2. The Vision of God and Man (2)
2. 神與人的視見 (2)

Rumi says in his great book, the Masnavi, that the reason why a child cries the first moment after it is born on earth is because it realizes its exile from the higher spheres. “It is unhappy because it finds itself in a different sphere, a different world. The soul seems captive in this mortal body.

魯米在他的偉大著作《瑪斯納維》中說，孩子降生到世上的第一刻之所以哭泣，是因為它意識到自己已從更高的界域被流放。它之所以不快樂，是因為發現自己來到了一個不同的界域、不同的世界。靈魂彷彿被囚禁在這終有一死的身體之中。

There is a beautiful story in the Qur’an which explains symbolically the idea of the captivity of the soul. It says that God made a statue of man, of the first man, and asked the soul to enter into this body. And the soul refused saying, “Lord, I do not want to be imprisoned in this physical body.” Then God told the angels to sing and dance, and on hearing their song and with the rhythm of the dance the soul went into ecstasy, and in that condition it entered the body.

《古蘭經》中有一個美麗的故事，以象徵的方式說明靈魂被囚禁的觀念。故事說，神造了一尊人的塑像，也就是第一個人的塑像，並要靈魂進入這個身體。靈魂拒絕了，說：「主啊，我不願被囚禁在這個物質身體裡。」於是神吩咐天使歌唱、起舞；靈魂聽見他們的歌聲，隨著舞蹈的節奏進入狂喜，就在那樣的狀態下進入了身體。

Rumi says that the reason why every soul is yearning to attain something is that it is in exile, a captive in this physical body which for a while it considered to be itself, with which it identified itself, but which in reality is not itself. It is only a garb, but because it has identified itself with this garb it is unhappy; it has lost that freedom which belonged to it, which was its own.

魯米說，每一個靈魂之所以都渴望獲得某些東西，是因為它正處於流放之中，被囚禁在這個物質身體裡。它曾有一段時間把這個身體當成自己，認同這就是自己，但實際上，這並不是它自己。身體只是一件外衣；然而，由於靈魂認同了這件外衣，它便感到不快樂，因為它失去了原本屬於自己的自由。

The vision of man is small, narrow, because of his limitation in this physical body. In other words, the eyes cannot see farther than the mind can, and the mind cannot see farther than the soul can. Because the soul is dependent upon the mind the vision becomes limited, and as the mind is accustomed to experience through the body the vision of the mind is limited. It is the vision of the perfect One which, by means of the captivity, has made the individual; thus individual means the limited experience of the soul. Whether man knows it or not, whether he believes it or not, there always comes a time when he finds that nothing pleases him.

人的視見之所以狹小而受限，是因為他受制於這個物質身體。換句話說，眼睛所能看見的，不會超過頭腦所能看見的；而頭腦所能看見的，也不會超過靈魂所能看見的。由於靈魂依賴頭腦，它的視見便受到限制；而頭腦又習慣透過身體來經驗，因此頭腦的視見也是有限的。那圓滿的一者之視見，正是透過這種囚禁而成為個體的；因此，所謂個體，就是靈魂受限制的經驗。無論一個人是否知道這一點，是否相信這一點，總有一天，他會發現沒有任何事物能真正使自己感到滿足。

Sometimes he thinks that he is unhappy because he has no money or no comforts; he imagines that if he had a comfortable home with pleasant, congenial surroundings everything would be all right; but when he has obtained all this he is dissatisfied just the same. It is because of man’s innermost being that he is only satisfied for a short time by outside factors. His lack of freedom causes a continual craving; the soul which is captive in mind and body and which cannot express itself fully cannot experience life as it would wish, because by identifying itself with its garbs it has accustomed itself to be ignorant of itself. Therefore spiritual attainment is a matter of finding the secret by uncovering the soul beneath these garbs.

