Saturday, January 25, 2014

How Do I Allow Something To Happen?

Last week I wrote, “Your ‘job’ is not to shine your light, but to allow your light to shine…. Over time I began to understand the significance of making that little shift. How do I do that? How do I make that shift? How do I make myself passive?”
Technically, I don’t. My True Self is an already-loved eternal spirit full of loving light. The ego-thoughts I choose to keep in my focus dims this loving light. All I need to do is be willing, ask the Holy Spirit for a different way of seeing, and still my mind enough to hear the whispers of guidance. That’s it. That’s what ACIM suggests. But that’s really tough for me to do – especially when I’m in the middle of sitting on my pity-pot, enjoying my martyrdom, or relishing my righteous anger.
In response to that post (Allowing Rather Than Doing – Msg-3-Jan-2014) I had several communications asking how I go about “allowing.” We hear of politicians or corporate bigwigs caught in some hurtful scandal and their part was that they “allowed” things to go on too long, or “allowed” things to become too punitive, or “allowed” things to remain mismanaged. That may be what happens to Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey. Is that the kind of “allowing” we’re talking about – which is basically doing nothing when you could have done something?
The Introduction to A Course in Miracles (ACIM) states: “… The Course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance….” [ACIM, T: Introduction, p.1]
Well, what are the “blocks” I have that prevent me from seeing or living in love’s presence? What do I do or say or think that prevents me from being aware of love’s presence? I believe the answer to these questions is also the answer to the question: How do I “allow?”
Essentially, ACIM is a course in “un-doing” and removing the ego-thought system of duality, fear and guilt. Guilt is especially important because it is the primary expression of fear. These are the “blocks” that keep me from seeing love’s presence. Fear. Guilt. Duality.
From the text [T-12:VII.5.1-6]: You see what you expect, and you expect what you invite. Your perception is the result of your invitation, coming to you as you sent for it.... Two ways of looking at the world are in your mind [Ego & Holy Spirit], and your perception will reflect the guidance you have chosen.”
From the text [T-12-VIII.3-6]: “When you made visible what is not true, what is true became invisible to you…. It is invisible to you because you are looking at something else. Yet it is no more up to you to decide what is visible and what is invisible, than it is up to you to decide what reality is.
“Because of your Father's Love you can never forget Him, for no one can forget what God Himself placed in his memory. You can deny it, but you cannot lose it. A Voice will answer every question you ask, and a vision will correct the perception of everything you see....
“You have but to ask for this memory, and you will remember… [The] memory of God can dawn only in a mind that chooses to remember, and that has relinquished the insane desire to control reality. You who cannot even control yourself should hardly aspire to control the universe…. By making nothing real to you, you have seen it. But it is not there. And Christ is invisible to you because of what you have made visible to yourself.”
Although these are tremendous words, let me give you a simple example. We see babies trying to catch floating spots they think they see after looking into the flash of a camera. If the babies could comprehend what you’re saying, what would they think when you told them there were no real floating spots of light? They would think you’re an idiot! “Of course they are there. I see them, can’t you?” Then they would continue to reach for them as if these floating spots were real.
So, what floating spots do I look at and believe are real? What kind do you look at? What floating spots are preventing me from seeing the true world of the spirit Perhaps: Our belief in the reality of money as freedom, power or security? Our belief in the power of force, might, or war based on our concept of being right? Our belief that all poor people are lazy? Our belief that if someone attacks me, it’s okay to attack back? Our belief that the Bible (or the Torah, or the Quran, or ACIM, or…) is the ONLY correct guide to a spiritual life?
Here’s what ACIM describes as a bunch of floating spots we think are real [T-13.Introduction, 1-3]:
“If you did not feel guilty you could not attack, for condemnation is the root of attack. It is the judgment of one mind by another as unworthy of love and deserving of punishment. But herein lies the split. For the mind that judges perceives itself as separate from the mind being judged,… For it is guilt that has obscured the Father to you, and it is guilt that has driven you insane.
 “The acceptance of guilt into the mind of God's Son was the beginning of the separation, as the acceptance of the Atonement [seeing with Holy Spirit’s perception of things] is its end. The world you see is the delusional system of those made mad by guilt. Look carefully at this world, and you will realize that this is so. For this world is the symbol of punishment, and all the laws that seem to govern it are the laws of death. Children are born into it through pain and in pain. Their growth is attended by suffering, and they learn of sorrow and separation and death. Their minds seem to be trapped in their brain, and its powers decline if their bodies are hurt. They seem to love, yet they desert and are deserted. They appear to lose what they love, perhaps the most insane belief of all. And their bodies wither and gasp and are laid in the ground, and are no more. Not one of them but has thought that God is cruel.
“If this were the real world, God would be cruel. For no Father could subject His children to this as the price of salvation and be loving. Love does not kill to save. If it did, attack would be salvation, and this is the ego's interpretation, not God's….”
Sound familiar to you? It sure does to me. So, what do I do?
I cannot ask my ego to stop seeing the world through my eyes of guilt, fear, and duality. That is my ego’s way of existing. I can only ask. Ask what? Ask for a different way of looking at the situation, event or person. This isn’t a “Once and Done” kind of occurrence. This is constant. I cannot stop my mind from having thoughts. However, I can learn to train my mind to understand that no thought is “idle.” I can, at times, control which thoughts I will (or will not) pay attention to.
Every thought in our mind is producing something all the time, contributing to truth or to illusion. [The Course’s] aim is to make us aware of our thoughts and their effects. It desires us to be intimately involved in the process of choosing the thoughts that occupy our minds and produce their effects in the world around us.” [Allen Watson, A Workbook Companion, Vol. 1, Circle Publishing, 2005, p.47]
The Course gives me instruction as to what I can do. It tells me to realize that it is my thoughts that are truly upsetting me – and my thoughts are not real. It teaches me that all I need to do to change my thoughts is to be willing to see things differently. To do that all I need to do is ask the Holy Spirit for a different way of looking at things. Then I need to stop, still my mind, and listen to the whispers of truth. Even if I don’t hear a whisper, I can stop listening to my thoughts. I can just let them be. I don’t have to give voice to them. I don’t have to act on them. I don’t have to argue with them. I can simply do nothing with them.
However, when I do hear the whisper, I need to act. It does me no good to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit and then say to myself: “That’s a nice suggestion, but….”
I hope this helps.
Although these messages are mostly for me, thanks for listening. As always – feel free to forward this message to your friends, family, and those accompanying you on your spiritual journey.
Don
#4 January, 2014

Copyright, 2014

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