What is the Body?

Our special theme says, “The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts. … For within this fence he thinks that he is safe from love.”

We are involved in a very deep contemplation right now. Although we seem to be looking at the body, we are really looking at the mind. We are looking at the mind’s idea that my life-awareness is separate from the life-awareness in others.

I’d like to share the story of Ramana Maharshi’s physical death.

Sri Ramana’s body suffered from sarcoma for many months from early February 1949 until his death on April 14, 1950.

When his devotees, fearing his death, begged him to cure the body, he responded by saying, “Why are you so attached to this body? Let it go.”

His devotees continued to plead with him. They did not want to see him die. They thought they were losing him forever. He replied “Where can I go? I shall always be here.”

On the evening of his death, as the devotees sat on the verandah outside the room that had been specially built for his convenience during his illness, they spontaneously began singing “Arunachala Siva.” On hearing it, Ramana’s eyes opened and shone. He gave a brief smile of indescribable tenderness. From the outer corners of his eyes, tears of bliss rolled down. He took one more deep breath, and then no more.

At that very moment, 8:47 p.m., what appeared to be an enormous star trailed slowly across the sky passing to the northeast towards the peak of Arunachala. Many saw this luminous body in the sky, even as far away as Bombay. They ascribed this phenomenon to the passing of their Master.

I shared this story, because I have contemplated this story many times. What I see in this story is one who no longer believed in the “fence” of the body. I see one who knew life-awareness is one, one life-awareness. This is why he said, “Where can I go? I shall always be here.”

He is here, now, in every living thing, because he is life-awareness. And we are too.

My holy vision sees all things as pure.

Our lesson says, “Father, Your Mind created all that is, Your Spirit entered into it, Your Love gave life to it. And would I look upon what You created as if it could be made sinful?”

In order to realize clarity, we can continue our practice of replacing the word “sin” with other words. For example, we might ask, “Would I look upon what You created as if I can determine what should be and what should not be?”

Let me share a little more from the story of Ramana Maharshi’s death:

As already mentioned, Ramana’s devotees wanted him to cure himself. When this request was made, he responded, “But the [one with knowledge of reality] has no will of his own. Nor is he identified with the body and the ills to which it is heir. … Did I ask the tumor to come so that I may tell it to go? It came of its own accord. What then has my will got to do with it?”

When Ramana’s devotees took it upon their selves to treat his body, he said, “It is for us to witness all that happens.”

I share this story, because I have also contemplated it many times. It seems that Ramana had completely transcended the idea of “should be or should not be.” To him, everything was life-awareness. Or as he put it, there is only the Self.

Interestingly, Ramana’s devotees arranged four operations and other treatments, which he submitted to. He did not resist dying, and he did not resist treatment when it was arranged for him. For Ramana, there was no “should be or should not be.” He was the witness of all that occurred, and all appearances were pure.

Today, let’s continue to contemplate life-awareness as one life-awareness. Let’s realize there are no separate parts that should not be. Nothing can happen that is out of alignment with the whole. The Loving All Method fits well with this contemplation.

If you have 30 minutes for a meditation today, consider this meditation again, because it is a good fit with our current contemplation:

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You might also enjoy meditating to light sounds of nature. If so, try this Youtube video:

Relaxing Nature Sounds of the Forest

In addition, here is a song to listen to today. You may listen before meditation, after meditation or at any point during the day to assist with today’s contemplation. When you listen, please sit and listen without being engaged in any other activity:

Forever Here by Peter Makena

What is the Body?

Our special theme says, “The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts. It is within this fence he thinks he lives, to die as it decays and crumbles. For within this fence he thinks that he is safe from love. … The body will not stay. Yet this he sees as double safety. For the Son of God’s impermanence is ‘proof’ his fences work, and do the task his mind assigns to them.”

Death is not a thought that most humans cherish. Most people believe they would prefer not to die. Yet, our special theme says the opposite. It says that we see death as “double safety.” Is that true?

Let’s test it. Which of these ideas do you find most comforting?

1. Your body will die, but your personality-mind will continue in a spiritual afterlife where you will rejoin with your loved ones who have passed over.
2. Your body-personality will die, but you will be reincarnated as another body-personality.
3. Your body-personality-mind will die, but life continues beyond your body-personality-mind in all living humans, animals, insects, sea life, plants, etcetera.

Most people will pick #1 or #2 as most comforting. To most people, #3 seems like ‘I no longer exist’ even though life continues as other things.

Look carefully at what our special theme says. It says:

“The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts. … The body will not stay. Yet this he sees as double safety. For the Son of God’s impermanence is ‘proof’ his fences work, and do the task his mind assigns to them.”

If we believe that we can cease to exist while other things live, we believe we are separate from those other things. The ‘fence’ seems to work.

