Hélène Caron, translator of ACOL into French

Un Cours d’Amour is available on amazon.fr or fnac.com.

The first translation of A Course of Love was published in French, Un Cours d’Amour, in October, 2016. The lead translator was Hélène Caron of Mirabel, Quebec, who “quite spontaneously” began to translate it for herself and her friends . . . and eventually, with growing passion, for the entire French-speaking world.

Hélène is not a professional translator, although she had previously translated the entire Urtext version of A Course in Miracles as well as 1,385 Q&As about ACIM by Kenneth Wapnick—all for her daughter and a group of students. She says,

It seems like I was never tired of reading what Jesus was talking about, and what is a better way to read and understand than to translate it?

When Hélène discovered ACOL she instantly recognized the genius of Jesus, and as she began to translate,

my enthusiasm was so intense and I was so absorbed by the words of Jesus that I did not feel any fatigue. I sometimes forgot to eat. I had trouble to come down to earth after translating Jesus’ words for ten or twelve hours straight. I lost all sense of the world, didn’t do my usual chores, and at times I was surprised to find myself sitting at the computer as the words of Jesus carried me far away from my desk. I felt overwhelmed with joy and just wanted to share the book with as many ACIM students as possible.

Being so deeply grounded in ACIM, Hélène was particularly concerned that terms used in ACIM be translated in the same manner in ACOL.

Translating a spiritual masterpiece such as ACOL is extremely challenging—finding the right words for new and unusual concepts, staying true to the unique voice and style of Jesus, and yet offering the text in a way that flows well in French.

Several volunteers dedicated large amounts of time and energy to this very large project, and working together in wholeheartedness and unity offers yet another challenge. The result, through it all, is magnifique.

Read the story behind the Translation

Read Hélène’s inspiring Introduction to Un Cours d’Amour

Lorena Miño Dávila, translator of ACOL into Spanish

Coralie Pearson, translator of ACOL into Spanish

Un Curso de Amor is now available! Order through Amazon or through Fundación Amor Vivo.

The Spanish translation is a beautiful story of a holy relationship between Lorena Miño Dávila and Coralie Pearson. At an event in April 2015, John Mark Stroud, a gifted teacher of the way of Christ, suggested to Lorena, a prominent yoga teacher in Madrid, that perhaps she would consider translating A Course of Love into Spanish.

Lorena was intrigued. It “just happened” that Lorena was sharing a room at the event with someone she had never met, Coralie. Coralie is a professional translator. It was a meeting of destiny. Lorena and Coralie are, as of the end of 2016, well along toward completing the translation of Un Curso de Amor.

Lorena says,

Until I was 29, I was an intellectual. A graduate of Literature from the University of Buenos Aires, I was professor of Language and Literature and I worked with publishers. I was then totally identified with my mind. Yet I longed to know myself better, so I left my native Argentina to establish myself in Spain. It was in Spain where I first tried Yoga, which transformed my life. Yoga opened me to a spiritual dimension. Quickly I undertook the studies that allowed me to become a passionate Yoga teacher.

But life had me a few more surprises in store. When I least imagined it, A Course in Miracles came to me and revolutionized everything I had dared to think until then. As I read and studied, I thought how much I would have liked to translate and edit such treasure. I had no idea then that years later I would be offered to play just that role with A Course of Love.

What I wanted most came to me without my going to look for it! One morning in April 2015, John Mark Stroud contacted me to tell me that Spirit was leading him to suggest that I translate A Course of Love . . . and would I carry out such a task? A few days later, in a retreat by John Mark that I attended at the end of April, I shared a room with Coralie Pearson.

Upon hearing that Coralie was English and a professional translator, in addition to also being a student of the Christ teachings, I suspected that perhaps I was being asked to give her the mission. So I told her about all this and asked her to consider whether she would be the one in charge of translating ACOL. After thinking for several days, she finally answered that she felt we should both do it as a team. How can one not believe in miracles?

