By Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • Our two physical eyes can see the dual universe God has created, but they cannot see God. Meditation reverses the process, as you bring your gaze inward and to a single point. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says, “When you make the two one, you shall enter the kingdom of heaven.” In meditation, when you focus the two eyes on one point with deep concentration, you are “making the two one.“ With practice, the spiritual eye will open at that point and show you what it’s looking at! Yes, it will reveal to you the Light of God, like a living sun or star spinning in front of you.
Within our bodies, God gave us a clue for how to find our way home. When we look at our eyes in the mirror, we are looking at the outer, dual image of our inner single eye. The light that shines through our two eyes is a reflection of the divine light that shines within the single spiritual eye.
The single eye of God created our two eyes and everything that exists. It is the projector, that featureless face of God that looks like a blazing sun or star to our inner vision. Our physical sun reminds us that God is with us all the time. When we see God with the single eye of soul, we can see him the same way, as a blazing image of Light.
My teacher Yogananda once said to me, “You must penetrate the star in the spiritual eye—then you will have salvation.” How do you penetrate the star?
It has to come after you. The star shines upon you at the crown of your head. That’s as close as you are to the body of God! You’ve got to bring it in. You’ve got to open the door so it can come into you. That’s what Sunburst’s teaching is about.
We talk about the body of Christ, the real presence of I Am That I Am, the living presence of the sphere of light that travels through us. We speak of the garden universes, the parks it has created. The whole creation is full of uncountable suns, planets and life forms. I Am That I Am is in everything as particle energy, but it also travels individually as a sphere like the sun.
Yes, the source of it all is a sphere of light and consciousness, a being that can come to us personally! It can speak to us. It can take us out of our body, and show us the whole creation, all the colors, all the suns and worlds with their natural phenomena. This is a personal experience of a living being; a living presence of God that comes and talks to you. I’m talking about a sphere of light so bright, it’s above the brightness of the sun.
Develop devotion and love for God. Try to attract this Being of Light to come to you, to talk to you, to reveal Itself to you, through your offerings of service, love, and one-pointed concentration upon the Divine.
by Emily Wirtz •I invite you to experiment with a practice that I have found tremendously helpful.
First, in quiet meditation, with intention, direct your attention within to listen for the vibration of AUM (sometimes written “Om”), your direct link with Spirit. Take some deep relaxed breaths, helping to still the mind. Bring your focus to the constant Presence of the Divine that is with you right now.
Later, as you go about your daily activities, mentally chant AUM with all your attention whenever you think of it. For me, this seems to shift my consciousness a little each time, leaving me feeling more clarity, more like everything is okay. Let us know what this practice does for you!
All those who devote themselves to the Self within make it an object of devotion that can never perish. – Upanishads
by Norman Paulsen • When we become aware of the cosmic forces existing Within and around us, we begin to receive divine imagination, the creative will of God. By using inspired imagination we can visualize and create mental images. Observing them to be rooted in virtue, we can spin them into the field of power—the life force surrounding us. Like seeds, they will take root, causing events to appear in the future.
Divine intervention in our lives creates inspiration. Inspiration excites imagination; imagination seeds the future; the future becomes visible in time. How do we know what images to put forth? By calling on divine intervention to create inspiration; by opening up our limited imagination to the unlimited creative will of God. We have to reach with our consciousness into the future for God’s direction. We can induce the power of God’s presence to descend into us when we work for the benefit of all beings in our projections.
To begin this practice of positive visualization and projection, we have to be patient and receptive. This practice is like an infant child; if nourished, it will grow. Meditation every morning and evening should be pursued. You must water the seeds with God’s presence. Test daily the field of power that is generated by your efforts. Consider that all the forces of creation are rooted in your body temple to assist you.
When it’s possible, come together with other like-minded souls to practice your meditation. The power of being together in a circle of meditation will quicken the evolution of your spiritual advancement. Even without saying a word, you are mixing your energies. You intuitively learn what you have, and what each one present has to offer to the whole group. To participate in a circle of meditation is to receive advancement in spiritual knowledge, and to participate in the projection of positive images rooted in virtue.
Whether you meditate alone or in a group, always remember to ask for positive inspiration, and upon receiving it, place it in the field of power and make it appear. This is faith that whatsoever you plant will grow. Plant it not for yourself, but for the benefit of all beings.
•by Dawn King•Spiritual illumination is not something one can “acquire” or “arrive” at. It is a journey that never ceases to surprise, delight, inspire, and refresh the soul. How so?
Each of us finds that life is leading us forward toward illumination, if we follow the many “bread crumbs” dropped by circumstances and events. Sometimes the path before us seems far from being one related to spiritual growth, but we should watch for the signs. When in 2020 my usual work dried up and I was inspired to “be an artist”, it sounded like a fun way to fill in the void, but rather frivolous. After following prompts from friends and new acquaintances which all seemed like coincidences at the time, “being an artist” is serving my spirit surprisingly well today.
Free will is a theme we live with, so we are allowed to make choices. When we make the best choice, delightful results ultimately manifest. When we make a poor choice, it becomes obvious; we feel and experience the uncomfortable results.
We are more powerful than we realize; our thoughts and actions are more consequential than we realize. Since our thoughts and actions today actually set up future scenes and events, a continuing chain of options is set in motion by us each day. Despite appearances to the contrary, there is always a way to correct a poor choice, or yet to make a poor choice. Letting go of stubborn pride, bad habits, and the controlling ego—“I want my way!”—is hard. We have to chip away continuously at this facade which encrusts and inhibits the expression of our beautiful souls. Even spiritual ego must be dissolved.
Yes, we each have a beautiful, perfectly illumined soul which is trying to express itself throughout our life. Many very young children are closer to exhibiting that awareness, that unconditional love of life and all life forms. As we live out our lives, we have the opportunity to expand that soul awareness, or deny it and thus deny ourselves the joy of experiencing the immortal part of ourselves.
It is not our bodies that journey on after life; it is our spirits, our souls. Why not embrace the journey now!
My Easter inspiration: Spiritual illumination was called “Christ consciousness” by Paramahansa Yogananda. We have the opportunity each day to crucify or to resurrect the Christ (Illumination) in us by our thoughts and actions. Within each of us there can be the joy of experiencing: “He is risen! She is risen!”
• by Barbara McCaughey • Paramahansa Yogananda used to say to his disciples, “Get devotion!” But with this admonition, he also gave them practical ways to accomplish that goal. To nurture devotion, he encouraged them to practice the meditation techniques they had been given.
In doing so, they would set aside time to quiet the mind, to interiorize the senses, and give the subtle life force a chance to find its way into their consciousness in a very personal way. An experience of the Divine is one of complete unconditional love. Once you experience this, devotion naturally flows; you are forever devoted to the perfect Love which created us.
Another thing Yogananda stressed was the importance of practicing the presence of God. In our silent meditations we are looking for the light of pure consciousness, and trying to feel life force moving through our bodies. In practicing the Presence, we are using the magnificent vehicle of the body to bring divine Love into the creation. Practicing the Presence expands our idea of Love and Life as being the cause and fabric of creation.
There was a naturalist who used the term, “The Spirit that moves in all things.” When we look at all life forms in this way, how could we not feel love for every manifestation of Nature?
In order to feel the Spirit that moves in all things, we have to slow down. We have to do all our actions with intention. The Buddhists use the term “mindfulness.” We’re not scurrying from one activity to the next; we are acknowledging the presence of Life and Love in every moment.
In the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, the attention to detail, the purposeful placement of every single item, almost confounds the untrained mind. It’s all done to express the beauty and order of the Universe, and it’s meant to honor the guests that are attending. The idea behind it is: “One moment; one opportunity.” There will never be another moment in all of eternity that is configured just like this present moment. Think about that; not one moment in eternity is just like this one!
Yogananda talked about the need to purify the heart from the lower emotions of jealousy, anger, greed, and so on, because all those things block Love, block Life. When we remove the blocks to Love they’re dissolved. It’s as if it never happened, and we’re back in tune with where we want to be. When we recognize this creation as the blueprint of our divine Creator, then we can only pray that we courageously, humbly and harmoniously fit into this wonderfulness. One life form cannot be above or below another; all are from the same Source.
So many people who have a special spiritual experience, either through meditation or near-death, are transformed by Love, but they also then have a greater desire to learn. When you study the natural universe, I think the word that you always come to is “Wow!” Love, Life is so present in this creation. The more we experience it, and thus know it, the more we appreciate it.
“Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you’re going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it, and find out the truth about who you are.” – Anne Lamott
(Omar Itani image) Story by Dawn King•Last week, as I entered Sunburst Founder, Norman Paulsen’s words as the blog text (Feb. 15, 2023), this sentence really struck me: “Cultivate your imagination, for herein lies the power of the master builder, the master scientist, the master physician, the master of the cosmic forces.”
Perhaps imagination is what sets us apart from animals. We can be motivated by something beyond the necessities of instinct and survival. We can dream and imagine, then manifest our dreams.
It was my dream to bring art classes to Sunburst sanctuary. And it is happening this year, with a unique kind of creative activity each month. We are each here to engage in Life, to dream, desire, and act in a way that uplifts everyone, and is in harmony with Nature. You too can dream, and desire to fulfill your dream.
Meditate and find your soul inspired dream. Norm’s words again: “True direction does not arise from the emotions, or from a confused mental condition. Be still and meditate a moment; listen to the space between your thoughts and you will receive the right direction.”
You can create your own process, or follow the steps below to go forward.
1. Use your imagination to trust (have faith) that the creative Spirit is within you. Invite that creative Spirit to create through you.
2. Imagine what your highest self wants to create through your mind and hands; let charity, goodwill and empathy (compassion) lead you.
3. Imagine a plan of baby steps that will help you make progress, and commit to taking these steps; i.e. express loyalty to your higher Self.
4. Imagine using your willpower and courage, then actually take a step forward toward your goal.
5. Imagine enjoying the journey, while you practice patience. Acts done as service to Spirit (and Spirit in others) bring us joy.
6. See yourself as determined to take any and all steps needed, since everything worthwhile requires perseverance.
7. Continue to embrace the inner and outer work of God-realization: service and meditation. This is temperance: refraining from harmful extremes, or being wasteful. Life is like one artist described painting: “It’s a series of making corrections.”
8. Remember that truly, God is the only doer. You are co-creating with the Divine, who gives you life and breath. (Be humble.)
9. Imagine the joy of personal growth, and connection to Spirit you will feel upon accomplishing what you dreamed of doing.
Following our dreams creates character in us. We have to be courageous to start, and to follow through to the end. We must use mindfulness and self-control, which Paramahansa Yogananda called “the key to a happy life.” He also advised us to “Never count your faults. Just think whether you love God enough.” And, “Be calmly active and actively calm.”
Pablo Picasso is quoted as saying “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
