by Al King
My teacher, Norman Paulsen, always stressed that Sunburst’s teachings were not a religion, but a way of life. I recall that Paramhansa Yogananda also stressed that one did not have to give up or change his religion to use the path of Kriya Yoga to help himself grow in his relationship with his Creator.
It continually occurs to me that I’m much less concerned with which religion a person practices than I am with their integrity, and fairness. Jesus was asked by a Pharisee lawyer, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Jesus answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
To me this should be of primary importance in one’s religion and in one’s life. The dogmas that have come into being are the ossification of teachings that were once fresh and alive. These teachings were given to people to help them live better lives, live together in virtue, and grow closer to their Creator. Members of different religions and sects would do well to realize that there is only one God, though there are many paths to Him. His ways of reaching out to people are as infinite as He is. God is unlimited in his methods of expression. Religions should help men to understand and love one another, rather than serve as rallying points for confrontations.
When I reflect on the vastness of God, it seems natural that God would accept and enjoy a wide variety of methods of worship. Norm has long encouraged us to strive to see the Spirit in every person with whom we have contact. And hopefully, we realize every face is a reflection of our own.
God is all around us, in every animate and inanimate object, as well as in every person we meet. If we want to be with God, we must learn to find Him in all we see around us, and in every person we see. All men and women are sons and daughters of God and God is in each one of us, waiting for us to recognize Him and love Him.
Seeing God in others will help us learn the action of Love. Christ Consciousness is the embodiment of Love. As we express our love to the Spirit we see in others, so will the Love rain upon us from Spirit.
