What it is
Happy Learner Church (HLC) is dedicated to peace.
It derives its name from references made to being a Happy Learner in A Course in Miracles (ACIM) and The Other Voice (TOV), two of three inspirational texts (the other being Journey Beyond Words (JBW)) that are the cornerstones of the church’s teaching. For ease of reference, I will call them the core texts (CT).
HLC encourages the purchase, reading and reflection on the teachings within these volumes. These texts have been produced by “inner dictation” as delivered by Jeshua, also known as Jesus.
Helen Schucman, who received the “inner dictation” for ACIM, notes in ACIM’s Preface section, What It Is: Although Christian in statement, the course deals with universal spiritual themes. It emphasizes that it is but one version of the universal curriculum. There are many others, this one differing from them only in form. They all lead to God in the end. (p. ix).
Accordingly (and happily) HLC does not limit itself to these texts, or only to teachings specifically attributed to Jesus, and will reference other spiritual teachings, teachers and methods as appropriate.
N.B. While every effort will be made to accurately quote the teachings of any materials referenced, for any differences between what appears here and the source text, the source shall be considered accurate.
It should also be noted that ACIM has entered the Public Domain and has no copyright. I use and quote from my copies of the work as published by The Foundation for Inner Peace.
How the church came to be
HLC was founded in September of 2017 by James Miller. In reality, James, is your Self; invulnerable Spirit. One. In illusion, he occupies the body of a male, Canadian Caucasian and does his best to follow the path of peace that is always available to him through his willingness to accept and listen to the direction of his “Other Voice”.
James states, “I hope HLC will become a place for those searching for truth to gather to discuss its nature, much like Gangaji’s satsangs.”
One of the primary distinctions to be found in CT teachings is the essential understanding that there is no evil, no guilt and no sin, because Creation, Being, simply is and has no opposite. There is only Love. Your singular Self is unopposed because there is nothing to oppose it. This makes you invulnerable and eternal. To believe you are frail, be wrong and subject to death is to believe in an illusion. All experience is and can only be of the Self, which is Love.
The power of decision is your one remaining freedom as a prisoner of this world. You can decide to see it right. What you made of it is not its reality, for its reality is only what you give it. You cannot really give anything but love to anyone or anything, nor can you really receive anything but love from them. If you think that you have received anything else, it is because you have looked within and thought you saw the power to give something else within yourself. It was only this decision that determined what you found, for it was the decision for what you sought.
You are afraid of me because you looked within and are afraid of what you saw. Yet you could not have seen reality, for the reality of your mind is the loveliest of God’s creations. Coming from God, its power and grandeur could only bring you peace if you really looked upon it. If you are afraid, it is because you saw something that is not there. Yet in the same place you could have looked on me and all your brothers, in the perfect safety of the Mind which created us. For we are there in the peace of the Father, Who wills to extend His peace through you. (ACIM T-12.VII 9-10)
Referencing ACIM for the Text, as in the above, is Text, Chapter 12, Section VII, paragraphs 9-10. A dot will follow the paragraph where reference to the level of sentence is made. See referencing for more.