What I hoping for most in this group are ideas on practicing,

both formally and, more importantly, in day to day examples

of living the Course.? I will be most easily seduced into lively

metaphysical discussions and most likely bored to tears with

(excessive) swapping of quotes (from any source).? Im always

interested in anything that augments, supplements, enhances

the ideas which have drawn us here.? For example Garys

mentioning Elaine Pagels Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel

of Thomas.?

?

I wonder if anyone here thinks some of the other non-dualists

have worthwhile contributions to this practice (Nisargadatta

comes to mind for example).

?

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Dear Gary and All,

I have a story that I'm living, and want to share tonight, and update you by Friday. I have to go for a deposition tomorrow regarding a lawsuit against me and my car insurance company, to the tune of $52,000. I have not recognized this as a big deal at all, simply because of the circumstance that caused it. I just cannot wait to figure out what I am to learn from this one!

I was travelling in dead stop/creeping traffic on the interstate when my little Geo's bumper touched the bumper in front of me. The lady driving in front of me looked thru her rear view and waved at me, and I waved back. We knew it was no big deal. Then out of the blue comes this big, raging guy from BEHIND me who was none other than her husband (ie, they were travelling separately, wife in front, husband behind me). I rolled down my window, only to witness him rage at me for "riding her A--" and threatening me, etc. I simply stated, "Mister, it's why God made bumpers. No one is hurt and it was only a bump!" He went off, and I raised my window, with my insides fast turning to jello!!! He went to speak with his wife, then came BACK to my car window, which I cracked, and he raged more, stating that she'd hurt her neck, etc. This was May 27, 2002, by the way, day before Memorial Day over a year ago.

We crept on, and they pulled over, so I decided to check on her. She would not give me eye contact, and said her neck hurt too badly to see if there was any damage to the car. But if I would just give them my insurance card numbers, they'd go on. I replied that I would share nothing with them without a police by my side. They suggested we all go to the exit, where there was an accident, and see the police. I determined to go one exit further and dialed 911 while I was at it, to report this raging man over this minor incident. Within 5 minutes I had a police escort me back to the previous exit and a police officer said that it was a good thing I'd called, cos they were coming after me as a "hit and run." However, he thought that it could all be dropped as there was obviously no car damage, and some people just "lose their temper."

I am still in shock today, as I was then, that this whole thing is happening. But I'm guessing I'm to see my lesson of forgiveness for the man who raged, the woman who I sincerely believe lied, and for the inconvenience of the entire series of events. I am also learning that I have been praying for that family since May 27, 2002, and have not stopped. I pray for their highest good. I pray that if their financial need is so great that, perhaps, the attornies will, in fact, find SOMEthing about my choices that day that cause $52,000 to go to that family. I however, stand innocent and without guilt about the incident (other than the fact that I DID bump her from behind). Otherwise, I am choosing to breathe SLOWLY and to seek the Holy Spirit in this and all situations in my life and theirs. I am willing to see this differently. I am willing to learn forgiveness. I am willing to see my part in this. I am willing...

Thank you for listening...stay tuned for Deposition UPDATE, same time, same station (as we're all in the moment, it IS the same time/station, isn't it???)

PS The attorney assigned to me by my insurance company is wonderful. I know he will do well, and I know I will speak my truth. Not sure what else matters, do you???


Sheila

Namast: I honor in you the divinity that I honor within myself and I know we are one.

_________________________________________________________________
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I too heard that Fresh Air interview with Elaine Pagels, and found it
very interesting, especially in light of having read
DISAPPEARANCE.... 2 times already. I remember buying a paperback
copy of Pagel's THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS, maybe 10 years ago and never
actually reading it. I think I am ready for it now. Hope to get
ahold of her new book about the Gospel of Thomas when my libary
procures it.
Gary Brown--- In
Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "garyrrenard"
<garyrrenard@y...> wrote:

I've never read any of Elaine Pagels books. (For those who

don't

know, she is a Ph.D. from Harvard and Professor of Philosophy at
Princeton, and author of a couple of famous books, including "The
Gnostic Gospels" and her new best seller, "Beyond Belief: The

Secret

Gospel of Thomas.") As you know, Thomas is a subject that's near

and

dear to my heart (LOL) so when Elaine was interviewed on National
Public Radio a couple of weeks ago, I listened with great interest.
The first thing I noticed was that she seemed to be

confirming,

albeit in a more scholarly fashion, the things that Pursah said

about

Thomas and the church in "Disappearance." It reminded me of what
Pursah half seriously said on P.81, "I told you they snubbed me." I
think Elaine made a good case for the Jesus of The Gospel of Thomas
being much closer to the historical Jesus, who was the most highly
advanced wisdom teacher and was leading people to the Kingdom of

God

through an internal process, while the later written Gospels,
especially The Gospel of John, (which may have been written as long
as 70 years after the first version of Thomas) portrayed Jesus as
God's only Son who came to die for our sins in a sacrificial act of
Atonement, which is a concept totally alien to Thomas.
I also think it's interesting that there has been a marked
increase in interest lately in The Gospel of Thomas as well as

Thomas

himself. Surely my visitors knew this would happen, and it will be
interesting to watch how "Disappearance" takes its place in the

grand

scheme of things. (BTW, I have also been told that one of the

themes

of the new and very popular novel, "The DaVinci Code" has to do

with

Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene, a subject that my teachers also
touched upon.) It's fascinating to me that my book came out just
before these two.
I think perhaps Elaine's most important contribution is that

she

emphasizes in a highly credible way that Jesus was not about
Christianity's made up set of beliefs, but about the seeking of
spiritual experience that would lead one to God. I also hope that

my

book demonstrates, through Arten and Pursah's many statements,
including Pursah's explanation of about 20 of the sayings in The
Gospel of Thomas, which she then uses to move into the teachngs of
the Course, that the Voice of that Gospel and the Voice of A Course
in Miracles are indeed one and the same: the Voice of the

historical

Jesus. Love and peace, Gary.

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I've never read any of Elaine Pagels books. (For those who don't
know, she is a Ph.D. from Harvard and Professor of Philosophy at
Princeton, and author of a couple of famous books, including "The
Gnostic Gospels" and her new best seller, "Beyond Belief: The Secret
Gospel of Thomas.") As you know, Thomas is a subject that's near and
dear to my heart (LOL) so when Elaine was interviewed on National
Public Radio a couple of weeks ago, I listened with great interest.
The first thing I noticed was that she seemed to be confirming,
albeit in a more scholarly fashion, the things that Pursah said about
Thomas and the church in "Disappearance." It reminded me of what
Pursah half seriously said on P.81, "I told you they snubbed me." I
think Elaine made a good case for the Jesus of The Gospel of Thomas
being much closer to the historical Jesus, who was the most highly
advanced wisdom teacher and was leading people to the Kingdom of God
through an internal process, while the later written Gospels,
especially The Gospel of John, (which may have been written as long
as 70 years after the first version of Thomas) portrayed Jesus as
God's only Son who came to die for our sins in a sacrificial act of
Atonement, which is a concept totally alien to Thomas.
I also think it's interesting that there has been a marked
increase in interest lately in The Gospel of Thomas as well as Thomas
himself. Surely my visitors knew this would happen, and it will be
interesting to watch how "Disappearance" takes its place in the grand
scheme of things. (BTW, I have also been told that one of the themes
of the new and very popular novel, "The DaVinci Code" has to do with
Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene, a subject that my teachers also
touched upon.) It's fascinating to me that my book came out just
before these two.
I think perhaps Elaine's most important contribution is that she
emphasizes in a highly credible way that Jesus was not about
Christianity's made up set of beliefs, but about the seeking of
spiritual experience that would lead one to God. I also hope that my
book demonstrates, through Arten and Pursah's many statements,
including Pursah's explanation of about 20 of the sayings in The
Gospel of Thomas, which she then uses to move into the teachngs of
the Course, that the Voice of that Gospel and the Voice of A Course
in Miracles are indeed one and the same: the Voice of the historical
Jesus. Love and peace, Gary.

Thanks to everyone for posting! This group has a very positive and
useful tone. And thank you Linda, for using the Forgiveness Thought
Process Example Pursah gave me, and that's recorded on P.256
of "Disappearance." Those words have helped me tremendously, as soon
as I remember them. Remembering is the hardest part. Sometimes it's
instantaneous, but sometimes, when the stuff hits the fan, I still
forget and then do it later. Your message about you and your friend
was very moving, and the way you are using forgiveness in these
circumstances shows a miracle mind-set. Thanks to all; there's a lot
of the Holy Spirit's work going on here. Love and peace, Gary.

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