by John Kiddie•When we’re dependent upon external factors such as relationships, jobs, finances, etc. for our sense of well-being, we naturally have a strong investment in things turning out a particular way. By doing this we most likely create suffering for ourselves.
“Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” – Art Linkletter
For the person who has found an inner source of happiness through the spiritual practice of meditation, observing non-attachment becomes much easier. In fact, unfavorable circumstances can be seen as gifts in disguise, to deepen our inner experience.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
In a universe where nothing is a miracle, mistakes are possible. In this world, I am a victim of circumstances, and others are the cause of my unhappiness. This is the world of should-haves, could-haves, and why-me. Someone who views life in this way will invariably have a strong attachment to outcomes.
On the other hand, if you subscribe to the view that everything is unfolding perfectly according to a flawless divine plan, surrender and non-attachment are not so difficult to achieve. Instead of asking, “Why me?” when trouble hits, every event can be viewed as our own perfect creation, to learn and grow.
You’re ready to ask: What is the gift in this situation for me? Or, you realize since that didn’t work out, there must be an even better situation just around the corner. When we put all of our eggs in one basket as far as happiness goes, whether it be a special relationship, getting a job promotion, or our income, we are setting ourselves up for suffering.
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” – Richard Bach
Happiness is How You Arrange Your Mind • Anonymous
The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup applied (even though she is legally blind) moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets, and the blue curtains that had been hung on her window.
“I love it!” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room…just wait.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged…it’s how I arrange my mind. I’ve already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away…just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account; you withdraw from it what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filing my memory bank. I’m still depositing.”
Remember five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Grasping at Happiness is Futile • by Cain Carroll
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 corrupted 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 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.
“Normality is a paved road; it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – Vincent van Gogh
Life has certainly not felt very normal for a while. But we can still make nourishing connections for ourselves.
Often, when we’re on a spiritual path it can feel a bit isolating. I’m so grateful that I have the Sunburst Community, both near and far, to rely on for friendship, companionship, and spiritual sustenance. – Missy Collier
“The decisive question for man is: Is he related to something infinite or not? That is the telling question of his life. Only if we know that the thing which truly matters is the infinite can we avoid fixing our interests upon futilities, and upon all kinds of goals which are not of real importance. Thus we demand that the world grant us recognition for qualities which we regard as personal possessions: our talent or our beauty. The more a man lays stress on false possessions, and the less sensitivity he has for what is essential, the less satisfying is his life. He feels limited because he has limited aims, and the result is envy and jealousy. If we understand and feel that here in this life we already have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change.
…Looking outwards has got to be turned into looking into oneself. Discovering yourself provides you with all you are, were meant to be, and all you are living from and for.” – Carl Jung
Through depression and many other dark low emotions, our Light dims and our immune system declines along with it.
– Jacqueline Ripstein
by Fredd Dunham • Scientists studying the effect of the mind and body on the immune system worked with volunteers. In a controlled setting the volunteers were asked to experience an emotion. In between each of three emotion experiments, there was a period of time in which the volunteers could return to a more or less neutral state.
The volunteers were asked to recall a time and an incident in their lives and to focus on it. The first test was on one of depression. Next was one of emotional trauma, and the final one was the emotion of love. During and after each session blood was drawn and tested to measure the immune response. The results were very insightful for helping us find Spirit in our lives, as well as for dealing with these emotions in a healthy, healing manner.
When depression was visualized, immune activity dropped appreciably—the scientists graded it as a “minus.” The white blood cells were present, but seemed dormant. When emotional trauma was recalled, the immune system became significantly more active (a “plus”)—the inverse of depression. And when love was the focus, the immune system was very active and fully engaged (“triple plus”).
During thoughts of love the twenty trillion cells of our immune system get kicked into hyper drive. They really work at healing our bodies, our minds, and our emotions to help us express the divine pure Self that lives inside of us. This allows us to heal our bodies so we can be healthy, vibrant, strong, vital, and effectively living on this planet. We are enabled to serve, and to project positive healing for our planet and all of humanity.
by Dawn King•Isn’t it amazing that humans have so many different ways of calculating and celebrating new beginnings. New Year on the Islamic calendar falls on August 10th this year. Historical calculations of New Year depended on the sighting of the New Moon. Today, astronomical calculations usually determine the Islamic calendar and the setting of its holy days.
The Islamic calendar starts at sunset on the evening it commemorates Muhammad’s first exodus with his followers, i.e. the beginning of Islam. Many Islamic observances celebrate incidents in the life of Moses and the lives of others who are revered by Christians and Jews, as well. Three of the world’s major religions have the same roots.
As the leader of a new “nation” Muhammad created a constitution with laws that encouraged tolerance and compassion. For instance one law states, “And the believers shall not leave any one, hard-pressed with debts, without affording him some relief, in order that the dealings between the believers be in accordance with the principles of goodness and justice.”
As a part of Cosmic consciousness Sunburst recognizes twelve virtues, one of which is emphasized each month of the year. The virtue of Compassion is currently prominent during the astrological month of Leo (July 23 to August 22). But each virtue is complimented by virtue opposite it—in the opposite zodiac sign. For Compassion that is Charity (Aquarius); Compassion is an act of charity, giving of ourselves.
Compassion is something we feel for another, having also endured their situation, or realizing how easily we could be in their plight. “But for the grace of God, there go I.” This is a paraphrase of Paul of Tarsus (Saint Paul the Apostle) in 1 Corinthians (15: 8-10) “ But by the grace of God I am what I am…” We are reminded to be grateful for our own blessings every day.
Recently I was hiking and had a bad fall. Realizing how much worse the outcome could have been, I found myself being more grateful for those things I normally took for granted. When I walk, I say, “I am grateful that my legs and feet are working so well.” I’d badly twisted my ankle. in my meditations I say, “I am thankful for my good health and for a sound mind.” In falling, I’d hit my head resulting in a concussion that lasted for several weeks.
Compassion for others can remind us to be grateful for the things that are right in our lives. It can also move us to do something to assist those we see as being in some way less fortunate. Perhaps your compassion leads you to donate for victims of fire, flood, famine, disease, etc. Perhaps you volunteer at a local food bank or shelter of some sort.
Our children can learn compassion by observing our example. Compassion starts with empathy, or understanding another’s feelings, and may come naturally to a child. Even a 2-year-old might try to comfort another child who is crying. Four-year-olds might apologize when they hurt another’s feelings. At 5 or 6 children learn to take turns and can think of ways to help others.
We can grow in compassion and kindness, and help our children grow in that way also:
1. Imagine yourself in the other person’s position. Their facial expression might help you realize how they feel.
2. Recognize rudeness; don’t respond in kind, but realize it may be the result of some unseen situation.
3. Notice, and acknowledge it when someone is kind to you.
4. Avoid copying bad behavior you might see around you, on TV, movies, or the Internet. It’s NOT okay!
5. Name calling (even insinuation) is not acceptable; it’s hurtful.
6. Competition is usually contrary to the idea of working together, and gives us the idea that others stand in the way of our success. The only healthy competition is found in overcoming our own limitations.
Our ability to act with compassion and kindness is challenged during a lifetime of human interactions. And it’s through the school of human interactions that we have our greatest opportunity for spiritual growth. Reflection and meditation then help us gain an objective view of our interactions with others. Meditation can open us to insights into others’ motives and the past experiences which have shaped them. A gift of insight like this is truly invaluable, and humbling.
We realize that everyone is coming from different circumstances and background experiences. And each person is trying to do the best they can in the midst of life’s many challenges. Let’s each celebrate the start of a new year of more conscious Compassion.
by Sibylle Custer • Sometimes, after a fun recreation time with friends, I ask myself: “Why can I not live all my life like that?” We make a distinction between recreation and work. We attach different emotions to each of them. Recreation feels carefree, light and joyful. Work wears heavier on your mind.
Reading something that Gandhi said changed my perception, my attitude. At a time when Gandhi was at the peak of his public work for his country—working from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day—a reporter asked him: “You are such a busy man, when will you take a vacation?”
“I am always on vacation!” he responded.
His answer startled me. I had to put the book down and think about it. What if I lived my life as though I was always on an inner vacation, always recreating? I wondered: What causes the joyfulness and light-fullness of recreation?
Then I learned about people with microscopic vision, who can perceive the tiniest particles of matter. At the most infinitesimal level they find tiny dancing suns, each with threads of light swirling around its axis, threads of energy spiraling into it and around it—spinning it into existence.
All matter around us and within us, though seemingly solid and separate, consists of billions of these “sunny” particles. And we too, are kept in existence by light energy that swirls in two spirals down through the top of our heads, feeding us with life. God’s energy recreates us every microsecond. Let’s contemplate this awesome fact. Let us sit in meditation full of love and joy.
Gandhi meditated every night for three to four hours, and when the new day began he could go forth and re-create his world. We too can recreate our world, even if it’s in a smaller way. We can recreate our bodies by regular exercise for instance. We can recreate our schedules so they are less stressful. We can recreate the company we keep. Let us go forward performing all our activities with renewed and joyful life force, and a thankful heart.
