Author:Amy Torres

Lesson 57: covers Lessons 31 – 35

Concentrated Lesson juice. Ego mind is feeling a bit pummeled.  That results in less thinking and an odd sensation that seems to be a level of relaxation that I am not used to.

Lesson 31:  I am not the victim of the world I see.  “The prison door is open.  I can leave simply by walking out.  Nothing holds me in this world.  Only my wish to stay keeps me a prisoner.” !!! Honestly, most of my life has been spent fearing freedom.  Freedom feels overwhelming, even threatening.  How can I live up to freedom?  Freedom makes me cower with a sense of inadequacy. Until now.  Jesus has been encouraging me and I feel, not only willing, but ready.  “I would give up my insane wishes and walk into the sunlight at last.”

Lesson 32:  I have invented the world I see.  In fact, I can only invent and imagine the world I see. But I cannot make it real. I may be afraid of freedom, but I have never not been free.  Freedom is my inheritance.  All I need do is see this.

Lesson 33:  There is another way of looking at the world.  I’ve been looking at the world all wrong, of course.  That is the very purpose of the world, to see incorrectly.  Everything I see is a smokescreen, a backdrop, a painted veil suggesting a reality that is not there.  Remove the images and the veil remains; remove the veil and … Reality is realized.

Lesson 34:  I could see peace instead of this.  “When I see the world as a place of freedom, I realize that it reflects the laws of God instead of the rules I made up for it to obey.”

Lesson 35:  My mind is part of God’s.  I am very holy.  I am OF God; I extend from God; I am created by God. My mind, which is an actuality way, way beyond the body, is the extension of God Mind, therefore I am holy for there is no other condition but wholeness. “As I share the peace of the world with my brothers” because I can no longer see another as separate from my Self, “I begin to understand that this peace comes from deep within myself.”  Connecting with the Truth through the light of forgiveness undoes all inventions, mind manipulations and false beliefs.  “I begin to understand the holiness of all living things, including myself, and their oneness with me.”

Lesson 56: covers Lessons 26 – 30

The consolidation of five lessons per day feels intense. An energetic squeeze. In a good way. Here we go:

Lesson 26: My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability.  “Perfect security and complete fulfillment are my inheritance.”  But I have been seeing myself under constant threat. Thankfully, “God has kept my inheritance safe for me. My own real thoughts will teach me what it is.”

Lesson 27: Above all else I want to see.  Vision is my greatest need. Then I will see the world and myself with charity and love.

Lesson 28: Above all else I want to see differently.  “I would let the door behind this world be opened for me, that I may look past it to the world that reflects the Love of God.”  This is my jackpot lesson for today!

Lesson 29: God is in everything I see.  We are all part of God’s jigsaw puzzle. Every piece equally necessary and worthy regardless of shape, color, functionality or size.  “We who are part of Him will yet look past all appearances, and recognize the truth beyond them all.”

Lesson 30: God is in everything I see because God is in my mind.  And, more importantly, I am in the Mind of God.

Lesson 55: covers Lessons 21 – 25

The following lessons comprise today’s review:

Lesson 21: I am determined to see things differently.  Seeing disease, disaster and death are proof that I do not understand God. Now, I am determined to see the witnesses to the Truth in me.

Lesson 22: What I see is a form of vengeance.  The world I see represents my attack thoughts. Switching to a reflection of God’s Love will save me from the vengeful perception of the world.

Lesson 23: I can escape from this world by giving up attack thoughts.  Attack thoughts are judgment. Judgment is unforgiveness.  Forgiveness allows Love to return to my awareness.

Lesson 24: I do not perceive my own best interests.  And the only way I can perceive my own best interests is to withdraw my attention from my false identity and give it over to the Guide God has given me. This I gladly do.

Lesson 25: I do not know what anything is for.  Ken Wapnick often stressed that A Course in Miracles is all about purpose. Jesus asks us to consider, regarding anything and everything, what is it for?  “The purpose I have given the world has led to a frightening picture of it.”  I now happily “open my mind to the world’s real purpose by withdrawing the one I have given it, and learning the truth about it.”

Lesson 54: covers Lessons 16 – 20

The review for today covers Lesson 16: I have no neutral thoughts.  Grouping the lessons this way feels super potent. What I see shows me whether my thoughts are false or true.

Lesson 17: I see no neutral things.  Life is thought. The world I see is the representation of my own state of mind. Thank God I have the power of decision and change my mind about seeing a world of chaos to a world of peace.

Lesson 18: I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.  “Even the mad idea of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the world I see.” !!! “Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing. I can also call upon my real thoughts, which share everything with everyone.”

Lesson 19: I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts.  A Son of God cannot be alone in anything.

Lesson 20: I am determined to see.  Here is the reward. “Recognizing the shared nature of my thoughts, I am determined to see.” Having the power of decision, “I would look upon the witnesses that show me the thinking of the world has been changed. I would behold the proof that what has been done through me has enabled love to replace fear, laughter to replace tears, and abundance to replace loss.”

Lesson 53: covers Lessons 11 – 15

Today we review Lesson 11: My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world. Thank God, “I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.”

Lesson 12: I am upset because I see a meaningless world.  Thank God the Holy Spirit offers me the possibility to “…not choose to value what is totally insane and has no meaning.”  Jesus offers us a better way, over and over again, “This lesson the Holy Spirit teaches by giving you the shining examples of miracles to show you that your way of ordering [your thoughts] is wrong, but that a better way is offered you.” T-14.X.6:2

Lesson 13: A meaningless world engenders fear. “Now I choose to withdraw this belief, and place my trust in reality.”

Lesson 14: God did not create a meaningless world. Crucially, “Let me remember the power of my decision, and recognize where I really abide.”

Lesson 15: My thoughts are images that I have made. “The fact that I see a world in which there is suffering and loss and death shows me that I am seeing only the representation of my insane thoughts, and am not allowing my real thoughts to cast their beneficent light on what I see.  God’s way is sure. The images I have made cannot prevail against Him.”

Lesson 52: covers Lessons 6 – 10

Review of Lesson 6: I am upset because I see what is not there. I have reversed reality and illusion and this confusion is terribly upsetting. Thank God “Nothing in God’s creation is affected in any way by this confusion of mine.” Therefore, “I am always upset by nothing.”

Lesson 7: I see only the past. I call condemnation seeing. Thank God, “When I have forgiven myself and remembered Who I am, I will bless everyone and everything I see. … I will look with love on all that I failed to see before.”

Lesson 8: My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts. “Let me remember that I look on the past to prevent the present from dawning on my mind. Let me understand that I am trying to use time against God. Let me learn to give the past away, realizing that in so doing I am giving up nothing.” This review lesson is the most striking for me. This is the one to focus on. I read the next two, but know that “My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts” is the central point for me today.

Lesson 9: I see nothing as it is now.  I see only what is not there — that is how my mind keeps rephrasing this lesson title.

Lesson 10: My thoughts do not mean anything.  Private thoughts are simply ego thoughts: separate, divided and divisive. Judgmental. Dualistic. Not salacious nor curiosity-provoking. Just nothing but conflictual.

Lesson 51: covers Lessons 1 – 5

Central ideas (see Jesus commentaries within lesson):

Nothing I see means anything. I have given what I see all the meaning it has for me. I do not understand anything I see. These thoughts do not mean anything. I am never upset for the reason I think.

I feel like a blackboard being wiped clean (in my day we had blackboards, not whiteboards).

Nothing I see means anything. What I think I see now is taking the place of vision. If I let go of what I see now, by realizing it has no meaning, vision will take the place of not-really-seeing.

I have given what I see all the meaning it has for me. I am willing to recognize the lack of validity in my judgments, because I want to see.

I do not understand anything I see. What I see is the projection of my own errors of thought. This review is standing out for me. I can tell by a reverberation from above my solar plexus to my throat. This is the one for me.

These thoughts do not mean anything. My real thoughts are the thoughts I think with God. This feels right and true. This one resonates with me also.

I am never upset for the reason I think. I am constantly trying to justify my thoughts, my anger, my attacks. I have done this to defend a thought system that has hurt me, and that I no longer want. I am willing to let it go. What I have called “my” thoughts are the same as “my” seeing … both obscure and veil True Thought and True Vision. There needs to be a “stopping” of “doing” … stop  hallucinating, stop imagining, stop thinking private thoughts.

Review I: Introduction

Every so often, the Workbook of A Course in Miracles, gives us a Review period. This first Review comes after Lesson 50, and from Lesson 51 – 60, takes us through the first 50 lessons all over again. It begins with an Introduction. I always find the Introductions through the Course full of wisdom, and worth reading and re-reading.

To the ego mind, this can seem tedious and unnecessary. Do not let this deter you. The Review is potent and reinforcing. It is about emphasizing the central point of the lessons that stand out for you.

“The purpose of your learning to to enable you to bring the quiet with you, and to heal distress and turmoil. This is not done by avoiding them and seeking a haven of isolation for yourself. You will yet learn that peace is part of you, and requires only that you be there to embrace any situation in which you are. And finally you will learn that there is no limit to where you are, so that your peace is everywhere, as you are.”

Jesus concludes the Introduction to Review I by telling us, “We are now emphasizing the relationships among the first fifty of the ideas we have covered, and the cohesiveness of the thought system to which they are leading you.”

What now?  We are now emphasizing … the relationships … among the first fifty ideas … and …

the cohesiveness … of the thought system … to which they are l e a d i n g YOU!

Lesson 50: I am sustained by the Love of God.

Lesson 50 concludes the first section of Part 1 of the Course in Miracles Workbook for Students.

This lesson is straightforward and deserves an unhurried initial reading, followed by open-hearted re-reading. One cannot read Lesson 50 too many times.

But more importantly than reading Lesson 50 is practicing Lesson 50. It is not a demanding, nor complicated, practice. It is, however, so simple and powerful that the ego will try to distract you with every means possible. So be vigilant and recognize ego interference for what it is — a distraction from the Truth that you long to embrace (or you would not be here).

I am sustained by the Love of God. You are sustained by the Love of God. We are sustained by the Love of God.

Amen.

Lesson 49: God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day.

Here’s a tremendous life-changing statement:

“It is quite possible to listen to God’s Voice all through the day without interrupting your regular activities in any way.”

Lesson 45 told us, “You think with the Mind of God.” and then asked us, “Where, then, are your real thoughts?” The lesson proceeded to walk us through leaving the unreal and seeking Reality, denying the world in favor of Truth.

Lesson 41 explained, “Deep within you is everything that is perfect, ready to radiate through you and out into the world.” The lesson also acknowledges, “We understand that you do not believe all this.”

My point is that Jesus reiterates all throughout A Course in Miracles that at any given moment the holy instant is available. The holy instant is a doorway into Timelessness and the instant recognition of God’s Voice:

“Listen in deep silence. Be very still and open your mind. God past all the raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure your eternal link with God. Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world. You do not live here. We are trying to reach your real home. We are trying to reach the place where you are truly welcome. We are trying to reach God.”

Let’s see what Ken Wapnick has to say about Lesson 49:

We are trying to reach God. Directly. No intermediaries. We can do this. We are doing this. Now.