19. Life, An Opportunity
19. 人生，是一個機會

1. The Wrong Understanding
錯誤的理解

When we look at the world today and at the condition it is in, we begin to wonder if we understand any better than those who lived before us the idea that life is an opportunity. In spite of our present stage of evolution and the scientific advancement of the world, the war which humanity went through not long ago shows that never in the history of the world was such a great catastrophe caused by mankind. It seems as though the whole evolution of humanity had been intended to prepare and to create such means of destruction that the greater part of humanity has been ruined by it. And when we think of the distrust that exists today among nations and how one nation has allowed another nation to be ruined, we begin to feel that we understand the idea much less than those who lived before us that life is an opportunity.

當我們看看今天的世界，以及它所處的景況時，便不禁懷疑：對於「人生是一個機會」這個觀念，我們是否真的比前人理解得更多。儘管人類已發展到今日的階段，科學也有了長足的進步，不久以前人類所經歷的戰爭卻顯示，在世界歷史上，從未有過如此巨大的災難由人類自己造成。彷彿人類整個演化的歷程，竟是在準備並創造這些毀滅的手段，以致人類的大部分都受到它的摧殘。當我們想到今日國與國之間存在的猜忌，以及一個國家竟會坐視另一個國家走向毀滅時，我們便開始覺得，對於人生是一個機會這件事，我們的理解或許反而遠不如前人。

Regarding education, year by year the study in the schools and colleges is becoming more difficult; to pass their examinations the students have to work so hard that it seems that by the time they have got a degree their nerves and finer forces are shattered, and that they are then unable to make full use of their qualifications.

就教育而言，中學與大學的課業一年比一年艱難；學生為了通過考試，不得不如此辛苦地用功，以致取得學位時，他們的神經與較精微的力量似乎已經耗損，反而無法充分運用自己所獲得的能力。

When we look at the political world we see the same: each political party is striving for its own welfare just as each individual is trying to get the better of another; and nations follow the same principle.

看看政治世界，也是同樣的情形：每個政黨都在為自己的利益而奮鬥，就如每個人都試圖勝過另一個人；國家之間也遵循著同樣的原則。

Domestic life seems to be declining every day. Life is becoming more and more a hotel life. Very few in the world today experience and enjoy home life, or are even capable of appreciating it, for they do not know it. Those who lived before us were much happier, for they knew the simplicity and affection of home life and the joy and the pleasure of a home.

家庭生活似乎一天比一天衰退。生活愈來愈像住在旅館裡。今日世上很少有人真正經歷並享受家庭生活，甚至很少有人懂得欣賞它，因為他們根本不曾真正認識它。前人要幸福得多，因為他們懂得家庭生活的樸素與親情，也懂得一個家所帶來的喜悅與樂趣。

The pleasures today are not like the enjoyments of the more intelligent and wise in ancient times. They used to enjoy poetry and higher music; today jazz has become more popular. It is the same with all the other entertainments. When we go to the theater we find the plays more and more limited in scope; there is no depth, no height, no ideal. They show life as it really is, but that does not inspire or uplift mankind. What is needed is to show life better than it is so that man may follow that example.

今日人們所追求的娛樂，已不同於古時較有智慧之人所享受的事物。他們曾欣賞詩歌與較高雅的音樂；今日爵士樂卻更加流行。其他娛樂也是如此。當我們走進劇院，會發現戲劇的視野愈來愈狹窄；其中沒有深度，沒有高度，也沒有理想。它們把生活照著現狀呈現出來，然而這既不能給人靈感，也不能提升人。真正需要的，是呈現一種比現實更美好的生活，使人能夠以它為榜樣。

Besides the tendency of the writer, of the poet, of the artist, of the musician, is now to appeal to the most ordinary person, to the man of the lowest evolution, “the man in the street.” If everything that should educate man, theater, books, poetry, and art, pull him down to his lowest stage of evolution, it means going downward instead of upward. When a person writes good music or poetry with more lofty themes, there is no market for it. Whenever a person brings something higher he is told that it is not wanted. It seems that education, higher ideals, everything, is becoming commercialized; and by being commercialized it is lowered.

此外，今日的作家、詩人、藝術家與音樂家，都傾向迎合最普通的人，迎合處於最低發展層次的人，也就是所謂的「街上的普通人」。如果原本應當教育人的一切——戲劇、書籍、詩與藝術——反而把人拉向最低的發展層次，那便是在向下走，而不是向上提升。當有人創作優美的音樂，或寫出具有較高理想的詩歌，卻沒有市場。每當有人帶來較高的事物，總有人告訴他，那不是人們所要的。教育、崇高的理想，似乎一切都逐漸商業化；而一旦商業化，它們也隨之被降低了。

And at the same time, if we stand in the midst of the crowd and look at the people hurrying by, we would think that never before have people tried so hard to make the best of life’s opportunity. But the opportunity of life should be considered from a different point of view.

然而同時，若我們站在人群之中，看著人們匆匆來去，又會以為人類從未像今天這樣努力，想要充分把握人生的機會。但人生的機會，應當從另一個角度來看。

2. Childhood
童年

The wiser we become the more our outlook changes. There are four different stages in life: childhood, youth, middle age, and advanced age; and each of these four stages shows a great opportunity.

我們愈有智慧，看待生命的眼光便愈會改變。人生有四個不同階段：童年、青年、中年與老年；而這四個階段，每一個都帶著一個重大的機會。

For instance, in childhood the consciousness is in paradise. The child living in the same world of woe, treachery, and wickedness as the grown-up is happy because it is not yet awakened to the other aspect of life. It only knows the better side of it, the beauty of life. And therefore that same world is the Garden of Eden for the child till it grows and is exiled from the Garden. Before that it enjoys paradise on earth; it is unaware of the wickedness and the ugliness of human nature. It still maintains in itself the heavenly air and angelic innocence and the tendency to appreciate all beauty and to love every being.

例如，在童年時，意識仍身處天堂。孩子與成人生活在同一個充滿苦難、背叛與邪惡的世界中，卻仍然快樂，因為他尚未覺醒於生命的另一面。他所知道的，只是生命較美好的一面，也就是生命之美。因此，在孩子長大、被逐出樂園之前，同一個世界對他而言便是伊甸園。在那以前，他在塵世享受著天堂；他尚未察覺人性中的邪惡與醜陋。內在仍保有天上的氣息與天使般的純真，也仍然傾向欣賞一切美好、愛一切眾生。

As it grows it begins to lose that tendency; nevertheless the child shows by its words and actions and by every tendency the angelic essence in its soul. This is the opportunity for every child to experience kingliness in life; and this opportunity is taken away by parents who send the child to school too early and burden it with study. We need not be anxious to prepare the child for its studies so that it will be able to answer in school. That kingliness that God has given to it, that joy and beauty for which it is born and which it longs to have, are thus taken away from it. This period of its life should be made free of anxiety and worry. The parents burden the child with studies, but after all what do these studies lead to? The child’s strength and intelligence are only lessened, when it is burdened with unnecessary studies before the mind is developed; and this tendency is increasing more and more.

隨著成長，孩子開始失去這種傾向；然而在他的言語、行動與種種自然流露中，仍可以看見靈魂裡天使般的本質。這正是每一個孩子在生命中體驗王者般尊貴自在的機會；可是，父母若太早送孩子進學校，又用課業壓在他身上，這個機會便會被奪走。我們不需要如此焦慮地事先訓練孩子，只為了讓他在學校能回答問題。神賜給他的那份尊貴，那份他生來就應享有、內心也渴望擁有的喜悅與美，便如此被奪去了。人生的這個階段，應當讓孩子免於焦慮與憂愁。父母用課業使孩子負擔沉重，但這些學習究竟將把他帶向何處？在頭腦尚未發展成熟以前，若讓孩子承受不必要的課業，只會削弱他的力量與智力；而這種趨勢卻愈來愈嚴重。

People also want to teach a child concentration; but they have forgotten that a child is born with concentration. It is the grown-up whose concentration is weak. Every soul is born with concentration; it loses this faculty as it grows up.

人們還想教孩子專注，卻忘了孩子生來就具有專注的能力。真正專注力薄弱的，是成人。每一個靈魂生來都具有專注的能力，只是在長大的過程中逐漸失去了它。

Once I was travelling in England and someone invited me to see a school where concentration was taught. They brought before me ten or fifteen children, and each child was asked to look at a blank curtain, and say what was there. One child looked and looked and said, “A lily.” Another child said, “A rose.” The teacher asked a third child to tell her what was there. The child answered, “I don’t see anything!” I thought, “That is much better; at any rate he says what he sees!” And so the teacher asked ten or twelve children questions about what they saw.

有一次我在英國旅行，有人邀請我參觀一所教授專注力的學校。他們帶了十個或十五個孩子到我面前，請每個孩子凝視一幅空白的帷幕，然後說出自己在上面看見什麼。一個孩子看了又看，說：「一朵百合花。」另一個孩子說：「一朵玫瑰。」老師又問第三個孩子看見了什麼。孩子回答：「我什麼也沒看見！」我心想：「這樣反而好多了；至少他說的是自己真正看見的！」老師就這樣問了十來個孩子，他們看見了什麼。

It was a lesson in hypocrisy, in exciting the imagination. It could never help a child, for the child’s concentration is already there.

那其實是在教孩子虛假，也是在刻意刺激想像。這絕不會真正幫助孩子，因為孩子原本就有專注的能力。

If the child is kept a child that is enough. We want to make the child into a grown-up person, but it is only happy when left to run about or to be cheerful. The child should not have this burden. We have made it for ourselves; it is not born with us.

只要讓孩子保持為一個孩子，就已經足夠。我們總想把孩子變成大人，可是當他能自由奔跑、歡快地生活時，他才真正快樂。孩子不應背負這些重擔。那些重擔是我們後來為自己製造出來的，並不是與生俱來的。

If life were not so complex there would have been no need of war and of such difficulties as we have today. Because we have spoiled ourselves we want more and more; and yet we make it so difficult to get what we want, that in the end we cannot get it at all. And at the same time by wanting more than is necessary we make life miserable, and the life of others also.

如果生活不是如此複雜，便不需要有戰爭，也不至於有今日這麼多困難。因為我們把自己慣壞了，所以想要的愈來愈多；然而我們又把獲得自己想要之物的過程弄得如此困難，以致最後什麼也得不到。同時，由於我們想要超過真正所需的東西，不只使自己的生活變得痛苦，也使別人的生活變得痛苦。

3. Youth
青年

The amount of study with which a youth is loaded, is the greatest wrong done to him today. But the culture of the youth seems to have disappeared and inspiration is lacking. We have not realized what is necessary for young people; they are not given the inspiration of lofty ideals, nor those impressions which make them do great things. Today there seems to be a kind of uniformity in all youths. Youth has no admiration for a hero; no stimulus is given to youth to become a wonderful or an inspired person, a great poet or musician. Because of this uniform education the child does not get the nourishment for its soul which it needs to become that for which it was born.

今日對青年所造成最大的傷害，就是讓他們承受過多的課業。然而，對青年的陶冶似乎已經消失，靈感也十分匱乏。我們並沒有真正明白年輕人需要什麼；他們沒有得到崇高理想的啟發，也沒有得到那些能促使他們成就偉大事物的深刻印象。今日的青年似乎都被塑造成同一個樣子。年輕人不再景仰英雄；也沒有什麼力量鼓舞他們成為卓越而富有靈感的人，成為偉大的詩人或音樂家。由於這種整齊劃一的教育，孩子的靈魂得不到它所需要的滋養，也就難以成為他原本生來要成為的人。

Besides youth is an opportunity during which time a beautiful manner, a high aspiration, and lofty ideals can be taught. And it is youth which has the enthusiasm to take everything that comes, assimilate it and express it in return. But when the time of a youth is spent only in working hard all day long and trying to pass examinations, and little time is left for recreation or for other things, that does not suffice for his life’s purpose.

此外，青年時期本身就是一個機會；在這段時期，可以培養優美的舉止、高遠的志向與崇高的理想。而青年也正有那份熱情，能接受來到眼前的一切，將它吸收，再從自己身上表達出來。然而，如果一個人的青年時期只是整日辛苦用功、設法通過考試，幾乎沒有時間休息娛樂或接觸其他事物，那麼這樣的生活並不足以完成他人生的目的。

Those who understand these ideas realize that youth is the greatest opportunity that comes in life; it never comes again. Life’s spring-time never returns; it comes only once; and when that opportunity is taken away and the youth has not been inspired as he should be, it is just like keeping a plant without watering it. For that is the very time it should be watered, that is the time for it to be reared; and that time should not be neglected. There are thousands and millions of young people in the colleges who have had no good manners taught to them, and no inspiration given to them. When they are grown-up they can show that they have passed examinations, that they have gained a lot of knowledge; yet the knowledge which enables the soul to develop, has been neglected during their youth, during the time when the mind is receptive, and when the child with all its enthusiasm and capacity for concentration can grasp everything that is good and beautiful.

真正理解這一點的人會明白，青年是人生中最大的機會，而且一去不返。人生的春天不會再次來臨；它只有一次。當這個機會被奪走，青年沒有得到他應有的啟發，就如同養著一株植物，卻不給它澆水。因為那正是應當澆水的時候，正是應當培育它的時候；這段時光不可荒廢。在大學裡，有成千上萬、甚至數以百萬計的年輕人，沒有人教導他們良好的舉止，也沒有人給予他們靈感。長大以後，他們可以證明自己通過了考試，獲得了許多知識；然而，那種能使靈魂成長的知識，卻在青年時期被忽略了——而那恰恰是頭腦最能接受事物的時期，也是孩子帶著全部熱情與專注能力，能夠領會一切善與美的時期。

The inspiration of the musicians and poets who have done great work in the world was created during their youth. Either they saw an example, a living example which impressed them, or they were told or they studied something that was just like sowing the seed in their heart. For youth is the only time which destines the child to become great in life; and if this time is past it will never come again. Whether a person wants to be a business-man or a politician, a professional man, a scientist or a musician, it is in youth that he should start and that he should be inspired with that ideal. At that time the ground is fertile. But when that time is gone the chance does not easily come again.

世上那些成就偉大作品的音樂家與詩人，他們的靈感都是在青年時期孕育出來的。也許他們曾看見一個榜樣，一個真正活生生、深深感動他們的人；也許有人告訴過他們某些事，或者他們讀過某些東西，就像把一粒種子播進心裡。因為青年時期正是決定一個孩子能否在人生中成就卓越的時光；一旦過去，就不會再來。無論一個人想成為商人、政治家、專業人士、科學家或音樂家，都應當從青年時期開始，也應當在那時受到那個理想的啟發。那時土地最為肥沃；一旦錯過，這樣的機會便不容易再次出現。

4. Cultivation of the heart-quality
心的培養

Besides the training for various professions and occupations, there remains another capacity which is neglected in youth: the cultivation of the heart-quality. Today there is hardly one person in a hundred whose heart-quality has been cultivated. Although instinctively the heart-quality is always there, every effort is made to blunt it.

除了為各種職業與工作所作的訓練之外，還有另一種能力在青年時期遭到忽略，那就是心的培養。今日一百個人當中，恐怕連一個真正培養過自己的心的人都沒有。心的能力原本自然而然存在於我們之中，人們卻處處使它變得遲鈍。

What is meant by the heart-quality? There is intuition, there is inspiration, and there is revelation. All these come from the culture of the heart, from the heart-quality. A person may be most cultivated, may have studied much, and yet may not be intuitive. A person may learn all the techniques of music and poetry without having the heart-quality.

所謂心的能力是什麼？其中有直覺、有靈感，也有啟示。這一切都來自心的培養，來自心本身的能力。一個人可能受過極好的教育，讀過許多書，卻仍然沒有直覺。一個人也可能學會音樂與詩歌的一切技巧，卻沒有真正培養自己的心。

Heart quality is something which must be developed within oneself; and when no attention is given at the time of youth to developing that particular quality, what happens when a person is grown-up? He will be selfish, proud, mannerless and not ready to sacrifice. He believes that these characteristics guard his interest best, and one calls such a person a man of common sense or a practical man. But if everybody were like that, what could one expect of life except constant conflict as there is today?

心的能力必須從自己的內在加以培養；如果在青年時期完全沒有注意培養這種能力，那麼一個人長大之後會變成什麼樣子？他會自私、驕傲、沒有禮貌，也不願犧牲。他相信這些特質最能保障自己的利益，而人們卻稱這樣的人為「有常識的人」或「實際的人」。可是，如果每個人都是如此，那麼除了像今日一樣持續不斷的衝突之外，我們還能對人生期待什麼？

Religion or the devotional side of man’s nature is also dying out for the reason that the heart-quality is lacking. Even if people go to church or to another place of worship, their piety is intellectual. People can only enjoy something intellectual. When there is a mathematical explanation of something it is wonderful; but when it comes to feeling blessed and uplifted, to feeling the raising of the consciousness towards the higher spheres, that they cannot experience for they live in their intellect.

宗教，或者人性中敬虔的一面，也正因為心的能力匱乏而逐漸消失。即使人們走進教堂或其他敬拜場所，他們的虔敬也只是停留在頭腦上。人們只能欣賞理智性的東西。如果一件事能以數學般的方式解釋，他們便覺得十分美妙；然而，要感受到祝福、受到提升，要感受到意識向更高的境域升起，他們卻無法經歷，因為他們只活在自己的理智之中。

5. Exaltation
昇華

There are two principal experiences of life: one experience is called sensation and the other exaltation. What is generally known and experienced by the average man today is what is called sensation: all the beauty that one sees, of line or color, all that one sees with the eyes or that one tastes and touches. It is living in sensation that makes man material, and after some time he becomes ignorant of the spirit.

人生有兩種主要的經驗：一種稱為感官感受，另一種則是昇華。今日一般人所知道、所經歷的，大多是感官感受：線條或色彩所呈現的一切美，眼睛所看見的一切，以及味覺所嚐到、觸覺所碰到的一切。當一個人只活在感官感受之中，他便逐漸變得物質化，久而久之，也就不再知道靈的存在。

Exaltation, which is a greater bliss, a higher pleasure, and which makes man independent of the outer life for his happiness, does not seem to be known by the majority. What is exaltation? The soul can go through four different experiences which are all in reality the longing of the soul. Mistakenly man does not seek those four experiences but instead he experiences something else. For instance it is a constant yearning of the soul to experience happiness, and instead of that it becomes connected with what one calls pleasure; but pleasure belongs to sensation and happiness to exaltation. Pleasure is only the suggestion; happiness is reality.

昇華是一種更大的福樂、更高的喜悅，它使一個人的幸福不再依賴外在生活；然而，大多數人似乎並不知道這種經驗。什麼是昇華？靈魂能夠經歷四種不同的經驗，而這四種經驗其實都是靈魂本身的渴望。人卻因為誤解，沒有去尋求這四種經驗，反而追逐其他東西。例如，靈魂始終渴望經歷幸福，人卻把這份渴望連結到所謂的享樂；然而，享樂屬於感官感受，幸福則屬於昇華。享樂只是幸福的一種暗示；幸福本身才是真實。

6. Knowledge
知識

After that comes knowledge. Every soul yearns for knowledge, that knowledge which will give exaltation. But the soul cannot be satisfied by the knowledge one gathers from books, by learning, or by the study of outside things. For instance the knowledge of science, the knowledge of art, are outside knowledge. They give one a kind of strength, a kind of satisfaction, but this does not last. It is another knowledge that the soul is really seeking. The soul cannot be satisfied unless it finds that knowledge.

接著是知識。每一個靈魂都渴望知識，那種能帶來昇華的知識。然而，靈魂無法因從書本中蒐集來的知識、一般的學習，或對外在事物的研究而得到滿足。例如，科學的知識、藝術的知識，都屬於外在的知識。它們會帶給人某種力量、某種滿足，但這些都不持久。靈魂真正尋找的是另一種知識；除非找到那種知識，靈魂不會真正得到滿足。

But that knowledge does not come by learning names and forms. On the contrary it comes from unlearning. Do not be surprised therefore if you read in some books of the East that Mahatmas went into the mountains and sat there for many years. I do not say that we should follow their example, but we can appreciate what they have brought from there. They went there to explore life, that aspect of life which is unseen and remains unexplored. They sat there for years in meditation. They lived on leaves and fruits, on what they could find in the forest. They contemplated. What they have thus gathered is not a knowledge learned from this world, but a greater knowledge which can be learned from within.

