David Hoffmeister
If the Script is Written ...
Can I Change Anything in Form?
We talk about the script in a linear way, like it's a movie;
like it's already been shot and it's filmed,
and you're just watching something that's already finished.
And really, the only substantial change that we could really say
is a significant change, in any sense of the word,
regarding perception, is a shift of mind.
So it's like you're just shifting a perspective on the world,
and that shift of mind involves, it's like a shift
from a linear perspective to a simultaneous perspective.
So, when the question is asked: Can you change the script?
Maybe with regard to symptoms, you know,
whether described as cancer symptoms
or illnesses or whatever, if the very presumption is
that there's this linear world of form,
and the question is saying, "Can you make a change into it?"
And the Serenity Prayer and the Course in Miracles
basically are teaching that you can just change your mind.
The Course says you can change your mind about your mind.
The Course says you can change
the way that you look at the world.
But the Course never makes a claim that you can
actually make a real substantial change in the world,
like from this symptom to that symptom,
this appearance to that appearance.
In fact it goes to completely the other direction,
it says, "Seek not to change the world.
Seek rather to change your mind about the world."
So, there have been talks about miracles and
symptom removal and so on and so forth,
and those seem to be... you know, when
Jesus would be out and miracles
are being extended and shared,
and the dead would arise, the blind could see,
the lame could walk, and everything...
Those just seem to be changes in form,
but they really were all about pointing to the change of mind.
In other words, all that was happening around Jesus
or Mary Baker Eddy was really pointing at the resurrection.
Not the resurrection of the body.
Because the body is just an image;
it can't really be resurrected.
It's the resurrection of the mind; the recognition of Spirit.
So whenever you believe that it's possible to change form,
or even you pray for a change in form,
it's still praying for a different configuration of the script,
saying, "I want a different version.
I've called this version a sick version,
and I want a well version."
In the Song of Prayer, Jesus talks about that, he says,
"Whenever you're praying for effects",
and when we talk about the body and symptoms
and everything, that is effects.
Whenever you're praying for effects
you're simply asking for the script,
something in form, to be repeated
in a way that you believe you like,
or in a way that you prefer. Still control.
So really, the prayer, the true prayer of healing is one of...
"Help me release everything that I think I think
and think I know. And come back to that place
of not knowing anything about the world.
And that's where the Spirit just comes shining through,
from that place of openness.
That's like the prayer of the heart.
And even the questions about changing the script
or changing the form, you know, they imply
that there is some kind of power or authority
or control where there really isn't.
There's one part in the Course where Jesus says,
"You have no control over the world you made",
he says back in the Rules for Decision.
And once you start to open to that you have
no control over the world you made.
It's a very healing idea. Think how practical that idea is,
in terms of your peace of mind.
If you have no control over the world you made,
then you would quit trying to invest into
changing the world, making a better world,
making a better body, making a better spiritual community...
you know, making it better anything.
The peace of mind starts to come from recognizing
that you don't have control over the script.
But you could say you do have control in one sense,
over your state of mind, you can actually
actively choose to be peaceful.
And that's where the focus comes in.
So, if people are to see healers like John of God
or just other people that seem to go and have these symptoms
and have these miraculous healings,
is it more that the fact, not so much John of God,
but the fact they've had a change in perception,
that they've changed their mind?
Yeah, Jesus talks about that in the Teachers Manual
where he is talking about the one who believes they're sick.
He says basically they could merely rise up
and say, "I have no need for this at all."
It's totally a decision in mind.
And he even says, even upon on point of death,
you know, many have arised, have risen up to teach this,
even at the point of death,
so it doesn't matter how far along it seems to be,
how progressively along it is.
That it's always a decision of mind,
You could simply rise up and say, "I have no need for this at all."
Almost like if you were playing a game,
like children play with toys,
and it starts to get really intense,
and the toys are fighting,
and there's this big battle going on, and...
You know, like sometimes when you were a kid
you get to GI Joe and you buy...
"Okay, I got four tanks, and I got armored cars",
and you fight your buddies over,
and you get this big battle going.
At any point you can just stop. Mom goes, "Time to eat!"
Okey...
(laughter)
just go get some Kool-Aid and some chips
and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,
and the war stops. The war has just dropped.
For the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you know.
And really, in one sense it's kind of how Jesus is saying,
you can do that with your mind too.
You can just say goodbye to the war
any instant that you want to.
So, someone like John of God, who is this perceived healer,
what would his part be in that, then?
Is he holding that, like "I don't see you as ill at all"?
I'm just curious, like what his part would be,
when all this people go to see this healer
that is supposed to have healed thousands upon
thousands of people from all kinds of things.
Is it because he is so clear and "I don't see you as sick",
and then they join minds? Like, what's his part in that?
Well, first of all we have to say that
healing the body is an oxymoron.
It is an absolute contradiction of terms,
and the deeper you go in the spiritual journey,
the first recognition you have to have is
the absurdity of healing the body.
This is very deep, but of course this is where...
we're going for enlightenment!
You know, healing is of the mind.
What does that mean; healing of the mind?
In other words, healing is not of the body.
You actually have to come to a recognition
that a sick body and a well body are actually the same.
Why are they the same? Why is the sick body...
Because they're both illusions!
Because God didn't create either one.
It's kind of like... you know, people,
when they talk about temptations,
they say well there's good temptations and bad temptations.
Wait a minute, did Jesus say that?
Is there any point in the Gospels where Jesus says,
"Okay, let me tell you, you've got the good temptations
over here, and here's the bad temptations" ?
He defines temptation in A Course in Miracles.
He says, "What is temptation but the wish
to make illusions real?"
You see how firm and crystal clear that is?
There's no good relationships and bad relationships,
there's no good sicknesses and bad sicknesses
and there certainly are no good illusions and bad illusions.
In fact, I had a friend of mine
who used to travel with me years ago,
and years later she was travelling with another partner,
and while they were travelling somebody said,
"What kind of relationship do you have?
Is your relationship a special relationship
or a holy relationship?" And they said,
"No, it's a spoly relationship."
And I just shook my head....
(laughter)
The last thing you want to do is start to invent new categories.
Jesus would not spend nine chapters, nine chapters of 31,
distinguish the difference between the two,
only to have you come along and invent spoly relationships.
You know, I just shook my head... oh man....
(laughter)
And they shared it a workshop after workshop
because it was funny, people laughed...
But this is, this isn't a comedy tour.
We're talking about waking up.
And there's a great distinction between special relationship
and holy relationship, based on the purpose.
The ego sponsors special relationships,
and the Holy Spirit sponsors holy relationships,
and there's a big difference!
Never the twain shall meet,
you know, between ego and Spirit.
So an answer to your question:
You know, it seems like there could be
thousands and millions of spiritual seekers
that are like trying to figure out this thing
about healing and removing of symptoms,
and who's a true healer, and do I have to go to Brazil
or could it be a remote healing,... you know...
(laughter)
This just goes on and on and on and on,
but the real question has to arise:
Who's willing to question this idea of sick bodies?
Filmed on Location The Living Miracles Monastery Duchesne, Utah
Teach Only Love
www.LivingMiraclesCenter.org