One Generation — One Substance
Martin Cecil September 29, 1985
The organ, the cello, the ram’s horn and the human voice are symbols. There may be a sensing of the truth thereby symbolized. Human minds and hearts have long been asleep to the sounds of heaven symbolized by these earthly sounds. If all that is heard are the earthly sounds, there is little of any consequence. If, beyond the earthly sounds, the heavenly sounds reverberate in our consciousness, it may be a call to awaken. We surely would offer the sounds of heaven into the earth that, resonating in the consciousness of mankind, the invitation is extended to human minds and hearts everywhere to awaken to the truth.
No longer need there be the endeavor to find the truth, to unearth it—it is simply a matter of awakening to it. It is already present, the sounds of heaven are already present, but the connecting substance which would allow these heavenly sounds to be made known in human consciousness has been lacking. Insofar as human consciousness is concerned there has been a vacuum in it, so that no sounds could be heard. We are aware of our own special opportunity and responsibility of letting this substance be generated in our own consciousness, so that there is a connection to the heavenly sound and we may become aware of it. It is not only sound, it is also light. The light and the sound, as there is substance in which they may be revealed, bring an awakening of consciousness in our own experience, the consciousness of heaven. Something begins to be known that is quite new to human minds and hearts. “Behold, I make all things new.” “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” The newness relates to human consciousness. This is not new in fact; it has always been present—it could be said to be eternally new.
So we have the ongoing responsibility of letting this spiritual substance be generated through our own living, because our concern is with heaven, with the qualities and characteristics of heaven of which we have become aware, to the extent that we have allowed the substance to be generated within ourselves so that our sight might be restored, our hearing might be restored, our awareness might be restored, in heaven. We have had a lot of awareness in the world that human egos have created, our own included. Layer upon layer in this regard has been added generation after generation all down through the ages, so that there has been a thick veil, and heaven has been hidden.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” These words have been repeated generation after generation by great numbers of human beings without any real understanding of what was being said, because the substance was not there to allow the light and the sound of heaven to be known. Now the substance begins to be present within the range of our own experience so that our own hearts and minds begin to become aware of something that is quite new to them. This is a faint beginning. The extent of that newness is presently quite incomprehensible, simply because there isn’t substance available at the level where it could be comprehended. It is our business to continue indefatigably allowing this substance to be generated because we dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Then we always live and express in our living what is highest in our present experience. It needs to go higher, but it can only do so as the substance is there. The substance is there only because of the established fact of our own quality of living. This has nothing to do with belief; we are dealing with facts, the actual state. What is the substance that we individually have allowed to be generated, and how refined is it at its upper levels? because this will determine what extent of spirit can be received and expressed. And as it is received and expressed there is further generation—further wakefulness. The vision is pretty dim to start with, even though it is distinctly different from what had been known before in the sleeping-cum-dreaming state, which is the state common to human beings everywhere in the condition of the human ego.
All of this could be said to be really very scientific: it works the way it works, and we can’t fool it. I suppose we can pretend some, but then we are only fooling ourselves. We are learning to let it be genuine, to let what finds expression in our living be genuine, be honest, be clear and true, in the awareness that substance will be generated and the substance that is present will be purified, so that the light and the sound of heaven may become more specific in our own awareness. It becomes specific as it is expressed. It is not known by just being latent. To be of any value at all it has got to be expressed, it must be actualized, and we have gained some experience in this process.
It is all a process, isn’t it? It is the process by which human minds and hearts may once again be awakened to the truth. Awakening to the truth is a fairly easy process—the yoke is easy and the burden light. The actual process is describable as awakening. We don’t have to make the truth. In a sense we don’t even have to discover it. All that needs to happen is for our minds and hearts to awaken to it. It is already present. And part of that awakening process is the expression of what it is we have become aware of.
When we are keenly interested in letting this process work within the range of our own experience, then we have little time left—should be none at all—for indulging in the examination and manipulation of shadows. Here is the light shining and the sounds of heaven beginning to reverberate because there is substance in our own consciousness to accommodate it. Then we know. You can’t explain that to somebody who doesn’t have the substance. The words fall on deaf ears, and to deaf ears the words are meaningless. Amongst ourselves we can speak and understand. We understand to the extent that we have the substance of understanding, and that is the substance of living in heaven. So the awakening can occur, the awakening to the truth, and the truth is known to the extent of the substance that has been generated.
It has been said in times past that the restoration, whatever that may prove to be, must be accomplished in one generation. I think that has been interpreted as meaning that it must be accomplished in whatever time element is involved in a generation of people—forty years?—it must be done in forty years. Well it hasn’t been. It is one generation. Human beings have generated all sorts of peculiar coarse substance over the ages which has cluttered up the landscape, a great variety of generations. But there is one generation that has been lacking—that is the generation of the substance which can accommodate the sounds and the light of heaven. We are in this business. We are in it together. We have understanding of this.
We have spent considerable time over the years assisting those who would be willing to be assisted in the process of letting this substance be generated, because nothing whatsoever could be done until that happened. We only know what it is when the substance has been generated to make us aware of it. This generation of substance is the process of waking up. We have day substance instead of night substance, so that we may be aware of the truth, of the fact that the light is present, the sounds of heaven may be heard.
So, in whatever measure, as individuals we have participated in this process, at times rather reluctantly. But there has been some substance generated; otherwise we would not be in position even to speak about these things. Something therefore is on hand to receive heaven. There is substance in mind and heart capable of receiving heaven. The usual human view in this regard would be: capable of receiving the Lord. But that isn’t really the way it is, is it? Who is the Lord? If one is concerned about receiving the Lord, then certainly one must have assumed that he was separate from oneself, and so the condition of separation still remains, and that is the sleeping or coma state. Mind and heart are to receive the Lord—right. But who is the Lord? I Am. That’s his name, isn’t it? It is the truth, the truth of oneself. There is only one truth.
As we participate in awakening we awaken to oneness. Perhaps we can begin to appreciate more what it means because there has been more of this one generation of pure substance capable of accommodating heaven. That substance is not different for us as individuals—there is one substance and there is one heaven. Insofar as the separate condition of human minds and hearts is concerned, this all seems to be very incomprehensible. Well of course! It is not comprehensible until mind and heart can accommodate it; and they can’t accommodate it except they have substance to do so; and there won’t be any substance there until it is generated; and it won’t be generated until we live the truth, the highest that we know. The highest that we know is the extent of truth being presently accommodated in the available substance. Be true to that and the generation continues. Deny that, the generation ceases.
Of course that is denied every time one enters into judgment, every time one becomes involved with the shadows—and the substance that has been generated to accommodate heaven begins to be dissipated. We have been inclined to do that. We generate a little, but then we get all involved with some situation or other which comes to us to be tested—not to test us but to be tested—we get involved with it, we dissipate the substance and we are back to square one again. There has been a good deal of this over the years. That’s why it has taken this long to get to where we are now. It has always, I am sure, been a mystery to the Lord as to how it could possibly have taken so long. He is happy that it has come along as far as it has, I am sure of that. We should be happy too, seeing that that is where our identity belongs. But it is only partially there until we have the full range of substance to accommodate the whole spirit, the holy spirit. Then we begin to be in position to know the truth.
In this one generation of substance, the substance which, as it is generated, is common to all of us, the job gets done. Only within this one substance will the job be done—it is done in one generation. Who is to say how many of us will still be alive when the job is done? That’s not the point. The point is that there is the generation of the substance, the substance is available, and the job gets done. We have a collective body taking form in the generation of this substance. And the life of this body continues. The substance is present, which means that I am present. We each say that individually while we are all isolated little egos, but that’s not the truth of the matter. That’s the human ego state. The truth of the matter is something else, something that we don’t know in our human minds and hearts yet because it hasn’t happened. That’s fine. Let’s not fuss about not knowing; let’s be delighted in what we do know. And there is a lot that we do know in the experience of what we have called spiritual expression.
Spiritual expression is possible to the extent of our substance, and as we are faithful in this the substance continues to be generated and our awakening continues. That is the awakening, not of us, in fact, but the awakening of the human mind and the human heart, which is present for all of us, the human mind and the human heart which heretofore have been used by the human ego. The human ego identity is gone, and we are not wrestling with all these things in form; we are simply allowing the creative process to work. It doesn’t work by the sweat of the brow; it works very simply, very easily, when there is identity in heaven with the light and with the sounds of heaven. Then these may be expressed and the earth reflects it automatically. There is no stress and strain.
Obviously in speaking of these things there is indication that what is to transpire is something of which the human ego has absolutely no experience. It can’t figure it out. Therefore there is a tendency, as long as one is centered in that, to say that it doesn’t exist; it isn’t anything. Well there are things happening which give some indication that it does exist, and there are things to come, I suspect, in quite a rush. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” That’s right. I am here. I am come. We can all say that. And to the extent that we speak truly, we know that there is just One. We are no longer isolated, individual human beings trying to make themselves big and fat and happy on earth.
There is something happening which is beyond belief. It is not happening because we decided to make it happen; it is happening whether we like it or not, whether anyone likes it or not. It might be described as a cosmic happening, something that goes way beyond this little earth. Nevertheless it includes this little earth, and because it includes this little earth it includes all of us and the whole population of the world. And the happening is proceeding on time. All things are made new. There is a new heaven and a new earth. It is on the way. We awaken to it. We become aware of it and, becoming aware of it, we become aware of ourselves. There is a new identity, not that old, inadequate human ego. We belong in heaven; that’s where we are adequate. And if we are adequate in heaven we are adequate in the earth. But if you try to become adequate in the earth without being adequate in heaven first, you’ll fail. It is utterly impossible.
The adequacy of identity is in heaven. So heart and mind need to awaken to this, and they awaken as there is substance to receive heaven, in whatever measure, so that there is a consciousness of the reality of it. Then one may continue in the process. The process is going to continue whether we continue in it or not. But how delightful to share in the process! Do you know what happiness is? Participating in a creative process. Why not be happy?—not by trying to get happiness but simply by participating in the creative process, being willing to let it work the way it’s working, delightedly, standing together in heaven, which is on earth because we are on earth.
And behold, all things are made new. Incidentally everything seems to be falling apart. Yes, certainly the human ego state is falling apart; that’s what it needs to do. Let’s not let that falling apart include us, because we no longer hold on to what it is that’s disintegrating, namely the human ego. We are willing to abide in heaven under the Shadow of the Almightly, as a part of the Radiance of the Almighty, the shining of the light. “I am the light of the world.” This was recorded as having been said by the Master on earth. He also said, “Ye are the light of the world,” so anyone can make that statement if they are willing to let it stick. If we are in heaven then we say “I am the light of the world.” If we are on earth we may try to say it, but we won’t be it merely on earth.
Let us abide in heaven absolutely, letting the substance be generated, so that we can receive more of what is present there into our own expression of heart and mind. As it comes forth through heart and mind we know it. As each one comes forth through heart and mind the truth is known, the truth of oneself, which is not separate from the truth of anyone else. To know what that means it must be experienced. We share this opportunity now in this moment and in the continuing moments. We accept the responsibility individually. It is not dependent upon somebody else. It is not dependent upon me. I am dependent upon me; you are dependent on you. It doesn’t matter where we may be in the geographical sense. We may all be together in heaven consistently. As heart and mind awaken to that, the reality of it becomes more and more obvious. There is much to be known that is not yet known. We share in the greater knowing consequent upon the quality of our living, the generation of the substance which receives heaven.
© emissaries of divine light
