Chapter 1 – Introduction to Miracles
T 1 A. Introduction (*N 1 4:28)
T 1 A 1. It is crucial to say first that this is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what to take when. It is just because you are not ready to do what you should elect to do that time exists at all. (You will see miracles through your hands through me. You should begin each day with the prayer “Help me to perform whatever miracles you want of me today.”)
T 1 B. Principles of Miracles (*N 1 4:28)
T 1 B 1. The first thing to remember about miracles is that there is no order of difficulty among them. One is not harder or bigger than another. They are all the same.
T 1 B 2. Miracles do not matter. They are quite unimportant.
T 1 B 3a. They occur naturally as an expression of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense, everything that comes from love is a miracle.
T 1 B 3b. This explains the first point related to the lack of order. ALL expressions of love are maximal.
T 1 B 3c. This is why the “thing in itself”[1] does not matter.[2] The only thing that matters is the Source, and this is far beyond human evaluation.
T 1 B 3d. (Q and A re: first 3 points.) Q (Helen Schucman) Would you regard this communication as a kind of miracle? A. There is nothing special or surprising about this at all. The ONE thing that happened was the Universal Miracle which was the experience of intense love that you have felt. (Don’t get embarrassed by the idea of love. Embarrassment is only a form of fear, and actually a particularly dangerous form because it reflects egocentricity. T(2) -2-
T 1 B 3e. Do not feel guilty about the fact that you are doubting this. Just re-read them and their truth will come to you. I love you, and I am not afraid or embarrassed or doubtful. MY strength will support you, so don’t worry and leave the rest to me. But when you see Bill, be SURE you tell him how much he helped you through by giving you the right message, and don’t bother with worrying about how you received it. That doesn’t matter either. You were just afraid.)
T 1 B 3f. (Helen Schucman fearful in taxi about a communication which related Dave’s healing and Jonathan’s hernia. She thought it would be safer to dissociate the two. Instructions were: refer to point 1 and re-read NOW.)
T 1 B 4a. ALL miracles mean Life, and God is the giver of[3] Life. He will direct you VERY specifically.
T 1 B 4b. (Plan ahead is good advice in this world, where you should and must control & direct where you have accepted responsibility. But the Universal Plan is in more appropriate hands. You will know all you need to know. Make NO attempts to plan ahead in this respect.)
T 1 B 5. Miracles are habits, and should be involuntary. They should not be under conscious control.[4] Consciously selected miracles are usually misguided,[5] and this will make[6] the talent useless.[7]
T 1 B 6. Miracles are natural. When they do NOT occur something has gone wrong. T(3) -3-
T 1 B 7. Miracles are everyone’s right, but purification is necessary first.
T 1 B 8. Miracles are a form of healing. They supply a lack, and are performed by those who have more for those who have less.
T 1 B 9. Miracles are a kind of exchange. Like all expressions of love, which are ALWAYS miraculous in the true sense, the exchange reverses the physical laws.
T 1 B 10. A miracle is a reversal of the physical order because it brings more love to the giver AND the receiver. (A miracle is misunderstood when it is regarded as a spectacle.)
T 1 B 11a. The use of miracles as a spectacle to INDUCE belief is wrong. They are really used for and by believers.
T 1 B 11b. (Helen Schucman has some fear about 11) and doubt about 9) and 10). Probably doubt induced by fear of 11).
T 1 B 11c. (When you say “If you want me to I will” please add “and if you DON’T want me to I won’t.” This is the RIGHT use of inhibition. There has to be SOME control over learning for channelizing purposes. Remember retroactive inhibition which should be easy enough for you.
T 1 B 11d. Sometimes the new learning is the more important, and HAS to inhibit the old. It’s a form of correction.)
T 1 B 12a. Prayer is the medium of miracles. Prayer is the natural communication of the Created with the Creator. Through prayer, love is received, and through miracles love is expressed. T(4) -4-
T 1 B 12b. Miracles are thought-creations. Thought can create lower-order or higher-order realities. This is the basic distinction between intellectualization and thinking. One creates the physical, and the other the spiritual, and we believe in what we create.
T 1 B 13. A miracle is a beginning and an end(ing).[8] It thus abolishes time. It is always an affirmation of re-birth, which seems to go back, but really goes forward. It undoes the past in the present, and thus releases the future.
T 1 B 14. Miracles attest to truth. They are convincing because they arise from conviction. Without conviction, they deteriorate into magic, which is mindless, and therefore destructive, or rather, the uncreative use of Mind.
T 1 B 15a. Each[9] day should be devoted to miracles. (God created time so that man could use it creatively, and convince himself of his own ability to create. Time is a teaching device, and a means to an end. It will cease when it is no longer useful for facilitating learning.)
T 1 B 15b. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Notes on this course have to be taken only under good learning conditions. The same goes for review periods. I will tell you when, but REMEMBER TO ASK.[10]
T 1 B 16a. Miracles are teaching devices for demonstrating that it is more blessed to give than to receive. They simultaneously increase the reserve strength of the giver, and supply the lack of strength in the receiver. BE VERY CAREFUL in interpreting this.[11] T(5) -5-
T 1 B 16b. INSTRUCTIONS: The purpose of this course is integration. I told you that you will not be able to use it right until you have taken it. As long as your identification vacillates, (and B’s is weak) you cannot accept the gift that belongs to you. You are still vacillating between recognizing the gift and throwing it away. B regards himself as too weak to accept it. You do not yet know its healing power. After you have passed the course, you will accept it and keep it and use it. That is the final exam, which you will have no trouble in passing. Midterm marks are not entered on the permanent record.
T 1 B 17. Miracles are the absence of the body. They are sudden shifts into invisibility, away from lower order reality. That is why they heal.
T 1 B 18a. A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service that one soul can render another. It is a way of loving your neighbor[12] as yourself. The doer recognizes his own and his neighbor’s inestimable value simultaneously.
T 1 B 18b. (This is why no areas of hatred can be retained. If you retain them, your own value is no longer inestimable because, you are evaluating it as X or infinity minus that amount. This is meaningless mathematically, which uses the term “inestimable” only in the very literal sense. Pun intended especially for B, (who originally did not get it.) Intended as a special sign of love.)[13] T(6) -6-
T 1 B 19. Miracles rest on the law and order of eternity, not of time.[14]
T 1 B 20. Miracles are an industrial necessity. Industry depends on cooperation, and cooperation depends on miracles. (see page 8)[15]
T 1 B 21a. [1] Miracles are cobwebs of iron. They unite human frailty to the strength of God. (see page 7)
T 1 B 21b. (add for 21. Helen Schucman considered changing “iron” to “steel.” Correction: No. Steel would NOT be a better word. Steel is very useful but it would have to be tempered by fire. Iron is the raw material. The point of miracles is that they replace fire, thus making it unnecessary.)
T 1 B 22a. Miracles are natural expressions of total forgiveness. Through miracles, man accepts God’s forgiveness by extending it to others. The second step is inherent in the first, because light cannot tolerate darkness. Light dispels darkness automatically, by definition.
T 1 B 22b. EXPLANATORY INSTRUCTIONS: Miracles are associated with fear only because of the fallacy that darkness can hide. Man believes that what he cannot see does not exist, and his physical eyes cannot see in the dark. This is a very primitive solution, and has led to a denial of the spiritual eye, which always depends on light. Remember the Biblical injunction: “May I never forget that THINE eye is ever upon me, beholding the evil and the good.”[16]
T 1 B 22c. There are two stages, one lower and one higher, which are involved in the escape from darkness: 1) the recognition that darkness CANNOT hide. This usually does entail fear.
T 1 B 22d. 2) The recognition that there is nothing you WANT to hide, even if you could. This brings escape from fear.[17] T(7) -7-
T 1 B 22e. Corrections Re Pt. 21 cobwebs of iron. “This is upside down as stated. The part about ‘uniting human frailty with the strength of God’ is all right, but the explanation stops too soon. If iron is the ‘raw material’, cobwebs can’t become the iron. That is only the way it seems, because cobwebs are associated with the frailty & iron with strength. If you look carefully at the phrasing, you will see it is reversed (one point already tells you that miracles reverse the physical or lower order laws.)
