2. The Meaning of Initiation
2. 啟蒙的意義

The meaning of the word “initiation” can be understood from its association with “initiative.” It is a fact that every child which is born on earth is born with initiative; but then, as it grows, that spirit more or less dies away, because the knowledge it gathers in its lifetime makes it doubt. This doubt, increasing more and more, very often makes a man lose the power of initiative, and then he does not want to take another step until he is sure whether there is land or water in front of him, and very often water looks like land, and land looks like water. According to the mystics life is an illusion, and thus man bases his reason upon illusion. Nevertheless, the reasoning power which he acquires helps him in his life in the world, although it is very often just this reasoning which holds him back from taking what is called the initiative.

「啟蒙」（initiation）一詞的意義，可以從它與「主動性」（initiative）的關係來理解。事實上，每一個來到世上的孩子，生來都具有一種主動向前的力量；然而隨著成長，這種精神多少會逐漸消退，因為他一生所累積的知識使他開始懷疑。當懷疑愈來愈多，我們往往便失去了主動向前的力量；於是，在還不能確定眼前究竟是陸地還是水之前，就不願再踏出下一步。然而，水往往看起來像陸地，陸地也可能看起來像水。依祕士的觀點，生命是一場幻象，因此我們的推理也建立在幻象之上。儘管如此，我們所獲得的推理能力確實能幫助我們生活於世間；只是很多時候，也正是這份推理，使我們不敢採取那所謂的「主動向前」。

It is through this spirit of initiative that anyone in the world who has accomplished something great, has been able to do so. At the beginning of his efforts people call such a person mad or fanatical, or crazy, or devoid of reason, but when they see the result they think that he is most wise. Great prophets, the builders of nations, famous inventors, and great discoverers have all proved this. One may ask then if they do not see what is before them in the same way that a reasoning person does. They do, but with different eyes. Their point of view is different; it does not always agree with the point of view of the average person, and so it is natural that people should call them fanatical, although they see perhaps more than do all those around them. Those who have helped themselves to achieve success after complete failure, or to get over an illness after great suffering, have only succeeded in this by the spirit of initiative.

世上一切成就偉大事物的人，正是憑著這種主動向前的精神才能做到。當他們剛開始努力時，人們可能說這樣的人瘋狂、狂熱、失去理智；然而一旦看見成果，又會認為他極有智慧。偉大的先知、國家的建立者、著名的發明家與偉大的發現者，都證明了這一點。或許我們會問：難道他們不像善於推理的人一樣，看得見眼前的事嗎？他們當然看得見，只是用不同的眼睛觀看。他們的觀點不同，並不總與一般人的觀點一致，因此人們自然容易稱他們為狂熱者；然而，他們所看見的，也許比身邊所有人看見的都更多。那些曾在徹底失敗之後重新站起來而獲得成功的人，或在經歷巨大痛苦之後克服疾病的人，也都是藉著這種主動向前的精神才得以做到。

There are different kinds of initiation that souls experience.

靈魂所經歷的啟蒙有不同的形式。

1. One is natural initiation. A kind of natural unfoldment for which the soul cannot give any cause or reason, comes to a soul, although no effort or attempt has been made by that soul to experience it. Sometimes this initiation comes after great illness, pain, or suffering. It comes as an opening up of the horizon, it comes as a flash of light, and in a moment the world seems transformed. It is not that the world has changed; it is that that person has become tuned to a different pitch. He begins to think differently, feel differently, see and act differently; his whole condition begins to change. One might say of him that from that moment he begins to live. It may come as a vision, as a dream, as a phenomenon — in any of these forms; one cannot determine the manner in which it will manifest.
   
   第一種是自然的啟蒙。即使靈魂並未為此努力或嘗試，一種自然的開展也可能發生，而靈魂自己說不出其中的原因。有時，這種啟蒙會在重病、疼痛或苦難之後到來。它彷彿眼前的地平線忽然展開，又如一道光突然閃現，使整個世界在一瞬間看似全然改變。其實並不是世界改變了，而是這個人被調到了另一個音高。他開始以不同的方式思想、感受、觀看與行動；他的整個狀態也開始改變。我們甚至可以說，從那一刻起，他才真正開始生活。這種經驗可能以異象、夢境或某種特殊現象的形式出現；它究竟會以什麼方式顯現，無法事先確定。

2. Another initiation known to the mystics is the initiation that one receives from a person living on the earth. Every mystical school has its own initiation. In the Orient, where mystical ideas are prevalent and are regarded as most sacred, any person who wishes to tread the spiritual path considers initiation to be the most important thing. If a soul such as Jesus Christ had to be baptized by John the Baptist, no soul on earth can say, “I have risen above initiation.” Is that then impossible? Nothing is impossible. It may be possible for a person to jump into the water with the intention of swimming to the port of New York, but his life will be more secure if he books his passage with the normal shipping lines. And the difference between these two souls is the same, or even greater — between the one who wishes to journey on the spiritual path by taking initiation, and the other who refuses to do so.
   
   祕士所知道的另一種啟蒙，是從一位仍生活在世上的人那裡接受的啟蒙。每一個祕傳學派都有自己的啟蒙方式。在東方，祕傳思想十分普遍，也被視為極其神聖；任何希望踏上靈性道路的人，都會把接受啟蒙看作極為重要的事。若連耶穌基督這樣的靈魂都曾接受施洗約翰的洗禮，那麼世上沒有任何靈魂可以說：「我已經超越啟蒙，不需要它了。」那麼，完全不接受啟蒙是不可能的嗎？沒有什麼是不可能的。一個人當然可以跳進水裡，打算一路游到紐約港；但若他循正常航線訂一張船票，他的生命顯然會安全得多。希望藉著接受啟蒙而踏上靈性道路的人，與拒絕接受啟蒙的人之間，其差別就如這兩者一般，甚至更大。
   
   Initiation by a spiritual teacher means both a trust given by the teacher to the pupil, and a trust given by the pupil to the teacher. And the progress of the one who is initiated depends upon how much he gives himself to the teacher’s guidance. One might give only a finger, another even a part of a finger, while a third would give his whole hand. That makes a great difference, for if a pupil says, “Well, I will give a certain amount of my time and thought to your guidance, will that be enough?” The teacher will say, “Yes, if you think it is enough,” but in reality it is never enough.
   
   從靈性老師那裡接受啟蒙，意味著老師將一份信任交給學生，同時學生也將一份信任交給老師。接受啟蒙之後能有多少進展，取決於學生願意將自己交託給老師引導到什麼程度。有的人只伸出一根手指，有的人甚至只伸出一小截手指，也有人把整隻手都交出去；其中的差別非常大。倘若學生說：「那麼，我拿出一定程度的時間與心力來接受你的引導，這樣夠不夠？」老師會說：「如果你認為夠，那就夠了。」然而實際上，它永遠不會真正足夠。
   
   Then one might wonder if one would not be giving up one’s own point of view in order to follow someone else’s point of view; but actually if one has a point of view, one never loses it. The point of view which one loses is not one’s own. And by looking at a thing from another person’s point of view one only enlarges one’s own: then one has two points of view instead of one. If the thought of the pupil happens to be different from that of the teacher, by taking the teacher’s thought his own is doubled; the pupil keeps his own point of view just the same, only now he has something for his vision from which to make his choice; the horizon of his thought is expanded. But the pupil who closes himself and says, “I will guard my point of view or it will escape me,” will never derive any benefit from this attitude.
   
   這時我們或許會懷疑：為了追隨另一個人的觀點，難道不會因此放棄自己的觀點嗎？然而事實上，如果一個觀點真正屬於我們，我們永遠不會失去它。會失去的觀點，本來就不真正屬於自己。當我們從另一個人的觀點觀看一件事時，只會使自己的視野擴大；原本只有一個觀點，現在便有了兩個。如果學生的想法恰好與老師不同，當他也接納老師的想法來觀看時，他原有的視野便增添了一個面向。他仍然保有自己的觀點，只是如今眼前多了一個可以參照與選擇的位置，他思想的地平線因此拓展了。相反地，如果學生把自己封閉起來，說：「我要守住自己的觀點，否則它就會消失。」那麼這種態度永遠無法帶給他真正的益處。
   
   The mystical path is the most subtle path to tread. The relationship between teacher and pupil is too subtle for words to express. Besides the language of a mystical teacher is always elusive; you cannot, so to speak, pin him down as to his words; you cannot ask him to say clearly that something is so and so, or such and such. And if a mystic does so he is not a mystic, for a mystic cannot do this.
   
