As with most people I continue to see myself as struggling with forgiveness especially in the light of some events that are happening around the world, but here we are.
It is my choice to remain justifiably angry and outraged or to be willing to see my brothers and sisters as children of God no matter what they are doing.
I emphasize willingness here again—this is not about feeling something—my feelings of outrage and anger at what we do to one another might not go away quickly, BUT through my willingness, I am no longer holding onto it or trying to be “right.”
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There are many ways of knowing, all are valid and some are limited.
I can know through my intellect. This is the way we are taught to primarily “know”—through our empirical thinking mind, our senses. Most evidence and proof for this kind of knowing comes from the material world.
I can know through my imagination. Far from being a child’s toy—aka “DisneyWorld”, the imagination is a powerful instrument that allows us to bypass logical thinking, and truly enter the world of creation.
A favorite tool of hypnotherapists when confronted with an individual having a difficult time breaking through an internal barrier is to present the suggestion, “Imagine what it would be like…(if you are not so angry; if you really loved yourself; if you could be mare joyful” [you can put anything in here]).
Notice what happens when you ask yourself that question. For a moment the barriers disappear and you really do KNOW what it is like.
That is just one example of the creative power of the imagination. Essentially all manifestation emanates from the power of the imagination.
I can know through my intuition. This might not “bypass” the thinking mind so much as it goes deeper into our soul’s being. As we move farther along the path we begin to rely on this knowing more. We are willing and able to listen to our inner voice, guiding, directing, loving.
I would encourage all of us to be more aware of this knowing and to find some working examples of it in our lives.
We can know through faith. I don’t mean blind faith here, I mean a knowing of truth that goes even deeper than the intuition. For example, I can know someone loves me through my intellect ( what I can see, feel, touch); I can know through my imagination (my fantasies, wishes, hopes); I can know through my intuition—that inner part of me that speaks truth, and I can know through faith, the even deeper part of me that cannot be shaken by any thought, action, or experience).
I Am the Word is opening us up to being aware of these deeper and more powerful ways of knowing through intuition and faith.
In the second book (The Book of Knowing and Worth) we are continually repeating to ourselves, “I am in my knowing.” That affirmation does not create a new state of mind, it reinforces a state of mind at already exists. When I am conscious of being in my knowing, I am aware myself and everyone else as a child of God; I am aware that I am love in action and therefore God in action.
“And understanding actually is a way of knowing and a process of knowing, but it is not knowing.” p.121 (meaning-it is beyond our ordinary knowing)
The science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein invented the word “grok” his novel Stranger in a Strange Land. Interestingly, it has even been officially recognized. The Oxford English Dictionary defines to grok as "to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with" and "to empathize or communicate sympathetically (with).
I believe, however a more complete definition is “to grasp fully; to recognize as a part of the self; to incorporate into one’s being; to know by fully embracing/and being embraced by the essence of that which you desire to know.”
You grok the Truth—your relationship with it is so intertwined with your own being that distinctions are meaningless, and the Truth is You are Love; you are God in action.
Now what we are doing here is we begin to challenge these old notions and definitions of ourselves and begin to recognize our Inner Being. By doing so all the labels and the baggage attached to the old idea of self begin to drop away.
Earlier in the book, p. 111, explains this process more fully:
“Your emotional body has requirements in order to recognize itself as who it is. “If I didn’t get angry on Mondays, I would not be me.” “If I didn’t smile when I got a present, I wouldn’t be me.” “If I didn’t feel joy when I watch that television show I like so much, I wouldn’t be me.” “If I didn’t cry when I was sad, I wouldn’t be me.” All of these ways are ways that you inquire (I think that should be "require") yourself to know yourself through your experience of your feelings. So we will say now that we want to transform the way in which you experience your feelings so that you may recognize them as responses to your external matter and experience and not as who you truly are. There is a difference here, so we will say this to you. We want you to ask the feelings at this time to begin to release the need to control your emotional self in ways that preclude you from realizing yourself in the higher frequency.”
I would encourage us all to sit with the beautiful and powerful imagery/meditation on p. 122-24*
The last piece explored in this class was what ACIM would refer to as “special relationships.”
Probably the best way to explore this is to open ourselves to the realization that Love is unconditional and therefore limitless. You cannot truly love one more than another. When we begin to make distinctions in our mind, even unconscious one’s the power of our love is diminished, our ability to be a clear channel of God in Action/of God’s unconditional love becomes diminished as well.
(My personal experience with this came about when I was challenging those whole concept of “special relationships” as being part of my illusory world. My own inner guidance led me to thinking of Margo, my grandkids, and said to me, “Are you aware of how much you love those beings?”
I said, “Yes.”
“Well,” the inner voice replied, “that is who you are to love everyone.” (game over!)
So here again we are going beyond the realm of feelings. I am not denying my feelings; I can recognize that I feel more love for one person as compared to another, but my feelings do not dictate reality. Just because I feel it, I do not have to make it a truth.
Loving is more than a choice; unconditional loving is more than a choice. It is opening ourselves up to the Truth of who we are—Love; God in Action.
I can’t choose that because it is already who I am—I can hide it, deny it, but the Truth will always be the Truth.
Matthew 25
“Master, when did we find You hungry and give You food? When did we find You thirsty and slake Your thirst? 38 When did we find You a stranger and welcome You in, or find You naked and clothe You? 39 When did we find You sick and nurse You to health? When did we visit You when You were in prison?
40 I tell you this: whenever you saw a brother or sister hungry or cold, whatever you did to the least of these, so you did to Me.”
John 13:34
34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”
No difference, no distinctions. “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” The “sinner” is My child just as you are. Be grateful that you are not so lost. But do not take pride in your awareness. You know nothing about what motivates another soul, and there are many times when you too could have fallen.
* a recording of this will be included on the christintraining web site.
this link might also work:
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