• by Dawn King • Each morning we face a new day with excitement or dread, or some feeling in between. Whatever our thinking and feeling, let’s check in and realize it is creating the day we will encounter. Our attitudes and thoughts effect our experiences more than we realize. They can “make or break” our happiness and enjoyment in life.
The title of this article is lyrics from a beautiful Sunburst song. Waking up with an inspired song on your mind is a great way to start the day. I know because it often happens to me. But I find life exciting and fun each day. I make a point of embracing this experience because life is NOW, and it is in my power to make the best of it, whatever it brings.
My mother told me that when she was growing up, at one point she thought life was kind of boring. We’ve all probably been there at some point, thinking it was pretty routine and less than exciting, especially when we were growing up. I certainly did.
So Mom, as a child wished for some excitement. The next thing she knew, her youngest brother fell out the upstairs window and broke his leg. To her this was a tragedy. Life became exciting, but not in a good way. She learned to be careful what she wished for, and to appreciate things being “normal.”
Normal is good in so many ways. When we keep a gratitude journal, or somehow reflect on the goodness we experience in a normal day, we realize what a blessing it is. The sun comes up. We are able to function. There are things to do; we have purpose in our day.
Ever since a bad fall and concussion experienced in June while backpacking, I am thankful that I can walk, talk, think straight, type this story, etc. Things could have been so much worse.
How often do we each come through a day physically unharmed and think nothing of it. We take it for granted that we’ll be able to function just as well tomorrow. When we age (as I am), we start to realize tomorrow may not find us functioning as perfectly as the day before. It’s best to be thankful for what you’ve got; use it and hope to improve it; and embrace the moment, the NOW. This is your life.
Yesterday I was reflecting on how we are each victims, but should not have victim mentality. Yes, we are victims of our own thoughts and attitudes. Yet, we can change them and make them serve us better. Our bodies respond to our thoughts, especially habitual ones. We should always be looking for the positive side of every situation, what benefits might be found in it.
Tonight the United States will see the longest eclipse in almost 1000 years cross its land from east to west. For over six hours the full moon will be darkened, appearing red at its fullest eclipse around 1 p.m. PST. Some people are saying it portends coming earthquakes or other natural Earth changes, maybe weather phenomena. Others say eclipses are symbolic of human transformation. Let’s celebrate spiritual transformation and the ways we can lift our own spirits. Likewise, we can celebrate whatever changes our planet Earth will bring to uplift the consciousness of humanity. Pause in the NOW, and be grateful.
“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
• a group meditation prayer, by Norman Paulsen•Almighty Spirit, your light and energy moves through our bodies and minds. Fill us abundantly with your love. Let us see you face-to-face, brilliant like the sun, shining within the upper chamber of our minds.
What a miracle it is to be alive, and to contemplate you, oh God. All that we see, all that we know, came forth from your divine presence. From the testimonies of those who have passed before us, we know that you can become visible to us. We know that we can see you, we can hear your voice, and feel your spirit hands upon our heads.
I am your child, Mother-Father Divine. I pray that I may be a light in this world for others. Open wide my heart, that I may receive your love abundantly. The world needs your light so desperately in all hearts and minds. I pray that your light and love may be spread to those who are afflicted and injured and lost in the darkness. I pray for the cessation of wars, greed and suffering. I pray that this world can again be a garden of beauty for your children to live upon, loving each other, helping each other, growing together. Oh Beloved, I pray for this, and for the future of this beautiful planet.
I believe in the immortality of my consciousness, oh God. I believe that you created each one of us, so uniquely immortal. Let us realize our eternal souls, within our hearts, that we may bathe in the light of your presence. Lead us into this realization Oh God, that we may spread it to all.
With my heart’s intent upon you, breathe the Breath of Life into my soul. Let the dove of mercy and love descend upon the crown of my head. Even as Jesus received, let us all receive the dove of your beloved presence, the breath of life, into our hearts and minds.
