Word Gems: Course In Miracles: Murder

home | what's new | other sites | contact | about

Word Gems

exploring self-realization, sacred personhood, and full humanity

A Course In Miracles

Murder

Attack in any form is … destructive… Its sole intent is murder, and what form of murder serves to cover the massive guilt and frantic fear of punishment the murderer must feel? He may deny he is a murderer and justify his savagery with smiles as he attacks. Yet he will suffer, and will look upon his intent in nightmares where the smiles are gone, and where the purpose rises to meet his horrified awareness and pursue him still. For no one thinks of murder and escapes the guilt the thought entails. If the intent is death, what matter the form it takes? Is death in any form, however lovely and charitable it may seem to be, a blessing and a sign for the Voice for God…

Editor’s note: “Murder” for the Course is not primarily activity involved in robbing the local 7-11 store. We wouldn’t exclude such incident, but the Course would have us know that “murder” is not so far afield from any of us.

Frequently, sprinkled throughout my writings, I will make the counter-intuitive assertion that any one of us, anyone in an unenlightened state, any person led by the dysfunctional ego – if sufficiently provoked, if given full license, if perceptions declare “I do not have enough and my survival depends on gaining more”; then – any human being is potentially capable of any atrocity committed in all history.

'we are the world, we are society'

Very often, Krishnamurti would caution his audiences against blaming others, seeing ourselves as "above." It's not easy to stand down as there’s much aspersion to cast. Right now, we witness the world marching toward totalitarianism, to a degree not seen since the days prior to World War II. Many of us are angry, and we want to believe that if we could just get rid of “the bad guys,” the ones causing all the trouble, then life would be good for all of us “good guys.” But this is illusion.

The seeds of evil, not always unsprouted, reside within each of us. If sufficiently provoked, if blinded to the light within, each person is capable of any atrocity, any brutality, and more, that we’ve seen in history.

the seeds of evil

Star Trek: Next Generation, episode "Violations"

"No one can deny that the seeds of violence remain within each of us. We must recognize that - because that violence is capable of consuming each of us."

In other words, “We are the world. We are society.” We are not exempt, as we too reflect the human condition, and we take the vectors of perdition with us wherever we go. And until we learn to “go within” to access the inner light, there will be no peace and happiness; not on an individual basis nor for the world.

See the Krishnamurti page and especially his "summary" discourse.

We don’t believe this, do we? At least, that’s what we protest. However, many of us will not embark upon a program of introspection, a journey to the center of being via the “small quiet room,” due to fear of what we might find out about ourselves. The fear is not unwarranted; but neither is it cause for condemnation.

When the Course speaks of “murder” it means to address the dark potential of the ego. Until we bring to light all that lies fallow in the “heart of darkness,” we cannot become a truly spiritual person. See the four articles on “Spirituality.”

Special note: See how the Course draws attention to the phrase “smiles as he attacks” but with “nightmares where the smiles are gone,” a time of “horrified awareness” which will “pursue him still.”

We live in a time of rising totalitarianism around the globe. Not since the days leading up to World War II have we witnessed such bold grabs for power, at the expense of a minimization of personal liberties. Do not envy or esteem the big sloppy grins we see on tv which posture as our salvation. They may present themselves as confident to the cameras, but their “nightmares,” when the “smiles are gone,” are just beginning.

Editor's last word: