Chapter 30 – 9. Changeless Reality
Appearances deceive, but can be changed. Reality is changeless. It does not
deceive at all, and if you fail to see beyond appearances you are deceived.
For everything you see will change, and yet you thought it real before, and
now you think it real again. Reality is thus reduced to form, and capable of
change. Reality is changeless. It is this that makes it real, and keeps it
separate from all appearances. It must transcend all form to be itself. It
cannot change.
Â
The miracle is means to demonstrate that all appearances can change
because they are appearances, and cannot have the changelessness reality
entails. The miracle attests salvation from appearances by showing they can
change. Your brother has a changelessness in him beyond appearance and
deception, both. It is obscured by changing views of him that you perceive
as his reality. The happy dream about him takes the form of the appearance
of his perfect health, his perfect freedom from all forms of lack, and safety
from disaster of all kinds. The miracle is proof he is not bound by loss or
suffering in any form, because it can so easily be changed. This
demonstrates that it was never real, and could not stem from his reality. For
that is changeless, and has no effects that anything in Heaven or on earth
could ever alter. But appearances are shown to be unreal because they
change.
Â
What is temptation but a wish to make illusions real? It does not seem to be
the wish that no reality be so. Yet it is an assertion that some forms of idols
have a powerful appeal that makes them harder to resist than those you
would not want to have reality. Temptation, then, is nothing more than this;
a prayer the miracle touch not some dreams, but keep their unreality
obscure and give to them reality instead. And Heaven gives no answer to
the prayer, nor can a miracle be given you to heal appearances you do not
like. You have established limits. What you ask is given you, but not of God
Who knows no limits. You have limited yourself.
Â
Reality is changeless. Miracles but show what you have interposed between
reality and your awareness is unreal, and does not interfere at all. The cost
of the belief there must be some appearances beyond the hope of change is
that the miracle cannot come forth from you consistently. For you have
asked it be withheld from power to heal all dreams. There is no miracle you
cannot have when you desire healing. But there is no miracle that can be
given you unless you want it. Choose what you would heal, and He Who
gives all miracles has not been given freedom to bestow His gifts upon
God’s Son. When he is tempted, he denies reality. And he becomes the
willing slave of what he chose instead.
Â
Because reality is changeless is a miracle already there to heal all things
that change, and offer them to you to see in happy form, devoid of fear. It
will be given you to look upon your brother thus. But not while you would
have it otherwise in some respects. For this but means you would not have
him healed and whole. The Christ in him is perfect. Is it this that you would
look upon? Then let there be no dreams about him that you would prefer to
seeing this. And you will see the Christ in him because you let Him come to
you. And when He has appeared to you, you will be certain you are like
Him, for He is the changeless in your brother and in you.
Â
This will you look upon when you decide there is not one appearance you
would hold in place of what your brother really is. Let no temptation to
prefer a dream allow uncertainty to enter here. Be not made guilty and
afraid when you are tempted by a dream of what he is. But do not give it
power to replace the changeless in him in your sight of him. There is no
false appearance but will fade, if you request a miracle instead. There is no
pain from which he is not free, if you would have him be but what he is.
Why should you fear to see the Christ in him? You but behold yourself in
what you see. As he is healed are you made free of guilt, for his appearance
is your own to you.
Appearances deceive, but can be changed. Reality is changeless. It does not
deceive at all, and if you fail to see beyond appearances you are deceived.
For everything you see will change, and yet you thought it real before, and
now you think it real again. Reality is thus reduced to form, and capable of
change. Reality is changeless. It is this that makes it real, and keeps it
separate from all appearances. It must transcend all form to be itself. It
cannot change.
Â
The miracle is means to demonstrate that all appearances can change
because they are appearances, and cannot have the changelessness reality
entails. The miracle attests salvation from appearances by showing they can
change. Your brother has a changelessness in him beyond appearance and
deception, both. It is obscured by changing views of him that you perceive
as his reality. The happy dream about him takes the form of the appearance
of his perfect health, his perfect freedom from all forms of lack, and safety
from disaster of all kinds. The miracle is proof he is not bound by loss or
suffering in any form, because it can so easily be changed. This
demonstrates that it was never real, and could not stem from his reality. For
that is changeless, and has no effects that anything in Heaven or on earth
could ever alter. But appearances are shown to be unreal because they
change.
Â
What is temptation but a wish to make illusions real? It does not seem to be
the wish that no reality be so. Yet it is an assertion that some forms of idols
have a powerful appeal that makes them harder to resist than those you
would not want to have reality. Temptation, then, is nothing more than this;
a prayer the miracle touch not some dreams, but keep their unreality
obscure and give to them reality instead. And Heaven gives no answer to
the prayer, nor can a miracle be given you to heal appearances you do not
like. You have established limits. What you ask is given you, but not of God
Who knows no limits. You have limited yourself.
Â
Reality is changeless. Miracles but show what you have interposed between
reality and your awareness is unreal, and does not interfere at all. The cost
of the belief there must be some appearances beyond the hope of change is
that the miracle cannot come forth from you consistently. For you have
asked it be withheld from power to heal all dreams. There is no miracle you
cannot have when you desire healing. But there is no miracle that can be
given you unless you want it. Choose what you would heal, and He Who
gives all miracles has not been given freedom to bestow His gifts upon
God’s Son. When he is tempted, he denies reality. And he becomes the
willing slave of what he chose instead.
Â
Because reality is changeless is a miracle already there to heal all things
that change, and offer them to you to see in happy form, devoid of fear. It
will be given you to look upon your brother thus. But not while you would
have it otherwise in some respects. For this but means you would not have
him healed and whole. The Christ in him is perfect. Is it this that you would
look upon? Then let there be no dreams about him that you would prefer to
seeing this. And you will see the Christ in him because you let Him come to
you. And when He has appeared to you, you will be certain you are like
Him, for He is the changeless in your brother and in you.
Â
This will you look upon when you decide there is not one appearance you
would hold in place of what your brother really is. Let no temptation to
prefer a dream allow uncertainty to enter here. Be not made guilty and
afraid when you are tempted by a dream of what he is. But do not give it
power to replace the changeless in him in your sight of him. There is no
false appearance but will fade, if you request a miracle instead. There is no
pain from which he is not free, if you would have him be but what he is.
Why should you fear to see the Christ in him? You but behold yourself in
what you see. As he is healed are you made free of guilt, for his appearance
is your own to you.