Sometimes it is a little confusing when ACIM refers to ego as if it were a separate and distinct entity. Ego is just the part of myself who thinks it is separate from God. It is the part that re-enacts the separation over and over, suffering loss and sorrow of one kind or another. The specifics do not matter. Different problems all stand for the same thing: separation from God. In the world of dreams, "death" finally overtakes my body. This is repeated over and over (reincarnation) until it is voluntarily given up. I am free to crucify myself as often as I choose, but it is a useless journey and a road traveled in vain.
Now I have another journey to undertake. The lessons in ACIM will help me prepare.
Right Teaching and Right Learning. In the world of dreams, learning entails change. New ideas replace old ones. My ego believes that if I allow no change to enter in, I will find peace. Spirit and ego do not communicate. Spirit Knows, ego can only perceive. However, ego can learn, even though its maker (me) can be misguided. Spirit is Perfect and need not be taught. Ego must be taught. Learning to remember God is frightening to ego, because it leads away from dreams to the Light of Spirit.
Teaching and learning are my greatest strengths now. They enable me to change my mind about what I want to experience. I can refuse to change my mind, but that is only a choice for continued sorrow and pain. The dream-world is very real to me. Everything that happens here seems to be important and meaningful. The only way to undo this world is to change my mind about it.
I will open my mind and let the One Who Knows lead me Home. His correction will be Gentle, His way Easy, His burden LIght.
Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
I am weary and heavy-laden from my constant battles with the world.
The inspiration for ACIM, according to Helen the scribe, is said to be Jesus. If it is helpful, I can disregard her interpretation and think of the teacher as God Himself, Buddha, the Great Spirit, or whatever suits my needs. I do not need to get caught up in details. The MESSAGE is what is important. The goal of a good teacher is to give so much of his own learning that one day, the student no longer needs him. This goes against all laws of ego because ego wants to protect its importance. It is not natural for my Self to want to obey ego's laws unless I believe in them, and in the dream-world I do.
Ego will exploit all situations into forms of praise for itself. In my Right Mind I know ego is not Real because I am part of a Reality which is Unchanged and beyond the reach of ego, but in easy reach of Spirit.
When I am afraid, I will be still and know that God is Real, I am His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. God is not the author of fear, I am. I have chosen to create a world completely opposite to What God Is, and have therefore made fear for myself. I am not at Peace, because I am not fulfilling my function as God's Son. God gave me a very lofty function. My ego has chosen fear over function. Yet, when I Awaken, I will not know fear.
God is Inevitable. I cannot avoid Him any more than He can avoid me. Listen to God. He is as incapable of deception as is the Spirit He Created. I will release myself from fear and release all "others."
Ego has built a shabby home for me ~ a foundation of sand. It cannot build otherwise. Only God can make a Home worthy of His Creation. Though His Creation has chosen to leave its Home empty so that it can indulge a fantasy of separation. Yet God's Home is Eternal and is ready for me when I choose to enter It. I have created a perishable world to worship fear and death. God is incapable of creating the perishable, and His World holds only Life and Love.
Ego cannot do anything to save me. Spirit can do everything. Humility is a lesson for ego, not for Spirit. Spirit is beyond humility.
The meek shall inherit the earth because their egos are small and this helps them perceive Truly. The Kingdom of Heaven is Spirit's Inheritance.
"In this world I do not need to have tribulations, because there is no world. That is why you should be of good cheer"
The Ego and False Autonomy. Knowledge is completely impersonal, abstract and does not need examples to enhance understanding. God's World is Pure Knowing. Perception is my way of "seeing" in the dream-world. Perception is concrete and specific, yet always changing from one specific, concrete idea to another. In creating this world, I threw away Knowledge as if I never had It.
In the world of dreams, I made an ego, or "individuality" for myself. I also make an ego for "everyone else." It is subject to enormous variation and instability. The fact that ego is variable and unstable shows me that it is only an idea, not a fact. God's World is Eternal and Unchanging.
God reacts to His Creations with Love, Protection and Charity because they are part of Himself. See how animals nurture and protect their offspring? That is because they regard them as part of themselves. No one dismisses something he considers part of himself. I react to my ego like this, because I created it and see it as myself. Ego is my creation. Being a Creator like God, I respond as such to my own creations. It resembles in many ways how I will one day react to my Real Creations, which are as Timeless as I am.
The question is not how I respond to ego, but what I believe I am. Am I an ego in a body, or am I the Son of God? Belief is an ego function. As long as I believe I am an ego, I will regard my origin from an ego viewpoint. To believe there might be something Greater, is the loftiest idea of which the ego is capable, because it contains a hint of recognition that ego is not my True Self.
Teaching is only necessary in ego's world. Teaching is not needed in God's World where there is only Knowing. When teaching is no longer needed, I will merely Know God.
Changing ego's thought system will be perceived as painful, yet this is anything but True. Babies scream in rage if you take away a knife or pair of scissors. They do not understand that they could harm themselves. In this sense, I am still like a baby. I have no real sense of self-preservation. I will just as likely decide that I need the thing that would hurt me most.
By seeking for a better way, (and I am seeking a better way or I would not be reading this) I have agreed to cooperate in the effort to become both harmless and helpful. Yet while I am still learning, I will be conflicted, but this will not last. Be patient a while and remember: the outcome is as Certain as God.
Only those who have a real and lasting sense of Abundance can be Truly charitable. If I believe I lack anything, I will fight to hang on to what I have. To ego, to give anything, implies that I will go without. When I associate giving with sacrifice, I will only give when I think I am getting something better. "Giving to get" is an inescapable law of ego, which always evaluates itself in relation to other egos. It is continually preoccupied with scarcity, or having less than other egos. "Self-esteem" is always vulnerable to any perceived threat.
Ego literally lives by comparisons and judgments and would not exist without them. Equality is beyond its grasp and charity is impossible. Ego never gives out of abundance because it was made as a substitute for Abundance. A World Without God was made as a substitute for God's World. Ego's needs only serve to reinforce ego. Whether it is a need of the body or a "higher" need. Ego regards the body as its home and tries to satisfy itself through the body.
Ego believes it is completely on its own (how can God help?). This is such a fearful state, that it can only turn to other egos to try and unite with them in a feeble attempt at identification, or it will attack other egos in an equally feeble show of strength. Self-esteem in ego terms is delusional. It is impossible to consistently feel good about myself while I think I am an ego. Ego is the mind's belief that it is completely on its own, apart from its Creator. Yet there is a tiny part of it which perceives itself as being rejected by something Greater.
The Creations of God do not create myths, they can think they do, but their miscreations have no Reality. Everything God Creates, is creative like Himself. But when I create unlike God ~ or think I do ~ those creations do not exist. Myths are perceived, changeable, good-and-evil in nature. Even the most benevolent among them invoke great fear.
Myths and magic are related. Mythology includes some account of "creation" which is associated with magic: the world was created in a day, from nothing. Its beginning is associated with physical birth, because it is hard to believe that the "soul" existed before that point in time. The more "religiously" ego-oriented may believe the soul existed before and will continue to exist after a temporary lapse into ego life. They may even believe the soul will be punished for this lapse. Salvation does not apply to Spirit, which is Eternally Whole and Perfect.
Salvation is nothing more than "right-mindedness." Right-mindedness must be achieved before One-mindedness is restored. Right-mindedness is a temporary correction of perception. My miscreations have blocked Knowledge. Accurate perception leads the mind to Knowledge, until perception is no longer needed.
How is this possible to do, while I am still "living" in this world? Think about this: who is the "me" that is "living" in this world?
Spirit is Immortal and Constant, and never changes. It cannot be understood by comparison to an opposite. Truth never involves comparisons.
Love Without Conflict. "The Kingdom of Heaven is within me." What does this really mean? Ego can never understand it. The word "within" is unnecessary: the Kingdom of Heaven IS me. What else but me did my Creator create? What else but me is His Kingdom? The reason I need help is because I have denied who I am: God's Son. He will separate the True from the false, so Truth can break through ego's barriers.
Ego regards Spirit as "enemy." In creating a world without God, Spirit can be only "enemy," because Spirit is part of God's World. In creating a world without God, Spirit was left behind, so to speak. Ego's existence depends on being in a world without God. When I perceive Reality, ego will no longer exist. Ego can only offer temporary existence, which begins with its own beginning and ends with its own ending. I am born, then I die.
Compare this to Spirit, which offers Knowledge of Permanent and Unshakable Being. When I have experienced this Revelation, I can never completely believe in ego again. When I identify with ego, I cannot possibly believe that God loves me. I do not love this world I made (not entirely anyway), and ACIM teaches that Love is Whole and Complete, and has no opposite. If I love partially, it is not Love. So if I fail to love my own creation, or miscreation (A World Without God), how can I believe that God, who created me, loves me? I cannot begin to understand the Real Relationship that exists between God and His Creations, because of the hatred I have for the self I made. Ego is evidence of my decision to separate from God. Ego has not experienced love without ambivalence, and therefore is unable to understand the Love of God.
Love will enter immediately into any mind that Truly and completely wants It. I will only Truly and completely want Love when nothing in the world I created holds any appeal for me. When no one in the world upsets me or hurts me, because I know that it is quite impossible for me to be upset or hurt. When my love is not bestowed upon some and withheld from others. When all that glitters and shimmers in this world ~ success, a special partner, drugs and alcohol, recognition, respect, fame, belongings, cash, honor ~ is replaced with Christ-Vision (forgiveness and love), and done so consistently over "time," Love will enter. Be always in a State of Mindfulness. Are my decisions based on ego (the drive to "get"), or Love?
The Bible has many references to the Gifts God has for me. But I must ask. In the asking, my "small willingness" becomes apparent. I am only asking for what God has already Willed for me. His is a kind of Experience so different from anything ego offers, but my belief in darkness is why His Light cannot enter. I cannot see through a wall, but I can step around it.
"Thou shalt have no gods before Me," because there are none. I retain thousands of little scraps of fear that prevent the Holy One from entering. Light cannot Shine through a wall that was made to block It. God is forever unwilling to destroy what I have made, because I am the Son He loves.
Watch my thoughts carefully and be sure of what it is I want.
God has given me Everything. This one fact means ego does not exist. To "have" and "to be" are one and the same in Spirit. God Knows that I both have Everything and are Everything. There is no distinction between having the Kingdom of God and being the Kingdom of God.
The Calm Being of God's Kingdom is ruthlessly banished from the part of my mind that ego rules. Consider how much vigilance I have exerted to protect ego. Who but the insane would work so hard to believe what is not True? And at the cost of Peace, Love, and Truth.
This Need Not Be. I cannot hear the Voice for God, because I choose not to listen. Instead, I choose to listen to things of the world that distract my mind and occupy my thoughts. Yes, it is a choice. "I cannot help what I think," "I have no control over what comes into my mind," I might say. Yet my thoughts are the ONLY thing over which I have control. My mind is filled with schemes to preserve ego.
I cannot change my mind by changing my behavior; however, I can change my mind. When my mood tells me that I have chosen wrongly (whenever I feel anything but Joy) know this does not have to be. In every case that I am not Joyful, it is because I have thought wrongly about another (or myself) and are perceiving images ego makes in a darkened glass. Then I will think about this: what thoughts have crossed my mind, that would not be thoughts like those of God? Then change my mind to think with God. This may seem hard to do, but it is far easier than trying to think against His Thoughts. Any negative thought I have toward myself or another, would never be something God would think. God is Love and He extends to His Creations this aspect of Himself.
My mind is One with God's. Denying this and thinking otherwise has held my ego together, but it has literally split my mind.
I do not have to be sad. Sadness comes from a sense of being deprived of something I want, but do not have. Remember: I am deprived of nothing, except by my own decisions......but I can decide otherwise.
When I am anxious, I will realize that anxiety comes from the unpredictability of ego. Know that my anxiety need not be. I can be as vigilant against ego as I have been for it.
When I feel guilty, remember that ego has indeed violated the Laws of God, but I have not. Leave the "sins" of ego to Truth. While I feel guilty, it indicates that my ego is in command. Only ego can experience guilt. Guilt need not be.
Do not be deceived by the temptations of ego. Ego offers me nothing. When I realize this, I will see how my mind can focus and heal.
