Freedom of the body
Most of us believe if we had freedom of the body, freedom of the
mind would surely follow, not knowing the choice is between mutually
exclusive states. According to the Course, the body is nothing.
It has no life of its own and is merely an instrument of the mind.
We love it or we hate it, we worship it, but we certainly don't
think it is nothing. Even Jesus, who was so close to God, chose
to spend the latter days of his life incarcerated and eventually
crucified. The state his body was in was of no consequence to
him. In his mind, he was invulnerable even though his body was
captive. He was not a body: He was free!
Certainly, the world worships brave independent souls who tough
it out alone against all odds and seem, for a while, to beat the
system. But those who still think they are bodies cannot beat
the ego system. From the moment of our birth, we move irreparably
towards old age and the ultimate death of our bodies. Despite
its foundation being insane the ingeniousness of the ego to perpetuate
its own thought system is absolutely brilliant. Ignoring the inevitable
end result, we spend much of our time trying to prolong the life
of these vulnerable vehicles we seem to inhabit as long as we
can. It is not hard to see why we become convinced that God does
not have our best interests at heart. As the Course says, "If
this were the real world, God would be cruel" Text p.
220/236.
Seventy, eighty or even one hundred years is a pretty paltry guarantee
from the "Omnipresent, Omnipowerful, Omniperfect Creator
of the Universe". Many models even don't last this long and
get 'recalled' beforehand, not even making the Biblical three
score and ten.
The Consumers Association should be up in arms!
The good news from the Course
is that God isn't responsible for any of these faulty undependable
models. In fact God isn't even in the body-making business.
Freedom of the body while seeming so desirable is actually an
impossible exercise. How can the most limiting of prisons be free?
From the moment we decided to inhabit form we sentence ourselves
to 'life' imprisonment. It seems to us that we are always prisoners
of some kind or another. As children and youths parents and teachers
and all adults restrict us generally. As we get older our employers
tell us what to do. If we don't obey, we risk losing our jobs.
We believe that our loneliness, which stems from our separation
from God and the Sonship, can be overcome by being with other
bodies and we seek out personal relationships to provide us with
'our needs'. As the other person also has their own ego 'needs'
we learn the art of compromise and manipulation to maximize the
benefits we receive? If we manage to live to a ripe old age we
eventually find we are unable to physically perform normal bodily
functions. A feeling of victimhood is the inevitable result, which
is exactly what the ego has in mind for all of us.
The body's nature itself precludes total freedom. We need food,
drink, air and sleep to survive. The body's inconsistent health
and power restricts us from becoming as free as we would like
to be. No matter how our egos plan it, there is always a catch.
Many work hard with considerable strain sacrificing their personal
lives to accumulate enough metal disks and paper strips to 'ensure'
their independence and security only to find ill health or a strange
unexpected twist of fate throws their world into chaos. We may
even think that if we win the million-dollar lottery we will be
free. We could tell the boss what we think of his job and buy
all the 'toys' we ever wanted only to find we are still the same
people with a different set of problems. We can extend the body's
life for a few more 'tiny ticks of time' but bodies can never
become invulnerable. They were never intended to be that way.
Freedom of the body means that we think somehow this illusionary
limiting cage around us is all we are, and we can be made happy
by running around incessantly looking for some new experience
in every direction getting nowhere. The ego is constantly pursuing
happiness on its own terms willing to accept the shadow for the
substance. But pinning your hopes on happiness provided by a frail
impermanent body is hardly a wise decision. I always wanted to
be my own boss and started my own building business years ago,
only to find clients, unions, government officials were then my
bosses not to mention the worry of not being paid for my work
or running into difficult economic times.
On the world scene we believed that the millions behind the "Iron
Curtain" would be free when they could be allowed to embrace
democracy. We know now they have like us become 'prisoners' of
different systems.
The desert island with palm trees waving that we dream about will
be hot and humid. That prestigious castle we want to live in will
be cold and draughty, leaving us with an empty feeling. The exciting
city we want to move to, will be noisy, cold and uncaring. Moving
to the countryside to get away from the 'rat race' will prove
to be quiet and boring.
All dreams are potential nightmares and every desire has built
into it the eventual certainty of experiencing pain exactly equal
to the investment we had in it.
"You must have noticed an outstanding characteristic of
every end that the ego has accepted as its own. When you have
achieved it, it has not satisfied you. This is why the ego is
forced to shift ceaselessly from one goal to another, so that
you will continue to hope it can yet offer you something."
Text p. 144/155
Freedom of the Mind
Freedom of the mind, however is total and everlasting freedom?
No trial on this earth can take away the peace of the mind that
is free. During WW2 a prisoner was thrown into a cell, stripped
naked, deprived of food and tortured. He told his captives that
they could do what they wanted but they could never take away
his mind. Many incarcerated people have reported being able to
experience that total freedom of mind.
The ego's thought system is so seductive and so ingeniously planned
that it is not helpful to suggest that freedom of the mind can
be achieved overnight although that must be possible if we want
it enough. Looked at differently it seems as though everybody
is going through a major transition period right now and the more
our desire for bodily security fail and our plans for freedom
of the body fail, we have another opportunity to ask Holy Spirit
for another way. With His help, freedom of the body will be of
no consequence and freedom of the mind will be our only goal.
As long as we think we are victims of our failed desires we keep
the world imprisoned too, as it is impossible to see the outer
any different to the inner.
The constant practicing of
forgiveness undoes the world through love.
If all is forgiven, we can no longer see victimization anywhere
and as the Course promises: -
"The world will end in Joy". Manual p.
37/38
The Course tells us that if we get our thinking right, we will
not be conscious of the body at all, let alone it being sick or
well. Of itself the body is nothing but it can have a mighty purpose
if we hand it over to the Holy Spirit to be used as a communication
device for Him.
"The body needs no healing. But the mind that thinks it
is a body is sick indeed! And it is here that Christ sets forth
the remedy. His purpose folds the body in His light, and fills
it with the holiness that shines from Him. And nothing that the
body says or does but makes Him manifest. To those who know Him
not it carries Him in gentleness and love, to heal their minds.
Such is the mission that your brother has for you. And such it
must be that your mission is for him." text p. 482/518
Since bodies cannot join according to the Course, they are always
alone and separate. Special love is an alliance only to be maintained
while it suits the ego needs of both parties. Minds on the other
hand, can join forever so they have the potential to heal the
whole Sonship and reunite us with all our brothers and eventually
with our Father.
In the meantime, even if we decide to stay in form a little longer, knowing our reality is only spirit, we will never be able take this world seriously again.