Launch Day — Welcome to the World, Quest for Eternal Sunshine!
What an exciting day! My father’s remarkable life story and wisdom are now being shared with the world. I feel immensely grateful that Mendek devoted his life to healing his trauma and awakening to his true nature, and then spent a decade documenting his quest so we could learn from his revelations and wisdom.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to the many people who contributed their talents, feedback, keepsakes and memories to Quest for Eternal Sunshine. The book would not be here without you. I am also extremely thankful to everyone who is sharing in this journey as it continues to unfold.
To celebrate this special day, I have a gift for you: a visit to Mendek’s sanctuary. My father said his sanctuary was the most desirable piece of real estate he ever owned, and it never cost him a cent.
“It was a place of rest and leisure where the health of my body and the well-being of my mind were restored and invigorated. This sanctuary was one of my most often used visualizations. With time, it became as real, perhaps even more so, as any place I had ever inhabited…I think about it with pleasure and satisfaction, returning to it whenever my needs or fancy take me there. I suspect that my sanctuary exists on some level of reality that cannot be explained—a place that is open to the public, where everyone is welcome.”
I have always been charmed by my father’s openhearted invitation to visit his beautiful, magical retreat, and I can’t imagine a better time to take him up on his invitation than now, while most of us are physically confined and could benefit from a change of scenery.
When he was a little boy, my father discovered that there are no limits to the adventures we can take in our imaginations. “Visualization was always a good, dependable friend,” he wrote. “Like nothing else, it brought me the realization that life is neither fixed nor limited, but rather an ever-changing opportunity for exploration and wonder.”
Please enjoy a personal guided tour of Mendek’s sanctuary—a lovely meditation created by Hilary Nicholls and Deenie Rose. I also offer you the My Sanctuary chapter straight out of the book.
Happy Quest for Eternal Sunshine release day! I feel my dad smiling at us all.
Myra
Quest for Eternal Sunshine, Chapter 27:
MY SANCTUARY
The most desirable piece of real estate I ever owned was a place located on a plateau in the midst of a beautiful mountain range, and it never cost me a cent. I called it “my sanctuary,” and it was a place of rest and leisure where the health of my body and the well-being of my mind were restored and invigorated. This sanctuary was one of my most often used visualizations. With time, it became as real, perhaps even more so, as any place I had ever inhabited.
My sanctuary had a large, oval lake fed by a waterfall that originated from the snow-covered mountains above. Its crystal-clear water was so transparent that you could see all the way to the bottom. The water temperature was comfortable—slightly cooler in the morning, a little warmer in the afternoon—and always inviting and soothing. Wrapped around the lake were gardens overflowing with beautiful, fragrant flowers, softly sloping hills, and tall trees that reached up toward the heavens. The trees stood ever upright, guarding my sanctuary from the countless negative thought forms floating around on earth.
Resting on the velvety green pasture, soothed by the sounds of the waterfall rushing down the mountainside, my mind went silent. Bathed in the healing powers of nature, I watched the tall trees swaying softly in the breeze against the clear blue sky as the sun warmed my body. I was at peace, protected not only from the constant strife and confusion pervading the “real world” but also from fear itself.
No apples, pears, or apricots ever tasted as sweet as they did in my sanctuary. I never tired of the flower garden, and the water- fall was always a source of childlike delight. I could choose the color of the water at will, and I alternated it to match my mood. As I stood underneath the cascade and allowed the fresh water to run over my body, I was cleansed of all my sins, doubts, and fears.
Between the forest and the gardens was a small, round house with large windows framing magnificent views. The entire home was a simply furnished bedroom that blended harmoniously with the outdoors. Special hinges on the large, red oak doors enabled them to move with only the slightest touch of a finger. Despite their massive weight, the doors opened and closed as if they were floating on air.
To the north, there was a road stretching out to infinity that I knew I must inevitably walk one day. This road represented the enigma of life, the puzzle of creation. I had no idea where it went, but I knew it would lead somewhere wonderful.
The only people I invited into my sanctuary were my wife and daughters. Edith was a frequent visitor. Holding hands, we would walk the grounds and appreciate the beauty all around us. Ruthie and Myra loved to swim in the lake and were fascinated by the monkeys in the forest. The waterfall was their favorite.
The more I visited my sanctuary, the sharper the focus and the more intense the experience. After many happy years, it became a part of my consciousness and an extension of myself.
My sanctuary is still very much alive in me now. I think about it with pleasure and satisfaction, returning to it whenever my needs or fancy take me there.
I suspect that my sanctuary exists on some level of reality that cannot be explained—a place that is open to the public, where everyone is welcome.
If you are curious to read Mendek’s original essay, which is longer and has more adventures and details, here you go: The Retreat
Read Myra’s essay, “Honoring a Loved One Through Writing”