4. Lecture for Mureeds and Friends
4. 給門徒與朋友的講座

The Work in America
在美國的工作

December 17, 1923

1923 年 12 月 17 日

I have the great happiness of meeting my friends again in Brussels, and in this house where the Message commenced. It is a great pity that our friend Madama Graeffe is not with us just now owing to her poor health. Nevertheless, we feel her with us in the heart just the same, and we pray from the bottom of our hearts that from this moment that we all pray together for her that she soon will be better and well.

我非常高興能再次在布魯塞爾與朋友們相聚，也再次來到這棟神聖訊息最初展開的屋子。非常遺憾的是，我們的朋友葛雷夫夫人（Madama Graeffe）因為健康不佳，此刻無法與我們同在。然而，我們在心中仍然感覺她與我們在一起；此刻，讓我們大家從心底一起為她祈禱，願她很快好轉，恢復健康。

Now coming to the question of the work of the Message. Since I left you I should like to say a few words in what way the work has been done. The Message was given in the different parts of the United States, in New York, in Chicago, in Detroit, in San Francisco. Of course the time was too short for a large place like the United States. In four months I had to finish my visit whereas four months only a city like New York would take. No doubt, after having spread the Message there was a great demand for institutions to be founded in different places for the study of philosophy, and only I was able to do so in a few places like Detroit, New York, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. In San Francisco already a society existed.

現在談到神聖訊息工作的問題。自從我離開你們之後，我想簡單說幾句，談談這項工作是如何進行的。神聖訊息已在美國不同地區傳播，包括紐約、芝加哥、底特律和舊金山。當然，對美國這麼大的地方來說，時間實在太短了。我必須在四個月內結束這次訪問，而單單紐約這樣一座城市，四個月都還不夠。毫無疑問，在神聖訊息傳播出去之後，各地都非常希望能成立研習哲學的機構；而我只能在少數幾個地方做到這一點，例如底特律、紐約、聖塔芭芭拉和洛杉磯。舊金山則已經有一個協會存在。

Of course my greatest difficulty in the United States was that the response was greater, and to answer that response there is a lack of workers who are trained and ready to answer the great demand of the place. I returned with the hope that soon some of our friends will be ready with enthusiasm and with their study and practice to do what little they can, if not in their own countries, then in the United States. Since then I have met with people, some coming from the United States, who have taken a deeper interest.

當然，我在美國最大的困難，是人們的回應非常熱烈，然而要回應這份熱烈的需求，卻缺乏已受過訓練、並準備好承擔當地龐大需要的工作者。我回來時懷著一份希望，希望不久之後，我們的一些朋友能帶著熱忱，透過自己的學習與修持做好準備，盡自己所能做一點工作；如果不是在自己的國家，那麼就在美國。從那之後，我也遇見了一些人，其中有些來自美國，他們已經產生了更深的興趣。

In America, no doubt, I found that there is one thing which appeals to an American, whatever be his occupation or position, and that is the idea of brotherhood, it being a place where in this ideal the national constitution has been built. Any other problem might divide their intentions, but in the idea of brotherhood they will unite. There has been a great difficulty between America and Japan; but when the difficulty came in Japan, this disaster, when the President wanted some few millions, twice as much was at once contributed, because the feeling of brotherhood touches the heart of the people.

毫無疑問，我在美國發現，有一個觀念不論一個美國人的職業或地位如何，都能打動他，那就是手足情誼的理念，因為這個國家的憲政本身就是建立在這種理想之上。其他任何問題都可能使他們的意向分歧，但是在手足情誼的理念上，他們卻會團結起來。美國與日本之間曾經有很大的困難；但是當日本遭逢那場災難時，總統希望募集幾百萬元，結果人們立刻捐出了兩倍的金額，因為手足情誼的感受觸動了人們的心。

Brotherhood and Religion
手足情誼與宗教

When we think of this it shows that brotherhood is needed everywhere. No man who has some sense of divine ideal, will deny the fact that brotherhood is the main thing which . . . It is a great pity that religions, whether in the East or West, have their own creeds and Church. When it comes to brotherhood they say, “We have our brotherhood, you have yours.” Each thinks, “They have their own brotherhood.” Therefore the work of the Sufi Movement is not to create a Sufi Brotherhood. It is not a brotherhood, but a means to create a brotherhood, it is working for a human brotherhood.

當我們想到這一點，就會看見手足情誼在每一個地方都是需要的。任何對神聖理想多少有所感受的人，都不會否認手足情誼是最重要的……非常可惜的是，無論東方或西方，各個宗教都有自己的信條與教會。一談到手足情誼，他們便說：「我們有我們的手足情誼，你們有你們的。」每一方都認為：「他們有他們自己的手足情誼。」因此，蘇菲運動的工作並不是創造一個「蘇菲手足團體」。它本身不是一個手足團體，而是促成人類手足情誼的途徑；它所致力的，是全人類的手足情誼。

There is a necessity of a certain organization. Therefore the organization has not only supplied the need for brotherhood, but also it has helped to support the two activities. The one part is the devotional part; what the world is lacking today is devotional attitude. People study and they want to practice if they can attain some certain power. But [what] they lack is devotion, which means the lack of a fuller life. If there is a trace of God to be found, it is in the heart of man. If it is not open enough, then the natural flow is closed, and the life becomes incomplete. To live a complete life is to live a life of that sympathy and friendliness which pours out on another person; to the one who deserves it in the form of love, to the one who does not deserve it in the form of tolerance.

某種程度的組織是必要的。因此，這個組織不僅回應了手足情誼的需要，也有助於支持兩方面的活動。其中一方面是奉獻的部分；今日世界所缺乏的，正是奉獻的態度。人們學習，也願意修持，只要他們能藉此獲得某種力量。然而，他們所缺乏的是奉獻，而這也意味著缺少一種更完整的生命。如果在任何地方能找到神的一絲痕跡，那就是在人心之中。如果心沒有充分敞開，那自然的流動就會受到阻塞，生命也因此變得不完整。活出完整的生命，就是活出那份流向他人的同理與友善；對值得的人，它以愛的形式流出；對不值得的人，它則以寬容的形式流出。

Therefore if we have any religious work it is the work of recognizing that great spirit, which is called the Christ-spirit, in all different aspects, names, houses of worship. It is not to limit that spirit to a certain community or creed, but to find it as a spiritual . . . and recognizing it as such, that in whatever time or period if there has been a spiritual awakening, a guidance given, it all has been given from one and the same source. It is for us to know it as one; that if there has come enlightenment to people it has come from one source, instead of quarreling about it. Whenever it has come it has come from one life and one source. And if there have been different scriptures and teachers, they have been just veils of one truth. Why dispute over names? The spirit is one, God is one, religion and truth are one.

因此，如果我們有任何宗教性的工作，那就是在一切不同的面貌、名稱與敬拜場所之中，認出那偉大的聖靈 (Spirit)，也就是所謂的基督之靈。這並不是要把那聖靈限定於某一個社群或信條之中，而是要看見它是一種靈性的……並如此認出它：無論在哪一個時代或時期，只要曾經出現靈性的覺醒，曾經有引導被賜予，這一切都來自同一個源頭。我們所要做的，是認識到它們本為一體；只要光啟曾臨到人們，它便是來自同一個源頭，而不是為此彼此爭論。無論它在何時來臨，都是從同一生命、同一源頭而來。即使曾有不同的經典與老師，他們也只是真理覆上的不同帷幕。又何必為名稱爭論？聖靈是一，神是一，宗教與真理也是一。

The Esoteric Work
內修工作

Now coming to even more important work, that on which the strength of our whole Movement depends. That is the esoteric work in which anybody is received by the initiation. It is not in the ordinary word of initiation. It is a word, there is no word to interpret, Bayat we call it. Initiation is a trust. When the pupil says, “I give you my trust, that whatever you give me I am sure I shall be benefitted,” the teacher says, “All I shall give to you, you will keep as your sacred trust.” That is the teacher’s trust. When the trust is given from both sides, that is an initiation.

現在談到更加重要的工作，也就是我們整個運動的力量所依賴的工作。這就是內修工作，人透過啟蒙而被接納進入其中。這裡所說的並不是一般意義上的「啟蒙」。我們稱它為 Bayat，這個詞沒有其他詞能真正詮釋。啟蒙是一份信任。當學生說：「我把我的信任交給你；無論你給我什麼，我相信都會使我受益。」老師則說：「凡是我給你的，你都會將它視為神聖的託付而守護。」這就是老師所給予的信任。當雙方都交付了這份信任，那就是啟蒙。

What is attained by the initiation? One is to acquaint oneself with the deeper side of life. What is the deeper side of life? The education, whatever it is, not completed as long as one is keeping to the outer side of life, and not yet entered into the deeper side of life.

透過啟蒙能獲得什麼？其中之一，就是使自己熟悉生命更深的一面。生命更深的一面是什麼？無論我們接受了怎樣的教育，只要仍停留在生命的外在層面，還沒有進入生命更深之處，那份教育就尚未完整。

And now the question is how can one attain to the deeper side? It is quite a different meaning.

那麼現在的問題是，我們要如何進入生命更深的一面？這是完全不同的一回事。

• One method is to acquire the knowledge from the life without, and that is going to school and attaining the knowledge in that way.
  一種方法，是從外在的生命中獲得知識，也就是去學校，透過這種方式取得知識。
• Another method is quite different; it is not going to school or institution and study, but closing the door of one’s room, sitting in solitude, closing the eyes, being oneself once again, and trying to put one’s mind within, seeking the source within, getting the knowledge which [can] be gotten only from within.
  另一種方法則完全不同；它不是去學校或某個機構學習，而是關上自己房間的門，獨自靜坐，閉上雙眼，再次回到自己，試著使頭腦轉向內在，在內在尋找源頭，獲得那只有從內在才能得到的知識。

Of course, that art has its rules and regulations which are not applicable to each in the same way, although the science is one and the same. Still, when a physician receives different people, to each he gives a separate prescription, for each condition, to get it right. In the same way with the Sufi esoteric work, every person that is initiated does not get the same thing to do, and in a different way. All the same it is one art or science, a science of tuning oneself within.

當然，這門技藝有它的規則與準則，並不能以完全相同的方式套用在每個人身上，儘管其中的科學原理是一樣的。就像一位醫師面對不同的人，會依照每個人的情況分別開出不同的處方，使治療適合他的狀況。蘇菲的內修工作也是如此，每一個接受啟蒙的人，所得到的修持並不完全相同，進行的方式也有所不同。然而，它仍是同一門技藝、同一門科學，也就是將自己的內在調準的科學。

By this a person gets great power over himself. Willpower becomes strengthened, discipline develops, the vision becomes more clear. One develops more control, more magnetism and power not only upon oneself, but upon everything. Upon everything one has a power. I do not mean that one has a power on the weather, but by self-discipline one gets a power of resistance, a power over circumstances which upset a person.

藉由這樣的修持，一個人會獲得很大的自我掌握。意志力得到增強，自律逐漸發展，視見也變得更加清晰。我們會發展出更多的掌握、更強的磁力與力量；這力量不僅作用於自己，也作用於一切。我們對一切都能具有某種力量。我並不是說人能夠控制天氣，而是透過自律，我們會獲得抵抗的力量，能夠面對那些原本會使自己受到擾亂的境遇。

Often a fine person has jarring influences from around, from those with whom one comes in contact, one’s friends, one’s enemies; everywhere one finds life most difficult. If one goes on like this it becomes nothing but a terrible life; one becomes irritated and one becomes a difficult object for others. But by attaining that strength which comes from the deeper side of life one is able to get above things, to overcome the influences which come up and jar one’s sensibilities. They are all thrown back, and one can keep oneself in the right tone and rhythm. The purpose of life is to keep oneself in the right tone and rhythm.

一個敏銳細膩的人，往往會受到周遭各種不協調的影響，來自與我們接觸的人、朋友、敵人；彷彿到處都會使人覺得生命十分艱難。如果一直如此下去，生命就只會變成一件可怕的事；人會變得煩躁，自己也會成為別人的困擾。然而，當我們獲得那來自生命更深處的力量，便能超越這些事情，克服那些出現並擾亂我們感受的影響。這些影響都能被擋回去，而我們可以使自己維持在正確的音調與節奏之中。生命的目的，就是使自己維持在正確的音調與節奏之中。

The nature of life is to put us off the right tone and rhythm. Every moment is that struggle. Even for a saint or sage there is this struggle to meet; from the first moment one gets up in the morning one has to meet with this struggle. If it is so with the advanced souls, then what with the ordinary people? Therefore there are so many suicides, people unhappy. Very few you will find content. There are those who say they are content, but still no real content you will find.

生命的本質，就是不斷使我們偏離正確的音調與節奏。每一刻都有這樣的掙扎。即使對聖者或聖哲而言，也必須面對這份掙扎；從早晨起床的第一刻起，就得開始面對它。進展較深的靈魂尚且如此，那麼一般人又會如何？因此才會有這麼多人自殺，這麼多人不快樂。真正知足的人非常少見。有些人會說自己很知足，但你仍很難找到真正的知足。

That shows that life is a continual struggle. It is no need to say that it is not struggle; one must develop one’s strength to combat with this struggle, and to harmonize, making rhythm and tone to cope with this struggle, creating at the same time harmony and beauty.

這顯示生命是一場持續不斷的掙扎。沒有必要說它並不是掙扎；我們必須發展自己的力量來面對這份掙扎，並使自己和諧，建立適當的節奏與音調來應對它，同時創造出和諧與美。

Therefore Sufism is called the philosophy of love, harmony, and beauty; that means to understand really what it means to create in one’s everyday life this which is the seeking of every soul.

因此，蘇菲主義被稱為愛、和諧與美的哲學；這意味著真正理解，如何在日常生活中創造出每一個靈魂都在尋求的這一切。

The Work in Belgium
在比利時的工作

Coming to our work in Belgium, I should like to say that we have not yet organized so that the work should go on in a way that it ought to go on; and to let it go like this means that we do not love our work properly. Not to do for the work means that the work which needs spreading now is starving of that help which is necessary. Now that I have come I feel still greater hope than I have ever had. I feel that from now the work will go on by every means possible. And only I ask the help of all those here, their kind thoughts, prayers, actions in whatever way you can do to help this work advance in Belgium. In England there are four branches working just now, in Bournemouth (Harrowgate?), London, Southampton, and Brighton; it will spread still more in America; it is growing in France; it is prospering in Holland. Now I am going to Denmark.

談到我們在比利時的工作，我想說的是，我們目前還沒有建立起足以讓工作按照應有方式持續進行的組織；如果任由它這樣下去，就表示我們還沒有真正珍愛這份工作。不為這份工作付出，就表示這項如今需要向外傳播的工作，正在缺少它所需要的幫助。如今我再次來到這裡，我感受到比以往更大的希望。我覺得從現在開始，這項工作將以一切可能的方式繼續推進。我只請求在座每一位的幫助，以你們善意的念頭、祈禱與行動，以任何你們能做到的方式，協助這項工作在比利時向前發展。目前英國有四個分會正在運作，位於伯恩茅斯（哈羅蓋特？）、倫敦、南安普敦和布萊頓；在美國，它還會進一步擴展；在法國，它正在成長；在荷蘭，它正蓬勃發展。現在我要前往丹麥。

I am sure that my mureeds certainly are my great well-wishers. And when they see me work day after day in spite of all the different difficulties and oppositions, and knocking against the stone walls that are in my way and yet going on patiently and never thinking: this is a place where the work cannot go. Never. In England for six months I was speaking to three people; there was no fourth person to be found. If I would have lost courage, I would have gone to my country. I did not. After six months a fourth person came, and he brought a fifth person, and so it went on. We do not know, we cannot say.

我相信，我的門徒們當然都是最真心祝福我的人。當他們看見我日復一日地工作，儘管面對各種不同的困難與反對，儘管一次次撞上擋在我面前的石牆，我仍然耐心地繼續前行，從來不曾想：「這是一個工作無法進行的地方。」從來沒有。在英國，有六個月的時間，我只對三個人演講，連第四個人都找不到。如果當時我失去了勇氣，我早就回到自己的國家了。但我沒有。六個月之後，第四個人來了，而他又帶來第五個人，事情就這樣繼續發展下去。我們不知道，我們無法預先斷言。

After all this work that I have seen and done and now find that there have been terrible disappointments, gloom, and clouds, and feel: nothing can be done here. But I felt like the Prophet Muhammad in the desert, where men as thick as stones would not listen. He was crying aloud wisdom. They would not listen, they threw him out of his country three times, killed his disciples; he still was going on. And what happened? There was a time when the whole Arabia, Persia, Afghanistan, India, China was benefitted by what he brought. But he had to give in the mountains to those who would not listen.

經歷並完成了這一切工作之後，如今即使看見種種極大的失望、陰鬱與烏雲，而感到：「在這裡什麼都做不了。」但我想到沙漠中的先知穆罕默德，那裡的人頑固得像石頭一樣，不願聆聽。他大聲宣說智慧，他們卻不願聽；他們三次把他逐出自己的國家，殺害他的門徒，而他依然繼續前行。結果如何？後來曾有一個時期，整個阿拉伯、波斯、阿富汗、印度與中國，都因他所帶來的而受益。然而，他仍必須在山中向那些不願聽的人傳達。

Difficulties before a practical person seem different. He says, “I must have a result.” If I would have been waiting for results, I would have gone mad, or have made a suicide. For years there was no result. In Brussels I have been working for two years now. The result from a practical point of view may seem poor. But I have some valuable mureeds still. One may be more valuable than a thousand. But from now I feel that the work must grow, and a mechanism must be made, and the whole world must know that the Brussels Society must live. And I am sure that by the help of my workers in Brussels there will . . . God Bless You.

對一個務實的人來說，困難看起來又是另一回事。他會說：「我必須看到成果。」如果我一直等待成果，我早就發瘋，或是自殺了。多年以來，根本看不見成果。我在布魯塞爾工作至今已經兩年。從務實的角度來看，成果也許顯得很有限。但我仍然擁有一些珍貴的門徒。一個人可能比一千個人更加珍貴。然而，從現在開始，我覺得這項工作必須成長，必須建立起一套運作機制，而且全世界都必須知道，布魯塞爾協會必須繼續存在。我確信，藉著我在布魯塞爾的工作者們所給予的幫助，將會……願神祝福你們。

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