Hope Johnson's Wisdom Dialogues
Hope Johnson's Wisdom Dialogues
Body As A Device, Mind As Cause | A Course In Miracles Deep Dive | Chapter 3 · Section I · Paragraph 4 · Sentence 4 to Paragraph 5, Sentence 3 | January 14, 2025
Ever notice how quickly we blame our bodies for our feelings? We dig into A Course in Miracles’ bold reminder that mind is cause and the body is a neutral device for learning and communication. By returning cause to thought, we dissolve the exhausting loop where symptoms, circumstances, and biographies get treated as the source of fear. That shift doesn’t deny care; it frees care from panic and restores gentle responsibility: honest noticing, clear choosing, and willingness to let correction happen.
From there, we tackle a subtle trap: awe. When admiration becomes awe among equals, hierarchy sneaks in. Pedestals feel inspiring at first, then quietly breed dependency, over-caring, and fear of loss. We share simple tells—monitoring someone’s state, feeling responsible for their peace, or shrinking around their perceived power—and offer a clean replacement: recognition. Equal worth, shared mind, steady respect, genuine gratitude. This clears space for guidance to lead without specialness distorting the bond.
We also re-anchor awe where it belongs: with the Creator. Properly placed, awe doesn’t make us small; it confirms safety, source, and real power. Misplaced, it confuses awesome with fearful and keeps us braced against the very love that heals. Through stories, practical examples, and ACIM references, we show how to stop using the body as a defense, how to meet sensations as mirrors instead of meanings, and how to let miracles arise when defenses fall away. The result is less rumination, fewer bodily narratives, and more ease in everyday choices.
If this conversation sparked clarity, subscribe, share with a friend who loves ACIM, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Your notes help others find the show and join the practice.
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Yeah. Aloha, and welcome to a course in miracles deep dive with Hope Johnson. Today we're beginning on chapter three, section one, paragraph four, sentence four. Yay. Let's start with tuning in. Yeah. Thank you for joining. Ah, so much gratitude for these teachings and uh for the willingness of Jesus, which is our true, our real self, the willingness of our true self, let's say, to bring these teachings to us in such a patient and loving way, and to be so specific about the path and what to do and how to view things. Thank you so much to everyone who's joining with an open heart and open mind to see through the illusion as quickly and joyfully as possible. Yay, let's get into it. I love you. Aloha. All right. Thank you, lovely peeps. If you're on Substack or Zoom and you're live with me, feel free to type in any questions or anything you'd like to add to the conversation. Yay! So we're just gonna jump right in with paragraph four, six, sentence four from section one of chapter three of the complete annotated edition of A Course in Miracles. And then I'll give a little background as we're going through it. Yay. Here's the text. Please remember that its constructive use described above. I'm gonna get into all of this. Please remember that its constructive use described above is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. Okay, so let's look at this. Please remember that it's constructive use. Okay, so its constructive use is referring specifically to the body's limited role as a communication device within the illusion. Limited role. It has no other role. It's already that that's already been defined. Okay, so described above, it says described above. Uh this is anchoring a prior sentence, right? That specifically the body's role is limited as a communication device. And I'll get into that a little bit deeper as well. There's another part, hardly a real part. It says, please remember that its constructive use, the body's constructive use, described above, is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. So hardly a real part. So even at it at its best, the body's usefulness is limited to this. So Jesus is deliberately minimizing the body's usefulness to one thing, right? A communication device, and then it says it's hardly a real part of your own real equipment. So the body again, it's not part of your own real equipment. So what belongs to the mind, the spirit, thought, will, extension, creation. All right, and what does not? It's not your own the body isn't your own real equipment. Your real equipment are aspects of the mind. See that, even with the body's most constructive function as a communication device, it's still not any part of anything that you can use on your own. It's not what you're really equipment equipped with. Your real equipment is entirely of the mind. So this is important to recognize before we get on with it. Okay, because from here the text is going to go into responsibility for thought, and a lot of the times this can be taken as a guilty projection where there's thinking that your responsibility is for the body. It's not part of your real equipment. So in the sentence again, it says, please remember that it's construction constructive use, the body's constructive use, described above. So okay, it's constructive use. I said earlier it's a communication device, that's the constructive use of it.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_03:So earlier in chapter two, section seven, Jesus talks about it like this: the body is a learning device for the mind. Learning devices are not lessons in themselves. These are all quotes. Their purpose is to facilitate the thinking of the learner. Faulty use cannot introduce actual learning errors. So faulty, faulty use. Basically, you're using the body on your own. You're using your body, the body to get something in the world. You're not using it as a learning device or communication device. Um, basically the same thing. Uh you're using it to try to, let's say, hook another body, uh, attempt to get something in the world. And this always happens in thought. It's at the level of thought, right? So even this, it doesn't introduce actual learning errors, even faulty faultily using the body doesn't introduce actual learning errors because the body isn't inherently open to misinterpretation. If you're using it as a communication device, if you're using it as a learning device, that's what you're doing now.
SPEAKER_02:So that phrase, learning device, that's the entire definition.
SPEAKER_03:I called it a communication device. Um, it comes to that. Right now it's being presented as a learning device. So from the sentences that from the sentences themselves that I just read from chapter two, the body is a learning device for the mind. Learning devices are not lessons in themselves, their purpose is to facilitate the thinking of the learner. Faulty use cannot introduce actual learning errors because it's all mental and it's all now. So the body isn't inherently open to misinterpretation. Our mind uses it for misinterpretation as in judging the body as if it means something, and then that leads to confusion. So we can say from those sentences, the body doesn't think, it doesn't create, and it doesn't generate any meaning. It can only be used by the mind, it can only reflect what the mind is learning. So its constructive use is as an instrument or a device. Okay, when I'm do uh okay, I see what I'm doing. And that's all really it is. You just see what you see where your mind is being hooked, and then that way you you can see where to let go to allow ease. Yeah, it's like a mirror because it's a reflection of the unconscious mind, right? So it doesn't because it's made in separation, it's reflecting a mind that believes it's separate. So as the thought of separation is undone in the mind, the body seems to be more easeful, less pain, less anxiety, less stress, uh disease isn't possible. Pain isn't possible for a mind that is guiltless. So it's a really good reflection in that way. Like, you know, for instance, if you seem to get some kind of sickness, like for me, if I get any kind of symptoms or anything like that, I just recognize that the symptom is coming from my mind and has no cause in the world. And that tends to, it seemingly shifts things quickly, even on the surface level. Okay. Okay. The body does not heal, it does not communicate any meaning. Only the mind can communicate meaning, not the body. It doesn't convey any truth, it's not guidance. All of that would require thought, which gets denied. You know, it's getting it, it gets it gets denied. The thought of God gets denied when we're focused in this way, like the body is meaningful. So let's see. So in sentence four, the use of the body was immediately qualified by Jesus, or paragraph four. Let me go back to that. Please remember, right, paragraph four, sentence four. Please remember that its constructive use, decide described above, is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. And, you know, one reason he qualifies it like that is because when we hear, even we hear the body is a learning device. And, you know, that's why at this point I prefer communication device, you know, and this is why he's qualifying it right after he says learning device, because it automatically tempts the ego to say, then the body must be part of what I am. So this is uh this sentence is blocking that, saying even this learning device function is hardly a real part of your real equipment. So, yes, the body can be used and is useful while learning is needed, and know that use doesn't really belong to what you actually are, it's not your real equipment. So, you know, we're going into allowing the body to be used, not us trying to use it. And you know, this fits in for me, this fits in with uh one of the miracle principles. I think it's one of the really early ones that says miracles should be involuntary. So you're not deciding what action your body needs to take, you're allowing that to be orchestrated. Uh, it's always orchestrated, anyways, uh, yet it gets orchestrated according to what you need. See, and you may be trying to orchestrate, which is really common, according to what you want. So the body is only serving as a learning device for the mind. We don't really care about it, but notice how every ego thought has the body at the center. It's all about caring for it and protecting it. Every ego thought, the body, is body-centered, even when it seems to be thinking about another person. So it's meant to serve as a device for the mind, only while the mind is being corrected, though. So now I want to reference that phrase again uh the described above, and your own real equipment. So the sentence again, so we keep it in view here. Please remember that it's your body's constructive use described above, is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. So the contrast, you see, it's the body and your own real equipment. So what's already been established in the text as belonging to you as opposed to the body. What equipment? What equipment is this, right? Doesn't mean tools, it doesn't mean abilities, it doesn't mean skills in a worldly sense, doesn't even mean psychic abilities, anything like that. What you actually have at your disposal is a mind. So let's see what the mind already has. Here's what the text already identified as belonging to you. The mind, where thinking occurs, where error occurs, and where correction occurs. All of those things.
SPEAKER_02:That's the foundation.
SPEAKER_03:Jesus says in chapter two, only the mind can make or create. So the equipment you have is thinking, choosing, misusing, or correcting thought. See, the body does none of this.
SPEAKER_00:And then that's your cue, that's the mirror, that's the that's right.
SPEAKER_03:Uh so Tony's asking, isn't your nervous system, like if you're paying attention to your nervous system and you notice when anxiety or pressure or pain or anything like that arises, isn't that a cue? Yes, the body is reflecting the unconscious mind. And you know, if you go through a Course in Miracles lessons, it's all about that. You're noticing when there's any kind of fearful energy by recognizing how you feel. When you recognize that you feel a certain way, you don't feel content. What you need to know is there is a thought that needs correction. See that? It's not physical. The body doesn't think, doesn't choose, doesn't feel. He shared that so far, too. Doesn't feel devices, they facilitate. They don't learn anything. So it says this is an interesting sentence. I want to dive a little bit deeper into this here because it makes sense here. In chapter two, section seven, Jesus said, it does not have the power in itself to introduce actual learning errors, it being the body again. Error isn't is what it's saying is errors aren't in the equipment. They're in its use, the body being the equipment here. Error is not in the equipment, it's in its use. So your real equipment can't be damaged, can't be altered by misuse, it can't be lost. The body doesn't learn anything, doesn't uh doesn't even misinterpret anything, doesn't correct anything. That's all mind. So even when the body is used, let's say it's used by the Holy Spirit, or it's used by the ego, it's still external to what you're really equipped with. It's a projection. That's why Jesus says its constructive use is hardly, quote, hardly a real part. Not because it's bad, but because it's more incidental. It's an incidental. So what he's reinforcing here, without introducing abstractions yet, Jesus is drawing a line here. He's saying your equipment is what belongs to the to the mind. A device, which is your body, is what's temporarily being used. Body as a device.
SPEAKER_00:It's actually just an intimate experience.
SPEAKER_03:Tony's saying it's just an intimate experience. Yes. And you know, that's what it comes down to when you're seeing, when you're present, right? When you don't have any kind of thought bothering you, that's just what it is. It's just an intimate experience with what is, yeah. So we're seeing here how to undo these thoughts that block that from happening, or you know, uh getting the sense that you're uh you've you've just been struck with an emotion, you know, like oh, you know, earlier today Tony left his wallet in the restaurant, and and you know, I just know how the patterns go. You know, the the mind will just start speaking about all these things that could go wrong, the ruminating mind, right? It just automatically throws things out. But it's like you, you know, when you you recognize uh Tony did great with it, of course. He's awesome. Uh he noticed too, as soon as as soon as it occurred, he noticed. He goes, uh, he goes, oh, now I can worry about money or something like that, and laughed about it. Uh because it's just obvious, nothing's really happening. You didn't really leave your wallet anywhere. It's just bringing up patterns so you can see what the ego is handing you right now saying you need to worry about this. Yeah, all your shit was in there, your passport, your money, all your credit cards, and you're like not at home at the same time. It's just a this comes really fast. So so the more you're you're looking at this and you're recognizing what the body is actually for, this includes everything it goes through, all of its experiences. Uh, it's a it's a parent experience, really. Only the mind is experiencing two. The mind is using the body as a device to have experience. Isn't that funny? Because of not knowing itself. Normally, we don't need to use a body to have any experience, because the body that we're created as is wholly capable of having wholly loving experiences. See, we are that we are you could say body mind. What's what's been created? We're perfectly capable of having wholly loving experiences. So, of course, I'm checking on you guys to see if you have anything. Okay, everyone's doing awesome. I love it. So, I want to address the word hardly a little bit deeper. It says, please remember that it's constructive use, the body's constructive use described above, is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. So, up to this point in the text, Jesus has already allowed one thing for the body. The body can be used as a learning device. If he said not at all, see how he says hardly. If he said not at all, he would contradict what he's just permitted. He's permitted uh the body to be used as a learning device, and that's all. So hardly is saying, yes, a use has been allowed. We're gonna get into that later in the text, but don't overestimate it, don't think it's yours to use to make miracles like that, because you know, the ego identity will take this over and lead you into confusion. Nothing's gonna go wrong, of course. Nothing goes wrong. When the ego identity takes over something, it just leads to confusion. That's how you know, and then you just come back again. It's easy, it's fun. So if Jesus said the body is not at all part of your real equipment, you know, people might say, and they seem to say this anyways, why am I still using it? Why am I here? If it's not real and I don't have a body, he's saying it does have a use. It's not the way you do it. It's really common, and Jesus knows this too. It's so common for people on the spiritual path to get into resistance and also premature metaphysics before seeing, okay, practically what is this for. So with hardly, he's keeping you engaged without inflating the body into this status, right? A status that would hurt your mind. So say, okay, don't be killing the body or anything. Don't be mean to the body, don't be abusing the body. It does have a use, it's not the way you have been doing it. So that's what's coming up. So incidental, the body as incidental. It's present in a dream, but it's not defining anything. It's not essential, it's not necessary to what you are. That's the distinction. The usefulness of the body is incidental to learning, right? It's not, it doesn't define you, it's no cause for any pride in any way that it or shame for that matter. It's never going to empower you. It just doesn't belong to anything you actually have. Yet it's going to be around while learning is undone. So this hardly is protecting against misidentification. There's a danger at this stage, and that's identification as this body, and may also be hatred of the body. It's not to be hated, it's totally neutral. See that? So it's not to get anything for the body. Let all things come that seem to be for the body. Don't spiritualize the body. Right? Don't turn these metaphysics into a defense mechanism mechanism. I've seen that so many times. Like, oh well, the body isn't even here. I might as well just, I don't know. Jump off the roof, right? Or something else. Try to spiritualize the body. The thing is, the ego thoughts are thinking about the body all day long, projecting thoughts about the body all day long. So seeing it is not so important. Nothing to be prideful about, nothing to be fearful about. So again, your real equipment is your mind. That's thought and learning and correction. The body is something that can be used and is being used, but is not owned by you. So by hardly, Jesus is saying, even at its best, the body is peripheral, you could say. Incidental. It's not what you're really equipped with.
SPEAKER_02:It's not your real equipment.
SPEAKER_03:So he's saying it's great for temporary use, but no identity, no importance, no reality.
SPEAKER_00:It's equal to all the other ten thousand things that are empty also.
SPEAKER_03:Tony's saying the body is equal to all the other ten thousand things that are empty, also. Well, I think there's more than ten thousand, but that's good. Yes. Yeah. And you know, it's it's fun to it's it's fun to just uh hear that and see it that way. Uh because everything that is perceived is first a sensation in the body sense. It all comes off of that. Right? It's like it's that's the first projection, a sensation. That's the first projection still coming from the mind, and that's why your body is useful as a learning device, which we'll get into soon. We'll get into that more. So we are going on to Celeste says, premature metaphysication, new word of the day. I love it. Thank you. So, unless anyone has any questions about sentence four, I'll read it one more time. Please remember that it's the body, constructive use described above, is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. All right. So now we go to sentence five of paragraph four. It, again, the body, is a particularly inappropriate defense as you use it. So remember, earlier we're talking about there's appropriate and inappropriate defenses, and I can only urge you to avoid it. It, the body, is a particularly inappropriate defense as you use it, and I can only urge you to avoid it. Okay, it in that place must be avoiding the inappropriate defense. The body as a defense. Okay, so it's not the body particularly, it's the way it's being used. It's always, always, always coming from the mind. So it's using the body or body identification or some kind of bodily function or a bodily illness, let's say, as a way to defend against responsibility. True responsibility is responsibility in the mind. So we were saying earlier, uh, the body is not a source of error. Okay, it's not a source of thought, it's not a force, a source of error. So this is a conceptual defense projected on the body. It's projecting fear on the body. That's what Jesus is talking about. When you use it defensively, let's see, it is a particularly inappropriate defense as you use it. And I can only urge you to avoid it. So, yes, I will be getting into some examples here so you can see what this means. So, first of all, what does he mean when he's saying an inappropriate defense? That's a way of avoiding correction. It displaces responsibility, it puts it on the body, it's a way of keeping error as if it's coming from outside of the mind. All error is in the mind. We're getting to that, see. So the defense is treating the body as if it explains, protects, limits, or justifies anything about the mind. So that includes locating fear in the body. See, when there's a body sense that there's fear, that's not where it's located. Pain is fear, and fear is in a fearful feeling that arises. It's not where it's located, though. It's coming from the mind. Another way, another uh way of treating the body this way as an uh inappropriate, is that what I said? Inappropriate defense. Okay, is making out uh the conflict you feel to be in an experience, or locating limitation in form. We spoke to that, Jesus spoke to that earlier uh with uh pseudo-retardation, basically locating causation anywhere but the mind. We talked about cause and effect earlier as well. So all this has already been uh already been uh laid out in the earlier text, and so Jesus is just tightening in on the consequence right here, it blocks learning. That's the consequence of using the body inappropriately, a mind using a body inappropriately. So I'm gonna give some examples now. I mentioned locating fear in the body, so that looks like my anxiety. I'm having anxiety because my foot hurts, for instance, or I'm having anxiety because I got a headache, or I'm having anxiety because I'm going for surgery tomorrow. Okay, that's a that's an example of using it as using the body as an inappropriate defense. I'm afraid right now because my stomach is tight. See, that's that's flipping cause and effect. Your stomach is tight, or your stomach is nauseous, or anything because you're afraid. Or something, my or like my body is having a panic attack right now. I can't even help it. You're kidding. And the way to approach that is just recognize that you're kidding. The first time I recognized that I was a little tiny kid, I seemed to get hurt really bad. And I just automatically found myself crying. And I had a recognition there that I was faking it. Was that a recognition? And that's really what it always is. Because it's coming from the mind, even all the pain. And in the recognition that I was faking it, even though it looked like something was on me that looked like, you know, a huge burn. It just didn't carry the weight anymore. I felt completely safe. I felt free. And you know, I saw that, and I go, hmm, I kind of clicked in. The body isn't doing anything on its own. It's not really doing anything at all. It's just reflecting what the mind wants to see. So imagine that. You're like a seven-year-old kid and you got a big ass bird on your leg, and you're like, I'm faking it. The mind is only, then when you see that, the mind is only projecting what it wants to see. You are only projecting what you want to see, but you covered it up as if you don't want it, of course. You don't want to burn on your leg, apparently, but you actually do because you seem to have one. See, uh, another example is this feeling just came out of nowhere. No, it comes from your mind. See, this is how we explain fear away as a bodily reaction. Okay, it's pretending like this isn't an effect. This is it's it's pretending like this sickness, injury, whatever, isn't already an effect of a thought you chose. It's a projection of an unconscious, unwatched. Another word for that is unwatched mind. So when the body becomes the cause, like I'm afraid because I feel this way, that's confusion. And it's so, so common. That's why I'm giving you guys examples. This is not to condemn anything you find yourself doing or even to try to avoid it, it's to recognize that this is what it is when you're when you're watching it and not reacting to it. And the reason you wouldn't be reacting to it is because you wouldn't be making it meaningful. Watching it from a place of uh impersonal awareness. So it's kind of like saying, it's not really my thinking, it's just my body. My body's just doing that. For instance, my body's throwing up right now. It's just my body doing that. No, it's not actually. And that's a subtlety that will really change things for you. It's a gentle recognition. That doesn't mean not taking care of any symptoms or anything like that. That let that take be taken care of on its own. Let the body just be used as that learning device, no matter what it seems to be doing. Don't use the reflections of what it seems to be doing as some kind of condemnation on you. Okay, another way of using the body as an inappropriate defense is locating your conflict, the inner conflict that you perceive in circumstances. For instance, I'm upset because of what they said. And people might agree with you. Gosh, that would be upsetting if they said something like that. Or the situation is stressful. There's no stressful situations, there's only you making a neutral situation into something stressful. Just be honest about that. People who are who are in the world of the world, you could say, because they haven't opened their mind to the reality, or maybe they're just learning and they don't know, they would say anyone would be stressed by that situation. If I were in your position, I would be stressed too. Another one, very common, locating conflict and circumstances. If my life were different, I would be whatever, peaceful, happy, calm, rich, whatever. If my life were only different, that's using the body as a defense, an inappropriate defense. So when you're making conflict seem like it's attributed to external conditions, the mind is basically saying to itself, peace is impossible until circumstances change. That spell, okay, pay attention to this. That spell, peace is impossible until circumstances change, becomes a way of being. See that? So unless something happens, like I get a windfall, or I don't know, the right person walks into my life. I get some kind of break, then there can be peace. And this is something that I just saw so so clearly last year. It really dawned on my mind. That's why there was a huge change. It was just like, whoo. No, nothing's gonna change because this is a state of mind in itself. Anything, uh, you know, any thought that says I'm somehow confined here is incorrect. But these unwatched thoughts, they're they don't lose power by you ignoring them, they gain power by you ignoring them, go into the unconscious mind and manifest for you. See, so it's a state of being uh that's reflecting and always projecting. So uh by state of being, what do I mean? The thought choice being made right now, usually made from the unconscious mind, but it doesn't have to be when you make the unconscious conscious, you're released from that. So remembering that error is in the mind, correction is also in the mind. Circumstances themselves, whatever the circumstance may be, those don't think. They got no power, that means they have no power over you because they don't think. You're the only one thinking in the whole perception, you're thinking it up. Everything that you perceived is a result of thought. There's no one and nothing here. So when you use circumstances to justify your disturbance, whether it's a disturbance in form or disturbance in your mind, you're using and the body as an inappropriate defense. Again, not a judgment at all. Just to notice, just to notice lightly, not I will change that, not I need to do better or anything like that. Lightly and politely, nice to yourself, sweet to yourself, notice when you're doing these things. That's all. It's fun. Okay, another way using the body as an inappropriate defense is locating your limitations, your apparent limitations, in form. For instance, I can't do something because of my body. No, no, no. It's not it. Possibilities are limitless for you. Your body is not a limitation. Mind is projecting that body. I mean, you might just change that a little bit. It seems like I can't do this because of my body.
unknown:Right?
SPEAKER_03:Then you're then you're aware your mind is actually projecting this limitation. Can make that about your age. I'm too old for that. Uh one of my favorite ones. I don't know how old I need to get, apparently, before people stop telling me, wait till you get to be my age. I can say that's probably my personal favorite. Wait till you get to be my age. Oh, I got to be the age of a lot of people that told me, wait till you get to be my age. And you know, I still didn't feel limited. I didn't feel didn't still didn't feel limited in that way, in the way they were trying to uh express to me as if I'm gonna finally succumb and go, okay, it's old. It can't do any, it can't do the things it used to do. No, even if I perceive it not doing the things it used to do, I know it's coming from my mind. Energy levels, health, none of that stuff limits you because it's all coming from your mind. And that in itself is showing you're not limited at all, you're having a wild imagination. Okay, it takes more imagination to come up with lack of energy, aging, and disease than to project a perfectly healthy, vital body. So we're all using a lot of energy here to uh prop this up, to prop this whole illusion up.
SPEAKER_00:With interpretation.
SPEAKER_03:With interpretation. Yes. Thank you, Tony. So Tony's saying with interpretation.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's interpreting reality is unspeakable. So when we try to interpret it, we jack it up.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. He's saying reality is unspeakable, and that's who we are. So we are reality. These interpretations of saying telling ourselves what's limiting us is just interpretation. It doesn't mean anything. It'll be this is just how I'm built, or someone might say, I'm just really sensitive, or something like that. So don't use form to define capability, or at least recognize uh recognize when you're doing that. The don't part will arise on its own, actually. When you're recognizing when you're doing that without judging it, you naturally allow that to fall away. It's really gentle. So when you're using the when you're using the body like that, like locating your limitation in in form, what it's really like, the spell that you're putting yourself under is like what I am is limited by what I seem to be. You are all powerful mind. That can't be limited by what you seem to be. The self of form, the body, is what you seem to be. That's not reality. That would contradict if I thought what I am is limited by what I seem to be. That is such a common one, you guys. I hear that so commonly. Or I am human. No, you're not. You know what? Not used in that way. I am human, and so I'm limited. Not used in that way. No, that's not true. That would contradict what we've already been talking about. All power is in the mind. Learning occurs in the mind. True equipment, your real equipment is of the mind. And devices that includes the body and anything else. Tony said 10,000 things. I'm thinking 50 billion things, whatever it is that arises in the perception.
SPEAKER_00:Sure. It's endless.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:It's limitless, but that's what makes us small.
SPEAKER_03:It makes us small, and we divide things up. Yes, it's like it's kind of like uh this this moment that's arising in the perception is just one movement. You say all perceivers, all perceivers, one movement. So we wanted to keep the form as a neutral device. All form is a neutral device. So locating causation anywhere but the mind would be an inappropriate defense. See how what you're defending against, the reason it's inappropriate, is because you're defending against your own learning. The ego mind always says it like this they made me feel this way. This happened to me. My past causes, let's say my childhood caused this. My childhood is causing me to act like this right now. Let's say my biology wired me like this.
SPEAKER_01:Hmm.
SPEAKER_03:That's a good one. That's really common. What about astrology? That's another one. So, astrology is not saying what kind of uh external forces the planet or what have you are doing anything to you. That's a mirror, it's a mirror. It's just it's it's showing you what you're making right now. And it's funny you'll you'll see the astrology change too when changes occur. I mean, I heard a story about the planets apparently moved in the sky to change my astrology. Well, so let's say you get a ch you you get a sense like I do, I'm oriented toward uh, you know, loving and caring for my friends and people who are close to me, right? When the ego gets a hold of something like that, and you know, that's not really true. That's what I'm projecting, but it's not really true. So when the ego gets a hold of something like that, it'll say I could be taken advantage of. So I need to withdraw, I need to harden, I need to disconnect from people, I need to protect myself. But what's actually happening there, it's a defense to seeing that any, you know, the fear is overcaring, right? Uh the fear is overcaring. That's actually ego manipulation, though. It's not true care. Whenever it's any kind of uh uh sense like someone's taking advantage of you or being mean to you or anything like that, it's always uh something to do with the ego. So in this way, I could still be caring, which feels good to me, but get better at listening and trusting guidance instead of making it up that the world is dangerous. So when the mind says something outside of me is responsible for my experience, it's saying the mind is the cause. Saying the mind is not the cause.
unknown:Right?
SPEAKER_03:It's saying that something other than the mind is causing something to occur to the mind or the body. So error is something that we choose, it's not something that just happens to us. An error, you could say, error is reflected in form, but that's not where it's located. So you're all learning is internal. And here's another important nuance: devices do not act. A body does not act. Okay, it's an effect. So the core defense that the ego uses the body for, saying, if something else caused this, whatever it is, illness, accident, injury, conflict, if something else caused it, I don't have to look at my thinking. And that's where we always want to go. To the thinking that caused anything that seems painful. This is not about bypassing pain. You see that? It's about recognizing recognizing I caused it and I don't want it. I don't want to keep causing it. Obviously, I wanted it because it's here, right? I always say the past, uh, the the perception is a reflection of past playing out because it's all the thoughts that are chosen. So you recognize that you don't want it, you don't want that. You'll be open to seeing the thought behind it that you're believing that you're choosing that's causing it.
SPEAKER_00:It's always a hunger for an outcome as opposed to being present instead of doing or being.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, that's a good point. He's saying it has to do with it's a hunger for an outcome rather than being present. Yep. Yeah. Can you know it's can you imagine how freeing it is, though, to just be doing whatever it is that you seem to be doing with no outcome in mind? You don't need any particular outcome to occur. Right? Let's say clarity. How about clarity as the outcome? All right, Durga, let's see. What is a way to work through it when you notice you are not constructively using the body? Well, that's all it really is there. You said it already. You notice that is huge that you're not constructively using the body. That noticing is the doorway to undoing, let's say. So it's not like there I go again, not constructively using the body. You just recognize, oh, this is not the constructive use of the body. What happens when I don't use the body constructively? Oh, it goes toward confusion, right? So be a witness to that. Notice that. That that uh seeming lack of willingness to use the body constructively is a passing phase that you're seeing through by watching it uh with awareness, but not any judgment. There's nothing for you to do. Remember, you're not a body, you're a mind. A holy, all-powerful mind. So you're giving when you're noticing, oh, I'm not constructively using the body. That's it. Be aware of where that leads, and you know, and and uh notice that you don't want to keep doing that.
SPEAKER_02:You know, the answers are all in here.
SPEAKER_03:You know, being quiet, stillness, gentleness. There's nothing you need to do, let's say, with your body. That noticing and quiet. Uh, don't let the ego's frantic thoughts tie you up. I gotta do something about this. Oh no, I'm not using the body constructively. See, yeah, yay. Yay, Dorica. It's really gentle, really is okay. Another part of the sentence I wanted to get deeper into why Jesus calls this defense particularly inappropriate. Let's see that sentence again. It is particularly inappropriate. It is a particularly inappropriate defense as you use it. And I can only urge you to avoid it. So, why is it particularly inappropriate? Well, we've talked about this up to this point that the body is non-causal, it's an effect, not a cause. Circumstances have no ability to affect how you feel or anything else, and the mind has been identified as the learner. That's why this defense is particularly inappropriate. So using anything else, anything, anything as a defense that you know, Jesus is saying there are some uh defense. Well, the most important defense, it's the atonement because it can't be used inappropriately. Everything else actually can be used inappropriately or appropriately as the mind elects, including the body. He's saying it's particularly inappropriate. Notice he's not saying it's wrong, he's not saying it's sinful. That's why, like you're talking about, Dorga, when you perceive that you're using the body inappropriately, when you're not seeing it as wrong, that helps it undo. Like when you're just in the midst of it and you notice that you're using the body that way, just notice it. Go for the ride if you're gonna keep going for the ride. If the willingness isn't there yet to use the body appropriately or let the body be used appropriately, let's say, Jesus is saying you don't know how to use it appropriately. And at this point, you might as well just drop it. That if that willingness isn't here, just be gentle with it. Inappropriate is meaning it doesn't fit the facts anymore. The facts that we've covered so far. By inappropriate, he's saying it does not fit the facts. See, this is how things fall away. It's like, oh, it just doesn't fit anymore. Using my body that way, it doesn't fit anymore. I don't really like going to confusion. That's not fun. Let's stop doing that now, right? So the body is used as an inappropriate defense when it's used to explain experiences that belong only to a choice in the mind. I know this is so common. I mean, I've seen like phrases and words come out of my mouth. I'm like, what the heck? That's not true, and that's okay. It's all for recognizing that's not true. The truth is true. Okay, he also says, as you use it. It's another part of the sentence. It is a particularly inappropriate defense as you use it, and I can only urge you to avoid it. So here he's he's addressing this pattern. He's saying, as you use it. That's a pattern of misuse. Saying we're using the body to explain experience, justify our fear, excuse miscreation, and avoid correction at the level of thought. So he's saying, as you use it, that's our pattern. And he's saying, I can only urge you to avoid it. And you know, it's interesting, he uses the word urge. And when one of my friends hears him use the word urge, he's like, hmm, I don't know about that. But look at the word urge, it's like he's not forbidding anything, he's not threatening anything, he's urging because these defenses are voluntary, they're actually voluntary, they seem to be, they've been made out to be involuntary, but they're actually maintained by belief. All of your defenses are voluntary, miracles are involuntary. Miracles are what spring forth when the defenses fall away. And these defenses, they just dissolve when they're truly seen. That's why there's nothing to do about it. When they're truly seen, they just dissolve. Durga says, atonement cannot be used inappropriately because I am at one with the Holy Spirit. Well, it's it's uh atonement says the son of God is guiltless. See how that can never be used inappropriately. That's the thing. That's the atonement. It's basically the son of God is sinless, guiltless, however you want to say it, perfectly innocent.
SPEAKER_02:So that's why it can't be used inappropriately.
SPEAKER_03:So basically, being released from this kind of defense, uh, using the body inappropriately as a defense is really a choice of honesty in the moment. I'm using the body as an inappropriate defense, and I don't like it. No wonder I feel like this. Shit. I'm doing it to myself. See, it's just honest.
SPEAKER_00:Basically, experiencing without words, without interpretation.
SPEAKER_03:So Tony's saying, experiencing without interpretation. Well, there is an interpretation going on there, isn't there? Because there's an interpretation as to, I don't want this. And this is something, you know, Jesus says, you know, it's like eventually you're gonna disown all the thoughts that hurt you. Right. This is not something I would keep. I know earlier I said if you got it, it's because you want it. And you can make another choice right now. If you got it, it's because you want it. And now, in the now moment, you can make another choice. Right. So, you know, it's not to evaluate the form itself, right? But there is a process where you're sorting out, you're going, okay, this is not something I would keep, this kind of energy, this anxiousness or anything like that. Uh, this way of not taking responsibility for my mind because it leads to confusion, because it leads to pain, see? But that's very different than evaluating things and objects and behavior in the field, whether it's yours or someone else's or anything like that. It's very different.
SPEAKER_00:It's not so much the individual judgment of it, it's just the cultivation of thoughts versus just being present.
SPEAKER_03:That's right. So it's not that it's not to make individual judgments of anything or anyone, even any behavior, anything like that. It's looking honestly and noticing what you would keep and what you would, the way Jesus put it earlier, disown. He will totally disown what you made. It's only a matter of time. So using the body as a way to defend against taking responsibility for the mind directly contradicts the body's true function. Right. And he's strongly encouraging us not to do this. So when he's strongly encouraging us not to do this, or in this case, he says urging, that's the word he used, I urge you. Um he's saying, you know, don't use this to defend against taking responsibility for your mind. Means take responsibility for it right now. See that you're taking res that is taking responsibility for it right now. When you're recognizing that you are using the body inappropriately, that is taking responsibility. See that for what the mind is choosing, responsibility for what the mind is choosing. All right, I think we have covered that sentence very well. And you guys all look like you're doing awesome. No one has any more questions right now. Okay, we are going on to a new chapter. Could you turn some lights on? Maybe that one right there. Yeah, it's light when I start. It's light out when I start, apparently. All right, paragraph five. Again, we are in chapter three, part one. Right? Yeah, chapter three, part one, paragraph five of the complete annotated edition of A Course in Miracles. And the text here, the first sentence of paragraph five says the reason why a start over. So the reason why a solid foundation is necessary at this point is because of the highly likely confusion of fearful and awesome, which most people do. So in the last paragraph, paragraph four, the body was being defined as having a limited function. We're identifying misuse as a defense, and Jesus was urging that we avoid that. Now, we get into paragraph five, and we're talking about why this care is required at this point. And this is he's saying, the reason why a solid foundation is necessary. So this is some commentary about what's being taught. The teacher here, Jesus, he's explaining why he's teaching something in a certain way. Why a clarification is necessary right now. So it's kind of like someone saying, Before we go any further, we need to be clear about this. I'm slowing down right here because this is often misunderstood. Pay attention here. This mistake is common. That's what he says, which most people make.
SPEAKER_02:He's saying it's common.
SPEAKER_03:So he's saying how to receive the next part from this solid foundation. What is this solid foundation? The solid foundation is that your mind does not attribute fear to the body, meaning you're not feeling fearful because of the body's because the body is doing something. It's the opposite way around. The student doesn't treat form as causative anymore, or use the body identity as a defense. We just went over all those things. This is the solid foundation, and that's why I wanted to go over them with examples very clearly. You understand, the student understands by this point where experience does not originate. Okay, not in the body. This is about the correct placement of cause. Okay, now to the specific confusion Jesus is talking about here. The confusion of fearful and awesome.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Fearful, what's fearful? Threatening, dangerous, in this case to the ego, annihilating, totally unsafe. Right? So what the ego takes as fearful is really awesome, as in vast, powerful, real, beyond ego control. The ego, the ego does not tolerate real power. So when your mind hasn't been carefully trained, okay, what's powerful actually feels terrifying. That's the confusion. Jesus says is highly likely. That's a quote from that sentence. Highly likely. Why is it highly likely? Because most people believe that the body is vulnerable. I mean, look at it. Right. I see uh you know such spiritual people believing in the body being vulnerable to external circumstances. I mean, for the most part, that's why people are watching the news, they're bracing.
SPEAKER_00:So we consider um just the thought.
SPEAKER_03:a separate self the body is in within that realm of the thought of a separate self right because it like we think we're the body right thinking well thinking we are thinking we are the body taking the body as ourself automatically automatically is implying that we're a separate self because there's all kinds of bodies all over the place fear of unworthiness yep definitely comparison the fear of being insignificant right insignificance not being able to control things the way you want them yeah and most people believe the world is dangerous they believe the things that they're watching on the news are actually happening nothing's happening right the experience that you are right now you are your experience let's say the experience that you are right now is the only happening and that's passing away it's constantly changing totally changeful the world is not dangerous but he's saying that confusion is highly likely because most people believe the world is dangerous and they believe that loss is really loss okay and people also believe that power destroys that's one of the reflections the world gives us right power destroys so people are automatically unconsciously afraid of their own power I don't want to turn into one of those monsters with all this power we have the power but that power isn't as the ego sees it it's really love so whenever Jesus points toward real power or real cause or real creation the ego's automatic reflex is to be fearful about that so why is Jesus bringing this up now it's exciting because he's about ready to get into the idea of idea of real power and undoing fear at its root it's going to show the difference between ego power and real power so if the foundation he's talking about the foundation here the reason why a solid foundation is necessary at this point is because of the highly likely confusion of fearful and awesome which most people make but that foundation not secure the mind's going to resist misinterpret recoil out of confusion so I'm gonna just paraphrase what Jesus is saying here in this sentence so you can just see it in another way the reason why a solid foundation is necessary this is the original text the reason why a solid foundation is necessary at this point is because of the highly likely confusion of fearful and awesome which most people do make. Okay here's a paraphrase and maybe language that uh that resonates so what Jesus is saying is I'm being careful here because if you don't clearly understand you'll mistake what is truly powerful and real for something dangerous. And most people do exactly that so when fear is mislocated when it seems like the fear originated in the body and the body is given cause awe seems to be a threat instead of awesome so that's why Jesus slowed it down right there let me see if you guys have any questions Okay so thank you for joining Yay everyone's doing awesome so paragraph five sentence two remember that we said once before that awe is appropriate in connection with the sons of God because you should not experience awe in the presence of your own equals we look at this footnote here see if it opens for me there it is it's from Principles of Miracles principle 46 the equal cannot be in awe of each other because awe always implies inequality so this is the way this word is being used right here to imply inequality the word awe like awesome so the sentence is following this warning about confusing fearful and awesome right so now he's correcting the interpretation you will remember that we said once before that awe is appropriate in connection with the sons of God because you should not experience awe in the presence of your own equals and that was from Miracle Principle 46. So in a course in miracles awe has a very specific meaning it's uh it's it said that awe Jesus is saying that awe is an appropriate response only to God it implies overwhelming overwhelming power unequal status creator versus created okay something is something that's beyond what seems to be here let's say or be you could say even beyond one's own true nature as created right so awe always presumes inequality why it's why is it inappropriate with the sons of God because we're all equal and Jesus includes himself as an equal you should not experience awe in the presence of your own equals so this is telling us several things the sons of God are all equal to one another Jesus on the same equal level you could say so in that respect I have awe for all of us. So Tony's saying in that respect he has awe for all of this okay so if you're saying all of this what are you saying all of this is God we have to be in awe of this this is just amazing he's saying we have to be in awe of this because it's amazing yeah well okay it's amazing yes it's amazing that our mind our our powerful mind can make a world that seems uh like we have separate bodies that are on a trajectory toward death it's amazing is it no i wouldn't say so I wouldn't say that's awesome uh because uh because it's it it's an ego game it's an ego thing you could say the love that we extend is awesome because it comes from God uh let's say for me it's like it's interesting rather than awesome it's more like it's interesting our mind can project a world as if it's separate that's interesting and everything in the world is a device and everything that we perceive in the world is not the way it is the way it actually is that's awesome the way it actually is the way we perceive it is everything the way we perceive it is totally insane uh this is the everything being separate like that that's an insane basically we're perceiving an insane world and when we recognize that we've only superimposed our concepts over a created world that is awesome then it's happy and it's exciting because of what it's for the world that we perceive becomes useful to us in recognizing that it can help us undo the illusion that's really what it's for so awe itself introduces hierarchy according to the way it's used here in a Course in Miracles right uh you know that's definitely implied right here um when Jesus is saying that uh awe uh you or you should not experience awe in the presence of your own equals ah is only appropriate in connection with or awe is inappropriate with connect in connection with the sons of God. So and then the footnote says that the equal cannot be in awe of each other because awe always implies inequality so I would say there's only inequality if there's implied outcomes there's only inequality if there's interpretations for outcomes like you would use the word outcomes right and that's what there's the hierarchy right there it's like this or like that.
SPEAKER_00:Uh-huh but it's not like any of that it's it's unending yes never ending it's infinite that's what we have to be in awe of it's never ending there's no end to it so it's all perfect there's no end to what all of the experiences they just keep coming and they're always different and they're not ending. There's no like boxed up way to figure it out.
SPEAKER_03:Okay so he's saying that the experiences just are just coming and they're not ending and not having a um specific outcome in mind uh that's true and that's awesome and the experiences are coming and the experience experience of a separate world does come to an end experience doesn't end but experience of a separate world in a separate body does come to an end and this is the way to undo it. Specifically what we're talking about here is he's saying awe is inappropriate in connection with the sons of God. That's like worshiping another person is what he's talking about here. Okay asking acting like oh that's oh that person's way better for for me or way better than me hierarchy always implies separation so awe isn't neutral at all it reinstates an error a very the very error that we're undoing he's not saying there shouldn't be respect that's not what he's saying this is this is directly in connection with the sons of God and how they relate to one another okay there should be respect love recognition appreciation okay those aren't implying inequality but awe like he's saying the way he's putting it does where you're introducing like a level so this is why he's saying it's you're highly likely to confuse the fearful and awesome okay now we see why that confusion occurs because it mistakes real power for something external when you're in awe of a son of God another son of God you could say uh who's equal with you then it puts your power outside of yourself it placed yourself below the power see when you're only of god uh in awe of God who is you really your true self or you could say in your mind that's another way to say it in your mind then you are it you are one with that power see and the ego would immediately follow that up with fear whenever you are in awe of another son of God awe means inequality to the ego vulnerability so this is a mechanism Jesus is talking about so how does this tie back to uh the defenses from earlier using a uh using the body as a as a defense is inappropriate he's showing another defense using awe to preserve inequality isn't that interesting yeah so it's like I've seen it play out like this using awe to be with a person as if that person is way more advanced spiritually than me. So they're above me but then I really secretly want to get above them so then the the behavior is going to come out like that. That's just how it works ah becomes a way to keep power as if it's outside of yourself. Right? I've been studied a bunch of times you know maybe a handful of times where people will be like wow this person's really got it what do they got I want to study this see how I can get the ego's like I get ahead of that per it's not like that. It's not how we are we're just reflecting there's no one there's nothing to get like that that awe is a way to keep God distant from you that person's more ahead of me because they did more yoga for instance or that person's ahead of me you know it's like no there we're no one's no one's ahead or behind.
SPEAKER_00:It's trying to pin reality down whenever you try to do that it changes it's always different.
SPEAKER_03:It's trying to pin reality down and that's why you know I share with my friends because it's so common for friends to put me on a pedestal I'm like don't do that. That's not going to help you anytime you're on a pedestal the ego automatically wants to knock you off and that's ego putting you on the pedestal in the first place just to knock you off that's how the ego preserves separation that's why you know Jesus is saying don't use awe with him he's one of the sons of God he didn't say it right there but I've seen it before so he's saying you shouldn't feel overwhelmed or small in the presence of your brothers they're your equals treating them otherwise recreates the separation story don't put people on a pedestal what comes next is not what you want so the sentence removes spiritual hierarchy there's no specialness here self-diminishment right that's a that's why it's a common thing to use awe with other people who seem to be enlightened in your perception so you can diminish yourself when we're all equal we have everything we have all the gifts of God in equal measure so I want to um touch on a couple of ideas here this awe and uh vulnerability it introduces vulnerability turns into fear whenever you place the other above you know it sounds positive right it sounds positive oh you're so you're so this you're so that the mind says the mind is saying to itself they have something I don't they're more advanced they're stronger they're wiser they're freer they're more important it makes the relating it makes our relationship not be level it creates codependency I've found myself in situations like that that's for sure right it makes it it makes it it makes a person dependent I have had that play out perfectly what we're going over right now someone thinking I'm more advanced some someone thinking I have something that they don't so then there's all this elevation of myself Right. And then that manifests is seeking approval from the person you think is more elevated, wanting to be close with them, fearing being away from them. It's not malicious at all. It's just a structural response. You could say it's a structural response in the mind to inequality. And of course, dependency, when someone feels dependent on another person, that introduces vulnerability. The relationship doesn't seem to be equal because something is at risk. Safety, belonging, identity. You know, your mind would conclude that this person withdraws, man, something's lost to me. That's vulnerability.
SPEAKER_02:That's fear.
SPEAKER_03:And here's the subtle part, too. Fear doesn't announce itself as fear. It looks like uh often looks like concern, sensitivity, responsibility, loyalty. Underneath what the mind is telling itself, the spell it's casting is I can't afford to lose this.
SPEAKER_02:That's fear.
SPEAKER_03:And that's where suppressing discomfort comes in, tolerating diminishment comes in. This is where relationships distort. I've seen it in my own experience. I've done it and had it done to me. It's fun. It started with awe. That's what it started with. It started with awe. Inequality. And why is Jesus coming up with that right now? He knows it feels beautiful at first. But structurally, he's saying, it denies equality, it displaces power, it guarantees imbalance. So awe is inappropriate amongst equals. Not because us as equals aren't magnificent. But our magnificence doesn't require inequality. That actually uh leads to us not knowing our magnificence and trying to get it, trying to source it in others. Enmeshment. I love it.
SPEAKER_00:E with an e enmeshment. Yeah. So it's uh distortion of your emotionals, your uh emotional relating, yeah, and distortion of your roles.
SPEAKER_03:Totally. Yeah, yeah. I've totally been in this. I just lived through this, and it was awe going both ways. It started with awe toward me, and then it went back from me to them. Fabulous. So Jesus isn't asking you to replace awe with something like indifference. I don't care. I don't care. Do whatever you want. Detachment, right? Unhealthy detachment, cynicism. It's not like that. The real replacement for awe is recognition. Recognizing, I see you, you are as real as I am.
SPEAKER_00:Equanimity.
SPEAKER_03:Equanimity. That's a good way to put it. What you are does not threaten me. Nothing needs managing here. That's the recognition. So here's a simple check. It's very practical to see if you're in awe of another person. Overcaring. Feeling responsible for their life, feelings, experiences, anything like that. Are you monitoring their state? Are you afraid of being distanced from them? Ask yourself, did I place them above me? Don't blame yourself. Equality gets restored when you're present, noticing the symptoms of having projected awe onto someone. So awe toward another denies equality. And when equality gets denied, fear follows. So really, Jesus is trying to protect you from this here.
