2. The Heart Quality
2. 心的品質
There are people who look at life through their brain, their head, and there are others who look at life through their heart. Between these two points of view there is a vast difference; so much difference that something that one person can see on the earth the other sees in heaven, something that one sees as small the other sees as great, of something that one sees as limited the other sees the unlimitedness. These two persons become opposite poles; it is as if one is looking at the sky, the other at the earth.
有些人透過自己的大腦、自己的頭腦來看生命；也有些人透過自己的心來看生命。這兩種觀點之間差異極大；大到一個人在地上所看見的，另一個人卻在天上看見；一個人看作渺小的，另一個人看作偉大；一個人看作有限的，另一個人卻看見其無限。這兩種人成了相對的兩極：就像是一個人望向天空，另一個人望向大地。
No one will admit that he looks at things with his head; everyone will say, “I look at life with my heart.” If he knew what it is to look at life from the heart, the best person in the world would say, “I have not yet learned to look at life from the heart. I would like to know how to do it, I would like to learn it.”
沒有人會承認自己是用頭腦在看事情；人人都會說：「我用心在看生命。」然而，若他真知道什麼叫做「從心去看生命」，即使是世上最厲害的人也會說：「我還沒有學會從心去看生命。我想知道要怎麼做，我想學會它。」
One might say that emotional and devotional people are flying in the clouds, while others with their reason and logic are standing on the earth. Yes, it is true. But angels ride on clouds; if the soul has the angelic quality the clouds are its sphere, not the earth.
有人也許會說：感情豐富、虔敬的人像是在雲端飛翔；而依憑理性與邏輯的人則站在地上。是的，的確是如此。但天使本就乘雲而行；若靈魂具有天使般的品質，雲便是它的領域，而非大地。
Now one may ask, “Where is the place for practicality in life?” Yes, but what one calls practical in everyday life and one is very careful about — what is it, how long does it last, what is it worth? No doubt it is true that man is born on earth to bear the weight of his physical body and with it its needs: a roof over his head and a piece of bread to sustain him. If that is all there is to think about, man makes a great mistake if he devotes all his life to what he calls practicality, practical life, and never thinks of the heavenly treasure that is hidden in the heart of man.
有人會問：「那麼，生命裡實際的一面該放在哪裡？」是的，但人們在日常生活中所謂實際、並且小心翼翼看重的——究竟是什麼？能持續多久？又值多少？的確，人出生在地上，必須承擔肉身的重量及其需求：頭頂要有屋簷，口中要有麵包以維持生命。但若人只想到這些，他若把一生都奉獻給他所稱的實際、實際的生活，而從不去想那隱藏在人心之中屬於天堂的珍寶，他就犯了大錯。
The heart of man can be likened to water. Either it is frozen and then it is snow, or it is water and then it is liquid. When it is frozen it has turned into a crystal; when it is liquid it is in running order, and it is natural for water to be running.
人的心可以比作水：要麼凍結成雪；要麼為水而呈液態。當它凍結時，就變成晶體；當它是液態時，就處於流動的狀態，而流動是水的天生本質。
Salt Water
鹹水
Then there are two principal kinds of water: salt water and sweet water. The sea which is quite contented in itself, indifferent to everything else, has salt water because it is independent of anything else. It gives health, happiness and pleasure to those who walk along it, because it represents perfection. It asks nothing from anyone, it rises and falls within itself, it is independent, it is immense. In that way it shows perfection. But with that independent perfection its water is not sweet, and the ascetic who has closed his heart, with the perfection of God and with the realization of truth is like the sea, independent, indifferent to all things. His presence heals people, his contact gives them joy, gives them peace, and yet his personality is uninteresting: the water of the sea is salt water.
水主要有兩種：鹹水與甜水。大海自得其足，對一切他者皆淡然；它之所以是鹹水，是因為它不依賴任何外物。它使沿著海邊行走的人獲得健康、幸福與愉悅，因為它代表著完滿。它不向任何人索取什麼；它在自身之內起落；它獨立而浩瀚。它以這種方式呈現完滿。然而，正因那種獨立的完滿，它的水並不甘甜；同樣地，那封閉了心的苦行者，帶著神的完滿與對真理的證悟，也像大海一般——獨立，對萬事淡然。他的臨在能療癒人；與他接觸使人喜悅、使人平靜；然而，他的性格卻很乏味無趣：海水，是鹹水。
When the sea is calm it is a pleasure to travel on it, and when the sea is rough there is no worse illness than seasickness. So is the powerful mind, the mind of a soul that has touched perfection: it is with tranquility, calmness and peace that this mind gives everyone a way into it, as the sea lays itself with open heart before those who journey on it. Ships and boats pass through it, those who journey enjoy their traveling. But when the sea is disturbed by the wind, by storm, it is perfect in its annoyance, it can shake boats and steamers. And so the mind of the sage can have an effect upon all things in nature; it can cause volcanic eruptions, it can cause disasters, revolutions, all manner of things once its tranquility is disturbed.
海平靜時，行旅其上令人愉快；海洶湧時，沒有比暈船更難受的病。強大的頭腦亦然——那是靈魂觸及完滿之後的頭腦：它以安寧、平靜與和平，讓每個人都能走入其中，就像大海在旅人面前敞開其胸懷。船隻穿行其間，旅人享受航行。然而，當海被風或暴雨擾動時，完滿呈現在它的惱怒中：它能搖撼小舟與汽船。同樣地，賢者的頭腦也能影響自然界的一切；一旦它的寧靜被擾動，便可能引發火山爆發、災難、革命，以及各式各樣的事。
Knowing this nature of the sage’s heart and knowing the great powers that a man who has touched divine perfection possesses, people in the East regard closely the pleasure and displeasure of the sage. They think that to annoy a sage is like annoying the whole of nature, to disturb his tranquility means to shake the whole universe. A storm in the sea is a very small thing, whereas the heart that has touched perfection, if once upset, can upset the whole universe.
了解賢者之心的這種性質，也知道一個觸及神聖完滿的人所具備的巨大力量，東方的人便格外留心賢者的喜與不喜。他們認為：惹惱賢者，就像惹惱整個自然；擾動他的寧靜，就等於震動整個宇宙。海上的風暴尚且只是小事；而那顆觸及完滿的心，一旦被攪亂，卻能攪亂整個宇宙。
Sweet Water
甜水
The water of the river is sweet. It is sweet because it is attracted to the sea, it is longing to reach the sea. The river represents the loving quality, a quality that is seeking for the object it loves. A heart that loves God and His perfection is likened to the river that seeks the sea. It is therefore that the personality of the seeker is more pleasant than the personality of the one who is contented with what he knows. There is little danger in traveling on the river, there is great joy in swimming in the river, and there is a fine scenery along it to look at. So it is with the personality which is like the river: that running of the feeling of sympathy, that continual running, means a living sympathy. The river helps the trees and plants and the earth along it. So does the kind, sympathetic person whose feeling is liquid: everywhere he goes he takes with him that influence which nourishes, which helps souls to flourish and to progress.
河水是甜的。它之所以甜，是因為它被大海吸引，渴望抵達大海。河代表著愛的品質，一種尋覓自己所愛之對象的品質。那顆愛神與祂的完滿的心，就像尋海之河。因此，尋道者的性格比那位滿足於自己所知的人更令人愉悅。行旅於河上少有危險；在河中游泳有極大的喜悅；沿岸景致也秀緻怡人。像河一般的性格亦然：同理心的感受在其中流動、持續流動——這就意味著活生生的同理心。河滋養沿岸的樹木、植物與土地；善良、富同理心而情感流動的人亦是如此：他所到之處，都帶著滋養的影響力，幫助靈魂發展與成長。
The Stream
溪流
Then one sometimes sees a little stream. It runs, it is not a river, it is a small little stream running, and it is even more beautiful to look at for it expresses modesty, it expresses fineness of character, it expresses purity. For always the water of a little stream is pure. It expresses the nature of an innocent heart, the heart that cannot be prevented from being sympathetic, from being loving, by any experience of the world which makes water turn bitter. The bitter experience has not touched it, and it is pure and clear. It inspires poets, it uplifts a composer, it quenches the thirst of the thirsty one, it is an ideal spot for a painter to paint. With its modesty it has purity and with its purity it has life.
有時人也會看見一條小溪。它在流動，雖不是大河，卻是一條細小的溪流，而它更顯得美，因為它表達出謙遜、其性格的細緻優雅、與純淨——小溪之水總是清澈的。它表達出一顆天真無邪之心的本性：無論世間經驗如何讓水變苦，也無法阻止它保持同理心、保持愛。苦澀的經驗尚未觸及它；它純淨而明澈。它啟發詩人，鼓舞作曲家，解渴於口渴之人，也是畫家作畫的理想所在。它因謙遜而純淨；因純淨而具生命。
The Little Pool
小水窪
There is also the water of a little pool. It is sometimes muddy, sometimes dirty. Why? Because of its narrowness, because it is small. In the same way the narrowness of the heart has always mud in it. Because it is narrow and because it is not deep enough, all the elements of the earth enter it and take away its purity.
也有小水窪的水：有時混濁，有時骯髒。為什麼？因為它狹小，因為它太小。同樣地，心的狹窄總帶著泥濘；因為它狹小、又不夠深，土地上的各種元素都進入其中，帶走它的純淨。
The Large Pool
大池塘
Then there is the water of a large pool, where water-lilies grow, where little fishes swim, where the sun is reflected and the moonlight produces a beautiful vision, where one would like to sit and look at it because it expresses to everyone that sees it the liquid nature of the heart, the heart that is not frozen, the heart that is like water. It is still, it is calm, it can make one’s heart tranquil to sit by its side. One can see one’s reflection in it, for it is calm, it is tranquil.
還有大池塘的水：睡蓮生長其上，小魚游弋其間；它映照著太陽，月光也在其中生成美麗的景象。人會想坐在池畔凝望它，因為它向每一位觀看者展示出心的液態性本質——那未凍結的心，那如水一般的心。它安定，它平靜；坐在它身旁，人的心也會寧靜下來。人能在其中看見自己的倒影，因為它寧靜、平穩。
The Spring
泉水
The water of the spring is most healing and most inspiring because it comes from above and falls on to the earth; that is the character of the inspirational mind. The heart that, like a spring, pours out water in the form of inspiration-be it in poetry, be it in music, in whatever form-has beauty, it has a healing quality, it can take away all the worries, anxieties, difficulties and troubles of those who come to it. Like the water of the spring it not only inspires but it heals. Then there is a fountain that rises and falls in so many drops. It is man-made as the personality also is man-made. When man has made a personality, then the feeling that rises from the heart through that personality is like the fountain: each drop falling from it comes in the form of a virtue.
泉水最具療癒性、也最能啟發人，因為它自上而來，落向大地；這正是富靈感之頭腦的特質。那顆如泉湧般以靈感傾注的心——無論以詩、以音樂，或以任何形式——帶著美、帶著療癒的品質；它能帶走人們的憂慮、焦躁、艱難與煩惱。泉水不只啟發，也能療癒。再者，還有噴泉：以無數水滴升起又落下。它是人造的，正如性格也是人所塑造的。當人塑造出一種性格時，心透過那性格而升起的感受，就像噴泉：每一滴落下的水，都以某種美德之形出現。
Water Vapor
水蒸氣
The water that rises from the sea towards the sky in the form of vapor represents the aspiration of the heart. The heart that aspires upward, that wishes to reach upward, that heart shows the quality of vapor. It is the heart of the devotee, of the seeker, the heart of the one who is always conscientiously seeking the higher ideal, touching the higher principles. In the form of clouds that heart of aspiration forms itself and pours down just like the rain, bringing celestial beauty in the form of art, poetry or music, or of anything that is good and beautiful.
水蒸氣以蒸氣的形式從海水向著天空上升，象徵心的熱望。那顆渴望向上、希望抵達更高處的心，便呈現蒸氣的品質。那是虔敬者的心、尋道者的心，是那位總以良知追求更高理想、觸及更高原則之人的心。這顆熱望之心凝聚成雲，並如雨般降下，以藝術、詩或音樂之形式、或任何美善的事物，帶來天上的美。
Sulphury Water
含硫之水
There are hearts that have been impregnated with fire for a long, long time; there comes a sulphury water from them, purifying and healing. The heart has gone through fire, it has gone through suffering and therefore it can heal those who suffer.
有些心長久、長久地浸潤於火之中；它們流出含硫之水，具有淨化與療癒之力。這顆心走過火，走過苦難，因此能療癒受苦的人。
Chemicals in Water
水中的化學成分
There are hearts with many different qualities, like water may contain different chemical substances: those who have suffered, those who have gone through the test of patience, those who have contemplated. These hearts all represent one or the other kind of the water that heals and so do the personalities. Persons who have had deep experiences of any kind-of suffering, of agony, of love, of hate, of solitude, of association, of success, of failure-all have a particular quality, a quality which has a particular use for others.
心有許多不同的品質，就像水可能含有不同的化學物質：受過苦的人、通過耐心考驗的人、曾深思默觀的人。這些心都代表某一種能療癒的水，而性格也是如此。凡有深刻經驗的人——無論是痛苦、煎熬、愛、恨、孤獨、相伴、成功或失敗——都帶著一種特別的品質；而那品質，對他人具有某種特定的用途。
Knowing this we will come to this conclusion: “Whatever has been my life’s destiny, my heart through sorrow or pain, through joy or pleasure, has prepared a chemical substance that serves a certain purpose for humanity. And I can only give that chemical substance for the use of humanity if I can keep my heart awake and open.” Once the heart is closed, once it is frozen, once it has turned from a warm heart into a stone, the person is no longer living. It does not matter what he has gone through, for even the worst poison can be of some use. There is no person therefore, however wicked, who is of no use, if only he knows that there is one condition for being useful to humanity, and that is to keep the heart open.
明白這一點，我們會得到一個結論：「無論我生命的命運是什麼，我的心透過悲傷或痛苦、透過喜悅或快樂，都已準備出一種化學物質，能為人們的某種目的服務。而我唯有保持心的醒覺與開放，才能把那化學物質提供給人們使用。」一旦心關閉、凍結，一旦溫熱的心變成石頭，這個人就不再是活著的人了。無論他曾經歷過什麼，都不重要；因為即使最劇烈的毒物，也可能有其用途。因此，沒有任何人——無論多麼邪惡——會是毫無用處的；只要他明白：要對人們有用，只有一個條件：保持心的敞開。
Spiritual Attainment
靈性成就
Now coming to spiritual attainment: this is something that we can never absorb through the head; it can only be received through the heart. Let two persons listen to the teachings of a teacher, one with his heart and the other with his head. The latter will think, “Is it so, or is it not so? And how is it, if it is so? How can it be, and if it is, why is it?” And there is never an end to the “why.” The other person will listen with his heart; both logic and reason are at his disposal, but they do not trouble him. His heart is open, he listens to it and the quality of the heart is such that whatever falls upon an open heart becomes instantly revealed. When one says, “I cannot understand you” it is just like saying, “I have closed my heart to you”; there is no other reason for not understanding. And when one says, “I have understood it all,” it means the heart was open; that is why one has understood.
現在談到靈性成就：這不是我們能用頭腦吸收的東西；它只能透過心來領受。讓兩個人聽一位老師的教導：一個用心聽，另一個用頭腦聽。後者會想：「真是這樣嗎？還是不是這樣？如果是這樣，那是怎麼回事？怎麼可能？如果真是如此，又為什麼是如此？」這個「為什麼」永無止盡。另一個人則用心來聽；邏輯與理性都供他使用，但不會困擾他。他的心是敞開的，他以心聽；而心的品質是：凡落在敞開之心上的，都會立刻顯明。當人說「我無法理解你」，就如同在說：「我已對你關閉了我的心」；這是無法理解對方的唯一原因。當人說「我全都理解了」，那就意味著心是敞開的；因此才理解。
Understanding, therefore, does not depend upon the head, it depends upon the heart. By the help of the head one can make things more clear, they become intelligible, one can express them better, but understanding must begin to come from the heart, not from the head. Besides, with his head a person says, “Yes, it must be so because I think so, but with his heart he says, “it is so because I believe it to be so.” That is the difference: in one person there is doubt, in the other conviction.
因此，理解並不依賴頭腦，而依賴心。借助頭腦，人能把事情釐清，使之更易懂，也能更好地表達；但理解必須從心開始，而不是從頭腦開始。此外，用頭腦的人會說：「是的，一定是這樣，因為我這麼想。」但用心的人會說：「它就是這樣，因為我深信它就是如此。」差別就在這裡：一個人是懷疑，另一個人是確信。
In an Eastern language there is a word which is very difficult to translate: iman. It is not exactly faith or belief – the nearest word one can find for it is conviction, a conviction that cannot be changed by anything, a conviction that does not come from outside. One always seeks for conviction, one asks, “Will anybody convince me, will this thing convince me?” Nothing convinces, nobody convinces. Conviction is something that comes from one’s own heart and it stands above faith and belief, for belief is the beginning of the same thing of which faith is the development and conviction the culmination.
在東方語言裡有個很難翻譯的字：iman。它不完全等同於信任（faith）或相信（belief）；最接近的字是「確信」——一種不會被任何事改變的確信，一種不從外界而來的確信。人總在尋找確信，總問：「有人能說服我嗎？這件事能說服我嗎？」但沒有什麼能說服，也沒有誰能說服。確信是從自己的心裡生出的；它超越信任與相信，因為他們是同一件事的不同階段，「相信」是起點，「信任」是它的發展過程，而確信是它的完成。
What is spiritual attainment? Spiritual attainment is conviction. A man may think, “Perhaps it is so”; he may think about the best doctrine or about the highest idea that there is, and he will think, “it is so-perhaps.” But there is “perhaps” attached to it. Then there is another person who cannot use the word “perhaps” because he does not think about it; he cannot say, “It may be so” when he knows that it is so. When a person arrives at the stage where the knowledge of reality becomes his conviction, then there is nothing in the world that will change it. If there is anything to attain to, it is that conviction which one can never find in the world outside; it must rise from the depth of one’s own heart.
什麼是靈性成就？靈性成就就是確信。一個人也許會想：「也許是這樣。」他會思考最好的教義、最高的理念，然後說：「是這樣……也許。」但其中仍附帶著「也許」。另有一個人，卻無法使用「也許」這個字，因為他不是在推想；當他知道它就是如此時，他就不會說「可能是如此」。當一個人到達一個階段：對實相的認識成為他的確信，那麼世上就沒有任何事能改變它。若說有什麼值得成就的，就是那種你永遠無法在外在世界找到的確信；它必須從自己心的深處升起。
Man Is His Heart
人即其心
The scientists say that the body is formed around the heart; from the mystical point of view it is symbolical that the personality is formed around the heart. For a materialist the heart is a piece of flesh hidden in the breast; for the mystic the heart is the center around which the personality is formed. Consciously or unconsciously man loves to hear the word “heart” and if we asked a poet to leave the word “heart” out of his poems he would never succeed to satisfy himself or others. Few people think about it and yet almost all poets who have appealed to humanity have used the word “heart” most. For what is man? Man is his heart. And what is heart? Heart is man: a dead heart – a dead man, a living heart – a living man.
科學家說：身體是圍繞著心而形成的；從祕士的觀點來看，這具有象徵意義——性格也是圍繞著心而形成的。對唯物論者而言，心不過是藏在胸腔裡的一塊肉；對祕士而言，心是性格形成的中心。無論我們自覺或不自覺，都喜歡聽見「心」這個字；若我們請一位詩人把「心」字從詩裡去除，他的詩將永遠無法使自己或他人滿意。很少人去想這件事，然而幾乎所有曾打動人們的詩人，都最常使用「心」這個字。因為人是什麼？人就是他的心。那麼心是什麼？心就是人：死寂的心——死寂的人；活生生的心——活生生的人。
People look for phenomena, for something wonderful, something surprising, something that amuses them. If only they knew that the greatest surprise and wonder can be found in their own heart. If there is anything that can tune man to a higher pitch or to a lower pitch, that can loosen the strings of his soul or tune them to the right note, it can only be done by the tuning of the heart. The one who has not reached his heart cannot reach God, and the one who has not reached the heart of his fellowman has not reached him. People may become friends, they may become acquaintances, relations, they may become connected through industry, political friendship, partnership in business or any collaboration, and yet they may be separated. Nearness in space does not bring the nearness of real friendship. There is only one way of coming near to one another and that is by way of the heart.
人們追尋現象，追尋奇妙、驚奇、能娛樂他們的事物。若他們知道這件事就好了：最大的驚奇與奇蹟，在自己的心就能找到。若有什麼能把人調到更高的音高或更低的音高，能鬆開靈魂的弦、或把它調到正確的音符上，那只能藉由「調心」來完成。沒有抵達自己心的人，無法抵達神；沒有抵達同伴之心的人，也沒有真正抵達他。人們可以成為朋友、熟人、親戚；也可以因產業、政治友誼、商業合夥或任何合作而連結，卻仍彼此分離。空間上的接近，並不帶來真正友誼的親近。彼此靠近只有一條路——藉由心。
If there is anything most wonderful in heaven or on earth it is the heart. If there is anywhere a phenomenon, a miracle to be found it is in the heart. When God Himself is to be found in the heart what else is there that is not in it?
若說天地間最奇妙的是什麼，那就是心。若說現象、奇蹟在哪裡可被發現，那就在心中。當「神」都能在心中被找到，那麼還有什麼不在其中呢？
As the Nizam of Hyderabad, the mystic poet,” said, “They speak of the largeness of the sea, the largeness of the ocean, the largeness of the land – if only they knew how large is the heart that accommodates them all!”
正如海得拉巴的尼扎姆這位祕士詩人所說：「人們談海之大、洋之大、地之大——但願人們知道：能容納這一切的心，有多麼大！」
The greatness of man, the smallness of man does not depend upon outer things. Be he rich or poor, whatever be his position in life, whatever his rank, if his heart is not great he cannot be great. And no matter what be his circumstances, if the heart is still great it remains great. It is the heart that makes man great or small.
人的偉大與渺小，不取決於外在事物。無論他富或貧，無論他在生命中的位置如何、地位如何，若他的心不大，他就不可能偉大；而無論處境如何，若他的心仍然偉大，它就依然偉大。使人偉大或渺小的，是心。
Types of Hearts
心的種類
One may see hearts of different qualities: there is a golden heart, a silver heart, a copper heart and there is an iron heart.
人們能看見不同品質的心：有金心、銀心、銅心，也有鐵心。
- The golden heart shows its color and its beauty; it is precious and at the same time it is soft.
金心顯出它的色澤與美；它珍貴，同時也柔軟。 - The silver heart shows itself inferior compared to the golden heart; yet it is of silver that the current coins are made, so it is useful.
銀心相較於金心似乎較次一等；然而現行的錢幣多以銀製，因此它有用。 - There is the heart of copper of which pennies are made, and pennies are useful in everyday life; one has to use them more than gold and silver. Copper is hard and strong; it needs many hammerings to bend and shape it, to make something out of it.
還有銅心——銅幣由此鑄成，而銅幣在日常生活中很有用；人使用它的頻率往往多於金與銀。銅堅硬而強韌；需要反覆敲打，才能彎折塑形，做出有用之物。 - And then there is the iron heart which must be put into the fire before one can do anything with it. When in the glowing fire the iron has become hot then one can make something out of it. But how long does the heat of the fire last with it? A very short time! The blacksmith must be always ready; as soon as the fire begins to glow he must make something of it, for if he lets the moment go the iron will turn cold.
再來是鐵心——必須先投入火中，才能對它做任何事。鐵在炙熱之火裡燒紅之後，才可鍛造。但火的熱能在它身上能維持多久？很短！鐵匠必須時刻準備；鐵一燒得燙紅就得立刻下手，因為若錯過當下，鐵就會冷卻。 - Besides these different aspects there is a heart of rock, and there is a heart of wax. The heart of rock must be broken, it must be cut in order to make something out of it; nothing reaches it, cold or heat, sun or water have little effect upon it.
除以上種種，還有石心與蠟心。石心必須被敲碎、被切割，才能做成什麼；幾乎沒有什麼能觸及它——冷或熱、日曬或水淋，對它的作用都很小。 - The heart of wax melts as soon as it is heated. You can shape it without breaking it; it is soft, you can turn it any way you like.
蠟心一受熱就融化。你不必破壞它就能塑形；它很柔軟，你想把它朝什麼方向扭轉都可以。 - There is also the heart of paper you make a kite with. It flies and goes up; if the wind is in the north it goes to the north, if the wind is in the south it goes to the south. You can control it as long as the wind does not blow it out of your hands and as long as the wind is strong enough to hold it in the sky. But when there is no more wind it will drop down, and so you will try it again-like a kite.
還有一種紙心——像紙做的風箏。它能飛、能上升；北風起就往北，南風起就往南。只要風不把線吹脫你的手、只要風夠強能把它托在空中，你就能控制它；但當風停了，它就會墜落，於是你又要再試一次——就像風箏一樣。
Are these sufficient examples for the heart of man? There are numberless hearts, each different in quality, and once we begin to look at them and to distinguish their peculiarities and qualities we begin to see a living phenomenon, a miracle, every moment of our life. Is there anything we can compare the heart with?
這些例子足以說明人的心嗎？人的心有無數種，各自品質不同；一旦我們開始觀看它們、分辨它們的特性與品質，我們便會在生命的每一刻看見活生生的非凡奇蹟。我們能拿什麼來與心相比呢？
It is something that dies and then lives again, something that is torn and can be mended again, something that can be broken and be made whole again, something that can rise and something that can fall, and after falling can rise again, and after rising can fall instantly if it was to fall. There is a heart that can creep and a heart that can walk; there is a heart that can run and a heart that can fly. We cannot limit the various actions of the heart. Imagine how the heart can be illuminated in a moment and how it can be darkened in a moment, how the heart becomes a maze for us to enter without ever being able to get out again, how it can become confusion and how it can become paradise. If one asked: Where is the soul? Where can we see the soul manifest to view? Where is paradise? Where is heaven? Where is joy and pleasure? If one asked: Where is love? Where is God? We can answer each of these questions by saying: it is in the heart.
它會死去，卻又能再度活過來；它會被撕裂，卻又能再度縫補；它會被打碎，卻又能再度完整；它能上升，也能墜落；墜落之後能再起，但若要墜落，也可能在上升之後立刻墜落。有的心會匍匐、有的心能行走；有的心能奔跑、有的心能飛翔。我們無法限制心的各種行動。想像：心如何能在一瞬間被照亮，又如何能在一瞬間變得幽暗；心如何成為一座迷宮，使我們一旦走入就再也找不到出口；它如何變成混亂，又如何變成樂土。若有人問：靈魂在哪裡？我們在哪裡能看見靈魂顯現？樂土在哪裡？天堂在哪裡？喜悅與快樂在哪裡？若有人問：愛在哪裡？神在哪裡？對這些問題，我們都能如此回答：「在心裡。」
Imagine how wonderful and at the same time how obscure to our view! If we call the heart the spark of fire then we can see its different aspects: as sympathy in the form of heat, as longing in the form of fire, as affection in the form of glow, as devotion in the form of flame, as passion in the form of smoke that blinds the eyes.
想像一下，它何其奇妙，卻又何其隱微！若我們稱心為火花，就能看見它的不同面向：同理心如熱；渴望如火；戀慕如光；虔敬如焰；激情如煙——那煙會遮蔽雙眼。
That which gives courage to stand firm in the battlefield, that which enables man to struggle throughout his life, that which gives him the strength to endure all that comes and strengthens him to have patience – what is it? It is the heart. If the heart fails, man falls, if the heart rises, man rises.
使人能在戰場上堅定站立的勇氣是什麼？使人能在一生中奮鬥不懈的是什麼？使人有力量承受一切來臨之事，並使他更能忍耐的是什麼？是心。心若崩毀，人就倒下；心若戰勝，人就克服。
When the heart is directed towards one ideal, one object, one point, it develops, but when the heart goes from one point to another it is weakened, for then the fire element of the heart dies. For instance, a little spark can be brought to a blaze if one blows upon it, but the flame is put out by the wind. Why? Because blowing directs the air to one single spark, but the wind goes all around it and extinguishes the flame.
當心朝向一個理想、一個對象、一個焦點時，它就會發展；但當心從一點跳到另一點，它便被削弱，因為心的火元素因此熄滅。譬如，一點小火星，若以口吹向它，可以吹成烈焰；但火焰卻會被風熄滅。為什麼？因為吹氣把空氣導向單一火星；而風卻從四面八方包圍它，把火焰撲滅。
When man begins to say, “I love everybody” you can be sure he loves nobody. But when he says, “I love my mother, my father, my son, my daughter, my friend, or my beloved,” then you can believe that he has taken his first step on the path of love. Can anyone in the world claim love and at the same time know love? The moment one knows what love is one loses the claim. One can only say, “love” as long as one does not know what it is. Before saying, “love” one must first show it by jumping into the fire.
當人開始說「我愛所有人」，你可以確定他誰也不愛；但當他說「我愛我的母親、我的父親、我的兒子、我的女兒、我的朋友，或我的摯愛者」，你就可以相信：他已踏上愛之道的第一步。世上有人能一邊宣稱自己有愛，一邊又真正認識愛嗎？一旦真正知道愛是什麼，那份宣稱就消失了。人只有在尚不知愛是什麼時，才會說「愛」。在說「愛」之前，人必須先以跳入火中來顯示它。
As A Minai, the great Hindustani poet, says, “Your first initiation in the order of lovers is to become nothing.” And another poet says, “Oh love! You have taught me that lesson first which many others learn at the end.”
正如偉大的印度斯坦詩人阿米奈所說：「在愛人之道中的第一個啟蒙，是成為『無』。」另一位詩人也說：「噢，愛啊！你先教我那一課——許多人卻要到最後才學到。」
When a person says, “If you will be good to me, I will be good to you; if you will be kind to me, I will be kind to you; if you will be nice to me, I will be nice to you; if you will respect me, I will honor you” – it is like saying, “If you will give me ninepence, I will give you a shilling.” It is business. When a person says, “I wish there was somebody who loved me, a friend, someone,” he is very mistaken. He will never be loved; he may wait for eternity. Love never asks love of someone else; love is more independent than anything else. It is love which makes one independent.
若一個人說：「你對我好，我就對你好；你對我慈悲，我就對你慈悲；你對我友善，我就對你友善；你尊重我，我就敬重你。」——這就像在說：「你給我九便士，我就給你一先令。」那是做生意。若一個人說：「我希望有人愛我——某個朋友、某個人。」他就大錯特錯。他永遠不會被愛；他永遠也等不到。愛從不向他人討愛；愛比任何事都更獨立。使人獨立的，正是愛。
There is love that is like an infant. It must be taken in the arms, it cannot stand; if it is not taken in the arms it cries. It is not mature, it is not developed, it is not yet love. There is love which is like a wobbling child that has not yet learned to walk. It likes to walk but it likes to hold the cupboard, the chair, the table, someone else, in order to go so far. That love too is undeveloped. Then there is love that stands on its own feet and walks by itself. That is independent love, and you can depend upon it.
有一種愛像嬰兒：必須被抱在懷裡，還不會站；不抱它就哭。它不成熟、尚未發展，這還不是愛。有一種愛像搖晃的孩子：尚未學會走路；它想走，卻要扶著櫃子、椅子、桌子，或扶著別人，才能走上一段路。那樣的愛也尚未發展。接著有一種愛，能自己站立、自己行走；那是獨立的愛，你可以信賴它。
Love shows its quality by constancy. Where there is no constancy there is no love. People have wrongly understood the meaning of love; very often they do not know it. The real meaning of love is life itself, the feeling of life, the feeling: I live. That feeling itself is love. So what is love? Love is God. And what is God? God is love.
愛以恆常不移顯示它的品質；沒有恆常，就沒有愛。人們誤解了愛的意義；更多時候，他們根本不認識愛。愛真正的意義，就是生命本身，就是生命的感受，那個「我活著」的感受。那份感受本身就是愛。所以愛是什麼？愛是神。那麼神是什麼？神是愛。
As long as one is involved in selfish thoughts and actions in life one does not understand the meaning of love. Love is sacrifice, love is service, love is regard for the pleasure and displeasure of the beloved. That love, once it is understood, can be seen in all the different aspects of life: love for those who depend upon one, for those with whom one comes in contact in one’s everyday life, love for those of one’s country, of one’s race, for humanity. It can expand even to such an extent that there can be love for every little creature in the world, for the smallest insect. This expansion is like a drop of water expanding into an ocean. Man-limited as he is-the more he sympathizes the more he expands and the further he reaches heavenward: thus he can become as great as the Absolute.
只要人在生命中仍陷在自私的思想與行動裡，他就不會懂得愛的意義。愛是犧牲，愛是服務，愛是顧念摯愛者的喜與不喜。這樣的愛一旦被理解，就會在生命的各個面向中被看見：愛那些依靠你的人，愛你日常所接觸的人，愛自己的國家、族群，也愛全人類；甚至能擴展到愛世上一切微小的生命，愛最小的昆蟲。這樣的擴展，就像一滴水擴展成海洋。人固然有限，但他越深化同理心，就越能擴展，朝著天堂的方向前去：他能成為如同「那絕對的」(the Absolute) 一般地宏偉。
Therefore, instead of teaching the lesson of indifference, as many mystics have done, the Sufis have learned the lesson of love, of devotion, of sympathy, and have called it the cultivation of the heart. It is known by the word suluk, which means the loving manner. What we call refined manner is only a manner behind which there is no life. When manner is directed by the heart quality then it becomes living manner, the manner that comes from love, and all such attributes as kindness, gentleness, tolerance, forgiveness, mercy and compassion -they all spring from this loving manner.
因此，相對於許多秘修之道教導淡漠超然，蘇菲祕士卻學習愛、虔敬與同理心，並稱之為「心的修練」。蘇菲教導中用 suluk 這個詞，代表「愛的態度」。我們所謂的「優雅儀態」，往往只是沒有生命的外在方式；當行止由心的品質所引導，它就成為活生生的態度——由愛而生的儀態；仁慈、溫柔、寬容、寬恕、憐憫與慈悲等一切美德，都從這愛的態度中泉湧出。
The great teachers and prophets, and the inspirers of humanity of all times have not become what they were by their miracles or wonder-workings; these belong to other people. The main thing that could be seen in them was their loving manner. Read the lives of the prophets. First of all see the way Jesus Christ had with all those who came to him. When sinners who were condemned and expelled by society were brought to the master, he received them with compassion. He was not on the side of those who accused them, he was on the side of the accused. That was loving manner. The fishermen could never understand the master-even the most educated men would not have understood him, let alone the fishermen. Yet the master lived with them, moved with them and won their hearts in the end. That is loving manner.
