Your Job And Mine

Your  Job  And  Mine

Martin Cecil  and  Yujin Pak   February 19, 1984  pm

Yujin Pak — To heal the heart of man, because I am present. How shall the heart of man be healed? We touched this morning on the matter of passion, and there has been some degree of retranslation of what that means in our consciousness. And yet I know that we know very little of what true passion is. A word that has been present with me this afternoon, which I know to be the ingredient that will let the healing happen, which to me is of the true essence of passion, are the words “passionate humility”. We have known passion and have sometimes associated it with a kind of warm glow. Substance is freed up when passion moves, but what is passion for? What is the purpose of passion? To me the purpose of passion is just one thing: to let it be so focused in our love for truth that it lets the veil—the veil of our hearts, the heart of mankind—be burnt all the way through.

We have known very little of focused passion—passion focused in humility. A current begins to move a little bit and we get that warm glow, and usually it peters out not far beyond that. But we know that when passion burns truly, and has a focus to which it can go, then it can carry power. True passion. It isn’t like a bonfire. It’s not even like a flame-thrower. Sometimes we think we need flame-throwers to get the job done, but I think we misconceive when we think that way. We are usually thinking about the flame-thrower being used on somebody else, aren’t we? Why not bring that to focus in oneself, not somewhere out there but in oneself, in clear absolute intensity, so that that passion is no longer like a bonfire or a flame-thrower but more like a laser beam; so that it’s no longer sticky like it may have been before—a kind of warm, sickly sweet atmosphere. Ugh! We’re so used to that. Sticky human nature emotions—that is what we associate with passion so often.

But what was the passion that burned in Moses when he stood on Mount Sinai and beheld the burning bush? That was the passion that he held absolutely in focus, in humility, before the Lord. As he stood before the Lord and saw all that he had brought from the world in his own heart, in great repentance he bowed his head and let that passion move right on up; and all that was in him was consumed. That is the way the veil will be burnt. When intensity builds and something of real power begins to move, we often tend to go kind of sleepy. “Oh, I feel a little funny.” We get headaches—some intensity moving. The point is: if the current is intensifying, come forth and match it! Match the intensity so that something can really happen. We, as the current increases, sometimes feel a little uncomfortable, maybe go a bit sleepy, maybe we begin to flinch a little, and say “Ouch.” Don’t say “Ouch!” Flinch not! Remember what you are doing it for, what I am doing it for.

It is for the transmutation of this world. And as we hold that intensity through, like that laser beam, it actually penetrates through what sometimes looks and feels like this thick steel door of human nature that has coated our hearts. It’s like a vault of huge, thick steel; and we wonder, “Ah, we’ll never get through this!” Not with a flame-thrower we won’t! But if we are so aligned with the Lord that a shaft of absolute intensity and power can fall from heaven through us, that can cut the veil right through. And it doesn’t actually even need to cause smoke to come up as it burns through. It goes through clean and sweet. True clear intensity.

Even in this moment let us gather our substance so that not a drop of it is wasted. A right containment in absolute passionate humility: that is what will get the job done. This is what Jesus had to meet in the Garden of Gethsemane, we know. He stood before the Lord, having received all that had come to Him from the world. And in that moment of passionate humility He bowed His head, and all of it was lifted on up. If we could have seen, there may have been this shaft of light coming from above: “This is my beloved Son.” And all that Jesus had received was lifted unto the Father and transmutation occurred for the world. That was a crucial moment. And those moments can be ours. So let it happen.

Martin Cecil — Everything always comes to focus in the present moment. This is the present moment. This is the point of fulfilment when the fire from heaven is differentiated into the earth. How is it to happen now? We can think up analogies and have some ideas about it, which indeed may be helpful at times, assisting in the opening of the door by which the fire may fall and actually be known by each one in the present moment. We use words such as “fire,” even “love,” which only describe something which must actually happen in experience to be known. We do not know it merely by the use of words.

Our concern has been, in particular my concern has been over the years, to allow the creative working of spirit to bring forth a unified Body of individuals which would be capable of letting the fire fall from heaven—one way of describing it—of participating directly and immediately in the creative process which is and always has been operating. This Body comes into alignment, rightly, with the working of that creative process so that the experience of that working can be known. As we have all realized, if we stand a little off to one side all we can have are some ideas about it. If we are fairly close they may be good ideas, I suppose, but still only imagination. Only as the alignment is absolute can the truth be known. If the light emanates from you there are no shadows to be seen. The shadows are only there when one is apart from the light, separate from it; then there are shadows all around and there is wondering about them. We let ourselves come into alignment. As I say, my principal reason for being present with you and others is to fulfil a commission or a responsibility which is mine: to permit this unified form composed of individual people to come into alignment with the creative process. Down along the way over many, many years there has been a good deal of fussing this way and that, people struggling with all kinds of things, overlooking the one purpose for which anyone is on earth. And there is still a certain amount of fussing going on, a certain amount of trying to understand and not understanding, when all that has ever been necessary has been to come into alignment, as a person individually, with the already existing and working creative process. If you do that you know it. If you don’t do it you don’t know it, and you wonder what all the talk is about.

This unified, fused Body which has been in the process of taking form over a long time—or a short time, depending what time frame you are putting it in—has been for the sole purpose of assuming responsibility for the creative process on earth. We have called it administering the creative process, which doesn’t really describe what is required, but indicates at least something. This is the responsibility of those individuals who compose this Body—not my responsibility. My responsibility is to do what I might to allow the Body to take form. That is my reason for being present on earth. Whether I have succeeded or not still remains to be seen. But that has very little to do with the responsibility which rests upon the individuals who compose the Body, for what is to happen is their responsibility—not mine. It is absolutely in the hands of each one.

I have sought to discharge my own responsibility the best I knew how over the years. I have you to show for it! There are some others as well. But I have not really done my job that well if you, individually speaking, do not assume the responsibility of alignment with the creative process. That implies that you are no longer trying to work things out yourself. To most people, not trying to work things out yourself leaves a blank. To the extent that I have done my job well it doesn't leave a blank insofar as you are concerned; it leaves you in position to do what you are here to do. But it's not what I’m here to do. No use looking to me to get your job done—I’m not here to do that. I was here and have been here to do something else. I suppose if I’ve done a good job there comes a point when I am not necessary anymore. That’s all right with me; I trust it’s all right with you too. We are quite willing to let things work the way they work. But I am making this distinction this evening principally to bring a little greater intensity perhaps to your responsibility, because you can’t look to anyone else to do it—least of all me. This is not the reason for my presence on earth but it is the reason for yours, and we are not very useful unless we acknowledge the reason for our presence.

So the fire falls from heaven if you give it focus, individually speaking, in your particular creative field. That means the place where you are and with respect to the circumstances in that place, whatever they may be in a given moment, and with respect to the people who are present with you in that place. And so the creative expression of your living comes into alignment with the creative process as a whole to the extent that you actually do bring to focus what is falling from heaven in your dealings with your circumstances and with the people immediately around you. Do you have an understanding respect, for instance, for other people? This should be very easy for those who are participating in this creative process. Are you going to look at your fellow and say: “I’m participating in this more than you are”—really? How do you know? Why not have respect for yourself and for everybody else too, so that you treat others with care and with understanding?—not so much because they might have the opportunity of feeling that they are being understood, as to reveal what it means to understand, something which may be shared by anyone.

We have talked a lot in times past about self-centeredness. It is the human state. Is it transcended in our own experience? We come to know whether it is or not by the way we handle each other, our affairs, with love, thoughtfulness, respect. We have a base to stand on, after all. Let’s stand on it then, and stay on it, so that what needs to happen may do so. And we’ll find out what that is because there is factually spiritual expression, which is love in expression at whatever level may be fitting in the moment. Sometimes that love finds expression without any particular form. That might be called atmosphere. You have substance in which to enfold another person. Maybe that is all that is necessary. Sometimes when others seem to get a little uppity, maybe that’s all that’s necessary. You don't need to feel, “Well I’ve got to put that person in his place.” Perhaps there are occasions when one may need to do something directly, but how much can be achieved in the atmosphere of love! You don’t need to tell anyone how to behave or what to do, because you don’t know. You are in the process of finding out how you should behave and what you should do—that’s all that’s necessary. And if what finds expression through you is what it should be, that is a very effective influence with respect to other people. You don’t have to whip anyone into line—into what line?

Love one another. That has very practical meaning. We find that out when we do it, when that is our natural expression, spiritual expression—the spirit of blessing, the spirit of the single eye, the spirit of the new earth. Is that your spirit in each circumstance with respect to each person? This isn’t a sort of schedule that you get set up, so the same thing comes out of you for everybody: you deem this to be the spirit of blessing and the spirit of the single eye and the spirit of new earth. No. It is said of Solomon that he was wise. He evidently had a sense of the fitness of things, which is natural to one who has an understanding heart. One begins to discern, to perceive what is necessary without judgment, because here is something coming down from God out of heaven into the situation. You are responsible for putting it there. You are not responsible for trying to manipulate the situation to suit some idea you may have in mind. Get it out of your mind. Let your eye be single and your whole body is full of light—no shadows.

Shadows in the physical form of course relate to what human beings call illness or disease, troubles of various sorts physically speaking. Where there is a single eye one necessarily handles one’s physical form as it should be handled. You don’t let it handle you. A lot of people do. Physical form gets upset and that determines the individual's expression, the type of spirit that is going to be expressed, very often. Our behavior is not rightly determined by the way we feel, either physically or because of some emotional upset or some mental problem. We don’t need to define it as a problem, in which case it would be less troublesome at least. We have all these things that we have been accustomed to, and most people are desirous of living the way to which they are accustomed. The way people are accustomed to living—or to dying, would be a more accurate statement—is the way they behave because of their physical, mental and emotional states. These have ruled, telling everyone how to behave; “Not feeling so good today; you can’t expect me to be nice. I am going to be venomous today because something is troubling me.” That’s self-centeredness, isn’t it? I don’t suppose there is anyone sitting here now who is not aware of troublesome things at times. That is part of our business—we are supposed to be living on earth for the purpose of bringing heaven on earth and not of emphasizing the eruptions of hell. So we have our affairs, individually speaking.

And now we let the fire fall from heaven deliberately, consistently, steadily, because we are stable in the matter; and what needs to happen happens. We don’t really know what needs to happen. There is a movement toward an increasing change in the state of human affairs, in the state of human hearts. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. There are these changes coming all the time, but we can only live in the present and let what needs to happen in the present happen. What happens in the next moment is, in that sense, coming out of the future, but it happens in the moment, then it’s in the past. You can’t stop it. It’s a very wonderful, flowing movement, isn’t it? Lots of people try to stop what is moving in its tracks, particularly if there’s something they like; something they don’t like, they want to hurry it along a bit. But the flow is even. The trouble is, we are sometimes not, and we get out of sync then with the natural flow. We are quite content to let it be what it is.

The Master said something about this with respect to the true state of man on earth, where the troubles are dissolved, the veil is dissolved, everything is realized in experience as being One. That isn’t the experience now, so evidently there is creative movement leading toward that experience increasingly. We know that because we have the increasing experience ourselves. But the day and the hour is not known to anyone when this fulfilment should be. It is not even known to the incarnate angels in heaven. There is no necessity to know. After all, you could only deal with the present moment. In the larger sense it is known, in the sense that all that is present has to be brought back into a state of coordination. We are speaking about human beings here—the rest of the cosmos is quite all right—human beings being brought back into line. Of course nobody can tell, because nobody knows what it is that is required, when and how and where. All these bright ideas that people have had, ourselves included, as to what should happen now, are just so much nonsense; they don’t mean a thing. Let’s find out what is happening—certainly not what we think ought to happen but what is actually happening—and stay with it so that we are always in place and there is consequently the flow of this creative process present on earth because we are present on earth.

This relates to your very special, individual fields of responsibility. It relates to mine too but in a somewhat different way, because my concerns have been somewhat unique, one might say. It hasn’t been quite the same for anyone else during the time that I have had this responsibility. But the Body is taking form. There are individuals who are in position to accept responsibility for that flow, not trying to figure it out, not trying to make it into anything, but just letting it be and being aware of what it is in the moment. It has nothing to do with all the airy-fairy, fancy ideas that people have had about this and that—all kinds of things developed in human consciousness over the ages that are available to people; and they take advantage of that availability to fill themselves up with a lot of gook. Let it go, so that there is room for the creative cycle to move. One is quite happy to be ignorant and to admit: “I had a lot of stuff in my consciousness before, that I thought was useful, but I am finding out that it isn’t.” There is utterly no value whatsoever because there is need for space for the creative process. And we are here to give that space.

This relates to an attitude principally, because obviously there are those things which are useful. Our knowledge of the English language we have indicated is a useful tool, and we are not going to forget that, just yet anyway. There may come a time, mind you. And there are other things we know. In any case we are here to let things work in the creative way, and there is joy and relaxation in doing it. We don’t have to find times to relax—we learn how to relax and live because the process of living includes relaxation. Human beings try to live at high intensity, as they think of it, and they burn themselves out; but to let oneself be aligned with the creative process allows the creative process to do the work. We delight in the evidence of the work being done, and it gives a good feeling of fulfilment when we learn to let it happen. But we don’t know anything about that until we learn to let it happen. Perhaps you know something about it because you have learned to let it happen. Life isn’t such a stressful occupation, after all.

The fire falls from heaven. It is an easy process. The yoke is easy, the burden light. This is what we are all here for, but you in a particular way and a particular sense—and me in a particular way and a particular sense too, but yours is special. And it doesn’t need me at all to do your job.

© emissaries of divine light

Humility and Authority

Humility  and  Authority

Marsha Bogolin

July 12, 2020   Seoul, South Korea

A few months ago one friend overseas recommended we offer a service on humility. After Yujin’s last service on the secret of alignment, it seemed time for it. Actually it’s a topic I’ve wanted to consider for a very long time because I think the quality of humility is essential to humanity’s victory. My topic is actually Humility and Authority, because when we’re truly in alignment, they are inseparable.

When this friend recommended we consider humility, I realized it might be months till that was possible. So I thought, “I should send this person a transcript I remember well, titled Humility and Authority.” But I didn’t. Last week to my surprise I searched every index I know and did not find anything with that title. I read Uranda’s and Martin’s transcripts with similar titles, but they weren’t what I was looking for. I had such a vivid memory of this title, Humility and Authority so I kept searching. You know what I finally found? A letter Yujin wrote in 1997 on this topic. Here are a few highlights from it:

“The spirit of truth and of this program is really one of ‘authority through inner yieldedness.’ Where I have observed the finest examples of spiritual leadership, there was always simultaneously the attitude of deepest yieldedness: I of my human self can do nothing.”

At that time many were feeling the vacuum left by the death of the Emissaries’ second leader, Martin Exeter, nearly ten years before. Yujin was addressing a trend emerging then, and his letter continued:

“It is true that the false humility of remaining forever in a dependent and adoring mode must pass away if there are to be spiritual adults. AND I observe that such adulthood is obedient, tender and yielded in the finest inner way. I remember when I was a teenager, aspiring to athletic perfection and championship, that my mother, Il Sun, told me an old Korean proverb: ‘When the wheat stalk is young, it stands tall and proud. When it is rich with grain and mature, it naturally bows and is humble.’ It is interesting that she did not discourage the young aspiration but guided it to greater perspective and humility.”

The emergence of spiritual leadership takes far more than just intellectually comprehending the Laws of Being. That’s included, but it’s not enough. I’ve known some people who read the entire eighteen volumes of the Third Sacred School. There are about 400 pages in each. These are core materials of the Emissaries’ teaching, in which the Art of Living School is rooted. Some even read all of these three times, but from their actions it was obvious they didn’t really understand. There’s a very large difference between mentally grasping something and integrated understanding through many experiences of seeing how things play out.

One way I learned the inseparable nature of humility and authority was through my mentor Tom. Just two years after I met him something happened where his trust and humility taught me so much. One of the young men who became interested in the Emissaries because of Tom had gone to an Emissary seminar in another state. While he was there, an Emissary server expressed privately to him criticism of Tom. So when he returned to our small center, he no longer trusted Tom and actually left in the middle of the night without saying anything. He never came back. I happened to be in love with this young man, so I took a keen interest in this. After a while, Tom felt it wise to address this pattern of servers criticizing each other. So he wrote a letter to the four leaders recently appointed under Martin to help reduce Martin’s workload. Tom didn’t hear from any of those leaders, but some weeks later, he received a letter from Martin. In essence, Martin strongly rebuked Tom for writing about this to those four leaders, instead of handling it in a different way. What really touched me was: Tom did not have to show me that letter. I had only known him two years. But not only did he show me Martin’s letter rebuking him, he showed me his reply to Martin, which in essence was: “I bow to your larger wisdom, and I will always love you.” To me that was a wonderful example of true humility, and through it Tom lost no authority in my eyes. It actually evoked much deeper trust in me.

Something else Tom taught me was about choosing wisely. He said: “We should always realize if we knew just one more thing, we might do the exact opposite.” That implies we should frequently check whether we’re seeing things accurately. It’s not: develop an idea and refuse to look at it any other way. But continually listen to Spirit’s guidance. Through continuous attunement with Heaven we sense whether we’re in alignment. An important part of that is checking if we’re expressing true spirit, true character. If not, we adjust. That is humility, meekness. Meekness means teachable.

That’s a very different way of functioning than most people’s habits. So it takes time to retrain our minds and hearts to a new way of function. In brief, being guided by Spirit versus heart and mind. But obviously it is through heart and mind that Spirit’s guidance comes. So we must develop discernment of whether impulses are from Spirit or from externals: circumstance, reactions, habits, desires, crystallized thinking.

Another time I learned that humility and authority are inseparable when we are truly aligned was in February, 1996. It was the second day of a four-day advanced aession Yujin and I created and facilitated. We worked many months to bring this event together. At the end of the second day, we felt we had done our best. But some of the twenty people attending expressed quite a rebellious attitude and tended to dominate the atmosphere. So we felt we had failed. In deep sadness, Yujin and I went to the Little Chapel (the most sacred place on Sunrise Ranch). In front of the altar in that tiny Temple, in essence we said: “We tried, Lord, but we failed.” We acknowledged and accepted our failure, walked across the field and went home to sleep. You know what happened then? The next morning at the Sunday service with about a hundred people, there were several speakers and Yujin spoke last. With no previous preparation, what he said was so genuine and deep, it penetrated most people’s hearts, which had hardened in many in their youthful arrogance. The passionate response stirred in that service opened a new cycle: our next series of advanced sessions for long-term Emissaries. Over the next two years, we led twelve of them on three continents plus in Hawaii. They stimulated a deeper alignment. All that started with those moments in the Little Chapel, when we acknowledged our failure in humility. That humility opened a channel for a much deeper tone to sound through Yujin in that service, and it initiated a path to victory.

What develops true humility in people? Probably several things. But I think owning one’s own failures is among the most important, i.e. to honestly acknowledge “I failed.” Those who hesitate to admit failure don’t really learn from their mistakes. Those who find it easy to acknowledge their failures learn quickly, and usually people find them more trustworthy. One of the reasons why I love Yujin so much is how easily he acknowledges his mistakes. I’ve noticed it’s those with the deepest understanding who are the most humble. The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.

Uranda and Martin spoke many times about failures of the past. For example, the failure that ended the First Sacred School, the First Wave of Awakening, as we call it in Korea. That was Heaven’s first movement to restore humanity to its True Identity. It unfolded through the lives of many people for over a thousand years. Imagine! All that effort, the great leaders: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Ruth and Naomi, Samuel, David, and Solomon—just to name a few. The challenges they faced, their victories. All that was building over a thousand years toward an important breakthrough for humanity, but it ended when true alignment was lost. There’s a wealth of vital understanding in the Emissaries on this important history, but we’ve taught almost nothing of this in Korea. Maybe the door will open for that.

If we don’t look honestly at failures, we cannot learn from them. That was Uranda and Martin’s attitude, not just reviewing and learning from large historical cycles of failure, but very small ones too. Small ones within the Emissary program, and in the choices of people. Their teaching about these failures helped us understand why things had not worked, so we could learn from previous failures. So we could be forewarned and prepared ourselves for victory instead of failure. 

A classic question may be rising in your mind: “If such great men and women as these failed, what hope of victory is there for us?” Actually there’s a lot of possibility for our victory, because we can learn from the record of their experiences. As Uranda pointed out, we have the advantage of an antecedent. We can learn from their efforts, from how their choices worked or failed. More than any other time in history, such knowledge is available to help us learn and prepare for victory.

There have been failures within the current cycle of collective awakening. But does that mean victory is no longer possible? Not at all! Likely it will be different than Plan A. We’re probably at least on Plan K by now. Every person on this planet influences whether mankind will have victory or not. In very simple terms, through their living do they choose love or fear?

What point is there for humanity to survive if mankind does not learn humility? If mankind continues to plunder the earth and people for its own greed? You’ve probably seen movies portraying the kind of future mankind’s current values would produce. A world dominated by human arrogance, cruel, ugly and loveless. Horrible!

The quality of humility is so important it’s engraved into the Garden of Eden story. Our tiny human minds are not capable of judging good and evil. No matter how right we may think we are, we don’t really know if our view aligns with the larger outworking God is unfolding through the Creative Process. So we must be humbly yielded to God’s guidance constantly. We stand in humility before God, the greater wisdom of God.

We can acknowledge failure without shame. It’s only when we’re not in True Identity that we’re reluctant to admit failure. In True Identity it’s no big deal. It’s just another opportunity for our human identity to learn and more fully integrate with Divine Identity. Earlier I mentioned meekness means teachable. Here’s something from Uranda on this:

“Man has interpreted meekness as weakness, but only the strong can be humble. Look at a weak person and you will never find humility. The weak person is afraid to be humble. He may manufacture an imitation of humility, but it will not be the genuine article. Only the strong ever dare to be humble.”

When we are truly aligned, humility and authority are inseparable. Here is something more from Uranda before I close:

“Moses was said to be the meekest man that ever lived, and yet he was one of the most powerful, forceful leaders the world has known. ‘Blessed are the meek’ who are so humble before God, so responsive to God, so completely fulfilling the Law by loving God, that the power of God works through them, giving them more force and power than human beings can possibly engender in any self-active expression. And what will happen? ‘They shall inherit the earth.’”

That describes the channel Yujin spoke about last week, the channel that opens when we’re 100% aligned. The channel for God to act through us. The very cells of this planet resonate with that, respond to that. That’s how we inherit the earth. It comes home through us when we are truly aligned in humility and authority.

After several comments

Yujin Pak — I want to say something. Marsha, thank you so much for this service. It was truly beautiful and important in this larger cycle. When I was twenty-nine years old, in 1984, that was the first time I spoke and shared in a service with Martin, and the content and the theme of my service was passionate humility. I think it was that alignment, the drawing of that line in humility with Martin that lead to, twelve years later, continuing in the place of deepest humility, to take the next steps. For power to move through us, this is the decisive factor. Even if it seems like all has failed, and it seems like there is no way through, as we abide in that passionate humility, God will show the way. And this is what happened with Moses as he stood in front of the Red Sea, and it seemed like in fact all had failed at that time, that this would be the end. But he held true. So thank you for bringing this fundamental truth, refocalizing this in our midst.

Marsha Bogolin — Thank you. Only the strong ever dare to be humble. We are so intimately connected with all of mankind. What is shifting in us, to become truly aligned, immediately is felt by, and affects, all of humanity. So thank you all for your part in this important work.

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Yujin Pak: yujinpak@gmail.com

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Yujin, Marsha and Shieun

Love Thine Enemies—Turn The Other Cheek

Love  Thine  Enemies

YouTube  Video

Turn  The  Other  Cheek

Uranda   December 3, 1953

Tonight as we are gathered here we have a special privilege, realizing that there is an increased consideration of our LORD when He was on earth, an increased recognition of the gift of God’s Love, an increased recognition of the spirit of givingness, and we should use the opportunity afforded to us—and to this end I would like to meditate a little with you on the principles that must work in and through us if we are to be a blessing on earth. We recognize that if true blessings are to appear because we live we must be a means by which the Spirit of God is allowed action on earth, that the Shekinah Pattern of Being is allowed to have meaning in our lives. But in specific application, individually and collectively, how can we more effectively serve? You all have a recognition of the service which I am privileged to render, and I thank God for that, but I would tonight help you to a deeper realization of the privilege of the service which you can render. In order to emphasize the essential elements here, let us first consider an aspect of the matter which might seem to be foreign to our subject.

What is the right attitude toward those who consider themselves to be our enemies? What is the right attitude? What can actually be done? What can you do in relationship to influencing world events, world circumstances, and individuals on a specific basis? Do you suppose we have grown enough individually and collectively that we may properly consider such a subject? I am trusting that we have. So, if we are going to be channels of influence in the world, channels of blessing, instruments of radiation, we need to remember certain things. If we are in any sense subject to resentment, or the extreme absence of love, which is called hate, we certainly cannot be used of God in any such capacity. If in our hearts we are in any sense critical or rebellious, we write ourselves off as of no value to the Lord, at least at this time, in such a service. But what can we do?

Our Master said, “Love your enemies”—and the meaning and significance to be found has been to so great an extent ignored or overlooked. Love your enemies. Does that mean we should seek out our so-called enemies and try to show them affection in the ordinary human sense? Definitely not! It would be misunderstood or rejected; it wouldn’t be of any value at all. What does it mean to love our enemies? First, it takes a certain state of consciousness within ourselves before we can even begin to approach such a pattern of function. If there is any element of animosity in our hearts toward any person, we have classified ourselves as that person’s enemy, and if you have an enemy in that sense, if you have classified yourself as someone’s enemy, you are disobeying God’s Word, our Master’s instruction. But if, regardless of the fact that we may have enemies, we are not enemies to anyone, we may begin to move into the right pattern of attitude. Individually and collectively we are not enemies to others; others may be our enemies, but we must not be enemies to someone else. If we stand in need that someone should intercede for us, radiate love to us in order to clear us from the state of being an enemy, it is indeed a sad and shameful thing.

You may say, but what about the enemies of our country, what of the enemies of freedom, what of the enemies of God’s service in the earth?—and there are many. We have noted in time past that we cannot be of any real service to such enemies by lowering ourselves to the level of their pattern of function, in hate, animosity, etc. Love your enemies. Some have imagined that that meant that we should not do anything, just open ourselves to the blandishments and the cruelties, and the unreasonable attitudes of our enemies, those who would hurt and destroy. Not at all! It is not that we relinquish the positive position. It is not loving our enemy to relinquish the positive position and become negative, responsive, or subject to the enemy.

