Good morning Sean, thank you for thisI I found it thought-provoking. For the last few years I’ve rejected this “unworthiness” paradigm. I did not find it helpful. I grew up in a home, and a religion, that pounded that idea home and it seems it did nothing more than make me feel guilty and like I didn’t belong. Traditional Christianity puts a lot of emphasis on the unworthiness of man, and it just doesn’t seem healthy, affirming, loving.
That said (and here’s the thought-provoking part for me), if I think of it in terms of my ego (false self) being unworthy, rather than who I am in truth being unworthy, that’s a belief I can hang with. My ego is unworthy because it isn’t real. Who I am in truth is worthy by definition because I am one with God’s will.
I listened to a beautiful Ram Dass lecture yesterday available on youtube. Someone in the audience posed the question, “how can I love myself more?” Ram Dass suggested she think about the question in terms of acceptance rather than love - accepting who we are, and accepting what is, instead of wishing things were different. He talked about how all of us, no matter how loving our parents might have been, grow up with this unworthy, not measuring up label, because we are taught that if we do this thing we are good, and if we do that thing we are bad. The unraveling of that thinking comes through acceptance of who we are, as we are - good, bad and ugly.
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts. Here is the link to his talk. It’s about 10 minutes long. Have a beautiful day!
Yes, the risk of talking about unworthiness is reinforcing the fundamentally Christian/western error that we are bad sinners who deserve punishment. That gets us nowhere, because it reinforces the mind/body, self/creation split. And it hurts.
Unfortunately, there is a way of loving (affirming, etc) the self that is ALSO reinforces the split, the separation.
So it can feel like we have to balance on a VERY fine line :)
Until, that is, we see through that self altogether - both what's lovable about it and what's not, the whole gestalt. Then it's not such a big deal because it's all the same cry for love, and the only response to that cry is love. There is no line; there are no sides.
Ram Dass has been a complex figure for me; I read him very closely for a brief intense period, and return every now and again. He feels like a beloved uncle I can't quite fully connect with, even though I love him and am grateful for him.
That said, I like his answer to that question very much. To borrow from another spiritual tradition, "acceptance is the answer to all my problems." And indeed it is, or can be. I do think here in the context of separation, it's healthy to reframe "love" in active ways - like acceptance, nonviolent resistance, creativity et cetera. It seems to open up the heart and mind in helpful ways.
Of course, again, the risk is that if we are just accepting the same old illusion, then we are just reinforcing the same old separation which we so desperately long to undo, so . . .
It's all in how we use the proffered tool, I guess. Or - to hew a little closer to ACIM - which Teacher we're learning tool-using from :) Which is why it's nice to have friends and fellow travelers to help us stay on the path, not get lost, lose hope et cetera . . .
I like the idea of reframing love in active ways. I know that many times when I am being creative, I feel closest to God. Maybe it’s because I’m fully present when creating, instead of my head being in the past or the future. The present seems to be where God most fully “is” (I AM). Maybe since God is first and foremost a creator, my will is more fully aligned with God’s when I’m doing something creative. Who knows? But it’s fun to think about.
Your reference to acceptance being the answer to all my problems - I know that one well😊. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this forum - it helps me to better grasp ACIM - especially the lessons.
I missed the title and went right to "What is it like to hear the Holy Spirit? To know it is the Voice for God and realize you need give attention only to it?" Then "The Sounds of Silence" + God is the silence from which all sound comes + The Song of Prayer flashed across my mind.
So I looked up the Song: "Prayer is the greatest gift with which God blessed His Son at his creation. ²It was then what it is to become; the single voice Creator and creation share; the song the Son sings to the Father, Who returns the thanks it offers Him unto the Son. ³Endless the harmony, and endless, too, the joyous concord of the Love They give forever to Each Other. ⁴And in this, creation is extended. ⁵God gives thanks to His extension in His Son. ⁶His Son gives thanks for his creation, in the song of his creating in his Father’s Name. ⁷The Love They share is what all prayer will be throughout eternity, when time is done. ⁸For such it was before time seemed to be. (https://acim.org/acim/en/s/922#1:1-8 | S-1.in.1:1-8)"
To- Just be still. Listen. And join in harmony with all our brothers who are free to be.
It is such a lovely part of the ACIM material, The Song of Prayer. There is something about that is so clear and precise and helpful. And yes, it is so clear that the Song - its expression, its reception - is mutual. We go together, bringing forth as we go the way to peace. Thank you for reading and sharing, Anne 🙏
I was afraid I'd alienate fans of Pistachio ice cream :)
Well, a lot of this comes down to semantics, right? Do we have a shared understanding of what "self," "ego" "Divine" and "God" mean? I tend to hew pretty closely to ACIM and related traditions, so my first response to your comment is "no - I don't see individual selves each having value in God."
But I don't know if that's a fair response! I don't know you super well but I know you well enough to know how seriously and carefully you take these ideas, so it's possible that if you and I sat down and worked through the semantics (which is always a form of love) I might end up at, "Oh - I see what you mean. Yes, I do agree with that."
In a sense, the way this stuff cashes out philosophically or metaphysically is less important than the way we join with one another AS we cash it out. That's why I said that working through the semantics is a form of love. The point is not to be right about God - which is kind of a silly concept, really - but to be open-minded and cooperative with our brothers and sisters as we talk through what it means to use words like "God."
Yes. The conversation between the brothers and sisters is truly love. Being right about God is ego-ish. Well, that blew off a layer of separation just realizing that. I read a book years ago that was authored by Sylvia Browne, the psychic. She said at some point some souls give up their sense of individualness (could that be separation?) and MERGE with God. She said she saw this limitless orb (God) with these "faces" of individual souls who had merged back beaming out. I never forgot that. Semantics. Separation. So, as you live here on Earth, Sean, do you feel close to being merged with God? Or as I believe ACIM says we never separated. We just have to release the illusion of separation to see that we have never left God.
In my experience, there is a true peace and happiness that comes from understanding and practicing A Course in Miracles. It is a perspective that arises from trusting that only God's Will is real; it is a way of looking at what happens that allows me to focus less on separate interests (defending my own, attacking others) and more on shared interests, which is our desire to end suffering, become happy and know peace.
In this body, in this world, that is what waking up from the dream of separation looks like.
The further up the metaphysical ladder one goes, it seems to me the less said the better. Not because talking is a crime against God or Nature, but because there is a lot that doesn't resolve in language. Some of the deepest healing I know included no words at all.
I think this is because in the end separation from God is not solved by talking about separation and/or joining but simply by giving attention to separation, noticing its effects, choosing to join and then joining. The form this takes - the way we describe it, justify it, teach it, et cetera - is somewhat beside the point. Nike wasn't wrong - sometimes we have to stop talking and just do it.
We are not the authors of experience - nor of its undoing. It is important to remember that we are really just letting go and becoming willing. That's really the sum total of our practice. What happens when our hands our empty and our hearts and minds open . . . of that loveliness, no body need speak :)
Good morning Sean, thank you for thisI I found it thought-provoking. For the last few years I’ve rejected this “unworthiness” paradigm. I did not find it helpful. I grew up in a home, and a religion, that pounded that idea home and it seems it did nothing more than make me feel guilty and like I didn’t belong. Traditional Christianity puts a lot of emphasis on the unworthiness of man, and it just doesn’t seem healthy, affirming, loving.
That said (and here’s the thought-provoking part for me), if I think of it in terms of my ego (false self) being unworthy, rather than who I am in truth being unworthy, that’s a belief I can hang with. My ego is unworthy because it isn’t real. Who I am in truth is worthy by definition because I am one with God’s will.
I listened to a beautiful Ram Dass lecture yesterday available on youtube. Someone in the audience posed the question, “how can I love myself more?” Ram Dass suggested she think about the question in terms of acceptance rather than love - accepting who we are, and accepting what is, instead of wishing things were different. He talked about how all of us, no matter how loving our parents might have been, grow up with this unworthy, not measuring up label, because we are taught that if we do this thing we are good, and if we do that thing we are bad. The unraveling of that thinking comes through acceptance of who we are, as we are - good, bad and ugly.
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts. Here is the link to his talk. It’s about 10 minutes long. Have a beautiful day!
https://youtu.be/OC3pSt70_Jw
Mark
Hi Mark,
Yes, the risk of talking about unworthiness is reinforcing the fundamentally Christian/western error that we are bad sinners who deserve punishment. That gets us nowhere, because it reinforces the mind/body, self/creation split. And it hurts.
Unfortunately, there is a way of loving (affirming, etc) the self that is ALSO reinforces the split, the separation.
So it can feel like we have to balance on a VERY fine line :)
Until, that is, we see through that self altogether - both what's lovable about it and what's not, the whole gestalt. Then it's not such a big deal because it's all the same cry for love, and the only response to that cry is love. There is no line; there are no sides.
Ram Dass has been a complex figure for me; I read him very closely for a brief intense period, and return every now and again. He feels like a beloved uncle I can't quite fully connect with, even though I love him and am grateful for him.
That said, I like his answer to that question very much. To borrow from another spiritual tradition, "acceptance is the answer to all my problems." And indeed it is, or can be. I do think here in the context of separation, it's healthy to reframe "love" in active ways - like acceptance, nonviolent resistance, creativity et cetera. It seems to open up the heart and mind in helpful ways.
Of course, again, the risk is that if we are just accepting the same old illusion, then we are just reinforcing the same old separation which we so desperately long to undo, so . . .
It's all in how we use the proffered tool, I guess. Or - to hew a little closer to ACIM - which Teacher we're learning tool-using from :) Which is why it's nice to have friends and fellow travelers to help us stay on the path, not get lost, lose hope et cetera . . .
Thank you, Mark!
Love,
Sean
I like the idea of reframing love in active ways. I know that many times when I am being creative, I feel closest to God. Maybe it’s because I’m fully present when creating, instead of my head being in the past or the future. The present seems to be where God most fully “is” (I AM). Maybe since God is first and foremost a creator, my will is more fully aligned with God’s when I’m doing something creative. Who knows? But it’s fun to think about.
Your reference to acceptance being the answer to all my problems - I know that one well😊. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this forum - it helps me to better grasp ACIM - especially the lessons.
The present may even be WHAT God is :)
And yes, thanks right back. Communication is what it's about. As Timothy Leary said, find the others. 🙏
Ah Sean. How beautiful.
I missed the title and went right to "What is it like to hear the Holy Spirit? To know it is the Voice for God and realize you need give attention only to it?" Then "The Sounds of Silence" + God is the silence from which all sound comes + The Song of Prayer flashed across my mind.
So I looked up the Song: "Prayer is the greatest gift with which God blessed His Son at his creation. ²It was then what it is to become; the single voice Creator and creation share; the song the Son sings to the Father, Who returns the thanks it offers Him unto the Son. ³Endless the harmony, and endless, too, the joyous concord of the Love They give forever to Each Other. ⁴And in this, creation is extended. ⁵God gives thanks to His extension in His Son. ⁶His Son gives thanks for his creation, in the song of his creating in his Father’s Name. ⁷The Love They share is what all prayer will be throughout eternity, when time is done. ⁸For such it was before time seemed to be. (https://acim.org/acim/en/s/922#1:1-8 | S-1.in.1:1-8)"
To- Just be still. Listen. And join in harmony with all our brothers who are free to be.
Thank you.
I
It is such a lovely part of the ACIM material, The Song of Prayer. There is something about that is so clear and precise and helpful. And yes, it is so clear that the Song - its expression, its reception - is mutual. We go together, bringing forth as we go the way to peace. Thank you for reading and sharing, Anne 🙏
~ Sean
When one Robin sings, it gladdens many hearts...
🙏
I see a self that is not ego. If God is Icecream, what flavor are you. The flavor is a valid self within God
Any flavor but pistachio :)
Lol! Do you see individual selves within God as valid expressions of the Divine, not ego?
Hi Sydney,
I was afraid I'd alienate fans of Pistachio ice cream :)
Well, a lot of this comes down to semantics, right? Do we have a shared understanding of what "self," "ego" "Divine" and "God" mean? I tend to hew pretty closely to ACIM and related traditions, so my first response to your comment is "no - I don't see individual selves each having value in God."
But I don't know if that's a fair response! I don't know you super well but I know you well enough to know how seriously and carefully you take these ideas, so it's possible that if you and I sat down and worked through the semantics (which is always a form of love) I might end up at, "Oh - I see what you mean. Yes, I do agree with that."
In a sense, the way this stuff cashes out philosophically or metaphysically is less important than the way we join with one another AS we cash it out. That's why I said that working through the semantics is a form of love. The point is not to be right about God - which is kind of a silly concept, really - but to be open-minded and cooperative with our brothers and sisters as we talk through what it means to use words like "God."
Does that make sense?
~ Sean
Yes. The conversation between the brothers and sisters is truly love. Being right about God is ego-ish. Well, that blew off a layer of separation just realizing that. I read a book years ago that was authored by Sylvia Browne, the psychic. She said at some point some souls give up their sense of individualness (could that be separation?) and MERGE with God. She said she saw this limitless orb (God) with these "faces" of individual souls who had merged back beaming out. I never forgot that. Semantics. Separation. So, as you live here on Earth, Sean, do you feel close to being merged with God? Or as I believe ACIM says we never separated. We just have to release the illusion of separation to see that we have never left God.
Hi Sidney,
In my experience, there is a true peace and happiness that comes from understanding and practicing A Course in Miracles. It is a perspective that arises from trusting that only God's Will is real; it is a way of looking at what happens that allows me to focus less on separate interests (defending my own, attacking others) and more on shared interests, which is our desire to end suffering, become happy and know peace.
In this body, in this world, that is what waking up from the dream of separation looks like.
The further up the metaphysical ladder one goes, it seems to me the less said the better. Not because talking is a crime against God or Nature, but because there is a lot that doesn't resolve in language. Some of the deepest healing I know included no words at all.
I think this is because in the end separation from God is not solved by talking about separation and/or joining but simply by giving attention to separation, noticing its effects, choosing to join and then joining. The form this takes - the way we describe it, justify it, teach it, et cetera - is somewhat beside the point. Nike wasn't wrong - sometimes we have to stop talking and just do it.
We are not the authors of experience - nor of its undoing. It is important to remember that we are really just letting go and becoming willing. That's really the sum total of our practice. What happens when our hands our empty and our hearts and minds open . . . of that loveliness, no body need speak :)
~ Sean
Indeed Sean :)
Hope you're well Suzy 🙏
Sean, Your words are truly beautiful. I'm feeling the peace. Thank you for the gift.
You're welcome, Susan. Thank you for reading & sharing. Truly it means a lot.
Love, Sean