(Paper #0294-36)

To our way of linear thinking in our existence here in our world experience, we view evolution as a step-by-step “forward progression” of change making things better suited to living here.  And so it is.  So when we consider spiritual “evolution”, it comes as a startling about-face for our minds to realize that we were already totally perfect in the “beginning”, and that our changes have been for the worse ever since.  This seems completely backwards to our thinking, and is very hard to grasp.

So we must go back (in our minds) and try to re-construct what happened to see how and why we got to where we are.

So, even though there is no beginning and no end (eternity being more circular than linear), we say, “In the beginning was God.”  Now, God can be whatever you picture the omnipotent creative source (first cause) to be.  But we admit that we did not create ourselves.  (Anyone who honestly believes he did, had better leave the room right now.)  So God being Truth and Love, by His Own definition, had to extend Himself or flow outward to fit His Own description.  In His Extension, He created his One Son, the Christ; more fully described as all living things.  His Son was created of Himself, like Himself with power to create like Himself.  As such, the Son was perfect, holy, joyful, happy, and eternal.

This condition in mind, known as heaven, continues eternally.

But then into part of the “sleeping” mind of the Son came “a tiny mad idea” of something more than everything and better than perfect, at which the Son “forgot to laugh.”  In that forgetting, did the “dream” become a seeming reality and the Son of God to take a part in it.  God placed another part of His Mind, the Holy Spirit, to be His Voice, “go with” the Son in his travels in his dream, and always remind the Son who he was, where he was always and be his constant guide and companion through his travels.  And so it seems to be.

But we (as parts of the Son) have forgotten.  Each time we fragment again we forget what happened before, and so we go deeper and deeper into the dream.  When it all gets too much, we sleep a lot (or go deeper into the dream), or invent other adventures, mis-adventures, sicknesses and addictions to hide from ever having to remember the Truth of who we are.

Now, in actuality, we are still in heaven, with God, sleeping but dreaming we are in the illusion of our universe, world, body, relationships, and problems.  None of it is real.  There is no world.  But while we think it is, our friend and guide, The Holy Spirit, says, “O.K., while you think you’re here and real, let’s use it to learn some lessons so perhaps you will be able to re-discover your real Self and who you truly are.

So the world, our bodies, our relationships and “problems” becomes our PROVING GROUND where we pay attention and learn the lessons the Holy Spirit would have us learn.  Always remember, “There are no accidents” and “all things are lessons God would have me learn.”  Also remember, we are totally incapable of knowing or judging what’s for our own (or anybody else’s) best good.  But always know that what is happening has a purpose, is supposed to happen and that you are always in exactly the right place at the right time for what you need to learn.  Even though things look their darkest and we can see no good in the situation, our prayer should be, "Dear God, help me to see the lesson I am to learn and experience your peace in this situation.”

Whether your prayer is directed to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Universe (not physical) Great Spirit, ocean, etc.  does not matter.  It is the honest sincerity that connects your Spirit with the One that counts.  There are many expressions but only One Source.

There are many ways of living in darkness in our world, but once we begin to see the light of Spirit, the Christ, in others and in ourself, we are beginning to re-connect with our real Self, who and where we never left.

So we are born.  We are lying there all cute and pink, with adoring faces peering down at us saying, “Isn’t the new baby sweet, innocent and lovely?”  They assume that the parents caused the baby to be there and that the world will cause it to be whatever happens to it.  However, the baby has already decided what it needs to do to learn what it needs to help remember its SELF, and that the parents simply allowed it a place to be for this process.  Sometimes only a little while is needed in the present existence to complete a learning already begun.  At that point the child may pass over to a new set of learning through an “accident” or other circumstances, or perhaps die and begin anew, if necessary.  Once all the self-appointed “lessons” have been learned in this or other spheres or lifetimes, and the person has reached the perfect realization of who they are, no further lessons are necessary and no further experiences need be undertaken.

But we should keep in mind that being born or dying, life and death as we know it, are simply beginnings and endings of chapters in the book that we work our way through as we walk back to God and heaven and the certain knowledge of who we are and where we are always.  When we reach that awareness, our book may be gently closed and we may dwell in the Peace of God, eternally.

To die a physical death in our lifetime gives us the opportunity for further review as we gain an added perspective from which to view our personal “progress” in our own awakening.  As we head to the light, we meet others known to us who give us support and guidance and help open new awareness to us.  Whether we decide to return, go on, learn more lessons (of forgiveness) or actually experience our own perfection in the knowledge of who and what we are, we may employ our abilities of freewill and choice as we are not yet back in heaven.

But when all choices and lessons are over, we are then back in the Oneness of God where there is no choice.  There is none, because none is needed.  To have choice, it is assumed that there is something to choose between.  In God there is nothing else, and there need not be.  God is total love, truth, joy, happiness, bliss, forever.  To consider that there could be a choice for something else is to begin the original separation all over again.  As we see no need for any more free-will or choice, we breathe out a long sigh of perfect peace and awaken from the dream.

My youngest grandson, Anthony, was asked to write a short story in his Grade 1 class in school.  (This is already great progress, as I couldn’t even write when I was in Grade 1).  I doubt if Anthony ever heard of A COURSE IN MIRACLES, but he chose his subject and proceeded to write his version of the Course based on his innocence and intuitive knowledge.  At six, he still had enough of both left to know.  He hadn’t yet learned so much ego-based thought to block them out.

So he began his story by picking a turtle.  What a wonderful expression of our human situation.  He could have picked a lion, a horse, or any mighty or fleet animal he chose.  But he related ‘people” to a turtle.  Here we are, protected but hampered by this thick shell we have made to keep ourself safe while here.  It has slowed us down so much, we move with difficult, deliberate steps, not being able to see beyond it.  Turtle realized he was lost in a forest.  He knew he was lost - not at home - and couldn’t find his way there.  But he realized the way out.  It was through THOUGHT.  So he used his MIND to do the job, and “thot of a way to get hom.”

Realizing he in himself didn’t have the knowledge of that way, he put all his faith and trust in the taxi driver who is, of course, synonymous with Holy Spirit.  Once having released control, he had given over any need f or trying to do it by himself.  It was then an accepted fact that the taxi driver would know exactly what to do, where to go and the problem would be solved.  Turtle need then give no thought or care to the outcome, which he knew, would be for his ultimate best good, and was being handled in absolute perfection.

But you, who believe you are something else, dream that the illusion you have made is your reality.  Your world is but a hiccup in the breath of eternity.  And so you chose to become part of your dream and descend into the illusion.  Some parts of you chose not to descend as far into the dream and remained closer to the Source, the exit point, the point of departure.  Others became more enamored by their idea, went on to fragment over and over constantly descending deeper and deeper into their versions and visions of the dream.  The source then could no longer be remembered, realized, or felt.  A gnawing sense of loss was always present and you tried desperately many ways of filling up the void.

All along the way you left pieces of your mind.  Near the Source was the largest and most knowing part before individual fragmentation began.  In this (universal) mind, all thought was one, was joined, and was aware of all things of the dream.  In a holographic sense, the dream had been born, acted out, and ended in the instant it was conceived.  We are, then, merely re-living the re-run over and over, in all its possible endings.  Therefore, all details of what we call “past, present and future” are stored in that infinite “computer-library.”  Knowledge and memory is stored which is infinite, all knowing, and all-inclusive.  During the descent into fragmentation, other parts of mind “broke off” and remained trying to maintain contact with both the universal mind and the conscious mind, which was going further into the illusion.  These “minds” were the super-conscious (spirit-mind) and the sub-conscious (soul-mind) that were trying to maintain contact at different levels.

Very few can now recognize or make contact with the Fourth Mind, the universal mind.  Some think it is a phenomenon or ability that belongs to others and not to them.  They have forgotten it is theirs, too.  It is part of them, their original mind, just “below the line of heaven.”  When they observe the “specially gifted ones” such as notable prophets, mystics and clairvoyants they are surprised, incredulous or awed.  But all down through world history, there have been certain minds that have been able to remember, or be in touch with, the universal mind to some greater or lesser degree in one form or another.  Such are the “prophets” of old, clairvoyants (like Edgar Cayce) or those many of later years becoming aware of other parts of their minds in addition to the conscious.

Messages or thoughts that are “received,” or “channeled” are from the universal mind, but flavoured by the experience, education, and beliefs of the one receiving.  Therefore, the expression presented will be flavoured by the individual personality expressing it.  To discern and contemplate the messages presented, one must also consider the personality of the one presenting it and make appropriate allowances.  Listen to the message, not the messenger.  To do the reverse would be to once again make the same mistake that all religions, cults, beliefs and thought systems have always done down through history.

In many cases, the message was so unable to be believed, that the messenger was ignored or killed.  But as our minds expand and new awareness appears, we have another chance.

Most experience the operation of their first mind, the conscious, every day.  It is the one that makes decisions in the world we have made and tells us what to do, mostly based on past experience.  It says, “Because this happened in the past it will likely happen in the future,” so we better prepare for or against it today.  It then directs the brain, the motor organ of the body, into action.

Most also have experienced the operation of the subconscious (second mind) and super conscious (third mind) in dreams at night, in hypnosis, or in meditation.  In either process the brain and conscious mind are “put to sleep”, and if a suggestion is given to the second or third minds, they will “go away” to the fourth mind, the universal conscious, where all data is, get the answer, bring it “back” and be there waiting with it the instant the conscious re-awakens.

This is a very closed and efficient system within the dream system of the four minds.  It is entirely cyclical and available to all, ‘though few realized its full potential.  When we are told that we only use a fraction of our mind, it is probably one of the greatest understatements of all time.

The Fourth Mind operates in a “place” of commonality outside of time and space as we know it, as at that level it is formless, timeless and beyond any concept of judgment.  At that state it is not in “heaven” but rests in the reflection of the remembrance of heaven.  That state has had many names.  Some call it the real world, the borderland, the lobby, the silver cloud of all knowing, nirvana.  It has many mansions.  Each are “places” where different functions are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the many levels of thought from the fairly dense (nearer the level of the conscious mind) to the avatars who have come to realize their perfection and but await their return.

To me, this extremely busy and active “place” resembles a very large department store.  There are many levels (or floors) each with many departments, each doing their own particular business.  Some of the lower levels are inhabited by many who have come to re-assess themselves and decide “where” they should go (and in what conditions) to learn more lessons about their own perfection.  Some have realized their “perfection” already and are ready to leave their ego cycles.  They have moved up to the “lobby” and wait on the “lawns of heaven” for all their brothers for the final return “home.”  Some have been directed by their love to “descend” once more towards the dream to offer help and hope to others riot as advanced in the realization of their own perfection, and assist in “the Great Awakening.”

So the Fourth Mind is not a place of “death” as we sometimes view it from our earth-plane viewpoint, but rather a place of life force itself in dynamic action.  It is through an understanding of the Fourth Mind, that we can realize what we truly are and, through sharing love and forgiveness, be in that experience of total peace in knowing - I AM.

Holy Spirit is the communication link between our self-perceived separated selves and God.  Knowing both “worlds,” He is the perfect Communicator and Comforter.  So when we don’t know, when it all becomes too much, all we need do is “be still”, go within, “silence the thunder of the meaningless” and “talk to” Holy Spirit.  It is important to remember that Holy Spirit and God are completely without judgment and that God’s only emotion towards us is that He loves us.  Totally and completely.  God loves You.  God created You of Himself.  To say that God does not love you, totally, completely, without qualification or judgment, would be to say that He does not love Himself.  And that, innocent Child is a concept beyond reason.  To think otherwise, and place your soul in a body, a world, a universe, is to be out of your Mind.

But our communication with Holy Spirit goes deeper than that.  A Course In Miracles advises us to take every thought and question to Him for his guidance, as He truly knows what is for our own ultimate best good.  We cannot make that decision.  We have “tunnel vision” living on earth plane and judging everything through our five senses.  It is very difficult to see the problem when you live in the middle of it.

 It is much easier when you are “above the battleground” (as is Holy Spirit), and able to see all the other “problems” in the gigantic gig-saw puzzle, and put them together for common best good.  So that brings us to the single hardest thing of all.  The letting go.  Once we have given it over to Holy Spirit, KNOW it is being handled and release it - let it go.  TRUST in something bigger than our own ego-directed minds to take care of us in perfect safety and love.  God is with me - of what have I to be afraid?

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