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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 6 "ATTACK AND FEAR"
IV. THE RELINQUISHMENT OF ATTACK
Safety is
the complete relinquishment of attack. No compromise is possible in this. Teach attack in
any form, and
you have learned it, and it will hurt you. Yet your learning is not immortal, and you can unlearn it by
not teaching it.
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DAILY LESSON
L e s s o n 67
Love created me like itself.
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
1 Today's idea is a complete and accurate statement of what you are. This is why you are the light of the world. This is why God appointed you as the world's savior. This is why the Son of God looks to you for his salvation. He is saved by what you are.
2 We will make every effort today to reach this truth about you and to realize fully, if only for a moment, that it is the truth. In the longer practice period, we will think about your reality and its wholly unchanged and unchangeable nature. We will begin by repeating this truth about you and then spend a few minutes adding some relevant thoughts, such as:
3
Holiness created me holy.
Kindness created me kind.
Helpfulness created me helpful.
Perfection created me perfect.
4 Any attribute which is in accord with God as He defines Himself is appropriate for use. We are trying today to undo your definition of God and replace it with His own. We are also trying to emphasize that you are part of His definition of Himself.
5 After you have gone over several such related thoughts, try to let all thoughts drop away for a brief preparatory interval, and then try to reach past all your images and preconceptions about yourself to the truth in you. If Love created you like Itself, this Self must be in you. And somewhere in your mind, It is there for you to find.
6 You may find it necessary to repeat the idea for today from time to time to replace distracting thoughts. You may also find that this is not sufficient and that you need to continue adding other thoughts related to the truth about yourself. Yet perhaps you will succeed in going past that and through the interval of thoughtlessness to the awareness of a blazing light in which you recognize yourself as Love created you. Be confident that you will do much today to bring that awareness nearer, whether you feel you have succeeded or not.
7 It will be particularly helpful today to practice the idea for today as often as you can. You need to hear the truth about yourself as frequently as possible because your mind is so preoccupied with false self-images. Four or five times an hour, and perhaps even more, it would be most beneficial to remind yourself that Love created you like Itself. Hear the truth about yourself in this.
8 Try to realize in the shorter practice periods that this is not your tiny solitary voice that tells you this. This is the Voice for God reminding you of your Father and of your Self. This is the Voice of truth replacing everything that the ego tells you about yourself with the simple truth about the Son of God. You were created by Love like Itself.
~ Original Hand Script of ACIM
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections
Lesson 67
Love created me like itself.
Sarah's Commentary:
This thought follows on yesterday's Lesson, which reminds us we cannot change ourselves as we were created. We were created by God as love because that is what He is and we are as His Son. We are a thought in the mind of God. "Love created me like Itself," (W.67) "is a complete and accurate statement of what you are." (W.67.1.1) How much more clear can a statement be about who we are as the light of the world? It is not something we can change about ourselves. We can't change the truth of who we are. "Truth is beyond your ability to destroy, but entirely within your ability to accept. It belongs to you because, as an extension of God, you created it with Him. It is yours because it is part of you, just as you are part of God because He created you." (T.5.IV.1.4-6)(ACIM OE T.5.VI.46)
We don't regard ourselves as holy, or as savior of the world, or the light of the world. That is why there are so many Lessons where we are reminded of our true identity. We are told this in the daily reminders in Review V, and also in Lessons 94, 110, 162, "I am as God created me," Lessons 201-220, as well as in many other Lessons and throughout the Text. This is not about simply affirming the truth by "shouting down our ego," as Ken Wapnick puts it. To know we are as God created us is to undertake the mind training by bringing our dark thoughts to awareness. Jesus is constantly reminding us of the truth, so we stay focused on who we really are in truth, and we stay motivated in working with him to undo the false. Our false concepts of ourselves can only be undone by seeing them for what they are. That is our part in the forgiveness process. The Holy Spirit does the rest. The ego will never undo itself. When we do our part, we need to trust that the undoing of the false is in good hands. All that is required of us is the willingness to be wrong about the way we think about ourselves and others when we are thinking with the ego. We are asked today to make every effort to reach the truth of who we are. What is required is not just to affirm the truth, but to be willing to keep looking at how we block it, so the truth of who we really are, can shine through.
In today's Lesson, we are asked to remind ourselves at least four or five times an hour, if not more, so we can "Hear the truth about yourself in this." (W.67.5.4) Jesus also asks us to "try to reach past all of your images and preconceptions about yourself to the truth in you." (W.67.3.1) As much as possible "think about your reality and its wholly unchanged and unchangeable nature." (W.67.2.1) Include related thoughts like, "Holiness created me holy. Kindness created me kind. Helpfulness created me helpful. Perfection created me perfect." (W.67.2.3-6) Just keep adding relevant thoughts. Why is there so much focus on talking to ourselves about who we are? It is because we don't believe this about ourselves. In fact, we spend most of our time listening to the voice of our ego, which is reinforcing our preconceptions of who and what we think we are. We are listening to the dirge we constantly sing to ourselves. "Healing occurs as a patient begins to hear the dirge he sings, and questions its validity." (Psychotherapy Pamphlet.3.G.1) These are the false ideas that occupy our minds and keep the truth at bay. It is our defense against the truth because truth will only come to the quiet mind. Whenever we are not forgiving, we are defending the image we have made of ourselves.
We think of ourselves as sometimes loving, but often impatient, demanding, controlling, manipulating, fearful, angry, and yes, some "nice" attributes, but all of them are of our making, and all are changeable. They change with the issues, circumstances and events of the day. Our emotions, feelings, and self-concepts get reinforced all day, except when we watch our minds and allow forgiveness to wash away our false thoughts. I am always trying to improve myself, but what is this self I am trying to improve? It is my ego, my false self. That is the reason for reminding ourselves of the truth, as often as we can today. "You need to hear the truth about yourself as frequently as possible, because your mind is so preoccupied with false self-images." (W.67.5.2)
When the false self-image takes precedence in the mind, we need to take notice of what we are believing about ourselves. "This thought I do not want," I tell myself. I am, instead, willing to bring it to the truth, so I can truly know "Love created me like itself." (W.67) If I am willing to take the false thoughts and misinterpretations of everything and everyone I hold in my mind to the Holy Spirit, He will give me His interpretation. His Interpretation is I have not changed myself. What I see is not true. My brother is my Self. Everything is either love or a call for love. Love created me, and everyone, like Itself.
We tend to think we have some love in us, but we don't think it is all we have and are. The truth is we are only love and nothing else. Through our work with the Course, the way we have defined ourselves is brought to awareness, so our misconceptions of ourselves can be replaced with what we are in truth. Our nature is unchangeable regardless of how much we think we have changed ourselves. "What fear has hidden [our magnificent Self] still is part of you. Joining the Atonement [the correction of errors] is the way out of fear." (T.5.IV.1.1-2)(ACIM OE T.5.VI.45) The Atonement Principle is the assurance from God that we can't change what we are in truth, but we can be, and are, unaware of the truth about ourselves. Thus, we need to hear this truth over and over again from the Voice for God, the Voice for Truth, which is in our right minds. Our familiar ego voice that talks incessantly does not say this. When we affirm the truth with great conviction and take it to heart, we are remembering who we are while forgetting the ego. "The Holy Spirit calls you both to remember and forget." (T.5.II.6.1)
Just like Jesus, who brought light to the world and is recognized as the savior of the world, we are to be teachers of love in the same way. He is our example and our teacher, and we have a Guide in the Holy Spirit, Who is in our right minds. When we open to healing, we bring light to the world by being a demonstration of the light that shines through us. The key is to keep watching the mind and to bring to awareness the darkness of the ego. It is the only way we can come to know the Self we are. Looking at the ego darkness without judgment is to see our fear without being afraid of it, to see our anger without being angry at ourselves for it, to take note of our judgments without judging ourselves for them, to see our distress without being distressed by it, and to notice our guilt without feeling guilty about it. In other words, we are looking at our self-concepts with the Holy Spirit from outside this dream, seeing they are false, meaningless, and without value, but not judging any of our thoughts and emotions as bad. On the contrary, we are happy to see our ego for what it is. That is what it means to be a happy learner.
What we need to do is look at all the thoughts we have that get in the way of our true nature, and to be willing not to justify them or tell our stories. We simply put them on the inner altar where they can be released. Remember in Lesson 65, where we were asked to look dispassionately at each interfering thought and let it go until we reach a place of peace? From this place of peace, we get a glimpse of our true nature. From this place of peace, we experience the holy instant, and that is where this Lesson is taking us---to the experience of the holy instant.
It is a place of peace, a place of healing, a place of deep calm, and a place where we can truly feel protected in the loving arms of our Father. We can totally relax there. We rest in God. We bring all our fears there and let them dissipate in His healing light. As our inner knowing is strengthened, our needs for acceptance or approval dissipate. We release our inclination for people-pleasing. There is no guilt, no self-condemnation, and no tension in our true Self. As we emerge into the world, we bring this light of acceptance to everyone we meet. Every meeting becomes a holy encounter. We become invulnerable to attack. What can hurt a Child of God? What can bring guilt to an innocent mind? What can bring attack when we remember that every "negative" behavior is a call for love?
"This is why God appointed you as the world's savior. This is why the Son of God looks to you for his salvation."
(W.67.1.3-4) While we can have moments of such an illuminated experience, this is a process, and we are being led to where this becomes more and more available to us. The memory of who we are is already in our minds. We are clearing away the ego debris by bringing our awareness to it. We must look at what the ego is up to in every encounter and every relationship. The Holy Spirit can't replace the ego with His truth unless we bring that ego thought system to Him.
"We are trying today to undo your definition of God and replace it with His Own. We are also trying to emphasize that you are part of His definition of Himself."
(W.67.2.8-9) Our definition of God is one of duality. If we exist, He cannot. Thus, He becomes our enemy, someone we can't trust. He is the God the ego made, and having made Him, we tell Him Who He is.
I was listening to Sean Penn recently in an interview about his work in Haiti, where he said God had put His heavy hand on the people of Haiti and suppressed them. This is the consciousness many of us hold about God in our minds. This God seems to bring difficulties to our lives. This is the God we have projected our split mind onto, believing He is like us, only more powerful and somehow out of reach. The truth is there is no duality. We have all the characteristics of God. We have the same power and glory as God, and we share it with all our brothers as One.
We can make a difference in ways we can't even conceive of when we let His love shine through us. It is not something we try to do. It is something we are and know when we get out of our own way. Jesus urges us to "Be confident that you will do much today to bring that awareness nearer, whether you feel you have succeeded or not." (W.67.4.4) Let us today commit to letting Him lead us. Let us be willing to do this practice on behalf of our own peace and happiness. Let us not worry today about outcomes or become impatient with ourselves because ego thoughts show up. Let us remember we can afford to be confident today because of the Mighty Companions who are there for us to reinforce every step in our journey home.
"Be confident that you will do much today to bring that awareness nearer, whether you feel you have succeeded or not." (W.67.4.4) In other words, we will have wandering thoughts and we may not have the experience that is the goal for this practice, but we are being encouraged to keep doing the Lessons. Changes will come as we keep doing the mind training and stay vigilant and disciplined in our practice. With application of these lessons we bring the time closer to when we will experience more consistent and deep inner peace. "Now you must learn that only infinite patience produces immediate effects." (T.5.VI.12.1)(ACIM OE T.5.VIII.81)
Love and blessings, Sarah
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IV. The Relinquishment of Attack
39 We have used many words as synonymous which are not ordinarily regarded as the same. We began with having and being and more recently have used others. Hearing and being are examples, to which we can also add teaching and being, learning and being and, above all,
projecting and being. This is because, as we have said before, every idea begins in the mind of the thinker and extends outward. Therefore, what extends
from the mind
is still in it, and from what it extends it knows
itself. That is its natural talent. The word "knows" is correct here, even though the ego does
not know and is not concerned with being at all.
40 The Holy Spirit still holds knowledge safe through His impartial perception. By attacking nothing, He presents no barrier at all to the communication of God. Thus, being is never threatened. Your Godlike mind can never
be defiled. The ego never was and never will be part of it, but
through the ego you can hear and teach and learn
what is not true. From this, which
you have made, you have taught yourselves to believe that you
are not what you
are. You
cannot teach what you have not learned, and what you teach you strengthen in yourselves
because you are sharing it. Every lesson you teach
you are learning.
41 That is why you must teach only
one lesson. If you are to be conflict-free yourselves, you must learn
only from the Holy Spirit and teach
only by Him. You
are only love, but when you denied this you made what you
are something you must
learn. We said before that the message of the crucifixion was, "Teach only love, for that is what you
are." This is the
one lesson which is perfectly unified because it is the only lesson which
is one. Only
by teaching it can you learn it. "As you teach, so will you learn." If that is true, and it is true indeed, you must never forget that what you teach is teaching
you. What you project you
believe.
42 The only
real safety lies in projecting only the Holy Spirit because, as you see His gentleness in others, your
own mind perceives
itself as totally harmless. Once it can accept this fully, it does
not see the need to
protect itself. The protection of God then dawns upon it, assuring it that it is perfectly safe forever. The perfectly safe are wholly benign. They bless because they know they
are blessed. Without anxiety the mind is wholly kind and because it
projects beneficence, it
is beneficent.
43 Safety is
the complete relinquishment of attack. No compromise is possible in this. Teach attack in
any form, and
you have learned it, and it will hurt you. Yet your learning is not immortal, and you can unlearn it by
not teaching it. Since you cannot
not teach, your salvation lies in teaching the exact
opposite of everything the ego believes. This is how
you will learn the truth that will set you free and keep you so, as others learn it of
you. The only way to
have peace is to
teach peace. By learning it through projection it becomes a part of what you
know because you cannot teach what you have dissociated.
44 Only thus can you win back the knowledge that you threw away. An idea which you
share you must
have. It awakens in you through the conviction of teaching. Remember that, if teaching is being and learning is being, then teaching is learning.
Everything you teach you are learning. Teach only love, and learn that love is yours, and
you are love.
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