   祕傳之道是最為精微的一條道路。老師與學生之間的關係，也精微到難以用言語表達。此外，祕傳老師的語言總帶著難以固定下來的性質；可以說，我們無法抓住他的字句，把它們釘死在某一個意思上，也無法要求他明確地斷言某件事「就是如此」或「一定是那樣」。如果一位祕士真能如此說死，他便不再是祕士了，因為祕士無法這樣做。
   
   The mystic may seem to be standing on the earth, but he is flying in the air. The air cannot be made into a rock, nor can the mystic be made into a gross entity. His “yes” does not mean the same as the “yes” of another, nor does his “no” mean the same as the “no” of others. The language of the mystic is not the language of words; it is the language of meaning. It is the greatest distress for a mystic to have to use the words of everyday language, which are not his words. He cannot express himself in these words. And we find the same in the action of the mystic. His outward actions will not express to everybody the meaning which is behind them, and that meaning may be much more important inwardly than the action is outwardly.
   
   祕士看起來也許站在地面上，實際上卻飛行於空中。空氣不能被變成岩石，祕士也不能被化約成粗重而固定的存在。他所說的「是」，與別人所說的「是」並不具有同樣的意思；他所說的「不是」，也與別人的「不是」不同。祕士的語言並不是字詞的語言，而是意義的語言。對祕士而言，最為難的是不得不使用日常語言的字詞，因為那些並不是他的真正語言；他無法完全透過這些字詞表達自己。同樣的情形也可見於祕士的行動。他外在的行為未必能讓每一個人看見其中真正的意義，而隱藏在行動背後的內在意義，可能遠比外在行動本身重要得多。
   
   The teacher therefore tests his pupil continually. He tells him and he does not tell him, for everything must come in its right time. Divine knowledge has never been taught in words, nor will it ever be so taught.
   
   因此，老師會不斷考驗自己的學生。他既告訴他，又不完全告訴他，因為每一件事都必須在適當的時候到來。神性的知識從來不是藉著言語傳授的，將來也不會如此。
   
   The work of a mystical teacher is not to teach but to tune, to tune the pupil so that he may become the instrument of God. For the mystical teacher is not the player of the instrument; he is the tuner. When he has tuned it, he gives it into the hands of the Player whose instrument it is to play. The duty of the mystical teacher is his service as a tuner.
   
   祕傳老師的工作並不是教導，而是調音；他要調整學生，使學生能成為神的樂器。因為祕傳老師並不是演奏這件樂器的人，他只是調音者。當樂器調整完成，他便將它交到真正的演奏者手中，由那位樂器本來所屬的演奏者來彈奏。祕傳老師的職責，就是完成這份調音的服務。
   
   Dispute with a spiritual teacher is never any good. For the pupil may be speaking one language while the teacher speaks another, and when there is no common language, how can the dispute be profitable? Therefore in the path of mysticism there is no dispute.
   
   與靈性老師爭辯從來沒有益處。學生可能說的是一種語言，而老師說的是另一種；既然雙方沒有共同的語言，爭辯又怎麼可能有所幫助？因此，在祕傳之道上沒有爭辯。
   
   Also, there are no fixed rules to follow on this path. For every person there is a special rule. But there is one law which applies to everything in life: sincerity, which is the only thing that is asked by a teacher of a pupil, for truth is not the portion of the insincere.
   
   同樣地，這條道路上也沒有一套人人都必須遵循的固定規則。每一個人都有適合自己的法則。然而有一條法則適用於生命中的一切，那就是真誠。這也是老師對學生唯一真正的要求，因為真理不會成為不真誠者所得的份。
   
   Several initiations may be given to the pupil whom the teacher has taken in hand, but his progress depends upon the pupil himself. Just as parents are anxious, so the spiritual teacher is naturally anxious to see the advancement of his pupil. There is no reason for the teacher to keep any pupil back from success; for as the happiness of the parents lies in the happiness of the child, so the satisfaction of the teacher lies in the advancement of the pupil.
   
   一位老師既然已經把學生帶在手中，可能會給予他數次啟蒙；然而學生能有多少進展，終究取決於學生自己。正如父母總盼望孩子成長，靈性老師自然也渴望看見學生有所進展。老師沒有任何理由阻礙學生獲得成功；正如父母的幸福在於孩子的幸福，老師的滿足也在於學生的成長。

3. But then there is another kind of initiation which comes afterwards, and this initiation is also an unfoldment of the soul. It comes as an after-effect of the initiation that one had from the teacher. It comes as a kind of expansion of consciousness, and the greatness of this initiation depends upon the distance and width of the horizon of the consciousness. Many may claim it, but few realize it. Those who realize do not claim. As the more fruitful a tree is the more it bends, so the more divine his spiritual realization is the more humble a person becomes. It is the one who is less fruitful who becomes more pretentious.
   
   然而在此之後，還有另一種啟蒙，而這同樣是靈魂的一種開展。它是先前從老師那裡接受啟蒙之後所產生的結果，以一種意識擴展的形式來到。這種啟蒙能達到何等程度，取決於一個人的意識地平線能延伸得多遠、多寬。許多人可能聲稱自己擁有這種啟蒙，但真正體會到的人很少；真正體會到的人，反而不會宣稱自己擁有它。正如一棵樹結的果實愈豐盛，枝條便垂得愈低；一個人的靈性證悟愈具有神性，他就愈謙卑。反而是果實較少的人，更容易顯得自負張揚。

The really initiated ones hardly ever mention the word initiation; they find no profit in convincing others that they are initiated. They possess their real inner gains so they do not want an outer gain. It is the one who has not received any who wants recognition from outside. And if we ask what profit we derive from initiation, the answer is that religion, mysticism, or philosophy — all that we gain — should help us to achieve one result, and that is to be best fitted for serving our fellow men.

真正經歷啟蒙的人，幾乎從不談論「啟蒙」這個詞；他們並不認為讓別人相信自己已接受啟蒙有什麼益處。因為他們已經擁有真正的內在所得，所以並不渴望外在的收穫。往往正是內在沒有所得的人，才想從外界獲得承認。若我們問：接受啟蒙究竟能帶來什麼益處？答案是：無論宗教、祕傳之道或哲學，我們從其中所得到的一切，都應當幫助我們達成一個結果——使自己更有能力服務我們的同胞。

It may be asked whether it is desirable for every soul to take initiation. The word “initiation” and the associated word “initiative” suggest going forward, so the answer is that progress is life and standing still is death. Whatever be our grade of evolution, it is always advisable to try to go forward, be it in business or in a profession, in society or in political life, in religion or in spiritual advancement. No doubt there is a danger in being too enthusiastic.

有人或許會問，每一個靈魂是否都適合接受啟蒙。「啟蒙」（initiation）以及與它相關的「主動性」（initiative），都含有向前邁進的意思；因此答案是：進展就是生命，停滯就是死亡。無論我們目前處於怎樣的發展階段，都值得努力向前，不論是在商業、專業工作、社會生活、政治生活、宗教，或靈性成長上皆是如此。當然，過度熱切也有其危險。

The nature that is too enthusiastic may, instead of benefiting, perhaps harm itself in whatever line it may have taken up, worldly or spiritual. For everything there is a time, and patience is necessary in all striving. A cook may burn food by applying more heat in order to cook more quickly, and this rule applies to all things. With little children the parents are often anxious and enthusiastic; they think their children should learn and understand every good and interesting thing on earth. Too much enthusiasm is not right. We must give time to all things; the first and most important lesson in life is patience; we must begin all things with patience.

性情過於熱切的人，不論走的是世俗道路還是靈性道路，都可能不但沒有從中受益，反而傷害自己。每一件事都有它適當的時候，而一切努力都需要耐心。廚師若為了讓食物快一點煮熟而把火開得過大，反而可能把食物燒焦；這條原則適用於所有事情。面對年幼的孩子，父母也常常既焦急又熱切，以為孩子應該把世上一切美好而有趣的事都學會、都理解。過度熱切並不適當。我們必須給每一件事足夠的時間；生命中第一個、也是最重要的功課，就是耐心。我們必須以耐心開始一切。

The Sufi Order is mainly an esoteric school. There are three principal esoteric schools known in the East: the Buddhist school, the Vedantic school, and the Sufi school. The two former use asceticism as their principal means of spiritual advancement; the peculiarity of the Sufi school is that it uses humanity as its chief means to the same end. In the realization of truth the Sufi school is no different from the Vedantic or the Buddhist, but the Sufi presents truth in a different manner. It is the same frame in which Jesus Christ has given his teaching.

蘇菲教團主要是一個祕傳學派。在東方，人們所知的三個主要祕傳學派是：佛教學派、吠檀多學派與蘇菲學派。前兩者主要以苦行作為靈性進展的方法；蘇菲學派的特色，則是以活出完整的人性作為達到同一目的的主要途徑。在對真理的證悟上，蘇菲學派與吠檀多或佛教並沒有不同，只是蘇菲以不同的方式呈現真理。耶穌基督的教導，也是在同樣的架構中傳遞的。

No doubt the method of helping spiritual development by contemplation and meditation is used in all three schools, the science of breath being the foundation of each; but the Sufi thinks that man was not created as man to live the life of an angel, neither was he created to live the life of an animal. For the life of an angel, angels are created, and for the life of an animal there are animals.

毫無疑問，這三個學派都運用觀想與冥想來幫助靈性發展，而呼吸的科學也是三者共同的基礎。然而蘇菲認為，人既然被創造成為人，就不是為了過天使的生活，也不是為了過動物的生活。要過天使的生活，有天使被創造出來；要過動物的生活，也有動物存在。

The Sufi thinks that the first thing which is necessary for man in life is to prove to his own conscience to what extent he can be human. It is not only a spiritual development, it is the culture of humanity:

蘇菲認為，我們生命中首先需要做到的，是向自己的良知證明：自己究竟能在多大程度上真正成為一個人。這不只是靈性發展，也是人性的涵養：

• in what relation man stands to his neighbor or friend,
  
  我們如何與鄰人或朋友相處，

• to those who depend upon him and those who look up to him,
  
  如何對待依賴自己的人，以及仰賴、敬重自己的人，

• to strangers unknown to him;
  
  如何對待素不相識的陌生人；

• how he stands with those younger than himself and with older people,
  
  如何對待比自己年輕的人與年長者，

• with those who like him and others who dislike him and criticize him;
  
  如何面對喜歡自己的人，以及不喜歡、批評自己的人；

• how he should feel and think and act through life, and yet keep on progressing towards the goal which is the goal for every soul in the world.
  
  如何在生命中感受、思想與行動，同時仍不斷朝向那個世界上每一個靈魂共同的目標前進。

It is not necessary for the Sufi to seek the wilderness for his meditation, since he can perform part of his work in the midst of worldly life. The Sufi need not prove himself a Sufi by extraordinary power, by wonder-working or by an exceptional spiritual manifestation or claim. A Sufi can prove to his own conscience that he is a Sufi by watching his own life amidst the strife of this world.

蘇菲並不需要為了冥想而躲入荒野，因為他的部分工作正可以在世俗生活之中完成。蘇菲也不需要藉著異常的能力、施展奇蹟，或特殊的靈性顯現與宣稱來證明自己是蘇菲。蘇菲所要做的，是在這個充滿衝突的世界中觀察自己的生活，並藉此向自己的良知證明自己是否真正活出了蘇菲之道。

There are some who are content with a belief taught at home or in church. They are contented, and they may just as well rest in that stage of realization where they are contented until another impulse is born in their hearts to rise higher. The Sufi does not force his belief or his thoughts upon such souls. In the East there is a saying that it is a great sin to awaken anyone who is fast asleep. This saying can be symbolically understood: that there are many in this world who work and do things and are yet asleep; they seem awake externally, but inwardly they are asleep. The Sufi considers it a crime to awaken them, for some sleep is good for their health. The work of the Sufi is to give a helping hand to those who have had sufficient sleep and who now begin to stir in their sleep, to turn over. And it is that kind of help which is the real initiation.

有些人對於在家庭或教會中所接受的信仰已經感到滿足。他們既然感到滿足，就不妨停留在目前這個領悟的階段，直到心中再次生起一股想要往更高處前進的驅力。蘇菲不會把自己的信仰或思想強加在這樣的靈魂身上。東方有一句話說，把一個正在熟睡的人叫醒，是很大的罪過。這句話可以從象徵的角度理解：世上有許多人不停工作、做著各種事情，實際上仍在沉睡；他們外表看起來醒著，內在卻還睡著。蘇菲認為不應強行喚醒他們，因為有些睡眠對他們的健康是有益的。蘇菲的工作，是向那些已經睡得足夠、開始在睡夢中動一動、準備翻身的人伸出援手。而這樣的幫助，才是真正的啟蒙。

No doubt there are things which pass the ordinary comprehension of man. There are things one can teach only by speaking or by acting, but there is a way of teaching which is called Tawajjeh and this way of teaching is without words. It is not external teaching; it is teaching in silence. For instance, how can man explain the spirit of sincerity, or the spirit of gratefulness? How can man explain the ultimate truth, the idea of God? Whenever it has been attempted it has failed; it has made some confused, and it has made others give up their belief. It is not that the one who tried to explain did not understand, but that words are inadequate to explain the idea of God.

毫無疑問，有些事超出了我們通常的理解能力。有些事可以藉著言語或行動來教導，但另有一種教導方式稱為塔瓦哲（Tawajjeh），這種教導不藉言語進行。它不是外在的教學，而是在沉默中傳遞。例如，我們要如何解釋真誠的精神，又如何解釋感恩的精神？我們又怎能解釋終極真理，或神的觀念？每當有人試圖這麼做，往往都以失敗告終：有些人因此更加困惑，有些人甚至因此放棄了自己的信仰。問題並不是試圖解釋的人自己不理解，而是語言本身不足以說明神的觀念。

[譯註] 塔瓦哲（Tawajjeh）是蘇菲傳統中的一種靈性傳遞方式。其原義有「轉向、面向、專注」之意；在此指老師不藉言語，而透過內在專注與臨在，在沉默中向門徒傳遞教導。

In the East there are great sages and saints who sit quite still, with lips closed, for years. They are called Muni, which means “he who takes the vow of silence.” The man of today may think, “What a life, to be silent and do nothing!” But he does not know that some by their silence can do more than others can accomplish by talking for ten years. A person may argue for months about a problem and not be able to explain it, while another, with inner radiance, may be able to answer the same thing in one moment. But the answer that comes without words explains still more. That is initiation.

在東方，有偉大的聖哲與聖者一坐便是多年，始終安靜不動、雙唇緊閉。他們被稱為「牟尼（Muni）」，意思是「立下沉默誓願的人」。今天的人也許會想：「這算什麼生活？只是沉默著，什麼事也不做！」然而他不知道，有些人透過沉默所能完成的，遠比別人說上十年所能做到的更多。一個人可能為某個問題辯論數月，仍無法把它說清楚；另一個具有內在光輝的人，卻可能在一瞬間回答同一個問題。而那個不透過言語而來的回答，所能說明的甚至更多。這就是啟蒙。

However, no one can give spiritual knowledge to another, for this is something which is within every heart. What the teacher can do is to kindle the light which is hidden in the heart of the disciple. If the light is not there, it is not the fault of the teacher.

然而，沒有任何人能把靈性的知識交給另一個人，因為它原本就在每一顆心之中。老師所能做的，只是點燃隱藏在門徒心中的光。如果那裡根本沒有光，這也不是老師的過錯。

There is a verse by Hafiz in which he says, “However great be the teacher, he is helpless with the one whose heart is closed.”

哈菲茲有一首詩說：「無論老師多麼偉大，面對一顆封閉的心，他也無能為力。」

Therefore initiation means initiation on the part of the disciple and on the part of the teacher, a step forward on the part of both. On the part of the teacher, a step forward with the disciple in order that the pupil may be trusted and raised from his present condition. A step forward for the pupil, because he opens his heart; he has no barrier any more, nothing to hinder the teaching in whatever form it comes, in silence or in words, or in the observation of some deed or action on the part of the teacher.

因此，啟蒙既發生在門徒這一方，也發生在老師這一方，是雙方共同向前踏出的一步。對老師而言，是與門徒一同向前一步，使學生能獲得信任，並從目前的狀態被提升。對學生而言，也是向前一步，因為他敞開了自己的心；此時不再有障礙，無論教導以何種形式來臨——透過沉默、言語，或透過觀察老師的某個行為與行動——都不再有什麼阻擋它進入。

In ancient times the disciples of the great teachers learned by a quite different method, not an academic method or way of study. The way was that with open heart, with perfect confidence and trust, they watched every attitude of the teacher both towards friends and towards people who looked at him with contempt; they watched their teacher in times of trouble and pain, how he endured it all; they saw how patient and wise he had been in discussing with those who did not understand, answering everyone gently in his own language; he showed the mother-spirit, the father-spirit, the brother-spirit, the child-spirit, the friend-spirit, forgiving kindness, an ever tolerant nature, respect for the aged, compassion for all, the thorough understanding of human nature. This also the disciples learnt: that no discussion or books on metaphysics can ever teach all the thoughts and philosophy that arise in the heart of man. A person may either study for a thousand years, or he may get to the source and see if he can touch the root of all wisdom and all knowledge. In the center of the emblem of the Sufis there is a heart; it is the sign that from the heart a stream rises, the stream of divine knowledge.

在古代，偉大老師的門徒以一種完全不同的方法學習，而不是今日所謂的學院式方法或讀書方式。他們會懷著敞開的心、完全的信心與信任，觀察老師的每一種態度：他如何對待朋友，又如何面對那些輕蔑他的人；他們觀察老師在困難與痛苦之中如何承受一切；也看見他與不理解他的人討論時，如何保持耐心與智慧，以對方能理解的語言溫和地回答每一個人。他展現出母親的精神、父親的精神、兄弟的精神、孩子的精神與朋友的精神；展現寬恕的慈愛、始終包容的性情、對長者的敬重、對一切眾生的慈悲，以及對人性的深刻理解。門徒也由此學到：任何形上學的討論或書籍，都無法教會一個人所有會從人的心中生起的思想與哲理。一個人可以研讀一千年，也可以直接走向源頭，看看自己是否能觸及一切智慧與一切知識的根。在蘇菲象徵圖案的中央有一顆心；它所象徵的是，有一道溪流從心中湧出——那就是神性知識之流。

On the path of initiation two things are necessary: contemplation, and the living of a life such as a Sufi ought to live; and they depend upon each other. Contemplation helps one to live the life of a Sufi, and the life of a Sufi helps contemplation.

在啟蒙之道上，有兩件事不可或缺：觀想，以及活出蘇菲應有的生活；兩者彼此依存。觀想幫助我們活出蘇菲的生活，而蘇菲的生活也反過來幫助觀想。

In the West, where life is so busy and where there is no end to one’s responsibilities, one wonders if to undertake contemplation, even for only ten minutes in the evening, is not too much when one is tired. But for that very reason contemplation is required more in the West than in the East where everything, even the surroundings, is helpful to contemplation. Besides a beginning must be made on the path.

在西方，生活如此忙碌，責任似乎永遠沒有盡頭；當一天結束、身心疲憊時，人甚至會覺得，晚上再花十分鐘做觀想是不是都太多了。然而也正因如此，西方比東方更加需要觀想，因為在東方，許多事物，甚至周遭環境本身，都有助於觀想。無論如何，這條道路總得有一個開始。

If contemplation does not develop in such a form that everything one does in life becomes a contemplation, then the contemplation does not do a person any good. It would be like going to church once a week and forgetting all about religion on the other days. To a man who gives ten or twenty minutes every evening to contemplation and forgets it all the rest of the day, contemplation will not do any good. We take our food at certain times every day; yet all the time, even when we are sleeping, the food nourishes our body. It is not the Sufi’s idea to retire in seclusion or to sit silent all day. His idea is that by contemplation he becomes so inspired that in study, in every aspiration, in every aspect of life, progress is made. In this way he proves his contemplation to be a force helping him to withstand all the difficulties that come to him.

如果觀想沒有發展到這樣的程度——使我們生命中所做的一切都成為一種觀想——那麼觀想便無法真正帶來益處。這就像每星期只去一次教會，其他日子卻把宗教完全忘掉一樣。如果一個人每天晚上花十或二十分鐘做觀想，卻在其餘一整天都把它忘記，那麼觀想也不會真正幫助他。我們每天只在特定時間進食，但食物卻始終滋養著身體，即使睡著時也是如此。蘇菲的理想並不是退隱於孤寂之中，也不是整天靜坐不語；而是藉著觀想得到如此深的啟發，使自己在學習中、在每一份追求中、在生命的每一個面向上都能有所進展。如此一來，他便證明觀想已成為一股力量，幫助自己承受生命中迎面而來的一切困難。

The life that the Sufi ought to live may be explained in a few words. There are many things in the life of a Sufi, but the greatest is to have a tendency to friendship; this is expressed in the form of tolerance and forgiveness, in the form of service and trust. In whatever form he may express it this is the central theme: the constant desire to prove one’s love for humanity, to be the friend of all.

蘇菲應當過怎樣的生活，其實可以用很少的話說明。蘇菲生活包含許多面向，但其中最重要的，是始終具有一種走向友誼的傾向。它會表現在包容與寬恕之中，也會表現在服務與信任之中。無論以何種形式表達，核心始終只有一個：不斷渴望以生命證明自己對人類的愛，並成為所有人的朋友。

---