A COURSE IN MIRACLES

1. Do you want freedom of the body or [freedom] of the mind? ²For both [freedom of body and freedom of mind] you cannot have.³Which do you value? ⁴Which is your goal? ⁵For one [body or mind] you see as means; the other [mind or body], end. ⁶And one [body or mind] must serve the other [mind or body] and lead to its [mind’s or body’s] predominance, increasing its [mind’s or body’s] importance by diminishing its [body’s or mind’s] own [importance]. ⁷Means serve the end, and as the end is reached the value of the means decreases, eclipsed entirely when they [means and end] are recognized as functionless. ⁸No one but [everyone] yearns for freedom and tries to find it [freedom]. ⁹Yet he [everyone] will seek for it [freedom] where he [everyone] believes it [freedom] is and can be found. ¹⁰He [everyone] will believe it [freedom] possible of mind or body, and he [everyone] will make the other [body or mind] serve his [everyone’s] choice as means to find it [body or mind].

1. Do you want freedom of the body or freedom of the mind? ²For freedom of body and freedom of mind both you cannot have.³Which do you value? ⁴Which is your goal? ⁵For you see either body or mind as means; and the other you see as end. ⁶And body or mind must serve the other and lead to mind’s or body’s predominance, increasing mind’s or body’s importance by diminishing body’s or mind’] own importance. ⁷Means serve the end, and as the end is reached the value of the means decreases, eclipsed entirely when means and end are recognized as functionless. ⁸Everyone yearns for freedom and tries to find freedom. ⁹Yet everyone will seek for freedom where everyone believes freedom is and can be found. ¹⁰Everyone will believe freedom possible of mind or of body, and everyone will make the other serve everyone’s choice as means to find body or mind.

You use freedom of the body as a means to achieve freedom of the mind. Or you can use freedom of the mind as a means to achieve freedom of the body.

2. Where freedom of the body has been chosen, the mind is used as means whose [the mind’s] value lies in its [the mind’s] ability to contrive ways to achieve the body’s freedom. ²Yet freedom of the body has no meaning, and so the mind is dedicated to serve illusions. ³This [mind serving the body] is a situation so contradictory and so impossible that anyone who chooses this [mind serving the body] has no idea of what is valuable. ⁴Yet even in this confusion, so profound it [this confusion] cannot be described, the Holy Spirit waits in gentle patience, as certain of the outcome as He [the Holy Spirit] is sure of His [the Holy Spirit’s] Creator’s Love. ⁵He [the Holy Spirit] knows this mad decision [to serve freedom of the body] was made by one as dear to His [the Holy Spirit’s] Creator as love is to itself [love’s own self].

2. Where freedom of the body has been chosen, the mind is used as means; the mind’s value lies in the mind’s ability to contrive ways to achieve the body’s freedom. ²Yet freedom of the body has no meaning, and so the mind is dedicated to serve illusions. ³Mind serving the body is a situation so contradictory and so impossible that anyone who chooses to serve the body with the mind has no idea of what is valuable. ⁴Yet even in this undescribable and profound confusion, the Holy Spirit waits in gentle patience, as certain of the outcome as the Holy Spirit is sure of the Holy Spirit’s Creator’s Love. ⁵The Holy Spirit knows the mad decision to serve the freedom of the body was made by one as dear to the Holy Spirit’s Creator as love is to love’s own self.

Choosing to use the mind to serve the body leads to confusion. The body is an illusion and can’t be free. The Holy Spirit waits patiently for you to change your mind.

3. Be not disturbed at all to think how He [the Holy Spirit] can change the role of means and end so easily in what God loves, and [what God] would have free forever. ²But be you rather grateful that you can be the means to serve His [the Holy Spirit’s] end. ³This [serving the Holy Spirit’s ends] is the only service that leads to freedom. ⁴To serve this [the Holy Spirit’s] end the body must be perceived as sinless, because the goal is sinlessness. ⁵The lack of contradiction makes the soft transition from means to end as easy as is the shift from hate to gratitude before forgiving eyes. ⁶You will be sanctified by your brother, using your body only to serve the sinless. ⁷And it will be impossible for you to hate what serves whom [your brother] you would heal.

3. Be not disturbed at all to think how the Holy Spirit can change the role of means and end so easily in what God loves, and in what God would have free forever. ²But be you rather grateful that you can be the means to serve the Holy Spirit’s end. ³Serving the Holy Spirit’s end is the only service that leads to freedom. ⁴To serve the Holy Spirit’s end, the body must be perceived as sinless, because the goal is sinlessness. ⁵The lack of contradiction makes the soft transition from means to end as easy as is the shift from hate to gratitude before forgiving eyes. ⁶You will be sanctified by your brother, using your body only to serve the sinless. ⁷And it will be impossible for you to hate what serves your brother, who you would heal.

The Holy Spirit can use the body to serve the mind. The mind is served by perceving the body as sinless.

4. This holy relationship [where your will and your brother’s will are joined], lovely in its [holy relationship’s] innocence, mighty in strength, and blazing with a light far brighter than the sun that lights the sky you see, is chosen of your Father as a means for His [your Father’s] Own plan. ²Be thankful that it [the holy relationship] serves yours [your plan] not at all. ³Nothing entrusted to it [the holy relationship] can be misused, and nothing given it [the holy relationship] but will be used [everything given it will be used]. ⁴This holy relationship has the power to heal all pain, regardless of its [the holy relationship’s] form. ⁵Neither you nor your brother alone can serve at all. ⁶Only in your joint will does healing lie. ⁷For here [in your joint will] your healing is, and here [in your joint will] will you accept Atonement. ⁸And in your healing is the Sonship healed because your will and your brother’s [will] are joined.

4. A holy relationship is where your will and your brother’s will are joined. A holy relationship is lovely in a-holy-relationship’s innocence, mighty in strength, and blazing with a light far brighter than the sun that lights the sky you see, is chosen of your Father as a means for your Father’s Own plan. ²Be thankful that the holy relationship serves your plan not at all. ³Nothing entrusted to the holy relationship can be misused, and everything given the holy relationship will be used. ⁴This holy relationship has the power to heal all pain, regardless of the holy relationship’s form. ⁵Neither you nor your brother alone can serve at all. ⁶Only in your joint will does healing lie. ⁷For your healing is in your joint will, and in your joint will, you accept Atonement. ⁸And the Sonship is healed in your healing, because your will and your brother’s will are joined.

The Holy Spirit’s plan is that you accept bodies as sinless. This creates the holy relationship. The holy relationship serves God’s plan of Atonement. Joining your will with your brother’s will heals yourself and the whole Sonship .

5. Before a holy relationship there is no sin. ²The form of error is no longer seen, and reason, joined with love, looks quietly on all confusion, observing merely, “This was a mistake”. ³And then the same Atonement you accepted in your relationship corrects the error, and lays a part of Heaven in its [the error’s] place. ⁴How blessed are you who let this gift [a part of Heaven] be given! ⁵Each part of Heaven that you bring is given you. ⁶And every empty place in Heaven that you fill again with the eternal light you bring, shines now on you. ⁷The means of sinlessness can know no fear because they [the means of sinlessness] carry only love with them [the means of sinlessness].

5. Before a holy relationship there is no sin. ²The form of error is no longer seen, and reason, joined with love, looks quietly on all confusion, observing merely, “This was a mistake”. ³And then the same Atonement you accepted in your relationship corrects the error, and lays a part of Heaven in the error’s place. ⁴How blessed are you who let a part of Heaven be given as a gift! ⁵Each part of Heaven that you bring is given you. ⁶And every empty place in Heaven that you fill again with the eternal light you bring, shines now on you. ⁷The means of sinlessness can know no fear because the means of sinlessness carry only love with the means of sinlessness.

Looking with sinless puts an end to madness and confusion. Reason observes that there is no sin. By looking at this you accept the Atonement. Accepting the Atonement lays a part of Heaven in your relationships. Where there is love there is no fear.

How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh. —Luke 6:21 (compare Matthew 5:3–11)

6. Child of peace, the light has come to you. ²The light you bring you do not recognize, and yet you will remember. ³Who [no one] can deny himself [one’s self] the vision that he [one] brings to others? ⁴And who [no one] would fail to recognize a gift he [one] let be laid in Heaven through himself [one’s self]? ⁵The gentle service that you give the Holy Spirit is service to yourself. ⁶You who are now His [the Holy Spirit’s] means must love all that He [the Holy Spirit] loves. ⁷And what you bring is your remembrance of everything that is eternal. ⁸No trace of anything in time can long remain in a mind that serves the timeless. ⁹And no illusion can disturb the peace of a relationship that has become the means of peace.