T 1 B 22f. The raw material, or iron, is heavy but crude, & stands for the body, which is a crude creation. The cobweb concept is closer to how the body SHOULD be regarded, i.e., as an airy & temporary home, which can just be blown away with a slight breeze.
T 1 B 22g. (21. [2])[18] The point should read “A miracle reawakens the awareness that the spirit, and not the body, is the altar of Truth. This is the recognition that leads to the healing power of the miracle.”
T 1 B 22h. (22a) A miracle rearranges the order of perception, and places the levels in their true perspective. This heals at all levels, because all sickness comes from confusing the levels.
T 1 B 22i. (Tell Bill about the idea (which is still dim to Helen Schucman) that the reason is not that you (plural) distantiate, doubt, or cannot believe. It is more of a reaction formation against a pull which you both recognize is so intense that you are afraid that you will be uprooted. But remember that a cobweb is really stronger than the iron, if you see it properly. This fear is also why you couldn’t get the point straight.)
T 1 B 22j. By the way, it is not true that you are both ‘JUST SCRIBES’. You might remember that the Scribes were very wise and holy men and are even sometimes spelled with a capital S. If you want to go further, you might change the meaning of ‘just’ from ‘merely’ to ‘honest’, a term used in the Bible in association with ‘might’ or ‘strength.’ Tell Bill you couldn’t make that pun if the original phrasing had been singular. (Helen Schucman aside about liking the first about[19] assumption failure more.) Answer: T(8) -8- It was cuter, but this one MEANS more. The REAL reason you don’t like it is because it refers to you in a VERY lofty position. This makes you nervous.)
T 1 B 22k. Correction: And don’t lose sight of the emphasis on cooperation, or the NOT SINGULAR. That point about “industrial necessity” should read “corporate”, referring to the body of Christ which is a way of referring to the Church. But the
T 1 B 22l. Further correction: “God” should read “Christ.” The Father and the Son are not identical, but you CAN say “Like Father, LIKE Son.”
T 1 B 22m. (Remind Bill to get another notebook. I don’t give up as easily as HE does. If I could get YOU to listen, which was a miracle in itself, I can get him to register. He should appreciate this more than anyone else, having had some trouble with this problem himself.)
T 1 B 22n. “Lord heal me” is the only legitimate prayer. This also means “Lord atone for me,” because the only thing man should pray for is forgiveness. He HAS everything else.
T 1 B 22o. Now take this personally, and listen to Divine logic: If, when you have been forgiven, you have everything else, and
If you have been forgiven
Then you HAVE everything else.
T 1 B 22p. This happens to be the simplest of all propositions.
IF P then Q
P
Therefore, Q
T 1 B 22q. The real question is, is P true. If you will review the evidence, I think you will find this inescapable. I went on very personal record to this effect, and I am the only completely True Witness for God. You have every[21] right to examine MY credentials—in fact, I urge you to do so. You haven’t read the Bible in years. T(9) -9-
T 1 B 22r. Special Explanatory Note: As soon as you (H & B) have entered the second phase, you will be not only willing to enter into communion, but will also understand peace and joy. Your commitment is not yet total. That is why you still have more to learn than to teach. When your equilibrium stabilizes, you can teach AS MUCH as you learn. This will give you the proper sense of balance. Meanwhile, remember that NO EFFORT IS WASTED. Unless you remember this, you cannot avail yourself of MY efforts, which are limitless.
T 1 B 22s. (Have a good day.) Since only eternity is real, why not use the illusion of time constructively? You might remember that “underneath are the Everlasting Arms.” [22]
T 1 B 22t. BIBLICAL QUOTATION: “If you are ashamed of me before men, I will be ashamed of you before God,” [23] (Helen Schucman ? of misquote.) is interpreted as a threat ONLY as long you remain in the first step. (see bottom of p. 6 for steps.)
T 1 B 22u. What it REALLY means is that if you are ashamed of me (or embarrassed by love), you will project and therefore make it impossible for me to reach you. Make every effort you can NOT to do this. I will help you as much as you will let me.
T 1 B 23a. Miracles make time and tide wait for all men. They can heal the sick and raise the dead because man himself made both death and taxes, and can abolish both. Note: Tax also means “strain.” (One definition for miracles is: “That which, or one who, is of surpassing excellence or merit.”) (from Dictionary, third definition)T(10) -10-
T 1 B 23b. YOU are a miracle.[24] God creates only “that which, or one who, is of surpassing excellence or merit.” Man is capable of this kind of creation, too, being in the image and likeness[25] of his own Creator. Anything else is only his own nightmare, and does not exist. Only the Creations of Light are real.
T 1 B 23c. Miracles[26] are a part of an interlocking chain of forgiveness which, when completed, is the Atonement.[27] This process works all the time and in all dimensions of time. (e.g. given of Helen Schucman report rewrite for Esther! Esther had hurt something you loved, by writing a report you regarded as very bad. You atoned for her by writing one in her name that was very good. Actually, it was not your responsibility professionally to do this, but because you DO love the Shield you recognized that in this case, you ARE your brother’s keeper. While you did not cancel Esther’s sin (later defined as “lack of love”) you DID cancel out its EFFECTS.
T 1 B 23d. Someday I want to tell Esther that not only is she forgiven but that the effects of all her sins are cancelled. This is what I have already told you. When I can tell her, she will be afraid for a long time, because she will remember many things, consciously or unconsciously, including the Shield report, a lack of love which you cancelled out in advance by a miracle of devotion.
T 1 B 23e. I am in charge of the process of Atonement, which I undertook to begin. My Atonement was for the canceling out of all sins (i.e., lack of love) which human beings could not otherwise correct. That is what the Biblical statement “underneath are the Everlasting Arms” [28] means. (Helen Schucman explanation: This means that He will backstop whenever human miracles will not suffice for atonement purposes. However, it is perfectly clear that when a person can atone by miracles, both giver and receiver are atoning. It is better to atone this way because of the mutual benefits involved.) T(11) -11 “Inasmuch as you do it unto the least of these, my children” really ends with “you do it unto yourself and ME.”[29] The reason why YOU come before me is because I do not need miracles for my own Atonement, but I stand at the end in case YOU fail temporarily.
T 1 B 23f. SPECIAL EXPLANATION: (In response to Helen Schucman request re possible corrections.) Change the word “sin” to “absence of love.” Sin is a manmade word with threat connotations which he made up himself. No REAL threat is involved anywhere. Just because “nature abhors a vacuum,” which is true enough, it does NOT follow that “a vacuum is filled with hellfire.” Nothing is gained by frightening yourself, and it is very destructive. Miracles need freedom from fear. Part of their Atonement value involves just that. Note that the word “atone” really means “undo.”[30] T(12) -12
T 1 B 23g. The purpose of the Atonement is to restore everything TO you. (That is, to restore the awareness. Later clarification.) You had everything when you were created, just as everyone did.[31]
T 1 B 23h. Having been restored to your original state, you naturally become part of the Atonement yourself. You now share MY inability to tolerate the lack of love in yourself & in everyone else, and MUST join the GREAT CRUSADE to correct it. The slogan for this Crusade is “Listen, Learn, and DO.”
T 1 B 23i. This means Listen to My Voice, Learn to undo the error, and DO something to correct it.
T 1 B 23j. The first two are not enough. The real members of MY party are ACTIVE workers. T(13) -13
T 1 B 23k. The power to work Miracles BELONGS to you. I will create the right opportunities for you to do them. But you must be ready & willing to do them, since you are already able to. Doing them will bring conviction in the ability. I repeat that you will see Miracles through your hands through MINE.[32] Conviction really comes through accomplishment. Remember that ability is the potential, Achievement is its expression, and Atonement is the Purpose.
