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.