Corresponding Manual for Teachers Section

Chapter 2: Characteristics of the Teachers of the Divine

4. Gentleness / Harmlessness

Harm is impossible for the Divine’s Teachers. They can neither harm nor be harmed. Harm is the outcome of judgment. It is the dishonest act that follows a dishonest thought. It is a judgment and verdict of guilt upon a brother or sister and therefore on oneself. It is the denial of learning toward awakening and the casting away of Peace. It demonstrates the absence of the Divine’s Curriculum, and Its temporary replacement by insanity.

Every Teacher of the Divine must learn fairly early in their training that thoughts of attack or harmfulness obliterate their function of forgiveness and awakening from their awareness. Such thoughts will make them confused, fearful, angry, and suspicious. It will make the Holy Spirit’s Lessons impossible to learn. The Divine’s appointed Teacher can only be heard by those who realize that opposition and harm can actually achieve nothing. No gain can come from them.

Therefore the Divine’s Teachers are wholly gentle. They need the Strength of Gentleness, for it is in This that the function of forgiveness and the Goal of awakening become easy. To those who would join battle or do harm these are impossible. To those to whom battle and harm have no meaning these are merely natural. What choice but this has meaning to the sane? Who chooses hell when they perceive a Way to Heaven? And who would choose the weakness that must come from harm in place of the unfailing, all-encompassing and limitless Strength of Gentleness?

The Strength of the Divine’s Teachers is in their gentleness, for they have understood that their thoughts of harmfulness came neither from their Creator nor Its Creation. Thus do they join their thoughts with That Who is their Source. And so their will, which always was the Divine’s Own, is free to be itself.