Robert Hellman Explains Course Non Dualism
Re: Basics Part (8A) Nondualism
[... This essay was posted on Course Talk on April 23, 2003. I have edited it and copied it here with the permission of the writer, my husband ...]
My understanding of the attribute "dualism" when applied to philosophical thought systems, is that the thinker is presenting a view of <reality> that claims that reality consists of two <radically different kinds> of things. The two kinds of things are almost always (1) spiritual or mental and (2) material or physical.
Those who claim that both mind and matter are real are called dualists. Those who claim that only one is real are called monists or non-dualists.
If the monist claims that only idea or mind (or spirit) is real, and matter or the physical is not real, he has traditionally --in the history of Western philosophy -- been called an "idealist", and his position called "idealism". There are different kinds of idealism, for example, those of Berkeley, Hegel, and Bradley.
If the monist or non-dualist claims that only the physical, or matter in some form (including physical energy), is real, and mind or spirit is not real, but is, for example, merely an "epiphenomenon" of matter, then he has traditionally been called a "materialist", and his position called "materialism". There have always been and still are many scientists who are philosophical materialists, and thus non-dualists.
There is no doubt in my mind that if one wishes to describe ACIM from this point of view the Course's thought system is idealistic. The blatant evidence is "everything is an idea." [T-5.I.2:4] And, in other places we read: "you are an idea, God is an idea." From T-15.VI.4:4-5, "That is because you recognize, however dimly, that God is an idea, and so your faith in Him is strengthened by sharing. What you find difficult to accept is the fact that, like your Father, you are an idea." From Lesson 158: ".you are a mind, in Mind and purely mind ." [W-pI.158.1:2]
And since the Course is an idealistic system of thought it is, of course, non-dualistic. It claims that only the spiritual or mental is real, the physical (or material or bodily) is not real. It says, ". life is thought." [W-pI.rI.54.2:3]
Once it is declared that a system is idealistic, one of the first questions that arises is whether there is only numerically <one kind> of spiritual or mental being, or whether there is more than numerically one kind of spirit, mind, or idea. For example, are there "evil spirits" as well as "good spirits", are there finite minds <and> infinite minds, etc.
If one takes the stand that there is only one <kind> of mind or thought that is real, then the question arises whether there is <in number only one> of this one kind of thought or mind. In other words, once you claim that everything (real) is an idea or mind, and there is only <numerically one kind> of thought or mind, the question then is how many of these minds or thoughts are there? Is there an infinite number of this one kind of thing called "Mind" or "Idea" or "Spirit" or "Thought", or is there a finite number of "It", or perhaps only numerically one of "It"?
I will make brief comments here with regard to this issue. I answered in detail all these questions regarding the Course's teaching in chapters 4 and 5 of my recent book.
It seems that there are students of ACIM who claim that the Course teaches that everything in reality is one in nature, or has the same perfect nature, i.e., that there is only <one kind> of thing in reality because everything is the same and equal. However, they would not say that there is only numerically one of this one kind of thing or idea, or mind or thought. It is simply that every one has the same perfect nature that God has because in His creation of them He simply extended His Self, and so His extensions or creations (plural) are perfect like Himself, including the fact that each one can and does create a perfect Son like himself. This process of co-creation is an ongoing process in eternity. It never ends. This results in an unending number of creations or Thoughts.
There are some students, however, who claim that the Course teaches that in reality there are not two or more minds that share the same Thought of what they are, or share the same Self. On the contrary, they claim that there is in number only one single thing, one single Mind, or one single idea, or in number one single Thought. It is <this claim> that they seem to refer to when they say that the Course is "non-dualistic" (rather than applying the term non-dualism to the Course as a whole, which strictly speaking, refers to its <idealism>, which is what constitutes its true and fundamental non-dualism.)
On the other hand, many students feel that they do not understand the entire Course well enough to take a definite stand on this. I know that I personally was not clear on it, or even concerned myself about the distinction between "one in nature" and "one in number", in the earlier years of my working with the Course.
My present position - that the Course teaches that there is <more than one in number> of the same kind of thing in reality - is determined by the hundreds of statements in the Course about creation. Two of these follow: "Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts, <in number infinite>." [W-pII.11.1:1] "God created beings who have everything individually but who want to share it to increase their joy." [T-4.VII.5:1]
These two sentences, and many more like it, lead me to say that it is a mistake to say that the Course teaches that there is only <numerically one> idea, thought, or mind in reality, in God and His creation. To me, the Course clearly states, over and over, that God has more than numerically one creation. I would guess that there are at least a hundred sentences that state, either explicitly or implicitly, that God has <creations>, plural, and not merely numerically one creation.
In fact, as the sentence I quoted above states, God has an infinite number of creations! They all have the same perfect nature that God has. But there are an unending number of minds that have this same nature or Self. This is one of the meanings of the phrase "God is infinite". If God had only numerically one creation, the sentence above would read: Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts, "in number finite". Namely, "in number one". But it doesn't say that. It says, "Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts <in number> infinite".
Thus the term non-dualism, as applied to the Course does not mean that there is only numerically one thing, or idea, or mind, or thought in reality. Non-dualism when it is correctly applied to this Course refers to its teaching that <only the spiritual or mental is real>, and the physical, material, bodily is not real. This is contrasted with many dualistic thought systems, including traditional Christianity, which claim that both the mind and the body are real.
Love, Robert(Hellman) Yours in Christ
http://www.miracletheodicy.com
About the author: Robert J. Hellmann has a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree in theology from Xavier University. He and his wife have been dedicated students of A Course in Miracles since 1982. Since 1991, Robert has conducted hundreds of classes and seminars intended to help fellow students in their understanding and application of the Course's teachings. He is known for the clarity with which he can express profound philosophical and theological concepts, making it easy for the ordinary reader to understand. He has one daughter and lives with his wife in Norfolk, Virginia.
[... This essay was posted on Course Talk on April 23, 2003. I have edited it and copied it here with the permission of the writer, my husband ...]
My understanding of the attribute "dualism" when applied to philosophical thought systems, is that the thinker is presenting a view of <reality> that claims that reality consists of two <radically different kinds> of things. The two kinds of things are almost always (1) spiritual or mental and (2) material or physical.
Those who claim that both mind and matter are real are called dualists. Those who claim that only one is real are called monists or non-dualists.
If the monist claims that only idea or mind (or spirit) is real, and matter or the physical is not real, he has traditionally --in the history of Western philosophy -- been called an "idealist", and his position called "idealism". There are different kinds of idealism, for example, those of Berkeley, Hegel, and Bradley.
If the monist or non-dualist claims that only the physical, or matter in some form (including physical energy), is real, and mind or spirit is not real, but is, for example, merely an "epiphenomenon" of matter, then he has traditionally been called a "materialist", and his position called "materialism". There have always been and still are many scientists who are philosophical materialists, and thus non-dualists.
There is no doubt in my mind that if one wishes to describe ACIM from this point of view the Course's thought system is idealistic. The blatant evidence is "everything is an idea." [T-5.I.2:4] And, in other places we read: "you are an idea, God is an idea." From T-15.VI.4:4-5, "That is because you recognize, however dimly, that God is an idea, and so your faith in Him is strengthened by sharing. What you find difficult to accept is the fact that, like your Father, you are an idea." From Lesson 158: ".you are a mind, in Mind and purely mind ." [W-pI.158.1:2]
And since the Course is an idealistic system of thought it is, of course, non-dualistic. It claims that only the spiritual or mental is real, the physical (or material or bodily) is not real. It says, ". life is thought." [W-pI.rI.54.2:3]
Once it is declared that a system is idealistic, one of the first questions that arises is whether there is only numerically <one kind> of spiritual or mental being, or whether there is more than numerically one kind of spirit, mind, or idea. For example, are there "evil spirits" as well as "good spirits", are there finite minds <and> infinite minds, etc.
If one takes the stand that there is only one <kind> of mind or thought that is real, then the question arises whether there is <in number only one> of this one kind of thought or mind. In other words, once you claim that everything (real) is an idea or mind, and there is only <numerically one kind> of thought or mind, the question then is how many of these minds or thoughts are there? Is there an infinite number of this one kind of thing called "Mind" or "Idea" or "Spirit" or "Thought", or is there a finite number of "It", or perhaps only numerically one of "It"?
I will make brief comments here with regard to this issue. I answered in detail all these questions regarding the Course's teaching in chapters 4 and 5 of my recent book.
It seems that there are students of ACIM who claim that the Course teaches that everything in reality is one in nature, or has the same perfect nature, i.e., that there is only <one kind> of thing in reality because everything is the same and equal. However, they would not say that there is only numerically one of this one kind of thing or idea, or mind or thought. It is simply that every one has the same perfect nature that God has because in His creation of them He simply extended His Self, and so His extensions or creations (plural) are perfect like Himself, including the fact that each one can and does create a perfect Son like himself. This process of co-creation is an ongoing process in eternity. It never ends. This results in an unending number of creations or Thoughts.
There are some students, however, who claim that the Course teaches that in reality there are not two or more minds that share the same Thought of what they are, or share the same Self. On the contrary, they claim that there is in number only one single thing, one single Mind, or one single idea, or in number one single Thought. It is <this claim> that they seem to refer to when they say that the Course is "non-dualistic" (rather than applying the term non-dualism to the Course as a whole, which strictly speaking, refers to its <idealism>, which is what constitutes its true and fundamental non-dualism.)
On the other hand, many students feel that they do not understand the entire Course well enough to take a definite stand on this. I know that I personally was not clear on it, or even concerned myself about the distinction between "one in nature" and "one in number", in the earlier years of my working with the Course.
My present position - that the Course teaches that there is <more than one in number> of the same kind of thing in reality - is determined by the hundreds of statements in the Course about creation. Two of these follow: "Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts, <in number infinite>." [W-pII.11.1:1] "God created beings who have everything individually but who want to share it to increase their joy." [T-4.VII.5:1]
These two sentences, and many more like it, lead me to say that it is a mistake to say that the Course teaches that there is only <numerically one> idea, thought, or mind in reality, in God and His creation. To me, the Course clearly states, over and over, that God has more than numerically one creation. I would guess that there are at least a hundred sentences that state, either explicitly or implicitly, that God has <creations>, plural, and not merely numerically one creation.
In fact, as the sentence I quoted above states, God has an infinite number of creations! They all have the same perfect nature that God has. But there are an unending number of minds that have this same nature or Self. This is one of the meanings of the phrase "God is infinite". If God had only numerically one creation, the sentence above would read: Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts, "in number finite". Namely, "in number one". But it doesn't say that. It says, "Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts <in number> infinite".
Thus the term non-dualism, as applied to the Course does not mean that there is only numerically one thing, or idea, or mind, or thought in reality. Non-dualism when it is correctly applied to this Course refers to its teaching that <only the spiritual or mental is real>, and the physical, material, bodily is not real. This is contrasted with many dualistic thought systems, including traditional Christianity, which claim that both the mind and the body are real.
Love, Robert(Hellman) Yours in Christ
http://www.miracletheodicy.com
About the author: Robert J. Hellmann has a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree in theology from Xavier University. He and his wife have been dedicated students of A Course in Miracles since 1982. Since 1991, Robert has conducted hundreds of classes and seminars intended to help fellow students in their understanding and application of the Course's teachings. He is known for the clarity with which he can express profound philosophical and theological concepts, making it easy for the ordinary reader to understand. He has one daughter and lives with his wife in Norfolk, Virginia.
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