(#323) ACIM Lesson #121 With Jesus' commentary

[barpoe]

LESSON 121

Forgiveness is the key to happiness.

1. Here is the answer to your search for peace. Here is the key to meaning in a world that seems to make no sense. Here is the way to safety in apparent dangers that appear to threaten you at every turn, and bring uncertainty to all your hopes of ever fin­d­ing quietness and peace. Here are all questions answered; here the end of all uncertainty ensured at last.

2. The unforgiving mind is full of fear, and offers love no room to be itself; no place where it can spread its wings in peace and soar above the turmoil of the world. The unforgiving mind is sad, without the hope of respite and release from pain. It suffers and abides in misery, peering about in darkness, seeing not, yet cer­tain of the danger lurking there.

3. The unforgiving mind is torn with doubt, confused about itself and all it sees; afraid and angry, weak and blustering, afraid to go ahead, afraid to stay, afraid to waken or to go to sleep, afraid of every sound, yet more afraid of stillness; terrified of darkness, yet more terrified at the approach of light. What can the unforgiving mind perceive but its damnation? What can it behold except the proof that all its sins are real?

4. The unforgiving mind sees no mistakes, but only sins. It looks upon the world with sightless eyes, and shrieks as it beholds its own projections rising to attack its miserable parody of life. It wants to live, yet wishes it were dead. It wants forgiveness, yet it sees no hope. It wants escape, yet can conceive of none because it sees the sinful everywhere.

5. The unforgiving mind is in despair, without the prospect of a future which can offer anything but more despair. Yet it regards its judgment of the world as irreversible, and does not see it has condemned itself to this despair. It thinks it cannot change, for what it sees bears witness that its judgment is correct. It does not ask, because it thinks it knows. It does not question, certain it is right.

6. Forgiveness is acquired. It is not inherent in the mind, which cannot sin. As sin is an idea you taught yourself, forgiveness must be learned by you as well, but from a Teacher other than yourself, Who represents the other Self in you. Through Him you learn how to forgive the self you think you made, and let it disappear. Thus you return your mind as one to Him Who is your Self, and Who can never sin.

7. Each unforgiving mind presents you with an opportunity to teach your own how to forgive itself. Each one awaits release from hell through you, and turns to you imploringly for Heaven here and now. It has no hope, but you become its hope. And as its hope, do you become your own. The unforgiving mind must learn through your forgiveness that it has been saved from hell. And as you teach salvation, you will learn. Yet all your teaching and your learning will be not of you, but of the Teacher Who was given you to show the way to you.

8. Today we practice learning to forgive. If you are willing, you can learn today to take the key to happiness, and use it on your own behalf. We will devote ten minutes in the morning, and at night another ten, to learning how to give forgiveness and re­ceive forgiveness, too.

9. The unforgiving mind does not believe that giving and receiv­ing are the same. Yet we will try to learn today that they are one through practicing forgiveness toward one whom you think of as an enemy, and one whom you consider as a friend. And as you learn to see them both as one, we will extend the lesson to yourself, and see that their escape included yours.

10. Begin the longer practice periods by thinking of someone you do not like, who seems to irritate you, or to cause regret in you if you should meet him; one you actively despise, or merely try to overlook. It does not matter what the form your anger takes. You probably have chosen him already. He will do.

11. Now close your eyes and see him in your mind, and look at him a while. Try to perceive some light in him somewhere; a little gleam which you had never noticed. Try to find some little spark of brightness shining through the ugly picture that you hold of him. Look at this picture till you see a light somewhere within it, and then try to let this light extend until it covers him, and makes the picture beautiful and good.

12. Look at this changed perception for a while, and turn your mind to one you call a friend. Try to transfer the light you learn­ed to see around your former “enemy” to him. Perceive him now as more than friend to you, for in that light his holiness shows you your savior, saved and saving, healed and whole.

13. Then let him offer you the light you see in him, and let your “enemy” and friend unite in blessing you with what you gave. Now are you one with them, and they with you. Now have you been forgiven by yourself. Do not forget, throughout the day, the role forgiveness plays in bringing happiness to every unforgiving mind, with yours among them. Every hour tell yourself:

Forgiveness is the key to happiness. I will awaken from the dream that I am mortal, fallible and full of sin, and know I am the perfect Son of God.

[ianhendrik]

Transcription:

You are blessed beings indeed. I am that one that you know as Jesus, and forgiveness is the most powerful, powerful process of this earthly plane on which you find yourself!

You think exercise is. You think dieting is. You think earning money is. You think saving money is. You think investing is powerful. You think education is powerful. But it is forgiveness that will bring you the real treasures of peace of mind. For what use is it to have a beautiful car, a slim body, and a nice house if your mind is in turmoil, if it's full of resentment, if it is holding a low frequency? You will not be able to maintain an abundant life. You will fail in your health. You will fail in your marriage. You will fail in your business, because you are holding a frequency in your mind all the time that cannot bring to you peace, abundance, joy, and a beautiful, beautiful, comfortable life. It has to bring you pain because it is not of a loving nature.

So forgiveness does not deny you anything. Yes it denies the ego its battles. Yes, it denies the ego the satisfaction of saying hateful things and poisonous phrases, but that is all. It denies you have nothing. It brings you peace, the greatest gift you can give yourself. And peace means the body will function at a high level. Peace means that you will have access to guidance that you cannot access in a troubled and tormented mind. Peace means that you will live longer in a happier and more fulfilling way. Yes, you will be living in a state of separation, but this state of separation that the unforgiving mind brings forth is so painful it is like living in hell.

Once you have a peaceful mind you feel as if you have moved into the garden of Eden and everything seems brighter. Everything seems better. It is a beautiful, beautiful experience! Yes, you are still in separation, but you are not deep in separation. You are into a more loving form of separation which we call the "happy dream".

Do this exercise sincerely today. When you envision your enemy, do exactly as this lesson says. You will lose nothing but pain. You will lose nothing but poverty and scarcity. You will lose nothing but disturbance in the mind.

I am that one that you know as Jesus, and we will see you again tomorrow.

[olivevharzak]

Lesson 121
Forgiveness is the key to happiness.

1. Here is the answer to your search for peace. Here is the key to meaning in a world which seems to make no sense. Here is the way to safety in apparent dangers which appear to threaten you at every turn and bring uncertainty to all your hopes of ever finding quietness and peace. Here are all questions answered; here the end of all uncertainty ensured at last.

2. The unforgiving mind is full of fear and offers love no room to be itself, no place where it can spread its wings in peace and soar above the turmoil of the world. The unforgiving mind is sad, without the hope of respite and release from pain. It suffers and abides in misery, peering about in darkness, seeing not, yet certain of the danger lurking there.

3. The unforgiving mind is torn with doubt, confused about itself and all it sees, afraid and angry, weak and blustering, afraid to go ahead, afraid to stay, afraid to waken or to go to sleep, afraid of every sound, yet more afraid of stillness; terrified of darkness, yet more terrified at the approach of light.

4. What can the unforgiving mind perceive but its damnation? What can it behold except the proof that all its sins are real? The unforgiving mind sees no mistakes, but only sins. It looks upon the world with sightless eyes and shrieks as it beholds its own projections rising to attack its miserable parody of life. It wants to live, yet wishes it were dead. It wants forgiveness, yet it sees no hope. It wants escape, yet can conceive of none because it sees the sinful everywhere.

5. The unforgiving mind is in despair, without the prospect of a future which can offer anything but more despair. Yet it regards its judgement of the world as irreversible and does not see it has condemned itself to this despair. It thinks it cannot change, for what it sees bears witness that its judgement is correct. It does not ask because it thinks it knows. It does not question, certain it is right.

6. Forgiveness is acquired. It is not inherent in a mind, which cannot sin. As sin was an idea you taught yourself, forgiveness must be learned by you as well, but from a Teacher other than yourself, who represents the other Self in you. Through Him you learn how to forgive the self you think you made and let it disappear. Thus you return your mind as one to Him Who is your Self and Who can never sin.

7. Each unforgiving mind presents you with an opportunity to teach your own how to forgive itself. Each one awaits release from hell through you and turns to you imploringly for Heaven here and now. It has no hope, but you become its hope. And as its hope, do you become your own. The unforgiving mind must learn through your forgiveness that it has been saved from hell. And as you teach salvation, you will learn.

8. Yet all your teaching and your learning will be not of you, but of the Teacher Who was given you to show the way to you. Today we practise learning to forgive. If you are willing, you can learn today to take the key to happiness and use it on your own behalf. We will devote ten minutes in the morning and at night another ten, to learning how to give forgiveness and receive forgiveness too.

9. The unforgiving mind does not believe that giving and receiving are the same. Yet we will try to learn today that they are one through practising forgiving towards one whom you think of as an enemy and one whom you consider as a friend. And as you learn to see them both as one, we will extend the lesson to ourselves and see that their escape included ours.

10. Begin the longer practice periods by thinking of someone you do not like, who seems to irritate you or to cause regret in you if you should meet him; one you actively despise or merely try to overlook. It does not matter what the form your anger takes. You probably have chosen him already. He will do.

11. Now close your eyes and see him in your mind and look at him a while. Try to perceive some light in him somewhere-a little gleam which you had never noticed. Try to find some little spark of brightness shining through the ugly picture which you hold of him. Look at this picture till you see a light somewhere within it, and then try to let this light extend until it covers him and makes the picture beautiful and good.

12. Look at this changed perception for a while, and turn your mind to one you call a friend. Try to transfer the light you learned to see around your former "enemy" to him. Perceive him now as more than friend to you, for in that light his holiness shows you your saviour, saved and saving, healed and whole. Then let him offer you the light you see in him and let your "enemy" and friend unite in blessing you with what you gave. Now are you one with them and they with you. Now have you been forgiven by yourself.

13. Do not forget throughout the day the role forgiveness plays in bringing happiness to every unforgiving mind, with yours among them. Every hour tell yourself:

"Forgiveness is the key to happiness. I will awaken from the dream that I am mortal, fallible, and full of sin, and know I am the perfect Son of God."

[lauratraback]

Thank you sister for your love and gifts. I send you peace, joy, love and abundance.❤️ Laura

[rustyrose]

Absolutely beautiful message. Thank you 🙏🏼

[suzanneartist]

As I contemplate this lesson, I realize it goes so much deeper than thinking of someone who I simply dislike. Forgiving all. Allowing ourselves to forgive and see light in all the ones who seem to be most despicable, who commit heinous crimes. Not allowing them to harm others, but still forgiving them. Even those who simply don’t agree with us and hold a point of view that is challenging for us to understand. Forgiving ourselves for our own “righteousness” and the harm and pain we create, knowingly or not, against others, against the other living beings on the planet, against Earth herself. Thank you for this most beautiful lesson.

[kathleenfagan]

This is a very deep one. Forgiveness! I guess this is why your book is entitled a year of forgiveness. Looking at that person who I had created my own ugly picture of and kept it to look upon on that spirit...then getting rid of that picture and taking a new one, trying to find the spark of something to love and build on it. My sister had not spoken to me for over a decade. This past Autumn, I surprised visited her from my Florida to her Pennsylvania. She received me in a superficial cordial way, stiff with her bitterness. I, however, felt released even tho she chose to continue the nonforgiveness. I am living with that now, but in a surprising feeling of compassion rather than anger.

[joycerideout]

Thankyou Tina and Jesus love you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[joycerideout]

Thankyou Tina and Jesus love you ❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️👍🏻

[empresseve]

Thank you for todays lesson.. envioning enemies in the light 🕯️

[alannahashlie]

Excellent lesson and is the key to everything!! Thank you, Thank you 🙏 🙏💕❤️🌹🌹🌹🌹💫❣️

[Turqueza]

Thanks a million Tina and Jesus. Blessings to all 🌷💕🦋

[BobKeefe]

Another month of doing the lessons has gone by and things are looking brighter. Thank you Jesus and Tina. Much love ❤️❤️❤️

[jeyrcxp]

121❤- forgiveness is the key to happiness. Here is the answer towards your search for Peace. 🕊️

[linggg]

Thank you Tina and Jesus for today's lesson which initially I never saw as how huge it really is in truth, in truth I feel forgiveness is All we have come to do and receive 🙏❤️

[SelfHelpSadie]

this lesson REALLY clicked in this year

[angelicagomez]

Tina, I have a question re Lesson 115, which I did today. Jesus commented that: "when you judge the world, when you attack the world, when you decide that it should be other than what it is, you are perpetuating separation, and you are feeding this idea of suffering and sacrifice." If we do something as simple as sign a petition to prevent animal abuse, are we not "deciding that the world should be other than what it is" even if we forgive the abusers?