knowledge of Latin and Greek, Saint Wenceslas showed great concern for the Christian enlightenment of his people. He helped to build churches, including a magnificent one in the name of Saint Vitus in Prague, the Czech capital. Saint Wenceslas was charitable to the poor, feeding and clothing them. He was hospitable to travelers and loved all his people without discrimination. He recalled priests from exile and welcomed missionaries.During a lecture in 2007, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained how the quality of a country’s leadership is sometimes destined by Heaven. “The day before, I told you that, sometimes it is God’s will that the king or government leader of a certain country is good or bad. Understand? If they are good, it is because the citizens there have blessings. If they are bad, the citizens there have to check themselves. Practice introspection to see whether their country has done anything harmful to others. Is their legal system a fair one? Have they bullied the weak or small? All citizens need to check themselves. The government there also needs to check itself. If they have checked themselves, repented, and rectified themselves, then the bad king or leader definitely will not stay there for long. Naturally they will be replaced by someone else. Otherwise, they will have to continue to suffer. So, if the leader or king of a certain country is bad, it is not his fault alone; it is God’s will. The people themselves have to be good; try to be good people; fulfill their obligations, and help others, and live a noble life. If they can do that, very soon God will send a good king or good leader to them. All right! So, we spiritual practitioners are truly very helpful to our country. The more spiritual practitioners we have in a country, the better the government will be. It is really like that.”

In Bodhgaya, while exhibiting some of the exceptional signs of His realization, the Guru was challenged by an old lady to show proof of His teacher and lineage. When He answered that He had no teacher and there wasn’t a need for one, He was ridiculed. After this incident, for the sake of showing latter generations the indispensability of having a Master, the all-knowing, fully enlightened Padmasambhava pretended to be a spiritual aspirant, seeking out India’s accomplished Masters to gain the full and complete teachings of Secret Mantra. Padmasambhava learned from various great Masters. From Prabhahasti, while ordained under the name of Shakya Senge, He studied the scriptures of Yoga Tantra, instantaneously comprehending the teachings as they were revealed. His spiritual search took Him next to the nun Kungamo and was given the secret name of Loden Choksé, meaning “Super Knowledge Holder.” Here is some food for thought from the teachings of the Venerated Guru Padmasambhava: “If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.”During His time on Earth, Guru Padmasambhava has had many adventures requiring Him to perform miraculous feats. Records from various biographies state that on four or more occasions, Guru Padmasambhava survived attempts to burn Him at the stake. Despite the huge bonfire that was lit, Guru Padmasambhava stood amidst the flames and transformed them into water. Soon, a lake formed around Him. He sat in the center of this wondrous lake upon a beautiful lotus flower. The king could not believe his eyes and fell to the ground, prostrating before Guru Padmasambhava, earnestly requesting His teachings. Mandarava and the nuns were released, and Guru Padmasambhava brought the entire Oddiyana kingdom to embrace the Buddhadharma. By the same means in another manifestation, He was again captured to be burnt by the violent King Ashoka, who Guru Padmasambhava then converted into the most peaceful Buddhist king of his time. Today, pilgrims and tourists from all over the world go to the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Tibet to visit Guru Padmasambhava’s many sacred practice sites and caves where He meditated. Some still hold Guru Padmasambhava’s foot, hand, and body imprints. His sacred terma teachings, concealed in secret locations and unveiled at opportune moments, continue to be revealed to the benefit of unborn generations, even to this day.

Venerated Guru Padmasambhava, popularly known as Guru Rinpoche (the Precious One), was an 8th-century tantric Master. Hailed as the second Buddha in the Himalayas, He established the Nyingma School of Buddhism, the first major school in Tibet. A fully enlightened Being who descended as the “Lotus One,” Guru Padmasambhava was not born and does not die. Wanting to do more to benefit all beings, the immaculately groomed and learned Prince decided to leave the palace. He was banished to a place called Cool Grove, a charnel ground where bodies are left to decompose above the ground. Known as the eight charnel grounds and deemed to be sacred, these burial grounds are extremely efficacious for spiritual advancement and also account for Guru Padmasambhava’s eight emanations, or manifestations. In the charnel grounds, Guru Padmasambhava was able to live freely in bliss, carrying out His yogic practices uninterrupted. He sustained and dressed His physical body with the food offerings and cloth from the deceased bodies. In 1994, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained how Guru Padmasambhava provided sustenance to His physical body during that time. “According to a lot of stories, the first Master of Tibetan Buddhism is Padmasambhava. It means ‘born from the lotus.’ He is supposed to live always in the cemetery before He came to Tibet. And he is supposed to always transform the food in the cemetery – you know, anything – He’d transform it and then eat it. And there are many other stories, if you read the book of Madame Alexandra David-Néel. They can make bread out of air and things like that. Actually, this is nothing mystical or unbelievable because everything is made from the universal Substance. It's very… it could be scientific, it is believable. Some of the old Masters, they know something called ‘Alchemy,’ yes, yes, they can transform things.” Magnetizing the eight classes of spirits, He unified them towards the path of bodhicitta, a state of loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom. Guru Padmasambhava realized the people needed a spiritual teacher, and that He was to set an example and guide them. While visiting the Vajra Seat, the “diamond seat” under the bodhi tree where Buddha Shakyamuni had attained enlightenment, Guru Padmasambhava openly demonstrated His magical power. He transformed Himself into hundreds of monks, and at other times into hundreds of yogis, performing spiritual practices at the shrine.

In Sri Yukteswar’s younger days, His health was rather frail. One day, while recovering from an illness, His Guru, Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, commented that his wellness was a matter of will, explaining: “Thought is a force, even as electricity or gravitation. The human mind is a spark of the almighty consciousness of God. I could show you that whatever your powerful mind believes very intensely would instantly come to pass.” Sri Yukteswar taught that a vegetarian diet is beneficial to spiritual growth and mental and physical well-being, improving the mind, intellect, will, temperament, and overall disposition. A variety of grains, fruits, roots, juices, and pure water are generally the best natural food, congenial to the human digestive system and assimilation. During His last days with His Guru, Yogananda’s longing for His Master’s enduring love was finally assuaged when Sri Yukteswar said: “During my married life I often yearned for a son, to train in the yogic path. But when You came into my life, I was content; in You I have found My son. Yogananda, I love you always.” During a lecture in 2012, Supreme Master Ching Hai recounted this touching encounter between Sri Yukteswar and His beloved disciple. “His teacher, His Master Sri Yukteswar scolded Him, made Him feel, almost like belittling Him all the time. Yes. But He lost no respect or love for His Master. One day He even asked Him whether He really loved Him, asked the Master. So the Master said yes. Then He was happy. And then after He died, after the Master died, He appeared to Yogananda as a live person, from the astral world, He crossed the border, came back to see His beloved disciple and He hugged Him and all that.” “So now, the Master said… The first time ever, He said sorry to His disciple. He said, ‘I’m sorry, Yogananda. When I was alive, I was too strict with You and I scolded You all the time. Are You still angry with Me, or are You…?’ Something like that, ‘You forgive me?’ And Yogananda was so crying and happy and said, ‘Oh Master, I wish You could come back and scold Me again, again, and again all the time.’ Because He was gone already. Even if He wanted Him to scold, He could not anymore.”

