Morning and Evening Review: W-99 and W-100

1. W-99 “Salvation is my only function here.”

²My function here is to forgive the world for all the errors I have made.^I

³For thus I am released from them along with all the world.

2. W-100 “My part is essential to God’s plan for salvation.”

²I am essential to God’s plan for the salvation of the world, for He gave me His plan that I might save the world.

3. On the hour:

²“Salvation is my only function here.”

4. On the half hour:

²“My part is essential to God’s plan for salvation.” ^II

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^I My only function here is salvation, and that, in concrete terms, means forgiving the world for the mistakes I believe I have made. Through that forgiveness, I am freed along with the world.

This principle leads us to review the mechanism of projection. As the Course teaches: to perceive is to project. Everything we perceive is, in truth, a projection of our own state of mind. Although it may sound drastic to say it this way, we can express it more simply: we perceive the world as we perceive ourselves. The image we hold of ourselves determines the color with which we see everything.

Thus, when we are at peace and open to love, the world appears to us as a kind place. But if we are irritated, sad, or resentful, we project that state and see a world that is hostile, confusing, or threatening. The world then becomes the stage on which we see our state of mind reflected.

That is why judging and condemning what we see outside is meaningless: the world is not cause but effect. What is seen in it is only the manifestation of what is occurring within our own mind. Instead of trying to correct what is external, the invitation is to change the idea we hold about ourselves, for every judgment toward the world is, in essence, a judgment toward oneself.

To forgive the world is, therefore, to forgive oneself. But not through the effort to “fix” oneself on a personal level—which is impossible if attempted from the ego—but by using forgiveness as a tool. Jesus proposes a profoundly wise strategy: instead of trying to forgive one’s own errors directly, it is enough to forgive the errors seen in others, since those projected errors represent, at their core, our own shadows. By forgiving them outside, they are healed within.

This method allows the phenomenon of projection to be used constructively. We project what we cannot bear in ourselves, place it outside, and by doing so, believe we see it in others. Jesus tells us: once it is projected, simply forgive it where you see it. Thus, the world becomes a tool for healing: the dream of the world can be used to heal the mind. Even knowing that the world is an illusion, as long as it continues to be perceived as real, it can and must be used in favor of truth. To forgive someone not only frees him in our mind, but also frees us. It is an indirect way of healing the mind.

^II Remember that you have already been hired and have already committed yourself to this enterprise. Doing patchwork jobs on your own would not be well regarded, because it would damage the reputation of the company you work for, and in the long run you would gain no benefit. Now your only function is the salvation of the world in your mind. Do not forget it: remind yourself of it constantly. Your role in that task is essential, for if you do not do it, who then will save the world?

This implies recognizing that each one has a specific and necessary function. It is not a matter of waiting for salvation to come from outside, but of accepting that there is work to be done, and that this work depends on our active participation.

Jesus does not present Himself here as a distant savior, but as a guide who invites us to get to work. If one’s function were not essential, what sense would there be in being here? The very fact that we are in this world—or believe we are—indicates that we have a purpose.

Even within the dream, apparent existence has meaning. And although this existence is illusory from an absolute level, it is not so for the one who believes in it. Many may think: “I don’t want to be here,” or “I don’t want to reincarnate,” but the fact is that we apparently are here. And that points to a reason: the role each one plays in God’s plan is essential.

Without that function, we would not exist as characters within the dream. The illusion itself is in the service of something greater. Therefore, accepting that one has an essential role not only gives meaning to life in this world, but reconnects one with the true reason for being here. And that role is clear: to participate in the salvation of the world. Not as something heroic or grandiose, but as part of a shared will—to remember the truth, forgive, heal the mind, and extend happiness.

Without that role, the plan is not complete. That is why each one is indispensable. Accepting that truth is an act of liberating humility and responsibility.

Morning and Evening Review: W-97 and W-98

1. W-97 “I am spirit.” ^I

²I am the Son of God.

³No body can contain my spirit,

nor impose on me any limitation God did not create.

2. W-98 “I will accept my part in God’s plan for salvation.” ^II

²What function can be mine but to accept the Word of God,

Who has created me to be what I am and forever will be?

3. On the hour:

²“I am spirit.”

4. On the half hour:

²“I will accept my part in God’s plan for salvation.”

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^I Although the human experience is lived from a personal identity, the truth is that this identity—the character you believe yourself to be—is nothing more than a mental construct based on beliefs. The individual mind, being limited by its separation, can operate only within the realm of belief, never within that of knowledge. For this reason, every thought that arises from the idea of “I” is, in reality, an interpretation—a belief more or less useful, but always provisional.

The Course proposes mental training that helps distinguish between personal and transpersonal experiences. The latter—such as a revelation, for example—are uncommon, since the voice of the ego is usually more present and active. Therefore, much of spiritual practice involves working with beliefs which, though imperfect, can be aligned with truth and serve as temporary guidance.

A clear example is the statement “I am spirit.” From the perspective of the Course, this is not yet a certainty based on direct experience, but a useful belief that directs the mind toward truth. To affirm “I am spirit” does not mean that this knowledge has already been attained, but that one has decided to place the will in alignment with it. It is a voluntary step within the process of transformation, sustained until the belief becomes experience.

These kinds of true beliefs act as provisional supports. They are consciously chosen, even when other, more deeply rooted beliefs—such as identification with a role or a bodily image—still operate in the background. Often one simultaneously wishes to be spirit and to maintain an identity in the world, which creates inner conflict. This division is part of the healing process and requires patience, honesty, and compassion toward oneself.

Spiritual practice does not demand the abandonment of worldly activity, but rather the relinquishment of the importance attributed to it that reinforces the idea of being a body. What transforms is not what is done, but the meaning assigned to what is done. Change begins when those actions are no longer performed to reaffirm an egoic identity, but as part of a more conscious and detached movement.

To accept one’s role in God’s plan means to recognize that the essential function is to be happy and to extend that happiness. When that priority becomes genuine, it reorders the internal hierarchy of values and gives meaning to the practice. It is not a matter of forcing oneself to be happy at all times, but of remembering that this is the direction—without guilt for not always achieving it.

Ultimately, transformation is a matter of focus. The more present the idea of being spirit is, the more one reacts and lives from that awareness. To repeat, remember, and apply these ideas with intention is part of a profound mental hygiene: a daily work of cleansing, surrender, and return to truth.

^II Not only are you Spirit; you also have work to do. You’ve just been hired.

At last, you’re no longer unemployed. One could say that now you’re a Spirit with quite a lot of work. The task you’ve been given is actually quite simple: you’re only asked to save the world. Seen rightly, it’s not such a difficult job—it’s a simple job of demolition. Moreover, you’ve been told that as soon as you’ve dismantled everything, you can return home to join a party that’s already in full swing. So get to work—and quickly. You’ve already been given all the tools you need and the instructions for using them. If you have any doubts, ask the foreman.

To begin, you may remind yourself of the following:

“My role in God’s plan for salvation is to be happy and to contribute to the happiness of others. That will be my priority. I will remain attentive to it, for that is my deepest desire.

And what will I do, then? Whatever I can. Always whatever I can. But without guilt. If at any moment I do not feel happy, I will not punish myself for it, because doing so would undo the progress made. Guilt only adds more unhappiness. This is not about demands, but about direction—about maintaining the right Course.”

Do not forget it today. You already know what your task is.

Morning and Evening Review: W-95 and W-96

1. W-95 “I am one Self, united with my Creator.”

²Perfect serenity and perfect peace are mine,

because I am one Self, wholly complete,

united with all creation and with God.

2. W-96 “Salvation comes from my one Self.”

²From my one Self, Whose knowledge still remains within my mind,

I see God’s perfect plan for my salvation perfectly fulfilled.

3. On the hour:

²“I am one Self, united with my Creator.”

4. On the half hour:

²“Salvation comes from my one Self.”  ^I

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^I “I can’t live with myself anymore.” This was the thought that kept repeating itself in my mind. Then, suddenly, I became aware of how peculiar that thought was. “Am I one or two? If I can’t live with myself, there must be two: the ‘I’ and the ‘self’ with whom the ‘I’ cannot live. Maybe,” I thought, “only one of the two is real.” The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle.

Everything you think about yourself is false. Recognize that you made it up, based on things that occurred to you or that others told you. All of that is just a story that someone is believing. What are you—the story itself, or the one who believes it?

If only for today, stop telling yourself stories about who you are, and keep in mind only these two ideas proposed to you here.

Morning and Evening Review: W-93 and W-94

1. W-93 “Light and joy and peace abide in me.” ^I

²I am the dwelling place of light, of joy, and of peace.

³I welcome them into the home I share with God,

because I am a part of Him.

2. W-94 “I am as God created me.” ^II

²I will remain forever as I was created by the Changeless,

in His likeness.

³And I am one with Him and He with me.

3. On the hour: ^III

²“Light and joy and peace abide in me.”

4. On the half hour:

²“I am as God created me.”

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^I If this statement seems somewhat excessive to you and you feel uncomfortable saying it, it is because you recognize that, at least for now, that is not the case. Formulate it slightly differently and say:

“It is my will to acknowledge that light, joy, and peace dwell in me, although I know that is not what I now feel and believe; yet surely that is what I want to see in myself.”

You have reason to be happy, for you are still exactly as you were when God created you. Nothing has changed in you since then: you remain absolutely perfect, the holy Son of God.

^II What has happened is that a very strange idea has gotten into your head, and you don’t know how to get rid of it. You think you are a human being—which you don’t even know exactly what that means—and that you are in a place called the world. The situation is rather uncomfortable. You feel chills when you think about it, and that’s normal, because everything here is very strange. You vaguely remember your former condition, because you spend your life trying to recover it, only through the things you find around here. And of course, that doesn’t work very well.

In any case, and for as long as this strange dream lasts, it is good for you to remind yourself constantly of the truth. Each time you do, your heart will rejoice, and you will behave more sensibly. So do not forget: light, joy, and peace truly dwell in you because you are still as God created you.

^III Again: today, too, try to keep to these reminders.

Introduction

1. Today we begin our third review.

²Each day we will review two of the last twenty ideas, until we have reviewed them all.

³For these exercises, we will follow a special format that you are urged to follow as faithfully as you can. ^I

⁴We understand, of course, that it may not be possible for you to carry out each day and every hour exactly as suggested.

2. Your learning will not be hampered when you miss a practice because it is genuinely impossible to do it at the appointed time.

²Nor is it necessary to make excessive efforts to compensate for missed sessions.

³Our goal is not to make a ritual of these practices, for that would defeat the purpose of what we aim to accomplish through this learning.

⁴But if you miss a practice period simply because you are unwilling to give the time, your learning will be affected.

⁵Do not deceive yourself about this.

⁶Your lack of willingness may be carefully disguised as situations you tell yourself you cannot control.

⁷Learn to distinguish those situations that are truly unfit for practice from those you set up yourself to conceal your unwillingness. ^II

⁸Any practice periods you missed because you were unwilling to do them, for whatever reason, should be done as soon as you change your mind about your goal.

3. You show reluctance to cooperate in practicing salvation when it interferes with other gods you value more. ^III

²Only when you withdraw your value from them will your practice be able to replace the litany you offer to those idols.

³Those idols have never given you anything.

⁴But your practice sessions offer you everything.

⁵So accept their offering, and be at peace.

4. The format you should use for these reviews is as follows:

²Devote five minutes twice a day—or more if you prefer—to reflecting on the assigned ideas.

³Begin by reading the ideas and the comments included in each day’s exercises. ^IV

⁴Then close your eyes and think about them quietly, allowing your mind to relate them to your needs, your apparent problems, and all your concerns.

5. Place the ideas in your mind, and let it use them as it chooses.

²Trust it will use them wisely, for the One Who gave you these thoughts is helping it to make its choices. ^V

³What else can you trust but what is in your mind?

⁴Have faith that the means the Holy Spirit uses in these reviews will not fail.

⁵Your mind’s wisdom will come to your aid.

⁶Give it direction at the start, and then step back in quiet faith, letting it use the ideas you have given it, as they were given to you for this purpose.

6. They have been given you in perfect confidence, in perfect certainty that you will use them well, in perfect trust that you will understand their messages and use them for your own benefit.

²Offer them to your mind with the same trust, certainty, and faith.

³Your mind will not fail you.

⁴It is the means the Holy Spirit has chosen for your salvation.

⁵And since it is trusted by Him, it deserves your trust as well. ^VI

7. We emphasize once again how helpful it is to give the first five minutes of the day to these reviews, as well as the last five minutes before you go to sleep.

²If this is not possible, at least try to divide these periods so that you do one session in the morning and one in the evening.

8. The shorter practice periods throughout the day are just as important—and perhaps even more so.

²You are inclined to do the exercises and then go about your day without applying what you have learned to what you do.

³By doing this, you fail to reinforce your learning and miss the opportunity to see its value in your practical life. ^VII

⁴You now have another chance to do better.

9. In these reviews, we stress the need not to let your learning stall between your longer practice periods.

²Try to review each hour the two ideas of the day, briefly but with sincerity.

³Use the first idea on the hour, and the second one half an hour later.

⁴You only need a moment for each of them.

⁵Repeat the idea, then let your mind rest in silence and peace for a little while.

⁶Then return to your activities, but try to keep the thought with you, and let it help you maintain your peace throughout the day.

⁷If you feel disturbed, return to the thought again.

10. These exercises are designed to help you develop the habit of applying what you learn each day to everything you do.

²They are not meant to be repeated and then forgotten.

³Their usefulness to you is limitless.

⁴And they are intended to serve you in every way, at all times and places, and whenever you need any kind of help.

⁵Try, then, to keep them in your awareness in your daily affairs, so that they may sanctify your day, making it worthy of the Son of God and acceptable to God and to your Self.

11. Each review should end with a reaffirmation of the two ideas of the day.

²Do not forget them.

³This second opportunity to consider each of these ideas will bring enormous advances, and you will emerge from this review with such strengthened learning that you will move forward from there on much firmer ground.

⁴Do not forget how little you have learned.

⁵Do not forget how much you can now learn.

⁶And do not forget how much your Father needs you, as you review these thoughts that He has given you.

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^I That’s right. Take this review very seriously and do exactly what is being proposed. You have ten very interesting days ahead of you, during which you will consolidate what you have learned. If you do it well, you will benefit enormously by applying the proposed ideas to your daily affairs. The result is spectacular.

^II Jesus knows very well how your mind works because He knows perfectly how the ego works.

That which you proudly call “my mind” is nothing more than the infinite diminishment of the Mind that God created perfect, devastated by the idea of separation. Even so, with that you can still function and restore it to what it truly is.

The ego, which is nothing more than the false identity you have of yourself as a result of that perverse idea, will try by all means to keep you from doing these practices. In your mind, in your heart, and in your gut, thousands of excuses will appear not to do what is being asked of you. Do whatever you please, because, in the end, that is what you are going to do anyway. If you wish, do the exercises; if not, listen to the voice of your ego. It doesn’t matter much, because, ultimately, that is what you have been doing all your life.

What is important is that you watch your mind, open your eyes wide, and carefully observe what happens afterward. Be very honest about that. Only your honesty will allow you to interpret correctly what happens and learn from the consequences of your behavior.

If you are truly honest with yourself and look at reality impartially, no one will need to convince you of anything; you will see it for yourself, and soon you will realize what is most beneficial for you.

Learning that is imposed is not pleasant for anyone, and it is not very effective. It is essential that you feel free when making the necessary changes in your mind and not coerced by anything or anyone. Thus you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

Realize that in these lines Jesus is appealing to your will, which is the only thing that matters, and He urges you to align it with His. What your will has been “until now” is irrelevant; what counts here is what it will be “from now on.”

Place your will on doing these Lessons well. Whether you later do them or not is not what matters most; what truly is crucial is that you have the will to do them. Remember: this, above all, is a Course about will.

Be very honest about that. If you do these Lessons with a poor will, they are of no use. If that is your case, stop at once and place your will on recovering your will. That is how will works: it ignites itself.

^III That thing called “salvation” sometimes seems too abstract an idea to take seriously, doesn’t it? It certainly is a beautiful idea, but the world also offers us very interesting things, we must admit that. But think about it carefully: salvation is nothing more than a somewhat grandiose expression for a concept that is much more familiar to you—happiness. Moreover, here we are not speaking of just any kind of happiness, but of absolute and everlasting joy: your total liberation.

Salvation is exactly the same thing you are seeking behind all those things the world offers and that seem appealing to you; but by now, you must be quite clear that they do not give you at all what they promise. And you know that well, because it has never—ever—been so. Do you want to be mistaken again? There’s no problem with that: you have all the time in the world to do so. In fact, that is exactly the purpose of time—to give yourself time to make the decision that renders it unnecessary.

In this life, everything is a matter of priorities. Again: be very honest with yourself and carefully observe how you have built your pyramid of priorities. Surely you have found something in the world that seems more interesting to you than truth, love, and the remembrance of God. Something you value more than all that, when, in reality, every value you see there is nothing but a projection of a small aspect of your Self onto that thing, for that, in itself, is nothing.

You are always seeking your Self, whether you seek it within you or in something of this world. But when you seek it outside yourself, you are simply wasting time. Nothing external to you can make you truly happy, because this world is nothing but a dream built out of fears and desires, and your happiness is real: it is what you are.

Save time and choose well. When you feel tempted to abandon a practice, rationalize the situation and take responsibility for the commitment you made when you decided to do this Course. Give it the opportunity to show you that everything it proposes is true, beneficial, and timely.

Listen to Jesus; rest absolutely assured that He knows best.

^IV The way to carry out this review is as follows:

① In the morning, when you are completely awake—and, if you wish, after breakfast—read the entire Lesson, that is, the two ideas and their comments. If you have more time and feel inclined, you may look at the original Lessons to which they refer and their notes, but that is not essential.

② Place the ideas in your mind gently and with confidence. Release the ideas into your mind and tell them to go by themselves, on their own, to meet the problems and difficulties that are already there. They are dark places in your mind that displease and disturb you. Tell your mind to direct the day’s ideas to those corners, so they may illuminate them with their light. The ideas will go forth, guided by the Holy Spirit, seeking those distressing situations and engaging with them without your having to do anything. Watch carefully and with detachment what happens. What you see will depend greatly on your particular type of mind. You may see images; you may hear answers; something will happen—just observe.

③ During the next ten days, you will need to keep a close eye on the clock. Do not fit your practices into your workday; no, do it the other way around—fit your day into the practice. You will not use the proposed ideas to live that day; no, you will use the day to practice the ideas. During the next ten days, what happens in your day is not what matters; no, what matters are the ideas, and everything your mind perceives is merely material to feed those ideas, to nourish them, for them to digest it, process it, and give you something in return. Do it that way and you will see that, if you adopt that point of view, it will be much easier for you to stick to the routine of recalling the first idea every hour on the hour, and the second idea at the half hour.

④ At the end of the day, consider again the two ideas. Now look back at how the day went, how those two ideas served you, how they related to the day’s events. Notice where you failed and realize why it happened. In this review, you must not allow yourself to be carried away by guilt at any time. We already know how much you enjoy feeling guilty, but you are preparing yourself to become a master of forgiveness, and you cannot afford the luxury of drugging yourself with that garbage. Don’t you dare fall into such nonsense! You made a mistake, and you will make many more, but that doesn’t count at all; the only thing that matters is your firm determination to reach your goal—nothing else. Then go to sleep peacefully and happily, feeling within you forgiveness and your essential innocence. Tomorrow awaits you with another exciting day, full of interesting challenges.

^V Pay close attention to what is being said here, for it is very important and will help you understand a bit how God’s plan for salvation works.

The Holy Spirit relates directly to your mind—without your intervention!—and guides it in making the most appropriate decisions for each circumstance.

You do not have to do anything! Simply offer your good will and gratitude for that to be so, and trust. Do nothing more than that. That is the most that can be asked of you, because it is the most you can give.

It may seem very little to you, but don’t be mistaken: it is immense.

^VI This is a new and very powerful idea. A new ally has just been presented to you: your own mind. Now, in addition to God’s Love, the Guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the unconditional help, counsel, and companionship of Jesus, you also have your own mind. But this is not a capricious invitation made to you without reason. You have spent one hundred and ten days working with your mind, training it, purifying it. It is no longer the same instrument you had at the beginning of this Course; now you can begin to trust it.

Now you can. You trust your mind because you have treated it with respect and dedication. You have worked hard at it, and you have done so in the company of a consummate master of the mind: Jesus has been your teacher. Now you can entrust your mind with specific tasks for it to carry out on your behalf. You have made a great investment in your mind, and you have every right in the world to reap the results of your work. That is why you can trust completely that it will fulfill perfectly whatever you assign it, and your mind will surprise you. Put it to the test.

^VII Do you remember how in Lesson One Hundred Eight you learned that giving and receiving are the same? What do you think that means? What is the use of receiving an idea from this Book if you do not give it? Don’t you realize that if you do not give it, you will lose it? To be able to keep the ideas offered to you here and strengthen them in your mind, you must give them. Of course, that does not mean you have to go out into the street, climb on a pedestal, and proclaim to the four winds how wonderful the teachings of this Course are. If you do that, most likely they’ll throw eggs and tomatoes at you, and you’ll end up a mess. And you know what? You’d have it well deserved—for being arrogant and foolish. No. You do not need to do any of that to give the ideas of this Course. It will probably be a long time before the Holy Spirit indicates that you must teach this Course explicitly—and that, if it ever happens.

Life is demanding, haven’t you noticed? It is always asking you for something. Life is always asking you to give something or to do something. And what will you give it? What do you think life needs if not the ideas you are learning here now?

Every day, every hour, every minute, life places a challenge before you. Take it as an opportunity to practice what you have just learned, as a plea, as a call for help—take it as you wish—but rest absolutely assured that everything life requires of you, you are learning in this Course. That is what you must give to life: the ideas you need to give in order to strengthen them in your mind and make them yours forever. “Life” will take many different forms; it may present itself as a hostile brother, as a bill to be paid, or as a pain in your side—who knows! For that, life is very creative. But don’t worry; now you already have with you a good arsenal of ideas and a trained mind that can use them effectively. You only need to offer a little good will… and a lot of trust.

Let your mind use the day’s ideas in any disturbing situation that arises. To do this, you need only keep very present in your mind that you have been assigned a transcendent and supremely important function: you must save the world. Do not forget it. Now you know who you are, why you are here, and you also have the necessary means to perform your role, so go ahead. Do not be afraid. You are incredibly fortunate to have all this. Unfortunately, in this world, that is a rare privilege. Be aware of it, get to work. If you do not do it, who, then, will save the world?

LESSON 111

Morning and Evening Review: W-91 and W-92

1. W-91 “Miracles are seen in light.” ^I

²I cannot see in darkness.

³Let the light of holiness and truth illuminate my mind,

⁴that I may see the innocence within me.

2. W-92 “Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.” ^II

²Through strength, I see the Gift God gave to me.

³My weakness is the darkness His Gift dispels, for He gives me His Strength to take its place.

3. On the hour: ^III

²“Miracles are seen in light.”

4. On the half hour:

²“Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.”

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^I Miracles are always there; the light that allows you to see them is also always present. The only thing that may or may not be there is your will to see them. Decide what you want to see: miracles or desolation.

^II The term closest to “strength” is “power,” and the aspect of your Self that best evokes it is the will. Your will is not the mother of miracles, but it is the midwife that makes their birth in your mind possible. Put your will to work, and let it fulfill its function..

^III Strive to follow this program faithfully. Remember: what matters here is not so much what you do, what you achieve, or what you experience, but the will you put into doing it.

I am as God created me.^I

1. Today’s idea will be repeated from time to time.

²For this one thought would be enough to save you and the world, if you believed that it is true.

³Its truth means that you have made no real changes in yourself, nor changed the universe to replace what God created with fear and evil, misery and death.

⁴If you are still as God created you, fear has no meaning, evil is not real, and suffering and death do not exist.

2. Therefore, today’s idea is all you need to let complete correction heal your mind and give you perfect vision.

²It will heal all the errors any mind has ever made at any time or place. ^II

³It is enough to heal the past and free the future.

⁴It is all you need to accept the present as it is.

⁵It is enough to let time be the means for all the world to learn how to escape from time, and every change that time appears to bring.

3. If you are as God created you, appearances cannot replace the truth, health cannot turn to sickness, nor can death be substitute for life, or fear for love.

²None of this has happened, if you remain as God created you.

³You need no thought but this one to bring redemption to the world and free it from the past.

4. With this one thought is all the past undone, the present saved to quietly extend into a timeless future.

²If you are as God created you, there has been no separation of your mind from His, no split between your mind and other minds.

³And only unity has ever existed in your mind.

5. The healing power of today’s idea is limitless.

²It is the birthplace of all miracles, the great restorer of the truth to the awareness of the world. ^III

³Practice today’s idea in thankfulness.

⁴This is the truth that makes you free.

⁵This is the truth God promised you. ^IV

⁶This is the Word in which all sorrow ends.

6. Begin your five-minute practice periods with this quotation from the Text:

²I am as God created me.

³His Son can suffer nothing.

⁴And I am His Son. ^V

⁵Then, with this statement firmly in your mind, try to find the Self Who is the holy Son of God Himself.

⁶Seek Him within you—the Christ in you, God’s Son and Brother to the world;

⁷the Savior Who has been forever safe;

⁸the One with power to save whoever touches Him, however lightly, and asks for the Word that tells him he is his brother. ^VI

7. You are as God created you.

²Honor your Self today.

³And let not any images you made to be the Son of God instead of Him arise in your mind to hide what truly is there. ^VII

⁴Deep in your mind, the holy Christ in you is waiting your acknowledgment as your Self.

⁵And as long as you remain unaware of Him, you are lost and do not know yourself.

8. Seek Him today and find Him.

²He will be your Savior from all the idols you have made.

³For when you find Him, you will understand how worthless are your idols, and how false the images you believed about yourself.

⁴Today we make a great advance to truth by letting idols go and opening our hearts and minds and arms to God. ^VIII

9. With gratitude and joy we quietly remember Him today, and give His Word to all we see, that we may recognize our Self in everyone we meet.

²And thus we say with confidence and love:

³I am as God created me.

⁴Let us declare this truth as often as we can.

⁵This is the Word of God that sets you free. ^IX

⁶This is the key that opens Heaven’s gate and lets you enter into the Peace of God and His Eternity.

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^I This is the talismanic idea of this Course; the whole of its teaching revolves around it. It is important that you understand it well, or it will serve you little. But if you comprehend what this idea means and accept it as true, it will come to your aid whenever you feel tempted to believe that you are vulnerable or in any kind of danger. It is enough to declare this idea in moments of disturbance for your mind to be restored, for peace to return, and for you to rest in God.

But first, realize that right now you have not the slightest idea of what you truly are. Acknowledge this. You cannot conceive what you are, because you use your mind to imagine things, and you are not an image. You are pure Being—and Being cannot be imagined; it can only be being. The very fact that you have worries already reveals your total ignorance of your own identity. Be very careful when you think about yourself, for you must know that only the ego entertains such foolish notions.

Be completely unconcerned with any concept about yourself that passes through your mind. Rest assured that it has arisen only to deceive and confuse you. Do not follow it.

You are as God created you, for God creates perfectly and forever.

The Being that you are is perfect and can never change.

That Being exists beyond space and time, which are illusory concepts.

That Being is real.

But that is not the being you think you are. You believe you are something else precisely because you are using your mind in “believing” mode. And remember: everything you believe is false. You are nothing that you can “believe.” One can only believe in illusions—and you are no illusion.

It is true that you can believe you are as God created you, and it is also true that believing this will help you in your dark moments, for right now you are so confused that this is the only thing you think you have. But it is not true. You do not even need to believe it; you do not deserve to. You are the Son of God, and you deserve to know that you are His Son.

Forget your beliefs. Stop even believing that you are the Son of God—and pray. Pray from the heart, for indeed you have a great need to pray. You will not reach the knowledge of your true identity through your beliefs—not even through the loftiest or the most “true.” They will not serve you. God did not create you to believe; He created you to create. You are His beloved Son, Whom He loves in such a way that the faintest breath of His Love sweeps away all confusion. You will not reach your Father by your own means; prayer is the call for Him to come to your rescue.

Pray. Pray passionately. And when you say, “I am as God created me,” let it not be an opinion or a belief, but a declaration that arises from the depths of your heart—a prayer you raise to Heaven to claim the end of a dream of anguish you do not deserve.

Never forget today’s idea. Keep it always on your lips, in your mind, and in your heart. It is pure truth. It is salvation.

And when you see all your brothers as you now see yourself, you will be ready to recognize that you are in your Father’s Heart, where you have never ceased to be.

^II John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

^III Realize that, with the awareness of being the Son of God—and the fact of continuing to be so, no matter what appearances may tell you—your perception of the world must inevitably change. To perceive is to imagine what you wish to see, and one who knows he is his Father’s Son can only wish to see miracles—and he will see them.

^IV Again, here is John 8:32. Today’s idea sums up the entire gospel of Jesus: you are the Son of God. And His crucifixion, in this time of Easter, is the testimony that this is true and that death does not exist.

^V This is stated exactly the same in theText, in T-31.VIII.5:2–4.

^VI Mark 5:27–29 “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”

^VII Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”

^VIII This is another of the Lessons that can be considered a “giant stride” in learning, for its statement is the same as that of Lesson 94, which is also one.

^IX John 1:1–5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

I rest in God.

1. Today we ask for rest, and for a quietness unshaken by the world’s appearances.

²We ask for peace and stillness, in the midst of all the turmoil born of dreams of conflict.

³We ask for safety and for happiness, though we seem to look on danger and distress.

⁴And with our asking, we are given the thought that answers it:

2. I rest in God. ^I

²This thought will bring you rest and quiet, peace and stillness, and the safety and the happiness you seek.

³I rest in God.

⁴This thought has power to awaken truth asleep within you.

⁵The vision that this thought will bring gives eyes to see beyond appearances to that same truth which is in everyone and everything there is.

⁶Here is the end of suffering for all the world, the healing of all pain for everyone who ever came and everyone who yet will come to linger for a while.

⁷This is the thought in which the Son of God is born again, to recognize himself. ^II

3. I rest in God.

²This thought, serene and unshakable, will carry you through storms and strife, past misery and pain, past loss and death, and onward to the certainty of God.

³There is no suffering it cannot heal.

⁴There is no problem that it cannot solve.

⁵And no appearance but will turn to truth before the eyes of you who rest in God.

4. This is the day of peace.

²You rest in God.

³And while the world is torn by winds of hate, your rest remains completely undisturbed.

⁴Yours is the rest of truth.

⁵Appearances cannot intrude on you.

⁶You call to all to join you in your rest, and they will hear and come to you because you rest in God.

⁷They will not hear another voice but yours, because you gave your voice to God, and now you rest in Him and let Him speak through you.

5. In Him you have no cares and no concerns, no burdens, no anxiety, no pain, no fear of future and no past regrets.

²You rest in timelessness while time goes by without its touch upon you, for your rest can never be disturbed.

³Today you rest.

⁴And as you close your eyes, sink into stillness.

⁵Let these periods of rest and respite reassure your mind that all its frantic fantasies were but the feverish dreams of a delirium now past.

⁶Let it be still and thankfully accept its healing.

⁷No more fearful dreams will come, now that you rest in God.

⁸Take time today to slip away from dreams and into peace.

6. Each hour that you take your rest today, a tired mind is suddenly made glad; a bird with broken wings begins to sing; a stream long dry begins to flow again.

²The world is born again each time you rest, and hourly remember that you came to bring the Peace of God into the world, that it might rest with you.

³With every five minutes that you rest today, the world is nearer waking.

⁴And the time when rest will be the only thing there is comes closer to all worn and tired minds, too weary now to go their way alone.

⁵And they will hear the bird begin to sing, and see the stream begin to flow again.

⁶With hope reborn and energy restored, they walk with lightened steps along the road that suddenly seems easier, as they go.

7. You rest today in God’s Peace, and call to all your brothers to rest with you.

²You will be faithful to your trust today, forgetting no one, bringing everyone into the boundless circle of your peace, the holy sanctuary where you rest.

³Open the temple doors and let them come from far and near—your distant brothers and your closest friends.

⁴Bid them all enter here and rest with you. ^III

8. You rest today in God’s Peace, calm and unafraid.

²Each of your brothers comes to take his rest and offer it to you.

³We rest together here, for thus our rest is made complete.

⁴What we give today we have received.

⁵And time is not the guardian of what we give today.

⁶We give to those unborn and those passed on, to every Thought of God, and to the Mind in which these thoughts were born and where they rest.

⁷And we remind them of their resting place each time we tell ourselves:

⁸I rest in God.

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^I Another absolutely marvelous Lesson of this Workbook. In a way it recalls Lesson 100. That one was centered on happiness, and this one on rest and peace.

Peace is like truth; in fact, peace is the condition of truth; it need not be sought, for it is always there because it is real. Rest is the state enjoyed by those who have peace because they know the truth.

Although we could say that rest is the “effect” of peace, in this Lesson we proceed the other way around. We begin by evoking the effect and follow the river upstream to the cause that produces it: peace. And once established in peace, we naturally gain access to truth, which is its cause. This Lesson works “against the current”; it works in reverse; here we travel to the cause from the effect. This approach has the advantage of employing a concept that is well known because it is associated with the body—rest—to reach another—truth—which, though also known, lies hidden beneath a dense veil of beliefs.

In this Lesson, Jesus is inviting us to a fait accompli: “I rest in God.” But if that seems a bit excessive to you and you feel unable to grant it to yourself, you may frame the idea in another way that may feel more accessible: “I want to rest in God.”

^II John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

John 3:7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

^III Pay close attention to this Lesson’s proposal. It is very simple: first you evoke an idea aligned with truth—rest in God—and hold it firmly in your mind. Then you share it with others so as to strengthen it in yourself and keep it. And from now on you generalize it and apply it to every circumstance life sets before you, so that you may learn it well.

Giving and receiving are the same in truth.^I

1. Vision depends upon today’s idea.

²In it is light, for it reconciles all apparent opposites.

³And what is light but the resolution born of peace, which brings together all your conflicts and mistaken thoughts into one concept that is wholly true?

⁴Even this one will disappear, for the Thought behind it will appear instead to take its place. ^II

⁵And now we are at peace forever, for the dream is over.

2. The true light that makes true vision possible is not the light the body’s eyes behold.

²It is a state of mind so unified that darkness cannot be perceived at all.

³Thus what is the same is seen as one, while what is not the same remains unnoticed, for it is not there.

3. This is the light that shows no opposites, and healed perception now has power to heal.

²This is the light that extends your peace of mind to other minds, so they can share it and rejoice in their oneness with you and with themselves.

³This is the light that heals, because it brings a single perception, based upon one frame of reference from which one meaning comes.

4. In this light, giving and receiving are seen as different aspects of one Thought, whose truth does not depend on which is seen as first and which as last.

²Now it is understood that both occur at once, so that the Thought remains complete.

³And in this understanding lies the basis on which all opposites are reconciled, because they are perceived from the same frame of reference that unifies this Thought.

5. One single Thought, completely unified, will serve to unify all thought.

²This is the same as saying that one correction is sufficient for all error, or that forgiving one brother completely is enough to bring salvation to all minds.

³For these are but special cases of one law that applies to all learning, when it is directed by the One Who knows the truth.

6. Learning that giving and receiving are the same has special usefulness, because it can be tried so easily and seen as true.

²And once this special case has proved it always works, in every circumstance where it is tried, the thought behind it can be extended to other areas of doubt and double vision. ^III

³And from there it will expand, and finally arrive at the one underlying Thought that unites them all.

7. Today we practice with the special case of giving and receiving.

²We will use this simple lesson in a setting that is obvious, because it produces results we cannot miss.

³Giving is receiving. ^IV

⁴Today we will offer peace to everyone, and see how quickly peace returns to us.

⁵Light is tranquility, and in that peace is vision granted us, and we can see.

8. So we begin the practice periods with today’s idea, saying:

²Giving and receiving are the same in truth.

³I will receive what I am giving now.

⁴Then close your eyes and think for five minutes of what you would hold out to everyone, to have it as your own.

⁵You might say, for example: ^V

⁶I offer serenity to everyone.

⁷I offer peace of mind to everyone.

⁸I offer gentleness to everyone.

9. Say each thought slowly, then pause a while and let the gift return to you in the measure that you gave it.

²You will find you have exactly what you gave, because that is what you asked for. ^VI

³It may also be helpful to select one person in particular to whom to offer your gifts.

⁴He represents the others, and through him you give to all.

10. Our simple lesson for today will teach you much.

²You will begin to understand the law of cause and effect, and you will progress much faster now. ^VII

³Think of today’s exercises as quick advances in your learning, made still faster and more secure each time you say:

⁴Giving and receiving are the same in truth.

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^I Today’s Lesson is beautiful. It is such a powerful, clear, luminous, and self-evident Lesson that it is exceedingly easy to comment on—and for that very reason, it needs no comment at all. Simply read it with great attention, do exactly what it tells you, and you will see for yourself the immense power it has to open your mind. Indeed, you are very fortunate to be doing this Lesson; take that into account. You will see. Read, do, and awaken!

^II The Thought that underlies the notion of the unity of opposites is the awareness of Being.

^III “Double vision” is where pairs of opposing, or dual, ideas are perceived—usually consisting of one real concept and another imaginary one that refers to the absence of the real concept. For example: love–fear; light–darkness; joy–suffering; having–lacking; reality–illusion…

^IV To give is to extend one’s own being, and, as you already know by now, the world you perceive is a world of ideas—a world of ideas symbolized in forms you call “things.” All those “things” you “see” outside yourself are, in truth, ideas that remain in your mind, for that is the only “place” that exists in the universe. Nothing has ever left it, because there is nothing else: everything happens within your mind.

Giving something you love is a beautiful gesture, for in doing so you are extending love. But to whom or to what could it go if there is nothing outside you? To yourself, of course! And as you will see when you do the exercise that is proposed, it is you who are there to receive it. Nothing could be more evident. It is something you constantly experience throughout your “life” in this world—in fact, you have never experienced anything else.

^V Today it is especially interesting that it is you who choose the mental state you wish to enjoy. Choose the one you prefer, evoke it, visualize it clearly, feel it within you, and then offer it to the entire world.

And then you will see how it returns to you multiplied. In truth, what returns to you is exactly what you gave, but it will seem to have increased, because you were not aware of all that was within you. That is why the best way to enjoy something is to give it.

^VI Realize that this works for both good and bad alike. You will experience in yourself, instantly, both the good and the evil you offer another—exactly in the same terms and in the same measure—for, in the end, the one to whom you offer it is your very own self (though that may still be a little hard for you to accept).

^VII Although the expression is not mentioned specifically, this is another of the “giant strides.”

Truth will correct all errors in my mind.

1. What can correct illusions but the truth?

²And what are errors but illusions that have not yet been recognized as what they are?

³Where truth has entered, errors simply vanish.

⁴They fade away, leaving not a trace by which to be remembered.

⁵They are gone because, without belief to support them, they have no life.

⁶And so they disappear, returning to the nothingness from which they came.

⁷From dust they come and unto dust they return, for only truth remains. ^I

2. Can you imagine what a state of mind without illusions would be like? ^II

²How would you feel?

³Try to remember a time—perhaps just for a moment, maybe even less—when nothing came to interrupt your peace, when you felt certain that you were loved and safe.

⁴Now try to imagine how that moment would extend to the end of time and into eternity.

⁵Then multiply that feeling a hundredfold, and then a hundred more.

⁶And now you have a hint, no more than just the faintest glimpse, of the state in which your mind will rest when truth has come.

3. Without illusions there could be no fear, no doubt, no attack.

²When truth has come, all pain is over, for there is no room left in your mind for passing thoughts or dead ideas.

³Truth takes up your whole mind, freeing you from all beliefs in the temporary.

⁴There is no place left for them because truth has come, and they are nowhere to be found.

⁵They cannot be found, for truth is everywhere and forever.

4. When truth has come, it does not stay a while to disappear or change to something else.

²It does not shift or alter in its form.

³It does not come and go and go and come again.

⁴It stays exactly as it always was, so you can count on it in every need and trust it with a perfect certainty in all apparent difficulties and doubts that come from the appearances the world presents.

⁵All these will simply fade away as truth corrects all errors in your mind.

5. When truth has come, it brings with it the gift of perfect constancy and a Love that looks on pain but does not flinch.

²Here is the gift of healing, for truth needs no defense, and thus no attack is possible.

³Illusions may be brought to truth to be corrected.

⁴But truth stands far beyond illusions, and cannot be brought to them to turn them into truth.

6. Truth does not come and go.

²It does not change or shift.

³It does not take one form and then another.

⁴It does not hide from being found.

⁵It does not try to escape.

⁶It stays in full light, clearly accessible.

⁷It is impossible for anyone to seek it truly and not find it.

7. This day belongs to truth.

²Give truth its due, and it will give you what is yours.

³You were not made to suffer and to die.

⁴Your Father wills these dreams be gone.

⁵Let truth correct them all.

8. We are not asking for what is not already ours. ^III

²We merely ask to recognize what is already given, so we may acknowledge we already have it.

³Today we practice in the happy certainty that comes from truth.

⁴We do not walk with hesitant steps of illusion today.

⁵We are as sure of success as we are of life, of trust, of breathing, and of thought.

⁶We have no doubt today that we walk with truth, and we rely on it to carry us through every practice period we do.

9. Begin by asking Him Who goes with you in this undertaking to make Himself known to you as you follow Him. ^IV

²You are not made of flesh, of blood, and bone, but were created by the very Thought that gave Him life as well.

³He is your Brother, and so like to you your Father knows that both of you are one.

⁴It is your Self you ask to go with you, and how could He be absent where you are?

10. Truth will correct all errors in your mind—all the thoughts that tell you you can be apart from Him.

²Speak to Him today, and promise that you will let His function be fulfilled through you.

³To share His function is to share His joy.

⁴His confidence is with you as you say:

⁵Truth will correct all errors in my mind,

⁶And I will rest in Him Who is my Self.

⁷Then let Him lead you gently to the truth, which will enfold you and bring you peace so deep and quiet that you will find it hard to return to the familiar world you know.

11. And yet you will rejoice to look upon that world again.

²For you will bring with you the promise of the changes truth will bring to it, as you allow truth to be corrected in your mind.

³These changes will multiply with every five minutes you give, and the errors that cover the world will be corrected as you allow them to be corrected in you.

12. Do not forget your function today.

²Each time you say with confidence, “Truth will correct all errors in my mind,”

you speak for all the world, and for the One Who would release the world by setting you free.

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^I If you feel inclined to think about truth—if the idea of truth arises in your mind—it means you have a serious problem. Only a sick mind can consider the idea of “truth.” For what is truth? Obviously, truth is what is, what exists; that is what you call “truth.” Truth is your Being. You are the truth. Truth is what you are. That is why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

Then what makes the notion of truth meaningful to you? Why should it be? How is it that the mind seriously entertains the idea of “seeking the truth”? Why would anyone ever need to seek what is, what exists? Do you realize that this very fact already shows that something is wrong?

If you believe you must seek the truth, that can only mean that your mind is not functioning properly. If truth is something to be sought, it means that the mind does not know reality—and if the mind does not know reality, what does it know, then? With what does it relate? That mind must be engaging with something unreal, with something that is not true. And what sense does that make? What purpose could it serve?

A mind that seeks the truth is a mind relating to illusions—to ideas devoid of real content, to imaginations. And how does it do this? How can the mind become interested in something that is nothing, that does not exist? All this is explained in Section VIII of Chapter 7 of the Text: The Ego’s Use of Projection.

Though words fall short—for they are symbols used to describe reality, which itself is not symbolic—we could put it this way: in this Course, the word “mind” is used to refer to the active principle of “spirit,” which may be understood as the condition of “Being,” of “reality,” of what “exists.” Reality is spiritual. It can be intuitively understood that the terms “being,” “manifesting,” “giving,” “loving,” and “extending” are closely related, and that is why the Text says that the fundamental law of the mind is the law of extension.

We can grasp the idea that “Being,” through the “mind,” manifests by giving or extending its own existence—what Being itself is—and that this is what is called “creation.” Everything related to Being is purely real, that is, entirely abstract, limitless, and timeless, and it cannot be understood by the concrete or personal mind, for they belong to different realms, of which only one is real, while the other is imaginary.

The mind creates when it extends its own entity, its own being—and this is intrinsically logical. However, it also happens that the mind can project—if it so wills—what it itself is not, what does not exist. To this surprising fact, this Course gives the name “believing,” which could be understood as the spurious form of creating.

In this case, the mind projects outside itself what does not exist, what is nothing, and believes in it—that is, it regards it as real and even fears it, though it also feels drawn to it, for although it is unlike itself, it is its offspring, and thus it calls that belief its “child.” Obviously, that quality of reality is exclusive to the mind that conceived it, and to no one else. Thus, the mind believes that what is not itself—and does not exist—is real and true.

Since being and loving are the same, when the mind projects what it is not (believing), it is projecting what it does not love—it is projecting absences of love. In fact, in such a case, the mind is not truly projecting anything at all, for love is the only thing that is real and that exists. In this confused state, the mind projects outside itself (rejects) the opposite of what it is, and that is why the illusions the mind believes in are concrete and frightening. They are not real, yet to the mind that conceived them they are, because it believes in them. This multitude of illusions constitutes the imaginary world in which the mind that seeks the truth believes it exists.

It is perfectly understandable that a sick mind would seek the truth, for everything it thinks it perceives feels profoundly unsatisfying—precisely because it constructed it by projecting absences of love, and now that fearful landscape fills its awareness.

This is a Course for sick minds that seek the truth. They are minds submerged in a permanent hallucination, populated by fearful illusions—among them their own imagined identity, which is itself an illusion. The mind that believes in all these falsehoods cannot find the truth by itself, for it was the cause of that confusion, and therefore its “doing” will not save it. But the opposite—its “not doing”—will. This is why this Course constantly urges you not to do, for you do not know how to do; you do not know how to extend love; you have forgotten how to create and are focused instead on believing. Yet you can—and must—stop believing in your illusory offspring.

Perhaps at this point you are wondering what on earth you must believe in to be saved, to know the truth, and to enjoy the infinite joy of being. Well, the answer is very simple: you do not need to believe in anything. Believing is a misuse of the mind; it is precisely what has led you into this miserable state. But there is something very important you must never forget, for in it lies salvation: to think that you are in a miserable state, in a fearful world, and in need of seeking the truth is also a belief—and it, too, is not true. Rejoice, then, and realize that, in truth, you have no need to be saved from anything, nor to seek the truth; it will find you, because the truth is you.

But until you realize this—and if you wish to take some time for that discovery—you may begin to dismantle that intricate scaffolding of beliefs you have built little by little, yet relentlessly. To begin with, you should look with a touch of disbelief at anything that comes to your mind: you can be absolutely certain that it is false. Nothing you think with your personal mind is true, nor will it ever be. Perhaps some things that occur to you may be somewhat aligned with truth, but it is better not to take them too seriously or give them much importance. Remember that whenever you have given importance to something, you have ended up suffering, so better not go down that road. Stop giving importance to things—to everything—even to the idea of the salvation of your immortal soul. Do not worry about that; rest assured that it does not. Empty your mind of everything and adopt a receptive attitude. That will always do you good.

Practice the exercises of this Workbook with detachment, yet with good cheer and confidence, and be happy in the present—right now.

Genesis 3:19: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

^II In this Lesson, the term “illusions” is not used in the usual sense it often has in the Course, where it refers to false or distorted perceptions of reality. Here it refers instead to another kind of deception: the expectations you have placed upon idols—the forms of the world—in the hope that they will fill your supposed lacks and provide what you think you need. This semantic nuance comes closer to the everyday meaning of the expression “to build illusions,” that is, to form unfounded hopes or to trust in something that in reality lacks substance or true capacity to satisfy you. Therefore, in this context, “illusions” does not refer to what you see, but to what you mistakenly expect to receive from the world and its forms.

This Lesson associates peace and truth with the absence of expectations—that is, with the transcendence of every sense of lack. To understand it this way is to recognize that expectations arise from a perception of insufficiency—from the belief that something external must come to complete you. When that demand disappears—that yearning projected toward the future—a direct and present experience of fullness opens, where there is no longer any search, for nothing is missing. It is there that peace reveals itself as a natural state, and truth as something that has always been present but was veiled by the desire for things to be different.

^III Of course! When it speaks of truth, it is speaking of you—of your essential reality. Truth is one of the three aspects of Being (Truth–Love–Power).

