1. Suffering is an emphasis upon all that the world has done to injure you. 2Here is the world’s demented version of salvation clearly shown. 3Like to a dream of punishment, in which the dreamer is unconscious of what brought on the attack against himself, he sees himself attacked unjustly and by something not himself. 4He is the victim of this “something else,” a thing outside himself, for which he has no reason to be held responsible. 5He must be innocent because he knows not what he does, but what is done to him. 6Yet is his own attack upon himself apparent still, for it is he who bears the suffering. 7And he cannot escape because its source is seen outside himself.
2. Now you are being shown you can escape. 2All that is needed is you look upon the problem as it is, and not the way that you have set it up. 3How could there be another way to solve a problem that is very simple, but has been obscured by heavy clouds of complication, which were made to keep the problem unresolved? 4Without the clouds the problem will emerge in all its primitive simplicity. 5The choice will not be difficult, because the problem is absurd when clearly seen. 6No one has difficulty making up his mind to let a simple problem be resolved if it is seen as hurting him, and also very easily removed.
3. The “reasoning” by which the world is made, on which it rests, by which it is maintained, is simply this: “You are the cause of what I do. 2Your presence justifies my wrath, and you exist and think apart from me. 3While you attack I must be innocent. 4And what I suffer from is your attack.” 5No one who looks upon this “reasoning” exactly as it is could fail to see it does not follow and it makes no sense. 6Yet it seems sensible, because it looks as if the world were hurting you. 7And so it seems as if there is no need to go beyond the obvious in terms of cause.
4. There is indeed a need. 2The world’s escape from condemnation is a need which those within the world are joined in sharing. 3Yet they do not recognize their common need. 4For each one thinks that if he does his part, the condemnation of the world will rest on him. 5And it is this that he perceives to be his part in its deliverance. 6Vengeance must have a focus. 7Otherwise is the avenger’s knife in his own hand, and pointed to himself. 8And he must see it in another’s hand, if he would be a victim of attack he did not choose. 9And thus he suffers from the wounds a knife he does not hold has made upon himself.
5. This is the purpose of the world he sees. 2And looked at thus, the world provides the means by which this purpose seems to be fulfilled. 3The means attest the purpose, but are not themselves a cause. 4Nor will the cause be changed by seeing it apart from its effects. 5The cause produces the effects, which then bear witness to the cause, and not themselves. 6Look, then, beyond effects. 7It is not here the cause of suffering and sin must lie. 8And dwell not on the suffering and sin, for they are but reflections of their cause.
6. The part you play in salvaging the world from condemnation is your own escape. 2Forget not that the witness to the world of evil cannot speak except for what has seen a need for evil in the world. 3And this is where your guilt was first beheld. 4In separation from your brother was the first attack upon yourself begun. 5And it is this the world bears witness to. 6Seek not another cause, nor look among the mighty legions of its witnesses for its undoing. 7They support its claim on your allegiance. 8What conceals the truth is not where you should look to find the truth.
7. The witnesses to sin all stand within one little space. 2And it is here you find the cause of your perspective on the world. 3Once you were unaware of what the cause of everything the world appeared to thrust upon you, uninvited and unasked, must really be. 4Of one thing you were sure: Of all the many causes you perceived as bringing pain and suffering to you, your guilt was not among them. 5Nor did you in any way request them for yourself. 6This is how all illusions came about. 7The one who makes them does not see himself as making them, and their reality does not depend on him. 8Whatever cause they have is something quite apart from him, and what he sees is separate from his mind. 9He cannot doubt his dreams’ reality, because he does not see the part he plays in making them and making them seem real.
8. No one can waken from a dream the world is dreaming for him. 2He becomes a part of someone else’s dream. 3He cannot choose to waken from a dream he did not make. 4Helpless he stands, a victim to a dream conceived and cherished by a separate mind. 5Careless indeed of him this mind must be, as thoughtless of his peace and happiness as is the weather or the time of day. 6It loves him not, but casts him as it will in any role that satisfies its dream. 7So little is his worth that he is but a dancing shadow, leaping up and down according to a senseless plot conceived within the idle dreaming of the world.
9. This is the only picture you can see; the one alternative that you can choose, the other possibility of cause, if you be not the dreamer of your dreams. 2And this is what you choose if you deny the cause of suffering is in your mind. 3Be glad indeed it is, for thus are you the one decider of your destiny in time. 4The choice is yours to make between a sleeping death and dreams of evil or a happy wakening and joy of life.
10. What could you choose between but life or death, waking or sleeping, peace or war, your dreams or your reality? 2There is a risk of thinking death is peace, because the world equates the body with the Self which God created. 3Yet a thing can never be its opposite. 4And death is opposite to peace, because it is the opposite of life. 5And life is peace. 6Awaken and forget all thoughts of death, and you will find you have the peace of God. 7Yet if the choice is really given you, then you must see the causes of the things you choose between exactly as they are and where they are.
11. What choices can be made between two states, but one of which is clearly recognized? 2Who could be free to choose between effects, when only one is seen as up to him? 3An honest choice could never be perceived as one in which the choice is split between a tiny you and an enormous world, with different dreams about the truth in you. 4The gap between reality and dreams lies not between the dreaming of the world and what you dream in secret. 5They are one. 6The dreaming of the world is but a part of your own dream you gave away, and saw as if it were its start and ending, both. 7Yet was it started by your secret dream, which you do not perceive although it caused the part you see and do not doubt is real. 8How could you doubt it while you lie asleep, and dream in secret that its cause is real?
12. A brother separated from yourself, an ancient enemy, a murderer who stalks you in the night and plots your death, yet plans that it be lingering and slow; of this you dream. 2Yet underneath this dream is yet another, in which you become the murderer, the secret enemy, the scavenger and the destroyer of your brother and the world alike. 3Here is the cause of suffering, the space between your little dreams and your reality. 4The little gap you do not even see, the birthplace of illusions and of fear, the time of terror and of ancient hate, the instant of disaster, all are here. 5Here is the cause of unreality. 6And it is here that it will be undone.
13. You are the dreamer of the world of dreams. 2No other cause it has, nor ever will. 3Nothing more fearful than an idle dream has terrified God’s Son, and made him think that he has lost his innocence, denied his Father, and made war upon himself. 4So fearful is the dream, so seeming real, he could not waken to reality without the sweat of terror and a scream of mortal fear, unless a gentler dream preceded his awaking, and allowed his calmer mind to welcome, not to fear, the Voice that calls with love to waken him; a gentler dream, in which his suffering was healed and where his brother was his friend. 5God willed he waken gently and with joy, and gave him means to waken without fear.
14. Accept the dream He gave instead of yours. 2It is not difficult to change a dream when once the dreamer has been recognized. 3Rest in the Holy Spirit, and allow His gentle dreams to take the place of those you dreamed in terror and in fear of death. 4He brings forgiving dreams, in which the choice is not who is the murderer and who shall be the victim. 5In the dreams He brings there is no murder and there is no death. 6The dream of guilt is fading from your sight, although your eyes are closed. 7A smile has come to lighten up your sleeping face. 8The sleep is peaceful now, for these are happy dreams.
15. Dream softly of your sinless brother, who unites with you in holy innocence. 2And from this dream the Lord of Heaven will Himself awaken His beloved Son. 3Dream of your brother’s kindnesses instead of dwelling in your dreams on his mistakes. 4Select his thoughtfulness to dream about instead of counting up the hurts he gave. 5Forgive him his illusions, and give thanks to him for all the helpfulness he gave. 6And do not brush aside his many gifts because he is not perfect in your dreams. 7He represents his Father, Whom you see as offering both life and death to you.
16. Brother, He gives but life. 2Yet what you see as gifts your brother offers represent the gifts you dream your Father gives to you. 3Let all your brother’s gifts be seen in light of charity and kindness offered you. 4And let no pain disturb your dream of deep appreciation for his gifts to you.