罗摩克里希纳谈泥塑神像

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摘自《罗摩主》
神与泥塑雕像
God and the clay image 
M: “Sir, suppose one believes in God with form. Certainly He is not the clay image!”
M：“先生，假设一个人相信有形的神，当然神并不是一个泥塑雕像。”
MASTER (interrupting): “But why clay? It is an image of Spirit.”
师父（打断说）：“为什么是泥塑雕像？这是一个灵性的形象。”
M. could not quite understand the significance of this “image of Spirit”. “But, sir,” he said to the Master, “one should explain to those who worship the clay image that it is not God, and that, while worshipping it, they should have God in view and not the clay image. One should not worship clay.”
M并不十分明白“灵性的形象”的意义，“可是，先生，”他对师父说，“应当向崇拜泥塑雕像的人说这并不是神，崇拜它的时候，他们应当看得见神，而不是泥塑雕像。人不应当崇拜泥土。”
神是唯一的导师
God the only real teacher
MASTER (sharply): “That’s the one hobby of you Calcutta people – giving lectures and bringing others to the light! Nobody ever stops to consider how to get the light himself. Who are you to teach others?
师父（尖锐地说）：“这是你们加尔各答人的一大业余爱好——给予演讲，给其他人带来光明！没有人会停下来想想他自己如何才能得到光。教导其他人的是谁？
“He who is the Lord of the Universe will teach everyone. He alone teaches us, who has created this universe; who has made the sun and moon,men and beasts, and all other beings; who has provided means for their sustenance; who has given children parents and endowed them with love to bring them up. The Lord has done so any things – will He not show people the way to worship Him? If they need teaching, then He will be the Teacher. He is our Inner Guide.
“宇宙之主会教导每一个人。只有他，宇宙的创造者，才能教导我们。他创造了太阳和月亮，人和动物，还有所有其他生命，为所有生命提供生计；他给予孩子父母，赋予他们爱的力量去抚养孩子。主做了很多事——难道他不会向人们展现崇拜他的方式吗？如果他们需要教导，那么他就会成为老师。他是我们内在的导师。
“Suppose there is an error in worshipping the clay image; doesn’t God know that through it He alone is being invoked? He will he pleased with that very worship.
Why should you get a headache over it? You had better try for knowledge and devotion  yourself.”
“设想崇拜一个泥塑雕像是错的；神不会知道他独一的力量会通过雕像而被调用吗？他会对真正的崇拜感到高兴。你为什么会为此感到头痛呢？你最好谋求知识，然后为奉献你自己。”
This time M. felt that his ego was completely crushed. He now said to himself: “Yes, he has spoken the truth. What need is there for me to teach others? Have I known God? Do I really love Him? ‘I haven’t room enough for myself in my bed, and I am inviting my friend to share it with me!’ I know nothing about God, yet I am trying to teach others. What a shame! How foolish I am! This is not mathematics or history or literature, that one can teach it to others. No, this is the deep mystery of God. What he says appeals to me.”
这一回，M的自我被彻底地粉碎了。他现在自言自语地说：“对，他说了真话。我需要教导其他人什么呢？我认识神了吗？我是否真正地爱神？‘我自己没有栖身之所，要向朋友借宿！’我对神一无所知，还企图去教导其他人。多大的羞耻！我是何等地愚蠢！这并不是数学、历史或者文学，可以讲授给其他人。不，这是神的深处奥秘。他说的话吸引了我。”
This was M.’s first argument with the Master, and happily his last.
这是M与师父的首次争论，愉快地持续到最后。
MASTER: “You were talking of worshipping the clay image. Even if the image is made of clay, there is need for that sort of worship. God Himself has provided different forms of worship. He who is the Lord of the Universe has arranged all these forms to suit different men in different stages of knowledge.
师父：“你谈到了对泥塑雕像的崇拜。即使这个雕像是由粘土制成，也无需那种崇拜。神自己已经提供了不同的崇拜方式。他是宇宙之主，安排好了所有的形式，适合处于不同知识阶段的不同的人。
“The mother cooks different dishes to suit the stomachs of her different children. Suppose she has five children. If there is a fish to cook, she prepares various dishes from it – pilau, pickled fish, fried fish, and so on – to suit their different tastes and powers of digestion.
“假如一个母亲有五个孩子，她会煮不同的菜来迎合不同孩子的胃口。如果需要煮鱼，她要准备不同的碟子——肉饭，盐渍鱼，油炸鱼等诸如此类——去适合他们的不同口味和消化力。
“Do you understand me?”
“你明白我的意思吗？”