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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 5 "HEALING AND WHOLENESS"
II. HEALING AS JOINING
The Holy Spirit is the Christ Mind, which senses the knowledge that lies beyond perception. It came into being with the separation as a protection, inspiring the beginning of the Atonement at the same time. Before that, there was no need for healing and no one was comfortless.
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
WORKBOOK Part I ~ REVIEW I
INTRODUCTION
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Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
1 Beginning with today, we will have a series of review periods. Each of them will cover five of the ideas already presented, starting with the first and ending with the fiftieth. There will be a few short comments after each of the ideas which you should consider in your review. In the practice periods, the exercises should be done as follows:
2 Begin the day by reading the five ideas, with the comments included. Thereafter, it is not necessary to follow any particular order in considering them, though each one should be practiced at least once. Devote two minutes or more to each practice period, thinking about the idea and the related comments. Do this as often as possible during the day. If any one of the five ideas appeals to you more than the others, concentrate on that one. At the end of the day, however, be sure to review all of them once more.
3 It is not necessary to cover the comments that follow each idea literally or thoroughly in the practice periods. Rather, try merely to emphasize the central point and think about it as part of your review of the idea to which it relates.
4 The review exercises should be done with your eyes closed and when you are alone in a quiet place if possible. This is emphasized particularly for reviews at your stage of learning. It will be necessary, however, that you learn to require no special settings in which to apply what you have learned. You will need it most in situations which appear to be upsetting, rather than in those which already seem to be calm and quiet.
5 The purpose of your learning is to enable you to bring the quiet with you and to heal distress and turmoil. This is not done by avoiding them and seeking a haven of isolation for yourself. You will yet learn that peace is part of you and requires only that you be there to embrace any situation in which you are. And finally you will learn that there is no limit to where you are, so that your peace is everywhere, as you are.
6 You will note that for review purposes the ideas are not always given in quite their original form of statement. Use them as they are given here. It is not necessary to return to the original statements nor to apply the ideas as was suggested then. We are now emphasizing the relationships among the first fifty of the ideas we have covered and the cohesiveness of the thought system to which they are leading you.
~ Original Hand Script of ACIM
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DAILY LESSON
L e s s o n 52 ~ Review I
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
1Today's review covers these ideas:
[6] I am upset because I see what is not there.
2Reality is never frightening. It is impossible that it could upset me. Reality brings only perfect peace. When I am upset, it is always because I have replaced reality with illusions which I made up. The illusions are upsetting because I have given them reality and thus regard reality as an illusion. Nothing in God's creation is affected in any way by this confusion of mine. I am always upset by nothing.
[7] I see only the past.
3As I look about, I condemn the world I look upon. I call this seeing. I hold the past against everyone and everything, making them my "enemies." When I have forgiven myself and remembered who I am, I will bless everyone and everything I see. There will be no past and therefore no "enemies." And I will look with God on all that I failed to see before.
[8] My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.
4I see only my own thoughts, and my mind is preoccupied with the past. What, then, can I see as it is? Let me remember that I look on the past to prevent the present from dawning on my mind. Let me understand that I am trying to use time against God. Let me learn to give the past away, realizing that in so doing I am giving up nothing.
[9] I see nothing as it is now.
5If I see nothing as it is now, it can truly be said that I see nothing. I can see only what is now. The choice is not whether to see the past or the present: it is merely whether to see or not. What I have chosen to see has cost me vision. Now I would choose again that I may see.
[10] My thoughts do not mean anything.
6I have no private thoughts. Yet it is only private thoughts of which I am aware. What can these thoughts mean? They do not exist, and so they mean nothing. Yet my mind is part of creation and part of its Creator. Would I not rather join the thinking of the universe than to obscure all that is really mine with my pitiful and meaningless "private" thoughts?
~ Original Hand Script of ACIM
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections
Sarah's Commentary:
The introduction to Review I reminds us each day begins now with the reading of the five ideas for the day and the comments that accompany each thought, with at least two minutes devoted to each idea. Think about each idea and related comments as often as possible during the day. If any idea particularly appeals to you, focus on that idea. Try to emphasize the central point for the idea, then spend time with your eyes closed, alone in a quiet place, if possible. We are now looking at the relationships among the ideas for each Lesson and the "cohesiveness of the thought system to which they are leading you." (W.PI.RI.IN.6.4)
The stages of practice we are going through are 1) highly structured, quiet place with no special setting 2) bring peace with you to every situation 3) recognition of peace as inherent in us 4) and see peace in every situation.
All these Lessons affirm we don't see at all. What we call seeing is only a reflection of the thoughts that preoccupy our minds. Instead of seeing, we are projecting those thoughts and seeing them as images in the world. In essence, we are only upset because we "see what is not there." (W.52.1.1) Thus, we experience fear because, with guilt in our minds, we expect punishment. This is why we set up defenses, either physical or psychological. We think we need protection, but Jesus reminds us, "Reality is never frightening." (W.52.1.2)
To us, reality is frightening, which is why we defend against the love we are. We fear God because we think we have destroyed His Kingdom in order to set up our own in its place. Thus, we fear God's punishment, which explains our fear of the Last Judgment. We keep ourselves distracted and listen to our own thoughts to keep the Voice for God unheard. All our feelings of worthlessness come from the belief we have separated ourselves from love. In that process, we believe we have destroyed our own value. Now we find these feelings so painful we then project them onto the world.
What we are learning through this Course is that the whole story the ego has convinced us of is just a myth. The idea that we have sinned, and we are therefore guilty and thus deserve punishment, is all made up. Unfortunately for us, we have bought into this thought system and it runs our lives until we decide we will no longer listen to the ego. This requires mind watching. It requires we stay focused on the thoughts that are not peaceful and recognize the reason we are not at peace is because we are blocking it. Now we have been given a way out. Slowly, we let down our defenses as we take responsibility for our thoughts, recognizing that only our condemnation makes everyone and everything our enemies. (W.52.2.4)
When we bring our blocks to love to the truth within us, represented by the symbol of Jesus/Holy Spirit, we realize there is only blessing, love and light within us. The ego is not the truth of who we are. With only blessing in us, now we can do nothing but "bless everyone and everything I see." (W.52.2.5) "And I will look with love on all that I failed to see before." (W.52.2.7) This requires we remember who we are.
When Don first came into my life, I had my home organized exactly as I wanted it. After my shower, the towels had to be folded and put on the rack properly. He wanted his towel spread out to dry rather than folding it. For me, that was one more intrusion on the order I had established for myself and thus cause for a grievance. While he conceded to my requirements in many areas of my life, he would not concede on this one. Today, I looked at his spread out towel and I had to smile at what I had made important. Letting go of what we are holding against others, even in what seem to be the smallest irritations, is how we learn the only important thing is to know who we are. This involves a lot of letting go of our control and putting love at the forefront. Everything in this world can show us where we put ourselves at the forefront and assert our existence as more important than anyone else. When we make demands, we are victimizing others, and when they don't meet them, we see ourselves as victimized. That is the game of the ego. As long as we stay in this game, the ego is in business because the game of guilt is kept intact.
What is important in these Lessons is the emphasis Jesus puts on our ability to choose. "Now I would choose again, that I may see." (W.52.4.6) The reason he says making a new choice is so important is because "What I have chosen to see has cost me vision." (W.52.4.5) In other words, "I see nothing as it is now." (W.52.4.1) To see with vision is to see we are all the same. We have the same ego and the same holiness. Yes, each of us seems to have a different story, but the themes of abandonment, unworthiness, victimhood, and guilt are all the same in everyone, though the characters in our stories vary. When we see the characters have all been cast by us, we learn we truly are not the victims but, in fact, wrote the script for those in our play. In other words, we are the dreamers of this dream and not the dream figures. It is our dream and all are there by our own bidding. "I am responsible for what I see. I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide upon the goal I would achieve. And everything that seems to happen to me I ask for, and receive as I have asked." (T.21.II.2.3-5)(ACIM OE T.21.III.15) This is not an easy thought for us to accept because we have chosen to see ourselves as victimized by events of this world precisely so we would not have to take responsibility for our condition.
