This informative article begins a series on which A Course in Miracles (ACIM) means when it speaks of the “miracle” and the “mind.” Many students can cite definitions from the Course, understanding the non-dualistic meaning within the experience of dualism takes some time to understand and apply. It is only with the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit that people can make this happen unlearning-learning process. Correction is in the mind of the perceiver and not through forms as true choice is between listening two voices: God or the ego. Claims to be of a “miracle mind” is actually the ego, forgiveness-to-destroy and spiritual specialness. The ego speaks first and the loudest. Love is quiet; and love is expressed in this world through right-minded forgiveness.
Spiritual specialness is from the unconscious arrogance of the ego wrong mind which believes it is in competition with God. Since we’re yet, we’re actually competing with everyone all the time until we learn this lesson acim teacher. All conflict arises from the idea of competition. Spiritual specialness makes some relationships holy and others not because the ego’s agenda is that people don’t remember that the reason given anything is in the mind from choosing with God or the ego. To take back our decision making ability is the purpose of the Course.
The ego’s voice, which we mistakenly believe could be the Holy Spirit, contains no humility nor dependence on God. Rather, it is the voice to be self-created, i.e., the authority problem. Most of us have confusion regarding the writer of our existence (ego or God) and the difference between form (illusion) and content (mind where correction take place). To be miracle-minded, we can not be in conflict on any level for the right-mind itself is conflict-free. There’s a difference between right-miracle-minded and the miracle mind of the ego.
We have no honesty when we use spiritual specialness once we say we’re more holy, more chosen by God than another. This can be a defense against the alternative and i will be discussing this subject in greater depth in subsequent article. Being more chosen could be the antithesis of the Course’s message.
To continue this discussion, let’s begin with some word symbol definitions. We shall look at the ego definition and the Course’s definition. Only the ego is fully definable because it is limitation itself. Perceived lack through projected forms (illusions) leads directly to spiritual specialness.
The Ego’s Miracle:
In the dictionary, the term symbol definition for “miracle” is: “An astonishing or welcome event that’s not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore regarded as being the work of a divine agency.” The definition for “agency” is, “An organization with two or more parties.”
This can be a perfect example wherein two separate parties, the ego god and its version of the vengeful God, compete for forms within the dualistic illusion because the “divine agency.” This is why forms don’t need correction but rather the mind that perceives this silliness is in need of correction. Asking the ego god for a miracle event (to replace a form with a form) distorts prayer and the Son forgets who He is. The ego becomes the writer of the Son’s existence and spiritual specialness takes root wherein the Son who’s choosing the ego, competes with God to make himself special to have noticed by God. So long as we don’t understand this, we remain a prisoner of this world.
A standard mistake for getting noticed here by God is to trust that changing our mind will change our life (forms, bodies, behaviors, relationships, etc.). In line with the ego, if we have an excellent life, we avoid punishment but there are numerous versions (forms) of an excellent life so that’s full of judgment. Again, changing forms make error real since it applies judgment this one form is way better while condemning another.
There’s no life outside Heaven. Purpose is in the mind; and our life’s purpose is to understand and practice forgiveness if we are to be miracle-minded. Peace, or inner peace, is all about content and not form. It is from choosing what is not of this world (the right-minded content of the Holy Sprit) which is the actual miracle-mind within the illusory world. The miracle is a shift in perception and not really a shift in form (illusion).
The Course’s Miracle:
In the Course, the term symbol definition for “miracle” is very long due to what all a miracle accomplishes. We’ve referenced some aspects but to completely understand the miracle, spend some time and willingness to unlearn the ego version and learn the ACIM version by beginning with Chapter 1: The Meaning of Miracles. Additionally, Kenneth Wapnick has written a guide called, “The 50 Miracle Principles of A Course in Miracles.” For the goal of this brief article, it is sufficient for people to add the following in to the discussion:
“The miracle forgives; the ego damns (C-2.10). Miracle-minded forgiveness is the only real correction since it does not have any element of judgment at all (T-2.V.A). Wholeness could be the perception content of miracles. Thus they correct, or atone for, the faulty perception of lack (T-1.I.41). Miracles arise from a miraculous state of mind, or state of miracle readiness (T-1.I.43). Miracles are an expression of inner awareness of Christ and acceptance of His Atonement (T-1.I.44).”
The Ego’s Mind:
In the dictionary, the term symbol definition for “mind” is: “The element of an individual that permits them to keep yourself informed of their world and their experiences, to think and to feel, the intelligence and brains, reasoning and judgment.” Intelligence is a key point which reveals the option being created using the ego wrong mind.
Intelligence is defined as, “The ability to acquire knowledge and skills, intellect, judgment and reasoning.” Intelligence makes the entire world real (error real) by making use of judgment this one form surpasses another. If we look back at the Course’s definition for the miracle, “Miracle-minded forgiveness is the only real correction since it does not have any element of judgment at all (T-2.V.A).
How fast intelligence gets used as a system through spiritual specialness to compete with God is astounding. We believe we’re after the Holy Spirit’s guidance when it’s actually the ego god. As an example, everywhere we use intelligence to handle other people’s issues which really is a blame projection. You can find no “other people’s issues” unless we first believe in separation and differences and want to see our repressed guilt in another. Everyone and everything is part of our mind. Further, to claim it is our job to handle or correct other’s issues take specialness to a much more arrogant level of being chosen by God. We are literally saying with this ego that people may do the Holy Spirit’s job better than Him which removes a billboard sign announcing our direct competition with God. It uses, “I’m better than you” forgiveness-to-destroy, the most massive in separation between God and our brothers.
The intellect is also to blame behind our need to produce a curriculum of teaching the Course through retreats and workshops for money. Quite simply, we are now saying the Course’s curriculum by Jesus is insufficient and we are able to do better. We do this because we do not understand the Course’s point that people are all unhealed healers attempting to complete what we cannot do for ourselves and thus why we truly need the Voice for God. This really is another indicate be discussed in the next article. Very, not many are right-minded enough to allow Holy Spirit lead the way in which because most believe they are in competition with God and others.
Nowhere does any of this signify we may not want boundaries with ego’s crossing the line with spiritual specialness. In reality, it is unkind not to have boundaries when spiritual specialness gets control since it includes such massive arrogance of someone believing they are better than another. Competition makes egos act incredibly vengeful because of the total belief in lack.
The Course’s Mind:
In the Course, the term symbol definition for “mind” is, “The activating agent of spirit, supplying its creative energy (C-1.1).” This really is broken on to, “Right-mindedness which describes the Holy Spirit, forgives the entire world, and through Christ’s vision sees the real world in its place (C-1.5); and wrong-mindedness which listens to the ego and makes illusions (C-1.6). Nowadays, the only real remaining freedom could be the freedom of preference; always between two choices or two voices (C-1.7).”
As Kenneth Wapnick once said, “Love is quiet and need not make assertions.” The miracle-minded recognize that prayer is always to ask to learn to forgive first so that true prayer is released back to song. Our goal is usually to be miracle-minded with the actual miracle mind of the Holy Spirit right-mind and that’s only through choice. The energy of decision can be your one remaining freedom as a prisoner of this world You can choose to see right (T-12.VII.9).
