 Australia Newsletter June 2011 Uncovering the authority problem and the undoing of pride |
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 "The issue of authority is really a question of authorship. When you have an authority problem, it is always because you believe you are the author of yourself and project your delusion onto others. You then perceive the situation as one in which others are literally fighting you for your authorship. This is the fundamental error of all those who believe they have usurped the power of God. This belief is very frightening to them, but hardly troubles God. He is, however, eager to undo it, not to punish His children, but only because He knows that it makes them unhappy. God’s creations are given their true Authorship, but you prefer to be anonymous when you choose to separate yourself from your Author. Being uncertain of your true Authorship, you believe that your creation was anonymous. This leaves you in a position where it sounds meaningful to believe that you created yourself. The dispute over authorship has left such uncertainty in your mind that it may even doubt whether you really exist at all. Peace is a natural heritage of spirit. Everyone is free to refuse to accept his inheritance, but he is not free to establish what his inheritance is. The problem everyone must decide is the fundamental question of authorship. All fear comes ultimately, and sometimes by way of very devious routes, from the denial of Authorship. The offence is never to God, but only to those who deny Him. To deny His Authorship is to deny yourself the reason for your peace, so that you see yourself only in segments. This strange perception is the authority problem." ACIM T.3.VI Grace vs Control - David Hoffmeister Watch this clip of David as he speaks about how the ego seeks to demonstrate that it is the author of itself by working, planning, and controlling as many "personal" aspects of life as possible. The alternative to attempting to control things is to relax into Divine Grace. The 'I know mind' By Kirsten Warwick  To the ego, the spiritual journey is an experience of being stripped of pride. It sees every part of the 'undoing' as something to be feared because the stronghold that the ego has on the mind is being weakened as the decision for God is strengthened in awareness. The 'I know mind' is the part of the mind that thinks it knows something about this world. It speaks first, with confidence, about what it 'knows' to be true. It's 'facts' are always based on past experience in the world, rather than a present connection with the Spirit. It's purpose for maintaining and/or communicating these facts is actually to maintain itself, and a sense of safety as an 'intelligent', 'helpful', 'knowledgeable' self; an identity apart from God. The undoing of the 'I know mind' is the undoing of the self concept. This is the purpose of the Monastery in Utah, Devotional retreats, and living in spiritual community. The reason why this is such a gift is because the self concept that thinks it knows is what is blocking the joy and freedom of our connection with our Creator. At first it is scary to approach the idea that of myself I can do nothing, that all of my past learning is cannot take me Home to God, that the belief that my past learning can guide me is, in fact, the block. It is a humbling journey to the ego, but as one who has gone through many years of stepping back, asking One Who knows, and willingly following His way, I can whole-heartedly say that His way works! And not only does it work but it is miraculous to behold! On my very first road-trip with David in 2005, the little car we were driving started making a honking sound like a goose every time we reached a certain speed. My mind began to go through the possibilities of what could be the problem. After the days' drive the check-engine light came on in the car and my 'I know mind' came into full swing! I got under the hood of the car and I remember saying, "My Dad taught me about cars, we need to check the oil". We checked the oil and I found what I was looking for, the problem! Or so I thought. The oil was below empty so I had a friend go and buy enough oil to fill the oil tank. After pouring a very small amount in I got a strong feeling to check the oil again... and was shocked to see that the oil was over-full! Perplexed I stepped back, at which time David came outside, saw what was happening, and he gave one sentence, "It's the I know mind". I still insisted that we get a mechanic to check out the car so we stopped on the way out of town and he said that there was nothing wrong with it. I was humbled. We continued on the drive and David told us that the check-engine light signified the need to check the mind. We continued on the road-trip, and there were many more undoings for Kirsten and what she thought she knew. And then, on the way home, for no apparent reason, the check-engine light turned off. We burst into laughter, fully embracing the lesson. The experience of an open mind, a mind that constantly turns to the Holy Spirit for Guidance and direction in all matters, is the goal of all learning. Only the Spirit knows. The living experience of an innocent, open mind that no longer pretends to know is pure delight! And into this open, defenseless mind, God is made welcome. With much love, Kirsten Peaceful Warrior - Recommended Movie!  This is a beautiful movie about Dan Millman, a young man who meets an unlikely spiritual guide named Socrates. Working with Socrates, Dan goes through a rapid awakening. He comes to see that he has created many ideas about himself including, "successful gymnast" headed for the Olympics, attractive young man "who only sleeps alone when he wants to" and finally recognising that he has a huge "I know" mind running the show. Socrates leads Dan step by step into undoing pride, disciplining his mind and "taking out the trash" – being his wrong minded thinking. Dan has to face the truth that the self he created is not working for him and opens himself up to being shown another way. There is a powerful scene where Dan meets the ego self that he thinks he is and sees it is this that he needs to let go. Dan comes to see the value and power of trusting in the Spirit, being in the flow of the moment and letting the self concepts fall by the wayside; becoming truly God dependant. This movie will have you on your knees and cheering all the way! Enjoy! Watch this clip from Peaceful Warrior where Dan has gone through many undoing experiences. He is beginning to get in touch with the awareness that there is another way to live and look at the world, but until pride is completely undone, the 'I know mind' simply shifts from a worldly self concept to a spiritual self concept. View the clip from the movie Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63QOWqIKqac  Who knows what tomorrow bringsIn a world, few hearts survive All I know, is the way I feel When it's real, I keep my prayer alive The road is long There are mountains in our way But we climb steps every day Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry, on a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow Some hang on to "used-to-be" Live their lives looking behind All we have is here and now All our lives, out there to find The road is long There are mountains in our way But we climb steps every day Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry, on a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow Time goes by No time to cry Life's you and I, alive, baby Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry, on a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow Love lift us up where we belong Where the eagles cry, on a mountain high Love lift us up where we belong Far from the world we know Up where the clear winds blow |
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