In the article on A Course in Miracles is Brotherhood, we discussed the key metaphysical ideas that the ego part of the divided mind uses for separation. By seeing others as separate and using the ego to replace the love of God, we end up in strange love or hate relationships. Ultimately, seeing another as a brother means that we must let go of all judgment as we now choose to see the truth about them and ourselves. You can only see who your brothers are, and who you are by default, by giving up what you have assumed and made true through error. Error hides truth. To see is to know what reveals the truth.

The ego uses various predictable patterns because the foundation of its thought system is judgment, which originates from sin, fear, and guilt. Judgment is always one or the other. When you perceive a brother through judgment, you will project and judge that brother until you perceive the results in retrospect. Once these results are perceived, you will use them repeatedly to project and judge even more.

Unfortunately, it uses the wrong mind of both sides of the ego and compounds the original error until the truth is well hidden. Transferring judgments for correction (forgiveness) stops the cycle.

Holy Relationships:

The ego uses special love-hate relationships as well as strangeness (being different) to keep the illusion of separateness going. Using these types of relationships as a cause is also the ego mind as a cause; and the result is a continuation of the separation between the brothers, because they are based on the original separation. Remember cause and effect: The mind you choose as cause will result in corresponding consequences (effect).

It’s not about being alone in life or avoiding relationships. However, it’s all about how you enter and use them in your mind.

The choice that will set you free is to decide that your relationships will be Holy relationships. You must be a person who practices forgiveness in all your relationships, even if you are single. It’s “special” until you change it to “Holy.” To see the other as a brother, which is a prerequisite for returning home, is True Perception that shines upon you both with the light of truth. The ego cannot triumph over the Oneness because it is not real.

Form and content:

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is very clear that form does not matter. There is nothing about behavior in acim and judging a brother by his behavior is the same side of the ego mind. They may act from the “wrong” ego mind; but you judge according to the ego of the “right” mind. To the ego, one judgment is the same as any other.

The course says that content matters. Content is the mind. ACIM cares for you to understand that you can choose the True Mind of the Holy Spirit as your inner Teacher, creating a different cause and effect.

What you or anyone else does in form (behavior) does not matter. However, there are two questions to ask yourself here:

When I acted, did I act from the Holy Spirit with a right mind? (Content)

Is my interpretation of my brother from the Holy Spirit correct? (Content)

You won’t have peace of mind unless you answer “yes” to both. Select again if necessary. It is never too late.

We are just one of us:

When you judge a brother, you are using the ego mind as a reason for that judgment to become a real effect. This is why we emphasize that what you see in another, you must first forgive yourself. Here’s why: (1) You cannot see error (judgment) in another unless you chose from that part of the divided mind to begin with; (2) You cannot judge what you do not yet believe to be true because it is based on the mind you have chosen; and (3) Judgment of the other is a statement of guilt held in your mind from the original separation because you chose to use the ego mind. It is where you are still clinging to fear and guilt instead of choosing correction (forgiveness) over truth.

Absolutely anyone who shows up and gives you a chance to heal your mind is a gift you can use. Turn it into a Holy Relationship. This is how you return your own mind to God and how others will eventually see it for themselves. Hold the light of forgiveness that gives all minds the opportunity to make a different choice. Judge and run and hide further into darkness and error.

A call to love:

An attack is a conscious behavior of the mind based on projection, judgment and perception. The goal of the ego is to protect the separate identity, so every attack is actually a cry for love or forgiveness that connects. The more determined you are to know the truth about yourself and your brother, the more you will vote against the attacks of the ego in favor of correction (forgiveness) by the True Mind.

Responding with love can mean many things, and sometimes it can even mean no response at all. Other times you may need a boundary or take some action. In order to respond with love, you absolutely must practice forgiveness and use the Right Mind to reverse all attacks and judgments. The Holy Spirit will give you the solution if you turn completely to that Right Mind for help. “Completely” is the key word.

In the end, you will not see that there was no attack (mistake), and that is knowing the truth about you and your brother. No defense is necessary (“defenselessness” on the Split Mind diagram). When you share your willingness not to see a mistake, you share what you want to keep and learn for yourself. What you share, you find you have.

Sharing:

Sharing means allowing yourself to give the other person what you want them to have. Your only reason for doing it is because it is what you want for yourself. You teach them what you want yours to be. Teaching is teaching about ideas and principles. Do that and you will find that you have it because you literally said, “Give me back what I taught you.”