In this, part three, of our reading and discussion of The Song of Prayer supplement to A Course in Miracles, we look at the final section, on healing. A common error in reading the Course is to interpret its passages on sickness to mean that a healed mind is reflected in a body that never ails. Such interpretations are at odds with a major aim of the Course, namely to lead us to an experience of inner peace independent of external factors.
We open this podcast with a discussion of how sickness is defined according to A Course in Miracles. While some spiritualities teach that bodily illness results from a ‘claim of selfhood apart from God,’ the Course emphasises the folly in judging form as either ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ a representation of ego-based thought and identification, or of living the Holy Spirit’s Truth. Instead, as the following passage from the Text describes, it is only our state of mind that attests to whether we have identified with the ego or chosen to be guided by Love:
“How can you know whether you chose the stairs to Heaven or the way to hell? Quite easily. How do you feel? Is peace in your awareness? Are you certain which way you go? And are you sure the goal of Heaven can be reached? If not, you walk alone. Ask, then, your Friend to join with you, and give you certainty of where you go” (T-23.II.22: 6-13).
After clarifying the above, we explore ‘False versus True Healing,’ and ‘healing to separate’ — this section’s equivalent of ‘prayer for enemies’ and ‘forgiveness to destroy.’ The Supplement concludes with a beautiful passage on ‘The Holiness of Healing,’ and we end the podcast with a short poem by writer, Janet Frame.
Reflections on A Course in Miracles 