6. Aspects of the Sufi Message
6. 蘇菲神聖訊息的不同面向

Five Aspects
五個面向

June 23, 1925

1925 年 6 月 23 日

My Blessed Mureeds,

蒙受祝福的門徒們：

Today I would like to speak on the subject of the different aspects of the Sufi Message. The Sufi Message, having the character of a prophetic message, has five different aspects of work.

今天，我想談談蘇菲神聖訊息的不同面向。蘇菲神聖訊息具有先知性神聖訊息的特質，其工作有五個不同的面向。

1. The first is warning humanity of the coming danger.
   第一，是警告人類即將來臨的危險。
2. The next aspect is bringing about a friendly understanding between the followers of different religions.
   第二個面向，是促成不同宗教信徒之間友善的相互理解。
3. The third aspect is giving the form of universal worship in which people of all different denominations may offer their prayers to the God of humanity.
   第三個面向，是提供一種普世敬拜的形式，使所有不同宗派的人都能向人類共同的神獻上祈禱。
4. The fourth aspect is interpreting in the terms of the day life’s secret to the generality.
   第四個面向，是以當代的語言，向一般大眾詮釋生命的奧祕。
5. And the fifth aspect of the Message is guiding the seeking souls on the spiritual path.
   而神聖訊息的第五個面向，是引導追尋的靈魂走上靈性道路。

Since these five different missions the Sufi Movement has to carry out, in order that the Message may reach all people in all parts of the world, naturally the need of helpers is felt every day more and more. When we see how few we are in number, and when we compare our limited actions with the great object we have before us, we cannot for one moment look at the success of our Movement hopefully, except that by our unchanging and everlasting faith. Besides, a few sincere workers can perform miracles, whereas thousands of workers who have not that spirit may not be able to accomplish. Therefore for us there is no need of being disappointed. We must be hopeful. Only we must be conscious of the fact that the work is great, and we are too few. And we must hope that this condition will change. And we must do our best to change it. Besides this, if there are many occupied in the spreading of the Cause, one can say, “Well, I will rest, because my friend is doing.” But as we are so few we cannot rest. We must do everything possible for the spreading of the Cause.

由於蘇菲運動必須完成這五項不同的使命，為了使神聖訊息能夠傳達到世界各地的所有人，我們自然一天比一天更深切地感受到對協助者的需要。當我們看見自己的人數如此稀少，又把我們有限的行動與眼前那偉大的目標相比時，若不是憑藉我們不變而恆久的信心，我們片刻也無法對這場運動的成功抱持希望。此外，少數真誠的工作者能夠創造奇蹟，而成千上萬沒有那種精神的工作者，卻未必能有所成就。因此，我們不需要感到失望。我們必須懷抱希望。只是我們必須清楚意識到，這項工作如此浩大，而我們的人實在太少。我們必須盼望這種情況有所改變，也必須盡自己最大的努力去改變它。除此之外，如果已有許多人投入傳播這項事業，一個人或許會說：「好吧，我可以休息了，因為我的朋友正在做。」但因為我們人數如此稀少，我們不能休息。我們必須盡一切可能去傳播這項事業。

Who must work for the Cause?
誰應當為這項事業工作？

But now coming to the question: who must work for the Cause and who need not work for the Cause? and the answer is that we all need not work for the Cause; only those who will work for the Cause must work for the Cause. For the service that a worker will render to the Cause must not be rendered in this spirit that: we return to Murshid, or we render to Murshid a service in return for what we receive from him. Because that will be a business. It will mean Murshid helps his pupils to the light on condition that they will work for the Cause. There must be these two things separate. The idea that we receive a spiritual help on the path of truth is something priceless, that we must never think of returning in any form, for it cannot be returned. And as long as a mureed will not value it to this extent he will not be able to be fully benefitted by it.

但現在談到這個問題：誰應當為這項事業工作，而誰不需要為這項事業工作？答案是，我們並非每個人都需要為這項事業工作；只有那些願意為這項事業工作的人，才應當去做。因為一位工作者對這項事業所作的服務，不應抱著這樣的心態：我們是在回報穆希德（Murshid），或是為了回報從他那裡所得到的一切，而向穆希德提供服務。因為那樣就會變成一場交易。那意味著穆希德幫助他的學生走向光明，是以他們必須為這項事業工作為條件。這兩件事必須分開。當我們在真理的道路上獲得靈性的幫助時，那是無價的；我們絕不應想以任何形式加以回報，因為它根本無法回報。只要一位門徒還沒有珍視它到這種程度，他就無法充分從中受益。

Well then, working for the Cause is a separate thing. There are reasons for which you will work for the Cause.

