THE  GREAT  AWAKENING

PART II

CHAPTER 9

Appearances deceive because they are appearances and not Reality.  Dwell not upon them in any form.  They but obscure Reality, and they bring fear because they hide the Truth.  Vision depends on Light.  You cannot see in darkness.  Yet in darkness, in the private world of sleep, you see in dreams although your eyes are closed.  And it is here that what you see you made.  But let the darkness go, and all you made you will no longer see, for sight of it depends upon denying Vision.  Yet from denying Vision it does not follow you cannot see.

Do not seek vision through your eyes, for you made your way of seeing that you might see in darkness, and in this you are deceived.  Children perceive frightening ghosts, and monsters, and dragons, and they are terrified.  Yet when a child is helped to translate his "ghost" into a curtain, his "monster" into a shadow, and his "dragon" into a dream, he is no longer afraid, and laughs happily at his own fear.  The Bible tells you to become as little children.  Little children recognise that they do not know what they perceive, and so they ask what it means.  It is easy to help uncertain children.  When they ask for enlightenment and accept it, their fears vanish.

Dreams are perceptual temper tantrums, in which you literally scream, "I want it thus!"  And thus it seems to be.  And yet the dream cannot escape its origin.  Anger and fear pervade it, and in an instant the illusion of satisfaction is invaded by the illusion of terror.  Do not hide your nightmares in the darkness of your own false certainty.  Hear no insistence that sureness lies in doubt.  The Peace of God lies in the acceptance of Truth.  God wills you be in Heaven, and nothing can keep you from it, or it from you.  Your wildest misperceptions, your weird imaginings, your blackest nightmares all mean nothing.  They will not prevail against the Peace God wills for you.

To be in the Kingdom is merely to focus your full attention on it.  More simply, it means that you never see what does not exist, and always see what does.  Innocence is wisdom because it is unaware of evil, and evil does not exist.  It is, however, perfectly aware of everything that is True.  How else can you find Joy in a joyless place except by realising that you are not there?  You cannot be anywhere God did not put you, and God created you as part of Him.  This is both where you are, and what you are.  It is completely unalterable.  It is Total inclusion.  You cannot change it now, or ever.  It is forever True.  It is not a belief, but a FACT.  You can encounter only part of yourself, because you are part of God, Who is Everything.

When you have looked on what seemed terrifying, and seen it change to sights of Loveliness and Peace; when you have looked on scenes of violence and death, and watched them change to quiet views of gardens under open skies with clear, life-giving water running happily beside them in dancing brooks that never waste away; who need persuade you to accept the gift of Vision?  You dwell not in the world, but in Eternity.  You travel but in dreams, while safe at Home.  You must learn the cost of sleeping and refuse to pay it, for only then will you awaken.  When you want only Love, you will see nothing else.