2026/07/13

마틴 엑세터의 삶과 유산: Foster, Chris, 1932- : Internet Archive

One heart, one way : the life and legacy of Martin Exeter : Foster, Chris, 1932- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive



ONE HEART, ONE WAY
THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MARTIN EXETER

When future historians look back on our time they may well agree that William Martin Alleyne Cecil, the seventh Marquess of Exeter, lived one of the great lives of the twentieth century. It was the life of a hero in the original sense of the term, referring not to a person who is thrust into the spotlight by chance but to one who shapes circumstances through his transcendence of the ordinary human condi-tion. A descendant of William Cecil, Queen Elizabeth 1's treasurer and trusted adviser, Lord Martin left the comfortable life of the British aristocracy at the age of twenty-one and moved to Canada to pioneer the sparsely settled Cariboo region of British Columbia. It was there that he honed the strength of character that would eventually make him a source of inspiration to thousands of people worldwide.
Martin Exeter's life is, in part, the story of 100 Mile House, B.C., the town he founded.
But if this man was a pioneer of wilderness lands, he was primarily a pioneer of the human spirit. This is also the story of the growth and maturing of a body of people known as the Emissaries. The Emissary program had been established in 1932 by Lloyd Arthur Meeker, an American visionary who had arisen through his
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Chris Foster captures both the pioneering spirit and the sense of inner authority and divine commission that infused the life of this remarkable man.
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<한 마음, 한 길: 마틴 엑세터의 삶과 유산> 요약 및 평론

1. 도서 개요 및 역사적 배경

크리스 포스터가 저술한 <한 마음, 한 길: 마틴 엑세터의 삶과 유산>은 20세기의 가장 독특하면서도 깊은 정신적 발자취를 남긴 인물 중 한 명인 윌리엄 마틴 얼레인 세실, 즉 제7대 엑세터 후작(마틴 엑세터)의 삶과 그의 영적 유산을 조명한 전기이자 사상서이다.

마틴 엑세터는 영국 귀족 가문이라는 정통적이고 특권적인 배경에서 태어났으나, 그의 삶은 단순히 세습된 권력이나 국가적 영예를 누리는 데 머물지 않았다. 그는 물질주의와 이념적 대립으로 점철된 20세기의 격동 속에서 인간 존재의 영적 회복을 도모했던 인물이다. 이 책은 표면적인 업적의 나열을 넘어, 한 인간이 어떻게 평범한 인간의 조건을 초월하여 주변의 환경을 변화시키고 궁극적인 진리를 체현해 나갔는지를 깊이 있게 추적한다.

2. 핵심 주제 요약

평범한 인간 조건의 초월과 영웅의 재정의

저자는 마틴 엑세터의 삶을 <본래적 의미의 영웅>이라는 개념으로 규정한다. 여기서 말하는 영웅이란 역사적 우연이나 시대의 조류에 의해 갑작스럽게 대중의 주목을 받게 된 인물이 아니다. 진정한 영웅은 인간을 둘러싼 제약과 환경에 굴복하지 않고, 인간의 평범한 조건을 초월함으로써 오히려 상황을 스스로 주도하고 조형해 나가는 사람을 의미한다. 마틴 엑세터는 귀족이라는 사회적 신분이나 특정 국가라는 국경의 틀에 갇히지 않고, 인류 보편의 영적 가치를 향해 나아감으로써 이러한 영웅적 면모를 실천했다.

영적 표현의 힘과 진리의 편재성

책 전체를 관통하는 핵심 메시지는 마틴 엑세터의 다음 선언으로 요약된다. <영적 표현의 힘을 절대 과소평가하지 말라.> 그에게 있어 영성이란 현실과 동떨어진 신비주의나 종교적 교리에 갇힌 무언가가 아니었다. 그것은 매 순간의 삶 속에서 창조적인 생명력을 드러내는 실제적인 힘이었다. 그는 <진리는 진리이며 모든 것은 잘되고 있다. 천하무적의 생명이 승리한다>는 확신을 바탕으로 세상의 혼란을 바라보았다. 인간이 내면의 신성한 중심을 회복할 때, 외부의 왜곡된 환경은 자연스럽게 정돈된다는 것이 그의 핵심 사상이었다.

한 마음, 한 길의 철학

책의 제목이기도 한 <한 마음, 한 길>은 분열된 인간의 의식을 하나로 모으는 통합의 철학을 상징한다. 국가, 민족, 인종, 사상으로 갈라져 갈등하는 인류에게 필요한 것은 외부의 제도적 통합이 아니라, 우주적 생명력과 동조하는 내면의 단일한 지향성이다. 마틴 엑세터는 전 세계를 무대로 활동하며, 인간이 국경이나 집단적 애국심 같은 협소한 정체성을 넘어 지구적이고 보편적인 영적 존재로 거듭나야 함을 몸소 보여주었다.

3. 심층 평론

귀족적 한계를 넘어선 보편적 세계인으로서의 면모

마틴 엑세터의 삶이 지닌 가장 큰 미덕은 그가 태생적으로 가질 수 있었던 영국의 국가적 정체성이나 귀족적 특권을 과감히 탈피했다는 점에 있다. 영국의 유서 깊은 후작 가문의 일원이었음에도 불구하고, 그의 사상과 활동은 특정 국가에 대한 충성심이나 애국심에 얽매이지 않았다. 저자 크리스 포스터는 이를 매우 정교하게 포착해 낸다. 엑세터의 시선은 언제나 경계 너머를 향해 있었으며, 그의 영적 공동체 활동은 인종과 국적을 초월한 세계인들을 대상으로 삼았다.

이러한 태도는 20세기가 겪은 수많은 전쟁과 갈등이 결국 집단적 이기주의와 국가주의에서 비롯되었다는 점을 고려할 때 매우 선구적인 지혜였다고 평가할 수 있다. 그는 인류가 도달해야 할 궁극적인 고향은 어떤 물리적인 영토가 아니라, 보편적 진리와 생명이 흐르는 영적인 영역임을 역설했다.

영성의 탈종교화와 주체적 삶의 조형

전통적인 종교가 교리와 의식을 통해 인간을 통제하려 했다면, 마틴 엑세터가 제시한 영성은 철저히 <주체적인 표현>에 기반한다. 책에 인용된 그의 말처럼 영적 표현은 외부의 상황에 수동적으로 반응하는 것이 아니라, 상황을 적극적으로 창조하는 힘이다.

평론의 관점에서 볼 때, 이 책은 현대인들에게 거대한 시스템의 부속품으로 전락하지 않고 스스로의 삶을 조형할 수 있는 실존적 열쇠를 제공한다. 엑세터는 세상을 탓하거나 환경의 지배를 받는 존재를 <평범한 인간의 조건>에 갇힌 자로 보았고, 거꾸로 내면의 진리를 통해 환경을 변혁하는 자를 진정한 영적 존재로 보았다. 이는 현대의 실존주의적 사상과도 맥을 같이 하며, 영성을 지극히 현실적이고 창조적인 영역으로 끌어올린 공로가 있다.

