Raveena Nash, author of “A Tale of Truth” speaks in depth about her children’s book “A Course in Miracles.”
Question-01 : Q) You tend to focus on spiritual topics in your books. Have you ever thought of writing other genres?
Answer : A) If you had asked me that question 20 years ago I would have said, “yes,” as I was, at one time, interested in writing crime stories. However, I now focus solely on spirituality because I think this is only thing that really makes sense in this world of ours. I have studied a number of different spiritual teachings and it was only when I discovered A Course in Miracles (ACIM) that I realised I had finally found what I had been looking for.
Question-02 : Why were you attracted to A Course in Miracles?
Answer : Because it makes sense to both my logical mind and to my intuition. It just seems to resonate with me. ACIM tells us that we are part of God and are one with Him and with all others. This is pure non-duality. Therefore, we could not have possibly split away from Heaven. So the fall or the separation did not really take place. What happened was that we had a dream of separation, in which the ego and the world of time and space were created to take the place of God and Heaven. But everything in this world and everything we experience is not outside ourselves. It only exists in our minds. The whole aim of ACIM, which is a modern day channelled teaching from Jesus, is to get us to change our minds about the world and remember our oneness with God. If we really understand that the world is unreal—a mere invention of the illusory ego—then we can change our minds about it, awaken from the illusion and return to our original Source. And the way to do that is through forgiveness and letting go of our attachment to everything in the earth plane.
Question-03 : Is A Course in Miracles a well-known spiritual path?
Answer : Well, it is gaining ground and it has now been translated into 25 languages. But it is a very radical teaching because it states categorically that God did not create this world or the human body. It stresses that thought cannot be made into flesh. Therefore, the majority of people would find it difficult to accept. However, over time I am sure it will become more widespread. But what is refreshing about ACIM is that Jesus tells us that there are many, many different spiritual paths back to God and ACIM is not suitable for everyone. Each of us should be free to choose the spiritual path that suits us best. However, ACIM has touched the lives of many people around the world and it is supposed to speed up the awakening or enlightenment process.
Question-04 : You referred earlier in this interview to non-duality. Could you elaborate on this?
Answer : Well, very simply it is the belief that everything is God; there is no God and us, there is simply God, and we, as eternal spirit created by Him, are one with Him. There is no subject or object, no you or me, no yin or yang and no heaven or hell. There is just God and his creations, which are spirit. There is just total oneness; anything else is an illusion. Yes, we do perceive duality in this world. We perceive time and space, male and female, up and down, hot and cold, good and bad, etc., but ACIM tells us that all this has just been projected out of our minds and is unreal. It only exists in the mental plane. Everything that is finite, limited, transient and subject to change is an illusion or a dream. Jesus even refers to it as an hallucination. He describes non-duality like this: “He created you out of Himself, but still within Him.”
Question-05 : Why did you decide to simplify the teachings of A Course in Miracles for children?
Answer : Well I think the more spiritual books children are given to read, the better. We live in a very materialistic age, where consumerism seems to have become a key motivating force. I believe children need to remember their spiritual origins and be taught about the message of love, oneness, non-judgment and forgiveness that is the essence of A Course in Miracles.
Question-06 : Do you have any advice you would like to share with others?
Answer : Yes, most definitely. Consider what non-duality really means. Study it and see if it makes sense. I think it is a vitally important concept because if everyone in this world could accept that we are all one, it would be the end of all hate, crime, war and acts of terrorism on this planet. It is because we are so fragmented into different races, different nationalities, different social classes, different religions and different political ideologies that all these atrocities take place. But if we truly believe that all others are, in fact, part of us and part of God, all we could do is to extend love to them.
Question-07 : What can you tell us about your former work?
Answer : I have worked for a short while in the media. I have also spent many years as a mathematics teacher and I have worked with children who have learning difficulties. I enjoy simplifying mathematics for children, as many of them struggle with this subject. I enjoy working with numbers, and it is rewarding to see children make progress in this subject.
Question-08 : Can you tell us about your hobbies?
Answer : I am a nature lover and enjoy going for long country walks or along the coast, smelling the fresh sea air. I like gardening and watching the birds in the garden. I like baking cakes and I also play the piano. I enjoy watching whodunits and comedies on television. That is just escapism! But mostly I do a lot of reading. That is one of my favourite pastimes.
Question-09 : Do you have any pets?
Answer : I love cats! I have nearly always had them as pets. I find them intriguing, beautiful and very graceful. I like the fact that they are very independent but that they can also be very loyal and loving.
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