Pulsations of the Creative Process #2
Martin Exeter and Alan Hammond August 17, 1986 p.m.
Alan Hammond — Most of us gathered in this place have moved with the pulsations of the recreative process over many years. We have been drawn to this place a number of times. Gradually, over the years, we know in our own experience the process of purification which has occurred within us. And now is it not true that there is adequate clarity within our hearts and minds so that we know who we are on earth? I know I can speak for many in this room and beyond when I say: I know the quality and character of my eternal being. I know this on earth through this human consciousness.
Even though I know this, there are occasions when what emerges through this form is not true to my being. As soon as I express it, usually, I know I have not managed to find full expression through these capacities. And I know that this is true of everyone here, and yet I know who I am and the quality of my being. And because I know this of myself, I know this of each of you. And because I no longer beat myself after I have failed to emerge fully into the earth, it is true that I no longer feel the compulsion to beat anyone else either.
I know again that I speak for many when I say that these pulsations of contraction which have brought us together have brought us together this time in an unprecedented quality of union. I suppose if one looked carefully one could see traits, human traits, in others that used to irritate—more than that, incense! But now they don’t, because the consciousness is dominated by the presence of this beautiful unified spirit which is finding expression through all of us.
How shall we extend this quality of power into the earth? I know my own mind has been convinced for many years that television was the answer, public meetings, booklets, reaching out to share the good news. What could be more commendable than that? Fundamentally nothing, except that we now know—I know—that preoccupation with such external forms is not primarily the place of our divine action. We extend this absolute authority and power of the Tone into the world as it finds its pure release in literally every action, every word, every feeling, every thought. Here is ecstasy indeed, that my being should find pure release through these intimate forms of expression.
Purity is power. And so our union with the one who focalizes the Tone is our union in the expression of the Lord’s power and authority. How wonderful to be in this day, to be in this interior place together, knowing an unprecedented union and the joy of expressing this glorious character into the world.
Martin Exeter — We are in the midst of an operational event, universally speaking, which is moving along the way it should. We do not have to look very far in our understanding of what is present universally speaking to realize that it moves in an orderly manner. We are fortunate at the moment to be part of a solar system—we call it—which has evidences of orderliness present. It seems that those who understand these things can calculate the orbits of planets years ahead. Of course they might be surprised one day, but at the moment it all gives evidence of some sort of orderliness. We are in the middle of this, day and night.
Day and night follow each other; the seasons follow each other; the orbit of the Earth moves steadily around the Sun and there is the inclination to depend upon this. There is orderliness, there is design, there is control, and it works the way it works for whatever the purpose might be. Because human beings have divorced themselves from that working they have lost any awareness of purpose, and consequently have had to invent purposes for themselves. A great deal of ingenuity has been exercised in inventing purposes, sweat of the brow, when all the time the creative process was in operation—and it would be quite natural to coordinate with that creative process.
It could be said that we ourselves have been awakening to these things and have become aware that there is a creative process and it does work and it is orderly and it can be trusted. We don’t always trust it—we don’t yet trust ourselves to be aligned with it. We feel quite confident that if we were aligned with it everything would be fine—being aligned with it, the assurance comes with the working of the creative process. But if we happen still to be interested in getting our own way, which is the intent of human nature: to do our own thing, even to excel in doing our own thing—that’s very popular these days, the search for excellence in doing our own thing!—the Lord is forgotten, ignored certainly, and therefore the creative process is set on one side in favor of human purposes—human cross-purposes!
But now we ourselves have a certain sensing of newness appearing. In our own individual experience there is rightly—and this has really always been the case—something new to be known. It is said that at the time when things are wound up the days would be shortened, which presumably means that the changes put in an appearance more quickly, which means also that we need to be pretty nimble on our feet in order to remain associated with what is happening.There are things changing. There are rapid changes occurring, and I think you are all aware of this, and it will be something that is particularly addressed in the Central Council no doubt—because there is the inclination to get oriented toward concepts of proper Emissary behavior as it was. When was that? Who really knows what proper behavior is? It is something that is still, to a very large extent, unknown. But there is an emergence into experience of a new level of what one might call, spiritual know-how.
It has sometimes been indicated that the movement is in an ascending spiral. We find ourselves coming back to a place which seems rather familiar. But, if we are letting the creative process work, our experience of this repetitive place is not at the same level. We find ourselves higher in the spiral—at least hopefully so; I suppose we can perhaps spiral downwards too; some do—so that we come again to something that seems vaguely familiar, or perhaps rather vividly familiar. But let us not judge it as though it was the same as something that was experienced before. It never could be that. We can’t get back to anything, and there is the creative process which is, from our standpoint, a forward movement. So we could never really repeat anything. If it seems that way it is because, instead of ascending in the spiral we are just going round and round. We are not really doing that either, because if you are not ascending you are descending: it is one or the other. One can’t stand still. A lot of people would like to stand still, you know. They don’t like change: “Let’s have things the way we are familiar with. Let's have them that way forever.” Well that doesn’t work!
We welcome what it is that is emerging now; and to discover what is emerging now we must let it emerge. Simple, but it requires a flexibility and an openness, a yieldedness, a constant repentance. The repentance is really letting go of what it was that has been holding us, and there certainly are such things still around—the restoration hasn’t occurred yet, has it?—there are things around, still attached to us. But I think it isn’t quite that way—as though things have a life of their own and hang onto us; really we hang onto them. And when we are willing to let go, they drop off.
So together we participate in this creative process with respect to which I outlined some factors this morning. I would remind you that it was contraction: that is the first thing that we are obviously aware is happening. It is not something we maybe look forward to sometime next week; it is here now, contraction. And in the contraction we reach a point rightly where we have no holdouts; we are not resisting the contraction, which will compact things. In that process there may be those who don’t care for confined spaces. We need to allow the contraction to occur. We find ourselves in close proximity with each other, whereas before there may have been thousands of miles between us.
So contraction takes place, and all are included in this process who are willing to be included—which brings up the matter of repentance, doesn’t it? Repentance: just letting go—letting go of the factors of human nature, that the processes of sanctification may work out because we are willing to let these things go. That is the experience of forgiveness. But this is all happening in a more rapid way when we are brought together on this contraction basis. When you are out there a mile away, a thousand miles away, ten thousand miles away, wherever, things are not sometimes brought so vividly to point as they are when you are jammed together. We are contracted and brought closer together, and we will be this way for the next number of days. I am sure that the matter of repentance will be brought to the fore in consciousness in one way or another, the matter of letting go. It is a matter of participating in the creative process. If there is real participation in the creative process it’s a wonderful blessing, it’s a wonderful experience, and all the seeming discomforts of it fade into the background. This has always been the case. I am sure you have had that experience.
There are many more external experiences which come by reason of the compacting of human beings. There are a lot more human beings around now experiencing this contraction, and there is something very worthwhile because of that. It needs to be recognized, it needs to be understood, that this is wonderful! There is a certain sensing of that because I think we enjoy coming together from all parts of the world. But there is something far more to be accomplished, than this sort of social interchange, by reason of the compaction—the compaction, the contraction, the repentance, the forgiveness.
To move into the next phase, which is very closely related: purification—this is what is happening by reason of the contraction. It is part of the creative process. Let’s enjoy it while we’re here! But let’s get out of the usual human-nature mode, so that we understand what it is that is happening and participate in the process. Let whatever needs to be brought forth be brought forth and relinquished, so that there may be purification, which is the next factor in this creative process: purification. Some find purification a little uncomfortable at times. Well that’s fine, isn’t it? Who’s uncomfortable? Well you can answer that one
Then comes the intensification, which we are capable of accommodating because there is purity there, and there is no double-mindedness anymore. The intensification comes, which is the building up of spiritual pressure—pressure in the boiler. We need to be careful, then, that there are no leaks. The pressure is built up for a purpose. It is because there is a container that is able to accommodate the pressure that something can be accomplished. All these things are happening for a reason, not to satisfy human beings, although if they move with the creative process it is wonderfully satisfying. The dissatisfaction comes when one is bucking it. So there is the intensification which naturally occurs—should naturally occur in this particular configuration that we have. There are various configurations. I am thinking of Central Council, for instance, but there are other configurations, the configuration of this grouping here now.
Let something intensify, that the power may begin to be available for release, which is the next requirement. But the release is always under control. Human beings, experiencing pressure, may blow their tops, as it is said, in other words an explosion. Well there is a valid reason for the building of pressure, but most people don’t know how to handle it. It provides the power by which the operation continues, and we find ourselves associated, then, with the controlled release. And the controlled release we could see in terms of radiation. We are here to let the light shine, after all, but with a great intensity. There has perhaps been a tendency to be content with one candlepower, which flickered in the wind—not very inspiring to anyone. I suppose if it is completely dark all around a candle is useful, but if we each have a candle then we have some candlepower of greater intensity right here in the Chapel.
Finally, because of the radiation, this release, there is the expansion aspect of the creative cycle. And here is the pulsation which moves from contraction to expansion and back to contraction. There is a natural rhythm, and rightly we become aware of that rhythm. There is a rhythm individually speaking in this regard and, as might be expected, the individual rhythms correlate with the larger rhythms and pulsations of the creative process. They are not separate from each other; they are not like human behavior at cross-purposes. Everything is aligned: the solar system is working nicely in the galaxy, thank you; and the galaxy is working very nicely in the system of galaxies, and so on.
The pulsations are all there, they are coordinated, when we ourselves accommodate the creative process. We don’t have to figure it all out. The creative process is at work. We are moving with it, not altogether consciously as yet but there is a conscious element, certainly, in our experience. It is as there is alignment with this that all things work together in the fulfilment of the creative purpose. And that is just wonderful. I rejoice that we have the opportunity of sharing this now, but always—if we are willing and yielded and allow the creative process to be accommodated in our own minds and hearts, so that we may move easily with the pulsations.
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