We would not bind the world
Debinski
It's not unusual for a student/teacher of A Course in Miracles to tell
me it is egocentric to enjoy a sunset, the song of birds, a good meal
the feel of someone's hand in mine, a warm hug. They don't exactly
tell me it's "wrong" to enjoy these "physical experiences," just that
doing so is "one of ego's tricks to keep [me] focused on the world."
In their view the world is inherently a "kill or be killed world where
even breathing is an attack on God." I sometimes try to imagine what a
narrow, fearful, restricted worldview that must be. Where everything
seen with the body's eyes is said to be "unreal" and to serve no
purpose but to be forgiven. When I first began to discuss such things
with other Course students, I would sometimes relate stories occurring
in my life that I considered to be "miraculous."
"According to ACIM, that`s not a miracle," I was told. "That`s just an
ego distraction to keep you focused on the world instead of
remembering you are really home in heaven."
Really? So in order to be a "good student of ACIM," I was told, I must
value only what is "experienced" in "holy instants with eyes closed
remembering this world is not my home." Apparently, when the eyes are
opened and a world perceived again it means you're still stuck in
illusion. There must be more forgiveness work to be done. So out these
believers go in search of more guilt to be uncovered and forgiven so
they can "really go home."
People tell me they are quite happy and at peace with that world view.
Like the path to peace is to get through whatever life brings your way
the best you can -- remembering it isn't real and doesn't mean
anything. One woman went so far as to tell me she has periods in this
world where even blinking is painful, let alone getting up to move
across a room. I imagine that's true. I can't really even imagine how
frustrating and exhausting it must be to constantly yourself "This is
not it. I am not here. I am really in a much better place than this
where I am at perfect peace."
Why would anyone do that to herself? More importantly, why would
anyone try to impose such a dreary life on others by telling them if
they are NOT doing that to themselves they are not "doing ACIM?"
What a sad commentary on a book called "A Course in Miracles."
Not all Course students believe that breathing is an attack on God or
experience blinking of the eyes as painful, but it isn't all that
unusual either -- at least among those who believe God did not create
the universe and the appearance of bodies proves they are still here
and not yet home. Those students seem to truly believe the separation
of what is called physical from what is called spiritual -- as painful
as that is -- is their "way home."
I would totally agree with anyone who said that to enjoy a glorious
sunset, retain the memory of that sunset and use that memory to
evaluate all future sunsets is an ego trick to keep you focused on
specific outcomes/expectations in the world. But so is experiencing
"holy instants" where "peace is restored" by shutting the world out
and struggling through all other instants until you can return to that
"isolated peaceful place you call home, where there are no bodies, no
trees and no world."
I often quote the passage from the Course that says the universe
proclaims salvation. Even more inspiring to me is the one that says
the universe bows to the Presence known in holy instants.
T 15 C 7. Start NOW, to practice your little part in SEPARATING OUT
the holy instant. You will receive very specific instructions, as you
go along. To learn to separate out this single second, and begin to
experience it as timeless, is to begin to experience yourself as NOT
separate. Fear not that you will not be given help in this. God's
Teacher, and His lesson will support your strength. It is only your
weakness that will depart from you in this practice, for it is the
practice of the power of God in you. Use it but for one instant, and
you will never deny it again. Who can deny the Presence of what the
universe bows to, in appreciation and gladness? Before the recognition
of the universe, which witnesses to it, YOUR doubts MUST disappear.
There is no need for the universe -- or anything other than doubt --
to disappear. You never attacked God -- by breathing or anything else.
Instead of a witness to guilt, why not allow the body to be what the
Course says it can indeed be -- a sign of life, a promise of
redemption and a breath of immortality? There is no need to "become
more spiritual" for that to be so. You ARE Spirit and Spirit IS all-
encompassing. Where could God end and you -- or a universe -- begin?
T 27 B 9. Into this empty space, from which the GOAL of sin has been
removed, is Heaven free to be remembered. Here its peace can come, and
perfect healing take the place of death. The body can become a sign of
life, a promise of redemption, and a breath of immortality to those
grown sick of breathing in the fetid scent of death. Let it have
healing as its PURPOSE. Then will it send forth the message it
received, and by its health and loveliness proclaim the truth and
value that it represents. Let it receive the power to represent an
endless life, forever unattacked. And to your brother let its message
be, "Behold me, brother, at your hand I live."
M 12 A 4. What else but a Thought of God turns hell to Heaven merely
by being what It is? The earth bows down before Its gracious Presence,
and It leans down in answer to raise it up again. Now is the question
different. It is no longer, "Can peace be possible in this world?" but
instead, "Is it not impossible that peace be absent here?"
W 332 L 2. "We would not bind the world again today. Fear holds it
prisoner. And yet Your Love has given us the means to set it free.
Father, we would release it now. For as we offer freedom it is given
us. And we would not remain as prisoners, while You hold out our
freedom unto us."
~ Deb ~
http://acimlounge.ning.com/profiles/blogs/let-us-not-bind-the-world
Debinski
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:11:13 -0800 (PST), Debinski
>
> I used to drive up to Whistler in the summertime and hike into
> Cheakamus Lake, with a picnic, some wine, a joint, and some tapes to
> play on my walkman. Cheakamus Lake is a beautiful, glacially fed lake
> you'd be awfully brave to swim in and I didn't. I just sat on a big
> rock on the edge of the lake and had my picnic, drank my wine, smoked
> my joint and listened to my music. This particular day was a
> beautiful day. And I sat there actually experienced the idea that we
> never did get thrown out of the garden. We are still there. And this
> huge wave of God's forgiveness flooded into my awareness.
>
> We are not condemned to this world, neither are we in this world the
> condemned. No one is condemned. It is possible to experience heaven
> on earth but it shouldn't be mistaken for the real McCoy, which is a
> thousand times more beautiful still. And we should always remember
> that, while still feeling free to enjoy heaven on earth.
>
> The reason we should remember that the real McCoy is more beautiful
> still is simply to avoid attachment and the consequential fear of
> death. There is no reeason to fear death and there is no reason to be
> attached to the beauty of this world because there is more beauty
> still in heaven. Enjoy it while it lasts and be free to move on when
> the time comes.
>
> Deborah (BC)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Thanks, Deborah. I pretty much think that's the way of it even here/
now. Whatever comes spontaneously is always a thousand times better
than anything *I* could think to ask for. But to become attached or
expect a repeat performance always limits what would otherwise come
next. I don't think of heaven as a destination but a state of mind --
never static but dynamic/creative. Or as the Course says "the
changeless is not changed by increase because it was forever created
TO increase."
Debinski
Lee
Wonderful post Deb, thanks. And I agree completely. ;) ~ Lee
Philomene
> "Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free."
>
> It's not unusual for a student/teacher of A Course in Miracles to tell
> me it is egocentric to enjoy a sunset, the song of birds, a good meal
> the feel of someone's hand in mine, a warm hug. They don't exactly
> tell me it's "wrong" to enjoy these "physical experiences," just that
> doing so is "one of ego's tricks to keep [me] focused on the world."
My God! There are actually people trying to teach you that enjoying the
simple pleasures of life is wrong? Yeah, I'd have second thoughts too
about anyone pushing anti-warm hug theology.
No doubt you are experiencing the rush to indoctrinate the unrepentant
huggers from the ACIM church types, but you should consider the source
and caliber of unthinking, fanatical ideologues who gravitate to and
attempt to control any religious/spiritual movement.
Maybe the lesson here is NOT to get your theology and view of what
course students think from exchanges with ideologues so immersed in
cultic interpretation of ACIM, that they are oblivious that anti-warm
hug theology is counter intuitive and a big turn off to anyone who has a
brain cell.
Philomene
> Wonderful post Deb, thanks. And I agree completely. ;) ~ Lee
LOL. Man are you getting old!
Who wouldn't agree with warm hugs and spontaneity?
Maybe you should alert Debrinski that historically (as in twenty years
or more) a constant complaint against Ken Wapnick is that his
interpretation of ACIM leads to a cold, unfeeling, even anti-human
intellectualism.
Her complaint is not about all course students or even most course
students, just some course students.
>
Debinski
> Debinski wrote:
> > "Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free."
>
> > It's not unusual for a student/teacher of A Course in Miracles to tell
> > me it is egocentric to enjoy a sunset, the song of birds, a good meal
> > the feel of someone's hand in mine, a warm hug. They don't exactly
> > tell me it's "wrong" to enjoy these "physical experiences," just that
> > doing so is "one of ego's tricks to keep [me] focused on the world."
>
> My God! There are actually people trying to teach you that enjoying the
> simple pleasures of life is wrong? Yeah, I'd have second thoughts too
> about anyone pushing anti-warm hug theology.<
Yes, believe it or not there are. But I don't believe them any more
than I believe the ones trying to teach me that in order to understand
a Course in Miracles, I must learn to "think holographically as God
thinks." I just sit back and watch all of these various people trying
establish Truth by consensus and "join" through verbal agreement --
each using exactly the same book to do it. Sometimes I enjoy telling
stories about my conversations with believers from one side of the
imaginary fence or the other, but usually with an admonition to
"Please don't believe anything I say. Find out for yourself if the
words are true or not."
Debinski
> >http://ddanielski.xanga.com/weblog- Hide quoted text -
Philomene
> On Nov 29, 2:02 am, Philomene <ph...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Debinski wrote:
>>> "Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free."
>>> It's not unusual for a student/teacher of A Course in Miracles to tell
>>> me it is egocentric to enjoy a sunset, the song of birds, a good meal
>>> the feel of someone's hand in mine, a warm hug. They don't exactly
>>> tell me it's "wrong" to enjoy these "physical experiences," just that
>>> doing so is "one of ego's tricks to keep [me] focused on the world."
>> My God! There are actually people trying to teach you that enjoying the
>> simple pleasures of life is wrong? Yeah, I'd have second thoughts too
>> about anyone pushing anti-warm hug theology.<
>
> Yes, believe it or not there are. But I don't believe them any more
> than I believe the ones trying to teach me that in order to understand
> thinks."
Hold on a minute.
Now what would a sports reporter think of a quarterback stating,"You
know this team we played was something else. They tried to tackle me and
take away the ball. I was here for a good time and to play a game."
With a tone of incredulity, the reporter asks, "I don't understand.
Weren't you just out there on the field tackling and attempting to take
the ball from the other team?"
"I wouldn't really describe what I do is tackling," replied the
quarterback,"Its more like I was helping them to the ground. Besides
after every game I remark, I don't tackle people. I'm here to help them
to the ground."
The reporter then remarks,"Did you ever consider that the other players
were just helping you to the ground?"
"Nope!" replied the quarterback, "I know tackling when I see it."
Debinski
>
> - Show quoted text -
I'm flexible. In your story, cast me in any role you like.
Debinski
Mike
>
> - Show quoted text -
too funny