A Course In Miracles Lesson 55

A Course In Miracles  Lesson 55

I am determined to see things differently.

There are two words added here from yesterday’s last lesson which point to the difference between seeing and vision.  Seeing “things” in this world with our physical eyes is not the same as having “vision.”  To have true vision we need to see physical things differently.  We need to recognize the spiritual essence within objects, including people.  Objects are expressions of thought.  All things came into being from the Field of thinking.  When we make observations about what our eyes are seeing, we must note the negative, violent and frightening nature of what our eyes behold.  Our eyes see war, poverty, and despair on the streets, in the news, and all around.

Being purely creative in nature, it is not God who “created” these negative images or experiences.  What God created is of a creative nature.  Creativity does not hold destruction in the same way fire does not hold coldness.  When we see destruction and violence, we are seeing without a connection to the Creative Field.  The reason this is possible is because the Creative Field created us free, which is the only way creation can occur.  We are free to connect or disconnect from the Creative Field.  We are free to conjure illusions or align with reality.  

This lesson uses the phrase “His beloved Son” which to modern minds could slow down understanding.  A “son” is an offspring, a child, a creation.  When we translate the phrase “God’s son” to be “Creations creation” we remove the gender conflict that might be an artifact from ancient times and which might easily prompt a political argument.  Looking past the gender words and the awareness of historical disregard for the female principles which were and are a struggle for many minds, we can maintain our focus on the essence of the lesson.  Be determined to see the gender issue differently.  Do not let any politics of gender, race, age, or other get in the way of realizing what is needed to deepen peace and enjoyment on a personal level.  If you are a female, wherever it says “Son” say “Daughter.  If you are transgender, wherever it says “Son” say “Child.” Or say, “I am an expression of Creation.”  

What I see is a form of vengeance.

We do not live in a peaceful world because our thoughts are not peaceful or loving.  What we see in the world is a product of seeking revenge.  When we track the origins of the things, we find stories of revenge at the base of motivations to excel and at the heart of technological innovation.  What drives you to excel?  Is it to show someone?  To prove and thus avenge a wrong perception committed against you?  Why are you pursuing the activity you engage in today?  What is at the heart of your motivation?  A Course in Miracles Lesson 55 gently points out the underlying quality of vengeance inherent in our current system of motivation.  But we can restructure our motivation system and function from a joy to connect.  It is always, in fact, this joy to connect that is underlying all other misunderstood motivations.  Feelings of vengeance hurt and actions field by vengeance only ever lead to deeper pain and deeper regret.

Locating how we attack ourselves and others in thousands of tiny ways every day is the first step in improving our life conditions.  It is my own attack thoughts that bring about the adversity I encounter.  Can I acknowledge the effect my way of thinking has caused and stop adding to the fire with more hostile thoughts?  Can I say, “Okay.  Let this volume of frustration and pain fade away.  Ad nothing to it.”  Let me accept responsibility for the confusion and tension my misguided way of thinking has caused and let me now realign with well-guided logic.  Let me see that what I see is a form of vengeance and vengeance brings no peace.  Let me realize …

I can escape this world by giving up attack thoughts.

Seeking to repay a wrong committed against you keeps you in the nightmare of that wrong.  A desire to get back at and return measure for measure the pain you experienced upon another will never end that pain for you.  The only way to end the pain is to stop inflicting it.  Let it be inflicted and do not get lured into being a transmitter of continuing to inflict pain.  Let the pain end with you.  Convert it into stillness.  Meet fire with water.  When I do not entertain thoughts of revenge or attack, my thoughts become comfortable, innocent, simple, and peaceful.  I become happy because I return to my inherent state.  When I am unhappy the reason is always because…

I do not perceive my own best interests.

When I choose to believe that disconnection from my Source of being is possible, I am not able to know what is good for me or bad for me. When living in the contemplation of the concept of isolated disconnection, it is impossible for me to understand this world.  Such a world view, (the idea that I and everything is a single, isolated, self-generating form) is in grave error.  This error causes mental, emotional, and physical pain.  It is in our power to correct this error in thinking and understand fully that it is impossible to exist independent of the Creative Field.  It is not possible to not be part of the fabric of all life.  We can not exist here and have the fabric of all that is over there, outside and away.  The fabric is all-inclusive.  Once we decide to begin the journey of changing our core belief system from one of isolation to one of connection, we learn how to acknowledge that the contents of our thoughts are misguided.  All the premises of our logic have errors due to the engaging in the notion of separateness.  We have a split mind.  One contemplates an impossible concept (separateness) and the other knows truth.  When aligned with notions of separateness, we do not know what is right to do.  What I thought would be a good thing for me to obtain only serves to bind me further to illusion and pain.  The project or relationship I put a lot of hope on and felt certain would lead me out of suffering was not what I thought it was.  I was mistaken as to what will bring peace and wellness.  Wholeness is wellness.  No single thing will be able to connect me with the energetic spiritual nature of enduring peace.  Let me see this person, this project, this activity in my day as a way to connect with the eternal dimension.  Let me not expect of these things that which they can not give me.

Engaging in a project or a relationship is never about what we think it is about.  Every engagement is another way to connect from within our own minds.  Every relationship is another opportunity to relate peacefully with ourselves, our own minds.  How I relate to you, and others are only an indication of how I treat myself.

I do not know what anything is for.

In deciding to investigate an impossible concept (the idea of separateness) I have made up definitions about how I want to be seen by others and how I want to see them.  I present my version of reality to people and to myself in a constant effort to establish a permanence to an illusion.  And this can never be.  My notions of who I think I am or who I want to be will never endure against the actual truth of what I actually am in true Reality.  I can put down the futile struggle of keeping up appearances and begin to be curious about what is really true about me.  When I am fixated on generating an illusion (through verbal descriptions and convincing actions) I lose sight of reality.  It is then impossible for me to recognize the real purpose of anything.  Let me first recognize that I have an impulse within myself to try and redefine things for my own purposes.  And without needing to change or fix anything, let me just recognize that in such a state,  I can not know what anything is for.

How do we locate and observe what is true?  What is needed on our end to be able to see reality with accuracy?  Recognize first that we do not see accurately at this time.  And recognize that we often think we understand a situation but it is not possible in our current split state to fully understand the whole fabric of what we encounter.  Our perception is limited.  Let us know this and bring awareness of this condition to all dynamics.  This is the first step in moving into trust in the Knowing Field of infinite creative energy.  Connecting to this field will guide us gracefully through all we are not able to understand.  It is not necessary to understand everything.  But it is necessary to trust the astounding power of where we come from.