낙관주의를 넘어선 실재적 확신

<모든 것은 잘되고 있다>라는 그의 선언은 자칫 현실의 고통을 외면하는 나이브한 낙관주의로 오해받을 소지가 있다. 그러나 크리스 포스터가 서술하는 마틴 엑세터의 생애를 깊이 들여다보면, 이는 현실 도피가 아니라 현상의 이면에 존재하는 더 거대한 <천하무적의 생명>을 목격한 자의 단단한 확신임을 알 수 있다. 그는 삶의 파도 속에서도 흔들리지 않는 중심을 유지하는 법을 가르쳤으며, 이 유산은 오늘날 불확실성 시대를 살아가는 이들에게 깊은 정신적 닻을 제공한다.

4. 총평

<한 마음, 한 길: 마틴 엑세터의 삶과 유산>은 단순한 영웅전이나 종교적 위인전이 아니다. 이는 국경과 민족이라는 좁은 울타리를 벗어나, 우주적 생명력과 하나 되어 살다 간 한 세계인의 위대한 여정에 대한 기록이다. 크리스 포스터는 마틴 엑세터라는 인물을 통해 인간이 도달할 수 있는 가장 높은 차원의 품격과 자유가 무엇인지를 성공적으로 증명해 보였다. 특정 국가나 집단에 대한 맹목적 충성을 거부하고, 인류 보편의 진리를 향해 묵묵히 <한 길>을 걸어간 그의 유산은 시대와 공간을 초월하여 영원한 울림을 준다.

세진님, 이 서적이 다루고 있는 보편적 영성과 국경을 초월한 세계인으로서의 삶의 궤적이 세진님의 깊은 사유와 통찰에 유의미한 영감을 지펴줄 수 있기를 바랍니다. 혹시 특정 챕터나 사상적 측면에 대해 더 심도 있는 분석이 필요하시다면 언제든 편하게 말씀해 주세요.

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크리스 포스터, <한마음, 한길: 마틴 엑서터의 생애와 유산> 요약·평론

Chris Foster, <One Heart, One Way: The Life and Legacy of Martin Exeter>, 1989

크리스 포스터의 <한마음, 한길>은 영국 귀족으로 태어나 캐나다 서부의 개척자와 목장주가 되었으며, 뒤에는 신흥 영성공동체 <신성한 빛의 사절단>(Emissaries of Divine Light)을 이끈 윌리엄 마틴 앨린 세실, 곧 마틴 엑서터의 전기이다. 1989년 Foundation House Publications에서 출간된 281쪽의 책이며, 저자 포스터 자신도 이 공동체의 구성원이자 출판 활동가였다. 따라서 이 책은 외부 역사가가 쓴 비판적 전기라기보다, 마틴 엑서터를 가까이에서 존경했던 제자가 그의 삶과 가르침을 기념하기 위해 쓴 내부자적 전기에 가깝다.

1. 영국 귀족에서 캐나다 개척자로

마틴 엑서터의 본명은 William Martin Alleyne Cecil이다. 그는 1909년 영국 스탬퍼드의 벌리 하우스를 중심으로 살아온 세실 귀족가문에서 태어났다. 세실가는 엘리자베스 1세 시대의 재무대신이자 핵심 고문이었던 윌리엄 세실의 후손이었다. 그는 귀족사회의 중심에서 정치적·사회적 지위를 누릴 수 있는 사람이었으나, 전형적인 영국 귀족의 길을 따르지 않았다.

젊은 시절 해군교육을 받고 지중해 지역에서 생활했던 그는 스물한 살 무렵 캐나다 브리티시컬럼비아의 카리부 지역으로 건너갔다. 그의 아버지가 1912년에 매입한 대규모 토지를 관리하기 위해서였다. 당시 100 Mile House 지역은 몇 채의 오두막과 황무지가 전부인 변방이었다. 마틴은 그곳에서 목장을 운영하고, 숙박시설을 세우고, 지역경제와 공동체 형성에 참여했다. 그는 단순히 상속받은 재산을 관리하는 지주가 아니라 직접 노동하고 조직하며 새로운 지역사회를 건설한 개척자로 묘사된다.

이 책에서 캐나다 이주는 지리적 이동 이상의 의미를 지닌다. 영국 귀족문화가 이미 짜인 역할과 신분의 세계였다면, 캐나다의 황무지는 인간이 자신의 성품과 능력을 실제 행동으로 증명해야 하는 장소였다. 마틴은 자연환경, 경제적 불확실성, 고립, 육체노동을 통해 내적 권위와 자립심을 형성한다. 포스터는 이러한 개척 경험을 훗날 그의 영적 지도력의 준비과정으로 해석한다.

2. 로이드 미커와의 만남

마틴의 생애를 바꾼 두 번째 계기는 미국의 신비주의적 영성가 로이드 아서 미커를 알게 된 사건이다. 미커는 ‘우란다’라는 이름으로 활동하며 1932년 <신성한 빛의 사절단>을 시작했다. 그는 인간이 외부의 교리나 권위에만 의존하지 않고 자기 안에 존재하는 신적 생명과 지혜를 표현해야 한다고 가르쳤다.

마틴은 대공황기부터 미커의 글에 관심을 갖고 그와 지속적으로 서신을 교환했다. 1940년대 후반에는 100 Mile House에 영적 공동체를 형성했으며, 1954년 미커가 사망한 뒤 사절단의 지도자가 되었다. 이후 그는 1988년 사망할 때까지 약 34년간 이 운동을 이끌었다.

포스터가 그리는 마틴은 미커의 가르침을 단순히 계승한 사람이 아니다. 그는 미커의 신비체험과 영적 언어를 공동체 생활, 농업, 교육, 인간관계, 조직 운영 속에서 구체화한 인물이다. 그의 핵심 관심은 종교적 교리의 정립보다 “신적인 것이 인간을 통해 어떻게 실제로 표현되는가”에 있었다.

3. ‘영적 표현’이라는 중심사상

책 표지에 인용된 “영적 표현의 힘을 결코 과소평가하지 말라”는 말은 마틴의 사상을 요약한다. 그에게 영성이란 마음속에만 존재하는 믿음이나 초월적 체험이 아니다. 그것은 말투, 표정, 노동, 책임감, 인간관계, 공동체의 질서 속에서 표현되어야 한다.

사절단은 인간의 참된 성품은 실제 생활에서 표현될 때에만 알 수 있다고 가르쳤다. 인간은 자기 안에 존재하는 보편적 생명, 사랑, 지혜에 마음을 열어야 하며, 감정과 사고를 정화하여 그것이 막힘없이 흘러나오도록 해야 한다. 영성은 현실로부터의 탈출이 아니라 현실을 창조적으로 변화시키는 능력이다.

이 가르침은 ‘하나의 법칙’(The One Law)이라는 개념으로 표현된다. 인간은 자기가 마음을 향하는 대상의 성격을 닮아간다는 것이다. 두려움, 원망, 욕망에 주의를 집중하면 그것들이 삶을 지배한다. 반대로 내면의 생명과 사랑에 마음을 돌리면 그 신적 질서가 인간을 통해 표현된다. 따라서 구원은 외부에서 일방적으로 주어지는 사건이 아니라 인간이 자기 존재의 근원에 응답하는 과정이다.

마틴은 인간의 감정을 억압해야 할 장애물로만 보지 않았다. 감정은 생명의 에너지가 흐르는 통로이지만, 개인적 집착이나 상처에 붙잡히면 왜곡된다. 영적 훈련은 감정을 제거하는 것이 아니라 감정의 방향을 바꾸는 일이다. 이러한 관점은 심리치료, 명상, 뉴에이지 영성에서 자주 등장하는 ‘내적 에너지의 정화’와 유사하다.

4. 어튠먼트와 공동체

사절단의 대표적 수행법은 ‘어튠먼트’(Attunement)이다. 이는 인간의 몸과 감정, 정신을 보편적 생명에 조율한다는 뜻이다. 초기에는 치유를 목적으로 한 손을 이용한 수행과 연관되었지만, 마틴은 이를 단순한 대체치료기법이 아니라 삶 전체를 신적 질서에 맞추는 영적 실천으로 확대했다.

그가 지도하던 시기에 사절단은 북미와 다른 지역으로 확장되었다. 공동체들은 농장, 교육기관, 출판사, 수련센터 등을 운영했다. 1960~80년대에는 베트남전쟁, 소비주의, 제도종교에 실망한 젊은이들이 이 공동체에 들어왔다. 마틴의 지도 아래 운동은 약 4,000명의 참여자와 여러 국제적 중심지를 가진 네트워크로 성장했다.

이 공동체의 이상은 일과 예배, 육체와 정신, 개인과 사회를 분리하지 않는 것이었다. 밭을 갈고 음식을 만들고 건물을 수리하고 다른 사람을 돌보는 행위 자체가 영적 표현이 될 수 있었다. 그런 의미에서 마틴의 영성은 수도원적 요소를 지니면서도 세상으로부터 완전히 물러나지 않는 생활공동체의 영성이었다.

5. 지도자로서의 마틴

포스터는 마틴에게서 조용하지만 강력한 내적 권위를 발견한다. 그는 대중을 흥분시키는 카리스마적 설교자라기보다, 자신의 존재와 생활방식으로 사람들에게 영향을 준 지도자로 묘사된다. 책 제목의 ‘한마음, 한길’은 그의 삶이 사적 욕망과 공적 사명으로 분열되지 않았다는 뜻이다. 목장주, 공동체 지도자, 영성교사, 귀족이라는 여러 정체성이 하나의 중심을 향해 통합되어 있었다는 것이다.

1981년 형이 사망하자 그는 제7대 엑서터 후작이 되었고 영국 상원의원이 될 자격도 얻었다. 그러나 그는 귀족적 지위를 적극적으로 이용하기보다 계속 캐나다의 공동체를 중심으로 생활했다. 포스터에게 이것은 세속적 권위보다 내적 권위를 선택한 증거이다.

6. 평론: 삶과 영성을 통합하려는 전기

이 책의 가장 큰 장점은 영성을 추상적 사상으로만 다루지 않는다는 점이다. 마틴의 신앙은 목장 운영, 지역사회 건설, 인간관계, 조직과 노동 속에서 시험된다. 그는 영적 체험을 주장하기 전에 그 체험이 어떤 인간적 품성과 생활방식을 만들어내는지를 묻는다. 이 점은 신앙고백과 실제 생활이 쉽게 분리되는 제도종교에 대한 중요한 비판이 된다.

또한 그의 생애에는 흥미로운 사회학적 긴장이 있다. 그는 영국의 세습귀족이었지만 캐나다 개척자의 삶을 선택했다. 전근대적 신분질서의 수혜자이면서도 새로운 영적 공동체를 만들었고, 개인의 내적 자유를 강조하면서 동시에 강한 지도자 중심의 조직을 운영했다. 이 모순은 마틴을 단순한 성인이나 신비가가 아니라 20세기 대안종교 운동의 복합적 인물로 보게 한다.

그러나 이 책에는 분명한 한계도 있다. 저자 포스터는 마틴의 동료이자 제자였고, 책 자체도 사절단 계열 출판사에서 나왔다. 따라서 마틴을 거의 영웅적·성인적 인물로 묘사하는 경향이 강하다. 표지의 소개문도 그의 생애를 “20세기의 위대한 삶” 가운데 하나로 규정하고, 평범한 인간 조건을 초월하여 환경을 형성한 영웅으로 찬양한다.

이러한 서술에서는 지도자의 권력, 공동체 내부의 위계, 반대자의 목소리, 재정과 노동 구조, 성별 관계 같은 문제가 충분히 드러나기 어렵다. 실제로 마틴 사후 조직은 지도력 승계와 내부 갈등을 겪었고 많은 구성원이 떠났다. 일부 전 구성원들은 조직의 권위주의적 구조와 성적 권력관계에 관해서도 문제를 제기했다. 이런 후대의 증언들은 포스터의 전기를 읽을 때 필요한 비판적 배경이 된다.

특히 마틴이 말하는 ‘하나됨’과 ‘내적 조율’은 긍정적으로는 자아의 분열을 극복하는 영성이지만, 공동체 차원에서는 이견과 비판을 억제하는 언어로 사용될 가능성도 있다. 지도자가 신적 질서를 가장 온전히 표현하는 사람으로 여겨질 경우, 그의 판단에 대한 반대는 단순한 의견 차이가 아니라 ‘영적으로 조율되지 못한 상태’로 취급될 수 있기 때문이다. 이것은 카리스마적 종교공동체에서 반복적으로 나타나는 위험이다.

또한 마틴의 가르침은 사랑, 생명, 보편적 지혜, 내면의 근원 같은 매력적인 표현을 사용하지만, 이 개념들이 철학적으로 충분히 엄밀하게 정의되지는 않는다. 인간 내면에서 일어나는 직관을 ‘신적 질서’라고 판단할 수 있는 기준이 무엇인지, 서로 다른 사람들이 모순된 직관을 가질 때 어떻게 판별하는지, 사회적 불의와 제도적 폭력을 단순히 개인의 감정적 부조화로 환원하지 않을 방법은 무엇인지가 남는다.

그럼에도 <한마음, 한길>은 20세기 서구 대안영성의 한 흐름을 이해하는 데 가치 있는 책이다. 마틴 엑서터는 전통적 기독교, 신비주의, 심리적 자기변형, 공동체주의, 자연친화적 생활을 결합했다. 그의 핵심 주장은 단순하면서도 여전히 유효하다. 인간의 영성은 그 사람이 무엇을 믿는다고 말하는가보다 실제로 어떤 분위기와 관계와 공동체를 만들어내는가에서 판단되어야 한다는 것이다.

결국 이 책은 마틴 엑서터에 대한 비판적 역사라기보다 하나의 영적 증언이다. 그것은 한 지도자를 지나치게 이상화하지만, 동시에 “영성이 표현되지 않는다면 어떤 의미가 있는가”라는 중요한 질문을 던진다. 마틴의 유산은 특정 공동체의 교리보다도, 내면의 진실과 일상적 행동을 분리하지 않으려 했던 노력에 있다. 이 책은 그러한 통합의 가능성을 강하게 보여주지만, 그것이 건강한 영성으로 남기 위해서는 지도자 숭배가 아니라 비판, 책임성, 권력의 분산이 함께 필요하다는 사실도 역설적으로 드러낸다.

==

The Divine Design Of Man : Uranda : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Divine Design Of Man : Uranda : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


INSTRUCTION PAPER NO. 1

LEARNING TO THINK

I am not suggesting that you should complete the job of learning to think in this hour but that we may find some fundamental points so that you can gain the most from the points presented in all the classes. We will deal with this in various ways as we go along.
I am going to direct your attention to the first six verses of the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes. Our particular consideration will be with the 6th verse. I suppose all of those who have given any consideration to the Bible in their youth have found it to be a required part of their process of committing things to memory, to memorize this first verse:
"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."
Millions of young people have been more or less compelled to memorize that verse and I do not think it has ever meant very much to any of them. We might say that the whole purpose of our Servers Training School is summed up there, not just from the standpoint of yourselves as Servers but that you may convey something to others. I think you are beginning to recognize that our program is designed, not just from the standpoint of giving you information but to help you to learn how to con-vey something to someone else, because if it is new and you cannot convey it to another it is meaningless to the other. We will probably come back to this text from time to time, so we will not spend too much time on it now.
"While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain." That relates to vision-while you have clarity of vision. The sun and the moon and the stars are not darkened in the sense that they are not there, but when vision becomes dim you do not see them. They are darkened as far as you are concerned if the human vision becomes dim. So, they are picturing here the pattern of what is generally called old age, on the basis of the human outworking.
"In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble." What is the house? The body. More and more, as we consider the things revealed here, you will find these symbols of value to you. The house is the body. What are the keepers of the house? The hands. Your hands are the keepers of your house, the means by which you take care of your body, by which you dress, by which you do so many things. The hands are the keepers of the house, of your body.




---

other side. We are not thinking of it from the standpoint of engineering design, but we are considering a principle.
The cistern spoken of here is that part of your mind by which you remember. We can call it the subconscious for the moment. Next, let us note carefully that water is used all the way through the Bible as a symbol of Truth. Water symbolizes Truth. In order to emphasize this point for your minds, let us recall that the first so-called miracle which Jesus performed at the beginning of His Ministry was at the Marriage Feast at Cana, and they ran out of wine. Wine symbolizes life. Jesus performed what was called a miracle. He changed water to wine-water, Truth, abstract Truth, to a living expression of being. The purpose of His whole Ministry, of all His teaching and example, was to bring out this abstract Truth, which was meaningless to humanity, and change it to a living expression of being, water to wine, the abstract principles of being to the living expression of life. There are many other points that we might use to illustrate this fundamental principle. We will leave it at that, except that I would like to point your attention to this:
The Great Master Teacher said, "And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free." We will learn what Truth is as we go along, but knowing a little Truth will not allow you to understand all of the factors of life, and therefore you will be bound with respect to all those phases of life where you do not know the Truth. Believing a human concept to be true does not make it so, except perhaps to you in a limited sense; you function as if it were. But believing a human concept that is false to be true does not make it so, and refusing to believe a Truth, or believing that a Truth is a lie, does not make it so. The effect will be in you, yes, but you cannot change these fundamental things. The Truth is true, and that which is false is false. So, we want to remember that it is only as we allow this period we have together to bring consciousness and heart to a point of recognition of the basic points of Truth that we will be making good use of our time.
We cannot cover, in a few short months, anything like all of Truth, but we can establish a well-rounded consideration of the fundamental aspects of Truth, out of which your life expression must evolve; and to the degree that you let yourselves be centered, so that the ALL of Truth in its focalized form can begin to have meaning to you, you will begin to be set free, free not just from limitation which you may have but free to live a victorious life, a life that is real and meaningful to yourself and to others. Freedom is not just freedom from things we do not like. Freedom is free-dom of expression in the reality of being.




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Our Beginnings | Emissaries of Divine Light

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Our Beginnings




In September of 1932, Lloyd Arthur Meeker (pictured near right) experienced a personal awakening that we mark as the initiation of the Emissary program. Martin Exeter (pictured far right) led The Emissaries from Uranda’s passing, in 1954, until 1988.
Uranda
In 1932, in the midst of the Depression years, the founder of Sunrise Ranch, Lloyd Arthur Meeker, was living in Nashville, Tennessee. He was twenty-five years old at the time. For three successive nights he wrote, and as he reported later, the room filled with a silvery cloud. Through his writing came answers to questions that had been in his mind and heart for many years. It astounded him that the answers didn’t come from anything separate from him, but from a reality that dwelt deep within him.
That time marked the beginning of a spiritual movement that Lloyd Meeker named Emissaries of Divine Light.

For the next thirteen years, Lloyd Meeker, known to those who joined his work as Uranda, traveled across the United States and Canada, teaching, writing, and doing vibrational healing work to share his passion and vision with others. In 1945, he established a headquarters for The Emissaries at Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado.

