•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 Jake Collier•What an incredible imagination the Great Spirit has—to not only bring into being all of creation, but to have the imagination to create these amazing bodies, our earthly temples. Sometimes we might ask ourselves, “Why is the energy of karma woven into this divine plan?”
The original concept of karma was to perpetuate ecstasy in these bodies so that in each lifetime souls who walked in the body would live in virtue, peace, and harmony. In this way they would be creating wondrously helpful energies to take into the next life [good karma], further perpetuating ecstasy in each existence on Earth.
Think of life here as being like taking a hike in the wilderness. No matter how hard we try to not break or hurt anything, we crush the grass that we walk on; we might step on some insects; branches break under foot. It’s impossible to make the journey without affecting something, and creating karma.
How many of us, when we go on vacation, pack a bag, or several. Yet when we get to our destination, we’re inspired to purchase more things, more bags with souvenirs and gifts from that experience, that existence. So it is with karma. All the energetics of our past actions are packed, and coming into this life with us—we bring our soul’s baggage from past existences due to the law of cause and effect.
Karma belongs not only to individuals—there is group karma, community karma, city karma, and country karma. It can be seen throughout history, wherein civilizations have risen and fallen, countries have flourished and perished.
Cause and Effect is really a wonderful cosmic design because, like the scales of justice, we can pack our virtuous thoughts and purely motivated actions onto one side of the scale, tipping it toward a better life for ourselves, a higher consciousness, and toward a positive effect on others and our communities.
Many times people use the idea of karma as a cop-out, an excuse: “Oh, it’s my karma to do this.” In reality, each moment we have the ability to change our lives, to perpetuate pure thoughts and actions. Thankfully, there have been those souls, those evolved beings, who have come here and passed on techniques of meditation through which we can burn up karmas that we brought into this life, as well as karmas we are generating.
When practiced on a regular basis, meditation can transform our lives, altering our future. We can begin to experience the taste of ecstasy, and once we have that taste, it’s all we desire—to taste it again and again. When we feel God’s ecstasy, we know there is nothing in this life better than that. When we are totally in that moment, feeling the Divine vibrating all around and within us, it’s such joy, such peace.
Mother Father God, make your truths known to us. May our vision become clearer and our thoughts purer,
that we might dwell in your house here on this Earth
as a pure reflection of you. Amen
•by David Adolphsen• Over the last few years, I have really appreciated reading the poetry of Rumi. He always refers to God as “the Friend.” I like the personal feeling that it gives because when I think about the friendships that I have in my life, I realize that a divine friendship with your earthly friends is a gift that is beyond measure—to have people who support your quest to evolve and advance spiritually, and to be able to do the same for them.
While thinking about that, I remembered a saying I heard a while back: If my friend is important to me, then the things that are important to my friend are important to me. When I think about what is important to Divine Spirit, well…obviously everything is important to Divine Spirit: the Earth, all of the elements of the Earth, all of creation that we can see, and all of the creation that we can’t see. But when it comes down to a personal feeling, all of the people on the Earth are important to Divine Spirit, and it doesn’t matter one bit what any of their actions are, or what their religious or political beliefs are, or if they have any religious or political beliefs at all.
Divine Spirit is completely interested in every single individual, because we are Divine Spirit’s offspring. Just as we might look upon a little baby with awe, wonder and delight, Divine Spirit has that same feeling for each of us, and wants to enjoy living with each of us more than we can imagine. We can’t see Divine Spirit, for the most part, but Divine Spirit always sees us, and is always there.
The sun in our sky today is the same one that everyone sees all around our planet. Without that sun, none of us would be here. That physical sun is a reflection of the inner sun, what we call the Christ Light, or the first creation of light. When we sit to meditate, we connect through the crowns of our heads to that Christ Light, the divine Sun, and we draw that energy into our bodies. As we do that, it nurtures and grows our conscious awareness.
Each one of us has a deep well of goodness that we can dip into and become the best people we can be while we live on this Earth. Since we live to a certain degree in ignorance of our true identity, it’s important for each of us to nurture our soul. It’s a great responsibility, and the reward to the mind and the body is great. Feed your soul—just like you feed your body every day. The reward of developing a spiritual friendship with others, and with our Creator is a gift beyond measure.
by Norman Paulsen • Sunburst Founder • The whole creation is divine imagination made visible by thought, will and life. Each of Spirit’s children is a designer, equipped by the Holy One with the gift of imagination. By using this gift, we create images in the field of power around us, the field of life force that fills eternity.
When we cast these images, like seeds, into the field of power, they take root and appear in time. This is the sowing and the reaping. Thus, whatsoever we sow, be it good or evil, becomes visible to us in the future. As we think and desire, and desire and think, the future is written and the past is erased. The images we put forth in thought draw us in their direction like iron filings to a magnet, like a moth to the flame.
By seeding images of love for one another and of desire to know the Truth, we will come to that place on the path where the Light and Presence we seek is within arm’s reach. On that day the ego is put to the test. Is it willing to give up all it has gained and enter the place of which it knows nothing? Could this be the ego’s annihilation?
On that day, if you are able to give an answer that is unselfish and full of service, faith, and love, then that Light will burst forth in you, and you will know immortality. You will know the true reality, the infinite Holy One on his own threshold, the sea of eternity. You will merge with ever-new love, not a love that reaches a pinnacle and descends, but is forever reaching new pinnacles. Thus man and woman ascend, and put on their true spiritual selves.
Once doing this, the false self, the ego, has lost its argument. You will become a divinely conscious being, actively reflecting your true home. When you gather together with others who have reached this state, consider the power. This is what Jesus wanted to see, for surely mountains will move; but more than mountains, souls can be led to the Light.
Meditate upon the path. Test the field of power. Cultivate your imagination, for herein lies the power of the master builder, the master scientist, the master physician, the master of the cosmic forces.
As the whole creation has come forth from the Divine, it is a perfect poem by a perfect author. We each have to become perfect authors, putting forth images with thought that will create a perfect poem of beauty and goodness.
As you gain mastery of your own life, you, the infinite soul, the son or daughter of God, will have all the forces of creation behind you. You can use this divine force to help, to heal, to console. You can put it all in your heart and experience ecstasy. As long as you use this force for good, you will be happy.
by Valerie King•Dear Lovers of God, don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up! Sometimes life and meditation can be difficult, but just when the going is toughest, that’s often when you are making the most progress. God only looks upon your efforts, not your ideas of success or failure. Your loving Divine Parents appreciate your efforts to do good, and to commune with them, and will reward your desire if you persevere.
This lesson was brought home to me one evening when I was exhausted from a very stressful day at work. As I sat to meditate, my thoughts were scattered and unruly. My concentration was really bad. Sitting in my kitchen later, I held my head in my hands and cried out to Spirit, “I am so sorry. I feel like a failure tonight.”
Immediately, the beautiful inner-dimensional tunnel began to appear before my inner vision, clearer and more intense than i’d ever seen it. Pulses and waves of radiant, sparkling greens, golds, blues and purples were moving ever inward to the center. Scintillating white particles, wondrously alive and conscious, danced and flashed before me, moving in a joyous spiral toward the light beyond the tunnel. Then a radiant white Being of light appeared in the center of my vision. I smiled through grateful tears, “My beloved is here!”
“Oh my Friend, you are the One who knows all about my struggles and my efforts on the path, my failures and my successes. Thank you for reminding me that you are always here, always watching over me, supporting me with your divine love, whether I see you or feel you, or not. I know that even when I think I’m doing the worst, my journey still goes on, as long as I love you. And I will never stop loving you!”
Every time we turn to that inner center,
we are recognizing that we, of our own self, can do nothing;
we are seeking the kingdom within. This is true humility, true prayer.
It is acknowledging that wisdom, power, and strength come from the Infinite Invisible.
These periods of silence create an atmosphere of Spirit in which the activity of Spirit,
without our knowing it or having any awareness of it, goes before us to make the desert blossom as the rose. – Joel Goldsmith
•by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder•Many people who have had near-death experiences have miraculously returned, describing seeing their physical forms on a hospital operating table or in a serious accident situation. At the same time, they describe seeing a tunnel of light of sufficient diameter for them to enter. Predominantly, these souls have also seen a light way off in the distance, seemingly at the end of the tunnel. This light is approaching them offering love, compassion, understanding and hope, and enjoining them to come to it.
They go on to describe a personal, one-on-one relationship with this Being of Light. It may appear as a spherical, brilliant orb of light, or in a human-like form. It has the ability to communicate with the individual. They seemingly hear a voice coming toward them through this tunnel. Many have been given the choice of going with the light at that very instant, or of remaining in their earthly environment to go on with the perfection of their lives.
Those who have been blessed with this experience have returned profoundly changed. They have had a taste of immortality. They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is alive, that God is personal. They know that beyond this physical form, life goes on in a continuum, and it goes on dramatically and wonderfully!
Incredibly, this experience can be gained in full health, without the necessity of going through a terrible accident or illness. By attempting to live a balanced life of virtue and service, as well as devotion and love for God, we can set the stage for the day of illumination to come. On this day, all our efforts bear fruit. We now stand in the full light of God’s brilliance and unconditional love.
“…Having been in the presence of a Being who knows everything about you, to know he totally accepts you and totally loves you, I never wanted to leave this Being again…” – Dr. George Ritchie, M.D., describing his near-death experience
