31-32. The God Ideal
31-32. 理想中的神

God and the God Ideal may be explained as the sun and the light. Just as there come times when the sun becomes covered by clouds, so there come times when the God Ideal becomes covered by materialism. But if the cloud for a moment covers the sun, that does not mean that the sun is lost to you. So if in the reign of materialism the God Ideal seems to have disappeared, yet God is there all the same. The condition of the world is just like the ever rising and falling waves. Sometimes they seem to rise and sometimes to fall, but with every rising and falling wave the sea is the same; so with all its changes life is the same.

神與理想中的神，可以用太陽與光來說明。正如有時太陽會被雲遮住，人心中對神的理想觀念有時也會被唯物主義所遮蔽。然而，雲一時遮住了太陽，並不表示太陽已經從你眼前消失。同樣地，在唯物主義盛行之時，理想中的神即使似乎已經消失，神依然存在。世界的情況就像不斷升起又落下的波浪。有時浪看似升起，有時看似落下，但無論波浪如何起伏，大海始終如一；生命也是如此，儘管有種種變化，生命本身仍然如一。

We find that during the past few years all over the world there has come a phase when the God Ideal seems entirely forgotten. This does not mean that churches have disappeared or that God does not exist, but that a light that once was there has been covered and has ceased to light us. As there is night after day, so these changes of condition come in life: light and darkness.

我們發現，在過去幾年裡，全世界進入了一個彷彿完全遺忘了理想中的神的時期。這並不是說教堂已經消失，也不是說神不存在，而是那曾經照耀著我們的光被遮蔽了，不再為我們帶來光明。正如白晝之後有黑夜，生命中也會有這樣的情況交替而來：光明與黑暗。

In the age of science on the one side, materialism on the other, and commercialism on the top, man seems to have blinded himself by acquiring wealth and power so that he sees nothing else. It is not that there is no search for light: it is the nature of every soul to search for light. But the great question is, how can light come when nation is against nation, race against race, and the followers of one religion against the followers of another? How can there be peace and light? The sign of day is that all things are clear, and the sign of night is that nothing can be found or seen; there are clouds.

在這個時代，一邊是科學，一邊是唯物主義，上面又籠罩著商業主義；人在追逐財富與權力之中，彷彿蒙蔽了自己的雙眼，再也看不見其他事物。這並不是說人不再尋求光；尋求光是每個靈魂的本性。然而真正的問題是：當國家與國家相爭、種族與種族相爭、一個宗教的追隨者與另一個宗教的追隨者彼此對立時，光又如何能夠到來？又如何能有和平與光明？白晝的標誌是萬物清晰可見；黑夜的標誌則是什麼都找不到、什麼都看不見，因為有雲遮蔽著。

The most dreadful nightmare the world has ever seen has just passed away, and although that wave and that nightmare seem to have gone, the effect is still here. The effect that is left is worse than the cause, for prejudice is worse than bloodshed. When man thirsts for the blood of his fellowman, how can we say that there is light? If a man can eat joyfully at his table when his neighbor is dying of hunger, where is the light? That is the condition of humanity today. What is the cause? It is because the light, the God Idea, is not there.

世界所經歷過最可怕的夢魘才剛剛過去。雖然那一波浪潮、那場夢魘似乎已經消退，它留下的影響卻仍然存在。而留下來的影響甚至比原來的原因更糟，因為偏見比流血更加可怕。當人渴望自己同胞的鮮血時，我們怎能說那裡有光？當一個人的鄰人正瀕臨餓死，他卻仍能歡喜地坐在餐桌前用餐，光又在哪裡？這就是今日人類的處境。原因是什麼？因為那道光，也就是對神的觀念，已經不在其中。

I was once amused by a very simple answer from a maid. When somebody came to the door and knocked, the maid was not free to go at once but took her time. When at last she came, the man was very cross and said, “Why did you not open the door quickly?” I asked the maid, “What do you think was the reason for the person’s being cross?” She said with her innocent expression, “Because there is no God with him.”

有一次，一位女僕很簡單的回答令我覺得十分有趣。有人來到門口敲門，女僕當時抽不開身，沒有立刻去開門，而是過了一會兒才去。等她終於來開門時，那個人十分惱怒，說：「妳為什麼不趕快開門？」我問女僕：「妳覺得那個人為什麼這麼生氣？」她帶著天真的神情回答：「因為神不與他同在。」

Friends, the word of Christ is that God is love. If God is love then we, every one of us, can prove God in us by expressing God in our life. Yes, according to the external customs of the different religions, one goes to church, one to the mosque, one to the synagogue, and one to the temple of Buddha. But the inner church is neither in the mosque nor in the synagogue, but in the heart of man, where God abides and which is the habitation of Christ. With this divine element lighted in man’s heart, he will go to the house of prayer and then his prayer will be heard.

朋友們，基督的話是：神就是愛。既然神就是愛，那麼我們每一個人都能藉由在生命中表達神，證明神就在我們之中。是的，按照不同宗教外在的習俗，有人去教堂，有人去清真寺，有人去猶太會堂，也有人去佛寺。然而，內在的教堂既不在清真寺，也不在猶太會堂，而在人心之中；神居住在那裡，那裡也是基督的居所。當這神聖的元素在人心中點亮，他再走進祈禱之所，他的祈禱便會被聽見。

There is a well-known story in India that a girl was crossing a place where a Muslim was performing his prayers: the law is that no one should cross where a person is praying. When the girl returned, the man said to her, “How insolent! Do you know what sin you have done?” “What did I do?” said the girl. And the man said that no one was allowed to cross. “I did not mean any harm,” said the girl, “but tell me, what do you mean by praying?” “For me, prayer is thinking of God,” said the man. “Oh!” she said, “But I was going to see my young man, and I was thinking of him and I did not see you. If you were thinking of God, how did you see me?”

印度有一個廣為人知的故事。一位女孩經過一處地方，當時有個穆斯林正在做禮拜；依照規矩，人在祈禱時，不應有人從他面前經過。女孩回來時，那個人對她說：「多麼無禮！妳知道自己犯了什麼罪嗎？」女孩說：「我做了什麼？」那人告訴她，任何人都不許從祈禱者面前經過。女孩說：「我並無意冒犯。不過請告訴我，你所說的祈禱是什麼意思？」那人說：「對我而言，祈禱就是想著神。」「噢！」她說：「可是我當時正要去見我的愛人，一心想著他，所以根本沒有看見你。如果你當時正在想著神，你又怎麼會看見我呢？」

The idea, therefore, friends, is that prayer becomes living if it is offered from a living heart. From a dead heart, prayer has no meaning and is dead.

所以，朋友們，關鍵在於：祈禱若從一顆活著的心中獻出，它便是活的；從一顆死寂的心中所發出的祈禱，既沒有意義，也是死的。

There is a story of an Arab who was running to the mosque where the prayer of God was being offered, but before he could arrive the prayers were finished. On his way he met a man coming from the mosque and asked him, “Are the prayers finished?” The man replied that they were finished, and the other sighed deeply and said, “Alas!” Then the man asked, “Will you give me the virtue of your sigh in exchange for the virtue of my prayers?” And the other agreed. Next day the simple man saw the Prophet in a dream, who told him that he had made a bad bargain, for that one sigh was worth all the prayers of a lifetime because it was from the heart.

有一個故事說，一位阿拉伯人奔向清真寺，要去參加向神獻上的祈禱，但他還沒趕到，祈禱就已經結束了。途中，他遇見一個剛從清真寺出來的人，便問他：「祈禱結束了嗎？」那人回答已經結束了。這位阿拉伯人深深嘆了一口氣，說：「唉！」於是那人問他：「你願意把這一聲嘆息的功德給我，來交換我祈禱的功德嗎？」他答應了。第二天，那個單純的人在夢中見到先知。先知告訴他，這樁交易做得很不划算，因為那一聲嘆息抵得過一生所有的祈禱，因為它是從心中發出的。

There are different human beings in different stages of evolution, and it is natural that every human being according to his particular stage of evolution imagines God before him when he prays. It is questionable for anyone else to judge the one who prays and say, “God is not this or that.” Persons who force their beliefs on others often put them against that belief, even if that is the true belief. It requires a great deal of tact, thought, and consideration to explain or correct the belief of another. In the first place, it is insolent on the part of man to want to explain God, although man today would like not only to explain but even to examine whether the spirit of God exists.

