20 與宇宙合一

For many years there has been an endless discussion as to the origin of evil. Theologians have told us that God is Love, and that God is Omnipresent. If this be true, there is no place where God is not. Where, then, is Evil, Satan and Hell? Let us see: 多年來，人類沒完沒了地討論惡之源頭。神學家一向主張神就是愛，上帝無所不在。倘若為真，上帝應該充滿每一寸空間，那麼邪惡、撒旦與地獄會在哪裡？讓我們來研究一下：

God is Spirit. Spirit is the Creative Principle of the Universe. Man is made in the image and likeness of God. Man is therefore a spiritual being.

神是靈，靈就是宇宙的創造性法則。人是按照上帝的形象和樣式所造，因此，人也是靈性的實體。

The only activity which spirit possesses is the power to think. Thinking is therefore a creative process. All form is therefore the result of the thinking process. The destruction of form must also be a result of the thinking process. Fictitious representations of form are the result of the creative power of thought, as in Hypnotism. Apparent representation of form are the result of the creative power of thought, as in Spiritualism. Invention, organization and constructive work of all kinds are the result of the creative power of thought, as in concentration. 靈性掌握的唯一活動就是思考的力量，因此，思考是一種創造的過程。世上的一切有形實體都是思考過程產出的結果，有形實體的崩壞也是思考過程產出的結果。以虛幻形式呈現的形體，歸因於思考的創造力；顯現在外的實體，同樣也是思考的產物。各式各樣的發明創造、組織及建設性活動，都是思考的創造力量在專注狀態下的產物。

When the creative power of thought is manifested for the benefit of humanity, we call the result good. When the creative power of thought is manifested in a destructive or evil manner, we call the result evil. This indicates the origin of booth good and evil; they are simply words which have been coined in order to indicate the nature of the result of the thinking or creative process. 當思想的創造力彰顯對人類有益的結果，我們稱之為「善」；當思想的創造力體現對人類有害的結果，我們稱之為「惡」。這就是善與惡的起源。兩者不過是我們用來描述結果的字彙，是思考過程創造的結果。思想必然先於行動並且決定行動；行動則必定先行且決定了結果。

Thought necessarily precedes and predetermines action; action precedes and predetermines condition. Part Twenty will throw more light upon this important subject. 思想必然先於行動並且決定行動；行動則必定先行且決定了結果。本週課程將深入闡釋這個重要的主題。

PART TWENTY

1. The spirit of a thing is that thing; it is necessarily fixed, changeless and eternal. The spirit of you is -- you; without the spirit you would be nothing. It becomes active through your recognition of it and its possibilities. 事物的精神就是其自身，它必然堅固穩定、且永恆不變。你的精神就是你的真我，一旦它消逝無蹤，你也就等於一無所是。你越能認識精神及其各種可能性，它就越是活躍。
2. You may have all the wealth in Christendom, but unless you recognize it and make use of it, it will have no value; so with your spiritual wealth: unless you recognize it and use it, it will have no value. The one and only condition of spiritual power is use or recognition. 你或許坐擁全世界的金山銀庫，但除非你真正認識它的本質、善用它的好處，否則它毫無價值。同樣的道理也適用於你的精神財富：除非你真正認識它的本質、善用它的好處，否則它毫無價值。獲得精神力量的唯一條件就是善用它、認識它。
3. All great things come through recognition; the scepter of power is consciousness, and thought is its messenger, and this messenger is constantly molding the realities of the invisible world into the conditions and environments of your objective world. 所有偉大事物都源自認知，我們的自覺意識就是力量的權杖，思想則是它的使者，使者持續地將無形世界轉化為客觀世界的境遇和環境。
4. Thinking is the true business of life, power is the result. You are at all times dealing with the magical power of thought and consciousness. What results can you expect so long as you remain oblivious to the power which has been placed within your control? 思考是人生最真實的意義，力量則是思考的結果。你終其一生都與思想和意識的神奇魔力打交道。長久以來，你若是一貫對這股可以自己掌控的力量視而不見，究竟還能期待得到什麼結果？
5. So long as you do this you limit yourself to superficial conditions, and make of yourself a beast of burden for those who think; those who recognize their power; those who know that unless we are willing to think we shall have to work, and the less we think the more we shall have to work, and the less we shall get for our work. 只要你真如上述所言毫無作為，就會受到表面條件的局限，結果就是讓自己成為懂得思考的人的牛馬。他們很清楚自己有多大能耐，也知道除非我們主動開始思考，否則我們就會受到別人奴役；而我們想得越少，做得就越多，賺得卻越少。
6. The secret of power is a perfect understanding of the principles, forces, methods and combinations of Mind, and a perfect understanding of our relationship to the Universal Mind. It is well to remember that this principle is unchangeable; if this were not so, it would not be reliable; all principles are changeless. 力量的奧祕在於徹底領悟心智的原則、力量、方法和組合，也徹底理解我們與宇宙心智之間的關係。請謹記，此原則不容或變，要是稍有更動就再也不可靠了。所有原則都不容或變。
7. This stability is your opportunity; you are its active attribute, the channel for its activity; the Universal can act only through the individual. 法則的穩定性就是你的機遇。你就是它的動態屬性、是它的活動管道，宇宙只能借力個體採取行動。
8. When you begin to perceive that the essence of the Universal is within yourself -- is you -- you begin to do things; you begin to feel your power; it is the fuel which fires the imagination; which lights the torch of inspiration; which gives vitality to thought; which enables you to connect with all the invisible forces of the Universe. It is this power which will enable you to plan fearlessly, to execute masterfully. 一旦你認知到宇宙的本質就在你心中，亦即宇宙的本質就是你，那就是你成就事業的開端；你會開始感受到自身的力量，就像乾柴遇到烈火一般激發出你的想像力，它就是點燃靈感的火炬，提供思想一股生命活力，讓你與宇宙之間所有隱不可見的力量產生聯繫。正是這股力量鼓勵你大膽無畏地制定計畫，並勇敢果斷地執行。
9. But perception will come only in the Silence; this seems to be the condition required for all great purposes. You are a visualizing entity. Imagination is your workshop. It is here that your ideal is to be visualized. 但是，這種認知只有透過平靜的心境才能產生，平靜是實現所有偉大目標的必要條件。你是一個形象化的實體，想像力是你的工作室，你的理想就是在這裡具體成形。
10. As a perfect understanding of the nature of this power is a primary condition for its manifestation, visualize the entire method over and over again, so that you may use it whenever occasion requires. The infinity of wisdom is to follow the method whereby we may have the inspiration of the omnipotent Universal Mind on demand at any time. 徹底理解這股力量的本質是展現這種力量的必要條件，務請一而再、再而三地探索這個方法，如此一來，無論是什麼場合，你都可以將它發揮得淋漓盡致。無限的智慧將隨著這個方法翩然而至，屆時我們隨時都能福至心靈地感知，全能的宇宙心智將有求必應。
11. We can fail to recognize this world within, and so exclude it from our consciousness, but it will still be the basic fact of all existence; and when we learn to recognize it, not only in ourselves, but in all persons, events, things and circumstances we shall have found the "Kingdom of heaven" which we are told is "within" us. 我們可能不認識內心世界運作之道，因此將它排除在我們的意識之外。不過它仍是萬事萬物的基礎，一旦我們體悟這層道理，我們會發現，所謂「天國」自在心中，不假外求，包括所有的人、事件、事物與各種環境皆然。
12. Our failures are a result of the operation of exactly the same principle; the principle is unchangeable; its operation is exact, there is no deviation; if we think lack, limitation, discord, we shall find their fruits on every hand; if we think poverty, unhappiness or disease, the thought messengers will carry the summons as readily as any other kind of thought and the result will be just as certain. If we fear a coming calamity, we shall be able to say with Job, "the thing I feared has come upon me"; if we think unkindly or ignorantly we shall thus attract to ourselves the results of our ignorance. 我們的失敗也是同一原則運作的結果。原則本身不容改變，其運作精準無誤，毫無偏離。如果我們一心想著匱乏、局限、混亂，我們就會發現自己滿手爛牌；如果我們一心念著貧困、不幸或疾病，思想的使者就會像法院傳票一樣為我們帶來這些劫難，這就是必然結果。倘若我們懼怕災難，就會像敬神畏惡的約伯（Job）一樣呼喊：「我所恐懼的臨到我身，我所懼怕的迎我而來。」（譯註：出自《聖經》。約伯記3：25）假使我們想的是冷酷無情或懵懂無知，就會因此召喚無知的惡果降臨自身。
13. This power of thought, if understood and correctly used, is the greatest labor-saving device ever dreamed of, but if not understood or improperly used, the result will in all probability be disastrous, as we have already seen; by the help of this power you can confidently undertake things that are seemingly impossible, because this power is the secret of all inspiration, all genius. 若能適切理解、正確應用思想的力量，它將成為人類夢寐以求節省人力最神通廣大的裝備，但若是一知半解或不當應用，極有可能引發各種慘不忍睹的災難性後果，這些我們都已經親眼目睹了。你借助這股力量就可以充滿自信地去執行每一樁看似不可能的任務，因為它是所有靈感和天才身上才看得見的祕密。
14. To become inspired means to get out of the beaten path, out of the rut, because extraordinary results require extraordinary means. When we come into a recognition of the Unity of all things and that the source of all power is within, we tap the source of inspiration. 獲得靈感意味著擺脫困境、衝破泥淖，因為非凡的結果需要採取非凡的手段。一旦我們認識到萬物的一致性，也體認所有力量皆源於其中，就能開發靈感的泉源。
15. Inspiration is the art of imbibing, the art of self-realization; the art of adjusting the individual mind to that of the Universal Mind; the art of attaching the proper mechanism to the source of all power; the art of differentiating the formless into form; the art of becoming a channel for the flow of Infinite Wisdom; the art of visualizing perfection; the art of realizing the omnipresence of Omnipotence. 靈感是接收的藝術，是自我實現的藝術，是個體心智根據宇宙心智自我調整的藝術，是活用適當機制發揮所有力量的藝術，是區分無形和有形的藝術，是宇宙無限智慧流通的管道，是將完美具象化的藝術，是體認無所不在的全能力量的藝術。
16. An understanding and appreciation of the fact that the infinite power is omnipresent and is therefore in the infinitely small as well as the infinitely large will enable us to absorb its essence; a further understanding of the fact that this power is spirit and therefore indivisible will enable us to appreciate its present at all points at the same time. 我們應當領悟並珍惜這個事實：無限力量實際上無所不在，會存在無限微小之中，也會存在無限廣大之中，唯此我們才能吸收其精髓，並進一步理解另一個事實，即這股力量就是一種精神，因此不容分裂。唯有如此，我們才能隨時隨地珍惜它的存在。
17. An understanding of these facts, first intellectually and then emotionally, will enable us to drink deeply from this ocean of infinite power. An intellectual understanding will be of no assistance; the emotions must be brought into action; thought without feeling is cold. The required combination is thought and feeling. 我們若想徹底理解上述事實，首先就得從理智層面著手，繼而訴求情感面，如此才能從無限力量的汪洋大海中掬一瓢暢飲。光是理智的理解不會帶來什麼幫助，情感也必須融入行動。思想必須結合情感，不帶情感的思想猶如寒冰。
18. Inspiration is from within. The Silence is necessary, the senses must be stilled, the muscles relaxed, repose cultivated. When you have thus come into possession of a sense of poise and power you will be ready to receive the information or inspiration or wisdom which may be necessary for the development of your purpose. 靈感源於內在，不假外求。平靜是必備要素，必須讓感官功能靜止、肌肉徹底放鬆，並養成平靜的心境。當你感受到平靜與力量，也就準備好接受資訊、靈感或智慧，這些都是發展個人目標不可或缺的元素。
19. Do not confuse these methods with those of the clairvoyant; they have nothing in common. Inspiration is the art of receiving and makes for all that is best in life; your business in life is to understand and command these invisible forces instead of letting them command and rule you. Power implies service; inspiration implies power; to understand and apply the method of inspiration is to become a superman. 請勿拿這些方法與通靈術混為一談，兩者毫無共同之處。靈感是一門接受的藝術，為所有人打造最優質生活。你的人生志業就是領會並應用這些隱不可見的力量，而非讓它們駕馭並統治你。力量意味服務、靈感象徵力量，充分領會並運用這套發揮靈感的方法，將使你成為超群不凡之人。
20. We can live more abundantly every time we breathe, if we consciously breathe with that intention. The IF is a very important condition in this case, as the intention governs the attention, and without the attention you can secure only the results which every one else secures. That is, a supply equal to the demand. 如果我們有意識地呼吸，那麼每一次吐納都會讓我們的生活變得更充實。這個「如果」是非常重要的前提條件，因為意念掌管專注，你若缺乏專注，就只能獲得和其他人一模一樣的成果。這就是「供需平衡」的道理。
21. In order to secure the larger supply your demand must be increased, and as you consciously increase the demand the supply will follow, you will find yourself coming into a larger and larger supply of life, energy and vitality. 你若想獲取源源不絕的供應，就應該增加需求；隨著你有意識地增加需求，供應就會隨之而來。屆時你將發現，自己正在享受一段生命力、能量與活力的供應源源不絕的人生。
22. The reason for this is not difficult to understand, but it is another of the vital mysteries of life which does not seem to be generally appreciated. If you make it your own, you will find it one of the great realities of life. 箇中道理不難理解，但還有一個鮮為人知的生命奧祕，要是你能納為己用，就會發現它是生命最偉大的事實。
23. We are told that "In Him we live and move and have our being," and we are told that "He" is a Spirit, and again that "He" is Love, so that every time we breathe, we breathe this life, love, and spirit. This is Pranic Energy, or Pranic Ether, we could not exist a moment without it. It is the Cosmic Energy; it is the Life of the Solar Plexus. 有人告訴我們：「我們活在祂裡面、存在於祂裡面，也在祂裡面行動。」他們還告訴我們，「祂」就是精神、就是愛，所以每當我們呼吸時，就會吸取生命力、愛與精神。這就是所謂的氣能量，或稱為氣場乙太，我們無法片刻離開它。它就是宇宙能量，也是太陽神經叢的生命力。
24. Every time we breathe we fill our lungs with air and at the same time vitalize our body with this Pranic Ether which is Life itself, so that we have the opportunity of making a conscious connection with All Life, All Intelligence and All Substance. 每次呼吸，我們的肺部吸入空氣，同時也是吸入本身就是氣能量的氣場乙太，如此一來，我們就擁有一個與全生命、全智慧與全物質建立聯繫的機會。
25. A knowledge of your relation and oneness with this Principle that governs the Universe and the simple method whereby you can consciously identify yourself with it gives you a scientific understanding of a law whereby you may free yourself from disease, from lack or limitation of any kind; in fact, it enables you to breathe the "breath of life" into your own nostrils. 如果你能透澈理解自己與這掌控全宇宙的原則之間的一體性，就可以自發自覺地與它保持一致，於是你就能明白使自己掙脫疾病、匱乏與局限的科學法則。事實上，它讓你可以呼吸到「生命的氣息」。
26. This "breath of life" is a superconscious reality. It is the essence of the "I am." It is pure "Being" or Universal Substance, and our conscious unity with it enables us to localize it, and thus exercise the powers of this creative energy. 這一股「生命的氣息」是一種超意識的實體，是「真我」的本體，是純粹的「本質」，也就是宇宙物質；若我們的自覺意識與它保持和諧統一，就能讓它落地生根，因而得以發揮各種創造性力量。
27. Thought is creative vibration and the quality of the conditions created will depend upon the quality of our thought, because we cannot express powers which we do not possess. We must "be" before we can "do" and we can "do" only to the extent to which we "are," and so what we do will necessarily coincide with what we "are" and what we are depends upon what we "think." 思想是一種具創造性的共振頻率，我們的思想品質決定了我們的環境品質，因為我們無法展現自己不曾擁有的力量。我們必須先「是」，才能「做」，而且我們只能「做」到我們「是」的程度。因此，我們的所作所為必將與我們所「是」的本質一致，而我們「是」什麼，則由我們「想」什麼來決定。
28. Every time you think you start a train of causation which will create a condition in strict accordance with the quality of the thought which originated it. Thought which is in harmony with the Universal Mind will result in corresponding conditions. Thought which is destructive or discordant will produce corresponding results. You may use thought constructively or destructively, but the immutable law will not allow you to plant a thought of one kind and reap the fruit of another. You are free to use this marvelous creative power as you will, but you must take the consequences. 每當你開始「想」，就相當於啟動因果關係的列車，因果關係會創造出與思想狀態完全一致的外在環境。與宇宙心智保持一致的思想就會引發相應的良好結果；反之，具有破壞性或是混亂不和的思想則會產生相應的不良結果。只不過，永恆不變的法則絕對不會允許你「種豆得瓜」。你大可隨心所欲地應用這些神奇的創造力，但最終都是由你自己承擔後果。
29. This is the danger from what is called Will Power. There are those who seem to think that by force of will they can coerce this law; that they can sow seed of one kind and by "Will Power" make it bear fruit of another, but the fundamental principle of creative power is in the Universal, and therefore the idea of forcing a compliance with our wishes by the power of the individual will is an inverted conception which may appear to succeed for a while but is eventually doomed to failure - because it antagonizes the very power which it is seeking to use. 這就是所謂意志力會引發的危險。有人認為他們可以透過意志力迫使宇宙法則改變，自以為只要發揮意志力就能「種豆得瓜」，改變結果。然而，創造力的基本原則存在宇宙之中，想要透過意志力強行迫使宇宙力量依從我們的願望，就是一種扭曲的錯誤概念。它有可能會獲得一時的成功，但終究會落得一敗塗地的下場，因為這種方法與它想運用的宇宙力量彼此衝突。
30. It is the individual attempting to coerce the Universal, the finite in conflict with the Infinite. Our permanent well being will be best conserved by a conscious cooperation with the continuous forward movement of the Great Whole. 這種方式是要讓「個人」去強迫「宇宙」，讓「有限力量」去對抗「無限威力」。我們唯有自發自覺地與不斷大步邁進的宇宙整體合作，才能最大程度地創造永恆幸福。
31. 【本週練習】For your exercise this week, go into the Silence and concentrate on the fact that "In him we live and move and have our being" is literally and scientifically exact! That you ARE because He IS, that if He is Omnipresent He must be in you. That if He is all in all you must be in Him! That He is Spirit and you are made in "His image and likeness" and that the only difference between His spirit and your spirit is one of degree, that a part must be the same in kind and quality as the whole. When you can realize this clearly you will have found the secret of the creative power of thought, you will have found the origin of both good and evil, you will have found the secret of the wonderful power of concentration, you will have found the key to the solution of every problem whether physical, financial, or environmental. 本週，你的練習作業是進入「靜」的狀態，並專注於這個事實：「我們活在祂裡面、存在於祂裡面，也在祂裡面行動。」這句話分毫不差、禁得起科學檢驗！因為有祂，你得以是你；如果祂是無所不在的，那祂肯定就在你裡面；如果祂存在於萬有，那你肯定就在祂裡面！如果祂是所謂的精神，你就是依照「祂的形象和樣式」所造，你的精神和祂的精神唯一不同之處僅在於程度有別，因為你是祂的其中一部分，在特性上必然與整體完全一致。一旦你清楚理解這一點，就會發現思想創造力背後的祕密，發現一切善惡的源頭，瞭解專注的偉大力量奧祕所在，還會發現解決所有問題的關鍵，不管是健康、財務還是環境層面的問題。

