Stages of Awakening
The Course tells us that very few can go from being fully immersed in the dream of separation from God to being fully awakened to God. This would be too shocking to the mind and it would retreat deeper into fear. So the Course and other paths with the same goal of Truth are here to help us to awaken gently.
We awaken gently through stages. The goal is to become what the Course calls a “teacher of God”, or one who remembers their Oneness with God. Once you have had the experience of Oneness, even if only briefly, you are a teacher of God because your mind is forever changed. You can no longer wholly believe only this world and your individual identity are true. Whether you accept it or not, the light of this awareness shines on all minds. Yet the Course also refers to those who have gone the distance to remembering only God as “advanced” teachers of God. This is total awareness of yourself as One with God – the ultimate goal.
Guided
The world is your classroom, but you get to choose the teacher. You are used to hearing ego; you start on a path of awakening when you have made the decision to accept another Teacher, your Holy Spirit. At this stage, the Holy Spirit is still very much “other”. You have chosen to follow It, but it seems as if you are following another will. You turn over certain parts of your life to your Holy Spirit, but you have yet to allow your Holy Spirit to work within you and through you. Your goal at this point is usually to dream a better dream or to appease a sense of guilt. Many, many people from all types of religious or spiritual paths stay at this point, calling on their Holy Spirit sometimes, usually when they are in extraordinary pain, but never choosing to go on. They still feel too guilty to look within and deal with their fear of God. However, if they are willing to question guilt and turn more and more often to their Holy Spirit, they would begin to suspect their fear is unfounded.
Vessel
Following your Holy Spirit’s guidance has shown you a glimpse of the incredible inner peace that is possible. Now, simply being guided isn’t enough. You want more and more peace. You begin to put aside your ego and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you. You are no longer interested in dreaming. This is where you make a greater commitment to awakening. In fact, awakening becomes your life. At this stage, you still have a foot in the world and a foot in Truth, but you are leaning more and more on Truth. As you progress, you begin to realize ego isn’t what you are; and with joy you begin to accept that the Holy Spirit is your real Voice.
Advanced Teacher
This is a stage of identification with the Holy Spirit. This is being awake, or enlightened. You have attained Christ or Buddha consciousness. You know you are Part of God and nothing else. From here, the Course says, God takes the last step and lifts you to Heaven.
www.acimmentor.com
We awaken gently through stages. The goal is to become what the Course calls a “teacher of God”, or one who remembers their Oneness with God. Once you have had the experience of Oneness, even if only briefly, you are a teacher of God because your mind is forever changed. You can no longer wholly believe only this world and your individual identity are true. Whether you accept it or not, the light of this awareness shines on all minds. Yet the Course also refers to those who have gone the distance to remembering only God as “advanced” teachers of God. This is total awareness of yourself as One with God – the ultimate goal.
Guided
The world is your classroom, but you get to choose the teacher. You are used to hearing ego; you start on a path of awakening when you have made the decision to accept another Teacher, your Holy Spirit. At this stage, the Holy Spirit is still very much “other”. You have chosen to follow It, but it seems as if you are following another will. You turn over certain parts of your life to your Holy Spirit, but you have yet to allow your Holy Spirit to work within you and through you. Your goal at this point is usually to dream a better dream or to appease a sense of guilt. Many, many people from all types of religious or spiritual paths stay at this point, calling on their Holy Spirit sometimes, usually when they are in extraordinary pain, but never choosing to go on. They still feel too guilty to look within and deal with their fear of God. However, if they are willing to question guilt and turn more and more often to their Holy Spirit, they would begin to suspect their fear is unfounded.
Vessel
Following your Holy Spirit’s guidance has shown you a glimpse of the incredible inner peace that is possible. Now, simply being guided isn’t enough. You want more and more peace. You begin to put aside your ego and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you. You are no longer interested in dreaming. This is where you make a greater commitment to awakening. In fact, awakening becomes your life. At this stage, you still have a foot in the world and a foot in Truth, but you are leaning more and more on Truth. As you progress, you begin to realize ego isn’t what you are; and with joy you begin to accept that the Holy Spirit is your real Voice.
Advanced Teacher
This is a stage of identification with the Holy Spirit. This is being awake, or enlightened. You have attained Christ or Buddha consciousness. You know you are Part of God and nothing else. From here, the Course says, God takes the last step and lifts you to Heaven.
www.acimmentor.com
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