by Catherine Mauron•There is so much love in our hearts. We are so blessed to be here, to pray to God who is ever-present, around us and within us. The virtue Sunburst celebrates this month is Patience, the ability to wait. This is a long-forgotten gift in today’s society.
The whole of existence waits for the right moment. The trees know when it is the right time to bring the flowers and when to shed their leaves. It is for us to learn to wait, to let go and let God bring forth the fruits. We plant the seeds and then we wait. It takes time for a fruit to ripen, for a new project to manifest, for a child to grow in the womb, for an oyster to cultivate a grain of sand into a pearl.
We must learn to wait through the phases of the moon; in the time of waiting we learn skills. Before the perfect moment arises, we have to let go of our ideas and beliefs, to return to being little children. We must let go of our expectations to receive this river of life that wants to run through us. In order to cleanse ourselves, we need to let go of the old, to renew our spirits. Thus we can be happy right here, right now.
There is nothing else but Now. There is no yesterday or tomorrow, only a dream of them. We must try to awaken to every moment and see that there is so much for which to be grateful. It is best to be loving and compassionate toward each other, to see God all around us and in each other. If we can’t see God in everything, we can’t see God at all. The Light shines on everything, a beautiful pearl or an old broken car. The Light does not mind.
In Brother Norman’s book, he wrote that when Divine Mother visited him, she said she would come back in seven days. So he had to wait. Through the waiting period he learned that he could meditate during his work time. He then could meditate all of the time. This is the true meaning of Kriya action, divine action, action with love. Not only in deep meditation, but when you work, when you talk, walk, eat, and sleep. Always let the Divine move through you. Mother and Father Divine await at the door, knocking silently until we are ready to open our hearts and minds so they can come in and enjoy this world through, and with us.
In French we say, “La patience est la mére des vertus.”“Patience is the mother of all virtues.” Waiting, listening, remaining alert, there is no anxiety knowing that all is well. All is well in the greater scheme of the Universe. All is well!
By Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • Our two physical eyes can see the dual universe God has created, but they cannot see God. Meditation reverses the process, as you bring your gaze inward and to a single point. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says, “When you make the two one, you shall enter the kingdom of heaven.” In meditation, when you focus the two eyes on one point with deep concentration, you are “making the two one.“ With practice, the spiritual eye will open at that point and show you what it’s looking at! Yes, it will reveal to you the Light of God, like a living sun or star spinning in front of you.
Within our bodies, God gave us a clue for how to find our way home. When we look at our eyes in the mirror, we are looking at the outer, dual image of our inner single eye. The light that shines through our two eyes is a reflection of the divine light that shines within the single spiritual eye.
The single eye of God created our two eyes and everything that exists. It is the projector, that featureless face of God that looks like a blazing sun or star to our inner vision. Our physical sun reminds us that God is with us all the time. When we see God with the single eye of soul, we can see him the same way, as a blazing image of Light.
My teacher Yogananda once said to me, “You must penetrate the star in the spiritual eye—then you will have salvation.” How do you penetrate the star?
It has to come after you. The star shines upon you at the crown of your head. That’s as close as you are to the body of God! You’ve got to bring it in. You’ve got to open the door so it can come into you. That’s what Sunburst’s teaching is about.
We talk about the body of Christ, the real presence of I Am That I Am, the living presence of the sphere of light that travels through us. We speak of the garden universes, the parks it has created. The whole creation is full of uncountable suns, planets and life forms. I Am That I Am is in everything as particle energy, but it also travels individually as a sphere like the sun.
Yes, the source of it all is a sphere of light and consciousness, a being that can come to us personally! It can speak to us. It can take us out of our body, and show us the whole creation, all the colors, all the suns and worlds with their natural phenomena. This is a personal experience of a living being; a living presence of God that comes and talks to you. I’m talking about a sphere of light so bright, it’s above the brightness of the sun.
Develop devotion and love for God. Try to attract this Being of Light to come to you, to talk to you, to reveal Itself to you, through your offerings of service, love, and one-pointed concentration upon the Divine.
Anonymous•A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of corn chips and a some root beers and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at the pigeons gathered there.
The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him. Her smile was so intriguing that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, enjoying the moment, but they never said a word.
As late afternoon approached, the boy realized how tired he was and got up to leave. But before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?”
I had lunch with God.” But before his surprised mother could respond, he added. “You know what? She’s got the most wonderful smile!”
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of delight on her face and asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?”
She replied, “I ate corn chips in the park with God.” And before her startled son could respond, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have thepotential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally! Have lunch with God!
by Emily Wirtz •I invite you to experiment with a practice that I have found tremendously helpful.
First, in quiet meditation, with intention, direct your attention within to listen for the vibration of AUM (sometimes written “Om”), your direct link with Spirit. Take some deep relaxed breaths, helping to still the mind. Bring your focus to the constant Presence of the Divine that is with you right now.
Later, as you go about your daily activities, mentally chant AUM with all your attention whenever you think of it. For me, this seems to shift my consciousness a little each time, leaving me feeling more clarity, more like everything is okay. Let us know what this practice does for you!
All those who devote themselves to the Self within make it an object of devotion that can never perish. – Upanishads
by Dawn King•So much of our time is spent in our minds, on technology—not fully conscious of our bodies or of being on this Earth. Spring is a great time to wake up to the physical world in which we live. It will help us find the magical subtle worlds that exist in and around us.
We are complex beings. We exist on this Earth, while operating in an “Earth spacesuit”—the amazing physical body in which you or I find ourselves miraculously functioning. How little thought we usually give to it. Yet it deserves our utmost care; our survival here depends on it.
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky,white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle. – Thich Nhat Hanh
Our minds are so much more powerful than we realize. We are masters of our experience here, yet mostly unaware of this. With our thoughts we are building the world before us, and the tone of our interactions within it. Whatever we set our minds to accomplish, they can create, solve, or gain understanding of. Yet, how much effort do we put into these activities?
As many times as possible throughout your day, pause to realize the miracle of the moment. When difficulties arise, know that there’s a blessing in them somehow; nothing happens by chance! Remember to be grateful for the little joys in life, as well as the big ones. Life is ever-changing; what is here today will be different, or may be gone tomorrow.
The Founder of Sunburst, Norman Paulsen has said: “We have the ability within us to understand everything that has ever been created—to literally be one with our Creator, I Am That I Am, while here on this Earth walking in these bodies. We can destroy the worlds that have been created, or we can caretake them and beautify them. We can become the true sons and daughters of God, the caretakers of creation. That is why we have been given the tool of Kriya meditation. Through it we can re-establish our connection, our oneness with the blazing Light of the face of God at the divine center of creation. Yes, now is the time to open ourselves to receive that great Force, that Light, that Life, more abundantly. We are created in the image and likeness of this whole creation, God’s kingdom. It all exists within us. We have but to realize it. And what does it mean when we do? It doesn’t mean we’re special. It simply means we become divine caretakers of the creation. We become heirs, one with I Am That I Am, true sons and daughters caring for the creation with willing hands, accomplishing the divine will wherever we go, as best we can, every day.
