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Lesson 65. My only function is the one God gave me.

Lesson 65. My only function is the one God gave me.

(1) The idea for today reaffirms your commitment to salvation. It also reminds
you that you have no function other than that. Both these thoughts are obviously
necessary for a total commitment. Salvation cannot be the only purpose you hold
while you still cherish others. The full acceptance of salvation as your only
function necessarily entails two phases; the recognition of salvation as your
function, and the relinquishment of all the other goals you have invented for
yourself.

(2) This is the only way in which you can take your rightful place among the
saviors of the world. This is the only way in which you can say and mean, "My
only function is the one God gave me." This is the only way in which you can
find peace of mind.

(3) Today, and for a number of days to follow, set aside ten to fifteen minutes
for a more sustained practice period, in which you try to understand and accept
what the idea for the day really means. Today's idea offers you escape from all
your perceived difficulties. It places the key to the door of peace, which you
have closed upon yourself, in your own hands. It gives you the answer to all the
searching you have done since time began.

(4) Try, if possible, to undertake the daily extended practice periods at
approximately the same time each day. Try, also, to determine this time in
advance, and then adhere to it as closely as possible. The purpose of this is to
arrange your day so that you have set apart the time for God, as well as for all
the trivial purposes and goals you will pursue. This is part of the long-range
disciplinary training your mind needs, so that the Holy Spirit can use it
consistently for the purpose He shares with you.

(5) For the longer practice period, begin by reviewing the idea for the day.
Then close your eyes, repeat the idea to yourself once again, and watch your
mind carefully to catch whatever thoughts cross it. At first, make no attempt to
concentrate only on thoughts related to the idea for the day. Rather, try to
uncover each thought that arises to interfere with it. Note each one as it comes
to you, with as little involvement or concern as possible, dismissing each one
by telling yourself:

This thought reflects a goal that is preventing me from accepting my only

function.<

(6) After a while, interfering thoughts will become harder to find. Try,
however, to continue a minute or so longer, attempting to catch a few of the
idle thoughts that escaped your attention before, but do not strain or make
undue effort in doing this. Then tell yourself:

On this clean slate let my true function be written for me.<

You need not use these exact words, but try to get the sense of being willing to
have your illusions of purpose be replaced by truth.

(7) Finally, repeat the idea for today once more, and devote the rest of the
practice period to trying to focus on its importance to you, the relief its
acceptance will bring you by resolving your conflicts once and for all, and the
extent to which you really want salvation in spite of your own foolish ideas
tothe contrary.

(8) In the shorter practice periods, which should be undertaken at least once an
hour, use this form in applying today's idea:

My only function is the one God gave me.

I want no other and I have no other<

Sometimes close your eyes as you practice this, and sometimes keep them open and
look about you. It is what you see now that will be totally changed when you
accept today's idea completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 65. "My only function is the one God gave me."

*Whenever we are tempted to think we have a function other than forgiveness, we
should recognize we are involved with a defense. Many of the functions we think
we have seem to be very important: to save the world, family, friends, or job,
be a teacher of A Course in Miracles, etc. Whatever its form, it is not my
function, and God did not give it to us. As we have already discussed, God does
not know about specifics, and the function He "gave" me is simply to remember
who I am as His Son. Forgiveness makes that possible, and that is this lesson's
theme.*

(1:1-2) "The idea for today reaffirms your commitment to salvation. It also
reminds you that you have no function other than that."

*Remember, salvation means being saved from our wrong minds, from believing we
are right and Jesus is wrong. It means undoing the belief we are individuals
acting on our own, necessitating having everyone else be responsible for the
misery we chose for ourselves.*

(1:3) "Both these thoughts are obviously necessary for a total commitment."

* "Both these thoughts" means having the function of salvation, and having no
function but that. It means looking at the positive -- our function to forgive
-- and the negative -- the belief we have another function. In the following
sentences Jesus states even more explicitly our need to be aware of both the
right-minded <and> wrong-minded perception of our function.*

(1:4-5) "Salvation cannot be the only purpose you hold while you still cherish
others. The full acceptance of salvation as your only function necessarily
entails two phases; the recognition of salvation as your function, and the
relinquishment of all the other goals you have invented for yourself."

*Before we can relinquish these other goals, we first have to be aware of them.
That underscores the importance of being honest with ourselves and Jesus
concerning our pursuit of the ego's hidden goals of specialness. One can apply
here his plea to us from the text that comes within the context of asking for
his help. It is a plea we shall hear again:

"Watch carefully and see what it is you are really asking for. Be very
honest with yourself in this, for we must hide nothing from each other."
(T-4.III.8:1-2).

"Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and
what you have not thought that God would have you think. Search sincerely for
what you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to
think with God's." (T-4.IV.2:4-5)

To state this another way : To say "yes" to our true function is to say "no" to
the false ones. In "The Last Unanswered Question" in the text, Jesus says to
answer "yes" (to the last of the four questions he poses) is to say "not no"
(T-21.VII.12). We must first look at the ego's denial of the truth -- "no" --
and then say we do not want this anymore -- "<not no>." As he says earlier in
the text, in words that will become increasingly familiar to us: "The task of
the miracle worker thus becomes to <deny the denial of truth>." (T-12.II.1:5).

This entails becoming aware of both the manifest and subtle ways in which we
have established what <we> believe to be our function in life: the purpose for
which we came. We think, in our grandiosity, we were born for some noble
purpose. Not true! We are here to undo the <ignoble> purpose for which the ego
brought us: to blame others for our sin, leaving us free of all responsibility
for how we feel. The undoing of that purpose -- the meaning of forgiveness -- is
our function, and <nothing else>.*

(2:1) "This is the only way in which you can take your rightful place among the
saviors of the world."

*At the beginning of the last section of the text, "Choose Once again," Jesus
asks us to choose whether we would take our place among the saviors of the world
or remain in hell, holding our brothers there (T-31.VIII.1:5). He recalls for us
this significant statement, much as a composer quotes significant themes from
earlier portions of the symphony.*

(2:2-3) "This is the only way in which you can say and mean, "My only function
is the one God gave me." This is the only way in which you can find peace of
mind."

*It is worth noting that <only> is a strong qualifier. Jesus uses it quite
frequently throughout A Course in Miracles, and here he uses it in successive
statements. We have no function other than forgiveness, and the <only> way we
find peace of mind is to fulfill this function, which is to undo our ego's false
functions. These always involve our bodies doing something in the world, thereby
making the state of mindlessness real in our experience and belief. A passage in
the manual for teachers, in the context of anger, describes this process of
attaining peace through forgiveness -- anger being directed from one body to
another, reinforcing mindlessness; while forgiveness returns us to our minds and
the peace of God:

"God's peace can never come where anger is, for anger must deny that peace
exists. Who sees anger as justified in any way or any circumstance proclaims
that peace is meaningless, and must believe that it cannot exist. In this
condition, peace cannot be found. Therefore, forgiveness is the necessary
condition for finding the peace of God. More than this, given forgiveness there
must be peace." (M-20.3:3-7).

Choosing against our anger, or any other expression of the ego's thought system,
is the <only> way we become aware of the Holy Spirit's truth that lies beyond
the ego's defensive cover.*

(3:1-3) "Today, and for a number of days to follow, set aside ten to fifteen
minutes for a more sustained practice period, in which you try to understand and
accept what the idea for the day really means. Today's idea offers you escape
from all your perceived difficulties. It places the key to the door of peace,
which you have closed upon yourself, in your own hands."

*We cannot escape our difficulties until we perceive them. The phrase "perceived
difficulties" means that we believe we have them, even though they are not real.
Thus, we cannot let them go until we first become aware of the ego's thought
system that we have perceived, as a way of denying it in ourselves. This is thus
a re-statement of the first principle of miracles. Looking at our perceived
difficulties with Jesus enables us to recognize them all as smoke screens for
the <only> problem we truly have: our belief in the reality of the separation.
In this way, our perceived difficulties disappear into the one problem, which
the miracle gently corrects.

Further on in Lesson 121 Jesus says that "forgiveness is the key to happiness."
The key to the door of happiness is in our hands. It is not in Jesus' or God's
hands, nor in the hands of A Course in Miracles, let alone anyone else's. <It is
in our hands>, for we alone have the power to keep our minds closed to the truth
or the ego's lies. We are the ones who closed the door on the Holy Spirit,
therefore, we are the only ones who can open it. The Holy Spirit is on the other
side of the door, but He cannot make the choice for us.

Finally, the longer practice periods that Jesus continues to suggest reflects
his wish we reflect more and more seriously on the thoughts he is presenting to
us. This is similar to his injunction to Helen and Bill in the early period of
the Course's scribing that they "study the notes." *

(3:4) "It gives you the answer to all the searching you have done since time
began."

*When Jesus says "<you> have done since time began," he is not referring to the
individual self you think you are, but the collective Son of God. The searching
we have done -- encompassing all levels of existence -- is for happiness, peace,
and the absence of pain. Needless to say, we have failed miserably. Indeed, it
seems these days as if there is no hierarchy in the illusory world of time and
space; yet it certainly seems as if this were the case. It appears we are
denying our egos less and our defenses have become less effective, and so we
search, search, and search for solutions to our pain. We seek but do not find
because we are looking in the wrong place. That is why it is imperative to
remember that forgiveness occurs in the mind, not anywhere else. It manifests
our choice to release our grip on the ego, taking Jesus as our teacher instead.

Once we have chosen sanely, our new teacher helps us realize our searching has
been in vain, since we persistently sought truth and happiness when they could
not be found. As Jesus tells us near the end of the text:

"Real choice is no illusion. But the world has none to offer. All its roads
but lead to disappointment, nothingness and death. There is no choice in its
alternatives. Seek not escape from problems here. The world was made that
problems could not be escaped. Be not deceived by all the different names its
roads are given. They have but one end... All of them will lead to death.
...Think not that happiness is ever found by following a road away from it. This
makes no sense, and cannot be the way... to achieve a goal you must proceed in
its direction, not away from it. And every road that leads the other way will
not advance the purpose to be found... There is a choice that you have power to
make when you have seen the real alternatives." (T-31.IV.2:1-8,11;7:1-4;8:1).*

(4:1-2) "Try, if possible, to undertake the daily extended practice periods at
approximately the same time each day. Try, also, to determine this time in
advance, and then adhere to it as closely as possible."

*As I have mentioned, Jesus provides specific instructions for doing these
lessons, and he tells us here to establish some structure for ourselves,
although he will say presently that this is will not be a permanent arrangement.
His words imply the undisciplined nature of our minds, stemming from the fear of
regaining our mind's power to choose. This fear is so great, that without
structured time periods we would easily all our practicing to be diverted by
fear-induced mind wandering, thus diluting the efficacy of the workbook to help
us choose again. We need external discipline before we can internalize Jesus'
teachings, so that we may learn to think of him and his message as often as
possible.

The structure we are seeking to impose on ourselves also offers the wonderful
opportunity of learning the depth of our resistance as we forget our extended
practice periods, and then seek to rationalize or deny our fear. We shall
discuss this resistance more extensively later on.*

(4:3) "The purpose of this is to arrange your day so that you have set apart the
time for God, as well as for all the trivial purposes and goals you will
pursue."

*Jesus is not telling us to give up our "trivial purposes and goals" but says
instead: "You can have them, but give me a little time, too, and I will help you
structure your day. You are going to spend ten minutes at this time; ten times
another time; twenty minutes still another time. Set up the structure so you do
not have to give up what you want, but also allow some space during the day when
you think of me, and let me spend it with you." After all, he is not asking for
a lot. Jesus is thus providing an example of how we should be with each other
and with ourselves: clear and firm, yet gentle and patient. Truth does not hit
us over the head with itself, but merely reminds us -- within the context of our
illusory lives and values -- what alone is important to us. Recall again that
all-important idea in the text: The Holy Spirit does not deprive us of our
special relationships, He transforms them (T-17.IV.2:3).*

(4:4) "This is part of the long-range disciplinary training your mind needs, so
that the Holy Spirit can use it consistently for the purpose He shares with
you."

*Over and over, Jesus tells us this is a process; a long-range program, which
will become less and structured later on. For now, however, such structure is
extremely important. To think you do not need it reflects the ego's arrogance.*

(5) "For the longer practice period, begin by reviewing the idea for the day.
Then close your eyes, repeat the idea to yourself once again, and watch your
mind carefully to catch whatever thoughts cross it. At first, make no attempt to
concentrate only on thoughts related to the idea for the day. Rather, try to
uncover each thought that arises to interfere with it. Note each one as it comes
to you, with as little involvement or concern as possible, dismissing each one
by telling yourself:

This thought reflects a goal that is preventing me from accepting my only
function."

*Jesus is telling us our assignment is to pay careful attention to the ego
thoughts, for it is these that interfere with our remembering the idea for
today. This careful watching is the focus; for these thoughts are the problem.
The mind-searching emphasis here is reminiscent of the earlier lessons and, in
fact, is a practice that should remain with us for a long, long time. Only by
being vigilant for these thoughts can we truly bring them for undoing to Jesus'
love -- <our only function> -- thus removing the obstacles to accepting our true
Identity. Note also that our looking is to be done as much as possible without
anxiety, guilt, or judgment. This helps us not give these thoughts the power the
ego would like us to believe they have.*

(6:1-2) "After a while, interfering thoughts will become harder to find. Try,
however, to continue a minute or so longer, attempting to catch a few of the
idle thoughts that escaped your attention before, but do not strain or make
undue effort in doing this."

*Jesus wants us to pay close attention to these idle thoughts, even if they are
elusive. It is our <wanting> to find them that is important here, for it
reflects the little willingness he tells us in the text is all the Holy Spirit
requires for our healing (e.g., T-18.IV,V). ... Now comes something of great
importance:*

(6:3-4) "Then tell yourself:
On this clean slate let my true function be written for me."

*Our job us to clean the mind's slate, the overriding emphasis throughout A
Course in Miracles. Our minds are cluttered with thoughts of separation, sin,
attack, suffering, pleasure, specialness, arrogance, and death. This clutter
obscures the lucid expression of the Atonement in our minds. We clean the slate
by paying careful, non-judgmental attention to these idle thoughts, realizing we
have chosen them as a way of keeping Jesus' love away. Our function is choosing
to remove the clutter; the love just beyond will shine in and of itself.*

(6:5) "You need not use these exact words, but try to get the sense of being
willing to have your illusions of purpose be replaced by truth."

*Again, we are not the ones who replace them; that is Jesus' job. Ours is simply
to bring the ego's illusions to him. Jesus thus appeals to our
willingness to have "illusions of purpose" be replaced by our true function of
forgiveness. It is this little willingness -- the motivation to have the
darkness of our mistakes corrected by the light -- to which Jesus is always
appealing.*

(7) "Finally, repeat the idea for today once more, and devote the rest of the
practice period to trying to focus on its importance to you, the relief its
acceptance will bring you by resolving your conflicts once and for all, and the
extent to which you really want salvation in spite of your own foolish ideas to
the contrary."

*We continually try to resolve our conflicts by doing external things that
require sacrifice of others, seeing our world as one of conflicting interests:
ours versus everyone else's. The only real conflict within the dream, however,
is the conflict in our minds between the ego and the Holy Spirit. In truth, of
course, that is an illusion, too. But that conflict is our only problem: "Do I
want the ego or Jesus as my teacher?"

Jesus is appealing to our desire for salvation in spite of our foolish beliefs
of what it is. Thus, as we do these exercises, he urges us to focus on the
insane and foolish ways we believe salvation will come to us; what we believe
will make us happy, as opposed to what will truly make us happy.

Another point, which was made earlier and comes up again in the next lesson, is
that our function is to be happy. The problem -- the arrogance of the ego -- is
that we think we know what happiness is. Humility, on the other hand, says that
we do not understand what will make us happy, but there is One within us Who
does. Thus we see parallel sections in the text -- "The Confusion of Pain and
Joy" (T-7.X) and "The Difference between Imprisonment and Freedom" (T-8.II) --
and the following representative passages:

"The Holy Spirit will direct you only so as to avoid pain. Surely no one
would object to this goal if he recognized it. The problem is not whether what
the Holy Spirit says is true, but whether you want to listen to what He says.
You no more recognize what is painful than you know what is joyful, and are, in
fact, very apt to confuse the two. The Holy Spirit's main function is to teach
you to tell them apart. What is joyful to you is painful to the ego, and as long
as you are in doubt about what you are, you will be confused about joy and
pain." (T-7.X.3:1-6).

"We have said that the Holy Spirit teaches you the difference between pain
and joy. That is the same as saying He teaches you the difference between
imprisonment and freedom. You cannot make this distinction without Him because
you have taught yourself that imprisonment is freedom. Believing them to be the
same, how can you tell them apart? Can you ask the part of your mind that taught
you to believe they are the same, to teach you how they are different?"
(T-8.II.5)*

(8) "In the shorter practice periods, which should be undertaken at least once
an hour, use this form in applying today's idea:
My only function is the one God gave me.
I want no other and I have no other
Sometimes close your eyes as you practice this, and sometimes keep them open and
look about you. It is what you see now that will be totally changed when you
accept today's idea completely."

*Again, we see the emphasis on the <closed eyes-open eyes> exercise, reflecting
that <ideas leave not their source>: Our thoughts (closed eyes) remain within,
despite the attempts of the ego's projection to perceive them outside (open
eyes). That is why our perceptions will be totally changed when we change our
thinking.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 64. Let me not forget my function.

#93063

Lesson 64. Let me not forget my function.

(1) Today's idea is merely another way of saying "Let me not wander into
temptation." The purpose of the world you see is to obscure your function of
forgiveness, and provide you with a justification for forgetting it. It is the
temptation to abandon God and His Son by taking on a physical appearance. It is
this the body's eyes look upon.

(2) Nothing the body's eyes seem to see can be anything but a form of
temptation, since this was the purpose of the body itself. Yet we have learned
that the Holy Spirit has another use for all the illusions you have made, and
therefore He sees another purpose in them. To the Holy Spirit, the world is a
place where you learn to forgive yourself what you think of as your sins. In
this perception, the physical appearance of temptation becomes the spiritual
recognition of salvation.

(3) To review our last few lessons, your function here is to be the light of the
world, a function given you by God. It is only the arrogance of the ego that
leads you to question this, and only the fear of the ego that induces you to
regard yourself as unworthy of the task assigned to you by God Himself. The
world's salvation awaits your forgiveness, because through it does the Son of
God escape from all illusions, and thus from all temptation. The Son of God is
you.

(4) Only by fulfilling the function given you by God will you be happy. That is
because your function is to be happy by using the means by which happiness
becomes inevitable. There is no other way. Therefore, every time you choose
whether or not to fulfill your function, you are really choosing whether or not
to be happy.

(5) Let us remember this today. Let us remind ourselves of it in the morning and
again at night, and all through the day as well. Prepare yourself in advance for
all the decisions you will make today by remembering they are all really very
simple. Each one will lead to happiness or unhappiness. Can such a simple
decision really be difficult to make? Let not the form of the decision deceive
you. Complexity of form does not imply complexity of content. It is impossible
that any decision on earth can have a content different from just this one
simple choice. That is the only choice the Holy Spirit sees. Therefore it is the
only choice there is.

(6) Today, then, let us practice with these thoughts:

Let me not forget my function.

Let me not try to substitute mine for God's.
Let me forgive and be happy.>

At least once devote ten or fifteen minutes today to reflecting on this with
closed eyes. Related thoughts will come to help you, if you remember the crucial
importance of your function to you and to the world.

(7) In the frequent applications of today's idea throughout the day, devote
several minutes to reviewing these thoughts, and then thinking about them and
about nothing else. This will be difficult, at first particularly, since you are
not proficient in the mind discipline that it requires. You may need to repeat
"Let me not forget my function" quite often to help you concentrate.

(8) Two forms of shorter practice periods are required. At times, do the
exercises with your eyes closed, trying to concentrate on the thoughts you are
using. At other times, keep your eyes open after reviewing the thoughts, and
then look slowly and unselectively around you, telling yourself:

<This is the world it is my function to save.>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 64. "Let me not forget my function."

*Lesson 64 is even more specific about awareness of our function.*

(1:1-2) "Today's idea is merely another way of saying "Let me not wander into
temptation." The purpose of the world you see is to obscure your function of
forgiveness, and provide you with a justification for forgetting it."

*In this explicit statement Jesus tells us again that the purpose of the world
is to obscure our function. The ego made the world to ensure we retain our
individuality and never remember who we truly are, while accepting no
responsibility for the separation from God. That is why the world of specifics
was made: to keep the separation real, but to project responsibility onto others
by seeing the sin in them and not ourselves. Lesson 161 addresses this point
quite specifically, as we shall see later.

Our function of forgiveness is to become aware that our individuality is an
illusion we made up, <in our minds>. The unholy trinity of sin, guilt, and fear
is also an illusion we made up -- <in our minds> -- as a defense against not
choosing our individuality, and that is what we want to have undone. The purpose
of the world is to protect this unholy trinity, which, in turn protects our
individual existence. The world thus was made as a giant smoke screen that would
conceal from us the Holy Spirit's correction. As we have already seen
(W-pII.1.2:3), our unforgiving thoughts, firmly placed in the world, protect the
projection of our mind's guilt so that we never recognize its source and choose
against it. The ego is continually tempting us to see our guilt in another's
<body>, rather than in our <minds>. Near the end of the text Jesus defines
temptation as the wish to see ourselves as a body:

"Be vigilant against temptation, then, remembering that it is but a
wish, insane and meaningless, to make yourself a thing [i.e., a body] that you
are not. And think as well upon the thing that you would be instead. It is a
thing of madness, pain and death; a thing of treachery and black despair, of
failing dreams and no remaining hope except to die, and end the dream of fear.
<This> is temptation; nothing more than this." (T-31.VII.14:1-4).

When we see ourselves as bodies , it is inevitable that we shall see others as
bodies as well, attacking them for the body's origin: the separation thought in
our minds, now judged in another.*

(1:3-4) "It is the temptation to abandon God and His Son by taking on a physical
appearance. It is this the body's eyes look upon."

*We made up the world as one Son, which then fragmented into billions of
fragments. Our personal worlds, then, become rooted in our bodies -- physical as
well as psychological. Moreover, the sensory apparatus, here represented by the
eyes, reports back to the brain that the world (and therefore <not> the mind) is
real. In this way the body ensures the thought system of the ego remains
untouched and unhealed.*

(2:1) "Nothing the body's eyes seem to see can be anything but a form of
temptation, since this was the purpose of the body itself."

*The temptation, to repeat, is to have us believe the ego thought system is
real. This has nothing to do with temptations localized in the body, as
traditional religious systems have defined them. Temptation, rather, represents
a thought that says: "I believe the ego is right and the Holy Spirit is wrong."
He would tell us the body is an illusion, the underlying thought system of
individuality is an illusion, and the dream's only truth is the Atonement
principle that we never left God. The body's purpose, therefore, is nothing less
than to obscure the truth. As Jesus states in the text: "Nothing so blinding as
perception of form" (T-22.III.6:7).

Note that Jesus says in the first sentence: "Nothing the body's eyes <seem> to
see." This is because they do not truly see, "seeing" only what the mind told
them is there: sin -- in everyone else! And even if we do see it in ourselves,
we are convinced it was not our fault because it was not our choice to come into
the world. That is the message our body's eyes, and indeed all our sensory
organs, were made to perceive: sin is all around us, but not within. This
thought is quite important, as is evidenced by its frequent mention throughout A
Course in Miracles.*

(2:2-4) "Yet we have learned that the Holy Spirit has another use for all the
illusions you have made, and therefore He sees another purpose in them. To the
Holy Spirit, the world is a place where you learn to forgive yourself what you
think of as your sins. In this perception, the physical appearance of temptation
becomes the spiritual recognition of salvation."

*This is what, in the text, Jesus refers to as our special function (T-25.VI).
The ego made special relationships to attack, hurt, and keep us separate; the
Holy Spirit uses those same relationships as a means of undoing the ego's
purpose, so they now become the symbols of healing rather than attack.
Consequently, rather than the world being a prison from we will never escape, it
becomes a classroom in which we learn how to escape, realizing what we see
outside us is nothing other than the projection of our mind's decision. By
teaching us that happy fact about our happy function, the Holy Spirit enables
us to return to our minds, understanding at last that we can make another
choice.

It is evident, by the way, that Jesus is not asking us to deny the world or our
bodies. He is simply saying: "Bring your experiences to me so I can teach you to
look at them differently. Let me and not your ego be your guide as you go
through life, for I will help you to undo the barriers that kept you from my
love." These barriers are never anything external, having to do only with which
teacher we choose to instruct us, and with which attitude we pursue our lives.*

(3:1) "To review our last few lessons, your function here is to be the light of
the world, a function given you by God."

*By creating us as an extension of His Love and light, God has ensured we are
that same love and light. Our function is simply to <be> what God created. I
might add that Jesus does not mean that God <specifically> gave us a <specific>
function, a belief that nicely serves the ego's purpose of spiritual
specialness; namely, God (or Jesus or the Holy Spirit) wants me to write a book,
teach and/or preach A Course in Miracles, travel (physically or mentally) to a
troubled spot in the world to bring healing, help this specific person with this
specific problem, etc., etc., etc. Our function in this world, rather, is to
learn to forgive. This restores to our awareness our function in Heaven to
create. To be the light of the world thus reflects both functions: forgiveness
undoes the darkness, which prevents the light of our Identity to shine forth
from our minds in blessing the <one> world of the <one> Son.*

(3:2-4) "It is only the arrogance of the ego that leads you to question this,
and only the fear of the ego that induces you to regard yourself as unworthy of
the task assigned to you by God Himself. The world's salvation awaits your
forgiveness, because through it does the Son of God escape from all illusions,
and thus from all temptation. The Son of God is you."

*Throughout A Course in Miracles -- text, workbook, manual for teachers -- when
Jesus talks about our need to forgive the Son of God, or that the Son of God
needs our help, he is not talking about a person outside us. He is talking about
us, in the context of a relationship perceived to be outside us. Once again, it
should be understood that Jesus is not speaking about a specific behavioral
function, but the non-specific function of forgiveness, common to all. Ours is a
unity not only of darkness, but of light; not only hate, but forgiveness.*

(4) "Only by fulfilling the function given you by God will you be happy. That is
because your function is to be happy by using the means by which happiness
becomes inevitable. There is no other way. Therefore, every time you choose
whether or not to fulfill your function, you are really choosing whether or not
to be happy."

*This echoes the line in Chapter 1 of the text: "All real pleasure comes from
doing God's Will" (T-21.VII.1:4). Jesus is not against our having pleasure in
the world, but is simply saying that whatever pleasure we have here does not
hold a candle to the pleasure of joining with him in undoing our thoughts of
separation and specialness. Therein lies our happiness. True happiness and joy
are not found in getting what we want here. Nor does true peace. They come when
we let go of the barriers to them -- thoughts of sin, guilt, fear, attack, pain,
sacrifice, and death. Thus, fulfilling our function -- joining with the Holy
Spirit to look at the ego thought system differently -- is what makes us happy.

Our natural state is happiness, but this, again, has nothing to do with the body
or satisfaction of its physical or psychological needs. In this context,
happiness is identical with remembering Who we are as Christ. Once happiness is
so defined, whenever we are separate from our Identity we will be unhappy. We
will then inevitably seek happiness in the special areas of our lives, and will
never really find it. Whatever happiness we do receive will be a few measly
crumbs that disappear almost as quickly as we enjoy them. However, the happiness
that Jesus describes lasts, because it has to do only with the thought of love
that transcends time and space entirely.

An added point, already implied above: This lesson explains that if forgiveness
is the <means> whereby we attain the <end> of happiness, if we choose not to
forgive, we are really choosing not to be happy. Understanding the causal
connection between the practice of forgiveness and our happiness is what Jesus
hopes will provide the motivation for learning and living this course.*

(5:1-6) "Let us remember this today. Let us remind ourselves of it in the
morning and again at night, and all through the day as well. Prepare yourself in
advance for all the decisions you will make today by remembering they are all
really very simple. Each one will lead to happiness or unhappiness. Can such a
simple decision really be difficult to make? Let not the form of the decision
deceive you."

*In other words, try not to take too seriously the <specific> things in your day
that you think will make you happy or unhappy. It is their <content> that is
important; i.e., will they serve as <means> to achieve the minds <end> of
happiness or unhappiness? The simplicity of this decision echoes what we
mentioned just before about the simplicity of salvation. It is why there is no
order of difficulty in miracles (T-23.II.2:3); and why we believe all of this
course, or none of it (T-22.II.7:4). Indeed, we can say that our entire day
should be dedicated to learning the simplicity of the Holy Spirit's <content>; a
simplicity that belies the complexity of the <forms> of our lives. This theme is
continued in what follows:*

(5:7-10) "Complexity of form does not imply complexity of content. It is
impossible that any decision on earth can have a content different from just
this one simple choice. That is the only choice the Holy Spirit sees. Therefore
it is the only choice there is."

*These lines are extremely important as a way of counteracting the mistake that
most students inevitably fall into, and reminiscent of these previously quoted
statements from the text:

"Complexity is of the ego, and is nothing more than the ego's attempt to
obscure the obvious." (T-15:IV.6:2).

"Complexity is not of God. How could it be, when all He knows is One? He
knows of one creation, one reality, one truth and but one Son. Nothing conflicts
with oneness. How, then, could there be complexity in Him?" (T-26.III.1:1-5).

The issue is thus <not> to ask the Holy Spirit what you should do: Should I go
to place A or B, be with person A or B, eat food A or B; should I do this, that,
or the other thing? He sees only one simple choice -- God or the ego --
encouraging us to ask but one question: Do I believe the Atonement principle is
true, or the separation? Since this is the only choice the Holy Spirit sees, it
should be the only choice for which we ask His help.

On the other hand, because we believe we are <specific> creatures, with
<specific> needs, living in <specific> world, our experience is that the Holy
Spirit gives us <specific> advice about what we should <specifically> do. Later
lessons actually even say that, as we shall see presently. Yet Jesus tells us
this is just our experience. The reality is that the Holy Spirit sees only one
possible choice: truth or illusions: which, of course, is no real choice.

As we go though our day, confronted by the many kinds of decisions we all have
to make -- seemingly important and unimportant -- the only issue we need to
attend is which teacher we will choose. If our choice is the Holy Spirit, we
will automatically know the most loving thing to do in any circumstance.
However, when we fixate on asking the Holy Spirit for specific advice, we are
going to "hear" specific advice. This means we will have forgotten our lesson,
and will thus have to ask His help each and every time we are faced with a
problem, or a plan that needs to be made. As Jesus tells us at the end of the
manual, living like this is not practical, "and it is the practical with which
this course is most concerned." (M-29.5:4-7).

Jesus asks us to be mindful of his presence as often as possible, not only
asking him specifically what to do, but simply <to think of him>. We should do
this especially, when we are tempted to have ego thoughts -- anxiety, concerns,
and, even more to the point, when we think there is a meaningful choice to be
made here. If we have this illusion, we have already chosen on our own, and
<will be wrong>. The world offers no meaningful choice, for meaning can only be
found in our minds -- in the decision between the ego and the Holy Spirit.

Thus are we slowly, gradually, and gently led to be thinking of Jesus as often
as we can throughout the day. This means being vigilant in our thoughts about
how often we are <not> thinking of him, how often we do not <want> to think of
him, and how often we want to do things on our own without asking for help. Our
desire to preserve our specialness impels us to avoid the help that would undo
it, but in our right minds we forgive ourselves for forgetting what we truly
want. This gentle and forgiving reminder of the one choice we need to make is
the current running through this discussion, and why Jesus repeatedly tells us
his course is simple. Incidentally, this simplicity is the theme of "Rules for
Decision," in Chapter 30 in the text (T-30.1).

Jesus now proceeds with specific instructions for the day, designed to encourage
us in our practicing to remember:*

(6) "Today, then, let us practice with these thoughts:

Let me not forget my function.
Let me not try to substitute mine for God's.
Let me forgive and be happy.

At least once devote ten or fifteen minutes today to reflecting on this with
closed eyes. Related thoughts will come to help you, if you remember the crucial
importance of your function to you and to the world."

*This concluding sentence is of course the key. We will remember our function of
forgiveness when we recognize its importance for ourselves, and therefore for
the Sonship.

Next, Jesus lets us know that <he> knows all about our resistance:*

(7) "In the frequent applications of today's idea throughout the day, devote
several minutes to reviewing these thoughts, and then thinking about them and
about nothing else. This will be difficult, at first particularly, since you are
not proficient in the mind discipline that it requires. You may need to repeat
"Let me not forget my function" quite often to help you concentrate."

*Students need to be careful not to <over>estimate their advancement in the
curriculum, being tempted to believe that these lessons are simple-minded, and
beneath their "high" spiritual state. It is far better to err on the side of
<under>estimating one's spiritual status, if one can use such a horrid phrase.
These still-early lessons are helpful in instilling such humility in us, the
companion on the journey that ensures achievement of our goal.

The concluding paragraph and set of instructions returns to the <eyes
closed-eyes open> exercises, reminding us of the lack of true differentiation
between the external world of bodies we perceive and the inner world of our
thoughts.*

(8) "Two forms of shorter practice periods are required. At times, do the
exercises with your eyes closed, trying to concentrate on the thoughts you are
using. At other times, keep your eyes open after reviewing the thoughts, and
then look slowly and unselectively around you, telling yourself:

This is the world it is my function to save."

*Recognizing no difference between exercising with eyes open or closed reflects
our recognition that the world it is our function to save is us in the mind.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 63. The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.

#93062

Lesson 63. The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my
forgiveness.

How holy are you who have the power to bring peace to every mind! How blessed
are you who can learn to recognize the means for letting this be done through
you! What purpose could you have that would bring you greater happiness?

You are indeed the light of the world with such a function. The Son of God looks
to you for his redemption. It is yours to give him, for it belongs to you.
Accept no trivial purpose or meaningless desire in its place, or you will forget
your function and leave the Son of God in hell. This is no idle request that is
being asked of you. You are being asked to accept salvation that it may be yours
to give.

Recognizing the importance of this function, we will be happy to remember it
very often today. We will begin the day by acknowledging it, and close the day
with the thought of it in our awareness. And throughout the day we will repeat
this as often as we can:

The light of the world brings peace

to every mind through my forgiveness.
I am the means God has appointed for the salvation of the world.<

If you close your eyes, you will probably find it easier to let the related
thoughts come to you in the minute or two that you should devote to considering
this. Do not, however, wait for such an opportunity. No chance should be lost
for reinforcing today's idea. Remember that God's Son looks to you for his
salvation. And Who but your Self must be His Son?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 63. The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my
forgiveness.

*Lesson 63 returns to the theme of oneness. As we have seen in earlier lessons,
Jesus takes a central theme and keeps developing it. Here he is teaching us that
when we forgive, peace must extend throughout the Sonship, as we all are one
mind. It does not mean, however, that every seeming fragment of the Sonship will
accept it immediately. It simply means I now become another symbol or thought in
the mind of God's Son, serving as a reminder to make the right choice that alone
will bring peace.*

(1:1) "How holy are you who have the power to bring peace to every mind?"

*Please note that Jesus does not say to every <body>. Forgiveness is not
something we physically do with words, for it is a thought we hold as true in
our minds. Recall our previously quoted passage from the manual (M-5.III.2) that
healing is shared simply by our having chosen it, that choice calling others to
make the same one. In this regard we emulate the Holy Spirit, Who merely reminds
us of the right choice:

"The Holy Spirit calls you both to remember and to forget. You have chosen
to be in a state of opposition in which opposites are possible. As a result,
there are choices you must make. ... Choosing depends on a split mind. The Holy
Spirit is one way of choosing. ... [His Voice] merely reminds. It is compelling
only because of what it reminds you of. It brings to your mind the other way,
remaining quiet even in the midst of the turmoil you may make."
(T.5.II.6.1-3,6-7.7.4-6)

We thus remind our brothers, as we remind ourselves, that peace is a decision,
and one which unites us all as one Son. I might also point out the similarity in
<form> and <content> between this lesson's first sentence and the opening of
"For They Have Come": in the text:

"Think but how holy you must be from whom the Voice for God calls lovingly
unto your brother, that you may awake in him the Voice that answers to your
call!" (T.26.IX.1.1)

The symphonic hand of our composer is every-where present in his masterwork.*

(1:2-3) "How blessed are you who can learn to recognize the means for letting
this be done through you! What purpose could you have that would bring you
greater happiness?"

*Again, Jesus is reminding us that forgiveness is the means whereby we shall
attain happiness. This is inevitable once we choose to let go of our judgments,
which keep us separate: the source of all our misery. Once this obstacle is
gone, happiness flows through our minds, umimpeded, and embraces the Sonship as
one.*

(2:1-2) "You are indeed the light of the world with such a function. The Son of
God looks to you for his redemption."

*As we shall see a little later, the Son of God looking for redemption is
ourselves; the little Child -- whom Jesus speaks of in Lesson 182 -- Who has
wandered away: the Child Who represents the Christ in us that we have concealed
and forgotten; the Child Who patiently awaits our forgiveness of others and
ourselves; the Child Who makes it possible to forgive, at the same time He
Himself is forgiven. His is the light that shines in each of us and all of us;
His the light that <is> the Son, who is ourselves.*

(2:3-4) "It is yours to give him, for it belongs to you. Accept no trivial
purpose or meaningless desire in its place, or you will forget your function and
leave the Son of God in hell."

*Implied here is that we make an active choice to choose a "trivial purpose or
meaningless desire" to replace the glorious truth about ourselves. This purpose
and desire expresses some aspect of specialness. We have noted before that
specialness has nothing to do with behavior but with an attitude whereby we use
others -- people and things -- as substitutes for the Love of God or the peace
of Jesus. Thus, Jesus speaks about the decision for Heaven or hell.*

(2:5-6) "This is no idle request that is being asked of you. You are being asked
to accept salvation that it may be yours to give."

*The way we give salvation is to accept it in our minds. This acceptance denies
the ego thought system and automatically means we give salvation to the world,
which is one with us. Thus "the simplicity of salvation" (T-31.1), in contrast
with the complexity of the ego's plan to "save" us from guilt through
specialness, thereby reinforcing the very problem from which we were told we
would be saved. In other words, the ego reinforces our separation from each
other, while the Holy Spirit undoes it by teaching our inherent unity. This is
no trivial matter; again, the choice is between Heaven or hell.*

(3) "Recognizing the importance of this function, we will be happy to remember
it very often today. We will begin the day by acknowledging it, and close the
day with the thought of it in our awareness. And throughout the day we will
repeat this as often as we can:

The light of the world brings peace
to every mind through my forgiveness.
I am the means God has appointed for the salvation of the world."

*Once again, we see Jesus helping us appreciate the importance <to us> of
frequent remembrances of the lesson's central idea. It is what he reminds of at
the text's close: how we keep the gift of Christ's vision that alone ends all
suffering. These wonderful lines will be a frequent reminder to us of the
all-inclusive nature of Jesus' vision:

"Yet this a vision is which you must share with everyone you see, for
otherwise you will behold it not. To give this gift is how to make it yours. And
God ordained, in loving kindness, that it be for you." (T-31.VIII.8:5-7).

Jesus urges us to forgive <all> people, for this is the only way we shall know
we are forgiven. In this vision of forgiveness of every mind we find our
salvation and the salvation of the world.*

(4:1-3) "If you close your eyes, you will probably find it easier to let the
related thoughts come to you in the minute or two that you should devote to
considering this. Do not, however, wait for such an opportunity. No chance
should be lost for reinforcing today's idea."

*Still one more time, Jesus asks us to waste no opportunity for remembering that
our happiness and function are one.*

(4:4-5) "Remember that God's Son looks to you for his salvation. And Who but
your Self must be His Son?"

*This Self is the Christ in us, the little Child who has seemingly lost His way.
Of course the Child is not lost: <we> are the ones who have lost awareness of
His Presence. Acceptance of our happy function of forgiveness is what restores
is what restores this happy awareness to us.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 62. Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

#93061

Lesson 62. Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

(1) It is your forgiveness that will bring the world of darkness to the light.
It is your forgiveness that lets you recognize the light in which you see.
Forgiveness is the demonstration that you are the light of the world. Through
your forgiveness does the truth about yourself return to your memory. Therefore,
in your forgiveness lies your salvation.

(2) Illusions about yourself and the world are one. That is why all forgiveness
is a gift to yourself. Your goal is to find out who you are, having denied your
Identity by attacking creation and its Creator. Now you are learning how to
remember the truth. For this attack must be replaced by forgiveness, so that
thoughts of life may replace thoughts of death.

(3) Remember that in every attack you call upon your own weakness, while each
time you forgive you call upon the strength of Christ in you. Do you not then
begin to understand what forgiveness will do for you? It will remove all sense
of weakness, strain and fatigue from your mind. It will take away all fear and
guilt and pain. It will restore the invulnerability and power God gave His Son
to your awareness.

(4) Let us be glad to begin and end this day by practicing today's idea, and to
use it as frequently as possible throughout the day. It will help to make the
day as happy for you as God wants you to be. And it will help those around you,
as well as those who seem to be far away in space and time, to share this
happiness with you.

(5) As often as you can, closing your eyes if possible, say to yourself today:

Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

I would fulfill my function that I may be happy.<

Then devote a minute or two to considering your function and the happiness and
release it will bring you. Let related thoughts come freely, for your heart will
recognize these words, and in your mind is the awareness they are true. Should
your attention wander, repeat the idea and add:

I would remember this because I want to be happy.<

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 62. "Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world."

*The theme of replacing the ego's image of ourselves for Jesus' vision continues
in this and the next lesson. He begins to clarify what it means to say that our
function is to forgive. As we know from our study of the text, and from what we
have already seen in our discussions of the workbook, forgiveness is a process
that does not occur between two people, but in our <minds>, within the context
of a relationship between ourselves and someone else. It is not really that I
forgive you; but rather that I forgive the projection of my self-concept of
guilt I placed on you. That is indeed all I can forgive, for everything else in
my perceptual world is a projection of this guilt.*

(1) "It is your forgiveness that will bring the world of darkness to the light.
It is your forgiveness that lets you recognize the light in which you see.
Forgiveness is the demonstration that you are the light of the world. Through
your forgiveness does the truth about yourself return to your memory. Therefore,
in your forgiveness lies your salvation."

*Here again, Jesus articulates for us the crucial theme of bringing darkness to
the light. We "recognize the light in which we see" because forgiveness removes
the veils of darkness that prevent our vision. It has nothing to do about the
light, but simply removes the interferences to seeing the light. Once done, the
light is what remains in our awareness.

As we have seen many, many times, A Course in Miracles is not about the light or
the truth. Its ongoing and consistent focus is on recognizing the darkness, with
the help of Jesus or the Holy Spirit -- the essence of forgiveness. We are thus
not saved <for> the light, but saved <from> the darkness.*

(2:1-2) "Illusions about yourself and the world are one. That is why all
forgiveness is a gift to yourself."

*This rests on the principle we have seen before: <ideas leave not their
source>. The world is nothing more than an idea we made up, and which we
projected from its source in our minds. Therefore Jesus is telling us that
whatever illusions we hold against others are the illusions we hold about
ourselves. This is the fact because, again, <ideas leave not their source>. Even
though the principle is not stated here, it is reflected. Thus forgiveness is
not a gift we give to another person. It is a gift we give to ourselves.*

(2:3) "Your goal is to find out who you are, having denied your Identity by
attacking creation and its Creator."

*That is what we did as one Son in the original instant. We chose to forget Who
we are as Christ, at one with our Source, and chose instead to see ourselves as
individuals, separated from perfect Oneness. That is what gave rise to the ego's
wrong-minded thought system, and therefore it is in the mind that we need
correction. Before we can remember our Identity, we first have to undo the
terrible things we taught ourselves about ourselves. To recall an important
statement about our focus, which we shall use as a recurring motif throughout
this book:

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the
barriers within yourself that you have built against it. It is not necessary to
seek for what is true, but it is necessary to seek for what is false."
(T.16.IV.6.1-2)

Thus we find out who we are by first finding out who we are <not>.*

(2:4-5) "Now you are learning how to remember the truth. For this attack must be
replaced by forgiveness, so that thoughts of life may replace thoughts of
death."

*It cannot be said too often that before we can undo our attack thoughts, we
first have to recognize and accept that we have them. Forgiveness makes no sense
if we are not first aware of what needs to be forgiven and undone. That is why
it is highly important -- I cannot emphasize this enough, either -- that as
students of A Course in Miracles you do not use its teachings, and especially
the workbook lessons, as a defense against uncovering what you believe is the
truth about yourself.*

(3:1) "Remember that in every attack you call upon your own weakness, while each
time you forgive you call upon the strength of Christ in you."

*This theme, mentioned earlier, is central to A Course in Miracles: we always
choose between our weakness and the strength of Christ (T-31.VIII.2:3). Attack
therefore weakens us, while forgiveness truly empowers us and sets us free.*

(3:2-4) "Do you not then begin to understand what forgiveness will do for you?
It will remove all sense of weakness, strain and fatigue from your mind. It will
take away all fear and guilt and pain."

*In other words, forgiveness is the end of all suffering. It should be obvious
as you read this carefully that Jesus is not talking about anything external.
The source of all weakness, strain, fatigue, fear, guilt, and pain is in our
minds. Therefore, it is in our minds that is must be undone. The world seeks
always to remove these negative experiences by changing what is outside,
referred to in the Course as magic. It will truly work; temporarily perhaps, but
it cannot undo the real source of pain in the mind: our decision to separate,
which we alone can reverse.

This idea of forgiveness' gifts makes it first appearance here, but will return
later. It represents Jesus' appeal to our selfish interests of feeling better,
and being without pain and sorrow. Again, the world may offer temporary relief,
but only forgiveness brings about true healing.*

(3:5) "It will restore the invulnerability and power God gave His Son to your
awareness."

*Everything in A Course in Miracles has to do with awareness, a mental state.
The awareness of the invulnerability and power (or strength) of Christ that God
gave when He created us in our minds. The problem is that we have ceased to be
aware of it, covering this strength with the ego's two-tiered layers of guilt
and attack. Thus it is these coverings of weakness that have to be removed,
allowing the true power of God's Son to shine forth.*

(4) "Let us be glad to begin and end this day by practicing today's idea, and to
use it as frequently as possible throughout the day. It will help to make the
day as happy for you as God wants you to be. And it will help those around you,
as well as those who seem to be far away in space and time, to share this
happiness with you."

*The text teaches us how to be a happy learner (T-14.II), which entails our
willingness to learn the day's lessons of forgiveness, regardless of the pain or
resisting such learning. Since this is a process occurring in our minds, the
dimension beyond time and space wherein all our brothers are found, our learning
reinforces the learning of everyone. Thus we read in the text how bringing our
darkness to the Holy Spirit's light allows it to shine in us, <for all the
Sonship>:

"Like you, the Holy Spirit did not make truth. Like God, He knows it to be
true. He brings the light of truth into the darkness, and lets it shine on you.
And as it shines your brothers see it, and realizing that this light is not what
you have made, they see in you more than you see. They will be happy learners of
the lesson this light brings to them, because it teaches them release from
nothing and from all the works of nothing. The heavy chains that seem to bind
them to despair they do not see as nothing, until you bring the light to
them.... And you will see it with them. Because you taught them gladness and
release, they will become your teachers in release and gladness."
(T-14.II.4:3-6,8-9).*

(5) "As often as you can, closing your eyes if possible, say to yourself today:

Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

I would remember this because I want to be happy."

<
*The connection between our function of forgiveness and our happiness is clearly
articulated here, and will be returned to presently. The motivation for learning
is therefore our own happiness. We are slowly and gently being taught that the
<only> way we can be happy is by removing our guilt through forgiveness of
others. I have commented before on the symphonic nature of the workbook. We can
see here the continual introduction of new themes, building up our symphony of
learning as we progress day by day.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 61. I am the light of the world.

#93060

Lesson 61. I am the light of the world.

(1) Who is the light of the world except God's Son? This, then, is merely a
statement of the truth about yourself. It is the opposite of a statement of
pride, of arrogance, or of self-deception. It does not describe the self-concept
you have made. It does not refer to any of the characteristics with which you
have endowed your idols. It refers to you as you were created by God. It simply
states the truth.

(2) To the ego, today's idea is the epitome of self-glorification. But the ego
does not understand humility, mistaking it for self-debasement. Humility
consists of accepting your role in salvation and in taking no other. It is not
humility to insist you cannot be the light of the world if that is the function
God assigned to you. It is only arrogance that would assert this function cannot
be for you, and arrogance is always of the ego.

(3) True humility requires that you accept today's idea because it is God's
Voice which tells you it is true. This is a beginning step in accepting your
real function on earth. It is a giant stride toward taking your rightful place
in salvation. It is a positive assertion of your right to be saved, and an
acknowledgment of the power that is given you to save others.

(4)You will want to think about this idea as often as possible today. It is the
perfect answer to all illusions, and therefore to all temptation. It brings all
the images you have made about yourself to the truth, and helps you depart in
peace, unburdened and certain of your purpose.

(5) As many practice periods as possible should be undertaken today, although
each one need not exceed a minute or two. They should begin with telling
yourself:

I am the light of the world.

That is my only function.
That is why I am here.<

Then think about these statements for a short while, preferably with your eyes
closed if the situation permits. Let a few related thoughts come to you, and
repeat the idea to yourself if your mind wanders away from the central thought.

(6) Be sure both to begin and end the day with a practice period. Thus you will
awaken with an acknowledgment of the truth about yourself, reinforce it
throughout the day, and turn to sleep as you reaffirm your function and your
only purpose here. These two practice periods may be longer than the rest, if
you find them helpful and want to extend them.

(7) Today's idea goes far beyond the ego's petty views of what you are and what
your purpose is. As a bringer of salvation, this is obviously necessary. This is
the first of a number of giant steps we will take in the next few weeks. Try
today to begin to build a firm foundation for these advances. You are the light
of the world. God has built His plan for the salvation of His Son on you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am the light of the world."

*The lesson's title is taken from the gospels, specifically where Jesus tells
his disciples: "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). Here, as in many
other places in A Course in Miracles, we see how Jesus takes an idea from
traditional Christianity and gives it a totally different interpretation. The
gospel understanding was that the disciples' function was to bring that light to
the world -- literally, to the physical world.

It is easy for students of A Course in Miracles who are unaware of its
underlying teaching to mistake this gospel exhortation for what Jesus means in
this lesson. He is <not> saying we should bring the light into the world,
because <there is no world>. By saying we are the light of the world he refers
to the light of Christ shining in our minds. Because the mind of God's Son is
one (a subsidiary theme in these lessons, yet a continually recurring one), that
light is shared by the Sonship as a whole. We are not asked to be spiritually
special persons who bear the light because Jesus gave it to us, and then charged
us with the function of spreading it to the multitudes. Rather, he is reminding
us -- God's one Son who has the illusion of fragmentation -- we <all> are the
light of the world. This, then, corrects the ego's self-concept bequeathed to
each of us: we are the <darkness> of the world. In fact, Lesson 93 begins: "You
think you are the home of evil, darkness and sin" (W-pI.93,1.1) That is the
illusion we bring to the light-filled truth about ourselves.

Our arrogance and pride is expressed in holding the thought: "I am the light of
the world, but you are not. There is something special about me, and in my
beneficent holiness I will bring you that light, giving you something you do not
have." Such arrogance reflects the spiritual specialness that I have something
you lack. In <The Song of Prayer> Jesus discusses this dynamic --
"healing-to-separate" -- in the context of healers who believe <they> are the
healers, giving healing to one who is sick, and therefore separate from them.
The following passage applies as well to what we can call "light
bearing-to-separate."

"Someone knows better, has been better trained, or is perhaps more talented
and wise. Therefore, he can give healing to the one who stands beneath him in
his patronage. ... How can that be? True healing cannot come from inequality
assumed and then accepted as the truth, and used to help restore the wounded and
to calm the mind that suffers from the agony of doubt. ... You do not make
yourself the bearer of the special gift that brings the healing. You but
recognize your oneness with the one who calls for help. For in this oneness is
his separate sense dispelled, and it is this that made him sick. There is no
point in giving remedy apart from where the source of sickness is, for never
thus can it be truly healed." (S.3.III.2.4-5;3:3-4;4:5-8).

The darkness that needs healing, regardless of its form, resides in the mind
that believes in separation. The light that heals also resides in the mind, and
each of us carries both -- the darkness of guilt and the light of the Atonement.
Choosing the light is healing for ourselves <and> the world, for the light of
Christ shines in God's Son as one, there being only <one> light. To believe
anything else is the ego's specialness at work. Its deception lies not only in
separation, but also in what specialness covers: the belief I am really the
darkness of the world.

Therefore, in the workbook, as well as in the rest of A Course in Miracles, we
are taught that our function is to remind ourselves we are the light of the
world, having made the choice against the ego's darkness. Our acceptance of that
fact of the Atonement serves as a reminder for everyone else to make the same
choice we have. Jesus thus begins the lesson by contrasting the light of our
true Identity with the ego's darkened self of arrogance and delusion:*

(1) "Who is the light of the world except God's Son? This, then, is merely a
statement of the truth about yourself. It is the opposite of a statement of
pride, of arrogance, or of self-deception. It does not describe the self-concept
you have made. It does not refer to any of the characteristics with which you
have endowed your idols. It refers to you as you were created by God. It simply
states the truth."

*Later in the workbook, the theme that we are as God created us becomes central,
as I mentioned earlier. However, here once again Jesus shows us the other side.
He wants us to understand what we believe about ourselves -- "the [sinful and
guilty] self-concept you have made" -- at the same time he wants us also to
remember that these self-concepts are a defense against our true Self: the light
of Christ.*

(2:1-2) "To the ego, today's idea is the epitome of self-glorification. But the
ego does not understand humility, mistaking it for self-debasement."

*To the ego, "I am the light of the world" means, again; I have something you
lack." Likewise, to the ego, humility means self-debasement, a meaning held by
many, many people. This traditional Christian version of humility commonly finds
expression in assertions such as: "I am a miserable sinner. But only because of
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ am I saved." Perhaps the most famous of all
prayers of the Orthodox Church is the "Jesus Prayer": "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Appearances to the contrary, this is really
the height of arrogance, because it says there can be a sinful self that is
independent of, and separate from the glorious Self that God created. An
important passage from the text reflects the ego's false humility:

"A major tenet in the ego's insane religion is that sin is not error but
truth, and it is innocence that would deceive. Purity is seen as arrogance, and
the acceptance of the self as sinful is perceived as holiness. And it is this
doctrine that replaces the reality of the Son of God as his Father created him,
and willed that he be forever. Is this humility? Or is it, rather, an attempt to
wrest creation away from truth, and keep it separate?" (T-19.II.4)**

(2:3-5) "Humility consists of accepting your role in salvation and in taking no
other. It is not humility to insist you cannot be the light of the world if that
is the function God assigned to you. It is only arrogance that would assert this
function cannot be for you, and arrogance is always of the ego."

*Another important theme appearing here is <function>. A Course in Miracles
teaches that our function is to accept the Atonement for ourselves, to accept
the fact that our seeming sins are forgiven. It is not our function to do
anything with anyone else, the reason being, ultimately, <there is no one else>.
We are but to ask Jesus' help in healing our minds, for thus we realize that the
mind of God's Son is one. Once healed, we become a symbol of healing and
right-minded choice -- light instead of darkness -- for everyone else.

Again, if we take words in A Course in Miracles at face value, without
understanding their content, we could wind up with ideas that are the exact
opposite of what Jesus is teaching, making the same mistakes Christianity and so
many religions and spiritualities have made throughout history. The statements
we have just considered are prime examples of this mistake, one of the ego's
most effective defenses against the truth of our reality as God's <one> Son.*

(3)"True humility requires that you accept today's idea because it is God's
Voice which tells you it is true. This is a beginning step in accepting your
real function on earth. It is a giant stride toward taking your rightful place
in salvation. It is a positive assertion of your right to be saved, and an
acknowledgment of the power that is given you to save others."

*In the text Jesus explains in several places that our function on earth is to
forgive or heal, and our function in Heaven is to create. For example:

"Do the Holy Spirit's work, for you share in His function. As your function
in Heaven is creation, so your function on earth is healing. God shares His
function with you in Heaven, and the Holy Spirit shares His with you on earth."
(T-12.VII.4:6-8).

This lesson refers to our function of accepting our own salvation, that the Holy
Spirit may extend it through us. It is also evident that Jesus is talking about
a process: "<a beginning step> in accepting your real function of earth ... <a
giant stride> toward taking your rightful place in salvation." This is not
something we do overnight, and he is not expecting his students to do Lesson 61
in the morning, be healed in the afternoon, and made whole by evening as they
enter the real world. We are <beginning> to change our minds about what we
believe we are. We shall return again and again to this important theme of
<process>.*

(4) "You will want to think about this idea as often as possible today. It is
the perfect answer to all illusions, and therefore to all temptation. It brings
all the images you have made about yourself to the truth, and helps you depart
in peace, unburdened and certain of your purpose."

*This is an unmistakable reference to the theme of bringing the darkness to the
light, or the illusion to the truth. As we have discussed previously, Jesus is
not saying we should use these workbook thoughts as affirmations to cover or
shout down our misperceptions about ourselves. He is asking us rather to look at
misperceptions, realizing our terrible self-concepts and images. Looking at
these with Jesus constitutes bringing them to his truth, which we cannot do if
we do not know they are there.

Again, nothing in the workbook should ever be taken as analogous to affirmations
that ask us to drown out the ego thought system. This corrects the predominant
New Age emphasis on affirmations, which is an example of using truth as a cover
for illusion. As he does throughout the workbook, Jesus gives us the other side.
In addition to emphasizing our wrong-minded beliefs about ourselves, he also
emphasizes the truth about ourselves; not that we would cover the illusion with
the truth, but that we would be aware we have a choice. I have pointed out many
times the importance A Course in Miracles places on the power of our minds to
choose. However, we cannot make a meaningful choice if we do not know what we
are choosing <between>. That is why Jesus sets forth for us in no uncertain
terms that we have a wrong mind -- the ego's voice that lies -- and a right mind
-- the Holy Spirit's Voice that speaks the truth.*

(5) "As many practice periods as possible should be undertaken today, although
each one need not exceed a minute or two. They should begin with telling
yourself:

I am the light of the world.

That is my only function.
That is why I am here.<"

Then think about these statements for a short while, preferably with your eyes
closed if the situation permits. Let a few related thoughts come to you, and
repeat the idea to yourself if your mind wanders away from the central thought."

*Note Jesus again urging us to recall the thought for the day as often as
possible, reminding us of the truth of our Identity, <to which we bring> the
ego's shabby substitute of guilt and judgment. Note, too, how Jesus is expecting
us to mind wander, and gently encouraging us to overcome our fear and return to
the truth of his teaching.*

(6) "Be sure both to begin and end the day with a practice period. Thus you will
awaken with an acknowledgment of the truth about yourself, reinforce it
throughout the day, and turn to sleep as you reaffirm your function and your
only purpose here. These two practice periods may be longer than the rest, if
you find them helpful and want to extend them."

*Jesus' methodology should be recognizable by now. He wants us continually to
remember the truth about ourselves, so that we have an ongoing standard against
which we can evaluate the ego's delusions. He also allows us the freedom to do
more than he asks, if we are comfortable.*

(7:1-4) "Today's idea goes far beyond the ego's petty views of what you are and
what your purpose is. As a bringer of salvation, this is obviously necessary.
This is the first of a number of giant steps we will take in the next few weeks.
Try today to begin to build a firm foundation for these advances."

*Jesus lets us know that he knows about our choice for the ego -- "the ego's
petty views of what you are" -- and so there is no need to deny it. Moreover, it
is because of this choice against our Self that time is required to feel less
and less confidence in the ego's petty thought system of guilt and fear. Once
again, Jesus' words reflect the process of choosing against our resistance and
for the truth. These lessons thus become the building blocks on which we will
construct a totally new concept of ourselves -- one gentle step at a time.*

(7:4-6) "Try today to begin to build a firm foundation for these advances. You
are the light of the world. God has built His plan for the salvation of His Son
on you."

*Finally, Jesus encourages us to have faith in his process of forgiveness as he
reminds us of our purpose, and how important these early lessons are in
achieving our goal: remembering the light that is our Identity, brought about by
forgetting the darkness of the ego's shabby substitute of the separated and
guilt-ridden self.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 60. These ideas are for today's review.

#93059

Lesson 60. These ideas are for today's review.

1. God is the Love in which I forgive.

God does not forgive because He has never condemned. The blameless cannot blame,
and those who have accepted their innocence see nothing to forgive. Yet
forgiveness is the means by which I will recognize my innocence. It is the
reflection of God's Love on earth. It will bring me near enough to Heaven that
the Love of God can reach down to me and raise me up to Him.God is the Love in
which I forgive.

2. God is the strength in which I trust.

It is not my own strength through which I forgive. It is through the strength of
God in me, which I am remembering as I forgive. As I begin to see, I recognize
His reflection on earth. I forgive all things because I feel the stirring of His
strength in me. And I begin to remember the Love I chose to forget, but Which
has not forgotten me.

3. There is nothing to fear.

How safe the world will look to me when I can see it! It will not look anything
like what I imagine I see now. Everyone and everything I see will lean toward me
to bless me. I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What could there be
to fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven me?

4. God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.

There is not a moment in which God's Voice ceases to call on my forgiveness to
save me. There is not a moment in which His Voice fails to direct my thoughts,
guide my actions and lead my feet. I am, walking steadily on toward truth. There
is nowhere else I can go, because God's Voice is the only voice and the only
guide that has been given to His Son.

5. I am sustained by the Love of God.

As I listen to God's Voice, I am sustained by His Love. As I open my eyes, His
Love lights up the world for me to see. As I forgive, His Love reminds me that
His Son is sinless. And as I look upon the world with the vision He has given
me, I remember that I am His Son.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 60. "These ideas are for today's review."

*This final lesson returns to forgiveness, the central theme in Jesus' symphony
of love and truth.*

(1:1) (46) "God is the Love in which I forgive."

(1:2-3) "God does not forgive because He has never condemned. The blameless
cannot blame, and those who have accepted their innocence see nothing to
forgive.

*The fact that God does not forgive becomes the basis for our forgiveness in the
dream. Forgiveness is necessary only as the correction for condemnation. When
judgment of ourselves is withdrawn, our judgment of others is withdrawn as well:
the <idea> of judgment can never leave its <source>. We are thus asked by Jesus
to accept our past mistakes, thereby accepting the light-filled innocence that
rests in peace just beyond the darkness of our belief in sin. With condemnation
gone, nothing remains to forgive.*

(1:4-6) "Yet forgiveness is the means by which I will recognize my innocence. It
is the reflection of God's Love on earth. It will bring me near enough to Heaven
that the Love of God can reach down to me and raise me up to Him.God is the Love
in which I forgive."

*That is the problem: We do not want to be lifted up to Heaven, for then our
individuality disappears. Recognizing our innocence allows us to realize how
sinful and guilty we believed we were, because we wanted to be apart from such a
belief, we can make the choice for sanity. No longer afraid of God's <last
step>, which ends the process that our decision to forgive our brother began, we
allow His Love to lift us back from earth to Heaven.

Another important theme in these five lessons, not to mention throughout A
Course in Miracles, is that we do not forgive on our own, as we now see:*

(2:1) (47) "God is the strength in which I trust."

(2.2-3) "It is not my own strength through which I forgive. It is through the
strength of God in me, which I am remembering as I forgive."

*I am not the one who forgives you. I can only ask the Holy Spirit for help in
looking at you <differently>, because the way I am looking at you now is not
making me happy. The bottom line is recognizing there are painful effects of
choosing to be right, selfish, and special. I thus lay aside the weakness of my
petty strength, choosing instead the strength of Christ that is restored to my
awareness through forgiveness.*

(2:4-6)"As I begin to see, I recognize His reflection on earth. I forgive all
things because I feel the stirring of His strength in me. And I begin to
remember the Love I chose to forget, but Which has not forgotten me."

*The problem again is simply that we have forgotten. Yet forgetting is active.
We have chosen to forget because we wanted to remember the weakness of our
individuality instead of Christ's strength. However, forgetting our Identity did
not destroy it. Our Self merely waited for us to change our minds, effected by
our change of perception: from judgment to vision, weakness to strength.

Paragraph 3 returns us the real world: *

(3:1) (48) "There is nothing to fear."

(3.2-4) "How safe the world will look to me when I can see it! It will not look
anything like what I imagine I see now. Everyone and everything I see will lean
toward me to bless me. I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What
could there be to fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven
me?"

*Once we choose the place of perfect safety in our minds, represented by Jesus,
the world we experience outside will be its mirror. It cannot <not> be that way,
since <ideas leave not their source.> The beauty of this forgiven world is
reflected in this lovely passage from the text:

"Can you imagine how beautiful those you forgive will look to you? In no
fantasy have you ever seen anything so lovely. Nothing you see here, sleeping or
waking, comes near to such loveliness. And nothing will you value like unto
this, nor hold so dear. Nothing that you remember that made your heart sing with
joy has ever brought you even a little part of the happiness this sight will
bring you. For you will see the Son of God. You will behold the beauty the Holy
Spirit loves to look upon, and which He thanks the Father for. He was created to
see this for you, until you learned to see it for yourself. And all His teaching
leads to seeing it and giving thanks with Him.
"This loveliness is not a fantasy. It is the real world, bright and clean
and new, with everything sparkling under the open sun. Nothing is hidden here,
for everything has been forgiven and there are no fantasies to hide the truth."
(T-17.II.1:1-2:3)

Recalling this beauty will help us choose again when we are tempted to make real
the ego's ugly world of specialness.

Note the usage of "everyone" and "everything" in 3:4 to describe our vision. If
anyone or anything is excluded from the light of safety, all the world is
plunged in darkness, the shadow of our mind's darkened thoughts of guilt.*

(3:5-6) "I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What could there be to
fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven me?"

*This is the vision of Christ, in which the entire Sonship is perceived through
the eyes of holiness. Not one aspect of the Son is excluded, and with separation
gone, so is all fear, which had been the inevitable result of our belief in sin
and guilt. This vision is nicely captured in the opening lines in Helen's very
first poem, The Gifts of Christmas" :

"Christ passes no one by. By this you know
He is God's Son. You recognize His touch
In universal gentleness. His Love
Extends to everyone. His eyes behold
The Love of God in everything He sees."
(The Gifts of God, p.95)

With such love beside and within us, fear is impossible; its place taken by the
love forgiveness brings.*

(4:1) (49) "God's Voice speaks to me all through the day."

(4.2-3) "There is not a moment in which God's Voice ceases to call on my
forgiveness to save me. There is not a moment in which His Voice fails to direct
my thoughts, guide my actions and lead my feet."

*As I mentioned when we did Lesson 49, this does not mean we <hear> His Voice
all through the day, it simply means He is calling to us throughout the day.
This is the Call we fervently and ferociously try to conceal -- the purpose of
the world we have made, the purpose of our specialness thoughts of attack,
judgment and desire. These are easily set aside when we decide we no longer wish
to hear the ego's raucous shrieking. The stunning yet gentle silence of God's
Voice returns in the instant we wish to hear its sound, and <only> its sound.
Thus does God's sweet song of love extend all through the dream, guiding our
thoughts, words, and deeds.*

(4:4-5) "I am, walking steadily on toward truth. There is nowhere else I can go,
because God's Voice is the only voice and the only guide that has been given to
His Son."

*There is nothing else. Any other pathway we choose is nothing and leads
nowhere, because it comes from a voice that does not exist. The loveliness of
this recognition is described in these beautiful closing paragraphs in "The Real
Alternative," which reminds us that as a Thought of God we have never left our
Source; the road back to Him undoes the road that never existed in reality:

"He has not left His Thoughts! But you forgot His Presence and remembered
not His Love. No pathway in the world can lead to Him, nor any worldly goal be
one with His. What road in all the world will lead within, when every road was
made to separate the journey from the purpose it must have unless it be but
futile wandering? All roads that lead away from what you are will lead you to
confusion and despair. Yet has He never left His Thoughts to die, without their
Source forever in themselves."

"He has not left His Thoughts! He could no more depart from them than they
could keep Him out. In unity with Him do they abide, and in their oneness both
are kept complete. There is no road that leads away from Him. A journey from
yourself does not exist. How foolish and insane it is to think that there could
be a road with such an aim! Where could it go? And how could you be made to
travel on it, walking there without your own reality at one with you?"

"Forgive yourself your madness, and forget all senseless journeys and all
goal-less aims. They have no meaning. You can not escape from what you are. For
God is merciful, and did not let His Son abandon Him. For what He is be
thankful, for in that is your escape from madness and from death. Nowhere but
where He is can you be found. There is no path that does not lead to Him."
(T-31.IV.9-11).

And finally, the symphonic movement that is this review ends with a return to
its central theme; the cycle of love concluding the love and wisdom with which
it began: *

(5:1) (50) "I am sustained by the Love of God."

(5.2-4) "As I listen to God's Voice, I am sustained by His Love. As I open my
eyes, His Love lights up the world for me to see. As I forgive, His Love reminds
me that His Son is sinless."

*And who is His Son? I am. Since we are all one, when I realize my sinlessness,
I realize everyone is sinless, too. It cannot <not> be, if God's Love <is> His
Love.*

(5.5) "And as I look upon the world with the vision He has given me, I remember
that I am His Son."

*Jesus ends this movement of his symphony with the attainment of our ultimate
goal. The way we reach the vision of the real world is by paying careful
attention to the external world, so it can teach us that the <outside> mirrors
the <inside.> The pain of our experience as bodies, interacting with other
bodies, becomes the motivation to cry out for the other way, the other Teacher.
Thus we come to change our minds, choose the Holy Spirit's Thought as the source
of our seeing, and look out upon the world through Christ's vision. The real
world greets our sight, and we finally remember Who we are as God's one Son,
gladly exclaiming these words from Part II of the workbook:

"Be glad today! Be glad! There is no room for anything but joy and thanks
today. Our Father has redeemed His Son this day. Not one of us but will be saved
today. Not one who will remain in fear, and none the Father will not gather to
Himself, awake in Heaven in the Heart of Love." (W-pII.340.2).

Thus we end this heavenly movement with a happy thought of Oneness, the thought
that ends the nightmare dream of illusion and joyfully awakens us to the
remembrance of our Father's Love.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 59. The following ideas are for review today:

#93058

Lesson 59. The following ideas are for review today:

1. God goes with me wherever I go.

How can I be alone when God always goes with me? How can I be doubtful and
unsure of myself when perfect certainty abides in Him? How can I be disturbed by
anything when He rests in me in absolute peace? How can I suffer when love and
joy surround me through Him? Let me not cherish illusions about myself. I am
perfect because God goes with me wherever I go.

2. God is my strength. Vision is His gift.

Let me not look to my own eyes to see today. Let me be willing to exchange my
pitiful illusion of seeing for the vision that is given by God. Christ's vision
is His gift, and He has given it to me. Let me call upon this gift today, so
that this day may help me to understand eternity.

3. God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him.

I can see what God wants me to see. I cannot see anything else. Beyond His Will
lie only illusions. It is these I choose when I think I can see apart from Him.
It is these I choose when I try to see through the body's eyes. Yet the vision
of Christ has been given me to replace them. It is through this vision that I
choose to see.
4. God is the light in which I see.

I cannot see in darkness. God is the only light. Therefore, if I am to see, it
must be through Him. I have tried to define what seeing is, and I have been
wrong. Now it is given me to understand that God is the light in which I see.
Let me welcome vision and the happy world it will show me.

5. God is the Mind with which I think.

I have no thoughts I do not share with God. I have no thoughts apart from Him,
because I have no mind apart from His. As part of His Mind, my thoughts are His
and His Thoughts are mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*In Lesson 59 we again find the theme of who we are as God's Son, and the
wonderful and wondrous effects of coming to understand and accept its truth.*

(1:1) (41) "God goes with me wherever I go."

(1:2-7) "How can I be alone when God always goes with me? How can I be doubtful
and unsure of myself when perfect certainty abides in Him? How can I be
disturbed by anything when He rests in me in absolute peace? How can I suffer
when love and joy surround me through Him? Let me not cherish illusions about
myself. I am perfect because God goes with me wherever I go."

*It is not that God literally walks with us. Rather, Jesus teaches that God is
with us because His Love is in our minds, which is where we are. It is this Love
-- our Self -- that is the basis for undoing the thought of separation: the home
of all illusions of suffering and pain.

All that is needed for this Love to return to awareness is calling upon the
power of our minds to choose, one of A Course in Miracles' most important
themes, to which we now return: *

(2:1-2) (42) "God is my strength. Vision is His gift."

(2:3-6) "Let me not look to my own eyes to see today. Let me be willing to
exchange my pitiful illusion of seeing for the vision that is given by God.
Christ's vision is His gift, and He has given it to me. Let me call upon this
gift today, so that this day may help me to understand eternity."

*We always have a choice about the thought system with which we identify, made
possible once we remember that our feelings of dis-ease and disturbance emanate
from the mind's mistaken choice, and from nowhere else. Thus do we exchange the
ego's misperceptions for the vision of Christ, exclusion for unity, separation
for forgiveness, and time for eternity.*

(3:1-2) (43) "God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him."

(3:3-7)" I can see what God wants me to see. I cannot see anything else. Beyond
His Will lie only illusions. It is these I choose when I think I can see apart
from Him. It is these I choose when I try to see through the body's eyes."

*Again, all misperceptions stem from the illusory belief we can be apart from
God; the Idea of God's Son, which we are, can leave its Source. Thus does our
thought of separation give rise to a world of separation, which we believe is
there because we believe we see it. The body's eyes have now replaced vision, a
substitution that remains in place until we change our minds.*

(3:8-9) "Yet the vision of Christ has been given me to replace them. It is
through this vision that I choose to see. It is through this vision that I
choose to see."

*A Course in Miracles has as its purpose the change in mind that allows <vision>
to replace the ego's seeing. This vision cannot come unless we make a choice
that says: I have been thinking and perceiving wrongly. I know there is another
way, because there has to be another way of feeling. I am not happy, and want to
be at peace. I therefore let go of my investment in being right. Thus does our
desire for true peace and happiness become the motivation for choosing vision to
replace illusions.*

(4:1) (44) "God is the light in which I see."

(4:2-4) "I cannot see in darkness. God is the only light. Therefore, if I am to
see, it must be through Him."

*As the text reminds us: "Vision [or light] or judgment [darkness] is your
choice, but never both of these." (T-20.V.4:7). We choose one or the other, and
in our right-minded choice is all the world made free.*

(4:5-7)"I have tried to define what seeing is, and I have been wrong. Now it is
given me to understand that God is the light in which I see. Let me welcome
vision and the happy world it will show me."

*I have to realize I have been wrong about everything I see, and everything I
think I understand. How often does Jesus remind us of this happy fact; happy
indeed when we are not identified with the ego's stubborn insistence that it is
right and God is wrong. This happy acceptance of the truth is the birthplace of
our humility, leading to Christ's vision that blesses the world along with me.*

(5:1) (45) "God is the Mind with which I think."

(5:2-4) "I have no thoughts I do not share with God. I have no thoughts apart
from Him, because I have no mind apart from His. As part of His Mind, my
thoughts are His and His Thoughts are mine."

*Remember, the ego system is born of the idea that our thoughts are our own,
God's thoughts, are His, and never the twain shall meet. Not only that, we tell
God what His thoughts are. This insane arrogance forms the basis of the second
law of chaos (T-23.II.4-6), wherein God becomes as insane as we:

"The arrogance on which the laws of chaos stand could not be more apparent
than emerges here. Here is a principle that would define what the Creator of
reality must be; what He must think and what He must believe; and how He must
respond, believing it. It is not seen as even necessary that He be asked about
the truth of what has been established for His belief. His Son can tell Him
this, and He has but the choice whether to take his word for it or be mistaken."
(T.23.II.6.1-4).

The insanity of such a belief is easily corrected once we recognize its sheer
madness. The clouds of separation quickly disperse in this return to sanity, and
we rejoice in the Oneness of Love that has never changed, and which remains as
the Thought of our Self, at one with the Sonship and the Mind of God.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 58. These ideas are for review today:

#93057

Lesson 58. These ideas are for review today:

1. My holiness envelops everything I see.

From my holiness does the perception of the real world come. Having forgiven, I
no longer see myself as guilty. I can accept the innocence that is the truth
about me. Seen through understanding eyes, the holiness of the world is all I
see, for I can picture only the thoughts I hold about myself.

2. My holiness blesses the world.

The perception of my holiness does not bless me alone. Everyone and everything I
see in its light shares in the joy it brings to me. There is
nothing that is apart from this joy, because there is nothing that does not
share my holiness. As I recognize my holiness, so does the holiness of the world
shine forth for everyone to see.

3. There is nothing my holiness cannot do.

My holiness is unlimited in its power to heal, because it is unlimited in its
power to save. What is there to be saved from except illusions? And what are all
illusions except false ideas about myself? My holiness undoes them all by
asserting the truth about me. In the presence of my holiness, which I share with
God Himself, all idols vanish.

4. My holiness is my salvation.

Since my holiness saves me from all guilt, recognizing my holiness is
recognizing my salvation. It is also recognizing the salvation of the world.
Once I have accepted my holiness, nothing can make me afraid. And because I am
unafraid, everyone must share in my understanding, which is the gift of God to
me and to the world.

5. I am blessed as a Son of God.

Herein lies my claim to all good and only good. I am blessed as a Son of God.
All good things are mine, because God intended them for me. I cannot suffer any
loss or deprivation or pain because of Who I am. My Father supports me, protects
me, and directs me in all things. His care for me is infinite, and is with me
forever. I am eternally blessed as His Son.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 58. "These ideas are for review today:"

*This next series of lessons is about our holiness, the other side of our minds
that is kept hidden by the ego and the unholiness of its thought system.*

(1:1) (36) "My holiness envelops everything I see."

(1:2) "From my holiness does the perception of the real world come."

*When we make the internal shift and identify with Jesus' love instead of the
ego's hate, his love extends through us. We may perceive the exact same world --
the dream in <form> does not necessarily change -- but now it is perceived
through the love that is within ourselves. This marks the birth of true
compassion. We do not feel sorry for people's bodies, but for the real source of
pain: the belief they are orphaned and will never return home. In that
compassionate vision are <all> people recognized as sharing the same suffering.*

(1:3-5) "Having forgiven, I no longer see myself as guilty. I can accept the
innocence that is the truth about me. Seen through understanding eyes, the
holiness of the world is all I see, for I can picture only the thoughts I hold
about myself."

*This is a succinct summary of forgiveness. We first shift our perception so
that by looking differently at another's sin -- recognizing it is but a
projection of a belief about ourselves -- we accept the illusory nature of the
ego's thought system of separation and attack. This allows the innocence of the
Atonement to return to our awareness and then become the basis of our new
perception of the world.

Innocent or true perception is all-inclusive, as we now see:*

(2:1) (37) "My holiness blesses the world."

(2:2-5) "The perception of my holiness does not bless me alone. Everyone and
everything I see in its light shares in the joy it brings to me. There is
nothing that is apart from this joy, because there is nothing that does not
share my holiness. As I recognize my holiness, so does the holiness of the world
shine forth for everyone to see."

*We are not only one in the ego thought system, we are also one in the Holy
Spirit's. With this recognition, born of our new perception, is the ego's belief
in separation undone by the vision of Christ that embraces the Sonship (and thus
the world) with its holiness. If our vision is not all-inclusive, it is not
vision. By excluding even one part of the Sonship, the Whole is excluded as
well, and so we can never remember we are God's Son. That is why Jesus gives us
these words as a reminder:

"To your tired eyes I bring a vision of a different world, so new and clean
and fresh you will forget the pain and sorrow that you saw before. Yet this a
vision is which you must share with everyone you see, for otherwise you will
behold it not. To give this gift is how to make it yours. And God ordained, in
loving kindness, that it be for you." (T-31.VIII.8:4-7).*

(3:1) (38) "There is nothing my holiness cannot do."

(3:2-3) "My holiness is unlimited in its power to heal, because it is unlimited
in its power to save. What is there to be saved from except illusions?"

*We are not saved from the world, nor from some terrible fate, and we do not
save the world for other people. We are saved from our misthoughts, the mistakes
coming from having chosen the ego instead of the Holy Spirit. That has nothing
to do with the world, but everything to do with our illusory thoughts. Again, it
is salvation that heals as <one>, because there is only <one> illusion in <one>
Son.*

(3:4-6) "And what are all illusions except false ideas about myself? My holiness
undoes them all by asserting the truth about me. In the presence of my holiness,
which I share with God Himself, all idols vanish."

*Again and again we see Jesus returning to this central point. Our
misperceptions are caused by the <one> misperception of ourselves -- we are not
as God created us. When this <one> misthought is healed, all the ego's mistaken
images -- the idols of specialness -- are undone as well: <one> problem, <one>
misperception of unholiness; one solution, one vision of holiness.*

(4:1) (39) "My holiness is my salvation."

(4:2-3) "Since my holiness saves me from all guilt, recognizing my holiness is
recognizing my salvation. It is also recognizing the salvation of the world."

*Jesus' symphonic theme continues, in an almost endless <series> of wonderful
variations. The <one> problem of guilt disappears in the <one> solution of
holiness, which causes all problems to disappear as well. Thus is my perception
of myself healed and saved, as well as my perception of the world, which has
never left its source in my mind.*

(4:4-5) "Once I have accepted my holiness, nothing can make me afraid. And
because I am unafraid, everyone must share in my understanding, which is the
gift of God to me and to the world."

*The source of <all> fear is our having chosen the unholiness of our separate
individuality instead of the holiness of the oneness of God's Son. Since minds
are joined, acceptance of my holiness reminds others to make the same choice.
This does not mean that everyone <will> make that choice now. However it does
mean that in my holiness I recognize the choice has <already> happened because
the separation has been undone. <When> that choice is accepted throughout the
Sonship is only a matter of time.*

(5:1) (40) "I am blessed as a Son of God."

(5:2-8) "Herein lies my claim to all good and only good. I am blessed as a Son
of God. All good things are mine, because God intended them for me. I cannot
suffer any loss or deprivation or pain because of Who I am. My Father supports
me, protects me, and directs me in all things. His care for me is infinite, and
is with me forever. I am eternally blessed as His Son."

*All loss, deprivation, and pain arise because we have forgotten who we are.
That is the problem, without exception, which is why there is no order of
difficulty in miracles (T-1.I.1:1). When we drop Jesus' hand and take the ego's
instead, we are automatically in pain. Following the ego's strategy to protect
our wrong decision, we put a gap between the cause of the pain and our
experience of it, and think we understand its source -- the world, our special
partner, our bodies, our food, or whatever -- and thus are never able to
recognize the real cause in our minds. When we at last come to our senses and
realize our mistake, we return to the thought of the Atonement that reflects our
true Self, an Identity that is perfectly safe because It is beyond all thoughts
of pain and loss. Awakening from the ego's dream of suffering, we are at home
with the God we never truly left.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 57. Today let us review these ideas:

#93056

Lesson 57. Today let us review these ideas:

1. I am not the victim of the world I see.

How can I be the victim of a world that can be completely undone if I so choose?
My chains are loosened. I can drop them off merely by desiring to do so. The
prison door is open. I can leave simply by walking out. Nothing holds me in this
world. Only my wish to stay keeps me a prisoner. I would give up my insane
wishes and walk into the sunlight at last.

2. I have invented the world I see.

I made up the prison in which I see myself. All I need do is recognize this and
I am free. I have deluded myself into believing it is possible to imprison the
Son of God. I was bitterly mistaken in this belief, which I no longer want. The
Son of God must be forever free. He is as God created him, and not what I would
make of him. He is where God would have him be, and not where I thought to hold
him prisoner.

3. There is another way of looking at the world.

Since the purpose of the world is not the one I ascribed to it, there must be
another way of looking at it. I see everything upside down, and my thoughts are
the opposite of truth. I see the world as a prison for God's Son. It must be,
then, that the world is really a place where he can be set free. I would look
upon the world as it is, and see it as a place where the Son of God finds his
freedom.

4. I could see peace instead of this.

When I see the world as a place of freedom, I realize that it reflects the laws
of God instead of the rules I made up for it to obey. I will understand that
peace, not war, abides in it. And I will perceive that peace also abides in the
hearts of all who share this place with me.

5. My mind is part of God's.

I am very holy. As I share the peace of the world with my brothers, I begin to
understand that this peace comes from deep within myself. The world I look upon
has taken on the light of my forgiveness, and shines forgiveness back at me. In
this light I begin to see what my illusions about myself kept hidden. I begin to
understand the holiness of all living things, including myself, and their
oneness with me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. (31) "I am not the victim of the world I see."

(1:2-9) "How can I be the victim of a world that can be completely undone if I
so choose? My chains are loosened. I can drop them off merely by desiring to do
so. The prison door is open. I can leave simply by walking out. Nothing holds me
in this world. Only my wish to stay keeps me a prisoner. I would give up my
insane wishes and walk into the sunlight at last."

*We find this compelling because we feel we are victims. If this is a world we
made, which is what Jesus has been teaching us from the beginning, the world is
not the problem. <The fact that we made it is the problem> -- "How can [we] be
the victim of a world that can be completely undone if [we] so choose?"

We have to be willing to admit we have been wrong about everything. What makes
us believe we are right is our experience of being victimized by everything
else. Remember, the "everything else" is not only others' bodies, but our own as
well. The body is exclusively outside the mind, the source of our true identity.

The analogy to a prisoner walking into the sunlight refers to Plato's famous
Allegory of the Cave in <The Republic>. It is worth summarizing -- albeit
briefly -- as Jesus makes more specific references to it in the text. The
allegory is set in a cave, where prisoners are chained in such a fashion that
they can see only the interior wall of the cave, unknowing of the opening behind
them, through which streams the sun's rays, casting shadows onto the wall, of
the passers-by along the road that runs past the mouth of the cave. Thus the
prisoners believe that the shadows are the reality, since they know of nothing
else. One of the prisoners (representing Plato's esteemed teacher Socrates) is
freed and, turning around and making his way to the light, begins to understand
the difference between appearance and reality. Returning to teach his companions
the truth, he frees them, only to meet with murder at the hands of those still
fearful of truth's light. Here, then, are the two specific references in the
text:

"Prisoners bound with heavy chains for years, starved and emaciated, weak
and exhausted, and with eyes so long cast down in darkness they remember not the
light, do not leap up in joy the instant they are made free. It takes a while
for them to understand what freedom is."
(T-20.III.9:1-2).

"Eyes become used to darkness, and the light of brilliant day seems painful
to the eyes grown long accustomed to the dim effects perceived at twilight. And
they turn away from sunlight and the clarity it brings to what they look upon.
Dimness seems better; easier to see, and better recognized. Somehow the vague
and more obscure seems easier to look upon; less painful to the eyes than what
is wholly clear and unambiguous. Yet this is not what eyes are for, and who can
say that he prefers the darkness and maintain he wants to see?" (T-25.VI.2)

Thus we recognize we have been our own jailors, and now can make the only
sensible decision available to us: leave the darkness for the light. Our chains
of guilt and attack were simply the unwillingness to open our eyes and <see>,
and now we choose vision. The next paragraph repeats the lesson:*

(2:1) (32) "I have invented the world I see."

(2:2-3)"I made up the prison in which I see myself. All I need do is recognize
this and I am free."

*That is why Jesus keeps saying this is a simple course. All we need do is
realize we made this up; that the world is an hallucination (T-20.VIII.7) --
everything we think is hurting us is not true. The key to unlocking this
illusory prison of darkness has always been in our minds. Now at last we have
teacher and path that help us realize this joyous fact is indeed so.*

(2:4-8) "I have deluded myself into believing it is possible to imprison the Son
of God. I was bitterly mistaken in this belief, which I no longer want. The Son
of God must be forever free. He is as God created him, and not what I would make
of him. He is where God would have him be, and not where I thought to hold him
prisoner."

*This is a theme that becomes prominent later in the workbook: Lessons
94,110,162, and Review VI. If we are as God created us, everything the ego and
its world have taught us is false. Their "light" deceived us, and once we
recognize it was <self>-deceiving we can do something about it by choosing
differently, leaving the world of darkness forever and returning the world of
light -- "where God would have us be" -- to our awareness.*

(3:1) (33) "There is another way of looking at the world."

(3:2-3) "Since the purpose of the world is not the one I ascribed to it, there
must be another way of looking at it. I see everything upside down, and my
thoughts are the opposite of truth."

*In order to be able to look at the world "another way: a key statement in A
Course in Miracles, we need the humility to admit we are wrong. It is always
helpful to be vigilant, to realize how stubbornly we insist we are right, not
only in the blatant ways of believing the separation is real, but in the subtle
and everyday ways of being so certain our perceptions of others are correct.*

(3:4-6)"I see the world as a prison for God's Son. It must be, then, that the
world is really a place where he can be set free. I would look upon the world as
it is, and see it as a place where the Son of God finds his freedom."

*Clearly the reference here is not to the world itself, but to our <perceptions>
of the world; and even more to the point, the <purpose> we have
given it. If we have given the world the purpose of imprisoning us, it will do
so. If, on the other hand, we have given it the purpose of forgiveness and
release; we are free. We shall return to this important theme presently. For now
we can remember that the shift in purpose entails a shift in teachers, therein
shifting our perception of the world from a prison of guilt to a classroom of
forgiveness.*

(4:1) (34) "I could see peace instead of this."

(4:2-4) "When I see the world as a place of freedom, I realize that it reflects
the laws of God instead of the rules I made up for it to obey. I will understand
that peace, not war, abides in it. And I will perceive that peace also abides in
the hearts of all who share this place with me."

*This refers to the real world, which we shall discuss in much greater depth
later. Suffice it to say for now that it reflects the oneness of reality by
enabling us to see all members of the Sonship -- <without exception> -- as
sharing the common goal of leaving the prison house of war for the place of
peace that abides in <all> people. Thus we shift our purpose from guilt to
peace, imprisonment to freedom.*

(5:1-2) (35) "My mind is part of God's. I am very holy."

(5:3-5) "As I share the peace of the world with my brothers, I begin to
understand that this peace comes from deep within myself. The world I look upon
has taken on the light of my forgiveness, and shines forgiveness back at me. In
this light I begin to see what my illusions about myself kept hidden."

*This is also another important theme, especially in the manual (e.g.,
M.-in.1-3). Teaching others is how we learn. The more I let go of my grievances
against you, teaching there is another way of thinking, the more I reinforce
that idea in myself. In this light of forgiveness I see what my illusions kept
hidden. As we have seen, forgiveness consists of joining with Jesus, our
together holding the lamp that shines in the darkness of our minds, exposing the
ego's illusions to the light of truth (T-11.V.1). Forgiveness lifts the veils of
the ego's defensive system, allowing us to see the love that is really there. By
withdrawing the projections of guilt's darkness from you, I reflect the
willingness to withdraw my investment in the darkness in me. Thus do illusions
give way to the light of truth, and peace dawns upon a mind that had heretofore
believed in conflict.*

(5:6) "I begin to understand the holiness of all living things, including
myself, and their oneness with me."

*This is what lies underneath the ego's belief we are children of separation,
specialness, guilt, and fear. It is this constellation of unholiness as children
of love; a holiness shared by <all> "living things," including ourselves. We can
therefore equate unholiness with separation, and holiness with oneness.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 56. Our review for today covers the following:

#93055

Lesson 56. Our review for today covers the following:

1. My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability.

How can I know who I am when I see myself as under constant attack? Pain,
illness, loss, age and death seem to threaten me. All my hopes and wishes and
plans appear to be at the mercy of a world I cannot control. Yet perfect
security and complete fulfillment are my inheritance. I have tried to give my
inheritance away in exchange for the world I see. But God has kept my
inheritance safe for me. My own real thoughts will teach me what it is.

2. Above all else I want to see.

Recognizing that what I see reflects what I think I am, I realize that vision is
my greatest need. The world I see attests to the fearful nature of the
self-image I have made. If I would remember who I am, it is essential that I let
this image of myself go. As it is replaced by truth, vision will surely be given
me. And with this vision, I will look upon the world and on myself with charity
and love.

3. Above all else I want to see differently.

The world I see holds my fearful self-image in place, and guarantees its
continuance. While I see the world as I see it now, truth cannot enter my
awareness. I would let the door behind this world be opened for me, that I may
look past it to the world that reflects the Love of God.

4. God is in everything I see.

Behind every image I have made, the truth remains unchanged. Behind every veil I
have drawn across the face of love, its light remains undimmed. Beyond all my
insane wishes is my will, united with the Will of my Father. God is still
everywhere and in everything forever. And we who are part of Him will yet look
past all appearances, and recognize the truth beyond them all.

5. God is in everything I see because God is in my mind.

In my own mind, behind all my insane thoughts of separation and attack, is the
knowledge that all is one forever. I have not lost the knowledge of Who I am
because I have forgotten it. It has been kept for me in the Mind of God, Who has
not left His Thoughts. And I, who am among them, am one with them and one with
Him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(1:1)(26) "My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability."

(1:2) "How can I know who I am when I see myself as under constant attack?"

*I have to see myself as under constant attack because I am attacking everyone
else. That is why the lesson is entitled "My attack thoughts are attacking my
invulnerability." I am truly invulnerable as God's Son, but in identifying with
the ego I see myself as vulnerable, because guilt demands punishment and I feel
victimized by God's counterattack. If I believe everyone else is going to attack
me, I cannot be as God created me -- innocent and invulnerable. Thus, the ego
reasons to me, if it can prove that God's Son <is> truly vulnerable -- the
purpose of the body -- then how could I be God's Son? This reasoning is clearly
presented in the following passage from "What is the Body?" to which we shall
return much, much later in this series:

"For the Son of God's impermanence is "proof" his fences [bodies] work, and
do the task his mind assigns to them. For if his oneness still remained
untouched, who could attack and who could be attacked? Who could be victor? Who
could be his prey? Who could be victim? Who the murderer? And if he did not die,
what "proof" is there that God's eternal Son can be destroyed?"
(W-pII.5.2:3-9).*

(1:3) "Pain, illness, loss, age and death seem to threaten me."

*Again, it is essential to realize we are living in a world of pain, illness,
loss, age, and death; a world deliberately chosen by our egos to prove that its
thought system of separation is right and the Holy Spirit's Atonement is wrong.*

(1:4-5) "All my hopes and wishes and plans appear to be at the mercy of a world
I cannot control. Yet perfect security and complete fulfillment are my
inheritance."

*Jesus once again is showing us we have a split mind, and that we can choose
whether we will see ourselves as living in a state of constant terror, fear, and
vulnerability, or in a state of constant safety. It is not true that we are,
again, "at the mercy of things beyond [us], forces [we] cannot control"
(T-19.IV-D.7:4), for the truth is that our "Self is ruler of the universe"
(W-pII.253).*

(1:6-8) "I have tried to give my inheritance away in exchange for the world I
see. But God has kept my inheritance safe for me. My own real thoughts will
teach me what it is."

*It cannot be said often enough that in order for us to access our real
thoughts, we first have to let go of our unreal ones, which we cannot do without
knowing they are there. We learn this happy fact by understanding that the world
we perceive is the one we made, and is therefore unreal: a projection of our
unreal thoughts of separation and guilt. Our true inheritance is as a beloved
and treasured Child of God, not the ego's child of guilt and fear. As Jesus
concludes "The Treasure of God":

"What God has willed for you is yours. He has given His Will to His
treasure, whose treasure it is. Your heart lies where your treasure is, as His
does. You who are beloved of God are wholly blessed." (T-8.VI.10.:1-4).*

(2:1) (27) "Above all else I want to see."

(2:2-6) " Recognizing that what I see reflects what I think I am, I realize that
vision is my greatest need. The world I see attests to the fearful nature of the
self-image I have made. If I would remember who I am, it is essential that I let
this image of myself go. As it is replaced by truth, vision will surely be given
me. And with this vision, I will look upon the world and on myself with charity
and love."

*Jesus always comes back to the same central idea: Our perceptions reflect our
self-image -- child of God or child of the ego -- and vision corrects the
vicious and fearful misperceptions of the ego, reflecting our Identity as
spirit. Vision thus <undoes> the ego's thought system. As we are taught in the
text: The ego always speaks first (T-5.VI.3:5), and the Holy Spirit is the
Answer.

"The ego speaks in judgment, and the Holy Spirit reverses its decision,
much as a higher court has the power to reverse a lower court's decisions in
this world. The ego's decisions are always wrong, because they are based on the
error they were made to uphold." (T-5.VI.4:1-2).

With vision replacing judgment, we look out on a unified world of peace and love
regardless of what our physical eyes behold.*

(3:1) (28) "Above all else I want to see differently."

(3:2-3) "The world I see holds my fearful self-image in place, and guarantees
its continuance. While I see the world as I see it now, truth cannot enter my
awareness."

*The projected world's purpose is to keep my fearful self-image in place. This
foreshadows an important statement in Part II of the workbook, speaking of our
unforgiving thoughts:

"An unforgiving thought is one which makes a judgment that it will not
raise to doubt, although it is not true. The mind is closed, and will not be
released. The thought protects projection, tightening its chains, so that
distortions are more veiled and more obscure; less easily accessible to doubt,
and further kept from reason. What can come between a fixed projection and the
aim that it has chosen as its wanted goal?" (W-pII.1.2).

Thus do our projections enable the ego to protect its self-concept of separation
and hate, since that concept is now perceived to be external to the mind that is
its source. This is the self-concept that says I am an individual, which
individuality I purchased at the cost of sin. This sin must be punished, and
therefore I deserve to be afraid. Nothing really has changed except that now I
believe I am not the source of the fear, which has as its source in something
outside of me. Certain of what I see, I never question my perception. Without my
perception being questioned, my condition of fear and pain cannot be answered by
the Holy Spirit.*

(3:4) "I would let the door behind this world be opened for me, that I may look
past it to the world that reflects the Love of God."

*The one who opens the door for us is Jesus, but we must <let> him do it, by
asking his help to bring our illusions of attack to his truth of forgiveness.
This real world of complete forgiveness reflects God's Love, which waits just
beyond the door held open by Jesus:

"Christ is at God's altar, waiting to welcome His Son. ...The door is not
barred, and it is impossible that you cannot enter the place where God would
have you be. ... You can refuse to enter, but you cannot bar the door that
Christ holds open. Come unto me who holds it open for you, for while I live it
cannot be shut, and I live forever. God is my life and yours, and nothing is
denied by God to His Son." (T-11.IV.6:1,3,5-6).*

(4:1) (29) "God is in everything I see."

(4:2-4) "Behind every image I have made, the truth remains unchanged. Behind
every veil I have drawn across the face of love, its light remains undimmed.
Beyond all my insane wishes is my will, united with the Will of my Father."

*As in lessons one through fifty, Jesus emphasizes the nature of our
right-minds. The wrong-mind is filled with thoughts of attack: disease,
suffering, death, murder, and judgment. He helps us realize that these thoughts
are covering something else. However, the fact that he tells us this does not
mean we need not go through the work of choosing <something else>, but at least
now we are aware of what it is we choose between. It is not that I choose <kill
or be killed> -- do I kill you or do you kill me? -- I choose miracles or murder
(T-23.IV.9.8). This passage tells us there is another thought system in our
minds, awaiting our choice. It also implies there is a <purpose> inherent in our
having chosen attack over love: the wish to preserve our identity -- chosen in
separation and forged in hate -- by proving we are right and God is wrong. Thus
we chose to live in darkness, and believed it to be real <because we believed
it.>*

(4:5-6) "God is still everywhere and in everything forever. And we who are part
of Him will yet look past all appearances, and recognize the truth beyond them
all."

*Jesus reassures us that the "outcome is as certain as God" (T-2.III.3:10), for
we shall surely make the right choice -- as any good Platonist would -- between
appearance and reality. Our fervent attempts to the contrary, we remain as God
created us, powerless to change the resplendent truth about ourselves. Thus do
we see a world reflecting back to us the radiant reality of God's Love.*

(5:1) (30) "God is in everything I see because God is in my mind."

(5:2-5) "In my own mind, behind all my insane thoughts of separation and attack,
is the knowledge that all is one forever. I have not lost the knowledge of Who I
am because I have forgotten it. It has been kept for me in the Mind of God, Who
has not left His Thoughts. And I, who am among them, am one with them and one
with Him."

*Held for us by the Holy Spirit is the memory of the knowledge that we never
truly separated ourselves from God. Early in the text Jesus says that "to lose
something does not mean that it has gone. It merely means that you do not
remember where it is." (T.3.VI.9.3-4) The same is true here: Even though we have
lost the knowledge of who we are and have forgotten our Source, it does not mean
His Love is not fully present in our minds. Such reassurances are replete in A
Course in Miracles. Here are two of them:

"The Father keeps what He created safe. You cannot touch it with the false
ideas you made, because it was created not by you. Let not your foolish fancies
frighten you. What is immortal cannot be attacked; what is but temporal has no
effect." (T-24.VII.5:1-4).

"You can lose sight of oneness, but can not make sacrifice of its reality.
Nor can you lose what you would sacrifice, nor keep the Holy Spirit from His
task of showing you that it has not been lost." (T-26.I.6:1-2).

What remains is the acceptance of Jesus' certainty, which points to our mind and
the memory of the Oneness that created us one with Him.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 55. Today's review includes the following:

#93054

Lesson 55. Today's review includes the following:

1. I am determined to see things differently.

What I see now are but signs of disease, disaster and death. This cannot be what
God created for His beloved Son. The very fact that I see such things is proof
that I do not understand God. Therefore I also do not understand His Son. What I
see tells me that I do not know who I am. I am determined to see the witnesses
to the truth in me, rather than those which show me an illusion of myself.

2.What I see is a form of vengeance.

The world I see is hardly the representation of loving thoughts. It is a picture
of attack on everything by everything. It is anything but a reflection of the
Love of God and the love of His Son. It is my own attack thoughts that give rise
to this picture. My loving thoughts will save me from this perception of the
world, and give me the peace God intended me to have.

3. I can escape from this world by giving up attack thoughts.

Herein lies salvation, and nowhere else. Without attack thoughts I could not see
a world of attack. As forgiveness allows love to return to my awareness, I will
see a world of peace and safety and joy. And it is this I choose to see, in
place of what I look on now.

4. I do not perceive my own best interests.

How could I recognize my own best interests when I do not know who I am? What I
think are my best interests would merely bind me closer to the world of
illusions. I am willing to follow the Guide God has given me to find out what my
own best interests are, recognizing that I cannot perceive them by myself.

5. I do not know what anything is for.

To me, the purpose of everything is to prove that my illusions about myself are
real. It is for this purpose that I attempt to use everyone and everything. It
is for this that I believe the world is for. Therefore I do not recognize its
real purpose. The purpose I have given the world has led to a frightening
picture of it. Let me open my mind to the world's real purpose by withdrawing
the one I have given it, and learning the truth about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(1:1) (21) "I am determined to see things differently."

*Jesus is now appealing directly to the power of our minds to choose.*

(1:2.) "What I see now are but signs of disease, disaster and death."

*In deference to Helen, I like to point out alliteration when it appears. Note
the three d's. <disease, disaster and death>. Again, it is important we perceive
disease, disaster and death all around us, not love, hope, and joy, for there is
none. Indeed, the world was made <not> to be a place of love, hope, or joy. If
we do not recognize this, we will have no motivation for changing our mind. We
will believe in our arrogance that we have already changed it by virtue of our
having perceived light instead of death. We believe what our egos have
programmed us to believe, which is why we need to question the value of having
chosen the ego as our teacher.*

(1:3-5) "This cannot be what God created for His beloved Son. The very fact that
I see such things is proof that I do not understand God. Therefore I also do not
understand His Son."

*This at least is a good initial step, because if we think we are looking on a
world of light, peace, and joy, we will believe we understand God, Jesus, and,
unfortunately, his course. Acknowledging that what we see "are the signs of
disease, disaster and death" is the beginning of the humility that reaches to
Wisdom. We begin by denying the ego's thought system of denial, and gradually,
step by step, we are led by Jesus to understand that spirit and ego are mutually
exclusive states, and so are love and hate, life and death, joy and pain. To
make one real is to deny the other.*

(1:6-7) "What I see tells me that I do not know who I am. I am determined to see
the witnesses to the truth in me, rather than those which show me an illusion of
myself."

*Once having learned to tell the difference between <form> and <content>, we
call upon our new Teacher to help us see truly, the vision of Christ that
reminds us who we are -- along with our brothers -- as God's one Son.*

(2:1) (22) "What I see is a form of vengeance."

(2:2-3) "The world I see is hardly the representation of loving thoughts. It is
a picture of attack on everything by everything."

*This is the same point Jesus was making earlier, saying the world we see
represents an attack on "everything by everyone." There are no exceptions. If we
think we see a loving world, we will believe there are only loving thoughts
within and so we will not look at the <unloving> ones. By not looking, the
unloving thoughts remain buried in our minds, and whatever is buried has the
terrible habit of finding its way out -- the dynamic of projection -- and
attacking everyone else. Because we are not aware that the source of our attack
is our mind's unloving thoughts, we will not be aware that we are the ones who
did this. We will actually think that because we think we have only loving
thoughts, our attacks and judgments of others are loving, too. That is why it is
important to see the world for what it is and recognize its source. Only when we
look with Jesus at the <un>loving thoughts in our minds and forgive them, will
we realize that underneath the unloving thoughts and concealed by them are the
loving ones we have always had.*

(2:4-6) "It is anything but a reflection of the Love of God and the love of His
Son. It is my own attack thoughts that give rise to this picture. My loving
thoughts will save me from this perception of the world, and give me the peace
God intended me to have."

*The unloving nature of the world is again unmistakably depicted in Jesus'
words: "It is anything but a reflection of the Love of God and the love of His
Son." The last sentence is carefully phrased: "My loving thoughts will save me
from this perception of the world." The problem is the <perception>. It is not
the world. Disease, disaster, and death do not exist out there, because <there
is no out there.> They exist in a mind that is filled with guilt, hatred, and
terror. Therefore it is the <perception> that has to be changed, not the world:
"Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world"
(T-21.in.1:7). Our perception is changed by first bringing it back from its
projected form to its source, the <mind>. Only then, as we have already seen,
can we exercise the mind's power of decision and choosing the loving thought of
the Atonement instead of the unloving thought of separation.*

(3:1) (23) "I can escape from this world by giving up attack thoughts."

(3:2-5) "Herein lies salvation, and nowhere else. Without attack thoughts I
could not see a world of attack. As forgiveness allows love to return to my
awareness, I will see a world of peace and safety and joy. And it is this I
choose to see, in place of what I look on now."

*One could not ask for a more explicit statement of salvation. We are not saved
from the world or from some abstract sense of sin, but from our own thoughts. To
escape the horrors of the world -- Hamlet's "slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune" -- one need only look with Jesus at our horrifying thoughts. Joined
with his gentle laughter at the silliness of the ego's thought system of attack,
we watch its thoughts slowly dissolve into their own nothingness. Looking out,
we perceive only "peace and safety and joy," the world of forgiveness given
form.*

(4:1) (24) "I do not perceive my own best interests."

(4:2-3) "How could I recognize my own best interests when I do not know who I
am? What I think are my best interests would merely bind me closer to the world
of illusions."

*I do not know who I am because I think "<I> am," with the emphasis on the <I>.
I actually think there is an "I" here, therefore I do not know who I am. How,
then, could I possibly know what is best for me? What we think is best is always
some glorification, gratification, or anything that will preserve our illusory
identity as an individual "I".*

(4:4) "I am willing to follow the Guide God has given me to find out what my own
best interests are, recognizing that I cannot perceive them by myself."

*That we cannot do this without help is an extremely important theme throughout
A Course in Miracles. There is no way we can do this without the Holy Spirit's
or Jesus' help. Humility says: "I do not know, I do not understand, but thank
God there is Someone in me who does, and thank God He is right and I am wrong."
That is why Jesus says that he needs us as much as we need him (T-8.V.6:10): he
cannot help us <unless> we ask him to. We see this "collaborative venture"
(T-4.VI.8:2) expressed in the statement we have already seen in its full
context: "Together we have the lamp that will dispel it [the ego's thought
system]" (T-11.V.1:3). Jesus cannot accomplish it without us, and we certainly
cannot accomplish it without him!

The next set emphasizes the important theme of purpose, which, to state it
again, is not emphasized as much here as it is in many other places in A Course
in Miracles.*

(5:1) (25) "I do not know what anything is for."

(5:2-3) "To me, the purpose of everything is to prove that my illusions about
myself are real. It is for this purpose that I attempt to use everyone and
everything."

*Everything we think, and everything we see in the world has the purpose of
proving we are right. That is the reason for having made the world in the first
place. What God did we can do even better. There are no exceptions in the
<either-or> thought system. Just as holiness and love do not make exceptions on
the side of love, specialness does not make any exceptions, either. We either
love or hate, forgive or attack, but there is no in between: If my self is real,
then my Self is not; and, to the ego's dismay, <vice versa.> As a much later
lesson puts it: "Let me not forget myself is nothing, but my Self is all."
(W-pII.358.1:7).*

(5:4-6) "It is for this that I believe the world is for. Therefore I do not
recognize its real purpose. The purpose I have given the world has led to a
frightening picture of it."

*I have used the world to fulfill my purpose of proving I am right; i.e., that
the illusion about my individuality is the truth. This means I killed God so I
could exist. However, in my right mind I understand how I have used the world to
fulfill the purpose of making attack real and justified. If I am to exist,
everyone has to be sacrificed to my selfish desire. If I am trying to do it to
you -- since everyone out there is a part of the dream I made up -- I know you
are trying to do the same thing to me. This inevitably produces a world of fear,
not safety, for our guilt can only cause a world of perceived punishment and
death. But now I gladly choose otherwise.*

(5:7) "Let me open my mind to the world's real purpose by withdrawing the one I
have given it, and learning the truth about it."

*Here, too, it is clear that Jesus and A Course in Miracles cannot do it for us,
but can only remind us we have to withdraw our beliefs about the world. We need
to open our minds by withdrawing the purpose we gave to the world. In other
words, again, we have to say (and mean!) that we were wrong. Only then can we
recognize the world's true purpose of forgiveness, the pathway that leads us
home through the power of our mind to decide <for> God instead of <against>
Him.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 54 These are the review ideas for today:

#93053

Lesson 54 These are the review ideas for today:

1. I have no neutral thoughts.

Neutral thoughts are impossible because all thoughts have power. They will
either make a false world or lead me to the real one. But thoughts cannot be
without effects. As the world I see arises from my thinking errors, so will the
real world rise before my eyes as I let my errors be corrected. My thoughts
cannot be neither true nor false. They must be one or the other. What I see
shows me which they are.

2. I see no neutral things.

What I see witnesses to what I think. If I did not think I would not exist,
because life is thought. Let me look on the world I see as the representation of
my own state of mind. I know that my state of mind can change. And so I also
know the world I see can change as well.

3. I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.

If I have no private thoughts, I cannot see a private world. Even the mad idea
of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the world I
see. Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing. I can also call upon my real
thoughts, which share everything with everyone. As my thoughts of separation
call to the separation thoughts of others, so my real thoughts awaken the real
thoughts in them. And the world my real thoughts show me will dawn on their
sight as well as mine.

4. I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts.

I am alone in nothing. Everything I think or say or do teaches all the universe.
A Son of God cannot think or speak or act in vain. He cannot be alone in
anything. It is therefore in my power to change every mind along with mine, for
mine is the power of God.

5. I am determined to see.

Recognizing the shared nature of my thoughts, I am determined to see. I would
look upon the witnesses that show me the thinking of the world has been changed.
I would behold the proof that what has been done through me has enabled love to
replace fear, laughter to replace tears, and abundance to replace loss. I would
look upon the real world, and let it teach me that my will and the Will of God
are one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(1:1) (16) "I have no neutral thoughts."

*In this lesson Jesus focuses almost exclusively on the power of our thoughts.
The reason we have no neutral thoughts is that our thoughts have the power to
make up a world such as the one in which we live: a world of pain, suffering,
and death; a world in which God appears to be absent. Our thoughts can be just
as powerful on the right-minded side, however, in their power to undo the ego.
The ego's thoughts have no effect in Heaven, of course, but within the dream
they have tremendous power; thus the focus in A Course in Miracles is on the
power of our minds; specifically on the power to choose.*

(1:2-4) "Neutral thoughts are impossible because all thoughts have power. They
will either make a false world or lead me to the real one. But thoughts cannot
be without effects."

*These statements are reinforced by a statement Jesus makes in the text: "All
thinking produces form on some level" (T-2.VI.9:14). Our thoughts have
extraordinary effects. They can make the world of specialness in which we live,
or help us attain the real world by the complete undoing of the ego's world. The
problem is that because of our defensive structure, including the power of
denial, we almost never experience the effects of our thoughts. Consequently, we
are not aware we have thoughts, because we are not aware we have a mind.

(1:5) "As the world I see arises from my thinking errors, so will the real world
rise before my eyes as I let my errors be corrected."

*The real world, which is the end product of forgiveness, is the state of mind
in which all ego thoughts have been undone. It is not something that is
specifically chosen, but rather is the natural state of the guiltless mind when
the ego's thought system of guilt has been chosen against.*

(1:6-8) "My thoughts cannot be neither true nor false. They must be one or the
other. What I see shows me which they are."

*This is another statement of that important theme, <one or the other>. We do
not have Heaven <and> hell, or hell <and> Heaven. They are mutually exclusive
states. This is the underlying metaphysical premise of A Course in Miracles, the
cornerstone of its thought system: There is God, and there is nothing else. If
we believe there is something else, we are believing there is no God. Again, the
way we know which thoughts we have chosen in our minds is by vigilantly paying
attention, with Jesus beside us, to our perceptions of the outer world. They
will reflect to us our decision for Heaven or hell, truth or falsity.

Now Jesus returns to the idea stated previously: *

(2:1) (17) "I see no neutral things."

(2:2-6) "What I see witnesses to what I think. If I did not think I would not
exist, because life is thought. Let me look on the world I see as the
representation of my own state of mind. I know that my state of mind can change.
And so I also know the world I see can change as well."

*We can see how Jesus repeatedly returns to this theme. The beauty of this
review is in the succinct manner in which Jesus weaves together the major themes
of the first fifty lessons. And this is a crucial one: "Let me look on the world
I see as the representation of my own state of mind." We recall these parallel
lines from the text:

"[The world is] the outside picture of an inward condition of evil
(T-21.in.1:5).

"[Perception] is the outward picture of a wish; an image that you wanted to
be true." (T-24.VII.8.10)

We cannot change the world but we can indeed change our minds. Certainly, "the
world I see can change as well." This does not mean, however, that the outside
world can change, but rather <the way that I see it> will change. Keep in mind
that perception is never of facts, it is always an interpretation of what we
call facts; an interpretation of either the ego or the Holy Spirit. When Jesus
talks about the world I see, "he is not talking about the world outside. <There
is no world outside>. The world is nothing but a projection or extension of the
thoughts in our minds. It is essential, therefore, that we recognize the direct
connection between the world and our thinking, otherwise we will never be able
to do anything to change our thoughts.

Before we move on, note the allusion in 2:2 -- "If I did not think I would not
exist" -- to Descartes' famous dictum "I think therefore I am (Cogito ergo sum).
However, while the great 17th century philosopher used this statement to prove
his <real> existence, Jesus ultimately employs it to demonstrate the presence of
our <illusory> existence, stemming from our <illusory> thoughts.

In paragraph 3 Jesus introduces the thought of <oneness> -- in Heaven as God's
one Son, as well as within the split mind. God's Son is One, whether He is
called Christ or the separated Son of God.*

(3:1) (18) "I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing."

(3:2-4)"If I have no private thoughts, I cannot see a private world. Even the
mad idea of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the
world I see. Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing."

*Even though it "was a sharing of nothing," that does not mean we do not believe
it. These statements nicely reflect the idea that despite what the world looks
like -- i.e., even if it is a dream of separation -- the Son of God has remained
one. That is why forgiveness is the central teaching of A Course in Miracles: In
forgiving you, I reflect that you and I have no separate interests, for we share
the same need to awaken from the dream of separation, guilt, and hate. That
begins the process of reversing the ego's fragmentation. As the text emphasizes:
If I forgive you perfectly, behind you stand thousands more, and behind each one
stands yet another thousand (T-27.V.10:4). This means that if I forgive you
perfectly, I have forgiven the Sonship -- there <is> only one Son.*

(3:5-7) "I can also call upon my real thoughts, which share everything with
everyone. As my thoughts of separation call to the separation thoughts of
others, so my real thoughts awaken the real thoughts in them. And the world my
real thoughts show me will dawn on their sight as well as mine."

*This tells me my function. It is not to heal others, nor to change or teach
them in the conventional way. My function is to remind you that the choice I
have made in the holy instant is the same one you can make. A passage in the
manual for teachers wonderfully summarizes this for us. We have quoted it
already, but its relevance certainly deserves additional mentions:

"To them [those who are sick] God's teachers come, to represent another
choice which they had forgotten. The simple presence of a teacher of God is a
reminder. His thoughts ask for the right to question what the patient has
accepted as true. As God's messengers, His teachers are the symbols of
salvation. They ask the patient for forgiveness for God's Son in his own Name.
They stand for the Alternative. With God's Word in their minds they come in
benediction, not to heal the sick but to remind them of the remedy God has
already given them. It is not their hands that heal. It is not their voice that
speaks the Word of God. They merely give what has been given them. Very gently
they call to their brothers to turn away from death: Behold, you Son of God,
what life can offer you. Would you choose sickness in place of this?"
(M-5.III.2)

However, the process works the other way as well: My separation thoughts call to
the separation thoughts in you. The expression of my decision for the ego --
judgment, attack, anxiety, and fear -- tells you that you are right in believing
you are separate, because I am demonstrating that you are. My anger confirms you
are right, as does my special love and dependency. You want to confirm that you
are right, just as I want you to do the same for me. These are the "secret vows"
we make with each other to reinforce our insanity, as Jesus explains in the
text, again in the context of sickness:

"This is the secret vow that you have made with every brother who would walk
apart. This is the secret oath you take again, whenever you perceive yourself
attacked. No one can suffer if he does not see himself attacked, and losing by
attack. Unstated and unheard in consciousness is every pledge to sickness. Yet
it is a promise to another to be hurt by him, and to attack him in return."
"Sickness is anger taken out upon the body, so that it will suffer pain. It
is the obvious effect of what was made in secret, in agreement with another's
secret wish to be apart from you, as you would be apart from him. Unless you
both agree that is your wish, it can have no effects." (T-28.VI.4:3--5:3).

Yet, again, Jesus is also telling us we can reinforce right-minded thinking in
each other:

"Whoever says, "There is no gap between my mind and yours" has kept God's
promise, not his tiny oath to be forever faithful unto death. And by his healing
is his brother healed."
"Let this be your agreement with each one; that you be one with him and not
apart. And he will keep the promise that you make with him, because it is the
one that he has made to God, as God has made to him. God keeps His promises; His
Son keeps his." (T-28.VI.5:4--6:3).

Thus, when I choose Jesus as my teacher instead of the ego, and I release my
grievances through forgiveness, I am teaching there is a right-minded thought in
you as well, and in that moment I have become a healing symbol for you. I do not
have to say anything, nor preach to you. Indeed, I do nothing. Moreover the
<you> may be someone who died twenty years ago. Since minds are joined,
forgiveness has nothing to do with bodies. <You> as a thought and <I> as a
thought are still united. Whenever I choose to let go of my grievances against
you, I am sending a clear message that says: "Awaken from the dream of death."
Delivering that message is our only function.*

(4:1) (19) "I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts."

(4:2-3) "I am alone in nothing. Everything I think or say or do teaches all the
universe."

* "All the universe" is the universe of the Sonship in my mind, joined with
everyone else's. There is only one mind, and I can think, say, or behave from
the Holy Spirit or my ego. Thus Jesus reiterates his teachings on oneness --
spirit <and> ego.*

(4:4-6) "A Son of God cannot think or speak or act in vain. He cannot be alone
in anything. It is therefore in my power to change every mind along with mine,
for mine is the power of God."

*This does not mean I can literally change your mind for you. I can serve as an
example of one who has changed his mind for himself, thereby realizing that that
"self" is all of us. Likewise, Jesus cannot do it for us. He can be our teacher
and model, showing us there is another choice we can make, but he cannot choose
for us. Jesus explained this to Helen early on in the scribing, and therefore to
all of us, in the context of her asking him to take her fear away. His answer
was a foreshadowing of all he was to teach in A Course in Miracles, for he
emphasized the power of Helen's mind to choose fear or against it, and that he
could not, and certainly would not remove that power from her mind by making the
choice for her:

"You may still complain about fear, but you nevertheless persist in making
yourself fearful. I have already indicated that you cannot ask me to release you
from fear. I know it does not exist, but you do not. If I intervened between
your thoughts and their results, I would be tampering with a basic law of cause
and effect; the most fundamental law there is. I would hardly help you if I
depreciated the power of your own thinking. This would be in direct opposition
to the purpose of this course. It is much more helpful to remind you that you do
not guard your thoughts carefully enough." (T-2.VII.1:1-7) *

(5:1) (20) "I am determined to see."

(5:2-3) "Recognizing the shared nature of my thoughts, I am determined to see. I
would look upon the witnesses that show me the thinking of the world has been
changed."

*The witnesses we look upon are the witnesses we send out. This is an implied
reference to "The Attraction of Guilt" in the "Obstacles to Peace"
(T-19.IV-A.i). We send out messengers of love or fear, and what we send out we
see outside us, which become the witnesses that show what we have chosen. If we
are angry or upset, stubborn or having a temper tantrum, that tells us we have
sent out messengers of guilt, fear, hatred, and certainly separation. It is
these external witnesses we make real in our perception, seeing them outside
rather than in our selves. Another passage in the text illustrates the important
role our perceptions play in healing. By observing the witnesses in the world I
perceive, I am taught to see them as reflecting a decision I made in my mind.
Only then can I exercise the mind's power to change the decision:

"Damnation is your judgment on yourself, and this you will project upon the
world. See it as damned, and all you see is what you did to hurt the Son of God.
If you behold disaster and catastrophe, you tried to crucify him. If you see
holiness and hope, you joined the Will of God to set him free. There is no
choice that lies between these two decisions. And you will see the witness to
the choice you made, and learn from this to recognize which one you chose."
(T-21.in.1:1-6)*

(5:4-5) "I would behold the proof that what has been done through me has enabled
love to replace fear, laughter to replace tears, and abundance to replace loss.
I would look upon the real world, and let it teach me that my will and the Will
of God are one."

*Thus will we know which choice we made by paying careful attention to what we
perceive around us. We cannot be reminded too often that perception is not an
objective fact, but always an interpretation. When A Course in Miracles teaches
us to look at what we perceive, Jesus is not speaking of looking out and seeing
a desk or a book, a tree or a person. Rather, we are being instructed to look at
the <way> we perceive objects, people, and situations. In other words, do we
perceive proof of the Atonement principle, or proof of separation? Again, what
we perceive will reveal to us what our minds have chosen. Perceptions of love or
calls for love reflect the decision to accept the Atonement, and this
unequivocal choice ushers in the real world and the happy remembrance of the
unity of God and His Son.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 53. Today we will review the following:

#93052

Lesson 53. Today we will review the following:

1. My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.

Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that
pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and
so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well
as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts
as my guide for seeing.

2. I am upset because I see a meaningless world.

Insane thoughts are upsetting. They produce a world in which there is no order
anywhere. Only chaos rules a world that represents chaotic thinking, and chaos
has no laws. I cannot live in peace in such a world. I am grateful that this
world is not real, and that I need not see it at all unless I choose to value
it. And I do not choose to value what is totally insane and has no meaning.

3. A meaningless world engenders fear.

The totally insane engenders fear because it is completely undependable, and
offers no grounds for trust. Nothing in madness is dependable. It holds out no
safety and no hope. But such a world is not real. I have given it the illusion
of reality, and have suffered from my belief in it. Now I choose to withdraw
this belief, and place my trust in reality. In choosing this, I will escape all
the effects of the world of fear, because I am acknowledging that it does not
exist.

4. God did not create a meaningless world.

How can a meaningless world exist if God did not create it? He is the Source of
all meaning, and everything that is real is in His Mind. It is in my mind too,
because He created it with me. Why should I continue to suffer from the effects
of my own insane thoughts, when the perfection of creation is my home? Let me
remember the power of my decision, and recognize where I really abide.

5. My thoughts are images that I have made.

Whatever I see reflects my thoughts. It is my thoughts that tell me where I am
and what I am. The fact that I see a world in which there is suffering and loss
and death shows me that I am seeing only the representation of my insane
thoughts, and am not allowing my real thoughts to cast their beneficent light on
what I see. Yet God's way is sure. The images I have made cannot prevail against
Him because it is not my will that they do so. My will is His, and I will place
no other gods before Him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 53. "Today we will review the following:"

*We see here a direct connection pointed out to us between our thoughts and the
world, even though Jesus has made this connection before:*

(1:1) (11) "My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world."

(1:2-4) "Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world
that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane,
and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as
well as insane ones."

*Our thoughts of individuality, sinfulness, specialness, etc., have produced
this world. Therefore, since the cause of the world is my insane thoughts, then
the world, as the effect, must be equally insane. <Cause> and <effect> are never
separated, for they are one. Reality, however, is not insane, despite the ego's
protestations to the contrary. It tells us God is insane, vengeful, and angry,
yet "[He] thinks otherwise" (T-23.1.2:7). As he did in the first fifty lessons,
Jesus explains that we have a split mind, containing unreal thoughts of hate,
and real thoughts of love. It remains for us to choose which ones we shall make
real for ourselves. He tries to help us realize how miserable and unhappy we
become when we choose the unreal thoughts of attack, judgment, and specialness.
It is that misery that will ultimately impel us to choose again:

"Tolerance for pain may be high, but it is not without limit. Eventually
everyone begins to recognize, however dimly, that there must be a better way. As
this recognition becomes more firmly established, it becomes a turning point."
(T-2.III.3:5-7).*

(1:5) "I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my
guide for seeing."

*This is the world of vision, the <inner> world in which there are no thoughts
of separation or judgment; the world of thought that is beyond the dream of
hate, wherein we are able at last to see the dream for what it is. From there it
is only an instant longer until God reaches down and lifts us to himself, the
<last step> in our journey, as we see depicted in this lovely statement:

"And then your Father will lean down to you and take the last step for you,
by raising you unto Himself." (T-11.VIII.15:5).

We shall return to a discussion of the real world later.*

(2:1)(12) "I am upset because I see a meaningless world."

(2:2-7) "Insane thoughts are upsetting. They produce a world in which there is
no order anywhere. Only chaos rules a world that represents chaotic thinking,
and chaos has no laws. I cannot live in peace in such a world. I am grateful
that this world is not real, and that I need not see it at all unless I choose
to value it. And I do not choose to value what is totally insane and has no
meaning."

*In "The Laws of Chaos" Jesus puts the word "laws" in quotation marks,
signifying they are not really laws because they make no sense: the only <true>
laws are the laws of God. Jesus does not do so here, but the meaning is the
same: "chaos has no laws."

Before we can elect <not> to value what is "totally insane," we first have to
accept that the world <is> insane. What helps us realize this is that the world
makes us totally unhappy. Our specialness desires -- even when they are
fulfilled and gratified -- do not make us happy and do not bring us the peace of
God. The ultimate reason our insane thoughts are so upsetting is that they
remind us of our original insane thought, which we believe will lead to
punishment. In the ominous words of the ego, depicted in this powerful passage
from the manual, we read (and tremble!) about the effect of our insane thought
of separation, placed in the context of magic thoughts, recognized in another
and/or in ourselves:

"They [ magic thoughts ] can but re-awaken sleeping guilt, which you have
hidden but have not let go. Each one says clearly to your frightened mind, "You
have usurped the place of God. Think not He has forgotten". Here we have the
fear of God most starkly represented. For in that thought has guilt already
raised madness to the throne of God Himself. And now there is no hope. Except to
kill. Here is salvation now. An angry father pursues his guilty son. Kill or be
killed, for here alone is choice. Beyond this there is none, for what was done
cannot be done without. The stain of blood can never be removed, and anyone who
bears this stain on him must meet with death." (M-17.7.2-13).

Forgiveness allows us to examine the destructive insanity of such a thought
system, helping us accept it for what it is; a recognition for which we can only
be deeply grateful, as its miracle leads beyond insane magic to the pure sanity
of eternal life.*

(3:1)(13) "A meaningless world engenders fear."

(3:2-5) "The totally insane engenders fear because it is completely
undependable, and offers no grounds for trust. Nothing in madness is dependable.
It holds out no safety and no hope. But such a world is not real."

*The only reality is Heaven, which is totally dependable because it is certain:
There is only God. This world, as we have all experienced it, is not dependable.
It was made to be so. That is what lets us know that the world and our
experience of it are not real. Once again, it is our guilt, born of the belief
in sin, that leads us to expect certain punishment and to trust no one. The best
we can do is protect ourselves from certain attack by utilizing various
defenses, which serve only to maintain the separation that established the need
for defenses in the first place. Thus the vicious cycles of guilt and attack,
and attack and defense, continue and continue and continue. They will always
continue, until their fundamental premises are exposed to the truth.*

(3:6-8) "I have given it the illusion of reality, and have suffered from my
belief in it. Now I choose to withdraw this belief, and place my trust in
reality. In choosing this, I will escape all the effects of the world of fear,
because I am acknowledging that it does not exist."

*Again, it is essential that we make the connection between our suffering (the
effect) and our thoughts of judgment, attack, and specialness (the cause). We do
not escape the world of fear by use of our armaments -- attempts to control,
manipulate, and seduce. We control the world only by realizing there is no world
to control. What does need to be controlled, however, are our thoughts, as Jesus
gently admonished Helen, to repeat an earlier quote: "You are much too tolerant
of mind wandering" (T-2.VI.4:6). Most of the time there is nothing we can do
about certain things in the world, but we certainly can do something about our
uncertain thoughts. And we must, for they serve a vitally important purpose.
They keep us here, holding intact our individuality, self-concepts, and very
existence. Recognizing the purpose of our thoughts enables us to exert the power
of decision to change the ego's goal of separation to the Holy Spirit's goal of
Atonement. By changing the ego's underlying purpose we are able to escape its
effects of pain, anxiety, and fear.*

(4:1)(14) "God did not create a meaningless world."

(4:2-6) "How can a meaningless world exist if God did not create it? He is the
Source of all meaning, and everything that is real is in His Mind. It is in my
mind too, because He created it with me. Why should I continue to suffer from
the effects of my own insane thoughts, when the perfection of creation is my
home? Let me remember the power of my decision, and recognize where I really
abide."

*You can see how Jesus returns over and over to the core symphonic themes of
these lessons: reality, illusion, and the power of our minds to choose between
them. The point here is extremely important, because the problem is that we have
forgotten that we have such power to choose. The ego set up its series of
defenses so we would never remember that we have a mind, let alone a mind that
can choose. Thus were the body and brain made to keep our minds hidden from us,
replaced by the mindless state of living in a body that is governed by a brain
that thinks it thinks, but in reality only carries out the thoughts of the
unconscious mind. These thoughts are but two: the ego belief that the
meaningless has triumphed over the meaningful; and the Holy Spirit's Atonement
that the ego thought is unreal because it is outside the Mind of God. Thus it
has no effects. Despite my feverish dreams to the contrary, I remain at home in
God, held in memory in my right mind by the Holy Spirit. Now I can remember to
choose again.*

(5:1)(15) "My thoughts are images that I have made."

(5:2-4) "Whatever I see reflects my thoughts. It is my thoughts that tell me
where I am and what I am. The fact that I see a world in which there is
suffering and loss and death shows me that I am seeing only the representation
of my insane thoughts, and am not allowing my real thoughts to cast their
beneficent light on what I see."

*This points out a crucial dimension of anyone's work with A Course in Miracles.
Many of its students tend to deny they see a world of suffering, loss, and
death. Instead they proclaim the world is really wonderful -- part of God's or
Jesus' plan: moreover, the new millennium will bring healing everywhere it is
needed, bathing us all in light. The problem with looking through rose colored
glasses is that if we do not recognize the insanity, pain, and suffering of the
world, we will never recognize their source in our minds. The <only way we can
return to the insanity in our minds is by recognizing the insanity we perceive.>
If we stubbornly, arrogantly, and self-righteously insist that everything is
wonderful -- e.g., this is a wonderful world, replete with wonderful happenings;
this is a wonderful course Jesus gave us -- we will never realize that what we
are seeing outside is a defense. ... Once more, the only way we can get to our
thoughts and change our minds about them is to see their effects, which, again,
is the cruel and vicious world in which we live.*

(5:5-7) "Yet God's way is sure. The images I have made cannot prevail against
Him because it is not my will that they do so. My will is His, and I will place
no other gods before Him."

*Jesus again appeals to the power of our minds to choose: between illusions and
the truth. The final sentence is taken from the first commandment in the Book of
Exodus (20:3), the basis for part of the discussion in Chapter 10 in the text
(see especially T-10.III.-V).The point there, as well as here, is that the ego's
gods of separation, sickness, suffering, and death have no power over the Son of
God, who remains as God created him. God remains God, and no wild imaginings can
erect another to take His place, except in dreams. Thus our will has never
ceased to be one with His, and we remain at home, where God "would have us be"
(T-31.VIII.12:8).*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 52. Today's review covers these ideas:

#93051

Lesson 52. Today's review covers these ideas:

1. I am upset because I see what is not there.

Reality 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 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.

2. I see only the past.

As 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 love
on all that I failed to see before.

3. My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.

I 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.

4. I see nothing as it is now.

If 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;
the choice 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.

5. My thoughts do not mean anything.

I 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?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 52. "Today's review covers these ideas:"

*As discussed above, we find here the continual weaving of themes from the early
lessons. In this set Jesus introduces forgiveness.*

(1:1)(6) "I am upset because I see what is not there."

(1:2-8) "Reality 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 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."

*This is an example of why we cannot study this course, let alone practice it,
without understanding the underlying metaphysics. That is not necessarily a
requirement for those just starting out with A Course in Miracles, but as we go
along we see how its underlying metaphysics is present all the way through.
Thus, if the world out there comes from our thoughts, which do not exist, the
world must not exist either. It therefore makes no sense to be upset by it.

The truth is that we fear reality because it represents the end of our
delusional thought system of separation, which includes the insane idea we can
and do exist apart from God. It is thus our egos that fear the decision for
reality. That is why Jesus teaches in the text that we "are not really afraid of
crucifixion. [Our] real terror is of redemption" (T-13.III.1:10-11). However,
the ego teaches that reality is to be feared because of what we did to it;
namely, separated from its love, thereby destroying it. Thus we deserve to be
punished for our sin. However, the Holy Spirit's Atonement principle is that we
<never> separated from God, and therefore there is nothing to fear. Nothing
happened -- "Not one note in Heaven's song was missed" (T-26.V.5:4) -- and
without the belief in sin, there can be no fear of punishment. The ego's thought
system of sin, guilt, and fear is made up. Nothing, therefore, can only lead to
nothing, to paraphrase King Lear's outburst.*

(2:1) (7) "I see only the past."

(2:2-4) "As 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."

*Once again we see that if we understand the Course's metaphysics, we would
quickly realize why these lines are true. We began our existence as individuals
by making God our enemy, and then, as one Son, projected that thought, making up
a world of billions and billions of fragments. But the ontological thought came
with us, and exists in each individual fragment. Thus the prevalence of <one or
the other> in our thinking and our experience: If I am to exist, everyone else
must be killed. We people our world with many special love partners, however, so
that our ultimate goal is not apparent. Nevertheless we hold the past against
everyone and everything, making them our enemies. And what is the past? Sin. We
sinned in the past, projected it out, and now see it in everyone else. What we
think we see, therefore -- a world of separation and sin -- is not really there
at all, and thus is not <seeing.> Our arrogance in all this lies in that we
really believe we think, see, hear, and especially that <we> understand.*

(2:5-7) "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 love on all that I failed to see before."

*It is not only that I <will> bless everyone, I <must> bless everyone, because
there is only God's blessing within my mind, that is all I can ever see. Again,
if I realize I am a child of God, I am not separate from Him. Thus, there is no
sin, and without sin there is no past. Obviously, then, there is nothing to
project. What remains is the blessing of love on all things, for we have blessed
ourselves with the thought of forgiveness.*

(3:1) (8) "My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts."

(3:2-3) "I see only my own thoughts, and my mind is preoccupied with the past.
What, then, can I see as it is?"

*Vision is impossible as long as I believe I am separated and special, as long
as I think that I count, am important, am wonderful, and on and on and on -- the
<me, myself and I> syndrome. These are but ways of asserting that I exist and,
moreover, that I demand to be treated with the dignity I deserve. Needless to
say, hidden in back of this is that I want you <not> to treat me this way,
because then my ego is home free. I have become the eternal victim, and you the
eternal victimizer. I get to keep my ego's cake of separation, eat, and enjoy
every guilty morsel, too.*

(3:4) "Let me remember that I look on the past to prevent the present from
dawning on my mind."

*If we read this carefully we can recognize a clear statement of purpose: "Let
me remember that I look on the past <to> prevent the present from dawning on my
mind." There is a purpose for our holding on to the past and our attack
thoughts. That is what keeps the present, the holy instant, and Jesus' love from
"dawning on my mind." In the presence of his love we can no longer exist as
special and hate-filled individuals. That is the fear: losing our special
identity.*

(3:5-6) "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."

*Again, we see the purpose behind our world of time and space. The ego uses its
linear time -- <past, present, and future> -- as the way of reinforcing its
underlying thought system of <sin, guilt, and fear>. In this way, the Everything
of God is prevented by the nothingness of the ego from being remembered.*

(4:1) (9) "I see nothing as it is now."

(4:2-4) "If 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; the choice is merely whether to see or not."

*We cannot see the past, because there is no past, no sin, no separation. Thus
what we think we see -- which includes what I remember happening in the past and
whatever I am seeing now -- is a projection of our sinful past on to the others.
Consequently, what we are seeing is not there at all, and that characterizes our
insanity.*

(4:5) "What I have chosen to see has cost me vision."

*That is precisely why I have chosen to see it! The vision of Christ sees the
Sonship as one, in which there are not special, important people. We are all the
same. This <sameness> of purpose reflects the <Sameness> of God's Son.
Perception originated in the need to defend against knowledge, which is
remembered through Christ's vision.*

(4:6) "Now I would choose again, that I may see."

*Note the recurring emphasis on the power of our minds to choose. Even if we are
not yet ready to make this choice -- vision still being too frightening -- we
can at least recognize the possibility of choice, and forgive ourselves for not
yet being able to make it.*

(5:1) (10) "My thoughts do not mean anything."

(5:2-5) "I 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."

*My thoughts mean nothing because they are "my" thoughts. They are based on
separation and exclusivity, and so are based on the exact opposite of Heaven's
Oneness, our <non-specific>, and thus <non-private> reality.*

(5:6-7) "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?"

*Importantly, Jesus says "all that is really mine," not what I <think> is mine,
which are but a few gifts scraps of specialness. What is <really> mine are the
gifts of Heaven: love, eternal life, real freedom, and perfect oneness.

Obviously Jesus does not think very much of our individuality, and he implores
us not to think very much of it, either. The problem is that we value it much
more than we ever thought we did. As we work seriously with A Course in
Miracles, it becomes clearer and clearer how much we do value our individuality,
how much we do have serious authority problems, and how we do not want anyone to
tell us anything other than what we believe is true. We need to be aware of this
arrogance without judging ourselves; to realize that, yes, this is where my
thoughts are coming from, and they are just a silly mistake.

It is apparent as one reads through A Course in Miracles, not just these
lessons, that Jesus is persistently consistent in presenting the truth to us,
and does not judge us for our illusions. He makes fun of us occasionally, but
his attitude is certainly not punitive. He simply says: "Will you please
recognize that you are wrong and I am right. As long as you continue to think
otherwise, you will not be happy. I am not the one who will punish you; <you>
will punish you. I wait patiently for you, but why delay your happiness?" As he
asks us twice later in the workbook: "Why wait for Heaven?"
(W-pI.131.6:1;W-pI.188.1:1)*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 51. The review for today covers the following ideas:

#93050

Lesson 51. The review for today covers the following ideas:

1. Nothing I see means anything.

The reason this is so is that I see nothing, and nothing has no meaning. It is
necessary that I recognize this, that I may learn to see. What I think I see now
is taking the place of vision. I must let it go by realizing it has no meaning,
so that vision may take its place.

2. I have given what I see all the meaning it has for me.

I have judged everything I look upon, and it is this and only this I see. This
is not vision. It is merely an illusion of reality, because my judgments have
been made quite apart from reality. I am willing to recognize the lack of
validity in my judgments, because I want to see. My judgments have hurt me, and
I do not want to see according to them.

3. I do not understand anything I see.

How could I understand what I see when I have judged it amiss? What I see is the
projection of my own errors of thought. I do not understand what I see because
it is not understandable. There is no sense in trying to understand it. But
there is every reason to let it go, and make room for what can be seen and
understood and loved. I can exchange what I see now for this merely by being
willing to do so. Is not this a better choice than the one I made before?

4. These thoughts do not mean anything.

The thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything because I am trying to
think without God. What I call "my" thoughts are not my real thoughts. My real
thoughts are the thoughts I think with God. I am not aware of them because I
have made my thoughts to take their place. I am willing to recognize that my
thoughts do not mean anything, and to let them go. I choose to have them be
replaced by what they were intended to replace. My thoughts are meaningless, but
all creation lies in the thoughts I think with God.

5. I am never upset for the reason I think.

I am never upset for the reason I think because I am constantly trying to
justify my thoughts. I am constantly trying to make them true. I make all things
my enemies, so that my anger is justified and my attacks are warranted. I have
not realized how much I have misused everything I see by assigning this role to
it. I have done this to defend a thought system that has hurt me, and that I no
longer want. I am willing to let it go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 51. "The review for today covers the following ideas:"

*Before beginning, let me mention something that probably has eluded almost all
students of A Course in Miracles, certainly the non-obsessive ones. Helen had
<insisted> to Jesus that each of the one-sentence introduction to the day's
review be different. And you will surely be impressed to discover how many
different ways Jesus can say that "the review for today covers the following
ideas:" *

(1) (1) "Nothing I see means anything."

*In these early lessons Jesus emphasizes that what we see does not mean anything
because what we see comes from <mis>thoughts of judgment and attack.*

(1:2-5) "The reason this is so is that I see nothing, and nothing has no
meaning. It is necessary that I recognize this, that I may learn to see. What I
think I see now is taking the place of vision. I must let it go by realizing it
has no meaning, so that vision may take its place."

*While Jesus does not use the term here, he points out to us that we have a
split mind. We have the capacity of seeing through the vision of the Holy
Spirit, but to ensure that that does not happen we cover those loving thoughts
with thoughts of attack and separation. Indeed, we cannot achieve the goal of
vision if we do not recognize and understand the inherent illusory and
meaningless nature of our perceptions. It is these misperceptions that we have
deliberately chosen to take the place of vision, fulfilling the ego's purpose of
protecting itself -- really, our separated self protecting its separate identity
-- that prevents us from discovering the only meaning for being in this world:
forgiveness.*

(2) (2) "I have given what I see all the meaning it has for me."

(2:2-4) "I have judged everything I look upon, and it is this and only this I
see. This is not vision. It is merely an illusion of reality, because my
judgments have been made quite apart from reality."

*This restates the teaching that the world we see is not there simply because it
comes from our judgmental thoughts, which also are not there. Remember, every
thought in the ego thought system is a defense against the truth of the
Atonement principle, which is that we never left God. Everything we perceive is
a shadowy fragment of the original judgment that we separated from our Source
and reality, the fundamental illusion from which all others come.*

(2:5-6) "I am willing to recognize the lack of validity in my judgments, because
I want to see. My judgments have hurt me, and I do not want to see according to
them."

*Jesus is appealing to our sane, rational minds to understand that what we are
doing with our thoughts, and therefore with the perceived world, hurts us: "My
judgments have hurt me." The ego has set up its defensive system as a huge gap
between our attack thoughts and the pain that is their effect. This gap is
represented by the world of time and space, its purpose being to enable us to
feel justified in attributing our pain to "things beyond [us], forces [we]
cannot control" (T-19.IV.-D.7:4). That, of course, is the wonder of projection
from the ego's point of view. We wind up feeling assured that we are not
responsible for the pain that results from our choosing against God and His
Love: others, our bodies, or the world are the cause of our distress --anyone or
anything <but> ourselves.

Thus the idea of these lessons is to bring the <effect> to the <cause>, so we
can realize it is our judgments alone that have us hurt us. In so doing we
restore to awareness the power of our minds to decide our own destiny: happiness
or misery, peace or conflict.*

(3) (3) "I do not understand anything I see."

(3:2-4) "How could I understand what I see when I have judged it amiss? What I
see is the projection of my own errors of thought. I do not understand what I
see because it is not understandable."

*This is the beginning of humility. We are always so sure we are right: what I
see is what I see, what I hear is what I hear, and my understanding of a
situation is what <I> say it is. If we are skillful enough, we get a multitude
of people to agree with us. That is not sanity, but collective <insanity>! In
French this is known as <folie a deux>: a delusion shared by two people. But it
could just as easily be ten, hundreds, thousands, millions, if not billions, for
we all share the same insanity. We therefore cannot truly understand anything,
nor go to anyone else for true understanding. If at any point we feel
specialness, judgment, or separation, we should not trust anything we conclude
based on those feelings; we will inevitably be wrong.*

(4) (4) "These thoughts do not mean anything."

(4:2) "The thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything because I am trying
to think without God."

*This is the bottom line. Representing God is the Holy Spirit, Jesus, or the
thoughts of these lessons. If we are not thinking in harmony with these thoughts
-- i.e., if we are holding on to grievances, attack thoughts, or specialness
needs in any way, shape, or form -- we are <not> thinking, and anything that
results from not thinking must be non-existent. Remember, cause and effect are
never separate. Illusions can merely breed further illusions.*

(5) (5) "I am never upset for the reason I think."

(5:2) "I am never upset for the reason I think because I am constantly trying to
justify my thoughts."

*Once we make the decision to be an individual and a first person possessive
singular, we constantly try to justify that existence. This is the role of the
face of innocence: It is not my fault, and I gather together as many people as
possible to justify the perception of myself as a victim. This is never
difficult to do, by the way, because the vastness of the world supplies an
almost endless number of potential objects for our projections. Moreover, what
makes it interesting is that we <all> seek to justify our face of innocence,
thereby ensuring that we continue to exist as separated individuals <but that
others will be responsible for the sin.> Therefore, it is they who will be
punished for the sin that is no longer found in us.*

(5:3-7) "I am constantly trying to make them true. I make all things my enemies,
so that my anger is justified and my attacks are warranted. I have not realized
how much I have misused everything I see by assigning this role to it. I have
done this to defend a thought system that has hurt me, and that I no longer
want. I am willing to let it go."

*Students doing the workbook for the first time usually do not pay careful
attention to what they are reading. However, if they continue studying A Course
in Miracles over many years and read the workbook much more carefully, which I
strongly recommend, they will be astounded at what Jesus is actually saying;
statements such as we have just read being prime examples.

Jesus here is putting words in our mouths, hoping we shall keep them there: We
are now deciding we are glad we were wrong, and even happier to realize there is
someone else within us who is right. This involves letting go of our anger,
judgments, and arrogance; our devotion to specialness, and ultimately our
individuality. We need to withdraw our investment in using others as
reinforcement for our defense of projection, putting them either in the category
of special love or special hate -- objects with whom we seem to join, or from
whom we seem to separate. Either way, our ego's need to demonstrate its
innocence is fulfilled through attack and judgment, making others guilty of the
sins we have projected onto them, magically hoping we can escape punishment
through this insane and magical dynamic. Now we can happily say we choose

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Review 1. Introduction

#93049

Review 1. Introduction

(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
after reading them over. 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 either
literally or thoroughly in the practice periods. Try, rather, to emphasize the
central point, and think about it as part of your review of the idea to which it
relates. After you have read the idea and the related comments, the exercises
should be done with your eyes closed and when you are alone in a quiet place, if
possible.

(4) This is emphasized for practice periods 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 your learning most in situations that
appear to be upsetting, rather than in those that already seem to be calm and
quiet. 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.

(5) 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, some of the ideas are not given in
quite their original form. 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is from Kenneth Wapnick's commentaries from his book set called "Journey
Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles." which can be purchased at the
following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review 1. Introduction

*I have often spoken of the symphonic structure of A Course in Miracles, and
usually refer to the text when I do so, but the same holds true for the workbook
as well. One of the characteristics of a symphonic work, especially those
written in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, is that the opening movement
has an <exposition> that presents the different themes, a <development> section
that elaborates on them, and a <recapitulation> where the composer brings back
the themes, but in a new way. This is what we find in the workbook.

Lessons 1 through 60, especially, demonstrate the masterfully symphonic way
Jesus has organized his material. The first fifty lesson consist of the
exposition and development of the various themes, and here in the first review
they return, but presented differently. He explains this at the end of the
introduction, as we shall see presently. My discussion will focus on the major
themes of these early workbook lessons -- and the ways in which Jesus integrates
them in the review.

In general, we can summarize this movement of our symphony thusly: Just as the
text begins with its central theme -- the first principle of miracles: "There is
no order of difficulty in miracles." (T.1.I.1.1) -- so do we find the workbook's
central theme in these early lessons -- "There is no order of difficulty in
<perception.>"

In the first three paragraphs Jesus instructs us how to proceed with the
lessons, asking us to think about the ideas in the review "as often as possible"
throughout the day:*

(1:1 -- 3:2) "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:

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 after reading
them over. 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."

"It is not necessary to cover the comments that follow each idea either
literally or thoroughly in the practice periods. Try, rather, to emphasize the
central point, and think about it as part of your review of the idea to which it
relates."

*We thus see Jesus' ongoing emphasis on thinking about, and applying these ideas
throughout the day. Moreover, we note his insistence on the lesson's <content>
-- its "central point" -- rather than its <form.> He is not seeking our
literalness (i.e.,compulsivity) in practicing, but our learning to generalize
the lesson's message to whatever specific aspect of our day is meaningful.*

(3:3 -- 4:1) "After you have read the idea and the related comments, the
exercises should be done with your eyes closed and when you are alone in a quiet
place, if possible." ...
"This is emphasized for practice periods at your stage of learning."

*These are two important sentences, wherein we see Jesus providing us with
structured periods of meditation. In "I Need Do Nothing," on the other hand, he
tells us this is not a course in contemplation or meditation (T-18.VII.4). He is
certainly not against meditation, but that is not integral to the process of
forgiveness. In this Introduction, Jesus indirectly cautions us about something
he is more direct about in the teacher's manual ("How should a teacher of God
Spend His Day?" [M-16]) which we have already discussed. The point, once again,
is that when you have structured periods of learning or meditation, they easily
become rituals and gods in their own right. In that sense they counteract Jesus'
teachings on specialness. I emphasized in my lectures of the first fifty lessons
that one of the principle goals of A Course in Miracles, well articulated in the
workbook, is to have us learn to generalize. Therefore, if you can be with God,
think of Jesus, or remember the lesson <only> during the structured practice
periods, you are defeating their purpose. That is why Jesus specifically says
"at your stage of learning." He is assuming that everyone is starting at the
bottom of the ladder, and so he is essentially re-training our minds from the
beginning. He is asking us to set aside everything we think we know about
meditation, contemplation, prayer, and spirituality and let him teach us anew.
Our teacher starts us off with structured and oftentimes simple exercises, but
he does not want them to become special objects of attachment. Even though this
is early in the workbook, Jesus is already issuing a word of caution about the
potential misuse of these exercises.*

(4:2-3) "It will be necessary, however, that you learn to require no special
settings in which to apply what you have learned. You will need your learning
most in situations that appear to be upsetting, rather than in those that
already seem to be calm and quiet."

*Jesus is not saying there is anything wrong with arranging things externally in
order to be comfortable when you meditate, but he does not want you to form a
special relationship with your posture or breathing, the scent of your candle,
the music, A Course in Miracles, or anything else. The emphasis should not be on
modifying the external situation so you are happy, but on trying to change your
thoughts so you would be <truly> happy, regardless of where you are or its
conditions. Again, he is not against your doing anything that will help you
relax, as long as you are vigilant for the ritualistic specialness which would
act <against> your learning.*

(4:4-5) "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."

*To make this important point still again, Jesus is not saying we should not
meditate and have structured periods of practice. In fact, that is precisely
what this workbook has been all about. He is simply letting us know we are in
the early stages of learning, and that he is going to take us far, far beyond
where we are now. We get a glimpse of this "far, far beyond" in the lovely
passage from the manual for teachers, given in the context of learning to
practice the justice of the Holy Spirit:

"There is no inherent conflict between justice and truth; one is but the
first small step in the direction of the other. The path becomes quite different
as one goes along. Nor could all the magnificence, the grandeur of the scene and
the enormous opening vistas that rise to meet one as the journey continues, be
foretold from the outset. Yet even these, whose splendor reaches indescribable
heights as one proceeds, fall short indeed of all that wait when the pathway
ceases and time ends with it. But somewhere one must start. Justice is the
beginning." (M-19.2:4-9)

Structured periods of practice and meditation are thus the beginning.*

(5:1) "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."

*The idea is that we would feel peaceful not only when all is quiet around us,
but also, <and especially,> when everything seems to be falling apart: when we
or our families are ravaged by sickness; when anger and accusations are rampant;
and when we are in the midst of guilt, anxiety, terror, and any of the feelings
that are an inherent part of our lives. These are the times when we especially
need to think of Jesus and what he is teaching. It would obviously make no sense
from a learning point of view if we could only turn to him and find peace when
we were physically quiet. Our quiet times are simply part of the training
program of learning to go <inside,> so that once comfortable with this process,
we can call upon peace <whenever> we find ourselves turning to the ego for help,
immediately recognizing the need to change our teacher.*

(5:2) "And finally you will learn that there is no limit to where you are, so
that your peace is everywhere, as you are."

*This is the ultimate goal of learning to <generalize> the specific lessons and
situations in which we are being taught so they apply to all relationships, all
situations, at all times, and in all circumstances -- without exception. If
there is no world out there, which is the key metaphysical premise of A Course
in Miracles, then the world is <inside> you. That is where peace is found.
Further, if there is no world outside you, how can it affect you? That is what
we need to learn, which we do through careful study and practice.*

(6:1-3) "You will note that, for review purposes, some of the ideas are not
given in quite their original form. 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."

*Note Jesus' flexibility, a model for us <not> to obsess about the <form> of
these lessons, focusing instead on their underlying <content>.

The final sentence of the Introduction helps introduce what we shall be talking
about as we proceed through this review:*

(6:4) "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."

*Restated, Jesus is saying that in these ten review lessons he will bring
together these themes and show us how they are integrated: "the cohesiveness of
the thought system." Understanding any one theme or concept in A Course in
Miracles will automatically lead you to the others, reflecting its internal
consistency. As I mentioned, the predominant theme of these first fifty lessons
is the correction of our misperceptions. We have seen again and again how much
emphasis Jesus places on our learning that our thoughts determine the world we
see, elaborating on the principle he gives us twice in the text: <projection
makes perception> (T-13.V.3:5; T. in.1:1). We first look within and recognize
with horror our thoughts of sin, guilt, and fear -- specifically in this
context, thoughts of attack and judgment -- which we then project. These
projections become the <cause> of the world we perceive outside us, which in our
distorted experience appears as the <effect>. Thus Jesus teaches us this is a
course in cause and not effect, as we have already seen (T-21.VII.7:8). In other
words, this is not a course in changing the world or our behavior, but in
changing our thoughts, laden with judgment and attack.

When Jesus tells us that what we call thinking is not thinking at all, it is
because we are thinking in opposition to him and God. What opposes God and His
loving Oneness does not exist. Therefore, our thoughts of attack, anxiety, and
judgment do not exist. Within our delusional minds, however, we most certainly
think they do. We project these illusory thoughts of separation and hate, and
see a world that does not exist because it comes from thoughts that are not
really there. It is therefore our thinking that is the problem, from which we
have to be saved. Salvation thus teaches us to correct our misthoughts, choosing
the consequence of peace instead of conflict. This familiar statement near the
end of the text is worth another look, to which we add an additional sentence:

"Salvation can be seen as nothing more than the escape from concepts. It
does not concern itself with content of the mind, but with the simple statement
that it thinks. And what can think has choice, and can be shown that different
thoughts have different consequence." (T-31.V.14.:3-5).

Another major theme is decision, or changing our minds, and so a major thrust of
these lessons is helping us realize what we are doing so that we can change our
minds from thoughts of anger and judgment to forgiveness and peace. When we
choose those thoughts they automatically extend, and we make the transition to
what Jesus refers to as "vision." The external world does not necessarily
change; indeed, many times it does not change at all. What changes is the way we
perceive the world, which means the way we interpret it. Continuing with the
process of forgiveness is what ultimately leads to Christ's vision, or the
perception of the Holy Spirit that sees and knows the inherent sameness of God's
one Son.

To summarize: The central themes -- there are several subsidiary ones which we
shall look at as well -- are realizing the connection between our attack
thoughts and the world we see; and recognizing Jesus' appeal that we change our
minds and allow him to be the source of what we see, thus attaining true vision.
Of the many themes of these ten review lessons, vision is by far the most
important, as we shall see now.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 50. I am sustained by the Love of God.

#93048

Lesson 50. I am sustained by the Love of God.

Here is the answer to every problem that will confront you, today and tomorrow
and throughout time. In this world, you believe you are sustained by everything
but God. Your faith is placed in the most trivial and insane symbols; pills,
money, "protective" clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing the
"right" people, and an endless list of forms of nothingness that you endow with
magical powers.

All these things are your replacements for the Love of God. All these things are
cherished to ensure a body identification. They are songs of praise to the ego.
Do not put your faith in the worthless. It will not sustain you.

Only the Love of God will protect you in all circumstances. It will lift you out
of every trial, and raise you high above all the perceived dangers of this world
into a climate of perfect peace and safety. It will transport you into a state
of mind that nothing can threaten, nothing can disturb, and where nothing can
intrude upon the eternal calm of the Son of God.

Put not your faith in illusions. They will fail you. Put all your faith in the
Love of God within you; eternal, changeless and forever unfailing. This is the
answer to whatever confronts you today. Through the Love of God within you, you
can resolve all seeming difficulties without effort and in sure confidence. Tell
yourself this often today. It is a declaration of release from the belief in
idols. It is your acknowledgment of the truth about yourself.

For ten minutes, twice today, morning and evening, let the idea for today sink
deep into your consciousness. Repeat it, think about it, let related thoughts
come to help you recognize its truth, and allow peace to flow over you like a
blanket of protection and surety. Let no idle and foolish thoughts enter to
disturb the holy mind of the Son of God. Such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Such is
the resting place where your Father has placed you forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 50. "I am sustained by the Love of God."

*Lesson 50 differs from the preceding ones, and we shall be reintroduced to
themes that will return later. Specifically, this lesson makes another
statement, much clearer than the previous one, about the nature of the special
relationship. The terms <special relationships> and <specialness> do not appear
in the workbook at all; however, it is clear in passages like these that this is
Jesus' referent.*

(1) "Here is the answer to every problem that will confront you, today and
tomorrow and throughout time. In this world, you believe you are sustained by
everything but God. Your faith is placed in the most trivial and insane symbols;
pills, money, "protective" clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing
the "right" people, and an endless list of forms of nothingness that you endow
with magical powers."

*If these statements are read in the context of A Course in Miracles as a whole,
it is obvious that Jesus is not saying we should feel guilty because we take a
pill, wear warm clothing in the winter, or have friends with whom we spend time.
This passage is similar to Lesson 76 "I am under no laws but God's," which we
shall discuss in due course and where we shall issue the same caveat. Moreover,
Jesus is not saying we should let go of our bodily concerns. That would be
confusing levels -- mind and body -- which he warns us about in the text (see,
e.g.T-2.IV.3:8-11). We <can> overlook our bodies -- physical and psychological
-- if we are in the real world, because at that point we <know> they are not our
identity. But Jesus knows his students, and knows us well, and he wants us to be
aware of the thought system on which dependencies (or special relationships) are
based, and to understand the source of our trust in the things of the world.
Only then can we make the meaningful choice against them. He continues with the
source of these special attachments:*

(2) "All these things are your replacements for the Love of God. All these
things are cherished to ensure a body identification. They are songs of praise
to the ego. Do not put your faith in the worthless. It will not sustain you."

*Again, Jesus is not saying we must give up anything that makes us feel better
physically or mentally. However, he is saying we should be aware of our
<dependence> on it, what in the text he refers to as <idols.> Such dependency is
a statement that says God's Love is not enough, we want more:

"The world believes in idols. No one comes unless he worshipped them, and
still attempts to seek for one that yet might offer him a gift reality does not
contain. Each worshipper of idols harbors hope his special deities will give him
more than other men possess. It must be more. It does not really matter more of
what; more beauty, more intelligence, more wealth, or even more affliction and
more pain. But more of something is an idol for. And when one fails another
takes its place, with hope of finding more of something else. Be not deceived by
forms the "something" takes. An idol is a means for getting more. And it is this
that is against God's Will." (T.29.VIII.8.4-13).

But we knew all this anyway, otherwise we would not be in the world, for no one
comes here, as we have just read, unless he seeks more than the love God has
offered. Be careful not to use Jesus' teaching as reason to club yourself or
others over the head. However, <do> use it as a way of reminding yourself that
the journey takes you through your specialness; a journey you cannot make until
you first recognize your heavy involvement in it. Lessons like this, as well as
much of the text, make that abundantly clear. We shall return to this theme over
and over again, for the same reason Jesus does: The journey to Heaven through
hell <is> the path Jesus leads us on, and understanding the journey's contours
will enable us to be led gently home.*

(3) "Only the Love of God will protect you in all circumstances. It will lift
you out of every trial, and raise you high above all the perceived dangers of
this world into a climate of perfect peace and safety. It will transport you
into a state of mind that nothing can threaten, nothing can disturb, and where
nothing can intrude upon the eternal calm of the Son of God."

*Jesus is reminding us our goal is to walk through this dream without fear. When
we can do so, we shall realize we are not in the dream at all: the dream figure
we call ourselves but reflects a thought of love with which we are now
identified. Remember this is a process, and in this lesson we are presented with
the journey in its entirety; where we begin, the nature of the journey -- going
through our specialness -- and then at last the journey's end.*

(4:1-4) "Put not your faith in illusions. They will fail you. Put all your faith
in the Love of God within you; eternal, changeless and forever unfailing. This
is the answer to whatever confronts you today."

*There are many lovely sections and passages in the text about not putting our
faith in illusions. We read, for example, this one on <faithlessness>, putting
our faith in nothing:

"It is impossible that the Son of God lack faith, but he can choose where
he would have it be. Faithlessness is not a lack of faith, but faith in nothing.
Faith given to illusions does not lack power, for by it does the Son of God
believe that he is powerless. Thus is he faithless to himself, but strong in
faith in his illusions about himself." (T-21.III.5:1-4).

The opening to "Seek Not Outside Yourself" summarizes the entire section:

"Seek not outside yourself. For it will fail, and you will weep each time
an idol falls. Heaven cannot be found where it is not, and there can be no peace
excepting there. Each idol that you worship when God calls will never answer in
His place. There is no other answer you can substitute, and find the happiness
His answer brings. Seek not outside yourself. For all your pain comes simply
from a futile search for what you want, insisting where it must be found."
(T-29.VII.1:1-7).

Whenever we are troubled, it is because we do not believe we are sustained by
the Love of God. Still closer to the truth, we do not want to be sustained by
everything else, as long as it is outside our minds. Looking at that horrid
thought without judgment or guilt is the way to move beyond it to the state of
true sinlessness, the innocence that is our natural Identity as God's Son.*

(4:5-8) "Through the Love of God within you, you can resolve all seeming
difficulties without effort and in sure confidence. Tell yourself this often
today. It is a declaration of release from the belief in idols. It is your
acknowledgment of the truth about yourself."

*The Love of God is the <content> that automatically heals all "seeming
difficulties," which deal only with <form>. The ego, as we have already seen,
literally made up the world of <form> -- both collectively and individually --
to keep us from choosing the <content> of the Atonement that ends the ego's
reign in our minds. When the external problem is kept from the internal answer,
the problem will never be solved, for it can but shift from one form to another.
However, when brought to the truth within, it cannot help disappearing. As a
later lesson on forgiveness puts it: "I will forgive, and this will disappear"
(W-pI.193.13:3); italics omitted).

The reference to the idols, from which we are released, is special
relationships. We invoke these substitutes for God's Love as replacements for
what threatens our ego's existence, and which provide the illusion that our
needs are met:

"Let not their form deceive you. Idols are but substitutes for your
reality. In some way, you believe they will complete your little self, for
safety in a world perceived as dangerous, with forces massed against your
confidence and peace of mind. They have the power to supply your lacks, and add
the value that you do not have." (T-29.VIII.2:1-4).

We can therefore see that Jesus' purpose for us in these lessons is to help us
realize the idol of specialness for what it is, so we can choose against it.

Jesus asks now to sink into consciousness, which means going deeply into our
minds, an instruction we have already seen, and which our chart (see p.135)
helps us envision:*

(5:1-3) "For ten minutes, twice today, morning and evening, let the idea for
today sink deep into your consciousness. Repeat it, think about it, let related
thoughts come to help you recognize its truth, and allow peace to flow over you
like a blanket of protection and surety. Let no idle and foolish thoughts enter
to disturb the holy mind of the Son of God."

*The way to prevent these thoughts from disturbing your holy mind is through
your recognition of them. Without such acknowledgment, they simply remain. The
idea, again, is to see the "idle and foolish thoughts" of specialness in all its
forms asking Jesus for help in understanding what they are <for>.*

(5:4-5) "Such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Such is the resting place where your
Father has placed you forever."

*A lovely way to end this first major section of the workbook: the reminder of
our ultimate goal.*

*This concludes the first 50 lessons, leading to the first review. We have seen
how Jesus has given us an understanding of the journey, emphasizing the
importance of taking seriously our study and practice of his course. This means,
as we have discussed repeatedly, looking at our ego thoughts and asking Jesus'
help. This process clearly implies the existence of our separated minds, split
between the wrong-minded thought system of separation, guilt, and hate (the
ego), and the right-minded correction of Atonement, forgiveness, and peace (the
Holy Spirit). Thus are we trained by Jesus to recognize these two thought
systems, asking for help to exercise our mind's power to choose the Teacher Who
alone will bring us peace.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 49. God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.

#93047

Lesson 49. God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.

It is quite possible to listen to God's Voice all through the day without
interrupting your regular activities in any way. The part of your mind in which
truth abides is in constant communication with God, whether you are aware of it
or not. It is the other part of your mind that functions in the world and obeys
the world's laws. It is this part that is constantly distracted, disorganized
and highly uncertain.

The part that is listening to the Voice for God is calm, always at rest and
wholly certain. It is really the only part there is. The other part is a wild
illusion, frantic and distraught, but without reality of any kind. Try today not
to listen to it. Try to identify with the part of your mind where stillness and
peace reign forever. Try to hear God's Voice call to you lovingly, reminding you
that your Creator has not forgotten His Son.

We will need at least four five-minute practice periods today, and more if
possible. We will try actually to hear God's Voice reminding you of Him and of
your Self. We will approach this happiest and holiest of thoughts with
confidence, knowing that in doing so we are joining our will with the Will of
God. He wants you to hear His Voice. He gave It to you to be heard.

Listen in deep silence. Be very still and open your mind. Go past all the
raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure
your eternal link with God. Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond
the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world. You do
not live here. We are trying to reach your real home. We are trying to reach the
place where you are truly welcome. We are trying to reach God.

Do not forget to repeat today's idea very frequently. Do so with your eyes open
when necessary, but closed when possible. And be sure to sit quietly and repeat
the idea for today whenever you can, closing your eyes on the world, and
realizing that you are inviting God's Voice to speak to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 49. "God's Voice speaks to me all through the day."

*This is a lesson from which many students of A Course in Miracles have derived
a great deal of mileage, unfortunately going the wrong way: to hell rather than
Heaven. They often take this lesson to mean they hear the Holy Spirit tell them
wonderful things -- <all the time>. If we follow the thinking in these lessons,
however, it is obvious that we cannot <hear> God's Voice all through the day
because of our mind's constant clutter. Jesus already has explained the
clutter's presence: our resistance to losing our individual and special
identity. This resistance is reflected in cherishing the ego's voice of
specialness in order to prevent our hearing the Voice of the Holy Spirit, as we
see in this pointed passage from the text:

"You are not special. If you think you are, and would defend your
specialness against the truth of what you really are, how can you know the
truth? What answer that the Holy Spirit gives can reach you, when it is your
specialness to which you listen, and which asks and answers? Its tiny answer,
soundless in the melody that pours from God to you eternally in loving praise of
what you are, is all you listen to. And that vast song of honor and of love for
what you are seems silent and unheard before its "mightiness". You strain your
ears to hear its soundless voice, and yet the Call of God Himself is soundless
to you."
"You can defend your specialness, but never will you hear the Voice for God
beside it." (T.24.II.4:1--5.1)

While it is therefore true that God's Voice speaks to us all through the day --
because the Holy Spirit is in our minds -- this does not mean that we <hear> it.
Pay careful attention to the lesson's words: Jesus does not say we <hear> God's
Voice all through the day, but that God's Voice <speaks> to us all through the
day. We are not going to listen because, again, of our resistance to losing our
identity, expressed through the investment in perpetuating our specialness. That
is why it is so important to read this (and all passages in A Course in
Miracles) very carefully.

Another important point that speaks to the heart of Course students becoming
confused is that we are <always> listening to an inner voice. We cannot listen
to anything else! Our bodies are the vehicles (or: channels) through which
either the voices of the ego or the Holy Spirit "speak." Students often think
that just because they hear an inner voice it must be the Holy Spirit. They
unfortunately have totally forgotten about the <other> voice, which was
specifically and intentionally made to drown out the still, small voice of the
Holy Spirit, as we saw in the above passage. This is why Jesus emphasizes
helping remove our investment in the ego, so that we could inevitably and
naturally "hear" the Voice that speaks for truth. My wife Gloria has made a
similar point when she would remind students that hearing an inner voice they
believe belongs to an entity "on the other side" does not necessarily mean that
entity is more advanced or ego-free than they. In the end, discernment is a
prime prerequisite for any spiritual seeker, no less so for students of A Course
in Miracles who need to discern the difference between the two voices.*

(1) "It is quite possible to listen to God's Voice all through the day without
interrupting your regular activities in any way. The part of your mind [ the
right mind ] in which truth abides is in constant communication with God,
whether you are aware of it or not. It is the other part of your mind that
functions in the world and obeys the world's laws. It is this part that is
constantly distracted, disorganized and highly uncertain."

*This does not mean that if you are in your right mind you are not to obey the
world's laws, as some students would unfortunately misconstrue this. Jesus is
talking about obeying the world's laws because you <believe> they are real laws.
To repeat, he is not saying, for example, that you should become an anarchist or
libertarian. We read, for example, this instruction to teachers of God, his
students who wish to grow beyond their ego selves:

"There is a way of living in the world that is not here, although it seems to
be. You do not change appearance, though you smile more frequently. Your
forehead is serene; your eyes are quiet." (W-pI.155.1:1-3).

In other words, we are not asked to look different or behave differently from
anyone else. What <changes> is our attitude, or which inner teacher we have
chosen to follow. When we listen to the Holy Spirit, the world becomes a
classroom in which its symbols become the language through which we express His
teachings. Lesson 184 discusses this in greater detail, so we will defer further
discussion until then.

The issue is to obey the world's laws of illusion, not because we believe them
to be true, but, again, because they are the <form> through which we express the
mind's <content> of truth in a way that people can respond to without fear. An
early passage in the text makes this essential point of meeting people where
they are -- the illusion of <form> -- yet expressing the truth of the <content>
of the correction, known as the miracle:

"The value of the Atonement does not lie in the manner in which it is
expressed. In fact, if it is used truly, it will inevitably be expressed in
whatever way is most helpful to the receiver. This means that a miracle, to
attain its full efficacy, must be expressed in a language that the recipient can
understand without fear. This does not necessarily mean that this is the highest
level of communication of which he is capable. It does mean, however, that it is
the highest level of communication of which he is capable now. The whole aim of
the miracle is to raise the level of communication, not to lower it by
increasing fear." (T-2.IV.5).

It is the content of love that should be our inspiration and guidance, not any
preconceived notions about the <form> in which that love is to be expressed.
This ensures our response will be kind and non-judgmental, accepting people
where they are, not where we want them to be.*

(2:1-3) "The part that is listening to the Voice for God is calm, always at rest
and wholly certain. It is really the only part there is. The other part is a
wild illusion, frantic and distraught, but without reality of any kind."

*This brings to mind Plato's famous analogy from the Phaedrus of the charioteer
and his two horses, and offers a poetic description of the right and wrong
minds:

"Let it [ the soul ] be likened to the union of powers in a team of winged
steeds and their winged charioteer ... With us men. ... it is a pair of steeds
that the charioteer controls; moreover one of them is noble and good, and of
good stock, while the other has the opposite character, and his stock is the
opposite. Hence the task of our charioteer is difficult and troublesome. ... He
that is on the more honorable side is upright and clean-limbed, carrying his
neck high, with something of a hooked nose; in color he is white, with black
eyes; a lover of glory, but with temperance and modesty; one that consorts with
genuine renown, and needs no whip, being driven by the word of command alone.
The other is crooked of frame, a massive jumble of a creature, with thick short
neck, snub nose, black skin, and grey eyes; hot-blooded, consorting with
wantonness and vainglory; shaggy of ear, deaf, and hard to control with whip and
goad (Phaedrus 246a; 253d-e).

This was an analogy that influenced Freud's view of the psyche, whereby Plato's
depiction formed the basis for Freud's understanding of the <Id>, or the
unconscious. That, of course, is the nature of the ego thought system: a
reservoir of hatred, murder, and viciousness.*

(2:4-6) "Try today not to listen to it. Try to identify with the part of your
mind where stillness and peace reign forever. Try to hear God's Voice call to
you lovingly, reminding you that your Creator has not forgotten His Son."

*Again, we can observe the implication of Jesus' urging: He asks us to recognize
our call to the ego, and then choose against it in favor of our right minds,
wherein dwell stillness and peace. We are encouraged to choose again, despite
Jesus' awareness that our resistance is great. Yet it is early in our training,
and there is still much to learn and practice.*

(3) "We will need at least four five-minute practice periods today, and more if
possible. We will try actually to hear God's Voice reminding you of Him and of
your Self. We will approach this happiest and holiest of thoughts with
confidence, knowing that in doing so we are joining our will with the Will of
God. He wants you to hear His Voice. He gave It to you to be heard."

*Another pep talk: God's Voice <is> within us, and patiently awaits our choice.*

(4) "Listen in deep silence. Be very still and open your mind. Go past all the
raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure
your eternal link with God. Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond
the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world. You do
not live here. We are trying to reach your real home. We are trying to reach the
place where you are truly welcome. We are trying to reach God."

*Jesus wants us to be <really> clear about our purpose. However, we cannot reach
God without going past the "raucous shrieks and sick imaginings" of the ego; and
we cannot go past those shrieks and fantasies without looking at them. Thus,
opening our minds means the decision maker chooses the Holy Spirit's forgiveness
instead of the ego's attack. We have already seen that in order to reach God we
have to set aside our identification with the ego's voice of specialness, and it
is the workbook's aim to help us reach God through this process.*

(5) "Do not forget to repeat today's idea very frequently. Do so with your eyes
open when necessary, but closed when possible. And be sure to sit quietly and
repeat the idea for today whenever you can, closing your eyes on the world, and
realizing that you are inviting God's Voice to speak to you."

*Jesus returns to his emphasis on doing the lessons with eyes open or closed,
although his current preference in our training is our eyes shut, maximizing the
experience that it is our <thoughts> that need correction. As we have repeatedly
seen in the recent lessons, we are urged to apply the idea for the day as often
as we can remember: "very frequently," "whenever you can." In this way, we
reinforce our learning that it is the Holy Spirit's wisdom and love we truly
want -- found in our <minds,> not in the world.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 48. There is nothing to fear.

#93046

Lesson 48. There is nothing to fear.

The idea for today simply states a fact. It is not a fact to those who believe
in illusions, but illusions are not facts. In truth there is nothing to fear. It
is very easy to recognize this. But it is very difficult to recognize it for
those who want illusions to be true.

Today's practice periods will be very short, very simple and very frequent.
Merely repeat the idea as often as possible. You can use it with your eyes open
at any time and in any situation. It is strongly recommended, however, that you
take a minute or so whenever possible to close your eyes and repeat the idea
slowly to yourself several times. It is particularly important that you use the
idea immediately, should anything disturb your peace of mind.

The presence of fear is a sure sign that you are trusting in your own strength.
The awareness that there is nothing to fear shows that somewhere in your mind,
though not necessarily in a place you recognize as yet, you have remembered God,
and let His strength take the place of your weakness. The instant you are
willing to do this there is indeed nothing to fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 48. "There is nothing to fear."

*Lesson 48 is nice, short, and sweet: "There is nothing to fear." If God is the
strength in which we trust, nothing in this world could ever make us afraid. The
basis of fear is the principle that guilt demands punishment. If I am afraid, it
is because I first see myself as guilty and weak. If I choose Jesus as the
source of my strength, I am not weak or separated, and therefore not guilty. If
I am not guilty, there can be no projected belief that I will be punished.
Without such belief, there can be no fear. Again, it is the same process, all
the time. If I want to live without fear, I must live without guilt. If I want
to live without guilt, I need Jesus to help me look at it.*

(1) "The idea for today simply states a fact. It is not a fact to those who
believe in illusions, but illusions are not facts. In truth there is nothing to
fear. It is very easy to recognize this. But it is very difficult to recognize
it for those who want illusions to be true."

*As the text says, the only fact is God: "God is not symbolic; He is Fact"
(T-3.1.8:2). The "fact" -- "There is nothing to fear" -- is really a reflection
of God's reality. The state of fear's absence corrects the ego's fundamental
thought that fear is punishment for our sin. It is this illusory fear you have
to look at. You want illusions to be true because <you> are an illusion, and you
want <you> -- your individual identity -- to be true. What makes it difficult to
have an anxiety-free day is your not wanting today's lesson to be true. If it
were, <you> are not true.*

(2) "Today's practice periods will be very short, very simple and very frequent.
Merely repeat the idea as often as possible. You can use it with your eyes open
at any time and in any situation. It is strongly recommended, however, that you
take a minute or so whenever possible to close your eyes and repeat the idea
slowly to yourself several times. It is particularly important that you use the
idea immediately, should anything disturb your peace of mind."

*We can see over and over again, in just about every lesson, that Jesus is
telling us to practice this thought in our everyday lives, and to bring him our
concerns. In this day's exercise he is asking us to apply the thought throughout
the day, <as often as possible>. Moreover, he once again urges us -- "It is
particularly important" -- to think of the idea whenever we are disturbed; in
other words, to bring the darkness of our upset to the light of his thought of
love, a thought that by its presence dispels the darkness of fear.*

(3) "The presence of fear is a sure sign that you are trusting in your own
strength. The awareness that there is nothing to fear shows that somewhere in
your mind, though not necessarily in a place you recognize as yet, you have
remembered God, and let His strength take the place of your weakness. The
instant you are willing to do this there is indeed nothing to fear."

*When we find ourselves becoming fearful in any of the forms that fear takes --
and sometimes it may not even be fear; it could be anger, depression, or sadness
-- it is because we chose the ego once again; in effect, telling Jesus or the
Holy Spirit to get lost. The wrong-minded decision is the problem, and accepting
the Correction is the solution. This simplicity of A Course in Miracles -- one
problem, one solution (W-pI.79-80) --is what makes it such a powerful and
effective spiritual tool.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

Lesson 47. God is the strength in which I trust.

#93045

Lesson 47. God is the strength in which I trust.

If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be
apprehensive, anxious and fearful. What can you predict or control? What is
there in you that can be counted on? What would give you the ability to be aware
of all the facets of any problem, and to resolve them in such a way that only
good can come of it? What is there in you that gives you the recognition of the
right solution, and the guarantee that it will be accomplished?

Of yourself you can do none of these things. To believe that you can is to put
your trust where trust is unwarranted, and to justify fear, anxiety, depression,
anger and sorrow. Who can put his faith in weakness and feel safe? Yet who can
put his faith in strength and feel weak?

God is your safety in every circumstance. His Voice speaks for Him in all
situations and in every aspect of all situations, telling you exactly what to do
to call upon His strength and His protection. There are no exceptions because
God has no exceptions. And the Voice which speaks for Him thinks as He does.

Today we will try to reach past your own weakness to the Source of real
strength. Four five-minute practice periods are necessary today, and longer and
more frequent ones are urged. Close your eyes and begin, as usual, by repeating
the idea for the day. Then spend a minute or two in searching for situations in
your life which you have invested with fear, dismissing each one by telling
yourself:

God is the strength in which I trust.<

Now try to slip past all concerns related to your own sense of inadequacy. It is
obvious that any situation that causes you concern is associated with feelings
of inadequacy, for otherwise you would believe that you could deal with the
situation successfully. It is not by trusting yourself that you will gain
confidence. But the strength of God in you is successful in all things.

The recognition of your own frailty is a necessary step in the correction of
your errors, but it is hardly a sufficient one in giving you the confidence
which you need, and to which you are entitled. You must also gain an awareness
that confidence in your real strength is fully justified in every respect and in
all circumstances.

In the latter phase of the practice period, try to reach down into your mind to
a place of real safety. You will recognize that you have reached it if you feel
a sense of deep peace, however briefly. Let go all the trivial things that churn
and bubble on the surface of your mind, and reach down and below them to the
Kingdom of Heaven. There is a place in you where there is perfect peace. There
is a place in you where nothing is impossible. There is a place in you where the
strength of God abides.

During the day, repeat the idea often. Use it as your answer to any disturbance.
Remember that peace is your right, because you are giving your trust to the
strength of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commentary on this lesson (below) is from Kenneth Wapnick's eight volume
series of books, called: "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles,"
which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson 47. "God is the strength in which I trust."

*This introduces another important teaching that is central in the text: the
contrast between our weakness and the strength of Christ in us, or between the
ego's illusory power and the Holy Spirit's true power. As we read near the
text's end:

"You always choose between your weakness and the strength of Christ in you.
And what you choose is what you think is real. Simply by never using weakness to
direct your actions, you have given it no power. And the light of Christ in you
is given charge of everything you do. For you have brought your weakness unto
Him, and He has given you His strength instead." (T.31.VIII.2.3-7)

This lesson subtly introduces the theme of special relationships, which entail
placing trust in someone or something outside us to alleviate our anxiety, or
simply to make us feel good. That means we are substituting some object,
substance, or relationship for the Love of God, giving power (or strength) to
these special objects to bring us pleasure or alleviate pain. This choice for
specialness is the substitution of weakness for strength.*

(1:1) "If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be
apprehensive, anxious and fearful."

*Trusting in our own strength means that we have made the ego thought system
real. Having done so, we will feel guilty. Guilt will be projected and we will
inevitably fear the punishment we believe is forthcoming as a natural expression
(really an <un>natural expression) of the guilt we feel in our minds. You can
see, incidentally, how often in these lessons the dynamic or projection is
discussed.*

(1:2) "What can you predict or control?"

*Everyone in this world has control issues. We always try to predict what might
happen so we can be in control, thinking ahead: If I do such and such, what will
the outcome be? This is mandatory if we are to survive as an ego. We have to be
in control. If not, Jesus is, which means our special identity is gone. Our need
to exclude him finds its expression in the need to control what is going on
around us, like the Dutch boy who kept his finger in the dike to prevent a
catastrophic flood that would destroy his village. That is our fear: if our
finger slips, the waters of God's Love would rush through our defensive
structure and flood our egos into non-existence. Thus we keep our fingers of
specialness and hate firmly planted in the walls of our minds, ensuring that no
right-minded water of forgiveness ever gets through and washes away our self.*

(1:3) "What is there in you that can be counted on?"

*We figure a hell of a lot! We are sure that if we do not save ourselves, we are
doomed. I mentioned earlier that we have constructed our lives in such a way
that were convinced from the outset that no one could be trusted; no one is
dependable, and therefore the only one who could save us is ourselves. Again, we
are absolutely certain we are right. However, we are not aware of the underlying
thought that supports this defense: I have written my life's script so that it
will prove I am all alone in the universe, and therefore I had better take care
of me because no one else will! Recall that all-important line from the text:

"The secret of salvation is but this: That you are doing this unto
yourself." (T-27.VIII.10:1).

We <want> to be alone, since that justifies our living all alone -- trusting no
one -- and thus we reinforce our origin of being all alone, totally apart from
our Creator and Source.*

(1:4) "What would give you the ability to be aware of all the facets of any
problem, and to resolve them in such a way that only good can come of it?"

*This idea is expressed more fully in the text and manual: the Holy Spirit, not
ourselves, is the only One Who can judge correctly. We read, for example:

"It is necessary for the teacher of God to realize, not that he should not
judge, but that he cannot ... The aim of our curriculum, unlike the goal of the
world's learning, is the recognition that judgment in the usual sense is
impossible... In order to judge anything rightly, one would have to be fully
aware of an inconceivably wide range of things; past, present and to come. One
would have to recognize in advance all the effects of his judgments on everyone
and everything involved in them in any way. And one would have to be certain
there is no distortion in his perception, so that his judgment would be wholly
fair to everyone on whom it rests now and in the future. Who is in a position to
do this? Who except in grandiose fantasies would claim this for himself? ...
Make then but one more judgment. It is this: There is Someone with you Whose
judgment is perfect. He does know all the facts; past, present and to come. He
does know all the effects of His judgment on everyone and everything involved in
any way. And He is wholly fair to everyone, for there is no distortion in His
perception." (M-10.2:1;3:1,3-7;4:6-10).

It is simply our arrogance as egos that lead us to believe we could possibly
understand the true nature of any problem, not to mention its solution. This
arrogance has ensured throughout the millennia that no problem -- individual or
collective -- has ever truly been resolved. Thus we go from day to day, year to
year, century to century, reliving the same painful experiences over and over
again, with no respite from the terror of being wrong and being separated:

"Each day, and every minute in each day, and every instant that each minute
holds, you but relive the single instant when the time of terror took the place
of love." (T-26.V.13:1).*

(1:5) "What is there in you that gives you the recognition of the right
solution, and the guarantee that it will be accomplished?"

*It certainly is not us, our wrong-minded self, but our right-minded self when
we choose to identify with Jesus or the Holy Spirit.*

(2) "Of yourself you can do none of these things. To believe that you can is to
put your trust where trust is unwarranted, and to justify fear, anxiety,
depression, anger and sorrow. Who can put his faith in weakness and feel safe?
Yet who can put his faith in strength and feel weak?"

*This is what everyone's life is all about. We are frightened, anxious,
depressed, angry, and sad. If not, we are not paying attention to our life's
situation, which proves we are right in believing the world is hostile,
threatening, and lonely place, replete with those we cannot trust. We feel
justified in thinking this is why we feel as terrible as we do, unaware that the
source of these thoughts and feelings is our decision to trust the teacher of
weakness, rather than the One of strength.*

(3) "God is your safety in every circumstance. His Voice speaks for Him in all
situations and in every aspect of all situations, telling you exactly what to do
to call upon His strength and His protection. There are no exceptions because
God has no exceptions. And the Voice which speaks for Him thinks as He does."

*Passages like these, and there are many of them in the workbook, make it sound
as if the Holy Spirit is with you to tell you exactly what to do. In one sense
this is true, but the focus is never really on what you do, because that is
unimportant. Rather, Jesus is emphasizing how you <think> about what you do.
This is where the Holy Spirit enters the picture. If you would join with His
Love -- meaning you have let go of the barriers that would keep you separate
from Him -- everything you do and say will come from love. That is what it means
to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Not that he tells you specifically what to do
or not to do. When your mind is aligned with His, everything coming from that
mind must be His since our bodies are nothing more than a projection or
extension of what is in our minds. When these are joined with the Holy Spirit,
again, everything we do will be an expression of love. Our experience might be
that Jesus told us this or the Holy Spirit told us that. In reality, we have
simply joined with abstract love in our minds, and that love becomes the source
of our specific thoughts and behavior.

"The Song of Prayer" specifically addresses the issue of moving beyond our need
for specifics, our going so far as to ask God or the Holy Spirit for the
fulfillment of our special requests. Indeed, one of the major emphases of this
all-important writing is to have students of A Course in Miracles ask <only> for
help in removing the obstacles to hearing the non-specific Voice of love. Once
our egos are out of the way, we automatically <know> what to do or say. Thus
Jesus teaches in the pamphlet's opening pages:

"The secret of true prayer is to forget the things you think you need. To
ask for the specific is much the same as to look on sin and then forgive it.
Also in the same way, in prayer you overlook your specific needs as you see
them, and let them go into God's Hands. There they become your gifts to Him, for
they tell Him that you would have no gods before Him; no Love but His. What
could His answer be but your remembrance of Him? Can this be traded for a bit of
trifling advice about a problem of an instant's duration? God answers only for
eternity. But still all little answers are contained in this." (S-1.I.4.)

This important teaching was underscored in a personal message to Helen,
correcting her tendency to ask for <specific> words to say to a person in
trouble. Here is what Jesus told his scribe:

"Remember you need nothing, but you have an endless store of loving gifts to
give. But teach this lesson only to yourself. Your brother will not learn if
from your words or from the judgments you have laid on him. You need not even
speak a word to him. You cannot ask, "What shall I say to him?" and hear God's
answer. Rather ask instead, "Help me to see this brother through the eyes of
truth and not of judgment," and the help of God and all His angels will
respond." (Absence from Felicity: The story of Helen Schucman and Her Scribing
of A Course in Miracles, p.381).

We shall return again and again to this vital point, for it points the way
beyond the ego's <spiritual specialness>, one of its greatest defenses against
the spiritual truths found in A Course in Miracles and many other
spiritualities.*

(4:1) "Today we will try to reach past your own weakness to the Source of real
strength."

*This is reminiscent of Lesson 44, where Jesus helped us sink down into our
minds, passing by the ego's illusions to reach the Holy Spirit's truth.*

(4:2-5) "Four five-minute practice periods are necessary today, and longer and
more frequent ones are urged. Close your eyes and begin, as usual, by repeating
the idea for the day. Then spend a minute or two in searching for situations in
your life which you have invested with fear, dismissing each one by telling
yourself:
"God is the strength in which I trust."

*Again, this is the process. The way to reach your real strength is to move past
your weakness by becoming aware of your ego's thoughts. That is why there is
such heavy emphasis on mind searching in these lessons. You cannot move past the
darkness until you first realize there <is> darkness. You must look at your
investment in having your ego be alive and well, and then bring that investment
in weakness to the strength of God within.*

(5) "Now try to slip past all concerns related to your own sense of inadequacy.
It is obvious that any situation that causes you concern is associated with
feelings of inadequacy, for otherwise you would believe that you could deal with
the situation successfully. It is not by trusting yourself that you will gain
confidence. But the strength of God in you is successful in all things."

*Still again, we are asked by Jesus to turn away from the weakness and
inadequacy of the ego's thought system to the strength of God he holds out for
us. That is why he exhorts us in the text:

"Resign now as your own teacher.... for you were badly taught."
(T-12.V.8:3;T-28.1.7:1).*

(6) "The recognition of your own frailty is a necessary step in the correction
of your errors, but it is hardly a sufficient one in giving you the confidence
which you need, and to which you are entitled. You must also gain an awareness
that confidence in your real strength is fully justified in every respect and in
all circumstances."

*The structure here is typical of most of the sections in the text: first you
get the ego's side; then the Holy Spirit's answer. Throughout A Course in
Miracles Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms how important it is that we look
at our ego. Here he is saying we must look at our weakness, which comes from
identifying with the ego. However, Jesus also teaches there is a presence of
love, strength, and truth inside us, which is the basis of our looking. We
become aware that the way we identify with truth and find real happiness and
peace is by looking at our darkness with the expression of that truth -- Jesus
or the Holy Spirit -- beside us. Recall that wonderful passage from the text,
quoted here more fully than previously:

"No one can escape from illusions unless he looks at them, for not looking
is the way they are protected. There is no need to shrink from illusions, for
they cannot be dangerous. We are ready to look more closely at the ego's thought
system because together we have the lamp that will dispel it, and since you
realize you do not want it, you must be ready. Let us be very calm in doing
this, for we are merely looking honestly for truth. The "dynamics" of the ego
will be our lesson for a while, for we must look first at this to see beyond it,
since you have made it real. We will undo this error quietly together, and then
look beyond it to truth."
"What is healing but the removal of all that stands in the way of
knowledge? And how else can one dispel illusions except by looking at them
directly, without protecting them? Be not afraid, therefore, for what you will
be looking at is the source of fear, and you are beginning to learn that fear is
not real.... Do not be afraid ... to look upon fear, for it cannot be seen.
Clarity undoes confusion by definition, and to look upon darkness through light
must dispel it." (T-11.V.1:1--2:3,8-9).

Thus we are given both sides of the split mind: the truth within, as well as
instruction for the journey to that truth, which entails looking at the ego's
weakness.

One more point: Looking at the ego is not enough if you do not move beyond it to
the strength of Christ. Half the lesson is not the whole. This thought is
similar to the passage in the text on healing being of the <mind>, not the
<body>; the removal of physical symptoms is not the issue:

"Yet half the lesson will not teach the whole. The miracle is useless if you
learn but that the body can be healed, for this is not the lesson it was sent to
teach. The lesson is the mind was sick that thought the body could be sick;
projecting out its guilt caused nothing, and had no effects." (T-28.II.11:5-7).

Thus, "letting go of the ego" means nothing. Moreover, it is not <really>
letting go if one does not identify at the same time with the gentle,
defenseless, and loving strength of Christ, inherent in which is the remembrance
of the Oneness of God's Son.*

(7) "In the latter phase of the practice period, try to reach down into your
mind to a place of real safety. You will recognize that you have reached it if
you feel a sense of deep peace, however briefly. Let go all the trivial things
that churn and bubble on the surface of your mind, and reach down and below them
to the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a place in you where there is perfect peace.
There is a place in you where nothing is impossible. There is a place in you
where the strength of God abides."

*Again, we let go of "all the trivial things that churn and bubble" in our minds
-- our thoughts of specialness -- by bringing them to Jesus or the Holy Spirit;
no longer holding on to them for safety and defense. In other words, we no
longer want the purpose they serve: preserving and protecting our separated
self.*

(8) "During the day, repeat the idea often. Use it as your answer to any
disturbance. Remember that peace is your right, because you are giving your
trust to the strength of God."

*And so we return to this central theme of the early lessons: the need to
practice continually by bringing our disturbances to Jesus' specific answer,
trusting in its strength rather than the weakness of the ego's shabby substitute
for God.*

Love and Blessings,

Lyn Johnson

719-369-1822

41 - 60 of 93073

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