In time past, I have indicated that if we had 144,000 men and women who were truly centered, who function correctly in this regard, we could deal with the Soviet  threat to world peace without guns and bombs, and without the loss of so many human lives as will, in the ordinary course of events, be expended in seeking to control the enemy. What would that 144,000 people do? Do you suppose we would form a delegation and march on Moscow? Not in the popular sense at least; not transporting the physical anatomy to Russian soil. That would be a puny gesture at best, and it would show weakness; it might be covered up with bravado, but when someone goes marching upon some place to try to influence, it doesn’t show very great understanding of the laws and principles of Being. No, we wouldn’t even send a delegate, in fact it wouldn’t be necessary to send anyone, not to start with anyway. When, at the right time, after there was enough chaos over there to disrupt the existing regime we might need to send someone over to help straighten it out, but that would be a different matter. But what do you suppose would happen if we could find 150,000 people in the United States, or if there aren’t that many in the United States then in the so-called free world, who would be willing to follow the Master’s instruction, “Love your enemies”? What do you suppose would happen; and what would they do? Would they be getting down on their knees, praying for peace and trying to radiate love in the ordinary sense, to the Kremlin gang? No. Would you be getting on your knees and praying for the salvation of their souls? Hardly! If any of them want to wake up and turn to God we would gladly receive them, but that isn’t our point.

Even if we were to ask you here, “What should we do, what does it mean, to love your enemies?” I doubt if you each gave an individual answer if I would find from any one of you what I would consider a proper answer, or an adequate one, showing a real understanding of the subject. And if we went out into the world and tried to find someone who was going to love his enemies, I don’t think we would find very much understanding of the principles involved. We pointed out a moment ago that when you start loving your enemy you do not turn the positive position over to your enemy. Most of that which human beings imagine to be loving one’s enemy has been handing the positive position over to the enemy, and saying, “Well now, here I am, slap me if you want to.” The Master said, if someone smites thee on the cheek, turn him the other one. Now, is that turning over the positive point of control to the enemy, just showing a passive attitude? Some people have imagined that they were doing that, and some people may have been slapped twice when they try it. But that isn’t what the Master meant—to turn oneself into a state of subjection to the enemy; and it isn’t to be merely an expression of bravado. There must be a reason for everything that the Master instructed, and there is. Why turn the other cheek? Why love your enemies?

Are you going to turn the other cheek just to prove that you’re not afraid, or not angry, or perhaps you might have another reason: turn the other cheek, and if he does slap it you’ll be free to use your fist. No—none of those things apply; that isn’t what it means. What does it mean? How should we love our enemies? We have recognized that if we have a resentment towards anyone we thereby become subject to the persons toward whom we have resentment. That is all of vital importance from the standpoint of our own attitudes. We have dealt with this phase of it a number of times in various ways, because we cannot afford ill attitudes toward others. None of us is so wealthy in physical, mental or emotional health, or in this world’s goods, that we can afford hate, resentment or animosity of any kind toward others. If we resent someone else we become subject to that person, and in resentment we do not become subject to that person’s best qualities, but to his worst. You might remember that—when you resent someone else you become subject to that person, not too his best qualities but to his worst qualities, and your eyes are blinded to any but his worst qualities; and you cannot see clearly or truly. But let’s turn that around. If anyone resents or hates us and we do not hate back, subjecting ourselves to the one hated, then the very fact that the person does hate or resent makes that person subject to us. Have you ever thought of it that way, stopped to realize that point? I said it the other way, how many times in your hearing? If you resent someone else you become subject to that someone else.

Now, if someone resents or hates you, and we are centered in God, subject to God, for us then does not that very fact mean that that person is subject to us, whether he knows it or not? It does, unless we make ourselves subject back to him, go down to his level, and then it’s a cat-and-dog affair, both subject to the other, and unworthy of it. The thing that the American people have failed to recognize is that the very fact that Russia hates us makes Russia subject to us, if we know how to use that advantage; and loving our enemies will not make us in any sense subject to them.

What does it mean—turn the other cheek? The first assault, when there is an indication of presumed friendship, or presumed equality, may come more or less as a surprise—the first act. So, we’ve been slapped at least once, slapped on one cheek—that is the warning, the indication of the attitude, not necessarily the physical act; that slap can come in many, many different ways—but once that attitude is shown, and the warning is given, what do we do? The Master said, “Turn the other cheek.” Is that to indicate that we are then to become subject? Not at all! The attitude which prompts the action in the first place shows resentment towards us. Turning the other cheek is not an act of acquiescence. Let us be sure that that is clearly realized. Turning the other cheek is not an act of acquiescence, nor is it an act of defiance, nor is it an act off of indifference—it is the Divine Way of setting a trap for your enemy, because if he slaps you on one cheek, and you turn the other, he is likely to try to slap the other cheek. Now, the Master didn’t say that you had to be slapped on the cheek, did He? He just said, “Turn the other cheek.” He didn’t say, “Be sure that your enemy smites you on the other cheek.” Did He now? No. He just said, “Turn the other cheek.” He didn’t say you had to be slapped on the other cheek. No. Well, what is the meaning then?

