 Hi everyone, welcome again to the Course in Miracles lesson of the day live and today we are going to go through workbook lesson number 12. For the 12th day of the year we have workbook lesson number 12 and it is. I am upset because I see a meaningless world. The importance of this idea lies in the fact that it contains a correction for a major perceptual distortion. You think that what upsets you is a frightening world, or a sad world, or a violent world, or an insane world. All these attributes are given it by you. The world is meaningless in itself. These exercises are done with eyes open. Look around you. This time quite slowly. Make yourself so that the slow shifting of your glance from one thing to another involves a fairly constant time interval. Do not allow the time of the shift to become markedly longer or shorter. But try instead to keep a measured even tempo throughout. See does not matter. You teach yourself this as you give whatever your glance rest on equal attention and equal time. This is a beginning step in learning to give them all equal value. Look about you say to yourself. I think I see a fearful world, a dangerous world, a hostile world, a sad world, a wicked world, a crazy world. And so on using whatever descriptive terms happen to occur to you. If terms which seem positive rather than negative occur to you include them. For example, you might think of a good world, or a satisfying world. If such terms occur to you use them along with the rest. You may not yet understand why these quote nice adjectives belong in these exercises. But remember that a good world implies a bad one. And a satisfying world implies an unsatisfying one. All terms which cross your mind are suitable subjects for today's exercises. Their seeming quality does not matter. I'm sure that you do not alter the time intervals between applying today's idea to what you think is pleasant and what you think is unpleasant. For the purposes of these exercises, there is no difference between them. And the end of the practice period and but I am upset because I see a meaningless world. Meaningless is neither good nor bad. Why then should you should a meaningless world upset you. If you could accept the world is meaningless and let the truth be written upon it for you. It would make you indescribably happy. But because it is meaningless, you are impelled to write upon it what you would have it be. This you see in it. It is this that is meaningless in truth. Beneath your words is written the word of God. The truth upset you now, but when your words have been erased, you will see his. That is the ultimate purpose of these exercises. Maybe or four times is enough for practicing the idea for today. Nor should the practice periods exceed a minute. You may find even this is too long. Terminate the exercises whenever you experience a sense of strain. So our theme of simplicity is reinforced at the very end. What I am telling is terminate the exercises when you begin experiencing a sense of strain. Because this is the mind training of gradually opening your mind to a new set of ideas that are given by God by the Holy Spirit and Jesus. And also loosening the mind from the prevalent thoughts that cross your mind and consciousness on a daily basis. Basically every minute and every second of the day there's a flow of thoughts and consciousness that are, you know, being washed and rinsed. And the mind is being rinsed of these thoughts of consciousness, because we are beginning to learn that we have a thinking problem. And this thinking problem is, is producing a world that seems to be external to our mind. And today, we're coming in with the idea that that a, I'm upset because I see a meaningless world. And right away, in the very first paragraph, Jesus is making the point that the major perceptual distortion that is being corrected is that the world has been given meaning in adjectives, whether they're positive or negative. So he starts right off with what seems to be the negative meanings that are read onto the world, a frightening world, a sad world, a violent world and an insane world. And that is, is a major correction to a perceptual distortion to think that you can apply an idea of either a positive or negative judgment to the world and believe that there's a reality to it. So this harkens back to the first two lessons of the workbook. Nothing I see means anything. Again, that's where the meaninglessness is. And then work lesson number two I have given everything I see all the meaning it has me. And let's be very specific here the ego has given everything in perception all the meaning that it seems to have. But today, Jesus is is asking us to be open as we practice by open-eyed meditation open-eyed looking at the world and all those seeming symbols and objects that surround us, whether they're in the room or they're out the window at a distance. And he's saying that basically anytime we feel upset, it's always because of this feeling of meaninglessness. And that contradicts like a common belief that that somehow things actually have meaning and there are good things and bad things and you want to accumulate and and possess the good things and avoid and eliminate or dismiss the bad things. And what Jesus is saying, no, it's a, it's a sense of meaninglessness that is bringing about all forms of upset. And this upset is only going to be relieved, released from the mind, if, if we first see that we're attempting to give meaning to something that doesn't have meaning. And he's reassuring us in this lesson that behind these images that have been judged positively and negatively is the word of God. And in, we'll see that in the workbook lesson he's talking about the light of Christ he's talking about the the presence of God's love he's talking about I am as God created me that's that's the word of God that's the light that's behind the veil. So we're opening to, to clear that away. Now I've said that we would keep these things very practical this is of course a very deep course and it's very profound and, and I have received some questions that have come in. Actually, today again I feel to read a section from the, the text from chapter 31, and that it's going to be section for the real alternative. And the reason I'm going to read this is because when we look at this world, we basically are confronted with a lot of what seems to be a