"Hero of the Dream"

The "Hero" of the Dream(February 14, 1968)
The body is the central figure in the dreaming of the world. There IS no dream without it, nor does it exist without the dream, in which it acts as if it were a person, to be seen and be believed. It takes the central place in every dream, which tells the story of how it was made by OTHER bodies, born into the world OUTSIDE the body, lives a little while, and dies, to be united in the dust with other bodies, dying like itself. In the brief time allotted it to live, it seeks for other bodies as its friends and enemies. Its safety is its main concern. Its comfort is its guiding rule. It tries to look for pleasure, and avoid the things that would be hurtful. Above all, it tries to teach itself its pains and joys are different, and CAN be told apart.
The dreaming of the world takes many forms, because the body seeks in many ways to PROVE it is autonomous and real. It puts things on itself that it has bought with little metal discs or paper strips the world proclaims as valuable and good. It works to get them, doing senseless things, and tosses them away for senseless things it does not NEED, and does not even WANT. It hires OTHER bodies, that they may protect it, and collect more senseless things that it can call its own. It looks about for special bodies which can SHARE its dream. Sometimes it dreams it is a conqueror of bodies weaker than itself. But in some phases of the dream, it is the slave of bodies which would hurt and torture it.
The body's serial adventures, from the time of birth to dying is the theme of every dream the world has ever had. The "hero" of this dream will never change, nor will its purpose. Though the dream itself takes many forms, and SEEMS to show a great variety of places and events wherein its "hero" finds itself, the dream has but ONE purpose, taught in many ways. This single lesson does it try to teach again, and still again, and yet once more; - that it is CAUSE and NOT effect. And YOU are ITS effect, and CANNOT be its cause. Thus are you NOT the dreamer, but the DREAM. And so you wander idly in and out of places and events that IT contrives.
That this is all the BODY does is true, for it IS but a figure in a dream. But who REACTS to figures in a dream UNLESS he sees them as if they were real? The INSTANT that he sees them as they are, they HAVE no more effects on him BECAUSE he understands he GAVE them their effects BY CAUSING THEM, and MAKING them seem real.


"A Course in Miricles"

"Seeing my body in the mirror"

Life, Life, Life! I go back and forth from ego to spirit and back again. There are 2 things I have learned: see God in everything and everyone, and forgive when you don't. I have been practicing forgiveness. Not an easy task. I have realize that we are all one and that when I judge others I am ultimately judging myself. I have been working on forgiving others and the world around me, but, for me, the ultimate challenge is forgiving myself. At first, I thought to myself, what do I have to forgive? I haven't done anything. But later I realize I feel guilty all the time, guilty that I did not do this right, or that I was hard on myself, or forgetting to do something I was suppose to do. I saw guilt everywhere. I have gained back the weight I lost. For those of you who do not know, I lost 68 pounds and was 7 pound from my goal, a size 14. I have gained 65 pounds back. So, of course I have been judging myself. Telling myself that I am a failure, and then guilt! But what I have learned that I needed to gain the weight back. I have been working liking crazy to lose it that I forgot that I am not this body. I have been putting to much importance in my body. But, now as I look at myself in the mirror, I am grateful for this strange figure I see before me, I mean so far I have been healthy, it has carried me for 45 years without a hitch. But, I know the truth that this oddly shape in front of me is not me. I knew that, but I have never experienced that before. I actually forgave myself. Forgave myself for hating my body and being attached to it, forgave myself in thinking I was a failure and putting so much energy into that body in the mirror. Our bodies are ego's biggest distraction in keeping us from the truth. I believe if I truly forgive myself for creating this 265 pound body, and truly experience that it is not real, and that I am spirit first, than eventually I don't need to even try to lose the weight the pounds will eventually come off on there own. Sounds like fantasy? or that I am delusional, we shall see. I still have a lot more forgiving to do. But I am on my way!!