Unlearning Classroom – Page 49 – A Course in Miracles with Amy Torres

A Course in Miracles and Vegas … really?

Posted on August 21, 2015

in Las Vegas 2016

Dangling money carrot Yep, really! The 2016 CMC ACIM Conference is being held in Vegas: a spiritual gathering in the gambling capital of the world. “Gambling is a way of buying hope on credit,” says Alan Wykes, author of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Gambling. This is because the ego dangles hope like a carrot to keep humans invested in their false identity.

On the other hand, A Course in Miracles in Vegas is more of a sure-fire jackpot than a gamble! Think about it. There will be so many ego temptations at the casino, and yet, Change Your Mind, Change the World will offer constant reminders that you can use them all for the Holy Spirit’s purpose. Hope is not necessary when spiritual awakening is guaranteed. “God is inevitable, and you cannot avoid Him any more than He can avoid you.” (ACIM, T-4.I.9:10)

Dice-Jesus * Experience using your desires for the highest good of all
* Clarify your understanding of ACIM concepts
* Immerse yourself in an atmosphere of Truth
* Find teachers who truly inspire you (over 25 presenters, including me)
* Just be … just show up and allow Spirit to guide you all weekend
* Let Spirit use you as a conduit for miracles
* Undo your addiction to ego and trust that Change Your Mind, Change the World is a vehicle for mind-healing and Spirit-revealing
* Meet like-minded people who are supportive of your spiritual life
* Allow the Holy Spirit to provide, even when money seems scarce

As soon as you sign up, you have begun to reap the benefits of the conference! This is because you have put your willingness into action. You have planted the seed of awakening. Your miracles begin here and multiply endlessly through you (even if it seems as though nothing is happening).

In my experience, signing up for conferences,workshops, retreats, intensives and other spiritual events has been a big opening for my healing, unlearning and awakening. There is every reason for Change Your Mind, Change the World to be that opportunity for you. “Ultimately, everyone must remember the Will of God, because ultimately everyone must recognize himself.” (T-9.I.9:1) Why wait?

Rio Hotel Vegas The Las Vegas Conference will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino just off the Las Vegas strip from Friday, April 8th – Sunday, April 10th, 2016. Tickets are $449 and include four all-you-can-eat buffet meals (Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday brunch — you are on your own for breakfast).

Rooms are $124 per night for both single or double occupancy (includes high speed internet, access to athletic facilities, and more.)

For more info and to register, call Community Miracles Center at 415-621-2556 or 888-621-2556 (toll free in USA). Much appreciated if you tell them “Amy Torres” inspired you to register.

Listen to this with the Holy Spirit and choose an Ace that you can keep! See ya in Vegas 🙂

I look forward to meeting you in person. Please introduce yourself to me and let’s have a hug. Amy crosslegged white

The Irresistible Attraction of Love for Love

Posted on August 19, 2015

in Thoughts on A Course in Miracles, Undoing the Ego

by Amy Torres

Rest assured that the irresistible attraction of love for love is the strongest power within you. Whether you are in touch with it right now, or not, it will emerge eventually and restore your connection with God.

Chapter 12 of the ACIM Text is called The Holy Spirit’s Curriculum, and in it Jesus tells us, “When you want only love you will see nothing else.”

love light_ Are you able to feel love for yourself? Many, many people are self-critical and believe that self-love is conceited and selfish. If this describes you, please know that chronic self-criticism is not helping you become a better person, achieve humility, or be selfless.

You may also have noticed that you seem to be in relationships with blamers, that is, people who blame you for everything. Self-critical people and blamers fit together like hand in glove. Often, the one who is blamed agrees that they are guilty of having done something wrong, yet, there is also an underlying feeling of injustice.

victim attacker You may recognize the self-blamer and the blamer within yourself. This is because the ego is a contradictory, paradoxical thought system which has made you the victim of yourself. The way this works is that the ego keeps us endlessly distracted by two choices: victim or attacker. Usually, you will identify with one more than the other — notice if you usually feel attacked or the victim of attack. The ego has had great success with mesmerizing us with these two choices, however, eventually, it becomes clear that there is a third choice, a better way.

The third choice is unified love — no victim/no attacker. The ego paradigm of guilt, punishment and death melts stairway to heaven exit right away as you see through the ego dream state to the One Self you truly are. This can occur over many years of mind-shifting as your spiritual path builds conviction within you. There can be significant spiritual experiences along the way which are best used to confirm that you are on The Path, following your Inner Teacher Home.

The One Self appears to be many, in conflict, and, occasionally in love, but unaware that these billions of people on earth are all versions of Itself in diverse costumes. When you want only love, you “get it” that the abused “you” is also the abuser “you” and there is a holy instant of release as you rise above the battleground and allow a miraculous shift in perception from eyesight to Vision, from image-making to Formless LoveLight.

Trump Card This timeless, formless LoveLight is your God-Self. The mighty magnetism of your God-Self is constantly attracting you to Love. As powerful as belief in the ego is, it cannot come close to trumping the Love which is your true inner Self.

Nothing external is true. No interpretations or judgments are true. Death is not true. Shapes and forms come and go in the shadowy dream world the ego has been calling real life, but the brilliant Light within you dissolves all that nonsense instantly — when you want only love. Love is all-inclusive. Treasured wounds and righteousness about enemies are seen as two sides of one coin … and the coin disappears back into the no-thingness from which it came.

Begin where you are at. Lesson 153, In my defenselessness my safety lies, impacted my personal relationships so powerfully that I was freed from many terrors and weaknesses as I practiced it. Something that helps that profoundly is easily embraced for years and years, until the original relationship with the Holy Spirit, your Inner Self, is re-discovered.

You can also try Lesson 153 for yourself. Or use any lesson or concept from A Course in Miracles that resonates with you as a mental touchstone to guide you back to timeless love, effortless joy and inner peace. I often used phrases from the Text in exactly the same way as workbook lessons. Trust your Inner Self, the Holy Spirit. Then you will find that the irresistible attraction of love for love is a tidal wave of clarity, well-being and embrace of the Impersonal Self you can never abandon and which never abandons You.

Click here for a free companion piece on what to do when you have an Extra-Strength Ego.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Posted on July 25, 2015

in Spiritual Psychotherapy, Undoing the Ego, Unlearning Classroom

by Amy Torres

Saying the words, “I want to break up,” whether with respect to a marital relationship or any other committed relationship (be it romantic, work, friend, etc.) is one of the hardest things a human being ever has to do.

Making the conscious choice to end one of the strongest bonds we have ever made frightens us to our very core. We fear that we’ll never meet anyone else. We fear the possible financial burden, the loneliness, the unknown. We feel guilty for being disloyal, abandoning a loved one. We dread seeing hurt or rage on our partner’s face. We fear retribution, punishment and vengeance.

Many teachings suggest that we should never break up. There are loyalty oaths, responsibilities, social stigmas. There is the suggestion that we are immature, lack tenacity, are being selfish.

I’ve found that for a certain kind of person — a person who is considerate, emotionally generous, fair-minded, and understanding; someone who is seeking cooperation, yet has low self-esteem — it is possible to be taken advantage of in relationships. It is this sort of person who is the most afraid to break up, because underlying these positive qualities, there is often an emotional immaturity and dependency that produces strong feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.

Yet, it is just this sort of person who benefits from dissolving a partnership that is not working because it is an opportunity to be true to themselves; to put themselves to the test of being more independent; developing resourcefulness and self-sufficiency; and, eventually, if they so desire, insisting on a more compatible mate, a true partner, a mutually rewarding, cooperative, and enjoyable relationship.

I speak from experience. I was this low self-esteem person, and for a long time I didn’t even know it! I was blind because I was competent. People close to me relied on me, but instead of being appreciative they took me for granted, undervalued me, and gave me no credit.

Therefore, for too long, I also took myself for granted, undervalued myself and unconsciously assumed no one else would ever want me. Thank goodness there was a spark of indignation inside me (my natural positive self-esteem — everyone has it no matter how crushed or buried) which pushed me, little by little, to find the courage to make changes.

After agonizing for years, I finally left a husband who wasn’t truly in partnership with me, and a job which did not serve me. In the process it felt as if I was losing everything that mattered to me — building a life with someone; having children together; developing lifelong relationships with family and friends. (That’s a story for another time.)

Thankfully, my spiritual studies sustained me through the pain and fear. A Course in Miracles empowered me through Lesson 153, “In my defenselessness my safety lies.” which strengthened me to tell the truth without attacking. I learned to focus on the healing power of our relationships with others. I had a growing understanding that, whether we are aware of it or not, we are all facets of the same diamond, all beating in the same heart, all thinking through the same mind.

A Sufi proverb puts it this way, “When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found.”

The lyrics “breaking up is hard to do” are so true. But spending a lifetime in a relationship that you resent is far worse. I learned a hard, but invaluable spiritual lesson from this experience — I gained a deep and abiding trust in God, a heartfelt ‘knowing’ that being completely dependent on God, rather than on any human being, was the answer. What a perfect solution to codependency!

Paradoxically, that dependency guarantees the most empowering relationship in which we will ever be, because it is an awakening of our original relationship with God, from which all other truly loving relationships spring.

The biggest surprise of all is that after we break some ties which were sustained for too long due to low self-esteem, our self-appreciation, love and esteem grows. This growth leads to another break up — the break up with your self! As A Course in Miracles explains, the person you take yourself to be is an ego-induced self-concept. As you awaken to your True Value, you naturally break away from the false idea of personal identity and recognize your True Self.

If you have questions, please email miracles(at)amytorresacim(dot)com

He who with sincerity seeks his real purpose in life is himself sought by that purpose.

Posted on June 25, 2015

in Unlearning Classroom

by Amy Torres

Before I discovered A Course in Miracles, the Sufis came into my life. Actually, there is no “ism” to Sufism. It is the all-embracing religion of Love, encompassing all religions, and all peoples, everywhere. Even so, there are different lineages of Sufis, and my teachers stemmed from the Chishti master, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Bless his heart, Wahiduddin has been providing the world with a message a day from the master for as long as I can remember. I love the way they interweave with ACIM. Here is one of my favorites. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Bowl of Saki, March 13. “He who with sincerity seeks his real purpose in life is himself sought by that purpose.”

One may ask, ‘What is the best way for a person to understand his life’s purpose?’ If one follows the bent of one’s own mind, if one follows the track to which one is attracted, if one follows one’s own inclination, which is not satisfied with anything else, one feels, ‘There is something waiting for me (which one does not know at the time), which will bring me satisfaction.’ Besides, if one is intuitive and mystical, it is easier still, because then one is continually told what is the purpose of one’s life.

For nature has such a perfection of wisdom. One sees that the insects are given the sense to make their little houses and to protect themselves and make a store of their food. The bees, who have the gift of making honey, are taught how to make honey. So nature has taught every soul to seek its purpose. It has made every soul for that purpose, and it is continually calling that soul to see that purpose. If the soul does not hear the call and sleeps, it is not the fault of nature, which is continually calling. Therefore, if I were to say in a few words, how to find one’s purpose, I would say: by waking from sleep. from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/I/I_IV_1.htm

Every being has a definite vocation, and his vocation is the light which illuminates his life. The man who disregards his vocation is a lamp unlit. He who sincerely seeks his real purpose in life is himself sought by that purpose. As he concentrates on that search a light begins to clear his confusion, call it revelation, call it inspiration, call it what you will. It is mistrust that misleads. Sincerity leads straight to the goal. from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/I/I_I_2.htm

That way is best which suits you best. The way of one person is not for another person, although man is always inclined to accuse another person of doing wrong, believing that he himself is doing right. … That purpose is accomplished when a person has risen above all these things. It is that person then, who will tolerate all, who will understand all, who will assimilate all things, who will not feel disturbed by things which are not in accordance with his own nature or the way which is not his way. He will not look at them with contempt, but he will see that in the depth of every being there is a divine spark which is trying to raise its flame toward the purpose.

When a person has arrived at this stage, he has risen above the limitations of the world. Then he has become entitled to experience the joy of coming near to the real purpose of life. It is then that in everything that he says or does, he will be accomplishing that purpose. … We come to understand by this that the further we go the more tolerant we become. Outward things matter little. It is the inward realization which counts.

However sacred duty may be, however high may be the hope of paradise, however great the happiness one may experience in the pleasures of the earth, however much satisfaction one may find in earthly treasures, the purpose of life is in rising above all these things.

It is then that the soul will have no discord, no disagreement with others. It is then that the natural attitude of the soul will become tolerant and forgiving. The purpose of life is fulfilled in rising to the greatest heights and in diving to the deepest depths of life: in widening one’s horizon, in penetrating life in all its spheres, in losing oneself, and in finding oneself in the end. In the accomplishment of the purpose of life the purpose of creation is fulfilled. Therefore, in this fulfillment it is not that man attained, but that God Himself has fulfilled His purpose. from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/I/I_IV_11.htm

* * * * *

Here is a quote from A Course in Miracles that corresponds to Hazrat Inayat Khan’s wisdom that, “He who with sincerity seeks his real purpose in life is himself sought by that purpose.”

“The curriculum is highly individualized, and all aspects are under the Holy Spirit’s particular care and guidance. Ask and He will answer. … His answers are always right. Would you say that of yours?” (M-29)

The House of Cards Falls When You Are Ready by Sundance Burke

Posted on June 7, 2015

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

The ego or mind-made false self is a house of cards that collapses completely the very instant it is realized that YOU, the perceiving consciousness, are not an object. The True Self is not difficult to realize, as it merely involves an unbiased looking at what you think and feel you are. In other words, it involves your interest in witnessing the mind’s story of self-identity.

The only real challenge to Self-realization is the issue of your readiness to face the possibility that you will have to let go of every self-concept and self-image that proves to be false by your own investigation. Even coming close to such an inquiry always provides the intuition that you are getting ready to face a great unknown. It is not uncommon to experience the fear of dying in this context. However, the intimation of death is more often related to the ego than the physical body.

So far, you have been attached to and identified with a matrix of concepts, beliefs and images about yourself, others and the world. “I am a human being, a short-lived and insignificant object (body) in a vast and enduring universe of greater things.” We don’t really say this consciously, but it is assumed by the power of our human conditioning. This human idea is called self-knowledge, but is it true? Are you really what you think or perceive? Even to contemplate or be curious about this question is a sign of your readiness for Self-realization.

It’s true, if you have been hanging your hat on mental ideas and images of self and they’re all perceived to be false, then their influence will disappear from your consciousness. However, you will never know whether your notions of self are false or true unless you put them to the test. Here are two powerful ways to test your concept and feeling of self for truth or falsehood.

First, in this moment or any other, look at any idea, image or feeling of self that arises in your awareness and ask yourself: Am I this perception?

This question really is: Am I an idea, perception, image or feeling?

Well, are you such a thing?

If not, why base your Being upon such a flimsy foundation. Nonsense does not require your serious attention. It can be safely and light-heartedly dismissed and even forgotten altogether.

The second way to test the mind is to ignore it completely for a single moment and intuit who you are in the absence of a single thought or assumption.

Check it out. Drop all knowledge and every desire for understanding and just Be.

Can you feel it?

What is the nature of this Being?

This truth cannot be realized, unless you taste what it is to be simply aware and free of all desire for a self-understanding.

If a thought arises like, “Oh, I cannot possibly be free of all thought, even for a moment.” Ignore this thought, surrender the doubt it voices and directly perceive the Being that remains and is deeper as your essence.

Yes, this is high adventure, and while it might appear to involve some risk, it does not. Just as it’s been said, “there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” However, you cannot know this as Self-truth if fear keeps you from testing it for reality. Just as you cannot know the joy of eating without tasting the food, you must leave the idea of yourself for being.

What will you discover by self-inquiry? You will realize that beyond the mind and the individual body that it claims as self, you are Pure Consciousness, the awareness of all experience. Unknowable as anything of name or form, you are that which knows all experience.

That which you cannot know, cannot be. So, your death cannot be, because it would have to known by you, as life. Truth is not something external to you. Truth is within the Self you are. Let’s face it, as Consciousness, life is all you know now or have ever known. Death is a belief proposed by others and there aren’t any others, except as an idea and sense that is perceived by your conscious Being.

Thought-free awareness is Pure Consciousness. Essentially, this is the Self of all. Just because you can see a reflection of your Being in the mirror of mind doesn’t mean that you are that image. The mind serves one purpose only: it points to the source from which it arises. Turn away from the mirror and realize the Self directly.

This is the way open to all who are ready.

Peace & Blessings to All, Sundance Burke, author of Free Spirit

http://www.katiedavis.org/FriendsoftheHeart.html

Ask Amy: The Script Is Written

Posted on June 1, 2015

in Ask Amy, Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

Q: According to A Course in Miracles, “the script is written.”* If the script is already written by ourselves, why don’t we all write the perfect script for the illusion – health, money, beauty, etc.?

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA A: When taken out of context, “the script is written” appeals to human curiosity about fate, destiny, and the possibility of rewriting our lives. It seems to refer to us as people. Many books and movies have been based on traveling to the past or future and the consequences of changing actions and events. But this is the ego script.

Read Lesson 158 and you will find that “The script is written” refers to the end of belief in the ego. “The script is written,” is actually about forgiveness, Christ’s vision and God’s plan for salvation; it is not referring to the fearful ego script based within time and place.

“Time is a trick, a sleight of hand, a vast illusion in which figures come and go as if by magic. Yet there is a plan behind appearances that does not change. The script is written. When experience will come to end your doubting has been set. For we but see the journey from the point at which it ended, looking back on it, imagining we make it once again; reviewing mentally what has gone by.” (W-158)

ACIM is an exposé of the ego’s ideology. The ego’s secret script deliberately dictates, “Seek and do not find” in order to keep us endlessly consumed in a state of chronic dissatisfaction, be it avoiding pain or seeking pleasure. In the Course, Jesus exposes the self-sabotaging script which the ego has written and buried, and asks us to look at it with him in God’s Light.

At first glance, it does seem perverse that the ego writes a horror story with so much suffering. But scratch the surface and the motivation is obvious: guilt. On a deep, unconscious level, we believe we have attacked God and usurped His throne. Somebody must be punished. The ego’s tale is one of guilt, betrayal, vendetta and death – not love and happily-ever-after.

Beneath guilt is an even deeper reason. The ego needs to keep itself asleep in order to “exist.” Ego survives through contraction and sleep – God’s Mind is always awake and expansive; that is Its natural state. God is the greatest Author and He writes Timeless Truth; the ego cannot outshine God in the happiness department.

“God’s creations are given their true Authorship, but you prefer to be anonymous when you choose to separate yourself from your Author.” (T-3.VI.8:7)

When Jesus says “the script is written” he is referring to the spiritual law that giving is receiving (forgiveness), to Christ’s vision (Oneness), and to God’s plan for salvation (choosing the Holy Spirit as our teacher). These are three ways of prescribing Perfect Happiness and the tools to recognize that we are an extension of pure God-Mind created out of Timeless Love.

“Christ’s vision has one law. It does not look upon a body, and mistake it for the Son whom God created. It beholds a light beyond the body; an idea beyond what can be touched, a purity undimmed by errors, pitiful mistakes, and fearful thoughts of guilt from dreams of sin. It sees no separation. And it looks on everyone, on every circumstance, all happenings and all events, without the slightest fading of the light it sees.” (W-158)

* Recommended Reading:
“The script is written” is from Lesson 158. There is also mention of “the script” in Lesson 169 and Chapter 30, Section VII: The New Interpretation.

This Q&A appears in the Ask Amy column from the May-June 2015 issue of Miracles magazine. Miracles is a well-loved staple in the ACIM community. For a subscription, email [email protected] or call 845-496-9089. To ask Amy a question, email miracles (at) amytorresacim (dot) com

Yeshua… Eesho… Iesous… Jesus by Wahiduddin

Posted on May 11, 2015

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

As odd as it may seem, the name Jesus is a relatively new invention, only a few hundred years old, that was created by multiple translations and stylistic changes to the original name.

The name of the one born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph about 2000 years ago was written as in Aramaic. Most scholars agree that the common language of the entire region was Aramaic and that Jesus probably spoke Aramaic and was most likely named in Aramaic.

The modern transliteration of the Aramaic into English has been written in many forms, including Yeshu’, Eesho’ or Eshoo. There were, and still are, many different, and often contradictory, dialects of Aramaic, making it impossible to know for certain how his name was actually pronounced 2000 years ago. That same name would be written as in Hebrew and is commonly transliterated into English as Yeshua, which is a Hebrew contraction for the name Yehoshua meaning Yah is salvation or Yah saves. Many Biblical references, such as Young’s Analytical Concordance, have concluded that his name was Yeshua.

The really odd changes to his name all began with translation into non-Semitic languages.

When the name was translated into Greek, the translators were first faced with the task of deciding whether they should translate the name phonetically to try to keep the sound the same, or whether they should translate the name according to its meaning. Apparently, they chose to use the phonetic approach so that the sound of the name would be preserved, even though the meaning of the name would be lost in the phonetic translation.

Unfortunately, the Greek language lacks some of the sounds used in Aramaic. And to further complicate the issue, all Greek masculine names must end with the letter “s”. So, without the proper sounds and forced to add the “s” to the end of the name, the best that the Greek translators could do was translate the name as which may be pronounced something like “ee-ay-soos”. Still, that’s pretty close to the original name, except for the letter “s” that was added at the end.

Then, as the books of the bible began to gain wider circulation, the name was again translated, this time from Greek into Latin. In the official Catholic bible version called the Vulgate, the name was established in Latin as “Iesus”. In Latin the letter “I” when used as a consonant has somewhat of a “Y” sound, so the name may have been pronounced something like “ye-soos”, which is a still pretty good approximation to the original name, except for the “s” at the end.

Over the years, as the pronunciation of the European languages gradually changed, and as the manner of writing the various letters also changed, an embellished version of the letter “I” gradually acquired a sound of it’s own and over time became an entirely new letter, the letter “J” with it’s current “J” sound. And, along the way, the long “u” sound of “oo” was lost and it became a short “u”. So, as the newly invented printing press churned out bibles, the Latin version of the name gradually became written as “Jesus” and the English pronunciation as we know it today was gradually adopted.

Although the spelling “Iesus” or “Iesvs” was used in the King James version of the New Testament from 1611 to 1628, by the year 1629 the King James version began to adopt the spelling “Jesus”. Gradually, during the 17th century, the name shifted from “Iesus” to the pronunciation “Jesus” that we are still using today.

Thus, the name was gradually changed to the English name Jesus…. which is indeed quite a different sounding name.

Fortunately, it seems that the pronunciation of the words in our prayers is much less important that the heartfelt intent of our prayers. And thereby all true seekers receive the same results whether they have learned to call on the sacred name of Jesus or Eeso or Yeshu’ or Iesous.

That is to say, the pronunciation of the name is really not very important, but rather it is our intent, purpose and faith that truly matter.

The ancient Semitic root of the word for “name” is s-m, and while it does certainly mean “name” it also means much more. The s-m of something is that by which it is known, it is that which makes something different in a way that it can be distinguished from something else, it can mean light or sound or vibration, it is the very essence of something.

So, to call upon someone’s “shem” is not simply to call upon the sound of their name, but it means to call upon their very essence… which is far beyond the mere utterance of a name.

Words come and words go, languages come and languages go, yet the magnificent heart of each person remains the glorious temple of God, the abode of Love Everlasting… if only we will cast off our veils of selfishness and allow the Divine Light to shine forth.

Matters such as alphabets and names and spelling are ephemeral matters, they come and go like the shifting sands. For those who are willing to seek it, there is something which is like a rock in the midst of those shifting sands, something more fulfilling than any ephemeral matter… and that “something” is the goal of the spiritual path. Let us strive to focus our attention beyond words, beyond momentary concerns, and strive to discover that glorious ever-present essence which is beyond the name.

Wishing you love, harmony and beauty,
wahiduddin

Aramaic Audio Recordings:

http://www.v-a.com/bible/aramaic-jesus.html … eashoa in Aramaic

http://www.beith-morounoye.org/special/yeshu.wma … Yeshu’ in Aramaic

http://www.v-a.com/bible/prayer.html … lord’s prayer in Aramaic
Aramaic References:

http://www.peshitta.org

http://www.v-a.com

Additional Resources:

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language, by David Crystal, Cambridge University Press, 1995, p.260

http://www.plim.org/JesusOrigin.htm

Many thanks to Wahiduddin for this loving explanation. To see the original article, click here https://wahiduddin.net/words/jesus.htm

Different Teacher, Same Message: God-Communication

Posted on May 11, 2015

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

God-Communication Is the Best Communication that True Spiritualism Can Teach Us

by Hazrat Inayat Khan

The most profound inspiration comes always from the divine mind, and to God alone the credit is due. Even if an inspiration comes through the mind of a person living on earth or through a soul who has passed on to the other side, it still has come from God, for all knowledge and wisdom belong to God.

It is a fault on the part of mankind to attribute inspiration to some limited being who is nothing but a shadow covering God. When a person believes that an old Egyptian comes from the other side to inspire him or that an American Indian comes to lead him on his way, he builds a wall between himself and God. Instead of receiving directly from the source that is perfect and all sufficient, he is picturing his limited idea, making it a screen between himself and God.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/II/II_43.htm

Is not God enough for our souls, and is He not sufficient to inspire us and to illuminate our wills and guide our souls? Is he any less of a friend here or in the spirit life? He is the great well-wisher. In Him mercy is complete. He is the Soul of all souls. When we devote ourselves to the thought of Him, all illumination and revelation are ours. God-communication is the best communication that true spiritualism can teach us.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VII/VII_21.htm

Thus the ultimate purpose, for which the soul is seeking every moment of our life, is our spiritual purpose. And you may ask how to attain to that purpose. The answer is that what you are seeking for is within yourself. Instead of looking outside, you must look within. The way to proceed to accomplish this is for some moments to suspend all your senses such as sight, hearing, smell, touch, in order to put a screen before the outside life. And by concentration and by developing that meditative quality you will sooner or later get in touch with the inner Self which is more communicative, which speaks more loudly than all the noises of this world. And this gives joy, creates peace, and produces in you a self-sufficient spirit, a spirit of independence, of true liberty. The moment you get in touch with your Self you are in communion with God. It is in this way, if God-communication is sought rightly, that spirituality is attained.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VI/VI_4.htm

Many thanks to Wahiduddin and his Bowl of Saki — the source of the above writings of Beloved Murshid, Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Proof of Nothing: I = 1

Posted on May 6, 2015

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

It occurred to me this morning that “I” as in “I am” is equivalent to the number “1.” proof

The personal “I” that goes with “Amy” and “me” is not what I’m referring to. This discussion begins with the collective “I” from which duality springs, and, according to A Course in Miracles, where the power of decision abides.

“I” is the arising of otherness without fear or guilt. “I” is the ability to regard the God-Self in blissful reverence. “I” is the knowing of aliveness before the body or any form seems to exist.

Non-duality means “not two.” “I” is not-twoness. We could say “I” equals “one.”

The number “1” means what? Solo. Only. Single. Unified. Doing spiritual math, “I” minus “1” equals “0” … minus any number from th yin yang brush stroke e same number and you get zero. It just struck home this morning that, in English, “I” and “1” look awe-fully (not awfully) alike.

Big clue. Super obvious. I = 1. One thought of separateness, believed in, equals countless forms. One thought returned to Zero undoes that initial first thought.

One could say that 2 – 1 = 0. Realizing that you are not-two could seem to logically mean we are One … but deeper examination reveals there is no One. This recognition annihilates the belief in a personal self/ego. What is left is … no self-concept, no-thing, nada, zilch, Zero (another name for God ;-)).

