Village Square III
In our AcimVillage, we have the plane tree that stands in the central village square. Its enormous branches spread out to cover an area wide enough to provide shade on a warm day for many a traveller or tradesman. Water bubbles and trickles from a stone fountain on the eastern side. It is under the plane tree and by the fountain that wandering sages have traditionally lead conversation with the local people, before setting off again on their way; it is here that the townspeople come to exchange views and thoughts on their beloved spiritual philosophy, learning from each other in kindness and wisdom.
Rules to ponder…
Study of A Course In Miracles benefits greatly from sharing our experiences in its practice. Here you can talk about what works, or doesn’t, for you, taking obvious care not to be ‘preachy’, please. We all learn best when someone talks from their own experience, rather than tries to tell us what we should be doing differently. Let’s take the position that none of us are teachers, we are all at the same point returning on the path Homeward. All of us will still be making mistakes for a while yet, so let’s be particularly humble and caring in how we deal with each other. Please keep in mind that this is a site dedicated to the approach Kenneth Wapnick takes to teaching ACIM. I shall certainly do my best to bring everyone back to the core principles as taught by him.
I would also like to point out that AcimVillage is the place to come to explore our judgments, but not to express them as judgments. If you feel you need to gripe, criticize and vent, even subtly, then contact me privately (at bernard@pauloandthemagician.com) where I will receive you with kindness and understanding. Please do not do so in the forums where I will inevitably moderate out this kind of post. Remember, you will feel better only when you are able to move past the investment in your judgments, not simply by unloading them for everyone to see. This means taking responsibility for your perceptions and acknowledging that ultimately no one has prevented you from feeling completely peaceful and safe, despite what might appear to be the unfortunate conditions of your life at this time. (I know, this is hard. Contact me if you’re struggling.)
So, two basic rules here. One, we avoid mention of other approaches to the study of ACIM (non-Wapnickian) as well as to other philosophies we might be studying. This is purely to achieve a stable, comfortable learning forum where we are all aiming at the same goal, using the same symbols and language to get there. This is not to cast any judgment on any other approaches or philosophies. ACIM is a sufficiently difficult path to undertake without bringing more confusion into our study than our minds already contain! If you have benefited from other paths and would like to share your thoughts, by all means do so. Just please do this in the privacy of your personal emails. It’s also my personal opinion (take it or leave it) that at some point a student of ACIM is much better off sticking with one set of symbols and one teacher, and working with these thoroughly, instead of getting too dispersed. Rule two, we try not to play ‘teacher’ with each other here, reminding ourselves to be humble and always equal with our brother.
Enjoy the discussion!
“There is a hush in Heaven, a happy expectancy, a little pause of gladness in acknowlegment of the journey’s end. For Heaven knows you well, as you know Heaven. ” (T.19,IV,A.6,1-2)
I gasp at knowing there are only two, no! One lesson left. I think it lovely and appropriate that we have slipped into your time zone, Anil. HS inspired, methinks. Delightful – we no longer are bound by time.
I always think I am not doing them (the lessons) the following year because it is so changeable, because I want to finish the manual workbook, because i want to read some more text, and then the next year’s first lessons are so exploding with the peace of these lessons. Maybe a slow amble next time!
I never actually change anything at year’s end because i’m just not sure who wrote that calendar thing. Emperor Julius Caesar says I need to dictate my good intentions for next year. No ego at work there. BUT it is a great time to relax and release this rambunctious Christmas mass hypnosis. Even when you are aware you are being spun into the — must get, want to get, that’s good to get syndrome, I have to practically tie up my hands. Madness. But i will come out the other end, Just as we arrive on the next lesson and nestle in that cradle for a few resting peaceful days.
Then we can rendezvoux for the Epilogue. Amen.
Nina, Nina, Merry Christmas!
And to ALL a Merry Christmas!
Katrina, thanks for that thought on the integration of time zones ! (:
(In my ramble by the Fireside, I forgot to include that acknowledgment…)
Merry Christmas to all…!
Joyeux Noël, everyone – and Merry Christmas, too !
Hope you’re having a peaceful day in happy remembrance of the Love that holds us all dearly together, and keeps our resting place safe in Heaven.
All my love, Bernard
Merry Christmas to All.
Lesson 360
Peace be to me, the holy Son of God.
Peace to my brother, who is one with me.
Let all the world be blessed with peace through us.
Did Jesus plan these lessons perfectly or what?
Today I will give and receive the only gift that matters!
Peace ☮
Giggle
sharing my blog:
*
Christmas eve
I am receiving an Amygdala healing, listening to an audio and allowing whatever happens to happen. At first there is a time period to allow the ultimate vicious, deepest depraved, violent destructive hateful darkness in the mind to arise and be released. All is allowed. Then there is a ray of light that hits the Amygdala, and gradually my body and brain is filled with the calmest light
I wake up in the night and notice a remarkable shift in thinking: there is no more identification with negative fearful thoughts. I can “hear” them, but right now, they carry no life
I have a dream where I rescue and take care of a much tormented cat. It has eaten – digested – something – I care deeply for it, and suddenly its body convulses and it poops out the inside of a ballpoint pen.
That must have hurt! And affected free movement – and, well, everything about its catty life: wild free sexuality, the excitement of hunting, deep rest and its joy of being caressed…the cat symbolizes something deeply instinctive and alive in me. And “my” cat has digested something completely indigestible for it: that which is the essence of a pen: mental activity being expressed.
Or better said: the “supremacy” of the intellectual mind.
I love these clear dreams. And the cat is OK now 🙂
Christmas Morning, 25th: I am bundling up to go to the mountaintop close to my house to do a ritual that Jesus describes in “The Way of the Heart.” It is dark and cold: minus 15 degrees Celsius / 5 Fahrenheit, snow, very steep climb up the trail to a point I have chosen to meet the rising sun and a new world seen with the eyes of Christ. The Ritual is about leaving the past behind and looking with Christ’s eyes at the New World.
The climbing is easy, I am enjoying each step. And there is my favorite place to look out over my village and home – and wait, there is a new signpost: “Peekout” – and it point to a new small trail further up. “I want to go there!” says my heart, and fear answers: “ No – I may miss the sunrise and the whole ritual.” The heart calmly lets me know that I know where that trail leads – up to a place where before stood a little cabin.
Still – I allow the fear voice to “win.”
I start the meditation, facing the place where the sun is about to rise – and receive its energy into the body, allowing it to fill the spinal column and the whole body. It feels good – but something is “off.” Still, I follow the instructions that Jesus tells us he followed in his way to mastery.
After I while, I open the eyes. The red rising sun is right in my face.I feel disappointed. I immediately decide to follow the new trail. In 3 minutes I am up there – and somebody has built this wondrous little free Peek-Out-shelter for anybody to sit and watch the view –
Now the ego is having a field day: “You screwed up this holyholyholy initiation. You should have gone up here at once- it was made for you – to meet the rising sun and the new life! Now you have screwed up ultimately moron moron moron”
Oh the shoulding 🙂
The gift is: I have been reminded to follow the heart. “Follow the nudge of JOY you feel. Trust that it will take care of everything – including the time-aspect.”
I trusted instead the voice that told me I MIGHT be too late for the sunrise, following the new and unexpected trail.
I recognize how I – and most of humanity? – have allowed that warning voice, painting out disasters and failure in order to “make us safe” – to be valued.
Jesus is giggling at me, tenderly tickling my ribs. “All I want is that you are happy and extend your treasure to the world. There are no “too late’s – there is only NOW”
I go back down to my house.Time for celebration! I eat my newly smoked and roasted ham, two soft boiled eggs, bread, fresh raspberry jam and Yogi tea. Today’s tea label: “Time to leave the past behind”(It’s true!)
giggle giggle giggle
Then I go out in the sunny shiny new day, up to the Peekout Shelter once again and decorate it with a little troll I have made, with the word “Now” on it.
I meet a zillion people when I go back down. I say Merry Christmas to everyone, they all smile and greet me back. What a feeling of unity it brings – this greeting each other.
PS: just as I wrote the last post, I got an email from Annie.Gonna red it now:)
Merry Christmas dear Family and Nina you are so right in saying: Follow the nudge of Joy !!!
Happy Christmas Villagers. May all our seasons be peaceful and light.
It was never said better than Tiny Tim said “God Bless Us Every One”. I love and you r all so very much. I used to close all my letters when I was in the Air Force with “Peace & Posters” it is a light and colorful thought. I hope the spirit of Christmas stays with us all through out the coming year.
lawrence
(((VILLAGE)))
Ah most beloved Village…how satisfying to read all your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day post this morning after. Loved that you included your blog post and your adventure to the lookout ritual new spot.
This is the first holiday eve or day I didn’t post in all these years, you were all with me, held you all in my heart reading yesterday’s lesson in the beautiful Christmas morning, and throughout the day into the night.
I love my goddaughter’s best friends family gathering Christmas day. They start at 4 or 5 pm. Erin is very happily married to Omar who is from Ecuador. Erin’s hip and mother and songwriting stepfather, who are my age, live just up the road. Erin’s longtime work best friend is always there with his partner Carlos from Mexico so there is lots of other culture influences in the food and drink and music. Erin adopted Omar’s daughter beautiful daughter Cami, now in her first year of college away in DC. E and O’s son is Nico. Two years ago he got a new mobile device and we sat right next to each other texting and laughing our heads off we were doing that.
I started my day with long fun chats with my daughter and granddaughter. My best friend who usually is away for Christmas and who spent the Eve with me at my house, came back over for a late breakfast.
I’m looking forward to reading the introduction to the final lesson tomorrow. This Monday night our class met for a holiday party at Sandy’s house who lives just up the hill from our usual meeting place. She creates the most winter wonder fairy land at Christmas in her home starting from the front gate in. We had the most wonderful time. We all took turns reading as we always do, but David selected the section for us that begins …well I’ve texted my friends to see if they marked it, I thought I’d left my book mark there but didn’t, It is the Christmas passage in the text. When they text me back, I’ll submit it.
We played this card game toward the end of the night called ” Cards Against Humanity”.
Appallingly non PC.
OK here is the section. We started on 324 The time of Rebirth. then 327 Christmas as the End of Sacrifice.
Dec 26th Lesson….the 360th day of the year….
Lesson 360
peace be to me, the Holy Son of God.
Peace be to my brother, who is one with me.
Let all the world be blessed with peace though us.
Father, it is Your peace that I would give, receiving it of You. I am Your Son, forever just as You created me, for the Great Rays remain forever still and undisturbed within me. I would reach to them in silence and in certainty, for nowhere else can certainty be found. Peace be to me, and peace to all the world. In holiness were we created, and in holiness do we remain. Your Son is like to You in perfect sinlessness.
And with this thought we gladly say “Amen.”
Lessons 361 to 365
This holy instant would I give to You.
Be You in charge. For I would follow You,
Certain that Your direction gives me peace.
(1:1-4) And if I need a word to help me, He will give it to me. If I need a thought, that will He also give. and if I need but stillness and a tranquil open mind, these are the gifts I will receive of Him. He is in charge by my request.
Lesson 362
This holy instant I would give to you. Be You in charge,
For I would follow you, Certain that your direction gives me peace.
~ ~ ~
I love so many things about these last five lessons, the immediacy about it, that I feel guilt arising within me, if I can remember “this holy instant”, just that phrase, then the fog of guilt lifts.
And from the Introduction to the final lessons, is at beautiful phrase. “To Him we leave these lessons, as to Him we give our lives henceforth “. And it is such a welcome reliefs to be hand over my entire life to Him.
