This idea is, of course, the reason why you see only the past. No one really sees anything. He sees only his thoughts projected outward. The mind's preoccupation with the past is the cause of the misconception about time from which your seeing suffers. Your mind cannot grasp the present, which is the only time there is. It therefore cannot understand time, and cannot, in fact, understand anything.

The one wholly true thought one can hold about the past is that it is not here. To think about it at all is therefore to think about illusions. Very few have realized what is actually entailed in picturing the past or in anticipating the future. The mind is actually blank when it does this, because it is not really thinking about anything.

The purpose of the exercises for today is to begin to train your mind to recognize when it is not really thinking at all. While thoughtless ideas preoccupy your mind, the truth is blocked. Recognizing that your mind has been merely blank, rather than believing that it is filled with real ideas, is the first step to opening the way to vision.

The exercises for today should be done with eyes closed. This is because you actually cannot see anything, and it is easier to recognize that no matter how vividly you may picture a thought, you are not seeing anything. With as little investment as possible, search your mind for the usual minute or so, merely noting the thoughts you find there. Name each one by the central figure or theme it contains, and pass on to the next. Introduce the practice period by saying:

I seem to be thinking about ______.

Then name each of your thoughts specifically, for example:

I seem to be thinking about [name of a person],

about [name of an object], about [name of an emotion],

and so on, concluding at the end of the mind-searching period with:

But my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.

This can be done four or five times during the day, unless you find it irritates you. If you find it trying, three or four times is sufficient. You might find it helpful, however, to include your irritation, or any emotion that the idea for today may induce, in the mind searching itself.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑦𐑟, 𐑝 𐑒𐑹𐑕, 𐑞 𐑮𐑰𐑟𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑲 𐑿 𐑕𐑰 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑞 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑑. 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙. 𐑣𐑰 𐑕𐑰𐑟 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑬𐑑𐑢𐑼𐑛. 𐑞 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛'𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑰𐑪𐑒𐑿𐑐𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑒𐑷𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑥𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑘𐑹 𐑕𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑳𐑓𐑼𐑟. 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑕𐑐 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟. 𐑦𐑑 𐑞𐑺𐑓𐑹 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑑𐑲𐑥, 𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑪𐑑, 𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑨𐑒𐑑, 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙.

𐑞 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑣𐑴𐑤𐑦 𐑑𐑮𐑵 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑣𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑞 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑣𐑽. 𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑺𐑓𐑹 𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑦𐑤𐑵𐑠𐑩𐑯𐑟. 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑓𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑛 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑨𐑒𐑗𐑵𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑱𐑤𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑦𐑒𐑗𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑑 𐑹 𐑦𐑯 𐑨𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑐𐑱𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑓𐑿𐑗𐑼. 𐑞 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑨𐑒𐑗𐑵𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑚𐑤𐑨𐑙𐑒 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙.

𐑞 𐑐𐑻𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑝 𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑦𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯 𐑑 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤. 𐑢𐑲𐑤 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑲𐑛𐑾𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑰𐑪𐑒𐑿𐑐𐑲 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛, 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑔 𐑦𐑟 𐑚𐑤𐑪𐑒𐑑. 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑯 𐑥𐑽𐑤𐑦 𐑚𐑤𐑨𐑙𐑒, 𐑮𐑨𐑞𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑰𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑓𐑦𐑤𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑮𐑾𐑤 𐑲𐑛𐑾𐑟, 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑑 𐑴𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑢𐑱 𐑑 𐑝𐑦𐑠𐑩𐑯.

𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑲𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑟𐑛. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑿 𐑨𐑒𐑗𐑵𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑕𐑰 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙, 𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑰𐑟𐑽 𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑥𐑨𐑑𐑼 𐑣𐑬 𐑝𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑿 𐑥𐑱 𐑐𐑦𐑒𐑗𐑼 𐑩 𐑔𐑷𐑑, 𐑿 𐑸 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑕𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑔𐑦𐑙. 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑨𐑟 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤, 𐑕𐑻𐑗 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑓 𐑞 𐑿𐑠𐑵𐑩𐑤 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑 𐑹 𐑕𐑴, 𐑥𐑽𐑤𐑦 𐑯𐑴𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑿 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑺. 𐑯𐑱𐑥 𐑰𐑗 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 𐑓𐑦𐑜𐑘𐑼 𐑹 𐑔𐑰𐑥 𐑦𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑟, 𐑯 𐑐𐑨𐑕 𐑪𐑯 𐑑 𐑞 𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑. 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑛𐑵𐑕 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑕𐑱𐑦𐑙:

𐑲 𐑕𐑰𐑥 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ______.

𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑯𐑱𐑥 𐑰𐑗 𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕 𐑕𐑐𐑩𐑕𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑦, 𐑓 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑤:

𐑲 𐑕𐑰𐑥 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 [𐑯𐑱𐑥 𐑝 𐑩 𐑐𐑻𐑕𐑩𐑯],

𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 [𐑯𐑱𐑥 𐑝 𐑩𐑯 𐑪𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑], 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 [𐑯𐑱𐑥 𐑝 𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑥𐑴𐑖𐑩𐑯],

𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑪𐑯, 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑝 𐑞 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛-𐑕𐑻𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞:

𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑥𐑲 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑰𐑪𐑒𐑿𐑐𐑲𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑑 𐑔𐑷𐑑𐑕.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑓𐑹 𐑹 𐑓𐑲𐑝 𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑛𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑛𐑱, 𐑩𐑯𐑤𐑧𐑕 𐑿 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑕 𐑿. 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑦𐑙, 𐑔𐑮𐑰 𐑹 𐑓𐑹 𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑩𐑓𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑑. 𐑿 𐑥𐑲𐑑 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑣𐑧𐑤𐑐𐑓𐑩𐑤, 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼, 𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛 𐑘𐑹 𐑦𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯, 𐑹 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑦𐑥𐑴𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑥𐑱 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑵𐑕, 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑕𐑻𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑑𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓.