(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.”
• Patricia Paulsen • There are many spiritual traditions that exhort you to: “Hurry and finish up your karma so you can leave this planet and go to a more heavenly realm.” The beauty of Sunburst’s teachings is that we’re not in a hurry to get out of here and never come back. We are to fully enjoy the amazing miracle of this life, the sacredness of our Mother Earth, and all life here. That’s what Sunburst is about.
You and I are not this body, not this mind; we are immortal souls, each one of us. And that immortal soul has been given free will to love the Infinite Being, or not. That’s a really powerful gift.
When we live in alignment with divine will, we can move through this life experiencing ever-new joy, love and peace. Even in the midst of life’s storms, there’s a place in you that is Peace, but you must discover this and cultivate it. You can feel at one with the immortal soul that you are.
You hear of “mindfulness, mindful living”—what does this mean? It means being present and centered in awareness, noticing the rising of your thoughts, without reaction. This requires a certain amount of mental discipline and effort. I love our brother Norman’s statements on mindful living:
Mental discipline arises from commitment to the vision you seek— knowing what you want and dedicating your life to bringing it forth into being. It is foolish for anyone to think that they can attain any true level of realization without a life of self-discipline. True discipline is never a restriction; it is liberation!
Meditation is a practice that helps us clear out subconscious habits and conditioning that are no longer of service to us. Discipline of the mind opens a whole canvas onto which you can project and receive. It’s not empty space; it’s full of Presence, life, love, our true nature, who we really are. We were made in the image and likeness of our creator Mother and Father. That’s powerful.
Where do we start? How can you be mindful about your activities in life—what you’re doing with your life force—if you’re not aware of your conduct? Consciousness is with you all the time. You have to become aware of it and focus it to make good decisions. This effort of focus will allow virtue, your divine nature, to come forth through mindful living, making the right choices in life. How often do we act unconsciously and make decisions?
Asking ourselves to be self-disciplined and control our thoughts may seem an overwhelming task. But if you guide your awareness to watch your breath, and feel at home in your body, you gain confidence: “I think I can do that.” You’ll realize that the more you practice conscious breathing with a full in-breath and full out-breath, you begin to calm your heart. By doing so you begin to calm your mind, your thoughts. This is a simple way to calm mental restlessness.
Be kind to yourself; have compassion, not judging when your thoughts keep moving all over the place. Come back to your center of “being here now” and say, “I will keep returning again and again to this present moment, this next breath.” Through such a simple practice, you’ll begin to discover that prana, the life force of Spirit itself, rides on your breath.
Spirit is always trying to help us find our way back home to peace, equanimity and joy, for this is our true nature. Our Creator doesn’t want to see us suffer. We’ve been given tools so that we have a way to return home right within us. The kingdom of heaven is not somewhere else. It is within us, and when we find it within, we find it everywhere around us. We simply have to do the inner work first.
Our dynamic will and conscious awareness is the seat of virtue. It can help us create the future we want to see—not by grasping, but by willingly allowing ourselves to be an instrument for this Presence to work through for the betterment of the whole. Conscious conduct is the wellspring of mindful living. It brings joy to our lives.
by Dawn King•Each of the twelve astrological signs has a corresponding virtue. Western astrology’s Aries Sun illuminates us from March 21 (Spring Equinox) through April 19th. Aries is considered to be the first or beginning sign of the zodiac. The virtue for Aries is Loyalty. The purest essence of loyalty is unfailing devotion to the pure Self, the image of the Creator within each of our souls.
How do we connect with our Creator, or hear Spirit’s voice so we can be devoted, and do Spirit’s will? The key is in listening. Is there a way to enhance our ability to listen to Spirit? As we sit in meditation, our conscious breathing calms and settles the mind. We sit very relaxed, very open and receptive. We sit in the observer’s seat as a watcher, not a doer. A key to listening is entering that state in which we forget ourselves. We blend with the creation. We breathe and relax, becoming one with all life. Now we are still and can listen. Now we can receive.
How God communicates with each one of us is different. For some there are visual images. Others hear audible words. There may be thought transference, feelings, or a combination of any of these various experiences. When you receive a divine message, it’s evident that you didn’t think up the experience. You had no preconceived notions or expectations of the message. It was spontaneous. Sometimes it’s startling, or gives you somewhat of a jolt.
What about when we are not still and meditating? We need guidance most when we’re in the middle of a hectic day and there’s a lot to do. How do we listen then? If we can maintain a conscious listening and looking for Spirit’s communications, we will find them in our day-to-day experiences. Sometimes it comes through the spoken words of another person. Sometimes it’s a visual sign or an omen. For you it might be seeing a feather, hearing a songbird, or the feeling of a hand touching you when no physical hand is there.
A famous story about omens among Indian astrologers is one of an esteemed astrologer who answered a particular client’s question without even looking at his astrology chart. Later, the astrologer was asked by a student who had observed the incident, “How did you know so quickly that this man would indeed prosper in the business endeavor he was enquiring about?”
The astrologer was guru to the student and, as is common for Indian astrologers, he used omens as well as the day’s planetary placements for answering questions on the spot. “Look at the mangos!” he exclaimed. The client had brought a strikingly beautiful platter piled high with perfect mangos as an offering to the astrologer.
We gain sensitivity to our inner and outer environments as we spend time in spiritual contemplation and meditation. When we are sufficiently detached from ego and the busy mind, we become aware of the many times divine messages are coming our way. These messages will keep repeating themselves until we learn to listen and actually hear the Divine. It is a tremendous blessing to be guided by our Creator, our most loving Mother and Father. Take the time to develop a personal relationship with the Divine. Nothing else is as comforting, or as fulfilling.
by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • The birthplace of angels, called the first dimension of consciousness, surrounds the Great Central Sun of God, the Christ, like the corona we observe around our physical sun. Here the brilliance is shaded with a violet-rose light of indescribable beauty and vibration. This is the energy of ecstatic awareness. This is the place where, from out of eternity, individual souls come into being, appearing as spheres of incandescent light, suns of God.
When we first acquired Sunburst Farm years ago, while meditating deeply I observed with closed eyes the astral panorama surrounding my physical body. I could clearly see objects in the physical world—some moving, some stationary. The landscape was clearly visible in a veil of penetrating light.
Toward the east, I observed an orb of brilliant white light rapidly approaching. To my delight, it came directly to me and hovered at eye level. A voice came floating upon the ethereal atmospheres, “I am the one they call Babaji.” I remembered well Yogananda’s description of an ever-youthful figure called Babaji, meaning “holy father.” Babaji was the spiritual guide of Lahiri Mahasaya, Yogananda’s teacher’s teacher.
In my meditation, I watched as Babaji, in the form of the orb of white light, transited the full length of my inner-dimensional spine, emerging from the crown of my head. Hovering again before me, he silently projected in thought forms his pleasure at finding the way open through all the spinal centers. Babaji offered support for the endeavors I had undertaken. He left as he had come, toward the east and his favorite haunts in the high Himalayas.
I am constantly reminded of the appearance of Jesus of Nazareth to Paul of Tarsus. At the time, Paul was traveling to raise support to persecute the growing “cult” of Jesus followers. Jesus appeared before Paul’s vision as a sphere of incandescent light, brighter than our physical sun.
Paul was converted then and there, as he recognized Jesus—whom he had never before met—within that light. Jesus appeared to Paul with the power and brilliance of the Cosmic Christ, the Inner Sun, to baptize and illuminate Paul of Tarsus. Paul was to become one of the greatest advocates and messengers of Christ.
I believe that we human beings are surrounded at all times by angels. Surely we are watched constantly by them. The brilliant flashes of violet-rose and blue-white light seen before our eyes while working, exercising, or meditating, reveal their presence. They can be as big as they like, or as small as they like. They have access to Infinity. They are the projectors and initiators of the divine drama of creation and its evolution.
Many souls on Earth today are evolving inward toward their own spherical bodies of light. In this life, we seemingly find ourselves surrounded by a never-ending obstacle course of events. We must remember the words of Revelations 21:7, “The one who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be their God and they shall be my offspring, my heir.” We must overcome the negativity that surrounds us. With the help of angels, and by living virtue, we finally attain Christ Consciousness, and we truly see what a wondrous creation surrounds us.
Your own divine soul, the image of God within you, is a brilliant sphere of light. It is waiting to direct your physical body from the center of Christ Consciousness, the inner-dimensional throne of God within you. Ask and it shall be opened; seek and ye shall find.Meditate and live virtue, and you will be surrounded with the company of angels. Look to the inner light, brilliant like the sun, and know that you are looking at beings from the first dimension, the angels of the Cosmic Sun, I Am That I Am.
In the beginning, the 12 days of Christmas were 12 steps to Divine Realization. Farther back than we can remember, the Ancients knew this symbol, a Rainbow Path Key and spiritual wormhole leading to all wisdom, all space, and all time.
Wisdom keepers who’ve been through the wormhole are returning the Rainbow Path Key back to humankind’s awareness. Each one who strives to embrace this wisdom tears free a part of the net of ignorance holding all humans in bondage.
Let us rejoice for the Ancient Rainbow Path unveiled, a precious gift that, when fully opened, reveals the true Christ-Mass, Divine Consciousness. Each day we can find more Joy and ecstasy as we grow in Divine Love, the heart of this teaching.
Join us virtually in 2021 as we explore, and learn. We are Astronauts of Inner Space, wandering the worlds of our divine birthright, and finding new strength and understanding within. SUNBURST
by Sandy Anderson • Courage is a universal virtue. All beings want it; all beings need it to survive, to thrive, and to move forward in their lives, to protect their young, and to go for their goals.
This quote is from Norman Paulsen, founder of Sunburst Community: “Your inner quest and surrender to God gives you the strength and confidence to face and overcome your fears. The presence and attainment of courage on the pathway homeward is realized through your unceasing love and devotion to God. Love bestows courage.”
All beings require courage to stand up, to be a part of this mighty miracle, to be a part of this beautiful life that moves in all of us. Courage is essential to affirm “I am,” to become who we really are. Every step of the way demands courage.
Every virtue is tested at some point in our lives, at a time when we must stand up and claim that virtue. Courage is a multi-faceted jewel that is reflected in all virtues. It’s a jewel of joy. Day by day, in many ways, we are tested in it. We all feel fear at some time. And we can all claim the virtue of courage. It is within us.
I want to tell a little story about when I had to face my own fears. For me it was a victory I’ll never forget it. My husband and I planned a trip to Santa Cruz Island to go kayaking, when there was to be no swell and the tide would be low. Two days before we went out, we found out it was going to be windy, but we went anyway.
We got in the water, and because of the wind, there were big waves. They looked like they were going to break on us, but they weren’t. I remember at one point there was a huge wave coming right at me, and I almost screamed. Then I remembered, “No, it won’t break on me,” and it just went right underneath the kayak. It took me awhile to relax and trust that I would be safe.
My companion in overcoming that fear was the One that can allay all fears. It was Living Spirit. We went through the big waves and into the sea caves together. We went into almost every cave, every tunnel, and every arch. I remember on the way home feeling thoroughly ecstatic, not just because I’d been kayaking, but because I had conquered my fear. Spirit gave me the confidence, strength, and courage to feel the fear and move through it. That’s one of the blessings that we can call on everyday while in this great earthly drama. My experience that day inspired this prayer:
Living Spirit, you bestow on us courage whenever we ask for it. You bestow courage from your essence, from your blessing. We reach out with both our hands and our hearts to embrace you, to allow your freedom to move and create within our lives. We offer this canvas of our lives to you for a beautiful painting. We will paint with you, and sing along with your sacred song.
Amen
