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April-June, 2010

If God Is Your Goal

by Gary Renard

“What would you do if you were sitting quietly in your living room when a mysterious couple appeared from nowhere — and then told you they were ‘ascended masters’ who had come to reveal some shocking secrets of existence and teach you the miraculous powers of advanced forgiveness?”
(From ‘The Disappearance of the Universe’)

That is exactly what happened to me in the early 1990’s. It turns out that the Jesus we see in the Gospel of Thomas is teaching the same thing as He does today in A Course in Miracles.

My teachers eventually got into the Course in detail, as well as doing something that is very rare; they presented ACIM in such a way that people can now read it and understand it for themselves. A Course in Miracles says that of the two seeming worlds — one being the world of God and the other being the world of man — that only the world of God is true. There may seem to be two worlds but in fact there is really only one.

Some mistakenly believe that A Course in Miracles is a dualistic system because it talks about both. What it says is that only one is true, which is Heaven; it is actually a non-dualistic system. That makes it different from virtually all other spiritual teachings in the world. Most spiritual teachings have God creating something other than Himself and then interacting with it. A Course in Miracles would say this idea is psychotic because it gives us a God who is insane. It gives us a God who, rather than being perfect Love, made a world that includes hatred, anger, fear, and death.

These ideas are a function of opposites because there can be no death in Heaven. Death can only exist when you have a seeming opposite to Heaven. That is the madness of duality because it is what people believe is true but which God knows nothing about. That is because people are dreaming what A Course in Miracles would call, ‘the dream of death.’ When they awaken to what they really are, which is what real enlightenment is, they will see that the dream they thought their life was never truly existed.

There can be no true enlightenment without undoing the ego. Forgiveness is the means by which A Course in Miracles teaches us to ‘undo the ego.’ On a cosmic level the ego is simply the idea that we have an individual identity that has separated itself from its Source. That idea is the ‘false collective’ us. There is just one ego appearing as many. True forgiveness as taught by the great Masters like Jesus, undoes the ego. It accomplishes that by bringing people to a position of cause rather than effect.

The traditional kind of forgiveness, which the world practices, keeps the separation intact by seeing others as having really done something. That idea is like the old Newtonian physics where you have a subject and object that are separate from each other. By seeing others as separate, it keeps the idea of you as separate being real in your unconscious mind. It also keeps you in a position of being at the mercy of the effects of the world. You are then a victim of the world you see. Real forgiveness as taught by the Masters like Jesus and Buddha, would see everything as being one and connected thus there is not really anyone else who is separate from you. Therefore, to forgive another is to forgive yourself. This is more in harmony with the new physics because it teaches that you cannot really separate one thing from something else. This puts you in a position of ‘cause’ rather than effect because you realize that you are everywhere. Then the world is not being done to you, it is being done by you. Thus you begin to realize that the world is a projection of your own mind, one of your own making. You now forgive people, not because they have done something, but because they have not really done anything!

This kind of forgiveness we will call Quantum forgiveness as it undoes the idea of separation (the ego) in your unconscious mind. This is because of an important law of the mind which A Course in Miracles puts this way: “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.” 

There is no getting away from this. If they are guilty, you are guilty and that is what you will believe about yourself. But if they are innocent, then you are innocent because how you see the other person is simply going into your unconscious mind as a message about yourself.

Through this kind of forgiveness we realize that the people we see out there are just split aspects of our own mind — a mind that thinks it is separate, but that we can now allow the Holy Spirit to heal, to rejoin with our one Self.

Jesus went through life 2000 years ago, forgiving everybody and seeing everybody as totally innocent. By doing that, He was looking past the body to what they really are, which is spirit. Every time He did that it was as though He was rejoining with Himself and becoming whole again. In that process of becoming whole again, He was actually awakening and returning to reality. When Buddha said, ‘I am awake,’ he meant that he had awakened. Jesus, in A Course in Miracles, is teaching us to awaken from what is the equivalent of a dream and return to what we really are, which is this idea of perfect oneness with God.                                       

I think that at some point one has to become like the prodigal son in Jesus’ story. You have to realize the world is futile because of its impermanence. Then you discover that the only solution is to go Home because Heaven is permanent ecstasy and the world is ecstasy followed by horror. That is the difference between non-duality and duality. One is permanent and the other is false. That is what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of building upon the rock instead of the sand. The ironic thing is that you do not have to give up the world at the level of the physical. You can live a normal life and that is because Quantum forgiveness is done at the level of the mind, which is ‘cause’ and nothing whatsoever to do with the level of the world, which is ‘effect.’ It is definitely not about giving up the world; it is simply about changing the way you look at it. 