^IV “The One Who walks with you” is your Self—Christ—Who accompanies you on the journey Home as Companion and Brother, yet when you awaken, you will recognize Him as your very Self.

I will be still today and listen to the truth.

1. If you set aside the ego’s voice today, no matter how loudly it may seem to call to you,

²If you do not accept its petty gifts that bring you nothing you really want,

³If you listen with an open mind that does not tell itself what salvation is,

⁴Then you will hear the mighty Voice of truth: quiet in Its power, strong in Its stillness, and absolutely certain in Its messages. ^I

⁵Listen—and hear your Father speak to you through the Voice He appointed, which silences the meaningless and shows the way to peace to those who cannot see.

2. Be still today and listen to the truth. ^II

²Do not be fooled by the voices of the dead, who claim to bring you life and offer it to you as if you should believe in them. ^III

³Pay them no heed.

⁴Listen to the truth.

⁵Be not afraid today to bypass the voices of the world.

⁶Walk lightly past their meaningless persuasion.

⁷Do not listen.

3. Be still today and listen to the truth.

²Go past all things that do not speak of Him Who holds your happiness within His Hand, and offers it to you in love and welcome.

³Listen to Him alone today.

⁴Delay no longer in going to Him.

⁵Listen today to one Voice alone.

4. Today the promise of God’s Word is kept.

²Listen in silence.

³He will speak to you.

⁴He comes with miracles a thousand times more joyful and more wonderful than anything you ever dreamed or wished for in your dreams.

⁵His miracles are true.

⁶They will not fade when dreaming ends.

⁷For they are the ones that end the dream and last forever, sent from God to His beloved Son—whose other name is what you are.

⁸Prepare yourself today for miracles.

⁹Let the ancient promise of your Father be fulfilled today, to you and all your brothers.

5. Hear Him today, and listen to the Word that lifts the veil that covers earth, and wakes all those who sleep and cannot see.

²God calls to them through you.

³He needs your voice to speak to them, for who but your Father could reach His Son except by calling to him through your Self?

6. Hear Him today, and offer Him your voice to speak to all the multitudes who wait to hear the Word He will speak today.

²Be ready for salvation.

³It is here, and it will be given you today.

⁴And you will learn your function from the One Who chose it in God’s Name for you.

7. Listen today, and you will hear a Voice that echoes through the world through you.

²The Bearer of all miracles needs you to first receive them, so you may become the joyous giver of what you received.

³This is how salvation begins, and this is how it ends:

⁴When all is yours, and all is given away,

it remains with you forever.

⁵And thus you learn the lesson. ^IV

8. Today we practice what it means to give, not in the way you understand it now, but as it truly is.

²Begin each hour’s exercise with this request for enlightenment:

³I will be still today and listen to the truth.

⁴What does it mean to give and to receive?

⁵Ask, and expect an answer.

⁶The answer to your asking has been waiting long to come to you.

⁷With this answer begins the ministry for which you came to this world, and which will set it free from thinking giving is a way to lose.

⁸And thus the world is made ready to understand and to receive.

9. Be still today and listen to the truth.

²For each five minutes that you spend in listening, a thousand minds are opened to the truth, and they will hear the holy Word you hear.

³And when the hour passes, you will once again release a thousand more who pause to ask that truth be given them, as you receive it now. ^V

10. Today, the holy Word of God is kept, for you receive it to give it, so you may teach the world what giving means—by listening and learning it from Him.

²Do not forget today to reinforce your choice to listen and receive the Word by repeating to yourself as often as you can:

³I will be still today and listen to the truth.

⁴I am God’s messenger today.

⁵My voice is His, to give what I receive.

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^I Jesus has just made you a very interesting proposal. He tells you that if you turn a deaf ear to the voice of the ego, you will hear the Voice of your Father—the Voice of Truth. Stop for a moment. Let us see what we are talking about.

By now you will have practiced a little of what the Course calls “mental vigilance,” and you will have begun to learn how to identify the voice of your ego. It is that voice which articulates all your desires and all your fears, no matter whether they are great or small, mild or intense; all of that is part of the voice of your ego. And you will also have realized by now that this is your usual mental state, which means that you hear the voice of your ego constantly and probably pay attention to it most of the time.

Let us do the math. If you hear the voice of your ego many times per minute—which is certainly true—it means that you hear it thousands of times a day. Multiply that, and throughout your life you may have heard the ego’s proposals more than a hundred million times. Think about what that represents, and realize that you should not take lightly what the ego is doing with your mind. If you truly want to hear the Word of God, you must understand the kind of opposition the Voice of the Holy Spirit faces within you. Jesus does not offer you much; Jesus offers you everything. But become fully aware of the challenge before you.

This Course speaks constantly of forgiveness. It urges you to forgive your brother, to forgive the world, to forgive yourself—to forgive everything and everyone, all the time. The truth is that it may seem like there are countless different kinds of forgiveness. Do not be mistaken. Simplify: the only thing you have to forgive—to let pass—is the voice of your ego. Do not concern yourself with your brothers, or your problems, or your circumstances; in truth you do not know what they are, because you do not see them as they truly are. What you are dealing with are only your interpretations, and that is precisely the voice of the ego. That is the only thing you have to forgive.

Observe carefully and you will see where the problem truly lies. Certainly it is not in the world you see outside. The problem is always found in your problematic interpretations. The problem is what Jesus calls “the voice of the ego.” That is what you must forgive—but do not be overwhelmed. Now, at least, you have simplified the problem. Now you have only one problem. Celebrate it! For now you need only one solution—and you already know it: you need only stop paying attention to the voice of the ego. Nothing else.

However, telling you not to do something is a negative statement, and like everything negative, it can be discouraging. You may have felt your heart sink a little when you heard that you must not listen to that voice which has spoken to you and will speak to you so many times. Do not be distressed; it need not be so. This is an extraordinarily positive Course. In fact, it is so positive that it tells you that the negative does not truly exist, and therefore you need neither fear it nor attend to it. Remember, “…nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.”

^II Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

^III Matthew 8:18–22 “When Jesus saw the great crowds around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’ Another disciple said to Him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’”

^IV This is the second part of today’s Lesson: listen to the Truth. This is the positive part—the only part that truly exists. You need only quiet your mind so that the truth may reveal itself. Do not be afraid. You need do nothing—simply listen in the silence of your mind. Quiet your mind and trust. Do nothing more, and wait in happiness.

And this is the truth; this is the holy Lesson that ends the greed of the ego, the mother of all perversions. Giving is the greatest happiness, for giving is loving, and loving is being love—and to Be, to Know, and to Create—and there is nothing greater than that, nothing you long for more, nothing you deserve more. You are love, born of Love. You were created to love… and you had forgotten it… though only to a certain extent, for, without being aware of it, that is exactly what you have always been seeking among illusions.

Do you see that this is the Truth? And do you see that to recognize it is salvation?

^V Jesus has told you that your mission is very simple and very easy: you have come into this world to save it, for you are the savior of the world. Do you see now how easy it is? You need only quiet your mind to know the truth! And to know the truth is to save the world.

You need do nothing more. The rest will be done for you, through you, and because of you. Pay no attention to the ego. Quiet your mind, hear the Truth, and save the world.