6. The Story of Hatim
6. 哈提姆的故事

The life of Hatim is written by the Persians and many stories are told about him. One of these stories is best known by the people in the East. It tells that a princess who was much renowned for her beauty and greatness had made as a condition for those who loved her and desired her hand that only the one who brought her a certain pearl which she longed to possess would marry her. There was one lover of the princess who really loved her, but did not find the way to obtain that pearl from anywhere.

波斯人記載了哈提姆的一生，也流傳著許多關於他的故事。其中有一則故事，在東方最為人所熟知。故事說，有一位以美貌與尊貴聞名的公主，向所有愛慕她、希望迎娶她的人提出一項條件：只有替她帶來一顆她渴望擁有的珍珠之人，才能娶她為妻。有一位真正深愛公主的愛慕者，卻始終找不到取得那顆珍珠的方法。

The work of Hatim was to roam about from country to country and to do what he could for those who needed his services. He met this lover who, roaming about, was most unhappy because he could not find the pearl. Hatim consoled him and said, “Continue in your path of love, even if it be difficult, and remember that I shall not rest until I have brought relief to your heart by bringing you the pearl you are longing for.” Hatim then went in pursuit of the pearl and the story tells what difficulties he had in obtaining it. When at last he got it he brought it to the palace, and the princess was won by that pearl. When she consented to accept Hatim as her lover, he then said that this promise should be granted to his friend, who was really her lover, while Hatim was the lover of those who were in need.

哈提姆所做的事，就是從一個國家走到另一個國家，盡己所能幫助那些需要他服務的人。他遇見了那位愛慕公主的人；那人四處奔走，因為始終找不到那顆珍珠而深感痛苦。哈提姆安慰他說：「即使愛的道路艱難，你仍要繼續走下去；並且記住，在我為你帶回你所渴望的珍珠、使你的心得到安慰之前，我絕不會休息。」於是哈提姆出發尋找那顆珍珠，故事中也敘述了他為取得珍珠所經歷的種種困難。最後，他終於得到珍珠，並將它帶到宮殿。公主因這顆珍珠而答應了婚約。當她同意接受哈提姆為愛人時，哈提姆卻說，這個承諾應該給他的朋友，因為那位朋友才是真正愛她的人；而哈提姆自己所愛的，是所有需要幫助的人。

In this story the princess is God, and the pearl that she wanted is the knowledge of God. There was a lover of God, but he would not go and take the trouble one has to take to obtain this knowledge. Someone else was ready; his work was to take this trouble to go to the depth — even if it was not for himself but for another — to get the knowledge and to give it to the one who had the love to have it.

在這個故事裡，公主象徵神，而她所渴望的珍珠，就是對神的認識。有一個愛神的人，卻不願承受為獲得這份認識所必須經歷的艱辛。另一個人則準備好了；他的使命，就是甘願承受這些艱辛，深入到底——即使不是為了自己，而是為了另一個人——取得這份認識，再把它交給那個心中真正渴望它的人。

This story also explains us that there are two stages of workers. The first stage is that of the one who works for himself — the higher stage of working is to work for others. The one who rises above the stage of working for himself comes to the stage of working for others, bringing in their lives the blessing which is the need of their lives.

這個故事也向我們說明，服務有兩個階段。第一個階段，是為自己而做；更高的階段，則是為他人而做。一個人若超越了為自己而做的階段，就會進入為他人而做的階段，將他們生命中所需要的祝福帶入他們的人生。

To what does the love of God lead? It leads to that peace and stillness which can be seen in the life of the tree which flowers and bears fruit for others and expects no return.

對神的愛會將人引向何處？它會引向那份安寧與寂靜，就如同一棵樹的生命：它為他人開花結果，卻不期待任何回報。

Peace will not come to the lover’s heart so long as he will not become love itself.

只要愛者自己尚未成為愛，安寧就不會降臨他的心。

Question: Why is it that with the growing of love difficulties arise from all sides? Is it not said by the ancients that God is a jealous God?

問：為什麼愛越增長，四面八方便越會出現困難？古人不是曾說，神是一位嫉妒的神嗎？

Answer: This is but a saying; God can never be jealous of His own manifestation. Only before love began one was unconsciously linked with the source alone, but once love has awakened on the physical plane, one is attached to someone on earth. It is like Adam and Eve being exiled from the garden of Eden. This naturally causes every influence to work against that love. Even the throne of God is shaken by love’s outburst, because by a sincere link on earth which is power itself every other influence is automatically pulled and pushed, causing thereby a commotion in the world of hearts.

答：這不過是一種說法；神絕不可能嫉妒祂自己的顯現。在愛尚未開始之前，一個人無意識地只與生命的源頭相連；然而，一旦愛在物質層面甦醒，他便依附於世上的某一個人。這就像亞當與夏娃被逐出伊甸園一樣。於是，自然而然地，各種力量都會開始作用，與這份愛相抗衡。甚至神的寶座也會因愛的迸發而震動；因為在人世間建立的一份真誠連結本身就是一股力量，它會自然而然牽動、推移其他一切影響力，因而在心的世界中掀起波動。

The soul of man is happiness; yet man is never happy since he is occupied with this world of woes. It is only love that can bring about that happiness of which is spoken in legends, which is beyond all pleasures of this mortal world. Those who consciously or unconsciously see or feel that happiness experienced by the lover and the beloved, naturally either knowingly or unknowingly react against it.

人的靈魂本就是幸福；然而，人總是不幸福，因為他的心被這個充滿悲苦的世界所佔據。只有愛，能帶來傳說中所描述的那種幸福；那份幸福超越了這個有生有滅的世界裡一切歡樂。那些有意識或無意識地看見、感受到愛者與所愛者之間那份幸福的人，也會自然而然地、有意或無意地對它產生反應，甚至與之抗衡。

Spiritual love is nectar, but as soon as it is mixed with matter, it becomes a sweet wine mixed with a bitter poison. If we give ourselves up to the absorbing love of any being, any thing, God becomes jealous and He takes that being from us. Therefore Abraham was called upon to sacrifice his son. This lesson was given: God does not allow another affection to be dearer than His love. If we love our children because they are ours and other children are neglected, God says to us, “These are the beings whom We have given you to love, to take care of them for Us, not to cherish them for yourselves.” He takes from us whatever we love most forgetting Him, in order to show us that He is the Lord of the Jalal, Jamal and Kemal The love of all beings lasts for a season, but it is His love that is always with us, in all forms and beings.

靈性的愛如同甘露；然而，一旦與物質混合，就成了摻有苦毒的甜酒。如果我們完全沉溺於對任何一個人、任何一件事物的愛之中，神便會嫉妒，並將那個人或那件事物從我們身邊取走。因此，亞伯拉罕才被要求獻祭自己的兒子。這裡所給予的教導是：神不容許任何其他情愛比對祂的愛更加珍貴。如果我們只是因為孩子屬於自己而愛自己的孩子，卻忽略其他孩子，神便對我們說：「這些生命是我們交給你去愛的，是要你為我們照顧他們，而不是讓你為自己佔有、珍愛他們。」凡是我們因遺忘祂而愛得勝過一切的，祂都會從我們身邊取走，好讓我們明白，祂是威嚴、美與圓滿之主。對一切眾生的愛都有其時限，唯有祂的愛始終與我們同在，遍現於一切形相與生命之中。

No creature that has ever been born has belonged in reality to any other. Every soul is the beloved of God. Does not God love as we human beings cannot?

從來沒有任何一個誕生於世的生命，真正屬於另一個生命。每一個靈魂都是神的所愛。神所能給予的愛，豈不是超越了我們人類所能給予的嗎？

The Maharajah of Jaipur, Ram Singh, was a great lover of music. At his court were marvelous singers and dancers, they were like the Apsaras and Gandarvas. From all India beautiful singers and dancers were called there; all the great musicians of India were there, also my grandfather Manula Bakhsh. The Maharajah did not know the secret of holding his wish. If he had known it he might have kept his happiness much longer. But he did not know it, and when everything was perfect he died.

齋浦爾的君王拉姆‧辛格非常熱愛音樂。他的宮廷裡聚集了出色的歌者與舞者，宛如天界的飛天與乾闥婆。印度各地美麗的歌者與舞者都被召集到那裡；印度所有偉大的音樂家也齊聚宮中，其中也包括我的祖父毛拉‧巴克什。這位君王並不知道如何守住自己願望的祕密。假如他知道，也許便能讓自己的幸福維持得更久。然而他並不知道；就在一切都臻於圓滿之時，他去世了。

That is why in the East there is a superstition that, if any thing or being belonging to us is much praised or admired, that thing or that person will soon be lost to us. Therefore if someone says, “Your child is very pretty the parents will say, No, he is not pretty, he is a plain child.” And if the child is fair they make a black mark upon its face, so that it would not be perfectly fair.

這就是為什麼東方有一種迷信，認為凡是屬於我們的人或事物，如果受到過多的讚美與稱羨，很快便會從我們身邊失去。因此，如果有人說：「你的孩子真漂亮。」父母往往會回答：「不，他並不漂亮，只是個普通的孩子。」如果孩子長得十分白皙漂亮，他們甚至會在孩子臉上點上一個黑點，使他看起來不至於完美無瑕。

Life provides you with a substitute for all you have lost. Love is the fire that burns all infirmities.

生命會為你所失去的一切提供替代。愛是焚盡一切軟弱的火焰。

Question: How do we see the love of God in the book of nature? We see all around us fruits and plants and animal life brought to fruition and then to destruction, and among men cruelty, misery, tragedies and enmities everywhere. In the Hindu Pantheon these are singers and dancers at the Court of Indra.

問：我們如何從自然這本書中看見神的愛？環顧四周，我們看見果實、植物與動物的生命成熟之後，又走向毀滅；在人類之中，更處處可見殘酷、苦難、悲劇與仇恨。〔在印度教的神界中，飛天與乾闥婆是因陀羅宮廷中的歌者與舞者。〕

Answer: It is a difference of focus. If we focus our mind upon all that is good and beautiful we shall see-in spite of all the ugliness that exists in nature and especially more pronounced in human nature-that the ugliness will cover itself. We will spread a cover over it and see all that is beautiful, and to whatever lacks beauty we will be able to add, taking it from all that is beautiful in our heart where beauty has sufficiently been collected. But if we focus our mind upon all the ugliness that exists in nature-and in human nature-there will be much of it. It will take up all our attention and there will come a time when we shall not be able to see any good anywhere. We shall see all cruelty, ugliness, wickedness and unkindness everywhere.

答：差別在於我們將注意力聚焦在哪裡。如果我們將頭腦專注於一切良善與美好的事物，那麼，即使自然界中存在著醜陋，而在人性中更是格外明顯，那些醜陋也會自行隱退。我們會為它覆上一層遮蔽，而看見其中一切美好的事物；面對任何缺乏美的地方，我們也能從自己心中已經積聚的美取出一些，補充到那裡。然而，如果我們將頭腦聚焦於自然界以及人性中的一切醜陋，那麼我們確實會看見許多醜陋。它會佔據我們全部的注意力，最後甚至會有一天，我們再也無法在任何地方看見善。我們所看見的，只會是處處的殘酷、醜陋、邪惡與無情。

Question: In focusing our mind on beauty alone, is there not a danger of shutting our eyes to the ugliness and suffering we might alleviate?

問：如果只讓頭腦專注於美，是否會有一種危險，使我們對那些原本可以幫助減輕的醜陋與苦難視而不見？

Answer: In order to help the poor we ought to be rich, and in order to take away the badness of a person we ought to be so much more good. That goodness must be earned, as money is earned. That earning of goodness is collecting goodness wherever we find it, and if we do not focus on goodness we will not be able to collect it sufficiently. What happens is that man becomes agitated by all the absence of goodness he sees. Being himself poor he cannot add to it, and unconsciously he develops in his own nature what he sees.

答：為了幫助貧窮的人，我們自己應當先富足；為了去除一個人身上的惡，我們自己必須擁有更多的善。這份善必須像賺取金錢一樣累積而來。而累積善的方法，就是無論在哪裡發現善，都將它收集起來；如果我們不把注意力放在善上，就無法累積足夠的善。人往往因自己所看見的一切善的缺失而變得焦躁；然而，由於自己本身也很貧乏，無法為其中增添什麼，反而在無意識中，讓自己也逐漸發展出所看見的那些品質。

He thinks, “Oh poor person! I should so much like you to be good but that does not help that person. His looking at the badness, his agitation, only adds one more wicked person to the lot. When one has focused one’s eyes on goodness one will add to beauty, but when a man’s eyes are focused on what is bad he will collect enough wickedness for him to be added himself to the number of the wicked in the end, for he receives the same impression.

他心裡想：「唉，可憐的人啊！我多麼希望你能變好。」然而，這並不能真正幫助那個人。他只是不斷看著對方的惡，並為此焦躁不安，結果不過是在這群人當中再增加一個惡人。當一個人的目光專注於善，他便會為世界增添美；但如果一個人的眼睛始終盯著惡，他便會不斷收集惡的印象，最後甚至累積到足以使自己也成為惡者之一，因為他所接受的正是同樣的印記。

Besides, by criticizing, by judging, by looking at wickedness with contempt, one does not help the wicked or the stupid person. The one who helps is he who is ready to overlook, who is ready to forgive, to tolerate, to take disadvantages he may have to meet with patiently. It is he who can help.

此外，批評、論斷，或以輕蔑的眼光看待邪惡，都不能幫助一個邪惡或愚昧的人。真正能幫助別人的，是那個願意寬容不究、願意寬恕、願意包容，也願意耐心承受自己可能因此遭遇種種不利的人。這樣的人，才真正有能力幫助別人。

A person who is able to help others should not hide himself but do his best to come out into the world. “Raise up your light high” it is said. All that is in you should be brought out, and if the conditions hinder you, break through the conditions! That is the strength of life.

一個有能力幫助他人的人，不應把自己隱藏起來，而應盡力走入世界。有人說：「高高舉起你的光。」凡存在於你內在的一切，都應當展現出來；如果環境阻礙你，就突破那些環境！這就是生命的力量。

You are love; you come from love; you are made by love; you cannot cease to love.

你就是愛；你來自愛；你由愛所造；你不可能停止去愛。

Question: Is it a great lack in character when a person cannot give the love which friends require? When one receives love and is not able to return it, when one forgets one’s friends being absorbed in one’s work and occupation?

問：如果一個人無法給予朋友所需要的愛，這是否是人格上的重大缺失？當一個人接受了愛，卻無法回報；當他全心投入自己的工作與職責，以至於忘記朋友，這又如何呢？

Answer: The question is: what work or occupation? There are works and occupations of a higher character, which take one’s whole attention, one’s life. Such works may require renunciation and sacrifice. Then one does not become loveless; there is a duty of which one cannot be regardless. However if one can manage to give and take love at the same time, it is preferable.

答：問題在於：那是什麼樣的工作與職責？有些工作與使命具有更高的性質，會需要一個人投入全部的注意力，甚至整個生命。這樣的工作有時需要捨棄與犧牲。在這種情況下，一個人並非因此變得沒有愛，而是有一份不可忽視的責任。然而，如果能在履行這些責任的同時，也能給予並接受愛，那自然更為理想。

Question: Will a person suffer one day through inability to love, merely giving a cold affection?

問：一個人若沒有能力去愛，只能給予冷淡的情感，日後是否會因此受苦？

Answer: Love, whether hot or cold, is love.

答：愛，無論熱烈或冷淡，仍然是愛。

Question: Is there cold love?

問：真的有冷淡的愛嗎？

Answer: Since God is love the whole manifestation is love, the cold water and the hot fire.

答：既然神就是愛，那麼整個顯現都是愛——冰冷的水是愛，熾熱的火也是愛。

Question: By which power does man attract his food and all he needs?

問：人是藉由什麼力量，吸引自己的食物以及一切所需之物？

Answer: If there is any mighty power, it is the power of love. All that one desires comes from love. Even if one desires food, it is the love of food, and it is according to the power of his love that man will attract it. The question is only: what does he love most? Does he love something more than the ordinary things of life, then that must be his aim.

答：如果世上真有一種強大的力量，那就是愛的力量。一個人所渴望的一切，都源自愛。即使一個人渴望食物，那也是對食物的愛；而他吸引食物而來的程度，也取決於這份愛的力量。真正的問題只有一個：他最愛的是什麼？如果他所愛的，是某種超越日常生活尋常事物的東西，那麼，那就必須成為他的目標。

Hunger is an aspect of love. Love of the heart is what we call affection. Love of territory has caused many deaths. What man loves he must get. All words as seeking, wanting, requiring, searching, are words for loving. Love is the root of the whole phenomenon of life. Even if a poor man does not find his food, you will see that there is something else he loves more.

飢餓是愛的一種面貌。心中的愛，就是我們所稱的深情。對領土的愛曾造成無數死亡。一個人所愛的，他必定會設法得到。所謂尋求、想要、需要、追尋，其實都是愛的不同說法。愛是整個生命現象的根源。即使一個窮人找不到食物，你也會發現，在他心中其實還有某種東西是他愛得更多的。

God is love and in Him I have my being, and I have no fear. Let my intelligence shine out as love; let my limited self expand to Thy divine perfection.

神就是愛，我的存在安住於祂之中，因此我無所畏懼。願我的智慧以愛的形式發出光芒；願我有限的自我擴展，趨向你的神聖圓滿。

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