Ask: Isn't the "dream" part of God, too?
a) I know I'm a part of God. Yet I cannot deny that there is a body which is my vehicle in this life. So there must be a purpose or reason for which this energy from God manifested in this form (my body, mind, spirit in this lifetime). I need to perform a "role" in this life to fulfill that purpose. Why do I need to perform a "role" in this dream/illusion we're living in?
b) Secondly I'm a part of God (drop in the ocean) and God (the ocean) is all there is anyway, so everything including my body, mind (including the idea of separation that leads the mind to create the sense of personal self or ego), spirit - these all are part of God as well. So are all illusions and dreams, part of God - aren't they? Because God is all there is. So why do we need to wake up from the dream or illusion as that is also part of God? – MK
If, as a person, I think, “I am a frog”, that idea is not a part of me; it is just an idea that is over the instant that I think it because it is so manifestly not true.
So it is with God and the idea of not-God: Because God is All, God’s Mind contains the idea of It’s Own opposite (the universe of form and all thoughts about it). Yet, being All, God cannot have an opposite. The opposite-of-God can never be more than an idea, and it is so manifestly not true, that, to God, it is done the instant that it is thought. It is only within the idea of not-God that not-God seems to be real.
There is no intention behind the idea of not-God; just like God, it merely is – or would be if it could be at all! It has no reality, so it has no purpose or meaning, except what the mind thinking about it wants to give to it. This is why A Course in Miracles emphasizes the importance of the Holy Instant. In the Holy Instant, you turn inward, away from the universe of form, and touch God, and you realize that God is What is Real, and the universe of form, and your thoughts about it, are nothing. The more that you practice the Holy Instant, the more that the Reality of God takes hold in your awareness and the unreality of the universe of form becomes obvious.
You are indeed a part of God, but you are not a personal self in a body in a world. Like God, you are mind, and, for now, you think that you are a personal self in a body in a world. Your belief in and attachment to this idea is the source of your conflict. You do not “have to” wake up from this illusion, unless you want inner peace. Becoming aware of the Truth (God) within you, then, is something that you do because you love yourself and want to be at peace, and for no other reason.
So, you do not “have to” give a purpose or role to the personal self with which you identify, unless you want to. The Course gives you the purpose of forgiving, because it recognizes that when you come to it you will be almost wholly identified with a personal self, and will feel a need for one. As always, the Holy Spirit uses ideas in not-God (in this case, a desire for a purpose) to lead you out of conflict and into peace. As you practice your purpose of forgiving, which means getting in touch with God within and letting go of your belief in and attachment to the universe of form, you will find the personal self with which you identify is inspired to play different roles in the world over time until you realize that you are mind, not a personal self. Then, you will stop thinking in terms of purposes and roles, but only in terms of maintaining the peace of your mind. For a while, the personal self will seem to continue on, but you will recognize that it is not you, only a thought in your mind that requires little attention, because, as an effect of your mind, its needs are met as a manifestation of your awareness of peace.
>>>>>
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b) Secondly I'm a part of God (drop in the ocean) and God (the ocean) is all there is anyway, so everything including my body, mind (including the idea of separation that leads the mind to create the sense of personal self or ego), spirit - these all are part of God as well. So are all illusions and dreams, part of God - aren't they? Because God is all there is. So why do we need to wake up from the dream or illusion as that is also part of God? – MK
If, as a person, I think, “I am a frog”, that idea is not a part of me; it is just an idea that is over the instant that I think it because it is so manifestly not true.
So it is with God and the idea of not-God: Because God is All, God’s Mind contains the idea of It’s Own opposite (the universe of form and all thoughts about it). Yet, being All, God cannot have an opposite. The opposite-of-God can never be more than an idea, and it is so manifestly not true, that, to God, it is done the instant that it is thought. It is only within the idea of not-God that not-God seems to be real.
There is no intention behind the idea of not-God; just like God, it merely is – or would be if it could be at all! It has no reality, so it has no purpose or meaning, except what the mind thinking about it wants to give to it. This is why A Course in Miracles emphasizes the importance of the Holy Instant. In the Holy Instant, you turn inward, away from the universe of form, and touch God, and you realize that God is What is Real, and the universe of form, and your thoughts about it, are nothing. The more that you practice the Holy Instant, the more that the Reality of God takes hold in your awareness and the unreality of the universe of form becomes obvious.
You are indeed a part of God, but you are not a personal self in a body in a world. Like God, you are mind, and, for now, you think that you are a personal self in a body in a world. Your belief in and attachment to this idea is the source of your conflict. You do not “have to” wake up from this illusion, unless you want inner peace. Becoming aware of the Truth (God) within you, then, is something that you do because you love yourself and want to be at peace, and for no other reason.
So, you do not “have to” give a purpose or role to the personal self with which you identify, unless you want to. The Course gives you the purpose of forgiving, because it recognizes that when you come to it you will be almost wholly identified with a personal self, and will feel a need for one. As always, the Holy Spirit uses ideas in not-God (in this case, a desire for a purpose) to lead you out of conflict and into peace. As you practice your purpose of forgiving, which means getting in touch with God within and letting go of your belief in and attachment to the universe of form, you will find the personal self with which you identify is inspired to play different roles in the world over time until you realize that you are mind, not a personal self. Then, you will stop thinking in terms of purposes and roles, but only in terms of maintaining the peace of your mind. For a while, the personal self will seem to continue on, but you will recognize that it is not you, only a thought in your mind that requires little attention, because, as an effect of your mind, its needs are met as a manifestation of your awareness of peace.
>>>>>
Learn about The Plain Language A Course in Miracles at www.placim.com
Get answers by topic at www.acimmentor.com/answersbytopic.html.
If you have a question that you want answered in the ACIM Mentor Newsletter/Blog, send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that you want it answered here.
Comments
I am curious about what your take is on how the world (of ego) differs from the "real world" and the "living world" that Chapter 13 of the Text talks about (T-13,VII,4:1).
Thanks,
~Jeremy