In this fourth article in the series on the "miracle" and the "mind," we are going to discuss how the unkindness of specialness is translated by the ego into making the Sonship appear fragmented. While nothing is actually fragmented or separate in reality, the mind (because everything is in the mind) has the appearance of being fragmented because of the projected forms which are nothing more than ego judgments of specialness, uniqueness and individuality. These are used to make us stand out as special in a crowd of sameness and thus they divide the Sonship. This speaks to the very heart the one problem: The separation. These judgments maintain it. No one is different. Everyone is the same regardless.
Only equals are at peace and to be equal we must look past the differences seen with the body's eyes to this major point in A Course in Miracles (ACIM): We all have the same ego (the same fear and guilt in our mind) and that unites us. We also all have the same right mind and the same ability to choose between them. To say we are spiritually different (special) from what is actually a part of us (the same) is saying we prefer to maintain the separation from God and that is what we will actually learn and teach.
The function of the miracle is not to have us stop choosing our egos. It is to have us be aware that we are choosing the ego. Again, I can't emphasize this enough. This is what gets almost all Course in Miracles students way off the mark (Rules for Decision, Kenneth Wapnick, underline mine).
Fragments are merely the dualistic way in which we perceive differences where there are none. Look at this quote from Kenneth Wapnick:
The Sonship [the whole] in its Oneness transcends the sum of its parts" (T-2.VII.6:3). In other words, one cannot appreciate the pure wholeness and oneness of Christ by simply adding up the billions and billions of fragments that the world thinks is the Son of God, a quantifiable entity consisting of certain amount of separated fragments. Christ in His very nature is a perfect and undivided One, as Mind, and He loses that essential characteristic which defines His Being if fragmentation of any of its forms is acknowledged as real (The Message of A Course In Miracles: Few Choose to Listen by Kenneth Wapnick, page 67, underline mine).
For this series of articles, we've been using spiritually special Course teachers as our example wherein they use "spiritual dress" to make themselves more special and chosen by God to do His work. This makes them different, i.e., stand out in a crowd as special from others who are their equals. In the context of this discussion, this makes fragmentation real because judgments are made about differences. Where there are differences (instead of sameness) there is no peace and so the spiritually special cannot learn nor teach peace.
The ego thrives on the comparisons of specialness. When you compare yourself with others, wherein you are important and they are not because Jesus gave you a special assignment... you see differences where there are none (because you are focused on forms which do not matter). The only way you should think of yourself as having an important function is to realize everyone else has an important function too: forgiveness (The Healing Power of Kindness, Vol. 2: Forgiving Our Limitations by Kenneth Wapnick, location 884, Kindle, underline mine).
Cult Leaders
Cults are groups that believe themselves special from everyone else. Cult leaders are like any group leader who make themselves and their group special. Since purpose is in the mind, then their purpose is specialness, uniqueness and thus separation and fragmentation by seeking to divide the Sonship. They join in form but not in mind as ego is about separation. In other words, while everyone shares the same ego, the ego says each one is different and not joined so there is no true joining. Groups come together because they first believe they are separate and so they are essentially reinforcing that belief.
Everyone has memories of notorious cults in history; however, let's make sure we understand what is meant by a cult or its leader. The word symbol definition for a "cult" which most do not consider is, "A misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing." Wapnick has already pointed out that the Course is being made special and turned into a religion. It also falls in line with the definition of a cult and spiritually special Course teachers as cult leaders because of the demands of their ego. Assertions, demands and needs are clues that the ego has been chosen. Special faith is taught by the ego to reinforce ego.