If there is a recognition instantly, in the face of the situation, that this individual or nation, by his very attitude, is placing himself under subjection to you, the individual who—whether it’s a physical slap or whatever, in the ordinary processes of conflicts in the world—if he slaps you on one cheek, what has he done? He has said, “I am subject to you.” Hasn’t he, when you stop to think about? Hasn’t he by the act said, “I am subject to you.” Do you see it? We’re talking about the world pattern, and if an individual then, in an attitude of hate, resentment or animosity slaps—not necessarily physically, but in gesture, attitude, by the word, however it may appear—if he smites thee on one cheek, he has said by the very act, “I am subject to you.” Now he expects you, as a result of that defiant attitude, to try to retaliate so that he can make you subject to himself. If immediately you have resentment, then you have gone under and you are subject to him. Now when he says—by attitude, gesture or expression of word, action of any kind—when he says, “I am subject to you,” he is doing it on a desperation basis, trying to make you do something which will make you subject to him, and if you start slapping back, that’s what has happened. He has gained his point if you slap back, and you are then subject to him. But if he does, by any means whatsoever, smite thee on one cheek, he has said, “I am subject to you,” because his attitude of animosity makes him subject to you.

What are you going to do with that priceless privilege or opportunity? Are you going to throw it away, or are you going to use it? The Master suggested that you should use that opportunity, not throw it away. He suggested that when someone becomes subject to us on that basis we should act upon it in a manner which would not make us subject to our enemy, but would keep the enemy subject to us. You know, the Master was a very wise man in His manifestation on earth, as He is in heaven, and perhaps we might even use the word clever. He taught human beings, if they would listen to him, how to achieve seemingly impossible things—so easily really. What did He mean, “Turn the other cheek”? He was not suggesting that you were merely to invite another slap for some reason. What would be the gain in that, just to invite another slap? What gain? In the ordinary interpretation of these words, doesn’t the attitude seem rather childish, rather foolish? But He said, “Turn the other cheek.” Wasn’t that what He said?

Turn the other cheek. Maintain your positive position, which this individual has given you. Maintain your supremacy and “Love your enemies.” Let the positive power of love, of God’s creative force, flow through you so positively, so powerfully, that when the individual tries to slap you on the other cheek, his attempted action will be turned upon himself. Now, it could manifest in a thousand-and-one ways. In an individual case it might mean that the one who attempted to slap would be paralyzed, just to illustrate, if you function correctly. It could easily mean, if you followed the pattern through correctly, that when he raised his hand to try to slap the other cheek that he would be paralyzed on the spot. It could easily mean that. It could mean a thousand–and-one things. But that turning the other cheek is not an acquiescence. It allows the expression of majesty and power. It allows one to express on the basis of Divine manhood or womanhood. It allows one to release the positive power that is essential to the position one has been granted. If an individual grants you the positive position in relationship to himself, why not act accordingly? He has said, “I am subject to you.” He will do all kinds of things to try to tantalise you into throwing away your advantage. But, if we are following our KING we don’t do that. We do not throw away the advantage. We do not become acquiescent. We begin to function on the basis of positive power—instantly. And turning the other cheek signifies setting the cycle so that the next attempted onslaught will be met in the positive power of Divine Being—not in animosity, not in the sense of trying to get even, not in the sense of trying to hurt someone, but in the sense of maintaining the position of the King, the positive power of God in action on earth. Love your enemies.

We will not be able to see clearly and adequately the significance of all of this until we can more clearly understand what it means to love your enemies. If you try to have human affection toward someone who is acting in a nasty, mean manner you will not be very successful. I can’t imagine having any affection for any of the members of the Kremlin gang—I just can’t, and God doesn’t ask it, He doesn’t require it—that isn’t what the Master said. He didn’t say, “Try to have human affection for those who are making themselves be utterly contemptible.” You don’t have to have that. You can see them for what they are, and that doesn’t require wanting to go golfing or fishing or something with such a person. Loving your enemy isn’t going to put you in the position of even thinking of such a thing. Loving your enemy is the only way to really deal with him—if you understand what it means: dealing with him on a positive basis, not in the sense of vengeance, for the Master clearly emphasized the point in life and expression, “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” The Lord doesn’t have to use vengeance, but the working of the Law produces the fruit of vengeance, and so he who uses vengeance destroys himself. He brings it back upon himself.

So, what do we do? If we are wise, if we understand these things: Love your enemies. Do good to them that hurt you, persecute you, or say all manner of evil against you falsely. Do good to them. Now the human concept of what it means to do good is another point that has to come up for consideration. Go out of your way to invite him to dinner? Well now, there might be a time when that would be in order, yes; but going around doing good according to the human concept isn’t God’s way. Still, the Master said, “Do good.” Not the sort of things that the human being ordinarily thinks of under such a circumstance—but what? “Do good.” Do—there’s that word—Do. Now, there is quite a difference between “do” and “try to do.” Try to do good to those that hurt you; try to do a good turn in some fashion? That isn’t what the Master was talking about. Do good. Actually do it! And how do you do good? Well you don’t do it by doing evil, do you? Most human beings say, “Well, if so-and-so has done evil to me, I will do evil to him; I will get even.” Yes you do; you get right down even with him—even, you’re going to get even, and if you do you’re going to get right down in the muck with him. But instead of trying to get even you do good. How do you do good? What does it mean to do good? That which is good is from God, isn’t it? That is the Divine Pattern of action that is already established in heaven. In the beginning man gave form to the Garden that God had planted eastward in Eden—dress it, give it form, and keep it. Then on earth man had to do what God had done in heaven—the cycle had to come down. Do good. And God saw that which He had created and it was good. God had done good. He had created, and God saw that which He had done and He found it to be good. He had done good, then, when He had created. When He shared in creative action the result was good, wasn’t it? He had done good. Do good—and how do you do good? By letting creative action appear: the positive expression of creative action. So, in turning the other cheek it is not acquiescence, it is setting the pattern for doing good—a creative expression of positive power.

Now in this doing good and turning the other cheek, what do you say within yourself? “I’ll turn the other cheek and I’ll let God’s power work positively through me. When you try to slap me, you’ll be paralyzed. I’d just love to see you be paralyzed. Won’t you look funny with your arm stuck up there in the air like that. That’ll do you good; that’ll serve you right! I just can see it now—and so, here’s my cheek: slap it!” He probably would get the job done and you’d get slapped. No. If your action is designed to do harm, to hurt, then you are not doing good. You see, what human beings have imagined in this regard has simply been a dressed up pattern, a little refinement of the old attitude of you slap me and I’ll hit you; and if I don’t hit you hard enough to knock you out with the first blow I know you’ll hit me back, but I’ll try to get in another shot—and it goes down into the dog-eat-dog business. What does it mean? If we actually turn the other cheek, it isn’t to try to hurt—it is to do good—not to get even; not to see someone paralyzed; not to see someone hurt—it is to do good: the positive expression of creative power. If there is the slightest bit of resentment when one turns the other cheek, it won’t work. There cannot be any. In the very instant when the act appears, without any interval between—the more interval you leave the more complication you make for yourself. If you feel that someone has done something to hurt you and you leave a five minute interval before you forgive, you are in trouble. If there is absolutely no interval as far as you are concerned, absolutely no interval between the ill act and the forgiveness—it’s as automatic, as instantaneous as anything can be, absolutely completely forgiven; not just in part, not holding anything; absolutely, completely forgiven without any interval. Now, the moment the slap appears—whether it’s real or imaginary—if you allow an interval of a few seconds—“I’d sure like to hit you but I guess I’d better forgive you”—it’s spoiled; it won’t work. It’s too late then to turn the other cheek and let the Law work the way it should.

If you have not yet grown enough so that you can function without a split second of interval between the act that requires forgiveness and the forgiveness, as far as you are concerned—you don’t have to say it—but if there is forgiveness there is no resentment, no condemnation, no judgement, no desire to double up a fist, no necessity of counting to ten! If you have to count to ten you are still a long way from being in position to be an instrument through whom God can work in dealing with these things on earth—if you have to count to ten, or even three or four, before you can get yourself under control and come back to point. If the reaction is instantaneous in you of resentment, then in that instantaneous reaction you have become subject to the one who made himself subject to you. You haven’t gone down just even with him, you’ve gone a step below him. If the instantaneous reaction in you is of complete forgiveness, without an iota of resentment, no matter how unjust the situation might seem to be—absolute, so that there is not an instant between—then you are beginning to be in position to be an instrument for the working of God’s power on earth. Now have you reached that point, so that there is not even a fraction of a second of an interval, of resentment between?—because if you do have resentment in return, you have lost your advantage. If there is not any interval between the act and the forgiveness as far as you are concerned, then you have maintained your position of positive power. You have not become subject to the one who is making himself your enemy. You have maintained your position of control. Now, have you reached the point where you function on that basis? If you allow yourself five seconds in which to react and have animosity, and then say, “No, I mustn’t feel like that. I’ll forgive him”—it is too late then. You have lost your advantage. In that five seconds you have lost your advantage and, while it’s important that you go ahead and forgive, giving the forgiveness does not return the advantage to you! You’ve thrown it away. It is important that you go ahead and forgive, yes, but that does not then return the advantage to you. It’s already gone then; it’s just too bad. It’s that split-second interval that tells the story.

Have you reached a point of subjection to God, control in the Divine sense, where there is no split-second interval of resentment, animosity, hate, any ill attitude? If something is wrong, some wrong expression or attitude toward you, one second is enough to throw away your advantage—one second, or even a half a second. There must not be even an instant between act and forgiveness, as far as you are concerned, and then you maintain your advantage. Then you are in control—if you know how to use it, how to keep it, to the glory of God and to the blessing of the children of men. I question as to whether there is one hundred percent—I guess I am right—I can’t say that all of you have reached a point where you can function on that basis, can I? Can I? No. I wonder if any of you can, and you are sure you can, and if in fact you have been doing it, will you please stand up. Some of you have been getting close, but—and it’s that but that butts you out of the position of control.

Alright. There would be no gain in my going on about the next steps in relationship to our subject, would there, until you gained this point? Talking about the next steps would just be wasting your time and mine. If you see this, and see it’s importance, then your job is to reach the point where there is not one second interval between that which you think gives you cause for resentment, or would if you are functioning wrongly, and your attitude of complete, absolute forgiveness—no interval of reaction in the sense of resentment of any kind whatsoever. You achieve that, and then I’ll talk to you about the rest of it. And I’ll tell you, it’s mighty interesting, and it’s a wonderful thing to move into that next step. But talking about it would be no good until you are ready to do it, ready to do good—but you cannot do good if you throw away your opportunity to do it. Then you will just be trying to do it, and that’s a poor way, to try to get the victory. Our purpose is to share the victory, not just to try but to do! And so, if this point is clearly established tonight in your consciousness, and if you see it’s vital importance, we will have spent a most valuable hour together. You cannot afford anything else. You cannot afford it! So let us serve the LORD our KING, according to His will, according to His instruction. Good night and God bless you.

© emissaries of divine light