Morning!
I am actually inputting this on Friday afternoon as B. and I have a busy weekend ahead of us.
I was reading Ken’s book and wanted to share some very powerful thoughts he has written that have meant oh, so much to me today, here goes:
“This is how we experience everything in this world, and why nothing works. We consistently attempt to solve the unbearable problem of anxiety and guilt. However, all the while our secret attempt to perpetuate our individuality through anxiety and guilt remains in full force, dictating the futile attempts to find peace through war and conflict, the familiar ego doctrine of seek and do not find.” (His thoughts after paragraph 2, sentence 2.)
In reference to duality and the Course’s non-dualistic thought system, he writes:
“This, again, expresses the underlying metaphysics of ACIM, which discussed in great detail in the text, forms the foundation of the workbook. Its early lessons – let alone the statement we are looking at – cannot be understand without recognizing this is a non-dualistic thought system. There is God, Heave, truth and nothing else. The problem rests in our believing there is something else. It is this belief that has to be undone, not the pseudo-problems that merely reflect the true problem.” (His response to paragraph 3, sentence 2).
With respect to paragraph 6, first two sentences, Ken writes:
“In other words, Jesus is telling us to stop wasting our time tying to solve problems in the world. This is the meaning of “I Need Do Nothing” (T-19.VII). We think we need do something, because there is a perceived problem that demands our attention and action. Yet we need do nothing because what we think to be the problem – something external to our minds – is not the problem at all. However, this does not mean that on the level of the dream we should not resolve problems here or take care of our or other people’s bodies, Jesus means not to proceed on our own. We need realize, he tells us, that the real problem of our discontent or disease is our separation from him. By not separating from him and his love by asking him to help us, the real problem of separation from love will be undone. This has led to our anxiety, fear, depression and sense of failure. Once those thoughts are out of the way and Jesus’ love has become reality, together, joined in that love, we can address what needs to be addressed, and there will be no tension, anxiety, or fatigue. The problem will be resolved smoothly, for we shall have been freed from the inner conflict that would have impeded the effective solution of any perceived problem in the world.”
In the next few sentences, NOTE He speaks, Jesus, to “What purpose could it serve?” Ken writes:
“The purpose of the world’s problems is to root us in the dream and keep our ego identity sacrosanct. Thus we would never recall our non-dualistic Identity. Once again, the nature of the real problem is that we pushed Jesus away. If we invite him back and join him in our minds, the problem of separation is undone.”
OK, in response to the first two sentences in the last paragraph, 12, Ken writes:
“Our celestial pep talk continues, Jesus wants us to have faith in our practicing, and not to lose heart when we forget a time period, or are tempted to believe what we are doing has no effect. Needless to say, the you mentioned here is the decision maker, which tells the frantic wrong mind it was mistakes in its choice. It is our self telling our self that our identity as a wrong-minded individual is untrue. Thus we come to understand we chose that identity because we were afraid of the glorious truth of our one Self, a mistake we can now forgive as we joyfully accept the Holy Spirit’s gift of salvation.
Moreover, the gift is given everyone because minds are joined, even though each separated Son must accept it for himself. That is the key. Sometimes people wonder why they are here if Jesus has already accepted the Atonement. From his point of view, of course, we are not here. The problem is that we have refused to accept his Atonement and love, and therefore remain asleep in our world of dreams, still dreaming. Again, our gift of remembering is given everyone, but we must want it for ourselves.”
So much food for thought, about purpose, about specialness in all its forms, about problems, our belief they’re real when He encourages us to challenge the beliefs or cause as opposed to trying to fix the form of the challenges. Not that we’re not supposed to resolve issues here, He is simply encouraging all of us, me to ask Him for help in letting go of them and finding peace. One problem: separation, one solution: accepting the Atonement for ourselves.
We’ve already studied Lessons 79 and 80 and their review. All lessons basically speak to the power we have to choose the teacher we will follow, which will it be for us, the ego who leads us nowhere, ever, or Jesus or the Holy Spirit who remind us that Salvation comes from our one Self?
Have a lovely day!
Love to all,
Gayle
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