Awoke?

What does it mean to be awakened? I’m sure it means many things, but I’ve been watching people who are “awoke” and noticing a few traits. They don’t talk about others negatively.

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Awakening makes life simple because we needn’t try to figure out what people’s motivations are: they do what they do. Our happiness doesn’t rely on what others are doing, or not doing. When we put a label on someone, such as thief, then we’ve fixed that person in our mind with a conceptual identity. The mind does this, often focusing on a person’s shortcomings, and then we are trapped. What we must realize is the more we trap others, the more we trap ourselves. As Jesus said years ago, “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. The world cannot change without a change in thought, our own thought, and it requires vigilance for us to realize what we’re doing and stop it! It’s a matter of noticing our judgments and labeling practices. It’s not a failure when you notice yourself doing these things, it’s a great success to catch a thought and realize you’re doing it again. When you see it, it loses its power over you. Whew! What a relief!

"A dream of judgment came into the mind that God created perfect as Himself. And in that dream was Heaven changed to hell, and God made enemy unto His Son. How can God's Son awaken from the dream? It is a dream of judgment. So must he judge not, and he will waken. For the dream will seem to last while he is part of it. Judge not, for he who judges will have need of idols, which will hold the judgment off from resting on himself. Nor can he know the Self he has condemned. Judge not, because you make yourself a part of evil dreams, where idols are your ‘true identity’, and your salvation from the judgment laid in terror and in guilt upon yourself.” A Course in Miracles T-29.IX.2