Forgiveness realization

ACIM is really about a person,
who cannot forgive anything, 
who then reads a book,
and after awhile
realizes they are not a person,
but a mind,
that can forgive everything

Life: Prison or Classroom?

I become a Happy Learner in this life when I ask to see this world as a classroom instead of a prison and all i need to do is ask; and when I forget to ask (which i will do most of the time as I am learning to become a happy learner), I must remain vigilant to forgive my mistaken choice for prison and, in that instant, I will be at peace because all I will see is a classroom.

Regardless, whether I learn my lessons or not; it doesn't matter, what matters is I keep in mind that this life is a classroom; this is the ONLY purpose my life has

Peace Defined

Peace can be defined as:

the total forgiveness of our belief in sin and guilt 

our belief can be defined as the thought in our mind that we are doing this (i.e., forgiving) alone and that's the problem

Forgiveness: A Choice

Nothing in my perception has the power to take away my peace unless I choose to give that power away -- it is always a choice (whether I realize it or not) and because it is a choice, I can change that choice in my mind

Forgiveness: Seeing Everything As a Symbol

Lately, it is easier for me to think of everything I experience as just a symbol of a projected thought in my mind (my movie); so it is I who gives 'my life' all its meaning by my thoughts; nothing external.

I like to think of every experience as just another scene from my movie in which I can observe my ego (my belief that I am separate) and watch how I choose what I see in my movie and why and when; the purpose is always to see myself as individual and separate; apart from others...but sometimes I can remember to just observe the scene and watch my ego's judgements; and when I do, my experience is that I don't take anything I'm seeing in my movie as seriously.  Most of the time, however, I forget and remain asleep; unaware that I'm making this all up.  But when I get those brief respites of peace then I realize and can admit to myself that I, in fact, do believe I have an ego with all those awful, loveless, fearful thoughts; but with this admission is the key to peace.

So, simply by admitting that I have an ego (really the belief in one), then I am able to watch how it operates until such time that I won't need it any more, as it has served its purpose -- to keep me separate and fearful -- because I will no longer have a use for fear -- and can be my true Self.

Forgiveness Knows No Exclusion

How can I tell when I have forgiven?

I have truly forgiven when I exclude no one from the gift of love I accepted for myself; so I must accept forgiveness for myself first.  On a practical basis, I accept forgiveness for myself by bringing all my thoughts of exclusion, hate, annoyance, attack, separation, specialness, and seeing guilt in others to that thought of perfect peace and love that I have obscured in my mind

Forgiveness: Letting go of Judging our Judgments

Forgiveness can be simply defined as:


Looking at the ego without judgment


But what does that really entail at a practical level?  It simply means that we begin the process of letting go of our ego (special self identity) by not judging ourselves when we have thoughts of condemnation.  As long as we continue to condemn ourselves for judgmental thoughts of others (which are really condemning thoughts of who we think we are -- the tiny special ego self that separated from God) then forgiveness is not possible.


Parting thought:  Today I can forgive by simply choosing to look at my judgments without judgment (guilt or condemnation)