The idea for today is a beginning step in dispelling the belief that your thoughts have no effect. Everything you see is the result of your thoughts. There is no exception to this fact. Thoughts are not big or little; powerful or weak. They are merely true or false. Those that are true create their own likeness. Those that are false make theirs.

There is no more self-contradictory concept than that of "idle thoughts." What gives rise to the perception of a whole world can hardly be called idle. Every thought you have contributes to truth or to illusion; either it extends the truth or it multiplies illusions. You can indeed multiply nothing, but you will not extend it by doing so.

Besides your recognizing that thoughts are never idle, salvation requires that you also recognize that every thought you have brings either peace or war; either love or fear. A neutral result is impossible because a neutral thought is impossible. There is such a temptation to dismiss fear thoughts as unimportant, trivial and not worth bothering about that it is essential you recognize them all as equally destructive, but equally unreal. We will practice this idea in many forms before you really understand it.

In applying the idea for today, search your mind for a minute or so with eyes closed, and actively seek not to overlook any "little" thought that may tend to elude the search. This is quite difficult until you get used to it. You will find that it is still hard for you not to make artificial distinctions. Every thought that occurs to you, regardless of the qualities that you assign to it, is a suitable subject for applying today's idea.

In the practice periods, first repeat the idea to yourself, and then as each one crosses your mind hold it in awareness while you tell yourself:

This thought about ______ is not a neutral thought.

That thought about ______ is not a neutral thought.

As usual, use today's idea whenever you are aware of a particular thought that arouses uneasiness. The following form is suggested for this purpose:

This thought about ______ is not a neutral thought,

because I have no neutral thoughts.

Four or five practice periods are recommended, if you find them relatively effortless. If strain is experienced, three will be enough. The length of the exercise period should also be reduced if there is discomfort.

𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑦𐑯 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑰𐑓 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑘𐑹 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑴 𐑦𐑓𐑧𐑒𐑑. 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑿 𐑕𐑰 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑳𐑤𐑑 𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕. 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑴 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑓𐑨𐑒𐑑. 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑸 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑹 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤; 𐑐𐑬𐑼𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑹 𐑢𐑰𐑒. 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑥𐑽𐑤𐑦 𐑑𐑮𐑵 𐑹 𐑓𐑷𐑤𐑕. 𐑞𐑴𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑸 𐑑𐑮𐑵 𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑱𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑴𐑯 𐑤𐑲𐑒𐑯𐑩𐑕. 𐑞𐑴𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑸 𐑓𐑷𐑤𐑕 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑞𐑺𐑟.

𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑴 𐑥𐑹 𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓-𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑑𐑼𐑦 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑝 "𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕." 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑜𐑦𐑝𐑟 𐑮𐑲𐑟 𐑑 𐑞 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑩 𐑣𐑴𐑤 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑣𐑸𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑚𐑰 𐑒𐑷𐑤𐑛 𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑤. 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑚𐑿𐑑𐑕 𐑑 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑔 𐑹 𐑑 𐑦𐑤𐑵𐑠𐑩𐑯; 𐑲𐑞𐑼 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑔 𐑹 𐑦𐑑 𐑥𐑳𐑤𐑑𐑦𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑦𐑤𐑵𐑠𐑩𐑯𐑟. 𐑿 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑰𐑛 𐑥𐑳𐑤𐑑𐑦𐑐𐑤𐑲 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑛𐑵𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑴.

𐑚𐑦𐑕𐑲𐑛𐑟 𐑘𐑹 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑸 𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑤, 𐑕𐑨𐑤𐑝𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑚𐑮𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑲𐑞𐑼 𐑐𐑰𐑕 𐑹 𐑢𐑹; 𐑲𐑞𐑼 𐑤𐑳𐑝 𐑹 𐑓𐑽. 𐑩 𐑯𐑵𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑳𐑤𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑯𐑵𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤. 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑩 𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑑𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑥𐑦𐑕 𐑓𐑽 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑳𐑯𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑾𐑤 𐑯 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑢𐑻𐑔 𐑚𐑪𐑞𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑤 𐑿 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑷𐑤 𐑨𐑟 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑳𐑯𐑮𐑾𐑤. 𐑢𐑰 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑦𐑯 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑓𐑹𐑥𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑿 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑.

𐑦𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑕𐑻𐑗 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑓 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑 𐑹 𐑕𐑴 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑲𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑟𐑛, 𐑯 𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑰𐑒 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑑 𐑴𐑝𐑼𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑧𐑯𐑦 "𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤" 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑱 𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑦𐑤𐑵𐑛 𐑞 𐑕𐑻𐑗. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑤𐑑 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑿 𐑜𐑧𐑑 𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑑 𐑦𐑑. 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑣𐑸𐑛 𐑓 𐑿 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑑 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑸𐑑𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟. 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑩𐑒𐑻𐑟 𐑑 𐑿, 𐑮𐑦𐑜𐑸𐑛𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑝 𐑞 𐑒𐑢𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑩𐑕𐑲𐑯 𐑑 𐑦𐑑, 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑕𐑵𐑑𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑓 𐑩𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾.

𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟, 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑑 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓, 𐑯 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑨𐑟 𐑰𐑗 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑣𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑩𐑢𐑺𐑯𐑩𐑕 𐑢𐑲𐑤 𐑿 𐑑𐑧𐑤 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓:

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ______ 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩 𐑯𐑵𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑.

𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ______ 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩 𐑯𐑵𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑.

𐑨𐑟 𐑿𐑠𐑵𐑩𐑤, 𐑿𐑟 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑢𐑧𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑿 𐑸 𐑩𐑢𐑺 𐑝 𐑩 𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑿𐑤𐑼 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑼𐑬𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑳𐑯𐑰𐑟𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑕. 𐑞 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑦𐑙 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑩𐑡𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑓 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕:

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ______ 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩 𐑯𐑵𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑,

𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑴 𐑯𐑵𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕.

𐑓𐑹 𐑹 𐑓𐑲𐑝 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟 𐑸 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛, 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑮𐑧𐑤𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑤𐑦 𐑧𐑓𐑼𐑑𐑤𐑩𐑕. 𐑦𐑓 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕𐑑, 𐑔𐑮𐑰 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑚𐑰 𐑦𐑯𐑳𐑓. 𐑞 𐑤𐑧𐑙𐑔 𐑝 𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑚𐑰 𐑮𐑦𐑛𐑵𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑓 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑓𐑼𐑑.