A Course in Miracles (ACIM): The Ego and Forgiveness

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Question: What is the role of forgiveness in A Course in Miracles?

Answer: Forgiveness in A Course in Miracles is really correction of the mind. From the metaphysical aspect, you have a split mind. One side of the split mind is the ego (wrong mind). The other side is the Holy Spirit (right mind) which produces correction, also known as forgiveness. In this split mind scenario, you still retain your decision maker - observer and this allows you to choose between the split mind portions. You have never lost it. If you choose judgment, you are still choosing. Therefore, it is not hidden, but still being used. The ego does not want you to know this because choosing against the ego's judgments is death to it.

When we talk about forgiveness, we are not speaking of forgiveness as outlined by the ego world. This is a different way of thinking and can be difficult to initially grasp. Forgiveness, in this sense, is forgiveness for salvation by choosing the correction of the Holy Spirit (right mind) to correct the errors of the ego (wrong mind). How does one do this? The main way is by being willing to give up the ego's judgments and thought forms in favor of correction (forgiveness).

Why would you do this? At some point in life, everyone has had enough of the way their life is heading and feels the frustration in how this world operates. So what do they do? They begin asking themselves questions and seeking answers for the truth, such as, who they are and why they are here. The answer is simple: Forgiveness, also known as correction of the mind. That is your purpose in life and why you are here.

On a deep unconscious level, this solution of forgiveness was placed in the mind at the time of the original separation from God. Everyone has the ability to choose from either side. Your life won't change until you change your internal Teacher to the Holy Spirit (right mind).

Question: How do I determine what the ego is in my life?

Answer: First, one has to study what the ego is, understand it, and then be able to look back upon it without fear or guilt. The ego is a thought system based upon a series of judgments whose very foundation is fear. This goes back to the original separation and is characterized by hate, anger, blame, grievances, judgment, self-interest, specialness, depression, projections, war, death, sin, fear, guilt, and "forgiveness-to-destroy", just to name a few. If you honestly look around, you will observe that this world is based on a kill or be killed thought system. That is the ego. It is always one or the other and never both. What is causing difficulties in life, and in this world, is that you choose to listen to the ego's judgments about everything and they are fear-based judgments.

a course in miracles teaches us that according to the mind you choose from, you will see the corresponding effect. If you choose the judgments of the ego as your cause, your effect will be from that side. By choosing the Holy Spirit (right mind) as the cause, the negative effects of the ego are undone and the true effect is received: Correction (forgiveness). By changing your internal Teacher as cause, you will see a different effect for the result. All it takes is a little willingness to learn how to do this and then following up by doing the work of choosing to turn over judgments for correction (forgiveness) from the Holy Spirit (right mind). Make no mistake: This is death to the ego!