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was born Priya Nath Karar on May 10, 1855, in Serampore, West Bengal, India. His father was a wealthy landowner. Sri Yukteswar was fairly young when He inherited and shouldered the burden of managing His family’s land holdings upon His father’s passing. It was through a friendship with a local maharaj that Sri Yukteswar met His own Guru, Lahiri Mahasaya, a disciple of Immortal Saint, Mahavatar Babaji. Sri Yukteswar was a frequent guest of Guru Lahiri Mahasaya in Benares, spending long hours in His company. Due to His absolute zeal and devotion to His Guru, His unrelenting practice of discipline (tapas) and self-study (svadhyaya), and His observance of a vegetarian diet, Sri Yukteswar made rapid spiritual progress. Kriya Yoga is the yogic science by which human evolution can be quickened. The ancient Yogic text “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” describes Kriya Yoga in the second chapter. Kriya Yoga, the origin of God-communion taught by Lord Jesus Christ and Lord Sri Krishna, frees the mind from sensory obstacles for meditation purposes. Mahavatar Babaji is known for manifesting a majestic palace to initiate Lahiri Mahasaya into Kriya Yoga. The three Kriya Lineage Masters to spread this ancient spiritual science are Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar, and Paramahansa Yogananda. Babaji avowed, “The Kriya Yoga that I am giving to the world through you in this 19th century is a revival of the same science that Krishna gave millenniums ago to Arjuna, and that was later known to Patanjali and Christ, and to St. John, St. Paul, and other disciples.” At the behest of Babaji and with the blessings of Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar Giri busied Himself with research and began writing. Having foreseen that the upcoming century was to be an expedient series of both inner and outer evolutions of change, He knew the timing was ripe for the book. In 1894, He published “The Holy Science,” a guiding light on the pathway to spiritual revelations.

As a young adult, Saint Clare went to San Damiano, where she stayed for 40 years, serving as the abbess. She was reunited with her mother and younger sister Beatrice during her time there. Saint Clare of Assisi founded the Order of Poor Ladies, later named Poor Clares, which had strict vows of silence, poverty, and fasting. She exclaimed, “They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly poor?” Eventually, Pope Innocent IV approved her definitive rule, just two days before her passing. When Saint Francis doubted his mission, Saint Clare provided him with much aid and encouragement to continue. She built a little hut for him in an olive grove close to San Damiano when he became ill and developed blindness. It was during this time that Saint Francis composed the “Canticle of the Sun.” Saint Clare saw Saint Francis as a spiritual father figure and took care of him during his final illness. Saint Clare of Assisi passed away on August 11, 1253, in Assisi, Italy, at the age of 59. She was canonized two years later by Pope Alexander IV. Today, the order has over 20,000 sisters worldwide representing more than 70 countries. She was designated as the patron saint of television by Pope Pius XII in 1958. In Greek, “television” means “vision from afar.” She is also the patron saint of laundry, eye disease, and goldsmiths. Many painters during the Renaissance were inspired to portray Saint Clare of Assisi in their artwork. In 2008, the television film “Clare and Francis,” directed by Fabrizio Costa and starring Italian actors Mary Petruolo and Ettore Bassi, was released under the sponsorship of the Franciscan Order. In October 2020, the music album “Light for the World,” featuring the voices of the Poor Clare Sisters of Arundel in the United Kingdom, reached the number one position in both the UK Classical Artist Album Chart and the Classical Specialist Album Chart. The production features writings from Saint Clare and Saint Francis set to music.

“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the Divine substance! And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation!” – Saint Clare of Assisi Together with the devoted companion Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare founded a religious monastic order with over 12,000 followers committed to serving the sick and poor. Very much influenced by her mother’s devotion to God, Saint Clare had a special relationship with Lord Jesus Christ. At the age of 18, Saint Clare was extremely moved when she heard the young Saint Francis of Assisi preaching during Lenten of 1212 in the church of San Giorgio. Saint Francis became Saint Clare’s lifelong friend and spiritual guide. After much singing and praying, Saint Clare exchanged her rich clothing for a simple habit and veil. As a symbol of her commitment, her beautiful long hair was cut short by Saint Francis. Other women joined them, and they became known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano,” living a simple life of austerity and seclusion from the world. They wore no shoes, abstained from consuming meat, and lived in a humble house, keeping silent all the time. In 1215, Saint Clare became the abbess of San Damiano, spending her days praying and doing manual work. She learned the “Office of the Passion” by heart, a prayer composed by Saint Francis in order to increase her love for Christ. Under her guidance, the community became the sanctuary of saints. On two occasions, Saint Clare was credited to saving Assisi from invaders. One famous incident is called the “Miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi.” During turbulence in 1240, the convent of San Damiano stood between an army and the city of Assisi. Saint Clare took the Holy Eucharist and held it high in the air. Legend has it that those invaders were momentarily blinded by a bright light which frightened them, and they fled. In 1241, a similar situation occurred when other troops tried to attack. Many miracles happened during Saint Clare’s lifetime, such as the sick being cured by her blessing. Sometimes an aura of rainbow could be seen surrounding her.

We are honored to continue our interview with Antonia, a Costa Rican-Lebanese and family relative of Saint Charbel Makhlouf, as she shares more stories of the Saint. "He (Saint Charbel Makhlouf) is known as a thaumaturge, a wonderworker. But perhaps the greatest wonder is that He works miracles and wonders for Christians, yes, but He is highly revered by Muslims, who come to His grave a lot to give thanks for the miracles they have received, and also by atheist people who have received miracles. I suppose they have been converted afterwards, but it is like that. So, perhaps the greatest wonder is this message of unity, of unity with nature, of respect for animals, of respect for creation. And Saint Charbel always marveled, always since He was a child, and has always amazed others. He has always led them to respect and has always led them to believe, to seek. When you enter the churches where there is an image of Saint Charbel, He is in this position, and lots of colored ribbons hang from His arms. They are the testimonies that people leave of the miracles received. And this is repeated in all the churches around the world. This humble, most humble monk, from one of the most humble convents in Lebanon, now has a chapel in St. Patrick’s (Cathedral) in New York. And He has chapels all over the world. The influence He leaves for Lebanon and for the world, particularly Lebanon, is a message of unity, of unity in God. There is only one source of Good, there is only one source of Love. God is Love. Lebanon has a great Christian history, and it has a great Muslim history, and it has a large part of Muslim inhabitants and a large part of Christian inhabitants. And Saint Charbel treats them all the same. He makes no differentiation, and that is, to me, the message for Lebanon: God does not make any differentiations. I do not make differentiations, you cannot make differentiations, because there are none. That’s it. And I believe that this message for Lebanon is also a message for the world."

Today, we are so honored to have Antonia, one of Saint Charbel Makhlouf’s family relatives, rejoin us and share more stories of the Saint. "Saint Charbel, or Mar Charbel, did not leave any writings, and very little is known about Him because He was an extremely private person. He never spoke. It is well known that when He was sent to attend a sick person, or to give extreme unction, or for the anointing of the sick, or they sent Him to some mass, the habit of the Maronites has a hood – He always went with the hood in this position. And when they asked Him how He had done, He famously answered: 'I went that way and I came this way.' Nothing more. His vow of silence was a very important vow for Him. He did not talk. A constant in His life was the miracle of light around Him. In fact, when He dies, the peasants begin to see a tremendous light on His grave. So the Father, the abbot of the convent, decides to take care of that, and that is how it is discovered that there is this constant light on Father Charbel’s tomb. And that is when the first opening of His grave is made, and it is found that His body is intact. Then, it will be reopened several times. The tomb is reopened every several years to verify that Father Charbel, Father Charbel’s body is intact, and that He also sweats, and that He is completely soft. And you constantly see this light. So it’s like two big constants: from these events and from His healings. He (Saint Charbel) is famous; many of His healings became famous during His lifetime: recoveries from physical conditions, but also healings from mental and spiritual conditions, and this continued after His death. After His death, when these prodigies continued, many people began to go to the Convent, to venerate Him, to ask for things from the Saint. Well, the Saint must have His clothes changed. They have to change His clothes because the Saint sweats, His body sweats, so, many of His sweaty clothes are currently on display. In many moments, that sweat has been bloody, and there are many things that are stained with that bloody liquid that exuded from His body. Many of these garments were cut by the monks and handed over as relics. Also, logically, there has been skepticism."

Known as the “Miracle Monk of Lebanon” by Lebanese Christians, Saint Charbel Makhlouf was a 19th-century monk who lived in Lebanon. We are privileged to have one of His relatives, Antonia, with us to share some stories of Saint Charbel Makhlouf. Antonia is of Costa Rican-Lebanese heritage, and her family has a deep relationship with the Saint. "Since He was a child, He loved the countryside, He loved nature, He respected it, and He saw God reflected in all of nature. This perhaps explains the later, special relationship that Saint Charbel had with animals. Many of His miracles concern animals. One of the greatest miracles was when the locusts attacked and destroyed the fields, the crops. The locusts would attack any crops except those that Saint Charbel had blessed. Then, the farmers sought Him out to bless their fields, and those fields were never touched by the locusts. Another time, a snake came out, a poisonous snake. So, Saint Charbel stopped everything He was doing and went to the serpent and said: 'Please, get out of here, take that path.' The snake heard Him and heeded Him, and he left. It was a constant in His life that animals obeyed Him. Since He was a child, he herded, shepherded flocks, and when He went to pray, He would say to His sheep, 'Please, stay still because I am going to pray.' And the sheep were totally still." The hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul is a quiet refuge at an altitude of 1,200 meters (3,937 feet). It was here that Saint Charbel completely devoted His life to God. He slept on a mattress of straw and used a log for a pillow. He ate once a day, a meal consisting of vegetables or herbs. For 23 years, He prayed, fasted, and adored God.Saint Charbel was extremely devoted to the Eucharist. In 1898, He passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 70, while reciting the prayer, “Father of Truth, behold Your Son, a sacrifice pleasing to You, accepting the offering of Him who died for me.” It was reported that His body remained intact for more than 40 years after His departure from the physical world.

Known as the 'Miracle Monk of Lebanon' by Lebanese Christians, Saint Charbel Makhlouf was born on May 8, 1828, as the fifth child of Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Chidiac. The devout Maronite Catholic family lived in the Lebanese mountain village of Bekaa Kafra. As a youth, Saint Charbel Makhlouf was drawn to the exemplary lives of the saints and hermits. However, in 1851, at 23 years of age, Saint Charbel Makhlouf left home unannounced to join the Lebanese Maronite Order at the Monastery of Our Lady in Mayfouq. There, He received the habit of a monk and joined the religious Order in 1853. Now a monk, He took the name Charbel. Young Saint Charbel Makhlouf then went to the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina in Kfifan, amidst the Batroun District of Lebanon, to study theology. He proved to be an excellent student, and after six years of study, He was ordained a priest on July 23, 1859. For the next 16 years, He lived a life of austere asceticism in the Saint Maron monastery. The young priest received hundreds of hungry refugees who sought shelter in the monastery. He gave them every aid possible as well as praying and fasting. Word soon spread about His deep devotion and piety. Today, we are very honored to invite Antonia to share some stories of Saint Charbel Makhlouf. "The Maronite Order is very much based on an image of God who is a very loving Father, who loves us very much, who wants us to be happy, but who we must seek. And we must look for Him (God) within ourselves. Saint Isaac said that our heart is like a metal mirror that must be continuously polished in order to reflect the Light of God. Saint Charbel and everyone in the Maronite Order with their very ascetic lifestyle, try to polish that mirror so that it can reflect God. In the Maronite Order, or in any other Catholic order, asceticism is not sought in itself for its own sake, but as a way of being, of purifying oneself to be able to love God and to be able to love one’s neighbor."

Abdu'l-Bahá was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh. Along with Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb, Abdu’l-Bahá, who staunchly persevered and worked towards the realization of His father’s mission, was canonized as the last of the three “central authoritative figures” of the Baha’i faith. Today, Abdu’l-Bahá’s discourses and writings continue to serve as a source of Bahá'í sacred literature. Abdu’l-Bahá was born with the name Abbás in Tehran in 1844 on the night the Báb declared His mission. For embracing the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá was detained from 1868 to 1908. Forty years of detainment did not change Him nor erode His ideals. A being of nobility with an abiding love for people of all creeds and status, Abdu’l-Bahá selflessly devoted His life to the service of others, particularly the deprived, the underprivileged, and the homeless. He was 64 when He was freed. Without a formal education, social status, nor power, and unfamiliar with modern ways, He amazingly proceeded to promote the Bahá'í teachings to the West by journeying to Europe and North America. Abdu’l-Bahá set the Western world alight wherever He went. His speeches in the United States of America attracted huge audiences and received widespread media coverage. He articulated His father’s world-embracing vision. He emphasized the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humanity. He spoke about the commonalities of Faith across all religions and that the world’s ills can be addressed from a spiritual standpoint. God repeatedly delivers His message to humanity in all the great Faiths, stating that one should transcend the self and become selfless. Abdu’l-Bahá advocated ending racial inequality and violence of all kinds and supported the complete liberation of women. He stood for world peace through global governance and insisted that unless religion becomes the cause of love and unity among all people, humankind may face extinction. The unity of humanity can be realized when we ignore the selfish promptings of our lower nature and substitute it with the selfless promptings of our higher nature.

Born on December 22, 1853, in Jayrambati, West Bengal, in India, Sri Sarada Devi was the wife and spiritual consort of 19th-century Hindu Master and Saint, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Sarada Devi is also endearingly known as the Holy Mother or Sri Sri Maa by the followers of the Sri Ramakrishna monastic order. A venerated woman Saint and mystic of the 19th century, Sri Sarada Devi was the embodiment of purity. She prepared for the future generation of women to take up monasticism and played an important role in the growth of the Ramakrishna Movement. Sri Sarada Devi was filled with compassion and lived to ease the suffering of people around Her.Sri Ramakrishna regarded Sri Sarada Devi as a special manifestation of the Divine Mother of the Universe, addressing Her as Sree Maa, meaning “Holy Mother.” As a priest, Sri Ramakrishna performed the customary ceremony “Shodashi Puja.” Sri Sarada Devi would sit on the seat of Goddess Kali, and She was worshipped as the Divine Mother Tripura Sundari, thus awakening Her latent Universal Motherhood. Sri Sarada Devi looked upon Sri Ramakrishna’s disciples as Her own children. She lived in contentment, serving the increasing number of devotees who came to see Sri Ramakrishna without any complaints and residing in a small room with few amenities.Sri Sarada Devi received the highest respect from the Ramakrishna Order and its devotees. Sri Ramakrishna had requested that She continue His mission after His death and wanted His disciples not to make any difference between Himself and Sri Sarada Devi. She looked upon Herself as the Mother of all beings, including animals and birds, and spent Her whole life serving them, experiencing unending sacrifice and self-denial. Swami Vivekananda regarded Sri Sarada Devi as the ideal for women in the modern age on account of Her immaculate purity, selfless service, unconditional love, wisdom, and spiritual illumination. He believed that the spiritual awakening of women in modern times had begun with the advent of the Holy Mother. Considered as Sri Sarada Devi’s last message to the world are the words: “… I tell you one thing. If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger my child: this whole world is your own!”

