WORKBOOK

Questions – What's really going on here?

Related reading – Chapter 5 of NG

8. Can you be hurt? Can you exist in a body free of pain and suffering? Can an enlightened mind inhabit a broken body?

9. Are victimizers innocent or guilty? How are all crimes unreal? Should criminals be punished? What would cause one to commit a crime? Would hurting another make sense if we knew we were both Spirit and not our bodies?

10. Is it possible to defy God's will?   Is a criminal defying God's will? How do we apply this idea correctly?

11. What is our responsibility toward those who act hurtfully toward us? What is true forgiveness? False forgiveness?

12. How do we close the gap between what is real and our experience in unreality?

13. How does knowing the unreality of suffering help to heal/save the world? How can we misapply the idea that the world is not real? How do we transform the unreal world back into the real world God created?

14. How do we make the unreal real? How do we make the real unreal? How does one discern between the real and the unreal?

15.  If the suffering in the world is unreal, why care?

16. What is meant by nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists?

17. Life application -

18. Pitfalls to guard against -

19. Summarize the ideas regarding what is real and what is unreal -

Answers – Nothing real can be threatened - Nothing unreal exists.  

1. What is real? God and God's love, creations of light, innocence, bliss, peace, oneness, goodness, truth, that which never changes yet continues to expand dynamically eternally... What is unreal? Sickness, suffering, death, loss, lack,   evil, conflict, guilt, separation, form, change, ego…   as these have nothing to do with God or God's will or God's love. How is all we see both real and unreal? Everything is made up of existence, consciousness and bliss which are real, and of name and form which are unreal. What transforms unreality back into reality? Depending on God, loving God and each other, leading lives of noble character and holiness, taking responsibility for the unreal instead of making God or someone else responsible, withdrawing belief from the unreal, believing in that which is real.
2. In Chapter 5 of Not Guilty, I share a personal experience that was very traumatic for me – Are painful experiences real? No. Why or why not? Though they are real for us until they are healed, they are not real in the truest sense, for a number of reasons: 1) God did not intend suffering for us when He created us and He hasn't changed His mind, 2) pain cannot affect our true reality which in invulnerable,   3) being hurt happens in time and time is not real, 4) negative experiences only happen to bodies and bodies are not real. Besides the physical body, there are the emotional body and the mental body which also are not real. Are painful experiences part of God's will? No, God only wills for our happiness. They are due to alliance with an ego which convinces us that we deserve to suffer – it is not true. Can such experiences be avoided or are we slated to endure some hardships in this unreal world? They can be avoided through a shift in consciousness. Destiny is altered when consciousness changes. Do we need discomfort in order to learn? No, God created us knowing everything, therefore we do not have to learn anything. All we need do is unlearn what we erroneously taught ourselves at ego's urging and for that no suffering is necessary. How can traumatic experiences be used? They hold our attention more than other experiences and thus we can use them to recover truth. They can reveal to us our mistaken ideas and can thereby be used as learning devices to expose the contents of our minds which we have hidden from ourselves. I learned that I'm not my body, that who I am is invulnerable, and that I am the cause of everything that happens to me. Today I could not draw such and experience to myself as that experience was used to make a shift in consciousness. You can learn from my experience. We need not undergo painful experiences to unlearn what we erroneously taught ourselves.

1.   Are our fleshly bodies real? No, since God did not create them. God only creates creations of light, therefore if something happens to our bodies, we remain unaffected, as nothing real can be affected or threatened. Our bodies are like garments we wear and then shed when they are no longer useful. To think your body real would be like thinking you are your car. Your car is your vehicle. It is not you. It takes you where you need to go. In the same way you are not your body. You are as God created you – whole and perfect, a creation of light. Bodies are vulnerable and imperfect. Why do we mistakenly think we are our bodies? Ego has convinced us to identity with ourselves as our bodies, because bodies prove us separate, vulnerable and mortal, all supporting ego's platform that we are not Divine as created by God. How do you relate to yourself when you know your body is not real? You will not be troubled when your body gets hurt, knowing that nothing can happen to you, not giving the body undo attention, not being a slave to the body's senses or troubled when unpleasant things happen to your body. You will open the door to the experience of your true identity as God created you, Divine, pure, holy, perfect and complete for all eternity. How can we misapply the idea that we are not our bodies? You could use it to dissociate from your body (i.e. when the body gets sick you could miss an opportunity to be in touch with the contents of your mind). You could use the body carelessly, with the attitude that it is not real anyway. You could cause harm to your or another's body and convince yourself that it has no effect. All these misapplications come from listening to ego's interpretation of the teaching that the body is not real.
2. What is the source of unreality and what is its purpose? Ego is the source of unreality as ego is not real. As soon as we made ego, we entered an unreal experience. Ego tries to fool us into thinking the unreal is real so we will accept things as we experience them rather than yearn for them to be as God intended. Ego tries to distract us with the things of the world like progeny, reputation, money, troubles… so that we will forget what is real, true and good. As long as we remain content with the unreal, we will not be motivated to transform our lives and hearts and thereby the world back into a real world of peace, love and joy for all. Ego tries to convince us that God or our brothers and sisters are the cause of our trouble so that we will not see that we allied with it, are the cause of our trouble. As soon as we see that we were listening to untrue information we will come into right relationship with all that happens to us, and from there we open the door to a real experience.
3. Are you the cause of everything that happens to you or are you an effect of a cause outside of you? We are each responsible for everything that happens to us, and that is good news because that means we are also in charge of when the unreal ends. When we take personal responsibility for everything that happens to us, we shift from victim consciousness to God consciousness. Why are we each responsible for all our experiences? Because God created us to have everything, including all-power. There is no one more powerful than you. If we can accept that, then we can see that we are the cause of everything that happens to us. It means no force outside of us is more powerful than we are. What causes us to choose unpleasant experiences? We convince ourselves that our past mistakes warrant punishment rather than correction. We suffer because we think we deserve to suffer, because we've forgotten who we are as wholly worthy children of God. We are not bad if we suffer, only mistaken and now we can correct our mistakes. Listening to ego caused us to make unwise choices - we can choose again. Should we forgive ourselves when unfortunate things happen to us? Many people blame themselves for physical imperfections or feel guilty when then have been abused by others. This is not what is meant by taking personal responsibility for everything that happens. We are responsible, but we are not bad or guilty, we are merely mistaken. When we are responsible we step into true relationship with our unfortunate experiences and then we open the door to overcoming all suffering.
4. How is knowing an experience to be unreal helpful in taking personal responsibility? Only when we know the unreality of what happened can we be responsible without feeling guilty. There would be no reason to feel guilty if you knew nothing happened. In my rape experience, first I learned that nothing happened. Only after I understood that was I asked to take responsibility for the incident. Why be responsible if nothing happened? When responsible we open the door to a shift from victim consciousness to God consciousness and to a destiny free of suffering. That happens when we take responsibility instead of blaming God or someone else for our problems. If we say nothing happened from the place of accepting responsibility we heal the past. How can this teaching be misapplied? We could callously conclude that if someone is in pain they are doing it to themselves or it is unreal, instead of wanting the end of pain for all humanity. We always have to guard against ego's attempts at getting us to misapply the teachings for its use at our expense. What is the difference between telling yourself nothing happened from a healed place or from a place of denial? Self-responsibility. As soon as you take personal responsibility you are in right relationship with everything that happens to you and you are taking back your power. Self Responsibility is the bridge that permits a shift in consciousness from ‘I'm a victim' to ‘I am doing this to myself and I can choose again.'
5. What is karma? Consequences for past actions, whose purpose is to balance the scales. Is it of God? No - usually we associate karma with negative experiences and God only wills our happiness. It may help us to accept certain events when we put them in that context, and knowing that certain actions will produce certain consequences may also prevent us from making unwise choices, but the idea of cause and consequence cannot really satisfy us if we want the whole truth. Is karma real? No, because it is linked to time, and time is not real. Are we bound by the laws of karma? No, because they are not of God.   When consciousness changes, destiny also changes, meaning that if we change our minds about who we are, our past is wiped away. Is karma fair and just? No, because we do not need to pay back for past mistakes, we need merely correct our past by changing our minds about who we are, to heal it. It is guilt that causes negative consequences for past mistakes. Does knowing that we will reap karmic consequences help us to stop hurting others? Perhaps, but love is more effective than threats of punishment. How are karmic consequences from the past undone? By correcting our errors and thereby healing our past, instead of feeling guilty for past actions and punishing ourselves. There is never a reason to feel guilty for God created us all eternally innocent. Karma leads to punishment which means we do time so ego can live at our expense. Correction of error leads to healing and thereby to the undoing of the unreal and requires no time at all.
6. Can you be hurt? When we know who we are, we also know that we cannot be hurt. Our bodies may be hurt, but we are unaffectable. However, this does not mean that others' hurtful actions toward us are to be denied or ignored. We need simply ask Spirit to show what to do in all situations. Can you exist in a body free of pain and suffering? I believe so, although I do not think there is much evidence on the planet as yet to support that idea. The body was made to separate but can be used to heal. Our bodies reflects back to us what is in our minds. When our minds are enlightened, our bodies will reflect that wholeness of mind. Can an enlightened mind inhabit a broken body? Yes, there are examples of enlightened masters who's bodies suffered, however I believe that when enough of us hold the truth that we can live in bodies free of suffering it will be everyone's experience. We are all the power in the universe so why not inhabit a body free of pain, while we find ourselves in a body if it is a choice. I wish that for the saints and the sinners alike.
7. Are victimizers innocent or guilty? Innocent since they were created innocent by God and God did not change His mind about them, however they are responsible for their actions and they will feel guilty for hurtful actions and receive the consequences of their actions until they change their minds about who they are and act accordingly. How are all crimes unreal? Crimes are perpetrated against bodies, and bodies are unreal, therefore the crimes also are unreal. Should criminals be punished? No, but they should be rehabilitated so they realize that loving their fellowman is in their best interest. Everyone really wants to be holy deep down, for we were all created holy, thus only holiness can content us.   What would cause one to commit a crime? Listening to the voice for ego that tells us to do things for which we will feel guilty so it can exist at our expense. Would hurting another make sense if we knew we were both Spirit and not our bodies? No, once we know the truth, we could not think of acting hurtfully toward anyone for any reason.
8. Is it possible to defy God's will? No, it is impossible to defy God's will, otherwise it would mean we are more powerful than God. We are as powerful as God, not more or less. We are equal with God, since that is how He created us.   Is a criminal defying God's will? No, he is harming bodies, and since bodies are unreal, he does not affect the truth, however, again, if he acts in a manner that is not in line with how he was created, he will feel guilty and perpetuate unreality, rather than transform the unreal into the real. How do we apply this idea correctly? We should always strive to lead lives of holiness and perfection and inspire all our brothers and sisters to do the same, for that is how ego is overcome. We should want criminals free of guilt as much as everyone. We should ask Spirit what to do to help everyone to be inspired to lead lives of noble character in the service of all humanity.
9. What is our responsibility toward those who act hurtfully toward us? We should make sure we not enable them, by neither condemning nor condoning unloving actions, asking Spirit to show us how to respond, wanting them to act lovingly toward us for their sake as much as ours. What is true forgiveness? True forgiveness recognizes that nothing happened to the truth and acknowledges that nothing can happen to us without our consent, that we are invulnerable,   and that we are responsible for all that happens to us. False forgiveness? False forgiveness acknowledges that something happened to the truth and that we magnanimously forgive our perpetrator for harming us. When we do this we make the unreal real.
10.   How do we close the gap between what is real and our experience in unreality? By being honest about our present experience while at the same time remembering that God only intended happiness for us, thus all unpleasant experiences are unreal. We can ask to be shown what to do to bridge the gap between our experience and reality and we can expect miracles.
11. How does knowing the unreality of suffering help to heal/save the world? It opens the door to the miracle of the healing of the whole world. If it were real, it could not be undone. How can we misapply the idea that the world is not real? We can dissociate from the pain of the world and thereby contribute to the problem. Ego wants us to ignore the suffering. Suffering guarantees ego's existence. As long as we deny the suffering or dissociate from it, it cannot be healed, and as long as it is not healed, ego exists at our expense. How do we transform the unreal world back into the real world God created? Through the transformation of our hearts, through changing our minds about who we are.
12.   How do we make the unreal real? By believing in it, by thinking it cannot be transformed, and by thinking it is God's idea. How do we make the real unreal? By thinking that God judges, condemns… and that God does not love us nor want us to be happy all the time. How does one discern between the real and the unreal? A pure heart is needed to discern the real from the unreal.
13. If the suffering in the world is unreal, why care? Because it is real for those who suffer and everyone is a part of me, created by God to have a beautiful experience. We should want that for everyone. If we don't, our minds need healing. As long as anyone is suffering, my salvation is incomplete.
14. What is meant by nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists? It means that no matter what happens to us in this unreal world, the truth cannot be affected because we are not more powerful than God and God created us whole and complete for all eternity. Any imperfections can be restored to wholeness. That is very good news. As soon as enough of us know this to be true, we will witness the transformation of the world into the real world God created for us.
15. Life application – Be real, be loving in an unreal world and treat all people and things with sacredness to be restored to a real experience.
16. Pitfalls to guard against – Doesn't matter want we do because none of it is real anyway - wrong. We cannot ever do anything to defy God's will, therefore whatever we do is God's will, even when it is unkind or unloving - wrong. Its ok to be careless with the things of the world since they are unreal - wrong. If someone is hurting they are doing it to themselves and we need not concern ourselves, using the teaching for attack rather than for healing- wrong.
17. Summarize the ideas about reality and unreality. Reality streams from a true source – God. Unreality streams from an untrue source – ego. Nothing unreal can affect what is real as we are not more powerful than God and God only wills what is real. All unreality can and must be transformed back into reality, through a shift in consciousness from victim-consciousness to God-consciousness by taking personal responsibility for all that happens to us. Everything can be used for a sacred purpose. We need simply stop making the unreal real and allow the real to be real. Nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists.