Our Divine And Cosmic Identity Volume 3 Chapter 31
Here is the first verse of Psalm 91: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Abide in the Secret Place of the Most High. There are several possible interpretations of that place. It might be seen as the highest vibratory rate in the dimensional universe. Or the Most High place could be the place from whence comes the highest quality of spiritual expression, of Character. It is safe to say that the true power and scope of this place is largely secret to human beings now. We can only awaken to a consciousness of this place if we consistently express the qualities of the Most High. The Most High place shouldn’t be a secret. It should be revealed through Man, through us. When it is consistently expressed through us, we begin to realize that this place of the Most High is in fact everywhere. Indeed, this Most High place should be seen through Man’s consciousness as being present throughout the whole Cosmos.
This Holy Presence is perhaps most easily seen by us as the Life current moving through other people, and also through animals. Most of us have had pets, and I’m sure we’ve become aware that this current of Life moving through them is sacred. It is an aspect of the Spirit of Life itself. To a less dramatic extent to our consciousness, the current is also present through vegetation. We gradually awaken to the truth that the secret and sacred place is indeed everywhere—in everything, everywhere.
Perhaps we occasionally find ourselves bored—maybe with the people we know, or maybe with our circumstances. We often seem to do the same things day after day. Well, we might know that there are always new levels, vibrationally speaking, in which we can interact with the people and the circumstances of which we are aware. If we begin to see and do this, life begins to be a process of ascension, a ceaseless adventure of discovery and creativity. As we refine the quality of our expression, we generate finer spiritual substance within ourselves, and we may begin to be more aware of the bands of vibrational substance above the physical and the mental levels, of which human beings, ourselves included, have been largely unconscious. In these finer bands of substance, Spirit is ceaselessly moving. The Divine technology is moving in these levels. If we express the true Tone of Being, then we participate in what Spirit, the Archangel, is doing in a coordinated fashion everywhere simultaneously.
Focused in these higher levels, above the physical and above the mental, we are not seeking to draw people physically together in a large group, or into what has been called a spiritual body. There is no need to do this, because as we express our aspect of the One Spirit that is doing everything, we are moving in conjunction with the Life current moving through everyone, and everything, everywhere. We are alreadyin the One Body and it is being activated by the One Spirit.
Every person has a Secret Place of the Most High within themselves. The full nature of this place is obviously hidden from the fallen human mind. In its present depleted condition, the mind couldn’t even understand what that state is. It could not be fully comprehended. In each of us it is the place of our deepest sense of beauty, our deepest sense of love, and our deepest sense of meaning. To whatever extent we are able, we should let this Secret Place take as much form as possible, moment by moment. In this way we reveal it to our outer minds—and we reveal it to others. Whether they actually see it or not is, of course, another matter.
Today, people’s “highest” often resides in other values—perhaps in earthly forms, positions or activities. But it is not usually in Character. However, we can discern the place of the Most High even in these earthly forms, positions and activities, because there is an essence, a shred of this Highest place, in everyone and in everything they do. Pure Spirit is at the core of everything, albeit we may have to have considerable discernment to see it. But it is there. So we look for that and enhance it, at least within ourselves and, where possible, externally.
There is something interesting to consider in this regard, even with respect to so-called death. One wouldn’t think there was much to be cheerful about in considering that! In such a consideration we are certainly not trying to evoke any fear, or love of death, but we are, as always, concerned with coming through to the conscious experience of true Identity. Our personal consciousnesses are connected intimately with the mass consciousness of mankind, so invariably there is trepidation when this subject is considered. We are not so much concerned with life after death. We are concerned with service now. This is where we are. This is where our creativity is required to find expression and use in the Archangelic Body.
As life is now on Earth, there seems to be no other route out of the Earth except through the portal of dissolution. The human consciousness looks out and sees this process in every form that it can observe throughout the whole Cosmos. Now, some spiritually minded people aspire to ascension rather than to death. Either way, the individual leaves this sphere of things and this experience of life as it has been known. However, there is a difference. First of all, by either way of departure, the human ego ceases to exist. In the ascension process (which is still making an exit from this world), if there has been a generation of fine substance in living and identification has moved somewhat into true Identity and the quality of that, then ascension is merely a continuation of that path of experience. If one’s identity has been thoroughly embedded in human nature, then the transition would be experienced as much more abrupt. Nevertheless, the Angel is eternal. Our concern is with how to move through such a transition—and not merely for ourselves, as we shall see.
It is not enough, apparently, to proclaim Identity in Life, to say, “I Am an expression of Life, the one animating Power of the Cosmos, through this little pile of dust.” Of course, this is true of you too, and of everyone. Even though this fact must be self-evident, the human consciousness has been so mis-educated and mis-conditioned that it cannot even appreciate this blatantly obvious fact. “I Am,” we may each say, “an expression of the one Power animating everything everywhere. Any limitations that I exhibit (and there are plenty) are limitations in the form through which I am expressing myself.”
Everything we say or consider is rightly part of a reconditioning process of the outer consciousness. We are not trying to make anyone think about old age or death before their time, but are considering the challenges and opportunities of older years. As we know from experience, there are ages and stages in life. Each one of them is designed to be delightful. Surely we have had enough delightful experiences in different ages and stages to see the potential inherent in the design of Life. It should be no great stretch of the imagination to perceive the intention of Life. It is very important that we appreciate what Life intended through its perfect design. Life was to be a delightful experience from the beginning, during it, and at the end. We appreciate that this design has been messed up, so the experience has been messed up. But there is something to be done, to be experienced, and to be contributed in every age and stage of life. These contributions are holographic contributions to the larger Archangelic Body, through differently aged cells in that Body. Other people may not be aware of the holographic effect of their living. However, those who perhaps unconsciously express integrity, the Tone, are making their contribution. Each stage has its own creative opportunities and responsibilities. Those who are coming into their more “senior generations” have a very special opportunity in the world today.
As we’ve considered on several occasions, the planet is in a process of multidimensional reintegration into the Divine Design. Human nature is to be shed, one way or another. This obviously applies to both the young and the old—to everyone in the Archangelic Body. In these days we are approaching the climax of the fallen human state. It will be resolved. We can observe in the world that the human race is beginning to face physical, ecological disease, and perhaps extinction. This process, naturally enough perhaps, evokes emotional discomfort, with anxiety and fear, as never before. Holographically, the senior generations face the same process personally. So never has the Earth’s condition and transitional process ever had such an apt focus within itself as it has now with the elderly—and herein lies the opportunity for their greatest service.
Personally thinking about this transitional process is not a self-centered aberration, because we are in fact considering a universal experience. The question is, how does true Identity engage in this process of transition? Well, Identity must come into subjective “I Am.” No matter what is transpiring externally in one’s own body, or the body of mankind, or the body of the planet, keep conscious Identity centered in who I Am—and express that quality in the midst of every situation. We may be assured that human nature and its assumed identity will pass away, and that our own human-nature experience of fear, anxiety, resistance to change, is a miniature of what is gaining momentum in the larger Body. We can help ease this transition by our own process and attitude, which is “I Am an aspect of the universal flow of Life, of Being. What I do affects the Whole.” What greater spiritual work could we be presented with? It is wonderful! One of our greatest achievements and contributions will be to help the human consciousness bridge the gap between its present, transitory experience—to Identity in Eternal Being.
Well you may say that all this is merely a rationalization about death. Yes, it is. It is bringing rational thought to the process. If we have lived adequately in the current of Life, we know something of its nature as it has operated in our experience in the Design. We have known and now know, therefore, the thrilling and reliable nature of Life. We therefore have much confidence—and that is a word for the outer mind, which needs confidence, needs trust. We are establishing that within our own consciousness. We have already experienced a life cycle composed of experiences of delight, challenge, adventure and fulfillment. So we know the nature of Life, and we know the ongoing certainty back of the transition process out of this cycle of incarnation.
There is more than this rational view, however. There have been human beliefs in “life after death,” as it is called. Concepts and theories about heaven depended upon where the person lived, but all such images are distorted anyway. However, the point here is that there is an inherent subconscious awareness in human beings of Identity in Eternal Being.
So we may reflect again upon the joys we have known, knowing that the intention of Life is delight and that this is still possible, even in this fallen state. But this intention has been messed up, and we too have contributed to this messed-up experience. After a lifetime of deft guidance by the Spirit, do we yet lack confidence? It might be said to our outer minds, “O ye of little faith!” So we are concerned with the ascension process—ascension of our outer consciousness into an awareness of true Identity, and wakening to the fact that this is a never-ending process. The cycle in Being is always from glory unto glory. The subject of death, or ascension, is not a morbid topic. Every stage that we’ve experienced in this life cycle has died, hasn’t it? We died as children; we died as teenagers. Stage by stage passes away. In its place emerges the opportunity for a fuller experience of our Selves, and a greater opportunity to contribute into the magnificent Design of Eternal Being.
Literal Light
from EDL: The Door
Martin Exeter December 13, 1987 a.m.
The human mind is the means by which the light may shine. We have spoken of Lucifer, the light-bearer. The transparent mind allows the already existing angelic light to shine through. The mind is not an entity of itself, as it tries to be in the human state. Trying to be an entity of itself, it becomes satan; it lands up in darkness. The state of the human mind, in the peoples of the world as we now know it, is darkened. The light is still present—we're still alive—but the light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehends it not. We are aware of this state, the state where there is a separation between the heaven and the earth of the individual human being. That separation has taken place because satan, the darkened mind, has usurped the position of the true identity, which isn't Lucifer but is revealed by the fact of Lucifer's presence, because Lucifer is the light-bearer, the identity-bearer. It makes possible the experience of the true identity.
Let your light so shine. It is a spiritual light, in which case it probably seems to be incomprehensible light. But heaven and earth are one; so what is deemed to be spiritual light has its counterpart in the earth, which could be said to be literal light. The evidence of the truth of Man is in the light.
This physical form is something of a burden, isn't it? We have to lug it around. Some of us are more sprightly than others, more agile, but it becomes a more evident burden as one grows older. It's a heavy load of flesh to pack around! This is a form which has enabled the continued existence of potential Man on earth. It is useful because of this. But to become the form of Man it must be filled with light. “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light”—literal light. They say that light weighs a little, but not much. It's very light! And if the composition of human expression in living is light, the body becomes light. Here we see something of a transformation, even transmutation, to occur. Man is more than one person. So the light relates to more than one person. Man is composed of a body of individuals, and the form of that body is made up of the individuals who compose it. That body is properly the light in expression, the radiant light made manifest. This is something very different to this heavy clod of flesh. Where to start to let the restoration come? We know where to start, because we have started. The question is of no interest any longer. Emissaries of Divine Light: a form composed of individuals through whom the light shines.
The light shines through the form of EDL to the extent that it is shining through the forms of those who compose the form, those individual forms that are drawn together to compose it. The shining of the light relates to that form. The transformation relates to that form. Obviously it relates to the individuals who compose that form, but it doesn't happen merely for this individual and that individual. It occurs because there is a form. Because there is such a form there is a facility through which the light may shine. But then we come back to the individual, because the extent to which it is shining is dependent upon the extent to which it is shining through each individual. As we have recognized before, the sum of the light—in this instance, light shining through these individuals—is not the total light shining through the form of EDL. That is far more. We have seen this from the standpoint of putting two people together, a man and a woman for instance. Each has an ability to reveal and express and radiate the light, to whatever extent. If you add one and one together, we find more than two. This is a new math! Properly there are at least three: there are the two who are together and there is the new state that comes because they are together. So one and one make three.
This just illustrates something. The composition of the body, the form, provides a facility which can radiate far more light than the sum of all the light of the individuals who compose the body of EDL, and because that is far more, it enhances the individual expression of light. We begin to find something happening exponentially here, but it only comes because, individually, responsibility is being taken for letting the light shine to the extent that it may now do so. Then that extent of light, put together collectively, is found to be far more than the mere sum of the individual light. This is indication of how rapidly transformation can occur. We ourselves as individuals simply keep it from occurring, if it doesn't occur. We have known the fact of our own individual responsibility. We may see it now in terms of letting the light shine.
We find that there are variations in the shining of the light. We may take what is occurring now as an example. My responsibility is of a particular nature which will permit an intensification of the light to shine by reason of my radiant expression. This is very different to what may occur in conversation during the day. As Uranda put it one time, the sun rises, and there is day; there is a bright intensity of radiation for whatever period of time is necessary for that. And then the sun sets. But the Morning Star is still there. In fact when the sun is shining the Morning Star can't be seen, but when the sun sets the Morning Star is right there. Lucifer is always on hand, but he is the light-bearer. He doesn't bear a flaming torch which is always the same intensity. He bears whatever light is necessary in the particular circumstance of the moment. And there is a variation in the intensity of that light, but it is always the same light. It's not some sort of strange extraneous light coming in on special occasions. No, it's the same light, but there are pulsations in the creative process, and it shines with the intensity that is necessary in the moment. At least this is the intent, unless we block it.
So we are very much aware of the real nature of our responsibility mentally. The light determines what is thought. The light determines what is said and what is done. Here is the process of creation. Creation comes through thought. It has continued to come through the thoughts of human beings in this fallen condition, but very sluggishly. It takes a great deal of the sweat of the brow to get anything done. We all know that, in this human state. We've struggled with it and exhausted ourselves at the business. But where the thought which moves through the mind is not generated by the mind but is generated by the light, it's easy and there is a natural flow. And all creation has occurred on this basis within the range of the responsibility of man. It would be very risky, wouldn't it, if presently your thoughts during a day were immediately to take form! So it's useful that a certain sluggishness has put in an appearance. But they do take form after a while, and they come back to haunt us. What a wretched state.
