Seek but do not find is a core dynamic of the ego’s strategy to use the world to keep the problem of the decision maker’s wrong decision from awareness. The ego knows that a problem cannot be solved if you do not know what it is. That’s why it keeps us busy in the world. The problem of separation, which is really the only problem, has already been solved; indeed, it never happened. All the complexity of the world is but a desperate attempt not to recognize the real problem, and therefore not to let it be resolved.
The ego loves to make up nonexsistent problems and trick us into devoting our time and energy to solving them. Haven’t you noticed this phenomena in your own life, where something seems like a problem and you wonder and worry and as it unfolds it’s no problem at all? So much of our experience is coming up with solutions to nonexistent problems. One of my favorite sayings in the Course helps me remember this – I am never upset for the reasons I think. There is only one reason I am upset and one problem to be soled, my mistaken belief that the impossible has happened and I have separated from God.
That’s what forgiveness can help us understand, that there is no real reason for guilt, fear and terror except in the illusion; that when we’re feeling guilt, fear and terror we need to know we’re experiencing the illusion and need to forgive ourselves and the other people and things we mistakenly believe are the cause of our misperceptions. Trying to work out the seeming problem’s meaning, why is it there, why it is happening now instead of yesterday or tomorrow, why me and not my friend - is all taking the tiny mad idea of separation seriously.
Saying, ‘oh, well, there I go again,’ is the way to deal with taking things and seeming problems too seriously and returning our minds to choosing again.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Illusions
Despite the ego’s lies about the reality of specific forms and validity of our perceptions, we remain abstract spirit. The forms the illusions take are nothing - no thing. What is true is true and what is false is false – the size, shape and significance [to the ego] of the illusory forms notwithstanding.
The truth of this is available in our experience of being in our right minds, awaiting our joyful acceptance. The separation never happened, the impossible could not have happened! This means that not only does the problem of guilt, fear and pain engendered by the belief in the separation rest firmly in the mind’s content [the decision maker’s choice] and not the bodily world of form, but so does the solution – forgiveness – releasing the seeming reality of the illusion and accepting the peace of our, and everyone and everything’s, reality as spirit.
Yet this solution cannot be chosen if we deny the only place it can be found – our mind’s and the decision maker’s choice. That’s why looking to the world for happiness makes no sense and is like going up to the movie screen to fix an out of focus film. We continuously search for solutions to our perceived multitudinous problems in a world that was specifically designed not to have us discover them.
The truth of this is available in our experience of being in our right minds, awaiting our joyful acceptance. The separation never happened, the impossible could not have happened! This means that not only does the problem of guilt, fear and pain engendered by the belief in the separation rest firmly in the mind’s content [the decision maker’s choice] and not the bodily world of form, but so does the solution – forgiveness – releasing the seeming reality of the illusion and accepting the peace of our, and everyone and everything’s, reality as spirit.
Yet this solution cannot be chosen if we deny the only place it can be found – our mind’s and the decision maker’s choice. That’s why looking to the world for happiness makes no sense and is like going up to the movie screen to fix an out of focus film. We continuously search for solutions to our perceived multitudinous problems in a world that was specifically designed not to have us discover them.
Monday, November 21, 2011
War and Peace
Only the mind’s purpose – who the decision maker has chosen - spirit or ego – establishes the holiness or unholiness of the external, not the value or lack of value we perceive in an object. Since our attraction as egos is always to form and form is unreal and illusory, how can there really be holy lands, books, garments, people, or theologies? Only the non-ego formlessness of spirit is holy. Externals can reflect the decision maker’s choice for spirit, but in and of themselves, they can never be holy.
Thus all conflicts and wars are, especially the ‘holy’ ones fought over plots of earth, stones and thought systems, absurd and meaningless. They are, without exception, mere acting out in form the mind’s conflict between itself and itSelf, our bloated ego nothingness trying to make itself right and spirit wrong.
As long as we believe, as you and I do, in the reality of duality, of a self separated from itSelf, and stay locked in conflicts and wars, the sheer insanity of the basic conflict remains safely buried within the locked vaults of the mind, entry forbidden the Sons of God who think they are bodies. The good news is we are free within the dream to believe whatever we wish, but such belief has no effect upon our Self and Reality. We remain as God created us, one with It, now and forever.
Thus all conflicts and wars are, especially the ‘holy’ ones fought over plots of earth, stones and thought systems, absurd and meaningless. They are, without exception, mere acting out in form the mind’s conflict between itself and itSelf, our bloated ego nothingness trying to make itself right and spirit wrong.
As long as we believe, as you and I do, in the reality of duality, of a self separated from itSelf, and stay locked in conflicts and wars, the sheer insanity of the basic conflict remains safely buried within the locked vaults of the mind, entry forbidden the Sons of God who think they are bodies. The good news is we are free within the dream to believe whatever we wish, but such belief has no effect upon our Self and Reality. We remain as God created us, one with It, now and forever.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Words, 2
Words, like the body, and everything here in the illusory world, are neutral. They can be used to anchor me more deeply in the ego’s illusion or by reflecting spirit, remind me I too, am spirit. Words in and of themselves are meaningless. They only represent what s meaningful, and are intended to teach we have two minds – wrong and right – and a decision maker that can choose between them.
Am I to avoid the use of words, then? No, but I can learn to use words in a new way. Gradually, I can learn to let my words be chosen for me by ceasing to decide for myself what I will say. Thru this process, I learn to accept the words offered me by spirit and give as I receive. I listen, hear and speak.
My faith is not in the words – they are only symbols – but in the experience of peace, happiness and joy and the absence of pain, conflict and fear that comes when the words are used to remind me of my mistaken choice. It is the experience I learn to trust, not the words. That is why the Course emphasizes content, over form. It is the experience we want, not the words.
“We wait for the experience,” the Course says, “and recognize that it is only here conviction lies. We use the words, and try and try again to go beyond them to their meaning, which is far beyond their sound.” The crucial difference between words and meaning is that neither sign nor symbol should be confused with source, and we will know source by our experience.
The only issue is not whether we hear an inner voice, but which inner voice we pay attention to - spirit’s voice of peace, or the ego’s voice of hate and fear. Simply going within and listening, is no guarantee we are hearing the right voice. We also need our experience to guide us.
Am I to avoid the use of words, then? No, but I can learn to use words in a new way. Gradually, I can learn to let my words be chosen for me by ceasing to decide for myself what I will say. Thru this process, I learn to accept the words offered me by spirit and give as I receive. I listen, hear and speak.
My faith is not in the words – they are only symbols – but in the experience of peace, happiness and joy and the absence of pain, conflict and fear that comes when the words are used to remind me of my mistaken choice. It is the experience I learn to trust, not the words. That is why the Course emphasizes content, over form. It is the experience we want, not the words.
“We wait for the experience,” the Course says, “and recognize that it is only here conviction lies. We use the words, and try and try again to go beyond them to their meaning, which is far beyond their sound.” The crucial difference between words and meaning is that neither sign nor symbol should be confused with source, and we will know source by our experience.
The only issue is not whether we hear an inner voice, but which inner voice we pay attention to - spirit’s voice of peace, or the ego’s voice of hate and fear. Simply going within and listening, is no guarantee we are hearing the right voice. We also need our experience to guide us.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Surrender
Admitting that not only do I not know, but that I am wrong about what I think I do know, and that there is Someone who does know and Who is right, begins the process of undoing the ego illusion. Guilt over my original ‘sin’ of choosing the ego instead of spirit, and fear that I will be punished, prevents me from letting go of the ego. But I can begin letting go by looking at my original ‘sin’, fear and guilt through the eyes of vision, not judgment.
“Call it not sin but madness,” the Course advises. “For such it was and so it still remains. Invest it not with guilt, for guilt implies it was accomplished in reality [which it wasn’t]. And above all, be not afraid of it.” This holds not matter how serious the ‘sin’ seems to be, because there is only one problem despite appearances to the contrary – my belief that I am better off separate from spirit. Consequently, there is one solution: recognizing I was wrong in accepting the idea that the separation is true.
Deep down, my decision maker knows it is part of the oneness, not separate from It. My decision maker wants to make a complete surrender of itself to spirit, knowing that it has been wrong and that ‘surrender’ means coming over to the winning side. Surrender comes when I realize I cannot do it on my own, that I - my ego, has been wrong and doesn’t know, but there is that within me that is right and does know.
Surrender is a never ending process that brings a grateful sigh of relief each time I do it as, saying, ‘Enough, already!’ I put down the burden of feeding, supporting, and protecting my bloated nothingness, and exchange nothing for everything - the joy, grace and peace, brotherhood, cooperation, compassion and love of spirit.
“Call it not sin but madness,” the Course advises. “For such it was and so it still remains. Invest it not with guilt, for guilt implies it was accomplished in reality [which it wasn’t]. And above all, be not afraid of it.” This holds not matter how serious the ‘sin’ seems to be, because there is only one problem despite appearances to the contrary – my belief that I am better off separate from spirit. Consequently, there is one solution: recognizing I was wrong in accepting the idea that the separation is true.
Deep down, my decision maker knows it is part of the oneness, not separate from It. My decision maker wants to make a complete surrender of itself to spirit, knowing that it has been wrong and that ‘surrender’ means coming over to the winning side. Surrender comes when I realize I cannot do it on my own, that I - my ego, has been wrong and doesn’t know, but there is that within me that is right and does know.
Surrender is a never ending process that brings a grateful sigh of relief each time I do it as, saying, ‘Enough, already!’ I put down the burden of feeding, supporting, and protecting my bloated nothingness, and exchange nothing for everything - the joy, grace and peace, brotherhood, cooperation, compassion and love of spirit.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Words
The goal is to let my bloated nothingness, my ego, get out of the way of the divine circuits. Let it - no struggle, no battle. Just turn away from it and quiet my mind so I can hear my real Self speaking to me. I hear it once in awhile, but I’d like to hear it more often. I know it’s always speaking to me, saying love, grace, blessings and compassion, if I could just shut up and listen.
Part of the difficulty in hearing It and having a relationship with mySelf, is that I’m using words. What else could you use, you ask, and quite rightly. But words are of the ego. When I ask spirit for help or advice, I ask in my words. I am the one defining the situation, my hopes, desires and needs. I am literally putting words in spirit’s mouth. Words frame the situation and make it real, when what I want to do is see the situation as an illusion, not make it real. What I want to do is awaken to the truth beyond all words.
Choosing words is part of the ego’s plan to make the illusion real. Choosing words deepens the illusion, involving a large number of assumptions which inevitably limit the response, taking me still deeper into the illusion. A choice of words is actually a decision about the kind of response within the illusion that would be acceptable. The purpose of words is to limit and by limiting, make a vast area of experience more manageable by me. For many aspects of living in the world this is necessary. But not for having a relationship with mySelf.
Spirit, mySelf, does not use words and does not communicate in words. Haven’t you experienced this? Spirit only communicates with that part of my mind, where mySelf always abides, when the decision maker chooses to join with It. My job in getting my bloated nothingness out of the way is to realize that words are part of the problem; that I do not know what I think I know; that I do not even know what to ask or the nature of my problems.
Part of the difficulty in hearing It and having a relationship with mySelf, is that I’m using words. What else could you use, you ask, and quite rightly. But words are of the ego. When I ask spirit for help or advice, I ask in my words. I am the one defining the situation, my hopes, desires and needs. I am literally putting words in spirit’s mouth. Words frame the situation and make it real, when what I want to do is see the situation as an illusion, not make it real. What I want to do is awaken to the truth beyond all words.
Choosing words is part of the ego’s plan to make the illusion real. Choosing words deepens the illusion, involving a large number of assumptions which inevitably limit the response, taking me still deeper into the illusion. A choice of words is actually a decision about the kind of response within the illusion that would be acceptable. The purpose of words is to limit and by limiting, make a vast area of experience more manageable by me. For many aspects of living in the world this is necessary. But not for having a relationship with mySelf.
Spirit, mySelf, does not use words and does not communicate in words. Haven’t you experienced this? Spirit only communicates with that part of my mind, where mySelf always abides, when the decision maker chooses to join with It. My job in getting my bloated nothingness out of the way is to realize that words are part of the problem; that I do not know what I think I know; that I do not even know what to ask or the nature of my problems.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Now!
Today is the day of complete salvation, not tomorrow or the day after, but now.
All who seek the way, please, do not waste this moment now.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot breathe for a moment ago, nor for the moment to come. I can only take this breath now. Now is all there is and all there will ever be. There is no past or future, there is only what we think about the past or future; and the thinking is always done now.
Being present means being awake and aware now. Now exists whether I am present or not. Now am I, and you, the sons and daughters of the most high. Not when we die, but now. In the now, we can listen to the still small voice within and experience life as it really is. Now I can know my purpose. Now I forgive myself and everyone and everything for taking the illusion so seriously. Now I set my intention to contribute to a world that works for everyone and everything. Now I trust divine timing and am patient.
Now it is done unto me as I believe, and I choose to believe that I, and you, are spiritual beings having an earthly experience. Now I set my intention to awake to this reality, letting go of my bloated nothingness and getting it out of the way of the divine circuits.
All who seek the way, please, do not waste this moment now.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot breathe for a moment ago, nor for the moment to come. I can only take this breath now. Now is all there is and all there will ever be. There is no past or future, there is only what we think about the past or future; and the thinking is always done now.
Being present means being awake and aware now. Now exists whether I am present or not. Now am I, and you, the sons and daughters of the most high. Not when we die, but now. In the now, we can listen to the still small voice within and experience life as it really is. Now I can know my purpose. Now I forgive myself and everyone and everything for taking the illusion so seriously. Now I set my intention to contribute to a world that works for everyone and everything. Now I trust divine timing and am patient.
Now it is done unto me as I believe, and I choose to believe that I, and you, are spiritual beings having an earthly experience. Now I set my intention to awake to this reality, letting go of my bloated nothingness and getting it out of the way of the divine circuits.
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