by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder•Beloved Mother, we dedicate each day to honoring your beautiful Earth, your garden floating in infinity. What a jewel it is! We dedicate our energy and our lives to helping preserve your earthly garden for your children, now and in the future.
It’s a blessing to be a caretaker of your Earth, so full of your Spirit. We love you Divine Father, Divine Mother! Enjoy your creation through us! Let us all become warriors of light and truth, that we may go forth in your will and your guidance to help your world and your children.
When we can perceive the center of our own consciousness, that smallest of all places within us, we can perceive God. What a wondrous thing it is that we have the ability within us to communicate with our Creator. So few really practice it! Nothing on Earth is more important. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God; …the kingdom of God is within you.”
How can we find it within us? We find it through true prayer and meditation, by opening the door at the crown of our heads and asking the Light of Christ consciousness to enter. How long has the Divine watched and waited for us to open our hearts and souls and receive this blessing!
Divine Spirit is reaching out to us every moment to give us healing. When we offer to God all those things inside us that we don’t like, that don’t reflect our true nature, we are healing ourselves. We are cleansing our light bodies—that which we really are—of debris we collect with thoughts and actions that weigh us down and make us miserable. Offer all of it up to God this moment that you may be free; that you may be that immaculate spirit, clear as crystal, shining like the sun.
In our self-conscious state of mind, we often think God is so far away, someplace other than the very life within us. We think maybe God is out there in space, or on a mountaintop. But God’s consciousness inhabits the space between each atom, between each subatomic particle in our bodies. Meditation is so important to each of us. In the silence of our beings we can find this space where God is. Just sit and be still. Pray that God will reveal himself/herself to you.
Each time that we meditate and pray, the imprint of our heart’s love leaves an eternal picture in the mind of our Creator. We are all children of our Mother-Father God. We are part of immortal life, and here in this world for such a short time. Pray to your Divine Parents that you might find out who you really are before you leave. Pray that they heal you, and enliven your heart and mind. We were each created perfect in the beginning. Let us strive to regain our perfection.
•by John Kiddie•We are each the farmer, and we are each the garden. A seed has been planted within us and is growing. it is the divine embryo, the birthplace of Christ consciousness within. The farmer takes care of his seed, protecting it from harm. He gives it the nutrients it needs, waters it, and weeds around it so that it may grow and bear fruit.
We, too, water our divine embryo with our meditations and our love. We surround it with the virtues, trying to live them as best we can every day. We try to give this embryo everything it needs in a protective environment.
There are so many things that can influence a plant as it is growing. It’s amazing the opposition that every little seed faces. That’s why our spirit-garden needs to be tended every day by meditating in the morning and evening. This way, we give our plant the best, most nurturing fertilizer there is: the footsteps of the farmer caring for and being around that embryo constantly.
As we gather and lift up our life force, born from Mother’s nature, her waters help the plant to grow. It reaches up towards Father’s energy, the sun. Mother’s and Father’s energies combine to bear fruit as we breathe, bringing light to our inner centers.
As we focus on the crown center, we open the door and invite I Am That I Am to come into us. We continue our practice, turning the wheel of meditation. The more we practice meditation and virtue, the more we are able to realize Spirit’s presence within us, now and always. Spirit is raining down all around us in our garden. If we take our raincoats off, we will become soaked with that energy.
To attend Sunburst’s next Kriya Meditation Retreat, contact the office at [email protected] or by phone at 805-736-6528.
•by Valerie King• Every soul, even such great ones as Jesus of Nazareth and Gautama the Buddha when entering into life upon this world, must work through all levels of consciousness, from simple consciousness through self-consciousness, finally to regain Christ consciousness within the new bodies in which they reside. In making this journey, these victorious souls have beaten a path for us to follow. From their stories, we can gain inspiration and hope for our own inner quest.
Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. – Hebrews 5:8
We all seem to learn the lessons of the law of cause and effect through our own suffering when we “break ourselves against the law.” We cannot break the cosmic laws; we only break ourselves when we ignore them, in our lack of understanding. The law of cause and effect teaches us that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive: physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Physically, we can give through offering our life force in service to God. Mentally, we learn to discipline our thoughts to always return to the divine truth that God is everywhere, and in every life form! Spiritually, we give by making the effort every day to contact the living light of Christ consciousness, and allowing it to grow within us, that it may eventually become fully conscious in our every moment.
Yes, the spiritual journey is indeed a battle for truth and goodness within us. Slowly, we align ourselves with the heavenly purpose, and God’s abundant life, love, and joy begin to pour into us. This makes us want to give even more. The great wheel of the law of cause and effect begins to work for us, returning joy upon joy!
In embarking upon the journey homeward, the resolve to never give up is one of the most important attributes. At times, God pulls away from us, to test our desire and persistence. Remember, during these “dry” times, that many heavenly eyes watch you, awaiting your decisions. These are the times to make great strides in your journey. Pray to divine Spirit to strengthen your love, service, and devotion. God loves to answer this prayer, if offered with all your willpower and strength.
• by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • I Am That I Am, Mother-Father, will create us anew while yet we live, if we will allow, if we will remain steadfast, and if we but seek. One is afraid to die for fear of losing the body, but one, in seeing the pure Self becomes fearless; one in dying to the ego becomes immortal. This gift is what we seek; this is the gift to be administered.
To gaze upon the past is to look upon shadows. One thinks of reincarnation; it is comforting to think that reincarnation could be possible—that if we fail miserably in this life, another chance might be given. But to seek reincarnation is to read the wrong path, for reincarnation is itself an illusion. If one can see, feel and taste immortality, one does not need reincarnation. If one dreams of other lifetimes, are we sure that they are true? Can we prove it?
Those who have seen I Am That I Am all stress the fact that here and now this very moment and this very life that you have possession of, should be deemed extraordinary. It’s extraordinary to be alive here and now in these wonderful creations we call bodies; it’s more extraordinary to hear about eternal life, and that fact that it can be attained. Therefore, each one of us has one goal before us—that being its attainment.
The earthly life is short. All that you may desire in this world, having gained it, will not fulfill you, can never fill the great emptiness that can only be occupied by I Am That I Am. Why wouldn’t you then cast aside all desires, in hopes that you might gain this great thing called by Jesus “the pearl of great price,” that which cannot be bought, sold, or controlled.
You can become deluded, and think that ll those things which were not to be had, might now be had, and in so doing stop its growth, smother it, cut off its nourishment and be swept away by thoughts seeking to posses that which they have projected in the form of desire images. Once receiving it, realize that this is your moment, and only you can bring it forth to its full height and know its full purpose, for it speaks as the Christ; it acts as He.
All of those thoughts that surround you, which daily plague you, either good or bad, are not yours unless you receive them. In your daily offering, whether you are working, sitting, eating or playing, constantly give all you are, the god and the bad, to I Am That I Am. In your truthfulness and your sacrifice, he sees you and rewards you openly. By being honest and forthright you are forgiven, you are relieved. You are lifted up. If you persist in orbiting negative thoughts, you finally find yourself whirling away from the Source. Where do you go from here? Where did you come from? I Am That I Am takes a seat in the rear. He/She is not found in front, but behind. He is not only above, but below. She walks with you wherever you go.
By Dawn King • My feet hardly seemed to touch the warm earth during my first months at Sunburst in 1972. Performing simple daily chores—from expanding gardens to cooking in the rustic kitchen—I floated over rocky hill and murmuring creek at sunny Sunburst Farm. I floated into the spiritual embrace of the divine incarnate in Norman Paulsen, whose words and deeds quickly revealed that he was qualified and worthy to be my teacher on my journey into Christ consciousness.
In wondrous delight, I opened my eyes while sitting in group meditations. Flickering light revealed a room full of divine lovers—sincere seekers of God and a God-conscious world—my spiritual brothers and sisters. Tears of joy were frequent. How blessed I felt.
Major changes have taken place in the world and life in America since 1972; no one or thing on earth remains untouched. Governments, industries and religious organizations, as well as you and me, find today’s pressures and demands pushing us to reexamine our very mode of survival.
Today, humanity is rocked by unrest, clashes, and fear. Yet, despite prophets of doom, we are each ever more blessed. The invitation and the way to make sense of life—to find inner peace, purpose, and joy—is more available to us than ever.
Fifty years have passed, yet the heavenly portal of a Sunburst meditation remains available daily. Meanwhile, its breadth has only grown—souls across the planet meditate with those at Sunburst, thanks to Zoom and their own dedication. Brother Norman outlined a clear and simple way for each of us to find inner calm and direction in this world—to embrace our own pure Self and develop a personal relationship with the Creator of all.
The portal is open to you. Special events such as Sunburst’s Kriya Meditation Retreats are a wonderful opportunity to reenergize your life with spiritual strength, direction and camaraderie. Every Sunday is a joyous celebration of our growth and unity with divine Spirit. Some individuals find a deepening renewal in personal retreats. Abundant blessings, peace, and grace are yours to embrace in our current era. Seize the Light!
For more information, or to attend Sunburst’s next Kriya Meditation Retreat, contact the office at [email protected] or by phone at 805-736-6528.
• 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!
