Resting in Forgiveness
I have been asked why I have been recycling my articles for my blog and newsletters this year instead of writing new ones. In thinking about this, I’ve realized that teaching for me comes in two forms: active and passive.
“Active” teaching occurs for me when I feel spontaneously motivated, even compelled, to teach. I have been surprised to discover that what motivates me to “go out” and teach (write, speak) is a perception of lack. I used to perceive a lack of understanding of A Course in Miracles in others, or a need for correction in how they read or practiced the Course, and this motivated me to actively teach. Of course, this perception was my projection of my own need to learn the ideas in the Course, and to be corrected, but this only became obvious to me as my need to teach “others” fell away as I became more and more aware that there is nothing to teach or to correct! The Truth is unchanged and Perfect, so there is nothing to fix There, and, as I recognize that illusion is illusion, it is obvious that what is not real does not need to be corrected, because there is nothing there to fix! In other words, I’ve come to a realization of what the Course puts so succinctly in its introduction:
“Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the Peace of God.”
When I try to come up with something to write or to talk about, my attempts gently drift to the ground in the awareness that nothing needs to change, so “I need do nothing”.
I do find, however, that I am happily willing to teach when someone comes to me with their questions, either through email, or through a formal mentoring relationship, though I no longer perceive their need as real, because it is no longer real in me. In fact, that has become the point of these encounters. They are no longer about me needing to ‘fix’ the lack that I had been projecting out there, but rather about resting in the awareness that all is well, despite the ‘story’ that is being presented to me. This is “passive” teaching for me, in that I no longer have a burning need to “go out” and teach, but I teach when an opportunity is presented. For me, “passive” teaching means resting in forgiveness; it means simply knowing that only the Truth is True, and overlooking illusion. I have not perfected this, so this is what I am learning now as I continue to offer myself as a mentor to “other” students of the Course.
As for my articles…I wrote 332 articles over four years, so somewhere in them I have addressed all of the questions that I have ever been asked by Course students. I am recycling some of them each week, because these questions come up again and again with students, some of whom are new to my blog or newsletter. My articles are new to them, and reminders to others who have been receiving them for a while. You can read them all at my website, www.acimmentor.com, under ‘Answers by Topic’, and I have also collected them all into a book, which I am editing now, and hope to have out later this year.
>>>>>
Read, request a download, or pre-order The Message of A Course in Miracles: A translation of the Text in Plain Language at www.placim. com. There, you can also request a download of the combined second and third volumes (Workbook/Manual for Teachers) of the Plain Language A Course in Miracles.
“Active” teaching occurs for me when I feel spontaneously motivated, even compelled, to teach. I have been surprised to discover that what motivates me to “go out” and teach (write, speak) is a perception of lack. I used to perceive a lack of understanding of A Course in Miracles in others, or a need for correction in how they read or practiced the Course, and this motivated me to actively teach. Of course, this perception was my projection of my own need to learn the ideas in the Course, and to be corrected, but this only became obvious to me as my need to teach “others” fell away as I became more and more aware that there is nothing to teach or to correct! The Truth is unchanged and Perfect, so there is nothing to fix There, and, as I recognize that illusion is illusion, it is obvious that what is not real does not need to be corrected, because there is nothing there to fix! In other words, I’ve come to a realization of what the Course puts so succinctly in its introduction:
“Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the Peace of God.”
When I try to come up with something to write or to talk about, my attempts gently drift to the ground in the awareness that nothing needs to change, so “I need do nothing”.
I do find, however, that I am happily willing to teach when someone comes to me with their questions, either through email, or through a formal mentoring relationship, though I no longer perceive their need as real, because it is no longer real in me. In fact, that has become the point of these encounters. They are no longer about me needing to ‘fix’ the lack that I had been projecting out there, but rather about resting in the awareness that all is well, despite the ‘story’ that is being presented to me. This is “passive” teaching for me, in that I no longer have a burning need to “go out” and teach, but I teach when an opportunity is presented. For me, “passive” teaching means resting in forgiveness; it means simply knowing that only the Truth is True, and overlooking illusion. I have not perfected this, so this is what I am learning now as I continue to offer myself as a mentor to “other” students of the Course.
As for my articles…I wrote 332 articles over four years, so somewhere in them I have addressed all of the questions that I have ever been asked by Course students. I am recycling some of them each week, because these questions come up again and again with students, some of whom are new to my blog or newsletter. My articles are new to them, and reminders to others who have been receiving them for a while. You can read them all at my website, www.acimmentor.com, under ‘Answers by Topic’, and I have also collected them all into a book, which I am editing now, and hope to have out later this year.
>>>>>
Read, request a download, or pre-order The Message of A Course in Miracles: A translation of the Text in Plain Language at www.placim. com. There, you can also request a download of the combined second and third volumes (Workbook/Manual for Teachers) of the Plain Language A Course in Miracles.
Comments
I'm still working as a yoga teacher, and my practice and teaching has evolved to include the Truth as best I can possibly "teach" by meeting the students where they are. So I have to be inventive and creative in my technique and language. They would not understand if I told them bluntly their world is an illusion.
I agree with you in that I am also teaching to learn the lessons myself, but I am not at all fearful of the world being an illusion. And I do feel somewhat dishonest in not speaking the Truth outright. Was it you who told me to meet people where they're at?
Your guidance is so appreciated.
In peace and love,
Janet
We will meet people and teach and share on whatever levels are appropriate. This will change as does our ability to accept Reality.
I do understand there really are no levels only blocks to the Awareness of Love's PResence,and that once removed we are all at the same level and that level is Oneness.