Sunday, September 11, 2011

Finding Meaning in a Meaningless World

One of the key tenents of A Course in Miracles is that we live in a meaningless world. The Course goes on to explain that all of our upsets (great and small) stem from this source. In fact one of the lessons offers a thought exercise in which the student names many of his/her upsets and then reminds us that we only THINK we are upset for this reason when in fact we are upset because we live in meaningless world. Zen and Vedic thoutht holds this belief as well. Many new students of the Course have a difficult time with this issue and many do not get past this point - who wishes to acknowledge their lives are meaningless? Yet if the student perserveres it soon becomes evident that this is not a pessimisitic attitude and view of the world but one of great hope. You see it is our meaningless thoughts that show us a meaniningless worl and the great cause of hope is that God did not create a meaningless world. All that we view is in its self neutral but our thoughts provide them meaning. The Course tells us that we really have no neutral thoughts as our own bias colors the world aroound us. Our meaningless world entraps us within a delusional prison of our own thinking. And yet again - God did not create a meaningless world - so this world must be of our own creation and one in which our rightful thinking can set us free. According to the Course this is acheived by forgiveness, by giving up attack thoughts, and recognizing that God alone provides and is the meaning for all. When viewed through the prisim of forgiveness and love than God is wthin everything we see. And that's all the menaing there is, and all that we ever need.

Peace,
Eric

No comments: