Mental Viruses

After watching the wild movie, “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, I’ve been thinking about alternative universes — ones which are similar yet entirely different from each other. This movie also brought into focus the powerful forces which are unseen in our world. In all these Marvel movies, forces are harnessed for evil and for good, with good eventually winning — but oftentimes not before extreme havoc is wreaked. Today we watch in amazement as seemingly evil forces attempt to take control of our world. I have always believed Love is a force more powerful than any form of hatred. And I do still see this as truth. After watching a short video by Eckhart Tolle with the subject, “Beware of Mental Viruses” I suddenly saw exactly how susceptible we humans are. If we replay something over and over in our thoughts, it becomes part of who we are. It becomes our reality. With this in mind, everyone of you who know in your heart that Love is an actual force, I’m asking you to be active in becoming a transparency for that all-powerful energy. Any time thought is pulled into a hopeless state, replace it with a translation of the situation, affirming a spiritual Truth. We’ve been practicing all our lives, and we are ready for this. Namaste …

“Love is not something put upon a shelf, to be taken down on rare occasions with sugar-tongs and laid on a rose-leaf. I make strong demands on love, call for active witnesses to prove it, and noble sacrifices and grand achievements as its result.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings Page 250:16-18

“The Oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power. This limitless power is God’s gift to you, because it is what you are. If you dissociate your mind from it you are perceiving the most powerful force in the universe as if it were weak, because you do not believe you are part of it.” A Course in Miracles T-7.VI.10:4-6

With a Fairy, Hand in Hand …

 John  Grimshaw - Midsummer Night, 1876.

“Come away, O, human child! 

To the woods and waters wild, 

With a fairy hand in hand, 

For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”

W.B. Yeats - Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, 1888. 

In The Name of Truth

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird 

Certain things seem to be difficult for human beings to do: admit that we are wrong, and say we are sorry. I know when I was a child I didn’t like to admit I was wrong. I grew into the ability to admit these things. I’m extremely happy when opportunities arise to apologize — probably a bit of ego slipping in there. But even today I find opportunities to check myself. A few weeks ago, the Response and Acclamation books I use in the Catholic services mysteriously disappeared. The cantor and I decided the substitute cantor must have taken it home. When I asked him to bring it back, he said he didn’t have it. Well, last week when I was looking for a particular piece of music on my shelves at home, I discovered it in the midst of all of my wedding music books! We had had a wedding planning session with a couple who will be marrying next month, and when I picked up all the music the missing book had been hiding between a couple of others! I am admitting right here and now that my first inclination was to pretend I had not found it — or taken it! But no, that was not a possibility because two people were thinking the substitute had it and simply did not know. So I fessed up to everyone involved. Now, this doesn’t seem like a big thing, but there is no degree of importance when we choose to lie. May this way of thinking spread the world over, so we can live in peace, harmony, and truth! 

"What can correct illusions but the truth? And what are errors but illusions that remain unrecognized for what they are? Where truth has entered errors disappear. They merely vanish, leaving not a trace by which to be remembered. They are gone because, without belief, they have no life. And so they disappear to nothingness, returning whence they came. From dust to dust they come and go, for only truth remains." 

A Course in Miracles Lesson 107

“As the reflection of yourself appears in the mirror, so you, being spiritual, are the reflection of God. The substance, Life, intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by creation; and when we subordinate the false testimony of the corporeal senses to the facts of Science, we shall see this true likeness and reflection everywhere.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 516:2-8

Choose Again

I'm listening to Eckhart Tolle's classic book, A New Earth. It seems very appropriate at this time of changing values and the fearful actions we're witnessing as consciousness unfolds into form. Living from Love should be as easy as pie, but apparently mortal mind can misinterpret anything in any number of ways. Eckhart has reminded me that every one of us who accepts this shift from fear to Love helps to pave the way for others to move into this space. While every thought we have is important, let's not beat ourselves up when we feel we have failed -- because thoughts of failure and guilt are once again the ego jerking our chain. Let's learn to laugh at ourselves as we choose again and go forward with joy!