Make it a habit to engage with God and His Creations. It is easy if I actively refuse to let my mind slip away. The problem is not one of concentration, it is the belief that I am not worth consistent effort. I will be vigilant about the thoughts I allow my mind to entertain. I let my mind wander far too easily.
I have had many opportunities for Happiness. Many of those I have refused. There is no limit to my Power as God's Son, but ego can limit me as much as I choose. Unite with the One Mind and release the Strength of God into everything I think and do. Do not settle for less. Watch carefully for any beliefs that hinder its accomplishment. I can judge how well I have done by my feelings (the only good use of judgment). Judgment, like any other defense mechanism, can be used to attack or protect, to hurt or to heal. Ego should be brought to judgment. Without my allegiance, protection and love, ego cannot exist.
The Second Coming of Christ means nothing more than the end of ego's rule and the healing of the mind. My Sanity will be restored and Awakening to God is inevitable.
The Ego-Body Illusion. Ego exerts maximal vigilance about what it permits into its awareness. It is primarily concerned with its own preservation. The body is ego's home by its own choice. Ego stays busy with nonessentials and becomes preoccupied with problems that have no solutions. I must learn to ask what the task at hand is for: Love or Fear? Ego or Spirit? There can only be One answer.
The Rewards of God. Only my allegiance to ego gives it any power over me. Ego is not a separate thing, acting on its own. But do not underestimate its strength and seduction. Right now my thinking is ego-centered. Ego is nothing more than part of a belief about myself as separate from God. My True Life with God has continued without interruption.
In learning to escape from illusions, my debt to my "brother" is something I must never forget. When I act egotistically towards another, I am throwing away the Holy perception that my opportunity with my brother holds for me: forgiveness.
There are only ever two choices. One brings Peace and Joy, while another brings chaos and disaster. Will I make the choice for ego, or the choice for Love? Learning through rewards is more effective than learning through pain.
I cannot escape ego by humbling, controlling, or punishing it. When I recognize who I really am, ego will simply disappear.
The separated mind cannot maintain the separation from God except by dissociating, or imagining it is someone and somewhere else. Ego wants to believe it is separate and special.
How can I be taught the value of something I have deliberately thrown away? I can only be shown how miserable I am without it, slowing bringing it nearer so I can learn how my misery decreases as it comes closer. God's lessons are Easy, and His teaching is Gentle. Matthew 11:30, "...my yoke is easy and my burden is light..."
Live as if I am not an ego. Love my brother. If I feel anything but Love, ask for help. To know my brother is to Know God. If I am grateful to my brother, I am grateful to God. Through my gratitude I come to know my brother as myself. One moment of Real recognition makes everyone my brother because each of them is of my Father.
Love does not conquer all things, but it does set all things Right. Love does not battle or conquer anything. It just Is and has no opposite.
Salvation is a collaborative venture in the dream-world. I thought I separated myself from All There Is and seemingly created many "bodies" and many "things" and projected these "outside" me. God gives all that is "outside" me another function for His Own Holy Purposes: forgiveness. I will practice forgiveness in every situation with my "brother," because in forgiving "another," I forgive myself.
Creation and Communication. Ego-illusions are quite specific. In its Natural State the mind is completely abstract. But God can use these specific ego-illusions to begin to heal the mind. Ego is the part of the mind that believes my existence is defined by separation. Ego is against communication except to establish separateness. Its communication is controlled by its need to protect itself and it will disrupt communication when it experiences threat.
Spirit is in Direct Communication with every aspect of Creation, and is in Complete and Direct Communication with God. Creation and Communication are synonymous. God's Creations Naturally Communicate with Him and like Him. This Communication is Perfectly Abstract and its quality is Universal, not subject to judgment, exception or alteration. The mind cannot totally lose the ability to Communicate. It can distort its function, but never lose it entirely.
Nothing Real can be increased except by sharing. Real Creation gives Everything.
The Bible repeatedly states that I should praise God. This does not mean I should tell Him how wonderful He is. He has no ego which requires such praise. God is praised whenever my mind recognizes its Oneness with All There Is. I am Invulnerable when I am not protecting my ego, so nothing can hurt me. My healing is my praise of God. Praising God is taking my part, as God's Son, in His Creation.
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