Comments on "The Ending of the Dream" pp 119

The Ending of the Dream pp 119

The Song of Prayer says (page 2 paragraph 5):

“Prayer is a stepping aside; a letting go; a quiet time of listening and loving.”

The Ending of the Dream is about listening and loving and supports ascent on the ladder of prayer. Even so, it may not be a rapid ascent, we may focus here for awhile.

As fear diminishes we are more able to grok the truth about dreams, the illusory nature of the shabby world the collective prodigal son made. On page 120 of The Ending of the Dream Jesus alludes to the made world with an an unattractive but honest view:

“No one would hesitate to leave a dream of shock and terror, merciless decay

and sickening contortions, with despair always in sight and death not far behind,

if he believed that it were but a dream.”

We may be tempted to seek gifts within in the illusion (as described in the third paragraph on page 120) only to later see hopes become nightmares. Jesus just spoke of this a few months earlier saying (page 6 in The Song of Prayer):

“6 1 It is not easy to realize that prayers for things, for status, for human love, for external "gifts" of any kind, are always made to set up jailers and to hide from guilt. 2 These things are used for goals that substitute for God, and therefore distort the purpose of prayer. 3 The desire for them is the prayer. One need not ask explicitly. 5 The goal of God is lost in the quest for lesser goals of any kind, and prayer becomes requests for enemies. 6 The power of prayer can be quite clearly recognized even in this. 7 No one who wants an enemy will fail to find one. 8 But just as surely will he lose the only true goal that is given him. 9 Think of the cost, and understand it well. 10 All other goals are at the cost of God.”

About halfway through The Ending of the Dream (page 121), Jesus says:

“Do not be tempted. Do not fall away into the shadows and a deeper sleep ….”.

This reference to temptation is about the self deception of seeing yourself as illusion, as an emotional or physical body. When temptation happens we can choose once again … this is what Jesus taught earlier, at the end of the Text (Section VIII).

When we notice that temptation has happened, we can review the 1st two messages, The Dream of Fear and The Two Gifts and work with them for awhile (these are actually one message, split --- work with them as a pair).

On page 121 of The Ending of the Dream Jesus asks us to rise on the ladder of prayer as teachers of God:

“Salvation needs your help as well as mine. You do not answer for yourself alone. My call to you is that you offer help from all the dreams the holy Son of God imagines ….”

Jesus' call is answered in Love as further explained in the next, Our Gift to God, message.

The Ending of the Dream message includes the mighty force stillness. Jesus explains about our divine nature and encourages us to listen, to hearken to the call of Christ.

“Be still and hear Him, for His call to you could not be more insistent nor more

dear, for it is the call of Love itself, which will not cease to speak of God to you.”

Our listening helps draw us up the ladder of prayer. Around the middle of page 122 Jesus says

“Let the dream of time be given its appointed end,

and let God's Son have mercy on himself.”

Since the messages of love are in part about healing we can notice the contrast with sickness. Pages 16 and 17 in The Song of Prayer contain a thorough consideration of sickness' cause, and says in part:

“... The body can be healed as an effect of true forgiveness. Only that can give remembrance of immortality, which is the gift of holiness and love. Forgiveness must be given by a mind which understands that it must overlook all shadows on the holy face of Christ, among which sickness should be seen as one. Nothing but that; the sign of judgment made by brother upon brother, and the Son of God upon himself. For he has damned his body as his prison, and forgot that it is he who gave this role to it. ...”

Clearly, God's Son can yet be more merciful on himself.

Application of Stillness

This focus on stillness is reminiscent of Lesson 273 The stillness of the peace of God is mine.

Stillness

• Ask Jesus to to help you and he be of one mind in the place of holy joining at God's altar to His Son, the Christ.
• Remember Oneness, recall that you and Jesus are part of God’s one Son.
• In stillness, listen to the call of the Christ …. the very call to you of Love itself.

We can remain vigilant regarding fear and possibly revisit earlier messages (also, if we experience temptation or resistance). Because the circumstances of fear temptation and resistance are not uncommon, our focus on the first few messages may extend for awhile.