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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 18 "THE DREAM AND THE REALITY"
XI. THE PASSING OF THE DREAM
96 Love is not learned. Its meaning lies in itself. And learning ends when you have recognized all it is not. That is the interference; that is what needs to be undone. Love is not learned because there never was a time in which you knew it not. Learning is useless in the Presence of your Creator, Whose acknowledgment of you and yours of Him so far transcend all learning that everything you learned is meaningless, replaced forever by the knowledge of love and its one meaning.
ON LINE: ACIM.OE.TX.CH 18.XI
AUDIO: TEXT CH 18, XI
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
WORKBOOK Part I
REVIEW VI
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Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
With this review, we take but one idea
each day, and practice it as often as
is possible. Besides the time we give
morning and evening, which should not be less
than fifteen minutes, and the hourly
remembrances we make throughout the day,
use the idea as often as you can
between them. Each of these ideas alone
would be sufficient for salvation, if
it is learned truly. Each would be enough
to give release to you and to the world
from every form of bondage, and invite
the memory of God to come again.
With this in mind, we start our practicing
in which we carefully review the thoughts
the Holy Spirit has bestowed on us
in our last twenty lessons. Each contains
the whole curriculum, if understood,
practiced, accepted and applied to all
the seeming happenings throughout the day.
One is enough. But for that one there must
be no exceptions made. And so we need
to use them all, and let them blend as one
as each contributes to the whole we learn.
These practice lessons, like our last review,
are centered round a central theme with which
we start and end each lesson. It is this:
"
I am not a body. I am free.
For I am still as God created me."
The day begins and ends with this. And we
repeat it every time the hour strikes,
or we remember, in between, we have
a function that transcends the world we see.
Beyond this and a repetition of
the special thought we practice for the day,
no form of exercise is urged, except
a deep relinquishing of everything
that clutters up your mind, and makes it deaf
to reason, sanity and simple truth.
We will attempt to get beyond all words
and special forms of practicing for this
review. For we attempt this time to reach
a quickened pace along a shorter path
to the serenity and peace of God.
We merely close our eyes, and then forget
all that we thought we saw and understood.
For thus is freedom given us from all
we did not know and failed to understand.
There is but one exception to this lack
of structuring. Permit no idle thought
to go unchallenged. If you notice one,
deny its hold and hasten to assure
your mind that this is not what it would have.
Then gently let the thought which you denied
be given up in sure and quick exchange
for the idea we practice for the day.
When you are tempted, hasten to proclaim
your freedom from temptation, as you say:
"
This thought I do not want. I choose instead..."
And then repeat the idea for the day,
and let it take the place of what you thought.
Beyond such special applications of
each day's idea, we will add but few
formal expressions for specific thoughts
to aid your practicing. Instead we give
these times of quiet to the Teacher Who
instructs in quiet, speaks of peace, and gives
our thoughts whatever meaning they may have.
To Him I offer this review for you.
I place you in His charge, and let Him teach
you what to do and say and think each time
you turn to Him. He will not fail to be
available to you each time you call
to Him to help you. Let us offer Him
the whole review we now begin, and let
us also not forget to Whom it has
been given, as we practice, day by day,
advancing toward the goal He set for us;
allowing Him to teach us how to go,
and trusting Him completely for the way
each practice period can best become
a loving gift of freedom to the world.
~ Original Handscript of ACIM September 1, 1970
ACIM OE WORKBOOK REVIEW VI
CIRCLE OF ATONEMENT ~ COMMENTARY on INTRODUCTION
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
DAILY LESSONS
L e s s o n 207
<AUDIO><VIDEO>
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
I am not a body. I am free.
For I am still as God created me.
[187] I bless the world because I bless myself.
God's blessing shines upon me from within
my heart where He abides. I need but turn
to Him, and every sorrow melts away
as I accept His boundless Love for me.
I am not a body. I am free.
For I am still as God created me
.
~ Original Handscript of ACIM
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections
LESSON 207 Review VI
[187] I bless the world because I bless myself.
Sarah's Commentary:
The prayer in this Lesson says, "God's blessing shines upon me from within my heart, where He abides." (W.207.1.2) If God's blessing shines from within my heart, nothing in this world of form needs to change for me to experience God's blessing. It is there within me all the time. Nothing needs to be different in the world for me to know I am blessed. Anything I expect, think I want, or need, is not where the blessing comes from. It is already within me. We think it is about getting something we want, but the ego is all about seeking and never finding. Until we realize that nothing outside of us can bring happiness, we will not give up the search and will blame conditions and situations for our lack of peace.
In Chapter 18.1, "The Substitute Reality," (T.18.I) (ACIM T.18. I.IN) we learn that because of our fear of God (Love) and the truth of our reality, we have substituted the dream or the illusion for the truth of what we are. There is only this one substitution, but it has taken many forms. It is just the one error where we chose to separate from the love we are. Everything we see in this world of form, including our belief in time, space, and death, is all a result of that one error. This is how our world of unreality emerged, where we no longer see beyond it to the eternal truth. The truth, like the sun behind the clouds, is always shining. It is always there behind the seemingly thick veil of illusion. The veil actually has no substance at all, but we believe it is literally impenetrable because our senses bring us evidence to prove that what we see and experience is real.
The knowledge of Heaven seems to be shattered into billions of bits of perception, no longer one whole but all disconnected. We look out at this world and see all the forms instead of what is behind the veil, which is our reality. All our thoughts are projected onto this veil. What we see are just images, held in our minds and projected onto the screen. We think these images are real, yet they have no substance. The only thing real is our eternal, unlimited Self. When we look at our projections honestly, without defending them or justifying them, we can bring them to the healing light of the Holy Spirit. Defending our misperceptions keeps them in the dark, and they become our conditioned responses to everything we see. Our reactions are based on our interpretations, but they have no substance. We are called to look at our reactions and recognize that we have another choice. When we look at the workings of the ego mind, we can choose against it. We can turn to the Holy Spirit and ask for His interpretation of every situation we encounter. His interpretation will always be some form of the idea---God's Son is innocent.
The process of forgiveness requires that we stay very attentive to our thoughts and feelings and take full responsibility for them. This calls for consistent mind watching. In Chapter 30, "Rules for Decision," (T.30.I) (ACIM OE T.30.II) Jesus provides us with a restorative for the times when we are not feeling peace. We start by admitting, "At least I can decide I do not like what I feel now." (T.30.I.8.2) (ACIM OE T.30.II.16) This paves the way for an opening to the truth, "And so I hope I have been wrong." (T.30.I.9.2) (ACIM OE T.30.II.19) Now space is opened up in our minds, as we are willing to be shown another way. We open to the possibility that perhaps there might be another way to perceive a situation or event in our lives that has upset or disturbed us. Instead of insisting that I am right and making a case for my way of perceiving, I have now made room for another way to see the person or situation.
Do I want to be right if it only brings me pain, or would I rather change my mind and be happy? What can I lose by trying another way? I want another way to look at this because I want to feel peaceful. Thus, I open my mind to receive help from the Holy Spirit. I become willing to be taught another way. The ego will certainly create resistance, but happiness is now a bigger motivator for me than insisting that I am right. I have experienced the contrast that comes from stubbornly holding onto my perspective, versus releasing it to the Holy Spirit. My way brings more pain, distress, loneliness, and separation while choosing to forgive brings peace. Would you rather be right about the way you have set things up or be happy?
"And turn you to the stately calm within, where in holy stillness dwells the living God you never left, and Who never left you."
(T.18.I.8.2) (ACIM OE T.18.II.8) We will never find this stately calm in the world. Only in the stillness within will we connect to the unlimited Self we are. As we read in "The Real Alternative," (T.31.IV) (ACIM T.31.IV) we have taken many roads to nowhere. Jesus says, "There is a tendency to think the world can offer consolation and escape from problems that its purpose is to keep. Why should this be? Because it is a place where choice among illusions seems to be the only choice." (T.31.IV.1.1-3) (ACIM OE T.31.IV.33) This will take us nowhere until we take the only road that will lead us out.
Jesus says, "Real choice is no illusion." (T.31.IV.2.1) (ACIM OE T.31. IV.34) He says the time will come when all of us will see this. He encourages us to "Learn now, without despair, there is no hope of answer in the world." (T.31.IV.4.3) (ACIM OE T.31.IV.36) When we go within, we see it is where the blessing shines forth. We learn indeed, "There is no road that leads away from Him. A journey from yourself does not exist." (T.31.IV.10.4-5) (ACIM T.31.IV.42) This is such good news. We cannot be what we are not. Yes, we can experience a self that seems to live in this world, still hoping to find answers here, but when we lose hope of ever finding it where it does not exist, we turn within where truth abides. As we accept the blessing from within, we are able to give it; and as we give it, we know it is in us to give.
Today, we set our intention for peace. In the quiet of our hearts, we open up to the blessing within the mind. This requires releasing the blocks to love. What are these blocks? They constitute the false self that includes the body, personality and the image of ourselves we hold onto in this dream. We are learning to see the thoughts held in the mind, without taking them personally. Instead of judging ourselves for them, we can remember to laugh. We don't need to believe whatever we are thinking. For example, if I am annoyed at someone, or think someone should do a task a certain way, I can simply remember that I don't know anything. What I think needs to happen is just my idea, based on past conditioning and not the truth. I cannot judge that what they do is wrong. Allow whatever feelings come up around an issue without judging yourself for them. Thus, I can feel anger, guilt, sadness, or distress come up in me and allow it to come without trying to stuff it down because "spiritual people" are not supposed to feel this way. Stuffing down our feelings will not allow healing. We need to allow these feelings to arise so we can see them, which does not mean we should act on them. If we are afraid of our hateful feelings, we will not let them come up. When they are not allowed to be seen, we will not experience their release. The pure, innocent, magnificent, beautiful, eternal Self is always there behind these feelings.
When the blocks to the experience of the eternal Self are healed, we bring blessings instead of judgment to our day. And when blessings extend through us, we know that they are in us. Giving and receiving are one in Truth. When I accept the truth for myself, I accept it for everyone because we are One. This place where we are joined is a holy and blessed place. All the lilies of forgiveness and blessings are laid on this holy altar and include what we have given and what has been given to us. Every loving thought is right there. Every gift we have given is laid on that altar.
I hold very dear the words from Lesson 161, "Give me your blessing, holy Son of God. I would behold you with the eyes of Christ, and see my perfect sinlessness in you." (W.161.11.7-8) We ask this of our brother so that he may set us free. "Behold him now, whom you have seen as merely flesh and bone, and recognize that Christ has come to you." (W.161.12.3) This is so powerful when we apply it to our brothers. Whenever I am having difficulty with anyone, I try to remember this blessing so I can know my own perfect innocence. When I wish something were different in my relationship with my brother, I cannot be in the flow of acceptance of what is. I have decided to be annoyed instead, and in that decision, I choose the experience of the illusion and all the suffering that accompanies it.
Think of someone you resent, are angry with, would rather not see, or are judging and know that in releasing your grievances to the Holy Spirit, you are set free. "I bless the world because I bless myself." (W.187) "Only my condemnation injures me." (W.198) In other words, I am only hurt by the hurt I inflict on others. Nothing real is happening. It is only our own attacks, which are also illusory, coming back to "bite us."
In every sorrow I experience, I just need to turn to God, and my sorrows melt away. When we turn outward to find comfort in the world, we are turning away from the Source of comfort, and thus we keep our sorrows. So, today in our meditation, we affirm, "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me. I bless the world because I bless myself. God's blessing shines upon me from within my heart, where He abides. I need but turn to Him, and every sorrow melts away, as I accept His boundless love for me." (W.207.1.1-3) Then, in our meditation time, we withdraw our attention from the outward events and situations that bring sorrow, and we move our attention to the center of our being where God's blessing shines from within the heart where He abides. We enter that place of boundless love and bring all sorrow to the Light to be dispelled.
Love and blessings, Sarah
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Chapter Eighteen
The Dream and the Reality
Voice and Music by Martin Weber, CIMS SonShip Radio
XI. The Passing of the Dream
95 This course will
lead to knowledge, but knowledge itself is still beyond the scope of our curriculum. Nor is there any need for us to try to speak of what must forever lie beyond words. We need remember only that whoever attains the real world, beyond which learning cannot go, will go beyond it but in a different way. Where learning ends there God begins, for learning ends before Him Who is complete where He begins and where there
is no end. It is not for us to dwell on what cannot be attained. There is too much to learn. The readiness for knowledge still must be attained.
96 Love is not learned. Its meaning lies in itself. And learning ends when you have recognized all it is
not. That is the interference; that is what needs to be undone. Love is not learned because there never was a time in which you knew it not. Learning is useless in the Presence of your Creator, Whose acknowledgment of you and yours of Him so far transcend all learning that everything you learned is meaningless, replaced forever by the knowledge of love and its one meaning.
97 Your relationship has been uprooted from the world of shadows, and its unholy purpose has been safely brought through the barriers of guilt, washed with forgiveness, and set shining and firmly rooted in the world of light. From there, it calls to you to follow the course it took, lifted high above the darkness and gently placed before the gates of Heaven. The holy instant in which you were united is but the messenger of love, sent from beyond forgiveness to remind you of all that lies beyond it. Yet it is through forgiveness that it will be remembered.
98 And when the memory of God has come to you in the holy place of forgiveness, you will remember nothing else, and memory will be as useless as learning, for your only purpose will be creating. Yet this you cannot know until every perception has been cleansed and purified and finally removed forever. Forgiveness removes only the
untrue, lifting the shadows from the world and carrying it safe and sure within its gentleness to the bright world of new and clean perception. There is your purpose
now. And it is there that peace awaits you.
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