• by Cain Carroll•Happiness is a changing feeling that comes and goes with circumstances that appear to coincide with it. Since circumstances are largely out of our control, and constantly in flux, our happiness is always waxing and waning. It swells when we feel good (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and declines when we don’t Nobody can feel happy ALL the time because conditions (internal or external) can never be controlled to that degree. Trying will make you crazy.
The problem is that social conditioning, especially in the U.S., has us believe that there is something wrong with us if we don’t don a permanent smile. Actually, it’s totally natural NOT to—the sky is not always sunny, flowers aren’t always blooming, and even cats and dogs get the blues. Without sadness, pain, dissatisfaction, broken heartedness, confusion, etc., we wouldn’t be human (and there certainly would not be some good art or music).
Feelings come and go like changing seasons. It’s our reluctance to fully appreciate all of them that makes us feel divided inside. We were taught to feel bad about not feeling good. We learned this from a neurotic culture that is pathologically addicted to unattainable ideals (flawless beauty, eternal youth, perfect happiness.
We can un-learn it! Like removing corrupter software from our CPU…”Delete program!”
When we are in harmony with our life we feel happy much of the time. But it’s also possible to be at peace when dissatisfaction, pain, loneliness, confusion, sadness, or any challenging feeling comes along for a visit. It requires that we simply let go of our resistance to feeling what we feel. In other words, if we can fully accept whatever comes without judgment, criticism, or the need to understand why, then we find a sense of ease opening up inside of us.
That way, we can be free to feel dissatisfied without being anxious about it. Feeling less anxious, we have less dissatisfaction. The whole thing unwinds itself.
Admittedly, this takes quite a bit of courage, and the willingness to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable. But if we do this repeatedly, moment after moment, day after day, our inner conflict melts like a chunk of ice into a flowing stream. We discover a basic joy and peace that is available to us all the time, even amid the changing tides of our thoughts, feelings, sensations, and circumstances.
• by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst’s Founder • The experience of Cosmic consciousness is ecstasy beyond description, far beyond the self-conscious mind and its perimeters of existence. It is That which innumerable writers and poets have tried to put into words: Gautama the Buddha in the sutras; Jesus in the parables; Shakespeare in the sonnets.
Following this ecstatic state comes the illumination of the intellect, again quite impossible to describe. In that great flash of light, all is known—or should we say, all is comprehended. The very essence of life force, the Breath of Life which created all images, is now dwelling completely exposed within and around you. This penetrating force shatters all your previous concepts concerning God, the visible and invisible universe, and Life itself.
You no longer see planets, suns, and galaxies as inert, lifeless matter. All images become alive, and are pulsating with the rhythm of eternal energy combinations. In an instant, you learn more than many existences could ever contribute.
The infinite floodgate is breached, and that flood never ceases in this life or hereafter. Above and beyond this, God, I Am That I Am, is experienced as ever new and expanding joy, love and bliss which rests on the surface of eternal peace. The experience reveals that the very essence of the creation is Love!
For lack and want of words, how can I express this divine state, this pearl of great price? You, dear reader, can only know this through your own experience of it.
•by Sean Fennell•We give ourselves over to the influence of the breathing Earth. Sleep, the shadow of the Earth, seeps into our skin, spreading throughout our limbs, dissolving our individual will into the thousand and one selves that compose it—cells, tissues and organs taking their prime directives from gravity and the wind, as residual bits of sunlight caught in the long tangle of nerves, wanders through the drifting landscape of our Earth-borne bodies, like deer moving across the forested valleys.
Where Spirit, nature and humans meet in oneness—in activity, as well as non-activity—I find my center. Permaculture is not just about growing gardens; it’s about growing infinite possibilities. It’s the marriage of the spiritual with the natural and social, and therefore, one of the highest expressions of co-creating with Spirit.
Everything belongs to Spirit; it’s designed, created, operated and maintained by Spirit. We humans are merely caretakers of this divine creation. As such, we are obligated to share all Spirit’s gifts fairly with others.
The basic principles of permaculture are Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share. It’s at the intersection where these three practices converge that infinite possibilities exist. In meditation we strive to commune with Spirit inwardly; in permaculture we strive to connect with Spirit outwardly.
Acknowledging this fact, I’m faced with the questions: “What does permaculture look like at Sunburst?” and “What infinite possibilities can I co-create with Spirit moving forward—not only for the immediate future, but for generations to come?
We sleep, allowing gravity to hold us, allowing Earth, our larger body, to recalibrate our neurons, composting the keen encounters of our waking hours (the tensions, joys and terrors of our individual days), stirring them back as dreams into the sleeping substance of our muscles.
As we move forward, the future of Sunburst looks brighter than ever, for what can be greater than honoring our Divine Mother and Father, by loving and caretaking Mother Earth and all her creatures, utilizing her natural resources with utmost respect and care, loving others as we do ourselves, sharing the fruits of our labor and our God-given talents with passion and commitment?
In the vast, endless sea of eternity, My body, mind and spirit with Thee,
In truth I strive to be the best I can be, Better than none, but simply all I can be. In silence amidst the inner worlds I dance, Feeling Thy presence. Oh the Divine Romance! How can I contain this gift from Thee, How can I let it flow unceasingly? Awakening gladly to the Sun-kissed day, Knowing love cannot be held, simply shared, Given to Nature and to all brothers, sisters dear. This gift, my offering, I humbly bear.
•by Dawn King•Much as things may seem to be unchanging when we want them to change in some way (an illness, our paycheck, a government), Life is Change. We need to appreciate those things we count on each day. Take time to think about what those things are and be grateful for them. They may be gone tomorrow!
I’m stopping now to acknowledge those anchors in my life: my husband, my spiritual community, the wonderful area in which I live. No matter how much I may think of myself as a “loaner”, each of us needs our community, our “tribe,” because thetribal survival instinct is built into our DNA. If you haven’t done so already, find your tribe! Any group will do if it gathers due to a common interest that you enjoy pursuing. But it should be a physical face-to-face gathering to truly meet your need for tribe; i.e. not one on social media or Zoom.
We’re living in a time of amazingly rapid changes in technology and consciousness. As someone with many decades to reflect upon, I’ve experienced a much simpler life (the 60s and earlier), moving at a much slower pace. It was wonderful! We could actually digest the experiences of each day, instead of reeling from the dizzying barrage of stimulus that assaults us from every direction today.
How can we find our center in this busy world today? In perfect harmony with Paramahansa Yogananda and Sunburst’s teachings, Omar Itani reminds us of the ancient Japanese Wabi-Sabi philosophy:
“Wabi is about recognizing beauty in humble simplicity. It invites us to open our heart and detach from the vanity of materialism so we can experience spiritual richness instead. Sabi is concerned with the passage of time, the way all things grow, age, and decay, and how it manifests itself beautifully in objects. It suggests that beauty is hidden beneath the surface of what we actually see, even in what we initially perceive as broken. Together, these two concepts create an overarching philosophy for approaching life: Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, transient stages of life.
Strive not for perfection, but for excellence instead. In other words, simply do your best to be the best that you can be.
All things in life, including you, are in an imperfect state of flux. Change is the only constant. Everything is transient and nothing is ever complete. And that’s why perfection doesn’t exist.
Slow down and simplify your life. Otherwise, you’ll rush through it, arrive at the end and wonder, ‘What was the point?’ Slowing down is what helps you become a more observant person. Which then helps you become more self-aware.…Immerse yourself into the fabric of this universe and appreciate it for what it is: The joy of watering your flowers in the morning, the joy of watching a sunset, etc.
So what’s the problem with chasing success? First, it will always evade you. And second, it’s virtually impossible to be happy all the time. The root of all unhappiness is born from being discontent with where you are and what you have. It really is as simple as that. To be content with what you have and where you are is to be grateful. To be content with what you have and where you are, while working toward what you want, and fully trusting that you can achieve it, is to be intentional. And through gratitude, intention, and action, you find happiness.
But at its core, wabi-sabi reminds you that life is fragile and temporary, it is as impermanent as anything else in nature, so why not give yourself permission to be just that, yourself?”
You may want to read the whole article; it’s found at: https://www.omaritani.com/blog/
by Sharon Ray •Often great patience and perseverance is required on our journey toward God-realization. We are wanting to experience the Divine in a way that can be felt and remembered. Our Creator is our greatest example of patience! Desiring us to enjoy an expanded state of consciousness, the Divine yet waits…lifetimes for us to turn our hearts homeward to embrace Divine consciousness.
The Lord is a great fisherman! We are on God’s line, but she does not yank us in. The Beloved of Patience lets us run the line way out into the ocean! We swim out there and get our hearts broken making all kinds of mistakes we don’t know how to get out of. Then, the Lord of Love begins to slowly reel us in, and how willingly we come back! Given the example of God’s patience with us, we become inspired to be patient with others, as well as ourselves.
The great good news is that Spirit can be experienced right now as the consciousness that enlivens us. Our Creator is the inner silent witness to all that takes place. This is the open awareness in us that has always been there and has never changed: “Permanent, unmoving, the everlasting Seer of All,” is how Yogananda described it.
The Divine is the part of us that is conscious even when we’re not thinking. This awareness has been always with us, is with us now, and will always be with us. The silent witness in us is our direct and immediate communion with God. When we are silent and awake, we are one with the Divine consciousness that lives in us and is always connected to the vast great central Sun of I Am That I Am. The Beloved is not far away somewhere else, but closer than our minds—a more real part of us than our breath.
Let’s close our eyes and pay attention to that breath. Can you feel the witness who is paying attention to this moment? God is our conscious awareness that witnesses everything. Breathing, we invite the Light of I Am That I Am to fully illuminate our minds, our hearts, and every bit of our being.