While Jesus tells us we have no private thoughts, it seems we are only aware of private thoughts because those are what we listen to. We think our thoughts mean something, but Jesus tells us they mean nothing and "They do not exist." (W.52.5.5) When I look at my example of how towels should be hung, they seem like thoughts that exist because I am thinking them. But what all these thoughts do is "obscure all that is really mine," (W.52.5.7) which is the totality of my Being as a Son of God, one with every brother. Private thoughts assume separation and uniqueness, which is in contrast to the Oneness of Love. Thus, exposing my private thoughts and recognizing their purpose, which is to keep separation real in my mind, is what healing is all about. It is taking what is false to the truth so we can know we are blessed.
Jesus is showing us through these Lessons that we need to examine our goal in every situation. He says, "In any situation in which you are uncertain, the first thing to consider, very simply, is 'What do I want to come of this? What is it for?' The clarification of the goal belongs at the beginning, for it is this which will determine the outcome. In the ego's procedure this is reversed. The situation becomes the determiner of the outcome, which can be anything." (T.17.VI.2)(ACIM OE T.17.VII.58) We are asking for help to release the beliefs we hold, as well as the guilt associated with them, to the Holy Spirit so our false thoughts can be replaced with His peace.
What is being said here is that the whole process of bringing healing to our unconscious guilt takes awareness. We need to remain vigilant in watching our feelings and our thoughts so they can be released. Willingness is needed to look at the ego thought system, which is based on scarcity, needs, and specialness. It takes desire and willingness to have our perspectives, which are always based on wrong-minded thinking, to be given over to the Holy Spirit to reinterpret for us. This is what Course-based forgiveness is. It is to bring our wrong-minded thinking to the truth. We can know we have chosen to side with the voice of the ego anytime we are not at peace.
Jesus offers us a prayer that reminds us if we are out of peace, it is because we have chosen to be in a state of turmoil, and we can decide otherwise.
"I must have decided wrongly, because I am not at peace.
I made the decision myself, but I can also decide otherwise.
I want to decide otherwise, because I want to be at peace.
I do not feel guilty, because the Holy Spirit will undo all the consequences of my wrong decision if I will let Him.
I choose to let Him, by allowing Him to decide for God for me
.
" (T.5.VII.6.7-11)(ACIM OE T.5.IX.96)
Our part is to bring awareness to the beliefs in operation in our lives and willingly bring them to the Holy Spirit. We are not asked to practice 'holy' qualities, such as detachment from what we still value, or to try to hold onto virtuous behaviors. Our only task is to bring awareness to our minds by watching our thoughts and feelings. That is the purpose of time. Using time in any other way is to keep God at arm's length and thus continue to maintain the separation.
By going after ego pursuits, I recognize I put God off into the future and refuse to acknowledge and experience His Presence here right now. Any drama going on in my life right now does not change the fact that God's grace surrounds me, His Answer is available right now, and is always some form of peace. The peace becomes available when the blocks we put up against it are released to the Holy Spirit within. Picture an inner altar where holiness resides and put your troubling thoughts there for Holy Spirit to shine them away. Our part is to recognize the blocks and be willing to bring them to His healing light. He will do the rest. We can't fix ourselves, but it is up to us to make the decision we have been wrong about ourselves and another way is being given us that is the answer to our lack of peace and happiness.
Love and blessings, Sarah
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PAUSED FOR WEEKEND
1 To heal is to make happy. I have told you before to think how many opportunities you have to gladden yourselves and how many you have refused. This is exactly the same as telling you that you have refused to heal yourselves. The light that belongs to you is the light of joy. Radiance is not associated with sorrow. Depression is often contagious but, although it may affect those who come in contact with it, they do not yield to the influence whole-heartedly. But joy calls forth an integrated willingness to share in it and thus promotes the mind's natural impulse
to respond as one.
2 Those who attempt to heal without being wholly joyous themselves call forth different kinds of responses at the same time and thus deprive others of the joy of responding whole-heartedly. To be whole-hearted, you
must be happy. If fear and love cannot coexist and if it is impossible to be wholly fearful and remain alive, then the only possible whole state
is that of love. There is no difference between love and joy. Therefore, the only possible whole state is the wholly joyous. To heal or to make joyous is therefore the same as to integrate and to
make one. That is why it makes no difference to what part or by what part of the Sonship the healing is done.
Every part benefits and benefits equally.
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You are being blessed by every beneficent thought of any of your brothers anywhere. You should want to bless them in return out of gratitude. You do not have to know them individually or they you. The light is so strong that it radiates throughout the Sonship and returns thanks to the Father for radiating His joy upon it. Only God's holy Children are worthy to be channels of His beautiful joy because only they are beautiful enough to hold it by sharing it. It is impossible for a Child of God to love his neighbor
except as himself. That is why the healer's prayer is:
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Let me know this brother as I know myself.
5 Healing is an act of thought by which two minds perceive their oneness and become glad. This gladness calls to every part of the Sonship to rejoice with them and lets God Himself go out into them and through them. Only the healed mind can experience revelation with lasting effect because revelation is an experience of pure joy. If you do not choose to be wholly joyous, your mind cannot
have what it does not choose to
be. Remember that the Soul knows no difference between "being" and "having." The higher mind thinks according to the laws which the Soul obeys and therefore honors only the laws of God. To Him, getting is meaningless and giving is all. Having everything, the Soul
holds everything
by giving it and thus creates as the Father created.
6 If you think about it, you will see that, while this kind of thinking is totally alien to having
things, even to the lower mind it is quite comprehensible in connection with
ideas. If you share a physical possession, you
do divide its ownership. If you share an idea, however, you do
not lessen it.
All of it is still yours, although all of it has been given away. Further, if the person to whom you give it accepts it as
his, he reinforces it in
your mind, and thus
increases it. If you can accept the concept that the world
is one of ideas, the whole belief in the false association which the ego makes between giving and
losing is gone.
7 Let us start our process of reawakening with just a few simple concepts:
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Thoughts increase by being given away.
The more who believe in them, the stronger they become.
Everything is an idea.
How, then, is it possible that giving and losing can be
meaningfully associated?
9 This is the invitation to the Holy Spirit. I told you that I could reach up and bring the Holy Spirit down to you, but I can bring Him to you
only at your own invitation. The Holy Spirit is nothing more than your own right mind. He was also mine. The Bible says, "May the mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus," and uses this as a
blessing. It is the blessing of miracle-mindedness. It asks that you may think as I thought, joining with me in Christ-thinking.
10 The Holy Spirit is the only part of the Holy Trinity which is symbolic. He is referred to in the Bible as the Healer, the Comforter, and the Guide. He is also described as something "separate," apart from the Father and from the Son. I myself said, "If I go I will send you another comforter, and He will abide with you." The Holy Spirit is a difficult concept to grasp precisely because it
is symbolic and therefore open to many different interpretations. As a man and as one of God's creations, my right thinking, which came from the Universal Inspiration which
is the Holy Spirit, taught me first and foremost that this Inspiration is for all. I could not have It myself
without knowing this.
11 The word "know" is proper in this context because the Holy Inspiration is so close to knowledge that it calls it forth; or better, allows it to come. We have spoken before of the higher or the "true" perception, which is so close to truth that God Himself can flow across the little gap. Knowledge is always ready to flow everywhere, but it cannot oppose. Therefore, you can obstruct it, although you can never lose it. The Holy Spirit is the Christ Mind, which senses the knowledge that lies beyond perception. It came into being with the separation as a protection, inspiring the beginning of the Atonement at the same time. Before that, there was no need for healing and no one was comfortless.
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