Forgiveness and the Appropriate Posture of the ACIM Student

           Last week I wrote how the idea of a “Son of God” only seems to make sense from ego’s perspective so it falls away when ego does. From the perspective of truth (pure consciousness, what ego senses as “God”) no part of it has ever been lost and so the idea of a “journey” of return is totally illusory. For readers and clients who have not come to see this there is always the question, “What can I take away from this information?”

First, that there is a truth here in consciousness, even if it is not an individuated “your” truth. It is what is and it is lovely.

Second, forgiveness as A Course in Miracles teaches it, that nothing appearing in consciousness is real, is a fact. Last week I shared how this is realized here. You may not yet see this for yourself, but I give testimony that it is true, perhaps reinforcing it in you.

Third, if you experience the split mind, where you are aware of truth beside ego, then you too have forgiveness right there. It does not matter that ego still appears in your mind. The awareness of truth is all that matters, to whatever degree you are aware, and whatever you call it.

Fourth, you don’t need to take anything, not even a “spiritual journey”, seriously. It is, again, entirely a false appearance. So, let your journey unfold as it will, and question yourself when you find you take it too seriously. That is ego taking itself too seriously. Lighten up, enjoy what unfolds for you.

Fifth, that the posture that the Course has you adopt to truth is correct. By “posture” I mean being in relationship with truth, called your inner teacher, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit in the Course. Many students, especially since the explosion of nondual teachings on social media, have decided that a “relationship” with truth is dualistic and they either leave the Course behind or they try to use it without their inner teacher. But as only ego is on any kind of “journey” and ego is separate from truth, a relationship with truth is entirely appropriate. It is, in fact, the “better way” for you to live as it mitigates the worst of ego.

As I pointed out in last week’s article, ego had the expectation that “I” would come to discover that “I” was the “Son of God” or Christ. When it began the journey forty years ago, it felt the Holy Spirit as “other” and expected that would change in time. So, it developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit expecting the relationship to fall away eventually. The Holy Spirit was guide, teacher, and therapist and ultimately Constant Companion. I can’t imagine what that life would have been without it. In this process, however, the split between ego and the Holy Spirit became more defined, and ego grew more uncomfortable. In time, it seemed like the line between the Holy Spirit and “me” blurred and ego anticipated learning the Holy Spirit was its “true identity”, but that line never disappeared. The blurring was truth (Holy Spirit) rising to conscious awareness and instead of the “I” discovering its “true identity” the “I” fell away leaving only what can be called the Holy Spirit. So, in the end, as far as ego consciousness was concerned, that experience of truth (Holy Spirit) as “other” to “me” (ego) was always correct!

Ego is “separate from God”—because it is not real! Something real on a journey to get back to truth is a wholly false story. But it is interesting that even an illusion has access to relief for itself in truth. “God” is what the illusion (ego) makes of the reality it dimly senses beyond itself. That truth, reality, what is, is love and extends even to an illusion. Ego decides if its god is love or fear, usually a mix of both. Ego’s resistance to an inner teacher is more than pride but its dim awareness that the inner teacher, not ego, is what is real in consciousness. But if it decides to let it in, the lovely twist is that the inner teacher lightens the experience of ego for ego!  

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