Random quote: "practical means not being duped into acting out of ignorance........ having enough clarity to know the divine Truth about you and everything...... so that that is what you facilitate the embodiment of." ~ Raj – (Added by: amena) January 2, 2005 ©NWFFACIM
Random quote: "practical means not being duped into acting out of ignorance........ having enough clarity to know the divine Truth about you and everything...... so that that is what you facilitate the embodiment of." ~ Raj – (Added by: Amena)
January 2, 2005 ©NWFFACIM PAUL. Before we have our quiet time, let's all get on the same page. I'm going to go through all the books with page numbers first, then If you're in the Sparkly Book, it's page 203. If you're in the Second Edition, it's page 165 If you're in the First Edition, it's page 154 And JCIM, page 85.
Okay. Sparkly Book page 203, third full paragraph. It begins If you're in the Second Edition, it's page 165, paragraph 9. If you're in the First Edition, it's page 154, paragraph And JCIM, page 85, third full paragraph. Okay. Just a moment.
Let's take a few moments to be quiet together.
Quiet Time. 13 Minutes
ANSWER. Okay. Good evening.
AUDIENCE. (Responses)
ANSWER. And welcome to everyone who's joining us on the Internet.
Anyone … run into any gristle this last two weeks? … … Well remember I said that it isn't that what you've been given is really tough to chew, it's just that it's not the bite you want to chew yet. And that's a key point. You see?
Are you willing to have healing? Or do you still have some investment in quote 'getting even'? … Are you ready to have healing or is there some unfinished business for you to take care of?
As you know, in the Bible it says that I said … to a number of my disciples, at the beginning, "Follow thou Me." And they said, in so many words: "Well, I’ll be happy to, but someone in the family has died, and … and we need to take care of that. And then I’ll join you. Or, I have such and such to take care of, and then I will join you.”
And I said: "Let the dead bury the dead. Follow thou Me.” You see?
It illustrated the need to be willing to put your attention where it is needed – to put your attention where healing will be facilitated – to put your attention where waking up can happen.
And it cannot happen with unfinished business being attended to. That’s part of your dream.
It can’t happen when you're still trying to fix part of your illusion. That was the point. You … you … you all have experienced now the fact that it's relatively easy – not totally easy, but relatively easy –– to devote your attention to an improved concept of yourselves.
You're willing to give your attention to the idea that there is a Place of Excellence in you – a Place that is uttery– Utterly Divine – that is God Presence–ing Himself, right there where you are. And there is a willingness to … yield into It – to lean into It – and to begin to depend on the clarity that is forthcoming when you do lean into It.
As I said, this still isn't easy for you, but you are engaged in it. and in engaging in it, you gain experience. Ease develops. You become more comfortable in this … apparently unknown new Territory for you. Although I've pointed out that you're coming back into your original Territory – your natural being.
Now, we have found out that that is not all there is to it, because you need to develop the ability to lean into the Place of Excellence in your brothers and sisters. …
That you need to be willing to see that there is a Place of Excellence in them, and give your attention to That rather than whatever ignorances they are expressing. … What happens when you do that? Oh, all kinds of justifications come up, don’t they, as to why you shouldn’t or can’t … yet. Because you have some things to attend to with them? You have some issues of justice to attend to first. Right?
Or: 'Well! Why should I give that much to them, when no–one else is giving half that to me?! Justice, justice, justice – is what it boils down to. And you want to exact … you want to exact … the evidence of justice from them or from the situation. You want to get satisfaction … first!
Thank God – thank God that God doesn't respond to you that way. Thank God that I don't. Thank God that the Holy Spirit doesn't. Thank God that your Guides don't – because then you would be truly lost.
And what’s another? ’Oh, well, I’m … I'm coming along fairly well giving myself the benefit of the doubt. I’m coming along fairly well in … honoring myself in a new way by leaning into the Holy Spirit in me. And it’s not easy! And now, you want me – at the same time that I'm having some difficulty … in experiencing myself in a new way – … to extend this to another who I’m even less inclined to extend anything to. You’re uh … You’re pressuring me! You’re moving me too fast!
Hell! We've been talking for 2 ½ years and we've only gotten 203 pages. (slight audience amusement) … You’re being rushed? 10:16:3
You see? It’s … it’s the gristle. It’s the little bit of a bite that you don’t want to chew yet. But the bite is filet mignon – perfectamente. That's what the bite is. … …
This section is called: The Answer To Prayer. The answer to prayer is … a miracle – a sudden shift of perception – healing. Do you want healing? Then you must give healing. …
Ah … And although you might be inclined to more easily … be open to being the agent for change for your pet, who is ill, or for a favorite plant in your house – I am encouraging you to go to the place where you're least inclined to give healing, and that is: to your brother and sister – because you use your brother and sister as a justification for not having healing.
You don't use … your favorite plant as a justification for not having healing. You see what I mean?
The only place you have difficulty is where? In relationships! … 12:36:8 … You can turn to the Holy Spirit for healing. And you can turn to the Father. You can turn to Me. … And in our relationship, you can experience healing. But I'm going to tell you, the healing won't be permanent … as long as you’re justifying not extending it to someone else. Because that’s the way you make it your own.
That's the way you embody it. …
Let's go to the book.
In the previous paragraph, we were speaking about believing in your brothers. Now, continuing: "To disbelieve" – in your brothers or sisters – "is to side against, or to attack. To believe is to accept and to side with. To believe is not to be credulous, but to accept and appreciate. ”
In other words, to believe is not to be stupid – is not to believe everything … a brother or a sister says. It’s not to be … ridiculous. It’s something else entirely.
“To believe is not to be credulous, but to accept and appreciate.” … (whispered) “Accept and appreciate.”… If you … had a situation like you've had this past week … where many, many … died. And if – as they were this past week – their bodies were strewn around – you would ar–…walk through them, … listening for a sound. 'Here’s … here's a live one. This one's breathing.'
You would look for the signs of life and you would respond there. …
Now, “To believe is to accept and to side with.” – What are we talking about accepting? We're not talking about accepting bad behavior. We're not talking about accepting … … expressions of self that are based upon an ignorance of What that one truly is, which cause his expressions to be unkind or unlovely.
We're talking about recognizing signs of life where that one is – and awkward and inarticulate expressions coming out of one’s mouth – hateful expressions – spewing forth! Or, if nothing else, a sign of life. Right? So here is a live one. You get it? And you accept this live one … as being – as existing. And you side with that one's existence – that one's Presence – no matter how he or she is demonstrating that Presence – with bad behavior or good behavior – kindness or unkindness. 18:00:00 complete.
”To believe … is to accept and to side with.” –– join with – identify with. You exist. They exist. You have something in common. You can join with them.
`“To believe is not to be … credulous, but to accept and appreciate” them. Accept and appreciate”– what? The signs of Life. … … If they are alive – if they exist – if there is something you can identify with in those very basic terms, then you can – you have the means to … be aware of the fact that whatever is true about you – that has been revealed to you – and which you have been able to incorporate and identify with yourself – is true about them.
If there is a Place of Excellence in you – because there’s a sign of life there – life is there – and that Pla– and the Place of Excellence is there. … And if that Place of Excellence – in them – is the Holy Spirit – just as it is in you – then no matter how they are expressing themselves, presently, you have a line of communication … that can be … activated. And so you choose to activate it.
Continuing: "What you do not believe, you do not appreciate. And you cannot be grateful for what you do not value." 20:43:7 complete.
It's very practical. If you look at a brother … and you cannot appreciate him, you cannot value him. … If you do not value him, you will find him unworthy … of extending the acknowledgement of the Truth. You will find him unworthy to hang in there with – to be present with – to be involved with.
"What you not believe, you do not appreciate. And you cannot be grateful for what you do not value. There is a price you will pay for judgment – because judgment is the setting of a price. And" – here's the hooker – "as you set it, you will pay it."
”Judgment” is the setting of a price.” … You just never express a judgment for no reason. … You express judgment – as we discussed last week – for the purpose of confusing and overwhelming your brother –– to put him off balance. You make judgments so as to cause that one to lose any confidence he may have in himself, so that he … is unable to … authoritatively to stand up for himself – and you are in a better position to influence him or to get from him what you want.
Maybe you just want the brother … to go away and leave you alone. You see? It isn’t always that you will want his agreement. But you will want something. And so you bring judgment into play.
But there' s a more fundamental … reason … for expressing judgment. And that is, that the circumstances with your brother or sister have brought you to the end of your rope. Up until now, you've been able to cope pretty well. You’ve been able to be positively oriented with that one. You have given, and given, and given and given. And something has happened that was quote ' the straw that broke the camel's back' unquote. And now you’ve had it!
Now you don’t know what to do. Whatever the straw was that broke the camel’s back … has put you at a loss. And you feel incapable … of continuing to make the gift. You feel incapable of making the gift, because you find yourself at a loss. You don't know what to do. And so you say: 'This one is a stubborn one.' Nothing that I do is heard. Nothing that I say is heard, and nothing that I do is valued! I persist, and I persist, and I persist. And they come up with one more thing.’ But you see? Now you’re talking about them. You've shifted, and it's them out there. And you’re characterizing them. And all of this characterization is doing only one thing. It’s covering up the fact that you don't want to acknowledge that you don't know what to do now. …
So you're … really at a wonderful point. 'I don't know what to do, Father.' Ahh, now we’re doing something different from ‘them out there, and their stubbornness, and maybe they’re just not capable of learning or: They love their problems too much! I’m never gonna be able to get through to them. It’s all them!’
'Father. I'm at a loss here. I don't know what to do. I’ve carried it as far as I can. And you know what? I thought I was … I thought I was listening to You. And I thought I was sharing with them what you were leading me to say. And I thought I was the Presence of Love. And I thought I was doing it well. But … it hasn’t worked. It’s not working. And I’m exhausted. … I give up on them! I can't do it!
If you're exhausted, it means you’ve been doing too much … all by yourself – even though you’ve included God along the way. Because it’s a– … it’s at exactly this point – where what you’re presented with seems to go beyond your capacity –that you stand at the edge of the pregnant void – this wonderful place where you are actually primed for insight, or even revelation, if you will abandon the last vestiges of control that you were trying to bring into play – of course beneficently … because of have an oya. You're at a point where you truly need inspiration – where you truly need to lean even further into that Place of Excellence in you – the Holy Spirit.
Why? Because you deserve to be healed … of the experience of emptiness. You need to be healed of an apparent incapacity seeming to be overwhelmed yourself. You need to be healed of an apparent incapacity to be the Presence of Love further.
So here's where – instead of backing out – and blaming and characterizing them in the most ferocious terms – this is where you need to take a deep breath. Stop the judgment. And let go further into God – let go further and further into the Place of Excellence in you – … in which Love is inexhaustible …. Because of the inexhaustible nature of its source – which is the Father. … … … 29:32 You see: When you abandon being the Presence of Love … because you feel exhausted – and at a loss – you lash out – and you point the finger. And it’s their fault, but you won’t tell ‘em what they’re– what they– what the fault was. You won’t tell them that they pushed you to the edge of your known capacity for being the Presence of Love … and that you’re scared to yield further. And so … you set a price … by engaging in judgment. And you’re going to exact from them … something that will make up for all that you’ve done. (small laugh) – And it will make up for … the fact that they haven’t received it all – and the fact that they’ve pushed you … to a place where you are experiencing the discomfort of not knowing what to do next – even though … you have been pushed to the threshold of inspiration – even though you have been pushed to the threshold of a greatly expanded experience of your Function. 31:14:1 complete. “If paying” – setting of a price – “If paying is equated with getting, you will set the price low, but demand a high return.” You want a lot for a little. The ego wants a lot for a little. You will have forgotten, however, that your return is in repors– in proportion to your judgment of worth. If your brother – in your opinion – is not worth your attention – you will behave toward that brother as though he or she isn’t. And the return you will get … will be what you’ve given. “If paying is associated with giving, it cannot be perceived as loss. And the reciprocal relationship of giving and receiving will be recognized – as well, the experience of your relationship with your brother will be recognized – will be experienced. And the opportunity for transformation will continue to be present. “The price will then be set high.” You will want to pay a lot because you’re going to get a lot. When you pay a lot, you give a lot. What you give you keep. What you give you have. “The price for getting is to lose sight of value, making it inevitable that you will not value what you receive. Valuing it little, you will not appreciate it, and will not want it.” 33:32:4 … How many people do you know who are accumulators? They get, get, get. They have lots and lots of things. But are they happy? And do they even use the things they’ve gotten? Do they actually enjoy having them? No, because … having them wasn’t … what was important to them. The getting of them was what was important. 