The last few weeks I have found myself thinking and saying to some very dear friends and business partners sardonically….if you know anyone who needs counseling on how to plan their life, send them to me..
.NOT ! (:
So when this phrase comes in, its brilliant. yes, He who sent me will tell me how to lead my life. And that immediacy of Him being available at all times, at any moment, I love the closeness of that. I am invulnerable, how can I be led to suffering when He guides me, and loves me with all the love a father feels for his child.
And ….that phrase “to give ones life to….” Has such an icky connotation, perhaps icky is not the right word, but something quite like that, when one hears of giving ones life to a special love, images of sacrifice, and blood and gore.
Tis, on the other hand, is so expansive and lightening ones burden, to offer my life as Anil to Him who knows, and can direct with calm assurance, and His voice, the right-minded voice, the Voice for the Holy Spirit, a phrase unknown to me, even ten years ago, can become such a large part of my daily existence.
And such a happy and joyful part of it.
It is amazing.
Amen.
Lesson 363
This holy instant I give to You.
Be You in charge.
For I would follow You,
Certain that your direction gives me peace.
~ ~ ~
To be honest with the fear I experience, while at the very next instant, offering the holy instant to Him, even while the fear lingers on….this is an interesting exercise. It proves to me the applicability of this lesson at all times, it doesn’t have to make me feel blissful, the fear can still be there, the stomach still constricted, but the thought undisturbed….this holy instant I give to You.
One instant at a time, thought by thought, life goes on…..
Lesson 364
This holy instant I would give to you.
Be You in charge,
For I would follow you,
Certain that your direction gives me peace.
Following on from Annie’s posting above of Lesson 364, as I greet (that might be an overly optimistic picture I paint by using the word “greet” (; —
perhaps “meet” would be a better word,
as I get ready to meet the 364th day of the year, Dec 30th….
I still believe that I would like to offer this holy instant to Him, and every instant today.
It’s a foggy day like London town, not terribly unusual for Singapore, (but last evening, while I prepared for bed, the cool, refreshing breeze that blew through our town, that was very unusual….)
I chanced upon a section of the Text this morning, as I groped for solace.
It was the “Happy Dream” section(section 6) from Chapter 18 (“The passing of the dream”).
These lines stood out…. “Never approach the holy instant after you have to tried to remove all fear and hatred from your mind. That is its function.”
Very fitting, given my comment to myself in 869 above.
To feel the fear and to still remember “This Holy Instant would I give to you.”
Be You in charge, my brother. Be You in charge.
Amen.
And now, finally, I can say Lesson 364 again, when it is actually the 364th day of the year NYT… (:
Lesson 364. This holy instant… (I always want to capitalize Holy Instant, as I did in the prior post), but the original Text has Helen, Bill and Ken deciding that it should just be holy instant.
Not Holy Instant.
And so it is (:
Happy 364th day of the Year, everyone…
Love,
Anil
Ha ha…I’ve done it again!
Thanks for the correction Anil.
How many Muligan’s do we get?
Turning it over to the Holy Spirit 🙂
Our Monday night ACIM class last night was particularly uplifting. We met again this week at Sandy’s beautiful home. She is truly a remarkable being.
She’s been a course student for some 20+ years. She truly embodies the students prayer from the text.
” I am only here to be truly helpful. I am here to represent him who sent me. I do not have to worry about what to say or do, because he who sent me, will direct me. I am content to be wherever he wishes, knowing he goes with me. I will be healed, as I let him, teach me to heal.”
We always close with it, getting up from our sitting together, each of us saying it softly aloud with eyes closed, standing in a circle holding hands at the end of class.
It was such a wonderful mix of looking together, listening with love and appreciation. After our mediation, which is always an impromptu selection made by David reading it aloud after we’ve settled into stillness. This time of course he chose the closing lesson in the workbook.
Afterward we read the epilogue of the workbook lessons each person reading a paragraph.
David our group leader, hereafter referred to as DGL, has been practicing for 30 + years. Another David in our class, gave him a book a while back,that DGL has been saying is one of the most helpful books he’s come across in his entire life. It’s called ” My Big Toe” Toe being an acronym for Theory of Everything. What he loves most about it, is the questioning one’s beliefs aspect of it and it’s revealing even further to him the boon of an Open Mind.
During the eve, a grappling area of inner work was brought up by one of us, that of “Being Alone” in the view of not being in an intimate as in romantic relationship at this stage of their life. We of course, over the years, have had many discussions about special relationships and having the willingness, to ask for help in having them become a Holy Relationship, with the bottom line understanding, that one can have a special relationship with something other than another seeming body out there, no matter what it is, it’s always about us, and our willingness to ask to see beyond our wrong minded perceptions. Doing the very honest, particular individualized work of our classrooms we’ve signed up for.
That led us all to share various aspects of how it is we see the various challenging or incredible subtle ego hand holding scenarios that always have the same solution to choose.
I feel so fortunate and grateful to have such a small intimate group to work with. We’ve had two women join us in just the last few months. They are each a gift of having a long time relationships with various forms of mentors/paths and deeply examined lives. They are both very kind, very honest. I so love hearing each of them read. One can hear so much in one’s voices as each person reads from our Big Blue Book.
Oh ! Oh! I saw the most beautifully done, deeply spiritual move called ” Monk With a Camera”. Diana Vreeland, who was/is held in everyone’s view in the fashion world as the Empress of Fashion, this film is about her grandson and his path to become a Tibetan monk. He had the most incredibly wise teacher, he also had a relationship with his Holiness the Dali Lama along the way and who named him the Abbott of a Monastery in India, the first westerner to become one.
It is truly exquisite on every level. I think you will love it and see so much beauty and truth in it. We will go as a group to see it for our meeting next Monday night.
Love to each and every one of you, and much gratitude for all the gifts of insight, compassion all of you have given me.
Michele, thank you for that enlightening piece. I love to feel your spirit, and for the first time I feel a longing to belong to an ACIM-group. Much love to you and Village, and a big warm hug and new year
MWAH!
Annie, my dear friend – I’m beginning to think you’re a golfer ! (: Are you ?
/I think mulligan is a golf-term, right ?/
Michele, my dear friend – What a nice long piece, gives a flavor of all the lovely people you’re hanging out with Mondays… thank you for taking the time to write so much. Very fun to read on this last day of the year, and today I am greeting the day ! (:
Nina, Happy New Year to you too… hope you slept well.
——
Today I got to read the Epilogue. I like reading new stuff each day, that’s what keeps me on the Lesson-a-day… of course, there are some days, I love the Lesson so, I want to do it again…I’m fairly certain that tomorrow, Jan 1, I will start the Lessons again.
But tomorrow is another day….(:
——
And finally, what I thought might happen did happen. I always wondered if someday my ego would remove the joy I generally feel /not every day certainly, but generally speaking/ on my path with the Course.
And today, as I started with the holy instant….I couldn’t feel anything. None of that stillness, that gentle sense, even through all my fear and hatred, that the Presence would guide me through that moment.
Numbness. (:
For now (:
—–
But I think Its Presence will return (:
Love, and joy-ful 2015 to all,
Anil
OK
Ken said you only ever have to do the workbook once… cuz when you *get it* you get it, and there is no need to do it again….
Having said that, who is going to do it again?
*my hand is up*
<3 you all
Happy Happy Lovely New Year to all my loves in here!
Beautiful sharing Michele – I ditto Nina’s sentiments and ending it with a deep belly laugh Nina ~ that got me laughing and smiling too! 🙂 God Bless us Everyone Indeed.
The Epilogue in the JTTWB was a wonderful read this morning.
I have enjoyed copying the Lessons and text this past year here at the site. Typing out the words somehow helped me slow down and take them in on a deeper level. I trust that I can move forward this next year without the business of studying.
I shall leave you with this last paragraph that Ken included in the Epilogue from his book –
Absence from Felicity, pp. 381-82.
“Remember you need nothing, but you have an endless store of loving gifts to give. But teach this lesson only to yourself. Your brother will not learn it from your words or from the judgments you have laid on him. You need not even speak a word to him. You cannot ask,
“What shall I say to him?” and hear God’s answer. Rather ask instead, “Help me to see this brother through the eyes of truth and not of judgment,” and the help of God and all His angels will respond…by your side is One Who knows the way. Step back for Him and let Him lead you to the rest and silence of the Word of God.”
Amen
We are all golfers, sometimes clipping the ball, sometimes bashing the ball off a tree, or into the water, and sometimes watching it fly straight down the line. Mulligan’s prove that forgiveness is always there!
What a joy to have mushed in elbow to elbow in second place to Big J’s lead thru this entire year. Some days I forgot where I was and what I was doing, but Annie pulled the rug and kept me with you, and Anil was always vanguarding the day’s proof on concept. Tex nudged and whispered that she was skipping along! Hedda and Michele altered their pace to sing along. Lawrence and Nina and Bernard, even Peggy for awhile, sang along on choruses. What a beautiful dance! I would not have made it thru without you!
On New Year’s eve, 24 yrs ago, after singing the 23rd psalm at Mass in his ringing Irish tenor voice, the hovering angels scooped up my dad on his morning walk and took him home. So, I have an extra angel hovering over me. And this day will always be forgiveness day for me. His fist was gripped tightly around his rosary in his pocket. So he must have seen the angels were there. So lovely.
“You do not walk alone. God’s angels hover near and all about. His Love surrounds you, and of this be sure; that I will never leave you comfortless.”
Katrina, this is the first time I really SEE your lovely face. Huge hugs from me!
Just 90 minutes left in 2014 over here in a good part of Europe…
Time left in which to thank you all so much for this past year, a very rich one in terms of all your sharings, I feel, since you carried us through the workbook, from start to finish. A wonderful year for me to sit back and observe, to be led by you, to enjoy having you bring the heart of the Course into this little village. Of course, a heartfelt thank you to Katrina and Annie for offering their time and devotion to this task, and to Anil, Michele, Nina, Tex, Ninjanun, Lawrence, and Hedda, as well, for making us the family we are. We are not many now, but I feel a real closeness among those of us who do come here. So again, all my thanks to you, and may your thoughts be peaceful and your hearts quiet as we make this gentle transition into the new year. Love to you all, Bernard
Just as Fletcher Seagull learned, turning to his new recruits upon the departure of Jonathon to farther lands, our lessons do not stop. We are all always at the beginning, and at the end, simultaneously. Each lesson is significant to us on the path Home, at every moment of our lives. That is the extraordinary quality of this course. Each lesson can take us home, if deeply applied. These first lessons contain a miraculous power to propel us up the ladder of consciousness, if we take them seriously. And so, for those who wish, we begin once more our eternal lessons, taking them more deeply within, letting no exceptions this year escape our awareness:
Lesson 1: Nothing I see in this room means anything.
There is meaning, but it is not in, or of, the things we see in our perceptual range. And so we learn to observe our thoughts about the things we think we are seeing, taking a step back from these, and watching what our minds believe is outside truth. There is no truth or reality to the things of this world. Who among us still gives power and reality to the things in our lives? Who among us still reacts to things in the world as if they have the power to take away something so inherent and powerful within us as the Peace beyond this world? There is a Peace, there, it is the background reality that includes and surrounds all things at all times. Ideas leave not their source. All things are ideas contained within the mind, and this mind has not ultimately left its Source, and can remember its relationship with this Origin, a place of eternal Joy and Happiness.
I just ordered Journey Through the Text…. but it is on backorder…. i want to read JTTW this year with my lessons… getting all course-ified and excited
Ah…..such gentle comfort here joining in reading everyone’s New Years Eve posts and these two int the Village Square of New Years Day.
Katrina very fresh start of the New Year to see your new gravatar, and now another important piece of your story to absorb in loving you. Your father’s ringing Irish tenor and the personal memorial of his passing in such a way.
Thank you Bernard for your beautiful post. I took my time this am with reading Ken’s guidance to J’s Introduction to the Lessons in JTTW. I am very on board to continue with starting the lessons again.
Tex ~ I did order some time back and have here at home The Journey Thru the Text. I’ll be taking my time with that too.
Love to Everyone
Guess what , y’all…..???
I really DO NOT understand anything i see on this page, this room, this street… wow
you must be enlightened i knew it you are you are you are oh how does it feel how how how I don’t understand what I am writing about
I’m always really stunned when I return to these first fifty lessons, and even just these first fifteen or twenty lessons, how powerful and deep they are. If we really applied them, our perception of the world would blow apart completely. It’s the easiest thing in the world to give them lip-service, to do them by rote. But to really confront our current thinking and declare that everything we think and perceive is utterly incorrect, that’s really another thing entirely. Let’s try to take it that one little step further…
I also have another radical suggestion… We are a small family and know each other very well now. Perhaps too well. What we all need sometimes, in family, is a little distance in time, time for things to happen in our lives. That way, when we get back together, we have fresh things to talk about. It’s like a renewal, or getting to know each other again. What if we decided to spend several weeks in silence, and then return here again to discuss our thoughts? We could set a meeting time for the first of each month, or the first of every second month, or the first Sunday of every month. We could try that for a few months and see what happens. Just a suggestion.
Bernard bro –
my view on this is that those who want to write to should write, and those who don’t, don’t !
(:
Freedom is my goal, and i don’t see how creating more rules for people makes anyone any freer !
Toots.
A
ps. But that’s just my idea. and as Lesson 4 reminds me.. “This thought I have just posted does not mean anything !” (:
And in keeping with Lesson 4 (I seem to have fallen into the pattern of doing the workbook again, almost against “my” wishes!)…. some gems from that Lesson.
*/The “good” thoughts are but shadows of what lies beyond, and shadows make sight difficult. The “bad” ones are blocks to sight, and make seeing impossible/
*/You do not want either/
Anil and Bernard, I think (this would be one of “good” ones) that I’d rather share anytime than have a certain time when I should. But if that works for someone who wants a first of the month reminder, that would be good. ( I would never ever know if it was the first sunday. ). I will probably just babble at will. Unless I am one who is known too well and keep others away. (That’s probably one of the “bad” thoughts.)
This lesson always surprises me with the note that the “bad” thoughts, like worry or anxiety or even concern are actually blocking real thoughts from getting through.
I am loving doing the workbook again. I read it from JTTW and read just J’s thoughts first a couple to times. Then I go in for the Ken read.
Someone in my group raised the question about reading the workbook again and DGL commented that is is such a personal decision one needs to make for oneself. I need need need the lessons. And they seem all fresh to me.
When I think about the thoughts I was allowing myself to think on my way home from Stinson Beach during the sunset last night. That I can allow those very old thoughts and judgements into my mind as part of my mind wandering after a day of gratitude and wonderment.
Holy Kamole
Good Grief
Great Balls of Fire
Sneaky Sneaky mind wandering. Well I catch myself, but the persistence is laughable. If I had the same persistence to undo relentlessly, well actually if I need to spend most of my day being conscious and saying ” This is not a thought I would hold, this is not the goal I have for myself, please take this from me…then that’s an radical experiment for me to do.
Bernard….I see the welcome of freshness/ experimental invitation, in your suggestion. And this being the family we are everyone will have a different view. I do like the present freedom and formlessness we enjoy.
I have in mind for myself sending an email, instead of posting here, as a follow up to my driving style post I made some months back, as I did have a very insightful experience shortly after posting that was clearly an answer from HS. The email form as it is very personal. Let’s see if I pull it off in the next three months.
I wonder if those that decided not to post any longer will also not visit. That is a thought that is meaningless.
Toots borrowing a phrase from Anil.
Ha…the captcha is also “easy” like the first lessons
My apologies, dear friends, if my suggestion was taken as any kind of imposition or rule. Must have been something in the way I worded my thoughts. I have absolutely no problem with people visiting and contributing as and when they wish, far from it. Enjoy the freedom.
No apologies needed, Bernard bro. Nothing happened ! (:
/besides, it’s like Michele says, fresh ideas should always be presented and I would always like to welcome new ways of thinking – regardless of my point of view/
And also, I would like to comment on the new gravatar you have
/Michele, thanks for highlighting that/,
and Katrina’s too
/Nina, thanks for pointing out Katrina’s smiling face full-on/ —
I rarely look on the right side, focussing on the comments usually, but both of your smiling faces encourage me to look at the right side these days… (:
which brings me to Katrina dear friend – I would have to say that I do *not* know you too well (: – and I would love to have you (and everyone) babble on at will. I very much doubt that it is you that is keeping others away. I remember reading about your deeply personal memory of your father, and although I never commented on it, I did enjoy reading about him so.
and so finally to the purpose of the Village Square (: –
Lesson 5, with which I greet January 5th in Singapore. It’s one of Ken’s favourites, from what I hear, and it is becoming increasingly clear that Ken is the greatest teacher of the Course, and his choice of this favourite is impeccable.
It’s brilliant. This Lesson is truly unbelievable in its content.
/and in the forms that it presents itself for practice/
I am never upset /worried, depressed, anxious/ for the reason that I think.
I am never depressed about my separation from Shobha and Lucas for the reason that I think.
Amen.
I am never happy for the reason I think… never hungry? Never upset? Never cold? Never anything?
I am never upset…. for the reason — I think!
Tex, it’s a pretty amazing thought really, especially the way you put it. I just love using this lesson every time there’s something I think really bothers me, just like you say, even if it’s just hunger or the weather. Especially the weather! It’s always just slightly too hot or too cold, it’s rarely an absolutely perfect temperature. I never feel ANYTHING for the reason I think. That’s because in the real world, we don’t feel anything, not in the way we typically think of it. If there’s no identification with the body and the personality, then we are only vaguely aware of the body’s condition, and never upset by it. That’s a pretty amazing goal if you think about it. Never upset because it’s too hot, or rainy, or because the governor is corrupt, or Russia is bellicose, or because I just brought back a delicious ready made meal from a gourmet shop and then trip and spill it all over the floor (and there’s nothing in the fridge, of course). I don’t feel any of these things anymore. Awesome. I’m not indifferent, I have an opinion and a superficial thought or judgment, but nothing I’m attached to enough so that it bothers me. Cool.
Lesson 6: I am upset because I see something that is not there.
In place of peace and innocence, I see nasty, hateful and unjust things happening all around me, and particularly TO me. Byron Katie would ask, Is that true? Well, no. They’re just my interpretations, but ones I’m very attached to, and by Jove, I dare anyone to question them or take them from me. I go about my whole day seeing things that aren’t there. Am I happy?
By Jove, be jovial!
There were like 7 earthquakes in Dallas yesterday! And I thought MY GOODNESS, that pesky ego of mine, with its raucous shrieks, etc really is throwing a tantrum! I want it thus!
Poof – be gone – you have no power here!
I see only the past. Lesson 7
Those earthquakes are thought to be from when they imploded Texas Stadium a few years ago! And the past is “echoing” up through the ground now.
The word “retina” shares a root word with “retain”… so we retain these images… wow!
Tex…I read your post and think how much Peggy/Zafu would have loved it. I see only the past.☮
YAY! I got my books today!! Journey Through The Text… and I can’t wait to devour every word!
LOl- yes.. my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts…
Preoccupy Etymology is: “absorbed in thought,” 1823, past participle adjective from preoccupy (v.). Earlier it meant “occupied in advance!
So I was already planning to occupy all my time and space with past thoughts! Of *COURSE* I was!