ACFIP Newsletter
Issue 35 - December 2012
Quarterly Newsletter of the Australian Centre for Inner Peace
Michael Dawson
PO Box 125, Point Lookout
North Stradbroke Island,
Queensland 4183,
Australia
Email: mdawson@acfip.org
Web site: http://www.acfip.org
___________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS:
* Giving up Judgement
* Jac O'Keeffe - The Personal to the Impersonal
* Kenneth Wapnick Interview No 4
* Workshops
* Books and Audio Materials for Sale
* Links
* Inspirational Quotations
If you wish to read previous issues please go to
http://www.acfip.org/newsletterarchive.html.
If your email address ends with .au I put your address on my
Australian list for advance notice of workshops I am giving in
Australia. If you do not want to be on this list please let me know.
If you reside in Australia and want to be on this list, but you
address does not end in .au, please email me and I will include it.
If you are new to the Course you might find my summaries of help.
You can find them at http://www.acfip.org/sum.html and
http://www.acfip.org/art4.html
New
1. Healing the Cause -A Path of Forgiveness.
Inspired by A Course in Miracles.
This is the eBook version of the paper back.
2. A Course in Miracles - Explanations of Major Themes
New book in eBook format
3. Forgiveness - A Path to Inner Peace.
Inspired by A Course in Miracles
This is the eBook version of the paper back.
The eBook versions can be read on Kindle, iPad, Microsoft eReader,
Nook, PDF readers (Mac and PC) and most eBook readers.
„ Downloadable MP3s of my Healing the Cause self-help CDs now
available.
See below for details.
For more details and how to purchase please visit:
http://www.acfip.org/books_tapes.html
Regards
Michael Dawson
Giving Up Judgement
You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes
from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgement.
A Course in Miracles. T-3.VI.3.
We are addicted to judgement; it is the food of the ego. It
maintains the seeming separation. The ego is the thought that the
separation is real. And we, as the sleeping sons of God, relish this
thought and strive to keep it alive by judging.
If we stop judging ourselves or others this dream of seeming
separation will start to seem less real. Our beloved individuality
and uniqueness will seem less solid and fear will arise. Who are we
without our ego? How can we function without a sense of a separate
self?
To judge anyone is to see them as an ego, as a body.
To see another as an ego (separate) is to reinforce the ego in
oneself and thus lose our peace - an example of what you give
(teach) you receive (learn).
One powerful definition of forgiveness in the Course is:
Forgiveness... is still, and quietly does nothing. .... It merely
looks, and waits, and judges not.
W-pII.1.4:1,3
This means we stop labeling what we observe in ourselves and in the
world.
No more good and bad. It's the ego that takes sides. No right or
wrong.
There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
William Shakespeare
This does not mean we do not act when confronted by actions that
could lead to suffering. If we witness a child being severely beaten
what do we do? If we judge and label the beater ŌwrongÕ and
ŌbadÕ our heart has closed, leaving the ego to make the decision,
which is a guarantee of the wrong response. Without the judgement
our heart stays open, allowing ourself to be guided by spirit. We
will not know what we will do ahead of time but it will be
appropriate.
I was told a story by a woman who was abducted by two men and taken
to a forest to be raped. When they got out of the car they
approached her. As she looked at them all judgement ceased and she
heard herself saying "You two must have suffered a lot." One broke
down and cried and they put her back into the car and returned her
safely to her home. She had not planned to say that, it just
happened.
How can we know the history of those two men. What pain they had
suffered?
It is necessary for the teacher of God to realize, not that he
should not judge, but that he cannot. ... he puts himself in a
position where judgement through him rather than by him can occur.
M-10.2.
Only the Holy Spirit knows how to judge.
And this judgement is neither "good" nor "bad." It is the only
judgement there is, and it is only one: "God's Son is guiltless, and
sin does not exist."
In order to judge anything rightly, one would have to be fully aware
of an inconceivably wide range of things; past, present and to come.
One would have to recognize in advance all the effects of his
judgements on everyone and everything involved in them in any way.
And one would have to be certain there is no distortion in his
perception, so that his judgement would be wholly fair to
everyone on whom it rests now and in the future. Who is in a
position to do this? Who except in grandiose fantasies would claim
this for himself?
M-10.3.
Thus ego judgement must always get it wrong.
The Course does not ask us to drop all judgement, only value
judgements - right and wrong, good and bad. You need judgement to
decide many things during your day. What to wear and eat, how to get
to a certain location, etc. But these are not value judgements.
Through awareness you start to observe the constant value judgements
we have - both of ourselves and others. Don't try to eliminate all
these or the guilt level will only increase as we hopelessly fail.
Rather, try to observe the judgements without judging them. In this
way they start to slowly lose their effect. Some Course students
think we should stop judging and have an observant eye on other
students and are happy to inform them when they are judging.
It is far better to learn to smile at the ego's judgements than to
try to suppress them. The ego hates not to be taken seriously, as it
feels you do not take it as real - which it isn't.
The Holy Spirit is the only true Judge.
There is Someone with you Whose judgement is perfect. He does know
all the facts: past, present and to come. He does know all the
effects of His judgement on everyone and everything involved in any
way. And He is who wholly fair to everyone, for there is
no distortion in His perception.
M-10.4.
Thus the Holy Spirit's judgement is a win-win judgement. He does not
see anyone deserving punishment - only, as the Course states, people
asking for love or giving love. This is the highest judgement and
this learning goal awaits us at the end of our journey.
Therefore lay judgement down, not with regret but with a sigh of
gratitude. Now are you free of a burden so great that you could
merely stagger and fall down beneath it. And it was all illusion.
Nothing more. Now can the teacher of God rise up unburdened, and
walk lightly on. Yet it is not only this that is his benefit. His
sense of care is gone, for he has none. He has given it away, along
with judgement.
M-10.5.
It is not difficult to relinquish judgement. But it is difficult
indeed to try to keep it.
M-10.6.
Depression follows judgement. We may not experience depression at
the moment of our seemingly justified anger but it will always
follow. Deep down we know our judgement is dishonest. What we hate
in ourselves we deny and project out onto others. We are not the
evil one, they are.
Thus we try to escape our guilt by making others guilty. Unless we
have compassion for anotherÕs behaviour we carry that ŌsinÕ in
ourselves.
Anger is always a red flag to something unhealed in ourselves. And
the stronger our illusion the more we need to defend it. There is no
righteous anger.
When you feel tired, it is because you have judged yourself as
capable of being tired.
When you laugh at someone, it is because you have judged him as
unworthy. When you laugh at yourself you must laugh at others, if
only because you cannot tolerate the idea of being more unworthy
than they are. All this makes you feel tired because it is
essentially disheartening. You are not really capable of being
tired, but you are very capable of wearying yourself. The strain of
constant judgement is virtually intolerable. It is curious that an
ability so debilitating would be so deeply cherished.
T-3.VI.5.
Slowly we start to see that no one gains by judging. We begin to see
our judgements as clear signals of what is unhealed in ourselves.
Instead of judging what we see within we slowly start to smile at
our insane egos. Taking the ego less seriously it starts to wither
away, revealing the joy and peace we eternally carry: our uncaused
state of happiness. Finding that we lose our happiness by judging we
naturally learn the futility of judging and also the healing we can
give from an open heart - to ourselves and others.
The teacher of God lays it (judgement) down happily the
instant he recognizes its cost. All of the ugliness he sees about
him is its outcome. All of the pain he looks upon is its result. All
of the loneliness and sense of loss; of passing time and growing
hopelessness; of sickening despair and fear of death; all these have
come of it....Teacher of God, this step will bring you peace. Can it
be difficult to want but this?
M-10.6.
The memory of God comes to the quiet mind. It cannot come where
there is conflict, for a mind at war against itself remembers not
eternal gentleness.
T-23.I.1.
The release of judgement brings not only peace, but the remembrance
of who we are. Forgiveness ends judgement, clearing a space in our
minds for God to enter. Once we remember we are eternal, formless,
perfect spirit we will know that all living things share this and
judgement becomes impossible.
Forget not that the motivation for this course is the attainment and
the keeping of the state of peace. Given this state the mind is
quiet, and the condition in which God is remembered is attained.
T-24.in.1.
The Personal to the Impersonal
Jac O'Keeffe
http://www.jac-okeeffe.com
(Article published in the french magazine '3me Millenaire', October
2011)
The "all about me" story can become a painful one. If you have
become fed up with talking about "my life, my beliefs, my opinions,
my belongings, my money, my life style..." then perhaps the futility
of these unending and repetitive stories is beginning to show
itself.
Take a look and see if you can recognize that many of these stories
about "me" are simply an attempt to defend who you THINK you are.
Without these believed stories you might find you are not who you
think you are. The personal I can never be satisfied because it is
fundamentally inauthentic. Its very nature is filled with desire.
There is no personal I that is constant and unchanging. The personal
I knows no stillness and moves between pleasure and pain in response
to the senses. The personal I is an insatiable idea constantly
protecting itself and seeking acceptance and love.
This unending cycle has no resolution. It can only be recognized as
a futile play and abandoned. Let the "all about me" story fade out.
At this point you will find there is something that is watching the
play of the one who wants everything to be about itself. The one who
sees the hungry personal I does not require the world to rotate
around itself. The impersonal I has a knowing that all that happens
does not have a direct impact on who you are. Simply put, the
impersonal I does not take things personally.
If your reference point has moved from the personal to the
impersonal I, then emotional reactions will have lessened greatly.
The search for love and attention will have taken a back seat and
judgement of others largely subsided. Without a doubt, the
impersonal I is a reference point from which you can operate with
significantly less suffering. A sense of being less self-absorbed
arises. Increasingly, you will notice that when the personal I
appears, some drama ensues, because the personal I is perpetually
seeking attention.
Many have found that the withdrawing of attention from the personal
to the impersonal I is a useful spiritual practice. For some, mind
is calmer and for most an inner contentment begins to develop. This
is a natural consequence of the removal of attention from who you
think you are.
So why bother training your mind to operate from the perspective of
the impersonal? Undoubtedly there is less suffering when events are
understood to be not about you. However, there is an inconsistency
in this practice. It is impossible to be established in the position
of the impersonal while the belief that you are a separate
individual is still active. It will feel like there is an internal
switch which reactivates the personal I. While it seems obvious to
seek to avoid suffering and therefore relocate your perspective to
the impersonal, something inherently continues to be not at rest.
Both the personal and the impersonal points of reference are tricks
of the mind as it attempts to make life an experience with less
suffering.
Mind imagines that something is to be gained by the perspective of
the impersonal, but what it has to offer is limited and becomes not
good enough. It is mind that plays with spiritual practice and you
are not your mind. Neither are you a product of your thoughts. Both
the personal and the impersonal are conceptual states of mind that
run their course experientially, and you can erroneously think that
you are making progress towards freedom.
So what to do? What you are, is prior and beyond the games of mind.
But while you think you are an individual, let it be known that this
is idea of separation is no more than a thought believed into a
subjective reality. What you are knows nothing of personal and
impersonal, of spiritual practice, of awakening. You are not who you
think you are and mind cannot conceive of what you truly are. Mind
was not designed to know your true identity. Mind is a tool kit to
allow manifestation to appear as real. It imagines as it goes. It
believes or doesn't believe, as it goes. Who you are is not
concerned. In fact, who you are has no capacity to imagine anything
at all. Who you are knows nothing of who you think you are. The lies
that are offered by mind are no more than a smokescreen, an apparent
movement that has the capacity within itself to like and dislike
what it has created. Do not be bothered with any of this as there is
nothing to be fixed or changed here. However, the appearance of
manifestation will appear to continue as it plays a game of control.
It is mind that tries to control mind, tries to minimize suffering,
tries to annihilate itself and imagines that without itself it will
be happy. See this game of life for what it is. What you are is
beyond all of it.
___________________________________________________________________________
A Conversation with Ken Wapnick: Just donÕt justify it!
August 2012
by Susan Dugan
http://www.foraysinforgiveness.dreamhosters.com/interviews
I recently sat down again to interview Ken Wapnick while attending a
weeklong Academy class at the Foundation for a Course in Miracles in
Temecula, California. I am still processing the deeply helpful and
healing messages from the week in which Ken emphasized, among other
great themes, the importance of shifting the purpose of the
seemingly specific issues that appear to arise in our lives from
strengthening the egoÕs lie of separation realized to returning us
to the decision-making mind and choosing to look with the teacher of
gentle forgiveness. Asking ourselves from moment to moment whether
siding with this feeling, judgment, thought will further the goal of
healing our split mind or plunge us more deeply into the dream of
exile from all-inclusive love. A no-brainer of a practice,
reallyŃpun intended!
In this conversation, Ken talks about the idea that we all carry
imaginary Ņgrab bagsÓ filled with the problems, memories, and
grievances we use to justify our belief that we exist separately but
itÕs not our fault. When the unconscious guilt in our mind over
believing we pulled off the separation from God builds up, we deny
responsibility for it by reaching into our grab bag for something to
blame (project) it on. Forgiveness of what never was is really a
process of learning to recognize weÕre never upset because of whatÕs
in our grab bag. WeÕre upset because we chose to side with the inner
teacher of guilty separation over the inner teacher of innocent
love.
Ken also talks here about the importance of learning to be patient
with ourselves and trust that healing is happening, even when weÕre
not feeling a sense of peace. We should not underestimate the depth
of our unconscious fear of returning to the mind, or our attraction
to blaming outside circumstances for an inner condition. We should
try to gently allow ourselves to be where we are in the process of
undoing without judging or indulging ourselves. Simply watching how
difficult we find it to refrain from completing the sentence ŅIÕm
upset because of ____________Ó with an external cause.
As always, I am deeply grateful for KenÕs clear, consistent,
inspiring teaching, unwavering kindness, and enlightening presence.
IÕve been having a tumultuous time in a special relationship and it
was helpful to me when you asked me what my life would be like
without this relationship. In considering that question I came to
see that the lack of peace I was feeling was not because of the
relationship. It existed before the relationship. I was just blaming
the relationship for that inner state.
It was in your grab bag.
Yes. Today in class was the first time I heard you use that analogy
but itÕs really helpful and true. The way we reach into our bag of
tricks for the chronic problems we use to make the dream of
separation real. So understanding that my lack of peace does not
come from this person in my grab bag but from my mind has helped me
a lot. ItÕs really exposed how much neediness I have and how upset I
am that my needs arenÕt getting met. So IÕm seeing the relationship
less and less as the cause for my distress but I still feel
reactive, even though I donÕt act on it. ItÕs getting very tiring.
Do you have some advice for those of us who are riding it out;
seeing that the relationship is not the cause of the problem but
still unable to feel peace?
As I was saying this morning, the key thing is really to understand
that the problem is not the presenting symptom whether itÕs about a
child or a difficult marriage or a health or vocational issue.
