by Sibylle Custer • When we sit together to sing to God and to meditate at Sunburst Sanctuary, something very special is going on. We disengage ourselves from the world we live in. Our daily jobs fall behind us; our relationships fall away—they are not that important now. The skills that we have learned or that we were born with are not important, they are not with us right now. Our personality falls away, too. If we are assertive or gentle, have a short fuse or can endure a lot, it doesn’t matter at all. What is left of us, when we let go of this ego? Who are we, if none of that counts?
If we put our fingers on the pulse of our wrist, we feel something moving in there. It is life energy inside of us, life that we have not created, life that we receive. This doesn’t come from anything that we are doing. While we are living our daily lives, we are sustained by divine energy every day, and in this very moment. We are created beings. We would not exist if it was withdrawn. None of us!
Meditation is making the effort to get in contact with our Creator, to reach out to the energy that feeds us, that is our true being. There is a way to see God right now, right here, and we have the chance to make that contact. We are thankful, created beings that want to get in touch with our Creator. We are thankful we know how to do it. It doesn’t matter how much we have meditated before. It doesn’t matter if we are new at trying to do it or we have practiced a long time. Here and now is our unique effort, our unique chance.
Dearest Spirit, help us to be still. Give us ears to hear you now. Give us eyes to perceive you. Give us abundant love that we let flow back to you. Amen
photo and text by Dawn King • A recent note from my friend Dori asked:“Do you know about the Wesak? It is on May 26 this year… a major celebration of the Buddha’s birthday and occurs on the May full Moon. It is believed that the Buddha energy and Christ energy converge during the full Moon. One ritual is to put out water in a crystal container to capture this energy. Then sip on it throughout the year.”
Thank you, Dori! 2021’s Wesak full Moon is especially powerful because it’s particularly close to the Earth (a Super Moon). Earth’s shadow will cause a total eclipse of the full Moon. The Moon will appear red in color for about 14 minutes. It can be viewed in the western US, western South America and in South-East Asia. The maximum eclipse will be visible at 4:18 on the west coast of the U.S.
Physically, for planet Earth it may be the trigger for a near-future seismic event, and/or flooding, maybe a tsunami. Since a full view of the eclipse is centered over the Pacific Ocean, that is where such events may occur.
Physically, for our bodies we may experience surges of energy, which could cause us to feel anxious. Pay attention to the body’s needs in regard to diet, exercise, rest, and meditation. Walking a labyrinth (like that at Sunburst) can help bring us into harmony with the Universe.
Mentally, we need to be alert today, as always, for whatever message the Universe is conveying to us. Here’s an example of how the Universe gave me a helpful message:
For weeks I’d been trying to complete the online application for a renewal of my driver’s license, and finally, simply to get an appointment and take the required written test. After filling out all the forms numerous times on my computer, but never getting the needed confirmation of completion, I prayed about it one night before going to sleep. Prompted by a dream just before waking in the morning, I decided to simply “Show up!”…that morning, as instructed in the dream.
I joined the beginning of the day’s long line at my local DMV office. After a couple of minutes, I noticed the person ahead of me had on a sweatshirt with “Victory” printed on the back of it—a good sign! When I was finally admitted, the clerk asked, “Did you study the handbook?”
“Yes,” I answered honestly.
“We’re waiving written tests today,” she smiled. Finally, I was out the door; this ordeal was over, thanks to following the Universe’s promptings.
Emotionally, the full Moon is associated with amplified emotions. However, being the Wesak full Moon it could trigger emotions of a more spiritual nature. We all long for wholeness, or feeling complete. This may be experienced as loneliness. Only a connection with our true nature, a soul connection, will satisfy this longing. Getting in touch with one’s pure Self, one’s inmost heart, can make a world of difference. Meditation can lead us forward in this effort.
Spiritually, we can be hopeful that a real breakthrough is possible around this time. Some have likened this May 26th, 2021 to a time of “psychic reset,” like rebooting a computer. I certainly hope that’s the case. We each could use a reset in our understanding of life, in our ability to see through the eyes of Spirit…through God’s loving eyes.
“…Beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil. Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in the mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror.” – Kahlil Gibran
Light On Sunburst Sanctuary•Spring Opening Event Text and Photos by Letha Kiddie•On May 15th, Sunburst Sanctuary reopened for its first event since the Covid pandemic began. A small group of hikers gathered at the medicine wheel for an inspiring introduction to the intricacies of the circle and the cross symbol, which is a part of the Sunburst mandala. Elena took us on a journey through each of the four segments, symbolizing the four directions, seasons, races, elements, and stages of life on Earth. Afterward an offering was made and intentions were set for the hike through Mother Earth’s springtime beauty. Craig led us on a pristine trail to a hidden meadow where we gathered for lunch under a beautiful grove of oak trees. The hike ended at the Hopi labyrinth with an explanation of its history and meaning, as well as personal time to reflect while tracing its path. Gathering together with kindred souls brought joy to everyone who participated and the Earth rejoiced to have people enjoying her springtime wonders.
“All things have God within them. Our job as humans is to make conscious contact with God within all of creation.” – Dorothy Maclean, Findhorn Community
by Michele Pike• There are many ways in which those at Sunburst Sanctuary strive toward sustainability. Organically growing fruits and vegetables is just one of those. We also applaud and support the teachings of permaculture. Earth friendly building techniques have been applied where and when possible. Using power, transportation, and other modes of operating that are more sustainable is always our goal. Although there is plenty of room to include more sustainable practices in our lives, we feel it is crucial to try, to start somewhere and move in the direction of our goals.
At the heart of all these practices of sustainability is the principle of Ahimsa, nonviolence. No relationship can be sustained if violence is present within it. Our relationship with Mother Earth is no different. In order that we may continue to survive and thrive here, we are each responsible for making decisions, taking actions, and having a conscious mindset to live lightly on the Earth.
As we each grow toward revealing the Divine within us, we do so in fits and starts. We take baby steps, moving incrementally closer to our goal of living on the Earth as completely illumined beings. Along the way, we endeavor to practice nonviolence, compassion and love for one another and our precious Earth.
“When we include God in the things we do, the things we enjoy, our work and our play, God loves to be with us. This is what the whole creation is about. Our Divine Mother-Father wants to be conscious in all of us on this Earth.
“We were placed here to include God in everything we do virtuously, for the benefit of all beings. We were born to be the caretakers of the Earth with God, looking after all of Divine Mother’s life-forms.”– Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder
“Karma” and “Dharma” are major concepts we need to understand more fully while we engage in the conscious pursuit of becoming better citizens of the universe. In his current May-June newsletter, Vedic Astrologer Ron Berger wrote:
The word ‘Karma’ is popularly understood as the Law of Cause and Effect, or: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” From that point, it gets more complicated, with many different types of karmas arising from a myriad of actions, creating an intricate web of consequences which ensnare the soul in innumerable lifetimes. Some of these karmas will have pleasant outcomes; others not so pleasant.
Some of these karmas are unavoidable, known as ‘Dridha’ karmas. Due to the intensity of whatever past action caused them, these karmas manifest in this lifetime as lessons and circumstances that give no choice. Other karmas are ‘lighter,’ i.e., they are more negotiable; there’s more ‘wiggle room’ and therefore more choice. These are termed ‘Adridha’ karmas.
The word ‘Dharma’ has a bunch of meanings ascribed to it in modern times. It’s original meaning was ‘Duty’, a concept that was much prized in a traditional culture like ancient India, where ‘Doing what you were born to do” was considered the best way to lead your life. We can reduce this down to the concept of ‘Life Path,’ i.e., your overall purpose, or if you prefer, “The Soul’s Purpose.” The basic idea is that Dharma is something more high-minded, more intentional, compared to Karma, which seems more fated. Dharma is associated with righteousness, and often gets lumped in with Religion.
In a larger sense, Dharma is The Law, or more accurately the Laws, that govern human existence. By acknowledging and willfully participating in the natural laws that underlie our lives, we can consciously fulfill our Karma, our inherited fate. And herein lies the connection between Karma and Dharma: the conscious practice of dharma becomes the remedy for karma. We don’t have any way to reach back into our past actions and change what we did that produced our present circumstances. The unseen past and its consequences appear to manifest as our own personal uncontrollable chaos. But with the Dharma we can, theoretically at least, purposefully align ourselves with the Universal Forces, and through Righteous Actions, start to rectify the accumulated karmas that restrict our lives.
If there have been lifetimes of disregard for The Dharma, then the person will continue to live in a personal hell, until things get difficult enough that they “see the light” and turn to God. In this way, difficult karma can be a blessing, since it will (eventually) put a person on the path of righteousness.
Another important idea is that your vocation is your dharma. The word ‘vocation’ is being broadly interpreted here; in today’s world it is used to describe your professional activities. But your Dharmic Vocation would be more than just that. Broadly speaking, it’s simply what you do out in the world. To do what you do in the world as a manifestation of dharma means that your personal actions are in alignment with the Universal Order. How you ‘serve’ is central to the idea of living a life grounded in The Dharma. Generosity and Charity are another major expression of Righteousness, and therefore, the Dharma.
We each must chooses a diet that they feel best supports their vitality and health: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Needs vary from person to person and also can change from time to time for each individual. The most important thing is to notice the effect of what we choose to consume, asking, “Is this bringing me closer to, or farther away from, my goals?”
On the journey of Self-realization, we are aspiring to refine our consciousness, letting go of lower, denser energies, and reaching for more purified awareness. For this reason, on the spiritual path we choose to refrain from the use of tobacco, alcohol, non-prescription drugs, or other intoxicants.
“The ancient adepts all said that right nourishment comes from your own planting, if it’s possible for you—the placing of seeds in the soil of Mother Earth with your own hands, then the watering with love and the harvesting. There is nothing better than your own blessing of energy on the food that you have grown or prepared, or any food that you are about to eat.
“Realize that God is building the vessel of you that will contain him. Nourish your body, mind, and spirit so that you will have the life force to do the work you came here to do.”– Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder
