第六章：生命的目的
Chapter 6: The Purpose of Life
Drake 問道：「你為什麼在這裡？」
“Why are you here?” Drake asked.
我直覺上就知道，他說的話並不僅僅針對我們二人，而是在談論一個更宏大的議題——那是一個千百年來被探討與辯論的問題，用僅僅四個字就提出了最深層的疑問。
I instinctively knew that he wasn’t talking about the two of us right then and there. He meant something larger. He was asking the question that has been explored and debated for thousands of years. Four simple words that ask the deepest of questions.
「我……我不知道。」我感覺自己的思緒再次放慢，努力尋找一個更好的答案來回答 Drake 的問題。「從小我便接受基督教的價值觀和應守的原則教育，認為生命只是一場測驗，用以檢驗我們擁有的是什麼樣的靈魂。」
“I…I don’t know.” I felt myself slowing down again. I searched for a better answer to Drake’s question. “I mean, growing up, I was taught Christian values and principles I should live by—that life was a test to see what kind of soul we have.”
Drake 微笑著，瞬間將所有那些想法沖刷得無影無蹤，我驚愕地發現自己竟錯得離譜。
Drake smiled, and all of those thoughts were immediately washed away. I was dismayed to discover that I was so very wrong.
「你凡人的存在並不是一場考驗，而更像是一間教室，讓靈魂在那裡得以學習、成長並被分類。」
“Your mortal existence is not a test. It’s more of a classroom, where souls are able to learn, grow, and be sorted.”
「有什麼差別呢？」
“What’s the difference?”
「在考驗中，你只能通過或失敗；但上帝愛每一個靈魂和萬物——每一個都不例外。他沒有創造出一個只有成功與失敗的制度，而是建立了一個讓每個人都能獲得成功，僅僅根據各自成長速度來進步的體系。」
“With a test, you can pass or fail. But God loves every single spirit and creation–every single one. He did not create a system of passing and failing. He created a system where everyone succeeds, but only at the speed that they are able to grow.”
「那麼，即使我們遵守規則與誡命也無關緊要？」
“So, it doesn’t matter if we follow the rules or commandments?” “Oh, it definitely matters. It matters a great deal. But not because it’s a test that you can fail. It’s about how quickly you can progress. When we die, we move on to a specific life that is ready for that progress. Some people can grow really fast, and learn really fast, move on really fast. There are others who cannot progress as fast. They are stuck in addictions and vices. Those addictions and vices prevent us from growing.”
我明白他的意思：就像沉迷於惡習會阻礙我們在此生中的進步，它們同樣可能讓我們在來世裡停滯不前。
I could see what he meant. Just like falling prey to vices can keep us from progressing in this life, they could keep us from progressing in the next life as well.
「所以，我們死後仍能繼續進步？」
“So, we can continue to progress after we die?” “We do indeed.”
「而且，當我們在地上表現得越好，死後的一切就會越順利？」
“And the better we do on earth, the easier it is afterwards?”
「我會說，是進展得更快，而非更容易；當然，頻率越高（Frequency），你會感覺事情更輕鬆。進入這個存在階段時，如果你的頻率較低，你的進展就會緩慢。」
“I would say faster rather than easier. Though the higher your frequency, the easier it feels. When you enter this stage of existence, if you are at a lower frequency, you will progress more slowly.”
成為最好的自己依然很重要，但方式卻與我原先想像的截然不同。如果生命不再是一場通過與失敗的考驗，而是一個決定你成長速度的途徑，那麼所有的評判、恐懼，以及對現狀與不足的負面情緒都將煙消雲散。我可以拋棄那些負面情緒，轉而決定自己想成為什麼樣的人，也決定自己成長的速度，而我的進步將依我自身多少準備好而定。
Being my best self still mattered, but in a completely different way than I thought. If life is not a pass or fail test, but rather a way to decide how fast I want to progress, it changes everything—all of the judgment, all of the fear, all of the negative feelings about what this life is, and how I’m falling short—I can throw all of those bad feelings away and, instead, decide what kind of person I want to be. I can decide how quickly I want to progress. And I will progress as fast as I am ready for.
「那麼，我們所取得的這些進步究竟意味著什麼？」我問 Drake，「最終的目標是什麼？死後的進步，又該如何理解？」
“So, this progress we make. What does that mean?” I asked Drake. “What is the end goal? What is progress after we die?”
「記住，你在地球上的生命反映了你之後可以擁有的生命。上帝賜予你這段生命，接下來取決於你如何運用它。當我們展示出如何運用祂所賜予的一切後，祂會再賜予我們更多的愛、更多的責任，以及更多以你從未想像過的方式去創造、成長和愛的機會。但你必須為此做好準備。」
“Remember that the life you have on earth is a reflection of the life you can have afterwards. God has given you this life, and it’s up to you to show what you will do with it. After we show what we will do with what He gives us, He wants to give us more love, more responsibilities, and more opportunities to create and grow and love in ways you have never imagined. But you have to be ready for it.”
「那麼，我們在這裡的目的就是為了看看我們在此生之後能夠多快進步嗎？」
“And that’s why we’re here? To see how fast we’re able to progress after this life?”
「是為了學習與實踐。在你凡人的生命中，你可以學習和成長很多，充分利用它至關重要。你在生前所獲得的進步，將在你踏入下一個生命階段時使你受益匪淺。說到轉換，讓我們再向前走一些。」
“To learn and to practice. You can learn and grow a lot during your mortal existence. It’s important to make the most of it. Whatever progress you can make while alive will help you that much more after you move on. Speaking of moving on, let’s go a bit farther down the road.” Drake stepped back in front of me and looked me in the eyes again.
這全新的視角令人振奮，讓我充滿希望，因為我明白當下不必知道所有答案也無妨。我迫不及待地想要學習 Drake 將要傳授的一切。
This new perspective was encouraging. It filled me with hope to know that it was okay that I didn’t know all of the answers right now. I was excited to learn everything that Drake had to teach me.
我們再次以驚人的速度前進，遠處我注意到一顆巨大的光球正逐漸靠近。我立即將注意力轉回到 Drake 身上。
We once again resumed our incredible speed. I became aware of an immense sphere of light in the far distance, growing closer. I focused my attention back on Drake.
第六章：生命的目的
Chapter 6: The Purpose of Life
「你為什麼在這裡？」德瑞克問道。
“Why are you here?” Drake asked.
我本能地知道他並不是在談論我們兩個人當下的情況。他指的是更大的事情。他在問一個已經被探索和辯論了幾千年的問題。四個簡單的字，卻提出了最深刻的問題。
I instinctively knew that he wasn’t talking about the two of us right then and there. He meant something larger. He was asking the question that has been explored and debated for thousands of years. Four simple words that ask the deepest of questions.
「我……我不知道。」我感覺自己又開始放慢速度。我在尋找一個更好的答案來回應德瑞克的問題。「我的意思是，成長過程中，我被教導基督教的價值觀和原則——生活是一場考驗，看看我們擁有什麼樣的靈魂。」
“I…I don’t know.” I felt myself slowing down again. I searched for a better answer to Drake’s question. “I mean, growing up, I was taught Christian values and principles I should live by—that life was a test to see what kind of soul we have.”
德瑞克微笑，所有的思緒立即被沖淡。我驚訝地發現我錯得如此離譜。
Drake smiled, and all of those thoughts were immediately washed away. I was dismayed to discover that I was so very wrong.
「你的凡人存在並不是一場考驗。這更像是一個教室，在這裡靈魂能夠學習、成長並被分類。」
“Your mortal existence is not a test. It’s more of a classroom, where souls are able to learn, grow, and be sorted.”
「這有什麼區別？」
“What’s the difference?”
「考試是可以通過或失敗的。但上帝愛每一個靈魂和創造——每一個。他並沒有創造一個通過和失敗的系統。他創造了一個每個人都能成功的系統，但只有在他們能夠成長的速度下。」
“With a test, you can pass or fail. But God loves every single spirit and creation–every single one. He did not create a system of passing and failing. He created a system where everyone succeeds, but only at the speed that they are able to grow.”
「所以，遵循規則或誡命並不重要？」 「哦，這絕對重要。這非常重要。但不是因為這是一場你可能失敗的考驗。這是關於你能多快進步的問題。當我們死去時，我們會進入一個為那種進步準備好的特定生命。有些人可以非常快速地成長和學習，迅速前進。而有些人則無法那麼快進步。他們被上癮和惡習困住。這些上癮和惡習阻礙了我們的成長。」
“So, it doesn’t matter if we follow the rules or commandments?” “Oh, it definitely matters. It matters a great deal. But not because it’s a test that you can fail. It’s about how quickly you can progress. When we die, we move on to a specific life that is ready for that progress. Some people can grow really fast, and learn really fast, move on really fast. There are others who cannot progress as fast. They are stuck in addictions and vices. Those addictions and vices prevent us from growing.”
我能理解他的意思。就像陷入惡習會阻礙我們在這一生中的進步，它們也會阻礙我們在下一生中的進步。
I could see what he meant. Just like falling prey to vices can keep us from progressing in this life, they could keep us from progressing in the next life as well.
「所以，我們在死後仍然可以繼續進步？」 「我們確實可以。」
“So, we can continue to progress after we die?” “We do indeed.”
「而且我們在地球上的表現越好，之後就越容易？」
“And the better we do on earth, the easier it is afterwards?”
「我會說是更快，而不是更容易。雖然你的頻率越高，感覺就越容易。當你進入這個存在的階段時，如果你的頻率較低，你的進步會更慢。」
“I would say faster rather than easier. Though the higher your frequency, the easier it feels. When you enter this stage of existence, if you are at a lower frequency, you will progress more slowly.”
做最好的自己仍然很重要，但這與我想的完全不同。如果生活不是一場通過或失敗的考驗，而是一種決定我想要多快進步的方式，那麼這一切都改變了——所有的評判、所有的恐懼、對這一生的所有負面情緒，以及我如何感到不夠——我可以把所有這些壞情緒拋開，而是決定我想成為什麼樣的人。我可以決定我想多快進步。而我會以我準備好的速度進步。
Being my best self still mattered, but in a completely different way than I thought. If life is not a pass or fail test, but rather a way to decide how fast I want to progress, it changes everything—all of the judgment, all of the fear, all of the negative feelings about what this life is, and how I’m falling short—I can throw all of those bad feelings away and, instead, decide what kind of person I want to be. I can decide how quickly I want to progress. And I will progress as fast as I am ready for.
「所以，我們所取得的進步，這意味著什麼？」我問德瑞克。「最終目標是什麼？死後的進步又是什麼？」
“So, this progress we make. What does that mean?” I asked Drake. “What is the end goal? What is progress after we die?”
「記住，你在地球上的生活是你之後可以擁有的生活的反映。上帝賜予了你這一生，而你需要展現你將如何利用它。在我們展示了我們將如何使用他所賜予的東西之後，他希望給我們更多的愛、更多的責任，以及更多創造、成長和愛的機會，以你從未想像過的方式。但你必須為此做好準備。」
“Remember that the life you have on earth is a reflection of the life you can have afterwards. God has given you this life, and it’s up to you to show what you will do with it. After we show what we will do with what He gives us, He wants to give us more love, more responsibilities, and more opportunities to create and grow and love in ways you have never imagined. But you have to be ready for it.”
「這就是我們在這裡的原因？看看我們在這一生之後能多快進步？」
“And that’s why we’re here? To see how fast we’re able to progress after this life?”
「學習和實踐。在你凡人的存在期間，你可以學習和成長很多。充分利用這段時間是很重要的。你在活著的時候所取得的任何進步，將在你轉世後幫助你更多。說到轉世，我們再往前走一點。」德瑞克退回到我面前，再次看著我的眼睛。
“To learn and to practice. You can learn and grow a lot during your mortal existence. It’s important to make the most of it. Whatever progress you can make while alive will help you that much more after you move on. Speaking of moving on, let’s go a bit farther down the road.” Drake stepped back in front of me and looked me in the eyes again.
這種新的視角讓人感到鼓舞。知道現在不知道所有答案是可以的，讓我充滿了希望。我對學習德瑞克所要教我的一切感到興奮。
This new perspective was encouraging. It filled me with hope to know that it was okay that I didn’t know all of the answers right now. I was excited to learn everything that Drake had to teach me.
我們再次恢復了驚人的速度。我注意到遠處有一個巨大的光球，逐漸靠近。我將注意力重新集中在德瑞克身上。
We once again resumed our incredible speed. I became aware of an immense sphere of light in the far distance, growing closer. I focused my attention back on Drake.
第6章：生命的目的
Chapter 6: The Purpose of Life
“你為什麼在這裡？”德雷克問。
“Why are you here?” Drake asked.
我本能地知道他不是在說我們兩個此時此地。他指的是更大的問題。他在問一個已經被探索和討論了數千年的問題。四個簡單的詞語，卻問出了最深刻的問題。
I instinctively knew that he wasn’t talking about the two of us right then and there. He meant something larger. He was asking the question that has been explored and debated for thousands of years. Four simple words that ask the deepest of questions.
“我……我不知道。”我再次感到自己在減速。我努力尋找一個更好的答案來回應德雷克的問題。“我的意思是，從小到大，我被教導基督教的價值觀和應該遵循的原則——生活是一個考驗，看我們擁有什麼樣的靈魂。”
“I…I don’t know.” I felt myself slowing down again. I searched for a better answer to Drake’s question. “I mean, growing up, I was taught Christian values and principles I should live by—that life was a test to see what kind of soul we have.”
德雷克微笑著，所有那些想法立刻被沖走。我沮喪地發現自己是如此錯誤。
Drake smiled, and all of those thoughts were immediately washed away. I was dismayed to discover that I was so very wrong.
“你的凡人存在不是一場考驗。它更像是一間教室，靈魂可以在其中學習、成長和被分類。”
“Your mortal existence is not a test. It’s more of a classroom, where souls are able to learn, grow, and be sorted.”
“這有什麼不同？”
“What’s the difference?”
“考驗是你可以通過或失敗的。但上帝愛每一個靈魂和創造物——每一個。他沒有創造一個通過和失敗的系統。他創造了一個系統，讓每個人都能成功，但只有在他們能夠成長的速度下。”
“With a test, you can pass or fail. But God loves every single spirit and creation–every single one. He did not create a system of passing and failing. He created a system where everyone succeeds, but only at the speed that they are able to grow.”
“所以，遵循規則或誡命不重要嗎？”“哦，這絕對重要。非常重要。但不是因為這是一個你可能會失敗的考驗。這關係到你能多快進步。當我們死後，我們會進入一個為那種進步準備好的特定生命。有些人可以非常快地成長，學習得非常快，進步得非常快。還有一些人無法進步得那麼快。他們被成癮和惡習困住。這些成癮和惡習阻止我們成長。”
“So, it doesn’t matter if we follow the rules or commandments?” “Oh, it definitely matters. It matters a great deal. But not because it’s a test that you can fail. It’s about how quickly you can progress. When we die, we move on to a specific life that is ready for that progress. Some people can grow really fast, and learn really fast, move on really fast. There are others who cannot progress as fast. They are stuck in addictions and vices. Those addictions and vices prevent us from growing.”
我能理解他的意思。就像陷入惡習會阻止我們在這一生中進步一樣，它們也可能阻止我們在來世中進步。
I could see what he meant. Just like falling prey to vices can keep us from progressing in this life, they could keep us from progressing in the next life as well.
“所以，我們死後可以繼續進步？”“確實如此。”
“So, we can continue to progress after we die?” “We do indeed.”
“我們在地球上做得越好，之後就越容易嗎？”
“And the better we do on earth, the easier it is afterwards?”
“我會說是更快而不是更容易。雖然你的頻率越高，感覺就越容易。當你進入這個存在階段時，如果你處於較低的頻率，你會進步得更慢。”
“I would say faster rather than easier. Though the higher your frequency, the easier it feels. When you enter this stage of existence, if you are at a lower frequency, you will progress more slowly.”
做最好的自己仍然很重要，但方式與我想像的完全不同。如果生活不是一個通過或失敗的考驗，而是決定我想多快進步的一種方式，那麼這改變了一切——所有的判斷，所有的恐懼，所有對這一生的負面感受，以及我如何不夠好——我可以拋開所有那些不好的感受，而是決定我想成為什麼樣的人。我可以決定我想多快進步。而我會在我準備好的速度下進步。
Being my best self still mattered, but in a completely different way than I thought. If life is not a pass or fail test, but rather a way to decide how fast I want to progress, it changes everything—all of the judgment, all of the fear, all of the negative feelings about what this life is, and how I’m falling short—I can throw all of those bad feelings away and, instead, decide what kind of person I want to be. I can decide how quickly I want to progress. And I will progress as fast as I am ready for.
“所以，我們取得的進步。那意味著什麼？”我問德雷克。“最終目標是什麼？我們死後的進步是什麼？”
“So, this progress we make. What does that mean?” I asked Drake. “What is the end goal? What is progress after we die?”
“記住，你在地球上的生活是你之後生活的反映。上帝給了你這一生，這取決於你展示你會如何利用它。在我們展示我們會如何利用祂給予我們的東西之後，祂想給我們更多的愛、更多的責任和更多創造、成長和愛的機會，以你從未想像過的方式。但你必須準備好。”
“Remember that the life you have on earth is a reflection of the life you can have afterwards. God has given you this life, and it’s up to you to show what you will do with it. After we show what we will do with what He gives us, He wants to give us more love, more responsibilities, and more opportunities to create and grow and love in ways you have never imagined. But you have to be ready for it.”
“這就是為什麼我們在這裡？看看我們在這一生之後能多快進步？”
“And that’s why we’re here? To see how fast we’re able to progress after this life?”
“學習和實踐。你可以在凡人存在期間學習和成長很多。充分利用它很重要。你在世時能取得的任何進步都會在你繼續前進後幫助你更多。說到繼續前進，我們再往前走一點。”德雷克再次走到我面前，凝視著我的眼睛。
“To learn and to practice. You can learn and grow a lot during your mortal existence. It’s important to make the most of it. Whatever progress you can make while alive will help you that much more after you move on. Speaking of moving on, let’s go a bit farther down the road.” Drake stepped back in front of me and looked me in the eyes again.
這種新的視角令人鼓舞。知道我現在不知道所有答案也沒關係，這讓我充滿希望。我很期待學習德雷克要教我的一切。
This new perspective was encouraging. It filled me with hope to know that it was okay that I didn’t know all of the answers right now. I was excited to learn everything that Drake had to teach me.
我們再次以驚人的速度前進。我意識到在遠處有一個巨大的光球，正在靠近。我把注意力重新集中在德雷克身上。
We once again resumed our incredible speed. I became aware of an immense sphere of light in the far distance, growing closer. I focused my attention back on Drake.
第六章：生命的意義
Chapter 6: The Purpose of Life
「你為什麼在這裡？」德雷克問。
“Why are you here?” Drake asked.
我本能地知道他不是在談論我們此刻的處境。他指的是更大的東西。他在問一個千年來被探索和爭論的問題。四個簡單的詞，卻問出了最深刻的問題。
I instinctively knew that he wasn’t talking about the two of us right then and there. He meant something larger. He was asking the question that has been explored and debated for thousands of years. Four simple words that ask the deepest of questions.
「我……我不知道。」我感到自己又慢了下來。我試圖為德雷克的問題尋找更好的答案。「我的意思是，在成長過程中，我被教導要遵循基督教的價值觀和原則——人生是一場考驗，看看我們的靈魂是什麼樣的。」
“I…I don’t know.” I felt myself slowing down again. I searched for a better answer to Drake’s question. “I mean, growing up, I was taught Christian values and principles I should live by—that life was a test to see what kind of soul we have.”
德雷克微笑著，所有的這些想法立刻被洗刷一空。我震驚地發現自己錯得如此離譜。
Drake smiled, and all of those thoughts were immediately washed away. I was dismayed to discover that I was so very wrong.
「你的凡人存在不是一場考驗。它更像是一個教室，讓靈魂能夠學習、成長和被分類。」
“Your mortal existence is not a test. It’s more of a classroom, where souls are able to learn, grow, and be sorted.”
「有什麼區別？」
“What’s the difference?”
「考驗有通過或失敗。但上帝愛每一個靈魂和創造物——每一個。祂沒有創造一個通過或失敗的系統。祂創造了一個每個人都能成功的系統，但成功速度取決於他們成長的能力。」
“With a test, you can pass or fail. But God loves every single spirit and creation–every single one. He did not create a system of passing and failing. He created a system where everyone succeeds, but only at the speed that they are able to grow.”
「所以，是否遵循規則或誡命不重要？」「哦，這絕對重要。非常重要。但不是因為這是一場你可能失敗的考驗。這關乎你能多快進步。當我們死去時，我們會進入一個適合這種進步的特定生活。有些人能快速成長、快速學習、快速前進。有些人則無法那麼快進步。他們被癮症和惡習困住。那些癮症和惡習阻止我們成長。」
“So, it doesn’t matter if we follow the rules or commandments?” “Oh, it definitely matters. It matters a great deal. But not because it’s a test that you can fail. It’s about how quickly you can progress. When we die, we move on to a specific life that is ready for that progress. Some people can grow really fast, and learn really fast, move on really fast. There are others who cannot progress as fast. They are stuck in addictions and vices. Those addictions and vices prevent us from growing.”
我明白他的意思。就像在這一生中陷入惡習會阻止我們進步一樣，它們也可能阻止我們在來世進步。
I could see what he meant. Just like falling prey to vices can keep us from progressing in this life, they could keep us from progressing in the next life as well.
「所以，我們死後還能繼續進步？」「確實如此。」
“So, we can continue to progress after we die?” “We do indeed.”
「我們在地球上表現得越好，之後就越容易？」
“And the better we do on earth, the easier it is afterwards?”
「我會說是更快，而不是更容易。雖然你的頻率越高，感覺越容易。當你進入這個存在階段時，如果你的頻率較低，你會進步得更慢。」
“I would say faster rather than easier. Though the higher your frequency, the easier it feels. When you enter this stage of existence, if you are at a lower frequency, you will progress more slowly.”
做最好的自己仍然很重要，但方式與我原本想的完全不同。如果人生不是一場通過或失敗的考驗，而是一種決定我想多快進步的方式，那一切都改變了——所有的判斷、所有的恐懼、所有關於這一生是什麼以及我如何不足的負面感受——我可以把所有這些壞感覺拋開，轉而決定我想成為什麼樣的人。我可以決定我想多快進步。而我會以我準備好的速度進步。
Being my best self still mattered, but in a completely different way than I thought. If life is not a pass or fail test, but rather a way to decide how fast I want to progress, it changes everything—all of the judgment, all of the fear, all of the negative feelings about what this life is, and how I’m falling short—I can throw all of those bad feelings away and, instead, decide what kind of person I want to be. I can decide how quickly I want to progress. And I will progress as fast as I am ready for.
「那麼，我們取得的這種進步。這意味著什麼？」我問德雷克。「最終目標是什麼？死後的進步是什麼？」
“So, this progress we make. What does that mean?” I asked Drake. “What is the end goal? What is progress after we die?”
「記住，你在地球上的生活是你之後生活的反映。上帝給了你這一生，由你來展示你會如何處理它。在我們展示我們如何處理祂給予的東西後，祂想給我們更多的愛、更多的責任，以及更多創造、成長和以你從未想像過的方式去愛的機會。但你必須為此做好準備。」
“Remember that the life you have on earth is a reflection of the life you can have afterwards. God has given you this life, and it’s up to you to show what you will do with it. After we show what we will do with what He gives us, He wants to give us more love, more responsibilities, and more opportunities to create and grow and love in ways you have never imagined. But you have to be ready for it.”
「這就是我們在這裡的原因？看看我們在這一生之後能多快進步？」
“And that’s why we’re here? To see how fast we’re able to progress after this life?”
「是為了學習和實踐。你在凡人存在期間可以學到很多、成長很多。充分利用這一點很重要。你在活著時取得的任何進步，都會在你繼續前進後幫助你更多。說到繼續前進，我們再往前走一點吧。」德雷克退到我前面，再次看著我的眼睛。
“To learn and to practice. You can learn and grow a lot during your mortal existence. It’s important to make the most of it. Whatever progress you can make while alive will help you that much more after you move on. Speaking of moving on, let’s go a bit farther down the road.” Drake stepped back in front of me and looked me in the eyes again.
這個新視角令人鼓舞。知道我現在不知道所有答案也沒關係，這讓我充滿希望。我迫不及待想學習德雷克要教我的所有東西。
This new perspective was encouraging. It filled me with hope to know that it was okay that I didn’t know all of the answers right now. I was excited to learn everything that Drake had to teach me.
我們再次恢復了驚人的速度。我注意到遠處有一個巨大的光球，越來越近。我將注意力重新聚焦在德雷克身上。
We once again resumed our incredible speed. I became aware of an immense sphere of light in the far distance, growing closer. I focused my attention back on Drake.