On my friend Valerie’s birthday, we honored her at breakfast. Val said that one of her goals this year is to have “FUN!” and she inspired us all to “enlighten up!” lol!
When I hear the word “fun,” I think “recreation” which is a rung on the ladder of Sunburst’s Eightfold Path. [Walking the Eightfold Path means to consciously and virtuously practice eight activities: meditation, conduct, study, speech, association, nourishment, work, and recreation.] It is easy for people to scold themselves if they feel they are not working hard enough, but how many of us consider FUN to be a requirement on the Path?
It is! Recreation frees our spirits and gives us joy, rendering us more receptive and closer to Spirit. So, in the interest of having my required weekly dose of recreation—which needs no sugar to get down—I went with my friend, Sandy Anderson, to the Elwood Butterfly Reserve.
Sandy and I walked along a trail so shaded by eucalyptus trees that, even in extreme drought, there was actually green stuff growing on the ground: nasturtium, sour grass with yellow flowers, and good old lush green grass almost a foot high. This spring greenness was so refreshing to see, my eyes just drank in the color as butterflies sailed by, some at eye level. We saw many flying high up near the tops of the eucalyptus trees.
Wandering deeper along the narrow trail, we suddenly noticed a beautiful, large Monarch flailing about in the grass. We thought how curious this was and drew nearer to get a better look. This lovely creature was in distress because a dry leaf, perhaps with some sap on it, had gotten quite stuck onto one of her legs. She was desperately trying to free herself of it, to no avail.I carefully reached out my hands and plucked the leaf from her leg, then raised her up out of the grasses. She was now free, and sailed away. I swear I could hear the echo of her calling back “Thank you!” as she registered her new lease on life.
I’ve been thinking about it…what would have been the fate of this magnificent creature if Sandy and I hadn’t passed by at the exact moment of her need? Or what if we had walked by, but not to have comprehended, saying, “Hey, look, there’s a butterfly down in the grass. That’s weird. By the way, did you see the Olympic ice skating finals last week?” Or “Oh, there’s a butterfly in distress in the grass. Too bad. Man, I’m hungry. Where do you want to eat?” But Sandy and I responded with open hearts, and that is precisely why we were appointed to be there at that exact moment.
Sandy and Sharon having fun!
This is the month of the year, in which Sunburst focuses on the virtue of faith. I think to myself, “If the Divine arranges a rescue for a butterfly, how likely is it that a rescue will take place for humans in their time of distress!” My experience with the beautiful butterfly really strengthened my faith. The Mother of all mothers, Mother Divine is always here, ready to help us, support us, counsel us, and send us the help we need. If I am ever a candidate for a 911 rescue, I’ll expect something like a giant Monarch to come and carry me safely home! Thank you God, for being our Best Friend!
“You, O Lord, are served when chaos blends into a great ocean and becomes food for the life that swims there…” These are the words from the Daily Prayer of the Bodhisattva that keep coming to mind as love blooms in this drought. I have noticed that where there is no need, there is no room for a miracle; and where there is need for a miracle, there is also the opportunity to love.
The birds in my backyard must think it quite the miracle that this little woman, having seen their drought-driven hunger, comes out of her cottage every morning and gives them beaucoup seeds to eat. Not only this, but she gives them fresh water to drink and for those who are of a more yogic nature, they can bathe in the chill birdbath. Feeding the wee ones is such a delight, and I feel like Snow White when they don’t fly away at my approach and I can sing to them and encourage them to eat before the red-winged black birds arrive.
Even the red-winged ones are growing through this drought experience. I only had to police them for two mornings as a result of their bad manners. They were kicking out all the sparrows and taking over the banquet table for themselves. After two days of not allowing them to land, they have transformed. Now they come and say things like, “Excuse me,” and “I’m sorry – am I in your way?” They wear napkins and ask, “Could you please pass the salt?” So, everyone is eating in harmony, sharing. After all, it is the month of charity! (Sunburst’s teachings incorporate practicing twelve virtues, and the astrological month of Aquarius focuses on the virtue of charity. Learn more here.)
After many prayers for rain, I have taken instead to thanking God for the rains that I deeply trust He is going to send, saturating the earth with the wetness that saves life and renews it. This attitude of gratitude makes me hopeful and happy. It’s my new droughtitude.
Today our first rain shower has come. What a grace upon the land. I offered to walk my friend Patty to her car under the protection of my umbrella, but she wanted the rain to fall upon her. Yes, we are all rejoicing along with the deer, the cows, the crickets and the frogs who are singing with us:
On the 21st of December we celebrated the winter solstice; the day of least sunlight had arrived. From that point forward day length has been increasing by about one minute each day, and will continue to increase until the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Winter solstice is a joy because light is on the increase!
We had a bonfire before dawn, by the labyrinth—the NEW labyrinth. As the sun rose over the eastern hills, Craig and John Henry set a marker where the tall, winter solstice stone was to stand. Later a huge stone pillar replaced the marker, completing the new labyrinth. Every winter solstice the sun will rise exactly over that tall stone—we have marked the spot!
When I saw the smooth-looking, crushed granite pathways of the new labyrinth, I wanted to take off my boots and socks, despite the bitter cold temperature. Barefoot, I stood at the entrance and made my way in.
Immediately, I felt my feet freeze and the cold rising up painfully through my ankles and calves. I felt the tiny pieces of granite pierce the tender bottoms of my feet. I wanted to turn around and walk (preferably run) out of the labyrinth and put my socks and boots back on.
Straightaway my mind flashed back to a lesson I had previously learned regarding a doable, if hardly bearable, challenge. The lesson was: “You have started this thing; now you finish!” I perceived this predicament as a test of my will and desire for mastery over myself; “How strong is that desire?”
I walked on. Every once in awhile I’d brush off the tiny stones sticking to my feet, like pins in a pincushion. “A measure of mercy should not be considered cheating!” I told my doubtful mind. My agonizing was made bearable by my memory of Paramahansa Yogananda’s poem, “The Boatman” in which he vows:
I will come again and again!
Crossing a million crags of suffering,
With bleeding feet, I will come—
If need be, a trillion times—
As long as I know
One stray brother is left behind.
Finally reaching the center of the labyrinth I renewed my dedication to live for God alone. Miracle of miracles—on my long return walk back to the entrance, I felt no more pain!
What a powerful morning it was, preparing for the new year in a good way: a labyrinth adventure.
In Sunburst’s teachings, each month one of 12 virtues is a focus of study. It’s not that the other 11 fall away from our consciousness, they are sort of in the chorus while one steps forward to sing a solo. This month the vibration that the planet is riding through is that of Humility. I’ve thought about this virtue: What is it? How and when is it expressed?
Sometimes people TRY to be humble, saying, for example, that a great thing they did really was nothing, when they know they’ve actually done something extraordinary. “Well, I only ran 26 marathons in 26 days…anybody could do it.” That’s called “false humility.” False humility is often used in order to avoid what is (rightfully) seen as a much more perilous vice: pride.
So, how do we handle that Big Fat Ego when we actually do something great? The prideful ego says, “Oh man, I’m doing so good! I’m the best thing since the word “Namaste.” Clearly, I’m more spiritual than everyone around me. I’m probably a reincarnation of St. Bernadette, or St. Francis, or Gandhi. Am I young enough to be a reincarnation of Gandhi?” From such a high mountain, the poor ego can take a great tumble down, and may even break a leg or two, because, as we know, “Pride goes before a fall.”
What is needed for true humility is TRUE VISION: God is the Creator of all, and so, He is the originator and giver of all talents, gifts, and the ability to excel. “Did I create my ability to do well? Well, I worked really hard,” the ego defends itself. But who gives us the inspiration to want to work hard, and the will to do it? Who gave us a brain intelligent enough? God alone gets the credit for everything, as St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you had not?”
Once this truth is seen and embraced, the ego takes a huge sigh of relief. It is such a burden to carry around credit for what one is—like a backpack full of bricks. “Ahhh, this really has nothing to do with me, so I don’t have to maintain it or be afraid of losing it. Thank God!”
As with all the virtues, humility is born of Love. Love is its mother, and it cannot exist without her. Pride separates, saying, “I am better than…I am higher than….” But love ever and ever unites hearts together. It does not even consider one’s place relative to another. Love has no interest in comparing. Its natural response is to rejoice at another’s good fortune and accomplishments. Its interest is in the good of the one in front of it, saying, “I care about you. How can I help you out?”
Humility has an underlying sense that in Reality we are all one, “Ahh,” it says, “No wonder I love people so much. No wonder I want to help them. They are all part of my very own self!”
So, Humility doesn’t play a competitive game in the world. Rather, it is cooperative and universal, wanting to know, “What can I do to help uplift all people? What can I do to help heal the planet?”
Helping, healing, easing pain, understanding and compassionate, Humility is always a friend. You can find its warm and golden rays shining on and through you. I often feel such a sense of thankfulness that God is such a loving Being. It perhaps could have been a different story, but it’s not. God is love and is every virtue born of love. How lucky are we!
Oh, thank You God, for being so wonderful. This is the true Namaste.
Thanksgiving was a lot of fun for me this year, so it’s a little curious that a new question popped into my brain just as I sat down to recover from all the visiting and activity: “What is the value in doing all this?”
In truth, there is none, unless I apply love to everything I do, cook, and say. That is the only true value.
St. Paul might of said of Thanksgiving, “If I cook a perfectly delicious meal and yet have not love, I have done nothing. If I decorate the tables with flower-stuffed pumpkins that delight everyone, but I have not love, then I am nothing. If I speak to everyone in the room so that all feel acknowledged, but have not love, then I do not profit in any way.”
So, now Christmas is coming. Yogananada said that whenever we feel joy, no matter what the source of that joy is, we should cause it to expand from our hearts outwards until the joy is as big as the Universe. So, let there be joy in preparation for Christmas. Let there be love in all the shopping, the wrapping, and the giving. No “bah humbug” for me. I’m happy that the most wonderful time of the year to love is upon us!
Last Sunday, after a great service and brunch at Sunburst, I followed Sharon Ray for a tour of the farm. Arriving, it couldn’t have been a prettier day. After visiting in Sharon’s lovely little home, one that God arranged for her because of its sunrise and sunset views, we then strolled the farm. Making our way through the residential area, I could see what a wonderful space has been created in this community of neighbors.
Two miniature horses were lucky enough to get walks and brushes, wide-eyed and happy to be out of their pen. The four or five beautiful full size horses appeared a bit envious. On the stroll, those little horses kicked up enough dust to cover us from head to toe! Funny, asking them to step a little higher, they seemed to understand.
I was offered to grab several remaining acorn squash after a recent harvest. Then, arms loaded with squash, my mini-horse Sugar decided to trot. Bobbing along as fast as I could, I looked over to see Patty in her car, smiling at the sight!
It became a photographer’s dream, as golden rays streamed down upon the farm’s floral gardens, making a buttery soft illumination upon the magnificent colors. We decided to pick bouquets from the many choices of flowers in the long rows. We captured pictures of these moments, which included streaming light rays touching down on the beautiful park-like garden oasis that the farm is.
So inspired, I made the reasonable drive again from Santa Barbara the next evening to enjoy Sharon Ray’s Qigong class, with snacks, a short meditation, and a great passage from Norman’s book, Christ Consciousness. To my great surprise and great flattery, Sharon ended the evening with two quotes from my own writings.
On my friend Valerie’s birthday, we honored her at breakfast. Val said that one of her goals this year is to have “FUN!” and she inspired us all to “enlighten up!” lol!
