13. The Master, the Saint, the Prophet
13. 大師、聖徒、先知

Three Paths
三條道路

There are three roads to spiritual attainment, which meet in the end at one junction. One road is of the Master; another comes from quite a different point, and is the road of the Saint; and the middle path between the two is of the Prophet.

通往靈性成就有三條道路，最終會在同一個交會處相遇。一條是大師之路；另一條從截然不同之處而來，是聖徒之路；而介於兩者之間的中道，則是先知之路。

The Master
大師

The path of the Master is a path of war — war with outer influences which prevent one from making one’s way through life. The path of the Master wants self-discipline and will-power to make headway through life. He conquers himself; he battles with life; he is at war with destiny; he crusades against all that seems wrong to him; he finds the key to the secrets unknown to him; he turns all conditions, all things, all people, into the shape that he wishes, and molds as he likes the personalities that come in touch with him; he tunes personalities to the tone which would suit his orchestration.

大師之路是一條戰爭之路——與那些阻礙人在生命中開闢道路的外在影響作戰。大師之路需要自律與意志力，才能在人生中向前推進。他征服自己；與生命交戰；與命運作戰；向一切在他看來是錯誤的事物發起征戰；他找到那些自己未知祕密的鑰匙；他把一切處境、一切事物、一切人，轉變成自己所希望的形態，也依自己的意願塑造與他接觸之人的人格；他把不同的人格調到適合他所編排之樂章的音調上。

It is a path of accomplishment. All that the Master takes up, he accomplishes; all that the Master desires, he attains sooner or later. Yet the Master’s one desire is spiritual attainment at its fullest. Therefore all other attainments, spiritual or material, are nothing before him other than many steps on a staircase.

這是一條成就之路。大師著手的一切，他都會完成；大師所渴望的一切，遲早都會達到。然而，大師唯一的渴望，是達到最圓滿的靈性成就。因此，在他面前，其他一切成就，無論靈性的或物質的，都不過是階梯上的一級又一級台階。

The struggle in the path of the Master is great; he has struggle all along. Every condition that meets him on the way to accomplishment is harder to get through than the condition before. No doubt, as he proceeds on the path of attainment, he gains power through struggle. The greater the struggle through life, the greater his power. He has command over objects; he produces effects in objects, which are not there naturally.

大師之路上的奮鬥極為巨大；一路上，他始終都有奮鬥。每一個在成就之路上迎面而來的處境，都比前一個更難通過。毫無疑問，隨著他在成就之路上前進，他也透過奮鬥獲得力量。生命中的奮鬥越大，他的力量也越大。他能支配物質；能在物質中產生原本自然狀態下並不存在的作用。

He can even rise to a state where he can command Nature, and the spiritual hierarchy is made of the Masters. For the world is ruled; it is governed. Although outward governments are different, inward government is the spiritual hierarchy. In the East such are called Wali, whose thought, whose feeling, whose glance, whose impulse, can move the universe. And the Master may advance gradually through the five principal stages of attainment, and may even arrive at the stage of Rasul in the end.

他甚至能提升到可以支配大自然的境界，而靈性階序便是由這些大師所構成。因為這個世界是受到統領的；它受到治理。雖然外在的政府各不相同，內在的治理卻是靈性階序。在東方，這樣的人稱為瓦里（Wali）；他們的思想、感受、目光與衝動，都能撼動宇宙。而大師可以逐步通過五個主要的成就階段，最終甚至可能到達拉蘇爾（Rasul）的階段。

The Saint
聖徒

The path of the Saint is one of love, harmony, and beauty; ready to give, ready to sacrifice, ready to renounce, ready to give in and to yield. The saintly soul takes all insults as one would take something as a purifying process. He is resigned to every loss, for there is no loss without some gain and there is no gain which is without any loss; there is always a hidden loss in the gain and a gain in the loss. Renunciation is not difficult for that soul, for in renunciation that soul finds its freedom. No sacrifice is too great for the saintly soul, for it gives him happiness. Generosity that soul need not learn: it is its nature, its character. Modesty, humility, tolerance, forgiveness, are part of his being; he cannot do otherwise, for he knows no differently.

聖徒之路是一條愛、和諧與美的道路；隨時準備給予，準備犧牲，準備放棄，準備退讓與順從。聖徒的靈魂接受一切侮辱，就像接受某種淨化的過程一樣。他順受每一種失去，因為沒有一種失去不帶來某種獲得，也沒有一種獲得不伴隨任何失去；所得之中總隱藏著失去，所失之中也有獲得。對這樣的靈魂而言，放棄並不困難，因為在放棄之中，他找到了自己的自由。對聖徒的靈魂而言，沒有任何犧牲會太大，因為犧牲帶給他幸福。這樣的靈魂不需要學習慷慨：那就是他的天性、他的性情。端莊、謙卑、寬容、寬恕，都是他存在的一部分；他無法以別的方式行事，因為他不知道別的方式。

Through this path, no doubt in the beginning the saintly soul finds difficulty. The path of the Saint has a constant battle with the self, for there is no end to the world’s demands; in this world no one can be too good or too kind. The better one is, the more good is asked of one; the kinder one is, the more kindness is expected from one; and so it goes on through life. The happiness a saintly soul finds, through all the continual sacrifices that he makes as he goes through life, is in his will gradually becoming harmonized to the Will of God, so that God’s Will and his will in time become one. And that happiness no one can imagine except the souls who have experienced the feeling of resignation through all the crosses that one has to meet in life. The spirit of a Saint results in being tuned to the whole universe.

走在這條路上，毫無疑問，聖徒的靈魂起初會遭遇困難。聖徒之路是一場與自我持續不斷的戰鬥，因為世界的要求永無止境；在這個世界上，一個人再好也不會太好，再仁慈也不會太仁慈。一個人越好，人們就越要求他付出更多的善；一個人越仁慈，人們就越期待他有更多的仁慈；生命就這樣一路延續下去。聖徒的靈魂在走過生命、不斷作出種種犧牲的過程中所找到的幸福，在於他的意志逐漸與神的意旨和諧一致，直到有一天，神的意旨與他的意志合而為一。除了那些曾經在生命所必須遭遇的一切十字架中體驗過順受之感的靈魂之外，沒有人能想像那種幸福。聖徒之靈最終會調諧至與整個宇宙一致。

He is in tune with the climates, with the weather, with nature, with animals and birds; he becomes in tune with the trees and plants, in tune with all atmospheres, with all human beings of various natures, because he becomes the keynote to the whole universe. All harmonize with him; the virtuous souls, the wicked souls, angels and devils; all become in tune. He becomes in harmony with every object, with every element; with those who have passed from this earth he is in tune; with those in the atmosphere he is in tune, and in tune with those who live on earth. The moral of a Saint is very difficult, but the spirit of the Saint is a benediction to himself and blessing to others.

他與氣候調諧，與天氣、與大自然、與動物和鳥類調諧；他與樹木和植物調諧，與一切氛圍調諧，也與各種不同性情的人調諧，因為他成為整個宇宙的基準音。一切都與他和諧；善良的靈魂、邪惡的靈魂、天使與魔鬼，全都變得調諧。他與每一件事物、每一種元素和諧；他與那些已離開這個世界的人調諧，與存在於氛圍中的人調諧，也與生活在世上的人調諧。聖徒所持守的倫理極其艱難，但聖徒之靈對他自己是一份恩典，對他人則是一份祝福。

The Work of the Master
大師的工作

The work of the Master is to protect individuals and protect the world. The work of the Master is to keep away all disasters that might come about, caused by the inharmony of the nature of individuals and of the collectivity. The work of the Master is not usually to heal the feeble or right the weak, but just when that person is in a situation where he is opposed by a powerful enemy and needs the help of a Master.

大師的工作是保護個人，也保護世界。大師的工作，是使一切可能由於個人本性與集體的不和諧而發生的災難遠離。大師的工作通常並不是醫治虛弱者或扶助弱者，而是在一個人處於強大敵人的對抗之下，因而需要大師幫助的時候給予幫助。

The Work of the Saint
聖徒的工作

The work of the Saint is to console the wretched, to take under the wings of mercy and compassion those left alone in life, to bless the souls that come in his way.

聖徒的工作，是安慰受苦之人，把那些在生命中孤苦無依的人收在慈悲與憐憫的羽翼之下，並祝福每一個與他相遇的靈魂。

The Prophet
先知

The way of the Prophet is a more balanced way, for in the life of the Prophet there is a balance of these two attributes — the power of attainment and the patience to resign to the Will of God. So the Prophet is a warrior and a peacemaker, both at the same time. This line is called kemal, the perfect, or balanced.

先知之路是一條更為平衡的道路，因為在先知的生命中，這兩種特質達到了平衡——成就的力量，以及順受神之意旨的耐心。因此，先知既是戰士，也是締造和平者，兩者同時存在。這條路稱為卡瑪爾（kemal），意指圓滿，或平衡。

The Work of the Prophet
先知的工作

The work of the Prophet is not only his own spiritual attainment, but he has some certain service of great importance to perform. As the Prophet goes through the above said five stages, he acts on his way towards the fulfillment of his life’s mission as a warner, as a healer, as a reformer, as a lawyer, as a teacher, as a priest, as a preacher.

先知的工作不只是他自己的靈性成就，他還有某些極為重要的服務必須完成。當先知走過上述五個階段時，他也一路朝向自己生命使命的完成而行，作為警示者、療癒者、改革者、法律家、老師、祭司與傳道者而工作。

Therefore such service keeps the Prophet away from what his soul always craves for, and that is the solitude in the wilderness. He longs for one place, and he is put in another place. The soul who yearns constantly to fly away from the crowd is put, owing to his mission, in the very midst of the crowd. In this way the work of the Prophet in the world becomes as hard as if a person were asked to jump into the water and then come out dry. He must live in the world and not be of the world. However, it is the prophetic soul whose life’s mission very often is to serve humanity in the time of its need, and it is the fulfillment of this service which makes him Rasul, the Messenger.

因此，這樣的服務使先知遠離他的靈魂始終渴望之處，那就是荒野中的獨處。他渴望待在一處，卻被安置在另一處。那個不斷渴望飛離人群的靈魂，因為自己的使命，反而被置於人群的正中央。如此一來，先知在世上的工作便困難得如同要求一個人跳進水中，然後全身乾燥地走出來。他必須活在世界之中，卻不屬於這個世界。然而，先知之魂的生命使命，往往正是在世人需要之時服務人類，而這份服務的完成，使他成為拉蘇爾（Rasul），也就是使者。

The Prophet is the Message bearer; the Prophet is master and a servant at the same time; the Prophet is a teacher and at the same time a pupil, for there is a great deal that he must learn from his experience through life, not in order to make himself capable to receive the Message, but in order to make himself efficient enough to give the Message. For God speaks to the Prophet in His divine tongue, and the Prophet interprets it in his turn in the language of men, making it intelligible to them, trying to put the finest ideas in the gross terms of worldly language.

先知是神聖訊息的傳遞者；先知同時是主人，也是僕人；先知是老師，同時也是學生，因為他必須從一生的經驗中學習許多事，不是為了使自己有能力接收神聖訊息，而是為了使自己有足夠的能力傳達神聖訊息。因為神以祂神聖的語言向先知說話，而先知再以人的語言加以詮釋，使人能夠理解，嘗試把最精微的思想放入世俗語言粗重的詞彙之中。

Therefore all that the Prophet comes to give to the world is not given in words, but all that cannot be given in words is given without words. It is given through the atmosphere; it is given by the presence; it is given by the great love that gushes forth from his heart; it is given in his kind glance; and it is given in his benediction. And yet the most is given in silence that no earthly sense can perceive. The difference between human language and divine words is this: that a human word is a pebble; it exists, but there is nothing further; the divine word is a living word, just like a grain of corn. One grain of corn is not one grain; in reality it is hundreds and thousands. In the grain there is an essence which is always multiplying, and which will show perfection in itself.

因此，先知來到世上所要給予的一切，並不全都以言語給出；凡無法以言語給出的，便以無言的方式給出。它透過氛圍給予；透過臨在給予；透過從他心中湧流而出的偉大之愛給予；透過他慈祥的目光給予；也透過他的祝福給予。然而，最多的卻是在沉默中給予，是世間任何感官都無法覺察的。人的語言與神聖話語之間的差別是：人的一句話像是一顆小石子；它存在，但除此之外便沒有更多；神聖的話語卻是活的話語，就像一粒穀種。一粒穀種並不只是一粒；實際上，它是數百、數千粒。在那顆種子裡有一種本質，始終不斷繁衍，並會在自身之中顯現圓滿。

The Prophet is the manifestation of the same Spirit who can rightfully be called Alpha and Omega in its fullest expression, although the spirit of Alpha and Omega is in all beings — “in a loving mother, in a kind father, in an innocent child, in a helpful friend, in an inspiring teacher.” [from the prayer “Salat”] The Prophet is a mystic, and greater than a mystic; the Prophet is a philosopher, and greater than a philosopher; the Prophet is a poet, and greater than a poet; the Prophet is a teacher, and greater than a teacher; the Prophet is a seer, and greater than a seer. Why greater? Because he has a duty to perform, together with the blessing that he brings upon earth.

先知是同一個靈的顯現；這個靈在其最圓滿的表達中，理當可以稱為「阿爾法與歐米伽」，儘管阿爾法與歐米伽之靈存在於一切眾生之中——「在慈愛的母親、仁慈的父親、純真的孩子、樂於助人的朋友、啟發人的老師之中。」〔出自「Salat 敬拜神聖祈禱」〕先知是一位祕士，卻又超越祕士；先知是一位哲學家，卻又超越哲學家；先知是一位詩人，卻又超越詩人；先知是一位老師，卻又超越老師；先知是一位先見者，卻又超越先見者。為什麼更為超越？因為除了他帶到世上的祝福之外，他還有一項職責必須完成。

Prophet: Nabi & Rasul
先知：納必（Nabi）與拉蘇爾（Rasul）

In the terms of the Eastern people, the Prophet is termed Paghambar. There are also two other names, Nabi and Rasul; and although each of these names is expressive of the Prophet, yet each name is significant of a certain attribute of the Prophet: also each of those words denotes a certain degree of his evolution.

在東方人的用語中，先知稱為佩甘巴爾（Paghambar）。另外還有兩個名稱，納必與拉蘇爾；雖然這些名稱所指的都是先知，但每一個名稱都表示先知的某種特質；而且每一個詞也表示他演化中的某種程度。

Paghambar verbally means “the Message bearer”, and this word is used for the Holy Ones who from time to time brought a Divine Message to a certain community, nation, or race, whenever there was need of wakening a certain people. The Paghambar has worked as an alarm to warn people of the coming dangers; the Paghambar has brought reforms to improve the condition of his people.

佩甘巴爾（Paghambar）字面上的意思是「神聖訊息的傳遞者」；每當某一群人需要被喚醒時，這個詞便用來稱呼那些不時將神聖訊息帶給某個社群、民族或族群的神聖者。佩甘巴爾如同警報一般工作，警告人們即將來臨的危險；佩甘巴爾也帶來改革，以改善其人民的處境。

There are two steps in the life of the Messenger, one minor and the other major. One stage is when he begins to give the Message; the next stage is when the Message is fulfilled. Nabi, therefore, is the one who begins to give the Message; Rasul is the one who fulfills the Message.

使者的生命中有兩個階段，一個較小，一個較大。一個階段，是他開始傳達神聖訊息之時；下一個階段，則是神聖訊息得到完成之時。因此，納必是開始傳達神聖訊息的人；拉蘇爾則是完成神聖訊息的人。

Nabi is the Prophet who is not only for a certain section of humanity. Although he may live and move only in a limited region of the world, yet what he brings has its bearing upon the whole of humanity. It may not be fulfilled in his lifetime, but a day of fulfillment comes some time, even if it be in some centuries, that all he brought reaches the whole of humanity.

納必是並非只為人類某一部分而來的先知。雖然他可能只生活、活動於世界上一個有限的地區，但他所帶來的事物卻關係到全人類。它也許不會在他的一生之中完成，但完成之日終有一天會到來，即使是在數百年之後，使他所帶來的一切最終抵達全人類。

Rasul is a term which denotes an advanced degree, where the Prophet has not only brought a Message to the world, but fulfilled his task during his lifetime, through all tests and trials that a Prophet is meant to meet in life.

拉蘇爾是一個表示較高進階程度的名稱；在這個階段，先知不僅把神聖訊息帶到世上，而且在自己的一生之中，經歷先知在生命中注定會遭遇的一切考驗與試煉，完成了自己的任務。

The Prophet is an interpreter of the divine law in human tongue. He is an ambassador of the spiritual hierarchy, for he represents to humanity the illuminated souls who are known and unknown to the world, who are hidden and manifest, who are in the world or on the other side of the world. The Prophet is an Initiate and initiator, for he is an answer to the cry of humanity, of individuals, and of the collectivity; the one who sympathizes with those in pain, guides those in darkness, harmonizes those who are in conflict and brings peace to the world, which always, when excited with its activity of centuries, loses its equilibrium.

先知是以人的語言詮釋神聖法則的人。他是靈性階序的使節，因為他向人類代表那些已受光啟的靈魂——有些為世人所知，有些不為世人所知；有些隱而不顯，有些顯現於世；有些在這個世界，有些在世界的另一邊。先知既是受啟蒙者，也是給予啟蒙者，因為他是對人類、個人與集體之呼喊的回應；他同情受苦的人，引導處於黑暗中的人，使陷於衝突的人恢復和諧，並為這個世界帶來和平——這個世界總是在歷經數世紀活動的激盪之後失去平衡。

The Prophet can never tell the ultimate Truth, which only his soul knows and no words can explain. His mission is, therefore, to design and paint and make the picture of the Truth in words that may be intelligible to mankind. The bare Truth not every man can see. If he can see, he needs no more teaching. The Prophet, so to speak, listens to the words of God in the language of God, and he interprets the same words in the human tongue. He speaks to every man in his own language; he converses with every man, standing on his own plane. Therefore he has little chance to disagree, unless there were someone who wanted disagreement and nothing else; there he cannot help.

先知永遠無法說出終極真理，那是只有他的靈魂知道、任何言語都無法解釋的。因此，他的使命，是用人類能夠理解的語言來設計、描繪，為真理作出一幅圖畫。並不是每個人都能看見赤裸的真理。如果一個人能夠看見，他便不再需要任何教導。可以說，先知以神的語言聆聽神的話語，再以人的語言詮釋同樣的話語。他以每一個人自己的語言對他說話；他站在每一個人自己的層次上與他交談。因此，他很少有不一致的機會，除非有人除了爭執之外什麼都不要；面對這樣的人，他也無能為力。

Besides the words which even an intellectual person can speak, the Prophet brings the love and the light which is the food of every soul. The very presence of the Prophet may make a person see things differently, and yet he may not know that it was because of the Prophet. He may only think that that which was not clear to him, or for a moment seemed difficult to him, is now right and clear. For the Prophet is a living light, a light which is greater in power than the sun, for the light of the sun can only make things clear to the eyes, but the light that the Prophet brings to the world makes the heart see all that the eyes are not capable of seeing. The Prophet brings Love — the Love of God, the Father and Mother of the whole humanity: a Love that is Life itself. No words or actions can express that Love. The presence of the Prophet, his very being, speaks of it, if only the heart had ears to listen. Verily, to the believer all is right, and to the unbeliever all is wrong.

除了那些即使有知識的人也能說出的話語之外，先知還帶來愛與光，那是每一個靈魂的食糧。先知僅僅是臨在，就可能使一個人以不同的方式看待事物，而那個人甚至不知道這是因為先知的緣故。他也許只會覺得，原本對他不清楚的事，或有一刻令他感到困難的事，如今變得正確而清楚了。因為先知是一道活生生的光，其力量比太陽之光更加強大；太陽之光只能使事物在眼睛前變得清楚，而先知帶到世上的光，卻使心看見一切眼睛所無法看見的事物。先知帶來愛——神之愛，那位全人類的父與母之愛：一種本身就是生命的愛。沒有任何言語或行動能夠表達那份愛。只要心有耳朵可以聆聽，先知的臨在、他本身的存在，就訴說著那份愛。誠然，對信者而言，一切都是對的；對不信者而言，一切都是錯的。

The principal work of the Prophet is to glorify the Name of God, and to raise humanity from the denseness of the earth, to open the doors of the human heart to the divine beauty which is everywhere manifested, and to illuminate souls which are groping in darkness for years. The Prophet brings the Message of the day, a reform for that particular period in which he is born. A claim of a prophet is nothing to the real Prophet. The being of the Prophet, the work of the Prophet, and the fulfillment of his task, is itself the proof of prophethood.

先知最主要的工作，是榮耀神之名，把人類從大地的沉重稠密中提升起來，向那遍處顯現的神聖之美敞開人心之門，並照亮那些多年來一直在黑暗中摸索的靈魂。先知帶來當時代的神聖訊息，也帶來適合他所出生之特定時期的改革。對真正的先知而言，自稱為先知算不了什麼。先知的存在、先知的工作，以及他任務的完成，本身就是先知身分的證明。

The Spirit of Guidance
引導之靈

The Spirit of Guidance in other words may be called the Divine Mind; and as the human mind is finished after its coming on earth, so the Divine Mind becomes completed after manifestation. Plainly speaking, the Creator’s Mind is made of His own creation.

引導之靈，換句話說，也可以稱為神聖心智；正如人的頭腦是在來到世上之後才完成，神聖心智也是在顯現之後才趨於完整。直白地說，造物主的心智是由祂自己的創造所構成的。

The experience of every soul becomes the experience of the Divine Mind; therefore, the Divine Mind has the knowledge of all beings. It is a storehouse of perfect wisdom. It is the Soul of Christ, and the Spirit of prophecy. Intuition, inspiration, vision, or revelation, all have the Divine Mind as the Source from whence every kind of revelation comes.

每一個靈魂的經驗，都成為神聖心智的經驗；因此，神聖心智擁有一切眾生的知識。它是圓滿智慧的寶庫。它是基督之魂，也是先知之靈。直覺、靈感、異象或啟示，全都以神聖心智為源頭；一切形式的啟示都從那裡而來。

There are some who receive the knowledge from the Divine Mind indirectly, and some receive it directly. Souls who happen to receive the central current of the Spirit of Guidance, in such souls the spirit of prophecy is conceived. The Messengers of all times, of whom we hear in the histories and traditions of the world, have been souls in whom the central current of the Divine Light has functioned. In other words, the Prophets of all ages have been the reflections of the Divine Mind on earth.

有些人間接從神聖心智接收知識，有些人則直接接收。那些恰好接收到引導之靈中央流的靈魂，先知之靈便在這樣的靈魂中孕育。歷來我們在世界的歷史與傳統中所聽聞的使者，都是那些神聖之光的中央流曾在其中運作的靈魂。換句話說，歷代先知都是神聖心智在大地上的映照。

No one has ever seen God, and if the evidence of God has ever been manifested, it was in man who reflected God. Besides all the Prophets have taught, it was the personality of the Prophets which proved their prophecy. In their thought, speech, and word they reflected God, which was more than morals, doctrines, and teachings could do.

從來沒有人見過神；如果神的明證曾經顯現，那就是顯現在映照神的人身上。除了先知們所教導的一切之外，真正證明其先知身分的，是先知本身的人格。在他們的思想、言談與話語之中，他們映照著神，而這遠遠超過倫理、教義與教導所能做到的。

Every inspired person reflects in his own way some divine spark hidden in his soul, which wins the world. A musician may show his inspiration in music; a poet may show it in his poetry; an artist may show his inspiration in his art; but the central ray of light which the Prophets reflect, falling upon every plane and every aspect of life, makes all things clear to their sight. Therefore their presence clears away perplexity from the minds of the confused ones.

每一個受到靈感啟發的人，都以自己的方式映照出隱藏在靈魂中的某一道神聖火花，而這火花能贏得世界。音樂家可能在音樂中顯現他的靈感；詩人可能在詩中顯現它；藝術家可能在藝術中顯現他的靈感；但先知所映照的那一道中央光線，照落在生命的每一個層次與每一個面向上，使一切在他們眼中變得清楚。因此，他們的臨在能從困惑之人的頭腦中掃除迷惘。

A person in the presence of the Prophet can feel and think more clearly, even without having spoken to the Prophet. Many forget their questions when before a Prophet, for the light, falling upon their hearts, brings them the answer, and they find out that the answer was in themselves, something that they had already known. No doubt it is true that the question and answer both are in the soul.

一個人在先知的臨在中，即使未曾與先知交談，也能感受得更清楚、思考得更清楚。許多人來到先知面前時，會忘記自己的問題，因為那道落在他們心上的光為他們帶來了答案，而他們發現，答案原本就在自己之內，是他們早已知道的某件事。毫無疑問，問題與答案確實都存在於靈魂之中。

The first step of the soul’s progress raises questions, and the second step is the answer. It is, therefore, that a prophetic soul is a physician at the same time; a prophetic soul is a scientist, an artist, is capable of commerce, industry, and business, qualified in warfare and competent in peacemaking.

靈魂進步的第一步會生起問題，第二步則是答案。因此，先知之魂同時也是醫者；先知之魂是科學家、藝術家，能從事商業、產業與經營，也具備作戰的能力與締造和平的才能。

• The Spirit of Guidance is as the yeast which is used to make bread, to prepare humanity for the purpose for which it was created.
  引導之靈就像製作麵包所使用的酵母，使人類準備好去完成自己受造的目的。
• The Spirit of Guidance is a plant that grows and blossoms when it receives response and care; and when it is watered by the rainfall of divine inspiration it blooms in the light of the Divine Sun.
  引導之靈就像一株植物，當它得到回應與照料時便會生長、開花；當神聖靈感的雨水澆灌它時，它便在神聖太陽的光中綻放。
• The Spirit of Guidance is the Light of God, which may be likened to a lantern that the farmer carries when walking on the farm in the darkness of night.
  引導之靈是神之光，可以比作農夫在夜晚黑暗中走過農田時手裡提著的燈。
• The Spirit of Guidance is like a searchlight. Any object on which the searchlight is thrown, it shows clearly; so the Spirit of Guidance thrown upon any aspect of life gives one a keen insight into it.
  引導之靈就像探照燈。探照燈照向任何事物，都會使它清楚顯現；同樣地，引導之靈照向生命的任何面向，也會使人對它產生敏銳的洞見。
• In the Spirit of Guidance one finds a living God active in the heart of every person.
  在引導之靈中，我們會發現一位活生生的神，活躍於每一個人的心中。
• One who depends upon the Spirit of Guidance to guide his life is guided aright.
  倚靠引導之靈來引導自己生命的人，會受到正確的引導。

We always have a counsel within, but the one who ignores the existence of such a thing as the Spirit of Guidance is left alone for some time by the Spirit of Guidance to look out for himself. It is like the mother and the dependent child, who tries to hold the hand of the mother at every step it takes; so the mother’s whole attention is drawn to every step of her child. But when the child tries to move about by his own will, and tries to keep away, then the attention of the mother, to some extent, becomes released. This does not mean that the mother gives up entirely the care of the child; it only means that the mother allows the child to have its own way to some extent, and feels sorry when the child falls and hurts itself.

我們內在始終都有一份指引；然而，一個忽視引導之靈存在的人，會有一段時間被引導之靈留給自己，讓他自行照顧自己。這就像母親與依賴她的孩子：孩子每走一步，都想握住母親的手，因此母親全部的注意力都放在孩子所走的每一步上。然而，當孩子試著依自己的意志四處走動，並試著遠離母親時，母親的注意力在某種程度上便會鬆開。這並不表示母親完全放棄照顧孩子；只是表示母親在某種程度上容許孩子依自己的意思行動，並在孩子跌倒、弄傷自己時感到難過。

In point of fact, all souls are children of God, but such souls as are conscious of their relation to God, as between a child and his parents, certainly deserve to be called the children of God. They are especially cared for; they are always guided, because they ask for guidance. The soul of the Prophet, therefore, shows the innocence of the child.

事實上，一切靈魂都是神的孩子；然而，那些意識到自己與神之間的關係，如同孩子與父母之間關係的靈魂，確實更當得起「神的孩子」這個名稱。他們受到特別的照顧；他們始終受到引導，因為他們祈求引導。因此，先知之魂顯現出孩子的純真。

Of what is known about Jesus Christ and His life to the world, the most lovable attribute of the Master was His innocence in spite of His perfect wisdom. Certainly He deserves to be called the Only-Begotten Son Who has all His life depended for everything He said or did upon the guidance from God.

在世人所知道的耶穌基督及其生平之中，聖師最令人愛敬的特質，就是儘管擁有圓滿智慧，祂仍然保有純真。祂確實當得起「獨生子」之名，因為祂一生之中所說、所做的一切，都依靠來自神的引導。

The Form of the Message
神聖訊息的形式

This is a question which is always asked: how the prophetic soul receives the Message of God: in what form? Does the Angel Gabriel bring this, as it is said in the scriptures of Beni Israel? Does it come as a voice? Does it come in a form which is visible? And the answer is that everything which has been said in the ancient scriptures regarding it has so much truth in it, though very often some symbolical ideas are misinterpreted by the uninitiated. Gabriel as a Messenger is, in part, imagination.

有一個問題總是不斷被提出：先知之魂如何接收到神的神聖訊息？它以什麼形式而來？是否如以色列子民的經典所說，是由天使加百列帶來？它是否以聲音而來？是否以可見的形態出現？答案是，古代經典對此所說的一切，其中都含有許多真實；只是某些象徵性的觀念，經常被未受啟蒙的人誤解。把加百列想成一位使者，其中一部分是想像。

The real Gabriel is that Spirit of Guidance which is the soul of the Prophets. Its voice is intuition, but to the attentive mind of the Prophet sometimes this voice is so distinct that it becomes much louder than what one hears through the ears. For in their hearts a capacity is produced; in other words, their hearts become as domes which give echo to every word. The heart of the ordinary person does not give that echo; so the inner voice becomes inaudible to one’s own soul. As a voice is necessary, so hearing is necessary also; without the hearing the voice is inaudible. The hearing is the capacity in the heart. When the heart becomes as an ear, then it begins to hear the voice that comes from within.

真正的加百列，就是那作為先知之魂的引導之靈。它的聲音就是直覺；然而對先知專注的頭腦而言，有時這聲音清晰到甚至比耳朵所聽見的聲音更加響亮。因為在他們的心中形成了一種能力；換句話說，他們的心變得如同圓頂，能使每一句話產生回聲。一般人的心不會產生這樣的回聲，因此內在的聲音對自己的靈魂而言便聽不見。正如聲音是必要的，聽覺也是必要的；沒有聽覺，聲音便無法被聽見。這個聽覺，就是心中的能力。當心變得如同一隻耳朵，它便開始聽見從內在而來的聲音。

And now the question comes whether a Gabriel manifested to the Prophets in a certain form. That is true also. There is nothing in this world which is void of form, except God, Who is formless. The form of some things is visible, and of other things invisible. Even thoughts and feelings have forms. You may call them results, but form is always a result. The heart which can hear the inner voice louder than the spoken words can certainly see the form, even the form which is not seen by every soul.

於是現在又出現一個問題：加百列是否曾以某種形態向先知顯現？這也是真的。除了無形無相的神之外，這個世界上沒有任何事物是全然沒有形態的。有些事物的形態可見，有些則不可見。甚至思想與感受也都有形態。你可以稱它們為結果，但形態始終是一種結果。能夠聽見內在聲音比外在話語更加響亮的心，當然也能看見形態，甚至看見並非每一個靈魂都能看見的形態。

The question: “Do the eyes of the Prophet see a form?” — may be answered: “Yes.” For what the heart sees fully, that becomes reflected in the eyes also. It is not seen from without, but from within, and yet it is seen. Every person cannot conceive of such an idea as this: one who is accustomed to see and hear all that comes from outside. But it is as clear as the day for the wise to know that the eyes and the ears are not only the organs in which the impressions from the outer life are reflected, but even the impressions from the life within are also reflected in them.

對於「先知的眼睛是否看見一個形態？」這個問題，可以回答：「是的。」因為心完全看見的事物，也會映照在眼睛之中。它不是從外面被看見，而是從內在被看見，然而它確實被看見了。並不是每個人都能理解這樣的觀念，尤其是那些習慣只看見、聽見一切從外界而來之事物的人。但對智者而言，有一件事如白晝般清楚：眼睛和耳朵不只是反映外在生命印象的器官，內在生命的印象同樣也會反映在其中。

It matters little to a Prophet whether his ears hear or his heart hears, whether his eyes see or his heart sees. He knows that he hears and sees, and that is sufficient evidence for him of a living God. One may ask: do you mean by this that God is so personal as to speak and manifest as a phantom to a certain soul? If it were so, it would be nothing but limiting God! In answer to this, I would say that the limitless God cannot be made more intelligible to our limited self unless He was first made limited. That limited ideal becomes as an instrument, as a medium of God Who is perfect and Who is limitless.

對先知而言，是耳朵聽見還是心聽見，是眼睛看見還是心看見，都沒有太大的差別。他知道自己聽見了、看見了，而這對他而言，就是活生生之神充分的明證。有人也許會問：你的意思是，神如此具有人格性，甚至會對某個靈魂說話，並像幻影一樣向他顯現嗎？如果是這樣，那不就只是在限制神嗎！對此，我會說，無限的神若不先被化為有限，就無法讓我們有限的自我更加理解祂。那個有限的理想，便成為圓滿而無限之神的一件工具、一個媒介。

The Nature of the Prophetic Soul
先知之魂的本質

The soul of the Prophet represents both the human and the divine. His feet on the earth and his head in heaven, he has to journey on the path of life, to respect and regard reason, and yet to cling to that rope which hangs down from heaven, which he calls faith — one thing contrary to the other. The world of variety, with its numberless changes, compels him to reason out things, and the world of unity promises to his unwavering faith the answer to every demand of life.

先知之魂同時代表著人性與神性。他的雙腳立於大地，頭卻在天上；他必須走在生命的道路上，尊重並顧及理性，同時又緊握那條從天上垂下、被他稱為信仰的繩索——兩者彼此相反。充滿無數變化的多樣性世界，迫使他運用理性思索事物；而合一的世界則向他堅定不移的信仰承諾，會給予生命每一項要求的答案。

In the Sufi terms there is a word called Akhlak-iAllah, which means “the Manner of God.” This Manner is seen in the prophetic soul. For no one knows the Manner of God, as God is not seen by all; and if there is any sign of God seen, it is in the God-conscious one; and it is the fullness of God-consciousness which makes a prophetic soul.

在蘇菲的用語中，有一個詞叫作阿赫拉克－伊－阿拉（Akhlak-iAllah），意思是「神的風範」。這種風範可以在先知之魂中看見。因為沒有人知道神的風範，神並非人人都能看見；而如果能看見任何神的徵象，那就是在具有神之意識的人身上；正是神之意識的圓滿，造就了先知之魂。

The life of the Prophet is like that of someone walking upon a wire — matter on one side and spirit on the other, heaven on one side and earth on the other — with the imperfect self journeying towards perfection and at the same time holding upon itself the burden of numberless souls, many among whom have not yet learnt to walk even upon the earth.

先知的生命，就像一個走在鋼索上的人——一邊是物質，一邊是靈；一邊是天堂，一邊是大地——不圓滿的自我一面朝向圓滿前進，同時又承擔著無數靈魂的重擔，其中許多甚至尚未學會如何在大地上行走。

In the history of the Prophets, in whatever time they have come on earth, one reads of their struggle being fourfold:

在先知的歷史中，無論他們在什麼時代來到世上，我們都能讀到他們的奮鬥有四重：

1. struggle with self,
   與自我奮鬥，
2. struggle with the world,
   與世界奮鬥，
3. struggle with friends, and
   與朋友奮鬥，以及
4. struggle with foes.
   與敵人奮鬥。

And yet many wonder, why should a Prophet be a warrior? Many know of the Prophet Muhammed being a warrior, but are ignorant of the fact that Moses had the same experience. And very few know the lives of the Prophets of India, Rama and Krishna, whose whole lives were nothing but warfare from the beginning to the end. Their scriptures are full of the wars and battles through all their lives, and if some apparently did not have a war, they had some other form of warfare to go through. The blood of the martyrs was the foundation of the church.

然而許多人仍感到疑惑：先知為什麼必須是一名戰士？許多人知道先知穆罕默德曾是戰士，卻不知道摩西也有同樣的經歷。更少有人知道印度先知羅摩與克里希納的生平；他們的一生，從開始到結束，幾乎無不是戰爭。他們的經典充滿了貫穿一生的戰事與戰鬥；而有些人表面上即使沒有經歷戰爭，也必須經歷其他形式的戰鬥。殉道者的鮮血成為教會的基礎。

The Seers and Saints, who live a life of seclusion, are happy when compared to the life of the Prophet, whose life’s work is in the midst of the crowd. When he is known to be a Prophet, jealousy and prejudice arise; if he is not known, he can do but little. When he goes into the world, the world absorbs him; when he thinks of God, God attracts him — one spirit pulled from both sides; and it is this that the picture of the cross signifies. The Prophet, representing God and His Message, is tested and tried and examined by every soul; a thousand searchlights are thrown upon him; and he is not judged under one judge, but numberless judges; every soul is a judge, and has his own law to judge him with. The mystic is free to speak and act; what does he care what people think of him? The Prophet must care what they think of him–not for himself, but for those who follow him.

那些過著隱居生活的先見者與聖者，與先知的生命相比是幸福的，因為先知一生的工作就在群眾之中。當人們知道他是先知，嫉妒與偏見便會生起；若人們不知道，他能做的事又很少。當他走入世界，世界便吸納他；當他思念神，神又吸引著他——同一個靈被兩邊拉扯；而這正是十字架的圖像所象徵的。先知代表著神與祂的神聖訊息，每一個靈魂都會對他測試、試煉、檢驗；一千道探照燈投射在他身上；他並非只接受一位審判者的審判，而是無數審判者；每一個靈魂都是審判者，都有自己用來審判他的法則。祕士可以自由地說話與行動；他何必在意別人怎麼看他？先知卻必須在意人們如何看待他——不是為了自己，而是為了那些追隨他的人。

Besides all difficulties, in the end he finds no comprehension of his ideal or service in the world, except in God, Who alone is his consolation. Many follow the Prophet, but very few comprehend his ideal. It is this that made Muhammed say, “I am knowledge; Ali is the door.” In the first place, to express a high thought in words or action is the most difficult thing, because what is expressed in words and actions is the thought on the surface;” to express deep feeling in words and action is, in the same way, difficult. And so is the Message of the Prophet; it is often difficult to be put into words.

除了所有這些困難之外，到最後，他發現世上沒有人真正理解他的理想或服務，只有神理解，而唯有神是他的慰藉。許多人追隨先知，但極少有人理解他的理想。正因如此，穆罕默德才說：「我是知識；阿里是門。」首先，要用言語或行動表達崇高的思想，是最困難的事，因為以言語和行動所表達出來的，只是表面的思想；同樣地，要用言語與行動表達深刻的感受也很困難。先知的神聖訊息也是如此；它往往很難被放進言語之中。

The best way of following a prophetic Message — which has been known to very few — is to adopt the outlook of the Prophet; for the point of view of every person one can fully understand by seeing from that person’s point of view.

追隨先知神聖訊息的最佳方式——這是極少數人知道的——就是採取先知的觀點；因為要完全理解一個人的觀點，必須從那個人的觀點來看。

We find in the traditions of the ancients that there were many among the Prophets of the past who, in a worldly sense, were not educated, among them the Prophet Muhammed, who was given the name Umrni, by which many called him, which means “unlettered”; although, according to the idea of that time, the Prophet was very well-versed in the Arabic language. This shows that worldly education does not make the Prophet. No doubt it helps to express the spiritual Message which his heart receives in a more intelligible form.

我們在古人的傳統中看到，過去許多先知以世俗的標準而言並未受過教育，其中包括先知穆罕默德；許多人稱他為「烏米（Ummi）」，意思是「不識字者」；然而，按照當時的觀念，先知其實非常精通阿拉伯語。這顯示，世俗教育並不能造就先知。毫無疑問，它確實能幫助一個人以更容易理解的形式，表達他的心所接收到的靈性神聖訊息。

We see in the world’s scriptures four different forms in which the prophetic Message was given:

我們在世界各地的經典中，可以看到先知的神聖訊息曾以四種不同形式傳達：

1. the ancient Hindu form, which can be traced in the scriptures of India and which was continued by Buddha;
   古代印度教的形式，可以追溯至印度的經典，並由佛陀延續；
2. then the form of Beni Israel, which is to be found in the Old Testament, from the time of Abraham to the time of Muhammed;
   接著是以色列子民的形式，可以在《舊約》中看到，從亞伯拉罕的時代一直到穆罕默德的時代；
3. the third form is the form of Zarathustra, which shows two aspects–the one aspect is the Gayatri of the Hindus and the other aspect is the prayer of Beni Israel;
   第三種形式是瑣羅亞斯德的形式，它呈現出兩個面向——一個面向是印度教的伽耶特黎（Gayatri），另一個面向則是以色列子民的祈禱；
4. and the fourth form is the form of the New Testament, which gives the legend and interpretation of the teaching of Jesus Christ, and which was made, at every new version, more intelligible to the mind of the people in the West.
   第四種形式是《新約》的形式，它呈現耶穌基督教導的故事與詮釋；而每一次出現新的版本，都使它變得更容易為西方人的頭腦所理解。

But the moment a soul dives deeper into these scriptures it begins to realize the One Voice within all these outer forms, and that it is the same Voice that has adopted these different forms, to answer the need of every age.

然而，一旦一個靈魂深入這些經典之中，他便開始體認到，在所有這些外在形式之內有著同一個聲音；而正是同一個聲音採取了這些不同的形式，以回應每一個時代的需要。

What the Prophet says is much less than what he really hears, and the sense of what he says is much deeper than what his outer words mean. For the work of the Prophet is a most difficult one; it is trying to present to the world the whole ocean in a bottle. No one has ever been able to do it; yet They have all tried, for that has been their destiny. People have taken these bottles given to them, and have said, “See, here is the ocean; I have the ocean in my pocket!” But, by what the Prophets have taught in the scriptures, they have only tried to point out the way; but they have not pictured the Goal, for no one can put the Goal into a picture. The Goal is above all form and beyond the power of words to explain.

先知所說出的，遠少於他真正聽見的；而他所說之話的意義，也遠比外在字句所表達的更加深遠。因為先知的工作是最為困難的工作；那就像試圖把整片海洋裝進一只瓶子裡，再呈現給世人。從來沒有人能做到；然而，他們全都嘗試過，因為那就是他們的命運。人們拿著先知交給他們的這些瓶子，說：「看，海洋就在這裡；我的口袋裡裝著海洋！」然而，先知們透過經典中的教導，所嘗試的只是指出道路；他們並沒有描繪終點，因為沒有人能把終點放進一幅圖畫之中。終點超越一切形式，也超越言語所能解釋的能力。

Those who have benefited by the life and the Message of the Divine Message Bearers are not necessarily the followers of their Message, but the imitators of their life; for they have not followed the teaching only, but followed the Teacher, who is the living example of his teaching. All the ancient traditions of the religious evolution tell us how those around the Prophets have benefited by the imitation, rather than by following the strict laws and by arguing upon the differences between the laws. There is no scripture in which contradiction does not exist. It is the contradiction which makes the music of the Message. The Message would be rigid, like pebbles, if there were no contradiction. Even all pebbles are not alike; how can all words mean the same? The Message is nothing but an answer to every question, every need, every demand of the individual and collective life.

那些真正從神聖訊息傳遞者的生命與神聖訊息中受益的人，不一定只是其神聖訊息的追隨者，而是模仿他們生命的人；因為他們不只追隨教導，也追隨那位老師，而老師本身就是其教導活生生的典範。所有古代宗教演化的傳統都告訴我們，先知身邊的人是如何透過模仿而受益，而不是透過嚴格遵循律法，或爭論各種律法之間的差異而受益。沒有一部經典不存在矛盾。正是這些矛盾構成了神聖訊息的音樂。若沒有矛盾，神聖訊息便會如石子般僵硬。即使每一顆石子都不相同，所有話語又怎麼可能具有完全相同的意思？神聖訊息無非就是對個人與集體生命中的每一個問題、每一個需要、每一項要求所作的回答。

Rumi has tried to explain in the Masnavi, from the beginning to the end, the nature and character of the heart of the Prophet, and by this he has given the key to the door which opens to the prophetic path. Therefore in reading any scripture we must remember first that it is not the words we read which are so important as what is hidden behind. To the ordinary mind, that only sees on the Surface, the words of the scriptures are nothing but simple phrases, and sometimes the ideas appear simple, even childish. But the one who tries to know what is behind them will find out in time that there is a vast field of thought hidden behind every word that has come from the lips of the Prophets.

魯米在《瑪斯納維》中，從頭到尾都試圖說明先知之心的本質與性情，而藉由這樣的說明，他給出了開啟先知之路那扇門的鑰匙。因此，在閱讀任何經典時，我們首先必須記得，真正重要的並不只是我們所讀到的字句，而是隱藏在字句背後的事物。對只看見表面的普通頭腦而言，經典中的話語不過是一些簡單的句子，有時其中的觀念甚至顯得簡單、幼稚。然而，試圖了解字句背後之事物的人，終有一天會發現，從先知口中說出的每一個字背後，都隱藏著一片廣大的思想領域。

Verily the words of the Prophets are as seals upon the Secret of God.

誠然，先知的話語如同蓋在神之祕密上的封印。

The Attunement of the Prophet
先知的調諧

What is asked of a Prophet? The prophetic soul must of necessity rise so high that it may hear the Voice of God, and at the same time it must bend so low that it may hear every little whisper of human beings. Every little lack of consideration or regard for all those who wish to call the attention of the Prophets has been noticed and remarked in the lives of the Prophets. It means to live in heaven and to live on the earth at the same time. The heart of the Prophet is meant to be the harp, every string of it to be tuned to its proper pitch, so that God may play upon it His music. And it is that celestial music which is called the Divine Message. It is therefore that all the ancient scriptures were named Githas, or Gathas, which means the same thing: “music.” The Song Celestial of Krishna is called Bhagavad Gita, which means the “Song of God”; and the Parsis call their sacred scripture Gatha. The Jewish scriptures are chanted when recited; also the Qur’an is recited in the form of singing.

對先知有什麼要求？先知之魂必須提升得如此之高，以至於能聽見神的聲音；同時又必須俯身得如此之低，以至於能聽見每一個人最細微的低語。在先知們的生平中，凡是對那些想要引起先知注意的人稍有欠缺體貼或關照，都曾受到注意與評論。這意味著同時生活在天堂，也生活在大地。先知的心應當成為一把豎琴，每一根弦都調到恰當的音高，使神能在其上演奏祂的音樂。而那天上的音樂，就是所謂的神聖訊息。因此，古代經典都曾被稱為 Githas 或 Gathas，兩者具有同樣的意思：「音樂」。克里希納的《天歌》稱為《薄伽梵歌》（Bhagavad Gita），意思是「神之歌」；而帕西人則把自己的神聖經典稱為 Gatha。猶太經典在誦讀時以吟唱的方式進行；《古蘭經》也以吟唱的形式誦讀。

Every musician knows how difficult it is to keep his violin in tune, especially when it is shaken wherever he has to move in the crowd. The heart, therefore, is incomparably more susceptible to get out of tune. It is therefore that the seers and mystics sought solitude, and kept themselves away from the crowd; but the Prophet, by his natural mission, is placed in the midst of the crowd. It is the problem of life in the crowd which he has to solve, and yet not solve it intellectually, as everyone wishes to do, but spiritually, by keeping that instrument, the heart, in proper tune to the Infinite, that he may get the answer for all questions arising at every moment of the day.

每一位音樂家都知道，要使自己的小提琴始終保持音準有多麼困難，尤其當他在人群中行動、琴身不斷受到震動時。因此，心更是無可比擬地容易失去調諧。正因如此，先見者與祕士尋求獨處，使自己遠離群眾；但先知由於他本有的使命，卻被置於人群之中。他必須解決的是人群之中的生命問題；然而，他不能像每個人所希望的那樣，以理智去解決，而是要以靈性的方式解決——使心這件樂器與無限者保持恰當的調諧，好使他能得到一天之中每一刻所生起之一切問題的答案。

It is therefore that even the presence of the Prophet is the answer to every question: without having spoken one word, the Prophet gives the answer; but if a mind, restless and confused, cannot hear it, then that mind receives the answer in words. The answer of the Prophet uproots every question; but the answer always comes from the heart of the Prophet without his even having been asked a question. For the Prophet is only the medium between God and man; therefore the answer is from God. It is not true that the Prophet answers a question because he reads the mind; it is the mind of the one who asks the question that strikes, in the inner plane, the divine bell, which is the heart of the Prophet; and God, hearing the bell, answers. The answer comes in a manner as if words were put into the mouth of the Prophet.

因此，先知的臨在本身就是每一個問題的答案：即使一句話都沒有說，先知也已經給出了答案；然而，如果一個躁動而困惑的頭腦無法聽見，那麼這個頭腦便會以言語的形式得到答案。先知的回答會把每一個問題連根拔除；然而，即使從未有人向他提出問題，答案也始終從先知的心中而來。因為先知只是神與人之間的媒介；因此，答案來自神。說先知之所以能回答問題，是因為他讀取人的頭腦，這並不正確；真正發生的是，提問者的頭腦在內在層面敲響了那口神聖之鐘，也就是先知的心；而神聽見鐘聲，便作出回答。答案到來的方式，就像話語被放進先知口中一般。

The Prophet, therefore, need not think on the question he is asked; it is all automatic, so that the question draws out of him the answer. This rule is not applied only to individuals, but to the multitude. A. thousand people listening to a Prophet at the same time, and each having a different question in his mind, the question of every one of them has been answered. So the true character of the sacred scriptures is that even the book answers the question, if a person opens it automatically in order to find out a solution to a certain problem. Imagine, if the book answers, then one could expect more from the Prophet; for the soul of the Prophet is the living book: his heart is the sacred scripture.

因此，先知不需要思考別人向他提出的問題；一切都是自動發生的，使問題從他之中引出答案。這條法則不只適用於個人，也適用於群眾。一千個人同時聆聽一位先知，而每個人的頭腦中都有不同的問題，他們每一個人的問題都得到了回答。因此，神聖經典真正的特質在於：如果一個人為了尋找某個問題的解答而自然而然地打開經典，那麼甚至這本書本身也會回答他的問題。想像一下，如果一本書都能回答問題，那麼我們當然可以從先知那裡期待更多；因為先知之魂就是一本活著的書：他的心就是神聖經典。

What is religion? In the outer sense of the word, a form given to worship God and a law given to a community to live harmoniously. And what does religion mean in the inner sense of the word? It means a staircase, made for the soul to climb and reach that plane where Truth is realized. Both these aspects of religion may be found in the words and in the soul of the Prophet: his words, the law; his Message, the wisdom; and his being, that peace which is the seeking of every soul. God has never manifested as Himself in this world of variety, where every thing and every being is a divine expression, yet with its limitations. And if the world has been able to believe in God and to recognize God in a being, it is in the godly, it is in the soul which reflects God. With all the arguments for and against the divinity of Christ, no sincere believer in God can deny that God reflects through the Personality of the Master.

什麼是宗教？從這個詞的外在意義而言，它是一種為了敬拜神而給出的形式，也是一套賦予一個群體、使其能和諧生活的法則。那麼，從內在意義而言，宗教又是什麼？它意味著一座階梯，是為靈魂而造，使靈魂能攀登而上，抵達證悟真理的層次。宗教的這兩個面向，都可以在先知的話語與靈魂中找到：他的話語，是法則；他的神聖訊息，是智慧；他的存在，則是每一個靈魂都在尋求的那份和平。在這個多樣性的世界裡，每一件事物、每一個生命都是神聖的表達，卻各自帶有限制，因此神從未以祂自身的樣貌顯現。而如果世人曾經能夠相信神，並在一個生命中認出神，那是在具有神性的人身上，是在映照神的靈魂之中。無論世人如何爭論基督的神性是真是假，任何真誠相信神的人，都無法否認神透過聖師的人格而映照出來。

The Prophetic Claim
先知身分的宣稱

1. Abraham was called Habib Allah, the Friend of God;
   亞伯拉罕被稱為哈比卜・阿拉（Habib Allah），意為「神的朋友」；
2. Moses was distinguished as Kalim Allah, a Communicator with God;
   摩西被尊稱為卡利姆・阿拉（Kalim Allah），意為「與神交談者」；
3. Jesus was called Ruh Allah, the Spirit of God;
   耶穌被稱為魯赫・阿拉（Ruh Allah），意為「神之靈」；
4. Mohammed was called Rasul Allah, the Messenger of God.
   穆罕默德被稱為拉蘇爾・阿拉（Rasul Allah），意為「神的使者」。

The difference between the Prophets among the Hindus and among the Beni Israel that can be noticed, is one: the Hindu Prophets claim to be God themselves. The reason was that the people in India, owing to their philosophical evolution, were ready to accept the divine in man; but, on the contrary, in Arabia and Palestine even the prophetic claim aroused such opposition against the Prophets that their lives were in danger and their mission became most difficult for them to perform.

我們可以注意到，印度教先知與以色列子民的先知之間有一項差別：印度教的先知宣稱自己就是神。原因在於，印度人由於哲學上的演化，已經準備好接受人之中的神性；但相反地，在阿拉伯與巴勒斯坦，即使只是宣稱自己是先知，也會引起強烈的反對，使先知的生命受到威脅，他們的使命也因此變得極其難以完成。

After the claimants of Godhead there have been many reformers in India, to whom people responded without much difficulty, but in the Near East it has always been difficult, and will always be so. It is for this reason that the ancient school of esotericism, the ancient Order of the Sufis, found it difficult to exist under the reign of orthodoxy. The lives of many great Sufis have been made victims of the orthodox powers which reigned.

在那些宣稱自身神性的人之後，印度出現了許多改革者，而人們並不太困難就能對他們有所回應；但在近東，這始終是困難的，而且將一直如此。正因這個緣故，古老的祕傳學派、古老的蘇菲教團，在正統勢力統治之下很難生存。許多偉大的蘇菲祕士，都成了當時正統勢力的犧牲者。

Sufism, therefore, which was as a mother of the coming reform in the religious world, was protected by Persia, and, in the end, found a greater freedom in the land of India, where the Hindus respected it and Muslims followed it without the slightest hesitation. In the houses of the Sufis the followers of all religions met together in friendliness and in the feeling of brotherhood.

因此，蘇菲主義如同宗教世界即將到來之改革的母親，曾受到波斯的保護，最後在印度這片土地上找到更大的自由；在那裡，印度教徒尊重它，穆斯林也毫不遲疑地追隨它。在蘇菲祕士的家中，各種宗教的追隨者都以友善與手足情誼相聚在一起。

The Sufi Message which is now being given in the Western world is the child of that mother who has been known for many years as Sufism. The Sufi Message which is being given to the world just now, therefore, connects the two lines of the prophetic mission, the Hindu line and that of Beni Israel, in order that they may become the medium to unite in God and Truth both parts of the world, East and West.

如今在西方世界所傳達的蘇菲神聖訊息，就是那位多年來被稱為蘇菲主義之母所生的孩子。因此，如今正在傳向世界的蘇菲神聖訊息，連結起先知使命的兩條傳承——印度教這一條，以及以色列子民這一條——使它們能成為一個媒介，讓世界的兩個部分，東方與西方，在神與真理之中合一。

It is the same Truth, the same religion, the same ideal, which the wise of all ages have held. If there is anything different, it is only the difference of the form.

那是歷代智者所持守的同一真理、同一宗教、同一理想。如果其中有什麼不同，也只是形式上的不同。

The Sufi Message given now has adopted the form suitable for the age. It is a Message without claim; and the group of workers in this Message, and those who follow it, are named the Sufi Movement, whose work it is to tread the spiritual path quietly, unassumingly, and to serve God and humanity, in which is the fulfillment of the Message.

如今所傳達的蘇菲神聖訊息，採取了適合這個時代的形式。這是一個沒有任何宣稱的神聖訊息；而為這神聖訊息工作的人，以及追隨它的人，合稱為「蘇菲運動」。他們的工作，是安靜、不自居地行走於靈性道路上，並服務神與人類；而神聖訊息的完成，就在這份服務之中。

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