有時候，他以為自己不快樂，是因為沒有錢，或缺少舒適的生活；他想像，只要擁有舒適的家、愉悅而合得來的生活環境，一切就都會好了。然而，等他真的得到這一切之後，依然還是不滿足。正因人的最內在本質如此，外在因素只能使他得到短暫的滿足。自由的缺失使他不斷渴求；被囚禁於頭腦與身體之中的靈魂，無法完整地表達自己，也無法按照自己所渴望的方式經驗生命，因為它認同了自己的這些外衣，於是逐漸習慣於對真正的自己一無所知。因此，靈性成就是揭開這一層層外衣，找到隱藏在其下的靈魂，從而發現其中的祕密。

No one can say how God looks upon the world, how God sees life. Yet there are souls who attain to the divine vision, in other words their outlook becomes God’s outlook. In Sufi terms this is called Akhlak-e Allah, which means the manner of God. When man has reached the stage of spiritual attainment where he has developed the outlook of God his manner becomes the manner of God. The greater man’s evolution the wider his outlook on life; the wider his outlook the higher he stands. But at the same time, as life is today and in so far as we are able to see our fellowmen, it seems that people care little to distinguish themselves in this way.

沒有人能說神如何看待這個世界，也沒有人能說神如何觀看生命。然而，有些靈魂能夠達到神聖的視見；換句話說，他們的眼光逐漸成為神的眼光。在蘇菲術語中，這稱為 Akhlak-e Allah，意思是「神的品格」。當一個人在靈性成就上達到某個階段，發展出神的眼光時，他的品格也就成為神的品格。一個人進化得越深，他看待生命的眼光就越寬廣；他的眼光越寬廣，他所站的位置也就越高。然而，就今日的生活而言，也就我們所能觀察到的同胞來說，人們似乎很少在意以這種方式使自己有所不同。

In the modern world the pitch, it appears, has become smaller and smaller, the pitch of human understanding. Why is this so? Because of the lack of individual progress. As man is busy with mass-production the general tendency is to keep everybody on the same level of understanding. People all read the same newspapers as if they were afraid of ideas being unalike. So they remain all at the same pitch; and if any man has a tendency to go forward he is considered a dreamer, an eccentric, strange. There is no encouragement for individual development, and therefore society keeps the progress of the whole within certain limits and does not allow it to develop further.

在現代世界裡，人類理解的層次似乎變得越來越狹窄。為什麼會如此？因為缺乏個人的進展。當人忙於大量生產時，整體的傾向就是讓所有人都維持在同樣的理解層次。人們讀著相同的報紙，彷彿害怕彼此的思想有所不同。於是大家都停留在同一個層次；如果有人表現出想要向前邁進的傾向，他就會被視為夢想家、怪人，或古怪的人。個人的發展得不到鼓勵，因此社會將整體的進步限制在某個範圍內，不允許它進一步發展。

And now the question arises, if God is absolute, then what is the use of worship, of prayer, or of believing in God in some form or other–as King, or Judge, or Creator, or the superior Being? What is the use of it? It is very easy to read in a book that it is the absolute that is God, that it is the abstract. This means no one and nothing, or all and everything! Indeed, there is some truth in this. But the idea of God being the absolute is larger than man’s mind. The mind wants to understand, but the brain cannot grasp it. Many intellectual people have lost their way by reading somewhere that God is abstract. It means nothing to them, for they have not yet arrived at that stage of evolution where they can assimilate such an idea. Before getting to that stage they have swallowed a pill they can never digest.

於是問題來了：如果神是絕對者，那麼敬拜、祈禱，或以某種形式相信神——把祂視為君王、審判者、創造者，或至高的存在——又有什麼用？這究竟有什麼用？我們很容易從書中讀到，神就是絕對者，是抽象的。這意味著祂不是任何人、也不是任何東西，或者祂就是一切人與一切事物！這其中的確有幾分真理。然而，「神是絕對者」這個觀念，遠比人的頭腦所能容納的更大。頭腦想要理解它，大腦卻無法掌握。許多知識分子因為在某處讀到「神是抽象的」，反而迷失了方向。這對他們來說毫無意義，因為他們尚未進化到足以吸收這種觀念的階段。在抵達那個階段之前，他們就先吞下了一顆永遠消化不了的藥丸。

On top of this come people who have new ideas and thoughts, and who give lessons about these. They say, “You are God; I am God.” In their way their insolence becomes greater and greater. The lofty ideal of God, the ideal which uplifted the seekers of all ages, is being lost. Those who have arrived at realization do not speak about such things in connection with the God-ideal; they realize it in their hearts and keep quiet. But those who have the God-ideal only in the brain, who speak about it and want to touch it, do not touch the ideal. And where do they get to ? Nowhere.

除此之外，又有一些帶著新觀念、新思想的人，到處教導這些觀念。他們說：「你就是神；我也是神。」就這樣，他們變得越來越狂妄。那崇高的神之理想，那個曾提升歷代求道者的理想，正在逐漸失落。那些真正達到證悟的人，不會以這種方式談論神之理想；他們在心中證悟它，然後保持沉默。可是，那些只在大腦中抱持神之理想的人，不斷談論它，想要觸及它，卻根本沒有觸及這個理想。那麼，他們最後到了哪裡？哪裡也沒有。

Man can only conceive of an idea in the way he is able to conceive of a thing. For instance, if one speaks about fairies no one will think of them as trees or plants but as human beings. If an artist is told to paint an angel he will paint it in the form of a human being. He will conceive it in the form to which he is accustomed, which is near and dear to his mind.

人只能依照自己理解事物的能力來構想一個觀念。舉例來說，如果談到仙子，沒有人會把仙子想成樹木或植物，而會想像成人的模樣。如果請一位藝術家畫一個天使，他也會把天使畫成人的形象。他會以自己所熟悉、也最親近於頭腦的形式來構想它。

Naturally every man conceives the idea of God differently. One conceives God as the Judge; he does not see justice in the world, so he sees it in God. Another conceives God as the Creator; man knows himself to be a creator, so he thinks that God is the perfect creator. It is natural for man to make God that which he thinks to be best; therefore whether people belong to the same religion or nation or not, each one of them has his own God, depending on the way he looks upon Him. To have one’s own belief is the first step on the spiritual path. It is not right for a person to say, “Believe in my God.”

自然地，每個人對神都有不同的構想。有些人把神視為審判者；因為他在世上看不見正義，所以便在神那裡看見正義。另一個人把神視為創造者；人知道自己也能創造，因此便認為神是圓滿的創造者。人自然會把自己認為最美好的事物賦予神；因此，無論人們是否屬於相同的宗教或國家，每一個人都有自己的神，而這取決於他如何看待祂。在靈性道路上，擁有自己的信念是第一步。一個人不應該對別人說：「相信我的神。」

Someone else may not be capable of believing in the same way that he does. He believes in his own way, so let him believe in that way. After all it is a first belief; it is nothing but a garb, a garb made by one’s own imagination. In order to kindle that tendency to imagine, to idealize, to worship, the wise in olden times said to those who were not capable of imagination, “Here is a statue of God.” Those who worshipped these statues, the Chinese, the Greeks, the Hindus, were they mistaken? No, each person’s God is as he looks upon Him; and if one says that there are as many gods as there are people in the world, that is true also. Behind it is God, one and the same God of all. First there is the conception, the imagination, and in this way everyone proceeds. And if someone wanted to use another person’s imagination the wise said, “Well, take this little picture; there is your God.”

另一個人未必有能力用同樣的方式相信。他有自己的相信方式，那麼就讓他照自己的方式相信。畢竟，這只是最初的信念；它不過是一件外衣，一件由自己的想像所製成的外衣。為了點燃人想像、理想化與敬拜的傾向，古時候的智者便對那些缺乏想像能力的人說：「這裡有一尊神的塑像。」那些敬拜塑像的人——中國人、希臘人、印度教徒——難道都錯了嗎？不，每一個人的神，都是他所看見的那個樣子；如果有人說，世上有多少人，就有多少個神，這也是真的。在所有這些形象背後，是神，是所有人共同的、同一位神。最初是構想，是想像，而每一個人都由此開始前進。如果有人想借用另一個人的想像，智者便說：「好，那就拿著這張小小的圖像吧；這就是你的神。」

It is a pity that it was not only in the past that people were primitive; today people’s imagination is even worse. Man has become a machine, toiling from morning till evening. He has very little time to imagine; if he had he would be another being. Any scientific discovery that is made is thought most wonderful, but it must be expressed in a simple statement. Formerly things were expressed in terms of poetry, in the form of music, in symbolical pictures, so that a person might think and penetrate and understand, so that his soul might be touched after it unfolded itself by the fineness of what he saw or heard. All the great scriptures of the past were given in such a form, never in a crude form.

可惜的是，原始的不只是過去的人；今天，人們的想像力反而更加貧乏。人已經變成一部機器，從早到晚辛苦工作。他幾乎沒有時間去想像；如果他有這樣的時間，他就會成為另一種人。如今，任何科學發現都會被視為極其了不起，但一切都必須用簡單的陳述表達。從前，事物會透過詩歌的語言、音樂的形式，以及象徵性的圖像來表達，使人能夠思索、深入其中並加以理解；當人的靈魂因所見所聞的精微而逐漸展開時，便能受到觸動。過去所有偉大的經典，都是以這樣的形式傳達，從來不是以粗糙直白的形式。

Today a man comes and says, “Will you tell me about truth. I want truth in simple words.” But truth is never told in simple words; besides, that which can be spoken of in simple words cannot be truth. Truth should be distinguished from facts; it is something that must be realized, discovered. Sometimes when I meet those who want to find tangible truth I feel inclined to write on a piece of stone Truth, and to give it to them and say, “Hold it fast; here is tangible truth!’

今天，有人走來說：「你能告訴我什麼是真理嗎？我要用簡單的話聽見真理。」然而，真理從來無法用簡單的話語說出；而且，凡是能用簡單話語說出的，也不可能就是真理。真理必須與事實區分開來；真理是必須親自證悟、親自發現的。有時候，當我遇見那些想要找到「可以觸摸的真理」的人，我甚至想在一塊石頭上寫下「真理」兩個字，交給他們，然後說：「牢牢拿著吧；這就是可以觸摸的真理！」

How does one benefit by a belief in God? How is the knowledge of God acquired if belief in God is sufficient? The thousands and millions of people who believe in God, are they all progressive and happy? It is not so. Belief is the first step; the second step is to know the relationship between God and man. In order to understand this one must be able to concentrate, to contemplate, to meditate, so as to forget that false identity which one has conceived in one’s mind from the time one was born on earth. All the different methods that sages and seers have taught humanity are to help one to forget that false conception of self. And the method one can adopt to discover truth is the knowledge of God, and by making proper use of this in one’s prayers, in one’s concentration, in one’s practices. In these one benefits by means of the God-ideal, and one comes in this way to the self-realization which is the fulfillment of life’s purpose.

相信神究竟能帶來什麼益處？如果只要相信神就已經足夠，那麼對神的認識又如何獲得？世上成千上萬、數以百萬計相信神的人，難道全都在進步，也全都幸福嗎？事實並非如此。信念只是第一步；第二步，是認識神與人之間的關係。為了理解這一點，人必須能夠專注、觀想、冥想，從而忘掉那個自出生於世上以來便在頭腦中形成的虛假身分。歷代聖哲與靈視者所教導人類的各種方法，都是為了幫助人忘掉這種對自我的錯誤認知。而一個人可以用來發現真理的方法，就是對神的認識，並在祈禱、專注與修持中正確運用這份認識。透過這些，人能藉由神之理想而獲益，並由此達到自我證悟，而那正是生命目的的圓滿實現。

Mysticism
神祕主義

Mysticism is a means to an end. Mysticism is not the goal, but through it one arrives at the goal. If you ask me, what is Sufism, is it a philosophy or is it mysticism, the answer is that it is both; and here I would like to explain something of the mystic side of Sufism.

神祕主義是達到目的的一種手段。神祕主義本身並不是目的，但人可以透過它抵達目的。如果你問我，蘇菲之道究竟是什麼，它是一種哲學，還是一種神祕主義？答案是兩者皆是；而在這裡，我想說明蘇菲之道中神祕主義的一面。

The mystic side of Sufism may be recognized as seeing and hearing. To see further than one sees, to hear more keenly than one hears; in other words to see that which the eyes cannot see, to hear that which the ears cannot hear. This experience brings one to realization: to see without eyes, to hear without ears. No doubt to the mystic seeing and hearing, these two words, have a different meaning. When we say “seeing” we mean seeing through the eyes, when we say “hearing” we mean hearing through the ears; but to the mystic seeing is not only through the eyes, nor is hearing only hearing through the ears. It is seeing even without eyes and hearing even without ears. The English word “seer” means someone who can see equally well with or without eyes.

蘇菲之道的神祕主義面向，可以理解為「看見」與「聽見」：看得比平常所見更遠，聽得比平常所聞更加敏銳；換句話說，看見眼睛所不能看見的，聽見耳朵所不能聽見的。這樣的經驗會帶人走向證悟：不用眼睛也能看見，不用耳朵也能聽見。毫無疑問，對祕士而言，「看見」與「聽見」這兩個詞具有不同的意義。我們說「看見」時，通常指透過眼睛看見；說「聽見」時，通常指透過耳朵聽見。但是對祕士而言，看見並不只是透過眼睛，聽見也不只是透過耳朵；即使沒有眼睛也能看見，即使沒有耳朵也能聽見。英文中的 “seer” 一詞，指的就是無論有沒有透過眼睛，都同樣能夠看見的人。

Now the question arises, if there is such a seeing and hearing would not every soul be most happy to attain to this, for it would be just like having wings to fly? Who would not? Everyone. And if there is this possibility of seeing and hearing why is not everybody seeking after it? The reason is that not everybody believes it, although it can only be attained by belief and never without it. Therefore it is something that every soul seeks after, yet about which every soul has doubts. Even if a soul believes, the question is whether he has enough patience to go through with it, and patience is required because a certain preparation is necessary in order to hear and see.

於是問題來了：如果真有這樣的看見與聽見，每一個靈魂難道不都會非常渴望獲得它嗎？因為這就像長出翅膀，可以飛翔一樣。誰會不想要呢？每個人都會。既然具有這種看見與聽見的可能性，為什麼不是每個人都在追求它？原因在於，並不是每個人都相信它；然而，人唯有相信它才可能達到，若不相信就永遠無法達到。因此，這是每一個靈魂都在追求、卻又同時有所懷疑的事。即使一個靈魂相信它，接下來的問題仍是：他是否有足夠的耐心堅持到底。這需要耐心，因為要能看見與聽見，必須先經過某種準備。

For everyone would like to see and hear, but if a person were capable of it, would he be strong enough to endure the disadvantages? For instance what would happen if mankind, ready as it is to criticize its fellowmen, could see still more faults in them? Or if a man who is absorbed in life’s interests sees a disaster coming upon him, upon his dear ones, will he be able to endure this? If a person who cannot keep his own counsel were to know, through this power, the secrets of his fellowmen, what terrible things could he not do! Moreover, should an affectionate person, always afraid of any harm or hurt touching his dear ones, see it coming, his nerves would be shattered to pieces!

每個人都希望能夠看見、能夠聽見；但是，如果一個人真的具備這種能力，他是否又有足夠的力量承受隨之而來的不利之處？例如，人類本來就如此容易批評自己的同胞，如果還能看見對方更多的缺點，會發生什麼事？或者，一個全心投入世間種種事務的人，如果看見災難即將降臨在自己或摯愛的人身上，他能承受嗎？如果一個連自己的事情都無法保密的人，透過這種能力得知了他人的祕密，他又可能做出多少可怕的事！再者，一個感情深厚、總是害怕摯愛者遭受任何傷害的人，如果事先看見傷害即將來臨，他的神經恐怕都會徹底崩潰！

Thus we realize that in every soul there is a possibility of seeing and hearing, and that every soul would be most delighted to attain to this power, but at the same time that not every soul is ready to have it, nor would it be good for every soul to possess it. Food is for the hungry. If one is hungry one must seek for food. If one wishes, one will naturally see more, but if one does not wish it, it does not matter. It is according to one’s appetite; if there is appetite there should be food. If it is a sin to see more, then it is also a sin to see with the eyes. The eyes are given to see with, the soul to see further. Nevertheless, to seek for extraordinary powers, for phenomena, is going backward instead of forward. If one proceeds along the path of beneficence all that can be will be given.

因此我們明白，每一個靈魂之中都存在著看見與聽見的可能性，每一個靈魂若能獲得這種能力，也都會十分欣喜；然而同時，並不是每一個靈魂都已經準備好擁有它，而且讓每個靈魂都擁有它也未必是好事。食物是給飢餓者的。若一個人飢餓，他自然會去尋找食物。若一個人有所渴望，他自然會看見更多；若沒有這樣的渴望，也沒有關係。這取決於一個人的胃口；有胃口，就應當有食物。如果看得更多是一種罪，那麼用眼睛看東西也同樣是一種罪。眼睛被賦予，是為了看見；靈魂被賦予，則是為了看得更遠。然而，追求非凡的能力、追求種種超常現象，是在倒退，而不是前進。若一個人沿著行善的道路前進，一切能夠賜予他的，自然都會賜給他。

If there is any secret in mysticism this is the only one. Before a person has developed his outlook he must not hear, he must not see. Therefore it is not in order to make one see and hear but to change one’s outlook that the teacher gives initiation. But when the pupil says, “I come to see and hear”, the teacher says, “Wait!”

如果神祕主義中真有什麼祕密，那麼祕密只有這一個：在一個人的眼光尚未發展成熟之前，他不應當聽見，也不應當看見。因此，老師給予啟蒙，並不是為了讓人看見、聽見，而是為了改變一個人的眼光。但是，當學生說：「我是為了看見和聽見而來的。」老師便會說：「等等！」

I will tell you my own experience. Before I started looking for my teacher the faculty of seeing was being developed in me. It is this which awakes the desire to seek for a teacher, for the teacher can give the explanation of life. I did not tell my teacher about this faculty, for I was too impressed, too respectful, to speak of what I could see and hear. But one day, after having been with my teacher for some time, I ventured to speak about it. And what was his answer? “I am sorry.” I was expecting a word of encouragement! But he added, “It is not seeing or hearing, it is acknowledging it that hinders one’s progress.’

我來告訴你我自己的經驗。在我開始尋找自己的老師以前，看見的能力便已經在我之中逐漸發展。正是這一點喚醒了我尋找老師的渴望，因為老師能夠為生命提供解釋。我沒有告訴老師自己擁有這項能力，因為我對他太過敬重，也太深受他的感召，不敢談論自己所能看見和聽見的事。然而有一天，在跟隨老師一段時間之後，我鼓起勇氣向他提起這件事。他怎麼回答呢？「我很遺憾。」我原本還期待著一句鼓勵的話！但他接著說：「阻礙一個人進步的，不是看見，也不是聽見，而是對它加以認可。」

When this seeing occurs it is called clairvoyance, and this hearing is called clairaudience. How wrongly these words are used today! Anyone who is troubled in his mind, who wants to know the future and speak about it, is called a clairvoyant. In reality this gift of seeing and hearing is a gift from the divine Being. The one who has this power is entrusted with the secret of life. The more he claims and the more he attracts people, the more he sins against the law of divine nature. It should be understood that at the time when this seeing and hearing begin an initiation is given, and man becomes responsible for the secrets revealed to him. Besides, if a man was not prepared, if he had not reached a certain point, what would be the benefit of it?

當這種看見出現時，稱為「靈視」（clairvoyance）；這種聽見則稱為「靈聽」（clairaudience）。如今，這兩個詞被使用得多麼錯誤！任何頭腦受到困擾、想要知道未來並談論未來的人，都會被稱作靈視者。實際上，這種看見與聽見的天賦，是神聖存在所賜的禮物。擁有這種能力的人，是受託保管生命祕密的人。他越是宣稱自己擁有這種能力，越是藉此吸引眾人，就越是違背神聖自然的法則。我們應當明白，當這種看見與聽見開始出現時，也會有一種啟蒙隨之而來，而人便必須對向他揭示的祕密負起責任。此外，如果一個人尚未準備好，如果他還沒有到達某個階段，那麼擁有這些能力又有什麼益處？

On one occasion I was amused to hear a man say, “The condition of our country? We have so much freedom that we do not know what to do with it.” It is the same with a person who can see and hear; he finds so much to see that he does not know what to do.

有一次，我聽見一個人說了一句話，覺得十分有趣：「我們國家的情況嗎？我們擁有太多自由，多到根本不知道該拿它怎麼辦。」一個能夠看見、聽見的人也是如此；他發現有太多東西可以看，以至於根本不知道該如何處理。

The Sufi, therefore, is grateful for what he sees and hears, and also grateful for what he does not see and hear. He learns resignation on the path of the divine voyage.

因此，蘇菲祕士對自己所看見、所聽見的心懷感恩，也對自己沒有看見、沒有聽見的心懷感恩。他在神聖旅程的道路上學習順受。

Now one might ask, what kind of preparation is needed? The answer is: a moral preparation; but not in the sense that we understand the word “moral” in everyday life. What we understand is selfish, because we judge another according to our law instead of considering him according to his law. According to the Sufi idea moral is a different thing, especially in regard to this preparation; it is consideration of the law of friendship, of the relationship with one’s elders or superiors or those who are younger or inferior. Although friendship is a simple thing to consider, it is most difficult to practice it. If we live a life of friendliness there is nothing better we can live for, and if we know the principle of friendship we do not need the moral of the world. If instead of his own advantage and rules of conduct a man considers the advantage and rules of another person, then he begins to see that person’s soul, but as long as he sees the other as a separate being different from himself he will see him wrongly.

現在，人或許會問：需要什麼樣的準備？答案是：道德上的準備；但這裡所說的「道德」，並不是我們日常生活中所理解的那種意思。我們通常所理解的道德其實帶有自我中心，因為我們總是依照自己的法則來評斷別人，而不是依照他的法則來理解他。按照蘇菲的觀念，道德是另一回事，尤其是在這種準備方面；它指的是體察友誼的法則，以及我們與年長者、上位者、年幼者或地位較低者之間的關係。友誼看來是一件很簡單的事，真正實踐起來卻極其困難。如果我們活出一種友善的人生，再沒有比這更值得我們為之而活的了；如果我們懂得友誼的原則，也就不再需要世俗的道德規範。如果一個人不再只考慮自己的利益與行為準則，而開始考慮另一個人的利益與準則，那麼他就開始看見那個人的靈魂；然而，只要他仍將對方視為一個與自己分離、不同於自己的存在，他就仍然會錯誤地看待對方。

Therefore, what Sufism offers are facilities for becoming acquainted with these ideas. After this acquaintance naturally the soul unfolds, and as a natural consequence of the soul’s unfoldment it gradually hears more and more.

因此，蘇菲之道所提供的，是幫助人逐漸熟悉這些觀念的方法。當人熟悉這些觀念之後，靈魂自然會逐漸展開；而隨著靈魂的展開，人也會自然而然地聽見得越來越多。

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