10. Love, Human and Divine
10. 人性之愛與神聖之愛

Love, whether it is human or divine, is considered to be sacred, in the view of the mystics, philosophers, and thinkers. That it is possible to regard it thus is shown by the fact that in its root it is beyond both the human and the divine. As it is written in the Bible, “God is love”, three words which open up an unending realm for the thinker who desires to probe the depths of the secret of love.

無論是人性之愛或神聖之愛，在祕士、哲學家與思想家眼中，愛都是神聖的。之所以能如此看待愛，是因為從根源而言，它超越了人性與神性兩者。如《聖經》所言：「神就是愛。」這三個字，為渴望深入探究愛之奧祕的思想者，開啟了一個無窮無盡的領域。

In ordinary life we make this word mean affection for our surroundings, for our relatives or our beloved, but when we think deeply about it we see that from start to finish it represents the power underlying the power of all activities and all intelligences.

在日常生活中，我們所說的「愛」，通常是指對周遭的人、親人或所愛之人的情感；然而，當我們深入思考，就會看見，愛自始至終所代表的，其實是存在於一切活動與一切智能背後的力量。

When we study life from the material standpoint we see there are four different stages: the mineral kingdom, the vegetable kingdom, the animal, and the human. And of these four domains it is said by a dervish, “God slept in the mineral kingdom; He dreamed in the vegetable kingdom, He woke in the animal, and He realized Himself in the human.” And this gradual progression shows us that underlying it there is a sense of life which has expressed itself in every step towards the completed development of love.

當我們從物質的觀點研究生命，可以看見四個不同的階段：礦物界、植物界、動物界與人類。一位德爾維希曾談到這四個領域：「神沉睡於礦物界；祂在植物界作夢，在動物界醒來，並在人類之中認識了祂自己。」這樣逐步展開的進程向我們顯示，在其背後存在著一種生命的感知，它在每一個階段中逐漸表達自身，朝向愛的完整發展。

1. Mineral & Vegetable Kingdoms
礦物界與植物界

In the mineral kingdom we find no tendency towards love. But as the intelligence develops in the vegetable kingdom, we feel that sympathy is reflected from us into the flowers. The plants perceive and feel that which comes from us. A loving person may attend to plants and rear them and water them with love and sympathy, and they flourish; but in the hands of another it may not be so. If we only watched plants closely we should see how much they feel our presence and our love. They flourish according to our love; the more love we give, the more fragrance, the more sweetness. Man is always working on farms and in gardens, thinking of them as material things, looking to see how plants can be improved by material means; if he could only believe it, there is a still higher means of helping them to grow, a spiritual means: the use of love and sympathy.

在礦物界，我們看不到任何趨向愛的傾向。然而，隨著智能在植物界中發展，我們會感覺到，我們的同理與善意能映照到花朵之中。植物能感知並感受到來自我們的東西。一個有愛的人照料植物，以愛與關懷培育、澆灌它們，植物便會茂盛生長；但換到另一個人手中，情況未必如此。只要我們仔細觀察植物，就會看見它們多麼能感受到我們的臨在與愛。它們隨著我們的愛而繁盛；我們給予愈多的愛，便有愈多的芬芳、愈多的甘美。人們總是在農田與花園裡工作，把植物視為物質之物，只從物質的方法尋求改善植物生長的途徑；只要我們能相信，其實還有一種更高的方法能幫助它們生長，一種靈性的方法：運用愛與關懷。

There is a story in the East of Puran Bhagat, who was once living in exile in the forest; and after a long time, during which he had developed the true love in his thought and feeling and spirit, he returned to his country. The first thing he wished to do was to sit in his garden, which had gone to ruin during his absence. He went down to it in the guise of a sage, and began to water it with his little water bowl. The garden at once began to flourish, and in a short time it became such a miracle of beauty that everyone in the city began to talk about it and say, “This must be some spiritual man, since the garden begins to grow and flourish.” The touch of the saints and sages and prophets makes things grow.

東方有一個關於普蘭・巴加特（Puran Bhagat）的故事。他曾被放逐而居住在森林中；經過漫長的歲月，他在思想、情感與靈性中培養出了真正的愛，之後返回自己的國家。他最先想做的事，就是坐在自己的花園裡；那座花園在他離開期間早已荒廢。他以聖哲的裝束來到園中，用一只小水缽開始澆水。花園立刻繁盛起來，不久便美麗得宛如奇蹟，以至於城中人人都開始談論這件事，說：「這一定是一位靈性之人，因為花園竟開始生長繁盛。」聖者、聖哲與先知的觸碰，能使萬物生長。

Every kind of power lies in this one thing which we call by the simple name: love. Charity, generosity, kindness, affection, endurance, tolerance, and patience—all these words are different aspects of one; they are different names of only one thing: love. Whether it is said, “God is love”, or whatever name is given to it, all the names are the names of God; and yet every form of love, every name for love, has its own peculiar scope, has a peculiarity of its own. Love as kindness is one thing, love as tolerance is another, love as generosity is another, love as patience is another; and yet from beginning to end it is just love. It is love’s different manifestations in different directions which distinguish themselves differently and have different purposes.

一切種類的力量，都存在於這個我們以一個簡單名字稱呼的東西之中：愛。慈善、慷慨、仁慈、深情、忍耐、寬容與耐心——所有這些詞，都是同一件事的不同面向；它們只是同一件事的不同名稱：愛。無論我們說「神就是愛」，或賦予它任何其他名稱，所有這些名稱都是神的名字；然而，愛的每一種形式、愛的每一個名稱，都有它自身特有的範圍與特質。以仁慈呈現的愛是一種，以寬容呈現的愛是另一種，以慷慨呈現的愛又是一種，以耐心呈現的愛則是另一種；然而自始至終，它們都只是愛。正是愛朝向不同方向所呈現的不同顯現，使它們各自有所區別，也各有不同的作用。

According to Sufi metaphysics love has two different aspects, Jelal and Jemal; and each aspect of love has its peculiar sphere.

依照蘇菲的形上學，愛有兩個不同的面向：Jelal（威嚴）與 Jemal（柔美）；愛的每一個面向，都有它自身特有的領域。

• The Jelal of love is the power of love. You may call it psychic power, will-power, or power of mind; yet it is one power working through different channels. And this is the power of love; its power manifests and acts according to its force. Its force is greater when it is unlimited, and less when it is limited.
  
  愛的 Jelal（威嚴）面向，就是愛的力量。你可以稱它為心靈力量、意志力或頭腦的力量；然而，它其實是同一種力量，經由不同的管道運作。這就是愛的力量；它依照自身力量的強弱而顯現並產生作用。當它不受限制時，力量便更大；受到限制時，力量便較小。

• That which is called imagination, thought, perception, conception, inspiration, and intuition, comes from the Jemal aspect of love.
  
  我們所稱的想像、思想、感知、構想、靈感與直覺，都來自愛的 Jemal（柔美）面向。

2. Animal Kingdom
動物界

In the third stage of evolution, which is called the animal kingdom, love is still more manifest. The animal is more capable of perceiving and feeling our love and kindness, our pleasure and displeasure. When we enter a house the dog may be delighted, or he may recognize our displeasure and feel depressed; cats recognize our love, and so also do parrots and other pet animals of different kinds. Thus we see that the cat is vexed because another cat comes into the house, and we read how, when Joseph was in the well, it was a dog that brought him bread from a neighboring town, and fed him during the time he was in the well. And in Arabian stories we hear about an Arab who was protected and guarded by his horse when he fell wounded on the battle-field; the horse became his protector.

在進化的第三個階段，也就是動物界，愛顯現得更加明顯。動物更能感知並感受到我們的愛與仁慈，也能感受到我們的喜悅與不悅。當我們走進一間屋子，狗可能欣喜萬分；它也可能察覺我們的不悅而變得低落。貓能感受到我們的愛，鸚鵡以及各種其他寵物也是如此。因此，我們會看到一隻貓因為另一隻貓進入家中而感到惱怒；我們也讀到，約瑟身在井中時，有一隻狗從鄰近的城鎮為他帶來麵包，在他困於井中的期間餵養他。在阿拉伯故事中，我們也聽說有一位阿拉伯人在戰場上受傷倒下後，他的馬守護著他，成為他的保護者。

3. Human Kingdom
人類

In man love can develop still more, though sometimes man proves to be not only worse than animals, but even more dead to love than a rock. We would rather be with the rocks than with such a man. This is because he has developed selfishness with his evolution. He is more selfish than any other creature in the world, unless he wipes off the impression of selfishness from his heart.

在人類之中，愛能夠得到更進一步的發展；然而有時候，人所顯現的狀態不但比動物更糟，甚至比石頭還要對愛麻木。與這樣的人相處，我們甚至寧願與岩石為伴。這是因為人在進化的同時也發展出了自私。除非他能從心中抹去自私留下的印記，否則他可能比世上任何其他生物都更加自私。

It would be no exaggeration to say that the reason why a man cannot achieve occult and psychic power, and the intuitive and inspirational faculty, is because he has not developed the power of love; and this failure is caused by the selfishness which has kept him back from developing the power of love.

毫不誇張地說，一個人之所以無法獲得玄祕與心靈的力量，也無法發展直覺與靈感的能力，是因為他尚未發展出愛的力量；而這種不足，正是由於自私阻礙了他，使他無法發展愛的力量。

Man does not differ from animals in his passions and emotions. The human being differs from the animal by his human qualities; these are not eating, drinking, or seeking his kind. Human qualities can only be developed by the development of love. Man has fought in all ages with his brother on account of differences of religion, differences of faith, differences of belief, differences of Church, differences of community, not knowing that each religion, each time it was given, has brought only a message of love, taking a different expression each time. It has been given in different ages and to different people; they have received it according to their evolution; and yet there has really been only the one teaching, that of developing love. “Love your neighbor; love your fellow-man; love your enemy”, there has always been the same lesson given.

人在激情與情緒方面並不異於動物。人與動物之所以不同，在於人所具備的人性品質；而這些品質並不是吃、喝，或尋求同類。人性的品質唯有透過愛的發展才能培養出來。歷世歷代，人因宗教不同、信仰不同、信念不同、教會不同、群體不同，而與自己的弟兄爭鬥，卻不知道每一個宗教在每一次被賦予人類時，所帶來的其實都只是一個愛的訊息，只是在不同時代採取了不同的表達形式。它在不同時代賜予不同的人，人們依照自身的進化程度來接受它；然而真正的教導始終只有一個，就是發展愛。「愛你的鄰人；愛你的同胞；愛你的敵人。」所給予的教誨始終相同。

Christ told the fishermen to come, and he would make them fishers of men; that is to say, “As fishes come into your net, so your heart full of love will become a net which will attract every man to it.”

基督召喚漁夫前來，說他要使他們成為得人的漁夫；意思就是：「正如魚進入你們的網，你們充滿愛的心也將成為一張網，吸引每一個人來到其中。」

Rumi says, “All who see me feel attracted to me, yet do not know what it is in me that attracts them.”

魯米說：「所有看見我的人都感到被我吸引，然而他們並不知道，我身上究竟是什麼吸引了他們。」

Is it not the secret of the whole of life? If we could see to whom we are attracted in life, father, mother, sister, neighbor, or anybody that we feel drawn to, then it would seem to us to be a magnetic or psychic power. But there is no greater magnetic power than love. Its magnetic power is very great. It changes a person’s voice, his heart, his manner, his form, his movement, his activity, everything becomes changed.

這不正是整個生命的奧祕嗎？若我們觀察自己在生命中受到誰的吸引——父親、母親、姊妹、鄰人，或任何令我們感到親近的人——我們可能會覺得其中有某種磁性的力量或心靈力量。然而，沒有任何磁力比愛更強。愛的磁力極其強大。它會改變一個人的聲音、他的心、他的舉止、他的形貌、他的動作、他的行為；一切都會因此改變。

What a difference between water and rock; that smoothness and that liquid state of being, the rise and fall of the surface of the water compared with the rigidity of the rock! The great teachers of humanity become streams of love. It is the first sign of the sage or holy man that he himself becomes love. His voice, his feeling, his presence, everything makes one realize that there is something open in him which we do not find in everybody; this something is his deep love.

水與岩石之間有多麼大的差別！水那柔順而流動的存在狀態，水面的起伏，與岩石的僵硬形成何等鮮明的對照！人類偉大的老師，都成為了愛的流水。聖哲或聖者的第一個徵象，就是他自己成為了愛。他的聲音、他的感受、他的臨在——一切都使人察覺，他內在有某種敞開，而這並非人人都有；這就是他深厚的愛。

4. Obstacle to Love: Selfishness
愛的障礙：自私

The development of love is often hindered by different obstacles in life. The first obstacle is ourselves. We begin our life with selfishness, and all that we want is for self and if there is a tendency to love, it is for one’s own happiness, and one’s own joy. When the question comes, “How much do you love me, and how much do I love you?” it has come to be a trading in love. “I love you, but you do not love me” is as much as to say, “I have bid so much, and I expect a return of love.” This is trading in love, and trade cannot lead anywhere, because it makes one think of the self, and love is beyond that.

