7. The Message
7. 神聖訊息

June 30, 1925

1925 年 6 月 30 日

My Blessed Mureeds,

我蒙福的門徒們：

I would like to speak this evening on the subject of the Message. How is a mureed to regard the Sufi Message?

今晚我想談談神聖訊息這個主題。門徒應當如何看待蘇菲的神聖訊息？

1. There is a mureed who regards the Sufi Message as an esoteric school, where to study and to practice meditation, and to understand something of the inner laws of nature, to obtain powers which are latent in man, and to arrive at that inspiration which in the end culminates into a revelation. For this mureed all different esoteric schools are more or less the same. Perhaps the esoteric school of the Sufis appeals to his nature more, perhaps the contact that he feels with Murshid is deeper, and he prefers to continue his spiritual journey through this school.
   有一種門徒，將蘇菲的神聖訊息視為一所祕傳學校，在其中學習、修習冥想，理解一些大自然內在的法則，獲得潛藏於人之內的力量，並達到一種靈感，而這靈感最終會發展為啟示。對這位門徒而言，各種不同的祕傳學校或多或少都是一樣的。或許蘇菲的祕傳學校更契合他的本性，或許他感受到自己與穆希德（Murshid）的連結更深，因此他選擇透過這所學校繼續自己的靈性旅程。
2. There is another mureed who looks upon it as an attempt among many other attempts of furthering the world brotherhood. He recognizes the need and importance of it, and so he joins forces with the Movement, recognizing at the same time that there are several other brotherhood movements besides, preferring at the same time to be in the Sufi Movement, because his friends are in the Movement, he is friends with Murshid, and he feels tied in this brotherhood movement, especially by friendship.
   另有一種門徒，將它看作許多促進世界兄弟情誼的努力之一。他認識到這項工作的需要與重要性，因此加入這個運動，與之共同努力；同時他也知道，除此之外還有其他許多兄弟情誼的運動。然而他仍較願意留在蘇菲運動之中，因為他的朋友都在這個運動裡，他與穆希德有友誼，尤其透過這份友誼，他感到自己與這個兄弟情誼的運動連結在一起。
3. And there is another mureed who sees the beauty and the vastness and an ideal in the form of Universal Worship. He sees in it his innermost inclination of religion being one. He adheres to it; and he feels in sympathy for such an ideal of different forms of religions being practiced in one form to be world known, that it will in the end bring about the divided sections of humanity by their particular faiths closer together, keeping wars and disasters of all kinds, which very often arise by religious differences, from rising in the world.
   還有另一種門徒，在普世敬拜的形式中看見它的美、廣闊與一種理想。他在其中看見自己內心最深處對「宗教本為一體」的傾向。他認同並追隨這個理想，也深深共鳴於這樣的願景：讓各種不同形式的宗教共同在一種形式中實踐，並為世界所知；如此最終能使那些因各自信仰而彼此分隔的人群更加接近，也能避免那些經常由宗教差異所引發的戰爭與各種災難在世上興起。
4. But there is a mureed who sometimes before entering the Sufi Movement or sometimes at the moment of coming into the Sufi Movement, and sometimes after a period of time, gets a glimpse of the idea of the Message. All these three [above] activities are for him incomparable with anything else; for he sees the light of the Message behind them, and therefore he does not compare them with any other activities. He dare not compare them, but sees the light of the Message from behind, kindling these three activities.
   但也有一種門徒，有時是在進入蘇菲運動之前，有時是在加入蘇菲運動的那一刻，有時則是在經過一段時間之後，瞥見了神聖訊息的意義。對他而言，上述三種活動都無法與任何其他事物相比；因為他看見在它們背後有神聖訊息之光，因此不會將它們與任何其他活動相提並論。他甚至不敢作這樣的比較，而是看見神聖訊息之光從背後點燃著這三種活動。

And many there are who ask a question that: “I can understand what an esoteric school means, I can understand a brotherhood movement, I can understand a universal worship, but I cannot perceive the meaning of the Message. Will you explain it to me in two words?” But this is something which is beyond explanation. And if one tries to explain it, one spoils it, because one limits it. One attaches value to something which is invaluable; one gives form to something which is the spirit.

有許多人會問：「我能理解祕傳學校是什麼意思，我能理解兄弟情誼的運動，也能理解普世敬拜，但我無法領會神聖訊息的意義。你能不能用幾句話向我說明？」然而，這是超越解釋的。一旦我們試圖解釋它，反而會破壞它，因為我們限制了它。我們試圖衡量那無價之物的價值，也為那本是靈的事物賦予了形式。

For my mureeds, therefore, it is best to wait, and not trouble about the meaning of the Message; not to try to ask the explanation of the Message in words; till the meaning is revealed in their heart itself . . . only it has its own time. And those who feel the meaning of the Message, for them to make an attempt of explaining it to another who does not understand it will be fatal. Words will never explain it, but words will spoil it. This is the proof of truth, that truth springs itself in the heart of a person. This is true of the Message also. Instead of being spoken in words, it must speak in the heart of those who follow it.

因此，對我的門徒而言，最好就是等待，不必為神聖訊息的意義而煩惱；也不要試圖要求用言語來解釋神聖訊息，直到它的意義自行在他們心中顯露出來……只是每個人都有自己的時機。而對那些已經感受到神聖訊息意義的人來說，若試圖向一個尚不理解的人解釋它，反而會造成傷害。言語永遠無法解釋它，言語反而會破壞它。真理的證明就在於：真理會自行從一個人的心中湧現。神聖訊息也是如此。它不應由言語說出，而必須在追隨它之人的心中自己說話。

In India and in Persia there is a special name of God; that name is Khuda, which means self-revealing. In all the different qualities of God, which are not different from the qualities of man — only the difference is that they are in perfection in God — this quality is beyond all qualities: self-revealing.

在印度與波斯，有一個對神的特殊名稱，那就是 Khuda，意為「自行顯明」。在神的種種特質之中——這些特質與人的特質並無不同，差別只在於它們在神之中是圓滿的——有一項特質超越一切其他特質，那就是：自行顯明。

Truth is something which reveals itself. You do not need to ask anyone. It begins to speak itself when the time comes. And so it is with the Message. The Message of truth must reveal itself; only it has its own time with every person. When the spiritual Message is pleaded by one or defended by one, then it is a human Message. It can only be spiritual when the soul itself begins to plead, when the spirit itself begins to defend. Then no man can deny it.

真理是會自行顯露的事物。你不需要去詢問任何人。當時機來臨，它便會自行開始說話。神聖訊息也是如此。真理的神聖訊息必須自行顯露；只是對每一個人而言，都有它自己的時機。當一個靈性的訊息需要由某個人來申說、由某個人來為它辯護時，它便成了人的訊息。只有當靈魂本身開始為它說話，當靈本身開始為它辯護時，它才能真正是靈性的。到了那時，沒有人能否認它。

There arises a question in a sincere follower of the Message: “Why does not every person feel it, does not recognize it as I do, I wonder?” The answer is that you need not wonder. Your wonder would make your faith feeble. No matter, if the whole humanity did not recognize it, if you alone recognized it, it is sufficient for yourself. Nevertheless, the Message apart, everything that is real, sincere, earnest, is a living thing, whether one recognizes it or does not recognize it. One’s soul certainly feels it, knows it. The mind may stand as a barrier, yet the soul cannot refuse it, cannot deny it. For the innermost of every being is the Being of God. And there truth is known; truth is recognized.

一位真誠追隨神聖訊息的人心中會生起一個疑問：「為什麼不是每個人都像我一樣感受到它、認出它呢？」答案是，你不需要為此感到疑惑。這樣的疑惑反而會削弱你的信念。即使全人類都沒有認出它，只要你自己認出了它，對你而言便已足夠。其實，即使撇開神聖訊息不談，一切真實、真誠、懇切的事物本身都是活的，無論人是否認出它。人的靈魂一定能感受到它、知道它。頭腦或許會成為一道障礙，但靈魂無法拒絕它，也無法否認它。因為每一個存在最深處的本質，都是神的存在。在那裡，真理被知道；真理被認出。

There is no reason for us to be discouraged, however slow the Message spreads in the world. For all things that are stable will spread slowly. For us there is one thing to think of, and that is that the truth is victorious, that the truth will never fail. Human efforts are limited, means are limited. Our power and vision may be limited, but not truth. When there is the flow of truth, trying from within to rise up and spread all around, it is from the unlimited source, and it must culminate into that fulfillment for which it is destined. What we require in our spiritual pursuit is the patient working, with firm faith and belief.

無論神聖訊息在世上傳播得多麼緩慢，我們都沒有理由灰心。因為一切穩固的事物，傳播都會是緩慢的。我們只需要記得一件事，那就是真理終將得勝，真理永遠不會失敗。人的努力有限，所能運用的方式也有限。我們的力量與視野或許有限，但真理並不有限。當真理之流從內在試圖升起，並向四方流布時，它來自無限的源頭，因此必然會達到它命定要完成的圓滿。在我們的靈性追求中，所需要的是耐心地持續努力，並懷著堅定的信心與信念。

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