T 1 B 24a. 24 A miracle is a Universal Blessing from God through Me to all My Brothers. Explanation: You once said that souls cannot rest until everyone has found salvation.[33] This happens to be true. It is the privilege of the forgiven to forgive. The Disciples were officially & specifically told to heal others, as Physicians of the Lord. They were also told to heal themselves, & were promised that I would never leave them or forsake them. Atonement is the natural profession of the Children of God, because they have professed Me.
T 1 B 24b. (ASIDE. Tell B that that is what Professor really means. As an Assoc. Prof., he must become associated with My strength. As an Asst. Prof., you must assist both him and Me. The Children need both strength & help. You cannot help until you are strong. The Everlasting Arms are your strength, and the Wisdom of God is your help.)
T 1 B 24c. “Heaven & Earth shall pass away”[34] means that they will not always exist as separate states. My Word, which is the Resurrection and the Light,[35] shall not pass away, because Life is Eternal. YOU are the work of God, and His Work is wholly loveable & wholly loving. This is how a man MUST think of himself in his heart, because this is what he IS.
T 1 B 24d. Add: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”[36] T(14) -14
[1] The “thing in itself” is a term used in Philosophy to refer to a noumenon which is distinct from a phenomenon in that while a phenomenon is sensed and experienced, the notion of noumenon refers to an abstract essence or Platonic ideal independent of sensory perception. A phenomenon is that which is perceived; a noumenon is the actual object that emits the phenomenon in question. The idea of “human evaluation” is central to the distinction with noumena being generally thought of as beyond what can be known by reason or experience. This paragraph certainly appears to be a reference to this philosophical question. Perhaps a reference to Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason in which the means by which knowledge is obtained, ordered and evaluated are extensively explored. The distinction between the noumenon or “thing in itself” and the “cause” or “source” is made here in the Course and is one which Kant’s work also addresses.
[2] The Notes adds before this sentence “Check back with k” which refers to
T 1 B 2 “miracles do not matter…”
[3] Urtext manuscript has “the” crossed out. There is no “the” in the Notes.
[4] Originally the sentence “Otherwise they may become undemocratic” follows here, but is crossed out. It is also present in the Notes and crossed out.
[5] Originally typed “dangerous” the handwritten mark-up changes it to “misguided.”
[6] Originally typed “may destroy” the handwritten mark-up changes it to “this will make.”
[7] The word “useless” is added in handwritten mark-up. This paragraph is one of the most heavily marked up and re-written in the Text volume, offering several variant readings. In the Notes this last sentence (T 1 B 5.3) is “Selective miracles are dangerous and may destroy the talent.” Originally in the Notes (N 4:33:3-7) the paragraph is:
3 Miracles are habits and should
Otherwise they may
4 be involuntary. Conscious control
5 bec. undemocratic. Selective miracles
6 are dangerous & may destroy the
7 talent.
The words “Conscious control” are crossed out in the Notes and replaced with “Otherwise they may.”
Before the handwritten mark-up the paragraph was originally typed:
Miracles are habits, and should be involuntary. They should not be under conscious control. Otherwise they may become undemocratic. Consciously selected miracles are dangerous, and may destroy the talent.
In the later HLC this is rendered:
Miracles are habits and should be involuntary. They should not be under conscious control. Consciously selected miracles can be misguided.
The HLC reading is preserved in FIP.
[8] The Notes has several words scratched out following “end” in this line, but does not have the “ing” which is in brackets in the Urtext manuscript.
[9] Urtext manuscript originally had “Every”, crossed out and “Each” typed in above it. the Notes has “each.”
[10] Urtext manuscript has a closing parenthesis with no matching opening parenthesis in this location.
[11] In a long stretch of omitted “personal material” we find four lines which appear to have been an original miracle principle, inadvertently omitted.
The following lines occur on Notes folio 4:46, lines 22-26:
“Remember a miracle is a spark of Life. It shines through the darkness and
brings in the light. You must begin to forget and remember.”
Immediately after these lines are the words “This is a private point just for you”
and the discussion goes on to a distinctly private point. This strongly suggests
the immediately preceding material, was not intended to be “private” or omitted.
[12]Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19. 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9 all refer to loving neighbors as thyself. This theme appears very frequently in the Course and in the Bible.
[13] The following beautiful little discussion of sexual love and specialness in the Notes was omitted, likely because it does address sexuality and homosexuality and it does so in individually specific terms. However, it is thoroughly “generalizable” and what is true of “you and Bill” is likewise true of many others. This is from the Notes: (N 4:52)
(I threw that in happily specially for Bill, because he does need special signs of love. He doesn’t really but he does think so.
Now tell him that homo sex is sinful only to the extent it is based on the principle of exclusion. Everybody should love everybody.
It is wrong to deny the beauty of some souls because of body-structures of which you are afraid. This is essentially an unhealthy attempt to limit fear but fear cannot be limited, just as love cannot have limits.
Heterosexual attitudes can be similarly distracted but do contain a more natural potential. Sex relations are intended for children. You and Bill have misused misunderstood sex, because you both recognize it as a way of establishing human contact for yourselves. This has led to body-image problems.
Children are miracles in their own right. They already have the (N 4:53) gift of life, and their parents provide them with the opportunity to express it.
Nothing physical, mental, or spiritual should be used selfishly. The pleasure from using anything should be in utilizing it for God’s will.
You should live so that God is free to arrange temporary human constellations as He sees fit.
Do not interpret this in terms of guilt. Many children which are already here need spiritual parents. The poor are always with us, and many which are born have not been reborn.
Human birth, maturation, and development is a microcosmic representation of a much larger process of Creation and development of abilities. It is subject to error as long as the real purpose (N 4:54) of free will is misunderstood and misdirected.
The real function of parents is to be wiser than the children in this respect and to teach them accordingly, ((This upsets me))
[14] The Urtext manuscript shows 19 as the third paragraph, following 21a, with lines indicating relocation and renumbering. This copy reflects the re-arrangement and renumbering suggested by these lines, and not the original typing, in these first three paragraphs.
[15] This paragraph is corrected in T 1 B 22k.
[16] Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good.
[17] in a lengthy omitted segment, most of which is “personal” material, which occurs just before paragraph 22e, the following segment occurs in the Notes which may be an original miracle principle inadvertently omitted. From the Notes (N 4:78):
“Miracles depend on timing. This is why you shouldn’t waste time. I told you awhile back that time would cease when it was no longer useful as a learning aid. There is a way of speeding you up. And that is by leaving more and more time for Me. So you can devote it to miracles.”
[18] The “21” here is handwritten in … as in several instances there is confusion and/or re-sequencing as to numbering and order of principles.
[19] The words “first about” here are handwritten above “assumption” and aren’t fully legible, so there might be something else written there. Between paragraphs 23e and 23f in the Notes, what would appear from the context to be a first reference to “Assumption failure” occurs. The Urtext pages show some sequence differences from the Notes here. The 23e-f material appears to predate the 22j material which appears to refer back to something which precedes it. In the current Urtext sequence the “preceding” material actually follows it. Whether this re-sequencing was intentional or inadvertent is not known.
[20] Urtext manuscript has the closing quote here at the end of the paraagraph, rather than after “God,”.
[21] Urtext manuscript has “very” but probably this should be “every.” That is what the Notes has.
[22] Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he thrust out the enemy from before thee, And said, Destroy.
[23] Mark 8:38 “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Also Luke 9:26 (similar) and Matthew 10:33 (related)
[24] The Notes starts this paragraph with “That’s right that You are a miracle.” The glyph for “that” is sometimes indistinguishable from an em dash, so that could be “That’s right – You are a miracle.” In the Urtext we seem to have lost a couple of words.
[25] Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
[26] Immediately before this in the Notes we read: “As long as you take accurate notes, every word is meaningful. But I can’t always get through. Whenever possible, I will correct retroactively. Be sure to note all later corrections. They mean that you are more receptive than you were when I tried before.” N 4:67:6-15
[27] The word “atonement,” coined by the 16th Century Bible translator William Tyndale, literally means AT ONE-MENT. It occurs 279 times in ACIM and 71 times in the King James Bible. We can’t possibly footnote every Bible reference each time the word appears. The frequency of use suggests the importance of the concept. It is closely linked to the term “salvation” which is the end, atonement being the means. Of note is the fact that the term is defined: T 1 B 23f ‘Note that the word “atone” really means “undo.”’ In ACIM’s teaching, we were created “at one” or united with God, prior to the separation. “Atonement” then is an “undoing” of the separation illusion, the result of which is “reunion” with God.
