To Have, Give All to All
by Tom Baker
Lesson: Chapter 6, V. The Lessons of the Holy Spirit
Date: October 1, 2008
A Course In Miracles is repairing our addled consciousness in which we think and feel like love and abundance and joy are gone. This is the feeling of the separation from God, a feeling that combines fear and loneliness and guilt into a general sense of malaise in which we think that others and ourselves are, at best, not enough and, at worst, are to blame for everything wrong in our world. Underline "our." The Course generally teaches us to forgive, but in a way different than how forgiveness is traditionally taught. The attitude of forgiveness begins with the mission statement from the crucifixion: "Teach only love for that is what you are." This combines method (teaching) with metaphysics (love is what you are) with results (you and those you teach will begin to realize they are love). In order to really do this consistently and universally, the student must begin to learn that giving is the secret to having:
"The first step in the reversal or undoing process [called atonement in the Course] is the undoing of the 'getting' concept. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit's first lesson was 'To have, give all to all.' I said that this is apt to increase conflict temporarily, and we can clarify this still further now. At this point, the equality of having and being is not yet perceived. Until it is, having appears to be the opposite of giving. Therefore, the first lesson seems to contain a contradiction, since it is being learned by a conflicted mind. This means conflicting motivation, and so the lesson cannot be learned consistently as yet. Further, the mind of the learner projects its own conflict, and thus does not perceive consistency in the minds of others, making him suspicious of their motivation. This is the real reason why, in many respects, the first lesson is the hardest to learn. Still strongly aware of the ego in yourself, and responding primarily to the ego in others, you are being taught to react to both as if what you do believe is not true." Chap. 6, V. p. 107
We are regularly suspicious of other's motives, often inferring dark intentions where there are none. This is especially the case in very close relationships and with public figures. The ego teaches us that one of the secrets to staying safe is to discover selfish, evil, dastardly motives in others. Yet, most of the time, our motives are well meant and, at the same time, confused, as in "I want to help but I don't know how very well." We are more confused than we are evil, or as the Buddhists say, "Ignorant, not bad." It is a good thing to swear off guessing at other people's motives. This can open the way to practicing giving, which develops the consciousness of having, which opens to the realization of being. Earlier in the chapter Jesus suggests a way to see the other and ourselves in equality and, to use Carl Roger's phrase, "unconditional, positive regard."
"To the Holy Spirit, there is no order of difficulty in miracles. This is familiar enough to you by now, but it has not become believable. Therefore, you do not understand it and cannot use it. We have too much to accomplish on behalf of the Kingdom to let this crucial concept slip away. It is a real foundation stone of the thought system I teach and want you to teach. You cannot perform miracles without believing it, because it is a belief in perfect equality. Only one equal gift can be offered to the equal Sons of God, and that is full appreciation. Nothing more and nothing less. Without a range, order of difficulty is meaningless, and there must be no range in what you offer to your brother." Chap. 6, V. p. 105.
Everyone is worth the miracle. No one is beyond help. No one problem is harder than another problem for the miracle to solve since the problem is always some form of thinking that God has abandoned and rejected us as a punishment for our rebellion: "All who believe in separation have a basic fear of retaliation and abandonment. They believe in attack and rejection, so that is what they perceive and teach and learn." (Chap. 6, V. p.106). We perceive and teach and learn abandonment as a punishment used against us by others and as a way we punish others. We do not wait for the afterlife to employ the dynamics of hell. Many forms of religions teach that certain groups will be punished by God but even these groups have a deep fear that God might change His mind and punish them as well. This is the ego as God. The miracle sees no one as deserving anything but the gift of full appreciation.
© Copyright Tom Baker 2008