T-2.III:The Altar of God

1. 1The Atonement can only be accepted within you by releasing the inner light. 2Since the separation, defenses have been used almost entirely to defend against the Atonement, and thus maintain the separation. 3This is generally seen as a need to protect the body. 4The many body fantasies in which minds engage arise from the distorted belief that the body can be used as a means for attaining “atonement.” 5Perceiving the body as a temple is only the first step in correcting this distortion, because it alters only part of it. 6It does recognize that Atonement in physical terms is impossible. 7The next step, however, is to realize that a temple is not a structure at all. 8Its true holiness lies at the inner altar around which the structure is built. 9The emphasis on beautiful structures is a sign of the fear of Atonement, and an unwillingness to reach the altar itself. 10The real beauty of the temple cannot be seen with the physical eye. 11Spiritual sight, on the other hand, cannot see the structure at all because it is perfect vision. 12It can, however, see the altar with perfect clarity.

2. 1For perfect effectiveness the Atonement belongs at the center of the inner altar, where it undoes the separation and restores the wholeness of the mind. 2Before the separation the mind was invulnerable to fear, because fear did not exist. 3Both the separation and the fear are miscreations that must be undone for the restoration of the temple, and for the opening of the altar to receive the Atonement. 4This heals the separation by placing within you the one effective defense against all separation thoughts and making you perfectly invulnerable.

3. 1The acceptance of the Atonement by everyone is only a matter of time. 2This may appear to contradict free will because of the inevitability of the final decision, but this is not so. 3You can temporize and you are capable of enormous procrastination, but you cannot depart entirely from your Creator, Who set the limits on your ability to miscreate. 4An imprisoned will engenders a situation which, in the extreme, becomes altogether intolerable. 5Tolerance for pain may be high, but it is not without limit. 6Eventually everyone begins to recognize, however dimly, that there must be a better way. 7As this recognition becomes more firmly established, it becomes a turning point. 8This ultimately reawakens spiritual vision, simultaneously weakening the investment in physical sight. 9The alternating investment in the two levels of perception is usually experienced as conflict, which can become very acute. 10But the outcome is as certain as God.

4. 1Spiritual vision literally cannot see error, and merely looks for Atonement. 2All solutions the physical eye seeks dissolve. 3Spiritual vision looks within and recognizes immediately that the altar has been defiled and needs to be repaired and protected. 4Perfectly aware of the right defense it passes over all others, looking past error to truth. 5Because of the strength of its vision, it brings the mind into its service. 6This re-establishes the power of the mind and makes it increasingly unable to tolerate delay, realizing that it only adds unnecessary pain. 7As a result, the mind becomes increasingly sensitive to what it would once have regarded as very minor intrusions of discomfort.

5. 1The children of God are entitled to the perfect comfort that comes from perfect trust. 2Until they achieve this, they waste themselves and their true creative powers on useless attempts to make themselves more comfortable by inappropriate means. 3But the real means are already provided, and do not involve any effort at all on their part. 4The Atonement is the only gift that is worthy of being offered at the altar of God, because of the value of the altar itself. 5It was created perfect and is entirely worthy of receiving perfection. 6God and His creations are completely dependent on Each Other. 7He depends on them because He created them perfect. 8He gave them His peace so they could not be shaken and could not be deceived. 9Whenever you are afraid you are deceived, and your mind cannot serve the Holy Spirit. 10This starves you by denying you your daily bread. 11God is lonely without His Sons, and they are lonely without Him. 12They must learn to look upon the world as a means of healing the separation. 13The Atonement is the guarantee that they will ultimately succeed.

