M-3:What Are the Levels of Teaching?

1. 1The teachers of God have no set teaching level. 2Each teaching-learning situation involves a different relationship at the beginning, although the ultimate goal is always the same; to make of the relationship a holy relationship, in which both can look upon the Son of God as sinless. 3There is no one from whom a teacher of God cannot learn, so there is no one whom he cannot teach. 4However, from a practical point of view he cannot meet everyone, nor can everyone find him. 5Therefore, the plan includes very specific contacts to be made for each teacher of God. 6There are no accidents in salvation. 7Those who are to meet will meet, because together they have the potential for a holy relationship. 8They are ready for each other.

2. 1The simplest level of teaching appears to be quite superficial. 2It consists of what seem to be very casual encounters; a “chance” meeting of two apparent strangers in an elevator, a child who is not looking where he is going running into an adult “by chance,” two students “happening” to walk home together. 3These are not chance encounters. 4Each of them has the potential for becoming a teaching-learning situation. 5Perhaps the seeming strangers in the elevator will smile to one another; perhaps the adult will not scold the child for bumping into him; perhaps the students will become friends. 6Even at the level of the most casual encounter, it is possible for two people to lose sight of separate interests, if only for a moment. 7That moment will be enough. 8Salvation has come.

3. 1It is difficult to understand that levels of teaching the universal course is a concept as meaningless in reality as is time. 2The illusion of one permits the illusion of the other. 3In time, the teacher of God seems to begin to change his mind about the world with a single decision, and then learns more and more about the new direction as he teaches it. 4We have covered the illusion of time already, but the illusion of levels of teaching seems to be something different. 5Perhaps the best way to demonstrate that these levels cannot exist is simply to say that any level of the teaching-learning situation is part of God’s plan for Atonement, and His plan can have no levels, being a reflection of His Will. 6Salvation is always ready and always there. 7God’s teachers work at different levels, but the result is always the same.

4. 1Each teaching-learning situation is maximal in the sense that each person involved will learn the most that he can from the other person at that time. 2In this sense, and in this sense only, we can speak of levels of teaching. 3Using the term in this way, the second level of teaching is a more sustained relationship, in which, for a time, two people enter into a fairly intense teaching-learning situation and then appear to separate. 4As with the first level, these meetings are not accidental, nor is what appears to be the end of the relationship a real end. 5Again, each has learned the most he can at the time. 6Yet all who meet will someday meet again, for it is the destiny of all relationships to become holy. 7God is not mistaken in His Son.

5. 1The third level of teaching occurs in relationships which, once they are formed, are lifelong. 2These are teaching-learning situations in which each person is given a chosen learning partner who presents him with unlimited opportunities for learning. 3These relationships are generally few, because their existence implies that those involved have reached a stage simultaneously in which the teaching-learning balance is actually perfect. 4This does not mean that they necessarily recognize this; in fact, they generally do not. 5They may even be quite hostile to each other for some time, and perhaps for life. 6Yet should they decide to learn it, the perfect lesson is before them and can be learned. 7And if they decide to learn that lesson, they become the saviors of the teachers who falter and may even seem to fail. 8No teacher of God can fail to find the Help he needs.

1. 上主的教师们并没有固定的教学次第。
每个教与学的场合，开始的时候都会卷入一个相当不同的人际关系，然而，最终的目标都是一样的，将每一种关系转变为神圣关系，使双方都能看出上主之子的无罪本质。
没有一个人，上主之师不能从他身上学到一些东西，因此也没有一个人是他无法教导的。
然而，从现实的角度来讲，他无法会晤所有的人，也不可能让每一个人都找到他头上来。
因此，这计划会为每一位上主之师安排某种特殊际遇。
救恩中没有偶然的事。
注定要相逢的就会相逢，因为这一会晤将为他们开启神圣关系之门。
他们已为对方准备好了。
2. 教学最粗浅的层次可能显得相当肤浅。
他们的邂逅好似十分偶然，两个素昧平生的人在电梯里“不期而遇”；一个东张西望的小孩“正巧”撞上了某个大人；或两个学生“恰好”结伴回家。
这些都不是偶然的巧遇。
每一个相遇都可能开启一种教与学的场景。
那两位素昧平生的人在电梯里也许会相视一笑；那个大人也许没有责斥撞到他的小孩；那两个学生也许从此结为好友。
即使是最不经意的相遇，都可能使两人一时忘却他们原本关注的焦点，即使只是剎那而已。
那一剎那已经绰绰有余。
救恩已经来临了。
3. 一般人很难理解，普世性课程的“教学次第”这一概念就如时间的概念一样，在实相中是无意义的。
一个幻相必会衍生出另一个幻相。
在时间里，上主之师似乎是在一念之间改变了自己对世界的看法，然后透过教导别人而慢慢体会出这一转折的含意。
我们已经讨论过时间的幻相这一问题了，可是“教学次第”的幻相好似另一回事。
不论哪一层次的教学场景，都是上主救赎计划的一部分，而上主计划既是反映上主的旨意，便不可能有次第之分；这大概是证明这些次第根本就不存在的最佳解说了。
救恩早已为大家准备好了，而且始终就在那儿。
不论上主的教师从哪一层次着手，最后都会殊途而同归。
4. 每个教学场景都可说是一种高峰经验，因为参与其中的人，都会在那一段时空内从对方学到最多的东西。
只有从这层意义上，我们才能谈一谈教学的次第问题。
在这前提下，我们可以说，教学的第二层次属于比较持久性的关系；双方会在某一段时空进入比较紧密的教学关系，相聚一段时间，又好似分道扬镳了。
他们的相逢和最粗浅的层次一样，绝非偶然；外表上似已结束的关系，其实并未真正结束。
每一个人都会在那段时空达到学习的高峰。
凡是相遇过的人，终有重逢的一日，因为所有的人际关系迟早会发展为神圣关系。
上主不会错认自己的圣子的。
5. 第三种教学层次发生于一旦建立就会持续终生的关系上。
在这种教与学的场景中，每一方都会得到一位特定的学习伴侣，他们为彼此提供的学习机会是不可限量的。
这类关系一般来讲比较少，因为这种条件意味着双方在教与学的互惠关系上势均力敌得近乎完美。
这并不表示他们必然能够体会到这一点，事实上，他们通常都不会。
彼此也许会仇视好一阵子，甚至可能怀恨一辈子。
然而，只要他们决心去学，最完美的课程已展现于他们眼前，而他们迟早会学成的。
他们一旦决心去学这一课程，就足以成为其他摇摆不定甚至好似一败涂地的教师的人间救主。
没有一位上主的教师得不到上天之助的。
1.上主之師並無固定的教學層次。
開始時，每個教學場景都會牽涉不同的關係，但它們的終極目標一向並無差別；亦即，將此關係轉為神聖關係，以便雙方都能看見聖子的純潔無罪。
沒有誰不是上主之師的學習對象，因此也沒有誰不是他的教學對象。
然而，從實際的面向上看，他無法遇見每一個人，反之亦然。
為此，這一計劃便包含了每一位上主之師將會遇上的具體人事境相。
救恩之中並無意外。
會遇上的人就會遇上，因為二者的聚合能有活出神聖關係的潛力。
他們已準備好彼此相遇。
2.最單純的教學層次乍看之下相當表淺。
它所蘊含的會晤看似完全隨機；顯然是陌生的倆人在電梯中「偶然」相遇，一個小孩莽莽撞撞的「恰好」擋住了大人的去路，兩名學生「碰巧」一起走路回家。
這些會晤都不是隨機的。
每一個都有潛力成為教與學的場景。
或許，電梯中看似陌生的倆人會彼此微笑；或許，這個大人沒有因為小孩撞到自己而責備他；或許，這兩名學生會成為朋友。
即便是就完全隨機的會晤來說，雙方都有可能忽視分別的利益，即便只是片刻光景。
那片刻光景即已足夠。
救恩已經來臨。
3.你很難明白，不論是在實相裡或時間之中，這部普世的課程需有教學層次乃是一不具意義的概念。
你對一方的錯覺能使你對另一方也產生錯覺。
在時間裏，上主之師好似是在一個決定下便開始改變自己對世界的看法，然後隨著自己的教導在這新的方向上愈學愈多。
我們已談過時間的錯覺，但教學層次的錯覺卻好似是個不同的東西。
或許，要和你解釋這些層次不可能存在，最好的方法就是直接告訴你下面這點：任何教與學的場景都是上主救贖計劃中的一部分，而祂的計劃並無層次之分，因為那反映的是祂的旨意。
救恩早已存在並準備就緒，且一向如此。
上主之師會在不同的層次上運作，但結果並無二致。
4.牽涉在教與學場景中的每一個人都會在那段時間內從彼此身上盡其所能的學習，從這層面上說，每一個場景都已是最大限度。
也只有從這層面上說，我們才能夠談論教與學的層次。
一旦以此方式運用這一說法，教學的第二層次則是較為持久的一段關係，其中，雙方將在一段時間內進入一頗為緊湊的教學場景，然後看似分道揚鑣。
一如頭一個層次，這些會晤都不是隨機的，看似結束的關係也並未真正結束。
同樣的，此時的雙方都已在學習上盡了全力。
不過，曾經會晤的則未來必將重逢，因為神聖性即是一切關係的宿命。
上主絕不會錯認自己的聖子。
5.有些關係一經締結便會延續終身，而第三層次的教學便由此展開。
在這樣的教學場景中，上天將會選定並賜予每個人一位學伴，以便為他提供無窮無盡的學習機會。
一般而言，這樣的關係屬於少數，因為它們的存在代表了牽涉其中的人已同時達致了教與學的平衡，且這樣的平衡確實也已完美。
這並不表示他們一定能認清這點；事實上，他們往往無法認清。
他們甚至會在一段時間內對彼此產生嚴重的敵意，而這敵意也可能延續終身。
然而，只要他們選擇學習，那完美的課程就會出現，而他們也能學得會。
而一旦他們決意學習這一課程，便能拯救那些步履蹣跚或甚至瀕臨失敗的老師。
只要是上主之師，就絕不會找不著他所需的天助。