Commentary on ACIM Lesson 75
Rev. David Seacord
The light has come.
Let us begin today where we ended yesterday: "Being likewise full arises from knowing nothing but God". Knowing nothing but God is exactly what today's lesson is about. And it is very clear about what the spiritual principalities that allow this transcendent state to exist within us are.
First, Forgiveness. We don't say to the stove "Give me heat and then I will give you wood" do we? So why would we say to God "Give me Love and then I will forgive". Even though God is actually doing exactly that all the time, if we are not 'made an empty vessel' by way of forgiveness, little or none of God's love will reach us. Simply put, we are isolated (and therefore insane) to the degree we do not forgive.
What must we forgive? Clearly ourselves, first and foremost, and then everybody and everything else too. It has often been said that no one can love another more than he loves himself, and this is completely true. The practice of self love is the fundamental turnaround. Before it arrived in our life, we were digging ourselves deeper and deeper into the do-do. We were acquiring more and more karma that someday would come back into our lives to be reckoned with. Then somehow we 'got' our real work was to learn to love ourselves. What a blessed day that was. We stopped digging AWAY FROM GOD. We turned around and somehow found the courage to start walking back TOWARDS GOD.
Along the way, many way-showers appeared, and held their light up for us to see by, as we passed. None of that was ever ever ever an accident, although we may not have understood that at the time. The Course is clear about this. We are assigned to each other specifically. Nobody is in our lives 'as a random wild card'. It's all part of the plan.... not a pre-planned plan, like 'predestined theology'.... more like a hologram, where, when we make a new, more conscious choice, a whole new future of new possibilities is instantly created. Like that.
The second principality is Gratitude (Being Thankful). This is the act of acknowledging that we are not doing this journey alone, that we are much more than ourselves, that we are One Being. And our 'little willingness' to be thankful is met with legions of assisting hearts, they also being both learners and teachers of God. This is our community, our common unity, and our inner communion practice ground. If we see the others in our lives as bodies only, we will again find our wellspring of Joy diminishing. Therefore, let us NOT be tempted, and be willing to embrace in Love whom God has sent to our door. They bring gifts we need. Let us be humble, and grateful.
The third principality is Onemindedness. Rightmindedness is onemindedness. Is it not clear that if we believe the ego, that we will never be 'oneminded' about anything? The ego lives in a time/space-based comparative world, with danger of loss and disaster around every corner, and therefore a perpetual need to be fearful. Onemindedness is just the opposite. It is the true faith walk. I love the way it is said in Zen: 'For the non-dual is One with the trusting mind. Here, life in true faith is possible.'
And the fourth principality is Joy. Joy and Light are the same thing. When Light has come, there is Joy. When Joy is present, there is Light everywhere. What creates Joy is being Forgiven, being Thankful, and being of a Unified Mind. It is not so hard. It is actually our very nature. All that is necessary is to remember, while 'in the dream', that this 'dream of reality' is not THE Reality. Doing that regularly is like being the guy that sets off the fireworks shows on the Fourth of July (the US Independence Day holiday). It really gets God's attention. You gotta get, God is just as interested in finding us, as we are in finding Him.
He's the One leaving the lights on everywhere. :-)
Namaste,
David
Rev. David Seacord
The light has come.
Let us begin today where we ended yesterday: "Being likewise full arises from knowing nothing but God". Knowing nothing but God is exactly what today's lesson is about. And it is very clear about what the spiritual principalities that allow this transcendent state to exist within us are.
First, Forgiveness. We don't say to the stove "Give me heat and then I will give you wood" do we? So why would we say to God "Give me Love and then I will forgive". Even though God is actually doing exactly that all the time, if we are not 'made an empty vessel' by way of forgiveness, little or none of God's love will reach us. Simply put, we are isolated (and therefore insane) to the degree we do not forgive.
What must we forgive? Clearly ourselves, first and foremost, and then everybody and everything else too. It has often been said that no one can love another more than he loves himself, and this is completely true. The practice of self love is the fundamental turnaround. Before it arrived in our life, we were digging ourselves deeper and deeper into the do-do. We were acquiring more and more karma that someday would come back into our lives to be reckoned with. Then somehow we 'got' our real work was to learn to love ourselves. What a blessed day that was. We stopped digging AWAY FROM GOD. We turned around and somehow found the courage to start walking back TOWARDS GOD.
Along the way, many way-showers appeared, and held their light up for us to see by, as we passed. None of that was ever ever ever an accident, although we may not have understood that at the time. The Course is clear about this. We are assigned to each other specifically. Nobody is in our lives 'as a random wild card'. It's all part of the plan.... not a pre-planned plan, like 'predestined theology'.... more like a hologram, where, when we make a new, more conscious choice, a whole new future of new possibilities is instantly created. Like that.
The second principality is Gratitude (Being Thankful). This is the act of acknowledging that we are not doing this journey alone, that we are much more than ourselves, that we are One Being. And our 'little willingness' to be thankful is met with legions of assisting hearts, they also being both learners and teachers of God. This is our community, our common unity, and our inner communion practice ground. If we see the others in our lives as bodies only, we will again find our wellspring of Joy diminishing. Therefore, let us NOT be tempted, and be willing to embrace in Love whom God has sent to our door. They bring gifts we need. Let us be humble, and grateful.
The third principality is Onemindedness. Rightmindedness is onemindedness. Is it not clear that if we believe the ego, that we will never be 'oneminded' about anything? The ego lives in a time/space-based comparative world, with danger of loss and disaster around every corner, and therefore a perpetual need to be fearful. Onemindedness is just the opposite. It is the true faith walk. I love the way it is said in Zen: 'For the non-dual is One with the trusting mind. Here, life in true faith is possible.'
And the fourth principality is Joy. Joy and Light are the same thing. When Light has come, there is Joy. When Joy is present, there is Light everywhere. What creates Joy is being Forgiven, being Thankful, and being of a Unified Mind. It is not so hard. It is actually our very nature. All that is necessary is to remember, while 'in the dream', that this 'dream of reality' is not THE Reality. Doing that regularly is like being the guy that sets off the fireworks shows on the Fourth of July (the US Independence Day holiday). It really gets God's attention. You gotta get, God is just as interested in finding us, as we are in finding Him.
He's the One leaving the lights on everywhere. :-)
Namaste,
David
posted by Rev. David Seacord at
8:05 AM
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