21. Four Questions
21. 四個問題

July 6, 1926

1926 年 7 月 6 日

Beloved Ones of God,

神所摯愛的人們：

They begin to wonder:

他們開始疑惑：

1. if our God is a personal God or if He is an abstract God;
   我們的神是具有人格的神，還是抽象的神；
2. if Sufism teaches asceticism or worldliness;
   蘇菲教導的是苦行生活，還是世俗生活；
3. if the Sufi ideal is democratic or aristocratic;
   蘇菲的理想是民主的，還是貴族的；
4. if Sufism is exotericism or esotericism.
   蘇菲是外在教法，還是內在教法。

And one says one thing, another says another thing. One says, “This is true.” The other says, “No, the other thing is true.” It is quite possible that one of these questions two mureeds may discuss and say, “No, Sufism does not believe in it. Sufism believes in this particular thing and not in the other.” I have very often heard it. They have come to me and said, “Now, Murshid, you do not teach this.” It is quite an idea of that person. Perhaps he looks at life from an ascetic point of view, the other person from a worldly point of view. “But you do not like this, Sufism does not teach like this.” Because they think Sufism teaches as they think. I do not mean to say that what they say is wrong, but they could have said better.

於是，一個人這麼說，另一個人那麼說。一個人說：「這才是真的。」另一個人說：「不，是另一個才是真的。」很可能兩位門徒會討論其中一個問題，並說：「不，蘇菲並不相信那個。蘇菲相信的是這一個，而不是另一個。」我很常聽見這樣的話。他們曾來對我說：「可是，穆希德（Murshid），您並不是這樣教的。」其實，那只是那個人自己的想法。也許一個人從苦行的觀點看生命，另一個人則從世俗的觀點看生命。「可是您並不喜歡這個，蘇菲也不是這樣教的。」因為他們以為，蘇菲所教的就是他們自己所想的。我並不是說他們所說的是錯的，只是他們原本可以說得更恰當。

I had a very amusing experience in San Francisco once. A great Japanese priest came to see me, and I was very glad to receive him. And there came with him a person who had read a great deal and who thought he knew very much about all occult and psychic sciences. So this Buddhist priest was sitting silent. It is a custom in the East. I was waiting for him to speak, and he was waiting for me to say something. But this other person could not wait any longer, he was feeling very uneasy. So I thought, “Perhaps he will feel better also if I make this Buddhist priest speak.”

有一次，我在舊金山有過一段很有趣的經驗。一位很有地位的日本僧侶前來拜訪我，我非常高興接待他。與他同行的還有一個人，讀過許多書，自認對各種神祕學與心靈科學都懂得很多。這位佛教僧侶就這樣靜靜坐著。這是東方的一種習慣。我等著他開口，而他也等著我說些什麼。可是另一個人再也等不下去了，顯得十分坐立不安。於是我想：「也許如果我讓這位佛教僧侶開口，他也會舒服一點。」

So I asked the Buddhist priest, “I would very much like to know Buddha’s teachings in connection with reincarnation.” So before this priest had taken a breath in and out the other one began to pour out all the knowledge he had absorbed from all the books he had read, and he spoke for and against and in support of the argument. And the Buddhist priest was still sitting there unmoved, quite tranquil, hearing all that this man had to say. When this man seemed to be on the point of finishing, I said to the Buddhist priest, “I would so much like to know from your lips what you have to say about this gentleman’s conversation.”

於是我問那位佛教僧侶：「我很想知道，佛陀對於輪迴有什麼教導。」這位僧侶甚至還沒來得及吸一口氣再吐出來，旁邊那個人便開始滔滔不絕地傾倒他從所有讀過的書裡吸收來的知識，一會兒贊成，一會兒反對，又一會兒為各種論點辯護。那位佛教僧侶仍舊安然不動地坐在那裡，十分平靜，聽著這個人把所有想說的話說完。等到那個人似乎快要講完時，我對佛教僧侶說：「我很想親耳聽您說說，對於這位先生剛才所談的內容，您有什麼看法。」

And the Buddhist priest smiled and said very gently and slowly and softly, “This is his Buddhism.” I thought it was the most wonderful way of taking it. A priest like him who had thousands of disciples in his country could have had the pride of his authority and said, “What does he know about it; I am a priest, for generations I have had this knowledge.” He could have said, “What does he know about it?” He would never say it. He would not even consider it right to argue with the other. He thought, if that person wants to talk, it is just as well that he talks it out.

那位佛教僧侶微微一笑，非常溫和、緩慢而輕柔地說：「那是他的佛教。」我覺得這是再好不過的看待方式。像他這樣一位在自己國家擁有數千名弟子的僧侶，大可倚仗自己的權威而說：「他懂什麼？我是僧侶，這份知識在我們這裡已傳承了好幾代。」他原本可以說：「他懂什麼？」但他絕不會這樣說。他甚至不認為與對方爭辯是恰當的。他想的是，如果那個人想說，就讓他把想說的都說完也好。

[校勘譯註] 原底本作 “the price of his authority”，依 Sakina Furnée 速記及打字稿校訂為 “the pride of his authority”。

Personal or Abstract God
具有人格的神，或抽象的神

When coming to the question of God, I will repeat what I have always said, that to explain God is to dethrone God. God is an ideal, and any ideal, when you analyze that ideal you destroy it. In the East Majnun and Leila are known as Romeo and Juliet in the West. And in the greatest grief of Majnun, who was separated from Leila, someone came to console him and said, “What is Leila? Is she beautiful? What is she? The world is full of beautiful girls. Leila is not worth thinking about!” And Majnun lifted his head and said to him, “In order to see Leila you must have Majnun’s eyes.”

談到神這個問題，我要再次說我一直以來所說的話：解釋神，就是把神從祂的寶座上拉下來。神是一個理想，而任何理想，一旦你開始分析它，就會把它破壞掉。在東方，馬吉努與萊拉的故事，就如同西方的羅密歐與茱麗葉。馬吉努與萊拉分離，陷入最深的悲傷時，有人來安慰他，說：「萊拉有什麼了不起？她很美嗎？她究竟有什麼？世上到處都是美麗的女孩。萊拉根本不值得你這樣掛念！」馬吉努抬起頭來對他說：「要看見萊拉，你必須有馬吉努的眼睛。」

Can ideal be explained? Can ideal be discussed? Can ideal be analyzed? God is the highest ideal, as high as one can reach. And one will find the perfect ideal in God. And when one begins to realize if God is personal or whether He is abstract, in defining God one will break the ideal. And at the same time, if you can conceive of anything it must be personal, it must be individual, it must be a separate entity. Our mind is not capable of conceiving of something which is abstract. Our mind is not abstract, our mind is an object. And in any object, all that will reflect and be intelligible to our mind must be limited, must be objective. When people instead of learning “a,” “b,” “c,” will begin to learn “z” first, that is wrong. “A” is the first alphabet to learn, “z” will come the last. When a person wishes to take his first step on the second floor without using a ladder, he must fall. A person who wished to reach God, an abstract God, without first building in his mind the objective God, he will never reach to the throne of God.

理想能夠被解釋嗎？理想能夠被討論嗎？理想能夠被分析嗎？神是最高的理想，是人所能達到的最高之處。人在神之中會找到完美的理想。而當一個人開始思量神究竟具有人格，還是抽象的時候，他一旦為神下定義，就會破壞這個理想。同時，凡是你能夠構想的事物，都必然帶有人格性，必然具有個別性，必然成為一個獨立的存在。我們的頭腦沒有能力構想純粹抽象的事物。我們的頭腦本身並不是抽象的；頭腦也是一個對象。因此，凡是能夠映照在頭腦之中、能被頭腦理解的，都必然有所限制，也必然是客觀的。如果一個人不從「a、b、c」開始學，卻一開始就要學「z」，那就錯了。「a」是首先要學的字母，「z」要到最後才來。如果一個人不用梯子，卻想第一步就踏上二樓，他一定會摔下來。一個人若想直接抵達神、抵達抽象的神，卻沒有先在自己的頭腦中建立一個可被認知的神，他永遠無法抵達神的寶座。

The Hindus have learned this idea most wonderfully and practiced it most splendidly. They have begun by molding the God of clay, and have put Him in a shrine and have said, “This is the God of clay we have made with our own hands and worshipped it.” That is the symbolism. That is the symbol of the worship of God. If we do not make God of clay, we still must make him, for in order to know God we must make him first. Then God will come in the shrine which he has made. The Hindus make a rehearsal by going in the temple of a stone god. In this age they say, “A personal God! Never we can think about it. It is the simple ones who are holding that faith in a personal God thousands of years.”

印度教徒對這個觀念理解得極其美妙，也實踐得極其出色。他們先用泥土塑造神，把祂安置在神龕裡，並說：「這是我們親手塑造的泥塑之神，我們敬拜祂。」這就是象徵。這就是敬拜神的象徵。我們即使不用泥土塑造神，仍然必須先塑造祂，因為要認識神，我們首先必須在自己之中形成祂。之後，神才會來到人為祂造好的神龕之中。印度教徒走進供奉石像之神的廟宇，所做的正是一種預演。而在這個時代，人們卻說：「具有人格的神！我們根本無法想像。只有那些頭腦簡單的人，才會抱持著延續了數千年的、對具有人格之神的信仰。」

Men of medicine say that it is a religious mania; any great devotion or a deep concentration is called a religious mania. They do not know what money mania means. Most of all those who call it religious mania, they have money mania. From morning till evening …. If anyone thinks of something higher, greater, deeper, then they say that is a mania. That time has come when there are ninety-nine persons to say that one person is mad, and that one person has to see the ninety-nine as mad.

醫學界的人說，那是宗教狂熱；任何深厚的奉獻，或任何深度的專注，都被稱為宗教狂熱。他們卻不知道什麼叫作金錢狂熱。那些最喜歡把它稱作宗教狂熱的人，自己往往正患著金錢狂熱。從早到晚……如果有人想的是更高、更偉大、更深的事，他們便說那是一種狂熱。這樣的時代已經來了：九十九個人說那一個人瘋了，而那一個人卻不得不把那九十九個人看作瘋了。

Life is flowing toward perfection. The greatest perfection is the knowledge of God. And how can one reach to the knowledge of God? By first stepping on and reaching the stepping-stone. And what is the stepping-stone to God’s shrine? The personal God. Once a person has put his foot on the stepping-stone, when the objective God has become clear, his next step will be the abstract God. But if he wants that as the first step then he will be the loser. Because if a person does not know what an abstract God will give him, that knowledge will not be of any profit to him, not in the least.

生命正流向圓滿。最大的圓滿，就是對神的認識。那麼，人要如何抵達對神的認識？首先必須踏上那塊墊腳石。而通往神之聖殿的墊腳石是什麼？就是具有人格的神。一旦一個人踏上這塊墊腳石，當那可被認知的神在他心中變得清楚，下一步才會是抽象的神。但如果他一開始就想把抽象的神當作第一步，他反而會有所損失。因為如果一個人不知道對抽象之神的認識能帶給他什麼，那份知識對他不會有任何益處，絲毫也不會有。

The prophets of Beni-Israel and prophets who came in all ages, their efforts were to make the picture of God intelligible to the man of the day. That does not mean that what picture they had made, that was God. No, it was just a help; to help man to conceive the idea. They said, “God is the Creator, He is the Judge, the Forgiver, He is the Supreme Being, the King of the Day of Judgment.” Every attribute that can be given to God and that can be conceivable to those who hear about it they have put there. And what they made of Him, that was their art. They made an ideal of God before them, that they could say the prayers and make that ideal real before them. And the more real that ideal became, the more there was in that ideal. And then in the end God came and took that shrine which was made for Him and made it living.

以色列子民的先知，以及歷代出現的先知，他們所努力做的，都是使當時的人能夠理解神的形象。這並不是說，他們所描繪出的那個形象就是神。不是，那只是一種幫助，幫助人能夠形成對神的觀念。他們說：「神是創造者，祂是審判者、寬恕者；祂是至高的存在，是審判日的君王。」凡是可以賦予神、又能被聽者理解的屬性，他們都放進了這個形象之中。而他們如何塑造祂，那就是他們的藝術。他們在自己面前建立起神的理想，使自己可以向祂祈禱，並讓這個理想在自己面前變得真實。這個理想變得愈真實，其中所承載的也就愈多。最後，神來到那座為祂造好的神龕之中，使它活了起來。

And now in conclusion of this subject I would like to say, neither is the Sufi’s God abstract nor is He personal. It is all a process, through which the Sufi goes from the false to the real self. And before he arrives at the real self, his false self must be made a sacrifice. Before what? Before the ideal God he has made in his own self. When his false self is sacrificed then he goes further. Then it is not a personal God, then it is the abstract God. But where does one begin, and where does one end? One begins from the false self and ends in the real self.

現在，作為這個主題的結語，我想說：蘇菲的神既不是抽象的，也不是具有人格的。這一切是一個過程；蘇菲藉由這個過程，從虛假的自我走向真實的自我。而在抵達真實自我之前，他的虛假自我必須成為祭品。獻在什麼之前？獻在他於自身之中所建立的神之理想之前。當虛假的自我被獻上之後，他便繼續向前。那時，神不再是具有人格的神，而是抽象的神。可是，人從哪裡開始，又在哪裡結束？人從虛假的自我開始，而在真實的自我之中結束。

Asceticism or Worldliness
苦行生活或世俗生活

And now coming to the question of asceticism and worldly life. We cannot be thoughtful of the ascetics — who have lived in the forests and who have lived in the caves of mountains and who have fasted and who have lived a pure life of many, many years and have meditated and sacrificed all things of life for the pursuit of truth in their devotion to God — and at the same time say that asceticism is wrong. Although mankind is always ready to form an opinion on everything that seems to be contrary to his idea. How much mankind has learned from their devotion and from their renunciation, and from their sacrifices and from their strict life of discipline.

現在談到苦行生活與世俗生活的問題。我們若真正想到那些苦行者——他們住在森林裡，住在山洞裡，禁食，許多年來過著純淨的生活，冥想，並在對神的奉獻中，為了追求真理而犧牲生命中的一切——就不可能同時又說苦行是錯的。儘管人類總是很容易對一切看似與自己觀念相反的事物下判斷。人類從這些人的奉獻、捨離、犧牲，以及嚴格自律的生活中，學到了多少。

I do not mean to say that there are no false people. But false people can be in the world as well as among ascetics. A false person will be false everywhere. We are speaking about principles. Besides, great masters, wherever they have been, they had to experience the ascetic life in some form or the other, whether it was seemingly or not seemingly, outward or inward. For a period or their whole life, for a longer or shorter period, they all had that experience in life. And in reality they were born to fight with the tendency of asceticism, and be in the world against their wishes. This constantly has been a fight of the sages and mystics, against ascetic inclinations in order to keep in the world and to serve the world.

我並不是說其中沒有虛假的人。但虛假的人既可能存在於世俗之中，也可能存在於苦行者之中。一個虛假的人，到了哪裡都會是虛假的。我們現在談的是原則。此外，偉大的聖師，無論出現在何處，都必須以某種形式經歷苦行生活；無論那是顯而易見的，還是不為人所見的，是外在的，還是內在的。或是一段時期，或是一生；時間或長或短，他們都曾有過這樣的生命經驗。事實上，他們往往生來就是要與苦行的傾向搏鬥，違背自己的願望留在世間。這一直是聖哲與祕士所面對的掙扎：為了留在世間、服務世間，而與苦行的傾向搏鬥。

But at the same time some of them were destined that they could not guide and serve the world best unless they were ascetics. In that case it was necessary for them to be so. Sufism therefore does not urge asceticism except as a prescription, just as these ten vows have been given. That is a lesson in asceticism in a small way. Each person has to keep a certain principle every day. That is asceticism. One need not go in a cave to be an ascetic. One can live a life of principle; that is asceticism: if not more, less, but still a lesson of asceticism.

但同時，他們之中有些人的命運卻是：除非成為苦行者，否則就無法以最好的方式引導並服務世間。在這種情況下，苦行對他們而言就是必要的。因此，蘇菲並不勸人採取苦行生活，除非它像處方一樣，是針對某種需要而給予的；就像所給出的這十項誓願一樣。那是一種小規模的苦行訓練。每個人每天都必須持守某一項原則。那就是苦行。一個人不必住進洞穴裡才能成為苦行者。人可以過一種有原則的生活；那就是苦行。即使程度較小，仍然是一門苦行的功課。

But then there is another point of view. If we all left the world and thought that we should reach God without having to do anything with the world, it is a great mistake. Some souls are born to sacrifice their lives for the love and service of humanity. But if every person thought, “This is the best principle, and I must leave the world and live an ascetic life,” they will have to come back, because there is much to be done here in the midst of the crowd.

但還有另一個觀點。如果我們全都離開世間，以為自己不必再與世間有任何關係，就能抵達神，那是一個極大的錯誤。有些靈魂生來就是要為了愛人類、服務人類而犧牲自己的一生。但如果每個人都想：「這才是最好的原則，我必須離開世間，去過苦行生活。」那麼他們還是得再回來，因為在人群之中，仍有許多事情等待我們去做。

The Sufi therefore says, “No, fulfill your duties, answer your demands in worldly life, consider your obligations toward all those who are connected with you, cultivate your feelings of affection, of devotion, of friendship, of duty. Have regard one for another, those who love you, who depend upon you, who are near you, who wish your help, your service, your protection. And in this way evolve, that you may arrive to that stage where you may be in the world and may not be of the world, a worldly person and an ascetic at the same time.” That is the ideal which we all will reach sooner or later, to be in the world and let the world not touch us, just like the drop of oil in the water.

因此蘇菲說：「不，去履行你的責任，回應世俗生活對你的要求；顧念你對所有與你有所關聯之人的義務；培養你的愛、奉獻、友誼與責任感。彼此關照；關照那些愛你的人、依靠你的人、與你親近的人，以及需要你的幫助、服務與保護的人。並在這樣的生活中成長，直到你抵達那個階段：身在世間，卻不屬於世間；同時既是一個生活於世間的人，也是一個苦行者。」這就是我們遲早都要抵達的理想：活在世間，卻不讓世間沾染我們，就像水中的一滴油。

Democratic or Aristocratic
民主精神或貴族精神

And now coming to the idea of aristocracy or democracy, what does Sufism teach? It is the greatest pity — and every thoughtful person of every nation will realize it, if he would stand to look at life — that the chivalry of the knights and the noble manners, the noble ideals that the ancient people, the aristocratic people had, seem to be finished today. And although they are not realizing it today, there will come a day when we will realize that something which was most beautiful in humanity has been lost. I do not mean to say that we must become today what the world was a hundred years before. It is not necessary, and it cannot be. But at the same time we need not forget and we need not disregard all that was beautiful at that time.