big to do list every day there seems to be so many things to be done. And the to do list is, is based on the ego belief system. You can just stop for a moment and think wow if I'm, if I'm spirit, and I still live in the mind of God if I have my, my very being in God, and God's love. There must not be a to do list in heaven and there's not, because there is no doer or doers in heaven. But when we seem to have a busy life in this world, and we seem to have lots of things that we have to do and accomplish on our to do list every day. Those things that we believe we must do are part of the ego belief system that is designed and made to distract us from the holy instant or the present moment so literally every time the mind gives into this idea that there's something that it must do. It, it is avoiding the I need do nothing solution of the holy instant. And therefore there's going to be a sense of struggle a sense of challenge. And ultimately, this is where at times people feel either stressed out or they feel like the world as I perceive it is meaningless. It's not held in mind in a constant way in the deepest sense that is truly meaningful because as long as we believe there's real choices to make real things to be done real tasks to be accomplished real achievements to be conquered or to be taken on then then basically this sets up the defense against the present moment against the silence against the tranquility against the contentment against the peace of this moment is the backdrop of all of these things that need to be done. And that's really the human condition it's, it's, it's instead of calling someone a human being you could call them a human doing, or you could, you could say that that human busyness is more the standard of the ego than human being, because the beingness is of the present moment. And the humanness is the body. And when the body has to be busy, and the body has to always be doing something, finishing something completing something achieving something on a to do list, then the doer is held strong in mind. So, I'm going to read the real alternative because of all the books that I have written over the years. I think this the shortest and the simplest book that I ever received was called purpose is the only choice and that booklet. It's so tiny fits in fits in your back pocket or in your purse. It's so tiny but that booklet is all about really coming to a deep understanding that that the purpose that we hold in our mind is really the only choice that it's a, it's a mirage. It's a hallucination. It's a trick to think that choice is so complex that we have such a menu of choices every day, according to the ego and the Holy Spirit is, is with the angels and they're all just kind of gently laughing saying, No, it's really not that complex. Truth is much, much simpler. And as Jesus was telling us in the workbook today, if you can let go of reading meaning into everything, putting words on everything, putting adjectives on to everything of time and space, then you can let the word of God, you can let the truth be written on it instead. That is where the surrender comes in. That's where you surrender to God and say, you know, I will be done show me the truth. Show me the love show me the light. So let's look at chapter 31, which is called the final vision and we're in section number four, the real alternative. We will light up our lesson of the day. For sure. There is a tendency to think the world can offer consolation and escape from problems that his purpose is to keep. Why should this be because it is a place where choice among illusions seems to be the only choice, and you are in control of outcomes of your choosing. Thus you think within the narrow band from birth to death, a little time is given you to use for you alone. A time when everyone conflicts with you, but you can choose which road will lead you out of conflict and away from difficulties that how then can you escape from them by leaving them behind. What must go with you will take you will take with you, whatever road you choose to walk along. So it's part of the, the human perception that that there's certain problems that are important to the person and certain problems that are irrelevant or unimportant and certain problems of the world that that are really not your concern and Jesus is just saying, you'll take with you wherever you go, you're going to take it with you because your mind goes with you wherever you seem to go, there's only one mind, and you don't escape from the contents of consciousness, as long as you project and see them as outside. Second paragraph comes in with real choice is no illusion. But the world has none to offer all its roads, but lead to disappointment. Nothingness and death. There is no choice in its alternatives. Not to escape from problems here. The world was made that problems could be could be not be escaped. That's a pretty strong line. The world was made that problems could not be escaped. The world is deceived by all the different names is Rhodes are given. They have but one end, and each is but the means to gain that end, where it is here that all its roads will leave, however differently, they seem to start, however differently, they seem to go. There is no certain where there is no choice among them. All of them will lead to death. On some you travel gaily for a while before the bleakness enters and on some the thorns are felt at once. The choice is not what will the ending be. But when it comes. There is no choice where every end is sure. Perhaps you would prefer to try them all before you really learned that they are but one. The roads this world can offer seem to be quite large and number, but the time must come when everyone begins to see how like they are to one another. They have died on seeing this because they saw no way except the pathways offered by the world and learning they led nowhere, lost their hope. And yet this was the time they could have learned their greatest lesson almost reached this point and go beyond it. It's true indeed there is no choice at all within the world. But this is not the lesson itself. The lesson has a purpose and in this you come to understand what is for. So we might say that how it relates to our, our lesson of the day. I'm upset because I see a meaningless world is that when you begin to see that all are the roadways of the world all the choices of the world all the form choices that seem to be presented every day. For the human being and for the mind that is asleep and dreaming, all the form choices are are really dead ends. So there's really no choices in the world that lead you out of the world. That's why it shouldn't be surprising when people talk about reincarnation or karma or the cosmic loop of groundhog day looping looping looping day after day is because the mind still believes there's some way in form to escape from the form. And Jesus is saying, No, the sooner you can realize that they're all meaningless. And in this sense, you feel upset because you want a sense of meaning, you want a sense of continuity, you want a sense of harmony. The mind in its natural state in heaven is meaning that will say that Christ in the as an idea in the mind of God that is all meaning. And then in the form, there are no meaningful specifics, there are no meaningful images. In the end, all images were made up by the ego and God knows not form. Jesus says, in the beyond all idols section. It's very deep and profound but what it's really showing us is that as long as we think there still could be escape from the world through choosing amongst the images and the choices of the world, then it's, it's a trick. It's really like trying to pick different forms of death and saying to yourself, which form of death will content me. Obviously the answer that Jesus is giving us is no form of death will content you you have to, you have to find the purpose you have to find the lesson that is beyond all of these empty roadways. So paragraph four Jesus is saying why would you seek to try another road. Another person or another place. When you have learned the way the lesson starts, but do not yet perceive what it is for its purpose is the answer to the search that all must undertake who still believe there is another answer to be found. Learn now without despair. There is no hope of answer in the world. But do not judge the lesson that is but begun with this. Seek not another signpost in the world that seems to point to still another road. No longer look for hope where there is none. Make fast your learning now and understand you but waste time unless you go beyond what you have learned to what is yet to learn. From this lowest point will learning lead to heights of happiness, in which you see the purpose of the lesson shining clear and perfectly within your learning grasp. So, in simple terms, there's nothing of the past that can set us free, because the past and future are part of the ego's defense against the present moment which is the gateway to eternity. So, there is nothing from the past that that we can say that we have learned that has been helpful. Because the only meaning we can give to this world is the Holy Spirit's purpose of forgiveness of just seeing the false is false. Then we are given a new purpose. We are given a light which lights up the world. We are able to behold the reflection of this light that we are. And this reflection spreads across evenly every image. That's why Jesus is having us go through these workbook lessons with a natural sense of rhythm and letting our eyes glance on one thing after the next after the next without giving any more importance or any more reality to any of the images because Jesus wants us to to behold them with a much higher perspective with the Holy Spirit's perspective. Who would be willing to be turned away from all the roadways of the world unless he understood their real futility? Is it not needful that he should begin with this to seek another way instead? Or while he sees a choice where there is none, what power of decision can he use? The great release of power must begin with learning where it really has a use. And what decision has power if it be applied in situations without choice? Again, it's at one point in the course Jesus says the one question you can safely ask in any circumstance in any situation is what is it for? What is the purpose? Because the past has anger, the past has hatred, violence, the past has judgment. The past has hierarchies, comparison. You know, the past is not where we can find our happiness and peace, but he's saying you can't release the power of your mind while you keep it arrested in these concepts and beliefs of the past. He's telling us you have a very powerful mind, but if you keep it arrested by believing in these ego concepts and beliefs, by even by believing in linear time, your mind has an arrested development. It's in slumber mode. It's not in joy mode. It's not in freedom mode. It's not in happiness mode as long as it's arrested by false belief. So in one sense you can see this course is taking us to letting go of everything we think we've learned, everything we think we think, everything we think we know. And some may be saying, well, that sounds kind of vulnerable. But actually it's strength. It's invulnerability. That sounds like gullible. And Jesus is saying, no, that's actually pristine innocence when you know nothing of this world. You're not gullible. You're not vulnerable when you don't judge. You're actually strong and clear and free in mind when you don't judge. Today paragraph six, the learning that the world can offer but one choice, no matter what its form may be is the beginning of acceptance that there is a real alternative instead to fight against this step is to defeat your purpose here. You did not come to learn to find a road the world does not contain. The search for different pathways in the world is but the search for different forms of truth. And this would keep the truth from being reached. Okay, there aren't different forms of truth. There aren't different truths. People don't have different truths. No, they always used to tell me, tell your truth. This is like, I don't know, as a human being you don't know the truth. So you can't tell your truth just just be transparent to be as authentic as you can and not hiding and protecting your thoughts. But don't think that truth can be found in words because truth is far beyond the words. Here we have seven, think not that happiness is ever found by following a road away from it. This makes no sense and cannot be the way to you who seem to find this course to be too difficult to learn. I repeat that to achieve a goal you must proceed in its direction, not away from it. And every road that leads the other way will not advance the purpose to be found. If this be difficult to understand, then is this course impossible to learn, but only then, or otherwise it is a simple teaching in the obvious. It is a choice that you have power to make when you have seen the real alternatives. Until that point is reached, you have no choice and you can but decide how you would choose the better to deceive yourself again. This course attempts to teach no more than that the power of decision cannot lie in choosing different forms of what is still the same illusion and the same mistake. All choices in the world depend on this. You choose between your brother and yourself, and you will gain as much as he will lose. What you lose is what is given him. How utterly opposed to truth is this when all the lessons purpose is to teach that what your brother loses you have lost and what he gains is what is given you. He has not left his thoughts. But you forgot his presence and remembered not his love. That is a beautiful reminder there that God has not left his thoughts that in heaven. God creates in spirit. And that's how Christ came into being not Jesus the man or any of the form of the time space cosmos but the pure idea of the Christ idea, an idea in the mind of God. He has not left his thoughts. God has not left the creation, this beautiful creation of the Christ. And the ego is the belief that somehow Christ left God or God left Christ. That's basically what the belief in time spaces is the belief that it's possible for God to leave his thoughts, or for Christ to leave God. And neither of these things are possible. The creator created love is perfect and there's nothing that can interrupt that perfection or that can can shake that that strength of that connection between the creator and the creation. So, as we really look at this lesson for today I am a set because I see a meaningless world. This is something that that you can carry with you as you apply the lesson today because this is the beginning of healing in mind. As long as you're judging the world in a positive way or a negative way, you will pursue what you believe to be the positive, and you will attempt to avoid what you believe to be the negative. And when you look at all this to do list that we come back to again with most human beings seem to have either a literal to do list that they write out or a mental to do list of what they have to do during the day. It's actually good to start to see that all of these busy doings, and all of these goals for the future, in which these doings are being done to achieve or accomplish a future goal that these are ego goals. There is not a single goal for the future that the Holy Spirit sponsors because the Holy Spirit always guides the mind into the present moment to accept what is to accept God's will here and now to to let all things be exactly as they are here and now to see the divine perfection here and now to be in your right mind here and now to do actually feel that that there's nothing that needs to be done to experience enlightenment to experience salvation. You have to come to a place where you hide nothing from the Holy Spirit. And then when you have no private thoughts and no secrets that you would keep to yourself, so to speak, then, then those thoughts are released. And you find that what is present is what has always been reality that Jesus tells us that the present moment is the closest approximation to eternity that the world offers. This is our gateway. This is our less false escape route of simply being here. And over many, many years ago, I picked up a book that Ram Das had written after he, you know, his name was Richard Albert and he was a psychologist over, believe it was the big eastern schools and he went to India to see his guru and he ultimately came back and wrote the book be here now. So, as we approach the here and now, we have to first realize that that whatever is upsetting us is not because of a positive judgment or a negative judgment. The flip side of, I'm upset because I see a meaningless world would be, I can believe that I'm happy because of certain outcomes in form. I can believe that things are going my way because of certain outcomes in form. But those aren't true either. I'm upset because of the meaninglessness and when I seem to be pseudo happy or temporarily happy. It's not true happiness because true happiness doesn't come and go to happiness is a constant state. We'll continue on here I just want to give a good context for workbook lesson number 12 from a course of miracles because we're going to go in and as you go further on with this workbook you're going to see that that Jesus is just presenting every day with another opportunity to come and be fully present and every day will seem to offer a little bit different twist of words and a different angle but actually it's the same thing. It's, he's always promoting simplicity. He's always promoting except the truth exactly as it is here and now. Don't, don't think of it as something in the future. And, and I always used to say when you do these workbook lessons expect to wake up with today's lesson expect to wake up expect to, to have the aha moment of what the goal of the courses. Don't think of it as 365 lessons. Don't, don't think of it as what's tomorrow or what's next week. Just come fully with with the willingness to to be shown what is here and what is now. Yes, we just read in the, in the real alternative the section that all of the roadways of the world lead to death. It is not pessimistic. If Jesus is is calling us to eternal life to a life with God. It is not pessimistic to say that all the roadways of the world lead to death, because that's what they were made for the ego made time and space to cover over our eternal nature, our true beingness in God our true beingness and spirit. Thank you so much for joining me again today. I wish you all the joy and happiness. And I wish you to really apply this lesson today is if it. Everything is is writing on it that when you start to open up that you're upset because you see a meaningless world and then what must follow that realization is happiness, because there's nowhere to go for the ego. If you let go of its meaningless world you let go of it. And when you have let go of the ego you have have accepted your Christ nature, your Christ presence. Love you. All my love.