6. Child of peace, the light has come to you. ²The light you bring you do not recognize, and yet you will remember. ³No one can deny one’s self the vision that one brings to others. ⁴And no one would fail to recognize a gift one let be laid in Heaven through one’s self. ⁵The gentle service that you give the Holy Spirit is service to yourself. ⁶You who are now the Holy Spirit’s means, must love all that the Holy Spirit loves. ⁷And what you bring is your remembrance of everything that is eternal. ⁸No trace of anything in time can long remain in a mind that serves the timeless. ⁹And no illusion can disturb the peace of a relationship that has become the means of peace.

The light has come and you are at peace. You recognize the gift you give. You become the means of the Holy Spirit to love all he loves. You will forget what is in time and remember the eternal.

7. When you have looked upon your brother with complete forgiveness, from which [forgiveness] no error is excluded and nothing kept hidden, what mistake [no mistake] can there be anywhere you cannot overlook? ²What form [no form] of suffering could block your sight, preventing you from seeing past it [a mistake]? ³And what illusion [no illusion] could there be you will not recognize as a mistake; a shadow through which [shadow] you walk completely undismayed? ⁴God would let nothing interfere with those whose wills are His [God’s], and they [those whose wills are God’s] will recognize their [those whose wills are God’s] wills are His [God’s], because they [those whose wills are God’s] serve His [God’s] Will. ⁵And serve it [God’s Will] willingly. ⁶And could remembrance of what they [those whose wills are God’s] are be long delayed?

7. When you have looked upon your brother with complete forgiveness — from forgiveness no error is excluded and nothing kept hidden — there can be no mistake anywhere you cannot overlook. ²No form of suffering could block your sight, preventing you from seeing past mistakes. ³You will recognize every illusion as a mistake; every illusion is a shadow through which you walk completely undismayed. ⁴God would let nothing interfere with those whose wills are God’s, and those whose wills are God’s will recognize those-whose-wills-are-God’s wills are God’s, because those-whose-wills-are-God’s serve God’s Will. ⁵And serve God’s Will willingly. ⁶Remembrance of what those-whose-wills-are-God’s can not be long delayed.

You can overlook all mistakes. There is no suffering you cannot see beyond. You will recognize all illusions as mistakes. Serve God’s Will and you will remember who you are.

8. You will see your value through your brother’s eyes, and each one [brother] is released as he [each brother] beholds his [each brother’s] savior in place of the attacker who he [each brother] thought was there. ²Through this releasing [beholding your brother as a savior] is the world released. ³This [beholding your brother as a savior] is your part in bringing peace. ⁴For you have asked what is your function here, and have been answered. ⁵Seek not to change it [your function], nor to substitute another goal. ⁶This one [function] was given you, and only this. ⁷Accept this one [function] and serve it [this one function] willingly, for what the Holy Spirit does with gifts you give your brother, to whom [your brother] He [the Holy Spirit] offers them [gifts], and where and when, is up to Him [the Holy Spirit]. ⁸He [the Holy Spirit] will bestow them [gifts] where they [gifts] are received and welcomed. ⁹He [the Holy Spirit] will use every one of them [gifts] for peace. ¹⁰Nor will one little smile or willingness to overlook the tiniest mistake be lost to anyone.

8. You will see your value through your brother’s eyes, and each brother is released as each-brother beholds each-brother’s savior in place of the attacker who each-brother thought was there. ²Through beholding your brother as a savior, is the world released. ³Beholding your brother as a savior is your part in bringing peace. ⁴For you have asked what is your function here, and have been answered. ⁵Seek not to change your function, nor to substitute another goal. ⁶This function was given you, and only this. ⁷Accept this one function and serve this one function willingly, for a) what the Holy Spirit does with gifts you give your brother, b) to whom the Holy Spirit offers gifts, and c) where and when, is up to the Holy Spirit. ⁸The Holy Spirit will bestow gifts where gifts are received and welcomed. ⁹The Holy Spirit will use every one of the gifts for peace. ¹⁰Nor will one little smile or willingness to overlook the tiniest mistake be lost to anyone.

See your brother as your savior. Release him from belief in attack. Your function is forgiveness and your goal is peace. Serve your function and the Holy Spirit will bring gifts and use them as much as He can. Overlooking even the tiniest mistakes with a smile will be a gift to everyone.

9. What can it be but [It is always a] universal blessing to look on what your Father loves with charity? ²Extension of forgiveness is the Holy Spirit’s function. ³Leave this [extension of forgiveness] to Him [the Holy Spirit]. ⁴Let your concern be only that you give to Him [the Holy Spirit] that which can be extended. ⁵Save no dark secrets that He [the Holy Spirit] cannot use, but offer Him [the Holy Spirit] the tiny gifts He [the Holy Spirit] can extend forever. ⁶He [the Holy Spirit] will take each one [tiny gift] and make of it [each tiny gift] a potent force for peace. ⁷He [the Holy Spirit] will withhold no blessing from it [each tiny gift], nor limit it [each tiny gift] in any way. ⁸He [the Holy Spirit] will join to it [each tiny gift] all the power that God has given Him [the Holy Spirit], to make each little gift of love a source of healing for everyone. ⁹Each little gift you offer to your brother lights up the world. ¹⁰Be not concerned with darkness; look away from it [darkness] and toward your brother. ¹¹And let the darkness be dispelled by Him [the Holy Spirit] Who knows the light, and lays it [the light] gently in each quiet smile of faith and confidence with which you bless your brother.

9. It is always a universal blessing to look on what your Father loves with charity. ²Extension of forgiveness is the Holy Spirit’s function. ³Leave extension of forgiveness to the Holy Spirit. ⁴Let your concern be only that you give to the Holy Spirit that which can be extended. ⁵Save no dark secrets that the Holy Spirit cannot use, but offer the Holy Spirit the tiny gifts the Holy Spirit can extend forever. ⁶The Holy Spirit will take each tiny gift and make of each tiny gift a potent force for peace. ⁷The Holy Spirit will withhold no blessing from each tiny gift, nor limit each tiny gift in any way. ⁸The Holy Spirit will join to each tiny gift all the power that God has given the Holy Spirit, to make each little gift of love a source of healing for everyone. ⁹Each little gift you offer to your brother lights up the world. ¹⁰Be not concerned with darkness; look away from darkness and toward your brother. ¹¹And let the darkness be dispelled by the Holy Spirit Who knows the light, and lays the light gently in each quiet smile of faith and confidence with which you bless your brother.

Offer your brother whatever gift of forgiveness you can, no matter how tiny. The Holy Spirit will extend your gifts as forgiveness.

10. On your learning depends the welfare of the world. ²And it is only arrogance that would deny the power of your will. ³Think you [do not think] the Will of God is powerless? ⁴Is this [this is not] humility? ⁵You do not see what this belief [your will has no power] has done. ⁶You see yourself as vulnerable, frail and easily destroyed, and at the mercy of countless attackers more powerful than you. ⁷Let us look straight at how this error [seeing yourself as vulnerable] came about, for here lies buried the heavy anchor that seems to keep the fear of God in place, immovable and solid as a rock. ⁸While this [the fear of God] remains, so will it [your vulnerability] seem to be.

10. On your learning depends the welfare of the world. ²And it is only arrogance that would deny the power of your will. ³Do not think the Will of God is powerless. ⁴This is not humility. ⁵You do not see what this believing your will has no power has done. ⁶You see yourself as vulnerable, frail and easily destroyed, and at the mercy of countless attackers more powerful than you. ⁷Let us look straight at how the error of seeing yourself as vulnerable came about, for here lies buried the heavy anchor that seems to keep the fear of God in place, immovable and solid as a rock. ⁸While the fear of God remains, so will your vulnerability seem to be.

Your will and God’s are one. God’s Will is not powerless. If you believe your will is powerless, you will be afraid.

