Lesson 5 - VANQUISH EGO!

To win, Sun Tzu says:

·        Understand yourself, and not the enemy, and you suffer.

·        Understand neither yourself nor the enemy, and you lose.

·        Understand yourself and your enemy and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles

          You probably noticed a recurring theme in the above sayings – understanding. Let me tell you a story:

Years ago, when I was teaching ‘A Course in Miracles’ support groups in the New York City area wonderful, truly serious students attended. Two of them were a married couple. Each had his or her own copy of the ‘Course’ to study. Each of them, like so many students highlighted sentences and sometimes whole paragraphs in their personal copies that impacted them especially.

          One evening at class I had occasion to notice their books sitting side by side on a table. With their permission I flipped through each book quickly noting with amusement what was highlighted. Easily almost half of each book was a bright yellow. Now, here’s what amused me.

          The husband’s ‘Course’ had yellow highlights on every uplifting poetically eloquent comment, prayer and explanation. The wife, on the other hand had highlighted every intense, sometimes dark and scary portrait of ego at work. Hmmm. If you read only the yellow in each book you would think there were actually two Course in Miracles.

          There is a reason why both the radiant and the murky gloom are explained in sometimes redundantly spiraling passages throughout the ‘Course’. We need to be able to recognize clearly the Voice for God as differentiated from the ego’s Ninja Warriors. And it’s not just to be able to distinguish between them. We also need time and training to learn to truly desire only the OneVoice that will bring us peace.

          As Sun Tzu pointed out hundreds of years ago, recognizing and understanding the enemy a well as yourself is essential to success. Understand, recognize and choose correctly and we ‘need not fear the result of a hundred battles.’

Some thoughts to contemplate. . .

1.     If you haven’t studied ‘A Course in Miracles’ yet but could use a helpful overview of the dynamics of ego, try the previous mini course “Fast Track to Peace’ or ‘Hand in Hand’. You can find both in the left column of my blog either in paperback or e-book format.

2.     Observe yourself and honestly notice if you are ignoring or denying emotions and responses that you are afraid to admit to.

3.    Observe your interactions this week and notice how a greater understanding of the people around you and how your intimate interactions can change drastically with understanding and insight.