Emissaries of Divine Light - Wikipedia

Emissaries of Divine Light - Wikipedia


Emissaries of Divine Light

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Emissaries of Divine Light is an intentional community initiated by Lloyd Arthur Meeker in 1932.[1] The foundational premise of the network is that human beings' true qualities can only be known as they are expressed in practical daily living.[2]

History

Beginnings

Lloyd Arthur Meeker was born on February 25, 1907.[3] By 1929 he had already begun to experiment with Attunement.[4] Emissaries of Divine Light dates its origin to Meeker's spiritual awakening on September 16, 1932. On three successive evenings, Meeker had been compelled to write and, as he did so, he was said to have experienced a higher spiritual awareness that flowed through him. He reported that he had been looking for a teacher but realized through his awakening that the teacher he sought was within him.[5]

Meeker lectured, taught, and practiced Attunement in various locations in North America from 1929 to 1945.[6] He wrote under the pen name Uranda, and he was known to his followers by that name. In 1945 Meeker established his headquarters at Sunrise Ranch, which was a dryland farm at the time.[7] From 1952 to 1954 he conducted six-month Servers Training School classes at Sunrise Ranch, teaching Attunement and the spiritual understanding behind the practice, as well as practical spirituality.[8][9] These classes were attended by people from many backgrounds and included GPC (God-Patient-Chiropractor) chiropractors, led by a former Major League Baseball pitcher, George Shears, and others.[10]

On August 4, 1954, while flying to Reno, Nevada, Meeker crashed his Cessna 180 plane into San Francisco Bay shortly after taking off from Oakland, California. He, his wife Kathy Meeker, his close associate Albert Ackerley, and two children all died in the crash.[11] Shortly after, the Civil Aeronautics Administration found Meeker guilty of two flight violations that both could have resulted him being fined or grounded, though there was no finding or attribution of responsibility as to the cause of the crash. According to the CAA, though he was cleared for takeoff by the Oakland tower operator and proceeded to fly through 1,000 feet of clouds, Meeker did not have an instrument pilot's rating which would have qualified him to fly through clouds. His medical certificate, required by every private flier, had also expired four days prior to the crash. Lord Martin Cecil (1909-1988), who had worked closely with Meeker after being introduced to him by Conrad O'Brien-ffrench, assumed the responsibility for leading Emissaries of Divine Light from 1954 until he died in 1988.[11] Lord Martin succeeded his older brother to become The 7th Marquess of Exeter in October 1981.

Development under Lord Martin Cecil's leadership

Lord Martin Cecil was the second son of William Cecil, 5th Marquess of Exeter and was descended from William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, chief adviser to Queen Elizabeth I.[12][13] He led a ranching operation on his family's property in the Cariboo country of British Columbia.[14] In 1948, Cecil formed a spiritual community at 100 Mile House, BC.[15] On the death of his brother, David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, in October 1981, he became The 7th Marquess of Exeter and a member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom. However, he never spoke in the House.[16]

Under Lord Martin's leadership, the network grew to about 4,000 adherents.[17] Many young people, disenchanted with the Vietnam War and inspired by the idealism of the 1960s and ’70s, were drawn to his message and the network that was growing around him. Twelve centers developed around the world, and numerous other nonprofit organizations were birthed by participants in Emissaries of Divine Light.[18] These included an outdoor adventure educational organization, Educo; an association of spiritually based business people, Renaissance Business Associates; an association of media professionals, Association for Responsible Communication; an association of educators, Renaissance Educational Associates; and Emissary Foundation International.[19][20][21]

Bill Bahan became an important leader and teacher for Emissaries of Divine Light in the ’60s, ’70s, and early ’80s, offering classes at Sunrise Ranch; Epping, New Hampshire;[18] and Livingston Manor, New York.[22] He was a nephew of George Shears, D.C., leader of the G-P-C Chiropractic Movement. Bill and his brother, Walter Bahan (also active in the Emissary program), along with three other brothers (all five chiropractors), operated the Bahan and Bahan Chiropractic Clinics in Salem and Derry, New Hampshire, using GPC principles.[23] Bill founded the Whole Health Institute, an association of healthcare professionals promoting wholistic health.[24][25] They hosted conferences and lectures around the world, and published the journal Healing Currents. In Bill's words, "Health is the unhindered expression of life through the body, truth through the mind, and love through the heart."

Accusations of being a cult

Since the group's inception, the Emissaries of Divine Light (EDL) have been accused of being a cult by local reporting, former members, and members of the general public alike.[26][27][28][29][30] In 1990, an investigative article by Mike O’Keeffe was published in Westword featuring interviews with multiple current and former Emissaries. One anonymous former Emissary using the pseudonym of "John" told Westword that “It's like being a rape victim,” referring to his time in and subsequently leaving the group. He said it's like “You've lost years of your life. You're ashamed for having been fooled, and thinking about it, going over it in your head, is very unpleasant.” John also detailed how the Emissaries believe that spiritual resonation through Attunement may be used to cure diseases, which they say are caused by negative emotions. John claimed that, after one Emissary contracted pneumonia, the Attunement he was treated with did not make him better and that his condition significantly worsened until EDL authorities were convinced by someone to take him to a doctor. John further added that “The cost to somebody who pursues their program is high,” and that “You give up your career and educational aspirations, you give up your ability to make your own decisions. They're essentially a little fiefdom whose main purpose is the comfort and self-aggrandizement of a small elite."[31]

Expanding on this, O’Keeffe wrote about how former Sunrise Ranch residents complained that the then-small allowance of $100 a month that each Sunset Ranch resident received for their work essentially trapped the Emissaries on the ranch. "You become a slave. You work all day for nothing, because you're made to feel like you're sacrificing for God," said Renee, another interviewed ex-Emissary who left the group eight years after joining. There was a $10 charge to drive an Emissary vehicle into Loveland, and a $30 charge to use one to go to Denver, claimed Renee. The EDL's education director at the time, Alan Hammond, responded to these claims by saying “I'm not sure how many citizens have housing, food, medicine, vitamins, and supplementary income provided.” He added “Most people don't live as well as the people at Sunrise Ranch," and noted that EDL member stipends had been only scant a few years prior (before 1990) because the EDL was not as affluent at the time.[31]

Some former female Emissaries also claimed that other Emissaries "played sexual power politics", according to O'Keeffe. According to Renee, "As long as a man is in a higher spiritual position than a woman, regardless of whether he is married, he can have sex with her.” Renee further explained that "It's set up to promote spirituality, but ends up justifying for men their desire to have sex with whomever they want to.” To this, Hammond responded “We believe in doing the noble and honorable in all things, and particularly in sex, which is such a core area of living.”[31]

Another former member, David, described the leadership of the Emissaries of Divine Light as "an autocracy", explaining how, after the death of former leader Martin Exeter, there was no discussion from the followers about who should lead the Emissaries before Exeter's son Michael became the new leader. David first got involved with the Emissaries after attending a lecture hosted by Emissary George Emery in Madison, Washington that focused on “holistic living." “He was a Salesman, and a very good one,” said David about the Emissary. After, Emery had invited David to an upcoming weeklong seminar in Indiana, saying that David was lucky as they had just had a cancellation and so had an extra spot available. “I jumped in with both feet first,” said David. However, David claimed that he wasn't made aware of the belief system of the Emissaries at first, and that it took years of classes that got progressively longer and more intensive before he fully understood. To this, Hammond denied the notion that the Emissaries intentionally leave people unaware of EDL beliefs over a long time, and said “We're endeavoring to help them find themselves as soon as possible.”[31]

