[acimlessons_list] Lesson 218--August 6

[Allen Watson]

Lesson 218

"I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me."

"Only my condemnation injures me."

"I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me."

PRACTICE SUMMARY

REVIEW VI

PURPOSE: To carefully review the last 20 lessons, each of which
contains the whole curriculum and is therefore sufficient for
salvation, if understood, practiced, accepted and applied without
exception.

MORNING/EVENING QUIET TIME: 15 minutes--at least

* Repeat: "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created
me." 

* Close eyes and relinquish all that clutters the mind; forget
all you thought you knew. Give the time to the Holy Spirit, your
Teacher. If you notice an idle thought, immediately deny its hold,
assuring your mind that you do not want it. Then let it be given up
and replaced with today's idea. Say: "This thought I do not want. I
choose instead (today's idea)."

REMARKS: We are attempting to go beyond special forms of practice
because we are attempting a quicker pace and shorter path to our
goal.

HOURLY REMEMBRANCE:

Repeat: "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created
me."

FREQUENT REMINDER: as often as possible, as often as you can

Repeat: "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created
me."

RESPONSE TO TEMPTATION: permit no idle thought to go unchallenged

If you are tempted by an idle thought, immediately deny its hold,
assuring your mind that you do not want it. Then let it be given up
and replaced with today's idea. Say: "This thought I do not want. I
choose instead (today's idea)."

COMMENTARY

Condemnation does not injure the body. It reminds me of the old
childhood chant, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can
never hurt me." I am not a body; what I am cannot be hurt by "sticks
and stones." Only my own condemnation, my acceptance of those
"names," can hurt me.

Haven't you called yourself names? I know I have. "You idiot!" "You
are so stupid, Watson!" These self-mocking name-callings still, after
all these years, pop into my head and out of my own mouth. They are
only surface symptoms of a much deeper self-condemnation and mistrust
of myself that is at the root of all my problems. Marianne Williamson
hits near the bullseye when she says, "The ego is my self-loathing."

And when I realize that every other form of outward-directed
condemnation--anger, prejudice, hatred, resentment, common dislike,
even feelings of uncomfortableness around someone--are all, every
one, projections of my own self-attack, then I begin to realize just
how deep and how far-reaching this self-condemnation really is. This
condemnation injures <me>. I hurl my spears of attack out at the
world, and every one returns to stab me in the back. "It can be but
myself I crucify" (Lesson 216).

As long as I keep this war against myself going, my eyes are
sightless to see my own glory. I cannot see the Christ in myself
because of the dust storm of self-condemnation, whether it is
directed inward or projected outward on illusions of myself I think
are outside of me. It is the constant stream of judgment that blinds
me.

Today, if I only choose to do so, I can see my own glory. All that I
need to do is to accept Atonement for myself. Tune out the Judgment
Channel. Tune in the Forgiveness Channel. Let me be quiet now, for as
long as I can, and sense the Love within: the love of God for me, His
child; my love for Him; my Self's own love for me, and mine for my
Self. And often, today, let me stop and remind myself that the only
thing that <can> injure me is my own condemnation. And it is entirely
within my power to choose to let that go, assisted by the Holy
Spirit, my inner Self, and all the angels of Heaven.

Whenever I feel a rush of judgment within, wherever it is directed,
let me bring my case to Heaven's Higher Court, and hear the Holy
Spirit dismiss the case against me (T-5.VI, paragraphs 4 and 10).

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+ Commentary by Allen Watson
+ Practice Summary: Robert Perry
+ Available in book format from The Circle
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Portions from Clarification of Terms (c) Copyright 1975, Psychotherapy:
Purpose, Process and Practice, (c) 1976, The Song of Prayer, (c) 1978, are
used by permission of the copyright holder, The Foundation for "A Course in
Miracles," 41397 Buecking Drive, Temecula, CA 92590.


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