3. Self-knowledge
3. 對自身本性的認識

Nature has been involved through spirit into matter, and evolves through different stages. Man is the result of the involution of spirit and the evolution of matter; the final effect of this cause is “self-realization”, which means that the Knower arrives at that stage of perfection where He can know Himself…

自然藉由靈進入物質，並經歷不同階段而演化。人是靈進入物質與物質演化的結果；這一歷程最終所達到的結果，就是「對自身本性的證悟」（self-realization），也就是知者抵達那圓滿的境地，在那裡，祂能夠認識祂自己……

‘Thou art a mortal being,
And thou art the Eternal One;
Know thyself, through light of wisdom,
Except Thee there exists none.’

「你是有死的存在，
你也是那永恆者；
藉智慧之光，認識你自己，
除你之外，別無存在。」

The human being is inherently capable of self-knowledge; but to know oneself means not only to know that one is John, Jacob, or Henry, or short, tall, or of normal height, or to know that one is good, bad, and so forth, but also to know the mystery of one’s existence, theoretically as well as practically:

人本來就具有對自身本性的認識能力；然而，認識自己，不只是知道自己叫約翰、雅各或亨利，知道自己是矮、高，或中等身高，也不只是知道自己是好是壞等等；更要在理論上與實際經驗中，認識自身存在的奧祕：

• to know what one is within oneself,
  
  知道自己的內在究竟是什麼；

• from whence and for what purpose one was born on earth;
  
  知道自己從何而來，又為了什麼目的出生於世；

• whether one will live here forever, or if one’s stay is short;
  
  知道自己是否會永遠活在這裡，還是只在此短暫停留；

• of what one is composed, and which attributes one possesses;
  
  知道自己由什麼構成，又具有哪些特質；

• whether one belongs to angels, contemplating the beauties of God’s nature, or if one belongs to the animals, who know nothing other than to eat, drink, and be merry; or whether one belongs to the devils.
  
  知道自己是屬於天使，觀想神之本性的美；還是屬於動物，除了吃、喝與享樂之外一無所知；又或者，自己是屬於魔鬼。

It requires perfection in humanity to attain self-knowledge. To know that I am God, or we are gods, or to know that everything is a part of God, is not sufficient. Perfect realization can only be gained by passing through all the stages between man, the manifestation, and God, the only Being; knowing and realizing ourselves from the lowest to the highest point of existence, and so accomplishing the heavenly journey.

要達到對自身本性的認識，需要在人性中臻於圓滿。僅僅知道「我是神」、或「我們都是神」，或知道萬物都是神的一部分，仍然不夠。唯有經歷從人——這顯現的存在——到神——唯一的存在——之間的一切階段，從存在的最低處直到最高處，逐步認識並證悟我們自身的本性，才能達到圓滿的證悟，並由此完成這趟通往天國的旅程。

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