Commentaries on A Course in MIracles

Commentary on ACIM Lesson 184

The Name of God is my inheritance.

"And then I step back into darkness, not because I think it real, but only to proclaim its unreality in terms which still have meaning in the world that darkness rules."(from today's 'first person' lesson [below the original lesson])

Yes, there is plenty going on 'in the world that darkness rules' these days... My email is full of the reports of current disasters, impending collapses, and advice on how to avoid them ('every man for himself').... I read them and feel the pain and the suffering. Is there something that you and I should do? Absolutely. But I suggest that perhaps it is not what you might first think.

I have a past youthful history of being politically passionate, of responding to causes, of wishing to protect the underdog, of desiring to end the usurpation of God's world by hellish forces. My responses to the unjust situations around me once briefly jailed me, and several other times could have ended me corporately, if I had let my rage carry me to its insane conclusions.

Yesterday I spoke of asking for a deeper awareness of personal peace when 'in the domain of worldly injustice'. I ask for this peace because of the need in the world for pure service. Because if I step into the darkness and then forget I am light, none of God's purpose is manifested.

I do not believe pure service can be done with an angry heart. For an angry heart is a heart separated from God. And therefore, from all others too. If I forget that all men are my brothers, I not only cannot 'save' them, I also make of them enemies. As Eckhart Tolle has said: What Jesus meant when he said 'Love your enemies' was Have No Enemies...

If we/I look at the events of the world with God's eyes, all things appear quite different than they do when being 'in the world'. The divine view is that the world is a school to learn love. The best way to learn is always direct experience. When I love, I am called into action by that love, but love leads. And where love leads is always toward unity, not war, not separate bickering factionalism and disfunctionality. Love is about getting the job done so that the world works. Werner Erhardt once said that that is our agreement with God--- to make the world work.

What will do that? I say: Make partnerships with the enemy. Bring light to darkness not by force, but by love. That is pure service.

Namaste,

David

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First, the Original Lesson, and below that, my 'first person version'....

Lesson 184

The Name of God is my inheritance.

You live by symbols. You have made up names for everything you see. Each one becomes a separate entity, identified by its own name. By this you carve it out of unity. By this you designate its special attributes, and set it off from other things by emphasizing space surrounding it. This space you lay between all things to which you give a different name; all happenings in terms of place and time; all bodies which are greeted by a name.

This space you see as setting off all things from one another is the means by which the world's perception is achieved. You see something where nothing is, and see as well nothing where there is unity; a space between all things, between all things and you. Thus do you think that you have given life in separation. By this split you think you are established as a unity which functions with an independent will.

What are these names by which the world becomes a series of discrete events, of things ununified, of bodies kept apart and holding bits of mind as separate awarenesses? You gave these names to them, establishing perception as you wished to have perception be. The nameless things were given names, and thus reality was given them as well. For what is named is given meaning and will then be seen as meaningful; a cause of true effect, with consequence inherent in itself.

This is the way reality is made by partial vision, purposefully set against the given truth. Its enemy is wholeness. It conceives of little things and looks upon them. And a lack of space, a sense of unity or vision that sees differently, become the threats which it must overcome, conflict with and deny.

Yet does this other vision still remain a natural direction for the mind to channel its perception. It is hard to teach the mind a thousand alien names, and thousands more. Yet you believe this is what learning means; its one essential goal by which communication is achieved, and concepts can be meaningfully shared.

This is the sum of the inheritance the world bestows. And everyone who learns to think that it is so accepts the signs and symbols that assert the world is real. It is for this they stand. They leave no doubt that what is named is there. It can be seen, as is anticipated. What denies that it is true is but illusion, for it is the ultimate reality. To question it is madness; to accept its presence is the proof of sanity.

Such is the teaching of the world. It is a phase of learning everyone who comes must go through. But the sooner he perceives on what it rests, how questionable are its premises, how doubtful its results, the sooner does he question its effects. Learning that stops with what the world would teach stops short of meaning. In its proper place, it serves but as a starting point from which another kind of learning can begin, a new perception can be gained, and all the arbitrary names the world bestows can be withdrawn as they are raised to doubt.

Think not you made the world. Illusions, yes! But what is true in earth and Heaven is beyond your naming. When you call upon a brother, it is to his body that you make appeal. His true Identity is hidden from you by what you believe he really is. His body makes response to what you call him, for his mind consents to take the name you give him as his own. And thus his unity is twice denied, for you perceive him separate from you, and he accepts this separate name as his.

It would indeed be strange if you were asked to go beyond all symbols of the world, forgetting them forever; yet were asked to take a teaching function. You have need to use the symbols of the world a while. But be you not deceived by them as well. They do not stand for anything at all, and in your practicing it is this thought that will release you from them. They become but means by which you can communicate in ways the world can understand, but which you recognize is not the unity where true communication can be found.

Thus what you need are intervals each day in which the learning of the world becomes a transitory phase; a prison house from which you go into the sunlight and forget the darkness. Here you understand the Word, the Name which God has given you; the one Identity which all things share; the one acknowledgment of what is true. And then step back to darkness, not because you think it real, but only to proclaim its unreality in terms which still have meaning in the world that darkness rules.

Use all the little names and symbols which delineate the world of darkness. Yet accept them not as your reality. The Holy Spirit uses all of them, but He does not forget creation has one Name, one meaning, and a single Source which unifies all things within Itself. Use all the names the world bestows on them but for convenience, yet do not forget they share the Name of God along with you.

