A Course In Miracles

CHAPTER 4: THE ILLUSIONS OF THE EGO

Introduction

“The Bible says that you should go with a brother twice as far as he asks. It certainly does not suggest that you set him back on his journey.” (1:1-2)

“You can speak from the spirit or from the ego, as you choose. If you speak from spirit you have chosen to “Be still and know that I am God.” These words are inspired because they reflect knowledge. If you speak from the ego you are disclaiming knowledge instead of affirming it, and are thus dis-spiriting yourself. Do not embark on useless journeys, because they are indeed in vain.” (2:1-5)

“The journey to the cross should be the last “useless journey.””

“If you can accept it as your own last useless journey, you are also free to join my resurrection. Until you do so your life is indeed wasted. It merely re-enacts the separation, the loss of power, the futile attempts of the ego at reparation, and finally the crucifixion of the body, or death. Such repetitions are endless until they are voluntarily given up.” (3:3-6)

“We have another journey to undertake, and if you will read these lessons carefully they will help prepare you to undertake it.” (3:11)

In summary, the “Introduction” is saying:

We have most likely been coming here for countless lifetimes – I believe many of us can intuitively feel that we’ve been here before. And I have no doubt that all of us feel, to some degree, that we would like to cease coming here. In order to do this, we have to learn a new way of living here; the way of being in this world, but not of it. We must learn how to make the choice to listen and act only from the guidance of the Holy Spirit and not our ego. Until we do so, as “A Course In Miracles” puts it, “Such repetitions are endless until they are voluntarily given up.”

I. Right Teaching and Right Learning

“A good teacher must believe in the ideas he teaches, but he must meet another condition; he must believe in the students to whom he offers the ideas.” (1:4)

“Many stand guard over their ideas because they want to protect their thought systems as they are, and learning means change. Change is always fearful to the separated, because they cannot conceive of it as a move towards healing the separation.” (2:1-2)

“Spirit need not be taught, but the ego must be. Learning is ultimately perceived as frightening because it leads to the relinquishment, not the destruction, of the ego to the light of spirit.” (3:1-2)

“Teaching and learning are your greatest strengths now, because they enable you to change your mind and help others to change theirs.” (4:1)

“Every good teacher hopes to give his students so much of his own learning that they will one day no longer need him. This is the one true goal of the teacher.” (5:1-2)

“Egos can clash in any situation, but spirit cannot clash at all. If you perceive a teacher as merely “a larger ego” you will be afraid, because to enlarge an ego would be to increase anxiety about separation. I will live with you if you will think with me, but my goal will always be to absolve you finally from the need for a teacher. This is the opposite of the ego-oriented teacher’s goal. He is concerned with the effect of his ego on other egos, and therefore interprets their interaction as a means of ego preservation.” (6:1-5)

“The ego tries to exploit all situations into forms of praise for itself in order to overcome its doubts.” (8:1)

“When you are afraid, be still and know that God is real, and you are His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Do not let your ego dispute this, because the ego cannot know what is as far beyond its reach as you are.” (8:6-7)

“The ego has built a shabby and unsheltering home for you, because it cannot build otherwise. Do not try to make this impoverished house stand.” (11:1-2)

“Only God could make a home that is worthy of His creations, who have chosen to leave it empty by their own dispossession.” (11:4)

“Of your ego you can do nothing to save yourself or others, but of your spirit you can do everything for the salvation of both.” (12:1)

“The meek shall inherit the earth because their egos are humble, and this gives them truer perception.” (12:4)

“I need devoted teachers who share my aim of healing the mind. Spirit is far beyond the need of your protection or mine. Remember this:

In this world you need not have tribulation because I have overcome the world. That is why you should be of good cheer. (13:7-11)

In summary, section 1: “Right Teaching and Right Learning” is saying:

There are only two types of teachers we can learn from, and they are either the ego or Spirit. We can recognize when we are teaching and learning from Spirit because Spirit always seeks to liberate us from learning altogether. There is a saying that the sign of a true master is not the one with the most students, but rather, the one who has created the most masters. The ego will always try to ensnare us into body-beliefs that corner our minds into endless stories about ourselves requiring endless ego-analysis. Spirit will always tell us to let go of such beliefs in order that we may move above and beyond the body altogether. The ego wants us never to forget our worldly hurts and injustices, and focuses on them with detailed scrutiny. Spirit would have us overlook them, knowing they point only to what will one day cease to be. This is why the meek shall inherit the earth – they will have transformed it through humbly accepting they have been wrong about everything and are willing to accept our Identity in Spirit. This is why we “should be of good cheer.” Jesus has already overcome this world for us through forgiveness. We need not experience this world as a tribulation; we can escape it entirely through simply laying it down in our minds and accepting only the truth.

II. The Ego and False Autonomy

“It is reasonable to ask how the mind could ever have made the ego. In fact, it is the best question you could ask.” (1:1-2)

“Everyone makes an ego or a self for himself, which is subject to enormous variation because of its instability. He also makes an ego for everyone else he perceives, which is equally variable.” (2:1-2)

“Your own state of mind is a good example of how the ego was made. When you threw knowledge away it is as if you never had it.” (3:1-2)

“Belief that there is another way of perceiving is the loftiest idea of which ego thinking is capable. That is because it contains a hint of recognition that the ego is not the Self.” (4:10-11)

“Babies scream in rage if you take away a knife or scissors, although they may well harm themselves if you do not. In this sense you are still a baby. You have no sense of real self-preservation, and are likely to decide that you need precisely what would hurt you most.” (5:2-4)

“To the ego, to give anything implies that you will have to do without it.” (6:3)

“The ego literally lives by comparisons. Equality is beyond its grasp, and charity becomes impossible.” (7:1-2)

“The ego believes it is completely on its own, which is merely another way of describing how it thinks it originated. This is such a fearful state that it can only turn to other egos and try to unite with them in a feeble attempt at identification, or attack them in an equally feeble show of strength.” (8:1-2)

“Spirit in its knowledge is unaware of the ego. It does not attack it; it merely cannot conceive of it at all. While the ego is equally unaware of spirit, it does perceive itself as being rejected by something greater than itself.” (8:6-8)

“The so-called “battle for survival” is only the ego’s struggle to preserve itself, and its interpretation of its own beginning. This beginning is usually associated with physical birth, because it is hard to maintain that the ego existed before that point in time.” (9:3-4)

“Who is the “you” who are living in this world? Spirit is immortal, and immortality is a constant state. It is as true now as it ever was or ever will be, because it implies no change at all.” (11:8-10)

In summary, section 2: “The Ego and False Autonomy” is saying:

In order to fully experience our choice to live life as separate bodies, separate from God and all living things, we had to create an alternate identity: an ego persona, and we had to forget all knowledge we had of our life before being a body. God did not interfere with this decision, but neither did He allow us to fall into such thinking without His loving restriction: we could not be a separate being from Him in truth, for if this were to become truth we would be cut off from our Source and would cease to exist – an impossible state for an eternal being; and so we were allowed to play make-believe, but without dangerous toys. We are only experiencing a “false autonomy” here as bodies. Now our purpose has become to learn how to un-make the choice to be an ego and seek instead to know our true Identity as immortal Spirit.

III. Love without Conflict

“It is hard to understand what “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you” really means. This is because it is not understandable to the ego, which interprets it as if something outside is inside, and this does not mean anything. The word “within” is unnecessary. The Kingdom is you. What else but you did the Creator create, and what else but you is His Kingdom? This is the whole message of the Atonement; a message which in its totality transcends the sum of its parts.” (1:1-6)

“The Kingdom is perfectly united and perfectly protected, and the ego will not prevail against it. Amen.” (1:12-13)

This is written in the form of a prayer because it is useful in moments of temptation. It is a declaration of independence. You will find it very helpful if you understand it fully.” (2:1-3)

“Against our united strength the ego cannot prevail.” (2:6)

“The ego arose from the separation, and its continued existence depends on your continuing belief in the separation.” (3:2)

“You who identify with your ego cannot believe God loves you.” (4:1)

“There is a kind of experience so different from anything the ego can offer that you will never want to cover or hide it again.” (5:1)

“No force except your own will is strong enough or worthy enough to guide you.” (6:1)

“It has never really entered your mind to give up every idea you ever had that opposes knowledge. You retain thousands of little scraps of fear that prevent the Holy One from entering. Light cannot penetrate through the walls you make to block it, and it is forever unwilling to destroy what you have made. No one can see through a wall, but I can step around it.” (7:1-4)

“I will come in response to a single unequivocal call.” (7:10)

“Watch carefully and see what it is you are really asking for.” (8:1)

“God has given you everything. This one fact means the ego does not exist, and this makes it profoundly afraid.” (9:2-3)

“The Holy Spirit knows that you both have everything and are everything.” (9:5)

“That is why we make no distinction between having the Kingdom of God and being the Kingdom of God.” (9:7)

In summary, section 3: “Love without Conflict” is saying:

To hear that you both have and are the Kingdom of God may bring a feeling of disappointment to some. You may well say to yourself, “So this is it? It’s just been me all along? I was really hoping for something more spectacular.” This knowledge may fall short of your expectations of what you imagined the Kingdom of God to be. However, do not forget that the Course states that God’s Kingdom is not understandable to the ego. So how can we wrap our minds around it while we are currently living through our ego? We can only comprehend it through having faith in the unseen, to believe without proof that despite what we see now; our Unity in God’s Kingdom – our Atonement – still stands. This idea is even referenced in the Bible when Jesus said to the apostle Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."(John 20:29) And so we must trust in God’s Kingdom, a Kingdom we cannot see, where we live unified in His Love without conflict. A state of peaceful being that is better than anything our ego can imagine. To prepare ourselves for this state, we must practice giving up all attachment to our thoughts of this world and love one another without conflict in our hearts.

IV. This Need Not Be

“If you cannot hear the Voice for God, it is because you do not choose to listen. That you do listen to the voice of your ego is demonstrated by your attitudes, your feelings and your behavior.” (1:1-2)

“Your mind is filled with schemes to save the face of your ego, and you do not seek the face of Christ.” (1:5)

“I have said that you cannot change your mind by changing your behavior, but I have also said, and many times, that you can change your mind. When your mood tells you that you have chosen wrongly, and this is so whenever you are not joyous, then know this need not be.” (2:1-2)

“When you are sad, know this need not be.” (3:1)

“When you are anxious, realize that anxiety comes from the capriciousness of the ego, and know this need not be.” (4:1)

“When you feel guilty, remember that the ego has indeed violated the laws of God, but you have not.” (5:1)

“While you feel guilty your ego is in command, because only the ego can experience guilt. This need not be.” (5:5-6)

“Watch your mind for the temptations of the ego, and do not be deceived by it. It offers you nothing. When you have given up this voluntary dis-spiriting, you will see how your mind can focus and rise above fatigue and heal. Yet you are not sufficiently vigilant against the demands of the ego to disengage yourself. This need not be.” (6:1-5)

“The habit of engaging with God and His creations is easily made if you actively refuse to let your mind slip away. The problem is not one of concentration; it is the belief that no one, including yourself, is worth consistent effort.” (7:1-2)

“Have you really considered how many opportunities you have had to gladden yourself, and how many of them you have refused?” (8:1)

“Watch your mind carefully for any beliefs that hinder its accomplishment, and step away from them. Judge how well you have done this by your own feelings, for this is the one right use of judgment.” (8:5-6)

“I do work with your higher mind, the home of the Holy Spirit, whether you are asleep or awake, just as your ego does with your lower mind, which is its home.” (11:2-2)

“I have called and you will answer.” (11:10)

“My calling you is as natural as your answer, and as inevitable.” (11:12)

In summary, section 4: “This Need Not Be” is saying:

We think our suffering is beyond our own control, that it is something that happens against our will. And yet, here we are being told that this need not be. All suffering stems from the thinking of the ego, and as soon as we cease to identify with its thoughts, our mind is free to identify with Christ-thinking instead, which is always joyous. All we need to do is notice when we are having ego thoughts, and we will know them by how we feel. Once identified, then it is only a matter of how long we wish to hold onto such thoughts. It is inevitable that we will eventually decide to let them go, in exchange for the joy of answering God’s call.

V. The Ego-Body Illusion

“All things work together for good. There are no exceptions except in the ego’s judgment.” (1:1-2)

“Sane judgment would inevitably judge against the ego, and must be obliterated by the ego in the interest of its self-preservation.” (1:6)

“A major source of the ego’s off-balanced state is its lack of discrimination between the body and the Thoughts of God. Thoughts of God are unacceptable to the ego, because they clearly point to the nonexistence of the ego itself.” (2:1-2)

“Any thought system that confuses God and the body must be insane. Yet this confusion is essential to the ego, which judges only in terms of threat or non-threat to itself.” (3:1-2)

“The body is the ego’s home by its own election. It is the only identification with which the ego feels safe, since the body’s vulnerability is its own best argument that you cannot be of God.” (4:1-2)

“Yet the ego hates the body, because it cannot accept it as good enough to be its home. Here is where the mind becomes actually dazed. Being told by the ego that it is really part of the body and that the body is its protector, the mind is also told that the body cannot protect it.” (4:4-6)

“This is the question that must be asked: “Where can I go for protection?”” (5:1)

“The ego thinks it is an advantage not to commit itself to anything that is eternal, because the eternal must come from God.” (6:1)

“The ego’s characteristic busyness with nonessentials is for precisely that purpose. Preoccupations with problems set up to be incapable of solution are favorite ego devices for impeding learning progress. In all these diversionary tactics, however, the one question that is never asked by those who pursue them is, “What for?” This is the question that you must learn to ask in connection with everything.” (6:5-8)

In summary, section 5: “The Ego-Body Illusion” is saying:

A sane mind knows it is not a body or an ego. A sane mind knows it can be nothing but an eternal creation of God, as God only creates like Himself, Who is also eternal. However, the ego craftily keeps this thought as far away from your conscious mind as possible. Its plan for doing this involves the endless distractions this world readily provides: an endless parade of problems that seem to have no answer. You feel distressed and in constant conflict, because you know there IS an answer, yet you cannot quite place your finger on it; it always seems to be just out of reach. You know something about this world feels “off,” but exactly what, remains a mystery. The answer is this: the body is an ego-illusion made to cover the truth of your eternal identity. Even the ego itself has a problem with being a body. It knows the body will one day die, and it hates you for it. Yet, the ego will turn even this thought to its advantage – proof your eternal identity is not the truth. If you can die, then you cannot be an eternal creation of God. And yet, if you gave up the idea of being a body altogether, the ego would cease to exist, and thus be undone. This thought alone is where your mind can go for protection, here is where you belong: in the knowledge that what God created eternal, will forever be so, regardless of what the ego tries to convince you of.

VI. The Rewards of God

“I have spoken of the ego as if it were a separate thing, acting on its own. This was necessary to persuade you that you cannot dismiss it lightly, and must realize how much of your thinking is ego-directed.” (1:3-4)

“The ego is nothing more than a part of your belief about yourself. Your other life has continued without interruption, and has been and always will be totally unaffected by your attempts to dissociate it.” (1:6-7)

“You have very little trust in me as yet, but it will increase as you turn more and more often to me instead of to your ego for guidance. The results will convince you increasingly that this choice is the only sane one you can make.” (3:1-2)

“Learning through rewards is more effective than learning through pain, because pain is an ego illusion, and can never induce more than a temporary effect. The rewards of God, however, are immediately recognized as eternal.” (3:4-5)

