8. Relationship Between Murshid and Mureed
8. 穆希德與門徒之間的關係

July 7, 1925

1925 年 7 月 7 日

My Blessed Mureeds,

我蒙福的門徒們，

The relation that exists between Murshid and mureed is so subtle and so delicate that only a few persons can understand it. It is not a relationship between a professor and a student. It is not a relation between an engineer and apprentice. The one who does not know it, for him it is nothing; and the one who knows it, for him it is everything. The light of the stars and planets which we see is in accordance to the light that it responds to. And since the relation between the Murshid and mureed is connected with light, the nature of this relation is also similar to that of the stars and planets.

穆希德與門徒之間的關係是如此微妙而細緻，只有少數人能夠理解。這不是教授與學生之間的關係，也不是工程師與學徒之間的關係。不知道這種關係的人，它對他而言什麼也不是；知道這種關係的人，它對他而言就是一切。我們所看見的星辰與行星之光，取決於它所回應的光。既然穆希德與門徒之間的關係與光相連，這種關係的本質也與星辰和行星之間的關係相似。

No doubt, in the East, often a child learns of that relationship from his parents; and as he grows, he grows up with that idea in his mind. And for him this relation, whenever it may be established, it is not new. In the West there are many souls born with the tendency of a mureed, with the soul of a mureed, the have mureed’s inclination, mureed’s seeking. But as everything else around them, instead of giving that idea, tries to remove that idea from them, and they have to resist against it, it becomes necessary here for the Murshid to bring this subject before mureeds; whereas in the East no murshid would ever think of bringing this subject, for he knows that: how can it be otherwise?

毫無疑問，在東方，一個孩子往往從父母那裡就知道這種關係；隨著成長，他心中也一直帶著這樣的觀念長大。因此，無論這種關係何時在他生命中建立起來，對他而言都不是新鮮的事。在西方，有許多靈魂生來就具有門徒的傾向、門徒的靈魂；他們有門徒的嚮往，也有門徒的追尋。然而，他們周遭的一切非但沒有給予他們這樣的觀念，反而試圖將這觀念從他們心中抹去，而他們必須與之抗衡。因此，在這裡，穆希德有必要向門徒們談論這個主題；然而在東方，沒有一位穆希德會想到需要談論這件事，因為他知道：除此之外，還能是怎樣呢？

One sees four different tendencies of mureeds while working in this line.

在這條道路上工作時，可以看到門徒有四種不同的傾向。

One tendency is that: “I am looking for something, I am seeking after something. If I can find it anywhere, I may just as well find it here. But one thing is as good as the other thing. One way leads to the same goal as the other way. ” He is quite correct, no one can deny the truth of this idea. Only he is further than where a mureed is expected to be.

第一種傾向是：「我正在尋找某樣東西，我正在追尋某樣東西。如果我在任何地方都可能找到它，那麼在這裡找到也一樣。但是這一樣與另一樣都同樣好；這一條路與另一條路，都通往同一個目標。」他的確沒有錯，沒有人能否認這個觀念的真實性。只是，他離一個門徒應當所在的位置還有一段距離。

And there is another tendency that is: “I will try and learn and understand what I can learn and what I can understand. And I will try to grasp the ideas that fit in with my (preconceived) ideas; and what does not fit in with my ideas I will overlook it.” This is no doubt a tendency of compassion, of tolerance, and of forgiveness. But still he is further than the place from where a mureed ought to start.

第二種傾向是：「我會努力去學習，能學多少就學多少；也會努力去理解，能理解多少就理解多少。我會試著掌握那些符合我（先入為主）觀念的思想；至於不符合我觀念的，我就略過不看。」毫無疑問，這是一種體諒、寬容與寬恕的傾向。但是，他仍然離一個門徒應當開始的地方有一段距離。

And then there is a third tendency, that tendency is: “I will hurry up and learn all I can. I can spare to give so many weeks, months, or years, which I will try to give, if nothing takes me away from it. I shall have patience, and do all that is asked me to do. But then it depends upon the result. The whole future depends upon what results I get from it; and upon that I shall arrange my future action.” He is right also, he has a reason; only he is further than the place from where a mureed begins his work.

接著是第三種傾向：「我要趕快盡我所能地學習。我可以撥出幾個星期、幾個月，甚至幾年的時間；只要沒有別的事情把我帶離這條路，我會盡力投入。我會有耐心，也會照著要求去做一切事情。但是，這就要看結果了。我的整個未來，都取決於我能從中得到什麼結果；我會依照這個結果來安排自己未來的行動。」他也沒有錯，他有他的理由；只是，他仍然離一個門徒開始修行的位置有一段距離。

These three tendencies which I have just now spoken before you show that the soul has not yet understood the real meaning of a mureed.

我剛才向你們所說的這三種傾向，都顯示出這個靈魂還沒有真正理解門徒的意義。

And then there is a fourth tendency. And that tendency is that: “I take my journey in the path of truth; and my first step is trust; fall or rise, I will take what comes. For me it will be rise just the same.” His first step is firm, and he promises to go further.

然後是第四種傾向。這種傾向是：「我要踏上真理之路的旅程；而我的第一步就是信任。無論跌落或上升，我都接受一切所來的；對我而言，它同樣都是上升。」他的第一步是堅定的，也預示著他能夠繼續向前。

This path of spiritual realization is a path of self-abnegation. And self-abnegation is not only in thinking, but it is in doing, in everything one says or does. The examination of that self-abnegation is given to Murshid. And the price of this self-abnegation comes from God.

這條靈性證悟之路，是一條捨己之路。而捨己不只存在於思想之中，也存在於行動之中，存在於我們所說、所做的每一件事之中。這份捨己的考驗交由穆希德，而這份捨己的報償則來自神。

If one has not been able to forget oneself, and all one knows and believes, then one is holding something back which is keeping him behind. And the condition of this journey is that one should be free from all that restricts one to a certain belief, to a certain idea, to a certain thought, upon which he has fixed his mind. For then he is nailed on the ground upon which he stands, he cannot walk. In order to walk he must be free.

如果一個人還不能忘掉自己，以及自己所知道、所相信的一切，那麼他就仍然抓住了某些東西，而那些東西正使他停留在後方。這趟旅程的條件，就是我們必須擺脫一切將自己限制在某種信念、某種觀念或某個思想上的東西——那些都是頭腦緊緊固著之處。因為一旦如此，人就像被釘在自己所站的土地上，無法行走。若要行走，就必須自由。

When the Sufis asked the candidates, “Are you free?”, this did not mean are you free from any relationship or connection or affairs in the world. That, freedom did not concern. When a sage asked, “Are you free?” that only meant is your mind free from thoughts and beliefs and feelings that restrict you. If there is a restriction then you are nailed there, then you are not free to come with me.

當蘇菲祕士問求道者：「你自由嗎？」這並不是問他是否擺脫了世間所有的人際關係、聯繫或事務。這裡所說的自由與那些無關。當一位聖哲問：「你自由嗎？」他所問的只是：你的頭腦是否已經擺脫那些限制你的思想、信念與感受？只要還有一項限制，你就被釘在那裡，也就沒有自由跟我一起走。

And they used to ask a candidate who wanted to follow the path of truth: “Do you know the way? If you know the way, then you do not need to accompany me. You know it already.” Because it must not be that after having walked ten steps with me, you will say: “I know this way. By this way also I can go.” Then you may just as well go alone. You do not need to take a guide.

他們也會問一個想要走上真理之路的求道者：「你知道這條路嗎？如果你知道這條路，那麼你就不需要跟我同行了，因為你已經知道了。」因為不應該在跟我走了十步之後，你才說：「我知道這條路。我走另一條路也可以到達。」既然如此，你大可以獨自前行，不需要帶一位引導者同行。

Friends, the whole thing is this: that we all are accustomed to learn and acquire in our worldly life is with an attention to be something. But the condition of this path is different. The condition of this path is to strive to be nothing. And the outcome of it is that by being nothing you become everything. But that comes after. If one has not gone through the gate which makes one nothing, one cannot expect to arrive at that culmination where one is everything.

朋友們，整件事情就在於：在世俗生活中，我們已經習慣於學習與獲取，而其目的都是為了成為「某種人物」。然而，這條道路的條件不同。這條道路的條件，是努力成為「無」。而它最後的結果，是藉由成為「無」，你成為「一切」。但那是之後才會到來的。如果一個人尚未走過那道使自己成為「無」的門，就不能期望抵達那個成為「一切」的最高境地。

If it was so easy that one would understand it in one sentence, that “all is God and God is all,” and by understanding that one arrived at perfection, the spiritual perfection would have been the easiest thing possible; easiest of all things.

如果事情真的這麼容易，只要理解一句話——「一切皆是神，神即一切」——並且一理解這句話便抵達圓滿，那麼靈性的圓滿就會是世上最容易的事，是一切事情中最容易的事。

But why it is most difficult of all things is this, that intellectual realization does not suffice the purpose. It is not learning that is required; it is “being” that is wanted. And when one says, “I want to be filled,” one must first be empty. And when one says, “Why am I not filled?” the very reason is that he is not yet empty. If anything keeps us back, it is nothing else. It is not what we possess, or it is not our friends, or those with whom we have any affair, a business, or profession; it is not that. What keeps us back is our self. And to practice this first makes oneself empty, respondent to Murshid.

然而，它之所以成為一切事情中最困難的事，就在於理智上的領悟並不足以達成目的。所需要的不是「學習」，而是「成為」。當一個人說：「我想被充滿。」那麼他首先必須倒空自己。當一個人問：「為什麼我還沒有被充滿？」原因正是他還沒有倒空。如果有什麼阻礙我們，並不是別的。不是我們所擁有的東西，不是我們的朋友，也不是與我們有所往來的人，不是生意，也不是職業；都不是這些。真正阻礙我們的是我們的自我。而這項修持首先使人倒空自己，使自己能夠回應穆希德。

And when this rehearsal is done, then performance begins. In the performance the same thing is done with God. The experience that I have had in my work very few esoteric teachers in the East can even imagine. Those who have the idea that every mureed comes prepared, they cannot imagine that the first work is to prepare a soul to be a mureed, and then to train that mureed to the highest knowledge. And mureeds who are not accustomed to these ideas when they accustom themselves to it, no doubt they show a greater response than a mureed would show in the East, who is already trained in that path.

而當這場排練完成之後，正式的演出才開始。在正式的演出中，同樣的事是在與神的關係中完成的。我在工作中所經歷的情況，是東方很少有祕傳老師甚至能夠想像的。那些認為每一位門徒前來時都已經準備好的人，無法想像第一步的工作其實是先把一個靈魂準備成為門徒，然後再將這位門徒訓練到至高的知識。而那些原本不習慣這些觀念的門徒，一旦逐漸習慣了，毫無疑問，他們所展現出的回應，甚至會比東方那些早已在這條道路上受過訓練的門徒更為強烈。

And now there is a question: in what way can one show that response?

現在有一個問題：一個人可以用什麼方式展現這種回應？

1. And the answer is that the first step in showing response is trust in Murshid, in the path, in guidance.
   答案是，展現回應的第一步，是信任穆希德、信任這條道路、信任引導。
2. And what is the second step? The second step is perseverance. If one has trust in Murshid, faith in guidance, and no perseverance, then that keeps one back.
   那麼第二步是什麼？第二步是堅持。如果一個人信任穆希德、相信引導，卻沒有堅持，那麼這就會阻礙他。
3. And the third step is patience in the absence of result. One may have faith and trust, and one may persevere, but one may get tired.
   第三步，是在尚未見到成果時保持耐心。一個人也許有信心、有信任，也能夠堅持，但仍可能感到疲倦。
4. The fourth step in this path is the imitation. A mureed who imitates Murshid in his thoughts and in his way of thinking at things must not necessarily lose his point of view, but can add one more point of view to his own and perhaps he will find that point of view in time more useful. Besides, how Murshid says and acts under different circumstances, the mureed who has the chance of noticing it can acquire a greater spiritual knowledge than by reading many books. Because this is the living way of learning. If a mureed has not insight in Murshid’s point of view, how can he attain to the realization of God? Once he has an insight in Murshid’s point of view, he naturally will have insight in another person’s point of view.
   這條道路的第四步是效法。一位在思想上，以及在看待事物的方式上效法穆希德的門徒，並不一定需要失去自己的觀點；他只是可以在自己的觀點之外，再增加一個觀點，而也許隨著時間過去，他會發現這個觀點更加有用。此外，穆希德在不同情況下如何說話、如何行動，若一位門徒有機會觀察這些，他由此所獲得的靈性知識，可能比閱讀許多書籍所得的更多。因為這是一種活生生的學習方式。如果一位門徒無法洞察穆希德的觀點，又怎麼能夠達到對神的證悟？一旦他能洞察穆希德的觀點，自然也就能洞察另一個人的觀點。
5. The next step is self-effacing. And once a person has taken a step in self-effacing he is already close to the altar of God.
   下一步是消隱自我。一個人只要在消隱自我上踏出一步，就已經接近神的祭壇。

In conclusion, what I would like to say is that life is precious; and it becomes more precious when we appreciate our opportunity in life. Anything we can play with, and anything we can profit by. What we play with is lost; what we profit by is gained. And that depends upon our attitude. All the right and wrong done to us by others we can profit by, if we only looked at it from that attitude, from that point of view. When one takes a step in the spiritual path one must know that one’s life is more precious than ever before, that the time is more precious than ever before. And to make the best of this opportunity is to profit by it as fully as possible. God Bless You.

最後，我想說的是：生命是珍貴的；而當我們懂得珍惜生命中所擁有的機會時，生命就變得更加珍貴。任何事物，我們都可以拿來玩弄，也可以從中受益。我們所玩弄的，終將失去；我們真正從中受益的，才成為我們的所得。而這取決於我們的態度。別人對我們所做的一切，無論對或錯，只要我們用這樣的態度、這樣的觀點去看，都能從中有所收穫。當一個人在靈性道路上踏出一步，就必須知道，自己的生命比以往任何時候都更加珍貴，自己的時間也比以往任何時候都更加珍貴。要善用這個機會，就是盡可能充分地從中有所收穫。願神祝福你們。

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