[acimlessons_list] COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES--August 7

Allen Watson allen at circleofa.com
Fri Aug 6 06:55:03 EDT 2004 

    COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES
    by Allen Watson, with Practice Summaries by Robert Perry
    The Circle of Atonement--Visit our website at <http://www.circleofa.com>

Lesson 219

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

"I am not a body. I am free."

"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

Well, we don't get much choice today. We've got to take another look at
the fact that we are not bodies.

The belief that I am a body, I think, is what put us here in this world,
wearing a body. I may say I believe I am not a body, and that I
understand what I am saying, but I'm still wearing a body. That shows
that my words and the deep belief of my mind are not entirely in synch.
The reason the Course has had us repeating this idea for the last twenty
days (it started with Lesson 199) is certainly not because we already
believe it and don't need it; obviously, the Course is recognizing that
our belief that we are bodies is deeply imbedded in us, and the
repetition is necessary to begin counteracting that belief. Remember
that in Lesson 199, it suggested we make this idea a part of our
practice <every day>. Our identification with our bodies is not an idea
that will be easily dislodged.

The juxtaposition of the words "I am not a body" with the words "I am
free" is interesting. If I had written the Course I would probably have
said, "I am not a body. I am a spirit," or something like that. Why do
you suppose Jesus put these two thoughts together?

The body is an enslaving thing. All of us are slaves to our bodies.
Think how much time and energy of our so-called life in this world is
devoted to caring for the body. We feed it, we work to house it and
cloth it, we wash it, we devote entire rooms in our house to taking care
of the needs for elimination and cleansing, we buy all sorts of gadgets
to groom it. Every week or so we clip our nails. We make appointments
for haircuts. Look at the cookbook section in a bookstore some time to
get a feel for the thought and care that goes into just the feeding
aspect. Look at our supermarkets, our clothing stores, shoe stores. Most
stores in a mall have to do with caring for the body. Look at the
expense we devote to health care and hospitals.

What if I am not a body? What if this great focus of effort and
attention is all misdirected? What if we are majoring in minors? What if
the center of gravity in our lives began to shift from caring for the
body to caring for the spirit? What would my life and your life be like
if that happened? What if I was as consistent in seeking holy instants
as I am in feeding my face? What if I began stopping several times a day
to feed my spirit as regularly as I do to eat, or go to the bathroom? We
find it so easy to say to a friend, "Care for a cup of coffee?" What if
it were just as easy to say, "Care to spend a few minutes in meditation
with me?"

Just thinking about this makes it evident how unbalanced our lives are
and how centered on our bodies. It makes me realize how far we have yet
to go. And since change begins in the mind, just reminding myself as
often as I can remember to do so, "I am not a body," is a good way to
begin the great shift. Perhaps something as simple as letting my meals
be a reminder to say a prayer can help, not because praying over food
makes it any better, but because it helps me remember that I need my
spiritual nourishment as much, or more, than I need physical food. Each
time I become aware that I am taking time and effort to care for my
body, let it remind me also to care for my spirit.

Think, too, of the freedom that will come to us when we realize that our
body is no big deal. What I am is not something that wears out, grows
old and dies. What I am is not something that is a "brief candle," as
Shakespeare called it, but an eternal star shining forever in the
heavens. The body is deserving of care because it is a useful tool for
the situation in which we find ourselves, but no more than that. Like a
car it is good for the purpose it serves. But the body is not "me" any
more than my car is "me" (auto ads to the contrary). Think of all the
anxiety and constant concern that would be lifted from our shoulders if
we can think of our bodies in this way. Changing our mind in this
respect is worth all the effort it will take.

    COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES
    by Allen Watson, with Practice Summaries by Robert Perry
    The Circle of Atonement--Visit our website at <http://www.circleofa.com>

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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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