Spiritual Lineage
Sunburst offers a life practice rooted in the universal teachings of its founder, Norman Paulsen, and his teacher, Paramahansa Yogananda. In 1920, Yogananda was among the first masters to bring the science of meditation and yoga to the United States, carrying forward a lineage of enlightened (or realized) teachers that traces back to Jesus and the Himalayan yogi Babaji.
Inspired by deep ties to Native American spirituality through Hopi Elder White Bear Fredericks, and to Buddhist traditions through Charles Paulsen—our founder’s father and one of the first Caucasian Buddhist ministers—our path honors the deep intersection of Eastern and Western spirituality. By weaving together these sacred traditions and Sunburst’s Kriya Yoga techniques, these teachings invite sincere seekers to have their own direct experience of the Divine.
Paramahansa Yogananda
“Through use of the Kriya “key”, persons who cannot bring themselves to believe in the divinity of any man will behold at last the full divinity of their own selves.”
—Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda, born in India in 1893, played a major role in introducing meditation and yoga to the United States. These practices were a new concept in the west when in arrived in 1920. As interest grew, and through lectures, writings, and personal teaching, he presented meditation as a practical way to cultivate clarity, balance, and inner peace.
Yogananda founded Self-Realization Fellowship and the Church of All Religions in Los Angeles. He envisioned the creation of spiritually centered communities as a way to spread the teaching of Kriya Yoga Meditation, and to support cooperation and understanding in the world.
After years of searching for the man with the large dark eyes he had been seeing in his mind’s eye, Sunburst’s founder, Norman Paulsen, met Yogananda in 1947 at the age of eighteen. He spent four years living and studying at Yogananda’s monastery Mount Washington, in Los Angeles, where he learned Kriya Yoga meditation. These teachings deeply influenced his life and later inspired him to establish Sunburst as a place for spiritual practice, learning, and service.
Sunburst teachings are rooted in this lineage and draw inspiration from both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, including the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and Jesus Christ. Today, Sunburst continues to offer practical tools for personal growth, meditation, and conscious living.
Norman Paulsen
“Remember, you are equipped atomically, molecularly, cellularly, right within your own body, now at this very moment, to fully experience cosmic consciousness, divine illumination, oneness with God. You don’t have to go anywhere; it’s all right within you.
The whole creation is right within you. How can you see it? Meditate on it.”
— Norman Paulsen
Norman Paulsen was born on February 3, 1929 in Santa Barbara, California. Norm’s early childhood search for God was inspired by his awareness of Spirit within and around him, and aided by learning that Moses had once seen God face to face.
As a young man he met Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of Self-Realization Fellowship. He spent several years living at the SRF monastery learning and practicing the sacred techniques Kriya Yoga meditation. While living at SRF he received the vision that would lead to the founding of Sunburst.
After Norman left the monastery in 1951, he had a series of profound spiritual realizations, culminating in an experience of cosmic consciousness – a direct encounter with the light of God. This transformational encounter ignited his lifelong mission: to share the possibility of this possibility of God-realization with all sincere seekers.
In 1969, Norman founded Sunburst as a spiritual community centered on meditation, simple living, and an awakening to the Divine within. This way of life grew into a decades long involvement in organic farming and natural foods enterprises, including some of the first large-scale natural foods markets in the United States.
His autobiography, Christ Consciousness (1980), recounts the extraordinary spiritual experiences of his life and has inspired countless readers. A newly revised edition, Life-Love-God (hyperlink to store item), continues to share his message with all soul seekers.
Sunburst’s guiding light has always been Norman’s lifelong mission to help others to their own meeting with the Divine. Sunburst remains a growing community dedicated to sharing the Sunburst teachings and way of life.
Norman Paulsen left his earthly body on December 30, 2006 consciously and peacefully just as he entered it. His teachings, visions, and blessings live on through the Sunburst community and in the living presence of Christ Consciousness—the eternal “I Am That I Am.”
Jesus
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
— Jesus of Nazareth
Sunburst recognizes the non-secular, universal Christ—not only as a historical figure, but as the living embodiment of the infinite light and all-loving presence experienced in deep meditation and near-death states.
Beyond doctrine and tradition, his living message directs us toward a spiritual awakening— an awakening through which we begin to recognize our connection to the Divine presence within and around us.
Jesus spoke of “the kingdom of heaven within,” illustrating humanity’s innate spiritual potential. Through his life, the challenges he faced, and his unwavering connection with God, he lived the path of spiritual realization of unity with God. His example continues to inspire us and demonstrate that each of us can grow in Spirit until we too are able to say, as he did, “I and my Father are One.”
“Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world…”
— Teresa of Avila
I Am That I Am
The body of Christ Consciousness
“Let there be light!”
Christ consciousness is the pure light and divine intelligence that burst from the eternal sea of life and energy. It is God’s first offspring and exists as the Pure Self at the core of each of us. It’s also known known as I Am That I Am, representing the dual natures of God, both masculine and feminine.
This light is alive and personal in us and may appear as a distant star or brilliant sphere in meditations and near-death experiences. It upholds and sustains all of creation every microsecond of time.
Each of us can wake the Christ consciousness, our pure Self. This is Self-realization, where God is realized. You may be assisted on your journey by enlightened souls from all spiritual paths.
Thousands who have recounted near-death experiences describe seeing this pure Christ light as an all-knowing, all-loving being. Meditation tools such as Sunburst’s Kriya Yoga techniques can reveal this light to you, blessing you with divine wisdom, love, and understanding.
It is possible to achieve Christ consciousness, I Am That I Am, through the Sunburst teachings. This experience is your divine birthright!
