Saved From the Perception of the World

A Place For Birds to Hide

Ceramic Sculpture by Ken Starbird

While working as a free-lance  court reporter for more than three decades, I often witnessed people's desire for this thing we call vengeance. I've also seen that when they get whatever form of retribution they seek, they feel no better about the situation. Why is vengeance thought of as a good thing in our society? It seems to me it should be one of Dante's deadly sins and something we would want to negate or, at the very least, hide under the table. But, no, we want to put it on the front page and proudly tell others of the vengeance we seek. As A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #21  tells us: "Today's idea accurately describes the way anyone who holds attack thoughts in his mind must see the world. Having projected his anger onto the world, he sees vengeance about to strike at him. His own attack is thus perceived as self defense." Let’s remember that our safety lies in our defenselessness -- and our happiness, too!

"Truth destroys error, and Love destroys hate. Being destroyed, sin needs no other form of forgiveness." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 339:2-4

“What I see is a form of vengeance. The world I see is hardly the representation of loving thoughts. It is a picture of attack on everything by everything. It is anything but a reflection of the Love of God and the Love of His Son. It is my own attack thoughts that give rise to this picture. My loving thoughts will save me from this perception of the world, and give me the peace God intended me to have.”

A Course in Miracles W-55.2:1-6

A Different Kind of Vision

Art by Catrin Welz-Stein

Writing by Clarissa Pinkola-Estes

“In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not focus on that. There is a tendency to fall into being weakened by dwelling on what is outside your reach, by what cannot yet be. Do not focus there. That is spending the wind without raising the sails. We are needed, that is all we can know. And though we meet resistance, we more so will meet great souls who will hail us, love us and guide us, and we will know them when they appear. Didn't you say you were a believer? Didn't you say you pledged to listen to a voice greater? Didn't you ask for grace? Don't you remember that to be in grace means to submit to the voice greater?

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good. What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding to, adding more, continuing. We know that it does not take "everyone on Earth" to bring justice and peace, but only a small, determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or hundredth gale.”

~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

“The world you see must be denied, for sight of it is costing you a different kind of vision. You cannot see both worlds, for each of them involves a different kind of seeing, and depends on what you cherish. The sight of one is possible because you have denied the other. Both are not true, yet either one will seem as real to you as the amount to which you hold it dear. And yet their power is not the same, because their real attraction to you is unequal.” 

A Course in Miracles T-13.VII.2:1-5

"Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal. We may well be astonished at sin, sickness, death. We may well be perplexed at human fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 563:1-7

Determined to See

Created by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Looking back on the past five or six decades, it’s hard to understand the extremes I have gone to in order to NOT see the truth of my being. We, as humans, clutter ourselves with any number of trivial pursuits in order to keep from acknowledging and seeing Truth. We may occupy our time with busy-ness in order to keep Truth from sneaking in. There was a time in my life when I was a semi-hermit. I read five or six books a week, but nothing of import; lots of horror stories and historical romances. Time spent with others was in a bar, talking about politics, gossip, and other mind-numbing topics. I went to extremes to keep from thinking about the reality of my being. We may use television, the internet, anything that will totally occupy our minds to keep from seeing. What is this we refuse to see? I think it’s the Truth of our being, the essence of which I Am, the meaning of Life and our function as the expression of divine Love. There are many ways to define this sight, but only one way to see. We must have the desire to want sight and the willingness to let illusions disappear. "I am determined to see!" (ACIM)

“The question, 'What is Truth', convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to 'give it pause'. The efforts of error to answer this question by some ology are vain. Spiritual rationality and free thought accompany approaching Science, and cannot be put down. They will emancipate humanity, and supplant unscientific means and so-called laws.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 223:14-24

“It is surely clear that you can both accept into your mind what is not there, and deny what is. Yet the function God Himself gave your mind through His you may deny, but you cannot prevent. It is the logical outcome of what you are. The ability to see a logical outcome depends on the willingness to see it, but its truth has nothing to do with your willingness. Truth is God’s Will. Share His Will and you share what He knows. Deny His Will as yours, and you are denying His Kingdom and yours.” 

A Course in Miracles T-7.X.2:1-7

Connectivity and Our Thoughts

Would it bother you to think that there are no private thoughts? Many things we think of as coincidence are leading us to the truth of our connectivity, but we insist on finding reasons it can't be true. We are also seeing ways in which our thoughts pass to others with no spoken words. Think of the times someone comes to mind just before the telephone rings and it's them calling you.  Animals are a proving ground for telepathic communication, showing us they receive well-known commands mentally rather than verbally.  For example, next time you walk your dog, experiment by thinking which direction you want to go without tugging on the leash. On a personal level, if we say we want world peace, yet fill our thoughts with violent movies and dooms-day conjectures, are we truly choosing peace? Every thought is important. A peaceful tipping point is getting closer all the time. I feel that's why such violence and craziness is happening everywhere: fear of losing control, fear of change, fear of a new world. Let's live as though every thought DOES make a difference and choose Love over fear!

