On True and False

©1996 Frank Sant'Agata



What is true? What is false? We are often confronted with this question. The answer is always the same. What is true will always exist. Truth is eternal. . . as is love, spirit, peace and God. They go on and on into "eternity." On the other hand, falsity is ephemeral. That is, it is subject to the laws of time and will someday be no more. The past, and future are also subject to the laws of time and are therefore false. The present is always "right now," and the only tense that is true. The past is like a dream. What little we remember of it is shaded by distorted memories about what we thought happened. Our memories are not all that reliable. We tend to make the past what we would have it be. It is only a partial recollection of our perception of what we thought happened--just as it is in the dream. We put a great deal of importance in the past because we were taught to do just that. We study history, tell of where we've been, what we have done, read the newspaper's reports about what has taken place and believe that we are protecting ourselves in the future by learning from the past.

If the past is gone, and not the truth, our dwelling on past events is keeping us in non-reality. So it is also with the future. We pretend to know what is in store for us, we worry about it and wait in expectation for what is to come. Our imagined future and what actually transpires are guesses -- usually poles apart. Yet we keep attempting to think we know what the outcome may be, with eager anticipation, or fearful dread. Our waking and sleeping hours are consumed in past and future thoughts; in "unreality."

But in the present moment, there is only peace. That is all that can be in a place where past grievances, associations and pain can not enter. The present is where the fears and expectations of what is yet to be is not a factor, so only pure peace abides there. How can one get to this space? By being very quiet---very still; through the practice of meditation or prayer.

We have two options: Either we attempt to stop the invading thoughts which are always future or past thoughts, or we allow the thoughts of present awareness to totally fill our minds. The first way is accomplished through repeated meditation practice in any of the traditional forms. Try this: Close your eyes for a moment and try to still your mind. Become aware of the things that show up in your mind. When past thoughts arrive, "push" them to the left; when future thoughts come, "push" them to the right. That way you can begin to stay visually "centered" in the present. This is the basis of meditation.

The second way is to focus your attention on a thought that is eternal. These thoughts incorporate "love," "peace," "joy," "God," "spirit," and so on. Begin with a thought like love and allow related thoughts to fill your mind. Then continue unfolding thoughts that relate to love such as affirming "I am love," I am the essence of love," etc. until you become lost in the thought of love. A mind filled with eternal thoughts can not be host to past nor future. It is there that you find true peace, leave the past behind, experience little glimpses of heaven and become in touch with reality and higher consciousness. This is the basis of prayer.

Father, we thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit as our guide. You gave us all we will ever need to find our way home to You. Thank you for showing us the way, by Your guiding light; Your perfect love that casts out all our fears. Help us stay on the path by constantly reminding us who we really are and by diverting our attention from who we thought we were. Our journey home is certain. Amen

INDEX


Essay: On LOVE and FEAR
Essay: On FORGIVENESS
Verse: "Oh Love !"
Verse: "My Error"
Meditation: LAKE
Meditation: ONENESS
Meditation: SIMPLICITY
Meditation: LIGHT
The Great Way
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The works herein © are the exclusive property of Frank Sant'Agata. They may be copied and distributed freely, for personal and ACIM study group use, only if credit to the author and this message are included.