How many times have we heard someone say that so and so is living the good life.   Usually, when we hear those words we think of a life of leisure, health, wealth and material comforts, a life without worries or problems.  This, however, is a limited view of life and its goodness. The word “Good” has its origin in the word “God.”  So our subject could just as easily be “The God Life” or we could say more correctly that “God is life!” or “Life is God.”

If we are wondering when will there be peace on Earth, maybe we are asking the wrong question.  Maybe we should ask: What is the abode of peace? Where does peace dwell? How do we find it? 

Let us turn our reflection to this thought from the Bhagavad Gita: "Unless one has realized peace within, where else can one find it?"

As we bask in the unfolding warmth, beauty and color of Spring, let us set our minds on one of the most sacred symbols loved by man; flowers. From the Golden Lotus of our Temple, to the Flower of Life pattern embraced by mathematicians and ancients alike, this Sunday we will meditate on the sublime and profound lessons offered as nature bursts forward all around us. May the seeds and fruit these flowers bear implant inspiration and wisdom along our divine path.

All messengers of God have shared with us the message that God is light.  In the Upanishads, the message is “Brahma Jyotismati—God is light.”  In the Koran we find the same message: “God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth”and in the ancient Gayatri Prayer we are invited to meditate upon God as that “effulgent Reality” from whom the whole universe is projected What do we mean when we say “God is Light?” 

What is our relationship to that Light and to the universe?  Are we separate from that light or are we a ray of that divine light manifesting in this world of duality?   What did Jesus of Christ Consciousness mean when he said, ‘If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”   Is it true as it states in the Upanishads, “The soul of man is of identical nature with the God of the Universe.”

What about living in the light?  Do we see that Light in the world around us and in our dealings with that world.   Are we guided by that light in our daily life. Can we find joy in this world of light and shadow? 

All disciples of God look to the mystery of resurrection as taught and exemplified through the Christ-conscious life of Jesus.  Spring glorifies this most spiritual event in the life of man: Resurrection is eternally for WHAT LIVES, humanly speaking, for those who are prepared to lift themselves from the moorings of mundane living and arise through more subtle regions of body and mind into the Cosmic Life of God.

The significance of the mystical and sublime Palm Sunday is universal.  We recall that sacred time when Jesus returned to Jerusalem. As the crowds spread their garments and waved their palm branches, they shouted “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Let us take this time to reflect on the question: “Who comes in the name of the Lord?” Perhaps we may find that our own spiritual journey echoes this very question.  

The laws of humankind have been instituted to help human beings live in harmony with one another on this plane of existence. There is a higher law, the Eternal Law, which allows us to live in harmony with our own true dharma and with God himself. By guiding our thoughts, words and actions by the Eternal Law we are inexorably drawn closer to God, and ultimately to oneness with Him. Human laws have a relative and limited benefit; only by living in concordance with the Eternal Law is true peace assured on this earthly plane. Buddha has given us an infallible guide to following this law in "Dhammapada, the Path of the Eternal Law."

Wise renunciation inspires, sustains and fulfills one’s progress on the path of spirituality. However, renunciation itself means walking the “razor’s edge,”  for inspired practice requires knowledge, self-reflection and constant discrimination!

Although there is a single standard that has guided the wise in their renunciation, there are many, many ways and stages of renunciation for us to understand.  Contemplating the sublime secrets of this sacred principle we find exactly how renunciation enhances and expands our life’s divine bounties.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali begin with just three words: atha yoga anushasanam. Or, very roughly translated, "Now, after prior preparation through life, the study and practice of Yoga begins." Let us come together this Sunday to meditate upon this great sage, contemplate these inspired words, and consider where we have come from, as well as the path we set off on as each one of us makes the decision, and now yoga.

It is interesting to note that the objective setting for the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, "The Revelation of the Supreme Self," occurs on a battlefield.  This war, however has nothing to do with the objective ravages of slaughter and mayhem, but in its true meaning reflects the symbolic battle that is constantly being waged between the propensities of our ego and the illuminating guidance of our soul.  The dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna speaks to the spiritual quest of man for the light and perfection of God.

We all understand what a composition is…be it elemental (functional) or artistic.

Exploring the very purpose and process of composing opens our minds and hearts to identifying with God as living parts of His vast, continuously creative composition.

Our lives seem to be so complex these days with myriads of choices to be made and a seeming infinite number of paths open to us. In the clear light of discrimination, however, we perceive that, in reality, there are only two paths open to us: the path leading toward God or the path leading away from God; the path guided by ego or the path illumined by the light of soul; the ascending path or the descending path. At every moment in our lives we stand at the crossroads of these two paths. Which do we choose?

From time immemorial, man has placed considerable importance on codes of conduct. All societies and cultural traditions develop standards, rules, guidelines to delineate and define right action. That outward structure is mirrored within us as well, as we construct our personal moral and ethical identities. Yet, what is right, and why? Through the tool of parables, great teachers from all times and lands have answered these questions. Let us come together this Sunday to meditate on the moral of their story.

God is the Source… and the Perfection.  We, as manifestations of that Source, are continually guided toward realization of that Perfection. We are guided by God, by Guru, by Nature, by Wisdom, Love and Beauty. All that inspires our spiritual unfoldment guides us to the Perfection that resides within us. With consistent and concentrated effort, let us meditate on the glory of that effulgent Reality, from whom the whole universe is projected.

The harmonious relationship of body, mind and soul is maintained by the consciousness-bearing life breath. The profound meanings born of this simple truth extend into every realm and level of cosmic existence and to all animate beings.  Our own breathing links us in the vast and vital cosmic process, but at the same time it intimately affects our individual well-being, both objectively and subjectively. What is this "mindful breathing" and how can we utilize it for our greatest divine potential?  Our subject is at the heart of all yoga practices and meditation.

As we approach the middle of winter, our coldest weeks, may we contemplate the source of warmth within. The congregation will join together this week to spend some time with our hearts. They are the first organs to form inside our bodies. After only 21 days, the heart begins to pump, creating the circulation necessary to build and power the brain and nervous system. This pumping will continue unceasingly until the day we depart this plane of existence. Yet, this physical role is but a part of the heart's divine duty. From time immemorial, man has asked God to bless our hearts, to sanctify and purify our center of feeling, allowing us ever greater alignment to and perception of Love and Truth. Let us do just that this coming Sunday.

Since the dawn of civilization the evolution of humankind can be understood as the continuing search for that which is real. Both science and religion have had, and continue to have, the pursuit and understanding of “reality” as their primary goal. What is the ultimate reality of this universe? It is God, Sat-Chit-Anandam, Consciousness-Existence-Bliss Absolute. The entire manifested universe is projected from that one Absolute Reality. Realization means “to make real”. Self-realization means perceiving God the Absolute as the ultimate reality of our being.

As we begin a new year, let us realize the blessings of Soul that guide us ever to God. These blessings are the illuminating qualities of Divinity within us. Let us ever draw from that eternal source of love, peace and hope. May the power of God strengthen our hearts and illumine our minds.  

This Sunday, as we approach New Year’s Eve 2015, we will close one chapter and open a fresh, new chapter in the book of our life story.  What this new chapter will bring is a choice for each of us.

The Angels Gracious Light of Soul, bending near the earth in me touched the golden heart strings of my heart and the worlds in silent obeisance lay to hear their voices "Peace and Joy! Peace and Joy unto All!" Upon this midnight clear I listen to their Word resounding still.