Has anyone here studied "A Course in Miracles"?

[KitchenWitch]

I first stumbled across it about 20 years ago, a friend was studying it. I read through parts of it and found myself kind of turned off to it because of the seemingly Christian tone of it.

Throughout the years since, I keep bumping into it, and am now considering buying a copy of the book and trying to work through it.

Anyone have any experiences with this?

[leftyladyfrommo]

1. Not me - but I've heard about it.

But I believe in miracles. Or maybe i just believe in grace. And redemption.

I always get really turned off by all of the religious baggage, too. But I don't think you really have to believe in much and still believe in miracles.

Like those two little baby girls that were separated just a couple of weeks ago - those two darling little 5 month olds - and I read where they are going home. That's a miracle.

[KitchenWitch]

2. Yes that is a miracle

[mandyky]

3. Yes, I was a student

The termonology is Christian but the philosophy is Eastern. I studied it for over seven years on a daily basis, and wore out my book. As soon as I can afford a new one, I'll buy it.

[KitchenWitch]

4. I think I am supposed to be studying this

since it seems to keep presenting itself to me.

[mandyky]

6. Do you have forgiveness issues?

Forgiveness is somehow the vehicle for miracles by "replacing fear with love". Fear and any fear or guilt based emotion is a lack of love, and miracles fill the lack of love.

The book is divided into 3 parts - The text which is the Holy Spirits message, the workbook with one lesson for each day, and I forget what the 3rd part was called. If IRRC it was sorta like an FAQ.

It changed the way I think about things. If you keep being "urged" to try it, do so.

[FloridaPat]

5. I studied it for a couple of weeks. It's a channeling from Jesus.

Long on talk and short on details like a lot of these channeling and religious visions. It's a spirit uplifter, so it can't hurt.

[Pharaoh]

7. There are many other books

which are a good intro to ACIM which explain alot of stuff before you dive into the ACIM itself

My copy of ACIM is well worn, but I just bought a second copy of Marianne Williamson's "A return to Love" reflections on the principles of A course in Miracles which is a real good place to start,

Also Tara Singh one of the great teachers of the course wrote a book called "The Future of Mankind" which I highly recommend

[xzyra]

8. I am working with it now

It is very intense. I agree with post that it is Christian voice, Eastern thought

The book really flipped me out at first. I am more comfortable with it now. Seems to be one of those books where you either take to it or you want to throw it out. I haven't met anyone who has had a neutral response. A friend of mine, and recently my sister, both bought it and both flipped out. My friend was having nightmares and had to give the book away, not so bad for my sister but she also had a very negative reaction.

I attended one meeting with others who are working on the course (my schedule conflicts so I can't get there regularly) and was relieved to find the people were pretty normal and down-to-earth type folks. Most seemed to have been in recovery (AA) like me... there was common language there.

I would go for it -- it is $35, not that big of an investment for something that could really change your life.

[sam sarrha]

9. explanation of Eastern aspect:Jesus lived on the Old Silk Road where it

turned north to the Baltic's and south to Mecca and continued into Egypt to Cairo. Buddhism had been spreading out of India for 500 years at the time and would have inevetably traveled down the silk road..

as a Buddhist i recognize a lot of what Jesus taught as Buddhism, but his disciples didn't really get it. it looks to me like someone brought some of the Sutras of the Buddha.. what he taught is a lot like a teacher teaching out of a book that had the first and last chapters missing.

Jesus was a union organizer..that is why the establishment feared him, at the time the Romans were rebuilding an old capital in Palestine.. his language was visual, analogical and based on metaphor. so when it was translated into Greek, its essence was filtered out by the inherent logic of the Greek language and their propensity to work their perception of the gods, sons of gods born by human women..etc. the subsequent translations into Latin then English/French/etc pretty much finished it off.

the word that was translated into 'carpenter' actually meant worker, it was probably stone, the city being rebuilt by the romans was built in stone, the workers suffered horribly, not only by the romans but by the religious leaders and Jesus was affected by it.. one of the things about Buddhist teachings is you can continue to exist in a world of suffering and it will lead you to nirvana.. as jack kornfield says.. 'after the enlightenment.. the laundry'.