24. Peculiarities of the Six Great Religions
24. 六大宗教的特色

July 27, 1926

1926 年 7 月 27 日

Beloved Ones of God,

神所摯愛的各位：

I would like to speak this evening on the subject of the peculiarities of the six great religions.

今晚，我想談談六大宗教各自的特色。

Buddhism
佛教

The Buddhist religion has taught to humanity the sense of compassion for life in every form and in all forms. The central theme of Buddha’s teaching was ahimsa parmo dharmaha. That was Buddha’s watchword, and it means harmlessness is the essence of religion. And it is wonderful to see that, though mankind has lived for centuries on animal food, the first principle of those who followed Buddha’s message was to leave animal food, to live on a vegetarian diet. But, one might ask, “Is that all? Is Buddha’s teaching to become vegetarian?” No, vegetarianism is a principle for becoming harmless.

佛教教導人類，對一切形態的生命懷有慈悲。佛陀教導的核心是「ahimsa parmo dharmaha」，這是佛陀的箴言，意思是：「不傷害乃宗教的本質。」令人讚嘆的是，儘管人類數百年來一直食用動物，追隨佛陀訊息的人所遵循的第一項原則，卻是戒除肉食，以素食為生。然而，有人或許會問：「就只是這樣嗎？佛陀的教導就是要人成為素食者嗎？」不，素食是實踐不傷害的一項原則。

The first step in becoming harmless is to become harmless to the one who stands next to us, to human beings. Very often you can be a vegetarian and you can be harmful too. It is recognition of brotherhood, even with the lowest creation. It does not mean that Buddha did not know the point of view of other great teachers, who did not make a remark on this subject. No, his mission was to create compassion in the heart of man. Buddha’s belief was that the only remedy for all the harm that comes to man is harmlessness. And if you study all philosophy and ethics, in the end you will find this as the essence of the whole philosophy, that all pain comes by having no regard for the pain of another. It is automatic.

實踐不傷害的第一步，就是不傷害站在我們身旁的人，也就是其他人。很多時候，一個人雖然吃素，卻仍可能傷害別人。這是一種對手足情誼的體認，甚至將最低微的受造生命也包含在內。這並不意味著佛陀不了解其他偉大老師的觀點，只因那些老師並未特別談論這個主題。不是如此；佛陀的使命，是在人心中喚起慈悲。佛陀相信，對治人類所遭受種種傷害的唯一良方，就是不傷害。若你研究所有哲學與倫理，最終會發現，整個哲學的精髓正在於此：一切痛苦，都源於不顧念他人的痛苦。這是一種自然發生的結果。

No doubt it is grosser to say, “Do not have animal food and live on a vegetarian diet.” A fine teaching on the same principle would be to be conscientious every moment of your life, realizing that, by a thought or by a word, by a glance or frown, by the tone of voice, by atmosphere, by thought or feeling, you might hurt someone. And when we look at it with this principle, life becomes so deep and so wide and so full of sense and beauty that in every direction of life we find much to be done without thinking of occult things and psychic mysteries.

毫無疑問地，「不要食用動物，以素食為生」只是這項原則較為粗淺的表達。若從更細微的層次來教導同一項原則，那便是在生命的每一刻都保持良知，明白自己可能僅僅因為一個念頭、一句話、一個眼神或皺眉、說話的語調、所散發的氛圍、某種思想或感受，而傷害了另一個人。當我們以這項原則來看待生命時，生命便會變得如此深邃、如此廣闊，又如此充滿意義與美；於是，在生命的每一個面向，我們都會發現有許多事情值得去做，而根本不必去追求玄祕之事或心靈能力的奧祕。

Life begins to unfold its mystery as soon as compassion is created in the heart, as soon as one’s deepest feeling is wakened for all that is living, with regard for everyone one meets, for all that lives: deserving and undeserving, evolved and unevolved, foolish and wise. Then the outlook on life changes. And the result is that the soul attains that peace which is so difficult to attain in this life of woes. That statue of Buddha therefore is the example to look at: a man who has striven through life to become compassionate, as much as man can be, and to attain that peace which is most difficult to attain in this world.

一旦慈悲在心中生起，一旦一個人對所有生命最深層的感受被喚醒，開始顧念每一個所遇見的人、每一個活著的生命——無論值得或不值得、進化或尚未進化、愚昧或智慧——生命便開始展開它的奧祕。從此，人看待生命的眼光也隨之改變。其結果是，靈魂獲得了一種安寧，而這份安寧在這充滿苦難的人生中極難獲得。因此，佛陀的雕像正是一個值得凝望的典範：一個人終其一生努力成為一個盡人所能慈悲的人，並達到那在世間最難獲得的安寧。

There is an interesting and wonderful custom in Buddhist countries. That custom is that when a priest or a teacher dies they inaugurate wonderful celebrations. And the meaning is that people may see that the one who has devoted his life to God and truth and lived in compassion has been relieved of the woes of this world and has risen to the stage which is better still. It is as if the reward of his whole life’s trial was not given to him through death. When one looks at it from this point of view it is a very beautiful custom.

在佛教國家裡，有一項既有趣又美好的習俗：當一位僧侶或老師去世時，人們會為他舉行隆重的慶典。其意義在於，讓人們看見：一個將一生奉獻給神與真理、並以慈悲而活的人，如今已從這世界的苦難中解脫，提升到一個更美好的境地。彷彿死亡並不是降臨在他身上的懲罰，而是他歷經一生考驗之後所得的酬報。從這個角度來看，這是一項非常美好的習俗。

Buddha also taught meditation, and his statue is the example of the posture of meditation which he taught: the meditation of peace. The other day in New York, I heard that some students of eastern thought proposed that there should be a public statue of Buddha erected in New York. Then I heard that there was great opposition to it, so it could not be erected. So I thought, “Imagine, hundreds of generals who have fought in wars have their statues in every place, suggesting wars and disasters, murdering and killing. If in order to balance it all there were one statue representing peace as a man who lived for humanity, not for this race or that race, a man who taught peace to the world, and who attained peace, if there were one example, it would be worth having.”

佛陀也教導冥想，而佛陀的雕像，正呈現了他所教導的冥想姿勢：安寧的冥想。前幾天在紐約，我聽說有一些研究東方思想的學生提議，應當在紐約公共場所豎立一尊佛陀雕像。後來我又聽說此事遭到強烈反對，因此未能實現。我便想：「試想，有成百上千曾經投入戰爭的將軍，到處都有他們的雕像，使人聯想到戰爭與災難、謀殺與殺戮。若是為了平衡這一切，能有一尊象徵安寧的雕像，呈現一個為全人類而活、而不是只為某個種族而活的人；一個向世界教導安寧、並親自達成安寧的人——若能有這樣一個典範，便值得豎立。」

Hinduism
印度教

And when we come to the Hindu religion, it is most wonderful to see what religion has appealed to Hindus: a religion that can be taught to children, and which children can be most interested in, a religion which could be taught to the souls who lived ten thousand years ago and which they could enjoy at the same time. It is the pitch of the religion that is so vast that it can fit in-with men of every stage of evolution. There are Sudras, workmen: it fits in very well with their conception. And then there are Kshatriyas, the warriors and the brave and courageous ones: it fits in very well with their idea.

接著來看印度教，最令人讚嘆的是，究竟是怎樣的一種宗教能如此吸引印度人：它可以教給孩子，而孩子也會深感興趣；它若教給一萬年前生活於世的靈魂，他們同樣能夠欣然接受。這個宗教的音域如此廣闊，足以契合處於每一個進化階段的人。首陀羅（Sudras）是勞動者，這宗教十分契合他們的理解；剎帝利（Kshatriyas）則是戰士，是勇敢而有膽識的人，它也十分契合他們的理念。

There are Vaisyas, who are head to foot in business: it fits in very well with their intelligence. And there are Brahmans, so deep in thinking and such meditative people: the religion fits in very well with their conception. It is just like a piano made of one thousand octaves: you can go as low as you can, and you can go as high as you can. In the temple of the Hindus, Krishna’s statue is put in the cradle, women are singing. That is the service. Men come and join their palms in respect; from the pariah to the Brahman, everyone takes part in that worship.

還有吠舍（Vaisyas），從頭到腳都投入商業之中；這宗教也十分契合他們的智性。至於婆羅門（Brahmans），他們思想深邃，又富於冥想；這宗教同樣十分契合他們的理解。它就像一架擁有一千個八度音域的鋼琴：你可以走到所能到達的最低處，也可以走到所能到達的最高處。在印度教寺廟中，人們將克里希納的神像放在搖籃裡，婦女們唱著歌；這便是敬拜儀式。男人前來，合掌致敬；從賤民到婆羅門，每一個人都參與這場敬拜。

Therefore naturally it gives those who wish to criticize the Brahman religion a scope to make it as savage as possible, and also it gives a scope to those who appreciate it and see in it a religion that can be as refined as possible. There is philosophy there, there is drama, there is ethics, there is art, there is music, there is beauty. Nothing that is good and beautiful and nothing that is valuable and worthwhile is left out from the religion. If you ask a Hindu, an intelligent Hindu, “If we let you have your religion and give you no literature, no art, no science, no social life, will you be satisfied?” He will say, “Certainly, because in the religion there is everything — there is art, there is literature, there is philosophy, there is wisdom, there is play, there is thought, there is meditation — everything.”

因此，它自然也給了想要批評婆羅門宗教的人充分的空間，讓他們能把它說得極其野蠻；同時，它也給了真正欣賞它的人充分的空間，使他們能在其中看見一種可以精緻至極的宗教。其中有哲學、有戲劇、有倫理、有藝術、有音樂，也有美。凡是良善而美麗的、具有價值而值得珍視的事物，沒有一樣被排除在這個宗教之外。若你問一位有智慧的印度教徒：「如果讓你保有你的宗教，卻不給你文學、藝術、科學與社會生活，你會滿足嗎？」他會回答：「當然，因為宗教裡什麼都有——有藝術、有文學、有哲學、有智慧、有戲劇、有思想、有冥想——一切都在其中。」

Zoroastrianism
祆教

And when we come to the Zoroastrian religion, it is a religion of purity, purity by affirmations, and it is a religion which shows how to make a God for oneself first, which is the first step in the path of God. The scripture of Zarathustra always says, “These beautiful flowers, where have they come from? Is it not that You have made the delicious fruits, the sweet fruits, where do they come from? Have they not been made by You? This running water, where does it come from? Is it not from the same source? Where does it go? It goes to You.”

接著談到祆教。這是一個關乎純淨的宗教，藉由肯定來達成純淨；它也教導人首先如何為自己建立一位神，而這正是走上神之道路的第一步。瑣羅亞斯德的經典總是一再說：「這些美麗的花朵從何而來？難道不是祢所創造的嗎？那些可口、甘甜的果實又從何而來？難道不是祢所造的嗎？這奔流的水從何而來？難道不是來自同一個源頭嗎？它又流向哪裡？它流向祢。」

By taking every action of life that comes through the plant, through the water, through the sun, through the wind, everything that one looks at and marvels at in nature, Zarathustra teaches one to think of that marvel connected with God, and in this way one can make God living. The whole scripture of Zarathustra is connected with it. If one goes through the affirmations of Zarathustra, it means that one wishes to make God living, to see His manifestation with open eyes, to have communication with God Himself through nature; it is a wonderful thing.

透過植物、水、太陽與風所展現的每一種生命活動，透過人在自然中所看見並為之驚嘆的一切，瑣羅亞斯德教導人將這份驚奇與神聯繫起來；如此，便能使神成為活生生的實在。瑣羅亞斯德的整部經典都與此有關。一個人若實踐瑣羅亞斯德的種種肯定，就是渴望使神成為活生生的存在，睜著眼睛看見祂的顯現，並透過自然與神自身相互交流；這是一件極其美妙的事。

When the Zoroastrian stands up so many times during the day, either before the water or before the sun or before the wind or if he is not in nature, then before fire, and says the holy words of Zarathustra, he tries to exalt his soul, tries to come closer to his God, tries to make the God who is only a conception a living God by connecting and identifying the spirit of God with all that is living and moving on earth. It is a wonderful meditation. A man may meditate with his eyes closed for ten years and may not attain to that bliss which the one with open eyes will receive from communicating with nature, recognizing God in it, identifying his Lord with everything and all things.

祆教徒一天之中會多次起身，或面向水、面向太陽、面向風；若身處之地沒有自然景物，便面向火，誦念瑣羅亞斯德的神聖言語。如此，他努力提升自己的靈魂，努力親近他的神，並藉由把神的靈與地上一切活著、運動著的事物相連結、相認同，使原本僅存在於觀念中的神，成為一位活生生的神。這是一種美妙的冥想。一個人或許閉著眼睛冥想十年，仍未必能達到另一個人睜著眼睛與自然交流、在其中認出神，並在萬事萬物中認出自己的主時所獲得的那份至福。

Judaism
猶太教

When we come to the Message of Moses, we find that no nation will ever be able to make an improvement upon the divine law Moses once gave. And whenever there is any attempt at improving it, there will always be a mistake. Why? Because it is natural law, it is not man-made law, it is God-made law. The different civilizations at different times have built a law on the ground of Moses. They may forget it, they may deny it, but at the same time this is the central theme. The mission of the master was to make the corrupted world abide by the law of harmony. It is all right for a free thinker to think he will act this way or that way, but it will not do for the collectivity. For the collectivity there must be a law of harmony. And is it an easy thing to give a law? When men give a law, that law never proves to be the right law in the end, unless it is the natural law. When the law is given by God through his prophet, that has a power, that has life in it, and it is accepted; people abide by it.

當我們談到摩西的訊息時，便會發現：摩西曾經傳下的神聖律法，是任何民族都無法再加以改進的。每當人試圖去改進它時，總會產生錯誤。為什麼？因為這是自然的法則，不是人制定的律法，而是神所立的律法。不同時代的各種文明，都曾以摩西的律法為基礎建立自己的法律。他們或許忘記了這一點，或許否認這一點，但它始終是其中的核心。這位聖師的使命，是使已然敗壞的世界遵循和諧的法則。一位自由思想者當然可以想：「我要這樣做，或那樣做。」然而對整個群體而言，這樣是不行的。群體必須有一套和諧的法則。制定律法難道是一件容易的事嗎？當人制定律法時，除非那律法符合自然法則，否則最後總會證明它並非真正正確的律法。當律法由神透過祂的先知賜下，其中便具有力量，其中有生命，因此能為人所接受，人們也會依循而行。

I should say today that even at this time when people have gone far from the ancient law, if that ancient law of Moses was regarded, the world would become much better. If one can open one’s eyes and look into life, it seems that the world is going from bad to worse every day. They call it freedom not to abide by law. But that freedom does not lead them to anything. On the contrary, they are restless, they are dissatisfied, they are grudging, they are grumbling, they are never contented.

我甚至要說，即使到了今天，人們已遠離古老的律法，倘若摩西那古老的律法仍受到尊重，世界也會好得多。只要睜開眼睛觀察人生，便會覺得這個世界一天比一天更糟。人們把不遵守法則稱為自由，可是這種自由並沒有把他們帶向任何地方。反而，他們焦躁不安、心懷不滿、怨懟計較、牢騷不斷，而且永遠不知滿足。

Besides that, there was a mysticism give by Moses known to very few, which indicated the rhythm of the universe. And it is from the rhythm of the universe that the law of numbers, the science of numbers comes. So now you can connect the divine inspiration on one side, and deep perception in the hidden law on the other side, which brought the master to give to the world the law that was necessary, and the law that was to become the foundation of the future race. Many say that they know something about the mystery of numbers, but this mystery remains hidden: it is mysticism. The mystics have called this science Zafar, and this science is a key to the hidden law of nature. Imagine that at that time there was a prophet who knew the science to such an extent that he knew the figures of the rhythm of everything: of fire, of earth, of water, of air, and of ether. If he had not had the perception of the rhythm of the cosmos, he would not have been able to give that law, that science.