ThatÕs not the issue and as quickly as possible you want to get to
the real issue which is that IÕm not at peace because of a decision
IÕve made, not because of the person IÕm living with or my children
or my health, etc. And you know, basically, thatÕs all weÕre asked
to do. When the Course talks about a little willingness itÕs really
the willingness to examine whatÕs really going on, to look at the
problem as it is and not the way I set it up.
So riding it out means you do your part and then you wait. ItÕs
almost like youÕre in an orchestra and you wait for the conductor to
give the downbeat. You donÕt start playing until itÕs the right
time, until the conductor tells you to. ItÕs not that Jesus or Holy
Spirit is orchestrating our lives but timing (in music and life) is
everything. So you do your best to remain peaceful in the situation,
and then you trust. And the trust gets stronger and stronger that
you will hear a signal if there is something you need to do
behaviorally. Obviously as persons, as bodies, we have to do
something. If youÕre in a relationship thatÕs difficult you may have
to make a decision whether to leave or stay which will lead to other
steps.
The idea is to trust that thereÕs a process youÕre not in charge of.
And then as long as you can stay peaceful and right-mindedŠwhich
means you donÕt judge, you donÕt justify itŠyouÕll know. But again,
since I always think musically, itÕs really trusting that when the
conductor signals the time, youÕll be there and then take the next
step. You know the workbook lesson ŅI will step back and let him
lead the way?Ó Well, stepping back means I just take care of my
mind. I withdraw my projections. ItÕs not I will step back from my
ego but I will step back from my projections and stop attributing
them to outside causes. And then trust that the answer will come.
IÕm having more success with trusting but I guess I get frustrated
or sometimes feel like IÕm doing something wrong because I donÕt
always feel peace, or I feel it only very temporarily. IÕm watching
and not justifying it but I donÕt feel loving and that makes me feel
guilty. I guess I wish I could feel the release. I still feel
judgmental internally, even though I know itÕs not justified.
I think thatÕs normal. But you want to try not to act on it.
And so you trust that the healing is happening even though youÕre
not necessarily feeling it.
You know the Course says readiness is not mastery. You donÕt have to
be perfectly ready. You donÕt have to have mastered something to be
ready for it. You donÕt have to be perfect.
Well, thatÕs a huge relief!
To the extent you can, try not to justify projections, thatÕs all.
The other thing as I say often is going back to the lessons again,
lesson 5, ŅIÕm never upset for the reason I think,Ó and lesson 34,
ŅI could see peace instead of this.Ó
ThatÕs so helpful. And so, youÕre saying the undoing is happening
even though I donÕt feel it.
Yes. And itÕs just about trusting that.
What IÕve really noticed at times is a real sense of this void.
Because all the roles that used to seem so important to meŃmother,
wife, writer, daughter, A Course in Miracles student and
teacherŠfeel empty and unstable at times. I donÕt think I was aware
of that void before the Course. I think itÕs that original sense of
being thrust into the void by our belief in separation from our
source taken seriously. There are times when I feel a real sense of
panic around this. Does that make any sense?
It does. I think what you describe is really everyoneÕs problem. You
know what (the Course calls) specialness comes from a perceived lack
within yourself, a sense of something missing. And so you want to
fill it up and you fill it up with all your various roles in the
world. And thatÕs the lie. The lie that I feel empty because I chose
to separate from the everything. And rather than accept thatÕs what
IÕve done and then do something about it I then justify the
projection. The problem is that we reach into the grab bag for
something to fill us up and we justify it and argue for it when the
real problem is IÕm empty inside and nothing out there will fill me.
I feel like I go to grab something in the grab bag and I canÕt hold
onto it. I donÕt have the energy for it, the faith in it anymore. I
know itÕs not going to work. So thatÕs just part of the
disillusionment maybe that motivates us to ask for a better way?
Yes, thatÕs like a transition period where now you see through the
ego but youÕre still not ready to accept something better about
yourself. ItÕs the idea that the Course keeps telling us weÕre
first-class citizens and we keep wanting second-class citizenship.
To be a Son of God means that youÕre not second-class, youÕre
first-class and you donÕt have this emptiness.
Thank you. The next question is around that whole idea of
specialness. IÕm aware of it now both in my craving for attention,
approval, support, all this neediness, and then also the flip side,
the need to have things attack me and fail me so I can justify being
a victim. I know itÕs causing me pain but when I think about the
CourseÕs teaching that we canÕt awaken as individualsŠI canÕt awaken
as SusanŠI get panicky. So it seems to me that I should just focus
on forgiving what seems to be in my face from moment to moment. Even
though we have to keep the metaphysics in our peripheral vision, in
practice we canÕt deal with the everything.
Right. You just deal with whateverÕs coming up. But you need to know
the metaphysics because thatÕs what gives you a basis for wanting to
forgive, for wanting to let go of your projections. You need to
understand where this practice is going but you donÕt need to
analyze all that. In a sense when youÕre working with your
projections you want to come from the perspective that the
relationship is already healed, you just need to catch up with it.
Healing doesnÕt mean that you stay together with someone necessarily
but it means that in your mind itÕs already healed because you reach
a place of peace with it. You know youÕre already there but you
think youÕre here and so you go along here while a part of you knows
itÕs already over, healed, and completed. And thatÕs really helpful.
Is that part of the tiredness that I feel? All the effort it takes
to try to make it real again when in truth itÕs already over?
Yes. You donÕt have to fix your relationship with your child or your
body or your husband or your job; you just have to reach peace
within yourself. And then out of that, youÕll know what to do.
I have a couple of questions coming from other Course students and
one of them is about The Test of Truth section in Chapter 14 where
it says Ņif all those who meet or even think of you share in your
perfect peace, then you can be sure that you have learned GodÕs
lesson and not your own. Unless all this is true, there are dark
lessons in your mind that hurt and hinder you and everyone around
you ÉÓ If I take this literally, looking at the way in which a
special relationship still seems to be blaming me, for example, it
must mean IÕm still projecting. Most of the Course talks about how
you only have to deal with your own mind but this seems to suggest
that somehow we know that our mind is healed because of how others
behave. Can you explain what this means?
ThatÕs come up a lot over the years. I think itÕs helpful to think
about Jesus, how people were not peaceful around him in the biblical
stories. And what IÕve always said is that the reason they would
attack him was because of that perfect peace. They sensed the
perfect peace, they just didnÕt accept it. Their lack of peace
didnÕt diminish his or him; they reacted because they sensed
something different about him.
Something threatening to the ego.
Right.
So just as the Course always says, weÕre not responsible for anyone
elseÕs ego attack or reactions, just our own?
Yes. And there is also, of course, implied in that that if IÕm not
judging people, thatÕs the state of peace. ItÕs really describing
how the peaceful person is.
So I wouldnÕt be perceiving others reactions as real or personal or
attacking?
Right.
I know the Course is always talking about changing the mind, not the
body, but this is another question that keeps coming up with
students. If the human bodyÕs inevitable deterioration and death
ŅproveÓ the egoÕs lie that we pulled off the separation from God,
does healing the body ŅproveÓ it never happened/correct that
belief? Is it ever beneficial to our atonement path to look to
physical miracles?
All that does is make the body real. If you know youÕre not a body
what difference does it make if your body has cancer or a broken
toe? ItÕs a very subtle way of making the world real and then trying
to prove the Course is true because somethingÕs happening in form.
And thatÕs very dangerous because itÕs real purpose is to make the
body real.
And if the bodyÕs real, the one mind is not?
Right.
This is another question about resistance. Sometimes it feels like
my resistance to the Course grows in direct proportion to my
attraction to the memory of real, whole Love in the right mind. So
IÕm stuck going back and forth from the kindness of the right mind
to the viciousness of the ego. I know you say a lot that you can
tell youÕre making progress with the Course when you recognize the
Course is talking to you as a decision maker, not a personal self. I
do realize that. But I just wonder if IÕll ever stop flip-flopping.
I mean, how much longer do I need to keep doing this?
Laughs.
YouÕre not going to answer that are you? Not even if I say please?
I think whatÕs helpful is to remember that line in the Course I
always quote. You need to look at the problem as it is and not the
way you set it up. The problem as it is is youÕre afraid.
YouÕre afraid of love, afraid of losing control, afraid of losing
yourself. ThatÕs the problem. And then you realize your resistance
is a way of kind of protecting yourself, of not wanting to let
yourself go. So you want to be aware of that, but if you find
yourself going on and on and nothingÕs changing itÕs obvious that
youÕre just too afraid. So just be gentle with yourself. And again,
have faith in the outcome.
You know, when I write an article for the newsletter itÕs not like I
sit down and write it. I know the articleÕs already written and I
just have to find the different pieces and put it together like a
jigsaw puzzle. And so I donÕt write it straight through. I
write a part here, I get a part there; IÕm taking a walk and I get a
thought and write that. ItÕs like finding another piece of the
jigsaw puzzle and then another. ThereÕs a jigsaw puzzle somewhere
that already has a completed picture.
And so, using that analogy, thereÕs a part of your script in which
youÕve found peace in this relationship no matter how it ends up in
form and you kind of know that and trust it. And if a lot of time
seems to take place before something happens and you donÕt feel that
peace then you have to say to yourself, IÕm just afraid of it. And
thatÕs it. ThereÕs nothing else you need to do. Just be gentle, know
youÕre afraid right now but youÕll find the pieces eventually, and
donÕt make up stories.
OK. IÕve been listening to a lot of what youÕve been saying about
personal needs and putting others first in our relationships as a
correction for always making it all about me. But I was taught to
always put others first and itÕs hard for me to tell the difference
between when IÕm being needy and when itÕs OK to say no.
Well you canÕt deny the needs you have but you donÕt have to justify
them. ItÕs the same thing with anger. YouÕre learning to say IÕm not
angry because this person cut me off in traffic or this person
disappointed me in a relationship or said something unkind to me but
because I chose to feel guilty and now IÕm projecting that on you.
ItÕs the same thing with needs. I have a need that comes from my
choice for guilt that IÕve projected on you. If I could choose for
the love of God all the time I wouldnÕt need to have this or that or
do this or that. But thatÕs really harsh and itÕs the wrong
emphasis. ItÕs better to just accept where you are and just try to
be peaceful.
And remind myself again that IÕm never upset for the reason I think?
Yes.
YouÕve also been talking a lot about being kind to everyone and
everything. I got bit by a spider in my house recently and it was
kind of a venomous bite and ended up causing some bad symptoms.
Before that IÕd tried to be kind to spiders by capturing the ones I
found in the house and releasing them back outside but now IÕm
reexamining that policy. So if you have to kill something, how do
you do it without malice, without reinforcing the thought of good
and bad, the idea of differences arising from the idea of
separation?
Kill the spiderŠget an exterminator if you have to. ThatÕs another
example of what we say about just being normal. But try to do it
without anger. Some people could be able to talk to the spider and
the spider would leave. But if thatÕs not going to work, kill the
spider and donÕt be angry about it, donÕt feel guilty about it, try
not to be vicious about it. You can talk to the spider, you can tell
it youÕre sorry, whatever works. Be normal, but be as kind and
gentle as possible in the process.
I chose to get really sucked into the presidential campaign four
years ago and pretty much threw the CourseÕs forgiveness teaching
out the window for a couple of months at least in this area of my
life. I recognize that hurt me, and I recently noticed myself at it
again, getting pulled in again around the presidential race this
year. I really donÕt want to do the same thing this time around. How
can Course students on both sides of the aisle stay right-minded
during the campaign this fall?
ThereÕs nothing wrong with supporting a candidate, working for that
candidate, or voting for that candidate as long as you do it with
dignity. You donÕt have to be part of the mud-slinging that goes on.
ItÕs also OK not to get involved. ThereÕs no right or wrong and you
are not better by choosing to participate or not participate. You
can participate in any form including a war without losing your
dignity, without losing your sense of true self, without losing your
inner peace, and without making it about one or the other. Even
though in an election one wins and the other loses, you donÕt have
to identify with that.
You know youÕve heard me talk about the difference between
preferences and investments. You can have a preference that a
certain candidate wins but you donÕt have to have an investment in
the outcome. You donÕt give up the Course or practicing forgiveness
while youÕre supporting them and you donÕt blame people who think
differently. You do what feels right to do but there has to be a
part of you that knows there are no differences in truth. You can
play in the game of form in the dream without playing in the game of
content, the belief in the ego thought system of sin, guilt, and
fear arising from the mistaken belief in separation in the mind.
You can still see peace instead of this and be kind to everyone
involved?
Yes.
_________________________________________________________________________
Forthcoming Workshops on A Course in Miracles
in Australia and Germany
For up to date information on my workshops go to
http://www.acfip.org/fws.html
---------------------------------------------------------------
Brisbane
Relaxation Centre
BRISBANE - 1 day - Sunday 10 March, 2013
9.30a.m. to 4.30p.m.
Being, not Doing:
A Path to Peace
Those who seek the truth by means of intellect and learning only get
further and further away from it. Huang-po
When we put aside our restless pursuits, whether material or
spiritual, we create a space where peace can return.
This workshop will explore experientially how we can awaken to our
spiritual reality through simply being, awareness and forgiveness.
Michael Dawson lived and taught at the Findhorn Foundation in
Scotland for many years and has presented A Course in Miracles in
many countries.
Cut off for registration Fri 8th morning.
Fee: Donation
VENUE:
Relaxation Centre,
15 South Pine Road
Alderley
Brisbane 4051
BOOKINGS:
Relaxation Centre
07 3856 3733
(Please do not book through me)
The Brisbane Relaxation Centre has informed me that many people are
increasingly booking at the last moment.
I check the number of participants on Friday morning before the
workshop.
If numbers are small I cancel the workshop so those the are booked
can be informed and make other plans for their weekend.
If you wish to attend the workshop please book by the Thursday
before.
___________________________________________________________________________
Germany 2013 Dates
Bonn
June 15 and 16, 2013
10.00am to 6.000pm
Relationships: A Fast Path to Spiritual Awakening.
A Course in Miracles workshop
When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter.
As you see him you will see yourself. As you treat him you will
treat yourself.
As you think of him you will think of yourself.
Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose
yourself.
from A Course in Miracles T-8.III.4.
Our relationships can become our daily classroom of forgiveness.
"Relationships" does not just refer to our partners but everyone we
meet. How we react to our family, colleagues, strangers, animals,
people in the media mirrors what is contained in our minds. Daily we
walk around in a hall of mirrors and when we lose our peace we are
being shown something unhealed, unforgiven in our minds.
The Course seeks to take our difficult relationships and change
their direction towards the goal of holy relationships in which we
practice honesty and forgiveness.
