CHAPTER VI　THE DIVINE PARADOX
第六章 神性的悖论

"The half-wise, recognizing the comparative unreality of the Universe, imagine that they may defy its Laws—such are vain and presumptuous fools, and they are broken against the rocks and torn asunder by the elements by reason of their folly.
——The Kybalion

“小智小慧的，认为宇宙相对的不真实，想象他们能够去对抗法则——那真是徒然和放肆的愚者，他们的愚蠢只会是搬起石头砸自己的脚。
——The Kybalion

The truly wise, knowing the nature of the Universe,use Law against laws; the higher against the lower; and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph.
——The Kybalion

真正的智慧，知晓宇宙的本性，利用法则对抗法则；利用较高的对抗较低的；依靠炼金术的艺术去转化粗贱的成为财富，因而获胜。
——The Kybalion

Mastery consists not in abnormal dreams, visions and fantastic imaginings or living, but in using the higher forces against the lower--escaping the pains of the lower planes by vibrating on the higher.

——The Kybalion
掌控不是在异梦或者异象中，幻想的意象或者生命中，而是利用较高的力量去对抗较低的——靠着在更高层面的振动，摆脱较低层面的痛苦。转化，不是专横地否定，是大师的武器。”
——The Kybalion

Transmutation, not presumptuous denial, is the weapon of the Master."--The Kybalion.
——The Kybalion

大师们的武器是转换变化而非傲气十足地拒绝。 ——Kybalion
——The Kybalion

This is the Paradox of the Universe, resulting from the Principle of Polarity which manifests when THE ALL begins to Create--hearken to it for it points the difference between half-wisdom and wisdom.
这是宇宙的悖论，由全能者开始创造时显化的极性法则所导致——注意，它指出了小智小慧和真智慧之间的差别。

While to THE INFINITE ALL, the Universe, its Laws, its Powers, its life, its Phenomena, are as things witnessed in the state of Meditation or Dream;
对于无限全能者——这个宇宙，它的法则，它的力量，它的生命，它的现象，都是如同在冥想或者梦境中被观察的事物；

yet to all that is Finite, the Universe must be treated as Real, and life, and action, and thought, must be based thereupon, accordingly, although with an ever understanding of the Higher Truth.
Each according to its own Plane and Laws.

然而对于有限的人类，宇宙必须像真实那样被对待，人类的生命、行动以及思想一定基于此上建立。
相应地，每一个都有更高真理的理解。
每一个都遵守它自己的层面和律则。

Were THE ALL to imagine that the Universe were indeed Reality, then woe to the Universe, for there would be then no escape from lower to higher, divineward
--then would the Universe become a fixity and progress would become impossible.
假如全能者想象出来的宇宙的确是真实的，那么宇宙将值得忧伤，因为从低级到高级的演化过程中没有任何逃路
――然后宇宙会变成固定不变，并且演化进步也变得不可能。

And if Man, owing to half-wisdom, acts and lives and thinks of the Universe as merely a dream (akin to his own finite dreams) then indeed does it so become for him, and like a sleep-walker he stumbles ever around and around in a circle, making no progress, and being forced into an awakening at last by his falling bruised and bleeding over the Natural Laws which he ignored.
如果那些并不怎么聪明的人仅仅把宇宙想象成一个虚幻的梦，那他们的行为举止、生活状态也像睡梦中的那样，他们将在一个圆圈里蹒跚地梦游了一圈又一圈，毫无进步，最后被他忽略的大自然法则碰得鼻青脸肿和头破血流而醒来。

Keep your mind ever on the Star, but let your eyes watch over your footsteps, lest you fall into the mire by reason of your upward gaze.
保持你的思想永远注视在天空上面，但让你的目光留意你的脚步。否则，因为你光向上看，会摔到泥里。

Remember the Divine Paradox, that while the Universe IS NOT, still IT IS.
Remember ever the Two Poles of Truth the Absolute and the Relative. Beware of Half-Truths.
记住这个神性的悖论，宇宙不是真的，但它又是真的。
永远记住真理的两极——绝对和相对。要谨慎，都只是真理的部分。

What Hermetists know as "the Law of Paradox" is an aspect of the Principle of Polarity.
赫尔墨斯者们知道，“矛盾法则”是极性法则的一个方面。
The Hermetic writings are filled with references to the appearance of the Paradox in the consideration of the problems of Life and Being.
在关于生命和存在的思考上，赫尔墨斯神秘学的很多论著里有很多是和矛盾的出现有关的。
The Teachers are constantly warning their students against the error of omitting the "other side" of any question.
导师不断提醒学生们：不要犯忽视问题的“另一面”的错误。
And their warnings are particularly directed to the problems of the Absolute and the Relative, which perplex all students of philosophy, and which cause so many to think and act contrary to what is generally known as "common sense."
他们的提醒特别是针对关于绝对和相对的问题，这困扰了所有哲学学生，导致太多人进行与普遍所知的“常识”相反的思考和行动。

And we caution all students to be sure to grasp the Divine Paradox of the Absolute and Relative, lest they become entangled in the mire of the Half-Truth.
我们警告所有的学生，要确确实实地把握住绝对和相对的神性悖论，以免他们陷入小智小慧的泥潭。

With this in view this particular lesson has been written. Read it carefully!
因为看到了这点，才有了这个特殊的章节。要仔细阅读！

The first thought that comes to the thinking man after he realizes the truth that the Universe is a Mental Creation of THE ALL, is that the Universe and all that it contains is a mere illusion; an unreality; against which idea his instincts revolt.
当思考者意识到宇宙是全能者的精神创造的真相后，他的第一想法是，宇宙及其包含在它里面的一切都是幻觉或不真实的。这一发现恰恰有悖于人类的本性。

But this, like all other great truths, must be considered both from the Absolute and the Relative points of view.
但是，这个发现就像人类其他的伟大发现一样，必须同时从绝对论和相对论的两个方面思考。

From the Absolute viewpoint, of course, the Universe is in the nature of an illusion, a dream, a phantasmagoria, as compared to THE ALL in itself.
从绝对的视点，理所当然的，和全能者本身比较，这个宇宙有一种幻象的性质，一个梦境般的性质，一种幻灯片一样的性质。

We recognize this even in our ordinary view, for we speak of the world as "a fleeting show" that comes and goes, is born and dies
我们甚至在日常的观察中也有对这些的认识，因为我们说世界如同“飘逝的烟云”，红尘滚滚在生与死中来来去去

--for the element of impermanence and change, finiteness and unsubstantiality, must ever be connected with the idea of a created Universe when it is contrasted with the idea of THE ALL, no matter what may be our beliefs concerning the nature of both.
——由于无常和变化，由于有限的和非实质性的因素，当和全能者的观念相对的时候，必定和这个创化的宇宙的观念联系起来，无论我们相信什么都会关心这两方面的性质。

Philosopher, metaphysician, scientist and theologian all agree upon this idea, and the thought is found in all forms of philosophical thought and religious conceptions, as well as in the theories of the respective schools of metaphysics and theology.
哲学家，形而上学家，科学家和神学家，都认同有这个观念，并且这个想法可以在所有的哲学思想和宗教体系中发现，同样也在不同的形而上学和神学学派中发现。

So, the Hermetic Teachings do not preach the unsubstantiality of the Universe in any stronger terms than those more familiar to you, although their presentation of the subject may seem somewhat more startling.
所以，赫尔墨斯的教导并不是在用比你所熟悉的词汇更强烈的，去宣称宇宙的非实在性，尽管这个主题的表达有些让人吃惊。

Anything that has a beginning and an ending must be, in a sense, unreal and untrue, and the Universe comes under the rule, in all schools of thought.
任何事物，有开始和终结的，从某方面看去，必然是不实在和不真实的，并且在所有思想学派里，宇宙是在规则下出现。

From the Absolute point of view, there is nothing Real except THE ALL, no matter what terms we may use in thinking of, or discussing the subject.
从绝对论的观点方面来说，除了全能者本身，没有什么是真实存在的，无论我们用什么样的词汇来思考或讨论这个主题。
Whether the Universe be created of Matter, or whether it be a Mental Creation in the Mind of THE ALL--it is unsubstantial, non-enduring, a thing of time, space and change.
不管宇宙是由物质创造，还是由全能者的思想中精神创造——它是非物质的、不持久的，一个时间、空间和变化的事物。

We want you to realize this fact thoroughly, before you pass judgment on the Hermetic conception of the Mental nature of the Universe. Think over any and all of the other conceptions, and see whether this be not true of them.
在你对宇宙的精神本质的这个赫尔墨斯概念进行判断前，我们希望你去透彻地认识这个事实。仔细思考任何的和所有的其它概念，看看是否这是不真实的。

But the Absolute point of view shows merely one side of the picture--the other side is the Relative one.
但是从观察的绝对点，只是看到图像的一面——另一面是相对的那面。