那麼，為這項事業工作就是另一回事了。你之所以願意為這項事業工作，有以下幾個理由。

1. The first thing is your faith in the Message of God. If you believe it, naturally you feel that the Cause is the first thing. For we believe that here is the Message of God.
   第一，是你對神之神聖訊息的信心。如果你相信它，自然會覺得這項事業是首要之事。因為我們相信，這裡就是神的神聖訊息。
2. And the second aspect of it is that you are feeling for humanity, for the need of mankind today, and your comprehension of the effect that the Message can make and will make at this present condition of the world.
   第二個面向，是你對人類的關懷，對今日人類需要的感受，以及你對神聖訊息在當今世界的處境中所能產生、也將會產生之影響的理解。
3. And the third aspect is your sympathy with your Murshid, as a pupil, as a friend, as a brother, as a sister.
   第三個面向，是你身為學生、朋友、兄弟或姊妹，對你的穆希德所懷有的共感。

Your heart can never allow you to see your Murshid carrying some bricks on his shoulder, to stand there and look at it, and not take some also yourself to carry this load. Naturally out of your sympathy for your Murshid you feel what little we can do, or as much as we can do, we shall try and do it. Either of these three things or all these three things make a mureed inclined to be a worker. And that is the only way to render one’s service to the Cause. I need not say, your own experience in working will tell you how greatly we need workers. But at the same time there are two aspects of workers: one worker will limit himself to so much work, and he will not do further. But the other worker will try and train himself to do besides what he does, that which is needed for the Cause.

你的心絕不會容許你看著自己的穆希德肩上扛著磚塊，自己卻只是站在一旁看著，而不也拿起一些，一同承擔這份重擔。自然地，出於你對穆希德的共感，你會覺得：無論我們能做的有多麼少，或能做多少，我們都會盡力去做。這三者中的任何一項，或三者全部，都會使一位門徒願意成為工作者。而這才是為這項事業服務的方式。我不必多說，你自己在工作中的經驗就會告訴你，我們是多麼需要工作者。但同時，工作者也有兩種：一種工作者會把自己限制在一定範圍的工作裡，不再多做；另一種工作者則會努力訓練自己，在原本所做的之外，也能去做這項事業所需要的事。

You are not ignorant of the fact, but at the same time it is better that I may repeat before you this, that many new places where I have happened to travel and introduce the Message, and where many have become interested in the Cause, owing to the absence of someone to carry out the work, the whole effort I have made in that place by going there, by staying there, by giving my thought and time, by speaking there and creating all interest, it has gone in vain. Only because there was no one to hold that group together, to cultivate that ground, to rear those plants, to water that place where Murshid has sown seeds. Any mureed who has sympathy, devotion for Murshid, for the Cause, will understand this, that how much disappointment it must bring to Murshid, what a soreness of heart, to feel that all this work done there vanished — at least apparently, not really — because there was no one to carry out the work in my absence. Therefore it is necessary that those sincere mureeds who in every way wish to do some good for the Cause will know of the need, our great need, of being able to do everything that is necessary for the spreading of the Message.

你們並非不知道這件事，但我還是最好在你們面前再說一次：我曾前往許多新的地方旅行並介紹神聖訊息，在那些地方，也有許多人對這項事業產生興趣；然而，由於沒有任何人繼續推展工作，我在那裡所付出的一切努力——親自前往、停留在那裡、投入我的心思與時間、在那裡演講並引起人們的種種興趣——全都白費了。只因為沒有人把那個團體凝聚起來，耕耘那片土地，培育那些植物，灌溉穆希德已經播下種子的地方。任何對穆希德、對這項事業懷有共感與奉獻的門徒，都會明白這必定帶給穆希德多大的失望，心中又會有多麼深的痛楚：感覺在那裡完成的所有工作都消失了——至少表面上如此，實際上並非如此——只因為我不在時，沒有人繼續推展這項工作。因此，那些真誠的門徒，凡是真心希望以各種方式為這項事業做些有益之事的人，都有必要明白這份需要——我們極大的需要：我們必須有能力去做傳播神聖訊息所需要的一切事情。

God Bless You.

願神祝福你們。

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