When the Course in Miracles talks about enlightenment, we are not talking present God realization necessarily, but about seeing less illusion or realizing it is all illusion, thus suffering less. This is not to say that one does not suffer at all. Too many religions, including Baba followers' interpretation of his teachings, are focused on suffering, equating this with spirituality. This is bullshit, pardon the expression. I can choose peace over my suffering. I have a choice. We all do, even those with mental illnesses to some degree, have the ability if they are open and willing to learn, to control one's thinking.
Eckhart Tolle says, "your situation is only your thoughts about it." If you change a thought, move a muscle, everything can be seen differently. You may also say this little ACIM prayer: God, help me see this differently. Also, I am never upset for the reason I think. And a very wise person once said to me, "all suffering is caused by lies you tell yourself." That helped me a lot.
Now, I would like to bring up the ego. Of course, in order to survive we must have an ego in a Freudian sense, but I am not talking psychology, but spirituality. The ego, once hysterically trying to run the show, control, etc., is a dangerous thing. We run to it, to save us, but it is our own worst enemy, causing us to attack, accuse, resent, be selfish, jealous and all other character defects. The best way to function, for a better life and good fortune, is through innocence. If we look at life through the Holy Spirit thought system, and stop separating ourselves from God, we can be happy. If we can look at our brother or sister, even those we cannot love, through heaven, love and the Holy Spirit, we can see differently, through love. Then, our problems are still there, but perhaps we can deal with them differently, without all the complications of the ego.
I hope this is helpful to someone. It certainly has been to me. In '96, a very hard year for me, I only owned one book, Marianne Williamson's Return to Love, based on A Course in Miracles. I hope to get that book again. The library for the blind does not have it, but I would like to just own a copy, a print copy. At the time, I was in so much pain and had zero coping skills, although I did stop with my son, going across country, in Columbus Missouri, to talk to a counselor I either found from a hot line from the motel, or the phone book. Still, once I landed in Colorado, I kept trying to read this book, but it just was not sinking in. My mind was too laden with so much stuff. Still, something about the book, kept causing me to gravitate to it, and read it anyway, bits and parts.
For me, it took a long time to come to a place of any true understanding of the principles of A Course in Miracles, when in my forties, I finally began studying in a class, and still am. It has helped me so much, I cannot even begin. I hope some of this is helpful. Love and namaste. Shanti, shanti.
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