A Course in Miracles and The Way of Mastery in a Nutshell

Introduction

The message of ACIM is simple:  we choose to live in a world of duality; a world where opposites seem to exist, like good and evil, God and Devil, right and wrong, heaven and hell.  This world of duality must be unreal.  It must be an illusion, since we are but an extension of God (Oneness, All That Is).  As this extension, we cannot leave our Source.  Our Source is the Creator’s Love, so we must be this Love as well.  All that could possibly be must be a creation of this Loving extension. Whatever appears as non-love must therefore be illusion. 

When we feel Love we are reminded of this connection. So, through our willingness to see only love and be only love, we return to the full knowing of our true beingness.  This becomes the experience of unconditional love....devoid of judgment. Then we can know ourselves as God created (extended) us to be. We, then, in this new now know everything as but Love expressed in endless variations.

The Way of Mastery is our Sacred(United)Heart’s way of discovering this Fullness of Self.  It lays out a method for the practice of this knowing of Self in the world of duality.  This is not done by thinking, doing or learning but simply by allowing all to be as it shows up for us in duality.  Thereby, we allow the true nature of all, as simply one of the infinite varieties of Love, to show its true self to us. Everything is now simply a unique variety of the Love extended (creation) by the One Creator. We are moving from duality “now” to oneness "now." “Now” exists in oneness not as a part of a time line going from past to future but as a single created event to be enjoyed and embraced as an expression of the Love we are.

This One Creator created 'us' as One creation, an image of Itself.  'We' are One even as 'we' appear as the many.  'We' are literally the expression of the Creator endowed with the ability to desire and thus form new expressions of the Creator's Love.  All of this One creation will ultimately express the reality of Oneness within time/space.  When a critical mass of apparently separate beings awaken to this Oneness, space/time will cease to exist.  We will have stopped playing in duality.  Duality will become but a remembered dream.  We will now know ourselves fully as One with God the Creator.

The simplicity of ACIM and The Way of Mastery is expressed as concise as possible in 365 (one for each day) brief “goodies”* of truisms. The reader is encouraged to read only one “goodie” a day and to live each day asking Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of this “goodie” coming from our whole mind and full heart.

*In the deep South the meat inside a nutshell is called a “goodie.”

Here is a story or two to help you understand the simplicity of it all:

Letting Them Know How Important They Are

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then
she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of
their classmates and write it down.

It
took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as
the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That
Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate
sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that
individual..

On
Monday she gave each student his or her list.. Before long, the entire class
was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant
anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most
of the comments.

No
one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they
discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The
exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with
themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several
years later, one of the students was killed in Viet
Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that
special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin
before... He looked so handsome, so mature.

The
church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a
last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the
coffin..

As
she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.
'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said:
'Mark talked about you a lot.'

After
the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon.
Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his
teacher.

We
want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his
pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might
recognize it.'

Opening
the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that
had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew
without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all
the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

'Thank
you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark
treasured it.'

All
of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather
sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my
desk at home.'

Chuck's
wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding
album.'

'I
have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my
diary'

Then
Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet
and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at
all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I
think we all saved our lists'

That's
when the teacher finally sat down and cried.

Author  Unknown

I had tears and a lump in my throat as I read this and it reminded me of two other experiences I had of a similar nature.....

Back in 1966 when I first started working as a school psychologist in Paramus, NJ Public Schools I was assigned to an elementary school principled by Mr. Ed Rigola.  Each time I visited his school we would sit together and he would tell me of all the students, teachers, or classes who he would like me to look into, observe or talk to.  It was a very happy group of teachers and students for the most part and they were always welcoming and open to any interventions I suggested.  One day Ed gave me the secret of his leadership role with students, faculty and parents.  He said “I always try to catch then doing something right and let them know that I noticed.”  Great advice and I use it to this day in all my relationships.

Also, I  was reminded  of a technique  Jeshua taught me.  He said that if you wanted to give someone you are in close relationship with a gift they will be sure to treasure, secretly record all the loving things and caring things you observe them doing over a period of time.  Write these on fancy paper and wrap with a bow and give it to them as a present.  “It is a gift there they will always remember and treasure , “ he said.  I did it with my wife and she never forgot that present.

michael

About the Author and Contributors

Michael Carluccio is the main conduit for these “goodies.  He is a 78 year old grandfather of 12 and counting (two currently on the way).He has been and still is happily married to his wife, Constance for the past 24 years and counting.  He is a retired school psychologist, elementary school teacher and adjunct professor at various colleges and universities.  He now spends most of his time, apart from much time spent with family and traveling, writing books of a spiritual self-help nature.  He has published  with Denisa Nelson and Anne DiDomenico  four books filled with the energies of Jeshua. 

Anne is currently contributing to this book and assisting in the editing and proof reading.   Others are invited to contribute or edit as well…… names to be continually added since this is a work of love in constant creation.