Q: I have a question about the growth of our spirit or the evolution of spirit, the evolution of consciousness, the evolution of the soul. Whatever symbol you throw out there to describe the eternal part of our identity. The part that is the I AM or the Universal Oneness.

I have read quite a bit a number of books. In all of these books, and I consider these writers to be
fairly enlightened (as I do you), they talk about the evolution of soul/spirit/I AM. They talk about the spirit or the I AM on a continuum of growth. [A spiritual teacher] calls it "growing into our perfection" which seems to be a paradox.

I am really stuck on this issue and have read your material as well. The material on no "social causes/vision" and how the soul is "changeless." [A spiritual teacher] talks about the I AM never being stagnant. That the I AM or the All There Is must create/co-create. It cannot sit bored for it is the most powerful force in the universe and must manifest. It wishes to create form (to manifest itself in form), to express itself creatively through art, teaching and healing. It wants to be aware of itself in form, to create form from thought, create worlds, to grow through a process of happy joy and finally to create even outside of form, to create in all kinds of new ways that we are not even aware of right now. All of these writers talk about this evolution of the I AM. That some individuals have "progressed" to much higher states of reality where they have much more power and fewer limitations yet are still involved in challenging work. It doesn't seem logical that the I AM would not want to create. That the I AM would just sit still and do nothing. Once we become aware, once we break through the illusion of time/space are we going to do anything? Are growth and creation over? Are there no more challenges?

I asked that my purpose be revealed to me and part of what came back said "your purpose is to grow and experience new things." It seems to me that these writers are saying that the soul, the I AM, will manifest itself in a continuous way and choose to go down infinite paths of infinite possibilities. The Course says that the body does have a purpose. That it was set up as a learning device. That it was set up as a means of communication. It seems to be a tool for further development not something to attack or dismiss as an illusion only. The body seems to be a valid tool that we chose to use to get experience we couldn't get in other ways. In fact, this earthly reality/existence, even though illusion, seems to be quite valid as a learning environment even though it is not the ultimate I AM or who I really am. It is what I am experiencing right now however. It is a manifestation of my creative thought. It points to what I AM thinking. It is quite valid as is every type of experience and reality. However, it is all in how I perceive it. Do I perceive it/create it through my true nature? Do I perceive/create the Happy Dream, the Real World or am I stuck only in my five senses. This planet seems to be a process of growth.

Even in the Happy Dream we still seem to be growing. I still question. I still read. I still pray. I still do Gods will. I fulfill my function here as a teacher in this Happy Dream. The more I teach the more advanced I get according to the Course. It talks about the advanced teachers. We are here to learn things obviously. We are here to learn to love, to learn to forgive. We are here to make this world work. To learn to create with the power of our thoughts worlds that work. Worlds where love reigns supreme in actuality (in form). To co-create with God who is really ME.

It all starts with me. I am the most creative force in this universe. I haven't even begun to tap into my potential. My potential is literally staggering as is the potential of all of my other brethren (for we are all One). The transformation of this world is possible. We are to learn that we can do it. We are to learn that we can work as a team of awake, aware loving Gods.

Most humans we know have not learned these lessons yet. Maybe there have been others before us who HAVE and who are now advanced to other realities. Maybe they are helping us now. [A spiritual teacher] talks about coming back into flesh as many times as needed to advance to the next level (a type of reincarnation but not really since [spiritual teacher] agrees with the Course in that there is no time). [Spiritual teacher] describes a situation where we are living many life's at once in a multidimensional reality but most of us are stuck in the ego and five senses and are not aware of the multidimensions. The Course does not throw out the idea of reincarnation and even states that it may be helpful to some people.

Could it not be possible that what we think of as the Holy Spirit or God may just be beings that have become aware and have advanced beyond our level and are now acting as our guides? I think being stuck in the old Christian concept of God can create a lot of limitations.

Anyway, sorry this is so rambling. I just had to get it all out. I would love to hear your thoughts about the above information and whether or not you have read the above material/books. I find the question fascinating yet quite advanced and beyond my current level to understand even though I believe the spirit did tell me that part of my purpose here is to "grow and experience new things". By the way the other part said my purpose was to "love and teach".

Love.

A: Beloved One

Thanks for expressing your desire to Wake Up to Eternity. Many seeming stepping stone concepts, including "process" and "evolution" and "reincarnation" are included in the belief in time. The belief in simultaneous time is another step and this includes the Happy Dream of nonjudgment. Atonement is the experience that recognizes that the separation never happened. The Big Leap (Enlightenment) is a State of Being Which knows no opposite.

Divine Purpose is one with the experience of inner peace, and with the Holy Spirit's Help you will be able to discern the Holy Spirit's Purpose from the ego's purpose. This leads to a decision or final acceptance of the Correction to the belief in separation. "Growing into our perfection" seems to be a paradox only because of the belief in linear time. In the Holy Instant there is no linear time, for Truth is wholly Present. Time and Eternity do not co-exist, and Awakening is simply the acceptance of the Reality of Eternity.

Creation is Pure Spirit and as Christ says in the Beyond All Idols section of ACIM: "God knows not form." Creation is One Mind.

There are no levels or dimensions or degrees or intervals in What Is Forever One. Forgiveness, which is still perceptual, has no levels or individuals. The Happy Dream is unified. In the Happy Dream there are no separate beings, for the tapestry of time/space is one illusion.

If you read carefully through the writings I share you will also notice that "manifesting" is simply another stepping stone concept. What is One simply Is and has no opposite. "To teach" is another way of saying "to think," and forgiveness is simply a complete transformation of thought. Teaching, like prayer, is continuous and not an "event" or "activity." Nothing is personal in forgiveness, and it is apparent that there is only mind. There is not both the mental and the physical because there are no problems apart from the mind. The only sickness was the belief in mind that separation from God was possible. In Waking this belief is Corrected, and only Eternity can be Known. Truth remains forever true.

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