VIII. Changeless Reality

T-30.VIII.1. Appearances deceive, but can be changed. ² Reality is changeless. ³ It does not deceive at all, and if you fail to see beyond appearances you are deceived. ⁴ For everything you see will change, and yet you thought it real before, and now you think it real again. ⁵ Reality is thus reduced to form, and capable of change. ⁶ Reality is changeless. ⁷ It is this that makes it real, and keeps it separate from all appearances. ⁸ It must transcend all form to be itself. ⁹ It cannot change.

T-30.VIII.2. The miracle is means to demonstrate that all appearances can change because they are appearances, and cannot have the changelessness reality entails. ² The miracle attests salvation from appearances by showing they can change. ³ Your brother has a changelessness in him beyond appearance and deception, both. ⁴ It is obscured by changing views of him that you perceive as his reality. ⁵ The happy dream about him takes the form of the appearance of his perfect health, his perfect freedom from all forms of lack, and safety from disaster of all kinds. ⁶ The miracle is proof he is not bound by loss or suffering in any form, because it can so easily be changed. ⁷ This demonstrates that it was never real, and could not stem from his reality. ⁸ For that is changeless, and has no effects that anything in Heaven or on earth could ever alter. ⁹ But appearances are shown to be unreal because they change.

T-30.VIII.3. What is temptation but a wish to make illusions real? ² It does not seem to be the wish that no reality be so. ³ Yet it is an assertion that some forms of idols have a powerful appeal that makes them harder to resist than those you would not want to have reality. ⁴ Temptation, then, is nothing more than this; a prayer the miracle touch not some dreams, but keep their unreality obscure and give to them reality instead. ⁵ And Heaven gives no answer to the prayer, nor can a miracle be given you to heal appearances you do not like. ⁶ You have established limits. ⁷ What you ask is given you, but not of God Who knows no limits. ⁸ You have limited yourself.

T-30.VIII.4. Reality is changeless. ² Miracles but show what you have interposed between reality and your awareness is unreal, and does not interfere at all. ³ The cost of the belief there must be some appearances beyond the hope of change is that the miracle cannot come forth from you consistently. ⁴ For you have asked it be withheld from power to heal all dreams. ⁵ There is no miracle you cannot have when you desire healing. ⁶ But there is no miracle that can be given you unless you want it. ⁷ Choose what you would heal, and He Who gives all miracles has not been given freedom to bestow His gifts upon God's Son. ⁸ When he is tempted, he denies reality. ⁹ And he becomes the willing slave of what he chose instead.

T-30.VIII.5. Because reality is changeless is a miracle already there to heal all things that change, and offer them to you to see in happy form, devoid of fear. ² It will be given you to look upon your brother thus. ³ But not while you would have it otherwise in some respects. ⁴ For this but means you would not have him healed and whole. ⁵ The Christ in him is perfect. ⁶ Is it this that you would look upon? ⁷ Then let there be no dreams about him that you would prefer to seeing this. ⁸ And you will see the Christ in him because you let Him come to you. ⁹ And when He has appeared to you, you will be certain you are like Him, for He is the changeless in your brother and in you.

T-30.VIII.6. This will you look upon when you decide there is not one appearance you would hold in place of what your brother really is. ² Let no temptation to prefer a dream allow uncertainty to enter here. ³ Be not made guilty and afraid when you are tempted by a dream of what he is. ⁴ But do not give it power to replace the changeless in him in your sight of him. ⁵ There is no false appearance but will fade, if you request a miracle instead. ⁶ There is no pain from which he is not free, if you would have him be but what he is. ⁷ Why should you fear to see the Christ in him? ⁸ You but behold yourself in what you see. ⁹ As he is healed are you made free of guilt, for his appearance is your own to you.