A Tribute to Kenneth Wapnick

Ken Wapnick has been the most profoundly positive person in my life. He was one of the most brilliant and kindest persons I have ever known.

I first saw Ken at UC San Diego 33 years ago, in 1981, at a talk he gave with Jerry Jampolsky, Bill Thetford, and Carol (sorry, I misplaced her full name). I had just finished 16 months of reading the whole Course, and practicing my first year with the workbook. I needed help in mining the benefits that the Course pointed toward. Thrilled by the depth of his presentation of the Course, I felt that Ken was the person who could help me get what I needed from those books.

Shortly after the San Diego presentation, I wrote Ken a sort of stream of consciousness letter in which I catalogued various ways I hated myself. We had not actually met, yet he responded to me as if I were a close friend. On an ancient typewriter, he wrote me a hugely comforting letter with a hilarious ending "don't sweat the small stuff!"

Not long after, I called him about a break-up with a girl-friend to ask how to use the principles of ACIM to soothe my pain. At the time I was living near the Santa Monica Pier. Once again he knew the right things to say to me, which included "Throw those books off the end of the pier , and be human. "

The half dozen or so times I attended his workshops over the years, Ken always treated me as a treasured old friend. Incredibly gracious, kind, unpretentious, he was the pinnacle of integrity.

Ken's book, "Forgiveness and Jesus" was hugely helpful to me. The recordings of his talks and seminars have been especially helpful. To this day I listen to them-now on my iPhone, with deepening benefit. Ken's personal example amplified the power of his work.

Ken's works have been an ever-present often-relied-upon essential support to me in using the principles of A Course in Miracles. His works have vastly improved my life.

I am eternally grateful.

How many apples are there in a seed? Who knows? I was one of Ken's apples and he was one of God's chosen seeds.

I met Ken once in Temecula. He did not know me. I was just another apple in the barrel that cried out for help and was given the gift of A Course in Miracles.

When I heard that Ken made his transition, I was shocked, mad, angry and sad and fearful. All the thoughts that I have been trying to change just came up and hit me in the face again. Death-Death-Death Blame-Blame-Blame GOD—GOD—GOD. For some reason I thought Ken was exempt. He was not like the rest of us. He knew Helen, Helen knew Jesus. He had connections to the Big Guy. He could live to be 100. I had plenty of time to go back to Temecula.

So Ken's death gave me another opportunity to look at the temporal condition of this life on earth and review once again and grow up.

I spent most of the day with Ken on my computer watching and listening to his messages. My husband and I grieved, cried and gave thanks for Ken.

When we went to bed that night I woke up about 2 am. Ken was in the middle of our bed between me and my husband. He was holding my left hand. He did not talk, but assured me that he was always present. Wow!! Ken came to me.

Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists, here in lies the peace of GOD,

Thank you Ken, for showing me once again the truth and the way. You are a MIRACLE of LOVE

Happy Valentine's Day February 14, 2014

Thanks Ken. It seems a brother has disappeared from the earth. In truth, a bright and wondrous star appeared above us, to lead our steps to reach him there.

Thanks Ken for your teachings, dedication and brotherhood, but above all, thanks for your Love.

Each day, and each minute of the day your voice resonates within, guiding my steps, caring for me, giving me strength and reassuring me that soon I will be there.

You are the living proof that Jesus' Course does work. The rest is but our own willingness to reach you there, so we are just with you as you have always been with us.

From Colombia we join in this deserved tribute that the students of A Course in Miracles want to offer Dr. Kenneth Wapnick.

Ken, as we usually say when referring to him, has been and will remain present in our daily practice of the Course, shining his light and guidance on us; shedding his clarity and comprehension on our understanding; stressing love, respect and kindness in all our relationships; "shaking us up" so we let go of the unloving thoughts we are enmeshed in; and as though that were not enough, encouraging us to actually live the Course.

We did not have the good fortune of meeting him in person, but through our permanent contact with his valuable materials he became a close and familiar presence evidence of which shows up all the time. It is as though we were having an intimate conversation with him.

Words are not enough to express our affection for Ken, our huge gratitude for his legacy, for everything he gave us and for the mark he has left on our lives. He taught us to love the Course, to understand it, to apply it, to live it and to recognize its full import. With his example, he showed us respect for the purity of the message, he taught us how simple and practical it is; and he enabled us to clearly see with perfect certainty that the Course need not be complemented with anything else.

Ken, thank you for being part of our lives. Thank you for bringing within reach the experience of the plan for salvation that Jesus is showing us through the Course. Thank you for being a light in the darkness of illusions. Thank you for witnessing to awakening and certainty.

A thousand and one thanks!

You are always in our heart!

I just want to extend to Dr. Kenneth Wapnick my heartfelt and INFINITE THANKS!

The best tribute I want to pay him is to uphold my commitment to live this experience choosing the Holy Spirit in everything, with everyone, always.

Thank YOU, Dr. Wapnick, for your wisdom, your teaching, your humor thank you for extending your LOVE.

I feel like I was one of Ken's "last miracles." Of course, it was not his miracle but my own, since it was my shift in perception, but know I could not have done it without Ken's help. Ken always chose Life and so reminded us all how to get there. In the last year or so there were a number of people facing tough issues in their lives, and Ken would happily tell them that they chose Life instead of death. As Ken was laying aside his body, I was moving out to Temecula. I thought I'd have time with him in form, but that was not to be. Still, it was and is a symbol of my choosing Life. And since I know he would never choose death, I know he is still very near. Love and hugs in absolute gratitude for helping me understand, Ken! I miss you but also know you are right here with me.

Dear Gloria & FACIM Family & Staff,

I recently lost my mother and my grief process has surprised me. I have had reactions to expressions of sympathy and support that I could never have seen coming. Remembering the difference between content and form, as Ken so eloquently put it, has been so helpful. I can see the love that is within the communication, regardless of what my ego yammers on about in its rather incessant commentary. And that helps me respond lovingly and appropriately, as Ken advised. But this time it is easy, because I understand why, and I don't have to feel like I am somehow being ''untrue'' to myself because I'm not listening to that very compelling ego of mine.

What a relief I can't tell you how many years of therapy did not teach me that difference. And I am so grateful to you, Ken, and your work together. Your delivery of truly effective teaching aids at very affordable prices gave me the opportunity to use his and your wisdom and insight on how to understand and apply the Course.

It is only very recently that I have begun to understand (and practice) forgiveness at all. But every victory of shared interests that I experienced in the last year within my highly divided family system during my mothers illness taught me something both powerful and humbling. I moved beyond judgment into a place that was truly available. I became a much better listener. I was helpful, because it was no longer about me.

I wasn't perfect, but I was different, and I felt it, as did some of my family members, and it has greatly lessened the pain that would have been present now (for all of us) if I hadn't learned, through you and Ken, why and how to apply forgiveness. So it is doubly sad for me to learn of Ken's death. It comes at a time when the world already feels a little empty of loving support. I remind myself that this is part of the illusion, but feelings are feelings, and one of the things I appreciated most about Ken was his patience with process and his understanding of how difficult feelings are the process, not to be ignored, or banished, but ultimately forgiven, too.

I believe the only real value of this life of mine is in studying the Course. I have had a long one of "seek but do not find," and in recent years it has been a great comfort to know that what my ego would call a complete waste of a life has been fully redeemed because of my opportunity to study the Course—and with such a fine, [me teacher. I feel that I am putting pavers in the road to my atonement and that is a great comfort.

I still suffer a great deal from resistance. And perhaps more than anything else I appreciate Ken's talking about that. It has made it possible to stay with the Course especially given the compassion Ken taught me to have for what it is I think I'm doing by giving up the ego. Helen & Bill brought the Course to us, but Ken made it come alive, made it make sense, made it possible for me to understand why I did not want it to make sense.

I believe this letter will arrive too late for your publishing deadline, as I only learned of his death on February 12 and cannot get this into the mail until the 13th • But I wanted to write you, and tell you these things anyway, because I am sad for our loss, and so very, very grateful for the legacy of his life and yours. It has made it possible for me to redeem mine. My life has meaning because I needed the Course and I needed a teacher who would not flinch at telling me what it meant. I needed a teacher who could be as evenhanded and kind as Jesus' voice is in the Course. And I needed a teacher who would not put himself above me as he explained what it was I did not want to hear. I got all of that and more in Ken, who was one of the greatest gifts of my lifetime, even though I only saw him speak twice, but heard him over and over and over again on many a CD and workbook training manual that I will continue to mine for content on how to handle all of this messy form.

Thank you so very much for supporting him so thoroughly in these efforts. They have made a real and lasting difference in my life, and I hope in any lifetimes to come. I cannot express my gratitude deeply enough, but thank you for giving me the chance to try. I have no need or desire to have this published and don't expect you to be able to include it because of the late offering. Certainly you are welcome to if you do, but I don't want my name published. After all, when I am in my right mind, I ask the Holy Spirit by saying: "Well, I'm not here, so, what do you want me to do?" I can't say I "hear" an answer, but it certainly helps me to continue to get out of the way. And that's enough. Thank you again. With love and deep appreciation,

Anonymous

What a fortune to have known this man.

To experience him is to be shocked at inner resistance in the face of a mind distilled of impurities, and then be flooded with the sanity and innocent love that is Ken.

Ken pointed not to himself but to Jesus who said, "There is no veil the Love of God in us together cannot lift." T-16.1V.13:9

Ken is not absent as our friend and guide, and never will be.

In Memory of Dr. Ken Wapnick

I will be forever grateful to Ken as a teacher, friend and mentor. I studied with him for many years attending his classes in New York for psychotherapists who wanted to understand and integrate the psycho-spiritual principles of ACIM into their practices.

He truly helped to keep me on track during the early years of my spiritual path. When I would get discouraged and felt I was making slow progress or making mistakes he would say "Your Job is not to be without an ego, but to forgive yourself for having one. Mistakes call for correction, not condemnation."

He encouraged me when I wrote my "Soul Visioning" book and when I shared ideas for my second book. I feel that he will continue to help many of us who seek his assistance from the other side.

Thank you Ken for your uncompromising dedication to helping us to remember our true spiritual identity and our oneness with the Divine and each other.

Until we meet again . ..love and gratitude,

Susan Wisehart

Hi Ken,

As every lesson, faithfully rehearsed bring us more swiftly to this holy place and leaves us, for a moment, to our Self. One Self, with one Creator and one goal: to bring awareness of this oneness to all minds.

Our Father, .. we are Your messengers ... We are not separate from your eternal life ... And we abide where you have placed us, in the life we share with You ... to be like You and part of You forever ... Amen.

Ideas leave not their Source. We will not ask for death in any form today.

In Love and Gratitude,

Alberto Mendoza