Lately, one thing I'm thinking about is something Ken Wapnick said on one of his tapes. Just because you practice A Course In Miracles does not mean things will get better in your life, at least not on a material level. It seems that the New Age and New Thought genres are so full of paths that teach that true spiritual practice is always awarded with financial success. So, Dr. Wapnick's words are such a departure from the norm.
On one hand, this sounds disappointing. I wish it could be assured to me that if I practice the Course correctly then I will be rewarded with material success and assured material happiness and comfort. But on the other hand, what this means is that I can be happy no matter what. It also removes the element of guilt. It resolves that issue of "why do bad things happen to good people?"
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Doing the Course the "wrong" way
It's funny, but perfectionism can often get in the way of me reading the Course. I make all sorts of excuses like, "Well, I need to start the workbook again, but I should start from the beginning and do all exercises exactly as written." It gets to the point where I can't even open the Course because I think to myself, "I need to start reading at such-n-such a place...."
Lately, I'm remembering something written about in THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT A COURSE IN MIRACLES. In that book, the authors write that the only way to do the Course is the "wrong way." What they mean is, you can't be perfectionistic about it. Perfectionism is a way of keeping you from reading the Course.
I remember years ago, in my early 20s, meeting a young lady who told me her parents had been reading the Course since she was a little girl. She then said to me, "Oh, let's open the Course and see where the page falls open and read whatever is there." I was surprised by this simple approach. The book fell open to one of the Workbook lessons, somewhere in the middle of the Workbook. She started to read the lesson. I then asked her, "How long ago did you go through the Workbook?" She responded that she had never been through the Workbook from beginning to end. She just opened the Workbook and read whatever page the book fell open to. I was so surprised to consider that you could read the Course in such an unstructured way.
Lately, I'm taking that young lady's advice. I'm just reading the Course wherever it falls open. My perfectionism about structured study of the Course is obviously an excuse to not read it, and thereby not practice what it teaches.
Lately, I'm remembering something written about in THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT A COURSE IN MIRACLES. In that book, the authors write that the only way to do the Course is the "wrong way." What they mean is, you can't be perfectionistic about it. Perfectionism is a way of keeping you from reading the Course.
I remember years ago, in my early 20s, meeting a young lady who told me her parents had been reading the Course since she was a little girl. She then said to me, "Oh, let's open the Course and see where the page falls open and read whatever is there." I was surprised by this simple approach. The book fell open to one of the Workbook lessons, somewhere in the middle of the Workbook. She started to read the lesson. I then asked her, "How long ago did you go through the Workbook?" She responded that she had never been through the Workbook from beginning to end. She just opened the Workbook and read whatever page the book fell open to. I was so surprised to consider that you could read the Course in such an unstructured way.
Lately, I'm taking that young lady's advice. I'm just reading the Course wherever it falls open. My perfectionism about structured study of the Course is obviously an excuse to not read it, and thereby not practice what it teaches.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Goal setting and present moment living
As all students of A Course In Miracles know, the Course says that the physical world is an illusion.
I don't remember the quote verbatim, and I don't remember where exactly it is in the Course. But there is a place in the Course that speaks about the devastation that comes when one realizes that the world in and of itself offers nothing.
I recently experienced this. I don't want to go into specifics, but for years I'd had a goal in mind, something I wanted to achieve and that I thought once achieved would bring me great happiness. Well, I achieved the goal I'd been seeking for years to achieve. But rather than bring me great happiness, it brought me great disappointment because I came to realize just how illusory my goal was. A somewhat disorienting place to be.
What this teaches me is that, as the Course says, what is most important is living in the present moment. It's quite a transition for me, because I tend to be an incredibly goal oriented person. But the present moment is really all we have, and we can only live in the present moment.
I don't remember the quote verbatim, and I don't remember where exactly it is in the Course. But there is a place in the Course that speaks about the devastation that comes when one realizes that the world in and of itself offers nothing.
I recently experienced this. I don't want to go into specifics, but for years I'd had a goal in mind, something I wanted to achieve and that I thought once achieved would bring me great happiness. Well, I achieved the goal I'd been seeking for years to achieve. But rather than bring me great happiness, it brought me great disappointment because I came to realize just how illusory my goal was. A somewhat disorienting place to be.
What this teaches me is that, as the Course says, what is most important is living in the present moment. It's quite a transition for me, because I tend to be an incredibly goal oriented person. But the present moment is really all we have, and we can only live in the present moment.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Robert Draper's comments on money
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddc4fIrEAIM
Above is a link to a documentary about A Course In Miracles. In this documentary a man named Robert Draper, president of the West Coast branch of Foundation for A Course In Miracles, talks about money. He says that if there are two things in this world that people feel guilty about, it is sex and money.
Mr. Draper goes on to say that he himself used to make money a very important issue in his life. But he came to realize that "money is a future oriented thing, and the Course is about living in the present." I found this statement to be amazing. I myself spend a great deal of time worrying about money, and it is usually future oriented. Well, come to think of it, worry is future oriented.
Anyway, Mr. Draper's words have brought me a lot of peace lately when I worry about money. I stop and remember his words, and then I remember that my worries about money are future oriented -- a future that isn't here, and a scenario that isn't likely to happen. I then bring myself back into the present moment, and all my concern goes away.
I think that in our society we are simply conditioned to worry a lot about money and to think that our self-worth is guaged by how much money we have and how much money we're making. As Mr. Draper says, "We're supposed to feel guilty if we make too much money. We're supposed to feel guilty if we make too little money. That's pretty insane."
Above is a link to a documentary about A Course In Miracles. In this documentary a man named Robert Draper, president of the West Coast branch of Foundation for A Course In Miracles, talks about money. He says that if there are two things in this world that people feel guilty about, it is sex and money.
Mr. Draper goes on to say that he himself used to make money a very important issue in his life. But he came to realize that "money is a future oriented thing, and the Course is about living in the present." I found this statement to be amazing. I myself spend a great deal of time worrying about money, and it is usually future oriented. Well, come to think of it, worry is future oriented.
Anyway, Mr. Draper's words have brought me a lot of peace lately when I worry about money. I stop and remember his words, and then I remember that my worries about money are future oriented -- a future that isn't here, and a scenario that isn't likely to happen. I then bring myself back into the present moment, and all my concern goes away.
I think that in our society we are simply conditioned to worry a lot about money and to think that our self-worth is guaged by how much money we have and how much money we're making. As Mr. Draper says, "We're supposed to feel guilty if we make too much money. We're supposed to feel guilty if we make too little money. That's pretty insane."
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A new year
New years often comes with new resolutions. While I'm not making a new years resolution out of it at all, I have decided that I need to focus more on the Course than I have in the past few years. I am reminded of that story about Helen Schucman meeting with a woman who said to her, "If you use what you are taking down you will be the happiest person in the world."
There are so many circumstances in my life that are less than ideal. I make all kinds of excuses for why I can't be happy. But I'm reminded of the advice that woman gave Helen Schucman. Maybe I can take that advice for myself. Maybe I can use the Course and be happy no matter what. Actually, that reminds me of something Kenneth Wapnick says on one of his tapes, that you can always be happy and at peace regardless of external circumstances. I've been thinking a lot about that statement lately.
Anyway, my lesson for today is: "God, being Love, is also happiness," and "I seek but what belongs to me in truth."
There are so many circumstances in my life that are less than ideal. I make all kinds of excuses for why I can't be happy. But I'm reminded of the advice that woman gave Helen Schucman. Maybe I can take that advice for myself. Maybe I can use the Course and be happy no matter what. Actually, that reminds me of something Kenneth Wapnick says on one of his tapes, that you can always be happy and at peace regardless of external circumstances. I've been thinking a lot about that statement lately.
Anyway, my lesson for today is: "God, being Love, is also happiness," and "I seek but what belongs to me in truth."
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