• by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • The lives of the saints and prophets are expressions of divine Spirit, to show us the way to live if we want to meet and know God—if we truly want to be in an eternal existence with the Divine. Every man and woman alive who has felt true love, true peace, and seen true beauty, wants to live in that energy forever. We all want to see the sun rise tomorrow and feel its warmth, see the blue sky, feel the wind in our face, smell the fragrance of the flowers, and hold and touch those dear faces and friends. Yes, we all want continuous life.
If we want continuous, or eternal life, we must seek it where we were told we could find it. We have to make an effort to meet God. But how can we accomplish this? How can we become more like our divine Father and Mother, to draw that Presence into our lives?
I find that God’s power responds almost immediately when it is for the benefit of others that we pray. We then see miracles and the presence of the divine power working. For the most part, when people pray and ask for things for their own self gain, God doesn’t acknowledge this, and people wonder why. It’s because we aren’t fulfilling divine law. God is constantly giving and serving every particle of creation in every moment. When we can align ourselves with this energy, the floodgates are released, and the divine power can flow through us.
When we are more concerned with helping those around us than we are with helping ourselves, then we can see God’s power working. God watches the humble servants who have become more concerned for the welfare of their brothers and sisters than for themselves. Then God says, “I have to help her (or him), because nobody else is going to. He (or she) is too busy helping everyone else.”
I’ve seen it over and over again, that God takes care of the humble servant, miraculously. Those who set their own desires aside, and entertain the one desire to serve God, have all things added unto them. God loves them so much, and loves divine communion with their souls. God’s living presence becomes so strong within them that every desire of their hearts is miraculously fulfilled.
When you are one with God, you say, “Lord, I gave that desire up; it really doesn’t matter anymore.”
And God says, “That’s alright, just take it anyway.”
But then you can give it all away if you want to. These are the things that we see, that God does for us. Humble servants for God have seen miraculous power at work to build things for the betterment of all human beings.
• Dawn King, Sunburst • Often, I ask my closest companion, God, to let me see through his/her eyes so I can understand better what in the world is going on here. But when I’m outside in Nature, I invite God to enjoy this beautiful creation with me through the sensations I experience. What a joy this brings to me and I know God feels it as well. I’ll tell you how I know; here’s an example.
I went birding for the first time with Cary and some friends in Santa Barbara. I’d been so wanting to go birding with others and, was thrilled to take this opportunity. The group was going to Lake Los Carneros, “home turf” for them.
Very soon in our walk, someone said to me, “Well…I don’t hear or see any birds right off.”
I responded, “In the distance, I hear a cacophony of birds, but can’t make out any particular song.”
Only a few minutes later, in a flash we had already seen extraordinary mating displays, I’d taken some great bird photos, and the group was very excited. Hal leaned my way saying, “You realize, it’s not this way every time we come out here. This is an extraordinary day!”
“I’m sure it is!” I replied, rememberingthe many times my husband Al and I havebeen in nature where joyous people excitedly commented: “We’ve never seen it like this before! This is extraordinary!”
Yes, life is extraordinary when we invite God to enjoy it with us. If anyone in your group is doing that, you might all get the benefit. It seems to be a contagious enjoyment. Below is a photo from my recent Nevada desert trip.
God loves to be with us. This is what the whole creation is about. – Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder
By using our willpower we can tune into divine grace and accept the opportunities it provides us. This is not an instant thing. We have to persevere and have patience. It’s a lifelong pursuit, much like the following story in which Tibetan monks meditate as they build a monastery floor.
[Excerpt from the book “Tibetan Voices”] We built the floors of the monastery from scratch. Since there was no cement in Tibet, we used a material called arka, which is similar to crushed stone or gravel. It made very beautiful floors. We pounded this material with a tool consisting of a long pole and a heavy stone attached to the bottom end. The monks would form a line and sing as they pummeled the many stones into a solid floor, working to the rhythm of the song.
This was hard work; the big stones were broken up to make smaller ones, and then layers of these stones were pounded into the floor, slowly going from bigger stones to smaller and smaller. Remaining holes were filled by pounding in the finest material. Then a powdery form of the stone was put on top and this was also hammered into the floor, using water to help the binding.
Once the floor was pounded so it was smooth and level, we would get down on our knees and use big flat slabs of stone to polish the surface. Water was sprinkled onto the floor as we polished and worked our way from one end of the room to the other. The muddy result of all this effort was wiped away with cloths. Slowly, the beauty of the floor would begin to come out. Finally, a mixture of boiled oil and tree resin, the type used in making incense offerings, was applied. Cement was never used in the construction of Tibetan monasteries, and the finished quality of the buildings was far superior to any that could have been made of cement.
Slowly, the beauty of the Pure Self, the Christ light within each of us can shine forth, after lifetimes of desire and effort. This is the power of patience.
• 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 Greg Anderson•Paramahansa Yogananda said a day will come when all humans on Earth will be Christ-conscious. How do we get it? What exactly is it? How does it change us?
In 2013, I had an experience in meditation. I started doing Kriya circulations, and several events occurred. The final thing that happened is that I was allowed to see myself in meditation. As I inhaled, my chakras lit up like someone was blowing on the hot coals of a fire. As I exhaled, I could see the same thing happen from above, moving downward.
I realized that brother Norm was right, the heart chakra was gold, it was very visible. I also realized, there were two shafts of light coming down through my astral spine, and they were almost connected. While I was watching this, I realized: “This is my divine feminine and my divine masculine. They’re about to meet for the first time in power, in my heart chakra.” When they did, there was an immediate expansion of my heart chakra. The light was gold and emanating in all directions, and I felt bliss at that moment: “Don’t let this ever end!”
Christ consciousness ignites in that divine embryo in each of us. It grows in our heart chakra, and enables us to begin the journey all the way to cosmic consciousness.
So, what changed in me? After that experience, my body didn’t feel the same. My mind was expanded. Service to others became very important to me. My connection to nature became different. I’d never been a tree-hugger but, I found myself actually saying to my wife that one of the plants in our yard looked happy after the rain. I would never have said that before 2013.
I have more empathy for people. too. I feel connected to people that I’ve never met—you and I are one in that we’re all connected to the same Creator. After my experience, I really felt like I was now “Greg 2.0,” a different me. My perspective was changing. A new being had occurred.
Those are the kind of changes that I felt. I know Divine Spirit wants each of us to experience this. I know that it may never have happened in my life had I not come to Sunburst on a weekend when a training in Kriya meditation was offered.
It’s, by far, one of the greatest gifts that I have received in this lifetime. Take advantage of Kriya meditation training, if you haven’t done so yet.
I don’t think any of these steps forward in consciousness that we make happen suddenly. They happen over a long period of time, and maybe over many lifetimes. Be patient; it may not be for you exactly as I described my experience. However, if you practice Kriya meditation, you will experience Christ consciousness. That spiritual embryo will begin to grow and mature, others became very important to me.
•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.
