Unlike the preceding ones, these exercises do not begin with the idea for the day. In these practice periods, begin with noting the thoughts that are crossing your mind for about a minute. Then apply the idea to them. If you are already aware of unhappy thoughts, use them as subjects for the idea. Do not, however, select only the thoughts you think are "bad." You will find, if you train yourself to look at your thoughts, that they represent such a mixture that, in a sense, none of them can be called "good" or "bad." This is why they do not mean anything.

In selecting the subjects for the application of today's idea, the usual specificity is required. Do not be afraid to use "good" thoughts as well as "bad." None of them represents your real thoughts, which are being covered up by them. The "good" ones are but shadows of what lies beyond, and shadows make sight difficult. The "bad" ones are blocks to sight, and make seeing impossible. You do not want either.

This is a major exercise, and will be repeated from time to time in somewhat different form. The aim here is to train you in the first steps toward the goal of separating the meaningless from the meaningful. It is a first attempt in the long-range purpose of learning to see the meaningless as outside you, and the meaningful within. It is also the beginning of training your mind to recognize what is the same and what is different.

In using your thoughts for application of the idea for today, identify each thought by the central figure or event it contains; for example:

This thought about _______ does not mean anything.

It is like the things I see in this room [on this street, and so on].

You can also use the idea for a particular thought that you recognize as harmful. This practice is useful, but is not a substitute for the more random procedures to be followed for the exercises. Do not, however, examine your mind for more than a minute or so. You are too inexperienced as yet to avoid a tendency to become pointlessly preoccupied.

Further, since these exercises are the first of their kind, you may find the suspension of judgment in connection with thoughts particularly difficult. Do not repeat these exercises more than three or four times during the day. We will return to them later.

𐑳𐑯𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑟, 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑞 𐑛𐑱. 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟, 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑯𐑴𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑸 𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑓 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑. 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑤𐑲 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑸 𐑷𐑤𐑮𐑧𐑛𐑦 𐑩𐑢𐑺 𐑝 𐑳𐑯𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕, 𐑿𐑟 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑨𐑟 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕 𐑓 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾. 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑, 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼, 𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑞 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑿 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑸 "𐑚𐑨𐑛." 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛, 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑑 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑨𐑑 𐑘𐑹 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑮𐑧𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑗𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑑, 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑕, 𐑯𐑳𐑯 𐑝 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑒𐑷𐑤𐑛 "𐑜𐑫𐑛" 𐑹 "𐑚𐑨𐑛." 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑲 𐑞𐑱 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑰𐑯 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙.

𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕 𐑓 𐑞 𐑨𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾, 𐑞 𐑿𐑠𐑵𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑕𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑦𐑟 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑛. 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑩𐑓𐑮𐑱𐑛 𐑑 𐑿𐑟 "𐑜𐑫𐑛" 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑨𐑟 "𐑚𐑨𐑛." 𐑯𐑳𐑯 𐑝 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑮𐑧𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑘𐑹 𐑮𐑾𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕, 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑸 𐑚𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑒𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑛 𐑳𐑐 𐑚𐑲 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑞 "𐑜𐑫𐑛" 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑟 𐑸 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑖𐑨𐑛𐑴𐑟 𐑝 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑘𐑪𐑯𐑛, 𐑯 𐑖𐑨𐑛𐑴𐑟 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑕𐑲𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑤𐑑. 𐑞 "𐑚𐑨𐑛" 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑟 𐑸 𐑚𐑤𐑪𐑒𐑕 𐑑 𐑕𐑲𐑑, 𐑯 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑕𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤. 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑑 𐑲𐑞𐑼.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑥𐑱𐑡𐑼 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟, 𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑚𐑰 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑑 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑓𐑹𐑥. 𐑞 𐑱𐑥 𐑣𐑽 𐑦𐑟 𐑑 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯 𐑿 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐𐑕 𐑑𐑹𐑛 𐑞 𐑜𐑴𐑤 𐑝 𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑼𐑱𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑓𐑩𐑤. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑩𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑪𐑙-𐑮𐑱𐑯𐑡 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑝 𐑤𐑻𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑕𐑰 𐑞 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑬𐑑𐑕𐑲𐑛 𐑿, 𐑯 𐑞 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑦𐑯. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑕𐑱𐑥 𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑.

𐑦𐑯 𐑿𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑹 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑓 𐑨𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑲𐑛𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑓𐑲 𐑰𐑗 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑓𐑦𐑜𐑘𐑼 𐑹 𐑦𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑟; 𐑓 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑤:

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 _______ 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑰𐑯 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙.

𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑞 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑲 𐑕𐑰 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑮𐑵𐑥 [𐑪𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑑, 𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑪𐑯].

𐑿 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑿𐑟 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑩 𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑿𐑤𐑼 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑨𐑟 𐑣𐑸𐑥𐑓𐑩𐑤. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑿𐑕𐑓𐑩𐑤, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑑𐑵𐑑 𐑓 𐑞 𐑥𐑹 𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑥 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑰𐑡𐑼𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑛 𐑓 𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟. 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑, 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼, 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑦𐑯 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑓 𐑥𐑹 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑 𐑹 𐑕𐑴. 𐑿 𐑸 𐑑𐑵 𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑘𐑧𐑑 𐑑 𐑩𐑝𐑶𐑛 𐑩 𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑦 𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑐𐑶𐑯𐑑𐑤𐑩𐑕𐑤𐑦 𐑐𐑮𐑰𐑪𐑒𐑿𐑐𐑲𐑛.

𐑓𐑻𐑞𐑼, 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑸 𐑞 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑝 𐑞𐑺 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛, 𐑿 𐑥𐑱 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑞 𐑕𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑡𐑳𐑡𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑿𐑤𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑤𐑑. 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑥𐑹 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑔𐑮𐑰 𐑹 𐑓𐑹 𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑛𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑛𐑱. 𐑢𐑰 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑻𐑯 𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑼.