Workbook Lesson 1, Nothing I see means anything I just completed Lesson 1 for the morning. I ...

440 Pages·2017·3.22 MB·English

Workbook Lesson 1, Nothing I see means anything

I just completed Lesson 1 for the morning. I noticed that the mind did not want to
focus on the reading of Lesson 1. During the exercise it wanted to run ahead of the
item I was on and pick the next item for the exercise. I also briefly noticed meanings
that had been given to objects. I could see that the mind seeks identification with
pretty nails, sore feet, cluttered tabletop, etc. I could also see that the purpose of
these meaningless identifications is actually identification of awareness with
thought. The meaningless identifications, whether they are positive or negative
identifications, have the purpose of marrying awareness with thought as if ‘I am
thought.’

Workbook Lesson 1 says, “Make no allowance for difference in the kinds of things”
to which today’s idea applies. As I see it, that is because there is only one purpose at
work in every attached meaning and that is identifying awareness with thought.

The instructions for Workbook Lesson 1 say that the exercise should not be
ritualistic. The mind has the ability to repeat something, like a trained monkey
repeating tricks it has been taught. This could be called mindless mind. In mindless
mind, awareness is distracted. For example, I can say, “That TV does not mean
anything” while thinking about an email I need to write later today. This distraction
is an ego preservation technique, because nothing is seen in the process, awareness
has not become aware. When nothing is seen, nothing is healed.

The instructions also say “a comfortable sense of leisure is essential.” The
comfortable sense of leisure is the peace that comes when awareness is fully
present. With this “comfortable sense of leisure,” seeing happens.

In The Way of Mastery, Lesson 1, it was said, “I have done all this; I must undo it.”
But it is important to note that it also said, “But I have no idea how I did this.
Therefore, I must surrender to something else.”

The mind, which has the purpose of identifying awareness with thought, cannot be
trusted to heal this misidentification. Something else must guide this healing
process. That is intuitive wisdom, which comes from the part of awareness that is
not identified with thought. Intuitive wisdom is much more subtle than thought, but
very clear in its wisdom.

(From this part forward, I will use the term “attention” to refer to the part of
awareness that is identified with thought and the term “clear awareness” to refer to
the part of awareness that is not identified with thought.)

NTI Luke, Chapter 12 says, “What you are focused on, and have always been focused
on, is thought. In every moment in your seeming interaction with the world, you are
focused on thought.”

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In the previous sentence, clear awareness is talking to attention. The “you” in the
sentence is attention. You, attention are focused on thought. Clear awareness is
pointing out the misidentification that has occurred.

Workbook Lesson 2, I have given everything I see all the meaning it has for me

NTI teaches that everything we experience on the path of healing is either
willingness or resistance. It equates willingness with joy and resistance with delay.

Willingness is the quality or state of being prepared to do something.

Joy is the emotion evoked by well-being.

The student of healing wants to learn the difference between the feeling of
willingness/joy/well-being and the feeling of resistance.

Willingness could be said to be a feeling that might say (if it had a voice), “Okay. I see
what is going on here. This is not comfortable, but I have decided to heal. Therefore,
I am grateful for this healing opportunity, which is presenting itself now.” That
attitude has readiness and well-being in it; therefore it is willingness/joy.

Resistance can be experienced in a variety of ways, but it does not have readiness or
the sense of well-being in it. Some examples of resistance are believing one is guilty
or unworthy, being worried, blaming another, getting defensive, being distrustful,
fearing the future, resenting authority, stress and not wanting to do one’s spiritual
practice.

NTI Luke, Chapter 12, recommends, “When resistance arises in your mind in any
form, let it go immediately in gratitude as valueless.” This describes a method of
returning to willingness.

A return to willingness may start with remembering that you want healing. That
may be followed by remembering that in order for something to heal, it needs to be
seen (brought into awareness). You can feel grateful that this has been brought into
awareness so it can be healed. You can remember you have given this all the
meaning it has for you, and then you can choose to rest from that meaning. Resting
from meaning (resting from believing) gives clear awareness the opportunity to
heal the misidentification of attention with this thought. (It allows the old neural
pathway to dry up and enables a new, healthier neural pathway to be drawn in the
brain.)

Be aware that this healing occurs through recognition (seeing) and resting. That is
your job in healing. Clear awareness does the rest. (Clear awareness can be equated
to the Holy Spirit.)

Rest, Accept and Trust (RAT) is a simple reminder of your job in the healing process.
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1. Rest the mind by withdrawing your attention/belief from obsessive
thinking. If that is challenging, try positive healing self-talk such as, “Ok, just
breathe now. Take a deep breath. Now another. This is okay. This is coming
up now because I have decided to heal. I want to heal. And in order to heal
things must come up. I am happy this is here, but I do not want to give it my
attention. I want to rest attention away from this so it can be healed. I will
focus attention on my breath. I trust healing is happening. I am happy for this
opportunity.” Etcetera or something similar.

2. Accept the feeling. Allow it to be. Realize that as this feeing comes into
awareness and is seen, it is healing. Stay out of the way. Do not try to change
anything. It is just a feeling, emotional energy and nothing more. Let it be as it
is. Be grateful that healing is mysteriously occurring.

3. Trust that healing is occurring. You have done your part by resting and
accepting. Clear awareness (God, Holy Spirit) is taking care of everything
else. You have gotten out of the way so healing can happen. That is all you
were asked to do.

Workbook Lesson 3, I do not understand anything I see

The brain is reprogrammed as attention’s misidentification with thought is
healed. There are some things we can do to assist in the reprogramming of the
brain.

1. An open-heart increases efficacy. Examples of an open heart are:

a. Having a positive spiritual aspiration or purpose. For example, one
may want to see with the eyes of God or know Love as the only reality.

Note: If your goal has a negative focus such as, “I want to stop
suffering,” consider a positive focus that feels genuine and authentic
for you. For example, you may want freedom, happiness or lightness.
A positive goal is much more effective than a negative goal because
attention is focused on the ideas stated in your goal. It is much better
to have attention focused on the idea of freedom or lightness than it is
to have attention focused on the idea of suffering.

b. Maintaining a sense of well-being. One way to maintain a sense of
well-being when the crap is coming up is to remember this thought-
stream or emotion is coming into awareness because you want to
heal. Remembering healing is what you want is extremely helpful.

c. Trusting that healing is occurring.
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2. Repetition & practice with new programming. Examples of new
programming include resting the mind, remembering the daily lesson,
thinking about your spiritual aspiration, etc.

3. Visualization. For example, imagine yourself resting the mind, imagine
yourself remembering to do the workbook lessons, imagine yourself wanting
awakening/truth more than anything else, etc. The brain cannot tell the
difference between something real and something imagined. Research shows
that anytime you are thinking (including imagining), you are engaged in
conditioning neural pathways.

4. Meditation. Meditation is concentrated rest away from mental activity.
Therefore, it gives clear awareness ample time to heal the mind.

5. Observe/watch old programming without feeding it. Be aware of it, but don’t
believe it and don’t fight against it. As you observe old programming in
action, watch with a sense of curiosity. Become familiar with your triggers.
For example, you might watch old programming to discover what it feels like
in your body just before an old neural pathway begins to fire. (e.g., What
happens in me just before I scream at my daughter?)

6. Discover how you can stay motivated to stick with gentle healing because you
want to. Healing is an authentic journey for you when you are aware that you
are on this journey because you want to be here.

Workbook Lesson 9, I see nothing as it is now

The three most recent workbook lessons are “I see only the past,” “My mind is
preoccupied by past thoughts,” and today’s lesson, “I see nothing as it is now.” The
first three chapters of NTI Romans give some context for these workbook lessons.

According to NTI Romans, Chapter 2, judgment, which means decision, is the tool we
use to create experience. This statement does not need to be taken on faith. This
statement can be directly explored by watching our minds and experiences very
carefully and noticing the relationship between them.

If I decide I don’t like someone’s attitude, what experience do I have?

If I decide that I have been rude and thoughtless, what experience do I have?

If I decide it should be as hot/cold as it is outside today, what experience do I have?

If I decide I should not have eaten that piece of cake, what experience do I have?

If I decide to let all things be as they are, what experience do I have?

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If I decide to focus on the consciousness in myself and every person I meet, what
experience do I have?

It takes very little looking to see there is a direct relationship between
judgment/decision and experience.

This teaching is also a review of last week’s reading assignment in NTI Luke
Chapters 12, 16 & 17. That reading said that everything is given meaning by the
thinker. We make an unevaluated judgment about something, and then that is the
meaning it has for us. As Romans goes on to add, we then experience the effects of
the unevaluated judgment we have made. This is a very simple summary of how we
go about creating our experience, through one unevaluated judgment after another.
NTI Luke also tells us that we then take an unevaluated judgment and reapply it
when a similar set of circumstances arises. Or as the Course workbook says, “I see
only the past.”

If we look, this process can be seen as true even if we adhere to the idea that the
world is real and I am a person. Even in a ‘very real world’ as a ‘person’ at least the
vast majority of my experience comes from my own decisions. However, both NTI
Luke and NTI Romans take this further.

NTI Luke says that we experience separation because we decided things are
separate from one another. We decided not to see them as whole. NTI Romans goes
even further. In NTI Romans there is only one essence, which we might call ‘God.’
Within this essence, a creative question arose and was seen as having value.

There’s nothing wrong with that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a creative
God. What a wonderful step in the natural growth or evolution of all-that-is!

But according to NTI Romans, something went wrong when two ideas arose in this
creative mind. One idea was to notice that everything created is still the essence of
God, since the essence of God is all-that-is. This option would have allowed creative
play alongside remembrance of truth. The other option was the idea that something
major had just changed. The essence that was ceased to be and something else had
come into existence. According to NTI Romans, the ‘caster of attention’ cast its
attention on this second idea, decided this option was true, and truth was forgotten
as attention began a very deep journey into fantasy.

Is this true? As I sit here as an apparent 56-year old woman in my living room typing
on a computer keyboard, can I look and see if there is some truth to this story?

I can see this much. It is true that I make decisions by casting attention. Thoughts
come into the mind. I do not actually ‘think’ them. They appear. Some of them seem
to capture my interest, and I cast attention on them. Typically, casting attention is
followed by a value judgment or decision. The first value judgment or decision is
simply, “This idea is meaningful.” From there, attention goes more deeply into the
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idea and makes additional judgments like this is good or bad, I like it or don’t like it,
I can allow it or I need to change it, etc. Regardless of what those follow on decisions
are, they lead deeper into the game of that thought and that thought becomes a ‘real’
part of my ‘world.’

This is the exact process that NTI Romans just described, and I can see that this
process plays out over and over again with my mind.

NTI Luke talks about “unevaluated judgments.”
NTI Romans refers to “judgment without basis.”

I feel like just looking at those to statements, contemplatively casting my attention
there for a few moments.

The Commentary on Mind from The Teachings of Inner Ramana says that mind
cannot be ignored entirely because it is the tool of perception. NTI Romans agrees
with this if we see mind, judgment and decision as synonymous. Without mind,
perception would not be. Mind (judgment, decision) is a tool that allows God to be
creative. Again, there is nothing wrong with that. The problem comes from
unevaluated judgments and judgment without basis. The problem comes from being
on auto-pilot instead of being a conscious creator (caster of attention & decision
maker).

“I see only the past.”
“My mind is preoccupied by past thoughts.”
“I see nothing as it is now.”

Everything I see comes from unevaluated judgments I have made topped off with
reapplying that same unevaluated meaning when similar circumstances arise. That
is judgment without basis, the cause of delusion.

“… all you need do is unweave your way out of fantasy. You reverse the ‘laws’ that
made it by ceasing to play the game.”

Rest, accept/allow and trust. Let go of judgment without basis.

Workbook Lesson 10, My thoughts do not mean anything

NTI Romans, Chapter 4 says, “Existence is Love, and Love is existence.” I don’t feel
this is something to think about. Thinking can argue against this fact and keep us
blind to its truth. I think this is something that is discovered through practices like
awareness-watching-awareness and the loving consciousness methods of
meditation. However, I see this as a fact. Existence (or being) and love are absolutely
synonymous.

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According to the online Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, existence is “reality opposed
to appearance.”

The thinking mind may argue that existence is not love. It may argue that existence
is hell. That is certainly the experience for some individuals, but that is because they
are focused on appearance, not reality, especially the appearance of thought.

The energy of thought is not existence. It is appearance. The online Merriam-
Webster’s dictionary defines appearance as an “external show.”

The early workbook lessons are helping us discover that our thoughts are an
external show. For example, today’s workbook lesson (10) says, “you might imagine
that you are watching an oddly assorted procession going by, which has little if any
personal meaning for you.”

The problem is that attention has become so engrossed in the external show that it
does not know the difference between what it is and the show it watches. But there
is a difference between the essence of attention and the show it watches. Being
unaware of this difference is delusion. Discovering this difference is freedom.

Workbook Lesson 11, My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless
world

Jesus was my first model of spiritual perfection. Of course, that is common for
someone raised in the western world. Had I been raised elsewhere it might have
been Buddha, Krishna, Elijah or Muhammad, for example. It doesn’t really matter
what symbol represents spiritual perfection. The point of NTI Romans, Chapter 6 is
that the idea of spiritual perfection exists in my mind because spiritual perfection is
within me.

If we were to get very specific, we would say, “I am spiritual perfection.” That is the
truth. However, most spiritual students see spiritual perfection as a goal, so
although NTI Romans does say, “This is your truth,” it also points within as the
direction to go to realize spiritual perfection.

Because Jesus was my first model of spiritual perfection, and because NTI is based
on the New Testament, Jesus is used as the symbol of spiritual perfection in NTI. We
are told that Jesus (spiritual perfection) is in us. We are told that we are Jesus
(spiritual perfection). We are also told that Jesus represents our true desire
(spiritual perfection). NTI Romans, Chapter 6 says:

“…the model that rises to the top of your mind is the symbol of the man called Jesus.
This is because Jesus represents your true desire. Jesus is the freedom you want to
be. Everything else that floats within the universe of the mind is from a past desire
and is not your current desire now.”

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Our recent Course lessons have told us “I see only the past” and “My mind is
preoccupied with past thoughts.” As we did the mind searching the workbook
exercises required, we may have been able to see that we were thinking about
circumstances from our past. However, we might have also seen ideas about the
future.

NTI Romans explains how all of our thoughts are from the past. All of our thoughts,
whether they are from memory or imagination, are the echo of the desire to
experience something other than truth (NTI Romans 2). That is a past desire.

When we cast attention on thoughts about the world as if it is real and about ‘me’ as
if I am this person, we give attention to a past desire to experience ourselves as
something other than our truth. More than that, we give attention to a past desire to
believe ourselves to be something other than our truth.

That is a past desire, not our current desire. Our current desire is to realize truth.

When we look at the world, we look through the filter of our mind. (NTI Luke)

Our mind is preoccupied with the past. (ACIM Workbook)

The past is meaningless to us now, because it isn’t our current desire or purpose. It
has no value for us. Yet, we continue to give those thoughts value. Therefore, our
meaningless thoughts are showing us a meaningless world, a world of untruth when
we seek truth.

NTI Romans 6 says, “You may let the past go. You need not keep anything you do not
want. Focus your eyes on Jesus (your true desire) and know the love in your own
Heart.

In order to let go of the meaningless thoughts that show us a meaningless world, we
need to remember what we want now. That is the key. Remembering what we want
now will help us transcend the habit (reprogram the brain) of casting attention on
stories that represent a past desire, a desire that is meaningless to us now.

Workbook Lesson 13, A meaningless world engenders fear

Today's lesson shares an idea that is really important for anyone who wants to
awaken beyond the ego point-of-view.

"The ego rushes in frantically to establish its own ideas ... fearful that the void may
otherwise be used to demonstrate its own impotence and unreality. And on this
alone it is correct. It is essential, therefore, that you learn to recognize the
meaningless, and accept it without fear."

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This also tells us how we "unweave" our way out of fantasy. (Reference NTI Romans,
Chapter 3.)

Politics, relationships, spiritual discussions and more present us with wonderful
opportunities to see the opinions and beliefs we want to cling to and defend. If we
pay close attention we can feel the energy arise within that "I must make this point,"
"prove that I am right" or get the other one to "see it my way." This energy is the ego
rushing in frantically to establish its own ideas so that it remains potent, seeming
real and 'me.'

If we want to unweave our way out of fantasy, it is "essential, therefore, that you
learn to recognize the meaningless, and accept it without fear." In other words, feel
that energy rushing forth inside of us and do nothing to satisfy it. Hold back on our
opinion. Do not try to prove we are right. Let the other have their point of view. Etc.

Feel the ego squirm. Rest, accept and trust. Let it squirm. Do nothing. The threads
are pulled out of the ego tapestry as we become comfortable with not placing
meaning on everything we perceive.

Note: One fun exercise today might be to write down the things that seem important
to you, the things you've noticed yourself feeling fired up about recently, and then
look at the list you have written and say to yourself, "I am looking at a meaningless
world. A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with
God." This may help you to rest, accept and trust instead of rushing forth with
opinions and defense in those same or similar circumstances in the future.

Workbook Lesson 14, God did not create a meaningless world

Some important comments about Workbook Lesson 14:

When one does this workbook lesson, it is helpful to do it with the attitude of
wanting to uncover false beliefs and see through them to truth/reality.

There is another attitude that is not helpful to healing. It is an attitude that comes
from fear. It is an attitude of denial and repression. It is the attitude that avoids
looking too hard and denies feeling/experience to the best of its ability. It is the
attitude that has become cliché regarding the ACIM or non-duality student: A
person’s family member dies and the ACIM/non-dual student says, “He/she was just
an illusion anyway.”

That sick form of denial is not what we are after with this workbook lesson. We seek
truth by seeing through illusion.

Here are a couple of tips that might help you practice today’s workbook lesson with
a healing attitude.

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NTI Romans 2 says that we made the building block of “judgment, or decision, and
this became a new creative force. It allowed for experience without creation.” If we
equate the word “creation” in this sentence with truth or reality, experience is
something different from truth. However, experience is experienced. If you don’t
believe me, pinch yourself or slap yourself in the face. You felt it. Right? It was
experienced.

When doing workbook lesson 14, you aren’t denying that the ‘horrors’ are
experienced, because they are. You are simply denying that they are truth or reality.
This is necessary, because in order to see what is real, first you must remove your
belief that the horrors are reality.

Here’s another way to look at it: NTI Romans 2 says that the illusion began with a
curiosity. Well, we are going to use that same tool, curiosity, to help unweave our
way out of illusion. The curiosity we are using is “What is reality?” or "What is
truth?"

When you say, “God did not create that war, and so it is not real,” realize war is
experienced, but experience is not reality. Something else is reality. Have the
willingness to see right through suffering to truth. Have the curiosity, “What is real?”
Let that curiosity grow in you so that it becomes a motivating force within you.

In short, do not deny that experience is experienced, but be intensely curious to see
and know truth.

Workbook Lesson 16, I have no neutral thoughts

Here are some definitions to consider while contemplating NTI Ephesians,
especially chapters 3 & 4:

mind – a conscious substratum or factor in the universe; a complex of elements that
feels, perceives, thinks, wills and especially reasons. (Note: A “complex” is a whole
made up of complicated or interrelated parts. One definition of “reasons” is the sum
of intellectual powers.)

spirit – an activating or essential principle that influences

Christ = consciousness. consciousness – the totality of conscious states (Note: A
“state” is a mode or condition of being. In the Alan Watts audio, Alan refers to
everything as consciousness, including rocks.)

This week’s reading and audio are worthy of deep contemplation, and they are
highly related to today’s workbook lesson. Today’s workbook lesson says, “There is
no more self-contradictory concept than that of ‘idle thoughts.’ What gives rise to
the perception of a whole world can hardly be called idle. Every thought you have
contributes to truth or to illusion; either it extends the truth or it multiplies
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