3. What is Needed on the Path
3. 此道所需

1. Faith, Trust
信念與信任

Initiation needs courage and the tendency to advance spiritually, although it may not seem to be the way of life for everyone. Therefore the first duty of a mureed is not to be shaken in his faith by any opposing influence or by anything said against the path he has taken. He should not allow himself to be discouraged by anybody. The mureed must be so firm in his path that if the whole world says it is a wrong path, he will say it is the right path. And if anybody says that it will take a thousand years or perhaps more, the mureed must be able to say that even if it should take a thousand years, he will have the patience to go through with it. As it is said in Persian, it is the work of the Baz, the wayfarer of the heavens.

啟蒙需要勇氣，也需要在靈性上向前邁進的傾向，儘管這條路看來未必是每個人的生活道路。因此，門徒的首要本分，就是不讓任何反對的影響，或任何針對他所選道路的言論，動搖自己的信念。他不應讓任何人使自己氣餒。門徒在自己的道路上必須如此堅定：即使全世界都說這是一條錯誤的道路，他仍會說這是正確的道路。若有人告訴他，這條路需要一千年，甚至更久，門徒也必須能夠說，即使真的需要一千年，他也有耐心一路走到底。正如波斯語中所說，這是鷹隼的功夫，是翱翔天際的行者之道。

In this mystical path courage, steadfastness, and patience are what is most necessary, but also trust in the teacher at whose hand initiation is taken, and the understanding of the idea of discipline. In the East, where for thousands of years the path of discipleship has been understood, these things are regarded as most important and acceptable from the hand of the teacher. How few in the world know trust! What is necessary is not trusting another, even the teacher, but oneself, and one is not capable of trusting oneself fully when one has not experienced in life how to trust another. Some will ask, “But if we trusted and our trust was in vain, should we not be disappointed?” The answer is, that we must trust for the sake of the trust, and not for the sake of a return and to see what fruit it brings. The utmost trust is the greatest power in the world. Lack of trust is weakness. Even if we have lost something by trusting, our power will be greater than if we had gained something without developing trust.

在這條祕士之道上，最需要的是勇氣、堅定與耐心；除此之外，也需要信任那位我們從其手中接受啟蒙的老師，並理解紀律的意義。在東方，數千年來人們一直明白門徒之道，因而將這些視為極其重要之事，也懂得接受老師所給予的一切。世上真正懂得信任的人是多麼少！我們真正需要的，並不是去信任另一個人，甚至也不是信任老師，而是信任自己；然而，如果我們一生中從未體驗過如何信任另一個人，也就無法真正完全地信任自己。有人會問：「可是，如果我們付出了信任，結果卻證明這份信任是徒然的，難道不會失望嗎？」答案是，我們應當為了信任本身而信任，而不是為了得到回報，也不是為了看看它會結出什麼果實。全然的信任，是世上最強大的力量。缺乏信任，就是軟弱。即使我們因為信任而失去了某些東西，由此獲得的力量，仍會大於我們在未曾培養信任的情況下所得的一切。

2. Patience
耐心

Patience is very necessary on the path. After my initiation into the Order of the Sufis I was for six months continually in the presence of my murshid before he said a word on the subject of Sufism; and as soon as I took out my notebook he went on to another subject; it was finished! One sentence after six months! A person would think that it is a long time, six months sitting before one’s teacher without being taught anything; but it is not words, it is something else. If words were sufficient, there are libraries full of occult and mystical books. It is life itself, it is living that is important. The one who lives the life of initiation not only lives himself, but also makes others who come in contact with him alive. Therefore one is initiated into the Sufi Order not especially for study, but to understand and follow what real discipleship means.

耐心在這條道路上非常重要。我接受啟蒙進入蘇菲教團之後，整整六個月持續待在我的穆希德 (Murshid) 身邊，他才第一次說了一句與蘇菲主義有關的話；而我才剛拿出筆記本，他立刻就轉到別的話題去了——就這樣結束了！六個月，只有一句話！我們或許會覺得這實在太久了：整整六個月坐在老師面前，卻什麼都沒有被教導。然而，重要的並不是言語，而是另一種東西。如果言語就已經足夠，那麼圖書館裡早已有滿架的神祕學與祕士書籍。真正重要的是生命本身，是如何去活。真正活出啟蒙之道的人，不僅自己活了起來，也會使那些與他接觸的人生起生命。因此，我們接受啟蒙進入蘇菲教團，並不主要是為了研習，而是為了理解並實踐真正的門徒之道究竟意味著什麼。

With regard to the subject of discipline; anybody without a sense of discipline is without the power of self-control. It is discipline which teaches the ideal, and the ideal is self-discipline. It is the disciplined soldier who can become a good captain. In ancient times the kings used to send the princes out as soldiers, to learn what discipline means. The path of initiation is the training of the ego, and it is self-discipline which is learned on the path of discipleship.

至於紀律，凡是缺乏紀律感的人，也就缺乏自我節制的力量。正是紀律教導我們什麼是理想，而這個理想就是自律。只有受過紀律訓練的士兵，才能成為一位好軍官。古時候，國王會讓王子先去當士兵，好讓他們學習紀律究竟意味著什麼。啟蒙之道是對自我的訓練，而我們在門徒之道上所學的，正是自律。

3. The Goal
目標

One may ask what one should think of the path of initiation: what must be our goal, what must we expect from it? Should we expect to be good, or healthy, or magnetic, or powerful, or developed psychically, or clairvoyant? None of these does one need to be, although in time one will cultivate them all naturally, but one should not strive for these things.

我們或許會問：應當如何看待啟蒙之道？我們的目標應該是什麼？又應該期待從中得到什麼？我們是否應該期待自己變得善良、健康、具有磁力、強而有力，或發展出靈能力，甚至具有靈視能力？這些都不是我們非得成為的樣子。雖然隨著時間過去，這些能力或特質可能自然地逐漸發展出來，但我們不應以它們為追求的目標。

• Suppose a person develops power, and he does not know how to use it, the outcome will be disastrous.
  
  假如一個人發展出了力量，卻不知道該如何運用它，其結果將會是災難性的。

• Suppose he develops magnetism, and by his power he attracts all, both good and bad; then it will be difficult to get rid of what he has attracted by his power.
  
  假如他發展出了磁力，藉由這股力量將一切都吸引而來，無論好壞，那麼，要擺脫那些被自己的力量所吸引來的事物，就會變得十分困難。

• Or perhaps a person is very good, so good that everyone seems bad to him; he is too good to live in the world, and in that way he will become a burden to himself.
  
  又或者，一個人變得非常善良，善良到在他眼中所有人看來都是不好的人；他變得太過善良，以至於無法生活在這個世界上，如此一來，他反而會成為自己的負擔。

These things are not to be sought for through initiation.

這些都不是我們應當透過啟蒙去追求的事物。

The aim is to find God within ourselves, to dive deep into ourselves, so that we may touch the unity of the whole Being. It is towards this end that we are working by the power of initiation, in order that we may get all the inspiration and blessing in our life from within.

真正的目標，是在我們自身之內找到神，深入我們自身之中，好讓我們能夠觸及整個存在的一體性。我們正是藉由啟蒙的力量朝這個目標努力，使生命中所有的靈感與祝福，都能從內在而來。

For this two things are necessary:

為此，有兩件事是必要的：

1. One is to do the exercises that are given regularly and to do them with heart and soul.
   
   第一，是規律地做所給予的練習，並全心全意地投入其中。

2. The second is to undertake the studies that are given, not considering them to be only for superficial reading, but for every word to be pondered upon. The more one thinks about it, the more it will have the effect of opening the heart. Reading is one thing, contemplating is another. The lessons must be meditated upon; one should not take even the simplest word or sentence for granted. Think of the Hindus, Chinese, Parsis, who for thousands of years have always meditated upon the readings which they held sacred and yet never tired of them.
   
   第二，是研習所給予的教材；不要把它們只當作表面的閱讀，而應對其中每一個字細細思量。思索得越深，它就越能發揮開啟心的作用。閱讀是一回事，觀想又是另一回事。這些教導必須加以靜心體會；即使是最簡單的一個詞或一句話，也不應視為理所當然。想想印度教徒、中國人與祆教徒，數千年來始終反覆靜心體會那些被他們奉為神聖的經文，卻從未因此感到厭倦。

4. Initiation
啟蒙

Initiation is a sacred trust, a trust given by the murshid to his mureed and a trust given by the mureed to the murshid. There should no longer be a wall from the moment of this initiation; for if there is a wall, then the initiation is not an initiation any more. And when the wall between the mureed and the murshid has been removed, then the next step will be for the wall to be removed that stands between God and the worshipper. Besides the Sufi Order is an order of mysticism, and there are certain thoughts and considerations which should be observed. One of these is that when once a secret has been entrusted to one, it must be kept as one’s most sacred trust. One must also accept all the teaching that may be given to one; whether it is bitter medicine or sweet, the patient takes it. There is a time for everything, and so illumination has its time. But progress, the real progress, depends upon the patience of the pupil, together with his eagerness to go forward.

啟蒙是一份神聖的託付，是穆希德交付給門徒的信任，也是門徒交付給穆希德的信任。從接受啟蒙的那一刻起，兩者之間便不應再有一道牆；因為只要這道牆依然存在，啟蒙便不再是真正的啟蒙。當門徒與穆希德之間的牆被移除之後，下一步，就是移除那道存在於神與敬拜者之間的牆。此外，蘇菲教團是一個祕士修行的教團，其中有一些觀念與原則需要遵守。其中之一便是：一旦有一項祕密被託付給我們，就必須將它視為最神聖的託付而守護。我們也必須接受所有可能被給予的教導；無論藥是苦是甜，病人都會把它服下。凡事都有它的時候，啟明也有屬於它的時機。然而，進展——真正的進展——取決於學生的耐心，以及他渴望向前的心。

The path of initiation is also a path of tests: tests from the initiator, tests from God, tests from the self, and tests from the world; and to go through these tests is the sign of real progress in the mureed, while the one who does not undertake these tests will be wasting his time.

啟蒙之道同時也是一條考驗之路：來自啟蒙者的考驗、來自神的考驗、來自自身的考驗，以及來自世界的考驗。能夠經歷這些考驗，是門徒真正有所進展的標誌；而不願經歷這些考驗的人，只是在浪費自己的時間。

The Order, and this is apparent from the word “order” itself, means that there is a certain formal hierarchy of the initiators and of the Pir-o-Murshid, and that they should be regarded and respected as those who have gone further in that chosen direction. This law is in no way different from the law of nature and of life: when a child who has been disrespectful to its parents itself becomes a parent, it will find the same attitude in its own children. A soldier who does not observe discipline under his captain or colonel will experience the same from his subordinates when later he holds that position. But the question is whether he will ever arrive at that rank, not having considered and observed that which should have been observed; for those who have advanced in any line, whether in music, in poetry, in thought, or in philosophy, have always done so in a humble way, at every step greeting those who have gone further.

所謂教團（Order），從「order」這個詞本身就可以看出，它意味著啟蒙者以及 Pir-o-Murshid 之間存在著一定的正式次第；我們應當將他們視為在自己所選的方向上已經走得更遠的人，並給予相應的尊重。這項法則與自然及生命的法則並沒有任何不同：一個不尊重父母的孩子，當自己日後成為父母時，也會在自己的孩子身上看見同樣的態度。一名在上尉或上校麾下不遵守紀律的士兵，日後若自己身居那個位置，也會從部屬那裡遭遇同樣的情形。然而真正的問題是：如果他從未重視並遵守那些本應重視、遵守的事，他是否有一天真能到達那個位置？因為凡是在任何領域中有所進展的人，無論是音樂、詩歌、思想或哲學，總是以謙遜的方式向前；在每一步上，都向那些已經走得更遠的人致意。

Then there are three stages for the pupil, the mureed, who treads the spiritual path. The first stage is receptivity, taking that is given without saying, “This teaching I will accept and that I will not accept.” The next stage is assimilating the teachings. And the third stage is fixing them in the mind and letting the mind see the reason of things; but this comes after assimilation. Thus the one who considers these three stages and goes through them carefully, securely — the stage of receptivity, the stage of assimilation, and the stage of consideration — will be the successful mureed on the path.

接著，踏上靈性道路的學生，也就是門徒，要經歷三個階段。第一個階段是領受，接受所給予的一切，而不說：「這項教導我要接受，那項教導我不要接受。」第二個階段，是將這些教導吸收、融會於自身。第三個階段，則是使它們在頭腦中扎根，讓頭腦看見事物背後的道理；但這一步是在吸收之後才會到來。因此，一個人若能理解這三個階段，並穩妥、仔細地一一走過——領受的階段、吸收的階段，以及思量的階段——他就會成為一位在這條道路上有所成就的門徒。

Although the outer-form might appear to be a hierarchy, yet the Sufi message leads to true democracy, for it holds the promise of that goal which is the yearning of every soul. This itself is the principal thing in democracy, because it is this which makes democracy; and the reason, according to the Sufi belief, is that the divine spark is in every soul. It is with trust and confidence in God, in the murshid, and in that divine spark which is in one’s own heart that one is assured of success in life if one will only step forward.

儘管外在形式看來或許是一種階序，蘇菲訊息所引向的卻是真正的民主，因為它向每一個靈魂所渴望的那個目標敞開可能。這本身正是民主最根本的精神，因為使民主得以成立的，正是這一點；而依蘇菲的信念，其原因就在於每一個靈魂之中都有神性的火花。只要我們願意向前邁進，並對神、對穆希德，以及對自己心中那神性的火花懷有信任與信心，我們便能確信自己將在生命中走向成就。

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