A Child Is Born

 

Theologically, Easter is more important than Christmas. In the cycle of the year, it would also seem that at Easter we have more to celebrate—the return of Spring. Yet Christmas holds a special magic.

I think because it is about the birth of a child—ultimately of all children. In the mystery of consciousness, the entire universe is born again whenever a child is born: it is born in his or her eyes. Each child, at his birth, redeems the universe.

In the Puranas, we read that one day the friends of the infant Krishna alerted his mother that the baby had eaten mud. Yasoda ordered him to open his mouth. When he did:

She saw all of outer space in all directions, mountains, islands, oceans, seas, planets, air, fire, moon and stars. Along with the moon and the stars she also saw the elements, water, sky, the extensive ethereal realm along with the ego and the products of the senses and the controller of the senses, all the demigods, the objects of the senses like sound, smell, taste, touch, and the three qualities of material nature. 

And she saw within his mouth all living entities, eternal time, material nature, spiritual nature, activity, consciousness and different forms of the whole creation. Yasoda could find within the mouth of her child everything necessary for cosmic manifestation. She finally saw, within his mouth, herself taking Krishna on her lap and having him suckle at her breast.  

Merry Christmas.