T-15.IX:The Holy Instant and the Attraction of God

1. 1As the ego would limit your perception of your brothers to the body, so would the Holy Spirit release your vision and let you see the Great Rays shining from them, so unlimited that they reach to God. 2It is this shift to vision that is accomplished in the holy instant. 3Yet it is needful for you to learn just what this shift entails, so you will become willing to make it permanent. 4Given this willingness it will not leave you, for it is permanent. 5Once you have accepted it as the only perception you want, it is translated into knowledge by the part that God Himself plays in the Atonement, for it is the only step in it He understands. 6Therefore, in this there will be no delay when you are ready for it. 7God is ready now, but you are not.

2. 1Our task is but to continue, as fast as possible, the necessary process of looking straight at all the interference and seeing it exactly as it is. 2For it is impossible to recognize as wholly without gratification what you think you want. 3The body is the symbol of the ego, as the ego is the symbol of the separation. 4And both are nothing more than attempts to limit communication, and thereby to make it impossible. 5For communication must be unlimited in order to have meaning, and deprived of meaning, it will not satisfy you completely. 6Yet it remains the only means by which you can establish real relationships, which have no limits, having been established by God.

3. 1In the holy instant, where the Great Rays replace the body in awareness, the recognition of relationships without limits is given you. 2But in order to see this, it is necessary to give up every use the ego has for the body, and to accept the fact that the ego has no purpose you would share with it. 3For the ego would limit everyone to a body for its own purposes, and while you think it has a purpose, you will choose to utilize the means by which it tries to turn its purpose into accomplishment. 4This will never be accomplished. 5Yet you have surely recognized that the ego, whose goals are altogether unattainable, will strive for them with all its might, and will do so with the strength that you have given it.

4. 1It is impossible to divide your strength between Heaven and hell, God and the ego, and release your power to creation, which is the only purpose for which it was given you. 2Love would always give increase. 3Limits are demanded by the ego, and represent its demands to make little and ineffectual. 4Limit your sight of a brother to his body, which you will do as long as you would not release him from it, and you have denied his gift to you. 5His body cannot give it. 6And seek it not through yours. 7Yet your minds are already continuous, and their union need only be accepted and the loneliness in Heaven is gone.

5. 1If you would but let the Holy Spirit tell you of the Love of God for you, and the need your creations have to be with you forever, you would experience the attraction of the eternal. 2No one can hear Him speak of this and long remain willing to linger here. 3For it is your will to be in Heaven, where you are complete and quiet, in such sure and loving relationships that any limit is impossible. 4Would you not exchange your little relationships for this? 5For the body is little and limited, and only those whom you would see without the limits the ego would impose on them can offer you the gift of freedom.

6. 1You have no conception of the limits you have placed on your perception, and no idea of all the loveliness that you could see. 2But this you must remember; the attraction of guilt opposes the attraction of God. 3His attraction for you remains unlimited, but because your power, being His, is as great as His, you can turn away from love. 4What you invest in guilt you withdraw from God. 5And your sight grows weak and dim and limited, for you have attempted to separate the Father from the Son, and limit Their communication. 6Seek not Atonement in further separation. 7And limit not your vision of God’s Son to what interferes with his release, and what the Holy Spirit must undo to set him free. 8For his belief in limits has imprisoned him.

7. 1When the body ceases to attract you, and when you place no value on it as a means of getting anything, then there will be no interference in communication and your thoughts will be as free as God’s. 2As you let the Holy Spirit teach you how to use the body only for purposes of communication, and renounce its use for separation and attack which the ego sees in it, you will learn you have no need of a body at all. 3In the holy instant there are no bodies, and you experience only the attraction of God. 4Accepting it as undivided you join Him wholly, in an instant, for you would place no limits on your union with Him. 5The reality of this relationship becomes the only truth that you could ever want. 6All truth is here.

1. 小我存心将你对弟兄的认知拘限于这具身体，而圣灵则有意开启你的眼界，让你看到他们的“光明宝相”放出无穷的光辉直达上主天庭。
神圣一刻的宗旨乃是帮你改变眼界。
你亟需练习去看这改变眼界的具体效益，而后你才会心悦诚服，永不退转。
只要你心怀此愿，它就不会辜负你，因它本身永恒不易。
你一旦接受了这一眼界，而且当成自己唯一想要的知见，上主便会担起祂在救赎中的那一部分责任，把知见转译为真知，因为祂只知道这一步。
因此，只要你准备就绪，救赎大业便会即时展开。
上主此刻已经准备妥当了，尚未就绪的是你。
2. 我们的职责只是继续正视所有的障碍，看穿它的底细，不再无谓地拖延。
如果你还舍不得放下那些障碍，便不可能认清它绝对满足不了你这个事实。
身体是小我的象征，而小我又是分裂的象征。
两者不过企图限制你的交流，使天人难以相通而已。
交流绝不可设限，才算是有意义的交流；交流若失去了意义，便再也无法全面满足你的需求。
然而，你必须靠交流才能建立真实的关系，这交流不可限量，因它是上主所建的。
3. 神圣一刻会帮你意识到弟兄的“光明宝相”，而非他的形体，它还会帮你认出这一关系所含的无限能力。
但你需先放弃小我利用身体的一切伎俩，而且承认小我与你并非同道，你才可能看清这一事实。
因为小我会为了一己之利，把每个人都当作一具身体；你一旦认可它的目的，就会与它同流合污，为它的理想效力。
它的理想注定会功亏一篑的。
然而，你一定早已看出，尽管小我的目标必然徒劳无功，它仍会利用你所赋予的力量，卯尽全力，奋斗到底。
4. 上主赐你能力的唯一目的就是要你创造，你不可能在天堂与地狱、上主与小我之间分散投资力量后，还有余力创造的。
爱只会愈给愈多。
小我却不断设限，显示出它想让你变得卑微无能的企图。
你若不把弟兄由身体释放出来，而只把他当作一具身体，你等于拒绝了他要给你的礼物。
他那具身体无法给你任何真正的礼物。
也不要透过你自己的身体去找。
幸好，你们的心灵早已衔接在一起了，只要你愿接受心灵的一体性，天堂从此不再寂寞了。
5. 只要你听见了圣灵所说上主对你的爱，以及你自己的创造又如何想永远与你同在的讯息，你不可能感受不到永恒境界的吸引的。
也不会有人听到祂的讯息之后还想在世间蹉跎下去。
因为活在天堂是你最大的心愿，只有在那儿你才会感到安心而圆满，享受那既可靠又充满了爱，而且不受任何限制的关系。
你难道不想用你那些无谓的人际关系来换取这种关系？
身体确实万般卑微而有限，你必须不再着眼于小我在弟兄身上所加的种种限制，才能获得上天赐你的自由解脱。
6. 你绝对想象不到，你为自己的所知所见加上了多大的限制；你也很难想象，自己原本可能见到的完美境界。
但你必须记住：罪咎的魅力与上主的吸引力是彼此相斥的。
上主对你的吸引永远不受限制，问题是上主给了你与祂一样伟大的能力，因此你也拥有舍弃爱的能力。
你投入罪咎多深，就离上主多远。
你的眼力会愈来愈弱、愈阴暗、愈窄化，只因你企图离间天父与圣子，阻挠他们的交流。
切勿一边追逐分裂，一边还想找到救赎。
也不要让那阻挠上主之子解脱的障碍拘限了你对他的慧见；圣灵必须先帮你化解那一障碍，才释放得了上主之子。
因为他已被自己认定的限制所囚禁了。
7. 当形体不再吸引你的注意力，你也不再指望它来满全需求时，交流自然畅通无阻，你的思想会变得如上主一般自由。
只听从圣灵的教诲，把身体纯粹当作交流的工具，同时抵制小我把身体用在分裂或攻击的企图，你便会瞬间明白自己根本不需要这一具身体。
在这神圣的一刻，身体已然不存在，你只会感受到上主的吸引。
你再也不愿为你们的结合设限了，只要你接受这神圣一刻，你便会全面融入上主的生命。
这种真实的关系成了你此生的唯一渴望。
一切真理尽在其中。
1.小我會把你對弟兄的感知限制在身體上，而聖靈則會釋放你的目光，令你從他們身上看見偉大的光輝——它們毫不受限，因而能直抵上主。
在神聖一刻中完成的正是這一目光的轉變。
然而，你需要知道這一轉變究竟意謂著什麼，如此你才會願意令它可長可久。
一旦有此願心，它就不會離你而去，因為它本就可長可久。
一旦你接納了它便是你唯一想要的感知，它就會被上主在救贖中的職責轉譯為真知，因為那是這之中祂所了解的唯一一步。
為此之故，一旦你準備妥當，這一步就不致有所延遲。
上主早已準備妥當，而你卻還沒。
2.我們的任務不過是儘快持續那必要的過程，也就是正視一切干預，並看清它的真面目。
畢竟你若認出了自認想要的一切，就不可能不感到些許的滿足。
身體象徵了小我，而小我象徵了分裂。
這兩者又無非是在限制愛的交流，進而使其成為天方夜譚。
因為愛的交流必須無所限制，才會有意義，而一旦失去了意義，它就無法完全使你滿足。
但是你若想確立真實的關係，它仍是唯一的途徑——這類關係並無限制，因為它們確立自上主。
3.在神聖一刻中，偉大的光輝取代了對身體的覺知，上天則使你得以認清無限的關係。
但你若想看見它，就得徹底揚棄小我利用身體的方式，並接納如下事實——小我並無你願與之共享的目的。
因為基於它自身的目的，它會把每個人都限制在身體中，而你若相信它有目的，就會選擇運用它的手段，它則企圖藉此實現自己的目的。
那絕不可能實現。
然而你必已看出小我將會全力以赴地追求自己的目標，即便那完全是天方夜譚，而它的力量卻出自你的給予。
4.你若把自己的力量拆分給天堂與地獄、上主與小我，就絕不可能為創造注入大能，而那卻是上天將其賜給你的唯一目的。
愛一向會引發增長。
小我則會要求限制，而限制則代表了它對渺小和無效的要求。
你若把看待弟兄的目光侷限於他的身體——只要不願將其由此釋放，便是如此——就已拒絕了他給你的禮物。
他的身體給不出禮物。
也別憑著自己的身體四處找尋。
但你們的心已是一體連續，而你只需接納這點，天堂裡的孤寂就會消失殆盡。
5.只要願意讓聖靈來向你訴說上主如何愛你，而你的受造如何需要永遠與你同在，你就會體驗到永恆之境的魅力。
只要耳聞祂的良言，就沒有人會甘願在此徘徊不去。
因為進入天堂便是你的心願，那兒的你不僅完滿、寧靜，又處在極為牢靠且充滿愛的關係中，所以也不可能有任何限制。
你難道不願拿自己的渺小關係來換取它？
因為身體渺小而又受限，除非你看待弟兄的眼光足以擺脫小我強加的限制，他們才可為你獻上自由之禮。
6.至於你施加在感知上的限制，以及你能看見的所有美妙，你也毫無概念。
但是你必須記住一點；罪咎的吸引力與上主的吸引力是相悖的。
祂的吸引力一向是無限的，而你的大能既屬於祂，便和祂的不分軒輊，所以你也能遠離得了愛。
你投資於罪咎的便是你從上主那兒撤出的。
你的目光則會變得短淺、模糊、且受到限制，因為你試圖讓聖子和聖父分離，並限制祂們的交流。
別往更深的分裂中尋求救贖。
也別把看待聖子的目光局限於對其解脫的干擾，乃至聖靈必須化解才可令他自由的一切。
因為他對限制的信念業已禁錮了自己。
7.身體一旦不再吸引你，而你也不再寶貝它，且將其當作獲取任何事物的途徑，交流就不致受到干擾，你的心念也將如聖念那般自由。
一旦你讓聖靈教你如何只把身體用於交流，並揚棄它在小我眼中的用途，亦即分裂與攻擊，你就會發覺自己根本無需這具身體。
在神聖的一刻中，身體並不存在，而你也只會體驗到上主的吸引力。
一旦接納了它的一體不二，你就會即刻結合於上主，因為你已不願限制你與祂的合一。
這一關係的真實性則成了你唯一且始終想要的真理。
一切真理莫不在此。