Everything that seems to be occurring in the world of time and space is a projection within a sleeping mind. As long as the mind identifies with its particular body-self, it will never change and the ego remains in charge. Thus there is tremendous resistance to awakening. We bring this resistance with us when we embark on a spiritual path. While the light of that path and its teachers may attract us initially, our “default settings” of resistance and denial cause us to almost immediately start blocking out any truths that might threaten the ego’s hold on us. We don’t even notice that this is happening.
How many times have we had the experience of reading a paragraph in the Course with no comprehension of it? How many times do we do a workbook lesson in the morning and then entirely forget it by the end of the day, let alone apply its teaching?
The phenomenon I call the Second Teacher Effect — a close cousin of the miracle — does an end run around our patterns of resistance. My mind may gloss over all the Course teachings about sameness; then I read or hear the teachings of Kenneth Wapnick on the same subject and suddenly I “get” it. I may unconsciously ignore the Course’s teachings on time being a “vast illusion,” then wake up to the truth of it by listening to Eckhart Tolle. A conversation with a friend can serve as a second teacher by penetrating my resistance. Any "second teacher" serves to jolt us out of our ruts of denial and resistance.
Through years of presenting weekly topics from the Course I have found a number of “second teachers” to be helpful in elucidating Course teachings. In the writings in this section I am letting the second teachers take center stage, while ACIM plays a supporting role.
Table of Contents
A Belief To Be Undone Theme: The story of our personhood hides our reality as spirit. We begin the process of reclaiming our true identity by questioning the story. Second Teachers: Adyashanti, Jim Dreaver, Kenneth Wapnick, Stephen Levine, Resta, Rupert Spira
Above And Beyond Theme: Our eyes show us the “outside form of nothing.” We must retrain ourselves to look beyond appearances to the world’s origin within our dreaming mind. Second Teachers: MacKenzie Thorpe, Resta, Kenneth Wapnick ACIM: The Most Threatening Thing Theme: The Course is guiding us to the undoing of the personal self; thus it is a great threat to the ego. Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, David Hawkins, Ezra Bayda, Charlotte Joko Beck, Resta
Ain't Relationship Sweet? Theme: “Love in this world is a killing field.” Kenneth Wapnick Second Teachers:Kenneth Wapnick, Nick Lowe's song I Trained Her To Love Me, Resta's songs You And Me, Babe and We Can't Go Home Alone
All About The Ego Theme: ACIM is all about the ego because that’s where we are in our experience. Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, Sogyal Rinpoche, Ezra Bayda, Jack Kornfield, Resta
All Boats Are Empty Theme: One of my favorite passages from Stephen Mitchell. Second Teacher: Stephen Mitchell
A Vision Of Equal Lights Theme: “Everyone is a Light, trying to remember they are a Light, at the rate at which they can remember.” Bob Draper Second Teachers: Bob Draper, Kenneth Wapnick, Resta
Awareness Theme: “To know one’s true nature of pure awareness is the ultimate healing.” Second Teachers: Stephen Levine, Rupert Spira, Adyashanti, Resta, Byron Katie
A Way Of Living Theme: Eventually our practice leads us to be in the world but not of it; to be a gentle, peaceful, helpful presence for those around us. Second Teachers: Adyashanti, Charlotte Joko Beck, Ezra Bayda, Resta
Bhakti And Jesus Theme: Kenneth Wapnick likens the Course to Bhakti yoga, or devotion to the guru (Jesus or the Holy Spirit) as an expression of God's love. Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, Resta, Songs: Jesus' Song, Elder Brother's Song, Invitation
Blowing (Story) Bubbles Theme: The self we think we are is entirely made up. Second Teachers: Adyashanti, Jim Dreaver, David Hawkins, Suzanne Segal, Stephen Levine, Eckhart Tolle, Tony Parsons
Bumper Cars Of The Mind Theme: In order to feel that I am a separate, unique self, I have to feel my edges; so I bump up against other selves with pain, conflict, drama, problems, hurt feelings. Second Teachers: Resta, Adyashanti, Kenneth Wapnick, Stephen Batchelor, Steven Levine, Eckhart Tolle, Jim Dreaver, Buddha
The Central Thought Theme: “There is no world! This is the central thought the course attempts to teach.” Second Teacher: The song As If
Chewing On The Same Old Grass Theme: Some of the writings of Byron Katie about questioning one’s thoughts. Second Teacher: Byron Katie
Deconstruction Zone Theme: “Enlightenment is a demolition project.” Adyashanti Second Teachers: Adyashanti, Resta, Kenneth Wapnick, Suzanne Segal, Joel Goldsmith
Easy Does It Theme: The ego is highly distrustful of anything easy, flowing, quiet, gentle. It tells us we are not really “alive” unless we’re frantically busy, striving, struggling, and straining. So one of the Course’s main messages - that living the lucid dream should be easy - takes a while to penetrate our understanding. Resta Second Teachers: Resta Burnham, Adyashanti, Steven Levine, Eckhart Tolle, several songs from The Music of Christ
Embrace The Infinite Theme: “Free yourself of all limiting identities and embrace the infinite.” Adyashanti Second Teachers: Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, Suzuki, Joel Goldsmith, Resta
The Great Amnesia Theme: We have deliberately chosen to forget our true Self. Second Teachers: Resta, Hans Christian Anderson, Kenneth Wapnick, Adyashanti
Grenade Theme: “That’s the aspect of this course that is without question the most difficult to accept, that we want to be unfairly treated. We want to suffer. We want to be abused. Now again, this does not make me responsible for other people’s abuse, but it makes me responsible for wanting it. And I know I want it because I won’t let it go.” Kenneth Wapnick Second Teachers: Bruno Mars, Kenneth Wapnick, Resta, Kelly Clarkson
A Hole In The Mind Theme: Our belief in separation has automatically set up a world of scarcity and what Stephen Levine calls "the wanting mind." Second Teachers: Resta, Stephen Levine, Kenneth Wapnick
The Illusion Of Many Theme: Because we believe we have separated from our Source and have fragmented, we appear to be many discrete beings. Behind this illusion lies our eternal Oneness. Second Teachers: Suzuki, Charlotte Joko Beck, Byron Katie, Kenneth Wapnick, Resta, Gangaji, Stephen Levine, Joel Goldsmith
Images I Have Made Theme: W-pI.53.5. (15) My thoughts are images that I have made. Whatever I see reflects my thoughts. It is my thoughts that tell me where I am and what I am. Second Teachers:Plato, Albert Eistein, Seth (Jane Roberts), Kenneth Wapnick
In The Flow Theme: The right mind is a state of spaciousness and flow. Second Teachers: Resta, Stephen Levine, Jim Dreaver, Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, Mahesh Balsekar
No Problem Theme: “If you could recognize that your only problem is separation, no matter what form it takes, you could accept the answer because you would see its relevance. Perceiving the underlying constancy in all the problems that seem to confront you, you would understand that you have the means to solve them all.” Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, Resta Only One Of Us Theme: Despite the illusion of many selves, we remain one with God and one another. Second Teachers: Byron Katie, Kenneth Wapnick, Stephen Levine, Joel Goldsmith, Resta
The Pain Body Theme: The ego’s purpose for the body is to have it feel pain and prove that the separation is real. Second Teachers: Eckhart Tolle, Resta, Kenneth Wapnick, Adyashanti
Pain Is Impossible Theme: From Lesson 284 - "Pain is impossible. There is no grief with any cause at all. And suffering of any kind is nothing but a dream." Second Teachers: Adyashanti, Stephen Levine, Kenneth Wapnick
The Path Of Looking Theme: We have to look at the darkness before we can leave it. Second Teachers: Rumi, Kenneth Wapnick, Ezra Bayda, Resta
Rose Petals Theme: Byron Katie is the flower girl for our wedding with the Beloved. Second Teacher: Byron Katie
Sickness: Naming Names Theme: Demonstrating the power of paraphrase by replacing the word “sickness” in Course quotes with specific diseases and conditions. Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, Paraphrase
The Sign of Mind Asleep Theme: W-pI.167.6,8 The mind can think it sleeps, but that is all. It cannot change what is its waking state. It cannot make a body, nor abide within a body. . .What seems to die is but the sign of mind asleep. W-pI.167.8 God creates only mind awake. Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, Helen Schucman, Stephen Levine, David Hawkins
Somehow, It’s OK Theme: Whatever is happening is what should be happening. I can mindfully be with it and learn from it. Second Teachers: Charlotte Joko Beck, Byron Katie, Mahesh Balsekar, Carlos Castaneda, Adyashanti, Stephen Mitchell, Eckhart Tolle That Gentle Smile Theme: This world arises from our taking the “tiny, mad idea” of separation seriously; it is undone by remembering to smile at it. Second Teachers: Kenneth Wapnick, Resta
The Third Doorway Theme: Past, future, and the present moment are described as three doorways. Second Teacher: Bob Draper
Train Of Thought Theme: A metaphor for watching our thoughts in meditation. Second Teacher: Stephen Levine True Freedom Theme: Freedom lies in letting go of all our stories of who we think we are. Second Teacher: Jim Dreaver
ACIM Annotation System [from acim.org] The numbering of A Course in Miracles provides a method for students of the Course to reference a specific passage within the Course and its Supplements.
Here is an example: “You will first dream of peace, and then awaken to it.” (T-13.VII.9:1) T = Text 13 = Chapter 13 VII = Section VII (of Chapter 13) 9 = Paragraph 9 (in Section VII) 1 = Line 1 (of Paragraph 9)
Another example: “We say ‘God is,’ and then we cease to speak, for in that knowledge words are meaningless.” (W-pI.169.5:4) W = Workbook pI = part I (of the Workbook) 169 = Lesson 169 5 = Paragraph 5 4 = Line 4 (of Paragraph 5)
Another example: “Forgiveness is the final goal of the curriculum.” (M-4.X.2:9) M = Manual for Teachers 4 = Section 4 X = Part X (of Section 4) 2 = Paragraph 2 (of Part X) 9 = Line 9 (of Paragraph 2)
Additional abbreviations: In = introduction(s) r = Review (workbook) FL = Final Lessons (workbook) C = Clarification of Terms (in the Manual for Teachers) Ep = Epilogues (end of Workbook and Clarification of Terms) P = Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice S = The Song of Prayer