• by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • The Divine beloved can and does relate and communicate on an individual, personal level. The more you seek to know and love God and pray to feel that Presence, the more (s)he responds to you. God is the Presence, the pure Self within each one of us, existing separately from our self-conscious minds and thoughts. Each one of us can realize in this life that God is truly our divine companion. We must realize this and include the Creator of us all in everything we do each day. Include Mother-Father Divine in the things you do, the things you enjoy, your work, your play. They love to be with you.
This is what the whole creation is about. Our Creator wants to be conscious in us on this earth. We were not placed here just to satisfy our self-conscious desires. We were placed here to include the beloved consciously, in everything we do, for the benefit of all beings. We were born to be the caretakers of the Earth with the Creator, looking after all creatures and life-forms.
The Divine is ultimately your only true friend, and when you realize this wonderful truth, you will find him/her in others around you, waiting to do things with you. Yes, new friends are found and old ones seem changed. The Divine begins to communicate, work and play with you through all the creatures and images. Nature becomes alive with the Creator’s presence.
The greatest moment of all in our lives occurs when we truly realize God is indeed alive—yes, a living, loving being we can know and communicate with personally. We are not alone in this creation. The Divine is here with us, right now, teaching us how to walk through this life.
If love is the key to the gateway of heaven, then devotion to our Creator is the pathway beyond. Your true Beloved responds and is moved by your love and devotion. Therefore, God must be very personal in the love he/she has for you.
Poem by Persian poet Hafiz: This path to God made me such an old sweet beggar. I was starving until one night my love tricked God himself to fall into my bowl. Now Hafiz is infinitely rich.
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Stand Unshaken•Master Yogananda has told us: “You must learn to stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds.” In that spirit we carry on at Sunburst Sanctuary. In fact, we are making the best of it, letting “breaking worlds” send us deeper into oneness with Spirit. [Opening image above: Al King hiking at Sunburst Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, we’ve certainly had our share of breaking equipment this winter. But our guys, sometimes with a bit of outside help, get it up and running again.
And who could be unhappy amidst the beauty of Sunburst Sanctuary? Here are some photos taken right before and right after morning group meditation.
Then there’s the bounty of the land. We’re still enjoying persimmons and a late crop of potatoes and strawberries from some personal gardens.
Plenty of great activities keep us busy: Around the Temple, Curtis was weeding; Craig was cleaning and fixing the rain gutters.
Heiko was working the organic fertilizer spreader. Haley was turning compost rows.
[Below] Al & Anna (visiting) gathered wild mushrooms. On a recent morning after meditation, we saw the horses waiting for fresh hay. So much to see and do at Sunburst Sanctuary. You can visit, explore, retreat.
• by Dawn King • Each morning we face a new day with excitement or dread, or some feeling in between. Whatever our thinking and feeling, let’s check in and realize it is creating the day we will encounter. Our attitudes and thoughts effect our experiences more than we realize. They can “make or break” our happiness and enjoyment in life.
The title of this article is lyrics from a beautiful Sunburst song. Waking up with an inspired song on your mind is a great way to start the day. I know because it often happens to me. But I find life exciting and fun each day. I make a point of embracing this experience because life is NOW, and it is in my power to make the best of it, whatever it brings.
My mother told me that when she was growing up, at one point she thought life was kind of boring. We’ve all probably been there at some point, thinking it was pretty routine and less than exciting, especially when we were growing up. I certainly did.
So Mom, as a child wished for some excitement. The next thing she knew, her youngest brother fell out the upstairs window and broke his leg. To her this was a tragedy. Life became exciting, but not in a good way. She learned to be careful what she wished for, and to appreciate things being “normal.”
Normal is good in so many ways. When we keep a gratitude journal, or somehow reflect on the goodness we experience in a normal day, we realize what a blessing it is. The sun comes up. We are able to function. There are things to do; we have purpose in our day.
Ever since a bad fall and concussion experienced in June while backpacking, I am thankful that I can walk, talk, think straight, type this story, etc. Things could have been so much worse.
How often do we each come through a day physically unharmed and think nothing of it. We take it for granted that we’ll be able to function just as well tomorrow. When we age (as I am), we start to realize tomorrow may not find us functioning as perfectly as the day before. It’s best to be thankful for what you’ve got; use it and hope to improve it; and embrace the moment, the NOW. This is your life.
Yesterday I was reflecting on how we are each victims, but should not have victim mentality. Yes, we are victims of our own thoughts and attitudes. Yet, we can change them and make them serve us better. Our bodies respond to our thoughts, especially habitual ones. We should always be looking for the positive side of every situation, what benefits might be found in it.
Tonight the United States will see the longest eclipse in almost 1000 years cross its land from east to west. For over six hours the full moon will be darkened, appearing red at its fullest eclipse around 1 p.m. PST. Some people are saying it portends coming earthquakes or other natural Earth changes, maybe weather phenomena. Others say eclipses are symbolic of human transformation. Let’s celebrate spiritual transformation and the ways we can lift our own spirits. Likewise, we can celebrate whatever changes our planet Earth will bring to uplift the consciousness of humanity. Pause in the NOW, and be grateful.
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky,white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”–Thich Nhat Hanh
by Valerie Joy King•My husband Jonathan and I were getting ready to leave Flagstaff for the ten hour drive home. We had been visiting for a week, helping to get our natural foods store on track after its move to a new, larger location. I had really enjoyed our stay. I have always loved Flagstaff!
It is nestled against the foot of the San Francisco peaks, Arizona’s tallest mountains. The whole town is covered with ponderosa pine forests. The sky is crystal clear blue because of the high elevation. The Hopi people state that the Kachinas, guardian spirits and teachers of humankind, make their home in the sacred San Francisco mountains.
While we visited, every day would start out sunny and clear, then storm clouds would roll in amidst thunder and lightning, pour down buckets of rain, and then the sun would return again. I loved the exciting weather!
This particular morning I was sad to be leaving because during our visit I had been working at our store every day, and hadn’t a chance to walk in the pine forests and greet my friends, the trees and rocks, and wild animals. This is one of my favorite things to do.
I sat down on a curb beside our car and looked out across the valley to a rolling foothill adorned with pines. Suddenly I felt the soft yet powerful embrace of Divine Spirit spinning all around me, expanding outward, stretching to encompass my gaze. The hill now also became embraced by the spinning cocoon. I could feel all the trees, the rich, red earth, and the lichen-covered boulders, all living within me. How joyous was our communion! “Hello, dear trees,” I whispered. “Thank you foryour life in I Am That I Am.”
I noticed that everything I looked at seemed to be composed of tiny, shimmering orbs of divine life and consciousness. Even things I ordinarily consider ugly, like exhaust from a tractor, now was filled with the secret Presence.
As I breathed in and out, I felt the dancing, shimmering lights enter in and out of my body. I felt completely clean and renewed, as a favorite poem rang through my consciousness: In Joy I live. In Joy I breathe. In sacred Joy I melt. Thank you, Creator Spirit, I Am That I Am.
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.
