The importance of this idea lies in the fact that it contains a correction for a major perceptual distortion. You think that what upsets you is a frightening world, or a sad world, or a violent world, or an insane world. All these attributes are given it by you. The world is meaningless in itself.

These exercises are done with eyes open. Look around you, this time quite slowly. Try to pace yourself so that the slow shifting of your glance from one thing to another involves a fairly constant time interval. Do not allow the time of the shift to become markedly longer or shorter, but try, instead, to keep a measured, even tempo throughout. What you see does not matter. You teach yourself this as you give whatever your glance rests on equal attention and equal time. This is a beginning step in learning to give them all equal value.

As you look about you, say to yourself:

I think I see a fearful world, a dangerous world, a hostile world, a sad world, a wicked world, a crazy world ...

and so on, using whatever descriptive terms happen to occur to you. If terms which seem positive rather than negative occur to you, include them. For example, you might think of "a good world," or "a satisfying world." If such terms occur to you, use them along with the rest. You may not yet understand why these "nice" adjectives belong in these exercises but remember that a "good world" implies a "bad" one, and a "satisfying world" implies an "unsatisfying" one. All terms which cross your mind are suitable subjects for today's exercises. Their seeming quality does not matter.

Be sure that you do not alter the time intervals between applying today's idea to what you think is pleasant and what you think is unpleasant. For the purposes of these exercises, there is no difference between them. At the end of the practice period, add:

But I am upset because I see a meaningless world.

What is meaningless is neither good nor bad. Why, then, should a meaningless world upset you? If you could accept the world as meaningless and let the truth be written upon it for you, it would make you indescribably happy. But because it is meaningless, you are impelled to write upon it what you would have it be. It is this you see in it. It is this that is meaningless in truth. Beneath your words is written the Word of God. The truth upsets you now, but when your words have been erased, you will see His. That is the ultimate purpose of these exercises.

Three or four times is enough for practicing the idea for today. Nor should the practice periods exceed a minute. You may find even this too long. Terminate the exercises whenever you experience a sense of strain.

𐑞 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑓𐑨𐑒𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑟 𐑩 𐑒𐑼𐑧𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑓 𐑩 𐑥𐑱𐑡𐑼 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑗𐑵𐑩𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑿 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑳𐑐𐑕𐑧𐑑𐑕 𐑿 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑓𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑹 𐑩 𐑕𐑨𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑹 𐑩 𐑝𐑲𐑩𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑹 𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑱𐑯 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛. 𐑷𐑤 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑨𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑚𐑿𐑑𐑕 𐑸 𐑜𐑦𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑿. 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑑𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓.

𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑸 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑲𐑟 𐑴𐑐𐑩𐑯. 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑼𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑿, 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑕𐑤𐑴𐑤𐑦. 𐑑𐑮𐑲 𐑑 𐑐𐑱𐑕 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑕𐑴 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑕𐑤𐑴 𐑖𐑦𐑓𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑕 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑟 𐑩 𐑓𐑺𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑝𐑩𐑤. 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩𐑤𐑬 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑝 𐑞 𐑖𐑦𐑓𐑑 𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑥𐑸𐑒𐑩𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑤𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑼 𐑹 𐑖𐑹𐑑𐑼, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑑𐑮𐑲, 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑛, 𐑑 𐑒𐑰𐑐 𐑩 𐑥𐑧𐑠𐑼𐑛, 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑴 𐑔𐑮𐑵𐑬𐑑. 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑕𐑰 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑨𐑑𐑼. 𐑿 𐑑𐑰𐑗 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑿 𐑜𐑦𐑝 𐑢𐑪𐑑𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑕 𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑕 𐑪𐑯 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤 𐑩𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑯 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤 𐑑𐑲𐑥. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑦𐑯 𐑤𐑻𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑜𐑦𐑝 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑷𐑤 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤 𐑝𐑨𐑤𐑿.

𐑨𐑟 𐑿 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑿, 𐑕𐑱 𐑑 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓:

𐑲 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑲 𐑕𐑰 𐑩 𐑓𐑽𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑩 𐑛𐑱𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑩 𐑣𐑪𐑕𐑑𐑲𐑤 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑩 𐑕𐑨𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑩 𐑢𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑩 𐑒𐑮𐑱𐑟𐑦 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 ...

𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑪𐑯, 𐑿𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑪𐑑𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑𐑦𐑝 𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑩𐑒𐑻 𐑑 𐑿. 𐑦𐑓 𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑕𐑰𐑥 𐑐𐑪𐑟𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑝 𐑮𐑨𐑞𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑯𐑧𐑜𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑝 𐑩𐑒𐑻 𐑑 𐑿, 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑓 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑤, 𐑿 𐑥𐑲𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑝 "𐑩 𐑜𐑫𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛," 𐑹 "𐑩 𐑕𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑓𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛." 𐑦𐑓 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑟 𐑩𐑒𐑻 𐑑 𐑿, 𐑿𐑟 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑩𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑. 𐑿 𐑥𐑱 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑘𐑧𐑑 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑲 𐑞𐑰𐑟 "𐑯𐑲𐑕" 𐑨𐑡𐑦𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑚𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑩 "𐑜𐑫𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛" 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑩 "𐑚𐑨𐑛" 𐑢𐑳𐑯, 𐑯 𐑩 "𐑕𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑓𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛" 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑩𐑯 "𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑓𐑲𐑦𐑙" 𐑢𐑳𐑯. 𐑷𐑤 𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑸 𐑕𐑵𐑑𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟. 𐑞𐑺 𐑕𐑰𐑥𐑦𐑙 𐑒𐑢𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑨𐑑𐑼.

𐑚𐑰 𐑖𐑫𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑷𐑤𐑑𐑼 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑢𐑰𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑦𐑟 𐑐𐑤𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑦𐑟 𐑳𐑯𐑐𐑤𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑑. 𐑓 𐑞 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟, 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑴 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑢𐑰𐑯 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑝 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛, 𐑨𐑛:

𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑳𐑐𐑕𐑧𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑲 𐑕𐑰 𐑩 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛.

𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑲𐑞𐑼 𐑜𐑫𐑛 𐑯𐑹 𐑚𐑨𐑛. 𐑢𐑲, 𐑞𐑧𐑯, 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑩 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑳𐑐𐑕𐑧𐑑 𐑿? 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑑 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑯 𐑤𐑧𐑑 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑔 𐑚𐑰 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑪𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑓 𐑿, 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑿 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑩𐑚𐑤𐑦 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦. 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕, 𐑿 𐑸 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑛 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑩𐑐𐑪𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑦𐑑 𐑚𐑰. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑿 𐑕𐑰 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑑. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑦𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑔. 𐑚𐑦𐑯𐑰𐑔 𐑘𐑹 𐑢𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑦𐑟 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑞 ·𐑢𐑻𐑛 𐑝 ·𐑜𐑪𐑛. 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑔 𐑳𐑐𐑕𐑧𐑑𐑕 𐑿 𐑯𐑬, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑘𐑹 𐑢𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑚𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑮𐑱𐑕𐑑, 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑕𐑰 ·𐑣𐑦𐑟. 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑳𐑤𐑑𐑦𐑥𐑩𐑑 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟.

𐑔𐑮𐑰 𐑹 𐑓𐑹 𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑳𐑓 𐑓 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱. 𐑯𐑹 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑰𐑛 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑. 𐑿 𐑥𐑱 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑑𐑵 𐑤𐑪𐑙. 𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑱𐑑 𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑢𐑧𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑿 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕 𐑩 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑝 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯.