Our current goals:
- Widen the horizons of our vision
- Take direct approaches to uncover the blocks that keep our vision narrow
- Lift those blocks, however briefly, in order to experience the sense of liberation that comes when the blocks are removed
- Intensify our motivation for freedom
Yesterday’s Course lesson told us, ““Sit quietly and close your eyes. The light within you is sufficient. It alone has the power to give the gift of sight to you. Exclude the outer world, and let your thoughts fly to the peace within.”
Today’s lesson gives us more specific instructions:
“Simply do this: Be still, and lay aside all thoughts of what you are and what God is; all concepts you have learned about the world; all images you hold about yourself. Empty your mind of everything it thinks is either true or false, or good or bad, of every thought it judges worthy, and all the ideas of which it is ashamed. Hold onto nothing. Do not bring with you one thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever learned before from anything. Forget this world, forget this course, and come with wholly empty hands unto your God.”
Our job is to let go of “all obstacles that you have interposed between the Son and God the Father … And with this choice we rest.”
That’s it. Nothing more. The Course calls this “simplicity.”
It reminds me of Michael Langford’s instructions for awareness-watching-awareness. He writes:
“One of the things you might wonder is what to do after you start watching your awareness. There is nothing else to be done. You just continue with awareness watching awareness. … Just continue for the entire practice session watching your awareness. Only awareness watching awareness and nothing else.
Don’t expect any type of experience. If you are wondering if you will have some kind of spiritual experience, then that very wondering means you have added something to awareness watching awareness. Never add anything to awareness watching awareness.
The key is to be content just watching your awareness and not to move from that and not to add anything to that. …
If you wonder if the state is going to deepen, that very wondering means you have added something to the Awareness Watching Awareness practice. Never add anything to the Awareness Watching Awareness Method. Just be content with awareness watching awareness.
You should look at it like awareness watching awareness is all there is, there is nothing more.”
The Course is clear that we remove the obstacles, we rest in awareness-watching-awareness, and “do not make demands, nor point the road to God by which He should appear to you. The way to reach Him is merely to let Him be. For in that way is your reality proclaimed as well.”
Or as Michael Langford writes:
“Here is a way to look at it: Awareness watching awareness is a little like falling in love. You spend time with someone. You watch them. You observe them. But you do not yet know them. You continue to observe them. You don’t have expectations, because you don’t know them well enough yet to have expectations. You just keep on observing.
Some days you have pleasant feelings while you observe them. Some days you have unpleasant feelings while you observe them. You continue to observe them.
Everyday you are coming to know them better, even though you may not be aware that you are coming to know them better. Then one day suddenly and unexpectedly, you have fallen in Love.
Awareness watching awareness is a little like that. Just don’t expect anything, and continue watching your awareness. The fact that nothing is happening is great! If it seems like day after day it is just the same, only awareness watching awareness, that is great! Just remain content with that.”
Here is a song by Rickie Byars Beckwith that inspires me to practice awareness-watching-awareness in exactly the way today’s lesson encourages:
