(Omar Itani image) Story by Dawn King•Last week, as I entered Sunburst Founder, Norman Paulsen’s words as the blog text (Feb. 15, 2023), this sentence really struck me: “Cultivate your imagination, for herein lies the power of the master builder, the master scientist, the master physician, the master of the cosmic forces.”
Perhaps imagination is what sets us apart from animals. We can be motivated by something beyond the necessities of instinct and survival. We can dream and imagine, then manifest our dreams.
It was my dream to bring art classes to Sunburst sanctuary. And it is happening this year, with a unique kind of creative activity each month. We are each here to engage in Life, to dream, desire, and act in a way that uplifts everyone, and is in harmony with Nature. You too can dream, and desire to fulfill your dream.
Meditate and find your soul inspired dream. Norm’s words again: “True direction does not arise from the emotions, or from a confused mental condition. Be still and meditate a moment; listen to the space between your thoughts and you will receive the right direction.”
You can create your own process, or follow the steps below to go forward.
1. Use your imagination to trust (have faith) that the creative Spirit is within you. Invite that creative Spirit to create through you.
2. Imagine what your highest self wants to create through your mind and hands; let charity, goodwill and empathy (compassion) lead you.
3. Imagine a plan of baby steps that will help you make progress, and commit to taking these steps; i.e. express loyalty to your higher Self.
4. Imagine using your willpower and courage, then actually take a step forward toward your goal.
5. Imagine enjoying the journey, while you practice patience. Acts done as service to Spirit (and Spirit in others) bring us joy.
6. See yourself as determined to take any and all steps needed, since everything worthwhile requires perseverance.
7. Continue to embrace the inner and outer work of God-realization: service and meditation. This is temperance: refraining from harmful extremes, or being wasteful. Life is like one artist described painting: “It’s a series of making corrections.”
8. Remember that truly, God is the only doer. You are co-creating with the Divine, who gives you life and breath. (Be humble.)
9. Imagine the joy of personal growth, and connection to Spirit you will feel upon accomplishing what you dreamed of doing.
Following our dreams creates character in us. We have to be courageous to start, and to follow through to the end. We must use mindfulness and self-control, which Paramahansa Yogananda called “the key to a happy life.” He also advised us to “Never count your faults. Just think whether you love God enough.” And, “Be calmly active and actively calm.”
Pablo Picasso is quoted as saying “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
by Norman Paulsen • Sunburst Founder • The whole creation is divine imagination made visible by thought, will and life. Each of Spirit’s children is a designer, equipped by the Holy One with the gift of imagination. By using this gift, we create images in the field of power around us, the field of life force that fills eternity.
When we cast these images, like seeds, into the field of power, they take root and appear in time. This is the sowing and the reaping. Thus, whatsoever we sow, be it good or evil, becomes visible to us in the future. As we think and desire, and desire and think, the future is written and the past is erased. The images we put forth in thought draw us in their direction like iron filings to a magnet, like a moth to the flame.
By seeding images of love for one another and of desire to know the Truth, we will come to that place on the path where the Light and Presence we seek is within arm’s reach. On that day the ego is put to the test. Is it willing to give up all it has gained and enter the place of which it knows nothing? Could this be the ego’s annihilation?
On that day, if you are able to give an answer that is unselfish and full of service, faith, and love, then that Light will burst forth in you, and you will know immortality. You will know the true reality, the infinite Holy One on his own threshold, the sea of eternity. You will merge with ever-new love, not a love that reaches a pinnacle and descends, but is forever reaching new pinnacles. Thus man and woman ascend, and put on their true spiritual selves.
Once doing this, the false self, the ego, has lost its argument. You will become a divinely conscious being, actively reflecting your true home. When you gather together with others who have reached this state, consider the power. This is what Jesus wanted to see, for surely mountains will move; but more than mountains, souls can be led to the Light.
Meditate upon the path. Test the field of power. Cultivate your imagination, for herein lies the power of the master builder, the master scientist, the master physician, the master of the cosmic forces.
As the whole creation has come forth from the Divine, it is a perfect poem by a perfect author. We each have to become perfect authors, putting forth images with thought that will create a perfect poem of beauty and goodness.
As you gain mastery of your own life, you, the infinite soul, the son or daughter of God, will have all the forces of creation behind you. You can use this divine force to help, to heal, to console. You can put it all in your heart and experience ecstasy. As long as you use this force for good, you will be happy.
by Valerie King•Dear Lovers of God, don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up! Sometimes life and meditation can be difficult, but just when the going is toughest, that’s often when you are making the most progress. God only looks upon your efforts, not your ideas of success or failure. Your loving Divine Parents appreciate your efforts to do good, and to commune with them, and will reward your desire if you persevere.
This lesson was brought home to me one evening when I was exhausted from a very stressful day at work. As I sat to meditate, my thoughts were scattered and unruly. My concentration was really bad. Sitting in my kitchen later, I held my head in my hands and cried out to Spirit, “I am so sorry. I feel like a failure tonight.”
Immediately, the beautiful inner-dimensional tunnel began to appear before my inner vision, clearer and more intense than i’d ever seen it. Pulses and waves of radiant, sparkling greens, golds, blues and purples were moving ever inward to the center. Scintillating white particles, wondrously alive and conscious, danced and flashed before me, moving in a joyous spiral toward the light beyond the tunnel. Then a radiant white Being of light appeared in the center of my vision. I smiled through grateful tears, “My beloved is here!”
“Oh my Friend, you are the One who knows all about my struggles and my efforts on the path, my failures and my successes. Thank you for reminding me that you are always here, always watching over me, supporting me with your divine love, whether I see you or feel you, or not. I know that even when I think I’m doing the worst, my journey still goes on, as long as I love you. And I will never stop loving you!”
Every time we turn to that inner center,
we are recognizing that we, of our own self, can do nothing;
we are seeking the kingdom within. This is true humility, true prayer.
It is acknowledging that wisdom, power, and strength come from the Infinite Invisible.
These periods of silence create an atmosphere of Spirit in which the activity of Spirit,
without our knowing it or having any awareness of it, goes before us to make the desert blossom as the rose. – Joel Goldsmith
•by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder•Many people who have had near-death experiences have miraculously returned, describing seeing their physical forms on a hospital operating table or in a serious accident situation. At the same time, they describe seeing a tunnel of light of sufficient diameter for them to enter. Predominantly, these souls have also seen a light way off in the distance, seemingly at the end of the tunnel. This light is approaching them offering love, compassion, understanding and hope, and enjoining them to come to it.
They go on to describe a personal, one-on-one relationship with this Being of Light. It may appear as a spherical, brilliant orb of light, or in a human-like form. It has the ability to communicate with the individual. They seemingly hear a voice coming toward them through this tunnel. Many have been given the choice of going with the light at that very instant, or of remaining in their earthly environment to go on with the perfection of their lives.
Those who have been blessed with this experience have returned profoundly changed. They have had a taste of immortality. They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is alive, that God is personal. They know that beyond this physical form, life goes on in a continuum, and it goes on dramatically and wonderfully!
Incredibly, this experience can be gained in full health, without the necessity of going through a terrible accident or illness. By attempting to live a balanced life of virtue and service, as well as devotion and love for God, we can set the stage for the day of illumination to come. On this day, all our efforts bear fruit. We now stand in the full light of God’s brilliance and unconditional love.
“…Having been in the presence of a Being who knows everything about you, to know he totally accepts you and totally loves you, I never wanted to leave this Being again…” – Dr. George Ritchie, M.D., describing his near-death experience
& the Power of Visualization and Prayer • All of California was in such a bad drought, reservoirs and creeks near empty, and just about everyone was visualizing and hoping for rain,… and rain we got all at once!!!
“Why?” we might ask, “Why do these things happen?” We could certainly be asking this about the flood that gushed through so many parts of California, including Sunburst’s sanctuary on January 9th. The property received over 10 inches of rain in less than 24 hours—this after waves of previous rainy days had saturated the ground. The hills funneled their moisture into the valley, which long ago had been a river valley. The little creek that now gushed with water and damming debris quickly overflowed its banks. Water found its way to any area downstream, and at lower elevation. Never mind that this was a parking lot and garden. The water swept into, onto, and through it all, including parts of our lodge building.
We had prepared for this event, not knowing what the magnitude would be. A team had come together to put the area around the event center in order, clearing leaves and branches, and putting out sandbags. This kind of teamwork is a hallmark of Sunburst, the can-do spirit upon which the community was built and has persevered through adversities for over 50 years. People coming together for a positive common cause is a beautiful thing. All spirits are lifted, and the benefic grace of the Universe is magnetically drawn to assist.
Communications were heightened after our preparations. A text message read: “A big ‘Thank You!’ to the volunteers that came out to Sunburst to help with preparations for this weekend’s coming rain. (left to right Paul, Robert, Mark, Judi, Justin Lela, April, Curtis, and not shown: Chad). Such a blessing! With much gratitude!”
Another responded: “It feels really good to see everyone stepping up, working together joyfully for common goals and being their best; that’s what I call practicing what we preach!”
But, the storm came full bore. Now a new wave of “Spirit in Action” has been cleaning up. The glue of Sunburst is our common desire to do good in the world, which includes Self-realization (realization of our highest Self). With our attitude of gratitude, we appreciate the end of an extreme drought, and face the day with the tasks it requires of us. Together we are stronger. We are incredibly grateful for this land Spirit blessed us with, and for receiving the strength, quick response and backing from all who help maintain it, for the benefit of all beings.
•by Trish Dunham•Today (January 5) is the anniversary of our teacher Paramahansa Yogananda’s birthday. Sunburst recognizes the virtue of Temperance in association with the current zodiacal month of Capricorn. Temperance can mean many things, from living a moderate and healthful life to maintaining order in your environment. It can also mean creating good habits, including perceiving the people and scenes you witness in a positive light, and acting in accordance with those positive perceptions. Mostly, we associate temperance with the avoidance of overindulgence.
In terms of tempering a sword or knife, metal is repeatedly heated to red-hot temperatures, pounded, then plunged into very cold water. Somehow this strengthens (tempers) the blade. The virtue of temperance is like that; we all learn from our mistakes. Seared by the fires of error, when we plunge into the waters of meditation, the cooling relief of divine love gradually strengthens our better impulses, our good habits.
Paramahansa Yogananda, in his Bhagavad Gita, compares the life of every human being to the battlefield in this story. Arjuna (a great warrior) with the help of Krishna (greater awareness, or Christ consciousness) was required to slay the armies of his own cousins and lifelong friends. On one side of this battlefield were a hundred cousins with all their friends and supporters, representing the habits and ingrained impulses toward selfish, materialistic desires. On the other side were twelve or so faculties of true discrimination plus their friends, all that lead to soul happiness. This is the daily battle we each face within.
Yogananda goes on to say that we are simply a collection of habits. Isn’t it wise, in that case, to work hard on improving them every day? We show progress by beginning to slay the enemies of laziness, disorder, etc. These habits cry out and redouble their efforts to resume their former life of relative ease and comfort. This could discourage us, but it’s a time for greater faith, a time to remember spiritual blessings, and to fight on with all your might, aided by General Good Habits!
Sunburst teachings are really very simple: daily meditation (morning and evening), and trying to live a life of virtue. The devotee is not asked to give up simple pleasures such as a movie now and then, or to whip him/herself with self-scorn if she fails in any way. As we each strive on, united in our efforts, no matter how far we are separated geographically, our efforts raise the consciousness of everyone on planet Earth who cares to receive.