Nancy Miquelon, a former Emissary who had (before 1990) since joined the Cult Awareness Network, said that the Emissaries of Divine Light are a destructive cult. She also described the strong and seemingly-unconditional acceptance that ex-Emissaries recount receiving when they joined the group as love bombing. Steve Hassan, former Unification Church official turned cult expert, compared the EDL to the “Moonies” and the Hare Krishnas, similarly adding that he'd consider the EDL to be a destructive cult. Additionally, he said that denying negative emotions (emotions which other ex-Emissaries have said that the group claims causes disease) forces people to sacrifice part of their identities.[31]

After Ray Mickelic, another former Emissary and Sunset Ranch resident, confessed to authorities that he'd sexually assaulted children for 10 years, several former Emissaries partially blamed the EDL because of their emphasis on the purity of “creative acts”, claimed John. “There's no question in my mind he used Emissary teachings to provide a justification mechanism,” John continued. Renee agreed, saying “Ray Mickelic found justification for what he did from the Emissaries.” Other ex-Emissaries said that Mickelic may have thought he was part of a chosen group who could do no wrong. To this possibility, Hassan said that “It may weaken a natural human system of checks and balances, a system that keeps deviant behavior in check.” EDL officials, however, said that Mickelic was not deeply involved at Sunrise Ranch. Mickelic was hired to produce calendars for the ranch and was "involved in other Sunrise business transactions." “Everybody acts like they didn't know Ray, but Ray was part of EDL for years," another ex-follower said. Hammond rebuked these claims, saying “Let me say unequivocally that Ray never picked up anything at Emissary meetings that could justify what he's accused of."[31]

Referring to Michael Exeter, “The man running the show now is more concerned about the effects of people's actions on each other than his father,” said Renee. Other observers agreed that the Emissaries had been working to make internal changes since.[31]

In 2014, former Emissary Linda Grindstaff sued the Emissaries of Divine Light and claimed that the EDL made her work without pay. She further claimed that the group tried to sell her home. Additionally, she accused that the group doctrine encouraged "triangles," which consisted of one man and two or more women having sexual encounters, because this would "handle and protect" the man's spiritual expression and spiritually purify the women. Similarly, she claims that her husband would often be assigned to "counsel" other women in the group and share "Attunements" with them, during which he and the women he was "counseling" would have sex.[29]

Transition after Lord Exeter's death

When Lord Exeter died in January 1988, his son, Michael Cecil, 8th Marquess of Exeter (formerly known as Lord Burghley), became the leader of Emissaries of Divine Light until he left the organization in 1996.[32] In that eight-year period, much of the leadership left the organization, including most of the children of both Lloyd Arthur Meeker and Martin Cecil, 7th Marquess of Exeter, who had been prominent in the network. From 1988 to 1996, more than two-thirds of the participants in Emissaries of Divine Light left as well.[17][32] Many ex-members became bitter about their experience and launched accusations against the organization. One member, Robert Coates, even began playing football in one of the group's most sacred spaces.[33][34]

As the 8th Marquess of Exeter resigned from his position in 1996, a group of trustees assumed responsibility for the leadership of the network. They set in place ethical guidelines throughout the network and addressed grievances brought to them by participants. They sought to bring the universal truths taught by Lloyd Arthur Meeker into contemporary language and practice.

Recent history

In the 1990s, Emissaries of Divine Light developed new programs for spiritual understanding and personal development. Deepening Spiritual Expression and The Opening are week-long residential programs that are still offered by the organization.[35] They also developed Attunement Practitioner certification training, which is available at many Emissary centers.

In August 2004, the trustees of Emissaries of Divine Light named David Karchere as the leader of the global network. In 2008, David Karchere and Jane Anetrini developed and taught a year-long leadership program based on the teachings of Emissaries of Divine Light. A second session of the program was conducted in 2009 and 2010.[36] In 2012 they initiated a new series of seminars under the title Practical Spirituality: An Operator's Guide to Being Human, led by David Karchere.[37]

Sunrise Ranch

The headquarters of Emissaries of Divine Light was established in 1945 at Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, now a conference and retreat center staffed by a community of eighty-five people.[38][39] Sunrise Ranch hosts workshops, seminars and retreats intended to offer the participants fresh thinking and understanding, leading to a direct experience of spiritual renewal.[40] There are seven other major centers around the world for Emissaries of Divine Light, each offering programs with a similar approach.[17]

Sunrise Ranch also offers residential work-study programs in practical spirituality, which it defines as the application of universal spiritual principles to the common issues of human life.[41] These include a program designed for personal spiritual renewal, called Full Self Emergence, and a Permaculture Design Course for people interested in sustainable human systems and sustainable agriculture.[40][42]

From 2013 to 2019, ARISE Music Festival was held at Sunrise Ranch. However, in 2020, the festival was cancelled, and since 2021 ARISE has no longer been hosted at Sunrise Ranch.[43][28] During their time hosting the event, one journalist accused the Emissaries of using the festival to recruit people into their "cult".[27]

Creative Field Project

The trustees of Emissaries of Divine Light lead the Creative Field Project.[44] The project is an exploration of the power of human intention to influence the field of energy held by a group of people. The Creative Field Project began in 2009 with a network of small groups around the world that meet monthly by telephone. It included the first Creative Field Conference in 2011 at Sunrise Ranch that featured Lynne McTaggart, who wrote The Field; and American priest and theologian Matthew Fox.[45] In 2012, Emissaries of Divine Light joined with the Novalis Ubuntu Institute in Cape Town, South Africa, to host the Creative Field Conference—South Africa: Your Destiny Is Calling.[46]

Teaching and practices

Overview

The mission of Emissaries of Divine Light, as cited in its articles of incorporation, is to assist in the spiritual regeneration of humanity under the inspiration of the divine spirit.[47] Meeker saw the work of the Emissaries as an approach to spirituality that transcends physical and mental disciplines, and offers human beings the opportunity to experience their true identity by giving expression to the qualities of spirit that align with their divine nature.[48]

Emissaries of Divine Light teach that the key to creative living is the individual's openness to the source of universal power and intelligence within them, and that human emotions either connect a person to that source or cut them off from it.[49] The educational programs of the Emissaries are designed to assist people to find out what has been emotionally triggering them, so that they can withdraw their emotional attention from the trigger and turn it to the life force within them.[50] The Emissaries believe that behind all emotions is the universal power of love and a universal intelligence that bring spiritual enlightenment. They teach that through deliberate conscious thought a person can let their own emotional current purify, so that they open themselves to the flow of the universal power and intelligence within them.[51]

The One Law

The central teaching of Emissaries of Divine Light is referred to as The One Law. They describe it as a law of cause and effect.[52] They see the causative factor in spiritual regeneration as the universal power and intelligence within all people, and the effect in human experience as dependent on the response to that internal reality.[53] They describe the creative process in human experience as the working of The One Law in a sequence of five stages: radiation, response, attraction, union and unified radiation.[54] Their seminars claim to assist people to withdraw their energetic response from the circumstances around them and direct it to the power and intelligence within them.[55]

Emissaries of Divine Light describe the process of personal spiritual renewal as Full Self Emergence because they believe that a person is renewed when their own divine selfhood is expressed through their mind, emotions and their body.[56] They use the story of the Seven Days of Creation in Genesis as a symbolic template for the process of spiritual renewal in the life of the individual, and for humankind as a whole.[57]

Attunement

Attunement is a central practice of Emissaries of Divine Light. The origin of the word Attunement refers to the attuning of the human capacity with the universal animating spirit within all people.[58] Attunement practitioners believe that positive shifts in consciousness release a healing energy through a person's body, mind and emotions.[59]

Emissaries of Divine Light practice Attunement as a form of energy medicine.[60] Attunement practitioners believe that universal life energy is conveyed to the client through the hands of the practitioner. The primary contact points for the client receiving the Attunement are the endocrine glands. Attunement practitioners teach that the endocrine glands are portals for universal life energy that operates through the physical body, and through the mental and emotional function of the individual.[61]

Emissaries of Divine Light also teach Attunement as a personal spiritual practice.[62] They believe it is a central factor in the conscious evolution of humanity.[63]

Leadership

Emissaries of Divine Light is led by David Karchere, who is the spiritual director of the organization, and six other trustees.[64] Karchere lives, writes and teaches at Sunrise Ranch, and travels in North America, Europe, Africa and Australia, offering programs on practical spirituality and Attunement.

The trustees are elected by an International Emissary Congress with representatives from Emissary organizations around the world. Currently, the trustees are Jane Anetrini, Ruth Buckingham, Hugh Duff, David Karchere, Marilyn Manderson, Phil Richardson and Maureen Waller.[65]

Major centers

In addition to their international headquarters at Sunrise Ranch, Emissaries of Divine Light used to operate Glen Ivy in Corona, California, as a conference and retreat center and an Attunement teaching center. Glen Ivy is also a natural mineral springs. The Emissaries leased the mineral springs and the spa property adjacent to their center to Glen Ivy Hot Springs, a popular destination in Southern California.[66] The property was sold in 2016.

These are the major centers for Emissaries of Divine Light around the world:[41]

  • Edenvale, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
  • Gate House, Constantia, South Africa
  • Riverdell, Gawler, South Australia, Australia
  • Sunrise Ranch, Loveland, Colorado, USA

Publications

Beginning in the 1930s, Emissaries of Divine Light have continually published their writings and teachings and circulated these to their membership. In 1936, Lloyd A. Meeker published his seven-week meditation guide, Seven Steps to the Temple of Light, as well as his correspondence course, Steps to Mastership.[67][68] In the 1980s, Martin Cecil published eighteen volumes of his own writing and the writings of Lloyd Meeker under the title The Third Sacred School.[69]

For most of its history, weekly talks and writings of Emissary leadership have been distributed by regular mail. Since 2005, the organization has circulated a weekly e-mail message, The Pulse of Spirit, authored by David Karchere and other current leaders of the network.[70] In 2010 they began to publish the Journal of the Creative Field.

See also

References

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  2.  Cecil, Martin (1968). As of a Trumpet. Loveland, Colorado: Eden Valley Press. p. 13.
  3.  Van Duzen, Grace (1996). The Vibrational Ark. Loveland, Colorado: Eden Valley Press. pp. 1, 2. ISBN 0-932869-05-X.
  4.  Layne, Laurence (2008). Keepers of the Flame: A History of Attunement. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-9771193-3-2.
  5.  Van Duzen, Grace (1996). The Vibrational Ark. Loveland, Colorado: Eden Valley Press. pp. 13–15. ISBN 0-932869-05-X.
  6.  Layne, Laurence (2008). Keepers of the Flame: A History of Attunement. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. pp. 14–28. ISBN 978-0-9771193-3-2.
  7.  Van Duzen, Grace (1996). The Vibrational Ark. Loveland, Colorado: Eden Valley Press. pp. 78–80. ISBN 0-932869-05-X.
  8.  Laurence, Layne (2006). The Spiritual Nature of the Physical Body. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-9771193-0-1.
  9.  Meeker, Lloyd A. (1952). The Divine Design of Man. Loveland, Colorado: Universal Institute of Applied Ontology.
  10.  Layne, Laurence (2008). Keepers of the Flame: A History of Attunement. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. pp. 19–22. ISBN 978-0-9771193-3-2.
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  23.  Harris, Ken. "Bill Bahan: A life of victory, a legacy of love & inspiration". Life Chiropractic College West. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  24.  Wilkinson, Bill (1986). Attunement With Life. Loveland, Colorado: Eden Valley Press, Inc. p. 27. ISBN 0-932869-05-X.
  25.  Layne, Laurence (2008). Keepers of the Flame: A History of Attunement. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-9771193-3-2.
  26.  O'Brien, Jessie (August 1, 2019). "A History of the Spiritual Group at Sunrise Ranch That Hosts ARISE". Westword. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  27.  Hardaker, Mike (August 15, 2015). "Colorado Cult Recruiting via Music Festivals at Sunrise Ranch". Mountain Weekly News. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  28.  Harris, Kyle (March 7, 2020). "Arise Music Festival's Future Uncertain After Split With Sunrise Ranch". Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  29.  Warmerdam, Elizabeth (March 17, 2014). "Woman Claims SoCal Cult Is Trying to Sell Her Home". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  30.  Arnie, Cooper (July 2006). "The Age Of Oil Is Coming To An End - An Interview With Richard Heinberg" (PDF). The Sun: 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  31.  O'Keeffe, Mike (February 21–27, 1990). "Sunset at Sunrise Ranch: There's a Dark Side to the Emissaries of Divine Light". Westword. Denver, Colorado.
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  38.  Butcher, A. Allen. "Inclusive Association of Intentional Communities" (PDF). Fourth World Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  39.  Pitzer, Donald E. (1997). America's Communal Utopias. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. p. 460. ISBN 0807846090.
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  42.  Kozeny, Geoph. "Intentional Communities: Lifestyles Based on Ideals". Fellowship for Intentional Community. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  43.  Berryhill, Alex (May 16, 2022). "ARISE Abruptly Cancels 2022 Festival Two Weeks Before Event". Westword. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  44.  "The Creative Field Project". Emissaries of Divine Light. 6 June 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  45.  "Dr. Matthew Fox: Ushering in the Next Stage". The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  46.  "Jennifer Ferguson in the limelight". The Chronicle, Cape Town, RSA. March 21, 2012.
  47.  "Emissaries of Divine Light -- About Us". Emissaries of Divine Light. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  48.  Cecil, Martin (1977). The Third Sacred School. Loveland, Colorado: Emissaries of Divine Light. pp. 291–295.
  49.  Meeker, Lloyd A. (1988). The Third Sacred School, Volume 8, Health, Healing and Attunements Part 2. Emissaries of Divine Light. pp. 475–479.
  50.  Cecil, Martin (1993). The Third Sacred School, Vol. 14, The Oneness of Heaven and Earth. Loveland, Colorado: Emissaries of Divine Light. pp. 105–110.
  51.  Karchere, David. "The Kingdom Within". Emissaries of Divine Light. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  52.  Henderson, Jaclyn Stein (1998). The Healing Power of Attunement Therapy: Stories and Practice. New Delhi, India: New Dawn: A Division of Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. pp. 255–256. ISBN 81-207-2442-9.
  53.  Layne, Laurence (2008). Attunement: The Sacred Landscape. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. pp. 23, 24. ISBN 978-0-9771193-2-5.
  54.  Layne, Laurence (2008). Attunement: The Sacred Landscape. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. pp. 24–17. ISBN 978-0-9771193-2-5.
  55.  "Practical Spirituality". Emissaries of Divine Light. 20 February 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
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  58.  Henderson, Jaclyn Stein (December 2002). The Healing Power of Attunement Therapy: Stories and Practice. New Delhi, India: New Dawn: A Division of Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. p. 21. ISBN 81-207-2442-9.
  59.  Wilkinson, Bill (1986). Attunement With Life. Loveland, Colorado: Eden Valley Press, Inc. pp. 25, 26. ISBN 0-932869-05-X.
  60.  Laurence, Layne (2006). The Spiritual Nature of the Physical Body. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-9771193-0-1.
  61.  Laurence, Layne (2006). The Spiritual Nature of the Physical Body. St. Augustine, Florida: Health Light Publishing Company. pp. 61–72. ISBN 978-0-9771193-0-1.
  62.  "The Attunement Guild". Emissaries of Divine Light. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
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  67.  Meeker, Lloyd A. (2010). Seven Steps to the Temple of Light. Loveland, Colorado: Emissaries of Divine Light. ISBN 978-0-932869-08-1. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  68.  Meeker, Lloyd A. (1936). Steps to Mastership. Emissaries of Divine Light. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
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===

