36. The Inner School
36. 內在學院

(The Hague, June 6, 1924)
（海牙，1924 年 6 月 6 日）

The inner school is for the few who seek for truth earnestly, steadily and with patience, who are awake to the voice of truth and will have patience all along the journey. The inner school is not something man follows, a form, a dogma, or a belief. The inner school has not got a dogma, neither a a belief; the work of the inner school is to tune the soul, to raise the individual from the plane where he stands, to uplift the soul.

內在學院是為少數人而設的：他們真誠、堅定而有耐心地尋求真理，對真理的聲音保持醒覺，並且在整段旅程中始終有耐心。內在學院並不是人所追隨的某種形式、教條或信仰。內在學院沒有教條，也沒有一套信仰；內在學院的工作，是調諧靈魂，使一個人從他所在的層次提升，讓靈魂向上提升。

This is a school where one learns to know himself, where one comes to understand life.

在這所學院裡，人學習認識自己，也逐漸理解生命。

It is as the picture is given in diwan in a poetry: once a lion was wandering in the woods and found among the sheep a cub of lion. He gave it a great surprise by saying to it, “Cub of lion”; but it also ran away with the sheep. The lion followed the cub and when he approached, it was much frightened. “Why?” the lion said, “You are a lion too”. “No, no”, was the answer. “I am a sheep; I am no lion, I am frightened, I tremble”. But the lion said: “I will not let you go among the sheep, you are a lion”. The cub was very much frightened but followed the lion. They came near a pool of water; the sun was clear, the water still. The lion said: “While you drink this water, see your reflection and look at me”. And it saw for itself: “I am the same as this lion. Why do I run among the sheep? Let the sheep go and I’ll do the works of lion”.

這就像一部詩集（diwan）中的一首詩所描繪的景象：有一次，一頭獅子在森林裡遊蕩，在羊群中發現了一隻小獅子。牠對小獅子說：「小獅子！」這把小獅子嚇了一大跳；可是牠仍跟著羊群逃跑。獅子追著小獅子，當牠走近時，小獅子非常害怕。獅子說：「為什麼？你也是一頭獅子啊。」「不，不，」小獅子回答，「我是一隻羊；我不是獅子，我很害怕，我在發抖。」但獅子說：「我不會讓你回到羊群裡去，你是一頭獅子。」小獅子雖然非常害怕，還是跟著獅子走了。牠們來到一池水邊；陽光清朗，水面平靜。獅子說：「你喝水的時候，看看水中的倒影，再看看我。」小獅子親眼看見了：「我和這頭獅子是一樣的。我為什麼還要在羊群裡奔跑？讓羊群走吧，我要去做獅子所做的事。」

That is the work of the inner school. Initiation which Murshid gives to the mureed is as the call of the lion. The lake is the heart. When in the heart one begins to seek, one finds self, the secret of which one had not known fully.

這就是內在學院的工作。穆希德（Murshid）給予門徒的啟蒙，就如同獅子的呼喚。那池水就是心。當一個人開始在心中尋求，便會發現自己，而這個自己的奧祕，是他過去從未完全認識的。

Therefore know that you have to expect nothing by initiation, that it does not give a new power, a great power or visions. No, this school does not pretend to give things of that sort. It is a school of tradition of thousands of years, to which belonged saints and sages whose names are found in manuscripts of the past, whose names are not imaginary names, whose lives can be found in the history of the past. Therefore know that behind us is a backbone of tradition of masters, prophets, wise men, and sages who have proved to have understood the secret of life.

因此，要知道你不應期待從啟蒙中得到什麼；啟蒙並不會賦予你新的力量、巨大的力量或異象。不，這所學院並不宣稱會給予這一類的東西。它承續的是已有數千年歷史的傳承，歷代的聖者與聖哲都曾屬於這個傳承；他們的名字可以在過去的手稿中找到，並非虛構的人物，他們的生平也可以在歷史中查考。因此，要知道在我們身後，有一條由聖師、先知、智者與聖哲所構成的傳承脊梁；他們已證明自己理解了生命的奧祕。

Knowing this, we shall be conscious of the dignity of the path of initiation in the school of the Sufi Movement. How can this dignity be observed? First by closing the lips. It is the light-hearted who throw all out what is given to them, who speak of spiritual matters to anyone. This should not be your manner. You must show the lion’s heritage, keeping the lips closed on sacred matters. Mind not if another has a different belief, a different conception. The Sufi is above the differences of opinions. The whole secret of this path is to journey with the lips closed. No discussion, no argument, not too much talking on the subject of the soul which is too sacred to be talked about with everyone. Besides, if you disagree, if you feel contempt for another custom, another manner, it shows your limitation.

明白這一點，我們便會意識到，在蘇菲運動的學院中，啟蒙之路所具有的尊嚴。要如何守住這份尊嚴？首先，就是閉口不言。輕率的人會把所得的一切全都說出去，對任何人談論靈性之事。這不應當是你們的態度。你們必須展現獅子的傳承，對神聖之事守口如瓶。別介意他人有不同的信仰、不同的觀念。蘇菲超越意見上的差異。這條道路全部的祕密，就在於閉口而行。不討論，不爭辯，也不要過多談論靈魂這個主題；靈魂太過神聖，不適合與每一個人談論。此外，如果你排斥他人的習俗或作法，甚至對它懷有輕蔑，這顯示的只是你自己的侷限。

By tolerance, by understanding, by forgiving one shows that the heart is large enough to assimilate all things. The ordinary mentality respects certain things and other things it does not like. The more one becomes spiritual, the more one is assimilating, understanding. The higher one is spiritually evolved, the greater is the willingness, the readiness to forgive. “To know all is to understand all.”

藉由寬容、理解與寬恕，一個人顯示出他的心足夠寬廣，能夠容納一切。一般人的心態，是尊重某些事物，卻不喜歡另一些事物。一個人越具有靈性，就越能容納、越能理解。靈性發展得越高，寬恕的意願與準備也就越充分。「知悉一切，就是理解一切。」

One might ask: Through the school of initiation, what does one learn? No principle? What principle has one to adopt? And I say: There is only one principle and that is the largeness of your heart. And who will judge it? You yourself. Every thought, word and feeling you must weigh, you must find out whether it is large or small, or whether it shows lack of evolution, imperfection. Success in this school depends upon the unfoldment of those who belong to it.

有人或許會問：透過這所啟蒙的學院，一個人究竟學到什麼？沒有任何原則嗎？人應當遵循什麼原則？而我要說：只有一個原則，那就是你的心有多麼寬廣。誰來判斷它？你自己。每一個思想、每一句話、每一份感受，你都必須衡量；你必須看清它是寬廣還是狹小，是否顯露出尚未發展之處與不完滿。這所學院能否有所成就，取決於其中每一個人的開展。

Man has an earthly body but a heavenly soul. His earthly parentage is apparent; his real parentage is God’s parentage. The more aristocratic and noble, the more conscious, the more there is the expression of the divine. Then whatever one thinks or feels or does, one expresses the divine. This is the right principle. There is no need for Murshid to tell you what is small or large. As the eyes can discriminate, the heart can discriminate whether what we think, say or do is small or large. A person may be in a high rank or position, he may have a great wealth; if his heart is small, he is a small person. Whatever he does is small. Another may be void of all that belongs to the world and yet if his heart is large, he is great. In this way, by struggling with the self one will find nobility, which is a divine heritage. Thus life will become harmonious, an expression of the divine.

人有屬於大地的身體，卻有屬於天上的靈魂。他在人世間的血統是顯而易見的；他真正的血統，卻來自神。人越具有高貴的氣質、越尊貴、越有覺知，神聖便越能透過他表達出來。如此，無論他思想什麼、感受什麼、做什麼，所表達的都是神聖。這才是正確的原則。穆希德不需要告訴你什麼是狹小、什麼是寬廣。就如眼睛能夠分辨，心也能分辨我們所想、所說、所做的一切，是狹小還是寬廣。一個人也許擁有很高的階級或地位，也許擁有巨大的財富；但如果他的心狹小，他就是一個狹小的人，他所做的一切也都是狹小的。另一個人也許一無所有，沒有任何屬於世間的東西，但如果他的心寬廣，他就是偉大的。如此，藉由與受限自我搏鬥，人將發現那份高貴，而那正是神聖的傳承。於是生命將變得和諧，成為神聖的表達。

Besides, there is another thing and that is meditation. By that is not meant to pray on Sunday, or every evening, or to close the eyes for a few minutes. That is the beginning. That is not what I mean. But our whole life we must be in meditation, with everything we do; not one single moment should pass without. By this one accomplishes a task which is the only yearning of the soul: to seek perfection.

此外，還有另一件事，那就是冥想。這並不是指星期日祈禱，或每天晚上祈禱，或只是閉上眼睛幾分鐘。那只是開始。那並不是我所說的冥想。我們的一生都必須處於冥想之中，在我們所做的每一件事裡都是如此；沒有任何一刻應當離開冥想。藉此，一個人完成了靈魂唯一渴望完成的事：尋求完滿。

Remember in which boat you are traveling – in the boat of responsibility. Keep before you the dignity of your ideal. And by persevering faithfully, you can be sure of the desired result, without doubt.

要記得你正乘著哪一艘船航行——你乘著的是責任之舟。始終把你理想的尊嚴放在眼前。只要忠實而堅持不懈地走下去，你便可以確信，所盼望的結果必會到來，無須懷疑。

God bless you.

願神祝福你們。

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