The fundamental truth of mind is its singularity, proclaiming its infinite power and peace, because it cannot be opposed. This is an idea of God.
These and other ideas of A Course in Miracles are, at first glance, seen as impracticable or irrelevant to our human lives. Let’s apply some of these ideas about mind, especially the idea of oneness, to the thinking and ideas that are considered pertinent and exciting in this world.
One of the ideas popularly expressed now is the idea of healing through the biological energies of stem cells. Scientific stem cell research projects have the charitable and loving purpose of healing and relieving pain. What a nice goal!
What are stem cells? They are embryonic and adult body cells from which new healthy cells of many tissue types can be derived. Amazingly, stem cells are eternal, according to science. They can multiply and form new tissue forever. Biological science is now in the process of grafting new tissue generated by stem cells onto our aging and failing bodies. This is science’s way of healing. Unfortunately, for those now in the aging process, this research may involve many decades of trial and error. Perhaps a better solution to replacing our body organs with new "eternal" parts would be to transfer our essence (mind) to a stem cell and find eternal life. What would that look like? No one thinks in this way, because the obvious fact would surface that not only do we not know what mind is, we don’t know what cells, organic matter, are.
Is it possible to have something eternal within a temporal reality? The U.S. Federal Government in 2002 limited the creation of new stem cells and therefore American research could only use the 60 previously created stem cell lines. To the detriment of U.S. research, however, only 22 of these "eternal" stem cell lines still exist in 2005. For a variety of reasons, such as contamination, most of the lines have found limited lives.
All scientific research is rife with such problems. Nothing is ever as clean and simple as we might hope in the objective universe. Perhaps the environment of things, like biological matter, is more important than the cells themselves. When a thought like this occurs, science concludes it has reached a dead end. Why? What connects everything to everything else? What does oneness mean? If anything dies, does everything die?
What is missing in objective science? Looking at spiritual and philosophical thought from the last several thousand years, what is missing in the equations and theories of science is the powerful and all pervasive nature of mind. Jesus, in his A Course in Miracles, or any awakened mind, will state plainly that "Do you want freedom of the body or of the mind? Both you cannot have. Which is your goal? For one, you see as means; the other, end. Means serve the end, and as the end is reached the value of the means decreases, eclipsed entirely when they are recognized as functionless." (Ch.22 of A Course in Miracles)
Mind in the science context is only a means to understanding the "fact" of objective reality. In other words, the body or, seen as a whole, this objective universe, is the goal that the scientific mind serves, but to the eventual disappearance of that mind if you see Jesus’ reasoning. This denigration of the mind is unbelievably fearful if considered in the light of day. The goal of physical comfort and physical life has been the overwhelming preoccupation of mind for seemingly thousands of years to the point that no one questions it now. It is the only possible goal. No one looks at the cost or uses reason to expand their viewpoint. Is there something we are afraid of? Could it be that our preoccupation with the body covers a deep fear of the power of the mind? "HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM."
There is a context in my experience for understanding ideas such as healing, oneness and accessing the power of the mind. But that context requires a jump or transformation of the mind through a reference beyond this world. One symbol of that heavenly mind context is Jesus of Nazareth. He is here with us, and yet is joined with the mind of God beyond this world.
A Course in Miracles…the very name of his teaching refers to an otherworldly vision. Through this Course’s mind training that aims to release the conceptual or limited mind, your true mind will reveal the true you, by joining with that mind to which Jesus is joined. There is only one mind. This universal continuity of mind is accessed through all the ideas of the Course, such as gratitude, forgiveness, healing and love.
Why not take a chance on it today. Its meaning is found in an experience of light vibration and the sharing of a true message of unworldly oneness. I love you.
Copyright © 2005 Alden Hughes. All rights reserved.
