9. Poetry as the Result of Meditation
9. 詩歌是冥想的成果

It is often wondered how artists and musicians in the Orient could advance in their development far beyond those of he West. The reason is that they spend so much time in meditation. Sometimes the whole life of an artist is absorbed in a single task, and many beautiful things have been made in this manner.

人們常常疑惑，為什麼東方的藝術家與音樂家在發展上能夠遠遠超越西方的藝術家與音樂家。原因在於，他們花了許多時間冥想。有時，一位藝術家的整個生命都投入於單一工作之中，而許多美好的事物就是以這樣的方式創造出來的。

In truth, it is God Who is the master mind. The great Sufi poets, who have been among the most famous on earth, spent much time in meditation, and their poetry was the result of meditation. It consisted of praise of God, rejoicing in the Beloved, and songs to the Source and Goal of humanity.

事實上，神才是那真正的主宰心智。那些名列世上最著名詩人之中的偉大蘇菲詩人，花了許多時間冥想，而他們的詩歌就是冥想的成果。其中充滿對神的讚頌、因摯愛者而生的喜悅，以及獻給人類之源頭與目標的歌。

Even today, we find some mystical poets and artists in the East. They meditate many hours before taking up their tasks. Without a definite purpose, a work has not much use or value, and the efforts are often wasted. Real beauty should not be considered as something different from wisdom, nor wisdom as apart from beauty.

即使在今天，我們仍能在東方見到一些祕士詩人與藝術家。他們在開始工作之前，會先冥想許多小時。若沒有明確的目的，一件作品就沒有多少用途或價值，而努力也往往白費。真正的美不應被視為與智慧不同的事物，智慧也不應被視為與美分離。

In meditation, all one’s energy is turned God-ward, and so becomes strengthened manyfold. This explains why it has been possible for mystics to write great works without becoming fatigued. There is no fatigue when one works on an instrument for heaven. The difference between the Sufi and the ordinary man is that the Sufi realizes that it is God Who performs all actions. When the average man writes a letter, his arm becomes tired, yet the pen is not tired. But when God writes and man is His instrument, man is like that pen: He can work for a long period without becoming tired.

在冥想中，我們所有的能量都轉向神，因此力量增強許多倍。這解釋了為什麼祕士能夠寫出偉大的作品而不感到疲累。當一個人作為天國的器皿工作時，就沒有疲累。蘇菲祕士與一般人的差別，在於蘇菲祕士明白，一切行動都是神在施行。一般人寫一封信時，手臂會疲累，但筆不會疲累。然而，當神書寫，而人成為祂的器皿時，人就像那支筆一樣：可以長時間工作而不感到疲累。

Mohammed used to consider himself only as the pen of God. He refused to be classed as an author. He said that the Qur’an was more than man’s poetry, for it echoed the purest wisdom of God. So he challenged his opponents to produce a Qur’an, and one proof of his prophethood is that he alone was able to produce such a book.

穆罕默德一向只把自己視為神的筆。他拒絕被歸類為一位作者。他說，《古蘭經》不只是人的詩歌，因為它迴響著神最純粹的智慧。因此，他向反對者挑戰，要他們寫出一部《古蘭經》；而他先知身分的一項證明，就是只有他能夠產生這樣的一部經典。

Sufis and mystics have inspired much of the great spiritual architecture of the world, whether of India or the other parts of Asia and the Indies. The tomb of Akbar, the Taj Mahal, the temples of Angkor and Baraboudur, all point to a marvelous spiritual inspiration. The men and women who labored in such places probably found great inner joy; they had to spend much time in meditation and their outward performance was the reflection of their inner lives.

蘇菲祕士與其他祕士啟發了世上許多偉大的靈性建築，無論是在印度、亞洲其他地區，或印度群島。阿克巴陵墓、泰姬瑪哈陵、吳哥與婆羅浮屠的寺廟，都顯示出非凡的靈性靈感。那些在這些地方工作的人們，很可能從中找到極大的內在喜悅；他們必須花許多時間冥想，而他們外在的作為，就是其內在生命的映照。

The Sufi, realizing God as the perfection of beauty, is the lover of beauty. He appreciates all true beauty and endeavors to make his life beautiful in all its aspects. There is nothing in life which cannot be brought to perfection.

蘇菲祕士證悟神是美之圓滿，因此也是美的愛者。他欣賞一切真正的美，並努力使生命的每一個面向都變得美好。生命中沒有任何事物不能被帶向圓滿。

---