LESSON 121 Forgiveness is the key to happiness.

1. 1Here is the answer to your search for peace. 2Here is the key to meaning in a world that seems to make no sense. 3Here is the way to safety in apparent dangers that appear to threaten you at every turn, and bring uncertainty to all your hopes of ever fin­d­ing quietness and peace. 4Here are all questions answered; here the end of all uncertainty ensured at last.

2. 1The unforgiving mind is full of fear, and offers love no room to be itself; no place where it can spread its wings in peace and soar above the turmoil of the world. 2The unforgiving mind is sad, without the hope of respite and release from pain. 3It suffers and abides in misery, peering about in darkness, seeing not, yet cer­tain of the danger lurking there.

3. 1The unforgiving mind is torn with doubt, confused about itself and all it sees; afraid and angry, weak and blustering, afraid to go ahead, afraid to stay, afraid to waken or to go to sleep, afraid of every sound, yet more afraid of stillness; terrified of darkness, yet more terrified at the approach of light. 2What can the unforgiving mind perceive but its damnation? 3What can it behold except the proof that all its sins are real?

4. 1The unforgiving mind sees no mistakes, but only sins. 2It looks upon the world with sightless eyes, and shrieks as it beholds its own projections rising to attack its miserable parody of life. 3It wants to live, yet wishes it were dead. 4It wants forgiveness, yet it sees no hope. 5It wants escape, yet can conceive of none because it sees the sinful everywhere.

5. 1The unforgiving mind is in despair, without the prospect of a future which can offer anything but more despair. 2Yet it regards its judgment of the world as irreversible, and does not see it has condemned itself to this despair. 3It thinks it cannot change, for what it sees bears witness that its judgment is correct. 4It does not ask, because it thinks it knows. 5It does not question, certain it is right.

6. 1Forgiveness is acquired. 2It is not inherent in the mind, which cannot sin. 3As sin is an idea you taught yourself, forgiveness must be learned by you as well, but from a Teacher other than yourself, Who represents the other Self in you. 4Through Him you learn how to forgive the self you think you made, and let it disappear. 5Thus you return your mind as one to Him Who is your Self, and Who can never sin.

7. 1Each unforgiving mind presents you with an opportunity to teach your own how to forgive itself. 2Each one awaits release from hell through you, and turns to you imploringly for Heaven here and now. 3It has no hope, but you become its hope. 4And as its hope, do you become your own. 5The unforgiving mind must learn through your forgiveness that it has been saved from hell. 6And as you teach salvation, you will learn. 7Yet all your teaching and your learning will be not of you, but of the Teacher Who was given you to show the way to you.

8. 1Today we practice learning to forgive. 2If you are willing, you can learn today to take the key to happiness, and use it on your own behalf. 3We will devote ten minutes in the morning, and at night another ten, to learning how to give forgiveness and re­ceive forgiveness, too.

9. 1The unforgiving mind does not believe that giving and receiv­ing are the same. 2Yet we will try to learn today that they are one through practicing forgiveness toward one whom you think of as an enemy, and one whom you consider as a friend. 3And as you learn to see them both as one, we will extend the lesson to yourself, and see that their escape included yours.

10. 1Begin the longer practice periods by thinking of someone you do not like, who seems to irritate you, or to cause regret in you if you should meet him; one you actively despise, or merely try to overlook. 2It does not matter what the form your anger takes. 3You probably have chosen him already. 4He will do.

11. 1Now close your eyes and see him in your mind, and look at him a while. 2Try to perceive some light in him somewhere; a little gleam which you had never noticed. 3Try to find some little spark of brightness shining through the ugly picture that you hold of him. 4Look at this picture till you see a light somewhere within it, and then try to let this light extend until it covers him, and makes the picture beautiful and good.

12. 1Look at this changed perception for a while, and turn your mind to one you call a friend. 2Try to transfer the light you learn­ed to see around your former “enemy” to him. 3Perceive him now as more than friend to you, for in that light his holiness shows you your savior, saved and saving, healed and whole.

13. 1Then let him offer you the light you see in him, and let your “enemy” and friend unite in blessing you with what you gave. 2Now are you one with them, and they with you. 3Now have you been forgiven by yourself. 4Do not forget, throughout the day, the role forgiveness plays in bringing happiness to every unforgiving mind, with yours among them. 5Every hour tell yourself:

6Forgiveness is the key to happiness. 7I will awaken from the dream that I am mortal, fallible and full of sin, and know I am the perfect Son of God.