Forgiveness and Grace

How do we understand forgiveness and grace from the perspective of higher consciousness?  First, we need to recognize that forgiveness and grace are essential aspects of higher consciousness.  Second, we need to understand how they operate within our own consciousness as well as in relationships with others.

A Course in Miracles certainly speaks of forgiveness often.  When I first encountered the usage of the term ‘forgiveness’ as it is written about in ACIM, I instantly realized that its meaning is different than traditional Christian understandings of forgiveness.  Traditional Christianity teaches, based on Christ’s words in the gospels, that when someone ‘sins’ against us, or causes us some harm or offense, then we need to forgive them for their words or actions.  This is a very concrete, cause and effect view of forgiveness.  ACIM includes this view, but with much more depth.

The way I have come to a deeper understanding of forgiveness which meshes with ACIM has been through multiple life experiences followed by intuitive teachings from the “Higher Ups,” as I like to call my guides.

First, I recently have been taught that, whenever we do act out in ways that are painful for ourselves or others, whether we are merely thinking harmful thoughts, or speaking unkind words, or engaging in hurtful actions, we are acting, thinking, or speaking from our inner wounded child, and the ego that seeks to protect us.  Our inner wounded child is either expressing hurt, or asking for what we need, even though it may be in a hurtful manner.

Because it is our inner wounded child that is acting out what is essentially a cry for love, there is no reason to judge our thoughts, words, or actions.  This is true whether we are speaking of ourselves or of someone else, especially, perhaps, those dear ones close to us who know how to “push our buttons.”

What happens when we look at ourselves or others and realize that the inner wounded child has just shown up?  Do we focus on that aspect? Or do we focus on the ego self that is protecting the inner child?  Or do we focus on the soul that is silently glowing with love and beauty behind the façade of this personality?  Yes, it is a choice that we can focus on one aspect of ourselves or others rather than another aspect, and typically we focus on the ego rather than the soul.

If we feel emotionally “triggered” by something or someone, we tend to act out of our own child self through the protective ego, rather than acting out of our own soul self.  Our soul self sees the other person’s soul, not their ego nor only their inner wounded child.

If we can focus on our own soul and the souls of others, then we can see the beauty of the soul as merely reaching for love the only way it knows how through this personality at the moment.  This focus on the soul Self by understanding that it is acting in and through the ego-personality is the kind of forgiveness that ACIM is talking about.  Seeing the beauty of everyone’s soul creates the forgiveness that keeps the soul-level of relationships possible.

Focusing on our souls gives us the grace that is needed to be whole, for focusing on our soul selves means perceiving our wholeness as we were created to be and as we will be again when we feel completely healed. Forgiveness, from the perspective of higher consciousness, means seeing each person’s True Self, the inner Self often hidden behind the layers of lower vibration self that is busy learning and experiencing from lower vibration experiences in this world of illusion.

The next main point I have been taught recently is about judgment and forgiveness.  Recently, the intuitive teaching came to me:

“As soon as I accept responsibility, I am forgiven.

As soon as I accept blame, I am judged.”

From the soul level of our being, we are responsible for all aspects of ourselves and our lives.  From the ego aspect of being, we blame ourselves or others for everything.  If we live from blame, we are seeing ourselves and others as separate from God, or denying the soul Self.  This blame, arising from a sense of separation, leads to judgment. For judgment can only be chosen from a place of separation.

When we understand our essential oneness with God and with others on the soul plane of existence, then we need neither to accept nor to project blame.  When we understand our oneness with God, then we know our true role is accepting responsibility for all that occurs, even what is done by others.  If I am one with you and you are one with me, then we are all responsible for what we are all doing.  I cannot separate myself out from others who are doing or saying things that seem hurtful to me.  All of us are responsible, and as soon as we accept responsibility, forgiveness is possible, because we are recognizing our oneness as souls, and the beauty of forgiveness blossoms forth from the beauty of our soul selves.

To forgive is divine; and to know our oneness with divinity is to live in a constant energy-state/mindset of forgiveness.

This is grace:  living the acceptance of oneness with such love and understanding that we never judge ourselves or others.

We do, however, accept responsibility for our actions and seek to make amends if we have done, thought, or said anything hurtful to ourselves or others.

The finest tool I know for that is the Hawaiian Prayer.

Another way to receive assistance with all of this is through Christ, or another God-Realized Master, for they have the ability to heal us by raising our vibration even when we cannot.  If we have accepted our responsibility for our actions, then forgiveness enters the realm of conscious possibilities for us.  However, if we have remnants of guilt, blame, or shame, our vibration may remain lower.

This is where a guru’s grace comes into play.  Yes, this is where communion, or the Eucharist, also comes into play. A true saint can impart forgiveness in a way that clears the lower vibration we have acquired, and restore our vibration to a higher frequency.  This teaching came to me in church this morning.  When we have allowed ourselves to live from separation, the Enlightened or Christ-consciousness of a Master can restore us to the Oneness through grace.

To sum up simply:  we need to focus on the Soul aspect of ourselves and others.  We need to accept responsibility for our actions, and we need to view all of life from the perspective of forgiveness, knowing that all we do, say or think is either love or a cry for love.  Surely we can forgive every possible cry for love, right?

May it be so!

Love and Light,

Carol “Anandi”

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