Two days ago the tip for Lesson 99 led you in an inquiry. As part of that inquiry you were asked to “Notice the difference between thought and awareness. Notice which causes all kinds of trouble and suffering, and which is peacefully present. Notice which is you and which is not.”
I hope you were able to see, at least briefly, that you are awareness, which is peacefully present. This seeing helps you to understand what today’s lesson points to…there is no sin.
I prefer to help you SEE something is true, rather than just deliver the information intellectually. If you can see that mind and awareness are separate, and what you are is awareness, you will have a realization that transcends the belief in sin, which goes far beyond an intellectual teaching.
Today’s workbook lesson says that “suffering is causeless. Joy is just, and pain is but the sign you have misunderstood yourself.” MISUNDERSTOOD YOURSELF.
This is why awareness-watching-awareness (AWA) is such an important part of our practice. Through AWA you consistently (albeit subtly) attain more and more realization that you are awareness, not thought. Be sure to practice AWA for 10-15 minutes each day. Also use the 5 minutes per hour to watch awareness. When you can’t give a full 5 minutes, at least spend 3-5 seconds noticing yourself as awareness. Through AWA your identification will shift from body-mind to awareness, and that shift changes everything, even if nothing else changes.
Another way to disengage from seeing yourself as body-mind is to “abide as your Self.” Ramana Maharshi gave this guidance frequently. But what does it mean?
It means abide as life-intelligence-awareness instead of as a body-mind.
How do you do that? You will learn to abide as your Self by practicing the Loving All Method, which is assigned as part of your homework this week. Please read that assignment carefully this week, preferably several times. Find what questions you have and bring them to our next meeting. We want to take the Loving All Method seriously so we can live from it.
Practicing the Loving All Method is the same practice as the vow of Happiness taught in Chapter 15 of “The Untethered Soul,” which Jacquelyn shared in class last night. Both are the same as forgiveness as it is taught in A Course in Miracles. So, let’s get a clear understanding of these three as one, and then go forward from this week clear on how to live from happiness/love/forgiveness