SPEAKER_02:That's fun.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, let's see who we have over here. Celeste. This reflection is hitting me so deeply. I had a very intimate experience with feeling the difference between fear and awe. I was in a craniosacral session, and my spirit spontaneously started transcending the body sense. I felt my energy rising and my vision opened up to pure black void with only the pure rays of light, like star light, was perceivable. An indescribable peace came over me as I kept ascending. Almost in the few seconds, I felt fear coming from my mind. And then the thought, does this mean I'm dying? Then the fear sense started growing, and then I found myself waking up back in my body. What happened next was my whole body started to cry, not just my eyes, but every cell seems to be releasing moisture with tears. I get the sense this crying was me releasing the grief and pain of believing I'm a body, of believing I'm separate. Yeah, the perception of the body crying. Uh let's let's back up to the body is an effect of a choice. Okay, it's an effect of choosing. So whatever the body seems to be doing, you know, there's no need give it a bunch of weight. That's what we were just talking about, right? There's no need give it a bunch of weight. Just notice that it's coming from the mind, it's all mental, and which is what you're doing. Yeah. I revere you, teacher. Yeah, that's fun. Let me see if that word revere is okay. No, I think it is. What Jesus says is that, you know, when someone uh comes and uh brings light, brings awareness to you, maybe they've traveled the path uh ahead of you, a little bit ahead of you. That in no way puts us on different levels. He said that they're deserving of your gratitude. That's really different from awe, isn't it? It is gratitude. Oh, thank you for coming forward with the message. I feel the same way about a lot of people. Right? Oh, thank you for coming forward with the message, bringing that message. That's really just like that. That's uh sweet, really sweet, Celeste. That's really awesome. Thank you for sharing that uh story about your body seeming like it's the whole thing is crying. What fun. Ah, all right, let's look at we have uh ten minutes. Let's look at another sentence. We'll go to sentence three of paragraph five, and that sentence is but it was emphasized that ah is a proper reaction of the son in the presence of his creator, and then there's a footnote that goes back to miracle principle 46. So that means we've been over this already, but we'll go over it again since Jesus is bringing this back up. And I know whenever Jesus is bringing something back up, it's not just because he likes to hear himself talk. Okay, it's important, that's why. So miracle principle 46. The sons are perfect creations and should be struck with awe in the presence of the creator of perception, or the creator of perfection, excuse me, creator of perfection. So the sons are perfect creations and should be struck with awe in the presence of the creator of perfections. The sun, the sons are perfect and should be struck with awe in the presence of the creator of perfection. I love that footnote. That was so good.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Not the sentence, but it was emphasized that awe is a proper reaction of the sun in the presence of his creator. So one specific content context only for awe. It's not anti-awe. Jesus just wants you to precisely locate the awe. It belongs with the creator. It's appropriate. Ah is appropriate only where inequality is loving. It's real and loving, you can say. It's real and loving. There is this automatic inequality, right? The creator and the created. See, it's not uh it's not saying that the two are separate. It's not like that. Uh, but the creator did create the created, see, so that's the distinction. That's really the distinction here. Ah is appropriate because the creator is your source, the sun, let's say yourself, your individualized self did not create itself. See, creation itself is beyond comprehension from within this form, and that's another reason why awe is appropriate. We can't even comprehend what creation is, right? We're trying to give awe to all over the place to the world, oh, so beautiful and stuff like that. But the shit that which created my mind, that's the thing where ah, that's where awe is appropriate. See, and this is not about diminishing the sun, let's say the sun, they're both you, the creator and the created, really. This is not about diminishing the creator, it's about honoring the source of uh the created. So awe toward the creator doesn't introduce any fear because it's not for making the sun small. See, that's not what Jesus is talking about if you're using it that way to make yourself small. You know, the awe that's uh that's appropriate with the creator is actually elevating the sun as all-powerful mind. That's where the awe comes in. It's recognizing created this all-powerful mind that I am. I'm not the form that I made up, but I am the all-powerful mind created by my source, which is also me. But this confirms I'm created, I'm safe, I'm sustained. This is the this is what he means by awe. I'm created, I'm totally invulnerable because of my creator. See, who I am. There just seem to be two, and the reason why there seem to be two is because the creator can't know itself except in relationship. We're created to be in relationship with the creator who is the same as who we are. So awe toward others would imply comparison, hierarchy, lack, fear. But awe toward the creator, which is appropriate, implies source, gratitude, safety, trust. Same word, a totally different way of using it. So why is Jesus even emphasizing it right here? And look at the sentence just before. The highly likely confusion of fearful and awesome. If awe is misplaced, the truth feels like it's threatening. No wonder. See what happens? You might be able to notice a situation like this in your own experience, where there was awe between people. Totally pushes God out. So Jesus is anchoring the awe where it belongs so that God isn't feared. Remember, we're we're being released from fear. So brothers are not elevated, they're only elevated in the first place so that they can be diminished. This lets our relationships remain equal so that our learning can proceed. Right? That's really the goal, is to see. So you should never feel overawed or awed by your brothers, but it's entirely appropriate to feel that way toward your creator. Because the relationship isn't one of equality. It isn't. There's creator and there's created. Still, they're both you, still. One's the creator, one's the created, and they're meant they're they're actually meant to be in relationship, which they are. All belongs to God alone. Amongst the sons of God, only equality.
SPEAKER_02:Right. And then we had a footnote explaining that.
SPEAKER_03:That was fun. And it's 4:59. What fun! Thank you so much for joining. So um, I'll be back next week for another ACIM deep dive, Monday, three to five. Um, that's Pacific time. Oh, did I say Monday? No, Wednesday. Wednesday, three to five, not Monday. Wednesday three to five Pacific time next week. And then after that, I'm gonna take two weeks off. I'm traveling to Hawaii. I'm gonna visit Maui and Big Island. Um, so one more week. We'll pick up where we left off today. Uh, where did we leave off? We left off at sentence. Well, we did sentence three, but it was emphasized that awe is a proper reaction of the sun in the presence of the creator. What a blessing. Okay, so until next time, I will also be back on Sunday for wisdom dialogues, same time, three to five. My stuff is posted uh up to ACIM Deep Dive last week. I know last week I made a summary of chapters one and two, and I did a PDF. If you go, you're welcome. If you go on Substack, I have a link to that PDF that you can just download if you want, if you want to keep those notes that I made on the things that I found to be, because Jesus didn't say specifically, he just said what's come up till now. So the things I found to be uh that seem to be the foundation for what's coming. And I think I have seven different points there, a little bit pithy, but still deep. And I hope you enjoy it. And please go to hopejohnson.org for any of my links or anything. If you want to join any of these talks, maybe hear the recording later, or you want a one-to-one with me, or you'd like to donate to my ministry, hopejohnson.org. Yay! Thank you, everyone. I love you so much. I really appreciate you joining. I really appreciate your attention to this. Mahalo, aloha, and a hoo-e-ho.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