“You believe you can harbor thoughts you would not share, and that salvation lies in keeping thoughts to yourself alone. For in private thoughts, known only to yourself, you think you find a way to keep what you would have alone, and share what you would share. And then you wonder why it is that you are not in full communication with those around you, and with God Who surrounds all of you together.” 

A Course in Miracles T-15.IV.7:3-5

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 467:9-13

Joined by Mind

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Graphic of unknown origin

A good friend who receives these writings asked me how she can be compassionate if she doesn’t accept the reality of someone’s pain or loss. This is a very good question! A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #18 tells us that our minds are joined by way of divine Mind. I strive to give people comfort without accepting, within my thought, that they have experienced a horrid event which is to be feared, or a sad event which will take time to release, or that changes are to be avoided. Crying with friends, holding their hand and offering comforting words, helping them to find joy again — these are ways we can show compassion. We help those in need, without becoming part of the problem, nor do we make light of the situation. Never think that these teachings are meant to make us an automaton which unfeelingly goes forward in some sort of metaphysical trance. We are all individuals with a purpose! Let’s not fear living life to the fullest!

“If I have no private thoughts, I cannot see a private world. Even the mad idea of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the world I see. Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing. I can also call upon my real thoughts, which share everything with everyone. As my thoughts of separation call to the separation thoughts of others, so my real thoughts awaken the real thoughts in them. And the world my real thoughts show me will dawn on their sight as well as mine.” 

A Course in Miracles W-54.3:2-7

“There can be but one Mind, because there is but one God; and if mortals claimed no other Mind and accepted no other, sin would be unknown. We can have but one Mind, if that one is infinite. We bury the sense of infinitude, when we admit that, although God is infinite, evil has a place in this infinity, for evil can have no place, where all space is filled with God.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 469 17-24

The Immortal Truth of All Things

Unknown origin of image

The admission to ourselves that everything we see is colored by beliefs and judgments is a large realization indeed! Being aware of this is an important step in clearing the way for spiritual sense to be recognized. Sometimes standing up to illusion and stating metaphysical truth seems necessary. While waiting in line at the food market recently, I was having a conversation with the woman behind me. She was telling me how she had moved here from Washington D.C. and she couldn't get used to the fact that people were so nice. She said she kept expecting a variety of horrible things to happen (which she listed with rising fervor). I told her she could allow herself to change her thoughts about this, as odds are they won’t happen. She adamantly told me that people were horrible everywhere and they would not change. Not having a desire to get into that with her I simply said, "The change I'm talking about happens within YOU. That's the only place it can occur; you can't change anyone else." She stopped and looked thoughtful. Although I left at that point, a seed was planted. I imagine her being happy in our sweet little town…

“Like every lesson that the Holy Spirit requests you learn, the miracle is clear. It demonstrates what He would have you learn, and shows you its effects are what you want. In His forgiving dreams are the effects of yours undone, and hated enemies perceived as friends with merciful intent. Their enmity is seen as causeless now, because they did not make it. And you can accept the role of maker of their hate, because you see that it has no effects. Now are you freed from this much of the dream; the world is neutral, and the bodies that still seem to move about as separate things need not be feared.” 

A Course in Miracles T-28.II.10:1-6

"To corporeal sense, the sun appears to rise and set, and the earth to stand still; but astronomical science contradicts this, and explains the solar system as working on a different plan. All the evidence of physical sense and all the knowledge obtained from physical sense must yield to Science, to the immortal truth of all things." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 493:2-8

No Neutral Thoughts

St. Elizabeth and Valerie - Eureka Springs, AR

Photo credit: Richard Quick

Every thought is important: it gives rise to perception, and it either extends truth or multiplies illusion. A well-known story, which you may have heard, illustrates this. A grandfather is talking to his grandson about anger. He tells him that we all have a peaceful wolf and an angry wolf living inside us, and the one that grows is the one we feed. While I find this to be an exemplary tale illustrating a truth of this material existence, it does nothing to speak to the metaphysical truth we are learning: There is no angry wolf. As A Course in Miracles workbook lesson #16 states, "you can multiply nothing but you can't extend it". Our thoughts which feed an angry wolf have no power as they're feeding something which does not exist. We are learning that erroneous thoughts can seem real and may even seem to grow, but that's impossible because Truth trumps error every time.

“Besides your recognizing that thoughts are never idle, salvation requires that you also recognize that every thought you have brings either peace or war; either love or fear. A neutral result is impossible because a neutral thought is impossible. There is such a temptation to dismiss fear thoughts as unimportant, trivial and not worth bothering about that it is essential you recognize them all as equally destructive, but equally unreal. We will practice this idea in many forms before you really understand it.”

A Course in Miracles - W-16.3:1-4

"Christian Science explains all cause and effect as mental, not physical. It lifts the veil of mystery from Soul and body. It shows the scientific relation of man to God, disentangles the interlaced ambiguities of being, and sets free the imprisoned thought." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 114:23-27