1. 唯有先释放出内心的光明，你才可能从心内接受救赎。
自从天人分裂以来，人类的防卫措施几乎全是用来“防御”救赎的，如此才能继续分裂下去。
人们通常都以身体需要保护作为防卫的借口。
“误以为身体可以充当救赎的工具”这一扭曲的信念，使心灵对身体产生种种不实的幻想。
将身体视为一座圣殿，只是修正这曲解的第一步而已，它只改变了其中一小部分。
但是，至少它已认清救赎是不可能由形体层次着眼的。
它还需要进一步体认出那圣殿绝不是有形的建筑。
真正的圣所位于内心深处的祭坛，那里才是整个圣殿的核心。
只知着眼于建筑的美轮美奂，显示出人心对救赎的戒惧，存心对祭坛敬而远之。
圣殿真正的美不是肉眼所能看见的。
唯有具备完美慧见的灵性之眼，方能视而无睹外在的建筑。
唯有那座祭坛历历在目。
2. 救赎必须置身于内在祭坛的核心，方能发挥最圆满的功效，化解分裂状态，恢复心灵的完整。
心灵在分裂以前原是大无畏的，因为恐惧还不存在。
分裂与恐惧都是出自心灵的妄造，必须先行化解，心灵才可能重整圣殿，开启祭坛，接受救赎。
救赎在你内安置了一个有力的防卫机制，足以抵制所有分裂之念，使你不受其害；分裂之境就是如此获得疗愈的。
3. 所有的人终会接受救赎的，这是迟早的问题。
因为最后的抉择早已注定，这说法好似与人的自由意志相抵触，其实不然。
你可以因循苟且，你能够尽量拖延，但你无法与造物主一刀两断，因祂已为你的妄造能力设了限。
身不由己的意志不论如何兴风作浪，到了某个程度都会感到难以忍受的。
人忍受痛苦的耐力虽高，终究有其限度。
迟早，心灵会隐隐地冒出一念：“一定还有更好的途径才对”。
当这一体会愈来愈根深柢固时，便成了人生的转折点。
这一念终将唤醒人的灵心慧眼，不再像以前那么坚持肉眼之见。
当你还在两种知见层次之间往返不定之际，心中难免有所挣扎，甚至爆发为强烈的冲突。
但最后的结果必如上主一般屹立不摇。
4. 灵心慧眼确实看不到错误，在它眼中只有救赎。
肉眼所寄望的一切解决方案从此彻底销声匿迹。
灵心慧眼只会往心内看去，一眼看出自己的祭坛已经蒙尘，亟需整修和保护。
它彻底明了了正确的防卫途径，故能罔顾其他伎俩，也能罔顾任何过错，它的眼光直指真理。
灵心本着慧眼之力，甘为灵性所用。
心灵一旦恢复了原有的能力，自然愈来愈难容忍茍延残喘的生活，明白那是自作孽而已。
结果，心灵会对以往习以为常的小小不安愈来愈敏感。
5. 上主儿女凭着全然的信任而活得安心自在，这原是上天赋予他的权利。
在抵达此境以前，其他无谓的尝试或不当的安心法门，只会浪费自己的生命和真实的创造力。
真正的法门早已提供给他们了，甚至不待他们的努力。
这是因为祭坛本身的崇高神圣，只有救赎是唯一值得献于上主祭坛的礼物。
心灵的祭坛既是上主完美的创造，堪当接受完美的献礼。
上主与造化之间是全然相互依存的。
上主仰赖他们，只因他们是祂的完美创造。
祂把自己的平安赐给了他们，使他们坚定不移，不受蒙蔽。
畏惧之心一起，表示你已被蒙蔽了，你的心已无法事奉圣灵。
这有如剥夺了你的日用食粮，使你终日饥饿难熬。
没有儿女的上主是寂寞的；没有上主的儿女也是寂寞的。
圣子必须学习把世界当成治愈分裂的道场。
唯有救赎能为他们的成功提供终极的保证。
1.只有把內在的光明釋放出來，救贖才會被你的心靈接納。
自從分裂以來，你幾乎把防衛全用在了抵制救贖上，從而也維繫了分裂。
這往往被看作是保護身體的一種需求。
你相信身體可以被用於獲致「救贖」，而心靈對身體的種種幻想便衍生自這一扭曲的信念。
把身體視作殿宇只是修正這一扭曲的第一步，因為這只能扭轉一部分。
它確實會令你認清身體層面的救贖是不可能的事。
然而，下一步則是要領悟這座殿宇根本不是什麼建物。
建物圍繞著內在的祭壇，而它真正的神聖性便蘊含在祭壇之中。
一旦著重那美麗的建物，表示你正在懼怕救贖，因而不願觸及那座祭壇。
那座殿宇究竟有多美，並非肉眼可見。
另方面，靈性的目光卻完全看不見那座建物，因為它就是完美的慧見。
然而，它卻能清清楚楚地看見那座祭壇。
2.為了能完美地發揮效力，救贖便位於這內在祭壇的中心，它會化解分裂並恢復心靈的完整。
分裂以前，心靈不受恐懼所侵，因為恐懼並不存在。
若要復原那座殿宇，並開啟祭壇以迎接救贖，心靈妄造出的分裂和恐懼就必須化解。
這會療癒分裂，因為它會把唯一有效的防衛安置在你內，以抵擋所有的分裂思維，使你百害不侵。
3.或遲或早，所有的人都會接受救贖。
這看似違背了意願的自由，因為沒有人能不做出這最終的決定，但事實並非如此。
你可以拖延，而你也能拖到地老天荒，但你無法和自己的造物一刀兩斷，因為祂限制了你的妄造能力。
一旦推到極限，受禁錮的心願便會產生出令人完全無法忍受的情境。
人們或許很能忍受痛苦，但卻不是沒有極限。
不論有多模糊，所有的人終究會開始認清，必然還有一條更好的路。
這個看見一旦變得更加穩固，就會成為一個轉捩點。
最終它會再次喚醒靈性的慧見，同時弱化肉眼的投資。
輪翻投資於兩種層次的感知往往會令人感到衝突，而這種衝突可以變得十分尖銳。
但結局就如上主一般確定。
4.靈性的慧見確實看不見錯誤，而只會找尋救贖。
肉眼尋求的解決方案都會瓦解。
靈性的慧見只會向內看，並立即發現內在的祭壇已被污損，且亟需修繕和保護。
它十分清楚什麼是正確的防衛，於是忽略了其餘的一切，越過錯誤，直抵真理。
基於其慧見的力量，它能讓心靈為自己服務。
這會重建心靈的力量，並使其愈來愈無法容忍延宕，因為它發覺這只會增加不必要的痛苦。
為此之故，心靈將會愈發敏銳地感知到以往在它看來微乎其微的不適與攪擾。
5.上主的孩子有權享用那得自全然信任的全然自在。
在此之前，他們則會把自己和自己的真正創造力浪費在無用的企圖上，利用種種不當的手段來讓自己自在。
然而上天早已提供了正確的方法，這並不牽涉他們的任何努力。
基於上主祭壇本有的價值，救贖乃是唯一值得供奉於上的禮物。
它被創造得完美無瑕，也絕對配得上完美作為禮物。
上主及其受造處於完全相互依賴的狀態。
上主依賴它們，因為祂把它們創造得完美無瑕。
祂把自己的平安給了它們，以使它們不受動搖，亦不被蒙蔽。
只要你心懷恐懼，你就受了蒙蔽，而你的心也無從服務聖靈。
你會因此挨餓，因為你失去了日需的食糧。
少了孩子的上主會感到寂寞，反之亦然。
他們必須學會把這個世界視為療癒分裂的手段。
救贖則保證了他們終將做到這點。