Art by Kaku-an as reproduced by Shubun

“When there exists no form of dualism, even a thousand-eyed one fails to detect a loop-hole.” ~Kakuan Shien, translated by D.T. Suzuki

Thanks to Paul Hedderman for inspiring this piece: www.zenbitchslap.com

Remember to Laugh

Posted on April 26, 2015

in Spiritual Psychotherapy, Thoughts on A Course in Miracles, Undoing the Ego, Unlearning Classroom, What is A Course in Miracles?

by Amy Torres

Amy crosslegged white Laughing is the application of ACIM principles. It’s right there in Chapter 27: “Into eternity, where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea, at which the Son of God remembered not to laugh. In his forgetting did the thought become a serious idea, and possible of both accomplishment and real effects. Together, we can laugh them both away, and understand that time cannot intrude upon eternity. It is a joke to think that time can come to circumvent eternity, which means there is no time.” T-27.VIII.6:2-5

Dr. Bernie Siegel, the author of Love, Medicine and Miracles, has many stories to tell about the power of laughter. There’s a whole school of yoga devoted to laughter. Comedian John Cleese says, “Laughter is a force for democracy.” Cancer thriver, as Kris Carr calls herself, has laughed in the face of terminal disease. Vice president Joe Biden shines light when he shares the tragic death of his wife and child. How do we laugh when we’re least likely to feel like laughing?

Biden considered suicide but came to find, “There will come a day, I promise you, and your parents, as well, when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.” He was speaking to the families of military veterans, but it goes for the rest of us as well. It applies to anyone who has contemplated suicide or hurt inside in any way, for any reason.

“This is the great wake-up call, this is the great spiritual practice. What am I going to do now? Am I going to fold?,” asked Carr, author of Crazy, Sexy Cancer, who was given a death sentence but instead chose to keep smiling and become a peace revolutionary through a plant-based diet.

There is a saying, “Time heals all wounds.” A Course in Miracles promises to save us time. It teaches that miracles literally collapse time. The miracle of laughter uses time for healing rather than brooding, simmering, panicking, collapsing, or seeking vengeance.

“The Holy Spirit uses time as He thinks best, and He is never wrong. Psychotherapy under His direction is one of the means He uses to save time …” P-1.5:5-6

Laughter is psychotherapy. Laughter is good medicine. And when we just can’t bring ourselves to laugh, a wry comment, some dry humor, a small smile are better than nothing. They are the equivalent of raising our eyes up from the ground and looking out towards the horizon. There is some scientific evidence which shows that laughter, even when we force it, or fake it, stimulates chemical changes in the brain and body which are powerfully healing.

Of course, ACIM students learn that the only illness is mental illness and when we’re willing to change our minds, we find an inner peace that removes the wrinkles from our brow and puts a smile on our lips. Remembering to laugh is choosing to forgive. Lesson 121 is, “Forgiveness is the key to happiness,” and Lesson 122 follows with, “[Forgiveness] sparkles on your eyes as you awake, and gives you joy with which to meet the day.”

At the root of physical and emotional pain is always psychological pain. Whether our situation is dramatic or mundane, we deserve to exercise our option to choose light and laughter. Remembering to laugh is an undoing process that takes us from our personal problems all the way back to the one problem the Course says is the only real problem: believing the tiny, mad idea that we are separate from God. All we have to do to establish inner peace is choose again, choose to recognize the cosmic joke is on us, and forgive, forgive, forgive!

TIP: Paradoxically, sometimes the only way to laugh is to stop laughing. When I was going through a “dark night of the soul,” it was healing for me to stop laughing and smiling, because I blocked people from helping me with my constant good cheer. They just assumed I was okay. So if it seems to you that your smile is a defense, relax into your pain and allow that energy to move through you. This is easier said than done, because becoming vulnerable when we’re frozen with self-protection takes time. And certain emotions feel dangerous. But if you sincerely want to heal, the Holy Spirit will show you how, and will help you find a healer with whom to do release work. You will laugh again. And each time you do, time will melt into timelessness until you remember Who you already are.

Get your laugh on — click here to watch the miraculously funny Trevor Noah.

Read previous, related issues of The Unlearning Classroom:

God Is In Your Smile
Forgiveness is Fear-Removal
What Is Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is Understanding