34:06 complete. “To believe that it is possible to get much for little is to believe that you can bargain with God. God’s Laws” – I’m going to add – on the other hand – “are always fair and perfectly consistent. By giving, you receive.” – See how consistent that is? – “But to receive is to accept, not to get.” “It is impossible not to have,” – It’s the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom – everything. “but it is possible not to know you have.” And at the moment, all of you don’t realize all that you have – because you’ve decided to call Creation – that’s been give you – the world and universe – a material… thing that has nothing to do with God, so you see very little of God in it. You have determined that it’s not God. And in fact, some who … read the Course interpret it to mean that the world is an illusion – it is not God … – when the fact is, that if there’s anything in front of your face – anything that you’re experiencing, it … it is God – experienced clearly or through a glass darkly. There’s no other choice. But until you begin to value it as the manifestation of God, you will not find God there. And you will not, thereby have your vision of it corrected – so that you are no longer seeing it through a glass darkly. “The recognition” – Continuing. – “The recognition of having is the willingness for giving. And only by this willingness can you recognize what you have. Now … I know that you have not had … a great number of experiences of the world being the Kingdom of Heaven … yet, but you have had some. You have had some glimpses. And I tell you that your one task is to persist in being a– ab– willing to look at your world, with the desire to see more of God there than you’re presently seeing – and to be – as I said – persistent in this. Now … the same applies to your brothers and sisters. … It doesn’t matter how awful … they are appearing to you – whether they are appearing that way because of their own faulty decisions within themselves – or whether they’re appearing that way because you are insisting on seeing them as something other than the Excellence of God expressed – because, as I said last week, you know them too damn well. We’re talking here about breaking the habit of how you’re perceiving everything. And the only way you can break the habit of how you’re seeing everything … is to be willing to look in a new way – from a new standpoint – a standpoint that has its basis in Truth with a capital T. The recognition of having is the willingness for giving. It’s the willingness for persistently giving your attention to your brother in a new way: giving your attention in a new way; regardless of all of the justifications you have for looking at them in the old way. Continuing: “And only by this willingness can you recognize what you have. What you give is therefore, the value you put on what you have – being the exact measure of the value you put upon it. And this, in turn, is the measure of how much you want it. … The big question is: Is there any point at which you can justify giving up on your brother? … ‘Well, yeah! If he behaves badly enough!’ Well, what you mean when you say that is: If he behaves badly enough to put you at a loss where you don’t know to do. You see? You just can’t stand to be at the threshold of the pregnant void. You just can’t stand to be at the threshold of the unknown … where … a miracle can occur – where inspiration and insight will happen! 41:00:6 complete. Why? Because it takes too much effort on y– your part? It requires giving more attention than you’re willing to give … more attention than you feel is justified? … Well, how much do you want to wake up? How much do you want to be sane? – is another way of putting it. How much do you want to be sane? … Continuing: “You can ask of the Holy Spirit, then, only by giving to Him. And you can give to Him only where you see Him.” ‘Well, I’m not really ready to see Him in my brother … or my mother … or my … wayward son or daughter. … I’m not really willing to see the Holy Spirit … in the president!’ Mm. Well, okay. But understand … that you’re the one unwilling. And therefore, you’re the one keeping yourself in the dark. It’s your word … that you’re laying down. – What? – Against your brother? No, against yourself. I am – under the circumstances – unwilling to be more fully conscious. … That’s how much you want to wake up! Thank God for those who push it to the edge. You … you would say ‘Thank God.’ to them if the edge was a place you valued. 43:37:3 And, I will tell you something: As you stand at the edge – under dynamic circumstances or peaceful circumstances – and experience the inspiration that constitutes a miracle – a sudden shift of perception – you will begin to value the edge more. And so, if someone pushes you to the edge, you won't retaliate against them. You’ll say – hopefully you’ll remember to say: ‘Oh yeah! This is when really great things begin to happen. And I’m not going to distract myself from the influx of a miracle by grousing at them … for uncovering in me … an emptiness – that can’t be the Truth about me – that needs to be filled. An opportunity for me to be more conscious than I thought I was able to be. You see? Continuing: “If you see Him” – the Holy Spirit – “in everyone, consider how much you will be asking of Him.” – the Holy Spirit – You’ll be asking the Holy Spirit to show up everywhere, right? By be will– by being willing to see the Holy Spirit in everyone, … you’re asking the Holy Spirit a lot. “Consider how much you will be asking of Him and” – here’s the kicker “how much you will receive!” You see? 45:44:1 complete. This is why you don’t need to be afraid of the edge because it’s the place where how much you can receive … can make itself available to you because you’re not defended against it or distracted from it, by your preoccupation with being pissed off at the person who drove you to the edge of your known capacity to be conscious. … Now you can look at that one who’s driven you there and say: ‘You ask too much.’ Or you can actually do what you really want to do and say to Me right now: ‘You ask of me too much.’ … But I am telling you that I‘m asking you to put yourself in a position of discovering how much more of What You Really Are there is … available to you, and that is part of your natural Sant– Sanity – which is perfectly normal to you – and you are capable of it! … … “He” – the Holy Spirit – “will deny you nothing because you have denied Him nothing.” You have denied Him– you have not denied him your attention. And so you can share everything. This is the way – and the only way to have His answer, because His answer is all you can ask for and want. “Say then to everyone: quote ‘Because I will to know My Self, I see You as God’s Son and my Brother.’ unquote … … … You can’t solve… the problem from the level of the problem. You can’t solve the problem by understanding the elements of the problem better. You can’t understand your brother or your sister by pegging him or her with a definition in your mind – an explanation of them – psychologically, physically, or any other way. What happens when you peg a butterfly? It’s dead, and in a case, very carefully arranged by you to look its most dead beautiful. You have to be willing to let go of whatever way you have already pegged your brother or sister and defined them in your mind, Because if you don’t, whatever way you have carefully arranged what your brother is – by definition in your mind – will – because you have arranged it – get your … allegiance and pride – and you will not be available to have the Holy Spirit – or God – provide you with a sudden shift of perception that allows you to see the living One that they are – … who isn’t bound – either by your definition of them – or their own definitions of themselves. … And until you do abandon those definitions – and until you, by virtue of having abandoned them, are able to see the living, non–static, unpegged presence that they are, there will be no opportunity … for you to be the presence of … appreciation – the presence of … no judgment – that will allow them to abandon their defense – and have a sudden shift of perception themselves. I’ll tell you something: It’s not up to them to make your decision … to stand at the edge and embrace what’s beyond it … easier for you. 52:32 … That’s just another convenient delaying tactic. You better behave differently so that my standing at the edge doesn’t seem so imperative. You need to make it easier for me. And we’re right back at the old ego bullshit of manipulating into mutually–agreed–upon definitions and ways of behavior that constitute the dream you need to wake up out of. … … … So here’s the big question. Here’s the … here’s … here’s your bottom line vulnerability: What if, when I do this, – and I do have miracles happening – sudden shifts of perception do occur. And I make the gift. And I – by embodying it now – have it. What if they don’t change. What if they continue to act badly. What if they continue to … engage with me in a manner that is calculated to upset me? Am I supposed to just say: ‘Thank you for the miracles.” – and let them continue to behave badly? You see, the suggestion is … that maybe you will end up being a doormat … because you’re so busy making the gift, that you’re not saying ‘no;’ – that you abandon simple intelligence. You’re afraid that abuse will become the norm. … “To believe in your brother is to accept and to side with. To believe is not to be credulous, but to accept and appreciate.” Now none of this is going to amount to your being credulous, stupid, naïve – anything goes! Whatever you say, I believe, I accept. Whatever way you behave, I believe – I accept! No! 56:56:5 complete. I