Name: Stefan Schulz
Date: July 1, 2024
Course: Doctor of Spirituality (ACIM) of ULC Seminary
Lesson: Intro to Section II
Write a three page paper that indicates the concepts that have had the most impact on your life. Give examples and reasons that support your answer.
In order to adequately address the assignment, I would first like to point out some important aspects that I believe are inherent in the course. In my opinion, each lesson of the course contains many valuable revelations, divine truths, axioms, concepts, practices, logic chains and statements. Furthermore, all of the concepts presented in the lessons are interconnected and, in my opinion, cannot be singled out in isolation by analytical definitions, words, or by creating rankings based on impact, importance, or relevance. Furthermore, I view my spiritual development as open and experimental, so my answer to the question must be understood in this context. With this in mind, I would like to introduce four "concepts" from the previous ten lessons that have perhaps had the greatest impact on my life to date at this point:
§ God as the giver of real life:
Through the course I understood for the first time holistically, i.e. in the totality of my existence, that only "God" is the giver of real life, in contrast to the ego's key ability to create "illusions" within the human mind by initiating a perpetual, evolving "illusory energy flow" to protect itself, to learn, to grow, to expand, and to dominate all levels of consciousness. The illusionary energy of the ego blocks, or dilutes the pure, real universal life energy flow of God for its purposes. As a result, the ego strives to make the universal life energy of God ineffective within the human being by creating the illusion of separation / duality of God and the human being. Speaking metaphorically, for this purpose the ego wants to conquer and to dominate the kingdom of God within the human being.
These energetic processes of the ego are the source of all „problems", „bondages", „limits" or „obstacles". Moreover, these are indicators that will show what one´s real state of consciousness is, i.e. they are indicators of the degree of „separation" or „duality".
Because of this revelation I am now able for the first time to identify and resolve my existing life energy blockages. For example, I was able to overcome decades of deeply inhibiting fears related to my professional and financial life.
I have also gained a better understanding of what true life really is. In my view, it is the ultimate connection with the universal source of life energy in every moment and the individual expression of the received free flow of universal life energy. In other words, individual life is a unique expression and manifestation of free flowing universal life energy that flows through the individual in different environmental situations, encounters or circumstances and determines his/her consciousness, thoughts, words, and actions.
§ The Role of Jesus Christ:
As a follower of Jesus Christ, the course greatly strengthened my discipleship of Jesus Christ by expanding my understanding of the role Jesus Christ. In my perspective and with particular regard to the scriptures, the biblical role of Jesus as the lamb of God represents or symbolizes - by His death and resurrection - the way back to our inner, true, unchangeable, eternal, innocent, thus godlike self, which always was and eternally is without „blemish and spot", because it is a reflection, a creation, a representation of God (see Luke 17:21: „… the kingdom of God is within you").
Therefore the ordained role of Jesus was to end the duality between man and God as a living example or reality. This particular, unique role is well depicted in Hebrews 6:19-20, too, namely by „a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf " („the curtain" = the ego, the unnatural, programmed „self"; „the inner place" = the true self which is holy and which universally, unchangeable and eternally exists as separated from the temporarily old/programmed/wrong self and is therefore one with God; „our forerunner" = our „elder brother").
My conclusion: The role of Jesus Christ can be seen as a divine, uncompromised translation of universal life energy into the specific conditions of human existence on planet earth.
§ The Ladder of Prayer:
The concept of the ladder of prayer presented in the course has affected my understanding of prayer in such a way that for the first time I am able to reflect in what underlying spiritual state of consciousness I am really in.
From this perspective, the ladder of prayer represents a very meaningful concept/benchmark/guide for me to grasp my state of communion with God better and by this, to ask the Holy Spirit to guide and to teach me to pray/to communicate with more substance and awareness.
In my case, I can say that I got through the period of prayers of need very early after Jesus Christ re-activated my spiritual life and the Holy Spirit began to restore my true self. As I consider the three remaining levels of the prayer ladder (prayers of freedom, of joining, and of humility), my prayer life currently moves in a fluid continuum between these levels. Especially those parts of my prayers that belong to the prayers of freedom show me clearly what unresolved attachments and bondages I still have.
However, through the conscious consideration of the ladder of prayer, the Holy Spirit has led me to the profound understanding that my remaining core or lifetime attachment (which can be characterized as a "struggle for financial independence") is the result of not yet fully resolved traumatic fears, which in turn act as an energy blockage or shadow for an unclouded communion with God on a higher prayer level.
To summarize, "prayer" for me can be described as a divine act of connecting with the universal source of life energy. It means entering into the energy field of universal life, which conveys the highest vibrations and frequencies on all levels of my consciousness, mind, body and soul. True prayer is lived "oneness" or the practice of total unity with God.
This is why I have dedicated my life to a life of prayer, which for me means thanking God continually for giving me His Holy Spirit and His power of choice to "let go of anything" that interferes with my total communion with God, in other words, that would block the free flow of His life energy through me.
§ The understanding of Miracles:
Through the course I was able to gain a new and true understanding of of "miracles". In my view, all miracles can basically be understood as a perceived event of "pure life energy in its own motion," as initiated and intended by God.
Therefore, „miracles" can be perceived in every moment through attentive observation of the presence and the free, rhythmic flow of universal life energy. Because there is only one, universal source of life energy, every part of creation is connected to each other by this divine energy. Hence, nothing in the free flow of universal life energy is random or inexplicable, nor is it limited by time, space or human abilities, i.e. by human reasoning in the sense of "cause and effect" or by the "laws of human science".
In my conclusion, miracles will happen, expand and intensify when the universal flow of life energy is purely received and then reflected/projected onto God's creation through true, selfless love, forgiveness, joy, peace, righteousness and wisdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment