Chapter 4 Section VI – This Need Not Be

April 9, 2021

We deny the fact that our minds are one with God’s and use our vigilance to maintain the existence of the ego. This has “literally split your mind.” (4:3) Jesus is our loving brother and is deeply concerned with our split mind. He is urging us to follow his example in looking at ourselves and our brothers so that we “will see in both the glorious creations of a glorious Father.” (4:4)

We can know things now, in this place of perception. If we ask him, Jesus will join with us and we will be able to use this knowing to give up our vigilance for the ego and use it for God.

When we look at our brothers, we have been vigilant in protecting the ego such that “your mind has been filled with schemes to save the face of your ego and you do not seek the face of God.” (1:6-7)

The evidence for this can be found in our conflicted attitudes, not truly joyous feelings, and strained and unpredictable behaviour.

The ego always uses sleight of hand maneuvers like dark mirrors to trick us into accepting its existence and this covers the light of truth with darkness. Therefore, if we are not looking for the face of God, we will only see the ego when we are looking at our brothers. It is up to us to decide where to look for our identity and that of our brothers. Jesus has told us that changing our behaviour will not change our mind, but we “can change our mind.” (2:4)

We can decide to change our mind when we become aware of the need to do so. We can use the awareness of our fluctuating, joyless moods to tell us we “have willed wrongly.” (3:1) We can “know this need not be.” (3:1) These moods alert us to the fact that we are perceiving our brother through the ego’s dark glass. We need to use this alert to look honestly at what we have been thinking and accepting that is not in alignment with God’s thoughts. This reminds us of the fact that we can change our minds and choose to think with God instead of the ego.

All sadness, depression, anxiety and guilt hide little spots of hate and this hurts us. These remind me of the scraps of meanness we learned of in the last section.  These moods arise from a sense of deprivation but as Jesus says, “God has given you everything.” (T-4.IV.16:1) Therefore, the only way we can be deprived is to decide that we are. All of these indications of lack of joyousness are indications that we have decided to accept the ego as our identity. “When you are sad, know that this need not be.” (5:1)

We can know, through paying attention to our feelings, that our ego has “violated the laws of God but [we] have not” (7:1) By noticing our variable moods we also know that the ego is in command and that we are investing “much too much energy” (8:2) in it. This “need not be (because) [we] can be just as vigilant against the ego’s dictates as for them.” (6:2)

If we have trouble using the idea that the ego is not the identity of the Son God created to see our own true identity, we can apply it to our brother. In other words, we may use our habit of disengaging to keep this concept about everyone but us. We can still use it by being willing to truly see our brothers instead. We can use our new learning in a circular way that does include us but is less threatening. We do, however, need to develop a new habit of engaging with God and His creations by actively refusing to let our minds slip away. We must develop the stance that everyone including ourselves is worth consistent effort. While we are using this teaching to see the glory of God’s Son in our brother, we must also be willing to let down our barriers to the fact that “You are a mirror of truth in which God Himself shines in perfect clarity.” (13:1)

With Jesus as our guide through this process we can side with him to see past the ego’s deception. “Your mind and mine can unite in shining your ego away, and releasing the strength and beauty of God into everything you think and will and do…refuse to accept anything but this as your goal.” (11:3,4)

The Process as an Exercise:

Watch your mind for moods, feelings and behaviours that are not joyous. Remember that lack of joy indicates you are not thinking with God, so you are not in your right mind.

Know, “this need not be,” I can change my mind. I have thought wrongly about my brother whom God created and am perceiving images the ego makes with tricks and mirrors. Remind yourself that you can unite your mind with Jesus’ to shine the ego away releasing the strength and beauty of God into everything you think and will and do.

Be honest with yourself in looking at your thoughts. See them as the mirror of the ego’s image of your brother.

Say “I will not look there because I know these images are not true.” (13:3)

Then let the Holy One shine upon you in peace, knowing that this and only this must be. His Mind shone on you in your creation and brought your mind into being. His Mind still shines on you and must shine through you. Your ego cannot prevent Him from shining upon you, but it can prevent you from letting Him shine through you.” (13:4-7)

This is the second coming of Christ, the end of the ego’s rule over part of the minds of men and the healing of the mind. Let us heed Jesus’ call to be part of the second coming of Christ by putting these ideas and lessons to work every day! Jesus will work with our higher mind just as the ego works with our lower minds. As we use our growing self-awareness of the indicators that we are not in our right mind we can consciously reach out to Jesus to work with our vigilance, strengthening it. And he will guide us back to our right mind. He is not mistaken about our ability for this he says, “Your mind will elect to join with mine, and together we are invincible.” (16:4)

Suggested Practice:

 I step away from the image of my brother and myself the ego holds up in its dark glass and accept the fact that I am a mirror of truth in which God Himself shines in perfect clarity.