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A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were in Carlsbad, a seaside community just north of San Diego, on a brief getaway. We did some out-of-character (for me) activities like trying to visit Legoland (I’ll save the details for another day) and going to the horse races at Del Mar. But we saved the best for last, and on departure day, visited Paramahamsa Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship in Encinitas. Unfortunately, the temple was closed, but we stopped by the spacious bookstore to explore the offerings – books, clothing, statuary and more. After browsing the extensive collection of books by or about Yogananda, I picked up some free material, including a 9-page booklet by him on “The Law of Abundance.” I knew there are similarities between Yogananda’s teachings and Religious Science, but the parallels are undeniable. Some of the passages could have been written by Dr. Ernest Holmes. One, for example, is basically a concise Treatment: “The Lord is the only power: life, love, wisdom, joy, intelligence and truth. You are made in His image, and His divine power is working for you and through you now. That universal power, health, energy, and joy are constantly manifesting in your body, in your mind and in your affairs. Realize this. Accept, rejoice in, and give thanks for the good that is already yours.” Here is another: “Change your thoughts if you wish to change your conditions. Since you alone are responsible for your thoughts, only you can change them. You will want to harbor only righteous, truthful ideas when you realize that each thought, according to its nature, creates outer as well as inner results.” Or this: “Wait until you have established yourself in the joy of God-communion in meditation to affirm the truths you wish to manifest in your life. Then you can go about your daily tasks knowing that the Creator is directing you, giving you power, attracting to you the right people, materials and ideas needed to bring forth that which you rightfully claim as His child.” Clearly, these are universal truths and not exclusive to Science of Mind or any other spiritual or religious teaching.  We strolled next to the nearby meditation garden, which worked magic on state of mind and nervous system in a way that extended far beyond any other experience we had in the five days we were in So Cal. The garden was beautifully maintained with numerous flowering plants, shrubs, trees and a pond. The tranquility was pervasive and palpable. I quickly noticed a preponderance of rounded, light-glossed, mandala-like forms in the plant life. Whether that was by design, a function of the season, just what drew my eye or all of the aforementioned, I don’t know, but it contributed to the sense that this was no ordinary garden.  The pond was stocked with koi, mostly congregating at the base of a tumble of water cascading over a small ledge in an undulating, iridescent blur of saffron, whites and golds. Coupled with the reflections off the water, it made for a mesmerizing scene of movement, color and light. Easy to slip into a meditative state for sure.   I love the thrill of discovery when you’re in a new place. It breaks up habitual patterns and helps move stagnant energy so that when you go back home you bring something new into your familiar patterns. It was thoroughly entertaining and revitalizing to break out of my normal preferences and do some purely entertaining things that I normally wouldn’t choose to do. And it was soothing and restorative to dip into a well of spiritual nourishment and be bathed in the energies of a place dedicated to the realization of the Self. We are both human and divine and it behooves us to acknowledge both.
Dear Ones, Although our seasons aren’t as dramatic as those in the north, there still are distinctions that are obvious to those of us who have lived in California for any length of time. The temperature is dropping. After months with no precipitation, we’ve had our first rains, with more expected in the coming months. On my daily walk this morning, I was observing the differences in the quality of the light. The leaves on the deciduous trees are shriveling and falling to the ground, and I could detect the smell of decaying plant matter as it breaks down and returns to the soil. And, of course, the days are getting shorter, and we are experiencing more darkness than light in a 24-hour period.  "Seasons" acrylic on paper, by Rev. Sandy As November arrives, I always like to set a firm intention to respect the calling of the season. In these days leading up to Thanksgiving, it is so easy to get caught up in the more highly charged emotional climate and the frenetic pace that can surround the way our culture observes our major holidays. After the long, light-filled days of summer and the rapid growth they propell, we have been harvesting the fruits of this dynamic period of expansion. But it doesn’t go on forever. The natural imperative of this time of year is to slow down and prepare for a period of dormancy, and for good reason. It is time for rest, rejuvenation and integration of all that has been created and cultivated during the summer months. Reflected over and over in the universe is what is referred to in Eastern teachings as unmesa (expansion) and nimesa (contraction). We see it in the heartbeat. We see it in the breath. The teachings say that this material world is created and recreated in an ongoing pulsation of unmesa and nimesa. The manifest universe is nothing but a vibrational field descending in density from the first initial movements of desire in the mind of God or Shiva into form, flickering back and forth so rapidly that it is impossible to detect. What appears to be solid is, in fact, a three-dimensional, five-sensory picture show. God’s dream emerges into form out of the stillness of the vast, all-pervasive field of infinite potential and then recedes back to stillness again continuously. It is the dynamic dance of Shiva, the still point out of which everything arises, and Shakti, the creative power of the multiverse. The seasons replicate this same pattern in slow motion – an expansive phase in the spring and summer and the need to withdraw back into an introspective or contractive period in the fall and winter so that the world as we know it can be recreated again. For our own individual health and well-being, it behooves us to take our cues from nature.  "Calm in the Center" mixed media, by Rev. Sandy I encourage you to make time every day to return to the still point within, where you too have access to the powers that recreate you and your life in an optimum way. Whether it is through meditation, a mindful walk in nature or sitting for a cup of afternoon tea and staring out the window. Even taking five minutes to sit and close your eyes, check in with yourself and perhaps do a Treatment (affirmative prayer) is a great reset that will help you maintain your equilibrium. You will find that consciously prioritizing your spiritual practices, even in small doses, will create a buffer that helps you stay centered and balanced when the pace picks up and old emotional wounds get triggered by the intensity of familiar holiday dynamics.
Even when the whole world around us seems to be awry, we always have available within us an unimaginable power that can help us to recalibrate and maintain a state of inner calm and peace. We just need to remember to access it. With love and blessings, Rev. Sandy |
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