Lesson 28. Above all else, I want to see things differently.
Today we are really giving specific application to the idea for yesterday. In
these practice periods, you will be making a series of definite commitments. The
question of whether you will keep them in the future is not our concern here. If
you are willing at least to make them now, you have started on the way to
keeping them. And we are still at the beginning.
You may wonder why it is important to say, for example, "Above all else I want
to see this table differently." In itself it is not important at all. Yet what
is by itself? And what does "in itself" mean? You see a lot of separate things
about you, which really means you are not seeing at all. You either see or not.
When you have seen one thing differently, you will see all things differently.
The light you will see in any one of them is the same light you will see in them
all.
When you say, "Above all else I want to see this table differently," you are
making a commitment to withdraw your preconceived ideas about the table, and
open your mind to what it is, and what it is for. You are not defining it in
past terms. You are asking what it is, rather than telling it what it is. You
are not binding its meaning to your tiny experience of tables, nor are you
limiting its purpose to your little personal thoughts.
You will not question what you have already defined. And the purpose of these
exercises is to ask questions and receive the answers. In saying, "Above all
else I want to see this table differently," you are committing yourself to
seeing. It is not an exclusive commitment. It is a commitment that applies to
the table just as much as to anything else, neither more nor less.
You could, in fact, gain vision from just that table, if you would withdraw all
your own ideas from it, and look upon it with a completely open mind. It has
something to show you; something beautiful and clean and of infinite value, full
of happiness and hope. Hidden under all your ideas about it is its real purpose,
the purpose it shares with all the universe.
In using the table as a subject for applying the idea for today, you are
therefore really asking to see the purpose of the universe. You will be making
this same request of each subject that you use in the practice periods. And you
are making a commitment to each of them to let its purpose be revealed to you,
instead of placing your own judgment upon it.
We will have six two-minute practice periods today, in which the idea for the
day is stated first, and then applied to whatever you see about you. Not only
should the subjects be chosen randomly, but each one should be accorded equal
sincerity as today's idea is applied to it, in an attempt to acknowledge the
equal value of them all in their contribution to your seeing.
As usual, the applications should include the name of the subject your eyes
happen to light on, and you should rest your eyes on it while saying:
<Above all else I want to see this ______differently.>
Each application should be made quite slowly, and as thoughtfully as possible.
There is no hurry.
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The commentary on this lesson is from Kenneth Wapnick's set of books, called:
"Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles," which can be purchased
at the following site:??~ M. Street
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Lesson 28. "Above all else I want to see things differently."
(1) "Today we are really giving specific application to the idea for yesterday.
In these practice periods, you will be making a series of definite commitments.
The question of whether you will keep them in the future is not our concern
here. If you are willing at least to make them now, you have started on the way
to keeping them. And we are still at the beginning."
*The fundamental commitment is to prove that our whole identity rests on a lie
-- or to state it in a less threatening way, the commitment is to realize we are
wrong and Jesus is right: there is another way of looking at the world. Once
again Jesus is applying no time pressure on us; he is quite aware of our
resistance to (or fear of) making this commitment. Incidentally, his last
sentence is reminiscent of his comment to psychotherapists:
"Most professional therapists are still at the very start of the beginning
stage of the first journey. Even those who have begun to understand what they
must do may still oppose the setting-out." (P-3.II.8:5-6).
Clearly, Jesus sees us <all> as beginners, resistant to change and growth.*
(2:1-5) "You may wonder why it is important to say, for example, "Above all else
I want to see this table differently." In itself it is not important at all. Yet
what is by itself? And what does "in itself" mean? You see a lot of separate
things about you, which really means you are not seeing at all."
*Lesson 183 focuses more directly on this idea of giving different names to the
"separate things" in the world, a process that reflects the ego's needs to make
separation and individuality into reality. Jesus is asking us to understand the
underlying premise of his course, which is that everything is the same because
everything shares the same purpose. In terms of <form>, the things of the world
are clearly different and have a different purpose from each other. On the level
of <content>, however, we share the one purpose of having our minds healed. In
that sense everything is the same, because all things can be utilized to
accomplish that purpose. A Course in Miracles, we need to remember, is about
<content>, not <form>.*
(2:6-8) "You either see or not. When you have seen one thing differently, you
will see all things differently. The light you will see in any one of them is
the same light you will see in them all."
*What changes is not what is outside, but our choice of teacher. When our inner
Teacher has been changed, we shall see everything through His eyes instead of
the ego's.
Once again, Jesus is not talking about a physical light. The light we shall see
is the light of Christ's vision, the light of understanding that recognizes a
shared or common purpose in everyone and everything.*
(3) "When you say, "Above all else I want to see this table differently," you
are making a commitment to withdraw your preconceived ideas about the table, and
open your mind to what it is, and what it is for. You are not defining it in
past terms. You are asking what it is, rather than telling it what it is. You
are not binding its meaning to your tiny experience of tables, nor are you
limiting its purpose to your little personal thoughts."