"The power to think consecutively and deeply and clearly, is an avowed and deadly enemy to mistakes and blunders, superstitions, unscientific theories, irrational beliefs, unbridled enthusiasm, fanaticism." —— Haddock

Study Questions with Answers

1. Upon what condition does power depend? Upon recognition and use. Q1：如何才能得到力量？A：對力量有所認知並善用它。
2. What is recognition? Consciousness. Q2：何謂認知？A：意識到它的存在。
3. How do we become conscious of power? By thinking. Q3：我們如何認識力量？A：動腦思考。
4. What then is the true business of life? Correct scientific thinking. Q4：若此，人生最重要的是什麼？A：以符合科學的方式正確地思考。
5. What is correct scientific thinking? The ability to adjust our thought processes to the will of the Universal. In other words, to cooperate with Natural laws. Q5：何謂正確的科學思考？A：根據宇宙意志自我調整思維過程的能力。換句話說，我們必須與自然法則合作。
6. How is this accomplished? By securing a perfect understanding of the principles, forces, methods and combinations of mind. Q5：何謂正確的科學思考？A：根據宇宙意志自我調整思維過程的能力。換句話說，我們必須與自然法則合作。
7. What is this Universal Mind? The basic fact of all existence. Q7：這裡說的「心智」是什麼？A：宇宙萬物的基本。
8. What is the cause of all lack, limitation, disease and discord? It is due to the operation of exactly the same law, the law operates relentlessly and is continually bringing about conditions in correspondence with the thought which originated or created them. Q8：所有匱乏、限制、疾病和不和源於什麼原因？A：源於相同的法則。宇宙法則會召喚我們所想的事物，如果心裡想著匱乏、限制、疾病和不和，就會發現生活中滿是這些狀態。
9. What is inspiration? The art of realizing the omnipresence of Omniscience. Q9：何謂靈感？A：靈感是去體會那無所不知、無所不在力量的藝術。
10. Upon what does the conditions with which we meet depend? Upon the quality of our thought. Because what we do depends upon what we are and what we are depends upon what we think. Q10：我們的遭遇取決於何物？A：取決於我們思想的質量。因為我們所做的事情取決於我們是什麼樣的人，而我們是什麼樣的人則取決於我們的想法。