LESSON 68 Love holds no grievances.

1. 1You who were created by love like itself can hold no griev­ances and know your Self. 2To hold a grievance is to forget who you are. 3To hold a grievance is to see yourself as a body. 4To hold a grievance is to let the ego rule your mind and to condemn the body to death. 5Perhaps you do not yet fully realize just what holding grievances does to your mind. 6It seems to split you off from your Source and make you unlike Him. 7It makes you believe that He is like what you think you have become, for no one can conceive of his Creator as unlike himself.

2. 1Shut off from your Self, which remains aware of Its likeness to Its Creator, your Self seems to sleep, while the part of your mind that weaves illusions in its sleep appears to be awake. 2Can all this arise from holding grievances? 3Oh, yes! 4For he who holds grievances denies he was created by love, and his Creator has become fearful to him in his dream of hate. 5Who can dream of hatred and not fear God?

3. 1It is as sure that those who hold grievances will redefine God in their own image, as it is certain that God created them like Himself, and defined them as part of Him. 2It is as sure that those who hold grievances will suffer guilt, as it is certain that those who forgive will find peace. 3It is as sure that those who hold grievances will forget who they are, as it is certain that those who forgive will remember.

4. 1Would you not be willing to relinquish your grievances if you believed all this were so? 2Perhaps you do not think you can let your grievances go. 3That, however, is simply a matter of motivation. 4Today we will try to find out how you would feel without them. 5If you succeed even by ever so little, there will never be a problem in motivation ever again.

5. 1Begin today’s extended practice period by searching your mind for those against whom you hold what you regard as major grievances. 2Some of these will be quite easy to find. 3Then think of the seemingly minor grievances you hold against those you like and even think you love. 4It will quickly become apparent that there is no one against whom you do not cherish grievances of some sort. 5This has left you alone in all the universe in your perception of yourself.

6. 1Determine now to see all these people as friends. 2Say to them all, thinking of each one in turn as you do so:

3I would see you as my friend, that I may remember you are part of me and come to know myself.

4Spend the remainder of the practice period trying to think of yourself as completely at peace with everyone and everything, safe in a world that protects you and loves you, and that you love in return. 5Try to feel safety surrounding you, hovering over you and holding you up. 6Try to believe, however briefly, that nothing can harm you in any way. 7At the end of the practice period tell yourself:

8Love holds no grievances. 9When I let all my grievances go I will know I am perfectly safe.

7. 1The short practice periods should include a quick application of today’s idea in this form, whenever any thought of grievance arises against anyone, physically present or not:

2Love holds no grievances. 3Let me not betray my Self.

4In addition, repeat the idea several times an hour in this form:

5Love holds no grievances. 6I would wake to my Self by laying all my grievances aside and wakening in Him.