【美的象徵】
"Beauty as a Symbol"
今天早上我們要討論一個經常在工作坊中提出的問題。這問題起因於課程的形而上教導以及我們的親身經驗，其實相當合理。課程清楚表明，這世界是個幻相。我們與其他人事物建立特殊關係，是因為我們需要依賴上主之愛以外的事物。無論這些世間事物是什麼，我們對它們的特殊執著總會讓自己更深陷於分裂之夢，而不是那個能讓我們完全脫離夢境的寬恕美夢。
This morning we are going to talk about a question which arises very often in workshops. And it is actually a very logical question as stemming from what the courses teaching (the metaphysical teaching) as well as what our experiences are. The course is quite clear that the world is an illusion. Our special relationship with people, with things, with substances, are all part of our need to be dependent on something other than the love of God. Our special attachments to the things of the world, regardless what they are, are always kind of rooting us in the dream of of separation, rather than the happy dream of forgiveness, which removes us ultimately from the dream entirely.
另一方面，許多人──包括我自己以及正在聆聽和觀看影片的各位──在大自然與藝術層面都曾有過十分美好的經驗，舉凡繪畫、雕刻、音樂、詩詞，或是日出、日落、月升和壯麗的山巒等。我們都有過非常正面的世間體驗，因此人們問：「我喜歡漫步於公園或可愛的森林，或者是坐在潺潺的小溪旁，享受寧靜的一天，為何我應為此而內疚？」想當然，答案絕對是：你不用因此感到內疚。但還有一種出自正念的看待方式，就某方面而言，可讓你魚與熊掌兼得。
So given all that, on the other hand, so many people - myself included, and most of you listening to it and watching it - have had very lovely experiences in the world of nature, the world of art (painting, sculpture, music, poetry, etc.), beautiful experiences as sunrises, sunsets, moon rises, beautiful mountain ranges, etc. We all have very positive experiences in the world, and as people say "Why should I feel guilty? Because I like to spend a quiet day walking in the park or gentle woods, or just sit by kind of a babbling stream etc." And of course the answer is absolutely that you should not feel guilty. But there is a right-minded way of looking at that, which in a sense allows you to have your cake and eat it too.
那就是，當你瞭解這一切都不存在，一切皆是內在狀態的投射之際──如課程所說，你眼中的世界是描述你內心狀態的外在表相 (T-21, Intro 1. 2-5)。若這裡什麼都沒有，就表示我們以為在這兒的一切都是心靈抉擇的象徵：抉擇作為一位心懷罪咎的上主之子，還是一位純潔無罪的上主之子；抉擇讓小我當我們的佞徒損友，還是讓耶穌/聖靈當我們的良師益友。這世界上的一切都反映著那個抉擇。因此，當我們在令人愉悅的自然環境中經歷美好的體驗時，課程從未表示「你不應享受這個，也不應感覺受到啟發和鼓舞」。然而你得認出，自己在外在世界所經歷的一切，皆是你心靈內在狀態的投射及延伸。這樣的眼光便能讓你魚與熊掌兼得 (既享受世間體驗，同時保有無罪咎侵擾的平安)。
That is, when you understand there is nothing out there, everything is a projection of the internal condition - as the course says the world you see is the outside picture of an inward condition (T-21, Intro 1. 2-5). If there is nothing out there, it means anything that we think out there is a symbol of the decision the mind has made, the decision to be the guilty Son of God, or a guiltless Son of God, the decision to be with the ego as our teacher and friend or have Jesus/Holy Spirit as our teacher and friend. And everything in the world reflects that. So when one has a beautiful experience in our lovely natural setting, and again there is actually nothing according to the course says "you should not enjoy that, you should not let yourself be inspired and lifted up". But what you should be able to do, which again will allow you to have the world's cake and eat it and enjoy too, is to recognize what you are experiencing outside is the projection or extension of the inward condition of what is inside in your mind.
換言之，若我看到一件美麗的藝術品而歡欣鼓舞、聽到一首動人的曲子而深受啟發、在心曠神怡的自然環境中感到振奮，那麼我應認出：這正為我反映了「我的正念所選擇的美」；這個出自正念的抉擇，選擇了源於我內在的某種事物，而將我內在的上主的愛帶入具體的形式。這是選擇耶穌為師的美，是經驗耶穌之愛的美；這才是真正的美。但由於我認為自己是這具身體，因此我的心靈將這份美延伸出去，而讓我看見身邊美的事物，並因為這些看似在我之外的事物而感動。
In other words, if I see a beautiful work of art and I am inspired by it, if I hear beautiful piece of music and be inspired by it, if I am in a beautiful natural setting and be inspired by it, then I would recognize that this is reflecting for me "my right-minded choice for Beauty", my right-minded choice for something that elicits in me, and kind of brings to the surface in me the love of God. It's the beauty of choosing Jesus as my teacher, and the beauty of experiencing his love. That's the Beauty. But since I think I am a body, then my mind takes that beauty and extends it out, and I now see beauty around me, and I allow myself to be inspired by something that is SEEMINGLY external to me.
若我不允許這狀況發生 (雖然總會發生)，就會倚賴外在事物。「如果今天聽不到我最愛的曲子怎麼辦？如果我規劃了這個完美行程，在山中或美麗的林間漫步，但卻下雨了？又或者會有個可怕的颱風而讓我不得出門？」若我讓自己仰賴外在事物來提供這份內在的美好感受，麻煩就來了，因為這便成為了另一段特殊關係。但若我讓外在的自然之美或藝術之美來提醒自己內在的美，並認同這份美，於是無論我漫步於玫瑰盛開的花園，還是荒煙蔓草的花園，這份美都隨我同行；不管外境的狀況是否允許我在野外或家裡享受這美好的一天，我內在仍保有這份美好的感受。
If I don't allow that to happen what always happens, and I become dependent on what is external. "What if I can't hear my favorite piece of music today? What if I have this beautiful day plan to walk in the mountains or the beautiful woods or forests and it rains? Or there is a terrible storm and I can't go out?" If I allow myself to be dependent on the external for this wonderful beautiful feeling inside, then I am in trouble. Because it ends up just being one more special relationship. But if I let whatever the natural beauty outside or artistic beauty outside remind me of the Beauty inside, and I identify with that Beauty, then I can have that Beauty whether I walk to a rose garden or I walk to a garden of weeds; whether I'm allowed because of what it took allow and enjoy this wonderful day in nature or just to stay home, I still have that beautiful feeling inside.
因此，我們需要世界的美 (我們判斷為世界之美的事物) ──不用說，這當然是相對的美。你所認定的美，對我而言不一定美；在藝術層面上讓我深受感動的事物，也未必會讓你感同身受。無論這是什麼樣的美，重要的是：它象徵著內在的美。我將那個象徵視為一種提醒自己內在之美的方式。只要我讓世界來提醒我這份美，並與之認同，整個世界就會變得美麗。那不是我的肉眼所能認出的美，但我的心會隨之唱和，歡欣鼓舞。總而言之，這並非是要你不再尋找能讓自己快樂及感動的世間事物，但你可以將它視為一種尋回真實靈感、真實幸福來源、真實內在之美的方式。
So we need the beauty of the world, what we judge to be the beauty of the world - of course it goes without saying that beauty is totally relative, what is beautiful for you may not be beautiful for me, what moves me artistically may not move you artistically. But what is the same in all of us is that inner beauty. Whatever it is, that symbolizes the inner beauty, that's what's important. And I use that symbol as the way of reminding me of the beauty inside. As long as I can use the world to remind me of that beauty inside and identify with that beauty, then the entire world becomes beautiful. Not the beauty that my eyes might recognize, but the Beauty that my heart would sing to and just rejoice in. So again this is not saying that want you not find things in the world that makes one happy and inspired, but you want to use that as a way to get back to the true inspiration, and the true source of our happiness, and the true beauty inside.
