Inspirational Messages

April 30, 2023

Inherent Happiness

Paula Whang-Ramos

“A strong determination to be happy will help you. Do not wait for circumstances to change,
thinking falsely that in them lies the trouble … That power to be happy comes through meditation.”
~Paramahansa Yogananda, Spiritual Diary, April 26.

Years ago, I recall delivering a large arrangement of flowers in a hospital. Walking towards me was a small toddler and her Dad, who was busy reading a piece of paper. With a big smile on her face, the proud toddler was very focused on her every step, as if no one had ever walked as perfectly as she. And then she saw me and the huge box of brightly colored flowers coming towards her. In that moment when she stopped focusing on her walking, she stumbled and fell down. On her hands and knees, she froze. And Dad froze. And I froze.

After a moment of silence on the ground, she looked up at her Dad, and said, “Happy?”. Dad looked down at her, nodded in agreement, and affirmed, “Happy.” The toddler stood herself up, got her balance, and resumed her excellent walking with a huge smile on her face.

Yoga teachings say that bliss is an inherent expression of the soul, always waiting to be expressed through us. The innocence of youth revealed this wisdom that we adults are in the process of remembering. I am very grateful for the practice of meditation and the teachings of Kriya Yoga to help me reclaim the innate “happy” that is not shaken in life's stumblings. And I am grateful to a wise child for reflecting this Truth.

Join us at Blue Lotus Center onsite (Wednesday evenings only) and online (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Experience a time of meditation, study, contemplation, and divine remembrance with others devoted to realizing and thriving in our innate peace, love, and wisdom. Contribute to the realization of peace in our minds, our hearts, our families, our community, and our world. Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center welcomes sincere seekers from all backgrounds. Beginning and experienced participants from all traditions are welcome at all gatherings.

April 23, 2023

Deeply Rooted In Wholeness

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Dedicate your home as a place of blessing. With the intention to bless, we are more likely to act
in accordance with our divine nature to be generous, patient, and kind."
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, CSE Daily Inspiration 04/04/2023

During Springtime, I love how the Source of life expresses Itself in my meditation garden. Sleeping plants awaken and grow in places I did not even know they lived. And, plants greatly challenged by recent severe weather are budding with new life now.

Each morning, the energy and beauty of my garden friends invite me to sit, witness and listen into the deeper wisdom that enlivens my non-human neighbors. Blooming buds overflowing on branches that appeared dead last month, serve as living inspirations of the Source’s generosity to support life. Tulips rising up from dormant-looking soil reflect the power of patience for growth occurring beneath the surface of earthly appearances. And the harmonious way in which diverse plants and bugs all coexist in the garden demonstrates what is possible when life is rooted in that which joins us, instead of that which appears to separate us.

We can feel the power of what is possible when we consciously live in accordance with our divine nature. We can appreciate all that is already provided to support us, right here, right now. And we can be grateful for the divine reminder that to share a blessing, we do not need to be more generous, patient, and kind. We only need to live more deeply from the spiritual root base that is already expressing these qualities within all of its expressions – including every single one of us.

Join us at Blue Lotus Center onsite (Wednesday evenings only) and online (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Experience a time of meditation, study, contemplation, and divine remembrance with others devoted to realizing and thriving in our innate peace, love, and wisdom. Contribute to the realization of peace in our minds, our hearts, our families, our community, and our world. Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center welcomes sincere seekers from all backgrounds. Beginning and experienced participants from all traditions are welcome at all gatherings.

April 16, 2023

Cherish Changing Bodies

Paula Whang-Ramos

“The journey of awakening takes us from identification with the body-mind as a separate self
to the reality of our oneness with the Infinite. We cross the river of delusion and discover the shore of eternity.”
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, CSE Daily Inspiration, 04/09/2023

Wisdom traditions from the East and West remind us that we are individual expressions of one spiritual Source, called by many names. We are blessed with body-minds that serve as instruments through which we can experience this divine remembrance as spiritual beings. Our daily spiritual practice opens us into the infinite wisdom and divine potential that indwells us all. We have everything we need to live in the power, presence, and wisdom of our essential Wholeness – in this lifetime.

And then, a body changes in some unexpected or undesired way. Perhaps we, or a loved one, receive a troubling medical diagnosis. As we process this difficult news, we may forget our essential wholeness as spiritual beings, and mistakenly overidentify with the body’s earthly limitations, imbalances, and ailments. We can forget that the body-mind is the instrument and not the Source of our life. If we don’t step out of this river of delusion, we may even mistakenly believe that we are limited, imbalanced, broken, and incurable.

Join us this Saturday at BLC onsite and online for a special program “Radiant Living: Cherish Changing Bodies”. Meditate in the Wholeness that freely flows through our body-minds. Practice gentle Qigong movements to experience the body as an instrument for our spiritual awakening. Learn practical ways to restore our inner balance in Wholeness. Be inspired and empowered in the reality of our eternal, unchanging oneness in the Infinite!

Join us at Blue Lotus Center onsite (Wednesday evenings only) and online (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Experience a time of meditation, study, contemplation, and divine remembrance with others devoted to realizing and thriving in our innate peace, love, and wisdom. Contribute to the realization of peace in our minds, our hearts, our families, our community, and our world. Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center welcomes sincere seekers from all backgrounds. Beginning and experienced participants from all traditions are welcome at all gatherings.

April 9, 2023

Celebrate Soul Liberation!

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Wake up from the mortal dream and live as an enlightened being. Don’t put it off by imagining it is not possible for you.

Enlightenment is our natural condition. It is the revelation of our essential nature, unimpeded by false identification. Enlightenment already is."
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

During this holy season, imagine the opportunity to let die all the habits that keep us from living as the unique divine expressions of Wholeness that we are. What could our lives be like if we stopped reliving old stories of limitation? How could our quality of life be enhanced if our lives were inwardly guided by soul wisdom instead of unhealthy habits? What could happen if we intentionally allowed our inner Wholeness to rise up from within and fill our lives with ITs peace, love, wisdom, and joy?

This time of year can invite us to contemplate these questions and to listen into the deeper meaning and purpose of our lives. We are called to inwardly explore and live into divine possibilities beneath the limitations of our minds. If we look and listen deeply within, we can be inspired by the revelation of enlightenment available within us all in this lifetime! Join us this morning at CSE for the special Soul Liberation Ceremony. Join our extended spiritual CSE family in the freedom of the soul. Celebrate your Liberation today!

Join us at Blue Lotus Center onsite (Wednesday evenings only) and online (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Experience a time of meditation, study, contemplation, and divine remembrance with others devoted to realizing and thriving in our innate peace, love, and wisdom. Contribute to the realization of peace in our minds, our hearts, our families, our community, and our world. Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center welcomes sincere seekers from all backgrounds. Beginning and experienced participants from all traditions are welcome at all gatherings.

April 2, 2023

Hold All In Love

Paula Whang-Ramos

"To practice deeds of loving-kindness is to live the truth that we are love itself.”
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, CSE Daily Inspiration 03/28/2023

Loving-kindness sounds like a beautiful way to live, doesn’t it? To love kindly and to be kindly loving – what a powerful gift to offer and receive from another. To me, the deeper power of loving-kindness is experienced and demonstrated during moments when the presence of love is most obscured. Can we disagree with another and still be kind? When we experience unexpected life changes, can we let our hearts break open into the love beneath that loss? Can we be kind with ourselves and others, when a costly mistake is made?

Challenging circumstances are good opportunities to mature our loving-kindness practice. The realization of our unkind action or reaction can serve as a reminder to let go of the inner critic and create inner space to be more authentically loving with ourselves and others. As spiritual practice, again and again, we choose to open our hearts into the indwelling Source of life that is continually offering Its unconditional love to everyone - regardless of the circumstance and our reactions to it. Learning to live from this indwelling Source of love offers the blessing of loving-kindness to us all!

Join us at Blue Lotus Center onsite (Wednesday evenings only) and online (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Experience a time of meditation, study, contemplation, and divine remembrance with others devoted to realizing and thriving in our innate peace, love, and wisdom. Contribute to the realization of peace in our minds, our hearts, our families, our community, and our world. Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center welcomes sincere seekers from all backgrounds. Beginning and experienced participants from all traditions are welcome at all gatherings.

Meditation & Yoga Center:

CSE south county meditation center

Blue Lotus

“If anything disturbs your peace, practice having faith that divine grace is already actively at work restoring wholeness and well-being.

Then make any necessary adjustments in harmony with that insight.”
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, Spiritual Director, Center for Spiritual Enlightenment