然而，那種知識並不是藉由學習種種名稱與形式而來；恰恰相反，它來自放下已學。因此，如果你在一些東方書籍裡讀到，大聖者（Mahatmas）走進山中，在那裡一坐就是許多年，不必感到驚訝。我並不是說我們應當仿效他們，但我們可以理解並珍視他們從那裡帶回來的東西。他們走進山中，是為了探索生命，探索生命中那尚未被看見、也尚未被探究的一面。他們多年坐在那裡冥想，以樹葉、果實和森林中找得到的食物維生，並且沉思。他們由此所得的，並不是從這個世界學來的知識，而是一種更大的知識，一種能夠從內在學得的知識。

One can see pictures of Buddha, with closed eyes, sitting cross-legged. What does that symbol convey to us? That there is a knowledge that can be learnt by closing not only the eyes but also the mind from the outside world. Closing the eyes does not make the concentration any greater. Most people go as far as closing the eyes, and no further; but if the eyes are closed and the mind is pondering over things, that is not concentration. Those who can concentrate can do it without having to close the eyes.

我們可以看見佛陀的圖像：雙眼閉合，盤腿而坐。這個象徵要向我們傳達什麼？它告訴我們，有一種知識，是藉由不只對外界閉上雙眼，也讓頭腦向外在世界關閉，而能夠學得的。光是閉上眼睛，並不會使專注變得更深。多數人做到閉眼便停在那裡；可是，如果眼睛閉著，頭腦仍不斷思索種種事情，那並不是專注。真正能夠專注的人，即使不閉上眼睛，也能做到。

I once saw, when travelling in the East, a person working in a telegraph-office; and however busy he was, his concentration continued. I said, “It is very wonderful, that with all this work you can go on concentrating.” He smiled and said, “That is the way of concentration.”

我有一次在東方旅行，看見一個人在電報局工作；無論工作多麼繁忙，他始終保持著專注。我對他說：「真不可思議，做著這麼多工作，你竟仍能繼續專注。」他微笑著回答：「這才是專注之道。」

7. Happiness
幸福

The third thing one experiences in life and for which the soul yearns is happiness. That can be gained also by getting in touch within oneself.

人生中所經歷、也是靈魂所渴望的第三樣事物，是幸福。而幸福同樣可以藉由與自己的內在相接而獲得。

And the fourth thing is peace. It cannot be gained by outer means, by outer comfort and rest alone. It can only be gained when the mind is at rest.

第四樣則是安寧。安寧無法僅靠外在的方法、外在的舒適與休息獲得；只有當頭腦真正安歇下來時，才能得到它。

8. Middle Age
中年

After youth comes the stage of middle age. Middle age is the time when one has gathered knowledge, when one has experienced life, when one has gone through joy and sorrow, when one has learnt lessons from one’s profession, from one’s occupation, from one’s home, from every side of life. It is the opportunity to make the best use of what one has gathered by experience.

青年之後便進入中年。中年是這樣的一段時期：我們已經累積了知識，經歷過人生，走過歡樂與悲傷，也從自己的專業、工作、家庭，以及生命的各個面向學到了功課。這正是一個機會，讓我們能充分運用自己從種種經驗中所得的一切。

But what generally happens is what Sa’di, the Persian poet says, “O my self, you have come to middle age, and yet you are no better than a child!”

然而，通常發生的情形，正如波斯詩人薩迪（Sa’di）所說：「啊，我自己啊，你已來到中年，卻仍與一個孩子沒有兩樣！」

If a person has not learnt by that time all he ought to learn, he has indeed lost life’s opportunity. Because it is that age during which he earns not only money, but experience and knowledge; and the more he has learnt, the richer he is at that time, and the better he knows how to make use of what powers he has, the more successful and fruitful he becomes.

如果到了這個時候，一個人仍沒有學會自己本應學會的一切，那麼他確實已錯失了人生的機會。因為在這個年紀，他所獲得的不應只是金錢，也包括經驗與知識。他學得愈多，此時的生命便愈豐富；他愈懂得如何運用自己所具有的力量，也就愈能有所成就，並結出豐盛的果實。

Besides that is the age when one begins to know life’s obligations, and if one does not know them even then, one has not learnt anything. To know one’s obligation towards those who look up to one, who surround one, who expect some help, some advice, some service from one, that is the time when one must be conscious of these things. It is the beautiful age when the tree comes to full maturity, when it begins to give fruit to the world.

此外，這也是一個人開始懂得人生責任的年紀；如果到了這時仍不懂這些責任，那麼他其實什麼也沒有學會。對那些仰望自己的人、圍繞在自己身邊的人，以及期待從自己得到一些幫助、建議或服務的人，我們負有什麼責任——到了這個階段，人便應當清楚意識到這些事。這是一個美好的年紀，如同一棵樹終於完全成熟，開始為世界結出果實。

Not only is this the time for the singer when his voice is in full blossom, not only is this the time for the artist or the thinker when he can express himself fully, but for every person that age is the promise of the ripened mind expressing itself to the best advantage; and if that opportunity is not taken then man has missed a great deal in life.

這不只是歌者的聲音完全綻放的時期，也不只是藝術家或思想家能夠充分表達自己的時期；對每一個人而言，這個年紀都代表著成熟的頭腦終於能以最完整的方式表達自己。如果沒有把握這個機會，人生便會錯失許多。

9. Advanced Age
老年

Advanced age too has its own blessings. People do not appreciate the blessings of every period of life; therefore they appreciate one and dislike another. In the East, especially in India, great respect is given to age; and it would be good if that ideal were more widespread.

老年也有它自己的祝福。人們往往不懂得欣賞人生每一個階段的祝福，因此只喜歡某些階段，卻厭惡另一些階段。在東方，尤其印度，年長者受到很大的尊敬；若這樣的理想能更加普遍，將是一件好事。

Old age is the time when man is the record of his whole life; whether he has been sympathetic, kind, wise, foolish, or whatever he has been, whatever he has done, advanced age brings the record of it. One can read it in his face, in his features, in his atmosphere. He has a greater opportunity to inspire, to bless, and to serve those who want his service or who want to be directed. He can show them a better way of looking at life.

老年是一個人的一生全都留下紀錄的時期。無論他曾經富有同理心、慈善、智慧或愚昧，無論他曾是怎樣的人、做過什麼事，到了老年，這一切都會顯露出來。我們可以從他的臉、五官與整個人的氣息中讀到它。此時，他有更大的機會去啟發、祝福並服務那些需要他幫助、希望得到他引導的人；他可以讓他們看見一種更好的生命觀。

But when man does not realize his opportunities, he will act like a child in middle age, while in childhood he was given the work of an old person, and in youth he was burdened like someone of middle age.

然而，當一個人沒有認出每個階段所帶來的機會，他到了中年仍會像孩子一樣行事；而在童年時，他反而已被要求做老年人才該做的事，在青年時期又背負著如同中年人的重擔。

10. The Opportunity to Accomplish
成就的機會

If we only understood that every moment in life, every day, every month, and every year, has its particular blessing; if we only knew life’s opportunity! But the greatest opportunity that one can realize in life is to accomplish that purpose for which man was sent on earth. And if he has lost that opportunity, then whatever he may have accomplished in the world, whether he has gathered wealth, possesses much property, or has made a great name for himself, he will not be satisfied. Once man’s eyes are opened and he begins to look at the world, he will find there is a greater opportunity than he had ever thought before.

如果我們能明白，生命中的每一刻、每一天、每一個月、每一年，都有它特別的祝福；如果我們真正知道人生所給予的機會！然而，人生中所能認識到最大的機會，是完成一個人被送到世上所要完成的目的。如果他錯失了這個機會，那麼無論在世上完成多少事情，無論累積多少財富、擁有多少產業，或為自己贏得多大的名聲，他仍不會滿足。當一個人的眼睛真正張開，開始重新觀看這個世界時，他會發現，人生所給他的機會遠比自己過去所想像的更大。

Man is as poor as he is, as limited as he is, as troubled as he is; yet there is nothing in this world which could not be accomplished by man if he only knew what thought can do. It is ignorance which keeps him from what he ought to accomplish. Man should know how to operate his thought, how to accomplish certain things, how to focus his mind on the object that should be accomplished. If he does not know then he has not made use of his mind but has lived like a machine.

