Lesson 44

Lesson 44

God is the light in which I see.

Today we are continuing the idea for yesterday, adding another dimension to it. You cannot see in darkness, and you cannot make light. You can make darkness and then think you see in it, but light reflects life, and is therefore an aspect of creation. Creation and darkness cannot coexist, but light and life must go together, being but different aspects of creation.

In order to see, you must recognize that light is within, not without. You do not see outside yourself, nor is the equipment for seeing outside you. An essential part of this equipment is the light that makes seeing possible. It is with you always, making vision possible in every circumstance.

Today we are going to attempt to reach that light. For this purpose, we will use a form of exercise which has been suggested before, and which we will utilize increasingly. It is a particularly difficult form for the undisciplined mind, and represents a major goal of mind training. It requires precisely what the untrained mind lacks. Yet this training must be accomplished if you are to see.

Have at least three practice periods today, each lasting three to five minutes. A longer time is highly recommended, but only if you find the time slipping by with little or no sense of strain. The form of practice we will use today is the most natural and easy one in the world for the trained mind, just as it seems to be the most unnatural and difficult for the untrained mind.

Your mind is no longer wholly untrained. You are quite ready to learn the form of exercise we will use today, but you may find that you will encounter strong resistance. The reason is very simple. While you practice in this way, you leave behind everything that you now believe, and all the thoughts that you have made up. Properly speaking, this is the release from hell. Yet perceived through the ego’s eyes, it is loss of identity and a descent into hell.

If you can stand aside from the ego by ever so little, you will have no difficulty in recognizing that its opposition and its fears are meaningless. You might find it helpful to remind yourself, from time to time, that to reach light is to escape from darkness, whatever you may believe to the contrary. God is the light in which you see. You are attempting to reach Him.

Begin the practice period by repeating today’s idea with your eyes open, and close them slowly, repeating the idea several times more. Then try to sink into your mind, letting go every kind of interference and intrusion by quietly sinking past them. Your mind cannot be stopped in this unless you choose to stop it. It is merely taking its natural course. Try to observe your passing thoughts without involvement, and slip quietly by them.

While no particular approach is advocated for this form of exercise, what is needful is a sense of the importance of what you are doing; its inestimable value to you, and an awareness that you are attempting something very holy. Salvation is your happiest accomplishment. It is also the only one that has any meaning, because it is the only one that has any real use to you at all.

If resistance rises in any form, pause long enough to repeat today’s idea, keeping your eyes closed unless you are aware of fear. In that case, you will probably find it more reassuring to open your eyes briefly. Try, however, to return to the exercises with eyes closed as soon as possible.

If you are doing the exercises correctly, you should experience some sense of relaxation, and even a feeling that you are approaching, if not actually entering into light. Try to think of light, formless and without limit, as you pass by the thoughts of this world. And do not forget that they cannot hold you to the world unless you give them the power to do so.

Throughout the day repeat the idea often, with eyes open or closed as seems better to you at the time. But do not forget. Above all, be determined not to forget today.

Journal

To be honest, I was dreading this lesson. I have always found meditation so hard. This time, as I approached the lesson, I felt my heart sink. What if I still cannot do this lesson successfully? What will that mean for me? I recognized those as dark ego thoughts. Heavy thoughts. Discouraging thoughts. I asked Jesus to help me see this differently.

“God is the light in which you see. You are attempting to reach Him.”

That is the sentence that was most meaningful to me this morning. It was also intimidating. In attempting to reach the light, I am attempting to reach God. I felt fear course through me and again, I realized that is just old ego thoughts trying to darken my mind to the possibility, even to the desirability of success.

So I went to my sanctuary and I sat in my meditation chair. I bought it last year and it’s still like new. ~smile~ I began the meditation and I did notice so many ego thoughts showing up, but I repeated that God is the Light in which I see each time I noticed the thoughts. I remembered that when I say the name of God the angels surround the ground on which I stand. They are here to keep me safe and to shelter my mind from every worldly thought.

Around you angels hover lovingly, to keep away all darkened thoughts of sin, and keep the light where it has entered in (T-26.IX.7:1).

Angels light the way, so that all darkness vanishes, and you are standing in a light so bright and clear that you can understand all things you see (W-pI.131.13:2).

This was very comforting and it was encouraging. I started doing what the lesson said. I would notice thoughts and sink below them. In about 20 minutes, I achieved something I have never done before. I felt the Light of God surround me. I stayed with it for a couple of minutes longer and then I reemerged into the world. It was an extraordinary experience. I thanked Jesus for His help and the angels that they protected my mind from darkness.

Past Entries

Vision is not a function of the body’s eyes. Vision takes place at the level of mind. God is in my mind and therefore light is in my mind. This is how I see. I think of the moments when suddenly everything became clear to me and I would say, “Oh, I see!”  This is seeing as it truly exists; it is a knowing. When I look with ego, I look through my body’s eyes and see in darkness, which is not seeing at all.

I have simply planted images in my mind and then pretend they actually exist. I give the body eyes in which to view images as if they are real, and of course, the eyes provide a logic to the illusion. I “see” these forms so they must be real is how the ego’s logic convinces me that insanity is sanity. And so I have called that seeing. All of this happens only in the ego mind, which is a small dark closet in which I imagine I keep the Son of God imprisoned. In it I surround myself with my meaningless thoughts and believe I am safe from God, and tell myself this place is the only place there is.

This practice is my way out of the darkness I have made, and into the light that God created. It is hard to believe that my eyes don’t actually see and the world I made is not really lit. I have accepted all this as reality for so long now. I want to see, though, and as I close my eyes to the illusion of light, I ask for help to let the world of my dreams go so that I can learn to truly see.