The Mystery of Freedom
The Freedoms of Body and Mind
A reader may look at the title of this chapter and ask why we would attach the word “freedom” to mystery. Isn’t the meaning of freedom pretty simple and cut and dried?
Actually, there is great disagreement about the principle of freedom. Everyone claims to be for it, but there are many ideas about what it is and how it is to implemented.
It is interesting that many of those who are relegated to history as the greatest enemies of freedom claimed to be its champions. Hitler, in his rousing speeches, often presented himself as fighting for freedom. Slaveholders during the U.S. Civil War stressed that freedom was their cause. Fidel Castro claimed to be a freedom fighter before enslaving the people of Cuba.
The first question to be addressed when solving the mystery of freedom is why is it that the vast majority of people claim to support it when it is obvious that many do not?
The answer is actually quite simple and it comes down to looking at that which the ego values. The ego values freedom for the separated self in the body, even if it comes at great pain and loss of freedom to others. We are told that “the rock on which its church is built, and where its worshippers are bound to bodies, believing the body’s freedom is their own.” T-22.III.4
On the other hand, the Course stresses equality, and the idea that helping our brother is the same as helping ourselves.
So, in this world we have two versions of what real freedom is:
Version One: The greatest freedom possible for the individual self with little regard for the price others have to pay.
Version Two: The highest quality of freedom for the whole, or that which brings the greatest amount of freedom for the highest number of people.
The second is, of course, the one that the spiritually-minded person would pick between the two.
On the other hand, the Course speaks of freedom from a higher level than we normally think of it in this world. It tells us that the most desirable freedom pertains to the mind, whereas the general idea of freedom in this world is centered on the body. It makes this statement:
“Do you want freedom of the body or of the mind? For both you cannot have. Which do you value? Where freedom of the body has been chosen, the mind is used as means whose value lies in its ability to contrive ways to achieve the body’s freedom. Yet freedom of the body has no meaning, and so the mind is dedicated to serve illusions. T-22.VI.1-2
The Course teaches that we have the choice of freedom on two levels – that of the body and of the mind, and that we cannot choose both. We have to settle for one or the other.
Choosing freedom of the mind over body may seem to be a simple choice that many obviously make, but like many alternatives in ACIM, the correct choice is not that easy or that simple.
Here’s what would happen if the student completely chose the mind over the body:
“Declare your innocence and you are free. The body disappears, because you have no need of it except the need the Holy Spirit sees.” W-pI.199.4
This is what ultimately happened to Jesus when his body disappeared in the tomb, but then he reappeared in it when there was a need.
Then there was a previous incident where his body disappeared. This was where the people of his home synagogue were enraged with his words and sought to kill him:
“And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,” Luke 4:29-30
So, apparently Jesus was awake enough at this point that he was able to make his body dematerialize and then reappear beyond the reach of the mob.
Since they could not hurt his body unless he gave them the power, is it any wonder then that he had no fear?
The Course tells us numerous times that our fears are connected to the body and gives this advice:
“Those who would free their brothers from the body can have no fear. They have renounced the means for sin by choosing to let all limitations be removed. As they desire to look upon their brothers in holiness, the power of their belief and faith sees far beyond the body, supporting vision, not obstructing it.” T-21.III.8
When we are free from fears connected to the body, we have chosen “to let all limitations be removed.”
Think of how true this is and how free you would be if you had no concerns about your body. You could speak freely or do anything you want, and no one could imprison you or hurt you. Just imagine an ACIM graduate speaking out for his oppressed brothers in North Korea, and the Dear Leader being powerless to stop him or do anything to harm him. That would be fun to watch.
Or imagine if you were falsely accused and imprisoned. You could just pass through the midst of them as did Jesus, or through the walls of the prison itself as did Peter as related in Acts 12:4-11.
In addition, many fears connected with the body are related to pain and disease it can suffer. Think of how your sense of freedom would be enhanced if you had no concern in this regard. You would have no fear of infections, of disease or even accidents. Medical attention would not be needed at all.
And how about food, housing and money to supply the body’s needs? Even these would not be needed if we were free from the body.
“Think of the freedom in the recognition that you are not bound by all the strange and twisted laws you have set up to save you. You really think that you would starve unless you have stacks of green paper strips and piles of metal discs.” W-pI.76.3.
So here the Course tells us that if we were totally free from the body, we would not need money or the things money can buy such as food and shelter. Maybe this is why Jesus said:
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matt 8:20.
One can imagine the possibility of doing without food, as some yogis claim to do, but doing without shelter seems impossible to many.
Yet, even here some have demonstrated the great power of mind over matter. Wim Hof, a Dutch athlete, has shown us what the power of mind can accomplish. Here are some of his accomplishments.
- Running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle, barefoot, only wearing shorts
- Swimming underneath ice for 66 meters
- Hanging on one finger at an altitude of 2,000 meters
- Climbing Mount Everest while wearing only shorts
- Running a full marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking any liquid.
He makes the interesting statement that he is not special because anyone can do what he has done.
As a result of his conquest of the limitations of the body, he says, “I am not afraid of death.”
If a student reads the choice between body and mind and assumes he has chosen mind, perhaps he needs to think again. After all, how many can climb Mount Everest in their shorts or do without food and water as some yogis are able to do?
Focusing on Mind Over the Body
What is unrealized by some students is that the end of the journey is often presented by ACIM, and many students are far from achieving the ideal presented.
The problem for students is when they read of the ideal in ACIM, they want to think that they are either there or an instant away from what is presented. They do not want to consider that they may be lifetimes away from the liberation presented.
The question then arises as to why ACIM would present the final liberation as if it is available right now. The answer is quite simple.
No matter how great or long is the journey, the one taking it must be able to see the end result in his mind, or he will get discouraged and not continue.
ACIM often presents the end goal as if it is available right now if a simple decision is made. Although it is true that it is a simple decision, it is not very simple from the view of one who is immersed in the dream.
Let us suppose you were on the edge of a cliff, and suddenly you hear an inner voice that tells you to jump and you will be safe because you will be able to fly.
It would be a simple and easy decision if you could fully accept and believe the voice, but for most of us it would be difficult to arrive at a state of consciousness where one could actually jump. Believing in theory that you could fly and fully trusting in that belief are two very different things.
Even so, casually believing what the Course says about obtaining freedom from the body by freeing the mind is easy, but placing that belief into practice requires some daring and difficult decisions. Believing that you are invulnerable as the Course teaches is one thing, but acting it out in bypassing doctors, vaccinations and medicine is something else.
Even though very few have yet achieved freedom from the needs of the body at present, the day will come when each of us will achieve this, and the belief in this possibility is what the Course is attempting to achieve. It is the way of things that one first has to believe that something is possible before he will eventually act and manifest that belief.
Students must see the desirability of freeing themselves from the needs of the body and believe that such a freedom is possible before they will decide and act in that direction. Eventually, all will have no concern about the body as mentioned here:
“Yet it is not the body that can fear, nor be a thing of fear. It has no needs but those which you assign to it. It needs no complicated structures of defense, no health-inducing medicine, no care and no concern at all.” W-pI.135.5
“As these (limits) are laid aside, the strength the body has will always be enough to serve all truly useful purposes. The body’s health is fully guaranteed, because it is not limited by time, by weather or fatigue, by food and drink, or any laws you made it serve before. You need do nothing now to make it well, for sickness has become impossible.” W-pI.136.17
We are told that we can choose to place our attention on freedom of the body or of the mind, but cannot do both. If our focus is on the body, then all our efforts will be centered on making the body comfortable and safe. Our focus will be on making sure the body has nice surroundings, good food and drink, good healthcare, medicine, suitable transportation and much more.
If our focus is on the mind, then we seek to do the will of God as revealed through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was directing us toward the freedom of the mind when he said this:
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
“Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matt 6:24-34
These statements from Jesus in the Bible correspond very closely to many of the teachings in ACIM. For instance, Jesus here says to “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.”
This is confirmed in the Course:
“The Bible enjoins you to be perfect, to heal all errors, to take no thought of the body as separate and to accomplish all things in my name. This is not my name alone, for ours is a shared identification.” T-8.IX.7
“I am in need of nothing but the truth. My only need I did not recognize. But now I see that I need only truth. In that all needs are satisfied, all cravings end, all hopes are finally fulfilled and dreams are gone.” W-pII.251.1
This idea of taking no thought for the care or needs of the body is a difficult one for both Christians and ACIM students to accept or explain. Instead of teaching anything that could justify neglect of the body, the emphasis is usually placed on the positive statements of Jesus such as this from the above quote: “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
ACIM students also place emphasis on positive statements such as:
“In time, He gives you all the things that you need have, and will renew them as long as you have need of them. He will take nothing from you as long as you have any need of it.” T-13.VII.12
So, what is the correct path to take here? Are we supposed to overlook the body to the point of neglect, or are we supposed to have a prosperity consciousness focusing on abundance in all things as many teach?
The correct path, according to the Course, is to place attention on freedom of the mind. That is a choice to be made, for we cannot simultaneously place focus on both mind and body freedom.
Freedom of the body is pretty easy to understand. It includes the taking care of the body so it has no needs and is free to do whatever the ego directs. On the other hand, freedom of the mind is more esoteric. We need to clearly understand what the Course means by this if we are to choose it.
The Laws of the Ego vs Laws of God
The Course teaches that our shared mind is an extension of the mind of God and has power to make any idea real that it desires. At the Separation, the mind decided to make the unreal seem real and the universe of time and space was created. Thus, the mind made the unreal while still retaining its power to create the real, but it “cannot serve two masters.” T-1.V.5 It therefore has to focus on what the Course calls “miscreation” in one direction or “creation” in the other. The result is “the mind is split between the ego and the Holy Spirit,” T-3.VI.7
The natural inclination is to choose freedom of the body supported by the ego, for if any pain is involved, we automatically seek to free the body from it. The Course tells us that true freedom is found in choosing freedom of the mind. This is found by following the Holy Spirit which represents right-mindedness and leads toward true creation.
So, the Holy Spirit represents right-mindedness and true creation, whereas the ego wrong-mindedness and miscreation. Even though it has us convinced it represents freedom of the body, following it only brings pain, disease and death of the body.
Following right-mindedness through the Holy Spirit may seem neglectful and careless, but if the student does it with a firm decision he will not only heal his mind but a heal his body as well. The mind has power to heal the body, but the body has no power over the mind. Therefore, it makes more sense, even from a material viewpoint, to seek freedom of the mind rather than freedom of the body as the top priority.
This is easier said than done, for as soon as any pain arises in the body what do we do? Do we first seek to heal the mind or do we reach in the medicine chest for pills and make an appointment with the doctor? If this is the first thing we do, then our prime choice is freedom for the body over freedom of the mind.
The reason this is so is because all the effects in the body are produced by the mind. If we choose something not related to mind to cure something caused by mind, then we are deceived into thinking freedom can be found on the material level rather than the spiritual, by the ego rather than the Holy Spirit.
The choice between freedom of mind and body comes down to a choice between the law of God and mind vs the ego and the body.
The Course tells us that we have made up all kinds of laws governing the body which we are deceived into thinking we must obey. It speaks of:
“different kinds of ‘laws’ we have believed we must obey. These would include, for example, the ‘laws’ of nutrition, of immunization, of medication, and of the body’s protection in innumerable ways… Dismiss all foolish magical beliefs today… Hear Him Who tells you this, and realize how foolish are the ‘laws’ you thought upheld the world you thought you saw.” W-pI.76.8 & 10
“Think of the freedom in the recognition that you are not bound by all the strange and twisted laws you have set up to save you.” W-pI.76.3
What is often overlooked is that all but a very small handful of people on this planet place the laws of the body above the laws of mind. Who among us is completely unconcerned about taking care of the body and its comfort and shelter and is entirely reliant on the laws of God? Chances are the reader knows of no one. Yet the Course tells us that we are to be “under no laws but God’s.”
“Here is the perfect statement of my freedom. I am under no laws but God’s. I am constantly tempted to make up other laws and give them power over me. I suffer only because of my belief in them. They have no real effect on me at all. I am perfectly free of the effects of all laws save God’s. And His are the laws of freedom.” W-pI.88.3
The problem is that in the true reality God’s laws “are the laws of freedom,” but though that seems to sound good in theory, it doesn’t seem real in practice. Who, for instance, being diagnosed with a terminal disease, will seek to first obey the laws of God over the laws of the ego? Who would completely reject all medical treatments and seek to heal the mind first?
Not many.
Yet the Course tells us that this is where true freedom lies.
The Course explains why the understanding and thus the choice for the laws of God is so difficult:
“The Holy Spirit is the Translator of the laws of God to those who do not understand them. You could not do this yourself because a conflicted mind cannot be faithful to one meaning, and will therefore change the meaning to preserve the form.” T-7.II.4
Here we learn that if we try to understand the laws of freedom on our own that we will fail. We need the Holy Spirit to be a “translator” for us. Without this translation from Spirit to our regular consciousness we will choose the laws of the ego every time, “and will therefore change the meaning to preserve the form.”
This last quote is a key one. For, when we choose the laws of the ego for safety over the laws of God, we tend to rationalize and “change the meaning to preserve the form.”
For instance, the student will say something like this: “Of course, I am going to take my medications. The Course doesn’t tell me to kill myself.”
He thus changes the meaning of the laws of God to the laws of form, thinking to “preserve the form.”
Between the body and the mind, the mind is the better choice because:
“The higher mind thinks according to the laws spirit obeys, and therefore honors only the laws of God.” T-5.I.1
BUT…
“Fidelity to other laws is also possible, however, not because the laws are true, but because you made them.” T-6.IV.11
We tend to favor the laws we made which separate us from God, yet we are encouraged to switch to eternal laws by this:
“In the holy instant the laws of God prevail, and only they have meaning. The laws of this world cease to hold any meaning at all. When the Son of God accepts the laws of God as what he gladly wills, it is impossible that he be bound, or limited in any way. In that instant he is as free as God would have him be. For the instant he refuses to be bound, he is not bound.” T-15.VI.5
And this…
“God’s laws will keep your mind at peace because peace is His Will, and His laws are established to uphold it. His are the laws of freedom, but yours are the laws of bondage. Since freedom and bondage are irreconcilable, their laws cannot be understood together. The laws of God work only for your good, and there are no other laws beside His. Everything else is merely lawless and therefore chaotic.” T-10.IV.4
Then we are told this:
“You must choose between total freedom and total bondage, for there are no alternatives but these.” T-15.X.9.
The problem that makes the choice for freedom difficult is that neglecting the laws governing the body seems to be very dangerous and careless. For instance, many seem to strongly depend on certain medications, and without them they will seem to suffer great distress or even death.
If another gets cancer, then he may feel he has no choice except to place his faith in medical professionals. How many of us have made such a firm decision in favor of the laws of God that we need pay no attention to the laws governing the body? Who among us could drink poison with no negative effects as mentioned by Jesus?
The Goal of True Freedom
The Course tends to simplify all we need to do to obtain healing, freedom, liberation, heaven etc. It reduces these seemingly giant steps to a simple decision. It encourages us to make the right decision and in an instant transformation will occur.
This is indeed true in principle, and we can see why the Course presents it this way. It is deemed wise to present the ultimate goal before us as if it is now, in the present time, for, as the Course says, “The present is the only time there is.” W-pI.164.1 By keeping the goal before us at all times, it gives us something positive to advance toward so more progress is taken in each life. Rarely does the Course give a hint at the idea that the journey home will take a significant amount of time, but it makes an exception here:
“Just as the separation occurred over millions of years, the Last Judgment will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps an even longer one.” T-2.VIII.2
So, here we are told that the Separation took millions of years and the journey home may take even longer. But, even though the journey is long, when the student is ready, he can make the right decision in an instant and in that instant transformation can occur.
Any of us could return home tomorrow if we were completely ready to give up all things in this world of time and space, but such relinquishment is much easier said than done, and many who think they are ready are far from it.
Even so, it is always important to keep the end goal before us as the Course does. As a result, it says that it can shorten the time that we have to spend in this world.
The problem of gaining the greater freedom of the higher mind boils down to this. We seem to be in a body and there seems to be a necessity to pay attention to it, take care of it and keep it safe. If there is any problem with the body, our attention is naturally drawn to it. Helen and Bill had this problem, for they were told:
“You have been told again and again that it (the Course) will set you free, yet you sometimes react as if it is trying to imprison you.” T-13.II.7
Indeed, many feel their imprisonment will be greater if they do not pay sufficient attention to the body.
Fortunately, there is a realization that will make this possible and it is this: The Higher Mind is linked to the Holy Spirit. The will of the higher mind is one with the Holy Spirit, which is one with God. In this state of unity all that you will is fulfilled. Are you going to will that your body be healthy and usable or in pain and a diseased state?
You will have full power to keep your body healthy and vital for as long as it is needed. This teaching was covered in our chapter on health.
What requires a leap of faith is this: The student must switch his attention away from the body and the cares of the world to rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit through the higher mind.
“Say to the Holy Spirit only, ‘Decide for me,’ and it is done. For His decisions are reflections of what God knows about you, and in this light, error of any kind becomes impossible.” T-14.III.16
When you and the Spirit become one, then all decisions are made in the direction of the kingdom of God and not of the body, or of this world. When this is the case, all that is required for a happy existence will be supplied. You will not have to concern yourself with doctors, medicines or special care.
Jesus said it well here:
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Matt 6:28-30
By switching our focus away from the cares of the world to the kingdom of God and the higher mind, we will be richer than Solomon, and all our needs will be fulfilled, but in the higher state we will define needs much differently than does the ego. We will value treasure in heaven much more than the treasures of the earth.
As we noted earlier, when a full awakening has occurred, there will be no concern for the body, for no one would have power to hurt or imprison it. We would be free beyond our wildest dreams here. There would be no need for healing the body for it would never get sick, and the realized Son of God could keep it as long as needed. He could even make it disappear as a dream disappears when awakening, but then make it appear in another location by entering the dream again in service of those still in illusion.
The Course speaks of reaching this realized state as if it is just a simple decision. It makes it sound like we just have to make the obvious decision and we are there in an instant, and the dream is completely over.
Yes, when the final and complete decision is made to let go of the world, this will be the case but overlooked by many students is this: We have millions of years invested in this dream of time and space, and when such a major investment is made, there is a great reluctance to just let it go. This is why the Course tells us it may take a longer time to wake up than it did to separate and go to sleep.
The Course makes no itemization of steps that need to be taken to fully awaken, though it does cover many things we can do in different places in the text. When we reflect on our own progress, it becomes obvious that there are steps and degrees of awakening to full freedom.
There is one major step mentioned by the Course, and that is an advancement of our attention from this world to what it calls the “Real World.” As discussed earlier, the real world is not yet heaven, but those achieving it see with much greater clarity than those who have their attention on the dream. Nevertheless, the fact that it exists tells us that there is a step between heaven and earth. And if there is one, there could be many more.
I submit that there are many steps, but to keep our attention in the right place, ACIM places major focus on the last step.
Some of the steps are obvious, such as learning to forgive our brothers and sisters, overcoming fear and guilt, letting go of grievances, seeing innocence in associates, etc. Perhaps the most important step is to realize that more is needed than taught in mainstream religion when the person becomes a seeker, wanting to know who he really is.
Obtaining the Highest Freedom
To discover one’s true identity requires an advance in freedom, for until the seeker makes a break from outer authorities (called idols by ACIM), he has limited freedom indeed. The various governments of the world allow different degrees of freedom for the body, and many who live in Democracies feel fortunate that they are “free.” But even a perfect society can offer only limited freedom of the body if the mind is not free.
“An ‘imprisoned’ mind is not free because it is possessed, or held back, by itself. It is therefore limited, and the will is not free to assert itself.” T-3.II.4
The question that needs answered is how is the mind imprisoned and how is it freed?
As the quote says, the mind is the source of its own imprisonment. If the seeker is held prisoner by the mind, then he is not free in any society. Here are some examples. Assume that each of these lives are in a free country.
Jim is a member of a cult that is very strict about those with whom members can associate. The cult leader tells Jim that his parents are too far removed from the truth and he must cut off ties. Jim loves his parents and doesn’t want to disown them, but because the leader supposedly speaks for God, Jim obeys.
Gloria has a job she loves but her boss keeps making unwanted sexual advances. She is afraid to say anything for fear of losing her job. She feels trapped.
Bob was just elected to Congress and starts his job with a desire to do the right thing for the people no matter what. Shortly thereafter the party leaders sit him down and explain how things work. Bob must become a team player and vote the party line no matter what. If he doesn’t, he will receive no support for reelection, no leadership positions and will be shunned by members of his party. Bob feels violated but figures he must play along even though he votes contrary to his belief system at times.
Veronica is a serious Course in Miracles student and is approached by a homeless guy in obvious need of assistance. He asks her if she can spare $5. After adjusting to his somewhat startling ragged appearance, she thinks to herself: “This is not real. This is just a dream. It doesn’t mean anything. Nothing here has even happened.” She then ignores him, moving on, keeping her $5 since giving it away does not matter.
All these examples have one thing in common. The person in each of them is not in prison because of any government or political system, but is held hostage through his own miscreations and wrong-headed thinking.
To obtain the higher freedom mentioned by the Course, the student must rely on the inner voice over the many outer ones that compete for his attention. When the shift is made to rely on the higher mind, he will then have power to ignore the preacher, the politician, the media or even the book that tells him what he must do. He is independent of all things in the dream, and follows solid direction from the Holy Spirit through the higher mind.
Making this switch will give the student power over his own life and happiness today, and expand to total control even to power over death in the future.
It is interesting to contemplate how free one would feel if he had no concern at all for the care or protection of the body.
A question considered by some students is how involved we should be in improving this world of form and whether we should even be concerned about physical freedom as it is generally understood.
Yes, it is true that one who is totally awake is also totally free and does not need to worry about this world, but those who are not yet liberated find they have to take certain steps to ensure the body stays healthy and the individual maintains his freedom.
The loss of freedom, even as it is understood by the world, hinders the liberations of the Sons of God as a whole. After all, how many Course in Miracles books do you suppose there are in North Korea? Pretty close to zero because freedom for the body there is very low.
Freedom on every level possible is important to insure maximum spiritual progression for the whole. We are told this:
“Freedom cannot be learned by tyranny of any kind, and the perfect equality of all God’s Sons cannot be recognized through the dominion of one mind over another.” T-8.IV.6
Notice here that tyranny happens because of the dominion of one mind over another. This can happen through domination of others with a belief system, as happens with a cult leader, or with political restrictions on what people in bodies can do such as North Korea. Dominion of one mind over another reaches down to the physical level, and such dominion needs to be corrected wherever it manifests.
The Course recognizes that such hurtful things can descend to the body level:
“The body in the service of the ego can hurt other bodies, but this cannot occur unless the body has already been confused with the mind.” T-7.V.3
The Course tells us our wills can be imprisoned:
“You have imprisoned your will beyond your own awareness, where it remains, but cannot help you.” T-9.I.4
“How wonderful it is to do your will! For that is freedom. There is nothing else that ever should be called by freedom’s name. Unless you do your will you are not free.” T-30.II.2.
In addition to this it says:
“The Holy Spirit opposes any imprisoning of the will of a Son of God, knowing that the Will of the Son is the Father’s. The Holy Spirit leads you steadily along the path of freedom, teaching you how to disregard or look beyond everything that would hold you back.” T-8.II.4
This has to be referring to the imprisoned will here in the illusion because: “In the holy state the will is free, so that its creative power is unlimited.” T-5.II.6
But here on earth, “There is no man who does not feel that he is imprisoned in some way. If this is the result of his own free will, he must regard his will as if it were not free, or the obviously circular reasoning involved in his position would be quite apparent. Free will must lead to freedom.” Tx:3.71
The only place where there is a lack of freedom is in the world of illusion. It is here where we need more freedom, not in the eternal world. One of the steps to true freedom involves freeing up the body with the mind. As the mind becomes free, the body automatically becomes healed and the removal of restrictions seemingly placed by other minds are also removed.
These words of wisdom on freedom are appropriate:
“Whom God created as His Son is slave to nothing, being lord of all, along with his Creator. You can enslave a body, but an idea is free, incapable of being kept in prison or limited in any way except by the mind that thought it. For it remains joined to its source, which is its jailer or its liberator, according to which it chooses as its purpose for itself.” T-19.I.16.
Because ideas are free, their communication and free flow are among the most beneficial things we can participate in within the illusion. Many there are who try to restrict, censor or prohibit the free flow of ideas, and this is indeed an error that needs correction.
We’ll conclude with this quote which gives the goal of the Course itself, which is to set us free toward happiness and peace.
“This course has explicitly stated that its goal for you is happiness and peace. Yet you are afraid of it. You have been told again and again that it will set you free, yet you sometimes react as if it is trying to imprison you.” T-13.II.7
Copyright by J J Dewey
Read the Introduction HERE, Read Chapter One HERE. Chapter Two HERE, Chapter Three HERE, Chapter Four HERE, Chapter Five HERE Chapter Six HERE, Chapter Seven HERE, Chapter Eight HERE, Chapter Nine HERE, Chapter Ten HERE, Chapter Eleven HERE, Chapter Twelve HERE, Chapter Thirteen HERE, Chapter Fourteen HERE, Fifteen HERE, Sixteen HERE, Seventeen HERE, Eighteen HERE, Nineteen HERE, Twenty HERE, Twenty-One HERE, Twenty-Two HERE, Twenty-Three HERE, Twenty-Four HERE, Twenty-Five HERE, Twenty-Six HERE, Twenty-Seven HERE, Twenty-Eight HERE, Twenty-Nine HERE, Thirty HERE
ACIM Conversations, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25
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