Developing A Contemplative Life
by Tom Baker
A version of which was given to the ARE staff on April 9, 2009
Adapted for ACIM meeting on Sunday, April 19th, 2009
Date: April 19, 2009
The Examined Life
Traditions: Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, Edgar Cayce’s life
readings, A Course in Miracles.
Practices: self discovery therapies, journaling, psychic readings, life coaching
Emphasis on personal power and the meaning and purpose of one’s life
Resource: Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls by Michael Newton
Quotes from the Course: Lesson 2, I have given everything I see…all the
meaning that it has for me; Lesson 20 & 21, I am determined to see……I am
determined to see things differently; Lesson 24, I do not perceive my own
best interests; Lesson 35, My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy; Lesson
50, I am sustained by the love of God; Lesson 73, I will there be light; Lesson
98, I will accept my part in God’s plan for salvation; Lesson 100, My part is
essential to God’s plan for salvation; Lesson 139, I will accept Atonement for
myself; Lesson 170, There is no cruelty in God and none in me; Lesson 185, I
want the peace of God; Lesson 190, I choose the joy of God instead of pain.
The Inclusive Heart
Traditions:Christianity, Judaism, Islam, A Course In Miracles
Practices:Compassion, Forgiveness, Understanding toward others
The focus is on others, often in terms of service
Resource:The Emmanuel books (3) channeled by Pat Rodegast
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And A Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
From Auguries of Innocence by William Blake (1803)
The Quiet Mind
Traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, A Course In Miracles
Practices: Meditation, Contemplation, Tai Chi, Whatever quiets your mind.
Often connected to a quiet, nurturing space.
Resource: The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle
On April 9th, 2009, also known as Holy Thursday in the Roman Catholic calendar, I gave a talk on the experience of God in everyday life, dividing that experience into three parts: (1) the examined life, which is the modern approach to spirituality based on humanistic and transpersonal psychology, (2) the inclusive heart, the vital center of the semetic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and (3) the quiet mind, the meditative focus of the eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. As I gave the presentation I noticed how easy it was to talk about the contemplative experience using these three approaches. I began to wonder how it would be to approach the study of A Course In Miracles in terms of the examined life, the inclusive heart, and the quiet mind. As is evident above, I picked out the lessons in the first two hundred that sounded like they might apply to the examined life and used them as the basis for our discussion Sunday evening (April 19, 2009). As the discussion around the thirteen lessons I had chosen proceeded we touched upon some of the vital elements of human life.
When we looked at Lesson 2, I have given everything I see…all the meaning that it has for me it was noted that very early on in the Course we are asked to take responsibility for how we see the world and everything and everyone in the world. I suggested that in order to be true to that responsibility in our discussions that when we were talking about a relationship or interaction with someone that we use the 85/15 rule, 85 per cent us and 15 per cent them. When we examine our lives from the perspective of giving everything the meaning it has for us, the amount of blame and victimization we can justify is enormously reduced. God is blamed not at all.
Several people noticed how Lessons 20 & 21, I am determined to see…… I am determined to see things differently addressed the issue of will which Edgar Cayce said is the strongest part of the human mind. When determination is introduced into the Course, what might devolve into a series of mental exercises becomes an impassioned desire to see as the Holy Spirit sees, to discover the face of the Christ in every face we meet.
I noted that Lesson 24, I do not perceive my own best interests requires a degree of humility we are not used to and a commensurate trust in the Holy Spirit Who does perceive our own best interests. One of my insights gained from doing therapy, especially with couples, is that when we are afraid and/or angry we do not doubt the rightness of what we claim. If we are afraid and angry most of the time, as the Course claims the ego has made seem normal for us, then most of what we confidently claim we want and need we actually do not.
Lesson 35, My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy is how the Holy Spirit sees us. The idea that we are holy is always hard for us, "holy" being an exceptional virtue for the ego, possessed only by the rare saint or ascended master. The notion that our minds are part of God’s brought up for some the issue of privacy and individuality. We agreed however that most of our secret, awful thoughts were shared by the rest of us and when brought to the light of sharing were not so bad after all.
One person who was currently worried about her finances was greatly comforted by Lesson 50, I am sustained by the love of God. No one objected. Lesson 73, I will there be light reminded me that the Course calls us as Jesus called his disciples "the light of the world." The light that we will is already among us as each other.
Lesson 98, I will accept my part in God’s plan for salvation, I noted, is the hardest one for me to remember. I keep wanting it to read God will accept His part in my plan for my salvation with wishes and prayers following. Humility once again is required.
Lesson 100, My part is essential to God’s plan for salvation is the Course’s version of self esteem. One person asked what exactly was God’s plan for salvation and another answered that he thought that the Holy Spirit directed each person, so the plan was both individualized and mysterious and not explainable in a general way. I thought this was brilliant and followed it up with the idea that the world without any of us would be like the world without butterflies or blue birds or roses. Someone added "rainbows" and I mischieviously said, "cockroaches" and everyone made faces. But I was remembering Emmanuel saying that we would be greatly surprised and rather divinely edified to see ourselves from the perspective of a roach.
In humanistic psychology the major positive dogma is that you begin to love yourself. Lesson 139, I will accept Atonement for myself is the Holy Spirit’s version of loving yourself. In other words, accept that there is no reason for you ever to be afraid. You are the holy Son (Daughter) of God. You cannot lose your life and you cannot lose your worth. Somewhere in the realm of spirit Sigmund Freud and Mr. Rogers are walking arm in arm and smiling.
Although no one would probably admit to worrying about cruelty being in themselves or still believing that God could be cruel, these beliefs, though carefully suppressed, are alive and well in our subconscious minds or else we would never think we deserve punishment or fear it in the form of bad fortune or karma. So Lesson 170, There is no cruelty in God and none in me is an important truth to remind ourselves of over and over again.
I truly love the Hindu idea that the most important thing to know about yourself is what you really, really want. We spend lifetimes figuring that one out. The Course in Lesson 185, I want the peace of God gives us the answer and then five lessons later suggests why we don’t easily want what we really, really want: Lesson 190, I choose the joy of God instead of pain. In the oddest way we have come to want pain so as to have gain, with sacrifice we get love and our dreams come true; after a long week we thank God that it’s Friday.
Next week I will report on how a more in depth look at the above lessons in terms of the examined life brought forth more personal truth and God’s joy.
© Copyright Tom Baker 2009