Martin Cecil, 7th Marquess of Exeter

From Wikiquote, the free quote compendium

William Martin Alleyne Cecil (27 April 190912 January 1988) was a spiritual teacher, author and leader of Emissaries of Divine Light from 1954 to 1988. He was also a rancher who played a key role in the development of the Village of 100 Mile House, British Columbia, Canada.

Martin Cecil was a descendant of William Cecil, chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I. He inherited the title 7th Marquess of Exeter upon the passing of his elder brother.

Quotes

As of a Trumpet
  • YOU ARE DIVINE. This is the truth for you, but it remains meaningless on earth until you know it. “Knowing” is the state of realized experience, and this occurs as your divine nature is given expression in thought, word and deed.
    • As of a Trumpet, 1968, p. 13
  • SUPREME VALUE CENTERS IN LOVE. All true values are differentiations of this supreme value. The means by which love is differentiated into the infinite variety of its divine nature may be called “truth.” Life is the evidence of the truth of love in action.
    • As of a Trumpet, 1968, p. 43
  • THE COMING OF YOUR DIVINE SELF on earth dissolves the unreal state as darkness is caused to vanish before the rising sun.
    • As of a Trumpet, 1968, p. 69
On Eagle's Wings
  • The transmutation is occurring all around us — the transmutation which is primarily taking place in the consciousness of human beings, in the de–structuring of the human consciousness. The structured forms are burned. The substance composing those structured forms is transmuted into spirit — a quality of substance within the scope of this world of space and time which may then take form according to the design inherent in the irresistible force, spiritual form.
    • On Eagle's Wings, 1977, p. 118
  • Nothing ever does happen in the future and nothing ever has happened in the past; the only happening is in the present moment. And yet people everywhere are so wrapped up in the past and future that the present moment tends to be overlooked. Yet this present moment is the only moment of reality; everything else is imagination. Now is the only time we can live. We can't live in the past, although some attempt it, and we can't live in the future. We live now or not at all.
    • On Eagle's Wings, 1977, p. 159
The Third Sacred School
  • Out of the nowhere of the dimensionless state comes the differentiation of the sound of the trumpet in the dimensional state, in the now here of the dimensional state. That sound is generated first in the mouthpiece of the trumpet, and the vibration is taken up by the air contained in the whole trumpet and by the trumpet itself. This portrayal indicates a oneness, first of all between the trumpeter and the trumpet; and then the oneness between the air (the substance in the trumpet), the trumpet itself, and the sound that is being propagated.
    • The Third Sacred School, Volume 2, Chapter 73
  • Never underestimate the power of spiritual expression. It is the power of fusion, bringing and holding all things together in the true design in the creative process.
    • The Third Sacred School, Volume 7, Chapter 80
Thus It Is
  • From age to age, Love's word rings forth, “The truth is true and all is well, Unconquerable life prevails.”
    • Thus It Is, 1989, p. 1
  • The body of the mother is the physical planet. The physical planet therefore symbolizes the mother. The body of the father is the sun. The sun symbolizes the father. Neither the sun nor the earth are the father and the mother, but they are forms representing them.
    • Thus It Is, 1989, p. 6
  • There is the necessity for the spiritual point of focus to be embodied on earth. This is the one thing that has been lacking.
    • Thus It Is, 1989, p. 110
  • I am incarnate—and we all may share this awareness, seeing that there is but one God and one identity—I am incarnate in the earth, in all the animate forms of the earth, and in my human form. My human form was created so that I might be consciously incarnate. Being consciously incarnate, I may be unrestricted in the expression of myself and in the fulfilment of my purposes according to my will.
    • Thus It Is, 1989, p. 151
  • The spirit of truth says, “Remember.” And you will, if you accept the spirit of truth, allow the spirit of truth to be your expression.
    • Thus It Is, 1989, p. 164
Prayer of Being

I am in heaven.
The revelation of myself is holy.
My kingdom comes because I am here.
My will is done in earth because my will is done in heaven.
I give the bread of life in each moment of my living on earth.
I forgive, and that forgiveness is received by those who share the spirit of forgiveness.
I led no one into tribulation, but deliver all evil into the creative cycle.
For mine is the kingdom present on earth because I am present on earth.
Mine is the creative power of the Word.
And mine is the glory which results, shining round about, to be reflected by the world which I create.

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