Since love is at the heart of everything, the be-all and end-all of creation, Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba’s doctrine was simple: “Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God, and tell the truth.” He followed this up by repeatedly saying “Sub Ek,” which means “All is One,” and continued with: “If you cannot love each other, you cannot achieve your goal,” for “the whole universe is our home and all residing in it belong to our family.” Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba was a highly accomplished spiritual adept who possessed unusual spiritual powers. With the touch of a finger, the Baba was able to induce samadhi in His followers. He was also able to be in different places at the same time. Many such stories abound. In His lifetime, Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba performed many miracles, but the following incident made Him famous as the sadhu from the village Neeb Karori. The young sadhu was then forcibly removed from the train near the village of Neeb Karori. Thereafter, the train remained broken down, unable to go anywhere, and all attempts at repairs failed. They requested that He board the train. Immediately after He boarded the train, it restarted with no further disruptions for the rest of the journey. This was the story of how the young sadhu came to acquire His now famous name of Neem Karoli Baba. Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba spent most of His life in the service of others. People always looked to Him in their hour of need, and He always responded in a timely manner. In the Neem Karoli Baba ashrams, prasada, or vegetarian foods offered during worship that exclude the prohibited items such as garlic, onion, roots, etc., are served. Under Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba’s instructions, prasada was served generously and in large amounts throughout the day to everyone without discrimination. His disciples speak of His unconditional love for everyone and the connection formed with the Saint that went beyond this Earthly plane. Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba’s teachings were simple and He always reminded His disciples, “I do nothing. It is God who does it.”

Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba, known throughout North India as the “Miracle Baba,” was a unique and astonishing mystic who lived in Nanital, in the Himalayas. He was born around 1900 in the village of Akbarpur in Uttar Pradesh, into an affluent Brahmin family. Named Lakshmi Narayan Sharma, He was unmoved by worldly attachments even as a child. He married at the age of 11 but left for Gujarat soon after to advance His spiritual quest. Becoming a wandering sadhu (monk), He led an ascetic life and traveled to many parts of India in His youth. Some 10 years after the Baba had left His house, His father received word from people that they had seen a sadhu that very much resembled his son. Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba’s father finally caught up with Him in the village of Neeb Karori in Uttar Pradesh, and under His father’s orders, He finally returned home. From then on, Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba, or the Maharaj-ji, as He was popularly called, played out His role as a Saint and as a householder with two sons and a daughter, and proved to be adept at both. For the Maharaj-ji, nothing had changed; He was always Himself – authoritative, all-knowing, playful, and perfectly in His element in any situation. Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba was also a Master of bhakti yoga and lived mostly “half here and half there,” His attention incessantly alternating between the physical and the spiritual world. He possessed amazing spiritual powers which He sometimes demonstrated to great effect. In his book “Living with the Himalayan Masters,” Sri Swami Rama recounted several encounters he had with Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba. One day, declaring Himself to be hungry, the playful Baba suddenly snatched and ate a handful of arsenic powder from His pharmacist-devotee who had dropped by for a visit. Then the Baba washed it down with a glass of water. The pharmacist was shocked, thinking the poison would certainly end the Baba’s life, but Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba was not in the least affected…

Venerated enlightened Master Socrates was one of the greatest ancient Greek philosophers. He showed how discussion and debate could help people understand difficult issues, issues that were superficially political, but deep down were moral questions about the meaning of life and goodness. One of his famous pupils was the venerated enlightened Master and philosopher Plato. Socrates was unlike many philosophers of His time because he focused on ethics and human behavior, rather than on the physical world. He taught that happiness comes from leading a moral life rather than through material possessions. He also encouraged people to pursue goodness and justice rather than power and wealth. Socrates’s method of teaching became known as the Socratic method. The Socratic method involves posing a series of questions to help a person or group determine for themselves their core beliefs and the extent of their knowledge. It was designed to force an individual to examine their own views and the validity of such beliefs. The goal of the Socratic method is to gain understanding through concepts that are certain and to help individuals achieve genuine self-knowledge.Socrates strongly believed in the immortality of the soul. He emphasized that a human being must care for his soul more than his wealth, reputation, and body. He believed that His mission was to check His fellow citizens and persuade them to pay attention to the health of their souls. He thought that the soul is far more precious than the body or material goods.According to Plato, on his last day, Socrates appeared “happy in manner and words, as He died nobly and without fear.” In tribute to Socrates, Plato described Him as, “A man, I think, who was, of all men of His time, the wisest and best, and most just.” Even today, 2,500 years later, Socrates is remembered as one of the greatest Teachers of all time.