"Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear." -- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy; Page 506, Lines 18-21
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away." -- The Bible; Psalm 1:1-4
The terms 'right' and 'wrong' are highly charged, so in order to delve into today's topic, we have to suspend the competitive nature of these ideas. Right-mindedness is used here not in a competitive way, but to indicate alignment with Truth. Let's say we're in a huge crowd that's milling about in a huge room. There is a stage at one end. In order to see what's on the stage, we have to align ourselves in such a way that we can see. If we are facing the other direction, we won't be able to see a thing. And if we face sideways, our attention is easily diverted by what all the people around us are doing. So the only 'right' way to align ourselves is facing the stage itself, with our eyes there and the focus of our attention there, not on what everyone else is doing. This is analogous with Right-Mindedness.
In order to return our minds to sanity and Remembrance of our Oneness with God, we have to practice Right-Mindedness. The Psalm quoted above is a perfect example. Again, if we can suspend the judgmental connotations of 'godly' and 'ungodly' (only the ego thrives on judgment), we see that it is again this alignment of attention and focus that brings us into alignment with what is True and Good and Eternal.
This is the real purpose of all contemplative and meditative traditions. By quieting the 'wrong-mindedness' that passes for thinking (scattered and compulsive patterns of mental images that are not aligned with anything and blow the attention around like the chaff in the wind quoted in Psalm 1), we are able to align and immerse ourselves with Divine Principle, the Oneness of Self. Once we are aligned, as ACIM assures us, the mind has only One direction in which to go... the Remembrance of Oneness and Our True Self.
I love how Mary Baker Eddy describes this effortless unfoldment, as God channels our unformed thoughts into channels of Being like a flower opening. As we align ourselves with God through our Right-Mindedness, Our Divine Self is revealed through an effortless and continual unfoldment of Divine Ideas.
Right-mindedness is an act of will. It's the equivalent of quieting down our material preoccupations with the dream we call life, and turning our attention completely to God and what is True in the midst of it all. After that, the Grace of Truth takes over and lives the dream for us, if we remain willing. Right-mindedness is constant willingness and determination and grit. Right-mindedness is vigilance and singleness of attention. Right-mindedness is our ticket Home.
"No force except your own will is strong enough or worthy enough to guide you. In this you are as free as God, and must remain so forever." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 4, Section III, 6:1-2
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