歷代偉大的老師與先知、以及一切時代啟發人類的人，之所以成為他們所是，並不是靠奇蹟或神異之舉；那些是別人的事。他們身上最清楚可見的，是他們那「愛的態度」。來看看先知們的生平故事。首先看耶穌基督如何對待所有來到他面前的人：當那些被社會定罪、被驅逐的罪人被帶到師前，他以慈悲接納他們。他不站在控告者那邊，而站在被控者那邊；那就是愛的態度。漁夫永遠不可能「理解」那位大師——就連最有學問的人也未必能理解，更何況漁夫；然而，大師與他們同住、同行，最終贏得了他們的心。這就是愛的態度。
Think of the Prophet whose beloved daughter was killed by an Arab, and when this man was brought before him and said, “will you forgive me?” the Prophet forgave him. When his worst enemies were brought before him in rows, arrested, waiting his command, he was king, conqueror and judge, the one who could do anything he liked to them. When they asked, “What are you going to do with us, Prophet?” he said, “You are my brothers. God may forgive you. I pray for you.”
再想想那位先知：他摯愛的女兒被一位阿拉伯人所殺；當此人被帶到他面前並說：「你能寬恕我嗎？」先知寬恕了他。當他最惡劣的敵人一排排被押到他面前，被逮捕，等待他的命令——那時他是君王、征服者，也是審判者；他能對他們做任何他想做的事。當他們問：「你要怎麼處置我們，先知？」他說：「你們是我的兄弟。願神寬恕你們。我為你們祈禱。」
The compassion of Buddha went to every living creature, to the smallest insect; this shows the expansion of his love. Remember therefore that for higher attainment on the spiritual path study is secondary; all knowledge of occult and psychic law, all magical powers, are secondary. The first and most important principle is the cultivation of the heart quality.
佛陀的慈悲遍及一切眾生，乃至最小的昆蟲；這顯示了他的愛的擴展。因此要記得：在靈性道路上，要達到更高成就，讀書只是其次；一切關於秘術與通靈法則的知識、所有神奇的能力，都只是其次。首要的、也是最重要的原則，便是「修練心的品質」。
One may ask: How to cultivate the heart quality? There is only one way: to become selfless at each step one takes forward on this path, for what prevents one from cultivating the loving quality is the thought of self. The more we think of our self the less we think of others, and as we go further the self grows to become worse and worse. In the end the self meets us as a giant which we had always fought; and now at the end of the journey the giant is the stronger. But if from the first step we take on the path of perfection we struggled and fought and conquered this giant which is the self, it could be done only by the increasing power of love.
有人會問：如何修練心的品質？只有一個方法：在這條路上每向前一步，就使自己更無我；因為阻礙我們修練愛的品質的，正是「自我」的念頭。越想到自己，就越少想到他人；越往前走，自我就越長越大、越來越糟。最後，自我會像一個巨人迎面而來——那是我們一直在與之搏鬥的巨人；而到旅程的終點，巨人反而更強。但若從踏上完滿之道的第一步起，我們就奮戰並征服這個名為自我的巨人，那便是唯有靠著不斷增長的愛之力量才能做到。
What do I mean by love? It is such a word that one cannot give one meaning. All attributes like kindness, gentleness, goodness, humbleness, mildness, fineness, are names of one and the same thing. Love therefore is that stream which when it rises falls in the form of a fountain, and each stream coming down is a virtue. All virtues taught by books or by a religious person have no strength and life because they have been learned; a virtue that is learned has no power, no life. The virtue that naturally springs from the depth of the heart, the virtue that rises from the love-spring and then falls as many different attributes, that virtue is real. There is a Hindustani saying, “No matter how much wealth you have, if you do not have the treasure of virtue, it is of no use.” The true riches is the ever increasing spring of love from which all virtues come.
我所說的「愛」是什麼？那是一個無法只用單一意義來界定的字。仁慈、溫柔、良善、謙卑、和順、細緻等一切美德，其實都是同一件事物的不同名稱。因此，愛就像那道噴泉的流：它向上噴湧並落下；每一道落下的水流，都是一種美德。書本或宗教人士教導的美德，因為是「學來的」，所以缺少力量與生命力；習得的美德沒有力量、亦沒有生命。唯有那從心的深處自然湧出的美德，那從愛之泉升起，並化作眾多不同美德而落下的，才是真實的美德。有句印度斯坦的話說：「不論你有多少財富，若沒有美德的寶藏，一切都毫無用處。」真正的富足，是那不斷增長的愛之泉，一切美德皆由此而來。