The Focus Of Enlightenment #1

The  Remnant

from  The Focus of Enlightenment #1

Martin Cecil   September 9, 1979

Within the scope of this darkened state there is a considerable spectrum of experience, but all of it is contained in the darkened state. Within the scope of this spectrum there are those human beings who might be said to be honorable; they would not willingly violate their integrity. There is therefore this segment within the scope of the darkened state which may well be called a remnant. It is composed of those who are in the darkened state like everybody else but who nevertheless have a compulsion to integrity: an honorable remnant. In every generation all down through the ages there has been present amongst the population of the earth this honorable remnant. Clearly this honorable remnant, which has been a fact, is completely inadequate to achieve what needs to be achieved to let mankind be restored to the state of enlightenment. If that had been possible by reason of that remnant it would have been done, because they’ve always been here. Occasionally there is this individual or that individual, who might be included in this remnant, rising to a position of prominence in the human world, so that these particular individuals became visible; the evidence of their integrity was made clear. This indeed pointed toward a direction in which others might move too; in other words it would be well if the honorable remnant wasn’t so small.

We may well rejoice in the fact that there has been such a remnant always in the world, but we also may see clearly enough that this doesn’t permit what could be called the restoration of man. In fact, generally speaking, those who have had an expression of integrity in the world have not really anticipated that what they had to offer would do more than be a rather minimal influence upon the population of the world in general. Is it to be supposed then that there is no way by which the true state of man might be reexperienced? Obviously there are those who would argue that there is no such true state, until we have somehow evolved into it perhaps. But the only way that the truth of the matter might be proven out is to prove it out, and there has been a very considerable unwillingness to let this happen. There have been opportunities provided down through the ages, from time to time, by which the required factor, over and above the remnant, has been made available in the world.

We have given some consideration to these things, in the historical sense, before. The outstanding example in this regard was provided by the One called Jesus. Here was the element introduced into the world in the individual sense: a focus of what was needed to allow the remnant to be brought into that greater experience of the reality of man that was requisite for the restoration. As it proved out, the remnant were totally inadequate to the task, and so the opportunity was lost. From the standpoint of Christianity there has been an endeavor to pick it up on the basis of hindsight; but this never works. The truth is only available in the present moment. It must be experienced now. Human beings think of themselves as being expert in hindsight. Because of this expertise they are totally not present now, and so are totally incapable of recognizing, comprehending and experiencing what is available now. As long as any of us are still hung up in the past we’re not present. If we imagine our salvation is coming out of the past we are self-deluded, because what is needful now is now. It is present with us now, to be experienced now, unconditioned by what happened in the past. If everything that we experience now is always colored and conditioned by what happened in the past we never really know what it is that is available to us now. It’s always distorted; it’s always colored. It always keeps us in the darkened state.

There is, then, the necessity not only of a remnant—the remnant’s here; it’s always been here—but of a focus of enlightenment. That focus of enlightenment was represented clearly enough by the One called Jesus. It was available then when He was on earth. It certainly is not available now in the same way. It is not now needful that it should be available in the same way as it was two thousand years ago. It needs to be what it is now. The One called Jesus, who represented the truth in this regard clearly enough, gave indication of the nature of that truth as it should find expression through a collective focus rather than merely through an individual focus such as He Himself provided. He said, for instance, something about “the works that I do shall ye do also; and greater works than these shall ye do”—the greater works being possible because it wasn’t restricted to one person. It is clear enough that, when all was said and done, at the conclusion of His ministry He was left virtually alone, just one person on the face of the earth providing a focus of the true state of man, the enlightened state of man. Everybody has subsequently, from the Christian standpoint at least, bowed down and worshiped that particular evidence of the true state of man, now nineteen centuries old, as though that somehow was going to achieve something. But who has taken the responsibility that was offered?

Mention was made of the spirit of truth which should come, be sent, be experienced: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” We need to understand the spirit of these words so that we don’t get hung up on the form of them—the spirit of these words as they properly find expression in our experience, in our living, now. Most Christians would acknowledge that they found expression in the experience of the One called Jesus when it was “now” for Him; and He said, “Follow me; let it be so for you.” So here is this open door for the actual experience of something, rather than for a belief which may stir the memory that we need to have an actual experience of something. This is what Christianity has amounted to: something to stir the memory so that we might wake up. But everybody has been content to have their memory stirred around a little, but they were not willing to wake up.

“All things that the Father hath are mine.” What is needful is that the Father should be represented on earth. That is what Jesus did as an individual. He represented the Father on earth. Now He is saying that it not only requires to be done by an individual but it requires to be done by a number of individuals in the oneness described as the true vine. There must be the provision of the enlightened One on earth if the fact that the remnant is still here is to have any meaning. The remnant in and of themselves remain meaningless, except perhaps as a reminder to anyone who would like to be reminded. It appears that not too many have been interested in being reminded. But in and of itself the remnant is helpless.

There has been a tendency on the part of some to bow down and worship the remnant when some individual appeared on the scene of things and exhibited integrity. Well that’s a wonderful thing, but don't worship it. Don’t imagine that that is going to achieve anything in and of itself; it isn’t. There needs to be the essential focus of the true state on earth before anything is going to happen.

Who is going to have that responsibility? Those who are participating in the remnant for the most part know absolutely nothing about it. They don’t know what’s necessary. They may see the importance of their integrity; and they may, if they are honorable people, fulfil integrity in their living to the highest of their ability. But this of itself is not sufficient. The remnant is necessary within the scope of the human population; but without a point of focus, the focus of enlightenment, the focus which makes clear in those who provide it what it is that is necessary on earth so that the essential leadership in this sense is provided, there is nothing that can happen beyond what has already been happening in the world.

