18. Spiritual and Religious Movement
18. 靈性與宗教運動

June 15, 1926

1926 年 6 月 15 日

Blessed Mureeds,

蒙福的門徒們：

It gives me a great happiness to open the Summer School welcoming you all here, and wishing you every happiness and illumination. Today I have thought that I should speak to you a few words on the subject of my tour, my visit to America.

我非常高興能夠開啟這次夏季學校，歡迎各位來到這裡，並祝願你們得到一切幸福與光啟。今天我想，我應該跟你們談幾句關於這次旅程，也就是我造訪美國的事。

In the first place I would like to explain to you, how did I find America? I found it much better, perhaps ten or twenty times better, than it has been before. For the reason that I could not recognize New York as I had seen it three years ago. Many new buildings, everything changed; besides at the Custom House not such difficulty as before. For that I am thankful to friends; also I think that things are changing in America to the better.

首先，我想跟你們說說，我所看到的美國是什麼樣子。我發現它比以前好得多，也許好上十倍、二十倍。因為我幾乎認不出三年前所見的紐約了。有許多新建築，一切都改變了；而且在海關，也不像以前那麼困難。對此我要感謝朋友們；我也認為，美國的情況正在往好的方向改變。

Now coming to the subject of the spiritual and religious movements. In the first place there are many movements working in America, incomparably greater than anywhere else in the world. But at the same time it seems that Christian Science, that had a great adherence once, does not seem to be making such progress as it did before. Steiner’s movement does not seem to be very much spreading. The Theosophical Society is also in great trouble just now. Their new ideal has made a great upset in societies everywhere; therefore some Theosophists asked me in New York to speak on the present problem.

現在談到靈性與宗教運動。首先，在美國有許多不同的運動正在進行，其數量遠遠超過世界其他任何地方。然而與此同時，曾經擁有大量追隨者的基督教科學派，似乎已不像過去那樣有所進展。史代納的運動看來也沒有廣泛傳播。神智學會目前同樣陷入很大的困境。他們新的理想在各地的學會中引起了很大的動盪；因此有一些神智學者在紐約請我談談當前的問題。

I said the less spoken about it the better it is. There is a Vedanta Movement there, for a long time. But in America there is little discrimination about false and real when it comes to the spiritual movements. And therefore many are disappointed by the spiritual movement, seem to be losing faith in it. I saw a club, they call it an occult club. They have every fortnight a dinner. I was taken to that club, but I must not speak there about my Movement, because they were all disappointed about these things. At the dinner table there was a talk on what everyone did in the way of phenomena. Each one said what wonder he performed except myself.

我說，關於這件事，談得越少越好。吠檀多運動在那裡已經存在很久了。但是在美國，一談到靈性運動，人們對真假缺乏辨別力。因此許多人對靈性運動感到失望，似乎正在失去對它的信心。我看到一個俱樂部，他們稱它為神祕學俱樂部。每兩週會舉辦一次晚宴。我被帶去那個俱樂部，但我不能在那裡談我的運動，因為他們對這些事情都已經失望了。晚餐桌上，大家談的是每個人曾經做過哪些超常現象。除了我以外，每個人都說了自己曾展現過什麼奇蹟。

So I went to the West. Besides different movements there are some individual teachers. On the ground of some prophecies appearing in different modern books, they had proclaimed their authority as representatives of the spiritual hierarchy; many are attracted to them. In this way a kind of chaos is going on, some very agitated against organization. They say, “We must be free,” because the main word that every American has, the word that has impressed him most, is “freedom.” Therefore he wants to be free of everything except himself. And this one drawback also keeps them backwards in a way.

於是我前往西部。除了各種不同的運動以外，那裡也有一些個別的老師。根據現代不同書籍中出現的一些預言，他們宣稱自己具有代表靈性階序的權威；許多人受到他們吸引。於是就形成了某種混亂，也有些人強烈反對任何組織。他們說：「我們必須自由。」因為每個美國人最重視、對他影響最深的一個字，就是「自由」。因此，他想要擺脫一切而自由，唯獨沒有擺脫自己。這項缺點在某種程度上也使他們停滯不前。

Besides that mostly it is a kind of intellectual hunger for spirituality. That is much more accentuated than anywhere else in the world, than in any other country, for the reason that many years of materialism have made them feel the want of spiritual progress. At the same time, when they want to get something, they get something else. They cannot discriminate for themselves which is which. Very often a person came to tell me, “I have read this, I have studied this book, perhaps fifty books.” And asked, “Have you read the same book as I? I have been to this society or that society, I have gathered up so much.” That he counts up as a treasure, as a foundation. On the contrary that is the wrong foundation.

除此之外，這主要是一種頭腦對靈性的飢渴。這種情形比世界其他任何地方、任何國家都更加明顯，因為多年的物質主義使他們感受到自己缺乏靈性的進展。然而與此同時，當他們想要得到某樣東西時，得到的卻是別的東西。他們自己無法辨別其中的差別。常常有人來告訴我：「我讀過這個，我研究過這本書，也許讀過五十本書。」然後問：「你讀過和我一樣的書嗎？我參加過這個學會、那個學會，我已經累積了這麼多。」他把這些一一計算，視為財寶、視為基礎。其實恰恰相反，那是一個錯誤的基礎。

Therefore the position is that every soul seems to be longing for spiritual attainment; at the same time every soul seems to be afraid of it, and craving for it; at the same time it runs away from a spiritual thing. It is quite a peculiar situation. The more you study psychology, the situation of the American mind towards philosophy, the more you see that it is a peculiar situation. In the first place, religion is getting out of favor, as it is everywhere. In America it is most. Then there are some religious fights.

因此，現在的情況是：每一個靈魂似乎都渴望靈性成就；但同時，每一個靈魂又似乎害怕它；一面渴望它，一面又逃避靈性的事物。這是一種相當特殊的情況。你越研究心理，越研究美國人的頭腦對哲學的態度，就越會看出這是一種特殊的情況。首先，宗教正逐漸失去人們的青睞，就像各地一樣，而在美國尤其如此。其次，也存在一些宗教上的衝突。

The other day I saw a priest of the Old Orthodox Church; he has a great trouble with the Head Church in Jerusalem. Because America has changed his ideas, now the people in Jerusalem say he is out of caste. Therefore there is a great trouble going on between them. Then I saw Bishop Brown, who has been put out of the Protestant Church, because he does not believe some things of the Bible literally. And when I saw him, he said that, “Now here is someone from India, he will understand my point of view. ” He said, “How can I believe in these things literally?” I said, “I can quite sympathize with you, but at the same time you could have just as well not said it.” He could not understand why one should not say something which we can say. He could not understand that if you can say without saying, it is just as well.

前些日子，我見到一位古老正教會的神父；他與耶路撒冷的總教會之間有很大的衝突。因為美國改變了他的觀念，現在耶路撒冷的人說他已被排除在他們的群體之外。因此雙方之間正發生很大的紛爭。後來我又見到布朗主教，他已被逐出新教教會，因為他不願按照字面去相信《聖經》中的某些內容。我見到他時，他說：「現在來了一位印度人，他會了解我的觀點。」他說：「我怎麼可能按照字面去相信這些事情？」我說：「我完全能夠同情你的立場，但同時，你其實也可以不把它說出來。」他無法理解，既然有些話可以說，為什麼不應該說。他無法理解，如果能夠不說而表達，那麼不說也一樣好。

In this condition of chaos, on one side materialism is holding you, on the other spiritualism is inviting you. Then came along a Faqir from Egypt. This Faqir went to many different places. He performed in the theater lying in a coffin, being closed with no air in the coffin. There he stayed for eight or ten minutes; then he was put on two unsheathed swords, and read people’s thoughts; he did wonders no doubt, and did it most wonderfully. It wakens their thoughts that there is something beyond matter, and this man is doing wonderfully, too. He invites people to come on the platform. Forty American scientists, physicians, came on the platform, they see what he is doing, there is no faith in it. The real Faqirs who can perform wonders, they never intend to show it to others.

在這種混亂之中，一方面物質主義抓住了你，另一方面唯靈論又在召喚你。後來有一位來自埃及的法基爾（Faqir）出現了。這位法基爾去了許多不同的地方。他在劇院裡表演，躺進棺材中，棺材完全封閉，裡面沒有空氣。他在其中待上八分鐘或十分鐘；接著又被放在兩把出鞘的劍上，並讀取人們的思想；毫無疑問，他展現了奇蹟，而且做得極為精彩。這使人們開始想到，物質之外還有某種東西，而這個人所做的事也確實令人驚奇。他邀請人們上台。四十位美國科學家、醫師都上了台，他們看著他所做的一切，卻仍然不相信。真正能展現奇蹟的法基爾，從來不打算把這些展示給別人看。

[譯註] 法基爾 Faqir 原指伊斯蘭與蘇菲傳統中的修行者、苦行者或棄世者，字義帶有「貧者」之意，常指在物質上保持清貧、以靈性生活為重的人。在西方近代語境中，這個詞有時也被泛用來指能展現苦行、超常能力或神祕現象的東方修行者。

I had my first lecture at the Waldorf, which was very well-managed and well-attended. But at the same time, at the second, third lecture, I thought everybody believed that one should spend a great deal of money to make things well known in America. In the West there was a great response; Murshida Martin arranged some lectures in San Francisco which were attended very well. At Los Angeles a great response, too. It seems to me that the West of America is a most beautiful and wonderful inspiring country. And for spiritual inspiration a great help. People are most respondent.

我的第一場演講是在華爾道夫舉行的，安排得很好，出席的人也很多。但到了第二場、第三場演講時，我覺得大家似乎都認為，在美國若想讓一件事情廣為人知，就必須花很多錢。西部的反應非常熱烈；穆希達（Murshida）・馬丁在舊金山安排了幾場演講，出席情況都非常好。洛杉磯的反應也很熱烈。在我看來，美國西部是一片極為美麗、奇妙而富有啟發性的土地，對靈性啟發也有很大的助益。那裡的人反應尤其熱烈。

[譯註] 穆希達 Murshida 是 Murshid 的女性形式，指女性靈性導師／女性穆希德（Murshid），是職銜而非人名。

After traveling in different places in the West, San Diego and Santa Barbara, I came again to Chicago and gave three public lectures and besides some classes. It was only because they thought the name of special lectures attracted people who are more earnest . . . to give some classes, because I do not believe in six classes a person can be perfect, then run away to something else. It seems a wrong idea to me. Many have introduced that system; although they thought it is their wisdom first to give public lectures and then classes, I never thought it was good to call them classes. I call them special lectures, that they may know that classes cannot be gotten in twelve days’ time.

在西部各地旅行，包括聖地牙哥和聖塔芭芭拉之後，我再次來到芝加哥，舉行了三場公開演講，另外也有幾堂課。只是因為他們認為，「特別演講」這個名稱會吸引比較認真的人……所以安排了一些課程，因為我不相信一個人上六堂課就能變得圓滿，然後再跑去追求別的東西。在我看來，這是一種錯誤的觀念。許多人引進了這套方式；他們認為先舉辦公開演講，再開設課程，是一種聰明的做法，但我從不認為把它們稱作「課程」是好的。我稱它們為「特別演講」，讓人們知道，真正的課程不是十二天就能學成的。

It seems that everything is running there, the elevators and the subway and motorcars, machines. It makes the nervous system of everybody in such a condition that everything must be done at once, they must not wait. Something which wants patience and tests man’s patience all his life, that is the spiritual idea. It makes it difficult for them and for the spiritual teacher, because of lack of patience. Would you believe that after my first lecture, my own friends told me for my own good and welfare of the Message, “The last thing you have to say, you must say first.” Imagine. What you might wait for six or ten years for the pupils to develop, to reach at, they want it at the first hearing. If you do not do it, you cannot make a success; if you do it, it goes above their heads, things which they cannot understand and that cannot do any good to them just the same.

在那裡，似乎一切都在飛奔——電梯、地下鐵、汽車、機器。這使每個人的神經系統都處在一種狀態，覺得所有事情都必須立刻完成，不能等待。然而，靈性的理想所需要的正是耐心，而且會用一生來考驗人的耐心。由於缺乏耐心，這對他們和靈性老師而言都變得十分困難。你們相信嗎？我的第一場演講結束之後，我自己的朋友為了我好，也為了神聖訊息的福祉，告訴我：「你最後才要說的東西，必須一開始就說。」想想看。那些原本可能要等待學生發展六年、十年才能抵達的地方，他們第一次聽就想得到。如果你不這麼做，就無法成功；可是如果你這麼做，那些內容又會越過他們的理解，他們無法明白，對他們同樣沒有任何益處。

Now coming back to the work of our Movement. The work of our Movement has become more invigorated, and a greater enthusiasm has come to our Movement in America now. There is a great increase of mureeds in New York, in San Francisco, and in Los Angeles. A new group formed at Chicago and a small group at Denver. A possibility of a new group in other places where new groups will be formed. No doubt in order to develop the Sufi work in America, it is necessary that different workers of the Sufi Movement will go there and start different places where work must be developed, because that is fertile soil for the spiritual work, since every soul is hungering after spirituality.

