A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple

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Chapter 6: The Lessons of Love

Section III: The Relinquishment of Attack

Read ACIM Chapter 6, Section III (pages 99-100)

Why is seeing with impariality and equality so important to our awakening?

In this section and the previous section there have been frequent references to impartiality and equality. This is because Love is one. Being one, Love cannot perceive separate things. It cannot prefer one thing over another, value one thing more than another and be Itself.

Love gives itself equally to all. God, being Love, gives Himself equally to all His Sons and so His Sons are one. To know our Self as God created It, we must see the Love that is the same in all things. Love sees past differences to the oneness of Love in everyone.

The ego is a thought system that has made up a world with countless different forms so that it appears justifiable to value one thing more than another. This is just a typical ego mechanism to hold separation in place. We are being told here not to believe the ego’s lies, not to let it be our teacher.

As we practice listening to our inner Teacher, what will we learn and teach?

We do have a Teacher in our mind Who will always show us the vision of Love with perfect impartiality. As we listen to this Teacher, we will learn to embrace the Love that is in all things and is all that is real. We will experience the inclusion of the truth in all things as our one Self. “If you are to be conflict-free yourself, you must learn only from the Holy Spirit and teach only by Him. You are only Love, but when you deny this, you make what you are something you must learn to remember.” (2:2-3)

Here is perfect safety. What we know is one with us we know cannot attack us. As we identify with the vision of the Holy Spirit that shows us the reality of Love, our only response to every experience, every perception, is to embrace the Love in it, knowing it is our own. Form has no meaning of its own. We return to peace as we let the Holy Spirit teach us the only real meaning, which could only be Love for only Love is real. We teach peace because we are listening to the Teacher of peace. By teaching peace, we learn that it is ours.

Why does it seem difficult to follow the Holy Spirit’s teaching?

It only seems difficult to follow the Holy Spirit’s universal teaching because there are still some beliefs that we treasure and want to keep. If we believe we are the ego, then giving up our unique individuality seems to be loss.

Why was the Course brought to us and what can it offer us?

The Course is here as an instrument of the Holy Spirit to gently and patiently teach us that the ego offers us nothing of value. It is teaching us where we can find the lasting happiness and Love that we thought we lost. This teaching has two parts. One helps us undo our mistaken beliefs in what is valuable. The other teaches us the value of the knowledge of oneness we have thrown away. We will only release something if we believe that by releasing it we will gain something of greater value. Thus the Course offers us a means to give up what is truly valueless and accept what is truly invaluable — the Love of God.

What does Jesus tell us is the true lesson of the crucifixion?

This section reinforces the one lesson that the Holy Spirit teaches. This lesson is, “Teach only Love for that is what you are.” (2:4) Jesus tells us that this was the true lesson of the crucifixion. As we a practice extending only Love, we are teaching It and learning It. This is where our true safety lies. As we let go of the ego thought system which is an attempt to attack God’s oneness, Reality can dawn upon our mind. Within God’s Reality comes a deep sense of safety and well-being — a knowing that all is truly well. Nothing can harm or be harmed. All are truly safe, no matter what nightmares anyone may be dreaming.

Jesus tells us, “Your salvation lies in teaching the exact opposite of everything the ego believes. This is how you will learn the truth that will set you free and will keep you free as others learn it of you.” (4:1-2) That is what our job is now, teaching the exact opposite of everything the ego the believes. The ego believes in separate bodies. The Holy Spirit knows only oneness. The ego believes we are alone and vulnerable. The Holy Spirit knows, “Your Godlike mind can never be defiled.” (1:6) Your Godlike mind is Love. Your Godlike mind is What you are. As we are willing to relinquish attack, which is the ego thought system, we return to remembering that we are Love. We teach peace by being peaceful, knowing we are safe in the oneness of God.

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