T-4.VI:The Rewards of God

1. 1The ego does not recognize the real source of “threat,” and if you associate yourself with the ego, you do not understand the situation as it is. 2Only your allegiance to it gives the ego any power over you. 3I have spoken of the ego as if it were a separate thing, acting on its own. 4This was necessary to persuade you that you cannot dismiss it lightly, and must realize how much of your thinking is ego-directed. 5We cannot safely let it go at that, however, or you will regard yourself as necessarily conflicted as long as you are here, or as long as you believe that you are here. 6The ego is nothing more than a part of your belief about yourself. 7Your other life has continued without interruption, and has been and always will be totally unaffected by your attempts to dissociate it.

2. 1In learning to escape from illusions, your debt to your brother is something you must never forget. 2It is the same debt that you owe to me. 3Whenever you act egotistically towards another, you are throwing away the graciousness of your indebtedness and the holy perception it would produce. 4The term “holy” can be used here because, as you learn how much you are indebted to the whole Sonship, which includes me, you come as close to knowledge as perception can. 5The gap is then so small that knowledge can easily flow across it and obliterate it forever.

3. 1You have very little trust in me as yet, but it will increase as you turn more and more often to me instead of to your ego for guidance. 2The results will convince you increasingly that this choice is the only sane one you can make. 3No one who learns from experience that one choice brings peace and joy while another brings chaos and disaster needs additional convincing. 4Learning through rewards is more effective than learning through pain, because pain is an ego illusion, and can never induce more than a temporary effect. 5The rewards of God, however, are immediately recognized as eternal. 6Since this recognition is made by you and not the ego, the recognition itself establishes that you and your ego cannot be identical. 7You may believe that you have already accepted this difference, but you are by no means convinced as yet. 8The fact that you believe you must escape from the ego shows this; but you cannot escape from the ego by humbling it or controlling it or punishing it.

4. 1The ego and the spirit do not know each other. 2The separated mind cannot maintain the separation except by dissociating. 3Having done this, it denies all truly natural impulses, not because the ego is a separate thing, but because you want to believe that you are. 4The ego is a device for maintaining this belief, but it is still only your decision to use the device that enables it to endure.

5. 1How can you teach someone the value of something he has deliberately thrown away? 2He must have thrown it away because he did not value it. 3You can only show him how miserable he is without it, and slowly bring it nearer so he can learn how his misery lessens as he approaches it. 4This teaches him to associate his misery with its absence, and the opposite of misery with its presence. 5It gradually becomes desirable as he changes his mind about its worth. 6I am teaching you to associate misery with the ego and joy with the spirit. 7You have taught yourself the opposite. 8You are still free to choose, but can you really want the rewards of the ego in the presence of the rewards of God?

6. 1My trust in you is greater than yours in me at the moment, but it will not always be that way. 2Your mission is very simple. 3You are asked to live so as to demonstrate that you are not an ego, and I do not choose God’s channels wrongly. 4The Holy One shares my trust, and accepts my Atonement decisions because my will is never out of accord with His. 5I have said before that I am in charge of the Atonement. 6This is only because I completed my part in it as a man, and can now complete it through others. 7My chosen channels cannot fail, because I will lend them my strength as long as theirs is wanting.

7. 1I will go with you to the Holy One, and through my perception He can bridge the little gap. 2Your gratitude to your brother is the only gift I want. 3I will bring it to God for you, knowing that to know your brother is to know God. 4If you are grateful to your brother, you are grateful to God for what He created. 5Through your gratitude you come to know your brother, and one moment of real recognition makes everyone your brother because each of them is of your Father. 6Love does not conquer all things, but it does set all things right. 7Because you are the Kingdom of God I can lead you back to your own creations. 8You do not recognize them now, but what has been dissociated is still there.

8. 1As you come closer to a brother you approach me, and as you withdraw from him I become distant to you. 2Salvation is a collaborative venture. 3It cannot be undertaken successfully by those who disengage themselves from the Sonship, because they are disengaging themselves from me. 4God will come to you only as you will give Him to your brothers. 5Learn first of them and you will be ready to hear God. 6That is because the function of love is one.

1. 小我辨认不出“威胁”背后的元凶；倘若你与小我沆瀣一气，你便无法看清自己的真实处境了。
小我是靠你对它的忠诚来控制你的。
我在谈论小我时，好似在说一个独立自主之物。
我必须如此，才能说服你切莫对它掉以轻心，我必须让你意识到，你的想法如何受制于小我。
然而，这样放纵小我是很危险的，它会让你相信，只要你存在一天（更确切地说是，你相信自己活在世上一天），生活便免不了冲突。
小我不过是你对自己的一种信念而已。
你还有另一生命，完全不受小我干扰地继续存在，即使你存心与它断绝关系（dissociation），也改变不了它分毫的。
2. 在你想由幻相解脱的学习过程中，切勿忘怀你对弟兄的亏欠。
那也是你对我的亏欠。
每当你以自我中心的态度待人时，表示你甘愿抛弃你欠我们的这份恩泽，以及此恩泽所带给你的神圣知见。
我之所以采用“神圣”二字，因为只要你明白了自己从上主圣子奥体（我也幸为其中的一份子）所蒙受的恩泽，你的知见就离真知不远了。
真知能够轻而易举地跨越它们之间微乎其微的间隙，使它荡然无存。
3. 至今，你对我仍然缺乏信任，然而，只要你常常问道于我，而不求助于你的小我，你的信任便会日渐增强。
使你愈加心悦诚服，这才是你唯一能作的清明选择。
如果一个选择能带给人平安与喜悦，另一个则带来混乱与灾难。只要有过切身经验的人，哪还需要更多的劝说？
通过实质奖励远比经由痛苦学习的效果要好得多，因为痛苦是小我的一种幻相，它的效用极其短暂。
至于上主的赏报，你当下就能认出它的永恒价值。
只有你能认出这点，小我无此能力，这一体认便足以证明你和小我不是同一物。
你也许认定自己早就明白它们的不同，其实你从未真正相信过这一点。
你认定自己必须挣脱小我的控制这一事实，便是最好的证明；而且你是无法藉由羞辱、控制或惩罚小我而摆脱它的控制的。
4. 小我与灵性是互不相识的。
分裂之后的心灵只能靠断绝关系来继续分裂下去。
这样一来，它连带否定了所有天赋于己的真实本能，这并不是因为小我确是一个独立自主之物，而是你想要相信自己是一个独立的生命。
而小我本身乃是维系你这信念的一种手段，至于是否要用这一手段来延续这一信念，决定之权仍然操之于你。
5. 你怎能教人接受他存心想要抛弃之物的价值？
他就是因为藐视了它的价值而弃之如敝屣的。
你最多只能教他看清，缺了此物，他是何其痛苦，然后把那东西慢慢挪近，让他亲眼看到，此物的出现又如何减轻了他的痛苦。
就这样一步一步地帮他把自己的痛苦与此物的缺席联想在一起，再把他的幸福与此物的出现联想在一起。
等到他对此物的价值慢慢改观之后，自然就会想要它的。
这正是我教你的途径，教你将痛苦与小我，喜悦与灵性联想在一起。
而你过去教自己的那一套，与我的教法截然相反。
你有选择的自由；然而，有上主的赏报在前，谁还希罕小我的奖励？
6. 此刻，我对你的信任超过你对我的信任，可是这种情形不会持续太久的。
你的任务非常简单。
我只要求你成为一个活生生的示范：你并不是一个小我；同时证明我选你作为上主的交流管道是个正确的选择。
至圣者与我怀有同样的信任，祂接受我的救赎方案，因为我的愿心一向与祂的旨意谐和无间。
我说过，我是掌管救赎大业者。
只因我在世为人时已完成了自己所负的那一使命，如今方能继续借他人之助而完成救赎大业。
我所选择的交流管道不会失败，因为我会在他们力不从心之刻，将我的力量注入他们的心中。
7. 我会与你一起共赴至圣者前，祂能借我的知见之力来拉近天人之间的小小间隙。
我只向你要求一份礼物，就是对弟兄怀有感恩之心。
我会帮你把这礼物带到上主面前，我深知，知道弟兄的真相等于知道上主的真相。
你对弟兄的感恩，等于感谢上主的造化之恩。
透过这感恩之情，你才可能逐渐认出弟兄的真相，即使这一认知只是惊鸿一瞥，也会使得四海之人成为你的弟兄，因为他们全都出自天父。
爱无意征服任何东西，它只会使万物回归本然。
正因你就是上主的天国，我才可能领你回归你所创造的那一切。
虽然你目前还认不出自己的创造，可是它们不会因你断绝关系就消失了踪影。
8. 当你靠近弟兄时，等于靠近我；你一旦远离了弟兄，我对你也会变得十分陌生。
救恩原是一趟“联袂探险”的旅程。
谁若脱离了上主圣子奥体，必会感到举步唯艰，因为那等于与我脱离关系。
只有在你把上主带给弟兄的当儿，上主才会来到你这里。
你必须先向弟兄学习，才算准备好聆听上主之音了。
因为爱的功能只有一个。
1.小我認不清「威脅」究竟出自何方，而你若與小我聯結，就無法明白當前的情勢。
給了小我力量來掌控你的，只有你對它的忠誠。
我在談及小我時已把它當作一個能夠自主的個體。
為了說服你不要輕忽小我，這麼做實屬必須，因為你得認清自己的思維有多少小我。
然而，我們不能讓事情這麼下去，否則只要你還在這兒，或相信自己還在這兒，你眼裡的自己就會左右為難。
小我不過就是你對自己的一部分信念。
你的另一生命還在不斷持續，即便你試圖與之解離，它也從不受任何影響，直到未來。
2.在你學習如何擺脫幻相時，千萬別忘了你欠弟兄的恩情。
那和你欠我的是同一份。
只要你以小我的方式對待他人，就已拋棄了這一虧欠蘊含的恩典，乃至它所產生的神聖感知。
「神聖」一詞之所以能被用在此處，是因為一旦發覺自己欠了整個聖子奧體多大的恩情——包括我在內——你就已在感知的範圍內儘可能地趨近真知。
兩者的間隙極為狹窄，真知則可輕易地流淌過去，一舉將其抹滅。
3.你對我的信任仍然微乎其微，不過你若愈來愈常尋求我的指引，而非你的小我，就會更加地信任我。
其結果則會逐漸使你相信，這是你能做出的唯一且清明的選擇。
只要能從自身的體驗中學到，一邊會帶來平安、喜樂，另一邊會帶來混亂和災難，其餘的也就毋需贅言。
透過獎賞來學習會比透過痛苦更有效率，因為痛苦是小我的錯覺，所以頂多只有暫時的效用。
然而，你卻能立馬看清上主的獎賞是永恆的。
既然認清了這點的是你，而不是小我，這一認清就表明了你不是小我。
你可能以為自己早已接受了這一區別，但是你離確信不疑還有一大段距離。
你認為自己必須逃脫小我的事實就說明了這點；但你無法藉著貶低它、控制它、或懲罰它來逃脫它。
4.小我不認識靈性，反之亦然。
分裂的心靈只有藉著解離才得以維繫分裂。
一旦這麼做，它就會否定所有天性使然的衝動，不是因為小我是個個體，而是因為你想這麼看待自己。
小我則是維繫這種信念的機制，但是你決定用上這套機制，而它的存續也只取決於此。
5.如果有人特意拋棄了某樣事物，你該如何教他看清它的價值？
之所以拋棄它，一定是因為此人認為它沒有價值。
你只能讓他明白，少了該物，他會有多悲慘，然後慢慢把它挪過來，以使此人領悟自己一旦靠近它，悲慘就會減少。
如此便能教會他把自己的悲慘和該物的缺失連在一塊，而悲慘的反面則與該物的出現連在一塊。
一旦改變了對該物的評價，他就會變得愈來愈渴望它。
我正在教你把悲慘與小我、喜樂與靈性連在一塊。
你曾教給自己相反的道理。
你仍能自由選擇，然而上主的獎賞一旦出現，你又會真的想要小我的獎賞嗎？
6.此刻，我對你的信任超過了你對我的信任，但事情不會一直這麼下去。
你的使命十分單純。
你要做的就是活出生命，以證明你不是小我，而我並未選錯上主的管道。
神聖的那一位共享了我的信任，也接納了我對救贖的決定，因為我的心願從未與祂相左。
我曾說過，我肩負著救贖的任務。
這純粹是因為我在生而為人時完成了自己的職責，所以才能藉由他人來完成它。
我選擇的管道絕不會失敗，因為它們一旦缺乏力量，我就會把自己的力量借給它們。
7.我會和你一同去往神聖的那一位，而藉著我的感知，祂便可彌合那小小間隙。
你對弟兄的感激是我唯一想要的禮物。
為了你，我會把它帶給上主，因為我知道了知弟兄便是了知上主。
對弟兄心懷感激，就是在對上主心懷感激——為了祂創造的一切。
藉著你的感激，你得以了知自己的弟兄，只要有那麼一刻，你真的看清了，每個人就都是你的弟兄，因為他們都出自你的天父。
愛不會征服一切，但它會讓一切歸於正道。
我能領你回歸你的受造，因為你就是上主的國。
此刻，你還認不出它們，但被解離的一切仍然存在。
8.靠近弟兄就是在和我靠近，而一旦遠離弟兄，就是在和我疏遠。
救恩即是相互合作的冒險。
那些和聖子奧體分道揚鑣的人是無法冒險成功的，因為他們是在和我分道揚鑣。
只有把上主獻給你的弟兄，祂才會降臨於你。
先向他們學習，你才能準備好聽見上主。
因為愛的任務乃是合一。