A Course in Miracles (ACIM) The Ego and Forgiveness

[Asfand]

Question: What is the role of forgiveness in A Course in Miracles

Answer: Forgiveness in A Course in Miracles is really correction of the mind. From the metaphysical aspect, you have a divided mind. One side of the split mind may be the ego (wrong mind). Another side may be the Holy Spirit (right mind) which produces correction, also referred to as forgiveness. In this split mind scenario, you still retain your final decision maker - observer and this enables you to select from the split mind portions. You've never lost it. If you select judgment, you are still choosing. Therefore, it's not hidden, but nonetheless being used. The ego does not need you to understand this because choosing contrary to the ego's judgments is death to it.

When we discuss forgiveness, we are not speaking of forgiveness as outlined by the ego world. This is a different method of thinking and may be difficult to initially grasp. Forgiveness, in this sense, is forgiveness for salvation by choosing the correction of the Holy Spirit (right mind) to improve the errors of the ego (wrong mind). How does one do this? The key way is by being willing to quit the ego's judgments and thought forms in favor of correction (forgiveness).

Why can you do this? At some point in life, everyone has already established enough of the way their life is heading and feels the frustration in how this world operates. Just what exactly do they do? They begin asking themselves questions and seeking answers for the truth, such as, who they're and why they're here. The answer is straightforward: Forgiveness, also referred to as correction of the mind. That's your purpose in life and why you are here.

On a strong unconscious level, this solution of forgiveness was placed in your brain at the time of the initial separation from God. Everyone has the capability to select from either side. 

acim podcast soundcloud Your lifetime won't change before you change your internal Teacher to the Holy Spirit (right mind).

Question: How can I determine what the ego is in my life?

Answer: First, you've got to examine what the ego is, realize it, and then be able to look back upon it without fear or guilt. The ego is a thought system based upon some judgments whose very foundation is fear. This dates back to the initial separation and is characterized by hate, anger, blame, grievances, judgment, self-interest, specialness, depression, projections, war, death, sin, fear, guilt, and "forgiveness-to-destroy", just to name a few. In the event that you honestly shop around, you will observe that world is dependant on a kill or be killed thought system. That's the ego. It is always one or the other and never both. What is causing difficulties in life, and in this world, is that you select to be controlled by the ego's judgments about everything and they're fear-based judgments.

A Course in Miracles teaches us that in line with the mind you select from, you might find the corresponding effect. If you select the judgments of the ego as your cause, your effect is going to be from that side. By choosing the Holy Spirit (right mind) since the cause, the negative ramifications of the ego are undone and the actual effect is received: Correction (forgiveness). By changing your internal Teacher as cause, you might find a different effect for the result. All it requires is a little willingness to discover ways to do this and then following up by doing the work of choosing to show over judgments for correction (forgiveness) from the Holy Spirit (right mind). Make no mistake: This is death to the ego!

Conclusion: The ego is a vindictive and vicious thought system that aims to stop you stuck in this world by increasing your separation from everyone using judgment. You can't see Heaven from judgment. In the event that you tune in to the judgments of the ego, your daily life is a reflection of the judgments; however, if you listen with the Holy Spirit (right mind) and choose forgiveness by turning over those judgments, all the effects of the ego (wrong mind) choices are undone. You do this by willing to fully quit the ego on that material and choose another way. Transform it over! Everything comes down to the choice of the inner Teacher. You can't be described as a slave to two masters.

Forgiveness is summed up simply as this: Pick a different internal Teacher for the correction of the mind. God doesn't recognize judgment or that any error was ever made. To enter the Kingdom, your brain must certanly be returned to true perception which will be another name for peace