- Who is
God? What is ego? What is the same for both God and ego? What is different?
- What
keeps us from total surrender to God? Were we created dependent on
God? Are we giving up anything in depending on God? What are we giving
up in turning to God for everything?
- Is independence
attractive? What would it take to gain independence? If we made ego
in order to experience independence, did we succeed?
- What
is ego? How does ego get us to forget who we really are? What is our
identity when allied with ego? When allied with God?
- How does
ego try to prevent us from turning to God? How does ego stay in existence?
How is ego the full power of God turned against ourselves?
- Is ego
our only problem? Is there a solution to our problem?
- Is God
independent, autonomous? Do we need God to complete ourselves? Is
dependence on God a good idea?
- What
is the relationship between freedom and God-dependence? What is the
relationship between freedom and ego-dependence?
-
Can you be both dependent and free? Is it possible to be independent
of both God and ego? Is it possible to be completely free of ego?
Is it desirable?
- If we
think of God as the ocean and His creations as waves, where does the
wave end and the ocean begin? Where does God end and His creation
begin?
- Can a
wave create the ocean? Can a creation create its creator?
- What
prevents a wave from totally merging with the ocean? What prevents
us from totally immersing ourselves in God? What does it mean to lose
ourselves in God?
- How can
two waves meet? How can you and I truly meet?
- What
is our true relationship with God? What is our true relationship with
each other? What with ego? What is the gap between our experience
and our true relationships?
- Misapplications
to guard against– Can you be both dependent on God and responsible
for your actions?
- How can
you apply these ideas in your daily life? How much do you depend on
God? How does ego try to prevent you from turning to God?
- How would
you summarize the ideas regarding dependence on God or on ego?
Answers
– Are you an independent agent? NO
- Who
is God? God is love, goodness, holiness, all the power in the universe,
the Creator of all that is, an idea in my mind. What is ego? Ego is
also an idea in my mind, an idea that I could replace God as my source.
It is a false idea. What is the same for both God and ego? They are
both ideas, both in my mind, both have identities. What is different?
God is a true idea, while ego is a false idea. God is everything,
ego is nothing. God has a true identity and ego a false one. We originated
from God and ego originated from us. We were created to create like
God, but we could not create our source – that ego would have us believe,
since that is how it came into our minds. We have an interdependent
relationship with God and ego has a parasitic relationship with us.
We are one with God. Ego would have us believe separation possible.
God created us innocent, while ego depends on our guilt.
- What
keeps us from total surrender to God? Fear of loss of independence
behind which is ego, needing our dependence on it in order to survive.
Were we created dependent on God? Yes, God created us dependent on
Him, as He is dependent on us. Are we giving up anything in depending
on God? No, because we never had independence. We were created one
with God, not independent of God. Independence is an illusion, a spell
we are under when allied with ego. It is not possible to be independent
as we were created interdependent for all eternity. What are we giving
up in turning to God for everything? In our utter and total surrender
to God we give up nothing and gain everything.
- What
would be required to gain independence? We would have to push God
aside. We would have to make our own source to replace God as source.
If we made ego in order to experience independence, did we succeed?
Nope, God is our source, irreplaceable. Nothing happened in truth.
However, when we chose to depend on ego instead of God we turned the
full power of God against ourselves. We gained nothing and lost everything,
or so it seems. Fortunately we can choose again.
- What
is ego? Ego is a false idea we invited into our minds and then invested
with the full power of God. Ego is an idea we entertained to replace
God and is sustained through the power of our belief. Though not real,
ego is both fearful and desirable because it promises independence.
Ego is an idea of separation, an idea that we could be different from
how God created us. Ego is an imposter, non-existent in truth because
we could not be different from how God created us, we could not be
independent. Ego is the cause of all suffering, lack, bondage… Once
given life, ego is determined to live, and that at our expense, thus
it convinces us to listen to it rather than to God within.
It is a voice in our minds attempting to replace the voice for God
though God cannot be replaced. Ego always speaks loudest and first
for its needs at our expense. Ego is competitive while God speaks
of peace and offers only peace. Ego is an idea of conflict, limitation,
separation, imperfection, independence, choice, undeservedness… all
based on guilt. Ego is an idea that things could happen to us against
our holy will. We are as we were created – all-powerful - nothing
can happen to us except by our will. How does ego get us to forget
who we really are? We made ego to make our own source. Then we convinced
ourselves that ego is our source and since that is not true our premise
is false, therefore we don't know who we are. What is our identity
when allied with ego? We think we are our bodies. We think we are
nothing since our source, ego, is nothing. We think we are guilty,
limited, vulnerable, lacking… When allied with God? We know we are
precious children of a holy loving creator and we know we are whole,
complete, perfect and innocent because our premise is correct.
- How does
ego try to prevent us from turning to God? By telling us that God
judges, damns, condemns, punishes... Nothing could be further from
God's mind. How does ego stay in existence? By distracting us away
from it as the cause of all our trouble. All we have to do is look
at ego and it disappears. Since ego does not want to disappear, it
tries to convince us that God is the cause of our problems, or that
we are victims of forces beyond our control… It tries to distract
us with the things of the world. It tries to convince us to trust
in our independence rather than in God who wants to give us everything.
How is ego the full power of God turned against ourselves? When God
created us He gave us His mind. When we made ego, we in turn gave
it God's mind.
- Is ego
our only problem? Yes. Suffering is a symptom, not the
problem. Ego is the cause of all problems therefore it is our only
problem ever. Separation is a symptom of ego as well – ego wants us
to think ourselves separate rather than one with everyone and everything
or interdependent. Is there a solution to our problem? When we look
at ego we see its nothingness, and then it disappears. If we fight,
threaten, defend, make friends with, punish, embarrass or hate ego,
we make it real. However, for the simple act of calmly looking, we
need all the help in the universe. The last thing ego
wants us to do is look, therefore it uses every trick in the book
to divert our attention away from merely looking. Once seen truly
ego is exposed as the imposter it has always been, and it will be
impossible for it to fool us into depending on it or believing in
it. When we withdraw belief from ego, it simply vanishes without a
trace.
- Is God
independent, autonomous? No, God gave up His autonomy when He created
us. He depends on us as much as we depend on Him. Our relationship
with God is a healthy mutually enriching dependency. Do we need God
to complete ourselves? No - God created us whole and complete within
ourselves, lacking nothing, for God's creations are created perfectly
in His image and likeness. However without God we are nothing for
nothing can happen without God. Is dependence on God a good idea?
Yes, as it is the truth anyway. No use fighting what is in our best
interest.
- What
is the relationship between freedom and God-dependence? God created
us free, therefore when we depend on Him, we are free. Can you be
both dependent and free? In depending on God our freedom is limited
to limitless creative expression, but cannot include autonomy as we
were created inseparable from God and each other for all eternity.
What is the relationship between freedom and ego-dependence? Our relationship
with God and each other is like that of Siamese twins – we're stuck
with each other for all eternity – and ego promised to free us of
this unity, this oneness, this interdependence. Perhaps it sounds
good in theory, but what's so bad about loving each other forever?
Sure beats killing each other, wouldn't you agree?
- Is it
possible to be independent of both God and ego? As Jesus said, “Of
myself I am nothing.” We are of God, we are dependent on God, even
if we reject that truth, don't experience it or don't believe it.
We could not alter the truth. Even for ego to survive, God's power
is required, but God entrusted us with His mind so that we could create
like Him. We misused God's gift in making ego so now find ourselves
in an experience that is different from the one God created us to
have where our interdependence is a joyous dance with God and each
other, loving everyone more and more deeply…Is it possible to be completely
free of ego? Yes, in our total dependence on God for everything, for
that is how we were created. Is it desirable? Yes, as soon as we are
free of ego, we are enlightened, then we are contributing to the solution
rather than the problem. However, as long as we have a body, we must
continue to guard against ego taking hold again.
- If we
think of God as the ocean and His creation as the waves, where does
the wave end and the ocean begin? Where does God end and His creation
begin? There is no place where the Father ends and we
begin. Creation is merely extension, not separation. Creations were
not created separate from their Creator. Separation became our experience
when we made ego. That idea is comparable to being a wave without
the ocean – it is impossible and the impossible did not happen, however
in our minds we can convince ourselves of the reality of that which
is not real and then we need a miracle to be restored to sanity. We
ask for a miracle by admitting that separation/independence is not
really what we want.
- Can a
wave create the ocean? Can a creation create its creator? That would
be as impossible as you giving birth to your parents. It cannot happen,
and it did not happen, however we are in the experience of creating
our own creator because we wanted to experience autonomy. It is not
a real experience, however it is very real for us. The good news is
that our mistaken idea had no real effect, as we are not more powerful
than God. Therefore our mistake can be undone when we no longer want
autonomy. When we are willing to be totally dependent on God, totally
one with our Creator, we will be restored to a true experience, not
because God punishes us when we do not obey Him, but because disobedience
to God means obedience to ego, and we punish ourselves when we listen
to ego and follow its advice.
- What
prevents a wave from totally merging with the ocean? What prevents
us from totally immersing ourselves in God? Fear of loss of false
identity. We were created by God with a true identity in God. When
we donned an ego, we gave ego the status of creator in God's stead.
We donned a false identity as creations of ego. As long as we have
an ego, we will have a false identity and will therefore not know
who we are. It is ego that causes us to fear for
the loss of our false identity, while the truth is we can never lose
anything, so if we lose our false identity we only become who we are.
It is a false fear that ego hopes we will not see truly. What does
it mean to lose ourselves in God? To be completely one with God,
though still a unique creation with a true identity.
- How can
two waves meet? How can you and I truly meet? Just as two waves meet
in the ocean, so you and I can only truly meet in God. We can only
meet once we both lose our false identity. We can only meet once we
both accept ourselves as God created us, instead of as we wish. Till
then we find our communications mixed with frequent misunderstandings,
misinterpretations and misperceptions.
- What
is our true relationship with God? Interdependence, symbiosis, oneness,
unity, equality, true and joyous communication. What is our true relationship
with each other? Same as with God. What with ego? No true relationship
as ego does not exist. What is the gap between our experience and
our true relationships? We experience communication frustrated and
codependency relationships because we have not understood there is
no lack either in ourselves or in others. This is due to choosing
a co-dependency relationship with ego.
- Misapplications
to guard against – Can you be both dependent on God and responsible
for your actions? There are those who claim that in their total dependence
on God, God is the cause of their less than perfect behavior. God
created us perfect, and totally capable of choosing perfection under
all circumstances, thus we are always responsible for our thoughts,
words and deeds. God did not make automatons – we are responsible
for every decision we make, every action we take. It is ego that would
have us believe things could happen to us against our will so it can
exist at our expense.
- How can
you apply these ideas in your daily life? By constantly ask God to
be our guide in every undertaking, watching that we not tell God how
to do His job. He knows very well how to care for us if we let Him.
How does ego try to prevent you from turning to God? It tries to convince
us we can't trust God, that it is good to be independent, that to
turn to God is weakness… How much do you depend on God? Sometimes
I catch myself fretting about something and then I give it to God,
but most of the time anymore I turn my every coming and going over
to God automatically, for I have seen time and again the wisdom of
doing so.
- How would
you summarize the ideas regarding dependence on God or on ego? Total
dependence on God is where true freedom lies. We were
created to create, but could not create ourselves, therefore ego is
an imposter. There is no place where God ends and you begin. There
is no place where you end and I begin. We are all connected and in
uniting with God and each other we overcome ego for ourselves and
all of humanity. There is power in unity for that is the truth.
"God
depends on you to be perfect - as He created you."
ACIM
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