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A Course in Miracles teacher, Ken Wapnick, in his book, “Ending Our Resistance To Love,” suggests a process that will help weaken the ego. He explains that we cannot change the lower self/ego because that is who the body is. But we can step outside the egoic mind and observe it with the help of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. He calls this “looking at the ego without judgment,” and says on page 45: “The more you can do that…the more you weaken your identification with that self and reinforce your ultimate identification with your true Self…If you could look without guilt, judgment or fear, you would weaken it significantly.” He goes on to say that we need to look at the ego with Jesus from above the battleground and see the insanity and hopelessness of this world. That is the way to rise above it.
This is a very interesting concept, which shows, firstly, that awakening is a step-by-step process and, secondly, that we need the help of Jesus, the Holy Spirit or some other enlightened being who is outside the egoic thought system. But it can be a difficult process because it is not easy to give up all judgement, fear and guilt. It takes a lot of self-observation and monitoring of one’s thoughts and deeds. The problem is that when one becomes aware of how the ego operates there is a tendency to feel guilty about having said or done something which was clearly instigated by the ego. This is when we need to call upon the Holy Spirit/Higher Self and ask Him to turn our thoughts to right-mindedness.
In such a situation it is also helpful to remember ACIM Workbook Lesson 281: “I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts.” It’s when we mentally go over and over an unpleasant situation that we suffer. It’s no longer the situation that causes us pain; it’s our thoughts about the situation that are painful. But as it says in the prayer at the start of the lesson: “…If ever I am sad or hurt or ill, I have forgotten what You think, and put my little meaningless ideas in place of where Your Thoughts belong…” W438. That’s why we need ask for help to have right-minded thoughts.
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