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Can you imagine what it means to have no cares, no worries, no anxieties, but merely to be perfectly calm and quiet all the time? Yet that is what time is for; to learn just that and nothing more. God's Teacher cannot be satisfied with His teaching until it constitutes all your learning. He has not fulfilled His teaching function until you have become such a consistent learner that you learn only of Him. When this has happened, you will no longer need a teacher or time in which to learn.

Can you [[imagine]] what it means to have no [[cares]], no worries, no [[anxieties]], but merely to be perfectly calm and [[quiet]] all the time? Yet that is what [[time]] is for; to learn just that and nothing more. God's Teacher cannot be [[satisfied]] with His teaching until it constitutes all your [[learning]]. He has not fulfilled His [[teaching]] function until you have [[become]] such a consistent learner that you learn only of Him. When this has happened, you will no longer need a teacher or time in which to learn.

One source of perceived discouragement from which you may suffer is your belief that this takes time, and that the results of the Holy Spirit's teaching are far in the future. This is not so. For the Holy Spirit uses time in His Own way, and is not bound by it. And all the waste that time seems to bring with it is due but to your identification with the ego, which uses time to support its belief in destruction. The ego, like the Holy Spirit, uses time to convince you of the inevitability of the goal and end of teaching. To the ego the goal is death, which is its end. But to the Holy Spirit the goal is life, which has no end.

One source of perceived [[discouragement]] from which you may [[suffer]] is your [[belief]] that this takes [[time]], and that the results of the [[Holy Spirit]]'s teaching are far in the [[future]]. This is not so. For the Holy Spirit uses time in His Own way, and is not bound by it. And all the waste that time seems to bring with it is due but to your identification with the [[ego]], which uses time to support its [[belief]] in destruction. The ego, like the Holy Spirit, uses time to convince you of the [[inevitability]] of the goal and end of teaching. To the ego the goal is [[death]], which is its end. But to the Holy Spirit the goal is [[life]], which has no end.

The ego is an ally of time, but not a friend. For it is as mistrustful of death as it is of life, and what it wants for you it cannot tolerate. The ego wants you dead, but not itself. The outcome of its strange religion must therefore be the conviction that it can pursue you beyond the grave. And out of its unwillingness for you to find peace even in death, it offers you immortality in hell. It speaks to you of Heaven, but assures you that Heaven is not for you. How can the guilty hope for Heaven?

The ego is an [[ally]] of time, but not a [[friend]]. For it is as mistrustful of death as it is of life, and what it wants for you it cannot [[tolerate]]. The ego wants you dead, but not itself. The outcome of its [[strange]] [[religion]] must therefore be the conviction that it can pursue you beyond the [[grave]]. And out of its unwillingness for you to find [[peace]] even in death, it offers you [[immortality]] in [[hell]]. It speaks to you of [[Heaven]], but assures you that Heaven is not for you. How can the [[guilty]] [[hope]] for Heaven?

The belief in hell is inescapable to those who identify with the ego. Their nightmares and their fears are all associated with it. The ego teaches that hell is in the future, for this is what all its teaching is directed to. Hell is its goal. For although the ego aims at death and dissolution as an end, it does not believe it. The goal of death, which it craves for you, leaves it unsatisfied. No one who follows the ego's teaching is without the fear of death. Yet if death were thought merely as an end to pain, would it be feared? We have seen this strange paradox in the ego's thought system before, but never so clearly as here. For the ego must seem to keep fear from you to hold your allegiance. Yet it must engender fear in order to maintain itself. Again the ego tries, and all too frequently succeeds, in doing both, by using dissociation for holding its contradictory aims together so that they seem to be reconciled. The ego teaches thus: Death is the end as far as hope of Heaven goes. Yet because you and the ego cannot be separated, and because it cannot conceive of its own death, it will pursue you still, because guilt is eternal. Such is the ego's version of immortality. And it is this the ego's version of time supports.

The [[belief]] in hell is inescapable to those who identify with the [[ego]]. Their [[nightmares]] and their [[fears]] are all associated with it. The ego teaches that hell is in the future, for this is what all its teaching is directed to. [[Hell]] is its goal. For although the ego aims at death and [[dissolution]] as an end, it does not believe it. The [[goal]] of death, which it craves for you, leaves it unsatisfied. No one who follows the ego's teaching is without the [[fear]] of death. Yet if death were thought merely as an end to [[pain]], would it be feared? We have seen this strange [[paradox]] in the ego's [[thought]] system before, but never so clearly as here. For the ego must seem to keep fear from you to hold your [[allegiance]]. Yet it must engender fear in order to maintain itself. Again the ego tries, and all too frequently succeeds, in doing both, by using [[dissociation]] for holding its contradictory aims together so that they seem to be [[reconciled]]. The ego teaches thus: Death is the end as far as [[hope]] of Heaven goes. Yet because you and the ego cannot be [[separated]], and because it cannot [[conceive]] of its own death, it will pursue you still, because guilt is [[eternal]]. Such is the ego's version of [[immortality]]. And it is this the ego's version of [[time]] supports.

The ego teaches that Heaven is here and now because the future is hell. Even when it attacks so savagely that it tries to take the life of someone who thinks its is the only voice, it speaks of hell even to him. For it tells him hell is here as well, and bids him leap from hell into oblivion. The only time the ego allows anyone to look upon with equanimity is the past. And even there, its only value is that it is no more.

The [[ego]] teaches that [[Heaven]] is here and now because the [[future]] is [[hell]]. Even when it [[attacks]] so savagely that it tries to take the life of someone who thinks its is the only [[voice]], it speaks of hell even to him. For it tells him hell is here as well, and bids him leap from hell into [[oblivion]]. The only time the ego allows anyone to look upon with [[equanimity]] is the past. And even there, its only [[value]] is that it is no more.

How bleak and despairing is the ego's use of time! And how terrifying! For underneath its fanatical insistence that the past and future be the same is hidden a far more insidious threat to peace. The ego does not advertise its final threat, for it would have its worshippers still believe that it can offer them escape. But the belief in guilt must lead to the belief in hell, and always does. The only way in which the ego allows the fear of hell to be experienced is to bring hell here, but always as a foretaste of the future. For no one who considers himself as deserving of hell can believe that punishment will end in peace.

How bleak and [[despairing]] is the [[ego]]'s use of [[time]]! And how terrifying! For underneath its [[fanatical]] insistence that the [[past]] and [[future]] be the same is hidden a far more insidious threat to [[peace]]. The ego does not advertise its final threat, for it would have its worshippers still believe that it can offer them [[escape]]. But the belief in [[guilt]] must lead to the belief in hell, and always does. The only way in which the ego allows the fear of hell to be experienced is to bring hell here, but always as a [[foretaste]] of the future. For no one who considers himself as deserving of hell can believe that [[punishment]] will end in peace.

The Holy Spirit teaches thus: There is no hell. Hell is only what the ego has made of the present. The belief in hell is what prevents you from understanding the present, because you are afraid of it. The Holy Spirit leads as steadily to Heaven as the ego drives to hell. For the Holy Spirit, Who knows only the present, uses it to undo the fear by which the ego would make the present useless. There is no escape from fear in the ego's use of time. For time, according to its teaching, is nothing but a teaching device for compounding guilt until it becomes all-encompassing, demanding vengeance forever.

The [[Holy Spirit]] teaches thus: There is no [[hell]]. Hell is only what the ego has made of the [[present]]. The [[belief]] in hell is what prevents you from [[understanding]] the present, because you are [[afraid]] of it. The Holy Spirit leads as steadily to [[Heaven]] as the ego drives to hell. For the Holy Spirit, Who knows only the present, uses it to undo the fear by which the ego would make the present useless. There is no [[escape]] from fear in the ego's use of time. For time, according to its teaching, is nothing but a teaching device for compounding [[guilt]] until it becomes all-[[encompassing]], demanding [[vengeance]] forever.

The Holy Spirit would undo all of this now. Fear is not of the present, but only of the past and future, which do not exist. There is no fear in the present when each instant stands clear and separated from the past, without its shadow reaching out into the future. Each instant is a clean, untarnished birth, in which the Son of God emerges from the past into the present. And the present extends forever. It is so beautiful and so clean and free of guilt that nothing but happiness is there. No darkness is remembered, and immortality and joy are now.

The [[Holy Spirit]] would undo all of this now. [[Fear]] is not of the present, but only of the [[past]] and [[future]], which do not exist. There is no fear in the present when each instant stands clear and [[separated]] from the past, without its [[shadow]] reaching out into the future. Each instant is a clean, untarnished [[birth]], in which the Son of God [[emerges]] from the past into the present. And the present extends forever. It is so [[beautiful]] and so clean and free of guilt that nothing but [[happiness]] is there. No darkness is remembered, and [[immortality]] and [[joy]] are now.

This lesson takes no time. For what is time without a past and future? It has taken time to misguide you so completely, but it takes no time at all to be what you are. Begin to practice the Holy Spirit's use of time as a teaching aid to happiness and peace. Take this very instant, now, and think of it as all there is of time. Nothing can reach you here out of the past, and it is here that you are completely absolved, completely free and wholly without condemnation. From this holy instant wherein holiness was born again you will go forth in time without fear, and with no sense of change with time.

This lesson takes no time. For what is time without a past and future? It has taken time to misguide you so completely, but it takes no time at all to be what you are. Begin to practice the Holy Spirit's use of time as a teaching aid to happiness and peace. Take this very instant, now, and think of it as all there is of time. Nothing can reach you here out of the past, and it is here that you are completely absolved, completely free and wholly without condemnation. From this holy instant wherein holiness was born again you will go forth in time without fear, and with no sense of change with time.