Above all else I want to see things differently.I
1. Today we are giving a very specific application to the idea we practiced yesterday.
²During these practice periods, you will make a series of well-defined commitments.
³Whether or not you will keep them in the future is not our concern now.
⁴If you are willing to make them now, you have already begun the path to keeping them.II
⁵And remember, we are still at the beginning.
2. You may wonder why it is important to say something like, “Above all else, I want to see this table differently.”
²Saying it, in itself, means nothing.
³But what really exists in itself?
⁴And what does in itself even mean? III
⁵You see many separate things around you, which means you are actually seeing nothing.
⁶Either you see, or you do not.IV
⁷Once you have seen one thing differently, you will see all things differently.
⁸The light you see in any one of them is the same light you will see in all.
3. In saying, “Above all else, I want to see this table differently,” you are committing yourself to relinquish all your preconceived ideas about the table and to open your mind to what it really is and what it is for.
²You are not defining it in terms of your past.
³Instead of stating what it is, you are asking what it is.
⁴You are not limiting its meaning to your narrow experience of tables, nor restricting its purpose to your own personal thoughts, which mean nothing.
4. You do not question what you have already defined.
²Yet the purpose of these exercises is to ask questions and receive the answers.
³In saying, “Above all else, I want to see this table differently,” you are making a commitment to see.
⁴This commitment is not exclusive.
⁵It applies just as much to the table as to anything else, without distinctions.
5. In fact, you could gain Vision from that one table—if you were to let go of all your ideas about it completely, and look at it with a mind entirely open.
²That table has something to show you—something beautiful, pure, and of infinite value, filled with joy and hope.V
³Hidden beneath all your ideas about it lies its real purpose, which it shares with the entire universe.
6. Therefore, by using the table as the subject for today’s idea, you are actually asking to see the purpose of the universe.
²You will be making the same request of every object you use in today’s practice.
³And with each one, you are committing yourself to allow its purpose to be revealed to you, rather than to impose your own judgment upon it.
7. Today we will have six practice periods of two minutes each, in which you will first repeat the idea for the day and then apply it to anything you see around you.
²You should not only choose the subjects at random, but you should also treat each one with equal sincerity, recognizing that they are all equally valuable in contributing to your attainment of Vision.
8. As usual, the applications of today’s idea should include the name of the object your eyes light upon, while you say:
²Above all else, I want to see this ____ differently.
³Each application should be done slowly and as consciously as possible.
⁴There is no hurry.
I Above all, I want to see things without any component of fear. I have attributed meaning to everything (W-2) based on its usefulness in meeting my needs—that is, the lacks I perceive in myself. Feeling lacking generates fear, and thus, when I affirm that I want to see things differently, I am really asking to stop relating to the world from fear.
Where there is no fear, there is joy and peace.
II These lines make it clear that Jesus understands perfectly your uncertainty about your ability to succeed in practicing this Workbook. Your doubts about yourself are understandable and justified, because, in fact, you are not capable of achieving the goals on your own. That is evident.
Yet do not worry. Your ability is not required to achieve these goals. If you could reach them by yourself, you would not need this practice or the help of the Holy Spirit.
Trust. All that is asked of you is a small willingness to learn and change, and to follow the instructions as faithfully as possible. Nothing more is required. You will not be the author of your own salvation, but you will be saved. You will emerge from your bad dreams, and this will happen without your knowing how.
It is possible that this kind of Lesson, which presents things incomprehensible to you, may feel especially challenging. Do not allow thoughts of discouragement or inadequacy to arise because you consider yourself incapable of achieving certain results. Goals are the ego’s concern, and you, as the Son of God, need achieve nothing, because your Father has already given you everything.
These Lessons are designed for you to cultivate obedience, trust, and willingness. Practice the Lesson with care, remain at peace, and feel fully justified.
III The “self” of a thing is the simplest and purest concept one can conceive about it. That is why it is inaccessible to the egoic mind, just as is the notion of “being,” the foundation of all ontology.
The answer to these two complex, evidently ontological questions will be found in the next Lesson. Be patient and prepare your mind to be completely receptive to tomorrow’s idea.
IV The notion of true vision proposed by this Course far transcends the mere perception of physical objects. It is intrinsically linked to the understanding of their purpose in perfect integration with the observer, the totality of the perceptual environment, and its function in the universe. To see means to know, to be, to love, and to create, all at once; they are inseparable aspects of existence itself.
If you do not understand this, do not worry at all. That is a sign you are on the right path, since it is something entirely inaccessible to the egoic mind. Recognizing that you do not understand means you are not deceiving yourself. A moment will come when you will experience understanding, but the one who understands will not be the same as the one who does not understand now. You will have learned, and in that learning you will have changed. True vision implies the absence of the ego—the absence of “that one who does not understand.”
V This line is crucial because, for the first time, it hints at the content of true vision. Ultimately, what you are beholding, what you have before you, is your own Self.