T-in INTRODUCTION
1. This is a course in miracles.
²It is a required course.
³Only the time you take it is voluntary.
⁴Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum.
⁵It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time.
⁶The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught.
⁷It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.
⁸The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.
Expanded
This is a course in miracles.
²It is a required course.
³Only the time you take it [this course] is voluntary.
⁴Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum.
⁵It [free will] means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time.
⁶The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that [the meaning of love] is beyond what can be taught.
⁷It [the course] does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.
⁸The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.
Substituted
This is a course in miracles.
²It is a required course.
³Only the time you take this course is voluntary.
⁴Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum.
⁵Free will means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time.
⁶The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love — the meaning of love is beyond what can be taught.
⁷The course does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence — awareness of love’s presence is your natural inheritance.
⁸The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.
Simplified
A course in miracles is a required course, but different people will take it at different times.
The meaning of love cannot be taught.
We can only teach you to remove the whatever is blocking your awareness of love’s presence.
An experience of fear is the opposite of love.
But love is all-encompassing and can have no opposite.
2. This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way:
²Nothing real can be threatened.
³Nothing unreal exists.
⁴Herein lies the peace of God.
Simplified
The real is that which cannot change.
Whatever does change has no existence of its own.
The peace of God lies in understanding this.