Lesson 1. Nothing I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place] means anything.
Now look slowly around you, and practice applying this idea very specifically to whatever you see:
This table does not mean anything.
This chair does not mean anything.
This hand does not mean anything.
This foot does not mean anything.
This pen does not mean anything.
Then look farther away from your immediate area, and apply the idea to a wider range:
That door does not mean anything.
That body does not mean anything.
That lamp does not mean anything.
That sign does not mean anything.
That shadow does not mean anything.
Notice that these statements are not arranged in any order, and make no allowance for differences in the kinds of things to which they are applied. That is the purpose of the exercise. The statement should merely be applied to anything you see. As you practice the idea for the day, use it totally indiscriminately. Do not attempt to apply it to everything you see, for these exercises should not become ritualistic. Only be sure that nothing you see is specifically excluded. One thing is like another as far as the application of the idea is concerned.
Each of the first three lessons should not be done more than twice a day each, preferably morning and evening. Nor should they be attempted for more than a minute or so, unless that entails a sense of hurry. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.
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Below, is from Kenneth Wapnick's commentaries on this lesson, from "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles," which can be purchased at the following site:??~ M. Street.
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"Nothing I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place] means anything."
*This idea is to look around -- without judgment -- at these very prosaic objects in our world: a table, chair, hand, foot, pen, door, body, lamp, sign, shadow. Notice how Jesus sneaks the body in; the point is to realize that you normally would think that your hand is more important than a pen, or your body is more important than a lamp. There isn't anyone who does not believe that. Therefore, you need realize how you are coming to A Course in Miracles with a set of premises that you are not even aware of, a hierarchy of values that you hold about the world. That is why Jesus instructs us in the text:
"To learn this course requires willingness to question every value that you hold. Not one can be kept hidden and obscure but it will jeopardize your learning. No belief is neutral. Every one has the power to dictate each decision that you make. For a decision is a conclusion based on everything you believe. It is the outcome of belief, and follows it as surely as does suffering follow guilt and freedom sinlessness." (T.24.in.2:1-6)
This very first lesson, which seems so simple, if not simple-minded if you do not really understand it, contains the complete thought system of A Course in Miracles. There is no difference among any of the things in this world. They are all equally the same because they are part of the illusion, reflecting the same thought system of separation, which itself is unreal. As you know from your study of the text, the first law of chaos, the foundation of the thought system of the ego and the world, is that there is a hierarchy of illusions (T-23.II.2:3). If I believe that my body or hand is more important than a lamp, I am clearly saying there is a hierarchy of illusions. Again, it would be hard, if possible at all, to find someone in this world who does not share the belief in that hierarchy, or who even thinks about that as an issue. Thus, if you give some serious thought to this, it will become clear to you that your whole life is based on a lie -- the first law of chaos that says there is a hierarchy of illusions. ... Skip to paragraph 3:*
(3.1-2) "Notice that these statements are not arranged in any order, and make no allowance for differences in the kinds of things to which they are applied. That is the purpose of the exercise."
*This is not to say that you should give up your investment in your body or in your hand. Rather, the purpose of these reflections is to help you become aware of how, even on this very basic level, you are reflecting the ego's thought system. These lessons are humbling if you think deeply about them, because they help you to realize how much your life goes against everything that A Course in Miracles is teaching. This means there is a part of you that does not want to learn this course, because there is a part of you that does not want to give up your life. You do not want to walk around actually believing your hand is as meaningless as a pen, because you believe that there is a body that is real, and that you are truly here in the world. If you believe this, as we all do, you cannot believe in the reality of God. In other words, the first part of the workbook has as its purpose, as we were just told, to undo the way that we perceive and we think. This sets the tone for what will follow.*
(3:2-4) "That is the purpose of the exercise. [to have us realize that there are no differences]. The statement should merely be applied to anything you see. As you practice the idea for the day, use it totally indiscriminately."
*That is what <generalizing> means. Obviously Jesus does not expect us to practice this exercise with total indiscriminateness; if we could, we would not need these lessons. The idea is to be aware of how we <do not> practice it in our lives, even when we are specifically trying to. When you do this lesson, therefore, you should actually think about whether you are truly ready to say that "this hand is as meaningless as a pen." And if you believe that you think they are the same, take a pen and break it, and then your hand and break that. You will suddenly realize that you believe there is a real difference. This is certainly not meant to make you feel guilty, but to help you realize your investment in identifying with the thought system of separation.*
(3:5-7) "Do not attempt to apply it to everything you see, for these exercises should not become ritualistic. Only be sure that nothing you see is specifically excluded. One thing is like another as far as the application of the idea is concerned."
*It would be very easy to go around to everything in the room and look at different parts of your body and say: "This does not mean anything." But then you are just doing it as a ritual. Basically, a ritual leaves you mindless, which is why people like them. A friend once again said that she liked to say the rosary because she did not have to think. You just do it. Jesus is telling you <not> to do that with this workbook. Do not make it into a ritual. Rituals are designed to keep you <mindless>. This is a course whose purpose is to make you <mindful>. We shall repeatedly return to this theme of the potential danger of rituals.
It is easy to miss here how Jesus is being "sneaky." He seems to be telling us that this idea is only for this lesson. What he is <not> telling us is that A Course in Miracles itself rests on this principle.*
(4) "Each of the first three lessons should not be done more than twice a day each, preferably morning and evening. Nor should they be attempted for more than a minute or so, unless that entails a sense of hurry. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential."
*As you do these lesson you should sense Jesus telling you: "These should be done gently. Do not crucify yourself with them. Do not try to get them perfect. Do not feel guilty when you <believe> you fail. Do not make your practice into an obsessive ritual. You should feel comfortable with these exercises." His gentleness becomes one of the significant principles of the workbook, and integrating this gentle kindness into our lives is one of the most important lessons we would ever wish to learn. Jesus supplies us with a wonderful model.*
