LESSON 184 The Name of God is my inheritance.

1. 1You live by symbols. 2You have made up names for everything you see. 3Each one becomes a separate entity, identified by its own name. 4By this you carve it out of unity. 5By this you desig­nate its special attributes, and set it off from other things by emphasizing space surrounding it. 6This space you lay between all things to which you give a different name; all happenings in terms of place and time; all bodies which are greeted by a name.

2. 1This space you see as setting off all things from one another is the means by which the world’s perception is achieved. 2You see something where nothing is, and see as well nothing where there is unity; a space between all things, between all things and you. 3Thus do you think that you have given life in separation. 4By this split you think you are established as a unity which functions with an independent will.

3. 1What are these names by which the world becomes a series of discrete events, of things ununified, of bodies kept apart and holding bits of mind as separate awarenesses? 2You gave these names to them, establishing perception as you wished to have perception be. 3The nameless things were given names, and thus reality was given them as well. 4For what is named is given meaning and will then be seen as meaningful; a cause of true effect, with consequence inherent in itself.

4. 1This is the way reality is made by partial vision, purposefully set against the given truth. 2Its enemy is wholeness. 3It conceives of little things and looks upon them. 4And a lack of space, a sense of unity or vision that sees differently, become the threats which it must overcome, conflict with and deny.

5. 1Yet does this other vision still remain a natural direction for the mind to channel its perception. 2It is hard to teach the mind a thousand alien names, and thousands more. 3Yet you believe this is what learning means; its one essential goal by which com­munication is achieved, and concepts can be meaningfully shared.

6. 1This is the sum of the inheritance the world bestows. 2And everyone who learns to think that it is so accepts the signs and symbols that assert the world is real. 3It is for this they stand. 4They leave no doubt that what is named is there. 5It can be seen, as is anticipated. 6What denies that it is true is but illusion, for it is the ultimate reality. 7To question it is madness; to accept its presence is the proof of sanity.

7. 1Such is the teaching of the world. 2It is a phase of learning everyone who comes must go through. 3But the sooner he per­ceives on what it rests, how questionable are its premises, how doubtful its results, the sooner does he question its effects. 4Learning that stops with what the world would teach stops short of meaning. 5In its proper place, it serves but as a starting point from which another kind of learning can begin, a new perception can be gained, and all the arbitrary names the world be­stows can be withdrawn as they are raised to doubt.

8. 1Think not you made the world. 2Illusions, yes! 3But what is true in earth and Heaven is beyond your naming. 4When you call upon a brother, it is to his body that you make appeal. 5His true Identity is hidden from you by what you believe he really is. 6His body makes response to what you call him, for his mind consents to take the name you give him as his own. 7And thus his unity is twice denied, for you perceive him separate from you, and he accepts this separate name as his.

9. 1It would indeed be strange if you were asked to go beyond all symbols of the world, forgetting them forever; yet were asked to take a teaching function. 2You have need to use the symbols of the world a while. 3But be you not deceived by them as well. 4They do not stand for anything at all, and in your practicing it is this thought that will release you from them. 5They become but means by which you can communicate in ways the world can understand, but which you recognize is not the unity where true communication can be found.

10. 1Thus what you need are intervals each day in which the learn­ing of the world becomes a transitory phase; a prison house from which you go into the sunlight and forget the darkness. 2Here you understand the Word, the Name which God has given you; the one Identity which all things share; the one acknowledgment of what is true. 3And then step back to darkness, not because you think it real, but only to proclaim its unreality in terms which still have meaning in the world that darkness rules.

11. 1Use all the little names and symbols which delineate the world of darkness. 2Yet accept them not as your reality. 3The Holy Spirit uses all of them, but He does not forget creation has one Name, one meaning, and a single Source which unifies all things within Itself. 4Use all the names the world bestows on them but for convenience, yet do not forget they share the Name of God along with you.

12. 1God has no name. 2And yet His Name becomes the final lesson that all things are one, and at this lesson does all learning end. 3All names are unified; all space is filled with truth’s reflection. 4Every gap is closed, and separation healed. 5The Name of God is the inheritance He gave to those who chose the teaching of the world to take the place of Heaven. 6In our practicing, our pur­pose is to let our minds accept what God has given as the answer to the pitiful inheritance you made as fitting tribute to the Son He loves.

13. 1No one can fail who seeks the meaning of the Name of God. 2Experience must come to supplement the Word. 3But first you must accept the Name for all reality, and realize the many names you gave its aspects have distorted what you see, but have not interfered with truth at all. 4One Name we bring into our practic­ing. 5One Name we use to unify our sight.

14. 1And though we use a different name for each awareness of an aspect of God’s Son, we understand that they have but one Name, which He has given them. 2It is this Name we use in practicing. 3And through Its use, all foolish separations disappear which kept us blind. 4And we are given strength to see beyond them. 5Now our sight is blessed with blessings we can give as we receive.

15. 1Father, our Name is Yours. 2In It we are united with all living things, and You Who are their one Creator. 3What we made and call by many different names is but a shadow we have tried to cast across Your Own reality. 4And we are glad and thankful we were wrong. 5All our mistakes we give to You, that we may be absolved from all effects our errors seemed to have. 6And we accept the truth You give, in place of every one of them. 7Your Name is our salvation and escape from what we made. 8Your Name unites us in the oneness which is our inheritance and peace. 9Amen.