Spiritual DNA: What Jesus Said
Helen Schucman, an atheist, and a professor of medical psychology at Columbia University, started receiving messages from an inner voice in 1965 which she took down on a stenographer's notebook. The voice, she later concluded was Jesus, dictated to her almost daily. She filled more than 30 notebooks over a period of seven years and turned her transcripts over to a foundation because she did not want to be connected with them. The foundation closely controlled their use until April 27, 2004 when a decision by Judge Robert Sweet, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, released the information to the public domain. Their authenticity has never been disputed. Ron Actis condensed the text to make it easier to read and understand and gave it a new title to better describe its content. He did not edit it. He selected key sentences and passages of Jesus' exact words. Ron included all the lessons, but summarized the discussion for each of them.
In the Epilogue of the condensed book, Ron identifies the 10 Core Beliefs of ACIM, composed a prayer that captures the essence of the Course and offers a selection of 99 profound statements made by Jesus.
Jesus explains what the holy relationship should be with God, Christ, the Holy Spirit and mankind. That relationship requires a change in the way a person thinks about it - a change of mind. The mind is all-powerful and must make choices between a person's ego and his Holy Spirit who represents God's Will. It takes understanding of God's Will, the roles of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, fellow human beings, the ego, the self and the 10 dimensions of spiritual DNA (10 Characteristics of God's teachers). And it takes daily awareness and practice.
Author Ron Actis summarizes what Jesus said are the key steps to peace of mind and happiness:
Live in the present - the moment - and the future will take care of itself. Let go of negative memories of the past and do not allow them to re-enter your mind.
See people as perfect and overlook their faults. See Jesus and yourself in all of them, and be kind and helpful to them.
When you sense a negative emotion, reaction to others or thought, immediately ask yourself, "What would Jesus think?" Overlook what caused it, let it go and proceed to live in the moment. Think of the 10 spiritual DNA dimensions.
Seek guidance from the Holy Spirit in you, in how to think and behave as God created you.