How wonderful to have the mind transparent so that the fitting light of the moment may be born, the fitting thought of the moment may be born—not generated because one is thinking so desperately, as human beings do in an endeavor to control all their circumstances, but the thought which is the creative thought coming down from God out of heaven into the earth. How? Through the mind. That's what it's for—not to do its own thinking and to mess things up constantly on that basis, but to become transparent so that the light may be born. The light may be carried, yes, but also born into expression, and the first expression comes through thought. There is something which precedes the thought, mind you, but the first awareness that one may have of what it is that is moving comes through conscious thought. Conscious thought is controlled thought, controlled by the design in heaven, controlled angelically. That thought may safely take form, and it will do so. I'm sure you have found already that when there is that thought, what is thought very quickly takes form. The world is transformed on this basis, not by manipulation either mental or physical but by the flow of creative thought out of heaven into the earth by reason of a transparent mind. The transparency of mind cuts human beings down to size. The usual view is that value comes because a mind is very capable of generating its own thoughts. But that all dissolves, and there is a totally new state, a new heaven. Out of the new heaven the new earth springs, and the basis of that coming forth is the flow that occurs through the transparent mind. I most thankfully share these thoughts with you now, that we may all be willing to let the light shine.
The light shines and, in the shining, transforms. Creation occurs by reason of the shining of the light. Re-creation occurs in this way. Insofar as human beings are concerned, the only way that there may be participation in creation is when the facility for the shining of the light is available to that shining. And the facility is the human mind, not merely the conscious mind but the unconscious mind as well. The light is apparent consciously, and it transforms by reason of the radiation. We are familiar with the process: radiation, response, attraction, union, unified radiation. This is a mental description of something which happens continuously when the mind is in place to let it do so. There is radiation and there is consequent transformation.
It is not only what may be deemed to be spiritual light, but it is literal light also. When the light shines, the flesh is revealing of it and is transformed by it. But, as we have recognized in our consideration this morning, it is not possible for it to occur individually without it at the same time occurring collectively. The collective shining of the light is what clarifies and restores the flesh to the point where the light may be intensified so that the transformation occurs. However, the flesh is the last along the line. The light only comes to the flesh because there is a transparent mind, and it is the transparent collective mind that permits the intensity of radiant light to be of such power that the very flesh may be transformed. All these things work in the creative process, if we trust the creative process and let it work. Moving together in the assumption of individual responsibility for the light, the fulfillment comes.
The importance of the light may be easily seen. Mention was made of loving the light, which is what is essential. If you love darkness more than you love the light, well you'll stay in the dark. But loving the light implies loving the Word, the illuminating Word. This has always been stressed, hasn't it? Finally there are those who suddenly seem to have become aware of the vital nature of the Word, not of the printed form in and of itself but of the radiance which is made available in this way. It's made available in other ways too, and it's made available rightly through each of us and all of us continually. But to appreciate the light and to know the nature of it, it must be loved, certainly, above all else. In the light is the one identity, the One I am. So there is natural love for the light and consequently a delight to bathe oneself in it, because thereby it is found that as the substance of one's own external being resonates with the light, it is resonating with one's own true identity. And one's own true identity consequently emerges. It can never emerge except by reason of the light, because that's what it is. And in the radiance of the light the truth is known: “I am the door. I am the open door.”
Anne Blaney — Before we turn it over to the presenters I want to make a couple of comments about something that is obvious when you're sitting in this chair. This particular service, with its subject matter, and the focus that is going to be provided by Robert and Steve, is going to afford an opportunity for a specific generation of substance—finer substance of understanding and connection. We will have the opportunity, because of the substance that is present, to let a very specific radiation go forth. I think we will find this time very useful. So Steve, I will turn it over to you, the first speaker. Go ahead.
Steve Ventola — Hi everyone, and thank you Anne for setting the stage. Robert and I feel that this is a pivotal time to move to another level of our togetherness, of our influence into the world together. With that in mind I’m going to begin a screen share with PowerPoint.
“With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:16
YouTube Video
Let's consider that for a moment in our own hearts: “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
As we receive the spirit of these words, we recognize that salvation is a choice each one makes. As we serve Him, our salvation comes. In light of that, a few of us have been considering Conscious, Healthy Aging. The reason why I thought to develop this program is that we're all aging, and there is tremendous substance that’s been generated in our lifetimes. It’s important to acknowledge that, and to recognize that in this latter part of our lives, to make things count, to let our generation count.
With this in mind, let’s look at our reason for Being. The light that we are individually and collectively needs to be received, in alignment, in our hearts; and when the current in our hearts is allowed to be in sync with who we are, the life that we are, it allows for a receiving of that. We know that our mind is the guardian angel of our heart, and as we keep our hearts fixed by the rudder of our mind, through attitudes such as patience, tranquility, realization, assurance, it allows for a sensing of consciousness and a care for our body. Ultimately, there is only one reason to be healthy, and that's to play our part, and our part relates to having our heart and mind in alignment with the reason for our being, for the radiation of light out into the world.
I looked up the word aging, and it comes from an ancient translation meaning vital force. Instead of thinking that we’re going to get old and decrepit, aging actually relates to having a greater experience of vital force with a greater emanation. Some of us have been considering Conscious Healthy Aging with others here in Atlanta, but today we want to look at it from a Temple of Light perspective.
Let's consider the following from Martin Exeter: “Just how much of you, your mind, the capacity of mind and heart is concerned with the body of the Son of God? That is the only thing of concern, to allow the fusion to take place, that the body may be a reality.”
If you think about that, the body of the Son of God, the word Son is related to consciousness. The body of the consciousness of God, where we recognize that God is not vengeful; God is our friend. That's untangling the mass subterranean influences that have been tied up with being fearful of God. We want to actually allow for a consciousness of God to be re-established and a fusion to take place with each of us, to have a greater alert participation in the assumption of responsibility in the spiritual body, in the body of the consciousness of God on earth. Martin continues: “It's interesting, as a person gets older there's an inclination to back away from things. For those who have been associated in the creative process of spirit for longer periods of time, if that association has really been consistent, a great deal of substance has been generated… But there is something of much more to be provided by older people when this backing away syndrome is allowed to pass away.”
We have work to do as we get older. And here are comments from Lillian Exeter: “I don't really know what age I am! Middle-aged! Old-aged! I’m really nothing of that sort. I feel so young! We are always spiritually our same age; that's ourselves. Here we are!”
Here we are. Okay, so we look at it in terms of years of precious substance that all of us have generated over a lifetime and allowing that substance to substantially circulate by reason of one’s part in accord. All of us have substance and allowing for that substance to be integrated in accord, the spirit can circulate from core to periphery. The Temple of Light provides a core focus, integrating all of integrity; all who have a love for what is at the core of integrity in themselves. The oneness of love extends from core to periphery.
What we're doing here in the Temple of Light, is providing that core focus so that those, all in our world, whether they're in service with us here or the folks we meet, that we know personally in our world who are not at the level of conscious awareness that we have but are playing their part. Carol and I love going to this Mexican restaurant and there’s a waiter there that has such a precious nature, that we always ask for him. He's part of that periphery, of those allowing something of pure spirit to go into the world. It is for us to play a conscious part in terms of the core, to provide that connection.
Here are words from Grace Van Duzen: “We represent everyone everywhere.”And didn't she have that spirit! And to allow ourselves to have that same sensing, that we represent everyone everywhere.
And now words from Uranda: “All of this applies to our responsibility as Servers, because it is only as we let the power of God work through us, in actual fact, that we are going to have any real influence in the world, letting that part of the Garden of God, for which you are responsible come into manifestation in the realm of form and appear on earth, so that human beings may know that the Garden is at hand, available, within reach of all who will receive.” Think about that!
Robert Merriman [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2022/03/victoryshekinah-and-spirit-of-single-eye.html] sparked my interest to pick up the Divine Design of Man papers—and if you still have your books, I encourage you in the same way. This is from paper 86, which I found to be excellent in terms of being washed clean with the waters of truth, to allow for a greater instilling of the message we bring into world. It relates to our collective reason for being: “We have one responsibility: to rebuild and repair the altar the Lord that is broken down, until at last there shall be enough human beings drawn from out of the world mass to allow the manifestation of the Temple of God on earth. When that takes place individually there begins to be a recognition of the fire that comes down from God out of heaven and burns eternally upon the altar, the fire of God's Love.”
David passed this picture on to me; it's the altar in the Little Chapel at Sunrise Ranch, that's depicted in the book, Seven Steps to the Temple Of Light. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2014/05/sevensteps-to-temple-of-light-uranda.html] But I have found it symbolic too, in terms of us rebuilding and repairing the altar of the Lord. Notice that there's no golden bowl on the altar, or candles representing our heart and mind. But there's a sensing that we need to allow for the visible form of those objects to appear through ourselves as representing the altar of the Lord in living form; and for us to do that collectively, so there's a vibe or energy that goes out into the world that allows for people to be drawn accordingly. And then the fire falls from heaven.
Now, as we aspire, and continue to allow for that altar to be in place, we feel that fire. We allow that fire to burn up things that don't belong anymore, and allow for a revelation in consciousness, a greater consciousness of God on earth through us. So, from Martin again: “How blessed we are to know these things, and how blessed others may be by reason of our blessing. Let us let it be so now and increasingly in the days to come.”Increasing in the days to come.
“With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Let's let our purpose leverage our health in the choices we make, and the necessities of what is required to satisfy him in our daily living. The choices we make. The choices we make, in terms of alignment with our reason for being individually and together. Tangible care for a body individually; and playing our vital part in the body of the Son of God on earth, in the body of the consciousness God on earth Here. Here and now. Here we are. I am going to stop my PowerPoint and Robert will continue.
Robert Kauffman — Thank you, Steve. So, I did not expect to be sitting in Steve's chair this morning. It looks like we've had a lot of little snafus going on—electronically anyway—and I'm glad to see you all here.
When I took the course with Steve it started my mind thinking—that's the way I approach things—I started considering just exactly what life is for me, how does it get represented in my mind? As physicists say, life is extraordinarily messy. It's not the politicians’ way of describing it, but the physicist’s sense of it is very distinct. It means that it can go any which way; it is absolutely indeterminate, and it is always a surprise. And I have found it that way. Luckily however, we have a certain capacity of consciousness. It's a filter. It shuts out virtually everything—99.9% of everything—and it only lets in that which might be necessary for us in any given moment. You might say these are freeze-frames in the movie of our lives. And we all have a movie; we all have one, and it inspires memories; or you might say it contains memories, and those memories run the gamut of being sad, jubilant, victorious, any which way. For myself, they follow the stream of life in all of its idiosyncrasies, all of its craziness.
Now, I want to read a poem that I wrote about 25 years ago, because I think it summarizes what I was thinking about life at that point, and then I will go on to describe what goes on from there. It's called Time Slowed Down—and time is a major element within our consciousness of life. It may be purely a human element. The scientists aren’t even sure. But this is the poem.
I once knew a time when summer lasted forever
between hands made numb from snatching up brook trout,
swimming quietly in their keep,
or clapping fireflies that hovered in the dusk.
My obligations to civilization consisted of little more than meal times,
with their attendant chores, and dirty shorts, and life unencumbered.
Beyond that lay a passage into delicious wonder.
What happens when you pull a raccoon by the tail?
Why don't we fall into China if we dig real deep?
And how did girls get made so different?
Well, the other day, while speeding down the highway,
I spied a guinea hen just up the road,
making up its mind which way to go.
Undoubtedly lost in mysterious bird thoughts it could hardly have guessed
the vector force potential of the hurtling steel and singing tires
that bore violently upon it.
Spinning in an abrupt vortex of surprise, its frantic
squawks of rage probably led to any number of guinea hen legends.
Now, I know a man who spends most all his time within
the confines of his house in a small circle just off the porch.
His emphysema has relegated years of capacity for
building and installing and fixing things
to a quiet place of memories and telling of stories,
and there's not much to do except sit, think and wonder
why everyone moves so gosh darn fast
always in a rush, always gotta be someplace else
before they've hardly even arrived.
But I wonder sometimes whether he's not the lucky one
given the blessed time to be at home with himself
as his Maker leaks glory all around him,
and prepares a place of worship
And as I say, I wrote that about 25 years ago; and it's been the joy of my life to spend those 25 years discovering exactly what those final words mean. Yes, the Maker leaked glory all around my friend. He leaks glory all around me. And there is a place of worship; there always has been. But that place becomes more and more defined as the years go on, and it's become quite clear. So I'm wondering, as I'm considering the course [Conscious Healthy Aging] that Steve and I have put forth, how that happens? Well, as Uranda used to say, “You can't lift yourself up by the bootstraps.” I mean, there's no secret path here, except that there is. It's by total surrender of oneself to God, and to let life surround you, and move with you and you might say: love you.
And here's an interesting thing that Anne sent Steve and me the other day, because she knew we were considering this topic. Evidently she had read that there's now clinical proof that there's no need to believe that as we get older we're losing our faculties, that we're stuck with sentimental reminiscing over those snapshots of our lives that happened to hang on in memory. There's much more available to us, and in fact this research at George Washington University School of Medicine has found that an older person actually has their consciousness released in a very particular way. There's a membrane that separates the bicameral mind into two spheres—that's the very casual description. But this membrane becomes porous as we get older. So, although the research shows that yes, we do think more slowly; we also begin to think not just with one sphere or the other. You know, we're not just left brain or right brain. No, we're whole brain. We start to think with one consciousness. Perhaps this explains an awful lot of how we begin to be able to discern much more clearly the things that life would bring us. Our mental capacity, the conscious part of it, is somewhat constrained by this insistence on filtering out much of what Life brings us. Well the heart doesn't do that. The heart picks up everything, and we begin to see life in a much clearer way. Of course, when I read what Anne had sent, all I could think of was the Bible's dynamic phrase: “Behold, I make all things new”! That never stops just because we enter our 70’s or 80’s, or even 90’s. My aunt just died a few months ago. She was 101, and even though she was quite sick with cancer, she received guests up until the last few days—people surrounding her, coming to be with her. She was still sharp as a tack. There's no reason that this is not available to any one of us.
I want to talk about another thought that has caught hold of my mind during the past month or so: the First and Second Great Commandments. It seems that the Master was put on the spot; or at least the Pharisees were attempting to put Him on the spot. I can imagine a few bullies just surrounding Him, poking and probing, saying something like “Okay, tell us which is the greatest commandment?” What He said was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-40
So I'm thinking about this. It's actually revolutionary; it's a revelation. It also indicates a sequence; Uranda has spoken to this point many many times. You don't reach God by pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. and bargaining with God, you know, “You just do this and then sure, I'll be glad to do whatever you wish.” No. Our God is not a God of our making. But my God is available for friendship, to be in perfect friendship with me. And I don't think I ever realized that before – certainly not back when I wrote that poem. This is what Uranda has to say about it in a presentation called Communion and Friendship, from 1953. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2022/05/trust-which-can-be-trusted.html] He said: “The process of knowing is experienced only with the development of a sense of oneness-with, which we call Love. We cannot know any person until we have had an opportunity to experience the relatedness of the normal pattern of life with that person. We may know about many people, but there are exceedingly few who ever come to know even one person during a lifetime. When any person has come to truly know another, and to accept the relationship that is so established, there is one word which applies: friendship.” And actually, Uranda goes on to primarily describe friendship with God. He's talking about a God that loves you truly and deeply, and completely, for whoever you are.
I’d like to go back to this movie analogy that I was using. In examining it over the last month, I've come to realize there were certain essences that touched my life with consistency. You might say that I am the sum total of these snapshots, and as I dug deeper into any one of these, I began to see that there was a current, there was a consistency, and there was absolutely a calling involved in this process. And I began to understand that I was being drawn. How? Or why? Clearly, I was being drawn by God. I began to understand that this was no error, no mistake. As you know, God does not make mistakes. This was a true act of friendship, drawing me forth through so many different things, some of them difficult, some of them joyous. But all of them were powerful, in a certain sense, coming through as an invitation which was steady and true.
John Gray gave us a great image of that last week. It was a poem written by Rumi, who was a Persian poet from the 1200’s, and I'm going to read it again in case you missed his reading of it.
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’
doesn't make any sense.” (Coleman Barks translation)
This begins to epitomize for me the reason why we would reach, how we would reach, the goal represented by the First Great Commandment: in friendship, to be with God; to be at rest, and to rest within a state of attunement. But as they used to say on TV—‘But wait, there's more!’ “The second is like unto it”—which to me says it's every bit as important as the first. Then, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. Now you can see why the first had to come first, because I think it can safely be said for any one of us – but certainly for myself – that there was no way I could say that I loved myself, through and through, until I loved myself through the vision of God. So what follows is the commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” But I'm also beginning to find it's not a difficult thing to do. To the extent that the first is true, the second is no problem.
As we know the First Great Commandment, we begin to understand that true friendship exists out there. As I said in my poem, it’s “a passage into delicious wonder”; it’s beginning to explore and enjoy people in a way that I'd never understood before. And again—‘But wait, there's more!’ Here I’ve got to ask the question: Who is my neighbor? Terry is my neighbor. She's extremely close, and I love her dearly. And then our family has another member, a black cat. She's my neighbor. She's very meek and mild, but also ferocious, she’s a lioness when the striped cat comes onto her territory. But she has shown us a full expression of personality and character that I had never quite seen before in an animal.
This would come as no shock to Christine Pivarnik. I was really moved by the talk she gave some weeks ago concerning her relationship with her horses—it's not just the cats; these are also our neighbors. But it goes further than that. When I walk up into the garden, there are little critters in the soil, there are the bees flying around, there are the birds who keep coming back. I don't know the names of all these creatures, but I had learned the name of one of them. It's called the Eastern Phoebe. Terry and I named it Phoebe because it would come, and land on the trellis right next to us, basically at our shoulders; and it would watch us intently as we disturbed the soil. We would uproot something that we couldn't see, but Phoebe sure did! And as soon as we stepped away it would fly down and start eating, and then fly back up. And it would stay and do that with us. This is neighborly interaction. And it goes further than that.
Last month Shirley spoke of Mother God [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2022/05/divine-woman.html] and to my mind we're talking about the element of Mother God; and this second commandment is absolutely a commandment to not only be a friend to Father God, or the God in heaven, but to be friend to Mother God, the God who is in the life of everything within this wonderful planet on which we live. As I say though, if the first Great Commandment has become fact within our living, the second one is no problem. It is automatic. I can see the day when we will work together in absolute oneness with the earth, with one another, with one goal, with one objective, that the world might be whole again.
I'm going to end with just one more image. I had discussed with Steve whether to show a picture that I had drawn about the power of the combined capacity of human beings all working together; and the picture had to do with laser light, as we used to say, ‘shining our light’. It was a popular phrase back in the 80’s. We used to talk about shining our light in perfect coherence. But I'm not going to show that drawing; I think it's wrong now. Light diffuses—the power of light is that it's everywhere at once. It diffuses. Now, to get back to that movie image, I can say that I see certain things there—the essences that I presumably am responsible for, because I’m the one who sees them. Each one of you sees different essences. There may be overlap, but you definitely see many other essences that I don’t. But put together —even 144,000 of us and not to mention 8 billion human beings on Earth right now—we will cover the full breadth and reach of reality, of life, and what life brings to us in every moment. And I prefer that image, that working together we become aware of everything we need to be aware of. But no one of us can do this alone.
I would like to complete my presentation with a moment of devotion that comes from a service that Uranda gave: Seeing The Father. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2015/09/in-from-shekinah-magic-seeing-father.html] I use it every morning. It's been a guideline: “Our gracious Lord and holy King, it is with humble joy, deep relief, and soul searching satisfaction, that we yield the kingdom of our bodies, our minds, and hearts to Thee; that Thy spirit may enter into the temple of the human form; that Thy presence may be made evident through every thought, word and deed, until it shall be that Thy will is done on earth in us, even as Thy will is done in heaven. For Thine is the kingdom, above and below; Thine is the power above, within, and around us; and Thine is the glory in heaven and earth forevermore. And we would so live that it shall be evident in our lives that it is so. In the Christ, Aumen”
And now, as Anne had suggested at the beginning, this is the time for us to release this strong vibrational impact from our hearts, and I would ask that anyone who would like to share, to please do so. And after that, Steve will have some more words to say.
Terry Kauffman — Robert and Steve, I would love to say how thrilled I am with what we were able to share together. You two are such a force, a perfect combination of male positivity and agreement. I know that the two of you have spent quite a bit of time recently considering these things, and it absolutely came through loud and clear. The thing that I would mention, and say how much I appreciate, is just the matter of my generation, my own personal generation—and each one of us can say that, we each have a generation. And to let that generation at this time count. The world is crying out for that, and who better than those of us who share a clear consciousness of who we are, and know that we are a friend indeed of the LORD. So thank you so much.
Following Comments
Steve Ventola — I think that the fire we feel is burning up the old to allow for the new. And to our awareness, this is the time to really acknowledge it. We see, each of us on this screen, that we're no longer something separate from God. We're playing our part within the core of the essences of God, so that “We represent everyone everywhere.” And to have that awareness, that sense of privilege and responsibility; it's not really a hard responsibility as we actually place our capacities on the altar, so the fire can burn and our golden bowl be purified, the golden bowl of our heart, to allow for our consciousness to have its awakening day by day, moment by moment. These are precious things we share, and we are, each of us, precious too. I appreciate everyone's words in this respect. Let's really take these things to heart, to complete our mission, our purpose here on earth
We will close with a devotion: O Lord, as we still our hearts and minds, letting go of trying and striving, coming into place and recognizing those things that do need to burn; and they can only burn as we place our orientation to Thee, allowing our souls to be thine altar in expression on earth. And as we do, then the yoke is easy, the burden is light, for our orientation is sound and sure. There is a newness in letting go of what we thought we needed to hold on to, for it is only now, Thy Presence acknowledged, and Thy joy received. And as we know this joy, it lightens our hearts, and so it extends out into the world. All for Thy glory, all for Thy love. In the ever-increasing Light of Thy Name, we bless all. In the Christ. Aumen
Anne Blaney — Thanks Steve, thanks Robert, and everyone. It's good to gather in this field together. Our next gathering will take place on June 26th, and we're going to be hearing from Tony Palombo, from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Thank you all. Have a wonderful month, a wonderful day, a wonderful moment, every moment. So bye for now.