除此之外，摩西還傳授了一種鮮為人知的神祕主義，其中揭示了宇宙的韻律。而數的法則、數的科學，正是從宇宙的韻律而來。因此，我們可以看見，一方面是神聖的啟示，另一方面是對隱藏法則的深刻洞察；正是兩者的結合，使這位聖師得以將世界所需要的律法賜予世人，而這套律法也將成為未來人類的基礎。許多人聲稱自己知道一些數字的奧祕，然而這個奧祕始終隱而不顯；它屬於神祕主義。祕士們把這門科學稱為札法爾（Zafar），而這門科學正是開啟自然隱祕法則的一把鑰匙。試想，在那個時代竟有一位先知對這門科學有如此深刻的了解，以至於他知道每一種事物的韻律所對應的數：火、土、水、空氣與乙太皆是如此。如果他沒有對宇宙韻律的洞察，便不可能傳下那套律法、那門科學。

Christianity
基督宗教

And when we come to Jesus Christ, it was pure mysticism, a mysticism of love: to judge no one, to forgive everyone, to develop that quality in oneself that all without being commanded come to you; to get above what one calls the worldly knowledge and come to that knowledge which instead of making you clever makes you innocent. The master was not only innocent in his thought and word and in his atmosphere, but those inspired by him also reached that stage of innocence which is the sign of the saintly spirit.

當我們來到耶穌基督的教導時，所見的是純粹的神祕主義，是愛的神祕主義：不論斷任何人，寬恕每一個人；在自身培養出一種品質，使眾人不需受到命令便自然來到你身旁；超越人們所謂的世俗知識，而達到另一種知識——它不使你變得精明，反而使你變得純真。這位聖師不只在思想、言語及其所散發的氛圍中都是純真的，那些受到他啟發的人，也達到了這樣一種純真的境界；這正是聖者精神的標誌。

Self-sacrifice was the central theme. And if you read the Beatitudes from beginning to end and you begin to practice any of them or all of them, you will find it is nothing but self-sacrifice, self-denial, erasing the self, while cultivating the thought of gentleness, the thought of meekness, the thought of mildness. All this shows to us that his mission was to melt the hearts from grossness, from denseness, from hardness, to soften them, to make them refined, to have them enlightened, to liberate them. His coming and going was the example that a soul is brought here to do something and then is called back. His lesson was not the lesson of mystery, yet in his lesson there was every mystery, all mystery.

自我犧牲是其中的核心主題。若你從頭到尾讀過〈八福〉，並開始實踐其中任何一項，或全部加以實踐，便會發現其中無非是自我犧牲、自我否定、消融自我，同時培養溫柔、謙和與柔順的心念。這一切都向我們顯示，他的使命是使人心從粗鄙、凝滯與僵硬之中融化，使心柔軟，使心精緻，使心受到光照，並使心獲得解放。他的來與去本身就是一個典範：一個靈魂被帶到世上完成某件事，完成之後，便又被召回。他所教導的並不是奧祕之學，然而在他的教導之中，卻包含了一切奧祕。

The lesson which he gave was, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all will be added unto you.”

他所給予的教導是：「你們要先尋求神的國，這一切都要加給你們。」

This shows that by studying this, and by studying that, and by striving for this, and by striving for that, you get nowhere. There is only one thing and that is the first thing, the principal thing, and the last thing, and that is God.

這說明了，若只是研究這個、研究那個，追求這個、追求那個，到頭來哪裡也到不了。只有一件事，而它既是第一件事，是最根本的事，也是最後一件事——那就是神。

And in his simple statement he has said the final word, and that was, “Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

而在一句如此簡單的話裡，他已說出了最後的真理：「你們要完全，如同你們在天上的父完全一樣。」

That is the last word. Nothing more can be said in metaphysics or philosophy than this: that the aim is perfection and that you can reach that perfection which is the perfection of the Father in heaven if you attempt it, if you try for it.

這就是最後的話。在形上學或哲學之中，再也沒有什麼能超越這句話：目標就是圓滿；只要你願意朝它努力、真正付諸實踐，你便能達到那份圓滿，也就是天父的圓滿。

Jesus Christ taught the theory of dependence on God by giving the example of the lilies. Make God living and depend upon Him for all you need and He will provide your needs. Mankind has forgotten that lesson in its earthly strife. But at the same time, whenever man comes to that lesson he will begin to find the phenomena of life: that no sooner do we give over our responsibility to God than God begins to feel responsible for us.

耶穌基督以百合花為例，教導人全然依靠神的道理。讓神在你的生命中成為活生生的實在，將你一切所需都交託於祂，而祂自會供應你的需要。人類在塵世的競逐之中，早已忘記了這項教導。然而，每當一個人重新回到這項教導時，他便開始發現生命中的奇妙現象：我們一旦把自己的責任交託給神，神便開始承擔起對我們的責任。

It is this hint of the master that Sa’adi has interpreted in The Rose Garden, where he says, “Karsaze kare man man”, (“The Creator is busy doing what I wish, but my anxiety about it is my natural illness, I cannot help it”).

正是這位聖師所給的這項提示，被薩迪（Sa’adi）在《薔薇園》中加以詮釋。他寫道：「Karsaze kare man man」——「造物主正忙著成就我所願之事，只是我仍為此焦慮；這是我天生的毛病，我也無可奈何。」

Sa’adi was humorous, and he has interpreted most of the wonderful sayings of the master in a most beautiful language.

薩迪富有幽默感，並以極其優美的語言，詮釋了這位聖師許多美妙的話語。

“Yes,” people very often ask, “What Jesus Christ has taught leads one to spirituality no doubt, but how can we follow it and live it in this material world?” There is a natural leaning one has towards the world, it should not be taught. We should not be taught how to be practical, we are already practical. We need not be told how to be clever, we are already clever. We need not be instructed or advised to fight with our enemy, we are already inclined to it. If Jesus Christ did not teach it, it was only in order to make a balance. We should hear something else, think of something else, feel something else than what we are naturally inclined to, in order to provide a balance.

人們常常會問：「是的，耶穌基督的教導無疑能引人走向靈性，可是身處這個物質世界，我們要怎樣遵循，又怎樣活出這些教導呢？」人本來就有一種傾向，會自然地朝向這個世界，那是不需要教的。我們不需要別人教我們如何務實，因為我們已經夠務實了；不需要別人告訴我們如何精明，因為我們已經夠精明了；也不需要別人指導或勸我們如何與敵人爭鬥，因為我們本來就已有這種傾向。耶穌基督之所以沒有教導這些，只是為了帶來平衡。我們需要聽見一些不同的事、思考一些不同的事、感受一些不同於自身本能傾向的事，如此才能帶來平衡。

Islam
伊斯蘭教

And when we come to the message of the Prophet Muhammad, the central theme of the message is unity. He said, “The sultan and the slave, when they come in the Ka’aba, there is no distinction for them: they must stand shoulder to shoulder. ” That was fifteen hundred years ago, and we have not learned that lesson. We are inclined to say, “He is from another race, he must keep away, he must not come to our restaurant; he is of a different class, he must stay in his place.” Fifteen hundred years ago a man came and united his people, who were daggers-drawn against one another, divided by family feuds, saying, “My family is greater,” and each family having its own gods.

當我們來到先知穆罕默德的訊息時，這訊息的核心主題就是合一。他說：「蘇丹與奴僕來到克爾白（Ka’aba）時，彼此沒有任何區別；他們必須肩並肩站立。」那是在一千五百年前，而直到今天，我們仍未學會這項功課。我們仍傾向於說：「他來自另一個種族，他應該離我們遠一點，不能進我們的餐廳；他屬於不同的階級，他就應該待在自己的位置。」一千五百年前，有一個人來到世間，將他的人民團結起來。當時，他們彼此劍拔弩張，因家族世仇而分裂，每一家族都說：「我的家族更偉大。」而且各自供奉自己的神祇。

He brought them all before one God and made them stand shoulder to shoulder, sultan and slave, with all their family distinctions, sects, genealogical records and traditions. And he said Kullo muslim in akhwanon (“All Muslims are brothers”). And do you think that brotherhood was only called a brotherhood? No, it was taught, it was lived as brotherhood; and if you wish to see the example of it fifteen hundred years afterwards, you can see it today. Bedouins, who are the most savage people living in the desert, are always inclined to fight with their knives: if there is a little cross word there are knives taken against one another. But if a third person comes and says Salu all’ an nabi (“Friends, think of your Prophet, respect your Prophet”), that is enough. Neither of them will dare go forward; they will throw their knives away at once and take one another’s hands, say the name of the Prophet and kiss them.

他把所有人帶到唯一的神面前，使蘇丹與奴僕肩並肩站在一起，超越所有家族區別、教派、族譜與傳統。他並說：「Kullo muslim in akhwanon」——「所有穆斯林皆為兄弟。」你以為這種手足情誼只是名義上稱作手足情誼嗎？不是。它不只被教導，也真正被人活了出來。即使在一千五百年後的今天，你仍然可以看見它的實例。貝都因人生活在沙漠之中，性情極為剽悍，動輒便會拔刀相向；只要幾句話起了衝突，雙方便可能拔刀而戰。然而，只要有第三個人走過來說：「Salu all’ an nabi」——「朋友們，想想你們的先知，尊敬你們的先知。」這樣便已足夠。兩人誰也不敢再向前一步；他們立刻扔下刀子，握住彼此的手，誦念先知的名，並親吻彼此的手。

Besides that, the teaching of the Prophet was, “Know your relation”: your relation to your mother, to your father, to your brother, to your children, to the helpless, the poor and the orphans in the city, to the one who is of higher rank than you, and to the one of lower rank than you. Now you must consider, “Is it not something which needs to be studied?” It is never enough. And we can never understand fully how much there is to be learned in acting in connection with those whom we meet in everyday life. The teaching of the Prophet was simple and at the same time deep. One might think that it is too exaggerated. But at the same time there is beauty in it.

除此之外，先知的教導是：「要明白你與他人的關係。」要明白你與母親的關係、與父親的關係、與兄弟的關係、與孩子的關係；也要明白自己與無助者、窮人、城中的孤兒，以及地位比你高或比你低的人之間的關係。現在你必須想一想：「這難道不是需要好好學習的事嗎？」無論怎麼學都不會過多。我們永遠無法完全明白，在每天與所遇見的人相處時，究竟還有多少需要學習。先知的教導既簡單，同時又深刻。有人或許會覺得其中有些要求過了頭，但同時，其中也自有它的美。

I shall give you an example of a family I went to see, a Muslim family who lived the typical Muslim life. The middle brother was very fond of music and entertainments. But when his elder brother came to visit he would not have entertainment in the house, and when the younger brother came he would not have entertainment. The reason was that he was too respectful to have entertainment, gaiety before his elder brother. And he was too conscientious to give the example of his gaiety to his younger brother. It is in that way that brothers have regard for each other. When there is such a regard between brothers, then what regard must there not be between the mother, father, children, sister, and relations in the home? If one thinks about it, one can begin to feel that it is a civilization that can always be appreciated, once it is studied and known. And the central theme of it is what? Unity.

我來舉一個例子。有一次，我拜訪一個遵循典型穆斯林生活方式的家庭。家中的二哥非常喜愛音樂與娛樂。然而，當哥哥前來時，他不會在家中安排娛樂；弟弟前來時，他同樣不會安排娛樂。原因是，在哥哥面前，他出於尊敬，不願恣意娛樂歡笑；而在弟弟面前，他又因有所顧念，不願為弟弟示範一種只顧嬉樂的生活。兄弟之間就是以這樣的方式彼此顧念。當兄弟之間都有如此的顧念時，母親、父親、孩子、姊妹以及家中親屬之間，又該有何等的相互顧念？若仔細想一想，便會開始體會到：這是一種只要真正去研究、去了解，便總能令人欣賞的文明。而它的核心主題是什麼？就是合一。

We cannot unite with another if we have not the sense of respect, the sense of understanding the ideal. Today, when brothers grow up fighting with one another and not respecting one another, it is quite different. Brothers apart, even that relation that should be between parents and children is not to be found. Every day it is worse and worse and worse. A friend of mine told a rich man how one should regard one’s parents, that it is part of one’s honor to have regard for the parents. And this rich man, on hearing that his father was out of work, sent a letter to him, a letter of good advice, and said there was a place vacant in his office. Does the world not need instruction on that point? It always needs it.

如果沒有尊敬之心，沒有理解理想的能力，我們便不可能與另一個人合而為一。今天，兄弟一起長大，卻彼此爭鬥、互不尊重，情況已經截然不同。不只是兄弟如此，甚至父母與子女之間本應具有的那種關係，也已難以尋見，而且一天比一天更糟。我的一位朋友曾向一個富人談到，人應當如何對待父母；尊重父母，本身就是一個人榮譽的一部分。這個富人後來聽說自己的父親失業了，便寫了一封信給父親，在信中給了他一番忠告，並告訴他，自己的公司正好有一個職缺。這個世界難道不需要在這一點上受到教導嗎？它永遠都需要。

Besides, the Prophet’s teaching was to give the spirit, the spirit that is needed for every person. For every individual a certain spirit is necessary. The teaching of the Prophet was that that spirit must be wakened in each person. The way the Prophet treated his own daughter shows the nobleness of the spirit. He gave an example to the world: he taught his children to respect their parents by respecting children himself.

除此之外，先知的教導還在於賦予人所需要的靈；每一個人都需要某種特定的靈。先知所教導的，就是要在每一個人身上喚醒那個靈。先知對待自己女兒的方式，展現了靈的高貴。他以自身為世界立下榜樣：他藉由自己尊重孩子，教導孩子如何尊敬父母。

The Message
神聖訊息

And now, in conclusion, coming to the task and to the services we are destined to render to the world. “What is the work of the Sufi Message, its characteristic, its peculiarity?” Its peculiarity is truth. It is to bring to the world, to give to the world, to spread to the world that truth which is the essence of all religions. First the truth must be searched after, next the truth must be realized, third the truth must be lived. And it is by doing this that the Sufi will attain to that purpose which has brought him to the Sufi Movement, and that we all will attain to that purpose for which we are meant and which we are intended to accomplish.

最後，我們來談談我們註定要為世界承擔的工作與服務。「蘇菲訊息的工作是什麼？它的特質、它獨有的特色又是什麼？」它的特色就是真理。它要帶給世界、給予世界、傳播於世界的，正是那作為一切宗教精髓的真理。首先，必須尋求真理；其次，必須證悟真理；第三，必須活出真理。透過這樣的實踐，蘇菲才會達到那使他來到蘇菲運動的目的；而我們每一個人，也會達成我們受命於此、原本就應當完成的目的。

And now the question is, what are we to do in order to do our best? We must search for truth not only in books, but in life; we must realize truth not only intellectually, but by our personal experience, through meditation; and we must live truth by not taking truth as something separate, but by realizing that it is our own being. It is by these three things we shall be able to become Sufis.

那麼現在的問題是：要怎樣才能盡我們最大的力量？我們不只要在書本中尋求真理，也要在生命中尋求真理；我們不能只在智性上理解真理，而必須透過冥想，以自身的親身經驗來證悟真理；我們也必須活出真理，不再把真理視為與自己分離的某種事物，而是體認到真理就是我們自身的存在。藉由這三件事，我們才有可能真正成為蘇菲。

And now in spreading the Cause, what we must do is to understand the psychology of human nature, to understand the need of the time, and to understand the best way of going forward. We must not waste time and we must not dispute with the authorities of other religions. We must give our whole thought to this purpose, which is given to us from God. Contemplate upon it, and meditate on it, and ask all blessing: that will help us to carry our work into the world.

而當我們傳播這項志業時，我們所需要做的，是了解人性的心理，了解這個時代的需要，也了解前行的最佳方式。我們不可浪費時間，也不應與其他宗教的權威人士爭辯。我們必須全心投入神所賦予我們的這個目的。對它加以觀想，為它冥想，並祈求一切祝福；如此，便能幫助我們把這項工作帶向世界。

God Bless You.

願神祝福你們。

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