March 26, 2023

The Power Of Divine Love

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Grief and delight still have a place in our heart, and either can become a doorway to divine love."
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, The Jewel of Abundance, pg. 230

Grief and delight – What could these two seemingly oppositional experiences have in common? From a mental and emotional perspective, these responses, and the contexts in which they occur, may seem quite different. Realizing and accepting a life-altering loss can break our hearts open, leaving us feeling vulnerable and not knowing how to proceed. In quite a different way, the joy experienced from an uplifting experience also opens our hearts.

From a spiritual perspective, these seemingly divergent experiences are rooted in love. Because the truth is that we only grieve those losses that we truly care about. And, we delight in those experiences that reflect that which we already appreciate. If we listen more deeply within, we may realize that both grief and delight can serve as powerful catalysts to open us into an inner consciousness that transcends both of these earthly experiences.

When we let our hearts open, we can realize the divine invitation to live from the inside out, in the innate Source of unconditional love that remains ever-present and constant through all of life's changes. This divine love can hold us in Its strength, clarity, and hope. And, in time, even grief from what was lost can heal into the remembrance, and maybe even delight, that true divine love never dies.

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.

March 19, 2023

Going Deep Within

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Above all, be steadfast in meditation. It is the boat that carries us across the river of delusion

and keeps us from being lost in the whirlpools of anxious thought."
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian 10/24/2020

In our busy lives and busy minds, it is very easy to get lost in the whirlpools of anxious thought. If we do not step out of that pool, we can begin to believe that our anxious thoughts are accurate depictions of Reality. And, if we engage others in conversation from this level of consciousness, then we can unknowingly entice them to join us in the river of delusion.

In this tradition of Kriya Yoga, our daily meditation practice offers a course correction for our boats of consciousness. In meditation, again and again, we redirect the inner rudder of our attention and awareness into a divine intelligence, clarity, and peace that indwells us all. As we repeatedly redirect ourselves within, we begin to flow away from the shallow currents of mental, emotional, and societal reactivity. From the deeper inner current revealed in meditation, Truth can be heard by us, and call us to express It for the highest good of 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.

March 12, 2023

The Power of Spiritual Practice

Paula Whang-Ramos

"The painful consequences of our errors may serve to break our heart open and
allow the true Self to shine the light of compassion into our life.”
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, Single Blade Of Grass, p. 77

We are on our spiritual path, meditating and offering our daily practices, and then yikes. We make a mistake. We forget an appointment. We say an unkind word to ourselves or another. We fail to be fully present with a friend and miss an important detail in the conversation. That we made a misstep is not surprising.

The more important moment to contemplate is “What will we do after that?” The moment we realize our mistake, the ego mind may react in self-deprecation or defensiveness or even try to blame another for our own life choices. As we already know, these reactions often cultivate more suffering and errors, instead of the inner course correction and healing that we really need.

Conversely, on this path of Kriya Yoga, these missteps are a predictable part of our spiritual practice. The realization of a misstep is a call to pause and offer ourselves a few breaths of kindness and compassion. In that pause, we realize that our failure to meet ego’s expectations does not make us a failure. We breathe into the deeper divine remembrance that every misstep, no matter the size, is an opportunity to return and live from the Wholeness that we are. Then, we can consciously respond, apologize and make amends, as we offer authentic compassion and respect for the wholeness of others. Yes, it takes patience and a few more missteps for us to develop this spiritual maturity. That is why it is called “spiritual practice”, and not “spiritual perfect”.

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.

March 5, 2023

Listen Into All That is Possible

Paula Whang-Ramos

"To facilitate spiritual growth, we should accept on faith the teachings of enlightened people

even if what is taught cannot immediately be understood.
Useful knowledge will then be acquired and continued inquiry will improve comprehension."
~Mr. Roy Eugene Davis, The Eternal Way: The Inner Meaning of the Bhagavad Gita, pg. 252

When we view possibilities from the level of the mind, we may think "Seeing is believing." When I see proof of Wholeness/Spirit/God, then I will believe it. Wisdom Teachers from all enlightened traditions, including Teachers in the Kriya Yoga tradition, offer a different view. "Believing is seeing." Until we believe that something is possible, we will not even be looking for clues to its manifestation or existence in our lives.

If we did not believe that a human could walk on the moon, then we would not have opened into the creative possibility of how it could come to be true. If we did not believe that 71 tons of aluminum, titanium, fuel, and 220 chairs could defy gravity, then we could still be driving and sailing around the world, instead of flying in passenger jets. The truth is, even a person of no faith can envision possibilities for a better life, even though they may not yet be manifested in our earthly experience.

When we listen from the heart, beyond the limitations of the mind, we can believe that peace is possible in our world. We can believe that harmony is possible within the diverse tapestry of our country. We can even believe that inner peace and harmony are possible within our own lives. No, these changes don't occur overnight. But our belief in their possibility can open us into a divinely guided process of inner transformation that changes our lives and all life beyond our belief. When we live from this deeper consciousness, our own lives become living proof of what is truly possible.

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.

Blue Lotus

Meditation & Yoga Center:

CSE south county meditation center

Inspirational Messages

“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