As we learn to look at ourselves and others without judgement
(forgiveness) we gradually remove the obstacles to the love and
peace within us. Judgement is gradually replaced by compassion, and
instead of separation, true acceptance, friendship and genuine
intimacy become possible.
The workshop will contain exercises to help understand and heal
painful dynamics found in ego-based relationships, allowing our
natural state of peace and joy to be uncovered.
An Evening Introductory Talk - Fri 14th June 2013
7.30pm to 9.30pm
Contact:
Albert-Schweitzer-Haus
Beethovenallee 16
Bonn 53173
tel: 0228 - 36 47 37
http://www.albert-schweitzer-haus-bonn.de
Freiburg
June 22 and 23, 2013
10.00am to 6.000pm
Relationships: A Fast Path to Spiritual Awakening.
A Course in Miracles workshop
When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter.
As you see him you will see yourself. As you treat him you will
treat yourself.
As you think of him you will think of yourself.
Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose
yourself.
from A Course in Miracles T-8.III.4.
Our relationships can become our daily classroom of forgiveness.
"Relationships" does not just refer to our partners but everyone we
meet. How we react to our family, colleagues, strangers, animals,
people in the media mirrors what is contained in our minds. Daily we
walk around in a hall of mirrors and when we lose our peace we are
being shown something unhealed, unforgiven in our minds.
The Course seeks to take our difficult relationships and change
their direction towards the goal of holy relationships in which we
practice honesty and forgiveness.
As we learn to look at ourselves and others without judgement
(forgiveness) we gradually remove the obstacles to the love and
peace within us. Judgement is gradually replaced by compassion, and
instead of separation, true acceptance, friendship and genuine
intimacy become possible.
The workshop will contain exercises to help understand and heal
painful dynamics found in ego-based relationships, allowing our
natural state of peace and joy to be uncovered.
An Evening Introductory Talk - Fri 21 June 2013
8pm - 9.45pm
Contact:
Margarete Sennekamp
Winterhaldenweg 4,
79856 Hinterzarten,
Tel./Fax: 07652-917530
email: M.Sennekamp@t-online.de
www.Sophia-Institut.de
Biography
Michael discovered A Course in Miracles whilst visiting the Findhorn
Foundation in 1982. He subsequently became a member of the
Foundation for about six years and involved himself with healing and
teaching. In 1994 he published Healing the Cause - A Path of
Forgiveness which serves as an introduction to the Course. His
second book, The Findhorn Book of Forgiveness (Findhorn Press) uses
exercises, stories and case histories to guide the reader to inner
peace through forgiveness. Michael now lives in Australia and gives
workshops on the Course world-wide.
______________________________________________________________
PLEASE NOTE: The Australian Centre for Inner Peace is not a
counselling or psychotherapy centre; therefore we do not offer
telephone or email service or counselling, therapy, or crisis
intervention for personal problems. Please see the Contacts section
at the end of this newsletter.
___________________________________________________________________________
BOOKS AND AUDIO MATERIALS FOR SALE - by Michael Dawson
New teaching and healing materials - eBooks and downloadable MP3s:
Ebooks:
1. Healing the Cause -A Path of Forgiveness.
Inspired by A Course in Miracles.
This is the eBook version of the paper back.
2. A Course in Miracles - Explanations of Major Themes
New book in eBook format
3. Forgiveness - A Path to Inner Peace.
Inspired by A Course in Miracles
This is the eBook version of the paper back.
The eBook versions can be read on Kindle, iPad, Microsoft eReader,
Nook, PDF readers (Mac and PC) and most eBook readers.
For more details and how to purchase please visit:
www.acfip.org/books_tapes.html
Downloadable Mp3s:
1. Healing the Cause: Self-Help Exercises 1
This MP3 contains the identical four exercises as the CD
2. Healing the Cause: Self-Help Exercises 2
This MP3 contains the identical four exercises as the CD
3. Healing the Cause: 3 Self-Help Exercises in English with German
translation
This MP3 contains the identical three exercises as the CD
For more details and how to purchase please visit:
http://www.acfip.org/books_tapes.html
Books:
Healing the Cause - A Path of Forgiveness. Findhorn Press 1994
Also available in German, Romanian, French, Dutch, Spanish and
Portuguese.
The Findhorn Book of Forgiveness. Findhorn Press. 2003
Also available in German, French, Polish and Romanian.
For more details and how to purchase please visit:
http://www.acfip.org/books_tapes.html
MP3s (see above) and CDs:
Healing the Cause:
Since 1986 I have been conducting healing workshops in the UK and
abroad, and have continually experimented to find healing and
forgiveness exercises that are effective. I have found that a
particular exercise can be effective for one person but not another.
Accordingly, I was led to develop a series of exercises. Over the
years workshop participants asked if these exercises could be put
onto audio cassettes and CDs so they could repeat them. This has
resulted in the Healing the Cause - Exercise series - Tapes 1 to 4
(2 exercises on each tape) and CD1 and 2 (4 exercises on each CD)
CD - 3 Healing Exercises in English with German translation. 10 Euro
Content:
Ex1. Forgiving Ourselves.
Ex2. Changing Perception and Finding peace.
Ex3. Changing Perception of another - exercise for two people.
These exercises are similar to existing exercises already available
on CDs but are translated into German.
Workshops:
1. Three Steps of Forgiveness.
This workshop concentrates on the process of forgiveness from the
perspective of A Course in Miracles. Includes 3 healing exercises.
Recorded at the Annual Miracle Network Conference in London,
November 2001. 1 hour 12 mins. One CD
2. Finding and Eliminating the Blocks to Receiving Guidance.
This talk investigates what stops us hearing the guidance that is
ever present in our lives. Recorded at the Annual Miracle Network
Conference in London, October 20001 hour. One CD
For more details and how to purchase please visit:
http://www.acfip.org/audio.html
___________________________________________________________________________
CONTACTS and COURSE INFORMATION
Search Engine for ACIM Sites, Definitions and Articles by Joe
Jesseph.
A Web search engine dedicated to finding discussion and definitions
of terms and concepts found in
A Course in Miracles as well as Web sites, articles and other
writings related to the Course.
Question and Answer Service from the Foundation for A Course in
Miracles.
Their electronic outreach section has a question and answer service
on the theory and practice of the Course. Their database of 1,400
questions and answers is searchable. They no longer take new
questions as they feel all possible questions have now been put.
Foundation for Inner Peace..........................Publishers of A
Course in Miracles and responsible for the translation programme.
On-line mail order.
Foundation For A Course In Miracles................FACIM is the
official teaching organisation of the Foundation for Inner Peace and
the copyright-holder of_A Course in Miracles and all related
materials. Publishes the quarterly Lighthouse newsletter. They have
extensive on-line mail order for their books, CDs and DVDs.
The Foundation was started by Kenneth and Gloria Wapnick and has
moved to Temecula in California. Kenneth is my teacher of A Course
in Miracles.
Their publications can also be ordered in Australia at:
Adyar Bookshop
230 Clarence Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Kenneth Wapnick ......ÉÉÉ Biographical information and excerpts from
his writings
Kenneth Wapnick on YouTube
Glossary of ACIM terms from FACIM
"The Most Commonly asked Questions about A Course in Miracles"
by Kenneth and Gloria Wapnick
Index of Links to Miracle Studies Resources ...ÉÉ....... A rich
resource of materials on A Course in Miracles by an ex-staff member
of the Foundation For A Course In Miracle. Joe also has a blog and
has recently published A Primer of Psychology According to A
Course in Miracles.
miraclestudies.net ÉÉÉÉ A Course in Miracles Resource Web Site
for ACIM Students
A Course in Miracles Study groups
Search for A Course in Miracles Study Groups Around the World.
The Foundation for Inner peace also has a study group search engine.
Miracles Studies Australia
http://www.miracle-studies.net.au lists study groups for
Australia and new Zealand
Purchase ACIM on line
ACIM Historical Recordings & Video
A Course In Miracles Pen Pals:
The Miracle Network http://www.miracles.org.uk hosts a A Course in
Miracles pen pals group:
To join this e-mail discussion group, send your e-mail
address to e.pals@miracles.org.uk.
They will send you updated lists of other e.pals and
inform them of your e-mail address.
Belief.net ACIM discussion:
This Belief.net web-based discussion is hosted by Joe Jesseph.
http://community.beliefnet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=151
______________________________________________
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTATIONS
About three times a week I send a short quotation from some
spiritual teacher or poet to people who have requested some
uplifting thoughts. I have included some below. If you wish I can
add your name to the email list.
How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of sin? Shall we
not put away these sharp-edged children's toys? How soon will you be
ready to come home? Perhaps today? There is no sin. Creation is
unchanged. Would you still hold return to Heaven back? How long, O
holy Son of God, how long?
A Course in Miracles Lesson 250
Do understand that you are destined for enlightenment.
Co-operate with your destiny, don't go against it, don't thwart it.
Allow it to fulfil itself.
All you have to do is to give attention to the obstacles created by
the foolish mind.
Nisargadatta Maharaj
I Am That
When you listen to the voice in your head, that
is to say, do not judge. You'll soon realize: there
is the voice, and here I am listening to it, watching
it. This I am realization, this sense of your own
presence, is not a thought. It arises from beyond
the mind.
Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now
One is more likely to awaken through surrender than through seeking
to waken. The effort to awaken is the effort of ego, whereas to
surrender is to give up all efforts and to place oneself in the
hands of a vast force that is more powerful than any realization of
non duality.
When one finally gives up one's futile attempts to make reality
conform to one's own wishes, and allows it to unfold on its own
terms, all the energy that was tied up in foolish attempts to
manipulate the universe is freed up.
Mariana Caplan
Halfway Up the Mountain - The Error of Premature Claims to
Enlightenment
__________________________________
Michael Dawson
PO Box 125
Point Lookout
North Stradbroke Island
Queensland 4183
Australia
EMAIL: mdawson@acfip.org
WEBSITE: http://www.acfip.org