• by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • I said: Lord, speak to me of rebirth. Tell me of its meaning. What takes place within me? Why is it necessary? Where did I come from? Where shall I go? Have I always been, and shall I always be? Will you be near or far from me? At times I see you, and at times I don’t. Come closer, Lord, converse with me. Whisper to me of immortal life; I see surely that it was for all of us.
We feel your presence as the wind through a tree; softly, Lord, you’re caressing me. I believe, and I see, it’s you in all, and all in thee. One we are, and one we be, all together now eternally.
Most sweet God, let me drink from the eternal spring. Let me not wither and die. Let me feel as it was before. Mother divine, you comfort me. From your womb I came into this world to be. Mother divine, I love thee! I know you, Mother and Father, are both present now in every face. I see you now. Our toil and our tears are not in vain; you know our plight. With all my might I reach for thee, with all my will. Oh strengthen me, that I may stand forth as a son to thee a daughter there, as we used to be.
I Am That I Am, the name of the most high, Mother-Father Creator, the godhead, the two in one, made one in three. From all the rest came you and me. I Am That I Am is your shield and your strength. Call on his name. I Am That I Am are the magical words all the spirits in eternity heard. All kneel down, pause and listen; whenever I Am has come, they listen. He dwells in us; She dwells in us. The two together conceive the child, the true you, the true me, the true image. It’s immortal.
Seek it diligently. The most prized possession in all the creation, the thing most sought after by all beings is the reflected image of I Am That I Am, whose face blazes forth like the eternal Sun; his visage so brilliant, one feels consumed at a mere glance of it. Do we dare to look upon his face? we dare if we seek his place, our true home, I Am That I Am. He and She bring forth the worlds and all images; each one of us is a part of I Am That I Am.
Father, Mother, we feel your presence alighting on the crowns of our heads like the soft touch of a dove’s wing. Move into our tree of life, Mother-Father; nourish us. Lead us to our rebirth and our growth, and the vision of the eternal heavens, the abode of all your children, sons and daughters, immortal ones filled with love, divine ecstasy, joy, security.
Exhilaration for every moment that moves in eternity, we ride on waves of your consciousness, the eternal cosmic sea. Grant us the vision of your immortal spiritual Sun, your first born, the Light of creation. Once seen, we are baptized in the fire of your life, your presence. Amen.
by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder•All things move in parallels. Divine truths repeat themselves eternally. As creation was given birth, so was each one of us. The creation is macrocosmic; each of us is microcosmic; but essentially both are identical. Each son and daughter is a picture of the whole creation.
As we move within, we move without. That which was small becomes large. Even as each one of us came forth from the Divine, the ignition of creation has been expanding outward for billions of years. At some point in evolution, all will dissolve back into the invisible sea of Spirit, even as we are looking back and within towards God right now.
The predestined collapse of all upon its Source will take place; it will no longer be visible. So also for each one of us in reaching divine ecstasy, the walls of the body will fall away, yet still we live. Immortality is realized; security is found in divine Mother and Father’s presence. Once knowing them, how can we be fearful again? Our only fear should be that we might fail to fulfill their will.
Therefore we must endure through failure if it comes, realizing that defeat must give birth to victory, if we persevere. The indomitable will of the Divine has been given to each one of us to greater or lesser degree, depending upon our efforts and how much we desire it. God gives us his/her willpower and direction if we pray earnestly for it.
Hide not from your divine Parents. Be open to their presence every day. Confess to them your failures, and reaffirm with greater love, your determination to be successful in their eyes. Carry not the grief and guilt of failure, but give it to them. For each one of us must stand forth in our true image before them. We must be able to pray:
Father, Mother, many times I have failed, but many times I have tried again. I have done my best with what I have been given. Grant me mercy, strength and above all, pour into the vessel of my heart they great love, that I might offer it back to you. For here is the joy of life, a life worth living. Here, in the miracle of that love, let me be; just loving you, all that you are, all that I see.
•by Norman Paulsen, Founder of Sunburst•There is but one force manifesting throughout the universe. That force is I Am That I Am. Its nature is dual, masculine and feminine. Its existence is absolute ecstasy, continuous and ever new. Once tasting this ecstasy, nothing can ever take its place.
God can be seen visibly within as the great Light of inner space. God is seen outwardly in the billions and billions of star systems throughout all dimensions.
Spirit is felt as ecstasy; it is heard and known as sound. The movement of the cosmic forces in creation, all vibrating and radiating on different frequencies, compose and play the great cosmic symphony. One sits in awe and listens to the sounds, as waves upon waves roll in from the cosmic sea, breaking and roaring through the center of your being. Sometimes one feels as though every hair is standing at attention as the Great Spirit, which you have become one with, moves through the frail body of flesh and bone.
From the great cosmic forces in eternity we have all come forth. Miraculously we are visible to each other. Each one of us has been given a special beauty, wisdom and love. Each spirit is endowed with a different face. What a miracle it is to look at each other.
Our Divine Mother and Father have never conceived two things exactly identical; they reflect infinite variety in duality. Each soul is fashioned with uniquely reflecting facets, like the finest jewel. Each soul spreads divine light in variations that are different from those who came before, or those who follow after.
The Divine Playwright, Mother-Father God, marches on through eternities in the great halls of creations, images infinitely abounding, love transcending, in waves of color and sound—this is the cosmic sea. One sees it, and one knows it. Our soul ships sail forth immortal.
Imagine an experience of immortal ecstasy! You can experience this while conscious and alive in the body. For each one of you who remains steadfast on the path, with heart’s devotion set true upon the Godhead, Mother-Father Creator, you will taste that ecstasy and see that Light, and sail on that eternal sea.
Pray! Pray to your Mother and your Father who reside within your body. They are your constant companions. If they were not, you would cease to exist. Therefore, know that God, our Father and our Mother, are right within you and around you. Pray sincerely and unceasingly that you might feel and see their presence. It is through the devotion and love of your deepest heart that they reveal themselves to you.
• a group meditation prayer, by Norman Paulsen•Almighty Spirit, your light and energy moves through our bodies and minds. Fill us abundantly with your love. Let us see you face-to-face, brilliant like the sun, shining within the upper chamber of our minds.
What a miracle it is to be alive, and to contemplate you, oh God. All that we see, all that we know, came forth from your divine presence. From the testimonies of those who have passed before us, we know that you can become visible to us. We know that we can see you, we can hear your voice, and feel your spirit hands upon our heads.
I am your child, Mother-Father Divine. I pray that I may be a light in this world for others. Open wide my heart, that I may receive your love abundantly. The world needs your light so desperately in all hearts and minds. I pray that your light and love may be spread to those who are afflicted and injured and lost in the darkness. I pray for the cessation of wars, greed and suffering. I pray that this world can again be a garden of beauty for your children to live upon, loving each other, helping each other, growing together. Oh Beloved, I pray for this, and for the future of this beautiful planet.
I believe in the immortality of my consciousness, oh God. I believe that you created each one of us, so uniquely immortal. Let us realize our eternal souls, within our hearts, that we may bathe in the light of your presence. Lead us into this realization Oh God, that we may spread it to all.
With my heart’s intent upon you, breathe the Breath of Life into my soul. Let the dove of mercy and love descend upon the crown of my head. Even as Jesus received, let us all receive the dove of your beloved presence, the breath of life, into our hearts and minds.
I know you are here. I desire to feel you beat in my heart, and breathe in my lungs. You gave me this life; you can take it away. Let me see my immortality in you, Almighty Spirit. I will meditate on you. I will coax you to reveal yourself to me. I will love you with all my heart and devotion. I desire your love and your presence, that I may be an instrument to bring peace to this world.
Your unseen hands have fashioned us, and support us, every microsecond of time. You are within us; you are around us. We observe the uniqueness of each soul. No two faces are alike—each one exhibits a different expression of you.I can perceive you, oh God. I feel you beating in every heart. I feel you desiring to give to every mind your love, your compassion, your healing.
Heal our bodies that we may walk with you in strength and purpose, not just for ourselves, but for all our brothers and sisters. May we turn the presence of our minds inward upon you, that we may see you and hear you in our meditations every day. What a wonder it is to be alive! What a wonder it is to meditate upon you, Father, Mother, while sitting upon this tiny world floating in the infinity of galaxies and stars. Yes the immensity of your creation is stretching away from us in every direction; and here we are, so miraculously alive. What a wonder it is, this life that we have!
May we enter our closet, interiorize our minds when we pray, and observe who we really are in our meditations. May we open up our hearts to receive the breath of life, that unimaginable love. May we feel the anointment on the crown of the head, like warm oil, the life and breath of God descending into us. Yes, the kingdom of heaven is within.
Almighty Spirit, we your children thank you for bringing us together on this day, in the light of your presence. Each one of us, in our own way, desires you in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls. Walk with us. Remind us that you are within us and love us dearly, each and every one.
•by Barbara McCaughey & Dawn King•Around the end of October, ancient Celts celebrated summer’s end, and the start of a new year. This time was also a window into the spirit world, a time when departed souls could visit Earth again. Afraid, some people began a practice of dressing up in scary costumes to frighten disembodied souls away. In essence, they wanted to be more scary than what they were scared of.
Trying to meet fear with more fear doesn’t work. We all have tried it. A common practice is to worry and fret, thinking that if we just try hard enough, or think hard enough, we’ll come up with a way to push away whatever fear seems to threaten us.
The only thing that really works for moving through and actually dissolving fear is cultivation of a deep and abiding relationship with the pure Spirit within us. This is what everyone wants, even though people search for it in so many different ways. We all want to feel loved, to have a sense of belonging and purpose, and a sense of peace. These naturally give us courage and help us make right choices.
I read a story about a woman who was driving her car on a back road in New York State. She wasn’t feeling very well, and was uncertain whether she should keep going or turn around. While indecision wracked her mind, she felt worse and worse.
Then in the distance she saw a billboard. She read it: “Please, God.” Then she said to herself, “Yes, yes, please, God, please, please; what shall I do?” But as she drove closer to the sign, she noticed that there was no comma after the word “please”. It actually said “Please God!”
She took a moment to calm dawn and contemplate those words. She was no longer calling on a Being who was far away, outside of herself. She realized she was the empowered doer. She continued her journey, and felt better.
When we begin to feel that joy of being one with Spirit, then we want to experience it all the time. The unconditional love and joy of Spirit can work and play in us, as much as we invite it.
So, “Please God!” What is pleasing to the divine lIfe force with us? We can be pleasing, and find more enjoyment of life by taking time to develop our love and appreciation for all we’ve been given. This we do through contemplation, and meditation, listening for that still small voice within.
We must follow our soul’s conscience; our heart knows the way. When we stick to that way, our life can gracefully unfold in an unending prayer of devotion and thankfulness. And thus we find courage, peace, joy, and the knowledge that we are supremely supported by Source, our ever-well-wisher. With spiritual courage, we discover everything we need to meet the challenges of each day.
by Dawn King • My constant prayer is to see people and things through God’s eyes. One day I walked into a room at my house and saw it for the mess that it was. Instead of ignoring it, I needed to tackle a big clean up and declutter at my house, one I’d been putting off because it was so daunting, and there were so many other fun things to do instead.
Since inertia seemed to have kept this personal project from going forward, I resolved to give it a try once again. With that in mind, I stopped and prayed for at least five minutes. I prayed for strength, and asked for a “key” to help me. Then I listened for the answer; what was the key?
After several more minutes: “Just start!” came the reply.
How many times in life do we need to make a change, but feel unprepared in some way. Or maybe we simply lack the willpower, even though we know it’s something we should do. We put it off; we ignore it; we beat ourselves up about it. Yet, no results come because we haven’t really made an effort.
It takes repeated resolve to tackle a project, especially a large one. Each day we need to remind ourselves of what we’re trying to accomplish. Maybe it’s starting a meditation practice. Maybe it’s being a more compassionate and kind person. Maybe it’s writing a thesis. Whatever it is, it can loom large in our minds and seem overwhelming, next to impossible.
Paramahansa Yogananda encourages us to take on hard tasks in order to develop our willpower. It takes many virtues to overcome our demons, whatever they may be, or to take on any seemingly big task. We need first to recognize the issue; what do you want to change or to accomplish? Sometimes making a plan is helpful. Other times we simply need to dive in. But it’s always helpful to be certain your efforts and your goals are ones that Spirit is behind. When in doubt, meditate on whether the undertaking is something you should really pursue or not.
Once a worthwhile pursuit is on your “To Do” list, be ready to stick to it until it’s accomplished, no matter how long that might take. This is perseverance. And you’ll need patience to continue on. Sometimes it takes courage to even start an endeavor. Adopting Sunburst’s 8 Paths, and 12 Virtues can be very helpful in creating a healthy life, one that is fulfilling, and shines light into this world.
“Forget the past. The vanished lives of all people are dark with many shames. Human conduct is ever unreliable until one is anchored in the Divine. Everything in the future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now.” Paramahansa Yogananda