That is why A Course in Miracles says this is a course in cause and not effect. By dealing with the cause you are in a position of power. You have the power to go Home to reality instead of staying trapped in illusions. On the way Home you start to have experiences that tell you what Home is like. Once you have those experiences, there is no turning back because there is no comparison between the joy of Heaven and the world of man you used to think was real.

It is important for us to remember that classic spirituality is not about fixing up our lives. It is about ‘waking-up’ from our lives — and that is not just a small distinction; it is everything. I do not say there is anything wrong with other approaches because all paths lead to God in the end. But I think people can save themselves a lot of time in awakening from the cycle of birth and death and end reincarnation if they make that the goal. Ironically, when they do that, they will also have a better life in the process because they are now dealing with something that has real power, which is being at the cause instead of something that has little power, which is dealing with effect. This is the approach of A Course in Miracles — dealing with real power, which is being at cause.

Over of the past years I’ve been learning and practicing what my teachers came here to reveal. I travel and speak nearly every weekend around the US and Canada as well as Europe and Australia. My life has been completely transformed and it is my ministry to share all that was given to me with all those who are ready to hear the truth.  It’s been quite a journey and one that is bringing me closer to my goal of waking up and going Home to God. 

A Look at Look the Future — What can we expect in 2012

Near the end of my second book Your Immortal Reality: How to Break the Cycle of Birth and Death, my ‘ascended masters,’ Arten and Pursah, took me on a look into the future. Here is some of what was revealed:

As many of you know, the Mayan calendar ends in the year 2012. Some say that the world will come to an end at that time.

Arten assured me that the end of the world is not scheduled for that time. The year 2012 is the end of a cycle, not the end of the human race. At the end of a cycle a new phase starts. A cycle is merely a repetition of what has already happened before in a different form, which proves that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In the new cycle there will be a lot of good mixed in with a lot of bad. We will start to see more cooperation from the United States in trying to end global warming. There will be so much concern about the environment and evidence that action is necessary that the United States government will take action, which will be in the best interest of all, in place of what is good for a few. It will take time to turn this around and there will be extremes in weather conditions, both hot and cold, but it will be turned around and it will make people more optimistic about the future.

A hundred years ago the average life span was 49. Now it is 75. By late in this century, the average life span will have risen to 100, and some will live to be 130. People may not feel safe, but the truth is that people are safer than they’ve ever been. That is why they are living longer.

Hydrogen-powered cells are the energy of the future. Over the next couple of decades, the trend in America is toward hybrids. In Europe, the effort will be concentrated on hydrogen power. In the long run, Europe will be ahead of America in that area.

There will be Quantum computers that would boggle the mind, space elevators that raise heavy cargo through the air and into orbit, tourist trips to the moon, teleportation — all of these things will happen in the not-too-distant future.

Space travel of the future will not always be done on spacecraft. It takes days to fly to the moon, but one day we’ll be able to beam someone there in three seconds.

A glimpse of my third book that I am currently writing: Love Has Forgotten No One: The Answer to Life (to be released later in 2010)

In Love Has Forgotten No One: The Answer to Life, my ‘ascended master’ teachers, Arten and Pursah, will guide you through a way of dissolving the illusions of time and space and returning to Reality, which is Perfect Love. This is not love the way the world commonly thinks of it. It’s an all-encompassing kind of Love that is perfect spirit; innocent, unflawed, immortal, invulnerable, and forever fearless.

Real Love, which is divine in nature, must be experienced, for it is beyond words. Yet words and practice are needed to help lead you to that experience. The knowledge of what it’s like to be one with your Source is the awesome mystical experience that’s been described by Masters throughout the ages. It’s the greatest sense of awareness anyone can have while still appearing to be in this world. This book will teach you exactly how to get that experience, which upon the end of your physical existence will become your permanent reality. You will find that indeed, Love has forgotten no one.

Pathways of Light is sponsoring a new Gary Renard Seminar, The Endless Now, on May 22, 2010, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. For more information, click here.

Gary R. Renard underwent a powerful spiritual awakening in the early 1990s. As instructed by two ascended masters who appeared to him in the flesh, he wrote his first best-selling book, The Disappearance of the Universe, over a period of nine years. He was later guided to speak in public and has recently been described as one of the most interesting and courageous spiritual speakers in the world. Gary’s second book, Your Immortal Reality, was also a best-seller.
Over the past six years, Gary has spoken in 41 states, 16 countries, and was the keynote speaker at the International A Course in Miracles Conferences in Salt Lake City and San Francisco. He is also the most recent recipient of the Infinity Foundation Spirit Award. The award is given to a person who has made a meaningful contribution to personal and spiritual growth. Past recipients include Dan Millman, Ram Dass, Gary Zukav, James Redfield and Neale Donald Walsch. For scheduled events, more about his books, to listen to his podcast, and other information, please visit his website at www.garyrenard.com.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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April-June, 2010

So Good to Have Him Back

by Rev. Larry Glenz

It’s 3:25 am. This is the first night that I didn’t take a Zanax since my 27 year old son, Kevin, died ten days ago. I never took Zanax before he died. They’re unbelievable, these little pills. I slept 8 straight hours each night without waking or even remembering any dreams the next morning. I didn’t take one tonight. I’ve got one on my dresser right now but I’ve decided to stay up. Kevin is talking to me.

He died of a heroin overdose on Valentine’s Day. He’d been battling an opiate addiction for more than seven years — mostly unsuccessfully. It was an overwhelming compulsion to get high that took him down — that and some bad heroin. He’d been in many rehabs. They didn’t work for him. He couldn’t get past Step Two in the Twelve Step program: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” The craving for him to get high on heroin was all consuming. In the days, weeks or months when he was clean and sober, he dreamed of getting high every night — every night! The shame and guilt that accompanied each relapse haunted him. He is free of all that now. And he’s talking to me.

Of course he’s going to talk to me! I’m his guy. I’ve been trying to hand over Kevin’s drug addiction to the Holy Spirit for the whole seven years since we discovered the problem. I’ve been studying A Course in Miracles diligently. I’ve been studying other literature from Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon, as well as many other books, CD’s, and videos in the field of personal development. I know I have understood the concepts pretty well — but putting them into daily practice has been more difficult. Kevin’s addiction tested my belief in Love more than anything else could have.

A Course in Miracles teaches us that in every moment, 24/7, we are either holding the hand of the ego or the Holy Spirit. Kevin’s addiction often caused me to be confused over whose hand I was holding. That damned ego has some amazing disguises. Forcing him into rehabs and using all of my leverage in taking away things like cars, college, jobs, cell phones, etc. seemed like the responsible thing to do as a parent. I convinced myself of that enough times and certainly received enough support from the professionals to believe that I had the right approach. Recovery programs made Kevin aware that there was help out there and others had achieved success in combating addiction as strong as heroin. But he didn’t buy into the concept of Step Two. He was convinced that heroin was stronger than his Higher Power. And so it was.

Kevin and I used to battle over much smaller things before drugs became an issue in his late teens. We’d battle over who were the best players on a sports team. We’d fight over the importance of good hygiene habits or the value of money.  We would test our personal wills against each other over many insignificant things — and he was always a worthy opponent. But once the opiates — starting with oxycontin — were introduced to him in college, Kevin’s arguments against sobriety became totally irrational. Kevin had the disease of addiction to opiates and his thinking became insane.

I know today Kevin is totally at peace.  Now when I turn to the Holy Spirit for help, I get Kevin telling me if it’s really Him or the ego in disguise. I no longer need to agonize over how Kevin is doing.  He’s with Holy Spirit now and always will be. And he’s a lot of fun again. He’s making me laugh when my tendency is to cry every morning uncontrollably. When I do cry, I sometimes hear his voice saying to me, “Hey, Big Shot, whose hand are you holding right now — the ego’s or the Holy Spirit’s? I told you, he always was a worthy opponent.

It’s only been ten days since his fatal overdose. He has left behind a four month old baby girl, Olivia. His death has saddened an entire community. I know that everything I ever do from here on in my life will be influenced by Kevin’s help in connecting me to Holy Spirit. It feels good to have him back, actually. I love him so — and only the Love is real.

Kevin told me it’s going to be easier for me to choose between the ego and Holy Spirit. I’ve got him with me now and it’s good to have him back. I can only imagine where he’s going to take me because he is a very interesting kid. And he says he’s got plans for me. Oh boy!

Rev. Larry Glenz is a Pathways of Light minister living in Long Island, New York.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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April-June, 2010

The One About My World

by Rev. Stephan Mead

In the world of form, I am a general contractor. These past few years, business has been very good. In fact, until this fall I can’t remember a single day when I didn’t have work for my company. I had plenty of money and was able to spend it without concern for the future. A couple of months ago business seemed to have just dried up and my efforts to secure new projects were failing.

At first, I was not too worried about the financial impact of no income coming in. I would reassure myself that “all is as it should be,” and, “this is a time for trust and faith.” Holding those thoughts presented no real difficulty because of what I had in savings, and, I am usually a very optimistic person. How quickly things can change!

In one week, I received letters from the department of revenue of my state and from the IRS. While they seemed to have been entertained by my last filed returns, their auditors came up with dramatically different amounts in the column titled, “amount owed.” After writing checks to cover just a small portion of this new debt, My reserve funds were depleted and, on my desk was a stack of bills that I hadn’t even opened yet.

OK, forget what I said about being an optimist. I was angry, scared and filled with a sense of, “this just isn’t fair!” Plus, if I really wanted to be honest in this story, I would share with you that I felt persecuted and singled out to be destroyed by the government. In a very brief moment of sanity, I asked the Holy Spirit to show me how I might see my situation differently, to see it in a way where I could be at peace. With all the willingness I could muster, I gave the Holy Spirit one second to comply with my request. What came from my demand was that I had rent due the next day and no way to pay it. Thank you Holy Spirit!

I am studying the workbook lessons, beginning to end, for the seventh time in as many years. The experience I am having with them now is so different and so much more personal. In A Course in Miracles lesson 10, “My thoughts do not mean anything,” has been extremely challenging, because I realized that to me, my thoughts mean everything! I just could not get myself out of the funk I was in.

What happened was that I decided to share the insane thoughts that were now dominating my life with my dear friend, fellow course student and ex-wife. “You will see your value through your brother’s (ex-wife’s) eyes.” (T-25.VI.8:1) With her help and a day of quiet meditation, I felt renewed and ready to be led once again.

Almost immediately, I was hired to do a major kitchen remodel. Everything was looking up! Once again, all would be well! (Now that the money was flowing.) My whole sense of security and purpose was on track. Yes! The form of my life was how I wanted it. I was in control!

“Seek not escape from problems here. The world was made that problems could not be escaped.” (T-31.IV.2:5-6)

Those familiar to the Course, won’t be surprised that this particular passage came up next in my reading. After the initial thought that, “This can’t be right; Jesus must have made a mistake.” I had a good laugh. I actually smiled my way into a place of sanity. My ego belief that deep, deep down, I know what I need to be happy, was exposed as the lie it is. My experience became available to me. I don’t know how to manufacture a peaceful and happy life. Why isn’t that fact completely accessible at all times to me? So, the form of my life continues… and with total gratitude, I can spend much more time in the content! Peace to you, and Peace to me!

Rev. Stephan Mead is a Pathways of Light minister living in Seattle, Washington.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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April-June, 2010

Seeing Past the Leaves

by Rev. Vicki Rostant

I was recently sitting in a bus heading downtown. Part of the route was alongside a large park just outside of the city. I always make sure I sit on the side of the bus that looks onto the park, so I can enjoy looking at the trees. On this day, the weather was cold and dreary, but the sky was clear. I had spent some time that morning studying and reflecting on material from Joel Wright’s new book, The Mirror On Still Water, as I had been for several days.

Being at the heart of winter, the trees were bare of leaves. At first, all I saw were the bare branches on the trees and how sad the scene looked in the dreary light. Simultaneously, I was holding in my mind what I was learning from Joel’s scribing. Suddenly, I saw past the dark branches and became aware of the light in the clear sky.

A smile came onto my face. Against the background of the light, the trees no longer looked bare and dark. They looked majestic and regal. They just were what they were at this point in their growth, in this winter.

Then I had an image of the trees clothed in all their green leaves as they would be in the spring and later on in the fall, when the leaves became colorful. I realized that, when the trees have leaves on them, that is all I see, especially when they became a riot of color. I would no longer notice the structure of the tree itself, and especially, I would not notice the sky, nor the light in the sky. I would be distracted by the obvious, the blatantly visible, what I was used to seeing.

Then it dawned into my mind that, just as I get distracted by the leaves and do not see beyond them to the light in the vast sky, so it is with thoughts. When my mind is full of thoughts — judgments, criticisms, fears, planning, doubts, uncertainties, desires, forms, images and other ego-driven coverings, I do not see beyond them to the Light beyond them. I do not see the clarity and wholeness present and which offer a new perspective. I do not experience the joy and peace which come from seeing beyond the obvious, especially when I have labeled it as ‘colorful’!

However, when the mind, through Holy Spirit’s guidance using a little willingness from me, is cleared of noise and clutter, it expands from its preoccupation with the same old repetitive clamor. The inner vision clears, the Light and Wholeness that is always there fills the mind, healing occurs, and joy and peace is reclaimed. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the ride in the park.

Rev. Vicki Rostant, OMC is a Pathways of Light minister living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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