Practices to release

Ambition

"Allow yourself to be without ambition, for you do not know what to do with Knowledge. In your longer meditations, allow this to free you so that you may enter stillness and leave the world of physical things."

"Allow yourself to be instructed in how to reveal greatness in the world. Realize that the world is ambivalent and accept this, for this is the current state of the world. Realize that you must give with Wisdom and discernment. And realize that you must let Knowledge give of itself and not try to give from your own ambition or need to avoid a sense of inadequacy. Allow your giving to be true and your giving will be true."

I want to be separate to be unique. "On two occasions today, spend 15 minutes concentrating upon the idea for today. Think seriously about what this lesson means and call upon your own experience to reflect upon its relevance to your life. Reflect upon what your desire for separation has cost you in time, energy and pain."

Ambivalence

"Strengthen your conviction that you must escape from ambivalence. Realize the deadly cost of ambivalence. See how it keeps people lost in their ideas, denying their engagement with life. See the human cost around you. It is tremendous. Realize that with certainty everyone will find their rightful place."

"Once again realize how ambivalence is still robbing you of inspiration, robbing you of motivation, robbing you of courage and robbing you of relationship."

"In your deeper practice periods, escape your own ambivalence and re-enter the sanctuary of Knowledge where in stillness and in peace you can fully experience the power of Knowledge and the truth of your own nature."

"Recognize thus far how ambivalent you have been regarding your life and regarding this preparation. Realize that for this reason, this preparation has been given to you in very incremental steps, one step at a time, day after day. One step at a time, you learn to develop and to accept your desire and capacity for Knowledge and you learn to express Knowledge as well."

Anger

"In your deeper practice periods, actively engage your mind in looking at every single thing that you are angry about, from very tiny things that are specific to things in general that upset or discourage you. Remind yourself as you review your inventory of anger that your anger is unjustified. Remind yourself that it calls for the application of Knowledge and that within each angry experience or feeling that you have, there is a seed which is true. Therefore, your anger need not be rejected but cleansed, for in cleansing your anger you will be able to communicate that which you intended to communicate in the beginning where you initially failed. Then your self-expression will be complete, and anger will be no more."

Change

"You are not expected to take great leaps, yet each small step will seem like a great leap, for it will give you so much more than you have ever had before. Allow your external life to become rearranged as your inner life begins to emerge and to shine its light upon you. Maintain your focus and accept change in your outer life, for it is for your benefit."

"With your eyes open, gaze upon the world around you. Spend these times alone, gazing upon the world around you. Look without judgment. Feel the world unfolding.You need not try to feel this. You will feel it because it is natural."

Complaining

"Each hour spend a minute not complaining about the world. Do not let the hours go by unattended, but be present for practice. Recognize the extent to which others are complaining about the world and how little it gives them and how little it gives the world."

"Thank the world once again for what it has given to you." ... "Do not complain about this day. Recognize that everything that happens is an opportunity for you to apply your practice and to develop the true faculties of your mind."

Condemnation

"Be grateful today that your errors have been forgiven. Be grateful today that condemnation is not justified. Be grateful today that you have this opportunity to come to Knowledge, which will affirm that which is truest and greatest within you. Be grateful today that there is no justification in denying this, for without guilt and blame you can only receive that which life has to offer you. Let this be a day to celebrate your freedom. Let this be a day to affirm that you are blameless, though you are a student of Knowledge. Let this be a day to affirm that all the problems of the world can be solved without condemnation, for without condemnation all problems in the world will be solved."

Conflict

"Dedicate yourself today to ending war within the world by ending war within yourself so that you may be a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. Upon the hour remind yourself" [that 'ENEMIES ARE ONLY FRIENDS WHO HAVE NOT LEARNED TO JOIN'] "and apply it to the world that you see around you. Apply it to all of the conflicts in the world of which you are aware. Try to understand its complete relevancy to these conflicts. This will require that you see these conflicts from a different point of view in order to realize the full impact and meaning of today’s idea. It is this point of view that you must cultivate, for you must learn to see as Knowledge sees, to think as Knowledge thinks and to act as Knowledge acts. All this you will most certainly accomplish as you follow Knowledge each day."

Confusion

"Today allow yourself to be confused, for you are confused, and you must always begin from where you are. Knowledge is with you. You are free to be confused. In your longer practice periods today, enter into stillness whether you are confused or not, for stillness, grace and peace are always available to you."

"Each hour as you look upon the world and all of its activities, judge it not, for it is merely confused. If you are in distress today, judge yourself not, for you are merely confused."

Doubt

"Do not let doubt or confusion dissuade you. Be a true student today. Allow yourself to concentrate on your practice. Give yourself to practice. Be a true student today."

Emotions

"Today learn to value that which is certain and to understand that which is uncertain, to recognize that which is cause and that which obstructs cause but which may in time serve cause itself."

Error

"In your practice periods review the errors that come to mind as you sit quietly alone, and then see how each one can be utilized to your current benefit. What needs to be learned from them? What must be done that was not done before? What must not be done that was done before? How can these errors be recognized in advance? What were the signs that preceded them and how can such signs be recognized in advance of error in the future? Use these practice periods for this introspective process and when you are done, do not speak of the results to any other person, but allow the investigation to continue naturally, as it naturally will."

"Upon each hour of this day, repeat to yourself that you wish to learn from your errors and feel for a moment what this means. Thus, through many periods of practice today, you will begin to understand the statement you are making and will perhaps then perceive how it can be brought about. If you are willing to learn from your errors, you will not be so afraid to recognize them. Then you will wish to understand them, not to deny them, not to bear false witness against them, not to call them by other names, but to admit them for your own benefit. From this recognition, you will be able to assist others in the reclamation of Knowledge, for they too must learn how to learn from their errors."

"Examine the qualities within yourself which aid you in your preparation and the qualities within yourself that make your preparation more difficult. Observe these things objectively. Learn to strengthen those aspects of yourself that encourage and strengthen your participation in the reclamation of Knowledge, and learn to adjust or correct those qualities that interfere."

Failure

"Think of every individual that you think has failed and realize the meaning of today’s lesson in light of those individuals serving you. Realize the need for Knowledge within their lives and within your life."

Fear

"Evaluate the existence of your fears and remind yourself that your reality is beyond them, but that you must recognize them to understand their damaging presence in your life. Close your eyes and repeat the idea for today; then consider each fear that arises in your mind. Remind yourself that the truth is beyond that specific fear. Allow all fears to arise and be evaluated in this way."

"Practice letting go of fear so that you may know. Allowing your mind to be still and receptive without making demands will be a demonstration that you are trusting Knowledge. It will give you reprieve from the afflictions and the animosities of this world. With this, you will begin to see a different world."

"Allow yourself to be vulnerable today, for you are only vulnerable to Knowledge. Yet, Knowledge will shield you from all things of harm within this world and will provide a comfort and a stability that the world can never change. Learn of this today so that you may be a source of Knowledge within the world so that your Source may express itself through you."

"Enter into stillness. Today there will be no mental speculation or activity, for the mind will once again come to rest so that it may experience its reality. Let not fear or anxiety dissuade you. Remember, this is your negative imagination only. Only Knowledge can indicate if you are doing something inappropriate, and that will only be in the face of immediate events. You will find that this is quite different from negative imagination and will require a different response from you."

"Remind yourself upon the hour not to let fear overtake you. When you begin to feel its effects, in whatever manner that it exerts its influence upon you, withdraw from it and claim your allegiance to Knowledge. Give your confidence to Knowledge. In your two deeper practice periods today, give yourself to Knowledge. Give your mind and your heart so that you may be strengthened in that certainty where fear can never enter. Your fearlessness in the future must not be born of pretense, but born of your certainty in Knowledge."

"Upon the hour abide with Knowledge. Dispel fear and remind yourself that Knowledge is with you. Remind yourself that your Teachers are with you. Remind yourself that students everywhere who are involved in the reclamation of Knowledge are with you. In this, the world will become small and you will become great. In your deeper practices, allow yourself the freedom of experiencing Knowledge. Enter the great depth and stillness of the mind, as it immerses itself into the presence of love."

"Whenever you enter into fear, practice this day recognizing that a Greater Power is in the world. Utilize this recognition to bring yourself out of fear by remembering that a Greater Power is in the world and by remembering that a Greater Power is in your life. Think about this on the hour and in your two deeper meditation practices, re-enter your sanctuary where in stillness and in confidence you receive the Greater Power that is in the world. Here you must realize that your preparation requires that you step away from fear and darkness and that you step forward into the light of truth. These two activities will confirm your nature and will betray nothing that is real within you or within the world."

Idealism

"Recognize the extent of your own idealism. Observe carefully what you want yourself to be, what you want your world to be and what you want your relationships to be. Repeat today’s idea and, with eyes closed, examine each of your ideals."

"Concentrate on accepting things exactly as they are. You are not condoning violence, conflict or ignorance in doing this. You are merely accepting the conditions that exist so that you may work with them constructively. Without this acceptance, you have no starting place for true engagement. Allow the world to be exactly as it is, for it is this world that you have come to serve."

Judgment

"You do not understand the world today. Be happy that this is so, for your condemnation is unfounded. You do not understand the world today. This gives you an opportunity to witness the world. Upon the hour repeat this idea as you look upon the world. Remind yourself that you do not understand what you see, so you are free to look again."

"Listen to others today so that you may experience yourself in relationship with them, so that their true message to you may be given and comprehended."

"Upon the hour repeat your statement" ['I WILL NOT USE FEAR TO SUPPORT MY JUDGMENTS'] "and consider it in light of all things that are occurring today. In your two deeper practices, consider the meaning of today’s idea as you think about it carefully. Apply your mind in a state of work as you attempt to penetrate the meaning of today’s lesson. Do not be comforted by premature conclusions. Investigate deeply with your mind in your practice periods. Use your mind actively. Consider many things within yourself while maintaining a concentration on today’s idea."

"Take a moment and look at the world without judgment. Repeat the affirmation for today and spend a moment looking at the world without judgment. Regardless of what appearance you may see, whether it pleases you or displeases you, whether you find it beautiful or ugly, whether you think it is worthy or unworthy, look at it without judgment."

Limitation

"With your eyes open, concentrate now on your limitations. Recognize them. Do not judge them as good or bad. Simply recognize them. This gives you humility, and in humility you are in a position to receive greatness.".

"Allow yourself to be limited but without judgment. There is no condemnation. Actively engage your mind in focusing on your limitations. Focus without condemnation. Look objectively. You are meant to be a vehicle for a Greater Reality to express itself in this world. Your vehicle for expression is quite limited, but it is fully adequate to accomplish the task that is yours to accomplish. In accepting its limitations, you can understand its mechanism and learn to work with it constructively. Then it is no longer a limitation but a form of joyful expression for you."

Loss

"In your two 30-minute practice periods, look and see how the truth has served you. Look at experiences that were happy. Look at experiences that were painful. Particularly in painful experiences, look at how the truth has served you. Look openly. Do not defend a former position if you are tempted to do so. If pain still exists from a loss of an earlier time, accept that pain and its discouragement, but try to look and see how you were truly served by that loss. This point of view of being served by your experience is something you must cultivate. It does not justify the experience itself. Understand this. It merely gives you an opportunity to use your experience for your advancement and your empowerment."

Self-deception

"Begin to look more deeply at those things that are forms of obstruction to you. Think of this upon the hour. In your two deeper practice periods, engage your mind actively in attempting to discern specific forms of self-deception and self-obstruction. Do this without condemnation, but with the objectivity that is necessary to view yourself clearly. Do not be dismayed that there are many subtle forms of self-deception. They are merely slight variations upon very simple themes. Their seeming complexity and number are unimportant except that you recognize them."

Self-doubt

"In your two longer practice periods today, practice letting go of fear so that you may know. Allowing your mind to be still and receptive without making demands will be a demonstration that you are trusting Knowledge. It will give you reprieve from the afflictions and the animosities of this world. With this, you will begin to see a different world."

"Without judgment look and see what has been offered, what you have done and what can possibly be done to deepen your practice so that you may receive its benefits more directly. If you are having difficulty, recognize the problems and attempt to correct them. Give the week ahead greater involvement. In doing so, you will correct self-doubt and confusion merely by directing your will."

Self-judgment

"As you penetrate your own self-judgment, realize it is born of your fear and based upon assumption."

Self-justification

"Upon the hour remind yourself that you do not understand yourself. Free yourself from the burden of justifying your own judgments. Look upon yourself in your deeper meditation practices and remind yourself that you do not understand yourself. Now you are free to enter into stillness, for you are not attempting to use your experience to justify your fantasies about yourself. Here your mind becomes free to be itself, and you become free to appreciate yourself."

Self-pity

"Upon the hour, then, repeat this idea." ['I WILL NOT PITY MYSELF TODAY']. "Allow it to enter your mind and consider it for a moment. In your two practice periods, repeat this affirmation and then enter into stillness. No being who is pitiful can enter into silence, for silence is the experience of profound relationship, and stillness is the acceptance of profound love."

Social conditioning

"As you practice today, be aware of the many subtle forms of self-pity that you entertain. Be aware of the many subtle forms of manipulation of others as you attempt to make them like or accept you according to a view of yourself that you are attempting to claim."

Suffering

"Upon the hour confirm that you do not want to suffer today and realize the inevitability of your suffering if you attempt to engage yourself in the world without Knowledge."

See also

Practices

Practices to strengthen