5. Wakening to the Message
5. 對神聖訊息的覺醒

June 16, 1925

1925 年 6 月 16 日

I wish to speak this evening on the subject of the wakening to the Message. It is a gradual wakening; and this wakening comes to a mureed in its own time. By this I do not mean to say that every mureed enters the Sufi Movement without this wakening. Sometimes before a mureed enters the Movement he is already wakened to the Message. It depends. But often the case is that a mureed wakens to the Message gradually. And it is just as well that a mureed wakens to it gradually.

今晚我想談談「覺醒於神聖訊息」這個主題。這是一種逐漸的覺醒；而這種覺醒會在門徒自己的時機到來。我這樣說，並不是指每一位門徒在進入蘇菲運動時都還沒有這樣的覺醒。有時，一位門徒在進入這個運動之前，就已經覺醒於神聖訊息了。這要視情況而定。但很多時候，門徒是逐漸覺醒於神聖訊息的。而門徒逐漸覺醒於它，也正是好的。

If a child was born in the world with all the knowledge of the grown-up people the soul of the child would have had no interest whatever in it. It is the gradual progress that a soul makes day after day after coming on earth; it is that progress which wakens the soul to the world’s pleasures and pains. The real meaning of initiation is to be reborn; to be born again. The first birth is the birth of the person, the next birth is the birth of the soul. And therefore by initiation it is meant that the soul is born again.

如果一個孩子出生到世上時，就已經擁有成年人所有的知識，那麼孩子的靈魂對這個世界就不會有任何興趣。靈魂來到世上之後，一天又一天逐漸有所進展；正是這樣的進展，使靈魂逐漸覺醒於世間的歡樂與痛苦。啟蒙真正的意義，就是重生；再次出生。第一次的出生，是一個人的出生；下一次的出生，則是靈魂的出生。因此，所謂啟蒙，就是靈魂再度出生。

1. Now this gradual wakening to the Message at first shows in a deep felt need of knowing something which is different from all the earthly knowledge. It starts with an inclination to understand things pertaining to life better.
   這種對神聖訊息的逐漸覺醒，最初表現在內心深深感受到一種需要：想知道某種不同於一切世俗知識的事物。它開始於一種傾向，想要更深入地理解與生命有關的事情。

• It begins with a desire that I must find my real self somewhere;
  它開始於一個願望：我必須在某處找到真實的自己；
• that I must get closer to God;
  我必須更接近神；
• that I must build a bridge from here to the other world, that I can secure the continuity of my life;
  我必須從這裡搭起一座通往另一個世界的橋，使我能確保生命的延續；
• that I may be sure of the hereafter, and that I may be able to perceive the sign of life after death;
  使我能確信來世，並能感知死後生命的徵象；
• that I may be able to live more harmoniously with my fellowmen;
  使我能與他人生活得更加和諧；
• that I may know and learn to think rightly, to act rightly;
  使我能知道並學會如何正確地思想、正確地行動；
• that I may become stronger to face all that comes in life — this life which is full of responsibilities, full of difficulties, full of pains and troubles.
  使我變得更有力量，能面對生命中所到來的一切——這個充滿責任、充滿困難、充滿痛苦與煩惱的人生。

It is these things that first waken in the heart of the seeker who wishes to follow the guidance of a teacher, in whom he gives his confidence.

正是這些事物，最先在一位尋求者的心中甦醒；他希望追隨一位老師的引導，並將自己的信任交付於他。

2. And the second change that comes is that: in what form, in what way I must proceed on the spiritual path.
   接著出現的第二個轉變是：我應該以什麼形式、以什麼方式，在靈性道路上前行。
3. And the third development gives a seeker desire to share what he has received, what he considers beautiful and good, with his fellowmen.
   第三個發展，則使尋求者生起一種願望，想把自己所領受到的、自己認為美好而善的事物，與他人分享。

(1) For the seekers after truth an esoteric school, such as we have in the Sufi Movement, answers the purpose.

(2) And with the second development, when a person looks for the way, it is the form in which one worships, it is the form in which one meditates, contemplates; these forms are given as they are given in our movement.

(3) But it is the third inclination–how shall I serve my fellowmen, how shall I give them what I consider precious? When this inclination wakens, then follows the need and apprehension of the Sufi Message.

（1）對尋求真理的人而言，像我們蘇菲運動中所設的內修學校，便能回應這項需要。

（2）到了第二個發展階段，當一個人尋求道路時，所涉及的是人以什麼形式敬拜、以什麼形式冥想與觀想；這些形式，正如我們的運動中所給予的那樣，被提供給尋求者。

（3）然而，第三種傾向則是——我該如何服務他人？我該如何把自己認為珍貴的事物給予他們？當這種傾向甦醒時，隨之而來的，就是對蘇菲神聖訊息的需要與領會。

Then he begins to think that it is not only that my life has become better, or that my soul may become elevated, but that I may be useful to others. Then the thought of Message comes to him: what shall I do to spread it among my fellowmen? When this inclination has wakened in a mureed, then you can say that he is wakened to the Message. The day when he begins to think that: I would be pleased if my friends will be helped by the same, if my relations will receive benefit of it. That those that I do not know, if I could get closer to them, that I could give them the benefit of the Message. Then that soul is wakened to the Message.

於是，他開始想到：不只是我的生活變得更好了，也不只是我的靈魂可以得到提升，而是我能夠對別人有所幫助。這時，關於神聖訊息的念頭便來到他心中：我該做些什麼，才能把它傳播給他人？當這種傾向在一位門徒心中甦醒時，我們便可以說，他已經覺醒於神聖訊息。當有一天，他開始想到：如果我的朋友也能從同樣的事物中得到幫助，我會感到欣喜；如果我的親人也能從中受益，我會感到欣喜。至於那些我不認識的人，如果我能更接近他們，使他們也能得到神聖訊息的益處。那時，這個靈魂便覺醒於神聖訊息。

So long as a soul is not wakened to it, he is content with the progress in his life, with the joy and peace he experiences in his soul, with the study of philosophy, of metaphysics, which answer his ever-rising questions. But when once the soul is wakened to the spirit of the Message, the more it is wakened the more it is discontent, it is not satisfied with all the contentment that spiritually he has attained; he is still discontent, not satisfied, if his fellow creatures have not received the same light.

只要一個靈魂尚未覺醒於神聖訊息，他便會滿足於自己生命中的進展，滿足於靈魂所體驗到的喜悅與平安，也滿足於哲學與形上學的學習，因為這些學習回應了他不斷升起的問題。然而，一旦靈魂覺醒於神聖訊息的精神，它覺醒得越深，就越感到不滿足；即使在靈性上已經得到種種滿足，它仍不以此為滿足。如果其他眾生尚未領受到同樣的光，它仍然感到不滿足。

Words are so poor that they can explain very little. If you are grateful, if you are thankful to someone, if you are sincere, you cannot put your feeling into words. It is a feeling, it is a knowledge, it is an understanding which comes by itself. And if I put out the Message in a thousand words, that would not sufficiently explain it. Yes, I can explain how one begins to be inclined to meditate, how one contemplates, in what manner one can do it. It is easy to explain the ways of worship. But when it comes to explain what is the Message, there one cannot answer it, it cannot be explained in words.

語言是如此貧乏，所能說明的極其有限。如果你心懷感恩，如果你對某個人充滿謝意，如果你是真誠的，你無法把那份感受完全放進言語之中。那是一種感受，是一種知曉，是一種自行到來的理解。即使我用一千句話來說明神聖訊息，也不足以真正解釋它。是的，我可以說明一個人如何開始傾向於冥想，如何觀想，以及可以用什麼方式來做。敬拜的方法也很容易說明。但當要解釋「神聖訊息究竟是什麼」時，這就無法回答了，因為它無法以語言加以解釋。

The soul of the mureed must answer that question. If everyone else said what is the Message, even then the soul which is not wakened to it, which is not ready to understand it, will not be able to understand it. Therefore speaking about it, trying to explain it, will be in vain. But when the soul itself begins to say what is the meaning of the Message, then one does not wish for an explanation. Then one would rather go without an explanation. For it is too deep, too great for words. The less one speaks about it, the better it is. It is to understand within oneself, and allow the soul to speak to us what is the meaning of the Message. That is quite sufficient.

這個問題，必須由門徒自己的靈魂來回答。即使所有其他人都說明了神聖訊息是什麼，一個尚未覺醒於它、尚未準備好理解它的靈魂，依然無法理解。因此，談論它、試圖解釋它，都會是徒然的。然而，當靈魂自身開始說出神聖訊息的意義時，人便不再需要任何解釋。甚至寧可不要解釋。因為它太深、太偉大，言語無法承載。談得越少，反而越好。重要的是在自己內在理解它，並讓靈魂向我們訴說神聖訊息的意義。這就已經完全足夠了。

Providence has brought us together this season, that we may speak and that we may meet with one another, and that we may think and pray together, and ask the help of the Lord that we may be worthy of serving our fellowmen in the Cause of God and humanity.

天意使我們在這個季節相聚，使我們能彼此交談、彼此相會，一同思想、一同祈禱，並祈求主的幫助，使我們能配得上在神與人類的神聖志業中服務他人。

God Bless You.

願神祝福你們。

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