人類對於神的認知和觀念,始終深深地影響著整個社會和個人生活的各大領域。從早期人類觀察到各種大自然的地震天災、洪水乾旱等現象,產生全球各地不同的神話傳說、文化故事,到該地區的宗教信仰、傳統習俗,到生活習慣、道德、禮儀,以及該地區的民法制定、社會倫理、社會價值觀,都孕育和影響著該地區每個人的價值觀。
幾千年來,這如此巨大且潛在影響著每個人一生的觀念——對於神的認知和觀念——卻未曾真正被人們公開檢驗過。然而,演化是一件「遲早必然發生」而非一個「會不會發生」的事。不是嗎? 歡迎詳閱:
聽神談【「關於神」人類必將了解和接受的觀念】-1/2
尼爾:關於神的定義,你解說的這「系統」、「改變」、「歷程」聽起來都…嗯…那麼沒有人情味、不具人性 (impersonal)。我本希望神會是具人性的,但剛剛這些似乎都沒有人性的面向,也沒有一種人性關懷的層次。
你對生命的描述是正確的。
當「不具人性」的特質,被覆蓋在你們觀念上所謂的「神」時,你對那會有一種悲傷的感覺。
尼爾:是的。
但是,當你所謂「不具人性」的特質,被覆蓋在你們觀念上所謂的「生命」時,你們就對那完全沒問題。
尼爾:是的。
那就是為什麼我說,「神」與「生命」這兩個字可互換,會使得人們更容易以「神真正的樣子」去了解和接受神(much easier to understand and accept God as God really is)。
生命並不會個別地關懷你。對於「你如何體驗生命」這件事,它沒有偏好。
尼爾:是的,我知道。
然而,生命是個你隨時可運用的能量,它會帶來一致且可預知的結果。利用這種方式,生命會變成你最棒的朋友、你最有效的工具、你最驚人的力量,創造出你所想要的經驗。你即是生命。
現在,在以上的句子裡,用「神」代替「生命」這字,應用在你自己身上,看看它對你剛才那悲傷的感覺是否有任何影響。
尼爾:好的。「神 是個我隨時可運用的能量,它會帶來一致且可預知的結果。利用這種方式, 神 會變成我最棒的朋友、我最有效的工具、我最驚人的力量,創造出我所想要的經驗。我即是 神。」
(這樣替換後)有任何變化嗎?對於「神」,有任何不同的感覺嗎?
尼爾:我覺得被賦予力量了(empowered) 。我有被幫助、被關懷的感覺,我真的被賦予力量了。
我告訴你:今後所有的人類都將了解我剛才所說的「關於生命」的內容,也可說是「關於神」的內容。
它將會是你們敘述關於「神」時,所談論的內容。
然而,只有「具人性的(神)」才會對你以朋友相待 、關懷你、賦予你力量。
摘自《重新定義神》第7章
Neale: This all sounds so…well, so impersonal. I was hoping that Tomorrow's God would be a personal God, but none of this seems to have any personal aspect to it, or a level of personal caring.
Your description of Life is accurate.
My point, the point I wanted to make here, is that when the quality of being "impersonal" is overlaid on your conceptualization of "God," you have a sadness around that.
Neale: Yes.
But when the quality that you call "impersonal" is overlaid on your conceptualization of "Life," you've no problem with that at all.
Neale: Yes.
That's why I've said that interchanging the words "God" and "Life" makes it much easier to understand and accept God as God really is.
Life is not concerned with you, individually. It has no preference in the matter of how you are experiencing Life.
Neale: Yes, I know.
Yet Life is an energy that you can use at any time, with consistent and predictable results. Used in this way, Life becomes your greatest friend, your most effective tool, your most astonishing power, in the creation of the experience of your desires. You are Life.
Now, substitute the word "God" for the word "Life" in the above paragraph, apply it to yourself, and see if it does anything to your feeling of sadness.
Neale: Okay. "God is an energy that I can use at any time, with consistent and predictable results. Used in this way, God becomes my greatest friend, my most effective tool, my most astonishing power, in the creation of the experience of my desires. I am God.”
Any change? Feel any differently about "God" now?
Neale: I feel empowered. I feel befriended, cared for, and really empowered.
I tell you this: On some future tomorrow all of humanity will understand that what has just been said about Life can also be said about God.
It will also be said about God.
It will be said about Tomorrow's God. Yet only a person can befriend you, care for you, empower you.