Lesson 18
I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.
Welcome to a lesson on the “The Frame.” Today is an introduction to the frame from which we see our lives, ourselves, and others. Imagine your eyes create the borders of a frame and that which is in view as you look through your eyes is your picture in said frame. This frame appears to have boundaries as you cannot see 360 degrees. You can only see in your line of vision. Imagine once more, that a friend is sitting next to you on a park bench and you both state what you are seeing. You would most likely agree that you two see a street, flowers, trees, cars, people, etc. This is what we call a co-created agreement.
We can see (no pun intended) from the Course thus far that our vision is limited. Our Real vision is limitless but in our learning stages this vision is still contained within a frame that we create and co-create with others. Today we recognize that there are agreements we have made with the world around us to signify our experience. As we discussed in Lesson 1 we have created a form of language in various cultures use to describe what is seen and experienced. This is part of the reason we are not alone in experiencing the effects of what we see in this frame called life.
In the book, I Am The Word, The Guides as channeled by Paul Selig explains these “agreements” as man-made laws: “The law is always created by you every day. You create the laws with which you exist by. And collectively, the group soul, the group consciousness, has gone into agreement about many of these rules, and that’s why you, as a society, believe certain things (79).” Today, the Course puts the same statement more simply as “the idea that minds are joined (ACIM Lesson 18 1:2).” Realizing that minds are joined is a huge concept with a rabbit hole that is very deep. Today we will only admire the dwellings of a rabbit and abide there in recognition. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Miracles are instantaneous but often to fully integrate a lesson it takes more of a marathon approach; nice and steady.
We have experienced thus far that what we see is not neutral. Today we introduce as well that what we see is also not unimportant. What we see may be meaningless but it is important for our journey home. When we look at our individual frames we see a picture of our necessary lessons which are the means for our awakening, the atonement. We may agree on certain objects in our frame with others but that meaning for our particular journey is unique.
Bob Dylan was once interviewed by writer Bill Flanagan for his book Written In My Soul, a book describing a musician’s process for writing music. Of his music and his persona, Bob Dylan discusses how we may both see the same object and hear the same song, yet it may not be same exact experience:
“‘I saw a house yesterday.” Oh, yeah. I saw one too. But it probably wasn’t the same one you saw (Flanagan 103).'”
We can walk hand in hand with our brothers and sisters on our way Home but our personal journey is only one we can take. Our minds may be joined, as our hearts, but the steps we take are our own. This difference is small but very distinct.
Today we stand recognizing our minds are joined and that there have been agreements with which we have co-created the world we see. In the awareness alone, unwinding of agreements so that Real vision may emerge is imminent.
Enjoy the camaraderie that today’s practice periods offer, as more will be shown to us as we step further and further in miracles.
Namaste.
References:
Flanagan, Bill. Written In My Soul: Rock’s Great Songwriters Talk About Creating Their Music. Chicago: Contemporary Books, Inc, 1986. Print.
Selig, Paul. I Am The Word. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2010. Print.