現在回到我們運動的工作。我們運動的工作已經更有活力，而現在美國的運動中也出現了更大的熱忱。紐約、舊金山和洛杉磯的門徒都大幅增加。芝加哥成立了一個新的團體，丹佛也有一個小團體。在其他地方也有成立新團體的可能。毫無疑問，若要在美國發展蘇菲的工作，就需要蘇菲運動中不同的工作者前往那裡，在各個需要發展工作的地方開始工作，因為那裡是靈性工作的沃土，每一個靈魂都正飢渴地追求靈性。

And now I wish to say some words about the work in the Summer School. We are beginning our work with the help of God, and the first thing we must keep in our minds is to cooperate with one another most heartily. To extend our courtesy to those who newly come here. To be friends with them, to help them, to make them understand the work of the Message. That each one of the members of this order must consider this their responsibility. One must not think, “Because I am not a Cherag I must not do this work, because it is a Cherag’s work; or a Murshida must do it, or a Representative. ” No, every mureed must do his best to cooperate, to make others feel happy, not to make them feel in a new place, not to make them feel that everybody is exclusive, indifferent. We must show our sympathy and outgoing tendency to everybody that comes, to meet them, talk to them, interest them in the Movement. For the very reason that the Sufi Movement is small we must be more outgoing, because of the smallness of the number of our Movement.

現在我想談幾句夏季學校的工作。我們在神的幫助下開始工作，而首先必須牢記的，是要全心全意彼此合作。對新來到這裡的人，要以禮相待；要成為他們的朋友，幫助他們，使他們了解神聖訊息的工作。這個教團中的每一位成員，都必須把這視為自己的責任。不要想：「因為我不是契拉格（Cherag），所以不需要做這項工作，因為這是契拉格的工作；或者應該由穆希達來做，或者由代表來做。」不是這樣。每一位門徒都必須盡力合作，使別人感到愉快，不要使他們覺得自己身處陌生之地，也不要使他們覺得每個人都把自己關在自己的圈子裡、對人冷淡。我們必須對每一位來到這裡的人展現同情與主動親近的態度，去迎接他們、與他們交談，使他們對這個運動產生興趣。正因為蘇菲運動規模還小，我們更應主動向外接觸，因為我們運動的人數還很少。

[譯註] 契拉格 Cherag 是蘇菲運動中與 Universal Worship（普世敬拜）相關的授職職銜，指經授職可主持普世敬拜儀式者，並非人名。此詞原有「燈、光」之意。

There is a great interest wakened in America and different places for the Summer School. If people do not come this year, they will come next year. But we must begin the manner of making the strangers feel at home here by our sympathy, by our courtesy, by our outgoing tendency. If we shall not prove in our lives the philosophy which we teach and hold as our sacred ideal, then how can we make impression of same on others? Besides this, some mureeds perhaps have less time when they are at home to do practices, they are busy with their families or occupations and work; now that they are here they must think that this is the most necessary thing, to continue their exercises in order to get fullest benefit of their stay here in the Summer School.

美國以及其他地方，對夏季學校已經產生了很大的興趣。如果人們今年沒有來，明年也會來。但是我們必須開始學會以我們的同理、禮貌與主動親近的態度，使初來的人在這裡感到像在家一樣。如果我們不能在自己的生活中證明我們所教導、並視為神聖理想的哲學，又怎麼能讓別人對它留下深刻印象？此外，有些門徒在家時，也許比較沒有時間做修持，因為他們忙於家庭、職業與工作；現在既然來到這裡，就必須明白，持續自己的練習是最重要的事，如此才能從在夏季學校停留的這段時間得到最大的益處。

One must never think that exercises are only for the beginners. They must know that Paderewski is playing simple scales as a beginner would play on the piano, and he plays them oftener than a beginner would play. Therefore never think that in order to advance spiritually you must have other practices or new practices. That is not necessary. If you continue every day the practices that you have, especially when you are here, it will be of great help. Besides that, there is a certain attitude of mind that is necessary while one is in the Summer School. That attitude of mind is such of friendliness, sympathy, tolerance, forgiveness; an attitude to tolerate, to forgive and forget anybody’s faults. We are all limited, we all have our faults and limitations. If another person has a little more, perhaps our faults are hidden. Maybe we have more faults than anybody else.

永遠不要認為練習只是給初學者的。你們要知道，帕德雷夫斯基也會像鋼琴初學者一樣彈奏最簡單的音階，而且他彈奏這些音階的次數甚至比初學者更多。因此，永遠不要以為要在靈性上有所進展，就一定需要別的修持或新的修持。那並不必要。如果你每天持續自己已經有的修持，尤其是在這裡的時候，將會有很大的幫助。除此之外，在夏季學校期間，也需要保持某種頭腦的態度。這樣的態度就是友善、同情、寬容與寬恕；要能包容、寬恕，並忘記別人的過失。我們都有侷限，我們都有自己的缺點與限制。如果另一個人的缺點多一點，也許只是因為我們自己的缺點隱藏得比較好。也許我們的缺點比任何人都更多。

The best thing is to overlook it. Besides, in the worldly life, all year long there are many chances to say, “That person is not good; that person does not please me; he is wrong; that person I cannot tolerate; that person I hate.” These three months that we come away from worldly life it is better to give up absolutely that feeling of malice, intolerance, prejudice; it must be entirely thrown away. If anybody comes and inspires with that feeling, take it differently.

最好的做法就是不去計較。此外，在世俗生活中，一整年裡有太多機會讓我們說：「那個人不好；那個人讓我不愉快；他錯了；那個人我無法忍受；那個人我討厭。」在這三個月裡，我們離開世俗生活，最好把惡意、不寬容與偏見的感受完全放下；必須徹底把它們丟開。如果有人來到你面前，激起你這些感受，就換一種方式去看待。

As there is a saying of a Sufi at the king’s table, the king asked him when he was taking a glass of wine, “It is prohibited in your faith, is it not so?” “Yes, but when it touches my lips it turns into water.”

有一則關於一位蘇菲祕士的故事：他坐在國王的餐桌旁，當他拿起一杯酒時，國王問他：「你的信仰不是禁止飲酒嗎？」他回答：「是的，但它一碰到我的嘴唇，就變成水了。」

The same thing we must do.

我們也必須這樣做。

There come situations where one feels irritated, disgusted, intolerant, agitated. We have to live in the world, in the midst of all the jarring influences. In order to practice that we must practice. Remember, without practice you cannot do anything: we cannot sing if we do not practice, we cannot even live among people. We have all to live in the world. If not, one person is not like the other person. And every other person has a jarring effect upon the other person. And how much a person seeks association with people, at the same time, when you ask his soul, it wants to run away from it all, each soul. What does it show? It shows that if we went on naturally reacting against every influence that comes in our life, we shall never feel peaceful. The only way of feeling peaceful is only one way, that is to practice how to live in the midst of the world.

生活中會出現一些情況，使人感到惱怒、厭惡、無法容忍、心神不寧。我們必須活在這個世界上，身處各種彼此衝撞的影響之中。要做到這一點，就必須練習。要記得，沒有練習，我們什麼也做不到：不練習就無法唱歌；甚至要與人共同生活，也需要練習。我們都必須活在世界上。因為一個人不可能和另一個人完全相同，而每一個人都可能對另一個人產生不協調的影響。一個人無論多麼尋求與人交往，但同時，如果你去問他的靈魂，每一個靈魂其實都想逃離這一切。這顯示了什麼？這顯示，如果我們一直依照本能，對生命中來到的每一種影響作出反應，我們永遠不會感到平安。感到平安只有一條路，就是練習如何生活在世界之中。

It is not two days’ practice. Piano one can practice for twelve years, then it is finished, but this practice you have to do all your life. It is strange, people do not think about simple things. Tell them about occult science, mystic things, they are very pleased. But ordinary things of everyday life, how to live and move among our friends, that is such a difficult thing. It seems to be the easiest. The problem of every moment of life we seem to forget. It must be remembered that during the time of the Summer School, if we continue the practices, attending of the silences, trying one’s best to keep one’s mind pure from all influences which are poison and having our outgoing sympathetic attitude towards one another, then we shall accomplish work successfully. God Bless You.

這不是練習兩天就能做到的事。鋼琴也許練習十二年，然後可以說學成了；但這項練習卻必須持續一生。很奇怪，人們往往不去思考簡單的事。跟他們談神祕學、談祕士的事物，他們就非常高興；但日常生活中最普通的事——如何生活、如何在朋友之間與人相處——卻是如此困難。它看起來似乎是最容易的事。我們似乎總是忘記生命每一刻真正面對的問題。必須記得，在夏季學校期間，如果我們持續修持、參加靜默，盡力使自己的頭腦不受一切有毒影響的污染，並且彼此保持主動而富有同情的態度，那麼我們就能順利完成我們的工作。願神祝福你們。

---