Welcome!

from   Hearing and Seeing and Acting Are One

Martin Cecil  April 16, 1982  p.m.

We know that physical sound, to be heard, requires a medium of connection. The usual medium is the air. If we should be existing in a vacuum we would hear no sound. The sound waves require the substance of air, water or earth to be transmitted, so that those who have the equipment may hear. The same principle is true with respect to spiritual sound. There must, as we well know, be the substance of connection. That substance of connection is the responsibility of the one who is to hear.

The Word is constantly spoken—the spirit is constantly moving. This has been eternally so. Insofar as human beings are concerned, for quite some time they have been deaf. But the deafness is not because of the lack of a facility for hearing but a lack of the substance which would transmit what is to be heard. And we ourselves, individually speaking, are responsible for generating that substance. If it's not there we don't hear. Initially it is possible to hear a little by reason of someone else's substance; the Word may be heard rather faintly on this basis; but leaving the presence of the one whose substance has enabled the hearing to occur, the sound, the spiritual sound, vanishes. A person may be greatly moved perhaps on this basis but shortly thereafter it's all gone, as if it were a dream. So one is responsible for the substance oneself. To initiate the cycle it is likely that someone is required who may speak the Word, having the substance so that others may hear. There is nothing wrong with that as a starting point; it has probably occurred for all of us. Subsequently, if we have taken an interest in what we began to hear, so that we pointedly listened to hear more, this substance of connection with spirit began to be generated—we began to be aware of a changing atmosphere in our own experience.

This atmosphere is there by reason of substance. This is the medium through which spirit operates and, where there is a facility of hearing, it may be discerned. We all have that facility of hearing—it is the heart. It has been very actively engaged in hearing throughout our present existence but usually involved in the hearing of the wrong things. So we began to hear the Word, the sounding of spirit, and took responsibility, in some measure at least, for maintaining the atmosphere in which this sounding might be discerned, so that individually we had it with us wherever we might go.

We discovered, no doubt, that when we were together collectively, as in a situation such as this, there was an increase of substance present, so that the hearing could be more distinct. To the extent that in that hearing we remained pointed in our listening because of interest, then we found an expansion of the atmosphere, or the experience of the atmosphere, in our own living. By reason of that atmosphere we discovered that there were those things which did not belong in it, not because anyone established a book of rules and regulations but because we ourselves discerned that some things did not belong in that atmosphere. According to the strength of our interest in maintaining the atmosphere we immediately would find that some of the behavioral habits out of the past could not be sustained by us anymore. We didn't have to struggle with anything. We found that such things as didn’t belong in the atmosphere were no longer welcome and simply passed away. This process is a lot better, isn't it, than the usual human device of establishing a whole lot of rules and regulations, do’s-and-don’ts, and trying to live up to this? It's not natural—whereas what we experience on the basis of a new atmosphere is found to be quite natural. The things that don't belong in that atmosphere are no longer welcome to us, whether it is in our own expression, in our own past behavioral habits, or whether it relates to what other people bring.

Becoming aware of the new atmosphere, heavenly atmosphere we would call it, we become aware that rightly there are those things that defile, work abomination or make a lie, which are not permitted to enter in. This doesn't mean that we impose anything on anyone else. Some people are so hardened in their behavior that they scarcely are aware of the atmosphere which we may be providing, and they trample through the pansy bed with their hobnail boots. But from our standpoint it isn't so, because we ourselves do not accept those things into our own experience, by reason of agreement with them or reaction to them, so as to spoil the atmosphere. We have the power to maintain the atmosphere. If we react to what someone brings, we will ourselves dissipate the atmosphere. The other person doesn't have the power to do that, but we do—and we do it because we react or because we agree with something that doesn't belong. I’m sure all of you have observed—I certainly have over the years—this process in operation. One may observe it with respect to others or one may have the experience of it for oneself, probably both.

