Vision of Elders

Vision of Elders

by Jake Collier

When I was a young boy, about eight or nine, my friend and I were anxiously anticipating the end of school. We raced home to his house because it was the beginning of a new show on TV that afternoon called “The Mickey Mouse Club.” It became a daily goal of mine to watch that show.

On one of the shows they revealed an answer to one of my questions—how all the wonderful images were created on the screen. They did a show about going into the Disney Studios and interviewing animators. They explained how they sketch a figure, and then on the next page the figure would be slightly different, and so on. When you flipped the pages, this figure came to life. On film, each scene or frame is a still image. All those stills are put on celluloid and run through a projector, and merge into motion and life on the screen.

The greatest animator and filmmaker is our Creator. We look around us, and we see such incredible images. From the very outer rim of creation to the very core of it, our Divine Creator projects images and gives them life. This incredible creation keeps growing; new galaxies are being born, new images are being created.

Each breath is a new beginning, a new chance, a new opportunity.

With high-powered microscopes, we learn how hard rocks, surfaces, and metals are made up of particles that have space around them. Sometimes we feel like our body is a solid mass, but when we sit in deep meditation, we can feel the space, that Divine space and energy that gives life to all we see within, and all around us.

The greatest storyteller of all time is our Creator. The greatest director and screenplay writer has set into motion this creation. It fashioned these bodies so that It may play all the parts and experience its own creation—to hear it, see it, smell it, touch it, taste it.

On a vacation or a trip, when we see a beautiful scene or image that moves us deeply, we snap a picture of it to share with others. Somehow the camera doesn’t capture what we felt. No matter how much we try to describe that experience, the other person viewing the photograph doesn’t really feel the full impact. That’s because we have to experience it on a cellular level to receive the full impact of this life.

With a tool of meditation, one can dive deep and experience the Divine, to experience our Creator. We can feel our inner senses open up, inner vision, inner hearing. Through meditation, we can receive answers to our questions. We’re able to view life around us like a motion picture, and we begin to be able to discern our direction in this life, our part in this play, this Divine motion picture. Meditation is the key that unlocks the doors, that solves the mysteries of this life.

We learn about how much thrust it takes for a rocket to overcome the field of this earth’s gravity. Likewise, meditation takes will power; it takes conditioning; it takes practice. To break out of these images that we see around us, and discover who we really are, takes an incredible amount of effort and dedication. How we’ve lived our lives in the past, how hard we put forth an effort each day, and how much Divine Grace we are given, all factor into how and when we make a break through. Men and women before us have done it, have broken through and become one with their Divine Creator.

In a motel room one night, I started to meditate. As soon as I sat down and started circulating the light, a room opened up before my inner vision. Ancient ones in white robes were walking into the room, about seven of them. They began to sit down and face me in meditation. The figure closest to me held up his hand with the palm facing towards me. I felt an energy of acknowledgment, understanding, and willingness to help and be a part of our lives here.

What we see with our physical eyes is just one plane of existence. There are so many other planes, wonderful places of beauty. By meditating and going within, we can discover these places and experience them. They become an aid in helping us get through the trials of existence here.

The ancient ones are watching us. They cheer us on and celebrate our victories; they feel our pain when we’re struggling. They are here to help us, to encourage us. They understand how hard it is here to break through.

I was so overwhelmed and overjoyed to experience their presence. The next night in my motel room when I began to meditate, there they were again, all sitting in meditation with me.

We have each other, and we have the help of the angels, and the ancient ones that have walked this journey before us. They have blazed the trail and marked the way. All we need to do is make the effort. Then we can realize and experience things in this life that are beyond description, beyond words, for when we experience a touch of the Divine, we are changed forever. It gives us an insatiable thirst to be divinely touched again and again.

Almighty Spirit, our Creator, our true friend,
We give thanks for the opportunity to participate in this drama we call life.

Guide us, keep us strong and healthy, that we might maintain and overcome any obstacles that confront us. Open up our inner senses, that we might experience the oneness that truly exists here in this creation, the oneness of Your life and Your love. Help us to see your face in everyone we meet, and may we always see your divine fingerprint in this creation.
Amen.

Achieving Goals, Setting Intentions — The First Step

Achieving Goals, Setting Intentions — The First Step

We each should be asking ourselves, “How can I get off to a good start this year? …this month …this week …today? Or, we may be wondering how to accomplish something that might seem daunting—beyond our abilities. What to do first?

If you know that your goal is positive, worthwhile, and helpful to humanity and the planet in some way, then Go for it! Your first step should be to fully visualize, or conceptualize your goal. Sunburst’s founder, Norman Paulsen, usually asked for spiritual direction before beginning any undertaking. This could have resulted in a quick Go for it!  during meditation, or the need for repeated requests for direction over many months. Timing is everything, and perhaps it wasn’t time to act yet.

When we’re simply thinking of “How can I get off to a good start today,” or “What should I focus on today?” we can usually get a quick answer. Hopefully we meditate each morning and feel inspired. Beyond that, Paramahansa Yogananda stated that we were given rational minds to help us solve problems, and function successfully on this dimension. Give yourself some time to think through what needs to take place.

Setting clear intentions can make a world of difference. Sometimes we add to this a prayer asking for help in accomplishing our goal. If we’re still uncertain that the direction we are about to take is the best one, asking for Divine clarity is a good idea. Sometimes, we haven’t gotten clear direction. Sometimes Spirit wants us to make a decision ourselves—to commit to an action by our own volition. If we are truly wanting to serve the Divine plan, we move forward with a heart that is open to changing course, if it’s needed. Trust that such a needed change will become obvious very quickly.

Sunburst Sanctuary facilitates our getting off to a good weekly start every Sunday. Each New Year finds Sunburst offering a blessing ceremony for our intentions into that year. On January 4th, Saturday evening, we gathered in the Sanctuary Lodge for a fire/seed ceremony. At this event, accompanied by inspired music, we symbolically cast what did not serve us into the fire, and set free our positive aspirations into higher realms. It was a beautiful ceremony amidst friends, old and new, reminding us of our unity with all the love and sweetness within and behind this creation.     

Be a Star—Befriend Capricorn!

Be a Star—Befriend Capricorn!

Throughout the year, Sunburst offers encouragement for twelve months of conscious living. Each sign of the zodiac offers the discovery of our own “star power,” strengths that we might not know we have. As we each realize the power of our natural divine self, we develop our Divine personality. The result is greater joy and meaning in our lives, as well as making the world a better place.

We end and begin the year in the midst of the sign of “Temperance.” This is Capricorn’s gift, as we celebrate while the Sun transits this zodiacal sign (Dec. 22, 2019 to Jan. 19, 2020). It’s our challenge to be temperate amidst holiday reveling, spending, and consuming. It’s not too late—you can resolve to embrace temperance the rest of this year, and you’ll be thankful you did.

Capricorn is an astrological Cardinal Earth Sign. “Cardinal” means it’s a sign of “doing—active.” “Earth” is the practical, grounded side of this energy. Now the challenge is not to be so caught up in the physical that we neglect the spiritual aspect of this time of year. It’s a wonderful time to “actively” find deep peace within, just as nature is engaged in doing in the Northern Hemisphere. Our energies gather, possibly discovering a more focused, and worthwhile purpose in our lives. Meditation allows our intuition to point out our best direction forward.   

Paramahansa Yogananda was born in the month of Capricorn, on January 5th, 1893.

Sunburst celebrates every Capricorn with a Kriya Yoga retreat. It’s a beautiful opportunity to get in touch with your true self, the perfect spirit within your being. We celebrate with some hours of silence, refresh our meditation practice, learn new techniques for spiritual growth, and find that “reset button” to get our new year off to a start full of promise—with worthwhile and appropriate personal goals. Sunburst is also all about new friendships, love, and the kind of spiritual support we each need in a challenging world. Maybe you’ll tune in each month to “Be a Star.”

A New Year Message

A New Year Message

by Patty Paulsen, Sunburst Spiritual Director

Dear Friends, As a new year and a new decade dawns, may we greet it with gratitude and the awareness that we have a dynamic power residing within our minds to create ever-new inspiration and joy even in the midst of challenges. Let us be a steady beacon of light for this changing world and carry a message of hope, peace, and love in our hearts.

In Sunburst’s 50th year as an intentional spiritual community, we know all too well how challenging it is to weather the storms of change, loss, and disillusionment—code words for transformation. Just as the proverbial phoenix rises from the ashes, so does human and spiritual growth often arise from hardship. Since the human spirit is one which we all share, we are keenly affected not only by our own suffering, but also by the suffering of others around the globe, including from the effects of rapidly changing weather and earthly conditions.

