Chapter 21: Devotion and Commitment

As revealed to God’s Messenger Marshall Vian Summers in 1992 in the USA
1992，在美国(USA)，向上帝的信使马歇尔・维安・萨默斯(Marshall Vian Summers)揭示

Devotion and commitment can truly arise when you recognize that a relationship is intrinsic rather than created. You have done nothing to establish it. It is not based on a past life. It is based on recognition that was established before you entered this world, and now it has been regained through recognition with another person. This recognition fosters devotion, which is an expression of love and companionship. It fosters true commitment, which is an expression of your purpose together now.

当你认识到一种关系是内在的而不是创造的，奉献和承诺才会真正产生。你没有做任何事情来建立它。它不是基于过去的生命。它的基础是在你进入这个世界之前就已经建立的认可，现在通过对另一个人的认知重新获得了认可。这种认可促进了奉献，这是爱和伴侣关系的表达。它促进了真实的承诺，这是你们现在共同目的的表达。

You may well ask, “How can there be commitment without obligation? How can there be devotion without personal loss?” The answer to these questions is very basic but not obvious or easy to discern. You have devotion and commitment without loss because you are committed to Knowledge together. It is not your ideas about Knowledge. It is Knowledge itself. It is a shared experience. You cannot have this with whomever you like. It can only arise with certain individuals at certain stages of your development.

你可能会问，”没有义务怎么会有承诺？没有个人损失怎么会有奉献呢？”这些问题的答案是非常基本的，但并不明显或容易辨别。你有奉献和承诺而没有损失，因为你们一起致力于内识。这不是你对内识的想法。它是内识本身。它是一种共同的经历。你不可能和你喜欢的人拥有这个。它只能在你发展的特定阶段与某些人产生。

Appreciation of others is warranted, but devotion represents a far greater participation. It is the pinnacle of relationships between individuals. It is the highest expression of relationship with another person. It holds a great promise, yet it is feared by those who do not experience it. Devotion is not given by attempting to use another to fulfill your ambitions and desires. Devotion is a natural outpouring of your True Self. It cares not for success or loss.

对他人的欣赏是应该的，但奉献代表了更大的参与。它是个人之间关系的顶峰。它是与另一个人关系的最高表达。它有一个伟大的承诺，但那些没有经历过它的人却害怕它。奉献不是通过试图利用他人来实现你的野心和欲望。奉献是你真我的自然流露。它不关心成功或失败。

Sooner or later you must discover devotion. It is inherent in the raising of children, yet it has a greater role than even this, for you may not be intrinsically related to your own offspring. That is one reason why parents and children fight. Intrinsic relationship is established beyond this world. It can only be recognized, and once recognized it is supported through your commitment to its purpose. We must bring devotion and commitment into the right order or you will not understand our meaning.

迟早你必须发现奉献。它在养育孩子方面是固有的，但它的作用甚至比这更大，因为你可能与你自己的后代没有内在的关系。这就是父母和孩子争吵的一个原因。内在关系是在这个世界之外建立的。它只能被认出，而一旦被承认，就会通过你对其目的的承认得到支持。我们必须把奉献和承诺带入正确的顺序，否则你就不会理解我们的意义。

Devotion is not something you can try to have. It is something that moves you. It is not a virtue that you attempt. It is something that moves you. Knowledge is not ideas. It moves you. It is force within your life. Something is moving you. You do not know what it is. You are afraid of it perhaps because it has such tremendous power, and yet it is so natural to you. It is from the very heart of you, but it is moving you now. This is Knowledge expressing itself in your life. It will move you to devote yourself to another when the time is appropriate.

奉献不是你可以尝试拥有的东西。它是一种推动你的东西。它不是一种你试图拥有的美德。它是一种能推动你的东西。内识不是想法。它使你移动。它是你生命中的力量。有东西在推动你。你不知道它是什么。你害怕它，也许是因为它有如此巨大的力量，然而它对你来说是如此自然。它来自于你的内心，但它现在正在推动你。这是内识在你的生命中表达自己。当时机合适时，它会激励你全身心投入到另一个人身上。

Your commitment, then, will simply be recognized. You do not make commitments. How can you make a commitment? You can only make agreements that are temporary in nature. True commitment emanates from within you. You find you must make a commitment because you must. It is not justified in terms of what it will give you in the immediate future. Perhaps it will raise more problems than it will solve. Perhaps temporarily it will be a tremendous inconvenience. But it is coming from within you. It is moving you. It is as if you were finding yourself and surrendering yourself all at once.

那么，你的承诺将只是被承认。你不做承诺。你怎么能做出承诺？你只能做出具有临时性质的协议。真实的承诺是从你的内心发出的。你发现你必须做出承诺，因为你必须这样做。从它在近期内会给你带来什么来看，它是不正当的。也许它会引起更多的问题而不是解决。也许暂时它将是一个巨大的不便之处。但它是来自你的内心。它正在推动你。就好像你一下子找到了自己，又一下子交出了自己。

Here you are giving over your authority to a Greater Power within you. It is you, yet is greater than you. This seeming contradiction between what is you and what is greater than you must be clearly understood. I have said that your Higher Self is not a greater individual. It is part of the fabric and matrix of life operating in time and space. It is associated with a specific group, whom we call your Spiritual Family. Your Higher Self is not a greater individual. It is not a superego. It is intrinsically you, but it is you in intrinsic relationship with life. It is you without separation serving in time and space, for that is where you are. When relationship is understood at this level, devotion and commitment arise naturally. You do not need to attempt to have them, yet it may take great strength on your part to accept them.

在这里，你正在把你的权威交给你内在的一种更伟大的力量。它是你，但又比你更伟大。必须清楚地理解属于你的内识和比你更伟大的内识之间这种看似矛盾的情况。我已经说过，你的高我并不是一个更大的个体。它是在时间和空间中运作的生命结构和矩阵的一部分。它与一个特定的群体有关，我们称之为你的精神家庭。你的高我不是一个更大的个体。它不是一个超我。它在本质上是你，但它是你与生命的内在关系。它是没有分离的你，在时间和空间中服务，因为那是你的所在。当关系被理解到这个层面时，奉献和承诺就会自然产生。你不需要试图拥有它们，但你可能需要很大的力量来接受它们。

Relationship is like life itself. You pretend until you find out what it really is. You operate on your own assumptions until you release them and discover something else. It is quite evident that people’s attempts at relationship have not satisfied their difficulty with loneliness and isolation. Yet, these things can be resolved because it is God’s Plan that they be undone.

关系就像生命它本身。你假装，直到你发现它真正的是什么。你在自己的假设上操作，直到你释放它们并发现其他关系。很明显，人们对关系的尝试并没有满足他们对孤独和寂寞的困难。然而，这些事情是可以解决的，因为这是上帝的计划，它们是可以被解除的。

People are very impatient because they are afraid, yet they want to make sure that they have everything now that they want before they decide anything important. People often ask, “Will I find a true partner for myself?” This is a very common and understandable question. “Will I have true companionship?” It is possible, but first you must seek something more important, for true companionship arises out of your purpose in life. People want everything that purpose can give but without the purpose. Therefore, they are content only with ideas. They hear our words as simply more ideas: “Now I have heard this teacher say this, but it is not the same as what that teacher says. I am very confused. I am more confused now. I do not know who to believe.”

人们非常不耐烦，因为他们害怕，然而他们想在决定任何重要的事情之前确保他们现在拥有他们想要的一切。人们经常问：”我会为自己找到一个真实的伴侣吗？”这是一个非常普遍和可以理解的问题。”我将有真实的伴侣吗？”这是有可能的，但首先你必须寻求更重要的内识，因为真实的伴侣产生于你的生命目的中。人们想要目的所能给予的一切，但没有目的。因此，他们只满足于想法。他们把我们的话当作更多的想法。”现在我听到这个老师这么说，但这和那个老师说的不一样。我很迷惑。我现在更糊涂了。我不知道该相信谁。”

You must seek purpose first. It is intrinsic within you. That will give your relationships meaning and direction. That will produce the possibility for true union. You do not need to go looking for a partner. They will look for you, yet your activities involving your purpose will bring you to them. This is life operating now. You are working with life now and are not independent of it.

你必须首先寻求目的。它是你内心固有的。这将赋予你的关系以意义和方向。这将产生真实结合的可能性。你不需要去寻找一个伙伴。他们会寻找你，然而你涉及你的目的的活动会把你带到他们身边。这就是生命现在的运作。你现在正与生命一起工作，而不是独立于它。

Fundamentally, it is your independence that is your problem. There is no freedom in independence. You are a castoff. What freedom is there then? You are bereft of your Spiritual Family. You are bereft of Knowledge, with only your wishes and fears to guide you. This gives rise to a very troubled world. Yet, this is not your Heritage. This is not why you have come here—to act out this lonely and barren existence. Everything you want, you know you will lose. But this is not what is intended for you.