The substance in which the sound of spirit is transmitted is the individual responsibility of each one to maintain. It is maintained by listening for the Word, for the sound of the spirit. In the initial stages of listening we may think of that sound, what we are aware of it, as coming from somewhere else. This is the state of consciousness of people, of all of us, more especially in times past perhaps, where there was this experience of separation. We are returning to oneness, not oneness with the things which should pass away but oneness with the truth, with the reality of things, so that we may be genuine, so that we may be real people and not phonies. Where there is oneness with the things that should pass away we are, in that oneness, imitations—we're phony. We only begin to experience genuineness as oneness with the truth is experienced. So our listening, to start with, may present itself to us as though we were listening to something separate from ourselves. There are lots of people in the world whose spiritual awareness is of this nature; they are somehow going to listen to God, imagining that God is somewhere else and the sound of His Word must come to us from somewhere else. This is the human behavioral habit, that, if oneness is to be known, must in season pass away. As the substance is developed individually so that we may hear the Word with greater clarity, and the atmosphere in which we dwell becomes supremely important to us, then we find an increased awareness of the sound of the spirit, which brings with it understanding.

We noted this morning the matter of hearing and then seeing. The seeing begins to put in an appearance as the sense of separation departs. What one hears of the spirit is coming from where? If we think in dimensional terms, the terms of the state of separation, we will likely think of it as coming from somewhere else, perhaps to us because of someone else. In the initial stages of hearing this may be all right. But gradually as there is true listening the understanding begins to change, because we have become aware of the fact that what we are sensing, what we are hearing and discerning, is the expression of the spirit of our own being. The true experience arises when it is finally realized that hearing and seeing and acting are one, not separate functions, because the experience of spirit is the expression of Being—the Word. And we are. We are! We begin to bring it to point in saying I am. It is the truth. I am is a statement of Being, isn't it? Well, we are. When we speak the truth in saying I am, this is an expression proceeding from our own Being, and the expression that proceeds from our own Being is the Word. The expression of Being is inseparable from Being.

So, as there is an increase of the substance in which the expression of Being may be accommodated, the facility of discerning that simply confirms oneness. Hearing, seeing, acting are all one—there is no separation between them. Initially the human idea has always been, “Well we'll hear if we listen enough. We'll hear, then we'll understand and then we'll be able to act.” This is looked upon with eyes of separation, as though these were steps, one leading to the next. It isn't so. There is no space in between—they are one. Hearing and seeing and acting are one. We begin to have this experience to the extent that the substance of our atmospheres permits it, so that there is nothing that defiles or works abomination or brings forth a lie ever allowed to enter in. This is our dwelling place—we go no more forth from this heavenly state. Then we discern momentarily what needs to be discerned momentarily, and our experience is that of the oneness of hearing, seeing and acting.

Now I can talk about these things. There may have been, in your own experience, those moments when this really occurred—something very expansive. Then perhaps some past behavioral pattern put in an appearance, and to that extent the atmosphere was dissipated and to that extent separation again put in an appearance, so that it became perhaps at times a strain to listen. It never should be a strain. If it is a strain it is because there is involvement with an imaginary state of separation, which brings with it sweat of the face. Ultimately it is fatal, because oneness is the truth. So there is a natural generation of the substance which may accommodate the expression of spirit to the extent that we listen, because we are totally interested in becoming aware of the whole quality of the atmosphere which is our dwelling place.

Many people struggle with what they think of as their shortcomings, endeavoring to overcome them by human effort of some kind. It doesn't really work. One may cover them up for a while but they spring out at some moment of stress, because they are still there. Well let's not judge such things anyway, because there are factors relative to what human beings consider to be shortcomings which actually belong. And there may be factors in what human beings have considered to be commendable traits that don’t belong at all. We never find out what belongs and what doesn't until we dwell in the atmosphere which allows us to become aware of it. We are not going to become aware of it because someone shakes their finger at us and says, “Naughty, naughty! You shouldn’t be doing that!” Or on the other hand, “Good. That is just wonderful.” We need to become aware of it for ourselves, and the only way is because there is a dwelling in the atmosphere of heaven. The atmosphere of heaven comes because we have learned to listen on the basis of our interest. That brings the substance which accommodates the spirit, and the spirit makes us aware, through that atmosphere, of what is fitting and what is not.

I am sure that if any of us had an opportunity to come into the presence of the President of the United States in the White House we would be very concerned that our behavior should fit. Well how much more so when we come into the presence of the Lord!—which is what it amounts to. And we discover what fits because we have a sensing of the quality of the atmosphere. Anything that doesn't fit immediately becomes obvious. Becoming obvious—“Well that doesn't belong here”—we let it go. We do that if we are more interested in maintaining the atmosphere than we are in hanging on to some crony habit that we’ve had out of the past. We discover that the stronger this atmosphere, and the substance in it, becomes, the easier it is to discern what doesn't belong and the easier it is to let it be dissolved, because more and more we discover what does belong. And we become more and more interested in what does belong, so that attention is taken away from the things that don't belong. It is only when, for some reason or other, they happen to put in appearance momentarily that we may take note of them and say, “Well that doesn't belong.” But it’s not the primary element of attention. When in that atmosphere, we're not looking around to discern all the things that don't belong; we are much more concerned with the things that do belong. It is only that, when we have an awareness of what doesn't belong, that enables us not to pay attention to it.

So, what a key this is: to listen, to listen to the sound of our own spirit, the spirit of our own Being. How wonderful for the human mind and heart and body to become reacquainted with this, reacquainted with what and who we are. Having the substance, of course, we find that an aspect of the spirit which is present and known, our own spirit, could be described as the spirit of welcome. It is the spirit of welcome to all that belongs in that atmosphere. Now we are well aware, in human beings generally, that there is a lot that doesn't belong in that atmosphere. But there is also present what does; and if we know what belongs we can become discerning with respect to others. We can welcome others on the basis of what does belong in our atmosphere. They may bring along some things that don't belong but, remember, we always have the control of the atmosphere ourselves. As far as we are concerned the things that don't belong are not welcome. We pay attention to what is welcome and this is emphasized then to those who are welcomed, while the things that don't belong are largely ignored—as far as possible at least. If there is present in the person something beautiful that does belong, there will undoubtedly be some sensitivity in that person, and he or she will begin to feel uncomfortable with respect to the things that don't belong. We would not wish that discomfort to get too extreme, so that the individual got out of there, but we let it recede into the background, shall we say, because the emphasis is upon the things that do belong. Then the individual begins to have more confidence in the things that do belong.

So there is this spirit of welcome. I might use a little example here. I’m sure you are all aware, some of you more so than others probably, of the spirit of welcome which is such a consistent thing with Bill Bahan. There is an open welcome, a spiritual welcome, to people. Now for years he lived in the external sense, one might say, nowhere. He had no external facility, of any great moment at least, into which he could welcome people. But that certainly did not prevent him from offering the spirit of welcome. Having offered it consistently over the years, finally a form appeared to clothe that spirit of welcome, so that there might be a larger facility for actually welcoming people in the external sense. Only as there is the spirit of welcome present can the facilities which would clothe that spirit appear. Generally speaking, most everyone wants to put it backwards: “Well let's get the facility here and we'll be in position to welcome everyone.” But to what? Probably nobody should be here on that basis. No, the spirit of the welcome must be there, so that such facilities that there are are welcoming, even if it's just one little room somewhere.

Spirit, as we well know, always comes first. Let there be welcome because we have a heavenly atmosphere into which to welcome people. We don't bring everybody and his dog into that atmosphere; there should be some discretion in the matter. And, in any case, some people would not wish to come anyway. But we find that there are those who do. Okay, let the welcome mat be out—the welcome that is present within our own atmosphere, so that people who come may feel welcome and may feel safe. They're not going to be put down; they're not going to be hurt because of the nature of the atmosphere that is there, the atmosphere that comes because we listen to the sound of the spirit. We are familiar with it; we know what it is. It is the expression of our own Being, and because of that the welcome is there. And because the welcome is there in spirit first, in atmosphere, the essential forms to allow it to happen in the external sense will put in an appearance. I have a notion that they are even now in the process of putting in an appearance because there has finally appeared a consistent spirit of welcome in the experience of a sufficient number, so that there might be the substance there, there might be the atmosphere, the heavenly atmosphere, which is the cause of the form which is to take shape.

As we well know, it is not a matter of having the form and trying to push the atmosphere into it. But let the atmosphere be present first. When it is, the form will appear in one way or another. The form may already be present someplace or it may need to be constructed. Whatever is right will come to pass, but it comes to pass on the basis of that sounding spirit, that sounding Word which brings forth the atmosphere in which we learn to dwell, going no more forth, and never permitting it to be dissipated. If it is dissipated we may know for sure we did it—no one else can do it to us. Each individual is the only one who can dissipate the atmosphere of heaven in which he or she dwells. Abiding in that atmosphere, allowing nothing to enter in that defiles or works abomination or makes a lie, the spirit of welcome is found to be there and all who will may come. And we fulfil this simple task that has been placed in our hands.

© Emissaries of Divine Light