Chapter 52 of 58

Book 4: The Power of the Spoken Word - Be Strong; Fear Not

第四巻：語られた言葉の力 — 強くあれ、恐れるな

Be strong! Fear not; Fear is man's only adversary. You face defeat whenever you are fearful! Fear of lack! Fear of failure! Fear of loss! Fear of personality! Fear of criticism! Fear robs you of all power, for you have lost your contact with the Universal Power House. "Why are ye fearful, Oh ye of little faith?" Fear is inverted faith. It is faith turned upside down. When you are fearful you begin to attract the thing you fear: you are magnetizing it. You are hypnotized by the race thought when you are afraid.

強くあれ！恐れるな。恐れは人の唯一の敵です。恐れるたびに敗北に直面します！欠乏への恐れ！失敗への恐れ！喪失への恐れ！

Daniel was undisturbed because he knew his God was stronger than the lions, his God made the lions as harmless as kittens, so walk up to your lion as quickly as possible and see for yourself. Perhaps, all your life you've been running away from some particular lion. It has made your life miserable and your hair grey. A hairdresser once told me that she knew a woman, whose grey hair returned to its natural color when she stopped worry. A woman said to me during an interview, "I'm not a bit fearful, but I worry a lot." Fear and worry are twins and are the same thing. If you were fearless your worry cells would be dried up. Why are ye worried, Oh ye of little faith? I think the most prevalent fear is the fear of loss. Perhaps you have everything that life can give, but in creeps the old lion of apprehension. You hear him growling, "It's too good to be true! It can't last." If he gets your attention you may well worry.

ダニエルは動じませんでした。自分の神がライオンよりも強いことを知っていたからです。神がライオンを子猫のように無害にしてくださったのです。だからあなたのライオンに歩み寄りなさい。

Many people have lost what they prized most dearly in life. That is because invariably they fear loss. The only weapon you can use against your lions is your word. Your word is your wand, filled with magic and power. You wave your wand over your lion and transmute him into a kitten. BUT the lion will remain a lion unless you walk up to him. You may well ask, "HOW do we walk up to lions?"

多くの人が人生で最も大切にしていたものを失っています。それは常に喪失を恐れているからです。恐れに対して使える唯一の武器は――

Moses said unto his people, "Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you this day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again, no more forever! The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." What a marvelous arrangement!

モーセは民に言いました。「恐れるな、堅く立って、今日あなたがたのために主がなしてくださる救いを見よ。今日見ているエジプト人を――」

Infinite Intelligence knows the way out. Infinite Intelligence knows where the supply is, for every demand. But we must trust It, keep our poise, and give It right of way. So many people are afraid of other people. They run away from disagreeable situations, so of course, the situation runs after them.

無限の知性は脱出の道を知っています。無限の知性はすべての需要に対する供給がどこにあるか知っています。しかし、それを信頼し、心の平安を保たなければなりません。

"The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" The twenty-seventh Psalm is one of the most triumphant Psalms! It is also rhythmic and musical. The writer realized that no enemy could harm him, for the Lord was his light and his salvation. Now remember, your only enemies are within yourself. The Bible is speaking of the enemy thoughts, your doubts, fears, hates, resentments, and forebodings. Every negative situation in your life is a crystallized thought, it has been built up out of your own vain imaginings! But these situations cannot stand the light of truth. So, you face the situation fearlessly, saying, "The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?"

「主は私の光、私の救い。誰を恐れよう。主は私の命の力。誰をおそれよう。」第二十七篇は――

Jesus Christ was the greatest of metaphysicians and gave us definite rules for controlling conditions through word and thought. "Thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies." First of all, you must be wiser than your enemy thoughts, the army of the aliens. You must answer every negative thought with a word of authority. The army of the aliens will chant: "Business is dull and money is scarce." Immediately you reply, "My supply comes from God and now appears like mushrooms overnight." There are no hard times in the kingdom. You may have to keep this up for quite a while, like the song of the katydids—"Katy did—Katy didn't." and so on. Finally you win out, for the truth must prevail and you have put to flight the army of the aliens. Then, when you are off your guard, the army of the aliens begins again; "You're not appreciated, you'll never be a success." You answer immediately: "God appreciates me, therefore man appreciates me. Nothing can interfere with my divinely designed success." Finally the army of the aliens is dissolved and dissipated, because you do not give it your attention. You have starved the aliens out. Starve out the fear thoughts by not giving them your attention and acting your faith. The lion draws his fierceness from your fear, his roar is in the tremors of your heart. Stand still like Daniel, and you too shall hear the rush of angels sent to take your part.

イエス・キリストは最も偉大な形而上学者であり、言葉と思考によって状況をコントロールする明確な規則を与えました。「あなたは私を敵よりも賢くしてくださった。」

The mission of Jesus Christ was to wake people up. "Awake thou that sleepeth." People were asleep in the Adamic dream of opposites. Lack, loss, failure, sin, sickness and death seemed realities to them. The story of Adam is, that he ate of the tree of Illusion and fell into a deep sleep. In this deep sleep he vainly imagined good and evil.

イエス・キリストの使命は人々を目覚めさせることでした。「眠れる者よ、目覚めよ。」人々は対立のアダムの夢の中で眠っていました。欠乏、喪失――

Bernard Shaw, in his book Back to Methuselah, says: "Adam invented murder, birth and death and all negative conditions." It was the development of the reasoning mind. Of course, Adam stands for Generic Mind. In the Garden of Eden stage, man functioned only in the superconscious. Whatever he desired or required was always at hand. With the development of the reasoning mind came the fall of man. He reasoned himself into lack, limitations and failure. He earned his bread by the sweat of the brow, instead of being Divinely provided for.

バーナード・ショーは著書「メトシェラに帰れ」の中でこう述べています。「アダムは殺人、誕生、死、そしてすべての否定的な状況を発明した。」それは――

Jesus Christ's message was to bring people back into the "fourth dimension," the Garden of Eden consciousness. In the 14th Chapter of John we find the summing-up of all His teachings. He called it, "The Gospel," which means "Good Tidings."

イエス・キリストのメッセージは人々を「四次元」、エデンの園の意識に連れ戻すことでした。ヨハネ福音書第十四章に――

With amazing simplicity and directness, He told the people that if they asked, believing, they would receive; attributing the power always to the Father within. God is the Giver, man the receiver! This Supreme Intelligence supplies man with all that he desires or requires! This was certainly a doctrine to wake people up! He proved His statements with miracles and wonders.

驚くべきシンプルさと率直さで、彼は人々に、信じて求めれば受けると告げ、力を常に父なる神に帰しました。

One of the most dramatic miracles was the healing of the man who had been blind from birth. The opponents of Jesus questioned the man, hoping to find something against Him. But the man would only say: "One thing I know; whereas I was blind, now I can see." This is a marvelous statement to make to yourself. "Whereas I was blind, now I can see." Perhaps you were blind to your good, blind to your opportunities, blind to your intuitive leads, blind to appearances, mistaking friends for enemies. When you are awake to your good, you know there are no enemies, for God utilizes every person and situation for your good. Hindrances are friendly and obstacles stepping-stones. One with God, you become invincible.

最もドラマチックな奇跡の一つは、生まれつき目の見えなかった人の癒しでした。イエスの反対者たちはその人に質問し――

This is a very powerful statement: "God's Invincible Power sweeps all before it. I ride the waves into my Promised Land." Riding the waves, they take you to your destination, free from the undertow of negative thinking, which would pull you down. Your thoughts and desires are always taking you somewhere. Prentice Mulford says: "The persistent purpose, that strong desire, that never ceasing longing, is a seed in the mind. It is rooted there, it is alive! It never stops growing!

これはとても力強い宣言です。「神の無敵の力はすべてを押し流す。わたしは波に乗って約束の地に入る。」波に乗ること――

There is a wonderful law involved in it. This law when known, followed out and trusted, leads every individual to mighty and beautiful results. The law followed with our eyes open, leads to more and more happiness in life; but followed blindly with our eyes shut, leads to misery!"

そこには素晴らしい法則が含まれています。この法則は、知られ、従われ、信頼されるとき、すべての個人を力強く美しい結果に導きます。

This means that desire is a tremendous vibratory force and must be rightly directed. Take this statement: "I only desire that which Infinite Intelligence desires through me. I claim that which is mine by Divine right, and under Grace in a Perfect Way!" You will then cease desiring the wrong things, and the right desires will take their place. Your dreary desires are answered drearily, your impatient desires are long delayed or violently fulfilled. It is important never to lose sight of this. Many unhappy situations have been brought about through dreary or impatient desires.

これは欲求が途方もない振動の力であり、正しく方向づけられなければならないことを意味します。次の宣言をしましょう。「わたしは無限の知性が――」

I will give an example of a woman who was married to a man who wanted her to go somewhere with him every evening. It wore her out and night after night she wished impatiently that she could stay at home and read a book. The desire was so strong it commenced to bud. Her husband went off with another woman. She lost him and his support—but she had the time to stay at home and read a book. Nothing has ever come uninvited into your life.

毎晩どこかに一緒に行きたがる夫と結婚していた女性の例を挙げましょう。彼女は疲れ果て、夜ごと――

Prentice Mulford has also some interesting ideas on work. He said: "To succeed in any undertaking, any art or any trade or any profession, simply keep it ever persistently fixed in mind as an aim, and then study to make all effort toward it play or recreation. The moment it becomes hard work, we are not advancing."

プレンティス・マルフォードも仕事について興味深い考えを持っています。「どんな事業、芸術、職業でも成功するためには――」と言いました。

As I look back on my experiences in the art world, I see how true this is. From the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, came eight men, all of about the same age, who became distinguished and successful artists. They were called "The Eight" in Contemporary Art. Not one of them was ever known to work hard. They never drew from the antique; they never did anything in an academic way. They simply expressed themselves. They painted and drew because they loved it—for the fun of it. They tell an amusing story of one of them who became a very well-known landscape artist, taking many medals and honorary mentions at exhibits. He had a one-man show in New York City, at one of the big galleries, and was seated reading a paper. An enthusiastic woman rushed up to him and said: "Can you tell me anything about the wonderful man who painted these adorable pictures?" He replied: "Sure, I'm the guy that painted the damn things." He painted for fun, he didn't care whether people liked his pictures or not.

美術界での経験を振り返ると、これがいかに真実かがわかります。フィラデルフィア美術アカデミーから八人の男性が出ました。

Whereas I was blind, now I can see, my right work, my perfect self-expression. Whereas I was blind, now I can see clearly and distinctly the Divine plan of my life. Whereas I was blind, now I can see, that God's power is the only power and that God's plan is the only plan. The race thought is still with a belief in insecurity. "Awake, thou that sleepeth!" God is your eternal security of mind, body and affairs. "Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid." If you were wide a-wake to your good, you could not be troubled and fearful! Waking up to the truth, that there is no loss, lack or failure in the kingdom of reality—loss, lack and failure would disappear from your life. They come from your own vain imaginings.

以前は目が見えなかったが、今は見える。正しい仕事、完全な自己表現が。以前は目が見えなかったが、今ははっきりと明瞭に見える――

The following is an example, illustrating the working of the law. A number of years ago, when I was in London I bought a wonderful fountain pen at Asprey's. It was Japanese and was called a Namike Pen. It was quite expensive and they gave me, with it, a guarantee that it would last thirty years. I was very much impressed, because every summer, on the 5th of August, they wrote me asking how the pen was getting along; one might have thought I had bought a horse. It was no ordinary pen and was very satisfactory. I always carried it with me and one day I lost it. I immediately commenced denying loss. I said; "There is no loss in Divine Mind, therefore I cannot lose the Namike Pen. It will be restored to me or its equivalent." No shops that I knew of in New York City carried these pens and London was a long way off, but I was charged with Divine Confidence, I couldn't lose the Namike Pen. One day, going along Fifth Avenue in a bus, my eye caught a sign on a shop for the fraction of a second. It seemed to stand out in the light. It read, "Oriental Craft Shop." I had never heard of it, but I had a strong hunch to go in and ask for a Namike Pen. I got off the bus and went into the shop and asked. The saleswoman replied, "Why yes, we have quite an assortment—they have just been reduced to $2.50." I praised the Lord and gave thanks. I bought three, and told the above story at one of my meetings. They were soon sold out as people rushed to get them. This was certainly an amazing working of the law—but, I was wide awake to my good. I did not let any grass grow under my intuitive lead.

次の例は法則の働きを示すものです。何年も前、ロンドンにいたとき素晴らしい万年筆を買いました。

The Truth student knows he must prove the Principle in his everyday affairs. "Acknowledge me in all your ways and I will direct your paths." "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, he shall do also, and greater works than these, shall he do, because I go unto my Father." What wonderful Faith Jesus Christ had in man! He held the vision of the race to come. The man made in God's likeness and image, (imagination). "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it. He explained to the people that they were under a system of gifts. God was the Giver, man the receiver. "Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself but the Father that dwelleth in me He doeth the works." He told people to "seek the kingdom," the realm of perfect ideas, where all things would be added unto them. He woke them up!

真理の学徒は、日常の事柄で原理を証明しなければならないことを知っています。「すべての道でわたしを認めよ。わたしはあなたの道を導く。」

"Whereas I was blind, now I can see, there is nothing to fear for there is no power to hurt. I see clearly before me the open road of fulfillment. There are no obstacles on my pathway."

以前は目が見えなかったが、今は見える。恐れるものは何もない。傷つける力はない。成就への開かれた道がはっきり見える。

Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of thy hand: thou hast put all things under His feet. —Psalm 8:6

主は御手の業を治めさせ、すべてのものをその足の下に置かれた。――詩篇8:6