[28] Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he thrust out the enemy from before thee, And said, Destroy.
[29] Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.
[30] The following paragraphs (below) in the Notes about “Guidance,” asking, and answering, were omitted from the Urtext. The material is, however, the clearest and most specific material on the practical issues, most notably blockages and why it is we sometimes don’t feel we have been heard or can hear.(N 4:73 through 4:75))
The reason I direct everything that is unimportant is because it is no way to waste your free will. If you insist on doing the trivial your way, you waste too much time and will on it. Will cannot be free if it is tied up in trivia. It never gets out.
I will tell exactly what to do in connection with everything that doesn’t matter. That is not an area where choice should be invested. There is better use of time.
You have to remember to ask me to take charge of all minutiae, and it will be taken care of so well and so quickly that you cannot bog down in it.
The only remaining problem is that you will be unwilling to ask because you are afraid not to be bogged down. Don’t let this hold us back. If you will ask, I will arrange these things even if you’re not too enthusiastic.
Prayer can safely be very (N 4:74) specific in little matters. If you need a coat, ask me where to find one. I know your taste well, and I also know where the coat is that you would eventually buy anyway.
If you don’t like the coat afterwards, that is what would have happened anyway. I did not pick out the coat for you. You said you wanted something warm, inexpensive, and capable of taking rough wear. I told you you could get a Borgana, but I let you get a better one because the furrier needed you.
Note, however, that it is better in terms of the criteria you established. I could do this because you saw the coat more that way than in terms of a particular material.
You thought of Klein’s yourself a few days ago, and then you decided against it, because Borgana is price- fixed. Then you remembered a coat Grace once got there that was much cheaper, and seemed (N 4:75) pretty much the same, and asked yourself whether it was really right to be sold on a particular trade name through advertising. That opened your mind.
I cannot save you more time than you will let Me, but if you are willing to try the Higher Shopping Service, which also covers all lower-order necessities and even quite a number of whims within reason, I have very good use for the time we could save.
Remember, the specific answer you get depends on the specific question you ask. The fewer limits you impose, the better the answer you’ll get. Ex: You could ask where do I find a Borgana coat? or where is the coat I want? or where is the coat I should get? and so on. ? ? The form of the thought determines the level of creation.
[31]Immediately before this paragraph, on Notes page 4:80 2-6, we find what appears to be a miracle principle inadvertently omitted. It appears within a segment marked “omitted” and which does contain mostly personal material relating to dreams. It is as follows:
Miracles are a way of undoing
over-learned patterns of love-lack.
They bring light into darkness.
That is where their atonement value lies.
The relevance of these words in the immediate context is obvious.
[32] This line is actually the first line on the first day of the scribing of Chapter 1 in Schucman’s notebooks, and the fifth sentence on the first page of this revision. It originally appears slightly different, with the last word “MINE” being “ME” instead.
[33] The word “salvation” occurs 760 times in the seven volumes of ACIM and 164 times in the King James English Bible. We can’t possibly footnote every Bible reference each time the word appears. The frequency of its use suggests the importance of the concepts represented by this word. Just what does “salvation” mean? It is the goal, and atonement is the means.
[34] Mark 13:31 “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” Also Matthew 24:25 and Luke 21:33
[35] In the Notes this is “life” and not “Light.” It reflects the Biblical quote: John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
[36] I’ve not been able to locate this line in the Notes. “As a man thinketh” is the title of a rather famous little book by James Allen which might well be what the reference points to. While the line sounds like a Biblical quote and does reflect what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 5:28, it’s not a word for word reference. Matthew 5:28: “but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” The idea that the thought is causal is central here both in the Bible and the Course. The most direct Biblical quote is from Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
