Purpose is meaning. Today's idea explains why nothing you see means anything. You do not know what it is for. Therefore, it is meaningless to you. Everything is for your own best interests. That is what it is for; that is its purpose; that is what it means. It is in recognizing this that your goals become unified. It is in recognizing this that what you see is given meaning.

You perceive the world and everything in it as meaningful in terms of ego goals. These goals have nothing to do with your own best interests, because the ego is not you. This false identification makes you incapable of understanding what anything is for. As a result, you are bound to misuse it. When you believe this, you will try to withdraw the goals you have assigned to the world, instead of attempting to reinforce them.

Another way of describing the goals you now perceive is to say that they are all concerned with "personal" interests. Since you have no personal interests, your goals are really concerned with nothing. In cherishing them, therefore, you have no goals at all. And thus you do not know what anything is for.

Before you can make any sense out of the exercises for today, one more thought is necessary. At the most superficial levels, you do recognize purpose. Yet purpose cannot be understood at these levels. For example, you do understand that a telephone is for the purpose of talking to someone who is not physically in your immediate vicinity. What you do not understand is what you want to reach him for. And it is this that makes your contact with him meaningful or not.

It is crucial to your learning to be willing to give up the goals you have established for everything. The recognition that they are meaningless, rather than "good" or "bad," is the only way to accomplish this. The idea for today is a step in this direction.

Six practice periods, each of two-minutes duration, are required. Each practice period should begin with a slow repetition of the idea for today, followed by looking about you and letting your glance rest on whatever happens to catch your eye, near or far, "important" or "unimportant," "human" or "nonhuman." With your eyes resting on each subject you so select, say, for example:

I do not know what this chair is for.

I do not know what this pencil is for.

I do not know what this hand is for.

Say this quite slowly, without shifting your eyes from the subject until you have completed the statement about it. Then move on to the next subject, and apply today's idea as before.

𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙. 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑯𐑟 𐑢𐑲 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑿 𐑕𐑰 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑟 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙. 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑓. 𐑞𐑺𐑓𐑹, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑑 𐑿. 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑟 𐑓 𐑘𐑹 𐑴𐑯 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕. 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑓; 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕; 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑟. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑓𐑲𐑛. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑕𐑰 𐑦𐑟 𐑜𐑦𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙.

𐑿 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑯 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑯 𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑟 𐑝 𐑰𐑜𐑴 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟. 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑛𐑵 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑘𐑹 𐑴𐑯 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕, 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑞 𐑰𐑜𐑴 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑿. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑓𐑷𐑤𐑕 𐑲𐑛𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑥𐑱𐑒𐑕 𐑿 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑱𐑐𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑝 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑟 𐑓. 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑳𐑤𐑑, 𐑿 𐑸 𐑚𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑥𐑦𐑕𐑿𐑟 𐑦𐑑. 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑿 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑰𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑑𐑮𐑲 𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑛𐑮𐑷 𐑞 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑩𐑕𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑛 𐑝 𐑩𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑦𐑯𐑓𐑹𐑕 𐑞𐑧𐑥.

𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑢𐑱 𐑝 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑿 𐑯𐑬 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑦𐑟 𐑑 𐑕𐑱 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑷𐑤 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑻𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 "𐑐𐑻𐑕𐑩𐑯𐑩𐑤" 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕. 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑴 𐑐𐑻𐑕𐑩𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕, 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑸 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑻𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙. 𐑦𐑯 𐑗𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑧𐑥, 𐑞𐑺𐑓𐑹, 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑴 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤. 𐑯 𐑞𐑳𐑕 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑟 𐑓.

𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑿 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑬𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑥𐑹 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑧𐑕𐑦𐑕𐑺𐑦. 𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑵𐑐𐑼𐑓𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑤 𐑤𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑟, 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕. 𐑘𐑧𐑑 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑫𐑛 𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑤𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑟. 𐑓 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑤, 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑩 𐑑𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑓𐑴𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑓 𐑞 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑝 𐑑𐑷𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑣𐑵 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑓𐑦𐑟𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑦𐑯 𐑘𐑹 𐑦𐑥𐑰𐑛𐑾𐑑 𐑝𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑦. 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑑 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑗 𐑣𐑦𐑥 𐑓. 𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑱𐑒𐑕 𐑘𐑹 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑨𐑒𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑥 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑹 𐑯𐑪𐑑.

𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑮𐑵𐑖𐑩𐑤 𐑑 𐑘𐑹 𐑤𐑻𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑢𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑜𐑦𐑝 𐑳𐑐 𐑞 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑑 𐑓 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙. 𐑞 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕, 𐑮𐑨𐑞𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑯 "𐑜𐑫𐑛" 𐑹 "𐑚𐑨𐑛," 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑢𐑱 𐑑 𐑩𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑞𐑦𐑕. 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯.

𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟, 𐑰𐑗 𐑝 𐑑𐑵-𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑛𐑫𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯, 𐑸 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑛. 𐑰𐑗 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑩 𐑕𐑤𐑴 𐑮𐑧𐑐𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑤𐑫𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑿 𐑯 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑕 𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑪𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑑𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑑 𐑒𐑨𐑗 𐑘𐑹 𐑲, 𐑯𐑽 𐑹 𐑓𐑸, "𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑" 𐑹 "𐑳𐑯𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑," "𐑣𐑿𐑥𐑩𐑯" 𐑹 "𐑯𐑪𐑯𐑣𐑿𐑥𐑩𐑯." 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑘𐑹 𐑲𐑟 𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑪𐑯 𐑰𐑗 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑿 𐑕𐑴 𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑, 𐑕𐑱, 𐑓 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑤:

𐑲 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑗𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑓.

𐑲 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑟 𐑓.

𐑲 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑣𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑓.

𐑕𐑱 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑕𐑤𐑴𐑤𐑦, 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑬𐑑 𐑖𐑦𐑓𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑹 𐑲𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑦𐑑. 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑥𐑵𐑝 𐑪𐑯 𐑑 𐑞 𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑, 𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑤𐑲 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑨𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹.