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A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is a self-study course of what we would call "correction of the intellect," the necessary change we must make in our thinking in order to be able to relearn joy of living and the way of loving ourselves as we move forward on this path of Vedic meditation. As stated in Wikipedia, "The book [ACIM] describes a non-dualistic philosophy of forgiveness." This is Veda. Non-dualism, or, in Sanskrit, advaita. In Sanskrit, dvaita means duality. An "a" added at the beginning of a Sanskrit word turns the word into its opposite. Hence, advaita means non-duality. Identity of supreme soul with the human soul. Oneness.
Veda speaks of consciousness via discussion of the laws of nature. A Course in Miracles, written in the West for Westerners, uses the paradigm of Christianity to describe consciousness. But we easily may take from the teaching the same message we take from the Veda.
The metaphor of crucifixion is powerful to us, having grown up surrounded by images of the crucified Christ. The easy acceptance of pain and suffering, even the championing of it as an appropriate approach to God, is part and parcel of this idea of God dying for our sins. If he can let his own son die, God incarnate, then who are we to complain about our suffering? So The Course in Miracles' equating of suffering with ego-identification can make sense on perhaps a deeper, even pre-verbal level to us, perhaps helping us along in our path toward wholeness of life. And some of it is written so beautifully, and powerfully:
Each day, each hour and minute, even every second, you are deciding between the crucifixion and the resurrection; between the ego and the Holy Spirit. The ego is the choice for guilt; the Holy Spirit the choice for guiltlessness. The power of decision is all that is yours. What you can decide between is fixed because there are no alternatives except truth and illusion. And there is no overlap between them, because they are opposites which cannot be reconciled and cannot both be true. You are guilty or guiltless, bound or free, unhappy or happy.
A Course in Miracles
Today I will choose to see guiltlessness in myself, and in everyone around me.
Crosses, Waverley Cemetery, Bronte Beach, Sydney
All material copyright Jeff Kober
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