1. The Message
1. 神聖訊息

July 30, 1922

1922年7月30日

I do not wish to give any particular teaching to my mureeds on the subject of the Message, because it is something which must come from themselves, a realization which must spring from their own heart, that the soul may become convinced from itself, and from within, without outer teaching. Only as my mureeds will grow in the realization of the Truth, so they will realize the importance of the Message, the sacredness of the Message, and their own responsibility in the delivery of the Message of the time.

我不想就「訊息」這個主題，給我的門徒（Mureed）任何特定的教導，因為這是必須從他們自己之中生起的，是一種必須從他們自己的心中湧現的領悟，好讓靈魂能由自身、從內在得到確信，而不需要外在的教導。只有當我的門徒在對真理的領悟中成長，他們才會領悟訊息的重要、訊息的神聖，以及他們自己在傳遞這個時代的訊息上所負的責任。

As parents do not expect from all the children a share of their responsibility, especially when the children are young — only they look after them — so the service of my mureeds is my religion and my life’s mission, but I do not expect from every mureed who has not yet realized the importance of the Message that he should trouble about it. I do what I can for their progress in all walks of life, and feel responsible in God for their happiness. It is just like the parents whose happiness it is, whole duty it is, to be serviceable to their children; and there are many parents who do not expect any return for this, not even appreciation.

正如父母不會期待所有孩子分擔他們的責任，尤其當孩子還小的時候——他們只是照顧孩子——同樣，服務我的門徒是我的宗教，也是我一生的使命；但對每一位尚未領悟訊息重要性的門徒，我並不期待他為此操心。我盡我所能幫助他們在人生各方面有所進展，也在神面前感到自己對他們的幸福負有責任。這就像父母一樣：能為自己的孩子服務，是他們的幸福，也是他們全部的責任；而有許多父母並不期待任何回報，甚至不期待被感激。

But one thing I wish to warn, and however many times I may warn it is never enough, and that is to keep in control your appreciation, your enthusiasm, and your sympathy for Murshid, and for the Cause, and always take care so as not to make the Message conspicuous in the eyes of the world. I very well know the feeling of my sincere mureeds, who at the moment of appreciation of the Message, of the blessing, wish that the whole world could share with them. But then sometimes they think that the whole world must share with them in a moment. And that must not be. It will share with them, and it is sharing with them, although unconsciously.

但有一件事我想警告你們；無論我警告多少次，都不會嫌多，那就是要控制你們對穆希德 (Murshid)、對使命的欣賞、熱忱與同感，並且總要小心，不要讓訊息在世人眼中過於顯眼。我很了解那些真誠門徒的感受：當他們感受到對訊息、對祝福的欣賞時，便希望全世界都能與他們分享。但有時他們便會以為，全世界必須在一瞬間就與他們分享。這是不可以的。世界會與他們分享，而且正在與他們分享，雖然是在無意識之中。

The light of the sun shines on the whole world, not only in Suresnes; the rain falls in all lands, not only in France. So the pouring out of God’s message, if not in words, you will find all over the air, in the atmosphere; and to think, others must know what we know is not necessary. It is neither for the good of the message, nor for the benefit of your Murshid. It is better for many not to know. Their time has not yet come. It is better that they wait. When their time comes for knowing they will know. And what is there to be known? There is nothing to be known! It is the message to glorify the name of God. If you all help, if his name is known and glorified in the world, that is enough.

太陽的光照耀整個世界，不只照在敘雷訥；雨落在所有土地上，不只在法國。神之訊息的傾注也是如此；即使不是透過言語，你仍會發現它遍布空氣之中、存在於氛圍之中；而認為別人一定要知道我們所知道的，並沒有必要。這既無益於訊息，也無益於你們的穆希德。對許多人來說，不知道反而更好。他們的時候還沒有到。讓他們等待反而更好。當他們該知道的時候到了，他們自然會知道。又有什麼需要知道的呢？沒有什麼需要知道！這個訊息就是為了榮耀神之名。如果你們都能有所幫助，如果祂的名在世上被人知曉並受到榮耀，那就夠了。

Do we wish the whole world to be members of the Sufi Order? What is needed is more capable workers who would forget themselves and consider nothing too great a sacrifice in order to work for God and humanity. If that is done, then everything is on my side, God and the world. It is natural that it is difficult to have workers in a world cause sufficient to provide everywhere there is need. But still this must be understood, that as many workers in the Cause we possess, so more, facility and strength comes to the spreading of the Cause.