Since then, my life has become a flexible space in which God can move me wherever needed. To be a living example of the teachings of UCDA is my role and my happiness. www.lorenaminio.com

Coralie says:

With surprise and joy I have realized that the more than thirty years that I have spent in Spain being a linguistic and cultural bridge in the fields of diplomacy and the business world have been an excellent preparation for the function I currently perform: To translate A Course of Love into Spanish, a function that came to me in a way that could not have been imagined or foreseen.

In fact, looking back, all the circumstances of my life have fitted into place like pieces of a puzzle whose final image is unknown. The longing for something intangible that I lacked led me along the path of personal growth and spirituality.

For several years I followed the teachings of Buddhism and trained myself in healing techniques, such as Nonviolent Communication, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Techniques, and sound therapies. I came to realize that what I was looking for was Love.

At that moment, the piece of the puzzle that presented itself was A Course in Miracles with its wonderful teachings, and my life changed. Several years later came A Course of Love and now, while doing the translation, it is like having found one piece that suddenly enables you to place a whole series of others that were waiting on the side without knowing where they fitted in. Do you know that feeling?

Fundación Un Curso de Amor fue fundada con la misión de dar a conocer y extender en América Latina y el resto del mundo de habla hispana el mensaje que Jesús ha transmitido bajo la forma de “Un curso de amor”, como extensión fidedigna de la obra original “A Course of Love” y en concordancia con la organización originaria, de tal modo de servir a la humanidad para alcanzar y sostener la consciencia de Cristo. Talleres, encuentros, retiros, producción y distribución del libro en la edición completa y mucho más. If you need to contact Fundación Amor vivo, please send an email to info@fundacionamorvivo.org

¡Escucha al amor! Puedes escuchar aquí los primeros capítulos del audilibro de “Un curso de amor”, cuya grabación estoy (Lorena) aún llevando a cabo.

Yasuko Kasaki, translator of ACOL into Japanese

愛のコース is now available! Click here to find Book 1 (The Course) or click here to find Book 2 (The Treatises).

The translation is under the direction of Yasuko Kasaki, an internationally beloved spiritual writer, counselor, healer, lecturer and translator from Tokyo, Japan. Yasuko is widely recognized as the person most responsible for the spread of A Course in Miracles (ACIM) throughout Japan.

Yasuko was already a published novelist, journalist and translator when she moved to New York City from Tokyo, Japan in 1989. In the U.S. she continued to write, and several more of her original books and translations of English language books into Japanese were published in Japan in the succeeding years.

Her translations included the writings of Maya Angelou as well as some psychology and spirituality books. She discovered ACIM in 1995 and immediately was drawn into it. Since that very first moment until now, over two decades later, she has been studying and teaching ACIM.

She founded CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing), the one and only ACIM learning center in NYC, in 2004. There, ACIM classes and programs have been offered several times a week in English and Japanese since the center’s inception.

Yasuko’s Japanese translations of the ACIM Workbook lessons were the first to be published, included in 13 guidebooks on the lessons. She also translated books by ACIM teachers Jon Mundy, David Hoffmeister and Gabriel Bernstein into Japanese. She is the most known and influential ACIM teacher in Japan.

Yasuko says,

A few years before the ACOL Combined Volume edition was published, my partner, Christopher Pelham, came across a review of ACOL that spoke to him and he passed it to me. I thought, this sounds important. I ordered volume one and immediately recognized the beautiful voice of Jesus there. I eventually recommended ACOL to my current Japanese publisher, Natural Spirit, Inc., and they decided they wanted me to translate it for them. Volume One should be published sometime in 2017.

We met Mari at the Community Miracles Center’s ACIM Conference in NYC in 2015, and she encouraged us to begin teaching ACOL. I am now teaching weekly classes in Japanese while Christopher is teaching in English.

The introduction to ACIM says, “It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary.” The Prelude to ACOL builds on this idea with the words, “Pray for all those in need of miracles. To pray is to ask. But for what are you asking? This is the first instruction in this course in miracles. All are in need of miracles.” All of us are facing this thrilling time when we can experience miracles, and miracles are truly natural for us. I have been so moved by the beautiful voice of ACOL. It is my sincere wish that I can share through my translation of ACOL not only its ideas but its beauty with the Japanese people.

Anne Svendsen, Størker Svendsen and Liv Aker Hjortaas, translators of ACOL into Norwegian

Et Kurs om Kjærlighet is Now Available!

In 2010, Tone J. Schonning and Størker Svendsen were the first international visitors to ever visit St. Paul, Minnesota specifically to meet Mari Perron and share A Course of Love with her. At that time, the two Norwegians proposed that they would work together to translate ACOL into their native tongue. They each corresponded with Mari frequently over the next few years, sharing the delight that their Norwegian friends felt in reading the translated chapters in small groups.

The translation team later shifted to Størker and his wife Anne, but Mari speaks of great appreciation for the talent and heart that Tone brought to the work. This is a photo of her and Tone taken during their visit:

Following Størker and Anne’s completion of a draft manuscript, Liv Aker Hjortaas volunteered to bring the manuscript to completion. ACOL’s translation into Norwegian: Et Kurs om Kjærlighet is a tremendous undertaking.

Anne and Størker, husband and wife, are spiritual pioneers in Norway. They began reading A Course in Miracles in 1986, and A Course of Love in 2002. Størker in particular has been very active in the Miracles community for many years. He regularly corresponded with Kenneth Wapnick and was familiar with the related work of Brent Haskell.

Størker says,

When I first started reading ACOL, I immediately recognized the similarity in these slightly different expressions with the ones in ACIM. I recognized the voice of Jesus. We all must remember that words are ‘symbols for symbols,’ and therefore each reader should make his or her own interpretations of what each word means. Jesus ask each of us to be the architect of the New World, and to give birth to a new Idea of what Love and Truth really mean.

Furthermore, Jesus reminds us that our True Self has its own place in a gigantic cosmic software that enfolds the whole universe where all of humanity and Jesus hold hands. It is impossible for you to lose your place, simply because the Kingdom of God is You in union with All that Is. Then Jesus reminds us that God is not an entity, but All Being, that connects All of All from the smallest subatomic particle to this gigantic cosmic universe. We literally ‘swim in God,’ and need only experience one’s own Self to know God. This cosmic software is called the ‘Son of God,’ of which we each are an inseparable part. Thus, your brother is God as well as you.  

When you accepted to embody on our dear planet Earth you gave a secret promise of coming to expression of your own true Self, and your inheritance was your ‘seed’ for working up to your relation to All and Everything, called ‘the Christ in you.’ This wakening must happen in the eternal Now. Thus, Jesus says that your ‘Who’ is a ‘Now.’ And to know it, you must give your Now to your Brother. Only in relation between you and another is this recognition possible—as he said, where two or more are joined, God is in between.

ACIM makes it clear that something went wrong on your journey to this world. We established an in-between state called ego, which is nothing more than a self-image of who you are—a person or a mask that could represent you. This ego-self was established through a basic psychological fear that has no explanation because it is millions of years old and established through many lifetimes. Thus, each must be born again in the Now on this planet—your Resurrection. Jesus says that the Resurrection is for the living, not the dead. He reminds us to think of the caterpillar and the butterfly, and that one need only crawl out of one’s cocoon to realize inner freedom. It is a process of ‘non-identification’ with fearful and judgmental thoughts that have become a jail.

