“I do not know what anything is for.”
Purpose is meaning. Today’s idea explains why nothing you see
means anything. You do not know what it is for. Therefore it is
meaningless to you. Everything is for your own best interests.That is
what it is for; that is its purpose; that is what it means. It is in
recognizing this that your goals become unified. It is in recognizing
this that what you see is given meaning.
You perceive the world and everything in it as meaningful in
terms of ego goals. These goals have nothing to do with your own
best interests, because the ego is not you. This false identification
makes you incapable of understanding what anything is for. As a
result, you are bound to misuse it.When you believe this, you will try
to withdraw the goals you have assigned to the world, instead of
attempting to reinforce them.
Another way of describing the goals you now perceive as
valuable is to say that they are all concerned with “personal” interests.
Since you have no personal interests, your goals are really concerned
with nothing. In cherishing them, therefore, you have no goals at all.
And thus you do not know what anything is for.
Before you can make any sense out of the exercises for today, one
more thought is necessary. At the most superficial levels, you do
recognize purpose.Yet purpose cannot be understood at these levels.
For example, you do understand that a telephone is for the purpose of
talking to someone who is not physically in your immediate vicinity.
What you do not understand is what you want to reach him for.And
it is this that makes your contact with him meaningful or not.
It is crucial to your learning to be willing to give up the goals
you have established for everything. The recognition that they are
meaningless, rather than “good” or “bad,” is the only way to
accomplish this.The idea for today is a step in this direction.
Six practice periods, each of two minutes duration, are required.
Each practice period should begin with a slow repetition of the idea
for today, followed by looking about you and letting your glance rest
on whatever happens to catch your eye, near or far, “important” or
“unimportant,” “human” or “unhuman.” With your eyes resting on
each subject you so select, say, for example:
“I do not know what this chair is for.”
“I do not know what this pencil is for.”
“I do not know what this hand is for.”
Say this quite slowly, without shifting your eyes until you have
completed the statement. Then move on to the next subject, and
apply today’s idea as before.
BRITNEY ADDED: Today's idea explains why nothing you see means anything; because you do not know what anything is for. Therefore it is meaningless to you. The recognition that ALL our thoughts and beliefs are meaningless, instead of good or bad, positive or negative; is the only way to accomplish this lesson and move toward to what is TRULY meaingFULL.
Currently you perceive the world and everything in it as meaningful in terms of ego goals. These goals have nothing to do with your own best interests, because the ego is NOT you. This false identification makes you incapable of understanding what anything is for. As a result, you are bound to misuse. This is a freeing thought! For now we know, there IS another way.
When we admit we know NOTHING and dont know what anything is FOR, but are open to learning EVERYTHING, we will learn it. This time, we can learn from a NEW teacher, our own SOUL and NOT this ego thinking mind in us OR others. We will no longer be following what ego thinks to be true about itself, its goals and its purpose here.....but instead, through today's lesson, we become open to listening to, and learning from our TRUE guide of our own Soul. We must ask then, who do I want as my teacher? My soul? Or the ego? The answer is clearly obvious.
Jesus suggests 6 practice periods for today, 2 minutes each time. We first begin with eyes closed, with clear repetitions of the lesson. Then open your eyes and apply the thought to everything "important" or "unimportant", "human" or "unhuman". This lesson is suitable for all. Then include everything your eyes rest upon in today's lesson: "I do not know what this hand(chair, pencil) is for."
If its helpful for you, refer back to the lesson, and reread his metaphor using a telephone. Very helpful it is indeed!!
