That's One Way of Looking At It
“And now he must
attain a state that may remain impossible to reach for a long, long time. He
must learn to lay all judgment aside, and ask only what he really wants in
every circumstance.” (W-4.I.A.7)
The quote above describes what A Course in Miracles calls the “period of unsettling”. I did not
realize when I entered this stage that the judgment it was talking about was judgment on this mind. Although now that
I have learned this, it makes perfect sense. The first judgment is against
Truth. It results in a diminishment of Limitless Mind to a limited split-mind
identified with a limited self. All other judgments follow from this.
Since I have written about the self-concept falling away from
this mind as self-identification begins to fall away, I am often asked by
clients if I still hear the ego (personal thought system). Yes, I hear, but I
don’t listen. It goes by pretty quick. However, sometimes I get hooked and follow
the trail of its thoughts. This happened to me the other day and its attacks (judgments)
on me were brutal. I just allowed them without judgment or resistance. And into
the midst of the attacks came quietly and without charge this thought, “That’s
one way of looking at it.” Of course! The ego presents a point of view;
actually, usually many points of view. But that is all they are.
The awareness that I was locked into just one way of looking at the self and this
mind freed me from the ego’s attacks immediately. It also allowed me to find
the “hook”. I had doubts about the fictional writing that I’m doing. And that made
a gap in my mind into which the attacks came flooding. I also allowed the
doubts, without judging or resisting. And in a little while I was very clearly assured
that I’m doing what I am to be doing at this time. With the doubt gone the gap
was gone. The personal thought system’s attacks no longer had meaning for me
and could no longer hook me.
ACIM teaches us to use the thought, “I want another way to
look at this” when our peace of mind is disturbed. That was useful to me for a
long time. It opened my mind to the Holy Spirit’s point of view. And I needed
that as long as I was identified with a self. However, that does not work for
me anymore. In fact, it makes me disoriented.
It is more helpful to me now to see that any point of view is just that. This does leave me with the sense I’m
floating in the air without a place to put my feet, but it seems more honest at
this point. So I’ll just float.
It is very humbling to realize I do not know how to look at
this self and this mind. What arrogance to think I ever did! Since I am no
longer so certain I am due condemnation, I have become much more gentle with
myself.
>>>>>
Are you experiencing shifts and
transformations of your own? It can help to speak with someone who has been
through these life processes. Email me at Liz@acimmentor.com
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Comments
It reminded me of a very helpful statement that has recently been popping into my mind these days when I finally recognize all the relentless self-judgements I am laying on myself AS ONLY self-judgements and not the Truth. I'm sure it stems from all the crime novels I have been reading recently, and I have to be in my right mind to even allow this statement to occur to me, but it is this:
It's all "fruit of the poisonous tree. Once the separation is made real, what else could follow"?
It turns out that the Holy Spirit really can use ALL of our special relationships to help us out of the dream....:-)
(AND in the dream of bodies, we have personal minds, SPLIT minds, wrong and right minds...). That has turned into the idea of 'ego' being selfish, egotistic, a bad person - but that is NOT the original idea of ACIM...
So, it doesn't matter 'what way we look at a thing'HERE IN FORM - the course says 'Let's make this year a year where we make 'all things' the SAME...
What only matters is: go inside, look within, with the Holy Spirit, and say: help me see this differently !
And, the Course says: there are only TWO groups of thoughts: LOVE or CALL FOR LOVE !!
So, if you are experiencing the latter (judgment of yourself or another), you'll have to ask H.S. to be reminded of the former !
That's all! It's all you have to 'do'...
That's why 'I need do nothing' - this is a course in LOOKING (without judgment/with H.S.) and NOT in DOING...
ONLY LOVE IS REAL !!
Peace and love to everyONE...
"of myself i can do nothing because i am not of myself" (chapter 8). when i am identified with a personal self i can do nothing because i am identified with an illusion and can only perceive illusion. there is no receiving or extending of healing possible in this contracted state.
"i do not need to seek for Reality, It will seek for and find me when i meet it's conditions" (also chapter 8 maybe). when i align in my mind with the HS and look with Him (at myself or a perceived other), He shows me Love calling for Itself, and bids me to join with Him in answering the call by extending Love. there is no trying in this moment, i experience a union... a holy encounter ... an internal quieting ... a radical relaxing ... a sense of space where before there seemed to be a me. and it is all floating in Love.
the experience of these miracle moments are continuing, along with episodes of resistance. i am learning to watch them all from the vantage point of the HS in the Garden he has prepared there for me, a lovely visual picturing from an early chapter i have embraced. where i would usually find a sense of personal self, i am now at times finding instead a sense of expansion. i don't know what this is, only that i trust it fully. there are episodes of painful resistance also, but they are lessening and there is always a morning.
thank you all, for the help and Light i find here.
endless Love, nicci
(but, of course, we are all tempted to find a PERSONAL opinion about this or that...)
Liz, i am grateful for the descriptions you have been giving for your experience as you move more deeply into-beyond the period of unsettling and so beyond any POV. it gives me a sense for what lies ahead and that is very helpful. it feels like i am still experiencing relinquishment and some continued value sorting. in addition though, i am getting some glimpses of an unsettling occurring as the identification with a personal me is increasingly loosing its feeling of realness... and it is unsettling.
in deep gratitude for everyone's Love, n
I am convinced that I made the right decision in giving it up. In fact, an acquaintance who taught the course for years told me about the “Direct Path” and the dozens of Rupert Spira (just one of several teachers) videos on youtube in which he explains in simple experiential terms how to practice it. In comparing the two, I came away with the opinion that despite its essential truth - anything that begins with the sublime and profound, “Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists”, has to be on to something - acim as a tool for transformation is blunt, convoluted, and antiquated. The course is a magnet for those of us (like me) who are attracted to intellectual pursuits like analyzing concepts, looking for hidden meaning etc. While studying it however, I found myself mired in a jungle of concepts, doctrine, and labyrinthine, inscrutable, intellectual highways and byways (new meanings for old words; hunting the elusive Holy Spirit; Jesus literal or metaphor) – so much so that I lost sight of the forest for the trees. Ironically, the “Direct Path” has been around for ages but rarely taught or studied because people seem more comfortable with paths that rely on a heavy structure.
I suppose acim works for some but if you are frustrated with it try something different. For sorting out “nuts and bolts” type problems of daily living involving relationships, setting boundaries etc. I still found Liz to be a great help and my go-to gal for resolving them.
Best wishes everyone.
i check in with Robert Spira's Direct Path teaching regularly and find it helpful. and i have friends who, like you, have shifted entirely to it, as well as other similar Direct Inquiry approaches. may we meet and join together where our journeys intersect in Love.
nicci
the Course itself admits it is not the only way - it is 'A' way - but would be pretty fast (if you do it right...) - and Kenneth Wapnick emphasizes that too, AND that it was given to two highly educated intellectual people...
So, it is not recommended to follow ACIM if it gives you more fear, anger, despair, frustration etc. - quite the opposite ! Find a way that gives you more peace (even if it takes 'longer'...). ACIM even says, 'some are not ready for more than a gentle smile (now)'...
Lots of love to everyONE..
You missed my point and sound a bit condescending.