24. The Need of Humanity in Our Day
24. 當代人類的需要

The message of the Sufi movement is a call to humanity in general to unite in a world kinship beyond the boundaries of caste, creed, race, nation, or religion. The Sufi movement has no particular creed, dogma, or doctrine. Its philosophy teaches tolerance to all, understanding above all things, thereby awakening sympathy with one another, and the realization that the well-being of each depends upon the well-being of all.

蘇菲運動的訊息，是向全人類發出的呼喚，要人們超越種姓、信條、種族、國家或宗教的界線，在世界性的手足情誼中合而為一。蘇菲運動沒有特定的信條、教條或教義。它的哲學教導對所有人寬容，並把理解置於一切之上，由此喚醒彼此之間的同感，以及體認到每一個人的福祉都有賴於所有人的福祉。

The voice of God has always warned and guided humanity through the divine message given by the prophets and reformers of all ages, who came in answer to the need of humanity. Every religion, in whatever period it was given and accepted by the people, was an answer to the cry of humanity. As the rain falls from the clouds, drawn by the need of the plants and trees, so the divine message has ever responded to the longing of souls seeking guidance.

神的聲音始終透過歷代先知與改革者所帶來的神聖訊息，警醒並引導人類；他們的到來，正是為了回應人類的需要。每一個宗教，無論是在什麼時期被賦予並為人們所接受，都是對人類呼喊的回應。正如雨水從雲中降下，是植物與樹木的需要所引來的，神聖訊息也始終回應著那些尋求引導之靈魂的渴望。

The battles that have been fought throughout the ages are chiefly caused by religious differences. The true religious ideal has as its principal aim the harmonizing of humanity in the unity of God. But it has always happened that the religious authorities have used religion for selfish purposes and thereby destroyed its purpose, turning the form of religion, which was a living spring of immortal life to souls, into a stagnant, dead form.

歷代以來所發生的爭戰，主要都是由宗教差異所造成。真正的宗教理想，其首要目的在於使人類在神的合一之中達到和諧。然而，宗教權威者一向都曾為了自私的目的而利用宗教，因而摧毀了宗教的目的，把宗教的形式——原本對靈魂而言是永恆生命的活泉——變成停滯而死寂的形式。

The increasing materialism and overpowering commercial influence which has veiled the heart of humanity from truth, has caused the greatest distress during the last few years. In spite of the great advancement of modern civilization, people are beginning to doubt today whether humanity is really progressing. In point of fact there is no doubt that humanity is progressing. The proof of progress is to be found in all the wonderful phenomena that have been created in the form of marvelous scientific inventions. But all these inventions have only helped to carry out the greatest disaster in the history of the world: a war that has swallowed up numberless lives, among them youths who had inherited the culture of many generations.

日益增長的物質主義，以及勢不可擋的商業影響，使人類的心被遮蔽而看不見真理，並在過去幾年間造成了極大的苦難。儘管現代文明已有巨大的進展，如今人們卻開始懷疑，人類是否真的在進步。事實上，人類正在進步，這一點毫無疑問。進步的證明，可以在種種奇妙的科學發明所創造出的驚人現象中看到。然而，所有這些發明卻只助成了世界歷史上最大的災難：一場吞噬無數生命的戰爭，其中包括那些承繼了許多世代文化的青年。

In spite of prosperity and the flourishing conditions one sees, there is a total absence of the ideal. The minds of most seem to be centered in one thing only: the struggle of life. Millions are busily occupied, physically and mentally, every moment of the day and night in collecting wealth or treasure, the very nature of which is to pass from hand to hand. As long as they have it in their possession, there is a kind of intoxication; when it is lost, there is nothing to hold on to. This has made people more avaricious in the strife of material life.

儘管眼前所見是一片繁榮興盛，理想卻完全缺席。大多數人的頭腦似乎只集中在一件事上：生存的競爭。數以百萬計的人，日日夜夜每一刻都在身體上與精神上忙碌著，為了積聚財富或珍寶，而這些東西的本質就是從一個人的手中轉到另一個人的手中。只要它們還掌握在自己手裡，就會有一種迷醉；一旦失去，就再也沒有什麼可以依憑。這使人們在物質生活的爭逐中變得更加貪婪。

Today the one is considered most practical who is most capable of guarding one’s own interests to best advantage. The same is true of nations: each is working for its own interest. In any nation the person of the day is not the one who feels for the welfare of humanity, but the one who exclusively stands by the interest of one’s party, community, or nation. Patriotism can only be a virtue when used as a stepping stone toward universal kinship. It can be justifiable only if it is made a means to conserve forces in order to work for the welfare of all. But today patriotism has become a lock upon the heart, so that no alien-only those of one’s own kind-may be admitted into a country.

如今，最能把自己的利益維護到最大程度的人，被認為是最實際的人。國家也是如此：每一個國家都在為自己的利益而努力。在任何一個國家，當今受到重視的並不是關懷全人類福祉的人，而是只維護自己政黨、社群或國家利益的人。愛國心只有在被用作邁向普世手足情誼的踏腳石時，才能成為一種美德。只有當它成為保存力量、以便為所有人的福祉而工作的手段時，才是合理的。然而今天，愛國心已成為心上的一把鎖，使外來者不得進入一個國家，只有自己同類的人才能被接納。

What is missing in modern education, in art and science, and in social, political and commercial life, is the ideal. The ideal is the secret of heaven and earth, and the mystery hidden behind both humanity and God. Humans, with all they possess in the objective world, are poor in the absence of the ideal; that poverty creates irritation, conflicts, and disagreements, thereby causing wars and disasters of all kinds.

現代教育、藝術與科學，以及社會、政治和商業生活中所缺少的，就是理想。理想是天地的祕密，也是隱藏在人類與神兩者背後的奧祕。人即使擁有客觀世界中的一切，若缺少理想，仍然是貧乏的；而這種貧乏會造成焦躁、衝突與不和，從而引發戰爭以及各種災難。

Humanity’s greatest necessity today is the exploration of the human personality to find the latent inspiration and power, and upon this to build the whole structure of life. Life is not only to live, but also to ennoble oneself and reach that perfection which is the innate yearning of the soul.

今日人類最大的需要，是探索人的人格，找出其中潛藏的靈感與力量，並在此之上建立生命的整體結構。生命不只是活著，也是使自己變得高尚，並達到那個靈魂與生俱來所渴望的完美。

The solution to the problem of the day is that the consciousness of humanity may be awakened to the divinity of the human being.

當代問題的解決之道，在於喚醒人類的意識，使其覺知人的神性。

The undertone of all religions is the realization of the one life which culminates in the thought of unity. It is to raise humanity to this consciousness that the efforts of the Sufi movement are directed.

所有宗教深處共同的基調，都是對一體生命的體認，而這最終匯聚於合一的思想。蘇菲運動的一切努力，正是為了將人類提升到這樣的意識。

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