*This is the humility that says: "I do not know." A table is not important since
we typically do not project onto it, but it serves here as an example to make
the point. What is more important is our humbly admitting that we do not know
the meaning and purpose of a relationship or situation. If we think we know, we
shall never be open to receive the answer and learn the truth. Holding on to the
past is what reflects this arrogant belief that we know, the defense against the
vision that comes from choosing the holy instant.*
(4:1-2) "You will not question what you have already defined. And the purpose of
these exercises is to ask questions and receive the answers."
*Again, our humility is called upon. If you think you understand A Course in
Miracles you will not be open to what it is teaching you. If you think you
understand the purpose of any particular workbook lesson, you will not be open
to receiving the answer Jesus has for you. If you think you understand, a wall
suddenly drops before your mind and you will not be taught anything. You will
<think> you are being taught, but what you will be "learning" is simply what
your ego wanted to learn in the first place. We have already considered this
subtle ego ploy, wherein we consciously believe we are asking for help, but all
we are really doing is telling Jesus what we want him to tell us by defining our
problem or framing our question. This inevitably dictates the answer we shall
receive, thereby limiting him. He reminds us of this in the text as well:
"You have been as selective in your questioning as in your perception. An
open mind is more honest than this." (T-13.IV.3:7-8).
All this of course is reminiscent of our ontological limiting of God by defining
the nature of our self. Jesus is helping us undo or unlearn everything we
believe about this course. As he states 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." (T-24.in.2:1-2).*
(4:3-5) "In saying, "Above all else I want to see this table differently," you
are committing yourself to seeing. It is not an exclusive commitment. It is a
commitment that applies to the table just as much as to anything else, neither
more nor less."
*We again see Jesus' attempts to motivate us to learn what he is teaching us,
and to generalize this vision to all things. Indeed, if it cannot be
generalized, it is not true vision.*
(5) "You could, in fact, gain vision from just that table, if you would withdraw
all your own ideas from it, and look upon it with a completely open mind. It has
something to show you; something beautiful and clean and of infinite value, full
of happiness and hope. Hidden under all your ideas about it is its real purpose,
the purpose it shares with all the universe."
*The purpose shared with all the universe is forgiveness -- "beautiful and clean
and of infinite value" -- the source of true happiness and genuine hope. None of
these comes from a table itself, the experience, or a person. Rather, our
happiness and hope come from the <purpose>, the beauty of which is found in the
beauty of the Teacher we have chosen. That is why purpose is the bottom line. To
say it again, purpose is not inherent in the object, but in the decision made by
the mind to learn from the Holy Spirit how to see the world truly.*
(6) "In using the table as a subject for applying the idea for today, you are
therefore really asking to see the purpose of the universe. You will be making
this same request of each subject that you use in the practice periods. And you
are making a commitment to each of them to let its purpose be revealed to you,
instead of placing your own judgment upon it."
*Your judgment comes from a thought that says you are right and Jesus is wrong.
<You> are going to teach <him> what his course ought to be teaching you, rather
than being open to having him be the teacher. However, when we are open, we can
be taught the inherent <sameness> of all things in the universe. They are the
<same> because they have the <same> purpose. Purpose, to make this point one
more time, is everything.
Remember, too, that you need to work at thinking about the ideas in these
exercises in light of the thoughts you are having at the moment you are doing
them. It is the specific application, made as often as possible, that will
facilitate learning.
The final paragraphs reiterate the non-obsessional, yet thoughtful application
of the day's exercises. We try to remember that we <want> to learn what Jesus is
teaching us -- to see the world differently.*
(7-8) "We will have six two-minute practice periods today, in which the idea for
the day is stated first, and then applied to whatever you see about you. Not
only should the subjects be chosen randomly, but each one should be accorded
equal sincerity as today's idea is applied to it, in an attempt to acknowledge
the equal value of them all in their contribution to your seeing.
As usual, the applications should include the name of the subject your eyes
happen to light on, and you should rest your eyes on it while saying:
Above all else I want to see this ______differently.
Each application should be made quite slowly, and as thoughtfully as possible.
There is no hurry."
*"Quite slowly," "as thoughtfully as possible," "no hurry." These should be the
shibboleths of our days. As our new teacher, Jesus is asking us to adopt a new
perspective -- one that avoids the tension and pressure of undoing our egos, but
seeks instead the gentle and patient approach he is providing us in these
exercises. Since we are being taught that our daily lessons are the same, their
form is immaterial. Thus, important and unimportant, major and minor, become
irrelevant designations of events and relationships. Uniting them all as one
leaves us with the only choice to make: the ego or the Holy Spirit. Choosing
God's Voice to guide us, our lives slow to the quiet pace of those who know the
outcome is sure. Thus we proceed in confidence that our Teacher will teach us
all we need to know, and that, in time, we shall learn His lessons.*