I know you are here. I desire to feel you beat in my heart, and breathe in my lungs. You gave me this life; you can take it away. Let me see my immortality in you, Almighty Spirit. I will meditate on you. I will coax you to reveal yourself to me. I will love you with all my heart and devotion. I desire your love and your presence, that I may be an instrument to bring peace to this world.
Your unseen hands have fashioned us, and support us, every microsecond of time. You are within us; you are around us. We observe the uniqueness of each soul. No two faces are alike—each one exhibits a different expression of you.I can perceive you, oh God. I feel you beating in every heart. I feel you desiring to give to every mind your love, your compassion, your healing.
Heal our bodies that we may walk with you in strength and purpose, not just for ourselves, but for all our brothers and sisters. May we turn the presence of our minds inward upon you, that we may see you and hear you in our meditations every day. What a wonder it is to be alive! What a wonder it is to meditate upon you, Father, Mother, while sitting upon this tiny world floating in the infinity of galaxies and stars. Yes the immensity of your creation is stretching away from us in every direction; and here we are, so miraculously alive. What a wonder it is, this life that we have!
May we enter our closet, interiorize our minds when we pray, and observe who we really are in our meditations. May we open up our hearts to receive the breath of life, that unimaginable love. May we feel the anointment on the crown of the head, like warm oil, the life and breath of God descending into us. Yes, the kingdom of heaven is within.
Almighty Spirit, we your children thank you for bringing us together on this day, in the light of your presence. Each one of us, in our own way, desires you in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls. Walk with us. Remind us that you are within us and love us dearly, each and every one.
•by Barbara McCaughey & Dawn King•Around the end of October, ancient Celts celebrated summer’s end, and the start of a new year. This time was also a window into the spirit world, a time when departed souls could visit Earth again. Afraid, some people began a practice of dressing up in scary costumes to frighten disembodied souls away. In essence, they wanted to be more scary than what they were scared of.
Trying to meet fear with more fear doesn’t work. We all have tried it. A common practice is to worry and fret, thinking that if we just try hard enough, or think hard enough, we’ll come up with a way to push away whatever fear seems to threaten us.
The only thing that really works for moving through and actually dissolving fear is cultivation of a deep and abiding relationship with the pure Spirit within us. This is what everyone wants, even though people search for it in so many different ways. We all want to feel loved, to have a sense of belonging and purpose, and a sense of peace. These naturally give us courage and help us make right choices.
I read a story about a woman who was driving her car on a back road in New York State. She wasn’t feeling very well, and was uncertain whether she should keep going or turn around. While indecision wracked her mind, she felt worse and worse.
Then in the distance she saw a billboard. She read it: “Please, God.” Then she said to herself, “Yes, yes, please, God, please, please; what shall I do?” But as she drove closer to the sign, she noticed that there was no comma after the word “please”. It actually said “Please God!”
She took a moment to calm dawn and contemplate those words. She was no longer calling on a Being who was far away, outside of herself. She realized she was the empowered doer. She continued her journey, and felt better.
When we begin to feel that joy of being one with Spirit, then we want to experience it all the time. The unconditional love and joy of Spirit can work and play in us, as much as we invite it.
So, “Please God!” What is pleasing to the divine lIfe force with us? We can be pleasing, and find more enjoyment of life by taking time to develop our love and appreciation for all we’ve been given. This we do through contemplation, and meditation, listening for that still small voice within.
We must follow our soul’s conscience; our heart knows the way. When we stick to that way, our life can gracefully unfold in an unending prayer of devotion and thankfulness. And thus we find courage, peace, joy, and the knowledge that we are supremely supported by Source, our ever-well-wisher. With spiritual courage, we discover everything we need to meet the challenges of each day.
• by Norman Paulsen • I remember the day I was told of my teacher’s passing out of the body. I rushed to Mount Washington to see him one last time. Paramahansa Yogananda had told me before he left that he would come to see me after he left his body.
Some months later I was living in Santa Barbara, wondering if he would ever come back. One Saturday I came home from work and sat down in my room to read. Suddenly, the wind came up outside my apartment, shaking the front of the building. The door blew open and Master Yogananda walked into my room. He stood before me and gave instructions as to how I should live my life.
I received the glorious message that he was immortal—that he could come back to talk to me, and that this was proof that we all have immortal souls. We can all come back to see our loved ones; our lives go on in this great immensity of God’s creation; I saw the resurrection of the man I loved.
Yogananda proved to me that through the practice of meditation and the ancient teachings, the way is open for all to come and enjoy life, with God-realization alive in our consciousness. That experience has brought me to this day and to this place, and I thank him, my teacher. I thank God for allowing me to be here with this message and this truth.
Through deep meditation and prayer, may we all seek those teachings that will guide us on our journey onward through our inner-dimensional tunnel, to the light that is right within us. Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is within you. Inner-dimensionally, it is all here. Not somewhere out in space, but so near that you can touch it, feel it, and see it in your deep meditation, if you persist. Resurrection of the soul is possible for each one of us. Love is the key that unlocks the spiritual gates.
by Paramahansa Yogananda • Resurrect your soul from all dreams of frailties. Resurrect your soul in eternal wisdom. What is the method? It includes many things: self-control, good diet, fortitude, an undaunted mental attitude, and relaxation of the consciousness from body identification by daily practice of scientific concentration and meditation principles. Refuse to be defeated. You have unlimited power; you must cultivate that power, that is all.
It is time to realize your unity with all by experiencing your oneness with God. Again and again, pray in your soul: Oh Lord, come, clear away the dust of my indifference. Flood my consciousness, Oh Infinite Christ, with thy divine consciousness!
by Dawn King • My constant prayer is to see people and things through God’s eyes. One day I walked into a room at my house and saw it for the mess that it was. Instead of ignoring it, I needed to tackle a big clean up and declutter at my house, one I’d been putting off because it was so daunting, and there were so many other fun things to do instead.
Since inertia seemed to have kept this personal project from going forward, I resolved to give it a try once again. With that in mind, I stopped and prayed for at least five minutes. I prayed for strength, and asked for a “key” to help me. Then I listened for the answer; what was the key?
After several more minutes: “Just start!” came the reply.
How many times in life do we need to make a change, but feel unprepared in some way. Or maybe we simply lack the willpower, even though we know it’s something we should do. We put it off; we ignore it; we beat ourselves up about it. Yet, no results come because we haven’t really made an effort.
It takes repeated resolve to tackle a project, especially a large one. Each day we need to remind ourselves of what we’re trying to accomplish. Maybe it’s starting a meditation practice. Maybe it’s being a more compassionate and kind person. Maybe it’s writing a thesis. Whatever it is, it can loom large in our minds and seem overwhelming, next to impossible.
Paramahansa Yogananda encourages us to take on hard tasks in order to develop our willpower. It takes many virtues to overcome our demons, whatever they may be, or to take on any seemingly big task. We need first to recognize the issue; what do you want to change or to accomplish? Sometimes making a plan is helpful. Other times we simply need to dive in. But it’s always helpful to be certain your efforts and your goals are ones that Spirit is behind. When in doubt, meditate on whether the undertaking is something you should really pursue or not.
Once a worthwhile pursuit is on your “To Do” list, be ready to stick to it until it’s accomplished, no matter how long that might take. This is perseverance. And you’ll need patience to continue on. Sometimes it takes courage to even start an endeavor. Adopting Sunburst’s 8 Paths, and 12 Virtues can be very helpful in creating a healthy life, one that is fulfilling, and shines light into this world.
“Forget the past. The vanished lives of all people are dark with many shames. Human conduct is ever unreliable until one is anchored in the Divine. Everything in the future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now.” Paramahansa Yogananda
