The Principle of Gender (see Lesson I. and other lessons to follow) is manifested on all planes of life, material mental and spiritual. But, as we have said before, "Gender" does not mean "Sex"
sex is merely a material manifestation of gender.
"Gender" means "relating to generation or creation."
性别法则（见第一课和后面的其他几课），显化于物质、精神和灵魂的所有生命层面。
但就像我们前面提到的，性别并不等同于性。
性仅仅是性别的物质显化。
性别指的是关于产生和创造。

And whenever anything is generated or created, on any plane, the Principle of Gender must be manifested.
And this is true even in the creation of Universes.

无论何时在任何层面创造任何事物，都是性别法则的显化。
性别法也适用于宇宙的创造。

Now do not jump to the conclusion that we are teaching that there is a male and female God, or Creator.
不要误以为我们是说同时存在男女两性的上帝或创造者。

That idea is merely a distortion of the ancient teachings on the subject.
那个想法只是在对这个主题上的古代教导的歪曲。

The true teaching is that THE ALL, in itself, is above Gender, as it is above every other Law, including those of Time and Space.
真正的教导是，全能者本身是超乎性别法则、时间法则、空间法则及一切其它法则的。

It is the Law, from which the Laws proceed, and it is not subject to them.
全能者就是法则，一切法则由其产生，全能者不受限于这些法则。

But when THE ALL manifests on the plane of generation or creation, then it acts according to Law and Principle, for it is moving on a lower plane of Being.
但当全能者在产生或创造的层面显化时，其行为是遵循法律和法则，因为它运行在低层面的存在体上。

And consequently it manifests the Principle of Gender, in its Masculine and Feminine aspects, on the Mental Plane, of course.
因此，自然，在精神层面，从其雄性和雌性的方面，其显化性别法则。

This idea may seem startling to some of you who hear it for the first time,
这个观念对于你们中有些第一次听到的会感觉吃惊，
but you have all really passively accepted it in your everyday conceptions.
但是你已经在日常观念中被动地接受了。

You speak of the Fatherhood of God, and the Motherhood of Nature
--of God, the Divine Father, and Nature the Universal Mother
--and have thus instinctively acknowledged the Principle of Gender in the Universe. Is this not so?
你说上帝的父性和自然的大自然
——上帝，神圣的父亲，与宇宙母亲的大自然
——因而本能地承认在宇宙中的阴阳法则。难道不是这样吗？

But, the Hermetic teaching does not imply a real duality--THE ALL is ONE--the Two Aspects are merely aspects of manifestation.
但我们的神秘远离并非在暗示一种真正的两重性
――全能者是一
――性别的两个方面仅仅是其显化的部分方面。

The teaching is that The Masculine Principle manifested by THE ALL stands, in a way, apart from the actual mental creation of the Universe.
教导是：全能者显化的雄性法则，不代表宇宙的实现精神创造。
It projects its Will toward the Feminine Principle (which may be called "Nature") where　upon the latter begins the actual work of the evolution of the Universe,

它投射它的意志朝向雌性法则（可以被称为“大自然”），
于是后者开始宇宙演化的实际工作，

from simple "centers of activity" on to man, and then on and on still higher, all according to well-established and firmly enforced Laws of Nature.
所有都是按照已经建立的大自然法则，并且坚定地贯彻大自然法则，
从简单的“活跃中心”直到发展到人，并且继续去向更高。

If you prefer the old figures of thought, you may think of the Masculine Principle as GOD, the Father, and of the Feminine Principle as NATURE, the Universal Mother, from whose womb all things have been born.
如果你更喜欢古老的思想，你可以把雄性法则理解成上帝或父亲的法则，而把雌性法则对应到在其子宫中诞生万事万物的大自然、宇宙母亲。

This is more than a mere poetic figure of speech--it is an idea of the actual process of the creation of the Universe.
这不是诗情画意的讲演，它是宇宙创造的真正过程的想法。

But always remember, that THE ALL is but One, and that in its Infinite Mind the Universe is generated, created and exists.
但请永远记住，全能者是一。在其无限的思想中，宇宙产生、创造、存在。

It may help you to get the proper idea, if you will apply the Law of Correspondence to yourself, and your own mind. You know that the part of You which you call "I," in a sense, stands apart and witnesses the creation of mental Images in your own mind.
这有助于我们获得正确的理念，如果你将一致性法则应用到自身和自已的思想，你知道自已的一部分称为Ｉ，从某种意义上说，跳出自身，观察自己内心思想中精神图像的创造。

The part of your mind in which the mental generation is accomplished may be called the "Me" in distinction from the "I" which stands apart and witnesses and examines the thoughts, ideas and images of the "Me."
伴随着精神生产，你思想里还有个称为Me的部分，和Ｉ不同。Ｉ跳出自身，观察并审视Me的思想、主意和图像。
"As above, so below," remember, and the phenomena of one plane may be employed to solve the riddles of higher or lower planes.
记住“如在上的，亦在下，”一个层面中的现象可以被用在解决较高或者较低层面的谜题上。

Is it any wonder that You, the child, feel that instinctive reverence for THE ALL, which feeling we call "religion"--that respect, and reverence for THE FATHER MIND?
你有吃惊吗，孩子，当你感受到对全能者的本能上的崇拜，这个感受我们称为“宗教”
——这个尊敬和崇拜不是对于父亲的思想吗？

Is it any wonder that, when you consider the works and wonders of Nature, you are overcome with a mighty feeling which has its roots away down in your inmost being? It is the MOTHER MIND that you are pressing close up to, like a babe to the breast.
你有吃惊吗，当你认识到大自然的作为和神奇，那么难道你不是被深深植根于你灵魂最深处的敬畏感觉征服了吗？
它是母亲的思想，你正在贴近的，正如婴儿贴紧母亲的胸膛。

Do not make the mistake of supposing that the little world you see around you--the Earth, which is a mere grain of dust in the Universe--is the Universe itself.
不要误以为你看到的围绕你的小小世界
――地球，宇宙里的一粒微尘
――是地球自身。
There are millions upon millions of such worlds, and greater.
有不计其数这样的世界，无法计数。
And there are millions of millions of such Universes in existence within the Infinite Mind of THE ALL.
在全能者的思想里存在无数这样的宇宙。

And even in our own little solar system there are regions and planes of life far higher than ours, and beings compared to which we earth-bound mortals are as the slimy life-forms that dwell on the ocean's bed when compared to Man.
就是在我们自己的微小的太阳系里，也有比我们更高的生命区域和层面，相比较之下，居住在海床上的地球人只是基本的生命形态。

There are beings with powers and attributes higher than Man has ever dreamed of the gods' possessing.
有比地球人更高力量和品质的种群，如曾经梦到的神仙们。

And yet these beings were once as you, and still lower--and you will be even as they, and still higher, in time, for such is the Destiny of Man as reported by the Illumined.
这些种群曾经是和你们一样的，曾经还是更低级，甚至更高级，有朝一日，你会和他们一样，这就是先觉者（光明天使）报告的人类命运。

And Death is not real, even in the Relative sense
--it is but Birth to a new life
--and You shall go on, and on, and on, to higher and still higher planes of life, for aeons upon aeons of time.
死亡不是真的，即使在相对意义上
——它只不过是一个新生命的诞生
——经过万古的万古的时间，你将去到，再去到，再去到，更高然后更高的生命层面。

The Universe is your home, and you shall explore its farthest recesses before the end of Time.
这个宇宙是你的家，在时间终结前你要探索它最远的隐秘。

You are dwelling in the Infinite Mind of THE ALL, and your possibilities and opportunities are infinite, both in time and space.
你居住在全能者的无限思想里，在时间和空间两方面，你的可能性和机会都是无限的。

And at the end of the Grand Cycle of Aeons, when THE ALL shall draw back into itself all of its creations
在无数的万古的伟大周期的尽头，当全能者要把所有的创化拉回到它之内

--you will go gladly for you will then be able to know the Whole Truth of being At One with THE ALL.
Such is the report of the Illumined
--those who have advanced well along The Path.
——你会高兴地发现自己已经了解到了所有真理：和全能者合一。
这是先觉者（光明天使）的报告
——先觉者（光明天使）在这条路上已经走得非常超前了。

And, in the meantime, rest calm and serene--you are safe and protected by the Infinite Power of the FATHER-MOTHER MIND.
在此期间，歇息在平静和安祥中
——你很安全，有天父-天母思想的无限力量保护。

"Within the Father-Mother Mind, mortal children are at home."--The Kybalion.
天父-天母的思想就是凡人孩子的家。 ——Kybalion

"There is not one who is Fatherless, nor Motherless in the Universe."
--The Kybalion.
在宇宙里人人都有父母。 --The Kybalion.