Let us see that those who begin to provide this focus of enlightenment on earth see the world from above. They rise up out of their little parochial experience and stand above, so that there may be a consciousness of wholeness first. Then it may be seen how the details compose that wholeness. But unless there is an awareness of the wholeness the details mean nothing. If we have a vision of the whole we see that the whole is not passing away. It is merely the parts that pass away. It is impossible to discover what the whole is by gathering together a bunch of parts and trying to put them together.

If there is to be a focus of enlightenment on earth there must be a rising up on the part of those who are to compose this focus to a level that is beyond the remnant. Those who allow this rising up to occur are content to let the remnant be the remnant, but they do not look to the remnant to provide what is necessary. We know very well that they can’t; it’s impossible. That there should be this remnant is well and good, but without the focus, the focus which was exemplified by Jesus at one point in the unfolding history of human beings, there is nothing. That point of enlightenment naturally must have a consciousness of the whole, an awareness which allows all the parts to be seen in the places where they belong in the whole. Nothing has to be put together; it’s all together already once there begins to be this focus point available in the world; and this focus point is no longer one individual. This focus point of the truth in expression, the enlightened state, is differentiated through various ones, rightly.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” It is necessary to experience the happening itself to know what it is. It is useless merely to talk about it, to try to explain it, because this still deifies the human mind which thinks that it is wise after something has been explained; and being wise it imagines that it is then capable of directing affairs. Never! It isn’t done that way. Not by physical might, not by intellectual power, but by the spirit of the living God is it done; and that spirit requires those who are willing to participate in the enlightened state now; not to evolve into it—that would never happen! You, amongst others, have presented yourselves presumably that this might occur. There are those who begin to rise up and sense, become aware of, the whole. There are those who don’t. I’m not going to judge you or anyone else. My sole concern is to let it happen, and it will happen through certain ones. I don’t know who they are. You tell me! I ask the question; you give the answer, and the enlightened state of focus emerges.

You can look around—many of you have looked around—here, there, seen this undertaking, the other teaching, the other technique, whatever, all kinds of things round about in the world. Some of you are still thinking that something of value is going to come out of that. It isn’t. It isn’t at all, so why bother looking? The thing that is of value is what comes down from God out of heaven now, not what someone else did yesterday.

What is happening now?

That’s the question, and each individual is being asked the question.

Most people think that they have the right to ask questions. They’re going to get the information from God, if possible, straight from the horse’s mouth! That is an exact reversal of the true state, the true state which has been lost to human experience because human beings have forgotten that they were the ones to provide the answer to God. God asks the question. The first question after that story of the fall of man was, “Where art thou? Where art thou? What are you doing?” This implies that human beings are wasting their time. They’re involved in all kinds of things that are utterly meaningless. “Where art thou?” Of course immediately the human mind has its answer. “Let’s do our own thing”; this is considered to be something great and tremendous, as though no one ever thought of it before! Human beings have been trying to do their own thing for millennia, and look at the mess! “Oh we have such a great civilization, covering the earth! And how great human beings are! Think of all the things that they have achieved. Think of all the technology. Think of all the things that have been done in the healing arts. All the wonderful things that man has done!” All of it—a waste of time. Anyone who speaks truly, from the standpoint of enlightenment, says this. Those who are in the darkened state, sunk in their stupor, will rise up in horror. It’s nothing, absolutely nothing! That’s not what we're here for, and if we insist that it is what we’re here for we simply destroy ourselves. Why waste any more time?

So there are those who rise up to the point of enlightenment, to the point where they may have a perspective view of the whole. Then the remnant rejoice that it is so. They were stumbling around in the dark, not knowing where they were going, really, but keeping their integrity as far as possible. Fine. Wonderful. But until that focus point arises by reason of the action of the spirit of truth the fulfilment cannot come. The fulfilment is to come. It is emerging. It is here now. And there are those who begin to experience the quality and the nature of that state of enlightenment, the enlightened state, the true state of man made in the image and likeness of God; not separate from God but permitting the spirit of truth to find fitting expression in the moment on the basis of an overall view of what it is that is occurring.

Only when there is this focus is there a means by which what is above may come into the earth—the quality of true spiritual government, the true spiritual government which is not an imposition. It is in the form, initially at least, of a question: “Where art thou? Answer thou me! Where art thou?” This is the question that is asked of each one. Of course it’s not something that is answered merely by words; it’s answered in one’s own living. One reveals where one is in one’s own living. Rise up so that you may be able to answer the question correctly: “I am a revelation of God in expression on earth.” That’s the true state of man: made in the image and likeness of God.

Who is going to have the courage and the ability to say that and to be that? Those who provide that enlightened focus are the ones who reveal what the answer is so that others may answer the question. As long as we feel that we are being required to answer the question, we haven’t answered yet. Only when we’ve actually answered the question do we find ourselves in the position of one who asks it, so that one’s life poses this question to all people. Each individual will feel compelled to provide an answer. Some will say No, some will say Yes. It doesn’t really matter which. It’s going to sort itself out that way.

So we see the necessity of this focus by which the restoration of man to the enlightened state may occur. We don’t wonder particularly as to who is going to say Yes and who is going to say No. We let it prove itself out. We don’t have to judge anyone. All that is necessary is to provide that expression of the enlightened state in our own living; then the question is asked; then the answer is given. But until the question is asked again on earth the answer can’t be given. The remnant hasn’t been capable of asking the question. Only this focus of the enlightened state permits the true question to be asked: “I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where art thou?” And each one, according to his living, according to his works, as it has been put, answers the question. They can’t help it. And that sorts things out, that God may once more be glorified on earth because He is revealed by man in the true state.

© Emissaries of Divine Light