我們希望全世界都成為蘇菲教團的成員嗎？所需要的是更多有能力的工作者，他們能忘記自己，並且為了神與人類而工作時，不認為任何犧牲太大。若能做到這一點，那麼一切都在我這一邊——神與世界。對一項世界性的使命而言，要有足夠的工作者，能供應每一個有需要的地方，自然是困難的。但仍要明白：我們在使命中擁有多少工作者，使命的傳播就會多得到多少便利與力量。

Our activity in the line of religion — which is a side activity, considering the esoteric school and esotericism as the main activity — still that activity is the answer to the cry of the whole humanity, not the esoteric school. We call it the Church of All, but by whatever name it is called, it is the same. The name does not matter, it is something given. But remember that human sensibilities are delicate. We cannot expect every person to become most interested in the Cause the first moment it comes to them. It is possible, but not usual. Then it takes time for a person to grow into a thing and break the barriers of limitation. It takes time to rise above certain walls that he has built in life, before he can see the Truth of the Message and be sure of its mission.

我們在宗教這條線上的活動——若把秘傳學校與秘傳學看作主要活動，那麼宗教活動只是側面的活動——然而，回應全人類呼喊的，正是這項活動，而不是秘傳學校。我們稱它為眾人教會（Church of All），但不論叫什麼名字，它都是同一件事。名稱並不重要，那只是一個給定的名稱。但要記得，人的感受很細膩。我們不能期待每一個人在這個使命第一次來到他面前時，就對它產生最大的興趣。這是可能的，但並不常見。人需要時間，才能逐漸進入一件事，也需要時間打破限制的障礙。人需要時間超越他在生命中築起的某些牆，然後才能看見訊息的真理，並確信它的使命。

Therefore every attempt must be made so as not to make this activity especially conspicuous in any way, neither by giving publicity to the name, by speaking about it to everybody at the first meeting, nor by advertising it too widely. Humankind is not very far from the birds in the wilderness. You might want to give bread to a bird, and the bird may be hungry and would like to have it, but the movement of your hand will frighten it, and make it fly away even though it sees the bread in your hand. It has not yet faith and confidence in itself and in the one who gives. Therefore you will have to hide it, to throw the grain and hide, and then the bird will come and take it. That is our position in the world.

因此，必須盡一切努力，不以任何方式使這項活動特別顯眼：不要大力宣傳這個名稱，不要第一次見面就對每個人談它，也不要過度廣告。人類與荒野中的鳥相距並不太遠。你也許想把麵包給一隻鳥，那鳥可能很餓，也想吃，但你的手一動就會嚇到牠，使牠飛走，即使牠看見你手中的麵包。牠對自己、也對給予的人，都還沒有信心與信任。因此，你得把它藏起來，把穀粒丟下，然後躲起來，鳥才會過來取食。這就是我們在世界上的處境。

And why do we want the world to know us, Murshid, or the Order? What is necessary is service done for our own satisfaction, that the work is done that has been given to us. Among my sincere and devoted mureeds who wish to serve the Cause, they will give great help who will not only help in the work, but will adopt my way of working in the delivery of the Message. We are not working for success, but success is assured, for Truth is success, and success is Truth.

而我們為什麼想要世界知道我們、知道穆希德，或知道教團？所需要的是完成服務，使我們自己得到滿足，也就是交付給我們的工作已經完成。在我那些真誠而奉獻、希望服務使命的門徒當中，那些不只在工作上幫忙，也會在傳遞訊息時採取我的工作方式的人，將會帶來很大的幫助。我們工作不是為了成功；然而成功是確定的，因為真理就是成功，成功就是真理。

---