promise you … I promise you … that I … you cannot abuse Me, and if you try to –=– if you engage in that attitude and behavior, I will call it for what it is. Not to attack you. Not as judgment, but to show you that you are doing something that isn’t working – to show you that you are doing something that you don’t want to do any longer because it isn’t working – because it doesn’t blend with … the Way Things Work. And then I will … illuminate the way things work, so that you can make a choice for that, instead. And I will hang in there with you, … but … I will object … I will object – not by attacking you – but I will object … by calling the game for the game that it is, and not reacting to it and saying” ‘This doesn’t work. ‘Don’t do this with me. It won’t work. Stop doing this with Me. Do this instead.’ But you see, that involves ongoing involvement – a continuing to give your attention there where your brother is – not to his behavior – but to that of Excellence in him that you know has to be there. … You will find that inspiration and insight will give you the clarity to know how to be in the moment with that brother or sister. And of course, I mean by that: mother, father, son, daughter, acquaintance – everyone. You will find yourself knowing how to be with that brother and sister that does not allow chaos to persist. You will find that guidelines … – boundaries … for communication will be … established out of your mouth. You will net– not let chaos rule. You see? You will find yourself taking hold. But always you will find yourself taking hold in a context – not that you knew of ahead of time – but a context in which whatever … inarticulate … expressions, or whatever willingness there is to be inarticulate, is being expressed by your brother … will be … squelched and required to fit in to … a means of communication that will allow dialogue to occur, rather than ongoing miscommunication and confusion.
And so you may very well find yourself seeming to be authoritative, but not … an exercise of control … expressed as a means for your not having … to step up to the edge … and lean into the unknown – not as a defense against having to be more conscious.
The exercise of control will be the nudging and the guiding of ideas … that help provide a structure in the relationship that allows the one you're with to abandon his or her defensive practices – and relax enough to let themselves – who they are – to find expression – and for healing to occur. It might take a while, but since you will not be into control, you will not be expressing an agenda … for this other one.
You will … you will be the part of the dance of the relationship that it's your Function to be – … that supports in the most graceful manner – in other words, with grace – a natural Movement out of the darkness of chaos on the part of your sister or brother. ….
But it's almost as though … you're playing a tune that you've never heard before – on an instrument you don't know how to play – with fingers doing things they were never trained to do. And it will happen … easily. 1:03:37:4 complete. … 5:34:8 on CD~2
… Paul has no idea every Sunday night – when we sit down – what's going to come out of his mouth. And it comes out most easily – simply because he let's … a tune is played, a dance occurs … with everyone.
It's not hard. … But you have to be willing to embrace your brother as the Christ. You have to be willing to look for and see the Holy Spirit in your brother – just as you are becoming more willing to see and lean into the Holy Spirit in you – which is nothing more and nothing less than your Right Mind – which is nothing less than the Presence of God. 1:04:53:5 complete.
… Now that is the answer – no matter how complicated the details of any given situation might be – no matter how complex they might seem to be.
… … The Journey Back. Another chapter under our belt. The journey back is not made by an ego improving itself, but is the reawakening in you of the Christ of you – coming back into Its Right Mind – because It's no longer engaging in a fantasy … activation, in order to try to make a sense of self real. And it abandons Its a … divorce proceedings from the Father and rejoins – and lets in the experience of Its Excellence – and then lets in the Excellence of Its brother or sister as well – because, in doing that, it makes yours what you have been willing to extend – what you have been willing to let fill you by virtue of breaking the isolation from your Father – and which you have extended on, and made your own.
I find you worthy … of acknowledging the Divinity of you. You must find your brother worthy of acknowledging the Divinity in him because that's the way you remember Who You Are. And that's just the way it works.
I said that I would open this evening's … get–together for questions or comments, or frustration, whatever. You can talk about gristle you've run into … or filet mignon that you've experienced – but this time is open because … this is the nitty–gritty here.
Shall we start with the complainers?
Attachments ----------------
January 2, 2005 part one.doc (61KB - 56 downloads)
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