人或許貧乏、受限，又充滿困擾；然而，如果他真正知道思想能夠做什麼，世上便沒有什麼是人不能完成的。使他無法成就自己本應完成之事的，是無知。人應當知道如何運用自己的思想，如何完成某些事情，也應當知道如何把頭腦集中在所要完成的目標上。如果他不知道這些，他便沒有真正運用自己的頭腦，而只是像一部機器般生活著。

11. The Power of Feeling
感受的力量

If man knew the power of feeling, and realized that the power of feeling can reach anywhere and penetrate anything, he could achieve whatever he might wish.

如果人知道感受具有多大的力量，並明白這份力量能夠抵達任何地方、穿透任何事物，那麼他所希望完成的事，都可能藉此成就。

There is a Persian story of Shirin and Farhad. Once Shirin, the girl whom Farhad admired, in order to test his love said, “Farhad, do you love me? If you love me, you will have to make a way through the mountains.” Farhad said, “Yes, I was waiting for that test.” He went to the mountains full of the feeling of love he had for her. Every time he broke the rock with his hammer, he said the name of Shirin, and the strength of his hammer became a thousand times greater because it was joined by the feeling of his heart.

波斯有一個希琳（Shirin）與法哈德（Farhad）的故事。有一次，法哈德所愛慕的女子希琳為了考驗他的愛，對他說：「法哈德，你愛我嗎？如果你愛我，就必須在群山之中開出一條路。」法哈德說：「是的，我一直在等待這樣的考驗。」他走進山中，心裡充滿對她的愛。每當他揮動鐵鎚擊碎岩石時，便呼喚希琳的名字；由於鐵鎚的力量與他的心所感受到的愛結合在一起，那力量彷彿增強了一千倍。

Today man has forgotten the great power there is in feeling. It can break rocks. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished by the power of feeling. But generally there is no feeling; feeling has become drowned, it no longer exists.

今日的人已經忘記感受中蘊藏著多麼巨大的力量。它甚至能夠劈開岩石。沒有什麼不能藉由感受的力量成就。然而，一般人的感受已經不存在了；它被淹沒了，彷彿不再活著。

12. Free from Captivity
從束縛中得到自由

To realize the power of feeling and to express it is a great opportunity which life offers; but a still greater opportunity of life is to free oneself from the captivity of limitations. Every man is a captive in some form or other; his life is limited in some form or other; but one could get above this limitation by realizing the latent power and inspiration of the soul.

認識感受的力量，並把它表達出來，是生命所給予的一個重大機會；然而，生命還有一個更大的機會，那就是使自己從種種限制的束縛中得到自由。每個人都以某種形式受著束縛，生命也以某種形式受到限制；然而，只要認識靈魂中潛藏的力量與靈感，人便能超越這些限制。

Kabir, the great poet of India says, “Life is a field and you are born to cultivate it. And if you know how to cultivate this field you can produce anything you like. All the need of your life can be produced in this field. All that your soul yearns after and all you need is to be got from the field, if you know how to cultivate it and how to reap the fruit.”

印度偉大的詩人卡比爾（Kabir）說：「生命是一片田野，而你生來就是為了耕種它。如果你知道如何耕種這片田野，便能種出任何你想要的東西。你生活所需的一切，都能從這片田野中生長出來。你的靈魂所渴望的一切，以及你所需要的一切，都能從這片田野中獲得，只要你知道如何耕種它，也知道如何收穫它的果實。」

But if this opportunity is only studied in order to make the best of life by taking all that one can take and by being more comfortable, that is not satisfying. We must enrich ourselves with thought, with that happiness which is spiritual happiness, with that peace which belongs to our soul, with that liberty, that freedom, for which our soul longs; and attain to that higher knowledge which breaks all the fetters of life and raises our consciousness to look at life from a different point of view.

但是，如果我們理解人生這個機會，只是為了從生命中盡可能多取得一些東西，使自己過得更舒適，那仍不能帶來真正的滿足。我們必須以思想豐富自己，以那屬於靈性的幸福豐富自己，以那屬於靈魂的安寧豐富自己，也以靈魂所渴望的自主與自由豐富自己；並且獲得那更高的知識，使我們掙脫生命的一切枷鎖，提升我們的意識，從另一個角度觀看生命。

Once a person has realized this opportunity he has fulfilled the purpose of Life.

一旦一個人真正認識到人生所給予的這個機會，他便完成了生命的目的。

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