从根本上说，你的独立才是你的问题所在。独立中没有自由。你是一个被抛弃的人。那还有什么自由呢？你失去了你的精神家庭。你被剥夺了内识，只有你的愿望和恐惧来指导你。这就产生了一个非常混乱的世界。然而，这不是你的遗产。这不是你来这里的原因——来表达这种孤独和贫瘠的存在。你想要的一切，你知道你会失去。但这并不是为你准备的。

You have within you the seed of Knowledge. It contains all of the Knowledge you have acquired or reclaimed so far. It also contains your specific calling in this life. It contains your ability to recognize those relationships that are intrinsic to your purpose. This is a gift. Yet, it is evident that there are not many who will seek for it. This is the Kingdom.

你的体内有内识的种子。它包含了你到目前为止所获得或收回的所有内识。它也包含了你在这一生命中的特定的召唤。它包含了你识别那些与你的目的有内在联系的能力。这是一种礼物。然而，很明显，没有多少人愿意寻求它。这就是王国。

In your desire for community and partnership, you are seeking for your Spiritual Family, always. It is entirely natural for you to do this. Yet, you must seek in the ways that bring success. This happens in all worlds.

在你对社区和伙伴关系的渴望中，你一直在寻求你的精神家庭。你这样做是完全自然的。然而，你必须以带来成功的方式寻求。这发生在所有的世界上。

You have not come to the world only for learning. Learning is only a small part of why you are here. It is fun to be a student, but students have not yet joined with life. They are only studying things. They have not entered into the mainstream of human life. Your purpose here is to discover your Knowledge and contribute it. That is, in words, a most succinct definition. People are attempting the most dangerous and destructive involvements in the name of learning. They say, “It is a great learning experience, though tremendously painful,” and so forth. That is not cause for involvement. You can only unlearn the false by accepting the true. The true is what you contain within you in your Knowledge. Knowledge is expressing itself through you in subtle ways. Periodically, it expresses itself through you in dramatic ways. It does not think like you think. It does not choose between ideas. It knows. It acts. Knowledge is instinct in intelligent life.

你来到这个世界并不只是为了学习。学习只是你在这里的一小部分原因。做学生很有趣，但学生还没有与生命结合。他们只是在研究事物。他们还没有进入人类生命的主流。你在这里的目的是发现你的内识并将其贡献出来。这就是一个最简洁的定义。人们正试图以学习的名义从事最危险和最具破坏性的工作。他们说：”这是一个伟大的学习经历，虽然非常痛苦”，等等。这不是参与的原因。你只能通过接受真实来解除错误的学习。真实就是你在你的内识中包含的生命。内识正以微妙的方式通过你表达自己。定期地，它通过你以戏剧性的方式表达自己。它不像你那样思考。它不会在各种想法之间做出选择。它知道。它采取行动。内识是智慧生命的本能。

It is Knowledge that we advocate. It is central to all your success here. It is your greatest yearning and your greatest fear. Yet, it is so gracious in how it emanates. Its blessing to you is so evident. If you think back, you will realize how it has attempted to keep you from error and guide you towards your best option and towards your true application. It has even saved your life on occasion. It is a mysterious power, and many people attribute it to forces beyond themselves. “God came in and pulled me out of this terrible situation!” God did not do that. It is Knowledge that kept you moving forward. If you destroy your ability and your inclination to discern Knowledge, your life would begin to be over. Your Being would attempt to reach you at another time.

我们倡导的是内识。它是你在这里所有成功的核心。它是你最大的渴望，也是你最大的恐惧。然而，它是如此亲切地散发出来的。它对你的祝福是如此明显。如果你回想一下，你会意识到它是如何试图让你远离错误，引导你走向你的最佳选择，走向你的真实应用。它甚至有时还救了你的命。这是一种神秘的力量，许多人把它归结为超越自己的力量。”上帝来了，把我从这个可怕的情况中拉出来！”上帝并没有这样做。是内识让你继续前进。如果你破坏了你辨别内识的能力和倾向，你的生命就会开始结束。你的存在会试图在另一个时间到达你。

There are resolutions to make in relationship. That is evident. There are things to recognize. You must find out what is genuine and what is not. There are many attractions that appear to produce great stimulation but which have no content at all. There are other attractions that seem tasteless but have the power of God within them. Here learning discernment is very important. Do not attempt devotion and commitment until Knowledge directs it, or you will become dishonest. You will tell people that you are devoted and committed, but at the first test you will fall away. It is wiser then to make temporary agreements that can enable you to follow through in your plans. But devotion and commitment are far greater.

在关系中，有决议要做。这是显而易见的。有一些事情需要认识。你必须找出什么是真的，什么是假的。有许多看起来产生巨大刺激的吸引力，但根本没有内容。还有一些景点看起来索然无味，但其中有上帝的力量。在这里，学习辨别力是非常重要的。在内识的指引下，不要尝试奉献和承诺，否则你会变得不诚实。你会告诉别人你很虔诚，很投入，但一经考验，你就会掉队。那么，制定临时协议，使你能够贯彻你的计划，是比较明智的。但奉献和承诺要大得多。

With devotion and commitment, you will be willing to do what few people will do, and you will be willing to do it with very little applause. Why? Because you must. It is this “must” that is the essence of life. People are very, very covetous of their freedom, but it has not given them anything except the opportunity to discern Knowledge.

有了奉献和承诺，你会愿意做很少人愿意做的事，而且你会愿意在很少的掌声中做。为什么？因为你必须这样做。正是这种”必须”才是生命的本质。人们非常、非常觊觎他们的自由，但除了辨别内识的机会，它没有给他们任何东西。

When we speak of Knowledge within the individual, we speak of this essential drive. It is not compulsive. It is not based on fear. It is deep. It is consistent. It does not discuss things. With this, you become alive. This is when life is active within you. This is where devotion and commitment come from. You do not devote yourself because it is a good thing to do or because you will look more spiritual or because if you don’t do it, you won’t get what you want. You do not devote yourself to keep others happy with you. You do not devote yourself for self-gratification of any kind. You devote yourself because you must. That is all. Explanations are secondary now. It is entirely natural. It would be unnatural not to do it. This is where recognition really begins.

当我们谈到个人内部的内识时，我们说的是这种基本驱动力。它不是强迫性的。它不是基于恐惧。它是深刻的。它是一致的。它不讨论事情。有了这个，你就变得有活力。这就是生命在你体内活跃的时候。这就是奉献和承诺的来源。你奉献自己，不是因为这是一件好事，也不是因为你会看起来更有精神，更不是因为如果你不这样做，你就不会得到你想要的东西。你奉献自己不是为了让别人对你满意。你不会为了任何形式的自我满足而奉献自己。你献身是因为你必须献身。这就是全部。解释现在是次要的。这完全是自然的。不这样做将是不自然的。这就是承认的真正开始。

As I have said, until you have this experience, do not play with commitment and devotion. Be a student. When people are devoted, they give their lives to things. It is not a sacrifice to do that. It would be a greater sacrifice not to. Therefore, this quality of devotion is quite unique. You will not see it expressed frequently. Where it exists, there will be great anxiety amongst observers. And there will be great inspiration as well.

正如我所说的，在你有这种经历之前，不要用承诺和奉献来玩。要做一名学生。当人们有了奉献精神，他们就会把自己的生命献给事物。这样做并不是一种牺牲。不这样做将是更大的牺牲。因此，这种奉献的品质是相当独特的。你不会经常看到它的表达。在它存在的地方，观察者中会有很大的焦虑。同时也会有巨大的鼓舞。

Devotion is essential for you to be able to take your next step beyond this world. Then you will join your Spiritual Family, and your sense of devotion will enable you to carry on your next task. You see, this world is not a place where you join Ultimate Reality. It is a place where you prepare for the next step. That is why we do not advocate that you attempt to reach great heights in spiritual advancement. You do not know what this is. You are trying to perfect what needs to be set aside.

奉献对于你能够迈出超越这个世界的下一步至关重要。然后你将加入你的精神家庭，你的奉献意识将使你能够进行你的下一个任务。你看，这个世界不是一个你加入终极现实的地方。它是一个你为下一步做准备的地方。这就是为什么我们不主张你试图在精神进步方面达到很高的高度。你不知道这是什么。你正在试图完善需要搁置的东西。

People who are able to be complete in this world have very simple lives. They are simple inside. Their lives may seem daring and bold to others, yet there is a gracious simplicity. They are now able to serve the world, for they do not need to take anything from it. Their desire for service and their nourishment from service enable them to join the Teachers who serve this world. They are in a position to receive the Knowledge and graciousness of the Unseen Ones, who oversee those who serve this world.

能够在这个世界上圆满的人，他们的生活非常简单。他们的内心是简单的。他们的生活在别人看来可能是大胆的，然而有一种亲切的简单。他们现在能够为世界服务，因为他们不需要从世界上获取任何东西。他们对服务的渴望和从服务中得到的滋养使他们能够加入为这个世界服务的老师们。他们有能力接受不可见者的内识和恩惠，他们监督那些为这个世界服务的人。

Life does not ask you to be perfect. There are no perfect personalities, no perfect bodies. These things are transitory. Life does not require this. Therefore, do not require this of yourself. That would be very unkind. It is not asked of you. You will have to make personal adjustments in your behavior and habits, of course, but only to accommodate a true ability that is beginning to emanate from you. Then personal change is not for pride. It is for usefulness. You simply must make changes in your life in order to have a greater experience of Knowledge and to find the right expression for it. It is that simple. There is no great fanfare about it. Things that are destructive are given up because they are destructive. It is not a matter of good and bad now. It is a matter of choosing support over obstruction. This brings you into life. Here you begin to see life operating in service to you, both in the visible realm and beyond. You begin to feel the Spiritual Presence with you and begin to discern Presence. Your life has not yet been defined, but it is moving.

生命并不要求你是完美的。没有完美的人格，没有完美的身体。这些东西都是短暂的。生命并不要求这些。因此，不要要求你自己这样做。这将是非常不仁慈的。这不是对你的要求。当然，你将不得不在你的行为和习惯中做出个人调整，但只是为了适应一种开始从你身上发出的真实能力。那么个人的改变不是为了骄傲。它是为了有用。你只是必须在你的生命中做出改变，以便对内识有更多的经历，并为它找到正确的表达方式。就是这么简单。这方面没有什么大张旗鼓。破坏性的东西被放弃了，因为它们是破坏性的。现在不是一个好与坏的问题。这是一个选择支持而不是阻碍的问题。这将你带入生命。在这里，你开始看到生命在为你服务，无论是在可见的领域还是在其他领域。你开始感觉到精神的存在与你同在，并开始辨别存在。你的生命还没有被定义，但它正在移动。

You will not know your calling in life, in most cases, until your life is well underway in service to Knowledge. It is rare that individuals will have an experience of their calling prior to this. To accept a calling in life, you must be completely available.

在大多数情况下，你不会知道你的生命召唤，直到你的生命在为内识服务的过程中顺利进行。在这之前，很少有人能经历到自己的中召唤。要接受生命中的召唤，你必须是完全可用的。

People say, “Well, what is this devotion you talk about? What can it give to me? I seem to be just a servant now. What is the benefit to me?” There is benefit. There is great benefit—a sense of self, a sense of direction, a sense of true association with others, a sense of well-being, a sense of continuity of life—are these not all things you seek for? Are they not fundamental to your happiness here? Life will offer you what it is intended to offer you, and you will give life what you are intended to give it if you discover Knowledge. It will take you a lifetime to do this. There is no quick and easy path, yet there are direct ways that do save you time. Devotion, then, is what you want to receive, for this speaks of your intrinsic relationship with life, which ends the idea of separation altogether.

人们说：”好吧，你说的这个奉献是什么？它能给我带来什么？我现在似乎只是一个仆人。对我有什么好处？”是有好处的。有很大的好处——自我感、方向感、与他人的真正联系感、幸福感、生命的延续感——这些不都是你寻求的吗？它们难道不是你在这里幸福的根本吗？生命会给你提供它想给你的东西，如果你发现内识，你会给生命你想给它的东西。这将需要你用一生的时间来做这件事。没有快速和容易的路径，但有直接的方法，确实可以节省你的时间。那么，奉献是你想要得到的，因为这涉及到你与生命的内在关系，这完全结束了分离的想法。

Knowledge is the most mysterious yet the most natural thing in the world. The world does not attest to it because the world is ignorant of Knowledge. Yet, Knowledge is the only reality that you bring with you from your Ancient Home, and it will be the only reality you take away. It is the light within you.

内识是世界上最神秘但也是最自然的东西。世界并不证明它，因为世界对内识一无所知。然而，内识是你从你的古老家园带来的唯一现实，它也将是你带走的唯一现实。它是你内在的光。

Your intrinsic needs in this life are for true relationship, true community, true purpose and true calling. Those are your intrinsic needs. You will have them no matter who you think you are, no matter what you are trying to do or who you are trying to be. You cannot extinguish them. They are central to you. When you have received the means for answering these needs, then you will be in a position to help others do the same. Knowledge ignites Knowledge. As Knowledge is more evident in you, it will ignite others. This is an entirely natural process.

你在这一生中的内在需求是对真实的关系、真实的社区、真实的目的和真实的召唤。这些是你内在的需要。无论你认为自己是谁，无论你试图做什么或你试图成为谁，你都会有这些需求。你不能熄灭它们。它们是你的核心。当你得到了满足这些需求的方法，那么你就会有能力帮助别人做到这一点。内识点燃了内识。当内识在你身上更加明显时，它将点燃其他人。这是一个完全自然的过程。