基督徒

《愛的四百句箴言》
St. Maximus the confessor著

《400 sayings about love》
by St. Maximus the confessor
SECOND 100 about love

1、 一個真正愛上帝的人，必定能夠一心不亂的祈禱；一個投入祈禱而一心不亂的人，必定是真正愛上帝的人。然而，一個將心思完全投注於世俗事務的人， ㄧ定無法一心不亂的祈禱；由此可知，熱衷於世俗事物的人，並不是一個愛上帝的人。
1. The one who truly loves God also prays completely undistracted, and the one who prays completely undistracted also truly loves God. But the one who has his mind fixed on any earthly thing does not pray undistracted; therefore the one who has his mind tied to any earthly thing does not love God.

2、我們的心靈之所以 會在感官的世界內蹉跎光陰，是因為它尚未擺脫情欲（例如：欲望、悲傷、憤怒、怨恨）；除非我們的心靈能夠鄙棄世俗的事物，否則 它將無法超脫情欲的束縛。
2. The mind which dallies on a thing of sense certainly has some passion about it, such as desire or sorrow or anger or resentment; and unless he disdains the thing he cannot be freed from that passion.

3、當心靈被情 欲所動搖，開始執著於物質界的事物，心靈就會與上帝分離，而完全投注於世俗事物當中。然而，如果我們的心靈讓上帝之愛作主，就能夠擺 脫情欲的束縛，上帝之愛也會勸服我們的心靈，使它不僅僅超脫感官界的一切事物，甚至還能超脫我們短暫的俗世生命。
3. When the passions hold sway over a mind they bind it together with material things, and separating it from God make it to be all‐engrossed in them. But when love of God is in control, it releases it from the bonds and persuades it to think beyond not only things of sense but even this transient life of ours.

4、遵守誡命的目的，是要讓我們以單純的心念來思索一切事物；閱讀與靜觀的目的，是要讓 我們的心靈澄淨，超脫於任何物質界的有形事物；如果能夠遵守 誡命，又能閱讀與靜觀，一心不亂的祈禱將隨之而來。
4. The purpose of the commandments is to make simple the thoughts of things; the purpose of reading and contemplation is to render the mind clear of any matter or form; from this ensues undistracted prayer.

5、如果我們的心靈想要 完全超脫情欲，達到圓滿的解脫與自在，並且投入祈禱而一心不亂，光靠積極的態度是不夠的，還要從事各種靈性靜觀。積極的態度 使心靈擺脫瞋恚，達到自我節制的境界，而靈性靜觀則使心靈擺脫健忘與無知，如此心靈才能如實祈禱。
5. The active way does not suffice by itself for the perfect liberation of the mind from the passions to allow it to pray undistracted unless various spiritual contemplations also relieve it. The former frees the mind only from incontinence and hatred while the latter rid it also of forgetfulness and ignorance, and in this way it will be able to pray as it ought.

6、 純淨的祈禱有兩種終極狀態，其中一種與積極的生活一致，另一種與靜觀的生活一致。第一種終極狀態，是由靈魂對上帝的敬畏而起，也是由真誠正直的 希望而起；第二種終極狀態，是由神性渴望與完全淨化而起。前者的特徵在於，心靈不再熱衷俗世，且遠離一切對俗世的執著，就好像上帝在心中真實的臨在，使心 靈在祈禱中一心不亂。後者的特徵在於，心靈在祈禱的開端，完全被無限的神性之光包圍，此時心靈的意識已經不再專注於自我或他人，而完全專注於那個帶來愛與 光的「祂」。此時，心靈如果完全專注於上帝的特質，就能領受上帝清澄明晰的形象。
6. There are two supreme states of pure prayer, one corresponding to those of the active life, the other to the contemplatives. The first arises in the soul from the fear of God and an upright hope, the second from divine desire and total purification. The marks of the first type are the drawing of one's mind away from all the world's considerations, and as God is present to one, as indeed he is, he makes his prayers without distraction or disturbance. The marks of the second type are that at the very onset of prayer the mind is taken hold of by the divine and infinite light and is conscious neither of itself nor of any other being whatever except of him who through love brings about such brightness in it. Then, when it is concerned with the properties of God, it receives impressions of him which are clear and distinct.

7、一個人如果真心喜愛某件事物，一定會盡力除去任何阻礙得到它，並且小心 守護不讓任何人奪走它。由此可證，一個真心愛上帝的人，一定會在純淨的祈 禱中深耕，盡力擺脫一切情欲的阻礙。
7. What anyone loves he surely holds on to, and looks down on everything that hinders his way to it so as not to be deprived of it. And the one who loves God cultivates pure prayer and throws off from himself every passion which hinders him.

8、自私為情欲之源，一個完全擺脫自私的人，就能在上帝的幫助之下，脫離憤怒、苦惱、嫉妒…等情欲。然而，一個 人如果受到自私的控制，即使心中不情 願，也會被情欲所傷。因此我們可以說，對肉身而言，自私就是情欲。
8. The one who throws off self-love, the mother of the passions, will very easily with God's help put aside the others, such as anger, grief, grudges, and so on. But whoever is under the control of the former is wounded, even though unwillingly, by the latter. Self-love is the passion for the body.

9、基於這五個理由，無論別人如何對你，你都會愛著他們：(1)由於上帝的緣故：德性高尚的人，平等地愛著每一個人，而一個德 性還沒達到高尚境界的 人，則愛慕著德性高尚的人；(2)出於自然的天性：就好像父母親愛子女，子女也愛著父母親一般；(3)由於虛榮心的作祟：一個受到讚美的人，就會愛著那些 讚美他的人；(4)由於貪心的作祟：一個人愛著某個有錢人，因為他想從他身上獲得金錢；(5)為了身體的享樂：一個人為了身體的享樂而去愛，就會甘願成為 自己的口腹或生殖器的奴僕。以上的五種愛，第一種是值得讚揚的。第二種是中性的，不好也不壞。其餘三種，都是屬於情欲的。
9. On account of these five reasons men love one another whether to their praise or blame: for God's sake, as when the virtuous person loves everyone and the one not yet virtuous loves the virtuous person; or for natural reasons, as parents love their children and vice versa; or out of vainglory, as the one who is honored loves the one who honors him; or for greed, as the one who loves a rich man for what he can get; or for the love of pleasure, as the one who is a servant of his belly or genitals. The first of these is praiseworthy, the second is neutral, and the rest belong to the passions.

10、如果在你心中，有些人讓你厭惡，有些人讓你不愛也不恨，有些 人讓你喜歡，還有些人，讓你強烈地愛著。從你的偏心就可以看出，你的愛跟「圓滿的 愛」還差得很遠，因為，一個擁有圓滿的愛的人，會平等地愛著每一個人。
10. If you hate some people and some you neither love nor hate, while others you love only moderately and still others you love very much, know from this inequality that you are far from perfect love, which lays down that you must love everyone equally.

11、「斷絕惡念，一心行善。」這句話的意思是 要我們，打擊敵人、消滅情欲、廉潔自守，以免情欲增長。另一方面，我們應該要努力奮鬥、養成美德、保 持警醒，隨時守護自心的善行。這句話也可以「實踐」與「持守」二詞來詮釋。
11. "Decline from evil and do good." That is, do battle with your enemy to diminish the passions, then keep sober lest they increase. Or again, do battle to acquire virtues, and then remain watchful in order to guard them. This is also what is meant by "working" and "keeping."

12、那些得到上帝允許而試探我們的人，可能會進入我們的靈魂，激 起我們的情欲，擾亂我們的性情，蒙蔽我們的理性，以痛苦圍攻我們的肉身，或者掠奪 我們的財產物。
12. Those who tempt us with God's permission either arouse the lusts of our soul or stir up our temper or darken our reason, or encompass the body with pain, or plunder our material goods.

13、惡魔不是誘惑我們，就是去尋找那些不敬畏主的人，並且增強他們的力量來對 抗我們：考量到前者，當我們單獨的時候，應該要遠離惡魔，以免他們誘 惑我們，就好像他們曾在荒漠中誘惑我們的主；考量到後者，我們應該要避免與那些人接觸，因為惡魔藉著他們來打擊我們，就好像惡魔藉著法利賽人來誘惑我們的 主。面對這兩種情況，我們都應該要站穩立場，奮力反擊。
13. Either the demons tempt us themselves or they equip those who do not fear the Lord against us: themselves, when we are alone, away from others, just as they tempted the Lord in the desert; through others, when we associate with them, as they tempted the Lord through the Pharisees. It is for us to look to our model and beat them back on both fronts.

14、當心靈在上帝之愛中不斷提昇，不敬神的惡魔，就會開始誘惑它，使它 對神升起輕視心，一般人的心中不可能會升起這樣的思想，除非他們認惡魔為 父，聽從惡魔的引誘。他們之所以對神不敬，是出於嫉妒心，因為他們嫉妒別人可以成為上帝的朋友，所以自暴自棄，開始對神不敬，這樣他們就永遠不敢藉由每日 的祈禱接近神。儘管如此，惡魔的計謀絕對無法得逞，因為，這些誘惑只會讓我們的心更堅定。在與惡魔打攻防戰時，我們在上帝的愛中，將變得更坦然、更虔誠。 「願他的劍，紮透他的心，願他的弓，被完全粉碎」。
14. When the mind begins to make progress in the love of God, the demon of blasphemy begins to tempt him and suggest to him such thoughts as no man but only the devil their father could invent. He does this out of envy for the friend of God, that coming to despair at having such thoughts he no longer dares to approach God in his usual prayer. Nevertheless, the accursed one derives no profit from his plan but rather makes us more steadfast. For engaging in offensive and defensive battle, we become more proven and more sincere in the love of God. "May his sword pierce his heart and may his bows be shattered."

15、心靈透過感官所感知到的事物，與自然界是和諧一致的。因此，心靈不是惡，自然知識、感官的事物也不是惡，因 為，那些都是上帝的功業。那麼什麼 是惡呢？很顯然的，惡就是情欲的流露，如果我們的心靈時時保持警覺，就不會讓情欲和惡存在。
15. In applying itself to visible things the mind knows them in accordance with nature through the medium of the senses, so that neither is the mind evil, nor is natural knowledge, nor the things, nor the senses, for these are all works of God. What then is evil? Evidently it is the passion of the natural representation, which does not have to exist in our use of representations if the mind is watchful.

16、情欲違背了靈魂的自然 本性，它會引起非理性的愛，讓我們在不知不覺中，為了物質界的事物升起瞋恚心。舉例來說，情欲可能會使人對食物、女人、 財富、榮耀…等物質界的事物升起非理性的貪愛，也可能使人心生瞋恚。
16. Passion is a movement of the soul contrary to nature either toward irrational love or senseless hate of something or on account of something material. For example, toward irrational love of food, or a woman, or wealth, or passing glory or any other material thing or on their account. Or else it can be toward a senseless hate of any of the preceding things we spoke of, or on account of any one.

17、再者，道德的敗壞，是起於思想的濫用，這也會導致事物被濫用。舉例來說，對男人而言，與妻子親密最有意義 的作用，應該是生育，不該把焦點放在 「享樂」上面，因為，這樣做很容易將男人與女人錯誤的關係，視為是正當的。同樣的道理可以運用在其他的事情上。
17. Or again, vice is the mistaken use of ideas from which follows the abuse of things. For example, in what concerns woman, the proper use of intercourse is its purpose of procreation. So the one who concentrates on the pleasure is in error as to its use by considering as good what is not good. Therefore such a person misuses a woman in having intercourse. The same holds true for other objects and representations.

18、 當惡魔進入你的心中，趕走貞節的意念，放入姦淫的意念時，你應該要以淚眼懇求主：「姦淫的念頭已經瀰漫我的心，將貞節的意念趕走，我祈求你， 拯救我脫離惡念。」然後，你就會得到平安。
18. When the demons have banished chastity from your mind and surrounded you with thoughts of fornication, then say to the Master with tears, "They have banished me and now they have surrounded me; my joy, deliver me from those who surround me." And you will be safe.

19、姦淫的惡魔令人萬般苦惱，他會猛烈攻擊那些與情欲戰鬥的人，尤其當他們鬆懈了或是與女人接觸的時後，歡 愉的溫柔使他們漫不經心，惡魔就會伺機 進入他們心中竊取寶物。尤其，當夜深人靜的時候，惡魔會以回憶攻擊心靈、煽動肉體，並且以各種方式引誘心靈去犯罪。如果你不想讓惡魔留在你心中，你應該要 禁食、守夜和努力工作，並且在受上帝祝福的隱修生活中，熱切地祈禱。
19. The demon of fornication is oppressive, and he violently attacks those who contend against passion. Especially does he do this in their careless living and in their contact with women. For imperceptibly in the softness of pleasure he steals upon the mind and then assails it through the memory when it is in quiet. He inflames the body and presents various forms to the mind to provoke its consent to the sin. If you do not want these things to remain in you, take up fasting and hard work and vigils and blessed solitude with assiduous prayer.

20、惡魔會尋找我們的靈魂，並且藉由情欲，誘使靈魂在思想或行為上犯 罪。因此，當惡魔發現我們的心靈不夠敏銳時，就會使我們陷入羞愧與困惑中；然 而，當惡魔發現我們的心靈完全投入靈性靜觀時，他們就會因羞恥而馬上離去。
20. Those who are ever seeking our soul do so through passionate thoughts in order to involve it in some sin of thought or deed. When therefore they find that the mind is not receptive, then they will be put to shame and confusion; and when they find it devoted to spiritual contemplation, then they will be quickly turned back and disgraced.

21、 一個人如果為了神聖的目標而努力，並且為心靈施塗聖油，去除內心的情欲，這個人就具備了擔任「職事」的特質。一個人如果以真正的知識點亮心 靈，徹底丟棄心中的偽知識，這個人就具備了擔任「神父」的特質。一個人如果能夠禮敬聖三位一體，得到三位一體的知識，並且以此神聖馨香，使心靈達到完美的 境界，這個人就具備了擔任「主教」的特質。
21. The one who anoints his mind for the sacred contests and drives away passionate thoughts from it possesses the character of a deacon. The one who illumines it with knowledge of beings and obliterates counterfeit knowledge possesses that of a priest. Finally, the one who perfects it with the holy perfume of the knowledge of a worshiper of the Holy Trinity possesses that of a bishop.

22、 當我們遵守上帝的誡命，消滅心中的情欲時，惡魔就會變得軟弱。隨著我們情欲的超脫，惡魔終會被消滅，因為，他們再也找不到任何事物，可以讓他 們獲利，也找不到任何戰鬥的對象。這也是這段文字的真義「在你面前，他們將變得軟弱」。
22. The demons become weak when through the commandments the passions are diminished in us. And they perish when finally they are obliterated through detachment of soul, since they no longer find anything by which they might gain and do battle against it. And this is surely the meaning of "They shall be weakened and perish before your face."

23、有些人戒除情欲是出於心中的恐懼，有些人是出於虛 榮心；有些人則是出於自律；還有些人，是出於心中的神性審判。
23. Some men abstain from the passions out of human fear; others out of vainglory; others again out of self-control; still others are freed from the passions by the divine judgments.

24、上主的聖言，不出這四個範疇：誡命、指導、威脅、承諾。正因為上主的聖言，我們忍受各種煎熬，諸如：進食、守 夜、以地為床、勤奮工作、服務他 人、甘願受辱、發羞恥心、忍受折磨與死亡…等。就好像聖經所言：「我借著你嘴唇的話自己謹守，不行於兇暴人的路徑。」
24. All the Lord's words are embraced in these four: commandments, instruction, threats, promises. Because of them we endure every hardship such as fastings, vigils, sleeping on the ground, hard work and stress in the service of others, outrages, disgrace, tortures, death, andthe like. As the Scripture says, "For the sake of the words of your lips I have kept hard ways."

25、「自律」的回報，是不執著的心，而「信仰」的回報，是知識。不執著的心，使我們有敏銳 的覺性，而知識使我們愛上帝。
25. The reward of self-mastery is detachment and that of faith is knowledge. And detachment gives rise to discernment while knowledge gives rise to love for God.