Ask: Can you explain Lesson 253?


I have a real problem understanding the phrasing of Lesson 253 – “My Self is ruler of the universe”.   Maybe it’s the language; but even instinctively I am confused. “You are the Self Whom You created Son.”  Can you explain that a little more clearly? It sends my mind into a spin... – MD-T

            Maybe you would understand it better replacing the word “Self” with the word “Being”: “My Being is ruler of the universe” and “You are the Being Whom You created Son.” When the word “self” is capitalized in A Course in Miracles it is referring to the one, limitless Being (God) that is rather than to the limited personal self, or ego, with which you are used to identifying. The lesson reminds you that God is your True Being, not a power over you. There is no power over you.
            Perhaps some of your confusion comes from the use of the word “create”, which we typically use to mean “to bring into being”. In the Course the word “create” means “to extend”. So God “creates” by extending God. As God’s “Creation”, in Truth your mind is an extension of God. And, in Truth, you can only “create”, or extend, God. So your “creations” are extensions of God.
As is typical of the Course it is here taking a concept – “creation” – that usually reinforces the idea that you are separate from God (Creator and Its creation) and using it in a way to instead remind you that, in Truth, you and God are one Being.

>>>>>
Learn about the books The ACIM Mentor Articles, The Plain Language A Course in Miracles, and 4 Habits for Inner Peace at www.acimmentor.com.
If you have a question the answer to which you think may help others send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that you want it answered in the ACIM Mentor Newsletter/Blog.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Committed to the Spiritual Process

If you’ve been reading my blog/newsletter for the past few weeks then you know significant things have occurred in the life of this mind. Four years ago the ego (personal thought system) fell away. I didn’t realize it fully and I spent three and a half years personally in a rather barren place in this mind, though there was peace in the rest of my mind. I did feel done with the world, but I didn’t know what that meant. I just stayed with the feeling, wondering what would come next. The next thing arrived in this mind last summer with a subtle shift from emptiness to a delicious Spaciousness. This was followed by beautiful Golden Light, Love, and Joy filling the Space. Bewilderingly, an effect of this was a romance novel! From there, the Light and the shifts continued. During this time a client in Australia whom I have called Zelda in these articles, but whose real name is Hannah, became a friend as well. We grew closer over several months and began to experience a lot of sync...
Read more

Ask: What is meant by "extend Love"?

I wonder exactly what is meant by "extend love" or how one extends love. Is it a loving intention toward the person, or a wish for them, or what? Can you give an example? – JO “Extending love” means replacing unloving thoughts in your mind with the awareness of Love in your mind. For example, your peace of mind is disturbed while watching something on television. Your peace is gone because you believe that what you see is reality. You extend Love in this situation by turning inward to Truth (God), feeling Love’s Presence within you, and remembering that It, not the images appearing, is What is Real. It may take you a while to accept that only your own thoughts cause you pain. So at first you may feel that you need to extend Love “out there” to the images that seem to be causing you pain. Or you may extend Love to another who is sharing their painful story with you. You can do this by imagining the situation or the person in a Loving Light. Or you may use some other image to ...
Read more

Evolving Practice with ACIM

           The Course was dictated to two who had a sense of Spirit working in their lives. After all, they were taking down the Course itself! The Universal Christ Mind sought to develop and grow their awareness of Spirit through the lessons in the Workbook as well as simply in discussion with them, privately and through the Course . And for those who find the Course and already have an awareness of Spirit, even if only dimly, the Course functions in the same way. Through the practice suggested, they develop their trust in Spirit. But for many who come to the Course , the discernment of Spirit within has not yet occurred. For them, practice is the means of opening to the awareness and experience of Spirit. Those who do not understand this often feel frustrated and even angry with the Course for suggesting that they should be having experiences that they do not yet have. They feel that they fall short when they read the instructions and descriptions ...
Read more