religion and spirituality

Due to the revolutionary nature of the theory set forth in A COURSE IN MIRACLES, it is easy to misunderstand such statements as "To heal is to make happy." From the perspective of all other paths, this statement may seem simplistic, even a bit shallow. But when we look at it from the perspective of the Course, it has much deeper implications.

A COURSE IN MIRACLES defines a "miracle" not as a mythological occurrence in the physical world, such as the parting of a sea, the birth of a son to a virgin, etc. A miracle is defined in the Course as a shift in perspective from a fear-based perception to a love-based perception. So, the miracle is all within the mind; it has nothing to do with externals of the physical world, including one's own body. And, as one of the "principles of miracles" (the opening section of the book) makes clear, miracles may not always have observable effects; just because I decide to view the annoying behavior of a friend as a call for love, does not mean he/she will discontinue that annoying behavior.

When we take all of this into account, we realize that when the Course says "to heal is to make happy" it actually is making a very deep philosophical statement. It is saying that happiness is only within the mind and does not depend on the physical world around us; one has healed when one has made the shift - within one's own mind - from a fear-based perception to a love-based perception. One can be infected with AIDS or cancer and have chosen the "miracle," and still suffer from the physical disease of AIDS or cancer. But one has chosen the miracle, has realized that one's ultimate identity is not the body, does not interpret the physical disease from which they suffer as a symbol of fear or sin, and therefore is happy and has healed. In short, "To heal is to make happy" means that true healing is the result of choosing to identify with the love in one's own mind.

For further clarification of the theory of A COURSE IN MIRACLES, I recommend visiting: http://www.facimoutreach.org/

Andrew Parodi

A completely frustrating and yet relavent book. The material written in Christian terminology is far more than what it appears to be. It seems to speak in a dualistic language, this is the light of the spirt, this is the shadow of the ego. However it's main objective is to overcome this duality, what it calls the seperation. It took me three years to read this book, sometimes in frustration I would set it aside for months at a time. In these time periods I would find myself reading material related to what the Course teaches. The teachings are not far from Taoism, and Mahayana Buddhsim, Mystic Christianity, Rumi-poetry, etc. What this book teaches however can only be experienced. Just as a Zen teacher only points the way, the book too is only pointing the way. To argue what it teaches is just getting caught up in the manipulative needs of the ego itself. So when reading it I would often get a feeling of this is good, this is bad, but after a while I really got that what it was saying in fact was. This is the limited viewpoint, this is unbridled and true self. However it does not deliniate this and that, it gives you excercises which allow you to discover this self imposed limitation of your own accord. At times it has been a very sensual experience. I have walked around all day experienceing myself and not judgeing that experience ,and what I used to judge on a day to day, moment to moment basis, as this is good, this is bad, suddenly disapeared. All I was left with was "I am" and a strange sense of premanance, a connection to all that I experienced, making me a part of the whole. Truthfuly I can not go into what i have experienced without getting poetic and I could point out several prayers ,be they Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Judaic, Pagan, (you name it) that have said exaclty the same thing this book says. Throughout history there have been people who have had the experiences this book is leading me toward. The book has to be set aside at times to have these experiences. It is rightully a text book, eventualy you have to set it aside and practice what your mind begins to understand, because it is not the intellectual interpritation of this book, but the implementation of it's practices, that justify the ordeal I have gone through by reading it. I have read many valid arguments agaist what it teaches and I can see the arguements and agree with them. However, again, you can not argue this book, we all know what it is like to hurt, to feel pain. This book will help you transcend those limited perspectives. It does not invalidate those feelings, no, as a matter of fact, it shows you why you got there to begin with. I can go on and on about this book and never get a true description down. It takes perserverence and an open mind to get to what it is saying. I reccomend this book simply because it is a "new" profound teaching. I have no doubt that eventualy, like the Talmud, New Testament, Koran, Prajnaparamita, and the Tao Te Ching, a religion will sprout around what it says. For now it is a clean, clear, teaching that has not had ritual nor massive books reinterpriting it, to cloud it's original intent.

Forgiveness
is still,
and quietly does nothing.
It merely looks,
and waits,
and judges not.

". . . the Course can and should stand on its own. It is not intended to become the basis for another cult [e.g., religion]. Its only purpose is to provide a way in which <some> people will be able to find their own Internal Teacher."
- written by Helen Schucman in the Preface to the ACIM text, p.viii