Lesson 20: I am determined to see.
The lessons up until today have been trying to turn our idea of the world upside down and inside out. The things in our world are not real, we’re learning. We have given them all the meaning that they have, we’re learning. None of our thoughts are neutral – they all create on some level, we’re learning. And, we’re learning that those thoughts aren’t just ours alone, but others around us experience the effect of our thoughts.
What does this all lead up to? A determination to see what IS real in this world, to see beyond the illusions and miscreations we have brought into being with our unconscious and untrained thoughts.
The salvation of the world depends on our ability to see rightly – to stop investing our thoughts and beliefs in the false projections we walk around calling “reality.”
“You want salvation,” the lesson reminds us – otherwise why are we even doing this?
“You want to be happy,” it reminds us – and even when we convince ourselves we are happy, something happens outside of ourselves and we find happiness to be fleeting.
“You want peace,” we read, and of course, we all want that – but we keep seeking for it outside of ourselves where it can’t be found.
“You do not have them now, because your mind is totally undisciplined, and you cannot distinguish between joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, love and fear.”
We think we have the capability to distinguish between all of these things, but we’re working with the wrong definitions. We have allowed the ego to define our world, and its beliefs in joy, sorrow, pleasure, pain, love and fear are distortions of the truth.
“Your decision to see,” the lesson says, “is all that vision requires.”
The Course always tells us that all we need is a “little willingness.” Just as Jesus tells us that the faith the size of a mustard seed can toss mountains into the ocean, similarly just a little willingness to begin to see the world as it truly is will grant us the vision we need to bring about the salvation of the world.
The Muslim mystic poet Hafiz writes about that true vision that we seek that is available to us if we’re willing to make the decision to see:
“I know why you stare at the mountain’s beauty,
for she reminds you of something vital in yourself.
And natural desires to explore her heights are just there
to help you reach your own summit.
Once, while I was looking at the sky, it spoke, saying,
‘Hafiz, I am surprised at your admiration for me,
for dear you are my root. With a ruby in your purse
why wish to hold a clay coin?'”
This lesson beckons us to give up our clay coins – that false perception of this world as broken and in darkness – and reveal the ruby in your purse – the true, divine Self that shines at the center of each person in this dream.
When all we can see when we behold another human being or living creature is the ruby in their purse – their divine innocence – instead of the clay coin the ego has given us, then we will develop the vision we need to bring about the salvation of the world.
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