Contemplate this today. Do you believe that your body-personality-mind must survive death in some way in order for you to survive? Or, can the body-personality-mind die while you continue as the life that permeates all living things?

If this contemplation scares you, remember that ego is terrified of no sense of individuality. Let the fear be as it is. Don’t try to change it. Simply remember that this fear comes from ego, and continue the contemplation.

Let me perceive no differences today.

Today’s lesson asks, “Why should I perceive a thousand forms in what remains as one? Why should I give this one a thousand names, when only one suffices?”

One name that could suffice for the whole is life-awareness.

A human is life-awareness. A cat is life-awareness. A lizard is life-awareness. A beetle is life-awareness. A fish is life-awareness. A tree is life-awareness. You are life-awareness.

It is one life-awareness. Life-awareness is one.

Contemplate this today.

Here is a summary of today’s contemplations:

1. Do you believe that your body-personality-mind must survive death in some way in order for you to survive? Or, can the body-personality-mind die while you continue as the life that permeates all living things?
2. Contemplate life-awareness as what you are, one life-awareness, life-awareness as one.

If you have 30 minutes for a meditation today, I recommend this meditation again:

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If you have time and would enjoy a second meditation today, I recommend this meditation as your second meditation. It is 40 minutes long:

Am I the Body?

Before beginning our new special theme, I would like to review each of the special themes that we’ve already contemplated.

What is Forgiveness? Forgiveness is recognizing yourself as the unaffected Self. Therefore, “what you thought your brother did to you has not occurred.” Forgiveness “looks, and waits, and judges not.”

What is Salvation? Salvation is healing by “failing to support the world of dreams … it lets illusions go. By not supporting them, it merely lets them quietly go down to dust. And what they hid is now revealed …”

What is the World? It is a “false perception” where “mechanisms of illusion … go to find what has been given them to seek.” Yet, “all perception can be given a new purpose. … Let us not be satisfied until forgiveness has been made complete.”

What is Sin? Sin is ignorance or outward focus. “Sin gave the body eyes… The body is the instrument the mind made in its efforts to deceive itself. … Sin is the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined issuing from thoughts that are untrue.”

What is the Body?

“The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts.”

When I say that you are life-awareness-presence, you are able to pause the thinking, look and see that is true. To deny that you are life-awareness-presence is ignorance too insane to actually believe. The ego may be able to ignore this fact by attracting attention to thought, but it cannot hide this fact if one redirects attention toward the Self.

However, belief in the body as what you are distorts the fact that you are life-awareness-presence. Although you are able to look and see that life-awareness-presence is what you are, the belief that you are the body makes it seem like the body is primary and life-awareness-presence is secondary. It makes it seem like the body was born, and then life-awareness-presence arose as a byproduct of the body’s birth. It also enables you to imagine that when the body dies, life-awareness-presence dies too.

Is it true that life-awareness-presence is a byproduct of the body? Does life-awareness-presence exist because the body breathes, the heart pumps blood and the brain functions?

Does life-awareness end when the bodily functions cease?

Close your eyes and look to see what claims life-awareness-presence as “mine.” What says “my awareness”? Is it the body or is it the mind?

What says “my body”?

If you watch subtly, you will find that the mind is the one that imagines the body is primary and life-awareness is secondary. Thought says this is true.

Does the fact that thought says it’s true make it true? Is thought a reliable source?

Contemplate this throughout the day today.

God is my refuge and security.

Our special theme says, “The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts.” And then it goes on to say, “For within this fence he thinks that he is safe from love.”

Here’s another way to say this: The mind feels safe within the perception of individuality. The mind is terrified of no sense of individuality.

However, are you the one that thinks this way? Are you the mind or are you the life-awareness-presence that is aware of the mind?

What is your truth?

The lesson says, “I will identify with what I think is refuge and security.”

If you think the mind is your refuge and security, then you will identify with thought, and because thought identifies with the body, you will identify with the body too.

However, if you feel your refuge and security lie with the unaffected Self, you will identify with it, and because you identify with it, you will not identify with thought.

Contemplate this today too.

Here is a summary of the questions you will contemplate throughout the day today:

1. Is thought a reliable source?
2. Which is my refuge and security, thought or unaffected life-awareness-presence?

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation again today:

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What is Sin?

Our special theme says, “There is no sin. Creation is unchanged.”

What is creation?

You are creation. What you are is what A Course in Miracles means by the word, “creation.”

Let’s revisit yesterday’s analogy:

At the surface of the ocean, waves appear. Each wave is temporary, like the body and the personality. The water in the waves appear to be affected by the weather, just like you seem to be affected by the world and the mind’s thoughts. However, the water that is part of the wave isn’t really affected. It may sometimes appear calm and sometimes appear highly agitated, but it is always water. It doesn’t become blood or seaweed. It is forever unaffected by the weather.

At the same time, at the depth of the ocean, the water is untouched by even the appearance of being affected. The weather at the surface does not reach the depths at all.

In the same way, your true Self is not affected at the surface, where there is the appearance of affected. And the appearance of affected does not exist at all within the depths of your Self. At the depth, there is no judgment, no duality, no ignorance and no outward focus.

As this analogy makes clear, both at the surface and at the depth, you remain what you have always been, life-awareness. You have never not been life-awareness, and you shall always be life-awareness.

Let me remember God created me.

Today, let’s contemplate what “I” and “me” really mean. Typically, when the mind uses these words, it refers to itself. It refers to thought as “I” and “me.”

However, that is not what “I” and “me” really mean. “I” and “me” are pronouns used to refer to one’s self, and thought is not a self.

When the mind uses “I” and “me” to refer to itself, it is a misuse of those terms. When we believe thought is “I” and “me,” we are confused about what we are.

Ramana Maharshi said:

That which rises as “I” in this body is the mind. If one inquires as to where in the body the thought “I” rises first, one would discover that it rises in the heart. … Even if one thinks constantly “I,” “I,” one will be led to that place.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:

Self-Inquiry Meditation

What is Sin?

Our special theme says, “There is no sin.” That means, there is no judgment. There is no duality. There is no ignorance. There is no outward focus.

Is that true?

Yes. That is all true for the true Self.

It is very difficult to explain how there is no judgment, duality, ignorance or outward focus for the true Self while also admitting that attention goes out to judgment and duality while ignoring truth.

Let me use an analogy:

The best analogy I know is the analogy of the ocean. At the surface of the ocean, waves appear. Each wave is temporary, like the body and the personality. The water in the waves appear to be affected by the weather, just like you seem to be affected by the world and the mind’s thoughts. However, the water that is part of the wave isn’t really affected. It may sometimes appear calm and sometimes appear highly agitated, but it is always water. It doesn’t become blood or seaweed. It is forever unaffected by the weather.

At the same time, in the depths of the ocean, the water is untouched by even the appearance of being affected. The weather at the surface does not reach the depths at all.

In the same way, your true Self is not affected at the surface, where there is the appearance of affected. And the appearance of affected does not exist at all within the depths of your Self. At the depth, there is no judgment, duality, ignorance or outward focus at all.

Our function now is to return the unaffected attention, which has been at the surface, to the depths of the Self, so it may know itself as it has always been.

Let me remember that there is no sin.

Today we contemplate the depths of the Self. We realize that awakening is realization of the depth as our truth. We accept that at the depth, there never has been judgment; there never has been duality; there never has been ignorance; and there never has been outward focus. The depth of the Self has always been only aware of itself.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend repeating this meditation from yesterday:

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What is Sin?

Our special theme asks, “How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of sin?”

Let’s contemplate this question using some of our alternative terms:

How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of judgment?

How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of duality?

How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of ignoring truth?

How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of outward focus?

We can answer, “No longer will I play that game.” It is within our power to stop playing the game now. We have the practices that point away from games and towards truth. To stop playing the game, we simply need the desire to live from those practices instead of from old conditioning that is not in harmony with what we want now.

Let me remember that my goal is God.

Today is another opportunity to contemplate what we really want.

Spiritual practice can be forgotten when we are distracted by the personality mind’s “little senseless aims.” However, when we continuously contemplate what we really want, we are naturally drawn to the spiritual practices that lead to Self-realization. We are naturally drawn to those practices, because they are the way to complete our heart’s one true desire.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:

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What is Sin?

Our special theme says, “A madman’s dreams are frightening, and sin appears indeed to terrify. And yet what sin perceives is but a childish game.”

Let’s contemplate this using some of our alternative terms:

A madman’s dreams are frightening, and duality appears indeed to terrify. And yet what judgment perceives is but a childish game.

A madman’s dreams are frightening, and ignorance appears indeed to terrify. And yet what ignorance perceives is but a childish game.

A madman’s dreams are frightening, and outward focus appears indeed to terrify. And yet what outward focus perceives is but a childish game.

Our special theme continues, “The Son of God may play he has become a body, prey to evil and to guilt, with but a little life that ends in death. But all the while his Father shines on him, and loves him with an everlasting Love which his pretenses cannot change at all.”

These words are symbolic. However, they point toward our unaffected truth, which is not symbolic at all. It is very real, and it is present right now.

Today, we begin another day with clarity regarding the problem that “appears indeed to terrify.” That is ignoring truth, focusing outward and believing the mind’s judgments. This clarity reinforces the realization that the solution to the problem is paying attention to awareness, focusing inward for intuitive guidance and ignoring the mind’s judgments by practicing the Loving All Method.

Let me remember what my purpose is.

Today’s lesson says, “If I forget my goal I can be but confused, unsure of what I am, and thus conflicted in my actions.”

This is important to contemplate:

If I am confused about what I am, my actions will be confused also.

How might you act differently as the eternal unaffected Self than you do as an apparent personality-body-mind?

With which identity would you experience more peace?

With which identity would you respond more patiently and lovingly?

With which identity would you feel more secure?

When we were on Lesson 238, we saw that we make decisions based on who we think we are. We could also say that we live from our identity.

Today’s lesson reminds us to focus on our spiritual aspiration so “we may unify our thoughts and actions meaningfully.”

When we remember what we truly want, we are more likely to pay attention to awareness, feel inward for intuitive guidance and practice the Loving All Method. When those habits are our central focus, we are more likely to live from our unaffected Self than from the frantic personality-mind.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:

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What is Sin?

Since we have been with this special theme, we have replaced the word “sin” with “insanity,” with “My ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, what should be and what should not be,” with “judgment,” and with “duality.” As we read our special theme today, let’s replace the word sin with “ignorance.” In this case, “ignorance” is defined as ignoring the truth.

For example, “Ignorance is insanity.” Or, “Ignoring the truth is insanity. It is the means by which the mind is driven mad, and seeks to let illusions take the place of truth.”

After you have read the special theme using “ignorance” or “ignoring truth,” please return to my tip for today.

~ ~ ~ ~

Ignorance is accomplished through outward focus. We ignore truth when we give all of our attention to thoughts and to the world.

Let’s read the special theme again. This time, replace the word “sin” with “outward focus.”

For example, “Outward focus gave the body eyes, …” and “Outward focus is the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined, issuing from thoughts that are untrue.”

After you have read the special theme using “outward focus” in place of “sin,” please return to my tip, and we will look at today’s lesson.

~ ~ ~ ~

God is the only goal I have today.

Today’s lesson also uses the word, “sin.”

If sin had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If insanity had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, what should be and what should not be had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If judgment had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If duality had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If ignorance had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If ignoring truth had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

If outward focus had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are?

It’s important to look at all of these alternative terms, because “sin” typically implies guilt to most people. It reinforces the false idea that something is inherently wrong with me, which reinforces the idea of separation.

However, as we consider alternative terms, we see that there is a habit that has been formed. It is the habit of ignoring our true Self, focusing outward, and believing our thoughts’ judgments regarding everything the body senses. We also see that the body, as the sensing organ, reinforces this habit of looking outward, a habit that has been cherished by the mind.

When we see the problem clearly, we can also see the solution.

If ignoring the truth, focusing outward and believing the mind’s judgments is the problem, then paying attention to truth, focusing inward and ignoring the mind’s judgments is the solution.

Said another way, awareness-watching-awareness meditation, surrendering to intuition and the Loving All Method are the solutions to insanity.

Today is a day to put special attention on changing our goal. The mind has cherished ignorance. Today, we direct the mind to cherish truth instead. The mind is capable of cherishing truth, but we need to take the lead by teaching the mind new habits and by reminding the mind to attend to those new habits.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:

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If you have time for two meditations today, and you would like to try a different meditation the second time you meditate, I recommend this meditation for later in the day:

Introduction to Loving Consciousness Meditation

What is Sin?

Our special theme says:

Sin is the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined, issuing from thoughts that are untrue. They are ‘proof’ that what has no reality is real.

Yesterday we replaced “sin” with “My ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, what should be and what should not be.”

My ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, what should be and what should not be are the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined, issuing from thoughts that are untrue. They are ‘proof’ that what has no reality is real.

NTI calls these ideas “judgment.”

Judgment is the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined, issuing from thoughts that are untrue. They are ‘proof’ that what has no reality is real.

Gina Lake calls these ideas “duality.”

Duality is the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined, issuing from thoughts that are untrue. They are ‘proof’ that what has no reality is real.

Today, we continue to notice our judgments or ideas of duality. We remember that these ideas feed the ego, make illusion and hide truth. We choose to disregard these ideas as mistaken, limited or unwanted and to practice the Loving All Method instead.

This day I choose to spend in perfect peace.

If we do not believe ideas of duality, and we practice the Loving All Method with everything that comes into our consciousness today, we will spend the day in perfect peace. This is entirely possible today.

If you find that you are not at peace at some point today, look at the thoughts that are in your mind, and ask yourself these questions:

Is there a thought of duality (judgment) in the mind now?

What is it?

Am I willing to see that idea as mistaken, limited and/or unwanted?

Am I willing to practice the Loving All Method now?

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:

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If you only have 20 minutes for meditation today or if you have 20 minutes later in the day for a second meditation, I recommend this guided meditation by AHAM and Karen Worth again today:

Say Yes to What Is