第14章：我們都是一體
Chapter 14: We Are All One
我們穿過了無數層環繞著中央光球的球體。那光球發出宛如地球太陽般的光輝，只是更加絢麗明亮。
We passed through countless spheres around the central orb of light. It shone with a radiance like Earth’s sun, only more brilliant and bright.
Drake 繼續給我講解：「恐懼是所有負面思想與情緒的根源，它引發傲慢、嫉妒與虛偽。令人驚訝的是，竟有那麼多人自稱追隨上帝，或真心認為自己在追隨上帝，但他們的心卻遠離了上帝對每一個造物所懷之愛。更令人心酸的是，那些人還鄙視那些同樣渴望親近上帝卻信奉不同宗教的人，這些偽宗教者因此成了最大的偽君子之一。」
Drake continued my lessons. “Fear is the foundation of negative thoughts and emotions. It leads to pride, jealousy, and hypocrisy. It’s surprising how many people claim to follow God, or who actually believe that they are following God, but their hearts are far from the love He holds for each and every one of His creations. It’s especially sad when those people look down on others who are also trying to draw closer to God but are following a different religion. That’s when these pseudo-religious people are some of the biggest hypocrites.”
「你的意思是什麼？」
“What do you mean?”
「你還記得我們早些時候談到的那個比喻嗎？就像是有人坐在山坡上，試圖形容一道彩虹。」
“Do you remember earlier when we talked about how it’s like people sitting on a hillside, trying to describe a rainbow?”
回應是肯定的：「可以。」
“Yes.”
「不論描述得有多精確或完整，都蘊含著一定的真理。所有的描述都很寶貴，因為它們幫助人們理解並欣賞那道彩虹。不管人們用什麼名字稱呼上帝，都能與上帝連接，找到那絕對而永恆的真理，無論其宗教信仰如何。上帝會接納每一個向祂靠近的人。」
“All the descriptions, no matter how accurate or complete, will have truth in them. All of them are valuable as they help people understand and appreciate the rainbow. No matter what name a person calls God, they can connect to God and find absolute, eternal truths, regardless of their religion. God reaches out to all who reach out to Him.”
「所以，所有宗教中都有真理？」
“So, there’s truth in all religions?”
「所有傳揚愛、並鼓勵你親近上帝的宗教，都是的。這是任何人都能做的最重要的事，也是我們在地球上存在的全部目的：學習、成長，並做出能使我們更接近上帝的選擇 (Choice)。」
“All religions that teach love and encourage you to draw closer to God, yes. That is the most important thing anyone can do. That is the whole purpose of our existence on Earth: to learn, to grow, and to make choices that bring us closer to God.”
「但是若某一宗教包含更多真理，難道人人不應該前往追尋那擁有最多真理的地方嗎？」
“But if one religion has more truth than another one, shouldn’t everyone go where there is the most truth?”
「並非所有的真理都能與每個人產生共鳴；他們需要用不同的方式來描述，才能初步理解那其中的美好。對他們而言，採取一條適合自己的路親近上帝，遠比硬性堅守出生時被灌輸的宗教來得理想。若僅因懼怕遭人嘲弄、排斥或被逐出而固守，進步只會變得緩慢。」
“Not all truths will resonate with all people; they need a different description to even begin to comprehend the beauty of it all. It is far better for them to draw closer to God in a way that works for them. Most people are in a religion they were born into. If they only stay because they are afraid of being ridiculed, shunned, or disowned, they will progress more slowly.”
「『所以，不同的宗教實際上都是指向同一個目標？』」「『上帝總是在向祂的子民伸出援手，無論你在何時何地只要向祂靠近，祂就會與你相遇。試想，每個宗教猶如一連串島嶼中的一座，每座島上的人指著對岸的島嶼說：‘他們錯了，我們的生活方式才是唯一真正的道路。’而對岸的人也反指回來，彼此皆以同樣的話語評論。問題在於，他們看不見其實所有島嶼皆由同一堅固基石支撐並相互連結，而水面之下隱藏的實質，遠超過水面上所見。想像一下，如果所有宗教能攜手合作，讓每個人都更接近上帝，而不互相拆台或以恐懼作動力，那該有多美好。』」
“So different religions are actually pointed towards the same goal?” “God is constantly reaching out to His children, and He will meet them whenever and wherever they reach out to Him. Think of it this way: each religion is an island in a chain of islands. People on one island point across the water to another island and say ‘They’re bad. The way we live is the only true way to live.’ The people on the other island are pointing back and saying the same thing. What they don’t see is that the same bedrock supports and connects them, and what lies beneath the surface is far, far greater than what they can see above the water. Imagine if all of the religions worked together to bring everyone closer to God, without tearing each other down or resorting to fear as a motivator.”
「那實在是太令人驚奇了。」
“That would be pretty amazing, actually.”
「Drake 露出微笑說：『的確如此。試想一下，如果佛教、基督教、印度教、伊斯蘭教、猶太教以及所有其他宗教能通力合作，而非相互競爭。有時他們確實在努力這樣做，但在每個宗教內部，總有一些派系在互相爭鬥。接下來，我想向你展示一些東西。』」
Drake smiled. “It would. Imagine if Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and all of the others worked in cooperation instead of competition. Sometimes they do, or at least try to. But within each one, there are factions that struggle against each other. Here, I want to show you something.”
「Drake 指向另一個光球，當我的注意力隨之轉移時，我的意識也跟著飄去。我看見了一整個由宗教人士組成的境界，能立刻感受到他們心中所擁有的善良，但卻明顯與上帝疏遠。」
Drake gestured towards another sphere of light. As soon as my attention went to it, my consciousness went there, too. I saw an entire realm of religious people. I could immediately sense the goodness that they had in their hearts, but they were removed from God.
「『為什麼他們不與上帝同在，而在這裡呢？』我問道。『請再仔細觀察，你看見了什麼？』」
“Why are they here instead of with God?” I asked. “Look closer. What do you see?”
「我用心凝視，發現阻擋他們進入天堂的，正是他們對彼此的成見。我能感覺到，在天堂中竟有一些人，連站在我之前的人都不願與之共處；他們絕不允許自己靠近那些所謂『異教徒』或『罪人』。」
I looked deeply at them and saw what was keeping them from heaven. I could see, or sense, that there were other people in heaven that the people before me would have nothing to do with; they would never allow themselves to be in the same place as “those heathens” or “those sinners.”
「『那麼，他們是自我隔絕，不讓自己進入天堂嗎？』」
“So,” I asked, “they are keeping themselves out of heaven?”
「『正是如此。你所對他人作出的自以為是的評判，實際上只會反受其害，使你遠離上帝的光明與愛。記住：你對他人作出的判斷，往往會阻隔你與上帝的連結。』」
“They are. The self-righteous judgment that they are passing on other people is really against them, and only affects them. Remember this: The judgments that you pass on others will keep you from the light and love of God.
「『如果你發現自己在評斷他人，那是因為你內心深處懷有一份弱點或不安全感。放下這份不安，把它交托給上帝，讓祂在你軟弱處賦予你力量。當你獲得上帝的強化後，你將發現，當你看見世人並洞察到上帝所看見——那些以美麗色彩、美麗宗教與美麗生活方式呈現的上帝子民——你會明白他們皆被無限地愛著，而你也會為這些創造物的善行而感到無比榮耀，無論彼此有何不同。』」
“If you find yourself judging another, it’s because you’re holding a weakness or an insecurity in your own soul. Let go of that insecurity. Release it to God. Let Him strengthen you where you have weaknesses. As He strengthens you, you’ll realize that when you’re looking at people and seeing what God sees—the children of God in beautiful colors, in beautiful religions, in beautiful lifestyles—you will see that they are all loved beyond measure, and you will glory in the good actions of these creations, regardless of their differences.”
「看著這些本可『善良』的人，因無法克服自身偏見而自我隔絕，失去了更大的幸福，令我深感悲傷。我記得在地球上曾見過一些虔誠的男女，默默旁觀他人遭受迫害、嘲弄、甚至被剝奪自由與權利的情景。」
Seeing these otherwise “good” people keep themselves from greater happiness because they couldn’t overcome their own prejudice filled me with sorrow. I remembered on Earth the times I had seen religious men and women stand by as others were persecuted, ridiculed, and had their freedoms and rights threatened or taken away.
「我明白，那並非上帝的作為。上帝賦予我們自由意志，允許我們自主選擇；而任何試圖剝奪這種自由、限制人們選擇權的人，都違背了上帝與祂子民之間的真誠關係，這正是與上帝的旨意南轅北轍。」
I understood that was not God’s way. God created us with free agency, and that anyone who wanted to take away that agency—that ability to choose their own way—was not following God’s relationship with his children. It was the opposite of God’s way.
「當我全心接受這一切時，我們向著前方那光耀的光球踏上了最後的旅程。」
As I accepted this with all of my heart, we traveled the final distance towards the glorious sphere ahead of us.
第十四章：我們都是一體
Chapter 14: We Are All One
我們穿過無數個圍繞著中央光球的球體。它散發著像地球的太陽一樣的光輝，只是更加耀眼和明亮。
We passed through countless spheres around the central orb of light. It shone with a radiance like Earth’s sun, only more brilliant and bright.
德瑞克繼續我的課程。「恐懼是負面思想和情感的基礎。它導致驕傲、嫉妒和虛偽。令人驚訝的是，許多人聲稱跟隨上帝，或者實際上相信自己在跟隨上帝，但他們的心靈卻與上帝對每一個創造的愛相去甚遠。當這些人看不起那些也在努力接近上帝但信奉不同宗教的人時，尤其令人難過。這時，這些偽宗教的人往往是最大的虛偽者。」
Drake continued my lessons. “Fear is the foundation of negative thoughts and emotions. It leads to pride, jealousy, and hypocrisy. It’s surprising how many people claim to follow God, or who actually believe that they are following God, but their hearts are far from the love He holds for each and every one of His creations. It’s especially sad when those people look down on others who are also trying to draw closer to God but are following a different religion. That’s when these pseudo-religious people are some of the biggest hypocrites.”
「你是什麼意思？」
“What do you mean?”
「你還記得我們之前談到的，就像人們坐在山坡上，試圖描述彩虹的情景嗎？」
“Do you remember earlier when we talked about how it’s like people sitting on a hillside, trying to describe a rainbow?”
「可以。」
“Yes.”
「所有的描述，不管多麼準確或完整，都會包含真理。它們都是有價值的，因為它們幫助人們理解和欣賞彩虹。無論一個人如何稱呼上帝，他們都能與上帝建立聯繫，找到絕對的、永恆的真理，無論他們的宗教如何。上帝向所有向他伸出手的人伸出援手。」
“All the descriptions, no matter how accurate or complete, will have truth in them. All of them are valuable as they help people understand and appreciate the rainbow. No matter what name a person calls God, they can connect to God and find absolute, eternal truths, regardless of their religion. God reaches out to all who reach out to Him.”
「所以，所有宗教中都有真理？」
“So, there’s truth in all religions?”
「所有教導愛並鼓勵你接近上帝的宗教，都是的。這是任何人能做的最重要的事情。這就是我們在地球上存在的整個目的：學習、成長，並做出讓我們更接近上帝的選擇。」
“All religions that teach love and encourage you to draw closer to God, yes. That is the most important thing anyone can do. That is the whole purpose of our existence on Earth: to learn, to grow, and to make choices that bring us closer to God.”
「但是如果一個宗教比另一個宗教更真實，那麼每個人不應該去尋找最真實的地方嗎？」
“But if one religion has more truth than another one, shouldn’t everyone go where there is the most truth?”
「並不是所有的真理都會與所有人共鳴；他們需要不同的描述才能開始理解這一切的美好。對他們來說，以適合自己的方式接近上帝要好得多。大多數人都在他們出生時所屬的宗教中。如果他們只是因為害怕被嘲笑、被排斥或被斷絕關係而留在那裡，他們的進步會更慢。」
“Not all truths will resonate with all people; they need a different description to even begin to comprehend the beauty of it all. It is far better for them to draw closer to God in a way that works for them. Most people are in a religion they were born into. If they only stay because they are afraid of being ridiculed, shunned, or disowned, they will progress more slowly.”
「所以不同的宗教實際上是指向同一個目標？」 「上帝不斷地向他的孩子伸出手，無論何時何地，只要他們向他伸出手，他就會與他們相遇。這樣想：每個宗教就像是一個島嶼，連成一個島嶼鏈。某個島上的人指著水面對另一個島說『他們是壞的。我們的生活方式才是真正的生活方式。』而另一個島上的人也在指著回應同樣的話。他們看不見的是，支撐並連接他們的基岩是相同的，而表面之下的東西遠比他們在水面上所能看到的要偉大得多。想像一下，如果所有的宗教共同努力，讓每個人更接近上帝，而不是互相攻擊或依賴恐懼作為動機。」
“So different religions are actually pointed towards the same goal?” “God is constantly reaching out to His children, and He will meet them whenever and wherever they reach out to Him. Think of it this way: each religion is an island in a chain of islands. People on one island point across the water to another island and say ‘They’re bad. The way we live is the only true way to live.’ The people on the other island are pointing back and saying the same thing. What they don’t see is that the same bedrock supports and connects them, and what lies beneath the surface is far, far greater than what they can see above the water. Imagine if all of the religions worked together to bring everyone closer to God, without tearing each other down or resorting to fear as a motivator.”
「那實際上會非常驚人。」
“That would be pretty amazing, actually.”
德瑞克微笑著說。「會的。想像一下，如果佛教、基督教、印度教、伊斯蘭教、猶太教和所有其他宗教合作，而不是競爭。有時候他們確實會這樣做，或者至少會嘗試這樣做。但在每一個宗教內部，都有派系彼此對抗。在這裡，我想給你展示一些東西。」
Drake smiled. “It would. Imagine if Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and all of the others worked in cooperation instead of competition. Sometimes they do, or at least try to. But within each one, there are factions that struggle against each other. Here, I want to show you something.”
德瑞克朝另一個光球示意。當我的注意力轉向它時，我的意識也隨之而去。我看到一整個宗教信徒的領域。我立即感受到他們心中所擁有的善良，但他們卻與上帝隔絕。
Drake gestured towards another sphere of light. As soon as my attention went to it, my consciousness went there, too. I saw an entire realm of religious people. I could immediately sense the goodness that they had in their hearts, but they were removed from God.
「他們為什麼不和上帝在一起？」我問。「仔細看看。你看到什麼？」
“Why are they here instead of with God?” I asked. “Look closer. What do you see?”
我深深地看著他們，看到阻止他們進入天堂的原因。我能看到，或者感覺到，在天堂裡有其他人，那些在我面前的人根本不會與他們有任何關係；他們永遠不會允許自己與“那些異教徒”或“那些罪人”在同一個地方。
I looked deeply at them and saw what was keeping them from heaven. I could see, or sense, that there were other people in heaven that the people before me would have nothing to do with; they would never allow themselves to be in the same place as “those heathens” or “those sinners.”
「所以，」我問，「他們是在把自己排除在天堂之外嗎？」
“So,” I asked, “they are keeping themselves out of heaven?”
「是的。他們對其他人施加的自以為是的判斷實際上是針對他們自己的，只會影響到他們自己。記住這一點：你對他人的評判會使你遠離上帝的光明和愛。」
“They are. The self-righteous judgment that they are passing on other people is really against them, and only affects them. Remember this: The judgments that you pass on others will keep you from the light and love of God.
「如果你發現自己在評判他人，那是因為你在自己靈魂中抱有一種弱點或不安全感。放下那種不安全感。將它交給上帝。讓他在你有弱點的地方加強你。當他加強你時，你會意識到，當你看著人們並看到上帝所看到的——以美麗的色彩、美麗的宗教和美麗的生活方式展現的上帝的孩子們——你會看到他們都是被無限愛著的，你會為這些創造的良好行為感到驕傲，無論他們的差異如何。」
“If you find yourself judging another, it’s because you’re holding a weakness or an insecurity in your own soul. Let go of that insecurity. Release it to God. Let Him strengthen you where you have weaknesses. As He strengthens you, you’ll realize that when you’re looking at people and seeing what God sees—the children of God in beautiful colors, in beautiful religions, in beautiful lifestyles—you will see that they are all loved beyond measure, and you will glory in the good actions of these creations, regardless of their differences.”
看到這些本來“好”的人因為無法克服自己的偏見而使自己遠離更大的幸福，讓我感到悲傷。我想起在地球上我曾經看到過的宗教男女，在其他人遭受迫害、被嘲笑，甚至自由和權利受到威脅或剝奪時，站在一旁的情景。
Seeing these otherwise “good” people keep themselves from greater happiness because they couldn’t overcome their own prejudice filled me with sorrow. I remembered on Earth the times I had seen religious men and women stand by as others were persecuted, ridiculed, and had their freedoms and rights threatened or taken away.
我明白這不是上帝的方式。上帝以自由意志創造了我們，任何想要剝奪那種自由意志——選擇自己道路的能力的人——都不是在遵循上帝與他的孩子之間的關係。這與上帝的方式正好相反。
I understood that was not God’s way. God created us with free agency, and that anyone who wanted to take away that agency—that ability to choose their own way—was not following God’s relationship with his children. It was the opposite of God’s way.
當我全心全意接受這一點時，我們朝著前方那個光輝的球體走去。
As I accepted this with all of my heart, we traveled the final distance towards the glorious sphere ahead of us.
第14章：我們都是一體
Chapter 14: We Are All One
我們穿過無數圍繞著中央光球的球體。它的光輝就像地球的太陽，只是更加耀眼和明亮。
We passed through countless spheres around the central orb of light. It shone with a radiance like Earth’s sun, only more brilliant and bright.
德雷克繼續我的課程。“恐懼是消極思想和情緒的基礎。它導致驕傲、嫉妒和虛偽。令人驚訝的是，有多少人聲稱自己追隨上帝，或者真的相信他們在追隨上帝，但他們的心遠離祂對每一個創造物的愛。特別悲哀的是，當這些人看不起那些也試圖接近上帝但信仰不同宗教的人時，這些偽宗教的人是最大的偽君子之一。”
Drake continued my lessons. “Fear is the foundation of negative thoughts and emotions. It leads to pride, jealousy, and hypocrisy. It’s surprising how many people claim to follow God, or who actually believe that they are following God, but their hearts are far from the love He holds for each and every one of His creations. It’s especially sad when those people look down on others who are also trying to draw closer to God but are following a different religion. That’s when these pseudo-religious people are some of the biggest hypocrites.”
“你是什麼意思？”
“What do you mean?”
“你還記得我們之前談到過的，就像人們坐在山坡上，試圖描述彩虹嗎？”
“Do you remember earlier when we talked about how it’s like people sitting on a hillside, trying to describe a rainbow?”
“可以。”
“Yes.”
“所有的描述，不管多麼準確或完整，都包含真理。所有這些都有價值，因為它們幫助人們理解和欣賞彩虹。無論一個人怎麼稱呼上帝，他們都可以與上帝聯繫，找到絕對的、永恆的真理，無論他們的宗教信仰是什麼。上帝會伸出手給所有向祂伸出手的人。”
“All the descriptions, no matter how accurate or complete, will have truth in them. All of them are valuable as they help people understand and appreciate the rainbow. No matter what name a person calls God, they can connect to God and find absolute, eternal truths, regardless of their religion. God reaches out to all who reach out to Him.”
“所以，所有宗教中都有真理？”
“So, there’s truth in all religions?”
“所有教導愛和鼓勵你接近上帝的宗教，都是的。這是任何人能做的最重要的事情。這是我們在地球上存在的全部目的：學習、成長，並做出讓我們更接近上帝的選擇。”
“All religions that teach love and encourage you to draw closer to God, yes. That is the most important thing anyone can do. That is the whole purpose of our existence on Earth: to learn, to grow, and to make choices that bring us closer to God.”
“但如果一個宗教比另一個宗教有更多的真理，難道不應該每個人都去那裡尋找最多的真理嗎？”
“But if one religion has more truth than another one, shouldn’t everyone go where there is the most truth?”
“並非所有的真理都會與所有人產生共鳴；他們需要不同的描述才能開始理解這一切的美麗。對他們來說，以適合自己的方式接近上帝要好得多。大多數人都在他們出生時的宗教中。如果他們只是因為害怕被嘲笑、排斥或被遺棄而留下，他們的進步會更慢。”
“Not all truths will resonate with all people; they need a different description to even begin to comprehend the beauty of it all. It is far better for them to draw closer to God in a way that works for them. Most people are in a religion they were born into. If they only stay because they are afraid of being ridiculed, shunned, or disowned, they will progress more slowly.”
“所以不同的宗教實際上是指向同一個目標？”“上帝不斷地向祂的孩子們伸出手，祂會在任何時候和任何地方與他們相遇。這樣想吧：每個宗教都是一個島嶼鏈中的一個島嶼。一個島上的人指著水對面的另一個島說‘他們不好。我們的生活方式是唯一真正的生活方式。’另一個島上的人也指回來說同樣的話。他們看不到的是，同樣的基石支持並連接著他們，而在水面下的東西遠遠超過他們在水面上看到的。想像一下，如果所有的宗教都合作，讓每個人都更接近上帝，而不是互相拆台或以恐懼為動力。”
“So different religions are actually pointed towards the same goal?” “God is constantly reaching out to His children, and He will meet them whenever and wherever they reach out to Him. Think of it this way: each religion is an island in a chain of islands. People on one island point across the water to another island and say ‘They’re bad. The way we live is the only true way to live.’ The people on the other island are pointing back and saying the same thing. What they don’t see is that the same bedrock supports and connects them, and what lies beneath the surface is far, far greater than what they can see above the water. Imagine if all of the religions worked together to bring everyone closer to God, without tearing each other down or resorting to fear as a motivator.”
“那會非常驚人，實際上。”
“That would be pretty amazing, actually.”
德雷克微笑著說：“是的，會的。想像一下，如果佛教、基督教、印度教、伊斯蘭教、猶太教和所有其他宗教合作而不是競爭。有時他們會這樣做，或者至少嘗試這樣做。但在每一個宗教內部，都有派系在互相爭鬥。來，我想給你看一些東西。”
Drake smiled. “It would. Imagine if Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and all of the others worked in cooperation instead of competition. Sometimes they do, or at least try to. But within each one, there are factions that struggle against each other. Here, I want to show you something.”
德雷克指向另一個光球。當我的注意力集中到那裡時，我的意識也隨之而去。我看到一個充滿宗教信仰者的整個領域。我立刻感受到他們心中的善良，但他們卻遠離上帝。
Drake gestured towards another sphere of light. As soon as my attention went to it, my consciousness went there, too. I saw an entire realm of religious people. I could immediately sense the goodness that they had in their hearts, but they were removed from God.
“為什麼他們在這裡而不是和上帝在一起？”我問。“仔細看看。你看到了什麼？”
“Why are they here instead of with God?” I asked. “Look closer. What do you see?”
我仔細觀察他們，看到是什麼讓他們無法進入天堂。我能看到或感覺到，在天堂裡有其他人，而我面前的人卻不願與他們有任何關係；他們永遠不會允許自己與“那些異教徒”或“那些罪人”在同一個地方。
I looked deeply at them and saw what was keeping them from heaven. I could see, or sense, that there were other people in heaven that the people before me would have nothing to do with; they would never allow themselves to be in the same place as “those heathens” or “those sinners.”
“所以，”我問，“他們是自己把自己排除在天堂之外？”
“So,” I asked, “they are keeping themselves out of heaven?”
“是的。他們對其他人的自以為是的判斷實際上是對他們自己的，並且只影響他們自己。記住這一點：你對他人的判斷會讓你遠離上帝的光明和愛。”
“They are. The self-righteous judgment that they are passing on other people is really against them, and only affects them. Remember this: The judgments that you pass on others will keep you from the light and love of God.
“如果你發現自己在評判他人，那是因為你心中有某種弱點或不安。放下那份不安，把它交給上帝。讓祂在你有弱點的地方加強你。當祂加強你時，你會意識到，當你看著人們並看到上帝所看到的——在美麗的色彩、美麗的宗教、美麗的生活方式中的上帝的孩子們——你會看到他們都被無限地愛著，你會為這些創造物的善行而感到榮耀，無論他們有何不同。”
“If you find yourself judging another, it’s because you’re holding a weakness or an insecurity in your own soul. Let go of that insecurity. Release it to God. Let Him strengthen you where you have weaknesses. As He strengthens you, you’ll realize that when you’re looking at people and seeing what God sees—the children of God in beautiful colors, in beautiful religions, in beautiful lifestyles—you will see that they are all loved beyond measure, and you will glory in the good actions of these creations, regardless of their differences.”
看到這些原本“善良”的人因無法克服自己的偏見而無法獲得更大的幸福，讓我感到悲傷。我想起在地球上，我曾見過宗教人士在旁觀看他人被迫害、嘲笑，甚至被剝奪自由和權利。
Seeing these otherwise “good” people keep themselves from greater happiness because they couldn’t overcome their own prejudice filled me with sorrow. I remembered on Earth the times I had seen religious men and women stand by as others were persecuted, ridiculed, and had their freedoms and rights threatened or taken away.
我明白這不是上帝的方式。上帝創造了我們，賦予我們自由意志，任何想要剝奪他人選擇自己道路的能力的人，都不是在追隨上帝與祂孩子們的關係。這與上帝的方式正好相反。
I understood that was not God’s way. God created us with free agency, and that anyone who wanted to take away that agency—that ability to choose their own way—was not following God’s relationship with his children. It was the opposite of God’s way.
當我全心接受這一點時，我們向前方那個光輝的球體邁出了最後的距離。
As I accepted this with all of my heart, we traveled the final distance towards the glorious sphere ahead of us.
第十四章：我們是一體的
Chapter 14: We Are All One
我們穿過無數圍繞中央光球的球體。它散發出像地球太陽般的光芒，只是更加耀眼和明亮。
We passed through countless spheres around the central orb of light. It shone with a radiance like Earth’s sun, only more brilliant and bright.
德雷克繼續我的課程。「恐懼是負面思想和情緒的基礎。它導致驕傲、嫉妒和虛偽。令人驚訝的是，有多少人聲稱追隨上帝，或真正相信自己在追隨上帝，但他們的心遠離祂對每個創造物的愛。尤其可悲的是，當這些人鄙視其他也在試圖接近上帝但遵循不同宗教的人時。這些偽宗教人士往往是最大的偽君子。」
Drake continued my lessons. “Fear is the foundation of negative thoughts and emotions. It leads to pride, jealousy, and hypocrisy. It’s surprising how many people claim to follow God, or who actually believe that they are following God, but their hearts are far from the love He holds for each and every one of His creations. It’s especially sad when those people look down on others who are also trying to draw closer to God but are following a different religion. That’s when these pseudo-religious people are some of the biggest hypocrites.”
「什麼意思？」
“What do you mean?”
「你還記得我們之前談到像人們坐在山坡上試圖描述彩虹嗎？」
“Do you remember earlier when we talked about how it’s like people sitting on a hillside, trying to describe a rainbow?”
「可以。」
“Yes.”
「所有的描述，無論多準確或多完整，都有真理。它們都有價值，因為它們幫助人們理解和欣賞彩虹。無論一個人用什麼名字稱呼上帝，他們都能連繫到上帝並找到絕對的、永恆的真理，無論他們的宗教如何。上帝會向所有向祂伸出手的人伸出手。」
“All the descriptions, no matter how accurate or complete, will have truth in them. All of them are valuable as they help people understand and appreciate the rainbow. No matter what name a person calls God, they can connect to God and find absolute, eternal truths, regardless of their religion. God reaches out to all who reach out to Him.”
「所以，所有宗教都有真理？」
“So, there’s truth in all religions?”
「所有教導愛並鼓勵你接近上帝的宗教，是的。這是任何人能做的最重要的事情。這是我們在地球上存在的全部目的：學習、成長，並做出讓我們更接近上帝的選擇。」
“All religions that teach love and encourage you to draw closer to God, yes. That is the most important thing anyone can do. That is the whole purpose of our existence on Earth: to learn, to grow, and to make choices that bring us closer to God.”
「但如果一個宗教比另一個有更多真理，所有人不應該去有最多真理的地方嗎？」
“But if one religion has more truth than another one, shouldn’t everyone go where there is the most truth?”
「並非所有真理都會與所有人產生共鳴；他們需要不同的描述才能開始理解這一切的美麗。對他們來說，以適合他們的方式接近上帝要好得多。大多數人屬於他們出生時的宗教。如果他們只是因為害怕被嘲笑、排斥或棄絕而留下，他們的進步會更慢。」
“Not all truths will resonate with all people; they need a different description to even begin to comprehend the beauty of it all. It is far better for them to draw closer to God in a way that works for them. Most people are in a religion they were born into. If they only stay because they are afraid of being ridiculed, shunned, or disowned, they will progress more slowly.”
「所以不同的宗教其實是指向同一個目標？」「上帝不斷地向祂的孩子們伸出手，無論他們何時何地向祂伸出手，祂都會迎接他們。這樣想：每個宗教是一連串島嶼中的一個島嶼。一個島上的人指向水面另一個島嶼說：『他們是壞的。我們的生活方式是唯一真實的方式。』另一個島上的人回頭指向他們說同樣的話。他們沒有看到的是，支撐和連繫他們的是同一個基岩，水面下的東西遠遠大於他們在水面上能看到的東西。想像如果所有宗教一起合作，讓每個人都更接近上帝，而不是互相拆台或訴諸恐懼作為動機。」
“So different religions are actually pointed towards the same goal?” “God is constantly reaching out to His children, and He will meet them whenever and wherever they reach out to Him. Think of it this way: each religion is an island in a chain of islands. People on one island point across the water to another island and say ‘They’re bad. The way we live is the only true way to live.’ The people on the other island are pointing back and saying the same thing. What they don’t see is that the same bedrock supports and connects them, and what lies beneath the surface is far, far greater than what they can see above the water. Imagine if all of the religions worked together to bring everyone closer to God, without tearing each other down or resorting to fear as a motivator.”
「那真的很了不起。」
“That would be pretty amazing, actually.”
德雷克微笑著。「是的。想像如果佛教、基督教、印度教、伊斯蘭教、猶太教和其他宗教合作而不是競爭。有時它們會這樣，或者至少嘗試這樣做。但在每一個宗教中，都有派系互相爭鬥。這裡，我想給你看些東西。」
Drake smiled. “It would. Imagine if Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and all of the others worked in cooperation instead of competition. Sometimes they do, or at least try to. But within each one, there are factions that struggle against each other. Here, I want to show you something.”
德雷克指向另一個光球。當我的注意力轉向它時，我的意識也到了那裡。我看到了一個宗教人士的整個領域。我立刻感受到他們心中的善良，但他們與上帝分離。
Drake gestured towards another sphere of light. As soon as my attention went to it, my consciousness went there, too. I saw an entire realm of religious people. I could immediately sense the goodness that they had in their hearts, but they were removed from God.
「為什麼他們在這裡而不是與上帝同在？」我問。「仔細看。你看到了什麼？」
“Why are they here instead of with God?” I asked. “Look closer. What do you see?”
我深入觀察他們，看到是什麼阻止他們進入天堂。我能看到或感覺到，天堂裡有其他人，這些人絕不會與「那些異教徒」或「那些罪人」共處一地。
I looked deeply at them and saw what was keeping them from heaven. I could see, or sense, that there were other people in heaven that the people before me would have nothing to do with; they would never allow themselves to be in the same place as “those heathens” or “those sinners.”
「所以，」我問，「他們自己把自己排除在天堂之外？」
“So,” I asked, “they are keeping themselves out of heaven?”
「是的。他們對他人施加的自以為是的判斷實際上是針對他們自己的，只影響他們自己。記住這一點：你對他人的判斷會讓你遠離上帝的光和愛。
“They are. The self-righteous judgment that they are passing on other people is really against them, and only affects them. Remember this: The judgments that you pass on others will keep you from the light and love of God.
「如果你發現自己在評判他人，那是因為你自己的靈魂中持有弱點或不安全感。放下那不安全感。將它交給上帝。讓祂在你有弱點的地方增強你。當祂增強你時，你會意識到，當你看著人們，看到上帝看到的——上帝的孩子以美麗的色彩、美麗的宗教、美麗的生活方式呈現——你會看到他們都被無限地愛著，你會為這些創造物的善行感到榮耀，無論他們有多不同。」
“If you find yourself judging another, it’s because you’re holding a weakness or an insecurity in your own soul. Let go of that insecurity. Release it to God. Let Him strengthen you where you have weaknesses. As He strengthens you, you’ll realize that when you’re looking at people and seeing what God sees—the children of God in beautiful colors, in beautiful religions, in beautiful lifestyles—you will see that they are all loved beyond measure, and you will glory in the good actions of these creations, regardless of their differences.”
看到這些本來「好」的人因為無法克服自己的偏見而無法獲得更大的幸福，這讓我充滿悲傷。我回想起在地球上見過的宗教人士站在一旁，看著他人被迫害、嘲笑，他們的自由和權利受到威脅或被剝奪。
Seeing these otherwise “good” people keep themselves from greater happiness because they couldn’t overcome their own prejudice filled me with sorrow. I remembered on Earth the times I had seen religious men and women stand by as others were persecuted, ridiculed, and had their freedoms and rights threatened or taken away.
我明白那不是上帝的方式。上帝賦予我們自由意志，任何人想剝奪這種自由——選擇自己道路的能力——都不是遵循上帝與祂孩子的關係。這與上帝的方式相反。
I understood that was not God’s way. God created us with free agency, and that anyone who wanted to take away that agency—that ability to choose their own way—was not following God’s relationship with his children. It was the opposite of God’s way.
當我全心接受這一點時，我們走完了前往前方輝煌光球的最後一段距離。
As I accepted this with all of my heart, we traveled the final distance towards the glorious sphere ahead of us.