The sovereign soul
Who lives self-governed and at peace,
Is centred in himself, taking alike
Pleasure and pain; heat, cold; glory and shame.
He is the Faithful and Illumined One, glad
With joy of light and truth; dwelling safely
In the Central Way, with senses subjugate.
By this sign is he known:
Being of equal grace to comrades, friends,
Chance-comers, strangers, lovers, enemies,
Aliens and kinsmen; loving all alike,
Evil or good.
Within the Hedge he lives;
Restraining heart and senses, silent, calm,
Let him express Reality, showing
Pureness of soul, abiding on the Rock,
Tranquil in spirit, free of fear, intent
On Me, expressing thought of Me.
That Faithful One, so devoted, so controlled,
Comes to the peace beyond — My peace, the peace
Of highest Heaven!
Bhagavad Gita
from
Extending the Hedge
Martin Cecil 1966
The hedge relates to control. Only
that is included within the hedge that is under control. When we consider this
from our individual viewpoints we may recognize that the reality of our
identity is within the hedge, but it does not include very much because, for
the most part, that which should be included is not under control. If we assume
the position of being what we are in reality, then we are looking forth from
the secret place, first of all toward that which constitutes the outer form,
the physical body, mind and heart, which is surrounding the hedge. But the
hedge is inside and we are inside the hedge. If we can take this position,
looking out, then we extend the opportunity to accept control to our physical
bodies, minds and hearts, that which is called the soul.
Whatever responds and yields may be
included in the hedge, because it is under control. That's the only way by
which anything can be included in the hedge. There is an exactness about this
which is absolute too — it is an absolutely exact thing; there is no deviation
whatsoever. You don't know what love is until you come through, and you can't
get through without passing that flaming sword, coming through
the hedge, coming through because there has been an acceptance of control.
When we know this for ourselves, then we are in position to extend the control
to the soul, so that it may come within the hedge; and coming within the hedge,
we may have something to extend beyond into the environment. Let love radiate.
The radiation can begin to go forth, and that which comes under control
reflects that radiation and we see it. It is something more than control. Control is one of the
elements of truth. There is a design present, which is the other element of
truth. And there is love, of course, which is inseparable from truth. These are
all contained within the hedge. It is a flaming sword — the fire of love
and the sword of truth. It is a protection when we are within it. It looks
rather a savage thing when we're outside — a flaming sword, for heaven's sake! —
but it only seems this way when it is pointed at us. When we stand on the other
side we have hold of the handle and it's all right. It turns every way and
nothing can pass it that does not accept control, that does not accept the
nature of the kingdom. So it is a protection, isn't it? And the further it
extends out, the more is contained back of it, the more is enfolded in that
protection into which nothing enters that works abomination or makes a lie or
defiles. Nothing can get through. Nothing can get through to you when you are
within the hedge in conscious identity. The reality is there now, always has
been, but we've been so busily involved with the soul that we overlooked the
truth of the matter.
So let us stand where we belong and
see things from that standpoint. And our first view relates to our own soul.
The word is, “Come up hither, come inside the hedge, and I will show you things
which must be hereafter” — the soul may become aware of that which needs to find
expression hereafter. And when we begin to share this attitude and viewpoint,
this position, how easy to take responsibility for the soul and for the
environment around us. We are protected, and nothing can get to us that
would be destructive. It is our desire, in that state, to enfold as much of the
environment as possible that will come into the hedge. If we all function
correctly, and others stand with us, I wonder how long it would be before the
world could be included within the hedge sufficiently so that everything
outside of the hedge would cease even to seem to be a threat? Once the hedge
reaches a certain point in its expansion, then the available territory for what
won't come into the hedge becomes more and more circumscribed. And the things
that don't belong in heaven on earth get squeezed out. That can happen
with quite a rush when the time comes. But in the meantime we have
something to do right at home, right here, because until the soul is included
in the hedge none of the environment is going to be, really, because it is
through the soul that we work.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
