24. The Meaning of Life
24. 生命的意義

When one inquires deeply into life one finds that what all souls seek is to know the meaning of life. The scientist looks and searches for it in the realm of science, and the artist finds it in his art. Whatever different interests people may have, their only real inclination is to find the meaning of life. This shows that it is the nature of the soul and that the soul has come here for this purpose, that it may realize and understand the meaning of life. Thus in either a material or a spiritual way every soul is striving for what it longs for all the time, each in its own particular way.

當我們深入探究生命時，會發現所有靈魂所尋求的，都是認識生命的意義。科學家在科學的領域中觀察、尋索，藝術家則在自己的藝術中尋得它。無論人們各有多麼不同的興趣，真正的傾向只有一個，就是尋找生命的意義。這顯示出，這原是靈魂的本性；靈魂來到這裡，正是為了這個目的——體悟並了解生命的意義。因此，無論以物質的方式或靈性的方式，每一個靈魂都在以自己特有的方式，努力尋求那始終深切渴望的事物。

One can see this in the behavior of an infant. The desire of an infant to look at a thing, to tear it to pieces and see what is inside it, shows that it is the soul’s desire to look into life, to understand life. No doubt the effect and the influence of life on earth are intoxicating; and through this intoxication man becomes so absorbed in himself and his own interests that he so to speak loses the way, the way which is inborn in him. Not only in man, but even in the lower creation one finds the same attitude. In animals, in birds, the deepest desire is not looking for food or seeking for a comfortable nest; the deepest tendency is the wish to understand the nature of life; and this tendency culminates in man. A child will continually ask his parents, “What does this mean?” and this shows a continual longing to know the meaning of life, a longing which continues all through life.

我們可以從嬰兒的行為中看見這一點。嬰兒想要觀看一件東西，想把它拆開來看看裡面有什麼，這顯示的正是靈魂想要探究生命、了解生命的渴望。毫無疑問，塵世生命所帶來的作用與影響令人沉醉；人在這種沉醉之中，如此專注於自己和自己的利益，以至於可以說迷失了道路——那條原本天生就在他裡面的道路。不只在人類身上，即使在較低層次的生命中，也可以看見同樣的傾向。在動物與鳥類之中，最深的渴望並不只是尋找食物或舒適的巢穴；最深層的傾向，是想要了解生命的本質，而這種傾向在人類身上發展到了最高程度。孩子會不斷問父母：「這是什麼意思？」這顯示出一種持續不斷、想要知道生命意義的渴望，而這份渴望會貫穿人的一生。

What does this teach us? It teaches us the principle that the source and goal of the universe are one and the same, and that the Creator created it all in order to know His own creation. But how does the Creator see and understand His creation? Not only in its highest and deepest aspect, but also through every thing and every being He is continually knowing and understanding His creation.

這教導了我們什麼？它教導我們一個原理：宇宙的源頭與終極目標原是一體，而造物主創造這一切，是為了認識祂自己的創造。然而，造物主如何觀看並了解祂的創造呢？不只透過創造中最高、最深的層面，也透過每一件事物、每一個生命，祂都在不斷認識並了解自己的創造。

For instance if a person should ask, “What is art? Is it not made by man?” I would answer, “Yes, but made by God also, through man.”

例如，如果有人問：「藝術是什麼？它不就是人所創造的嗎？」我會回答：「是的，但它也是神透過人所創造的。」

And if that is so, then what is this whole mechanism of the universe doing? It is working. Working for what purpose? Working for the understanding of itself.

若是如此，那麼宇宙的整個運作機制究竟在做什麼？它正在運作。為了什麼目的而運作？為了認識它自己而運作。

And what is this mechanism of the world; is it living or is it dead? All that we call living is living, and all that we call dead is living too. It is for our convenience that we say “thing” and “being.”

那麼，世界的這個運作機制究竟是活的，還是死的？凡是我們稱為有生命的，都是活的；而凡是我們稱為無生命的，也同樣是活的。我們之所以區分「事物」與「生命」，只是為了表達上的方便。

In reality there are no things; they are all beings. It is simply a gradual awakening from the witnessing aspect to the recognizing aspect.

事實上，並沒有所謂的「事物」；一切都是生命。這只是一個逐漸醒覺的過程，從觀看、見證的層面，逐步進入真正認知的層面。

And no science, however material, will deny the truth of this; for the truth is to be realized from all things, from religion, from philosophy, from science, from art, from industry. The only difference is that one takes a shorter way and the other takes a longer way; one goes round about and the other takes a straight path. There is no difference in the destination; the only difference is in the journey, whether one goes on foot or whether one drives, whether one is awake or whether one is asleep and is taken blindly to the destination, not knowing the beauties of the way.

無論一門科學多麼偏重物質，也不會否認這個真理；因為真理可以從一切之中得到體悟——從宗教、哲學、科學、藝術，乃至工業之中。差別只在於，一條路比較短，另一條路比較長；一條迂迴而行，另一條直接前往。終點並沒有不同，差別只在旅程本身：我們是步行還是乘車，是清醒地前進，還是在沉睡之中被帶往目的地，一路上絲毫不知道沿途的美麗。

Destiny may be divided into two parts; one is the mechanism that activates the destiny, and the other part is the soul which realizes this. Therefore the mechanism is the machine and the soul within it is the engineer who is there to work this mechanism and to produce by it what is to be produced. There are many methods and ways which man adopts in order to know and understand; and the mind is the vehicle, the tool, by the help of which he experiences life in the accomplishment of this purpose. In Sanskrit the mind is called Mana, from which the English word man is derived; and that means that man is his mind, not his body.

命運可以分為兩個部分：一個是使命運運轉起來的機制，另一個則是體悟這一切的靈魂。因此，這個機制就像一部機器，而其中的靈魂則像工程師，操作這部機器，使它產生所應產生的結果。人為了認識與了解，會採取許多不同的方法與途徑；而心智就是載具，也是工具，人藉著它經驗生命，以完成這個目的。在梵文中，心智（mind）稱為 Mana；英文的 man （人）一字便由此衍生而來，而這意味著，人真正所是的是他的心智，而不是他的身體。

[譯註] 在 Hazrat Inayat Khan 較早期的演講中，尚未將 mind（頭腦）與 heart（心）做區分，此處之 mind 在語意上包含頭腦與心。故譯為心智。

According to the readiness of its tool, the soul experiences and knows life. It is the condition of the mind which enables the soul to see life clearly. The mind can be likened to water; when the water is troubled there is no reflection to be seen; when the water is clear then it shows the reflection. But in the pursuit of material gain, which is what he values most, man has become absorbed in that kind of life and has lost the benefit of life; as it is said in the Bible, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

靈魂能夠如何經驗並認識生命，取決於它的工具準備到了什麼程度。正是心智的狀態，使靈魂能否清楚地看見生命。心智可以比作水：水若受到擾動，便看不見映像；水若澄澈，映像自然顯現。然而，人把物質上的所得視為最有價值的事物，在追逐這些所得時，便沉浸於那樣的生活之中，因而錯失了生命真正能帶給他的收穫。正如《聖經》所說：「你的財寶在哪裡，你的心也在那裡。」

When, as at the present time, one defines civilization as commercial or industrial progress, that becomes the ideal of every soul; and it becomes difficult for a soul to retain tranquillity in order to accomplish that purpose for which the soul was born. I do not mean by this that industrial or commercial development is not necessary for the life of man; not at all, as long as it does not ruin or hinder the life’s purpose for which man was born. Otherwise in spite of all his progress he will have wasted his life, he will not have attained the purpose for which he was born.

當文明像今日這樣，被界定為商業或工業的進步時，這便成了每個靈魂追求的理想；而靈魂也因此很難保有內在的安寧，去完成它出生於世所要完成的目的。我並不是說，工業或商業的發展對人的生活並不需要；完全不是如此。只要它不破壞或妨礙人出生於世所要完成的生命目的，就沒有問題。否則，無論人取得多少進步，他仍然浪費了自己的一生，沒有達成他出生於世所為的目的。

There are superstitions in the East, and also in the West, that animals such as horses, dogs, cats, and birds, give warning when a person is about to fall ill or die, and many have found that there is some truth in these superstitions. Why is it then that man does not understand and perceive life as the animals do? The answer is that the animals live a more natural life; they are nearer to nature than man, who is absorbed in his artificial life.

東方和西方都有一些傳說，認為馬、狗、貓、鳥等動物，會在人即將生病或死亡時有所警示，而許多人也發現這些說法並非全無道理。那麼，為什麼人反而不能像動物那樣了解並感知生命呢？答案是，動物過著更自然的生活；牠們比人更接近自然，而人卻沉浸在自己人為造作的生活之中。

So many of the things one thinks about and does and says are far from what is true, from what is natural. The more one can be at one with nature and at one with the deeper life, the more one realizes that what man does is to act continually against reality, not only when he does wrong or evil but even when he is doing good. If the animals can know this, man is even more capable of knowing it; and it is this knowledge alone which is the satisfaction of his life, not all the external things; as it is said in the Bible, “The spirit quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.’

我們所想、所做、所說的許多事，都遠離了真實，也遠離了自然。我們愈能與自然合一，愈能與生命更深的層面合一，就愈會看見，人其實不斷在逆著實相而行；不只在作惡或做錯事時如此，有時甚至在自以為行善時也是如此。如果動物都能有所知覺，那麼人更有能力認識這一切；而真正能使人的生命得到滿足的，正是這份認識，而不是一切外在之物。正如《聖經》所說：「使人活的是靈，肉體是無益的。」

Where is man’s wealth? It is in his knowledge. If his wealth is only in the bank and not in his knowledge he does not really possess it; it is in the bank. All desirable and great things, values and titles, position and possession, where are they? Outside? No, because outside is only that which one knows by the knowledge one has within; therefore the real possession is not without but within. It is the self within, it is the heart which must be developed, the heart which must be in its natural rhythm and at its proper pitch. When it is tuned to its natural rhythm and pitch, then it can accomplish the purpose for which it is made.

人的財富在哪裡？就在他的認識之中。如果他的財富只存在銀行裡，而沒有成為他自身的認識，那麼他其實並不真正擁有它；那財富只是存在銀行裡。所有令人嚮往而珍貴的事物——價值、頭銜、地位與財產——究竟在哪裡？在外面嗎？不。因為我們所認識的外在一切，都只能透過內在已有的認識而被我們所知。因此，真正的擁有不在外，而在內。真正需要發展的是內在的自我，是心；這顆心必須回到它自然的節奏與適切的音高。當心調到它自然的節奏與音高時，它便能完成自己受造所為的目的。

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