From the third article within the series about the “miracle” as well as the “mind,” we are going to bring kindness and unkindness to the discussion about specialness. Within a Course in Miracles (ACIM), kindness is associated with humility and learning and unkindness is with arrogance and specialness. The miracle-minded obviously choose humility, learning and kindness which suggests they will eventually discover how to forgive all specialness which is what maintains the separation from God. Belief in separation relates to anyone who is normally the one Son perceiving Himself as separate and different fragments. All unkindness stems from the anxiety from the mind when we repress our fear and guilt as an alternative to forgiving our specialness desires. We blame and project it onto others who are very an integral part of us actually.
There are 2 books by Kenneth Wapnick on, “The Healing Power of Kindness.” Volume 1 is on, “Releasing Judgment” and Volume 2 on, “Forgiving Our Limitations.” In my view, these ought to be required reading and recurring study for everybody who is a life threatening Course student. The following passage says all this:
When you reserve the brilliant metaphysics of an Course in Miracles as well as sophisticated psychological insights, this course may be pared down to a particular rule: Be kind. If you are not kind, then not just have you been not practicing this course, it’s impossible you may also start to comprehend it. Regardless of how brilliant knowing about it of its metaphysics may be, if you are not being kind toward someone else, about to catch doing what this Course is asking (The Healing Power Kindness, Vol.1: Releasing Judgment by Kenneth Wapnick, p. 10, underline mine).
Despite this admonition, we insist on being unkind:
This lack of ability to truly practice A training course in Miracles’ kind principles of forgiveness that they can study, and even just teach, has perhaps been the most serious failing among its students. This book’s sequel, “Few Opt to Listen,” discusses how students often conceal their thought system of specialness underneath the guise of spiritual counseling or friendship. The absence of simple kindness is, unfortunately, unmistakable to all or any except the program student making the spiritual pronouncements (The content Of your Course in Miracles: Each one is Called, p. 306).
The non-dualistic concise explaination kindness can’t be understood here within the connection with dualism so long as specialness is continuously chosen for the reason that ego comes from an unkind thought against God and Heaven. Our unwillingness to recognize this regarding the ego, and just what everything that thought system is capable of singing, is one thing that hinders our progress using the Course. We’ve got to be willing to think about the ego together with the Holy Spirit – the true Teacher – and take that darkness to Him for forgiveness. Nothing may be hidden and that’s straight from the Course.
Kindness To other people Is Kindness To Self
In the books on kindness, Mr. Wapnick also references the source of an person’s unkind behavior is the same fear (and repressed guilt) that is certainly employed in our very own mind and that is what unites us. We have the same right-mind and the same power to make a choice from them. Choosing to be kind won’t make us different or better; rather it implies we have been willing to practice the “kind principles” in the Course so that we could discover how to understand everything it’s teaching. It’s only a question of priority.
He goes on to claim that in mastering the best way to be kind towards others, we’re practicing being kind toward ourselves because, “you and your brother is one. They may be part of you. You are not different.” This holds directly to the guts in the ego’s thought system wherein the very idea of difference is how the ego began – God and His Son were separate and various – and undoes it. Even the slightest hint of specialness may be the ego. What he’s saying becomes clear should you actually study and practice what type forgiveness with the Course!
A life threatening student of the Course desires to know what this means. These students prefer to certainly be a happy learner together with the only true teacher – the Holy Spirit – rather than a spiritually special teacher from the ego in all forms. These are happy to study on Him the way to be free of the burdens linked to denying the reality:
Forgiveness’ kindness is obscure initially, because salvation isn’t understood, nor truly sought for (S-2.I.1). And here you are going to set down the responsibility of denying truth. This is actually the burden that’s terrible, rather than reality (T-21-VI.7).
Self versus “self” -or- Identity versus “identity”
Inside the Course, there is a difference between the “Self” which is our true Identity as Christ as well as the “self” identity together with the ego. This can be a heavily weighed to be aware of because first accepts the part God gave us through being God-created; though the latter is self-created and completely dependent upon the ego along with its function of vengeance tweaking separation. Everyone already believes those are the ego. We couldn’t survive here otherwise. To take into consideration the possibly of these being correct as well as in necessity of correction restores desire to your head because it items to the best way out.
When a spiritually special Course teacher (a type of unhealed healer) teaches specialness in the ego, they may be being unkind towards others and therefore themselves even though they are highly unlikely to see it this way. Also, they are unlikely to believe it really is kind for an individual to possess boundaries together because their fear and guilt (and anxiety) are really great. However, honestly exploring the world, we view that it is filled with the fragmented Sonship who is anxiety-ridden from identifying with all the ego self. Unkindness is rampant on earth plus in the program community. As Wapnick states though, we won’t discover the Course until we choose to get kind.
Our behaviors would be the tyoe of which mind we have chosen (God or perhaps the ego). The ego is often a vengeful and tyrannical thought system of unkindnesses whereas freedom as a result is tied right to kindness:
Without anxiety your brain is wholly kind (T-6.III.3).
Freedom cannot be learned by tyranny of any type (T-8.IV.7).
It is also unkind to alter this course and spiritual specialness does that through competition with God and thus everyone. One small change effectually changes the whole thing in the Course, an utter thought system. If you feel you already know that, that you do not. If you know one does, you will be kind to suit your needs view the inherent value kindness plays in mastering and knowing the Course. As Wapnick states, “It’s a matter of priority.”
When Kindness Calls
In summary, let’s reverse how to Mr. Wapnick with his fantastic book, “The Message Of A Course In Miracles: Few Decide to Listen,” and Chapters 4 and 6 on spiritual specialness. I’ll highlight some important passages starting with an incredibly telling quote. First, however, allow me to add that two-book set (including, “Few Decide to Listen”) also need to be required ongoing study for serious Course students:
“Love is frightening which is all-encompassing and there there is absolutely no room for specialness or individual uniqueness.”
He procedes to explain that whenever we are influenced to call attention to our review offers some deficiency, or lack, we’re planning to make such limitation real and into something which divides the Sonship. The rock of salvation is always that no one can lose so another gains, i.e., there’s nothing to take from another, even if it’s just their success. However, do not understand why until following the essential time committed to learning that these particular words are really correct in addition to their true meaning. What your body seem doing tells us which internal teacher we now have chosen – the ego or Holy Spirit. The ego is limitations, judgment, specialness and separation – the very complete opposite of the Sonship jointly.
When we’re not kind, we are really not Course students or teachers of God (the Course as our path). When kindness calls, it ought to be chosen as kindness brings about miracle-mindedness. Unkindness is in the ego.
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