IN the rippled waters of the lake, the reflected trees looked like jumbled masses running into one another. Pondering over the picture, to glean a helpful lesson from it, a student of Christian Science reasoned thus: Is this apparent turmoil in the lake real? Is it actually happening? Instantly came the mental reply, Of course not! The soliloquy continued: But look! the green masses in the lake are trembling and jostling one another! surely you will not deny what your eyes are seeing? Then came the imperative thought, Look up! And as she did so she saw the original picture: here was no confused intermingling or jostling of jumbled masses. Each tree, clearly defined and entirely separate from and untouched by the misrepresentation in the lake, was expressing its own individuality. Order, beauty, and harmony reigned.
What an object lesson to the student! Not for a moment had the testimony of the material senses regarding that distorted image imposed upon her enlightened consciousness, because not for a moment had she been deceived into accepting as real the confused picture seen in the lake. She recognized at once that the disturbed waters were casting back distorted images. Furthermore she realized, without hesitancy or doubt, that the discordant picture was but a misrepresentation. And, best of all, she was fully aware of the fact that only while she kept her gaze riveted on the distorted image did it appear to be real. So she looked up!
Now, she reasoned further, suppose I had believed this lie and had plunged into the lake in an effort to adjust or to destroy the discordant sense of trees, would I have found anything there? Certainly not! I should have found myself struggling to rise from the depths into which my ignorance had brought me.
