ACIM Lesson 183 "I call upon God's Name and on my own." (mantra yoga)

"I call upon God's Name and on my own".

For those that have followed the Course Workbook up until this lesson, today's lesson will be a change in approach.


It can be done as both a form of mantra yoga (meditation on sound phrases), or also as a form of repeated contemplation on a pointer phrase.


The lesson isn't specific on which "Name of God" to use, and it has been assumed by most Course students that this choice is left up to the reader.


However, a few tips are given in the workbook text, such as:


"God's Name can not be heard without response, nor said without an echo in the mind that calls you to remember."


"Repeat His Name, and all the tiny, nameless things on earth slip into right perspective."


"Today you can achieve a state in which you will experience the gift of grace."




The above indicates that this lessons shouldn't become an exercise in self-pacification or sleep. Although some mantra schools do make use of mantra work as a means of recuperation and 'release from stress' (such as TM), in contrast, this lesson should be used to gain clarity, peace, and allow for some form of 'grace' to enter into the chaotic mind-state we normally encounter each day.


Some form of 'rememberance' of Self / God / awareness should be evident while practicing the repetition of one's chosen phrase today.


This could happen via the use of a pointer such as 'beingness' or 'I am' or "I", which rather than a meaningless sound type mantra, would be used to point back to awareness itself. On the other hand, a meaningless sound mantra could well be used to focus the mind, achieve some form of silent thoughtlessness, and thus open a 'gap' in the backdoor of the mind to allow Grace to enter.


Although this lesson would only last for a day or two before the Course returns to its preferred method of meditation/contemplation (being an open awareness style), students should really enjoy the use of mantra/phrase work as offered here.


I happen to love mantra work, which can be relaxing, refreshing- allowing for the serving up of so many hidden blessings and realizations that make its use worthwhile. Above all, the practice of mantra yoga shouldn't be forced or too energetically performed.. a sense of relaxed listening is preferable and more conductive to 'success' in this practice.


"Turn to the Name of God for your release, and it is given you. No prayer but this is necessary, for it holds them all within it. Words are insignificant, and all requests unneeded when God's Son calls on his Father's Name. His Father's Thoughts become his own." (Workbook, 183)