聽神談【三個生命運作的基本原理之「適應性」】
生命的運作無法脫離三個基本原理：「功能性」、「適應性」與「維續性」。它運作其功能 (functions)，或當它萎縮到幾乎功能失常的點，它會適應 (adapts)，而經由了調適，生命會維續 (sustains)它自己。
生命永遠會(自我調適以)維續它自己。
生命是永恆的。在生命裡的一切東西，都支持生命。 (All things in Life support Life.)
尼爾：那麼我們在這星球上，就沒有什麼好擔憂的了。
啊！就是這「生命運作的三個基本法則」的第二個，你們必須小心仔細觀察。因為，你們可以看出，生命永遠是會自我調適的。也就是說，生命為了確保它能維續自己，它將改變自己，它將改變它在其中被表達的形式。
尼爾：這對我而言是什麼意思？ 對人類而言又有何意義呢？
這意味著，你們的星球可能變成一個活生生的地獄 (a living hell)。這意味著，這能量系統───你們身為它的一部分───將以它必須採取任何必要的方式，調適它自己，以確保 生命本身是被維續的。
所以，如果，你，做為生命的一部分，以這樣一種方式，調適你為其一部份的生命系統，導致那系統本身在發揮功能性的層面受到威脅時，系統將產生反撲，以反調適的方式運作，以便維續它自己。而你，我的朋友，可能不會喜歡它這樣的改變。
那系統是遠大於你的小我 (your Little Self)的，而你犯的錯誤是，你誤以為你的小我比系統大───當然，這系統是大我 (the Big Self)。
你們並非站在系統之外，卻是系統的一部分，而這系統將在「容許你調適它超過其功能的限度」之前，調適「做為你的它」的那部分。
這「系統」即你們稱為「改變」的「歷程」。這「系統」即你們所謂的「神」。
尼爾：啊，又是另一個神的定義！
摘自《重新定義神》第6章
If it did, Life Itself would cease to be. Such a thing cannot occur, because Life will not allow it. Life is ruled by three basic principles: functionality, adaptability, and sustainability. It functions, or, having atrophied to the point of near dysfunctionality, it adapts, and having adapted, it sustains itself.
Always, Life sustains itself. Life is eternal.
All things in Life support Life.
Neale: Then we have nothing to worry about on this planet.
Ah, but it is the second of the Three Basic Principles of Life that you must watch carefully. For, you see, Life is eternally adaptable. That is, it will change Itself, it will alter the form in which it is expressed, in order to ensure that it is sustained.
Neale: What does that mean to me? What does that mean to humans?
It means that your planet could become a living hell. It means that the energy sys- tem of which you are a part will adapt itself in whatever way it has to, in order to make certain that Life Itself is sustained.
And so if you, as a part of Life, adapt the Life System of which you are a part in such a way that the System itself is threat- ened at the level of functionality, the System will counter adapt in order to sustain itself, and you, my friend, may not like the way in which it does this.
The System is bigger than your Little Self, and the mistake you are making is in imagining that your Little Self is bigger than the System—which, of course, is the Big Self.
You do not stand outside of the System, but are part of the System, and the System will adapt the part of it that you are before it will allow you to adapt IT beyond its functional limits.
This “system” is the “process” that you called “change,” isn’t it?
This “system” is, then, what you called “God,” yes?
Neale: Oh, boy, another definition.
