T-21.VIII The Inner Shift
1. Are thoughts, then, dangerous? ²To bodies, yes! ³The thoughts that seem to kill are those that teach the thinker that he can be killed. ⁴And so he ‘dies’ because of what he learned. ⁵He goes from life to death, the final proof he valued the inconstant more than constancy. ⁶Surely he thought he wanted happiness. ⁷Yet he did not desire it because it was the truth, and therefore must be constant.
Expanded
Are thoughts, then, dangerous? ²To [thoughts are dangerous to] bodies, yes! ³The thoughts that seem to kill are those [thoughts] that teach the thinker that he [the thinker] can be killed. ⁴And so he [the thinker] ‘dies’ because of what he [the thinker] learned. ⁵He [the thinker] goes from life to death, the final proof he [the thinker] valued the inconstant more than constancy. ⁶Surely he [the thinker] thought he [the thinker] wanted happiness. ⁷Yet he [the thinker] did not desire it [happiness] because it [happiness] was the truth, and therefore must be constant.Substituted
Are thoughts, then, dangerous? ²Thoughts are dangerous to bodies, yes! ³The thoughts that seem to kill are thoughts that teach the thinker that the thinker can be killed. ⁴And so the thinker ‘dies’ because of what the thinker learned. ⁵The thinker goes from life to death, the final proof the thinker valued the inconstant more than constancy. ⁶Surely the thinker thought the thinker wanted happiness. ⁷Yet the thinker did not desire happiness because happiness was the truth, and therefore must be constant.Simplified
Thoughts are dangerous only to bodies. If you believe a thought that you will die, then you will die. By dying you value life as inconstant. Happiness is truth and is constant. By dying you did not value happiness.2. The constancy of joy is a condition quite alien to your understanding. ²Yet if you could even imagine what it must be, you would desire it although you understand it not. ³The constancy of happiness has no exceptions; no change of any kind. ⁴It is unshakable as is the Love of God for His creation. ⁵Sure in its vision as its Creator is in what He knows, happiness looks on everything and sees it is the same. ⁶It sees not the ephemeral, for it desires everything be like itself, and sees it so. ⁷Nothing has power to confound its constancy, because its own desire cannot be shaken. ⁸It comes as surely unto those who see the final question is necessary to the rest, as peace must come to those who choose to heal and not to judge.
Expanded
The constancy of joy is a condition quite alien to your understanding. ²Yet if you could even imagine what it [joy] must be, you would desire it [joy] although you understand it [joy] not. ³The constancy of happiness has no exceptions; no change of any kind. ⁴It [the-constancy-of-happiness] is unshakable as is the Love of God for His [God’s] creation. ⁵Sure in its [happiness’s] vision as its [happiness’s] Creator is in what He [happiness’s-Creator] knows, happiness looks on everything and sees it [everything] is the same. ⁶It [happiness] sees not the ephemeral, for it [happiness] desires everything be like itself [happiness’s-self], and sees it [everything] so [as like happiness]. ⁷Nothing has power to confound its [hapiness’s] constancy, because its [happiness’s] own desire cannot be shaken. ⁸It [happiness] comes as surely unto those who see the final question is necessary to the rest [of the questions], as peace must come to those who choose to heal and not to judge.Substituted
The constancy of joy is a condition quite alien to your understanding. ²Yet if you could even imagine what joy must be, you would desire joy although you understand joy not. ³The constancy of happiness has no exceptions; no change of any kind. ⁴The-constancy-of-happiness is unshakable as is the Love of God for God’s creation. ⁵Sure in happiness’s vision as happiness’s Creator is in what happiness’s-Creator knows, happiness looks on everything and sees everything is the same. ⁶Happiness sees not the ephemeral, for happiness desires everything be like happiness’s-self, and sees everything as like happiness. ⁷Nothing has power to confound hapiness’s constancy, because happiness’s own desire cannot be shaken. ⁸Happiness comes as surely unto those who see the final question is necessary to the rest of the questions, as peace must come to those who choose to heal and not to judge.Simplified
You do not understand how happiness/joy is constant. If you did understand, you would want it. Happiness sees no change. Happiness sees everything as the same. Happiness cannot be shaken. Happiness comes to those who choose to see the truth.Note
(8) The ‘final question’ is: do I want to see what I denied because it is the truth? c/f paragraphs 5 (sentence 14) and 6 of the previous section. The ‘rest’ is the previoius three questions.3. Reason will tell you that you cannot ask for happiness inconstantly. ²For if what you desire you receive, and happiness is constant, then you need ask for it but once to have it always. ³And if you do not have it always, being what it is, you did not ask for it. ⁴For no one fails to ask for his desire of something he believes holds out some promise of the power of giving it. ⁵He may be wrong in what he asks, where, and of what. ⁶Yet he will ask because desire is a request, an asking for, and made by one whom God Himself will never fail to answer. ⁷God has already given all that he really wants. ⁸Yet what he is uncertain of, God cannot give. ⁹For he does not desire it while he remains uncertain, and God’s giving must be incomplete unless it is received.
Expanded
Reason will tell you that you cannot ask for happiness inconstantly. ²For if what you desire you receive, and happiness is constant, then you need ask for it [happiness] but once to have it [happiness] always. ³And if you do not have it [happiness] always, being what it [happiness] is, you did not ask for it [happiness]. ⁴For no one fails to ask for his [one’s] desire of something he [one] believes holds out some promise of the power of giving it [happiness]. ⁵He [one] may be wrong in what he [one] asks, where, and of what. ⁶Yet he [one] will ask because desire is a request, an asking for, and made by one whom God Himself [God’s-self] will never fail to answer. ⁷God has already given all that he [one] really wants. ⁸Yet what he [one] is uncertain of, God cannot give. ⁹For he [one] does not desire it [what-one-wants] while he [one] remains uncertain, and God’s giving must be incomplete unless it [what-one-wants] is received.Substituted
Reason will tell you that you cannot ask for happiness inconstantly. ²For if what you desire you receive, and happiness is constant, then you need ask for happiness but once to have happiness always. ³And if you do not have happiness always, being what happiness is, you did not ask for happiness. ⁴For no one fails to ask for one’s desire of something one believes holds out some promise of the power of giving happiness. ⁵One may be wrong in what one asks, where, and of what. ⁶Yet one will ask because desire is a request, an asking for, and made by one whom God God’s-self will never fail to answer. ⁷God has already given all that one really wants. ⁸Yet what one is uncertain of, God cannot give. ⁹For one does not desire what-one-wants while one remains uncertain, and God’s giving must be incomplete unless what-one-wants is received.Simplified
You will ask for happiness when you are sure you want it. You receive what you desire. Happiness is constant. You only need to ask for happiness once and you will have it always. If you do not have happiness always, then you did not ask for happiness. If someone thinks something will make them happy, they will ask for it. The belief a thing will make you happy may be mistaken. God has already given you all that you really want. God gives what you are certain of wanting.4. You who complete God’s Will and are His happiness, whose will is powerful as His, a power that is not lost in your illusions, think carefully why you have not yet decided how you would answer the final question. ²Your answer to the others has made it possible to help you be already partly sane. ³And yet it is the final one that really asks if you are willing to be wholly sane.
Expanded
You who complete God’s Will and are His [God’s] happiness, whose [your] will is powerful as His [God’s], a power that is not lost in your illusions, think carefully why you have not yet decided how you would answer the final question. ²Your answer to the others [questions] has made it possible to help you be already partly sane. ³And yet it is the final one [question] that really asks if you are willing to be wholly sane.Substituted
You who complete God’s Will and are God’s happiness; your will is powerful as God’s, a power that is not lost in your illusions, think carefully why you have not yet decided how you would answer the final question. ²Your answer to the other questions has made it possible to help you be already partly sane. ³And yet it is the final question that really asks if you are willing to be wholly sane.Simplified
You complete God’s will. You are God’s happiness. Your will is as powerful as God’s will. Your power is not lost in your illusions. You must decide how to answer the final question. Answering the other questions has made it possible to be partly sane. But the final question asks if you are willing to be wholly sane.Note
The other questions are: Do I desire a world I rule instead of one that rules me? Do I desire a world where I am powerful instead of helpless? Do I desire a world in which I have no enemies and cannot sin?
The final question is: Do I want to see what I denied because it is the truth? T-21.VII.5:11–14
5. What is the holy instant but God’s appeal to you to recognize what He has given you? ²Here is the great appeal to reason; the awareness of what is always there to see, the happiness that could be always yours. ³Here is the constant peace you could experience forever. ⁴Here is what denial has denied revealed to you. ⁵For here the final question is already answered, and what you ask for given. ⁶Here is the future now, for time is powerless because of your desire for what will never change. ⁷For you have asked that nothing stand between the holiness of your relationship and your awareness of its holiness.