Know ＆ Be Thyself--活在當下

FOUR SEEKERS   --“Caravan of Dreams”  by Idries Shah

四種探索者

 

The chief of one band of seekers found a book. He and his followers studied it, forgetting that a means was not an end.

有一隊探索者的隊長找到一本書，他和他的隨從於是研究那本書，卻忘記方法（手段）並不是目的。

 

In another case the leader of a collection of dervishes found some wool. They spent years to in working with wool.

在另一種情況下，一群苦行僧的領導發現一些羊毛，他們於是經年累月研究羊毛。

 

The guide of yet another circle discovered the virtues of plants, and instructed his companions in plant-lore.

另一個圈子的領導人則發現了植物的功效，因此教導他的伙伴們植物方面的知識。

 

The successor of a certain teacher, having absorbed only wood-working knowledge, instructed his students in this.

其中一個老師的繼承人，只吸收了木工的知識，也只教導他的學生這方面的事物。

 

All worked with their materials. The book was memorized, and an attempt was made to apply its principles to everyday life. The wool was spun and made into yarn. The plants were cultivated and yielded dye. The wood was made into a variety of different artefacts.

其他老師的繼承人也一樣，全都只工作一方面的材料。書裡的內容都被記誦，也將其中的原則運用到日常生活。羊毛被紡成紗線。植物被培養種植並研發出染料。木頭被製作成各種不同的工藝品。

 

Then came a man of knowledge. He called together all the scattered groupings, and said to them:

‘You have the materials. Now I will show you how, with your experience and my knowledge, a carpet may be made.’

然後來了一個有知識的人。他把這些分散的團體召集在一起告訴他們：

「你們都有材料，我們可以利用你們的經驗和我的知識來製作地毯。」

 

But few could detach from wool, from wood, from plants and from book upon book.

Those few became the carpet-makers.

So it is with Sufi knowledge. Combining the parts makes the whole. But the people of wood want to work with wood. This would be well enough if there were a market for wood.

但只有少數人能夠跳脫對羊毛、木頭、植物以及書籍的執著而成為地毯編織者。

蘇非的知識也是如此，結合各個部分成為一個整體。但木頭人只想工作木頭，對他們來說，只要木頭還有市場就夠了。

 

我們的內在世界也需要「結合各個部分成為一個整體」；整合理智、情感、運動、與本能四個各自獨立的機能。

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