現在談到貴族或民主的觀念：蘇菲教導的是什麼？最令人惋惜的是——每一個國家中有思想的人，只要停下來看看生命，都會明白這一點——騎士的俠義精神，以及古人、貴族階層曾經擁有的高雅舉止與高貴理想，如今似乎都已經消失了。雖然今天的人還沒有意識到這一點，但終有一天，我們會發現，人性之中某些最美好的事物已經失落。我並不是說，我們今天必須回到一百年前世界的模樣。那既沒有必要，也不可能。但同時，我們也沒有必要忘記或漠視那個時代一切美好的事物。

The human tendency is such that when something has gone down or when some idea has become an old idea, or an idea which they despise, they turn their back to it and forget all the good that the idea had. Many live their lives today without ideal, without principle, without a manner, and call it freedom. If that is freedom! That is the wrong meaning of freedom. That freedom cannot spread happiness, cannot produce beauty of manner and spirit. Therefore the work of Sufism is to create the nobleness of the spirit in man, not only occult powers and psychic powers and esoteric things and clairvoyance.

人的傾向就是如此：當某樣事物衰落了，或某個觀念成了陳舊的觀念，成了他們所輕視的觀念，人們便轉身背離它，也忘記了那個觀念原先所具有的一切美好。今天許多人生活得沒有理想、沒有原則、沒有應有的舉止，卻把這稱作自由。如果那也叫自由！那是對自由錯誤的理解。那樣的自由無法散播幸福，也無法造就舉止與精神之美。因此，蘇菲的工作，是在人之中培養精神的高貴，而不只是培養神祕力量、心靈力量、內在祕學，以及千里眼之類的能力。

This is the foundation: a person must develop in his soul, cultivate in his spirit the nobleness of the soul. That is aristocracy. And then he will rise to the democracy, and that democracy is to be kind and good and respectful, tolerant and forgiving and friendly to the saint and sinner both. You go and see the Sufis in the world today: wherever you will go, you will find that spirit with a beautiful manner, with humility, with gentleness, meekness, dignity. Another thing is developed, and that is the democratic feeling. Never to despise anyone, never to hate, never to condemn, never to look down upon anyone, but to see the divine expression in all beings.

這才是根基：一個人必須在自己的靈魂中發展、在自己的精神中培養靈魂的高貴。這就是貴族精神。之後，他會提升到民主精神；而這種民主，就是對聖者與罪人都同樣仁慈、善良、尊重、寬容、寬恕而友善。你去看看今天世上的蘇菲；無論走到哪裡，你都會發現這樣的精神，伴隨著優美的舉止、謙遜、溫和、柔順與尊嚴。除此之外，另一種品質也會發展出來，那就是民主的情懷：永不輕視任何人，永不憎恨，永不譴責，永不居高臨下地看待任何人，而是在一切眾生之中看見神聖的顯現。

That is the balance of life. That is the aristocratic spirit of nobleness and the democratic spirit of tolerance that brings about equality, that brings about the balance we should strike in life.

那就是生命的平衡。正是貴族精神中的高貴，與民主精神中的寬容，帶來了平等，也帶來了我們在生命中應當達成的平衡。

Exotericism or Esotericism
外在教法或內在教法

And then there is a question if Sufism is exotericism or esotericism. Very often I was asked by friends and mureeds, “What is the use of the Universal Worship, what is the use of any outer show? Every religion has it, every church has it. What we need, what we come for, what we desire is the inner teaching.” But the answer is, “What is the use of the soul without the body?” No doubt, the soul is freer without body, deeper without body. But the soul is not soul without body. It is the body that makes the soul a soul. As body is needed for a soul, so exoteric action is needed for the esoteric development. A deep feeling a person has, but he is dumb; a brave heart a person has, but his arms cannot work: what is the use of having it?

接著還有一個問題：蘇菲究竟是外在教法，還是內在教法？朋友和門徒經常問我：「普世敬拜有什麼用？任何外在形式有什麼用？每一種宗教都有，每一座教會都有。我們所需要的、我們來這裡所尋求的、我們真正渴望的，是內在的教導。」但答案是：「沒有身體的靈魂，又有什麼用？」毫無疑問，沒有身體時，靈魂更加自由，也更加深邃。但沒有身體，靈魂便不能成其為靈魂。正是身體使靈魂成其為靈魂。就像靈魂需要身體，內在的發展也需要外在的實踐。一個人有很深的感受，卻不能說話；一個人有一顆勇敢的心，雙臂卻不能行動——擁有這些又有什麼用？

[校勘譯註] 原底本漏去 “the soul is freer without body, deeper without body. But”，並將 “makes the soul a soul” 誤作 “makes the soul and soul”；此處依 Sakina Furnée 速記校勘版補正。

The great masters who have come to the world like Buddha, Krishna, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Moses, when they gave God’s message they did not only tell some souls the deeper understanding but they gave the form of worship to hundreds of thousands, the way of living a life together of harmony, of beauty, of love. That is their mission.

那些來到世間的偉大聖師，如佛陀、克里希納、耶穌基督、穆罕默德、摩西，當他們傳達神的訊息時，並不只是把更深的理解傳授給少數靈魂；他們也為成千上萬的人帶來敬拜的形式，以及共同生活於和諧、美與愛之中的方式。那就是他們的使命。

Yes, there have been gurus and teachers, great masters whose work was only to take some pupils, four or five; test them for ten, twenty, fifty years, or perhaps the whole life; and develop them for asceticism or for the higher realization. But that was not a world mission. That was not the work for humanity. That was a help for certain souls. There have always been esoteric schools in the world. But when it comes to God’s message — to a world movement uniting different nations and different countries of followers of different religions in one brotherhood, in one religion, helping them collectively forward toward the goal which humanity has to reach — then you cannot only have esoteric guidance. Esoterism is the first thing to build. Esotericism will be the spirit behind it to carry it through.

的確，世上一直都有上師、老師與偉大的聖師，他們的工作只是收下少數學生，也許四、五個人；考驗他們十年、二十年、五十年，甚至可能一生，培養他們走向苦行或更高的證悟。但那並不是一項世界性的使命。那並不是為人類整體而做的工作，而是對某些特定靈魂的幫助。世上一直都有內在教法的學派。然而，當神的訊息成為一個世界性的運動，要把不同國家、不同民族、信仰不同宗教的人聯合在同一個人類手足情誼、同一個宗教之中，並共同幫助他們朝向人類必須抵達的目標前進時，就不能只有內在的引導。內在教法是首先必須建立的；而內在的精神，將成為背後的力量，使這一切得以貫徹。

[校勘譯註] 原底本最後兩句作 “Esotericism is the first thing to build. Exotericism will be the spirit behind to carry it through.”。Sakina Furnée 速記校勘版則為 “Esoterism is the first thing to build. Esotericism will be the spirit behind it to carry it through.”；腳註並記錄第二個詞曾寫成 ex.ism，其 ex. 後被劃去並恢復為 es.，因此此處依速記校勘版修正。

I quite understand that dummies without life are dead. And any religious activity which has no esoteric spirit behind it is as dead too. But the Sufi Message may not be compared with it. It is the Message of the day. The esoteric spirit behind it is the backbone of the Message; the body of which is the exoteric work of the Sufi Movement. And it is with this spirit the exoteric work of the Sufi Movement is to touch every part of the world and to spread wider and wider and to be impressed in the world deeper and deeper until the will of God is fulfilled.

我完全明白，沒有生命的人偶是死的；任何背後沒有內在精神的宗教活動，同樣也是死的。但蘇菲訊息不能與此相比。它是這個時代的訊息。其背後的內在精神，是這個訊息的脊柱；而蘇菲運動的外在工作，就是它的身體。正是帶著這份精神，蘇菲運動的外在工作要觸及世界的每一個角落，愈傳愈廣，並在世界中留下愈來愈深的印記，直到神的旨意得以成就。

God Bless You.

願神祝福你們。

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