There is now a growing movement amongst all generations to belong to something bigger than themselves and desire to become better stewards of the Earth, her inhabitants and resources, and we support it wholeheartedly. Since Sunburst’s inception we have always balanced Spirit and Nature by creating gardens to inspire beauty and peacefulness, by encouraging hiking in her wilderness, and by producing fresh organically-grown food. Nature’s gardens bring people together in a way that complements our spiritual quest. It is yin and yang, the inner and the outer demonstration of spirit and form.

Paramahansa Yogananda chanted: “Spirit and Nature, dancing together. Victory to Spirit and victory to Nature!” symbolizing the inseparability of Spirit and its creative power, Nature.

Brother Norman Paulsen wrote: “Nature, the Mother of all life-forms, in her infinite variety, is the supreme teacher. Study her, for she springs forth from the imagination of our Creator.”

One of the newest undertakings at Sunburst Sanctuary has been to rekindle and embrace principles of permaculture. It is our intention to share these principles with others by continuing to offer permaculture design courses, along with our other events and retreats, throughout the new year; these nurture our connection with both Spirit and Nature.

In line with our Kriya tradition, we will continue to offer initiation retreats in techniques of meditation along with offering a yoga teacher-training course, and silent retreats. We hope you will find the inspiration to engage in these nurturing and well-planned retreats, events and gatherings.

With the affirming power of intention let’s envision our working together to continue to create a heaven on earth as we welcome 2020 with willing hearts, open minds, and an eager soul ready to help.

A Journey Into Mindfulness

A Journey Into Mindfulness

by Ischa Beharry

In the silence of my soul, words, sounds, scents, impressions, thoughts and feelings seemed greatly amplified, yet with a gentleness and sweetness almost indescribable. And as I walked slowly and mindfully through the Sanctuary gardens with friends old and new, joy swept over my being in such gentle waves that my only reaction was exactly what our teacher, Sharon Ray, hoped it would be – a taste of what the Silent Retreat should evoke: A journey into the Path of SMILES and a deeper connection to Divine Spirit through silence and mindfulness.

A dedicated practitioner of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn, Sharon has embodied the concept of mindfulness in her daily life and needs not verbally extol its incredible effects on her quality of life, spiritual awareness or demeanor—it expresses itself naturally and gracefully in the truths and virtues that are her life’s guideposts, and in her very demeanor, speech and interaction with others.

Thich Nhat Hahn invites us to train ourselves to walk with reverence. Wherever we walk, whether it’s at the railway station or supermarket, we are walking on the Earth and, therefore, upon a holy ground. To walk with reverence everywhere is to find nourishment and solidity with each step. Each mindful step brings us back to the here and now, reminding us that we are alive on this beautiful planet. It propels us into present moment awareness. Ultimately, all of us are looking for our solid ground, our true home. The Earth, and the Present, is our true home. We can’t be grounded in our body if our mind is elsewhere.

Following the Path of SMILES, we are guided by the meaning of this wonderful acronym:

S is for Smile – uplifting my vibration
M is for Mantra – expressing my heart’s desire
I is for Inhale and exhale – aware of my breath
L is for Letting go – of my name and game
E is for Ears listening, Eyes watching – I come to my senses
S is for Sensing – the Presence of the Divine in and around me

Experience being the greatest teacher, I have to humbly agree that for the two days I practiced mindful walking and the Path of SMILES, the beauty and wonder of the Earth and its creatures around me was greatly amplified. Being in the moment was joy unbounded! There was no room in my mind for anything worrisome; my mind was totally absorbed in the moment, whether I was mindfully eating, looking at the beautiful pond and gardens, walking the labyrinth, listening to the birds, or perusing the roadways looking for tiny pieces of quartz crystals amidst the gravel.

As the Master Hahn himself says:
No one has lived in the past or the future, only the now. The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. While you are walking, smile and be in the here and now, and you will transform that place into paradise.

Yes! I do enjoy the beautiful sanctuary where I happen to live; however, during every Silent Retreat its beauty, peace, tranquility, and divine resonance is, for me, amplified a hundred-fold! Ah, the power of many together!

Thank you, Sharon Ray, for bringing this priceless gift to Sunburst as a prelude to an approaching beautiful spring when the subsiding rains and entrancing green hillsides beckon us into mindful walking. And thank you, Thich Nhat Hanh, for reminding us that the very ground we stand on anywhere and everywhere is still Sacred Earth, and has the power to connect and ground us if we are mindful and receptive!

Reflections

Reflections

By Ischa Beharry

Sometimes, it just seems like the years and months quickly vanish into oblivion, some being a memory sweet, and others predictably similar or uneventful. This past year, however, seemed different. Despite all that’s been happening around the world, in our own country, and in our personal lives, there are certain things that do not change; for example, the fact that spring always follows winter.

As I think about 2018, the latter part of the year captures my focus. August through December were exceptional at Sunburst Sanctuary: A star-studded cosmic stage on a clear, warm August night found many of us excitedly transfixed on the Heavens, eagerly engaged in a concerted effort not to miss a single shooting star as we camped upon The Wheel of Life Hill. The Perseid Meteor Shower was the night’s highlight, and we were it’s dedicated, entranced audience, ready to explore in our individual imaginings what the evening’s earlier presentation had entailed—a fun, interactive lecture by Sunburst’s own Moksha Badarayan on “Living in Space.”

The euphoria of an incredible evening presentation and observation of the Heavens through powerful telescopes paved the way for even more excitement as we counted upward of 100 beautiful shooting stars between 11:30 P.M.and early dawn! Our star party was indeed a hit!

Mid-September found a group of us enjoying an afternoon of delicacies at the Sunburst Lodge, hosted by Michelle Schaeffer who shared her secret recipes and hidden talent for turning any vegetable or fruit into a dehydrated delight! We excitedly tried our own hands at learning that fascinating process, never mind treating our tummies to a buffet of treats! Emily Wirtz also shared her hidden talent for canning, further whetting our appetites with several culinary creations. But wait, no fun afternoon would’ve been complete without a sumptuous potluck dinner—and that it was!!!

As the cycles of the seasons usher us into their own unique rhythms, so did the end of September find us engaged in a special journey of connection to our soul and the earth through the eyes of a horse! Every participant in the Equine-Guided experience, led by Natalie Riggs, spent an entire day spellbound by the deep and emotionally moving connections they made with the Sunburst horses, and the horses’ abilities to not only help us open our heart centers, but to connect to our souls, the earth, and Spirit, with many participants experiencing amazing emotional and spiritual breakthroughs!

October brought its own special gifts—a Kriya II Meditation Retreat in which one learned the technique of activating the healing power of our chakras. Meditation, periods of silence, and interiorizing of the senses were highlights, paving the way for an even deeper journey within at the Fall Silent Retreat led by Sharon Ray. What an incredible journey of Self-discovery it was! Yoga, guided walking and sitting meditations, visual presentations and enlightening talks by Sharon provided a fitting end to an amazing month of journeying within.

November found us exploring our body’s own sacred geometry at the Celebrate Life Retreat. Craig Hanson led this fascinating workshop of understanding our bodies with the objective of understanding creation. A captive audience expressed its delight at discovering the Divine thumbprint—the sacred geometry that is inherent in every aspect of our bodies, nature, and the cosmos! Our minds and senses fully satisfied, the evening would culminate with Dances of Universal Peace. Two hours of delightful world spiritual dance and song would prove to be the perfect ending to an amazing day!

The journey within that started with the Equine-Guided event in September was reaching a high crescendo as Sunburst celebrated the return of the light at our winter solstice meditation and labyrinth walk. An afternoon of hourly silent meditations proved the perfect prelude to dinner with friends, followed by a warming fire and labyrinth walk with lumineria under the stars. What magic ensued as the beautiful full Moon shed her glorious light beams over the meadow and labyrinth as we gathered around the bonfire enjoying the heightened cosmic energies of a most sacred day.

As I revel in the energy of a New Year and what it might bring, my heart is already uplifted by the blessings of the New Year’s Kriya Yoga Meditation Retreat held on the first week in January. One of the most powerful ones ever, I cannot but marvel at how the incredible energies of the previous six months were in sync with the very rhythm of the seasons they represented. And at how we started our journey inwardly in September just as Nature started her own journey of rest and rejuvenation, in preparation of a vibrant spring that’s sure to follow.

 

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