Ask: Don't I have to uncover my barriers to peace? What are they?

“When Jesus says in the Text:

‘Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. It is not necessary to seek for what is true, but it is necessary to seek for what is false’ (T.16.IV.6:1,2).

What does this mean?  Is Jesus saying that love is our true reality and that we cannot ever lose that true nature?  Yet, our training is incomplete--isn’t it --if we let our fears, misgivings and regrets over our three-dimensional linear existence get in the way of seeing our true inheritance of being eternally one with love? So would the practical application of this Text section be to study what negative thoughts or habits I have?  Any non-loving thoughts or actions are the barriers to knowing oneness with the eternal, right?  I know that you have written in your 4 Habits book that peace can be uncovered or developed by focusing on Truth exclusively, which seems different from what Jesus says in the Text. Throughout the Workbook Jesus says that we should be rigorous in examining our thoughts (“Effects leave not their Source”) –  or else there wouldn’t have been a Workbook, I guess. Please could you comment on exactly what are all the barriers within myself and all that’s false?” –SS 
            Yes, you are correct that Love is your reality and you cannot ever lose It. It’s always here and all you lack is an awareness of It. So all you need to do is remove your obstacles to being aware of It.
In fact, in the book that you mention, 4 Habits for Inner Peace, I did not say that peace can be developed by focusing exclusively on Truth. I made the same point that is in the quote and that you make in your question. You cannot grow your awareness of Truth without looking at and undoing your obstacles to being aware of Truth:
(From the introduction to 4HIP): “In theory you could wholly accept Truth this instant and be wholly at peace right now. But in practice attaining inner peace is a process that usually takes many years. Practicing the four habits for inner peace in this book will bring up your obstacles to peace much faster than if you were not consciously seeking for peace. This brings you the opportunities that you need to work through them and reach peace at an accelerated pace.”
(From the introduction to Part II of 4HIP):“… Each of these obstacles takes the form of thoughts in your mind. You will naturally bump into these thoughts as you attempt to bring and hold Truth in your awareness. Bringing them up from your subconscious and undoing them is the process necessary for you to be wholly at peace.”
            The book I wrote as a companion to 4HIP, Releasing Guilt for Inner Peace, takes you through the process of recognizing and undoing guilt, the chief obstacle to peace. In short, as you go about your day guilt will naturally rise to your awareness through feelings that disturb your peace. Feelings are caused by unconscious and conscious beliefs. So feelings that disturb your peace tell you that you believe in guilt, no matter what you think you believe or what you want to believe. Feelings that disturb your peace are opportunities for you to see and undo your unconscious belief in guilt.

            This is a long process. As A Course in Miracles points out, it takes some preparation to look at the guilt that is central to the ego (personal) thought system. Your belief in guilt makes it seem too horrible for you to look directly at it. It’s slow going because in the beginning you are in a Catch-22: To undo guilt you have to learn to trust the Thing (Holy Spirit, the Teacher of Truth in your mind) that you fear because of guilt. So you take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back for a long, long time. But as Truth becomes true for you, you will trust It and become more and more willing to question the reality of guilt.

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

Comments

will said…
SS,
It used to drive me crazy trying to figure out 'what am I (Will) supposed to do??" It's very tricky stuff. Maybe this will help. Learn what the Holy Instant is. It's really just stopping for a moment and thinking of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. It's what the early lessons tell you to do. As you go through the day the lessons keep telling you to stop once a day, then once an hour (and so forth) and think of The Holy Spirit. To remove the barriers, you simply "LOOK" at the negative thought or habit, put yourself in the Holy Instant and that's it. Maybe say 'Jesus help me to see' or whatever works for you. Over time this will evolve. But you have to remember YOU (SS) ARE NOT IN CHARGE. By stopping and thinking of God you open the door for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest. It would be interesting to hear how others are doing it.
8:35 AM
will said…
Well that's a pretty bare bones description. I guess I was thinking that people who are doing the Course will know how to fill in the blanks.
12:49 PM
will said…
I was thinking of this last night and remembering how long it took to understand the Holy Instant. Years and Years. My mind, my ego puts up a pretty good fight in letting new info in. Here's where I'm at with it today in very simple terms. The Holy Spirit can't force you to change. The door is shut. When you stop whatever your thinking about put yourself in the present moment and think of God or Jesus your in the Holy Instant. The door is open. There is so much extra information in the Course about what is and what isn't going on and why it becomes over whelming. The Holy Instant is where the Course is taking place. The more often you do this, stop and be present (in the Now) the faster your progress.

Fast is probably not a good word to use in connection with the Course. Awareness of change is not something that is going to happen in an instant or a day or a year. When the Course tells you of all the things that are happening, that you will experience that you think you should be feeling, think in terms of five or ten years. If you feel these immediate changes from God relax, it's just the ego coming in the back door.

Any corrections are welcome.
11:03 AM
Christine said…
I wrote something last night, then I clicked the wrong button and it all disappeared! Oh well, I am re-writing it: Liz, you wrote, "As you go about your day, guilt will naturally arise to your awareness through feelings that disturb your peace"...So feelings that disturb your peace tell you that you believe in guilt."... - "they are opportunities for you to see and undo your guilt." Just yesterday, before I read your installment, two different stories on the radio "disturbed my peace". But instead of crying and wallowing in the awful stories, I "caught myself" and just like Will said, asked Truth (the Holy Spirit, Jesus) to help me look at it (my feelings of sadness and unfairness) after hearing them. The thought came to me that this is the 'story of separation', there's not a hierarchy of stories, in content, they are all the same. OK, but I just don't understand how a sad story is an example of my guilt? Is it kind of that we want to on the one hand, put a 'form' to Love, but also put a 'form' to guilt? Then project it out (out there) so it is "surely not me" who is the guilty one?
4:48 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
Yes, it does not matter where you see guilt. The problem is thinking it is real, whether you see it in yourself or project it onto someone else.
If you get an emotional charge from something in the world you believe separation is real. So you believe guilt is real.
But don't make too much of passing emotional charges. A sad story is a sad story. But if the emotion doesn't pass with the story, you believe it is real.
2:04 PM
www.gabiklaf.com said…
feelings of guilt should be removed as soon as possible because they are a big hurdle in the way of peaceful thinking and decision making.
12:29 PM
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