The futility of my trying. Chasing this awakening. Consuming words like a glutton. Would I be just as close if I didn’t feel like I was so close? Would I be just as close had I never heard of any of it? Closer? And while we’re at it, what does “close” mean? (Please do consider any/all of my questions as rhetorical)
I really enjoy reading your expositions on ACIM. I was fortunate to attend several workshops with Tara Singh (Foundation for Life Action) in the 1990s, and have several of his books on the topic. You write in a manner reminiscent of how he spoke and what his talks pointed towards. I recall his term for the 'Vertical' words which point to that which is beyond words - and inhabiting that space daily through practice. Thank you for reinforcing it so well!
For a very long time, I didn't think of acim as either dualistic or non-dualistic, because I didn't know about non-dualism. Then I began to read and listen to Rupert Spira who is all about non-dualism and then when I went back to acim to see what I'd think of it after such a big dose of Spira, I was startled to think, "Oh! ACIM was non-dualistic all along and I didn't know it."
But now, after reading your essay, I'm thinking, as I have been lately, "Well, it could be that Jesus is practicing what Spira calls "compassionate concessions," which is basically a way of talking that doesn't frighten the horses, so to speak. Because. . .when we first encounter acim we are so sunk in the illusion of dualism that the Voice for God can only talk our language and have any hope that we'll listen or understand. Now I think it's compassionately using our dualistic perceptions to *point" us toward the cool and bracing air of non-dualism/oneness. I want to say it worked with me, but I did have to take a year-long detour into non-dualism to get here to this newsletter. Timing is all, until timing is nothing, eh?
( "Consuming words like a glutton," as Carl Haas says in his comment.)
Sean, thank you for the reminder to forgive the self we think we are.
Jim O'Brien
The futility of my trying. Chasing this awakening. Consuming words like a glutton. Would I be just as close if I didn’t feel like I was so close? Would I be just as close had I never heard of any of it? Closer? And while we’re at it, what does “close” mean? (Please do consider any/all of my questions as rhetorical)
I really enjoy reading your expositions on ACIM. I was fortunate to attend several workshops with Tara Singh (Foundation for Life Action) in the 1990s, and have several of his books on the topic. You write in a manner reminiscent of how he spoke and what his talks pointed towards. I recall his term for the 'Vertical' words which point to that which is beyond words - and inhabiting that space daily through practice. Thank you for reinforcing it so well!
I am reminded of "Keep it simple." "God is."
Thank you....
🤨
For a very long time, I didn't think of acim as either dualistic or non-dualistic, because I didn't know about non-dualism. Then I began to read and listen to Rupert Spira who is all about non-dualism and then when I went back to acim to see what I'd think of it after such a big dose of Spira, I was startled to think, "Oh! ACIM was non-dualistic all along and I didn't know it."
But now, after reading your essay, I'm thinking, as I have been lately, "Well, it could be that Jesus is practicing what Spira calls "compassionate concessions," which is basically a way of talking that doesn't frighten the horses, so to speak. Because. . .when we first encounter acim we are so sunk in the illusion of dualism that the Voice for God can only talk our language and have any hope that we'll listen or understand. Now I think it's compassionately using our dualistic perceptions to *point" us toward the cool and bracing air of non-dualism/oneness. I want to say it worked with me, but I did have to take a year-long detour into non-dualism to get here to this newsletter. Timing is all, until timing is nothing, eh?
( "Consuming words like a glutton," as Carl Haas says in his comment.)