A Teachers’ Day Reflections by Acharyasri –
“You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am” (John 13.13). This was perhaps the only title that Jesus of Nazareth had claimed explicitly for himself. On this ‘Teachers’ Day’, I am inspired to remind ourselves the following eight eternal Beatitudes taught to the world by the Lord Jesus Christ through his ‘Sermon on the Mount’.
- “Blessed are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”: ‘Poverty of spirit’ implies humility of character. Pride is the biggest block in our spiritual progress and in our quest for a love-filled peaceful and joyful life that will constitute the ‘kingdom of heaven’ on earth. Pride is also the visible characteristic of an un-surrendered egoistic self. Just as water flows only downwards, divine grace also flows only to humble hearts. Divine grace is the source of a love-filled peaceful and joyful life, the kingdom of heaven within and among us on earth.
- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Mourning involves expression of heartfelt sorrow or sadness on the loss or death of a dear and near one. Those who mourn will be comforted by others who love and care for them. The law of ‘karma’ states that for every action there will be a reaction. When we love others, love will come back to us from someone somewhere. This is the universal law. ‘Do unto others what you want others to do unto you’ is an old dictum that brings upon us blessings of unexpected variety and magnitude when we mourn for others.
- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness implies gentleness born out of deep sensitivity. The more gentle and sensitive we are, the more grace and love we will experience. Such gentle, sensitive and loving people are truly grace-filled people, and hence, they will influence and inherit the world around them.
- “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Truth, righteousness and peace (Satya, Dharma & Shanti) are like the 3 sides of a triangle. They are interrelated and interdependent. ‘Righteousness’ implies truthful living by serving others to fulfill one’s duties in this world with love. Righteousness alone will lead humanity to true peace and happiness in this world. ‘Hungering and thirsting for righteousness’ implies a deep desire to lead a righteous life that will fill one’s life with true and abiding peace and happiness.
- “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”: ‘Mercy’ is a divine virtue which enables us to develop a compassionate and ever-forgiving attitude towards others. The more mercy we show towards others, the more mercy will be shown towards us by others and by God.
- “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”: ‘Purity of heart’ implies that all our intensions and means are kept pure, and we do not nurture any negative feelings towards anyone or anything. It is said by the wise that, ‘it is in the purity of our hearts that we can see the face of God and it is in the silence of our minds that we can hear the voice of God’. Purity of heart and silence of the mind are two important qualities of a truly spiritual person.
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” Our divided and violence-ridden world today desperately needs peace-makers who can help us find peace within us, peace among us and peace with the world of nature. The three important dimensions of peace are individual, social and ecological. We need to find peace within and among individuals and families, peace within and among communities, nations and religions, and peace within the whole Earth Family. Such efforts for building a culture of abiding peace in the world will make us true children of God.
- “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Those who suffer or are persecuted for the sake of establishing and promoting righteousness in this world are also seen as prophets and avatars of God on earth. Such individuals shall inherit the kingdom of heaven and thus, shall fulfill the purpose and mission of their very existence on this earth.
The 8 Beatitudes presented in his ‘Sermon on the Mount’ by the Lord Jesus Christ have no religious or cultural or gender connotations. They are universal in their appeal and application. The present world desperately needs these Beatitudes more than ever before.
In order to enable us to practice these beatitudes sincerely in our lives, we are also given the help of the Holy Spirit who is the living Spirit of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ that is ever present and working in the lives of the disciples of the Divine Master.
Anyone anywhere can test and see for himself/herself the truth of these Beatitudes which are beyond time and space limitations. Hence, the Sermon on the Mount with its 8 beatitudes makes Jesus of Nazareth a teacher and lord forever for the whole humankind.
As we celebrate the ‘Teachers’ Day’ all over India on this 5th September 2024, let us also pray for our teachers in a very special way so that they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to imbibe and promote the 8 eternal beatitudes in and through their own lives, and through their noble teaching mission.
Acharyasri (Swami Sachidananda Bharathi) is a former atheist Indian Air Force Squadron Leader turned ardent disciple of Lord Jesus Christ. He is a keen promoter of an Indian Face of the Christian Faith without religious conversion and cultural alienation. Acharyasri is the founder of five Ashrams, two Missions, two Trusts, a Socio-Spiritual Organization and an Open Consecrated Society. He has authored more than 20 books and had represented India in the ‘Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders’ organised by the United Nations at New York in August 2000.