ACIM Workbook Lesson 121 ~ April 30
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" Lesson 121
"Forgiveness is the key to happiness."
Here is the answer to your search for peace.
Here is the key to meaning in a world
which seems to make no sense. Here is the way
to safety in apparent dangers which
appear to threaten you at every turn,
and bring uncertainty to all your hopes
of ever finding quietness and peace.
Here are all questions answered. Here the end
of all uncertainty ensured at last.|
The unforgiving mind is full of fear,
and offers love no room to be itself;
no place where it can spread its wings in peace,
and soar above the turmoil of the world.
The unforgiving mind is sad, without
the hope of respite and release from pain.
It suffers and abides in misery,
peering about in darkness, seeing not,
yet certain of the danger lurking there.|
#The unforgiving mind is torn with doubt,
confused about itself and all it sees,
afraid and angry, weak and blustering,
afraid to go ahead, afraid to stay,
afraid to waken or to go to sleep,
afraid of every sound, yet more afraid
of stillness; terrified of darkness, yet
more terrified at the approach of light.
What can the unforgiving mind perceive
but its damnation? What can it behold
except the proof that all its sins are real?|
The unforgiving mind sees no mistakes,
but only sins. It looks upon the world
with sightless eyes, and shrieks as it beholds
its own projections rising to attack
its miserable parody of life.
It wants to live, yet wishes it were dead.
It wants forgiveness, yet it sees no hope.
It wants escape, yet can conceive of none
because it sees the sinful everywhere.|
The unforgiving mind is in despair,
without the prospect of a future which
can offer anything but more despair.
Yet it regards its judgment of the world
as irreversible, and does not see
it has condemned itself to this despair.
It thinks it cannot change, for what it sees
bears witness that its judgment is correct.
It does not ask because it thinks it knows.
It does not question, certain it is right.|
6Forgiveness is acquired. It is not
inherent in the mind which cannot sin.
As sin was an idea you taught yourself,
forgiveness must be learned by you as well,
but from a Teacher other than yourself,
who represents the other Self in you.
Through Him you learn how to forgive the self
you think you made, and let it disappear.
Thus you return your mind as one to Him
Who is your Self, and Who can never sin.|
Each unforgiving mind presents you with
an opportunity to teach your own
how to forgive itself. Each one awaits
release from hell through you, and turns to you
imploringly for Heaven here and now.
It has no hope, but you become its hope.
And as its hope do you become your own.
The unforgiving mind must learn through your
forgiveness that it has been saved from hell.
And as you teach salvation, you will learn.
Yet all your teaching and your learning will
be not of you, but of the Teacher Who
was given you to show the way to you.|
Today we practice learning to forgive.
If you are willing, you can learn today
to take the key to happiness, and use
it on your own behalf. We will devote
ten minutes in the morning, and at night
another ten, to learning how to give
forgiveness and receive forgiveness too.|
#The unforgiving mind does not believe
that giving and receiving are the same.
Yet we will try to learn today that they
are one through practicing forgiving towards
one whom you think of as an enemy
and one whom you consider as a friend.
And as you learn to see them both as one,
we will extend the lesson to yourself,
and see that their escape included yours.|
Begin the longer practice periods
by thinking of someone you do not like,
who seems to irritate you, or to cause
regret in you if you should meet him; one
you actively despise, or merely try
to overlook. It does not matter what
the form your anger takes. You probably
have chosen him already. He will do.|
Now close your eyes and see him in your mind,
and look at him a while. Try to perceive
some light in him somewhere; a little gleam
which you had never noticed. Try to find
some little spark of brightness shining through
the ugly picture which you hold of him.
Look at this picture till you see a light
somewhere within it, and then try to let
this light extend until it covers him,
and makes the picture beautiful and good.|
Look at this changed perception for a while,
and turn your mind to one you call a friend.
Try to transfer the light you learned to see
around your former "enemy" to him.
Perceive him now as more than friend to you,
for in that light his holiness shows you
your Saviour, saved and saving, healed and whole.|
Then let him offer you the light you see
in him, and let your "enemy" and Friend
unite in blessing you with what you gave.
Now are you one with them, and they with you.
Now have you been forgiven by yourself.
Do not forget, throughout the day, the role
forgiveness plays in bringing happiness
to every unforgiving mind, with yours
among them. Every hour tell yourself:
"Forgiveness is the key to happiness.
I will awaken from the dream that I
Am mortal, fallible, and full of sin,
And know I am the perfect Son of God." "
~ Urtext of ACIM
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