愛的發展經常受到生命中各種障礙的阻擋。第一個障礙就是我們自己。我們以自私開始生命，所想要的一切都是為自己；即使有愛的傾向，也往往是為了自己的幸福與自己的喜悅。當問題變成「你有多愛我？我又有多愛你？」愛便成了一場交易。「我愛你，但你不愛我」，就等於是在說：「我出了這麼高的價，因此期待得到愛的回報。」這就是拿愛來交易；而交易無法把人帶往任何地方，因為它使人一直想到自己，而愛超越了自我。

To love is to give; it is not to take at all. The true lover never speaks of what he has done for his beloved, for he loves for love’s sake, not for the sake of a return. If a person begins to love and makes it a love fed by the love of his beloved, then he seeks an impossible thing. If a person keeps waiting for the love of the beloved, he is bound to find that nature cannot grant that desire, unless both are traders in love. Then each takes the best of the other; each may think he loves, but neither truly loves.

愛就是給予，完全不是索取。真正的愛者從不談論自己為所愛之人做過什麼，因為他是為愛本身而愛，而不是為了得到回報。如果一個人開始去愛，卻讓自己的愛必須依靠對方的愛才能維持，那麼他追求的就是不可能之事。如果一個人不斷等待所愛之人的愛，他終究會發現，自然無法滿足這樣的欲望，除非雙方都在交易愛。如此一來，彼此只是從對方身上取得最好的部分；兩人或許都以為自己在愛，但其實沒有任何一方真正愛著。

Love teaches the lover patience, forbearance, gentleness, because he thinks, “My beloved will be displeased; I will be as gentle as possible in my action and in my movements.” These thoughts are a correction to the lover. With every such thought that passes in the life of the lover he corrects himself. Hope is the only thing in life which keeps us alive, because it feeds on love. Patience is fed by love. We can never have patience with anybody without love. How valuable is patience!

愛教導愛者耐心、忍讓與溫柔，因為他會想：「我所愛的人可能會不高興；因此我的行為與舉止要盡可能溫柔。」這樣的念頭會修正愛者自己。在愛者的生命中，每一次生起這樣的念頭，他都在修正自己。希望是生命中使我們活下去的力量，因為希望以愛為養分。耐心也由愛滋養。若沒有愛，我們不可能真正對任何人有耐心。耐心是多麼珍貴！

As it is said in the Qur’an, “Allah loves the patient.”

正如《古蘭經》所說：「神愛有耐心的人。」

5. Hindrance to Love: Dependence
愛的阻礙：依賴

Another hindrance to love is its dependence on the beauty of the ideal, be it physical beauty, beauty of thought, of character, or of personality. Whatever beauty it may be, whenever love depends for its continuance or for its existence upon the beauty of its object, it must some day fall. Therefore true love does not regard the body, the external object; in point of fact love prepares its own ideal. For when a person says, “O, I have loved you for your beauty”, what will he say when youth has gone and the beauty is lost? Where will the love be then? The love will change too. And if love has gone with the passing of the beauty of the object of its love, what then? Another may say, “O, I love you for your personality”, and yet perhaps within a month the beloved may not show the same personality, the same attractive goodness. What then?

愛還有另一個阻礙，就是它依賴理想對象的美——無論是外貌之美、思想之美、性情之美，或人格風範之美。不論是哪一種美，只要愛的持續或存在依賴所愛對象的美，這份愛總有一天必然會倒下。因此，真正的愛並不著眼於身體，不著眼於外在的對象；事實上，是愛自己塑造出它的理想。因為當一個人說：「啊，我因你的美而愛你。」那麼青春消逝、美貌不再時，他又將說什麼呢？那時愛又在哪裡？愛也會隨之改變。如果所愛之人的美逝去，愛也跟著消失，那又如何呢？另一個人或許會說：「啊，我愛的是你的風範。」然而也許不到一個月，所愛的人便不再顯露同樣的風範，不再有同樣吸引人的美好。那又如何呢？

We think a flower is a fleeting thing, so soon does it change; and yet the human heart is liable to a quicker change than even the flower. A person may be very good one moment, very kind; and the next moment the contrary; calm one moment, and then restless; at one time so affectionate, at another indifferent; all according to the state of mind in which he happens to be at the time. So it cannot last if it is allowed to depend on the beauty of the ideal; such love is dependent and would sooner or later die. That is why so many hearts cannot keep the flame of love alive in them.

我們以為花是轉瞬即逝之物，因為它變化得如此迅速；然而人的心甚至比花更容易改變。一個人這一刻可能非常善良、非常仁慈，下一刻卻完全相反；這一刻平靜，接著又變得不安；有時如此深情，有時又十分淡漠——一切都隨著他當下的心境而變化。因此，如果愛任由自己依賴理想對象的美，它便不可能持久；這樣的愛是有所依賴的，遲早都會消逝。這正是為什麼有那麼多人的心無法讓愛的火焰持續燃燒。

Often it happens that lovers grow cold just from lack of understanding that love must not be for an external ideal, but that the lover has to prepare the ideal in himself; they have failed to make the self-sufficient love within themselves. Not so the sages, the holy men, the wise ones. They know that a person who is kind today can be the contrary tomorrow. Therefore the wise lover expects both opposites in the external and inner beauty of the beloved.

愛者之間經常逐漸冷淡，只因為他們不了解，愛不應建立在外在的理想之上；愛者必須在自己內在塑造那個理想。他們未能在自身之中培養出能自足的愛。聖哲、聖者與智者則不是如此。他們知道，一個今天仁慈的人，明天可能顯現完全相反的一面。因此，有智慧的愛者，在所愛之人的外在與內在之美中，都預先容納了這兩種相反的可能。

6. The Ideal Love Within
內在的理想之愛

Those who have developed the ideal love within themselves by the aid of an object to love, transform their nature into a more and more loving one in time. Their love for a certain person is akin to learning the ABC’s, for by learning the ABC’s one comes to be able to read not only the primer, but any book. By learning to love one, we gain a light, a torch, by the light of which we can read all things in life; it is as if in our nature we have developed something that we can give to everyone.

