ACIM w Amy, Comments on Lesson 3

Sorry I’m a day behind … will try to catch up this afternoon 🙂

Review II: Introduction

REVIEW II

Introduction

We are now ready for another review.  We will begin where our last review left off, and cover two ideas each day.  The earlier part of each day will be devoted to one of these ideas, and the latter part of the day to the other.  We will have one longer exercise period, and frequent shorter ones in  which we practice each of them.

The longer practice periods will follow this general form: Take about fifteen minutes for each of them, and begin by thinking about the ideas for the day, and the comments that are included in the assignments.  Devote some three or four minutes to reading them over slowly, several times if you wish, and then close your eyes and listen.

Repeat the first phase of the exercise period if you find your mind wandering, but try to spend the major part of the time listening quietly but attentively.  There is a message waiting for you.  Be confident that you will receive it.  Remember that it belongs to you, and that you want it.

Do not allow your intent to waver in the face of distracting thoughts.  Realize that, whatever form such thoughts may take, they have no meaning and no power.  Replace them with your determination to succeed.  Do not forget that your will has power over all fantasies and dreams.  Trust it to see you through, and carry you beyond them all.

Regard these practice periods as dedications to the way, the truth and the life.  Refuse to be sidetracked into detours, illusions and thoughts of death.  You are dedicated to salvation.  Be determined each day not to leave your function unfulfilled.

Reaffirm your determination in the shorter practice periods as well, using the original form of the idea for general applications, and more specific forms when needed.  Some specific forms are included in the comments which follow the statement of the idea.  These, however, are merely suggestions.  It is not the particular words you use that matter.

To see the entire Workbook for Students, get a copy of the book, A Course in Miracles, or visit the original publisher, Foundation for Inner Peace, online at http://acim.org/Lessons/index.html.  To have the lesson delivered daily to your email box for free, sign up with http://www.acimdailylesson.com/category/daily-lessons-from-a-course-in-miracles.

Review I: Introduction

Commentary (full lesson beneath commentary)

This is our first review.  It weaves together the first fifty lessons, reinforcing them in my mind.  I am learning to bring the principles into any situation, especially if I am upset, to live from the Calm and Quiet of my Eternal Truth.  Opportunities present themselves all day long 🙂

These first fifty concepts are reviewed in slightly different language enabling us to sponge in the ideas themselves rather than ritualizing or memorizing, which serves no purpose.  Saturation in God’s Mind is the healing which leads me Home.  Happy sigh.

REVIEW I

Introduction

Beginning with today we will have a series of review periods.  Each of them will cover five of the ideas already presented, starting with the first and ending with the fiftieth.  There will be a few short comments after each of the ideas, which you should consider in your review.  In the practice periods, the exercises should be done as follows:

Begin the day by reading the five ideas, with the comments included.  Thereafter, it is not necessary to follow any particular order.  In considering them, though each one should be practiced at least once.  Devote two minutes or more to each practice period, thinking about the idea and the related comments after reading them over.  Do this as often as possible during the day.  If any of the five ideas appeals to you more than the others, concentrate on that one.  At the end of the day, however, be sure to review all of them once more.

It is not necessary to cover the comments that follow each idea either literally or thoroughly in the practice periods.  Try, rather, to emphasis the central point and think about it as part of your review of the idea to which it relates.  After you have read the idea and the related comments, the exercises should be done with your eyes closed and when you are alone and in a quiet place, if possible.

This is emphasized for practice periods at your stage of learning.  It will be necessary, however, that you learn to require no special settings in which to apply what you have learned.  You will need your learning most in the situations that appear to be upsetting, rather than in those that already seem to be calm and quiet.  The purpose of your learning is 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.

You will note that, for review purposes, some of the ideas are not given in quite their original form.  Use them as they are given here.  It is not necessary to return to the original statements, nor to apply the ideas as was suggested then.  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.

To see the entire Workbook for Students, get a copy of the book, A Course in Miracles, or visit the original publisher, Foundation for Inner Peace, online at http://acim.org/Lessons/index.html.  To have the lesson delivered daily to your email box for free, sign up with http://www.acimdailylesson.com/category/daily-lessons-from-a-course-in-miracles.

What I Realize as I Blog the ACIM Workbook

I started off blogging the Workbook this year without really knowing what would happen.  Initially a tagline popped out of me effortlessly, “My experience with the ACIM Workbook” and that is what I wrote about.  My habit is to do the morning lesson, then go straight to my computer, letting the feeling of my experience of the exercise or meditation flow through my words.

Now I notice that sometimes I’m explaining the lesson, or even trying to explain or translate what Jesus says into my own words so that I understand, clarify and reinforce the teachings for myself.  Maybe this is overkill.  Maybe I should stick with my pure experience …  It’s occurring to me that this year the blog is meant to be my experience without explanation–let the lessons speak for themselves.

And NEXT YEAR I’m going to translate the lessons !  I wonder if that will actually happen.  What’s funnier is that according to ACIM metaphysics everything has already happened … I wonder if I’m having a memory of what has already happened: first I reported my experience and communicated the experience Itself as best I could.  Then I translated … it’s like the Harville Hendrix Imago work: repeat back what was said and understand more fully as you do.

My concern is that a pure report of my experience may be confusing to my readers.  That’s funny.  Who are my readers?  I am you, you are me … anyway, if you do need clarification, please feel free to shoot me a question or comment and I will be happy to respond.