A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple

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Chapter 6: The Lessons of Love

Section V-B: To Have Peace, Teach Peace to Learn It

Read ACIM Chapter 6, Section V. B. (pages 106-108)

What does Jesus mean when he talks about ‘undoing’ the ego and how does this relate to having peace?

In this section Jesus is suggesting that we join him in undoing the thought system of the ego. He tells us, “What you must recognize is that when you do not share a thought system, you are weakening it.” (1:7) We are being shown how deceptive the ego thought system is and how we have been learning and teaching the wrong lessons. Learning these wrong lessons have made us fearful of retaliation and abandonment. “They believe in attack and rejection, so that is what they perceive and teach and learn. These insane ideas are clearly the result of dissociation and projection.” (1:2-3)

When we truly understand the effects of joining with the ego thought system, we will be motivated to let it go. As we truly understand that the ego brings us pain and the Holy Spirit brings us peace and happiness, our motivation for change will be strengthened. “Change in motivation is a change of mind, and this will inevitably produce fundamental change because the mind is fundamental.” (2:5)

Until we let go of the ego thought system, we will not experience peace of mind because the ego thought system is conflicted. It is the thought system of attack and rejection, separation and abandonment, judgment and hate. It is at war with God, trying to be the opposite of Love’s oneness. No wonder when we identify with this thought system we feel depressed, lonely, lacking and fearful.

The only way out of this is to reverse our thinking and let go of the whole ego thought system. We do this by letting the Holy Spirit decide for God for us. The Holy Spirit speaks for our right mind, which remains in peace as God created it. When we accept the Holy Spirit into our mind, we are accepting God’s peace into our mind. If we wholly desire peace, we will have it and extend it because peace has never really left us. We will be brought “toward the unified perception that reflects God’s knowing.” (9:1) With this unified perception, we see as Holy Spirit sees, which is that we are all united in the one Mind of God.

Why does having go hand in hand with giving?

Jesus returns to the first lesson of the Holy Spirit, “to have, give all to all.” As we let go of the ego thought system, we let go of the concept of getting. We start to understand that having goes hand in hand with giving, which seems totally upside down to the ego. To the ego, when we give something away, we no longer have it ourselves. Because the Holy Spirit knows we are one mind, He teaches us that the opposite is true. When we share a thought, we still have the thought, but it is strengthened in the sharing.

What is the Holy Spirit’s one answer when we are suspicious of another’s intentions?

Since the ego believes in attack and projection, it expects others to have the same motivations so it will always be suspicious of others’ intentions. In Section IV of this chapter we were told that the Holy Spirit has one answer to these suspicions. He sees only the holiness and perfection in everyone, and teaches us that nothing else is real. The ego on the other hand is strongly aware of the ego in others. This reinforces the basic fear of retaliation and abandonment. “The way out of conflict between two opposing thought systems is clearly to choose one and relinquish the other.” (5:1)

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