“Trials are but lessons that you failed to learn presented once again, so where you made a faulty choice before you now can make a better one, and thus escape all pain that what you chose before has brought to you. In every difficulty, all distress, and each perplexity Christ calls to you and gently says, ‘My brother, choose again.’” A Course in Miracles - T-31.VIII.3:1-2

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Erroneous belief is destroyed by truth. Change the evidence, and that disappears which before seemed real to this false belief, and the human consciousness rises higher.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 297:12-15

Let’s Speak Truth To Error

 

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

There was an article making the rounds on social media concerning a public school in Tennessee which was purportedly forcing children to participate in Muslim practices. The comments to this article range from mildly ignorant to wildly speculative. Finally, someone named Doug calmly recited all the reasons this is not happening, stating that the article is a satirical joke, and nicely asking if all the responders felt silly for believing it. In other words, The Emperor has no clothes! We witness this same scenario taking place numerous times a day, in some form or fashion, and usually we look the other way — probably because it’s happening on the television news! Let’s not look away: We must speak truth to error of all sorts. With the ease of sending messages through emails and social media platforms, I encourage everyone to refute lies which are “going viral”. May the calm voices of reason prevail!

“Erroneous belief is destroyed by truth. Change the evidence, and that disappears which before seemed real to this false belief, and the human consciousness rises higher.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 297:12-15

“If a light is suddenly turned on while someone is dreaming a fearful dream, he may initially interpret the light itself as part of his dream and be afraid of it. However, when he awakens, the light is correctly perceived as the release from the dream, which is then no longer accorded reality. This release does not depend on illusions. The knowledge that illuminates not only sets you free, but also shows you clearly that you are free.” 

A Course in Miracles T-2.I.4:6-9

The Words Got In The Way

 

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

In our small, tourist town, we have a wonderful thing. It’s called Heart of Many Ways. It’s a non-profit which provides places for spiritual groups to meet. These groups are too small to have an edifice of their own, and they have meetings and events in a beautiful, historic building which previously was a Christian Science church. Built in 1914, it is Italian in style on the outside and Arts and Crafts inside. Shortly after the pandemic began, they began asking performers to play for a noontime meditation. I was asked to play organ for them once a month and happily agreed to do so. After today’s performance, a man came up and was telling me why he had enjoyed the hour. He said when he was in a regular church, the words got in the way. He repeatedly placed his hands on his heart and looked up to the beautiful 20-foot ceiling, illustrating his words which were telling me how he had been uplifted by the hour of classical music. My heart soared with his as he told me of his traditional religious training and how they had never brought about the feelings he had experienced today. His joy was mine. Namaste…

“Only the healed mind can experience revelation with lasting effect, because revelation is an experience of pure joy.” 

A Course in Miracles T-5.I.1:3-4

“I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.” 

― Khalil Gibran - The Prophet

“Under the Banner of Heaven”

 

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

There are upwards of 4,000 religions in the world. I dare to say they all have factions which have turned insane. I’m watching a mini-series called “Under The Banner of Heaven”. It deals with a militant faction of the Latter Day Saints, but I think the same thing could happen in any religion. The thing I noticed about these Patriots (as they called themselves), is that they have allowed their ego to take control over their thought processes. They began to think they were the only ones who knew the truth. When Mary Baker Eddy wrote Science & Health, she had no desire to start a religion and only did so because she wanted to ensure that the book would continue to be published in the years after her passing. She often stated that its reading would help a Baptist be a better Baptist, and she insisted that we not proselytize. In a similar manner, A Course in Miracles is not a religion and does not require that you follow any ritual or dogma. Anyone can benefit from its teachings, without giving up their lifelong congregations.  Seeing beyond the material picture of human hatred and righteous indignation is what we can do to change the world. Let’s remember: Every thought is important! 

"In the Apocalypse it is written: 'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.' In St. John's vision, heaven and earth stand for spiritual ideas, and the sea, as a symbol of tempest-tossed human concepts advancing and receding, is represented as having passed away. The divine understanding reigns, is all, and there is no other consciousness." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 536:1-9

"Wrong-mindedness listens to the ego and makes illusions; perceiving sin and justifying anger, and seeing guilt, disease and death as real. Both this world and the real world are illusions because right-mindedness merely overlooks, or forgives, what never happened. Therefore it is not the One-mindedness of the Christ Mind, Whose Will is one with God's." 

A Course in Miracles - Clarification of Terms