不同的人處於不同的發展階段，因此，每個人在祈禱時，依照自己所處的發展階段，在面前想像神的形象，是很自然的事。其他人是否有資格去評斷一個祈禱的人，說「神不是這樣，也不是那樣」，本身就是值得質疑的。那些把自己的信仰強加於他人的人，往往反而使人抗拒那個信仰，即使那原本是真實的信仰。若要向另一個人說明他的信仰，或修正他的信念，需要極大的圓融、思量與體察。首先，人想要解釋神，本身就是一種僭越；然而今天的人不只想解釋神，甚至還想檢驗神的靈是否存在。

The other day I was much amused to hear that there are people who not only want to take photographs of spirits, but even to weigh the soul!

前幾天我聽說，有些人不只想替靈體拍照，甚至還想替靈魂秤重，實在令我覺得十分有趣！

It was good in ancient times when the state had respect for the God Ideal and religion and taught that respect to humanity. Today man wishes to use what he calls freedom in religion, even in the foundation of all religions, the God Ideal! But then it must be remembered that it is not the path of freedom that leads to the goal of freedom, but the path of the God Ideal that leads to the goal of truth.

古時候，國家尊重人心中對神的最高理想，也尊重宗教，並教導人們懷有這份敬意，那是好的。今天，人想把自己所謂的「自由」運用在宗教上，甚至運用在一切宗教的根基——理想中的神——之上！然而我們必須記得：引向自由目標的並不是自由之路，而是以理想中的神為中心的道路，才引向真理的目標。

Man has respect for his mother or father, husband or wife, or for his superiors, but they have limited personalities. Where then shall he give most respect? Only to one being: God. Man can love another human being, but by the very fact of loving another human being, he has no scope; to express all the love that there is, you must love the unlimited God.

人會尊敬自己的母親或父親、丈夫或妻子，也會尊敬地位在自己之上的人；然而他們都是有限的個體。那麼，人應當把最高的敬意給誰？只能給予一位存在：神。人可以愛另一個人，但當愛的對象只是一個人時，這份愛本身便受到限制；若要表達心中所有的愛，就必須去愛無限的神。

One admires all that is beautiful in color, tone, or form, but all that is beautiful has its limitations. When one rises above limitations, there is that perfection which is God alone. Many people say, “Yes, the perfection of all things, of love, harmony, and beauty is God, but where is the personality of God?” This is the difficulty which some feel when at loss to find something to adore or worship which is different from all they see. In all ages men have perhaps worshipped idols, or the sun, or fire, or some other form as God, because they were not able to see further than their eyes could see.

我們欣賞色彩、音調或形態中的一切美，然而凡是美的事物都有它的限度。當我們超越了這些限制，便來到那唯有神才具有的圓滿。許多人會說：「是的，一切事物的圓滿，愛、和諧與美的圓滿，就是神；可是神的位格在哪裡？」有些人感到困難，正是因為他們找不到一個不同於眼前一切事物、可以敬愛或敬拜的對象。歷代以來，人們或許曾把偶像、太陽、火，或其他某種形態當作神來敬拜，因為他們所能看見的，無法超出肉眼所見。

Of course it is easy to criticize or to look at anyone with contempt, but really that shows that every soul has a desire for someone to admire, adore, and worship.

當然，要批評別人，或帶著輕蔑看待別人，是很容易的；然而這其實顯示，每一個靈魂內在都有一種渴望，渴望有一位可以景仰、敬愛與敬拜的存在。

There is a story of a peasant boy who heard the name of God preached and he came home and felt great love gushing from his heart, but he could not imagine God. And he began to say, “O God, if you would come to me, I would love you so much. I feel so full of love for you that I would bathe you in this river and keep you warm in my blankets and I would protect you from harm. I would sing to you and dance before you.”

有一個故事說，一位農家少年聽人宣講神的聖名，回到家後，感到一股巨大的愛從心中湧出，卻無法想像神究竟是什麼樣子。於是他開始說：「噢，神啊，如果祢願意來到我身邊，我一定會非常愛祢。我心中充滿了對祢的愛，我會在這條河裡為祢沐浴，用我的毯子讓祢保持溫暖，也會保護祢，不讓祢受到傷害。我會唱歌給祢聽，也會在祢面前跳舞。」

Moses happened to pass by in these parts, and heard what the boy said. He said to him, “Beware, O boy, what you are saying. God is beyond the conception of man. You make him limited by saying such things.” But no sooner had Moses said this than a voice came from within, saying, “Moses, thou hast given Us great pain. Here was one who loved Us and did not know what We are or what We are like. Now you have broken his heart, for he could not understand Us otherwise.”

摩西恰巧經過那一帶，聽見少年所說的話，便對他說：「孩子，要當心你所說的話。神超越人的一切想像。你說這樣的話，是把神限制住了。」然而摩西才剛說完，內在便傳來一個聲音：「摩西，你使我們深感痛苦。這裡原本有一個愛我們的人，他不知道我們是什麼，也不知道我們是什麼樣子。如今你卻傷了他的心，因為除了這樣，他沒有別的方式可以理解我們。」

This teaches us how gentle we ought to be with the faith of another. As long as he has the spark of the love of God, this spark should be slowly blown upon that the flame may rise; if not that spark will be extinguished. How much the spiritual development of mankind in general depends upon a religious man: he can either spread the light or diminish it by forcing his belief on others.

這教導我們，對待另一個人的信仰應當多麼溫柔。只要他心中還有一點愛神的火花，我們就應當輕輕吹拂這火花，讓它逐漸燃起成為火焰；否則，這一點火花反而可能熄滅。整體人類的靈性發展，在多大程度上取決於宗教之人：他可以傳播光，也可以因為把自己的信仰強加於他人，而使光逐漸減弱。

Although there can be no trace of the personality of God on the surface, yet one can see that there is a source from which all personality comes, and a goal to which all must return. And if there is one source, what a great personality that one source must be! It cannot be learned by great intellect or even by the study of metaphysics or comparative religion, but only understood by a pure and innocent heart full of love.

雖然在表面上找不到神之位格的任何痕跡，我們卻可以看見，有一個源頭，一切個體性都從那裡而來；也有一個終點，一切最終都必須回歸那裡。既然只有一個源頭，那個源頭的位格該是何等偉大！這無法靠卓越的智力學會，甚至也無法透過研究形上學或比較宗教而理解；唯有一顆純淨、天真而充滿愛的心，才能領會。

The great personalities who have descended on earth from time to time to awaken in man that love which is his divine inheritance found echo in innocent souls rather than in great intellects. Man often confuses wisdom with cleverness and cleverness with wisdom. But these two are different; man can be wise and not clever, and man can be clever and not wise. By cleverness a person will strive and strive and will not reach. It is a stream, the stream of love, which leads towards God.

那些不時來到世上、為了喚醒人心中那份作為其神聖遺產之愛的偉大人物，在單純的靈魂中得到的回響，往往比在卓越的智者之中更深。人常把智慧與聰明混為一談，也把聰明誤認為智慧。然而兩者並不相同；一個人可以有智慧而不精明，也可以很精明卻沒有智慧。靠著聰明才智，一個人會不斷努力、不斷追求，卻仍然到達不了。真正引向神的，是一股流，一股愛之流。

There is a story of a king who was travelling and hunting in the woods, and the king was hungry and stopped at the house of a peasant who treated him very kindly. When the king was leaving this peasant, he was so touched with his kindness that without telling him he was a king he said to him, “Take this ring, and if ever you are in trouble, come to me in the city and I will see what I can do for you.” After a time there was a famine and the peasant was in great trouble; his wife and child were dying, and he set out to see this man.

有一個故事說，一位國王在旅途中進入森林狩獵。他餓了，便在一個農夫家中停留，農夫十分親切地款待了他。國王離開時，被農夫的善意深深感動，卻沒有告訴對方自己是國王，只對他說：「拿著這枚戒指。以後如果遇到困難，就到城裡來找我，我會看看能為你做些什麼。」過了一段時間，發生了饑荒，農夫陷入極大的困境；他的妻子和孩子都瀕臨死亡，於是他動身前去找這個人。

Of course, when he showed the ring he was brought to the king. When he entered the room he saw the king busy in prayer, and when the king came near to him he said, “What were you doing?” “Praying for peace and love and happiness among my subjects.” “So there is a greater one than you, to whom you must go for what you seek? Then I will go to Him who is greater and on whom even your destiny depends.” He would accept no help, and at last the king had to send what was needed quietly to his home, first saying that no one must tell him that it came from the king.

當然，他拿出戒指之後，人們便把他帶到國王面前。他走進房間時，看見國王正在專心祈禱。國王走近後，他問：「你剛才在做什麼？」國王回答：「我正在祈求我的臣民之間能有和平、愛與幸福。」農夫便說：「這麼說來，還有一位比你更偉大的存在，就連你也必須向祂祈求你所尋求的事物？那麼，我要直接去尋求那位比你更偉大、甚至連你的命運都依靠著祂的存在。」他不肯接受任何幫助，最後國王只好暗中把他所需要的東西送到他家，並事先吩咐任何人都不許告訴他，那些東西是國王送的。

The idea is that it is not only belief but faith which is necessary. Belief is a thing, but faith is a living being. The warners and teachers of humanity and the great preachers who have come from time to time when darkness prevailed, what message did they bring? Did they bring new religions or new theories to the world? No. Jesus Christ said, “I have not brought a new law, but I have come to fulfill the law.” Who else at any time could bring a new theory? The scientist perhaps, but not the spiritual messenger. Then what did the spiritual message bring? It brought to the world a living God, a light hidden beyond words. With the spiritual message God has sent His life and light upon the world.

其中的意思是：我們所需要的不只是相信，更是信心。相信是一樣東西，而信心是一個活的生命。在黑暗籠罩的時代，那些不時來到世上的人類警醒者、老師與偉大的宣道者，究竟帶來了什麼訊息？他們是否為世界帶來新的宗教或新的理論？不是。耶穌基督說：「我不是帶來新的律法，而是來成全律法。」還有誰會在任何時代帶來新的理論呢？科學家或許會，但靈性的使者不會。那麼，靈性的訊息究竟帶來了什麼？它為世界帶來一位活的神，帶來一道隱藏在言語之外的光。藉著靈性的訊息，神將祂的生命與光送到世上。

The work the Sufi movement is destined to do in the present epoch is to bring about a better understanding among the followers of the different religions. The Sufi message is not a new message, although it strikes the note of the day. It is the re-echo of the same voice heard in all ages. At the present time, when races, nations, and the followers of different religions are all against each other, a word of unity and peace alone can unite all together in God.

蘇菲運動在這個時代所注定要完成的工作，是促成不同宗教追隨者之間更深的理解。蘇菲訊息並不是一個新的訊息，儘管它所發出的音調正切合這個時代。它只是歷代都曾聽見的那同一個聲音，再度迴響。如今，種族與種族、國家與國家、不同宗教的追隨者彼此對立，唯有一個關於合一與和平的訊息，才能使所有人在神之中重新合一。

The Sufi Order is not a community and not a religion; it is a nucleus of the human brotherhood which is the inner call of every soul. The Sufi message is given to all nations; it is a call to all races and to the followers of all religions. It teaches people to follow whatever religion they may profess, but to follow it truly and understand it better; not only to believe in God and the words of Christ, but to have faith in Him and His divine word. We must think of the tolerance of the master and of his forgiveness and what the world would be today if we had it too.

蘇菲教團不是一個社群，也不是一個宗教；它是人類手足情誼的核心，而這份手足情誼正是每個靈魂內在的呼喚。蘇菲訊息是給所有國家的；它向所有種族，也向一切宗教的追隨者發出呼喚。它教導人們，無論信奉哪一個宗教，都應當真正地遵循它，並且更深入地理解它；不只是相信神、相信基督的話，更要對祂以及祂神聖的話語懷有信心。我們應當想起大師的寬容與寬恕，也應想一想，如果今天的我們也擁有這樣的寬容與寬恕，這個世界會是什麼模樣。

If we follow the natural religion — that divine impulse that is in every heart — then we shall be living the true religion.

如果我們遵循那自然的宗教——那存在於每一顆心中的神聖衝動——那麼，我們便是在活出真正的宗教。

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