“I am teaching you to associate misery with the ego and joy with the spirit. You have taught yourself the opposite.” (5:6-7)

“Your mission is very simple. You are asked to live so as to demonstrate that you are not an ego, and I do not choose God’s channels wrongly.” (6:2-3)

“My chosen channels cannot fail, because I will lend them my strength as long as theirs is wanting.” (6:7)

“Your gratitude to your brother is the only gift I want. I will bring it to God for you, knowing that to know your brother is to know God. If you are grateful to your brother, you are grateful to God for what He created.” (7:2-4)

“God will come to you only as you will give Him to your brothers. Learn first of them and you will be ready to hear God.” (8:4-5)

In summary, section 6: “The Rewards of God” is saying:

Simply put, the rewards of God are, the release from the pain of being identified with the ego. And as we learn to associate our mind more and more with the Thoughts of God, we will increasingly experience the inner peace and joy that comes from such association. The Thoughts of God are those thoughts that remind us to see only the divine within our brothers. Learn to look past the illusion of the body and you will forgive what you see, thus freeing your mind from all association with it and also the ego. This is how you live so as to demonstrate that you are not an ego. Living this way is our mission here. It may seem difficult at first, but Jesus promises us that we cannot fail, for He will lend us His strength as long as ours is wanting. As we learn to see God within all our brothers, God comes ever nearer to our awareness and we learn to hear only Him instead of the ego.

VII. Creation and Communication

“The communication system of the ego is based on its own thought system, as is everything else it dictates. Its communication is controlled by its need to protect itself, and it will disrupt communication when it experiences threat. This disruption is a reaction to a specific person or persons.” (2:3-5)

“In contrast, spirit reacts in the same way to everything it knows is true, and does not respond at all to anything else. Nor does it make any attempt to establish what is true. It knows that what is true is everything that God created.” (3:1-3)

“Creation and communication are synonymous. God created every mind by communicating His Mind to it, thus establishing it forever as a channel for the reception of His Mind and Will. Since only beings of a like order can truly communicate, His creations naturally communicate with Him and like Him.” (6-8)

“God, Who encompasses all being, created beings who have everything individually, but who want to share it to increase their joy. Nothing real can be increased except by sharing. That is why God created you.” (5:1-3)

“The Bible repeatedly states that you should praise God. This hardly means that you should tell Him how wonderful He is. He has no ego with which to accept such praise, and no perception with which to judge it. But unless you take your part in the creation, His joy is not complete because yours is incomplete.” (6:1-4)

“The constant going out of His Love is blocked when His channels are closed, and He is lonely when the minds He created do not communicate fully with Him.” (6:7)

“God is praised whenever any mind learns to be wholly helpful.” (8:1)

“The truly helpful are invulnerable, because they are not protecting their egos and so nothing can hurt them.” (8:3)

“The truly helpful are God’s miracle workers, whom I direct until we are all united in the joy of the Kingdom. I will direct you to wherever you can be truly helpful, and to whoever can follow my guidance through you.” (8:7-8)

In summary, section 7: “Creation and Communication” is saying:

God created us through the process of expressing or communicating His Love. God extended His Love through His mind and we came into being. Only God’s Love is real, and it can only be increased through sharing. Therefore, it can truly be said, we ARE Love – God’s Love made manifest. His Love is eternally pouring out to us, sustaining us, but our experience of His Love can be blocked whenever we are unloving towards our brothers. We are His channels of Love here on earth, and it is our duty to communicate His Love as He directs. We praise God whenever we help Him extend His Love here in this world. This work makes us invulnerable because we recognize the powerlessness of the ego to affect the Love of God sustaining us. As we learn to be truly helpful to God in joining His Will to extend His love, He will send us only those who can benefit from our loving thoughts and be healed. We need do nothing but allow God to direct us in this task.

This concludes CHAPTER 4: THE ILLUSIONS OF THE EGO

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A Course In Miracles: CHAPTER 4: THE ILLUSIONS OF THE EGO (Summary)