God has no name. And yet His Name becomes the final lesson that all things are one, and at this lesson does all learning end. All names are unified; all space is filled with truth's reflection. Every gap is closed, and separation healed. The Name of God is the inheritance He gave to those who chose the teaching of the world to take the place of Heaven. In our practicing, our purpose is to let our minds accept what God has given as the answer to the pitiful inheritance you made as fitting tribute to the Son He loves.

No one can fail who seeks the meaning of the Name of God. Experience must come to supplement the Word. But first you must accept the Name for all reality, and realize the many names you gave its aspects have distorted what you see, but have not interfered with truth at all. One Name we bring into our practicing. One Name we use to unify our sight.

And though we use a different name for each awareness of an aspect of God's Son, we understand that they have but one Name, which He has given them. It is this Name we use in practicing. And through Its use, all foolish separations disappear which kept us blind. And we are given strength to see beyond them. Now our sight is blessed with blessings we can give as we receive.

Father, our Name is Yours. In It we are united with all living things, and You Who are their one Creator. What we made and call by many different names is but a shadow we have tried to cast across Your Own reality. And we are glad and thankful we were wrong. All our mistakes we give to You, that we may be absolved from all effects our errors seemed to have. And we accept the truth You give, in place of every one of them. Your Name is our salvation and escape from what we made. Your Name unites us in the oneness which is our inheritance and peace. Amen.

_____________________________

My personal version, in first person.

Lesson 184

The Name of God is my inheritance.

I live by symbols. I have made up names for everything I see. Each one becomes a separate entity, identified by its own name. By this I carve it out of unity. By this I designate its special attributes, and set it off from other things by emphasizing space surrounding it. This space I lay between all things to which I give a different name; all happenings in terms of place and time; all bodies which are greeted by a name.

This space I see as setting off all things from one another is the means by which the world's perception is achieved. I see something where nothing is, and see as well nothing where there is unity; a space between all things, between all things and me. Thus do I think that I have given life in separation. By this split I think I am established as a unity which functions with an independent will.

What are these names by which the world becomes a series of discrete events, of things ununified, of bodies kept apart and holding bits of mind as separate awarenesses? I gave these names to them, establishing perception as I wished to have perception be. The nameless things were given names, and thus reality was given them as well. For what is named is given meaning and will then be seen as meaningful; a cause of true effect, with consequence inherent in itself.

Yet does this other vision still remain a natural direction for the mind to channel its perception. It is hard to teach the mind a thousand alien names, and thousands more. Yet I believe this is what learning means; its one essential goal by which communication is achieved, and concepts can be meaningfully shared.

Let me think not I made the world. Illusions, yes! But what is true in earth and Heaven is beyond my naming. When I call upon a brother, it is to his body that I make appeal. His true Identity is hidden from me by what I believe he really is. His body makes response to what I call him, for his mind consents to take the name I give him as his own. And thus his unity is twice denied, for I perceive him separate from me, and he accepts this separate name as his.

It would indeed be strange if I were asked to go beyond all symbols of the world, forgetting them forever; yet were asked to take a teaching function. I have need to use the symbols of the world a while. But let me be not deceived by them as well. They do not stand for anything at all, and in my practicing it is this thought that will release me from them. They become but means by which I can communicate in ways the world can understand, but which I recognize is not the unity where true communication can be found.

Thus what I need are intervals each day in which the learning of the world becomes a transitory phase; a prison house from which I go into the sunlight and forget the darkness. Here I understand the Word, the Name which God has given me; the one Identity which all things share; the one acknowledgment of what is true. And then I step back into darkness, not because I think it real, but only to proclaim its unreality in terms which still have meaning in the world that darkness rules.

Let me use all the little names and symbols which delineate the world of darkness. Yet let me not accept them as my reality. The Holy Spirit uses all of them, but He does not forget creation has one Name, one meaning, and a single Source which unifies all things within Itself. Let me use all the names the world bestows on them but for convenience, yet not forget they share the Name of God along with me.

God has no name. And yet His Name becomes the final lesson that all things are one, and at this lesson does all learning end. All names are unified; all space is filled with truth's reflection. Every gap is closed, and separation healed. The Name of God is the inheritance He gave to those who chose the teaching of the world to take the place of Heaven. In my practicing, my purpose is to let my mind accept what God has given as the answer to the pitiful inheritance I made as fitting tribute to the Son He loves.

No one can fail who seeks the meaning of the Name of God. Experience must come to supplement the Word. But first I must accept the Name for all reality, and realize the many names I gave its aspects have distorted what I see, but have not interfered with truth at all. One Name I bring into my practicing. One Name I use to unify my sight.

And though I use a different name for each awareness of an aspect of God's Son, I understand that they have but one Name, which He has given them. It is this Name I use in practicing. And through Its use, all foolish separations disappear which kept me blind. And I am now given strength to see beyond them. Now my sight is blessed with blessings I can give as I receive.

Father, my Name is Yours. In It I am united with all living things, and You Who are their one Creator. What I made and call by many different names is but a shadow I have tried to cast across Your Own reality. And I am glad and thankful I am wrong. All my mistakes I give to You, that I may be absolved from all effects my errors seemed to have. And I accept the truth You give, in place of every one of them. Your Name is my salvation and escape from what I made. Your Name unites me in the oneness which is my inheritance and peace. Amen.

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on it's way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

david@davidseacord.com

www.davidseacord.com

www.davidseacord-everymansjournal.blogspot.com

www.davidseacord-acimcommentaries.blogspot.com

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