Today's idea is really another form of the preceding one, except that it is more specific as to the emotion aroused. Actually, a meaningless world is impossible. Nothing without meaning exists. However, it does not follow that you will not think you perceive something that has no meaning. On the contrary, you will be particularly likely to think you do perceive it.

Recognition of meaninglessness arouses intense anxiety in all the separated ones. It represents a situation in which God and the ego "challenge" each other as to whose meaning is to be written in the empty space that meaninglessness provides. The ego rushes in frantically to establish its own ideas there, fearful that the void may otherwise be used to demonstrate its own impotence and unreality. And on this alone it is correct.

It is essential, therefore, that you learn to recognize the meaningless, and accept it without fear. If you are fearful, it is certain that you will endow the world with attributes that it does not possess, and crowd it with images that do not exist. To the ego illusions are safety devices, as they must also be to you who equate yourself with the ego.

The exercises for today, which should be done about three or four times for not more than a minute or so at most each time, are to be practiced in a somewhat different way from the preceding ones. With eyes closed, repeat today's idea to yourself. Then open your eyes, and look about you slowly, saying:

I am looking at a meaningless world.

Repeat this statement to yourself as you look about. Then close your eyes, and conclude with:

A meaningless world engenders fear

because I think I am in competition with God.

You may find it difficult to avoid resistance, in one form or another, to this concluding statement. Whatever form such resistance may take, remind yourself that you are really afraid of such a thought because of the "vengeance" of the "enemy." You are not expected to believe the statement at this point, and will probably dismiss it as preposterous. Note carefully, however, any signs of overt or covert fear which it may arouse.

This is our first attempt at stating an explicit cause and effect relationship of a kind which you are very inexperienced in recognizing. Do not dwell on the concluding statement, and try not even to think of it except during the practice periods. That will suffice at present.

𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑦𐑟 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑝 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑳𐑯, 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑹 𐑕𐑐𐑩𐑕𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒 𐑨𐑟 𐑑 𐑞 𐑦𐑥𐑴𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑼𐑬𐑟𐑛. 𐑨𐑒𐑗𐑵𐑩𐑤𐑦, 𐑩 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤. 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑬𐑑 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑕. 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼, 𐑦𐑑 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑿 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑯𐑴 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙. 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑺𐑦, 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑚𐑰 𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑿𐑤𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑤𐑲𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑦𐑑.

𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕𐑯𐑩𐑕 𐑼𐑬𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑨𐑙𐑟𐑲𐑩𐑑𐑦 𐑦𐑯 𐑷𐑤 𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑼𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑟. 𐑦𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑩 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑗 ·𐑜𐑪𐑛 𐑯 𐑞 𐑰𐑜𐑴 "𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡" 𐑰𐑗 𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑨𐑟 𐑑 𐑣𐑵𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑑𐑦 𐑕𐑐𐑱𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕𐑯𐑩𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑝𐑲𐑛𐑟. 𐑞 𐑰𐑜𐑴 𐑮𐑳𐑖𐑩𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑑 𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑴𐑯 𐑲𐑛𐑾𐑟 𐑞𐑺, 𐑓𐑽𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑝𐑶𐑛 𐑥𐑱 𐑳𐑞𐑼𐑢𐑲𐑟 𐑚𐑰 𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑑 𐑛𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑴𐑯 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑯 𐑳𐑯𐑮𐑦𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦. 𐑯 𐑪𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑩𐑤𐑴𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑼𐑧𐑒𐑑.

𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑤, 𐑞𐑺𐑓𐑹, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑤𐑻𐑯 𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑞 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕, 𐑯 𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑬𐑑 𐑓𐑽. 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑸 𐑓𐑽𐑓𐑩𐑤, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑻𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑬 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑨𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑚𐑿𐑑𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑐𐑩𐑟𐑧𐑕, 𐑯 𐑒𐑮𐑬𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑦𐑥𐑦𐑡𐑩𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑. 𐑑 𐑞 𐑰𐑜𐑴 𐑦𐑤𐑵𐑠𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑸 𐑕𐑱𐑓𐑑𐑦 𐑛𐑦𐑝𐑲𐑕𐑩𐑟, 𐑨𐑟 𐑞𐑱 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑚𐑰 𐑑 𐑿 𐑣𐑵 𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑱𐑑 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑰𐑜𐑴.

𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑔𐑮𐑰 𐑹 𐑓𐑹 𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑓 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑹 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑 𐑹 𐑕𐑴 𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑰𐑗 𐑑𐑲𐑥, 𐑸 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑢𐑱 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑟. 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑲𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑟𐑛, 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑑 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓. 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑴𐑐𐑩𐑯 𐑘𐑹 𐑲𐑟, 𐑯 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑿 𐑕𐑤𐑴𐑤𐑦, 𐑕𐑱𐑦𐑙:

𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑤𐑫𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑑 𐑩 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛.

𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑑 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑨𐑟 𐑿 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑. 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑕 𐑘𐑹 𐑲𐑟, 𐑯 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞:

𐑩 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑟 𐑓𐑽

𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑲 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 ·𐑜𐑪𐑛.

𐑿 𐑥𐑱 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑤𐑑 𐑑 𐑩𐑝𐑶𐑛 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕, 𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑹 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼, 𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑. 𐑢𐑪𐑑𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑥𐑱 𐑑𐑱𐑒, 𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑸 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑩𐑓𐑮𐑱𐑛 𐑝 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑩 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 "𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑕" 𐑝 𐑞 "𐑧𐑯𐑩𐑥𐑦." 𐑿 𐑸 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑰𐑝 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑶𐑯𐑑, 𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑚𐑩𐑚𐑤𐑦 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑥𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕. 𐑯𐑴𐑑 𐑒𐑺𐑓𐑩𐑤𐑦, 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼, 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑕𐑲𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑴𐑝𐑻𐑑 𐑹 𐑒𐑴𐑝𐑻𐑑 𐑓𐑽 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑦𐑑 𐑥𐑱 𐑼𐑬𐑟.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑬𐑼 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑩𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑑 𐑨𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑑 𐑒𐑷𐑟 𐑯 𐑦𐑓𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑖𐑦𐑐 𐑝 𐑩 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑿 𐑸 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙. 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑛𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑲 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑝 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑑 𐑛𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟. 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑕𐑩𐑓𐑲𐑕 𐑨𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑑.