list of needs. The only lack that we need focus on, however, is the lack of our perception of our Oneness with each other and with our Source. In our state of duality we believe we are our own creators and that we alone made ourselves with all the power a creator possesses. But the real purpose of this life is to see through the seeming consequences of our duality to understand and demonstrate our native Oneness with the Divine.
All the things we believe to be true about this life arise from our projection, that is why there are as many beliefs and experiences of human life as there are people. It says in A Course in Miracles: ‘Belief produces the acceptance of existence. That is why you can believe what no one else thinks is true. It is true for you because it was made by you.(6)’
This is a deeply profound idea, and truly radical, going to the very core of how our human experience is created and perpetuated. Yet it is not entirely new to us. It has already been well established in the scientific world, for instance, that optimists have happier and healthier lives than pessimists (or as Ian would call them, ‘realists’). Even so, science has not taken this phenomenon to its logical extension: that our experience and life circumstances reflect our beliefs about them.
As we are invested in the beliefs that underpin the whole charade we call life, it is difficult to become detached from them because for most of us, those beliefs seem to have kept us in good stead for many years. The difficulty, therefore, lies in identifying the beliefs created with the ego part of our split mind, and learning to use the other part of our split mind, spirit, to change those beliefs. A change of perception like this, accompanied by a desire to see our Oneness through love and forgiveness, leads to miracles.
Although miracles must at times have a physical manifestation, and because they can seem spectacular, there may be a temptation to fixate on the physical. But this is a distraction that may be misleading. The physical has some play in the process because we are, for the moment, in physical bodies. But the physical is, and can only ever be, effect, not cause.
The physical is where we are now. It is a learning device, as well as the realm for the manifestation of miracles. If miracles did not happen at the level of the physical, then
it would be difficult for us to perceive them. But just because miracles are manifested in the physical realm, physical miracles should be neither our aim nor our desire. We must learn to keep in mind that the physical and material are one part of our duality experience, the effect of our beliefs. But all the work is done for Spirit, by Spirit. Spirit is the Cause, and miracles are the effect manifested in the physical.
If Spirit is the only Reality then it logically follows that the human experience is fantasy. A Course in Miracles says fantasy is ‘a distorted form of vision (7)’, and defines fantasies as ‘an attempt to control reality according to false needs’ (8), largely as a means to achieve pleasure.
One of the main functions of A Course in Miracles is to teach ‘mind training.’ It aims to help the student understand that true, lasting pleasure cannot be obtained through physical things. Rather, it must first be perceived, and then understood, that mere pleasure becomes a weak and insignificant sham in the face of the eternal joy, love and peace of Spirit. It is only through a conscious and disciplined choice of thoughts and beliefs that we can transform our lives and fulfil our true desires.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
