LESSON FORTY FOUR

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: The Course text is in bold face. The Guidance is in normal type In His Guidance, He has asked Me to capitalize the pronouns You and We as an acknowledgement of the Divinity of All of Us, an acknowledgement of Equality, an expression of His Love and respect for You. When You see the word ‘YOU’ capitalized in the Guidance, know that He is not just speaking to YOU, He is honoring YOU.

Workbook PART I

L e s s o n 44

God is the Light in which I see.

His lens of understanding are my Source of Vision; a fountain of clarity.  Although I have seemed to mix metaphors here, if You will bear with Me, You will also see. For God is All; thus He is both context: the Light, and content: the eyes with which We think We see.

Since the seeming separation, all the Sons of God seem separate indeed. Yet ‘seeming’ is quite far from Reality. Don’t be fooled by it.  Measure Reality by this standard: Is it blessing All?  If so, it is Real.

God is Light; as He – i.e. when consciousness flows from Him – there’s no darkness at all.

¹ Today we are continuing with the idea for yesterday, adding another dimension to it. You cannot see in darkness, and you cannot make light. You can make darkness – refusing to see – and then think you see in it, but light reflects life – Light does Presence Life – and is therefore an aspect of creation. Life is seen as Light, which is Its Substance; and vice versa. Creation and darkness cannot coexist, but light and life must go together, being but different aspects of creation – of equal import.

² In order to see, one must recognize that light is within, – within consciousness – not without. You do not see outside yourself,  – for Your Self is Mind – nor is the equipment for seeing outside you. An essential part of this equipment is the light that makes seeing possible.  You do see with Mind, for Vision is a part of Consciousness. It is with you always, making vision possible in every circumstance. Vision does not depend on optics, but on God’s Will You see.

³ Today we are going to attempt to reach that light. For that purpose, we will use a form of practice which has been suggested once before and which we will utilize increasingly. It is a particularly difficult form for the undisciplined mind because it represents a major goal of mind training. It embodies precisely what the untrained mind lacks. Yet the training must be accomplished if you are to see. Please pay attention.

⁴ 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 merely slipping by with little or no sense of strain. The form of exercise 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.  That thought in mind, let’s commence more training!

⁵ 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 form, you leave behind everything that you now believe and all the thoughts which you have made up. Properly speaking, this is the release from hell. Perceived through the ego’s eyes, it is loss of identity and a descent into hell.  Will You trust Me – Your Elder Brother – or will You trust ego?  So far, it’s been ego; it’s time for change!

⁶ If you can stand aside from the ego ever so little, you will have no difficulty in recognizing that its opposition and fears are meaningless. It guards what isn’t real ferociously, for it is insane! And – most importantly – it isn’t You. 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. What are Gifts of Light? They’re the Gifts of God. Let Us continue. God is the Light in which you see. For seeing is but an activity of Mind, and God is Your Holy Vision. You are attempting to reach Him.  Yet obviously He is right at hand and everywhere (and every when as well).

⁷ 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. For Consciousness longs to be You again, having so long been displaced by body. It is merely taking its natural course. Like a river unshackled by a dam. Try to observe your passing thoughts without involvement and slip quietly by them.

Leave thoughts to ramble without You. Why not! You can just ignore them. Like autumn leaves blown from the trees, their time is past for their seasons are over. So, too, the ego.

⁸ While no particular form of approach is advocated, 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. You’re regaining Your mind held so long captive by the ego. Salvation is your happiest accomplishment. It is also the only one that has any meaning because it is the only one that has any use to you at all.

What is salvation but freedom from ego domination.

⁹ 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. Fear not the Light for it can only show the beauty of the Holy Son of God. Try, however, to return to the exercises as soon as possible. And so be reassured that You are quite loved and safe, and all is forever well.

¹⁰ 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.  God has ordained unending Good for You.

¹¹ Throughout the day, repeat the idea often with eyes open or closed as seems better to you at the time. Do not forget. Above all, be determined not to forget today. 

Love’s Gifts await You. All of this is Truth.