【「失敗」的幻覺和所創造之文化故事的教誨】
人類「失敗」是存在的幻覺起源於:神的意願(假設神有一個意願)是有可能會無法實現的想法。這與你們對神所知道的一切——神是萬能的、無所不在的、至高無上的造物主——正好背道而馳。雖然如此,你們仍是狂熱地緊抱這觀念。
這產生了極不可能但卻非常強有力的幻覺,就是:神是有可能失敗。神有可能想要某樣東西卻得不到。神可能會希望某樣事情但卻無法達成。神有可能需要某樣東西但卻無法得到,神的意願是可能受挫的。
這個幻覺相當的誇張,因為即使是心智狹隘的人類覺知也能看出這個矛盾。然而,你們人類卻有非常豐富的想像力,竟能極輕鬆地將這個可信度延伸到極限。你們不但想像有這麼一位「有需求的神」,而且還是一位「可能無法讓自己的需求得到滿足的神」。
你們怎麼會搞成這樣呢?是經由「投射」。你們已將自己投射到你們的神身上。由於你們已注意到你們是有可能「得不到所有那些你們需要獲得才能快樂的東西」,你們也就宣稱神也是如此。
而由這樣的幻覺,你創造了一個「文化故事」,故事的教誨是:生命的結果是不確定的(the outcome of life is in doubt)。
摘自《與神合一》第2章
The idea that God's Will (assuming that God has one) could not be done runs counter to everything you thought you knew about God—namely, that God is all-powerful, ever-present, the Supreme Being, the Creator—but it is one that you nevertheless enthusiastically embraced.
This produced the highly improbable but very powerful illusion that God can fail. God can desire something but not get it. God can wish for something but not receive it. God can need something but not have it. In short, God's Will can be thwarted.
This illusion was quite a stretch, for even the limited perceptions of the human mind could spot the contradiction. Yet your species has a rich imagination and can stretch credibility to the limit with amazing ease. You have not only imagined a God with needs, you have imagined a God who can fail to have His needs met.
How have you done this? Once again, through the use of projection. Your have projected yourself upon your God.
Once again, an ability or quality of being which you have ascribed to God has been derived directly from your own experience. Since you noticed that you could fail to obtain all the things that you imagine you need to be happy, you have declared that the same is true of God.
From this illusion you have created a cultural story which teaches that the outcome of life is in doubt.