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

76、在所有的偶發事件中，有些是發生在靈魂內的，有 些是發生在肉體上的，還有一些是與身體有關 的。在靈魂內的有：知識、無知、健忘、記憶、愛、 恨、勇氣、悲傷、喜悅…等；在肉體上的有：享樂、吃苦、感覺、殘障、健康、病、生、死…等；與身體有關的有：親子關係、膝下無子、富有、窮困、好名聲、壞 名聲…等；在這些事件中，有一些是善的，有一些是惡的，儘管，它們在本質上都沒有善、惡之分，全憑我們使用時的心態，來判定善、惡的分別。
76. Of the accidents in things, some are in the soul, others in the body, and still others concerned with the body. Of those in the soul there are, for example, knowledge and ignorance, forgetfulness and memory, love and hate, fear and courage, sorrow and joy, and so forth. Of those in the body there are, for example, pleasure and hardship, feeling and disability, health and illness, life and death, and similar things. Of those things concerned with the body there are, for example, parenthood and childlessness, wealth and poverty, fame and ill repute, and so forth. Some of these we consider good and others evil, although none of them is evil in itself but is found to be properly good or evil according to its use.

77、知識本來是善的，然而，將知識運用在惡行當中所 產生的惡，卻超過了善。儘管知識原本是 善的，在惡行當中，知識卻沒有產生善。同理可證，健康、 財富和喜樂也是如此：若將知識、健康、財富、喜樂運用在惡行當中，它們所產生的惡，都超過了善。因此，我們可以說：儘管它們從外表看來似乎是惡的，但是在 本質上，它們卻不是惡的。
77. Knowledge is good by nature, and so likewise is health, but their opposites have benefited even more than have they. In the wicked knowledge does not result in good, even though, as was said, it is good by nature. The same is true for health or wealth or joy: These are not used profitably by them. So it is, then, that their opposites are profitable, and therefore it happens that they are not evil in themselves even though they seem to be evil.

78、不要濫用你的思維， 否則，你將無可避免地混淆是非。因為，除非一個人先在意念上犯錯，否則他不可能在行為上犯錯。
78. Do not misuse thoughts, lest you necessarily misuse things as well. For unless anyone sins first in thought, he will never sin in deed.

79、世間人的形象（屬土的 像），是由幾種主要的惡行所組成的，例如：愚痴、懦弱、不知節制以及不義。而天上人的形象（屬天的像）則由幾種主要的美 德組成，如：謹慎、勇氣、自制、公義。所以「我們既帶了屬土的像，也就必帶著屬天的像。」
79. The image of the earthly man consists in the capital vices, such as folly, cowardice, intemperance, injustice. The image of the heavenly man consists in the cardinal virtues, as prudence, courage, temperance, justice. So, "as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so let us bear the image of the heavenly."

80、如果你想要找到那條通往生命的道路，那麼請盡力 去尋找，總有一天你會找到那條道路，祂也會對我們說：「我就 是道路，就是真理，就是生命」。只 有專心致力的人才能尋獲祂，因為「找著的人少」，否則，你很有可能會落在人後，成為找不著的多數人之其中一位。
80. If you wish to find the way that leads to life, look for it and you will find it in the Way who tells us, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." Only seek it very intensely because "few there are who find it"; otherwise you may be left behind by the few and found among the many.

81、有五個因素可以使靈魂不再犯罪：對人的敬畏、對 審判的敬畏、未來的獎賞、上帝的愛、良心的暗示。
81. For these five reasons will the soul abstain from sin: the fear of men, the fear of judgment, the future reward, the love of God, or finally the prompting of conscience.

82、有些人說，存有當中絕對沒有惡，除非有某種力量 把我們推向它，而這種力量來自於 我們對心靈自然運作的疏忽。因此，從來沒有一個悉心照顧心靈自 然運作的人是惡的，他們總是在行善，如果你也願意如此，悉心守護心靈的自然運作，那麼，你也可以趕走惡，因為，惡是由錯誤的意念所導致的錯誤行為。
82. Some say that there would be no evil in beings unless there were some other power which pulled us on to it, and this is nothing other than carelessness of the natural functioning of the mind. Therefore those who are careful about this always do good deeds, never bad. So, if you too are willing, banish carelessness and you drive evil away as well, which is the mistaken use of thoughts on which follows the misuse of things.

83、 依照自然天性，理性的元素受到聖言的控制，而理性的元素又管理著非理性的元素。這個秩序被保留在所有事物當中，因此，所有存在物當中都沒有惡 的存在，也沒有任何力量，可以驅使它們作惡。
83. It is according to nature that the rational element in us be subjected to the divine Word and that it govern our irrational element. Therefore, this order is to be preserved in all things and there will be neither any evil in beings nor anything available to draw them on to it.

84、有些想法是單純的，有些則是染雜的。單純的想法 沒有情欲，而染 雜的想法則帶有情欲。在這個狀況下，我們會發現，當一個人的心轉向罪惡時，單純 的想法就會緊跟著染雜的想法而來。讓我們以偷錢這件事為例：當與黃金有關的情欲，在某人的記憶中浮現，他的心中就會產生一股想要偷錢的衝動。除了關於黃金 的記憶之外，還有錢包、櫃子、房間…等記憶，也會漸漸浮上心頭。所以，關於黃金的記憶是染雜的，因為它表現出情欲，而關於錢包、櫃子…等想法卻是單純的， 因為這些想法，不會在心裡產生任何情欲。我們的心擁有許多想法，像是：自誇、女人…等等。然而，並不是所有伴隨著情欲而來的想法，都是帶有情欲的，就好像 上面的例子一樣。因此，由以上原則，我們可以分辨，什麼是情欲的表現，什麼是單純的想法。
84. Some thoughts are simple, others compound. The simple are without passion, but the compound are with passion, as composed of passion plus representation. In this case, one can see that many simple thoughts follow on the compound when they have begun to be moved to sin by the mind. Take money, for example. A passionate thought arises in someone's memory about gold. In his mind he has the urge to steal and with his heart he accomplishes the sin. Now with the memory of the gold will come also the memory of the purse, the chest, the room, and so forth. Now the memory of the gold is compound, for it displayed passion; but that of the purse, chest, and so forth, is simple, for the mind had no passion toward them. And so it is with every thought, with vainglory, with women, and so on. For not all thoughts which accompany an impassioned thought are themselves passionate, as the example has shown. Thus from this we can know what are impassioned representations and what are simple.

85、有人說：惡魔在我們睡著的時候，掌控了身體的私 處，並透過記憶，依次在我們的心裡喚醒起女人的形象來激起淫欲。也有 人說：這些惡魔以女人的形 象出現在我們的心裡，藉著觸碰身體的私處來激起種種的欲望和幻想。還有其它的說法認為：惡魔入侵最普遍的方式，就是透過記憶喚醒各種形象來引發邪念，使靈 魂深受煎熬；還有其他關於惡魔如何引起情欲的說法，雖然略有不同，但是都與此類似。然而，只要愛和自制在靈魂中升起時，無論我們是醒著或是睡了，惡魔都找 不出任何方法，可以有足夠的力量激起我們的情欲。
85. Some say that the demons get hold of the private parts of the body in sleep and arouse them to the passion of fornication which in turn recalls the female form to the mind through the memory. Others say that they appear to the mind in female guise and then by touching the private parts of the body arouse desire and give rise to imagination. Still others say that the prevailing passion in the approaching demon arouses the passion and in this way the soul is inflamed for evil thoughts by recalling forms through the memory. And similarly for all the other passionate thoughts; some say it comes about in one way, some in another. But in none of these ways are the demons strong enough to arouse any passion whatsoever whether one is awake or asleep when love and self-mastery are present in the soul.

86、我們有 必要好好審視誡命的律法，無論是它的字義或精神。例如：「不可殺人、不可姦淫、不可偷盜」這三條誡命，我們必須同時持守它的字義與精 神。至於行割禮、守安息日、宰殺羊羔、食用沒有發酵過的麵包（混入帶有苦味的香料）…等誡命，則只須持守它的精神即可。
86. It is necessary to observe some commandments of the Law both in letter and in spirit, others only in spirit. For example, the commandments "thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal," and the like have to be observed both literally and spiritually, and the latter in three ways. The commandments to be circumcised, to keep the Sabbath, to immolate the lamb and eat unleavened bread with bitter herbs, and so forth, are to be observed only spiritually.

87、出家修士 有三種普遍的德道境界。第一種、在行為上不犯罪，第二種、讓自己的靈魂浪費多餘的時間在情欲的想法中，第三種、以超然的心態看待女人 和一切攻擊我們的具體事物。
87. There are three general moral states among monks. The first is not to sin in deed, the second is not to dally over passionate thoughts in the soul, and the third is to look with a detached mind on the forms of women or of those who have offended us.

88、 一個完全放棄世間的財產，只留下一具臭皮囊的窮人，就是已經將自己完全交託給上帝，全心全意去關注屬靈的兄弟與上帝的人。
88. The poor man is the one who has renounced all his possessions and owns nothing at all on earth except his body, and having severed his attachment to it has entrusted himself to the care of God and of religious men.

89、有一些人，雖然擁有財產卻不會升起執著心，當他 們失去財產的時候，也不會因此感到悲痛，而是以喜樂的 心情，來看待財產被奪走這件事。反之，那 些貪著於財富的人，當他們失去財產的時候，就會充滿悲傷，甚至會悲痛致死，就像福音裡那個帶著悲傷離去的人一般。所以，匱乏這件事剛好可以用來證明，一個 人究竟是超然的，還是貪著的。
89. Some owners have possessions without attachment, and thus do not grieve when they are deprived of them, as those who accepted with joy the seizure of their goods. But others possess with attachment and become filled with grief when about to be deprived, like the one in the Gospel who went away sad; and if they are deprived, they grieve until death. So it is that deprivation attests the condition of whether one is detached or attached.

90、處在祈禱的巔峰的人，是惡魔發動戰爭的對象，因 為惡魔 想要阻止他們從物質界領受單純的象徵。惡魔趁人們在靜觀祈禱時在他們心中留連，引起情 欲、發動戰爭，惡魔也會趁人們積極生活、努力奮鬥時，引誘他們犯罪。惡魔用盡一切方法奮力攻擊所有人，為的就是使人與上帝分離。
90. The demons make war on those who are at the summit of prayer to prevent them from receiving simple representations of material things. They war on contemplatives to cause passionate thoughts to linger in their minds, and on those who are struggling in the active life to persuade them to sin by action. In every way these accursed beings struggle against everyone in order to separate men from God.

91、以下三種情境可以用來驗證，一個人的虔 誠心是否正在經歷天意的試煉：第一，愉快的事物，如：健康、美麗、孩子乖巧、財富、名譽…等；第二，悲 傷事件的打擊，如：失去孩子、財富和名譽…等；第三，身體上的痛苦，如虛弱、生病…等。對於第一項考驗，主耶穌說：「凡不跟自己的一切資財決絕的，都不能 做我的門徒。」至於第二與第三點，他說：「用你們的堅忍，來擁有住你們的真性命。」
91. Those whose piety undergoes trial in this life by divine Providence are proved by these three temptations: by the gift of pleasant things, such as health, beauty, fine children, wealth, reputation, and the like. Or by the inflicting of sorrowful things, such as the loss of children, wealth, and reputation; or by painful afflictions of the body, such as sickness, disease, and so forth. To the first the Lord says, "If anyone does not renounce all he possesses, he cannot be my disciple." To the second and third he says, "In your patience you shall possess your souls."

92、 有四件事情可以轉變人的性情，給予心靈各種思想（包括帶有情欲的思想和完全不帶情欲的思想）：天使、惡魔、天氣、生活型態。天使以「理性」來 轉變人的性情，惡魔以「接觸」來轉變，天氣以「天氣變化」來轉變，生活型態以「飲食的質與量」來轉變。除此之外，還有一些性情的轉變來自於記憶、眼睛所見 和耳朵所聞，畢竟這些都是第一個影響靈魂，始它產生喜悅或悲傷的因素。當靈魂認同了這些影響，就會改變肉身的性情，當性情改變了之後，就會引發心中的各種 思想。
92. These four things are said to modify the bodily temperament and thereby to give thoughts to the mind whether passionate or without passion: angels, demons, the weather, and life-style. The angels are said to modify it by reason, the demons by touch, the weather by its variations, the life-style by the quality and quantity of food and drink, whether too much or too little. In addition to these there are the modifications which come to it from the memory, from hearing and sight since it is the soul which is first affected by things which give it grief or joy. And when the soul approves of these, it modifies the temperament of the body; and when this is thus modified, it supplies thoughts to the mind.

93、確切的說，死亡就是與上帝分離，而「死的毒刺就 是罪。」從這點來看，當亞當被逐出生命 之樹的同時，也被逐出了伊甸園，遠離了上帝。從那時此， 緊接而來的肉體死亡，成為不可避免的事實。從另一個角度來說，生命就如耶穌所說的：「我就是生命。」藉由他的死亡，為死去的肉體再次帶來了生命。
93. Death is, properly speaking, separation from God, and "the sting of death is sin." In taking it on, Adam was banished at once from the tree of life, from Paradise, and from God, whereupon there followed of necessity the death of the body. On the other hand life is, properly speaking, the one who says, "I am the life." By his death he brought back to life again the one who had died.

94、文字的創作可以有很多種目的，例如：為了記錄 某人的記憶、為了幫某些人圖利、為了傷害某一群人，為了賣弄文筆，或只是出於某種需要。
94. The written word is taken down either for one's own memory or for the profit of others, or both, or to harm certain people, or for ostentation, or out of necessity.

95、積極的生活是「青草的牧場」，受造物的知識是 「清淨的水」。
95. The active life is "a place of pasture"; knowledge of created things is "water of refreshment."

96、充滿人性的生命是「死亡的漆黑低谷」。因此，如 果任何人與上帝同在，而上帝也在他體內，他就能確切的 說：「就使我行於死亡的漆黑低谷中，我也 不怕遭害；因為是你和我同在。」
96. Human life is a "shadow of death." Thus if anyone is with God and God is with him he clearly can say, "For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because you are with me."

97、一顆純潔的心靈，會以正直的眼光看事 情。純潔心靈的眼界，會化成思想，成為一段誠實坦率的言論。一位敏銳的聽者，會聆聽這樣的言論。然而，一 個人如果沒有上述三種素養，就會侮辱了那位發言人。
97. A pure mind sees things rightly, a straightforward speech brings what it sees into view, and a keen hearing hearkens to it. But, the one who is deprived of these three things abuses the speaker.

98、一個人如果認識了三位一體還有祂的受造物與祂的 旨意，而且，他的靈魂已經超脫一切情緒性的 執著，那麼，我們可以說這個人與上帝同在。
98. The one who knows the Trinity and its creation and Providence and who keeps the emotional part of his soul unattached is with God.

99、棍代表了上帝的審判、權杖與旨意。因此，一個人 如果獲得了這方面的知識，就可以 說：「你的棍你的杖，都安慰我」。
99. The rod is said to signify God's judgment and his staff his Providence. Thus the one who has obtained knowledge of these things can say, "Your rod and staff have given me comfort."

100、 當心靈去除了情欲，並且在靜觀中得到啟發，就能夠與上帝合一並且如實祈禱。
100. When the mind has become stripped of passions and enlightened in the contemplation of beings, then it can be in God and pray as it ought.