那些藉由一個所愛的對象，而在自身之中發展出理想之愛的人，隨著時間過去，他們的本性會變得愈來愈充滿愛。他們對某一個人的愛，就像學習字母一樣；學會字母之後，我們不只能讀啟蒙讀本，也能閱讀任何一本書。藉由學習去愛一個人，我們得到了一道光、一支火炬；在這光的照耀之下，我們能夠讀懂生命中的一切。彷彿我們已在自己的本性中培養出某種東西，而能將它給予每一個人。

In the East there is a saying, “A loving son is always a loving husband.” This is a true philosophy. It teaches the fact that he who has known from the beginning of life what love means, has laid the foundation of a whole life of being truly loving. A person who is faithful and kind to one friend can be kind to all, acquaintances, servants, neighbors, and strangers alike, because he has developed that quality. But when people pretend to love they are kind to one and bitter to another. This shows that they are not really lovers. The real lover will show his kindness, gentleness, sympathy, all aspects of love, to every one he meets.

東方有一句話：「一個有愛的兒子，也總會是一個有愛的丈夫。」這是一個真正的哲理。它告訴我們，一個從生命之初就知道愛是什麼的人，已經為一生真正去愛奠定了基礎。一個能忠誠而仁慈地對待一位朋友的人，也能仁慈地對待所有人——熟人、僕人、鄰居與陌生人皆是如此——因為他已經培養出了這種品質。然而，當人只是假裝在愛時，他會對一個人仁慈，對另一個人卻刻薄。這顯示他並不是真正的愛者。真正的愛者，會向每一個遇見的人展現他的仁慈、溫柔、同理，以及愛的所有面向。

When one thinks about occult powers, such as knowing the condition of other people’s minds, their pleasure and displeasure, also the joy and pain of another’s heart, knowing what is going on at a distance, receiving news from far away in the world, we find that all these can be gained without study, just through the power of love. It is all so easy and simple to one who loves. The traders with love cannot know this. The real lover will know such things without special meditation or concentration, for what can exert a greater concentration than love? If one’s thoughts are scattered over pianos, chairs, tables, jewels, dress, one cannot understand such power; but if one has true interest in an ideal, the power is there before one seeks it.

當我們想到各種玄祕能力，例如知道別人的心境、他們的喜悅與不悅，感受到另一顆心的歡樂與痛苦，知道遠方正在發生什麼，或接收到世界另一端的消息，我們會發現，這一切不必經由學習也能獲得，只需要愛的力量。對真正愛著的人而言，這一切是如此容易而自然。拿愛來交易的人無法知道這一點。真正的愛者即使沒有特殊的冥想或專注練習，也能知道這些事情，因為還有什麼能產生比愛更強大的專注呢？如果一個人的思想散落在鋼琴、椅子、桌子、珠寶與衣服之間，他便無法理解這樣的力量；然而，一旦他對某個理想具有真正的關注，在他尚未尋求這力量之前，這力量就已存在。

Therefore all occult and psychic power is the power of love. But it is not only a matter of love for a living person. There is a love of art, of science, of music, of poetry, of all the different aspects of beauty. Love in every direction shows one the sublime vision of the beautiful. It is those who have loved the beauty of poetry who are able to enjoy its beauty and to express it to others; those who have love of music are enabled to give their music to the world and attract the lovers of music, as well as being able to enjoy its beauty themselves. Love’s power ever shows its magnetism afresh through all the ages.

因此，一切玄祕與心靈的力量，都是愛的力量。但這並不只是對一個活生生之人的愛。還有對藝術的愛、對科學的愛、對音樂的愛、對詩的愛，以及對美的種種不同面向的愛。愛無論朝向哪一個方向，都會使人看見美的崇高景象。唯有愛過詩之美的人，才能享受它的美，也能將這份美表達給別人；愛音樂的人，不僅自己能享受音樂之美，也能把音樂帶給世界，吸引其他愛音樂的人。歷經所有時代，愛的力量始終以嶄新的方式顯現它的磁性。

7. Love of God
對神的愛

But love in its higher sense teaches us that there is a love, an object, a beloved that can last with us and prove satisfactory, compared with which there is nothing in life worthy of all our love; and that one object is God. But among those who say, “O yes, I love God”, very few tell the truth; very often that is a false pretence. How can we love the formless and colorless? It is impossible to love one whom we cannot confine within any particular beauty. It is only those who pretend to be spiritual because they are godly and pious towards those of their own sect that say, “We love God.” It is as absurd to say this as to say to a beloved, “O beloved, I love you very much, but I do not like looking at your face.” For God says, “I have made man in My own image.”

然而，在更高的意義上，愛教導我們，有一種愛、有一個對象、有一位所愛者，能夠長久與我們同在，並真正使我們滿足；與祂相比，生命中沒有任何其他事物值得我們付出全部的愛。這唯一的對象就是神。然而，在那些說「啊，是的，我愛神」的人當中，真正說出實話的非常少；這句話往往只是一種虛假的宣稱。我們怎麼能愛一個無形無色的存在？若無法在某種特定的美之中感受到祂，我們就不可能去愛祂。那些只對自己宗派的人表現敬神與虔誠，便以為自己很有靈性的人，才會說：「我們愛神。」這就如同對所愛的人說：「啊，親愛的，我非常愛你，但我不喜歡看你的臉。」一樣荒謬。因為神說：「我照著自己的形象造了人。」

When man is prejudiced against man and still says, “I love God”, how can God be pleased with that kind of love? How can that be true love for God which refuses to see the beauty that is before it? If God said, “If you wish to see Me, see Me in the face of man; that is My own image” this would show what true love is. Also, if a person claiming to love an artist were to say to him, “I love you very much, but I cannot bear to look at your picture”, what kind of love could that be? The artist has given all his soul and life to that art; his very self has, so to speak, become art, and his whole satisfaction lies in our appreciation of his art. How can those claim to love the Creator who do not love what He has created? For God could never have become known had there been no manifestation. So he who does not find sufficient beauty to admire in His manifestation cannot pretend to love God.

當人對人懷有偏見，卻仍然說：「我愛神」，神又怎麼會喜悅這樣的愛？一種拒絕看見眼前之美的愛，怎麼可能是真正對神的愛？如果神說：「若你想看見我，就在人臉上看見我；那就是我的形象。」這便顯示了真正的愛是什麼。同樣地，假如一個自稱愛某位藝術家的人對藝術家說：「我非常愛你，但我實在無法忍受看你的畫。」這又算是什麼樣的愛？藝術家把自己的整個靈魂與生命都投入藝術之中；可以說，他自己已成為藝術，而他全部的滿足就在於我們對其藝術的欣賞。若不愛造物主所創造的事物，又怎能宣稱自己愛造物主？若沒有顯現，神也永遠無法被認識。因此，一個無法在祂的顯現中找到足夠的美而加以欣賞的人，便不能宣稱自己愛神。

So, too, if someone limits his love to a single object, saying, “I only love this and there is nothing else I need”, surely he has not the right kind of love either. True love is limitless. Though it begins by being limited in such a way, yet it progresses and some day breaks out. Such a thing is constantly happening in life, but people do not understand the psychic law which underlies it. Eastern people say, when someone loves another person intensely and does not care for anyone else, “There will be some mishap there some day.” There is always some breakdown, some danger waiting, some trouble in the future, when love is not allowed to flow freely and is limited.

同樣地，如果一個人把自己的愛限制在單一對象上，說：「我只愛這一個，除此之外我什麼都不需要。」那麼他的愛也還不是真正的愛。真正的愛是無限的。即使它最初以如此有限的方式開始，它仍會繼續發展，並在某一天突破這個限制。這樣的事情在生命中不斷發生，只是人們不了解其背後的心靈法則。東方人看到一個人極度愛著另一個人，對其他所有人都毫不在意時，會說：「總有一天，那裡會出事。」當愛無法自由流動而受到限制時，總會有某種破裂、某種等待著的危險，或未來的某種困難。

The Japanese and Chinese have called God jealous, because He does not allow two persons to be devoted only to each other. God cannot tolerate this narrowing of love. If one tried to put the whole sea into a little jar, the sea would break it. The sea of love breaks its limited channel. To speak of the jealous God means that the unlimited force of love cannot allow its expression to be directed towards one limited object. That is why the love of God alone is the culmination of love, for love is as vast as God. Verily, love itself is God.

日本人與中國人曾稱神為嫉妒的神，因為祂不容許兩個人只將全部的心奉獻給彼此。神無法容許愛被如此縮限。如果有人試圖把整片海洋裝進一只小罐子裡，海水會把罐子撐破。愛的海洋也會衝破限制它的河道。所謂神的嫉妒，意思是愛那無限的力量，不能容許自身的表達只朝向一個有限的對象。因此，唯有對神的愛才是愛的圓滿，因為愛如神一般廣闊無邊。的確，愛本身就是神。

There is a beautiful story which has been dramatized and acted in India for hundreds of years; the people never get tired of seeing it, so it is acted even today. It is called “The Court of Indra.”

有一個美麗的故事，在印度數百年來一直被改編成戲劇演出；人們百看不厭，因此直到今天仍有人演出。這個故事叫作《因陀羅的宮廷》（The Court of Indra）。

Indra is the God of Heaven. His court is made up of Devas and Peris. The latter dance in the court, the Devas are to attend the pleasure of Indra. No earthly creature is ever allowed to enter, nothing of the earth is ever seen or allowed in the court of Indra.

因陀羅（Indra）是天界之神。他的宮廷由天神（Devas）與仙女（Peris）組成。仙女在宮廷中舞蹈，天神則侍奉因陀羅，使他歡悅。任何地上的生物都不准進入；在因陀羅的宮廷中，從來看不到任何屬於地上的事物，也不容許它們出現。

Once a Peri, the Green Peri, happened to fly to the surface of the earth, and she saw a prince of that country over which she was flying, whose beauty charmed her so much that she thought that if she could in some way or other take him to her high dwellings, she would be happy. She told one of the Devas about it, and he carried away Gulfam, the Prince, while he was asleep.

有一次，一位仙女——綠仙女（Green Peri）——偶然飛到人間。當她飛過某個國家時，看見了那裡的一位王子，他的美深深迷住了她。她想，如果能設法把他帶到自己高天的居所，她一定會很幸福。她把這件事告訴一位天神，於是天神趁王子古爾法姆（Gulfam）熟睡時，把他帶走了。

He wakes up, and finds himself in a strange place, and breathing a different air. After great bewilderment he sees a Peri, a creature much more beautiful than the creatures of the earth. He looks at her and asks her how he comes to be there. She tells him he is in Indra Loka, that she loves him and will be happy to keep him there. “I will do anything for your happiness”, she says.

他醒來後，發現自己身處一個陌生的地方，呼吸著不同的空氣。極度困惑之際，他看見了一位仙女，一個遠比世間生靈更加美麗的存在。他望著她，問自己為什麼會來到這裡。她告訴他，他身在因陀羅界（Indra Loka）；她愛他，而且若能讓他留在那裡，她會非常幸福。她說：「為了你的幸福，我什麼都願意做。」

Gulfam forgets all about his kingdom, and lives with the Peri, most happy in her love. Every day she has to leave him to be at her duty, and every day she returns, never saying where she has been. This arouses his curiosity, but still she will not tell where she goes and what she does. Finally she does tell him that she has to dance before Indra every day. Then he wants to go and see. She expostulates, but at length consents to take him.

古爾法姆完全忘了自己的王國，與仙女共同生活，沉浸在她的愛中，無比幸福。每天，她都必須離開他去履行自己的職責；每天也都會回來，卻從不說自己去了哪裡。這引起了他的好奇，但她仍不肯告訴他自己去了哪裡、做了什麼。最後，她終於告訴他，自己每天都必須到因陀羅面前跳舞。於是他想親自去看看。她一再勸阻，但最後仍答應帶他前往。

She keeps him behind her, and hopes to conceal him with her wings as she dances before Indra. But one of the Devas sees him and tells Indra, who for a long time will not believe it possible that a human being could be in his court. Then he discovers him, and pronounces a curse upon him, while the Peri is to be banished until she has undergone the successive stages of purification through earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Not till then can she be allowed to enter the heavens again.

她讓他躲在自己身後，希望自己在因陀羅面前跳舞時，能用雙翼遮住他。然而，一位天神看見了他，便向因陀羅稟報。因陀羅起初完全不相信，一個人類竟可能出現在自己的宮廷中。後來他發現了古爾法姆，便對他降下詛咒；而仙女則遭到放逐，必須依序經過地、水、火、風與乙太的淨化。直到完成這一切，她才被允許重新進入天界。

This story shows that in the highest dwellings, in that sphere which is Indra Loka where love conquers man, the King is Indra, the perfection of beauty. The highest love must be for God; it belongs to Him. In its development love should aim at that idea. The Peri is the human soul, Gulfam is the human body. The soul, which is heavenly, becomes interested in this earthly body; but when by the power of love it comes from the earth to the heavenly sphere, it brings to heaven an object which is destined only for the earth. The love of a limited being is not allowed to remain in heaven, and will be condemned to be purified and uplifted until it can nevermore find satisfaction in a limited object, in the love for a human being. Homage must be paid to the Lord of Heaven.

這個故事顯示，在最高的居所、在那個愛征服人的因陀羅界中，王者是因陀羅，是美的圓滿。最高的愛必須歸於神；它屬於祂。愛在發展的過程中，應當朝向這個理想。仙女代表人的靈魂，古爾法姆則代表人的身體。靈魂原屬天界，卻開始對這個地上的身體產生興趣；然而當它藉著愛的力量從地上來到天界時，也把一個只屬於大地的對象帶進了天界。對有限存在的愛，不能永遠停留在天界；它必須受到淨化與提升，直到它再也無法從一個有限的對象、從對一個人的愛之中獲得最終的滿足。最終的敬拜必須歸於天界之主。

True love must have free flow; and to learn that free flow the teachers have taught us first to love from the limited, and thence to advance in love till we attain to the love of God, the Unlimited.

真正的愛必須自由地流動；而為了學會這種自由的流動，老師們教導我們，先從有限的愛開始，再由此不斷向前，直到抵達對無限者——神——的愛。

8. Intuition
直覺

Intuition is a part of knowledge that is beyond man’s personality, and above his knowledge of things and names. It comes at times when man becomes passive and exposes himself to that knowledge, consciously or unconsciously.

直覺是一種超越個人層面，也超越我們對事物及其名稱之認知的知識。當一個人進入較為被動、接納的狀態，使自己向這種知識敞開時，直覺便會到來，無論他是有意識或無意識地如此。

There are some who are more intuitive, and there are others who are less so; and if we study the nature of their character, we shall know the nature of their intuition. Those who are confused, who are constantly hurried, who are changeable in their nature, who are afraid of death, of disease, of their own actions, of their enemies, of their surroundings; those who have constant doubt, wondering whether they can trust this person or that, whether a friend may or may not prove worthy, and so on—it is all these who have less possibility of intuition. Those who can trust without troubling themselves, those who have few doubts, are usually clearer in their perception. Those who trust in the inner guidance, who understand the secret of the instinct that works through animals and all creatures, those who are pious, those who wish to walk in the light, who always prefer the right way of thinking and speaking and acting, it is these who often experience intuition.

有些人比較具有直覺，有些人則較少；如果我們研究他們的性情，就能了解其直覺的性質。那些容易困惑、總是匆忙、性情多變的人；那些害怕死亡、疾病、自己的行動、敵人或周遭環境的人；那些不斷懷疑，總在思量能不能相信這個人或那個人、某位朋友究竟值不值得信任等等的人——這些人較不容易有直覺。那些能夠信任而不使自己陷入煩擾、較少疑慮的人，通常具有較清楚的感知。那些信任內在引導、了解本能如何在動物與一切生靈之中運作的奧祕、心懷虔敬、願意行走在光中，並始終選擇正確的思想、言語與行動方式的人，往往更常經驗到直覺。

Intuition is the first step, inspiration is the second, and revelation is the third. When revelation begins, it has arisen from intuition; for intuition is the first stage.

直覺是第一步，靈感是第二步，啟示則是第三步。當啟示開始出現時，它其實是從直覺生起的，因為直覺是最初的階段。

What is its way of manifestation? How is intuition expressed? Intuition is of two kinds: it may come without intention, without being invited, or it may come when one asks oneself a question.

它是如何顯現的？直覺又如何表達自己？直覺有兩種：一種是不經意、未經邀請便自行到來；另一種則是在一個人向自己提出問題時出現。

1. In the first kind a person may be sitting down, and the thought comes to him that a danger is awaiting him; in what way it may occur he does not know, he just feels it. Next day he finds that something was going to happen to him. Then he sometimes thinks that happiness is coming from a friend, that someone from whom he has been parted for a long time is coming to see him; sometimes he thinks an enemy is going to turn into a friend; and yet he had not been thinking of the subject. The thought comes to him suddenly. It proves true, it proves right.
   
   第一種情況是，一個人可能只是坐著，忽然有一個念頭來到他心中，感覺某種危險正在等待著他；他不知道危險將以什麼方式發生，只是感覺到了。第二天，他便發現確實有某件事情原本將要發生在自己身上。有時，他會忽然感覺某位朋友將為他帶來喜悅，或一位長久分離的人即將前來探望；有時，他會感覺某個敵人將轉變成朋友，而在此之前，他根本沒有想過這件事。這念頭突然來到，後來證實為真，證實是對的。
   
   Without enquiry a thought comes to us which tells us of a coming event. People sometimes take this to be a spirit-communication; sometimes they take it to be thought-transference from someone else. Both ideas are possible, but intuition is a greater and higher thing than spirit-communication or thought-reading, because it is pure; it is our own property; it belongs to us. In this we do not depend upon a spirit, or upon another person sending a thought to us. In this we are perfectly independent; we receive the knowledge from within, which is far superior, greater, and higher.
   
   在沒有詢問的情況下，一個念頭來到我們心中，告訴我們某件即將發生的事情。人們有時把這看作靈體的溝通，有時則認為這是別人的思想傳遞而來。這兩種可能性都存在；然而直覺比靈體溝通或讀取思想更偉大、更高，因為它是純粹的；它是我們自身所擁有的，屬於我們自己。在這種情況下，我們不依賴任何靈體，也不依賴另一個人把思想傳送給我們。我們是完全獨立的；我們從內在接收到知識，而這種知識遠為優越、偉大而崇高。

2. The second kind of intuition is that of which it is said in the Bible, “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Knocking at the door is asking within one’s own self, “What will become of this particular business, or aim, or object that I am thinking of?” As soon as one knocks at the gate of God, which is one’s heart, from there the answer comes, and it is a truer answer than any other person can give. There is no one who can know as much about our life, affairs, objects, motives as we do ourselves. And therefore nobody can advise us better than ourselves.
   
   第二種直覺，就是《聖經》所說的：「叩門，就給你們開門。」叩門，就是在自己內在詢問：「我正在思考的這件事、這個目標或這個目的，最後會如何？」當一個人敲響神的門——也就是自己的心——答案便會從那裡來到，而那個答案比任何其他人所能給予的都更加真實。沒有人能比我們自己更了解自己的生命、處境、目的與動機。因此，也沒有人能比我們自己給予更好的指引。
   
   Mankind cannot understand this secret, and consequently begins by depending on the advice of others. This would be advantageous if one had the good fortune to find a better adviser. But sometimes the person from whom advice is asked is foolish, sometimes he is an enemy, sometimes he himself is in confusion and cannot advise. Therefore people keep themselves from their real and true adviser: the guiding faculty within.
   