11. Who can attack the Son of God and not attack his [the Son of God’s] Father? ²How can God’s Son be weak and frail and easily destroyed unless his [God’s Son] Father is? ³You do not see that every sin and every condemnation that you perceive and justify is an attack upon your Father. ⁴And that is why it [sin and condemnation] has not happened, nor could be real. ⁵You do not see that this [sin and condemnation] is your attempt [to attack your Father] because you think the Father and the Son are separate. ⁶And you must think that They [the Father and the Son] are separate, because of fear. ⁷For it seems safer to attack another or yourself than to attack the great Creator of the universe, Whose [Creator’s] power you know.

Every sin and condemnation is an attack on God. You make yourself and your brothers separate so that you can attack yourself and your brothers. You know God’s power and are afraid to attack God directly.

12. If you were one with God and recognized this oneness [your oneness with God], you would know His [God’s] power is yours. ²But you will not remember this [God’s power is yours] while you believe attack of any kind means anything. ³It [attack] is unjustified in any form, because it [attack] has no meaning. ⁴The only way it [attack] could be justified is if you and your brother were separate from the other, and all [you and your brother] were separate from your Creator. ⁵For only then would it be possible to attack a part of the creation without [attacking] the whole, [to attack] the Son without [attacking] the Father; and to attack another without [attacking] yourself, or hurt yourself without the other feeling pain. ⁶And this belief [attack can be contained] you want. ⁷Yet wherein lies its [this belief’s] value, except in the desire to attack in safety? ⁸Attack is neither safe nor dangerous. ⁹It [attack] is impossible. ¹⁰And this is so [attack is impossible] because the universe is one. ¹¹You would not choose attack on its [the universe’s] reality if it were not essential to attack to see it [the universe] separated from its maker. ¹²And thus it seems as if love could attack and become fearful.

You separate the Father, the Son, yourself and your brothers so that you can safely attack them. But you cannot separate what is one. So attack does not mean anything.

13. Only the different can attack. ²So you conclude because you can attack, you and your brother must be different. ³Yet does the Holy Spirit explain this [attack and difference] differently. ⁴Because you and your brother are not different, you cannot attack. ⁵Either position [you can or you can’t attack] is a logical conclusion. ⁶Either [position] could be maintained, but never both [positions]. ⁷The only question to be answered in order to decide which [position] must be true is whether you and your brother are different. ⁸From the position of what you understand you seem to be, and therefore can attack. ⁹Of the alternatives, this [being able to attack] seems more natural and more in line with your experience. ¹⁰And therefore it is necessary that you have other experiences, more in line with truth, to teach you what is natural and true.

You experience yourself as different to your brother and believe you can attack him. The Holy Spirit can bring experiences that will show you the truth that you are not different.

14. This [to teach you that you and your brother are not different] is the function of your holy relationship. ²For what one [brother] thinks, the other [brother] will experience with him [one brother]. ³What can this [thoughts are experienced together] mean except your mind and your brother’s [mind] are one? ⁴Look not with fear upon this happy fact [your minds are one], and think not that it [your minds are one] lays a heavy burden on you. ⁵For when you have accepted it [your minds are one] with gladness, you will realize that your relationship is a reflection of the union of the Creator and His [the Creator’s] Son. ⁶From loving minds there is no separation. ⁷And every thought in one [loving mind] brings gladness to the other [mind] because they [minds] are the same. ⁸Joy is unlimited, because each shining thought of love extends its [thought of love’s] being and creates more of itself [thought of love’s own self]. ⁹There is no difference anywhere in it [the extension of thoughts of love], for every thought is like itself [thought’s own self].

In your holy relationship, you share loving thoughts. Your loving thoughts extend joy and gladness.

15. The light that joins you and your brother shines throughout the universe, and because it [light] joins you and him [your brother], so it [light] makes you and him one [your brother] with your Creator. ²And in Him [your Creator] is all creation joined. ³Would you [you would not] regret you cannot fear alone, when your relationship can also teach the power of love is there [in the light that joins you], which makes all fear impossible? ⁴Do not attempt to keep a little of the ego with this gift [light]. ⁵For it [light] was given you to be used, and not obscured. ⁶What teaches you that you cannot separate denies the ego. ⁷Let truth decide if you and your brother be different or the same, and teach you which is true.

The light joins you, your brother and all creation with your Creator. The power of love is in all relationships. Use the light and forget the ego. You will learn the truth that you and your brother are the same.