Workbook Lessons 119 (review of 107, 108) with Bruce Rawles • ACIM blog

In this video recording of a class given as part of the School For A Course In Miracles (SFACIM) curriculum, Bruce Rawles reads and discusses ACIM Workbook Lesson 119 which is a review of Lessons 107 and 108. Since a prior recent class covers Lesson 107 in more detail, this one emphasizes Lessons 108.

We began by reviewing how many seemingly different ego thoughts and emotions can be traced to the same insane origin, we can often use one interchangeably with another. Lesson 107’s reference to “hurt” prompted exploration of these synonyms:

aching, aggrieved, agonized, battered, bleeding, bruised, buffeted, burned, confused, crushed, cut, damaged, disfigured, distressed, disturbed, grazed, harmed, hit, impaired, lacerated, marred, mauled, miffed, mutilated, nicked, offended, pained, piqued, scarred, scraped, scratched, shook, shot, sore, struck, suffering, tender, tortured, warped, wounded, all torn up, busted up, in pain, indignant, put away, resentful, rueful, sad, stricken, umbrageous, and unhappy.

If any of these typical ways that ego presses the “victim button” in our minds seem familiar, we can slowly but surely learn to generalize them all and expose ego’s projection and coverup, which provides the opportunity for true forgiveness, seeing the flaw in the very foundation of these thoughts.

Since a prior recent class covers Lesson 107, this one emphasizes Lesson 108.

Here’s an excerpt:

“The memory of God comes to the quiet mind. It cannot come where there is conflict, for a mind at war against itself remembers not eternal gentleness. The means of war are not the means of peace, and what the warlike would remember is not love. War is impossible unless belief in victory is cherished. Conflict within you must imply that you believe the ego has the power to be victorious. Why else would you identify with it? Surely you realize the ego is at war with God. Certain it is it has no enemy. Yet just as certain is its fixed belief it has an enemy that it must overcome and will succeed.” – T-23.I.1

Here are some other related quotes that address how a fundamental requirement for peace is that we relinquish our investment in the thought system that is the very cause of conflict:

”First do no harm” – Hippocratic Oath

I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm … What about the unconscious “unintentional” harm? We need HS’s help for this since we – as silly seemingly separate selves, have no basis for sound judgment!

Then when we’ve dropped that insane investment in ego’s adversarial and needy mistaken perspective, we realize we already have and are all, then we can apply the following easily:
“To have, give all to all.” – T-6.V.A

Here are some quotes (that I didn’t have time to review in the video) related to how giving and receiving are the same in Truth (in the realm of mind):

(This recording was made April 29, 2020.)