   人類不了解這個奧祕，因此總是先依賴別人的建議。若一個人幸運地找到更好的顧問，這當然可能有所助益。然而，有時被詢問的人很愚昧，有時他其實是敵人，有時連他自己都處於困惑之中，根本無法給予指引。因此，人反而使自己遠離了真正而可靠的顧問：內在的引導能力。

Intuition begins in the form of impressions. As soon as we see a person we have an impression of him. His face, his features, his expression, his atmosphere have in a way made an impression on us of his goodness, his righteousness, his wisdom or foolishness, his being useful or not, his being displeased with us or not, his being our friend or enemy; whatever his condition may be, we receive it without knowing from any other source that these are his feelings. According to our own openness of spirit we get our impressions. We may receive a kind of impression as to whether we will be successful in our business or not. All these impressions convey to a man that his intuition is beginning. That is the first step.

直覺最初以印象的形式出現。我們一看見某個人，便會對他形成某種印象。他的臉、五官、神情與整體氣息，都會以某種方式在我們心中留下印象，使我們感覺他是善良或正直、智慧或愚昧；他是否能有所助益，是否對我們不悅，是朋友還是敵人。無論他的狀態如何，我們並不是從其他來源得知他的感受，卻會直接接收到它。我們所能得到的印象，取決於自身靈性的敞開程度。我們也可能對某件事業是否會成功產生某種印象。所有這些印象都在告訴一個人：他的直覺開始萌生了。這就是第一步。

After having intuition about individuals in their relation to ourselves, the next step is the intuition which occurs when another person is telling us of his projects. We have an impression as to whether they will be successful or not. We cannot give a reason for it; or even if we do we become aware that as we utter the reason it is not the real reason. For as soon as we begin to think it out, we at once descend from the higher, the spiritual source of information. To try and prove the basic truth of its spiritual source by means of reason, is to use earthly means to establish that which belongs to heaven. A proper reason for an intuition cannot be given.

當我們已能對別人與自己的關係產生直覺，下一步便是：當另一個人向我們述說他的計畫時，我們會直覺感到這個計畫是否會成功。我們無法說出理由；即使試著提出理由，在說出口時也會察覺，那並不是真正的原因。因為只要開始用思考去推演，我們便立刻從那個更高的、靈性的資訊來源下降了。企圖用理性來證明其靈性來源的基本真實，就等於以屬於大地的方法去證明屬於天界之物。直覺無法以一個恰當的理性理由來說明。

The source from which this knowledge comes is not reason. People who are very good at reasoning can go on fighting all their lives, and yet nothing may come of it. Ultimately their reasoning turns into a play on words and terms; and as a word can be made to mean anything, they have always an easy way of escape from being caught by the person with whom they argue. It is just like wrestling; or just as in a court of law two barristers will each present their case as being the truth even though they may in fact know that it is not true. They fight with their reason and logic.

這種知識的來源並不是理性。非常擅長推理的人，可以一生不停地爭辯，最後卻什麼也沒有得到。他們的推理終究變成文字與術語的遊戲；而既然一個詞可以被解釋成各種不同意思，他們總能輕易找到出口，不讓自己在辯論中被對方抓住。這就像摔角；又像法庭上的兩位律師，各自把自己的案件陳述為真實，即使他們其實知道事情並非如此。他們以理性與邏輯彼此交戰。

First of all, it is necessary to realize that when we see that our impressions are right and our doubts cannot destroy them, and we have been right in ten impressions and wrong in only one, then we know that the wrong one was not what we thought it was. When this realization has evolved, then we are able to know things intuitively.

首先，我們必須逐漸認識到：當我們看見自己的印象是正確的，而懷疑無法摧毀它們；當十次印象之中有九次或十次是正確的，只有一次看似錯誤時，我們便會明白，那一次所謂的錯誤，其實並不是我們原先以為的那回事。當這份認識發展成熟，我們便開始能以直覺知道事物。

The difference between imagination and intuition is sometimes puzzling to define. Both come in the same way. When a certain imagination began to construct itself, we cannot say. The imagination came suddenly; but so also does intuition. That is why it is so difficult to discriminate between them. The truth is that if imagination comes with light, then it is certainly intuition.

想像與直覺之間的差別，有時很難界定。兩者到來的方式相同。我們無法說清楚某個想像究竟是在什麼時候開始形成的；它忽然就出現了，而直覺也是如此。因此，要分辨兩者非常困難。事實是，如果想像伴隨著光而來，那麼它必然就是直覺。

Every imagination is intuition until it has been corrupted by reason; and when the intuition is corrupted by reason it becomes imagination. But every imagination and every thought which is illumined by the intelligence is always an intuition; and therefore to an illuminated person any thought or imagination is intuition. To him there is never a thought or imagination which is not an intuition.

每一個想像，在尚未被理性扭曲之前，都是直覺；而當直覺被理性扭曲，它便成了想像。然而，每一個被智能之光照亮的想像與思想，始終都是直覺。因此，對一個受光啟的人而言，任何思想或想像都是直覺；對他來說，不存在一個不是直覺的思想或想像。

But it is difficult to keep these from being corrupted by reason, because as soon as they are produced we doubt whether they are right or not right. We doubt it until we have killed all the truth of our intuition. Our doubts are always the enemies of our intuition; and therefore practice is required in everyday life to keep intuition from being corrupted and finally destroyed by our doubts. We ought to build a fence round intuitions as if they were delicate plants, and protect them from being destroyed by reason and doubts. By doing so, in time we grow to be sure of our intuitions, and then we never fail to get things right.

然而，要避免它們受到理性的扭曲並不容易，因為它們一出現，我們立刻便開始懷疑它們究竟對不對。我們不斷懷疑，直到把直覺之中的真實完全扼殺。懷疑始終是直覺的敵人；因此，我們需要在日常生活中練習，使直覺不致被懷疑扭曲，最後甚至遭到摧毀。我們應當像保護纖弱的植物一樣，在直覺周圍築起一道圍籬，保護它們不受理性與懷疑的破壞。如此持續下去，我們會逐漸對自己的直覺產生確信，之後便愈來愈能準確地把握事物。

And when the intuitions become right then the dreams become right. We see what is really going to happen in every thought which comes to us; the truth of life. Then our life becomes a miracle; there is no need to look for wonders in the outside world. Our own has become full of wonders.

而當直覺變得準確，夢也會變得準確。我們在每一個來到心中的念頭裡，看見真正將要發生的事情，看見生命的真實。那時，我們的生命本身便成為一個奇蹟；我們不再需要到外面的世界尋找奇蹟，因為自己的生命已經充滿奇蹟。

To the illuminated one every night’s dream becomes a book that tells the past, the present, and the future, both of himself and of all those whom he cares for or wishes to know about.

對受光啟的人而言，每一夜的夢都成為一本書，述說著過去、現在與未來，不僅關於他自己，也關於所有他所關心或希望了解的人。

9. Inspiration
靈感

The next step is inspiration. Inspiration is not only the coming of a single thought, a single idea, but of a flow of ideas. One may express them in poetry, in music, in philosophy, in speech, in writing, in thinking. The inspirations come as many ideas. Inspiration is a developed intuition. The expression of inspiration is according to one’s particular ability. If a person speaks a beautiful language, he can express his ideas in that language. All prophets and messengers have received the same message, but they have uttered it in different languages. Why? Because surely it is one idea, one knowledge from heaven, but it is expressed according to the language the receiver is accustomed to, seeing that he has no other with which to express it.

下一步是靈感。靈感不只是單一念頭、單一觀念的到來，而是一股觀念之流。人可以透過詩、音樂、哲學、言語、書寫或思想來表達它。靈感以眾多觀念的形式湧現。靈感是已發展的直覺。靈感如何表達，則取決於一個人特有的能力。如果一個人善於運用優美的語言，他便能以那種語言表達自己的觀念。所有先知與使者所接收到的都是同一個訊息，卻以不同的語言說出來。為什麼？因為它確實是同一個觀念、來自天界的同一份知識，只是接收者會依照自己所熟悉的語言來表達，因為他沒有別的媒介可以表達它。

The angels are not as great as man, because though they are gifted with the higher knowledge and are in the higher spheres, they have no power of expression. Man gets his knowledge from the higher source, but expresses it through the means provided by the lower spheres.

天使並不像人那樣偉大，因為儘管他們具有更高的知識，並存在於更高的境界，卻沒有表達的能力。人從更高的源頭得到知識，卻能藉由較低層次的世界所提供的媒介將它表達出來。

The Qur’an tells that God said to the angels, “I am going to create man, who will be the chief of creation.”

《古蘭經》記載，神對天使說：「我要創造人，使他成為萬物之首。」

They asked, “Are we not a satisfactory army of servants who are always busy in Thy praise and admire Thy beauty and glorify Thy name? Why intendest Thou to create one who will do evil and shed blood, as he will do?”

他們問：「難道我們這群僕人還不足以令祢滿意嗎？我們總是在讚頌祢、景仰祢的美、榮耀祢的名。祢為什麼還要創造一個將會作惡、流人血的存在呢？」

The answer was, “Are you capable of appreciating all that I have made? Can you tell me what are the names of these things that I have made?”

神回答：「你們能欣賞我所創造的一切嗎？你們能告訴我，我所造的這些事物叫什麼名字嗎？」

God asks man; man tells Him all the names of things, the things that are sweet or bitter, the names of all manner of things; he knows and enjoys all these things in nature.

神於是問人；人能向祂說出一切事物的名字，知道哪些是甜的、哪些是苦的，知道各種事物的名稱；他認識自然中的這一切，也能享受這一切。

That is why God says, “We have created him that he may be the chief of all creation, and enjoy all that We have created.”

因此神說：「我們創造了他，使他成為一切受造物之首，並享受我們所創造的一切。」

Therefore those who think that the heavenly knowledge is sufficient are mystical; but the joy of the heavenly knowledge and the full understanding of it come from being able to express it in this world’s medium of expression. Therefore man can have knowledge both from within and from the external world. When the two come together, there is a perfect expression.

因此，那些認為天界的知識本身已經足夠的人，是偏向祕思的一方；然而，天界知識真正的喜悅與完整理解，來自能夠透過這個世界的表達媒介把它表達出來。因此，人既能從內在獲得知識，也能從外在世界獲得知識。當兩者相會時，便產生完整的表達。

10. Revelation
啟示

The last and most delicate degree of intuition is revelation. This comes to prophets and perfected beings. This is a full light thrown upon the human personality, full light from within. To their eyes, ears, sense of taste or touch, all things disclose their secret. Those who have received this knowledge even partly, have by receiving it come to understand the properties of this plant or that, to know that this bitter medicine is good for this purpose, this sweet one for that, this drug or that vegetable for another. The knowledge of the property of the names and forms of the world is understood by them to the extent that revelation has helped them. When they look into the mind, they know all about the mind. When they study the earth, they come to know it. Whatever they try to know, they succeed in knowing; such is revelation. Those who look in the higher spheres are prophets, those who look on the earth are scientists, musicians, soldiers, and so on. It is from the direction in which he has studied that a man receives the revelation. In the higher spheres all things become clear to those who direct their attention to these spheres.

直覺最後、也最細微的層次，就是啟示。啟示會臨到先知與已臻圓滿的存在。這是一道完整的光照臨人的整個存在，是從內在升起的完整之光。對他們的眼睛、耳朵、味覺或觸覺而言，一切事物都會揭露自己的祕密。即使只部分接收到這種知識的人，也會因此開始了解各種植物的性質，知道這種苦藥適合某種用途，那種甜藥適合另一種用途，某種藥物或某種蔬菜又適用於另一種情況。他們對世間各種名稱與形體之性質的理解，取決於啟示對他們開啟到什麼程度。當他們觀察頭腦，就能了解頭腦；當他們研究大地，就逐漸認識大地。凡是他們真正試圖了解的事，都能有所認識；這就是啟示。把目光投向更高境界的人，成為先知；把目光投向大地的人，則成為科學家、音樂家、軍人等等。一個人從哪個方向深入研究，便從那個方向接收到啟示。在更高的境界中，一切都會向那些把注意力轉向那裡的人變得清楚。

A man even sees his future in the teacup, with limited light; similarly he sees it in cards, in the crystal, in the coals of the fire, in smoke. All these things have the future written in them; it is the same light that shines upon them and begins to reveal itself in them. It is not only books, but all things in nature which begin to reveal the secrets of nature to him.

即使只有有限的光，一個人也可能在茶杯中看見自己的未來；同樣地，他也可能在紙牌、水晶、火炭或煙霧中看見它。未來彷彿寫在這一切事物之中；照耀在它們之上的，都是同一道光，而這道光開始透過它們顯露自己。不只是書本，自然中的一切事物都會開始向他揭示自然的奧祕。

Sa’di says, “When the eyes open and begin to see with the divine light and divine sight, even the leaves of the trees become as the pages of the sacred Book.”

薩迪（Sa’di）說：「當雙眼開啟，開始以神聖之光與神聖的眼光觀看時，即使樹上的葉子，也會成為神聖經典的一頁頁篇章。」

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