Now Jesus says that this difficulty was expected, so you were given a tool called the’ Holy Spirit.’ Again, it is vitally important to make an image of what that means: it means that you make the first Union—between your higher Mind and your Heart—thereby becoming Wholehearted. Consequently we stop judging right or wrong, good or bad. Remember that God does not even know of the miseries of this world because ‘He doesn’t look at it.’ Thus, He declares that sin is impossible and that His Son, you and your brother, are eternally innocent. Thus your Wholeheartedness does not see errors but looks beyond, a process called forgiveness or AT-ONE-MENT (Union). Therefore, Jesus says: ‘Correction is not of you – Forgiveness is.’ To be able to do this, you have to ‘resign as your own teacher’ and listen to the ‘other Voice.’

ACIM threatened your ego, or thoroughly explained how that your ‘cocoon’ is not your reality. Merely say ‘I do not know’ and God will take the next step for you!

Then Jesus clearly says that ACOL came as a continuation of ACIM into the New Time – the Time of Christ. This only means that you now are willing to awaken to your own awareness of the Presence of Love. Jesus holds your hand gently, guiding you step by step, into the journey up the high mountain where you and He hold a dialog. This is ‘the end of learning.’ The coal has turned into a diamond. Mankind will be able to take this awareness of being in relation with All That Is down into the valley of this world. Now you can remember that God is a relation: you are His Son—Christ consciousness.

Paulina Fredrikson, translator of ACOL into Swedish

Lars Gimstedt, translator of ACOL into Swedish

En Kurs i Kärlek is Now Available!

The Swedish translation team consists of Paulina Fredrikson and Lars Gimstedt. Paulina is the lead translator; Lars reviews, edits, and assists with technical matters.

Paulina says,

The gift of translating ACOL came to me by a long, winding route. I could have been happy just reading A Course of Love, enjoying the beautiful compassionate words of Jesus, enjoying a Course saying that you don’t have to struggle to learn, even saying that learning is over now and that the words in themselves are transforming. Yes, I could have done only that, but I didn’t. Click here to continue reading Paulina’s story.

Lars is the author of three books relating to ACOL, Jesus on Catching the Bull: Dialogue 1, Jesus on Elevated Form: Dialogue 2, and Jesus on Christ-Consciousness: Dialogue 3.

Lars says,

I am an ACIM student since 1986. I saw an ad in a newsletter from Community Miracles Center, clicked on a link to a YouTube presentation of ACOL by Mari, got very moved by her, and by her words—to my surprise, as the notion of a sequel to ACIM at first made me suspicious, I immediately ordered the book. And was hooked, from the first couple of sentences. And I “knew” that I wanted to initiate its translation to Swedish. Reading it deepened my understanding of ACIM, and the translation work has in itself been a time of inner transformation and deepened understanding.

Juliana Kurokawa​, translator of ACOL into Portuguese

Um Curso de Amor is Now Available!​

The story of the translation of A Course of Love into Portuguese starts with a conference held in Salvador – Brazil for A Course in Miracles students in October 2015. Jon Mundy – author, lecturer, publisher of Miracles Magazine and the Executive Director of All Faiths Seminary International in New York City – was invited to be the main speaker at the conference, which was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of ACIM.

At the occasion, Jon Mundy mentioned ACOL as one of the few books he read that was as profound as ACIM. That caught some ACIM students’ attention, as he mentioned that ACOL was a book meant for the heart.

Ana Maria Fernandez – student of ACIM, who recorded the whole Portuguese edition of ACIM in audio – was one of the people who was interested in what Jon Mundy shared about ACOL. She bought the (English) edition as soon as the conference was over.

Little did Ana know that this would be the beginning of a beautiful love story with ACOL and bringing its message to Portuguese-speaking people.

At the conference, Juliana Kurokawa – translator of ACOL into Portuguese – had to take a flight to Salvador for the conference, but it was canceled. Her “misfortune” was mysteriously the trigger for Ana, who was organizing the logistics of the conference, to start a conversation with her. They soon found out that they shared their love for Jesus and a willingness to live and share His message.

Ana heard a voice in her heart that she should spend some time with Juliana, who lives about 1900 km from her. In March 2016, Ana spent one week with Juliana and, on their last day when she was about to leave, Ana heard the same voice telling her she should give her ACOL book to Juliana. She didn’t like that instruction because she wanted to keep her book! In the end, she gave the book to Juliana with the words: “For Juliana, with immense gratitude for putting me in touch with a group that is one heart. Love, Ana.”

(Since that conference, Juliana started translating Jon Mundy’s texts for the Miracles Magazine as a volunteer. This opened the door for her also to translate Quantum Forgiveness, David Hoffmeister’s book. She also did the simultaneous translation for an online weekend conference held by David and his Peace Messengers. After that, she translated three more books by David Hoffmeister, and did the consecutive translation of one more online retreat and two ACIM conferences in São Paulo.)

Juliana says,

I was surprised to receive the book as a gift from Ana, as I didn’t have much interest in ACOL. I started reading it and, after about three chapters, I decided that I didn’t have the time that I thought ACOL demanded, so I put it aside and labeled it a “future plan.”

In the course of searching for new sources to my studies of ACIM, I found John Mark Stroud’s website. I was very touched by the free and open way he shares his teachings and was especially touched by his commented movies. After sharing his comments to a movie in Portuguese to a group of friends, I was so deeply moved by the experience we had that I wrote an e-mail to John Mark and offered to translate his texts so that I could share them with the Brazilian students. Surprise, surprise! John Mark wrote me back saying that he felt he should put me in touch with Glenn Hovemann so that I could consider the possibility of translating ACOL into Portuguese!

Wow, I thought, Jesus won’t leave me alone! What is it with this book?

So I contacted Glenn, who I now consider a mighty companion and a very dear friend, and more surprises were to come! One of the conditions Glenn established for me was to read all of ACOL before I committed to translate it. He told me it shouldn’t simply be another job I took, but something that touched my heart. He knew that this would make me fall in love with Jesus’ loving way to change the way I looked at myself. And it worked! I was in love with the perfectly imperfect Juliana!

Life is so amazing! Glenn and his wife, Meera, had planned to be in Argentina and suggested that we meet in person. In February 2017, a group of four Brazilians comprised of Ana Maria Fernandez, her sister Olga Fernandez, and her therapist and dear friend Marcos Vindusek, and me, went to Argentina to meet with Sebastian Blaksley, Cynthia Graciarena, who were the founders of the foundation for ACOL in Argentina, Lorena Miño, one the translators of ACOL to Spanish, Glenn and Meera. We also had the remote participation of Coralie Pearson, who is the lead Spanish translator.

We spent a wonderful weekend together, shared our lives, our hearts, and were deeply connected to each other. We all shared our love to Jesus and were there for One Purpose. We all wanted to be instruments for the message of ACOL to be spread to the most people.

As for me, I can’t really measure how deeply ACOL has touched my heart. My life has changed completely since I have been graciously blessed with this life-changing gift. Everything I need has been provided, including a very loving group of three people who assist me in the translation, Ana Maria Fernandez, Débora Corrêa and Sergio Condé.

And most of all, my heart has become bigger and bigger and it’s surprising to see how much more I’m able to embrace.

My feeling is that ACOL works in mysterious ways and before you know it, it becomes your whole life.

Een Cursus van Liefde is Now Available!

Ein Kurs der Liebe, Book 1 is Now Available!

The translation of ACOL into German has been completed by Elimar Orlopp, Eva-Maria Großheide, and Oliver Bender.

爱的课程 is in the process of being translated.

Jet Yuan is leading a translation group who are also long-term ACIM students. They have completed about one third of the book, and the approximate date of publication is mid-2023.

사랑수업 is Now Available!

The translation is under the direction of Kooyoung Kang, who translated A Course In Miracles (Original Edition).
Mr. Kang is working with a team of reviewers and commentators. The translation is in the beginning stage, and it’s expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Kurz Lásky is in the process of being translated.

Details to come.