GATHERING 5

Last time I sent along an extra reading called The Real World. I would suggest reading it over, a bit at a time, not all at once, and notice anything that might grab you that you wish to pursue. 

This idea of what is real or saying that the world is “meaningless” () come sup quite often, and, I’m presuming that because this concept is a sruggle for me, that it might be for you as well.

One of the things I have found helpful is to review that set of concepts I sent a few sessions ago:

Love and fear

Light and darkness

Willingness and resistance

Life and death

Awake/Aware and asleep/unconscious

Purpose of the Heart and purpose of the world

Truth and illusion

Oneness and separateness

Real and unreal

I am suggesting that all these concepts are interchangeable.

One of the definitions for unreal or meaningless in NTI refers to the impermanent nature of the thing in question, whether that is your car or your body. If it is not lasting it is not Real.

I get that with my head, but….

Something we will explore in more detail later is how Jesus healed. The way it is explained is that He did not see illness, and His vision was so profound that it overcame the other person’s illusion.

NTI and ACIM will state there is no death, no sickness, no war, all of these are illusions created by the mind out of a sense of guilt and separateness.

Oh really? What about my friend who died, what about my own body that has an illness, what about the Middle East?

I think those are legitimate questions and I don’t want to pretend the questions are not there.

Here is one example: the war in the Middle East.

It certainly looks real. It’s been going on for thousands of years.

I can focus on the horror of it, the insanity, the inexplicable hatred, and all the other atrocities. I do not realize it, but by focusing on all those negatives I am actually giving them more energy. I am making them more “real” in my mind and the mind of others.

But, let us go deeper. Suppose I were to consider that the Palestinians and Israelies are my brothers and sisters who are lost in the illusion that they are separate and different from one another and that they must be fearful and protective in order to be safe and be right. All of that results in the creation of this thing called war which is base on an untruth, an illusion, a dream, a creation of the ego that they have begun to believe as real.

This is not a judgment, because immediately after chnaign my thinking this way, I also become aware that I hae done sthis very sme thing numerous times. I have perceived my bother or sise as separate from me, I have given into fear and protectiveness, I mihg have even become physically (or vergally) aggressive in attempting to protect me or my stuff. I have fallen into the illusion and made it real.

So I can begin to see this thing as a mistake instead of a “war.” AND I can choose to focus on those more spiritual ideas and by doing so affirm their REALITY.

Notice how much of this is a choice and how aware I have to be in order to choose.

We are not done with this subject, but I hope this will serve as a beginning in “putting on the Mind of the Spirit.”

Some thoughts to follow up on: 

Chap. 10 (37-39) “Your function is letting go of this world and your will within it.”

How do you do that?

Chap. 11 makes reference to the “symbols of the world and how misleading they can be. What are the symbols of the world? How do they get in the way of our spirituality. Let’s be practical and honest here.

Another key theme  WILLINGNESS.

Think about that one and lets take some time with it next week.

Peace, 

Gerry