基督徒

《愛的四百句箴言》
St. Maximus the confessor著
226 - 250

《400 sayings about love》
by St. Maximus the confessor
226 - 250


26. 所有理智與智力的本性，可以被區分成兩類：即「天使的」天性以及「人類的」天性。而天使的天性又可以進一步約略地分成兩類：即「神聖的」與「被詛咒的」； 也就是說，可以分成「擁有神聖力量的天使」，以及「污穢的惡魔」。所有人類的天性也可以被分為兩類，即有信仰的與無信仰的。
26. All rational and intelligent nature is divided into two, namely, angelic and human nature. And all angelic nature is again divided into two general sides or groupings, holy or accursed, that is, into holy powers and impure demons. All human nature is divided as well into only two general sides, religious and irreligious.

27. 上帝是絕對的存在、絕對的善、絕對的智慧（更確切的說，上帝乃是超越這些事物的），無論如何，與此相反的特質，在上帝身上都不存在。然而對受造物而言，卻 擁有與此相反的特質。藉由參與上帝以及上帝的恩典，受造物才能擁有存在、理性及智力，藉著理性與智力，受造物才有美善和智慧的才能。存在與不存在相對，美 善與智慧與惡行和無知相對。對受造物而言，永遠的存在或是不存在，乃是依據造物主的大能而定的。至於要不要參與上帝的美善和智慧，則是依據每一個理性存在 者的意志而決定的。
27. God as absolute existence, goodness, and wisdom (or rather, to speak more properly, as transcending all these things) has no contrary quality whatever. But creatures, because they all have existence, and rational and intelligent ones their aptitude for goodness and wisdom by participation and grace, do have contrary qualities. To existence is opposed nonexistence, to the aptitude for goodness and wisdom is opposed vice and ignorance. For them to exist forever or not to exist is in the power of their maker. To share in his goodness and wisdom or not to share depends on the will of rational beings.

28. 希臘哲學家堅稱：「人類的本質永遠與上帝共存，人們只是從上帝那裡接受到屬於個人的特質。本質是沒有相對的，在特質中，才找得到相對。」然而，我們堅定地 認為，上帝神性的本體是獨一無二、沒有相對的，祂是永恆的、無限的，因為祂賜予其他的實體永恆的特性；我們主張，不存在就是人類本質的對立面，而人類的永 恆存在或不存在，乃是源於那位真正的存在者的大能；「而祂的這份禮物，是不會改訂的。」因此，就如同我們所說的，自從它從不存在裡被上帝創造出來後，這份 禮物始終是，也將會是由上帝全能的大能所支持的，儘管它沒有所謂的不存在來與之相對。無論存在或不存在，都是依據上帝的意志而決定的。
28. When the Greek philosophers affirm that the substance of beings coexisted eternally with God and that they received only their individual qualities from him, they say that there is nothing contrary to substance but that opposition is found only in the qualities. We maintain, however, that the divine substance alone has no contrary because it is eternal and infinite and bestows eternity on the other substances; furthermore that nonbeing is the contrary of the substance of beings and that their eternal being or nonbeing lies in the power of the one who properly is being, "and his gifts are not subject to revision." And therefore it both always is and will be sustained by his all-powerful might even though it has nonbeing as its opposite, as was said, since it was brought into being from nonbeing by God and whether it has being or nonbeing depends on his will.

29. 邪惡是美德的匱乏，是缺乏美德的知識，而「無」是「有」的匱乏。嚴格地說，這裡所說的「有」，並不是一般人所認為的存在，而是藉由參與上帝而有真正的存 在。美德的匱乏，是基於受造物的意志；而「有」則是依據造物主的意志，祂以自己的美德和意志，使一切由祂所創的事物得以存在，並能從祂那裡領受到好處。
29. Just as evil is the privation of good and ignorance that of knowledge, so is nonbeing the privation of being—but not of being properly so called, for it has no contrary—but of true being by participation. Privations of the former depend on the will of creatures; privation of the latter depends on the will of the Creator, who out of goodness ever wills his creatures to exist and to receive benefits from him.

30. 所有的受造物，有些是理性而有智慧，並且容許對立面（如善與惡，學識與無知）的存在。有些則是由不同的對立物（如地、水、火、風）所組成的。也有一些受造 物是完全沒有形體或物質的，儘管其中有一部分是與形體互相結合在一起。而其它的受造物，則是完全由物質與形式所組成的。
30. Of all creatures, some are rational and intelligent and admit of opposites such as virtue and vice, knowledge and ignorance. Others are various bodies composed of opposites such as earth, air, fire, and water. And there are some completely without body or matter, though some of these are united to bodies, and others have their makeup only of matter and form.

31. 所有的肉體天生都是沒有辦法活動的。無論是理性的、非理性的，或是感覺遲鈍的，都要藉由靈魂才得以活動。
31. All bodies are by nature without movement. They are moved by a soul, whether rational, irrational, or insensitive.

32. 靈魂擁有獲取養份與成長的力量，擁有想像與欲望的力量，擁有理性與理解的力量。植物只得到了到第一種力量，非理性的動物則同時獲得了到第二種力量，而人類 則享有第三種以及前兩種力量。前兩種力量是會死亡的，第三種力量則是不滅的，是永恆的。
32. The soul's powers are for nourishment and growth, for imagination and appetite, for reason and understanding. Plants share only in the first powers, irrational animals share in the second as well, and men in the third in addition to the first two. Moreover, the first two powers prove to be perishable, but the third is imperishable and immortal.

33. 當神聖的天使試著給人啟發時，通常會運用人的天性、美善道德或知識來與之溝通。因此，一個擁有道德的人，或者說，一個仿效神性之善的人，往往能夠利己利 人，甚至使那些不太屬靈的人獲益，因為他們使人回歸上帝的肖像。因此，無論是某件與上帝相關的高尚事物（聖經曾言：「主，祢是至高無上的，直到永遠」）， 或是如肉體這麼深刻的事情；或者，更確切的說，與「超越形體的存有」和「上帝的大能」相關的事情，或是與「審判」相關的事情，都能成為天使運用來啟發人類 的知識。
33. The holy angels, in communicating their illumination with one another, also communicate to human nature either their virtue or the knowledge which they have. Thus with their virtue, as an imitation of the divine goodness, they benefit themselves, each other, and those beneath them by making them Godlike. With their knowledge, as either something loftier about God ("You, Lord, are forever most high," says Scripture), or deeper about bodies, or more accurate about incorporeal beings, or clearer about Providence, or more manifest about judgment.

34. 「不潔的心靈」的含意有四：第一個含意是「擁有錯誤的知識」；再者是「見識短淺」，這裡我是針對人類說的，因為天使是無所不知的；第三是「擁有情欲」；第 四是「贊同罪惡的行為」。
34. Impurity of mind means first to have false knowledge; next to be ignorant of any of the universals—I speak of the human mind, since an angel is not ignorant of particular things; thirdly in having passionate thoughts; and fourthly in consenting to sin.

35. 「不潔的靈魂」意味著「不依據自己的天性來實踐」，這樣的靈魂總是使心靈產生情欲。如果一個人能夠遵照自己的本性來實踐，當憤怒、猜疑…等情 感開始運作時，心靈就算在物質和妄念的襲擊下，還是能夠超脫情欲。
35. Impurity of soul means not acting according to nature, for from this are begotten passionate thoughts in the mind. Now it acts in accord with nature when its sensitive drives, that is, anger and concupiscence, remain free of passion under the assault of material things and the representations they bring.

36. 身體的不潔就是一種真正的罪。
36. Impurity of body is a sin in deed.

37. 一個不受世間事物影響的人，往往喜愛獨處。一個心中不貪愛俗世的人，往往愛著全人類。一個不會因為挑剔或猜疑對任何人動怒的人，往往擁有與上帝和神聖事物 相關的知識。
37. The one who is not affected by the things of the world loves solitude ; the one who does not love anything human loves all men; and the one who takes no offense at anyone, either because of faults or suspicious thoughts, possesses the knowledge of God and of divine realities.

38. 「不受到任何事物左右」是一件了不起的事，然而，如果能做到「完全超脫於這些事物在心中留下的印象」又更了不起。
38. It is a great thing not to be affected by things; but it is far better to remain detached from their representations.

39.「愛」與「自律」是要讓我們的心靈，對於一切事物 和 它們在心中留下的印象，不會產生任何執著。
39. Love and self-mastery keep the mind detached from things and from their representations.

40. 一個愛上帝的人，不會投入任何反對行動，只會致力於對抗心中的情欲。因此，一個愛上帝的人，不會與女人或任何冒犯他們的人敵對，也不會與這些人在心中留下 的印象敵對，而只會想要對抗這些印象在心中產生的情欲。
40. The mind of the one who loves God does not engage in battle against things nor against their representations, but against the passions joined to these representations. Thus it does not war against the woman nor against the one who offends him, nor against their images, but against the passions that are joined to these images.

41. 僧侶對魔鬼發動的戰鬥，就是為了要將心中的情欲抽離。否則他們將永遠無法以完全不帶情欲的心境來看事情。
41. The whole war of the monk against the demons is to separate the passions from the representations. Otherwise he will not be able to look on things without passion.

42. 「事物」、「雜念」和「情欲」，是非常不同的東西。舉例來說，「事物」可能是某一件事、某個男人、某個女人、某一塊金子…等。又比如說，「雜念」可能是與 這些事物相關的某一個念頭、某一個淡淡的回憶…等。然而，「情欲」是一種非理性的情感，例如，因這些事物而產生的恨意，或者某種失去理智的情感。因此，僧 侶每日戰鬥不休的對象，就是「情欲」。
42. Thing, representation, and passion are all different realities. A thing is, for instance, a man, a woman, gold, and so forth. A representation is, for instance, a simple recollection of any of these things. Passion, however, is an irrational affection or senseless hate for any of these things. Therefore the monk's battle is directed against passion.

43. 帶有情欲的思想，是一種摻雜著情欲和雜念的思想。讓我們將心中的情欲抽離吧！這樣心中就會剩下單純的想法。如果我們願意的話，我們可以藉著「自律」與「靈 性之愛」讓情欲遠離我們的心靈。
43. A passionate representation is a thought made up of passion and representation. Let us separate the passion from the representation, and the simple thought will remain. We can, if we wish, make this separation through spiritual love and self-mastery.

44. 「美善道德」讓心靈與情欲分離，「靈性靜觀」讓心靈抽離日常生活中的雜念，「純粹祈禱」讓心靈與上帝面對面。
44. The virtues separate the mind from the passions; spiritual contemplations separate it from simple representations; then pure prayer sets it before God himself.

45. 「美善的道德」與「受造物的知識」分不開，「知識」與「學習知識的人」分不開，「學習知識的人」又與那種「在懵懂無知的狀態下，體悟到神性知識的人」分不 開。
45. The virtues are related to the knowledge of creatures, knowledge to the knower, the knower to the one who is known in ignorance and whose knowing transcends knowledge.

46. 上帝是超越完美的，祂不會因為自己的需要而創造萬物，但卻會為了萬物參與在祂之內的樂趣而創造萬物，或者當祂看到萬物快樂，並且無止盡地滿足於永不匱乏的 上帝時，祂才會以祂的工作為樂。
46. God who is beyond fullness did not bring creatures into being out of any need of his, but that he might enjoy their proportionate participation in him and that he might delight in his works seeing them delighted and ever insatiably satisfied with the one who is inexhaustible.

47. 世上許多人在靈性上十分貧乏，卻不走正確的道路。許多富有卻沒有孩子的人，每天悲嘆著自己的遭遇。許多個性溫柔謙讓的人，心中卻常常升起不潔的情欲。許多 貪婪的人，不但掠奪別人的東西，還以違反道義的方式使自己獲利。許多心中充滿慈愛的人，卻只注重肉體上的安頓與享受。許多潔淨自心的人，卻是為了自己的面 子與虛榮心。許多信仰和平主義的人，卻讓自己的靈魂服從於肉體的欲望。還有許多因為任性而遭受迫害的人，和許多因犯罪而蒙羞的人…。然而，只有蒙上帝祝福 的人，才真正為了上帝而忍受辛勞與苦痛，追隨上帝的典範。為什麼呢？「因為天國是他們的」（馬太福音5:3）、「他們將會面見上帝」（馬太福音 5:8）…。我們要知道，並不是因為忍受辛勞與苦痛，所以獲得上帝的祝福，而是，「為了上帝」而忍受辛勞與苦痛，並且「真正追隨上帝的典範」，所以獲得上 帝的祝福（儘管兩者都忍受了辛勞與苦痛，然而意義有所不同）。
47. The world has many poor in spirit, but not in the right way; and many who mourn, but over money matters and loss of children; and many who are meek, but in the face of impure passions; and many who hunger and thirst, but to rob another's goods and to profit unjustly. And there are many who are merciful, but to the body and to its comforts ; and clean of heart, but out of vanity; and peacemakers, but who subject the soul to the flesh; and many who suffer persecution, but because they are disorderly; many who are reproached, but for shameful sins. Instead, only those are blessed who do and suffer these things for Christ and following his example. For what reason? "Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven," and "they shall see God," and so forth. So that it is not because they do and suffer these things that they are blessed (since those just mentioned do the same), but because they do and suffer them for Christ and following his example.

48. 關於我們所做的一切，上帝往往將焦點放在我們最初的動機，正如同上文中常常提及的，上帝要知道我們是為了祂而做，或者有其它動機。因此，當我們想做某件 「善」事的時候，我們不該用人的眼光來評價，而要以上帝的眼光來看。在做每件事的當下，應該要心存上帝，否則我們可能會白忙一場，付出很多，卻得不到任何 正面的回報。
48. In everything that we do God looks at the intention, as has frequently been said, whether we do it for him or for any other motive. Therefore when we wish to do something good, let us not have human applause in view but rather God, so that always looking to him we might do everything on his account; otherwise we shall undergo the labor and still lose the reward.

49. 在祈禱的當下，應該要拋開心中每一個世俗的想法，還要去除每一個關於受造物的念頭，以免更好的想法和念頭無法顯現在心中。
49. In time of prayer chase from your mind the simple representations of human matters and the ideas of every creature, lest in creating images of lesser things you be deprived of the one who is incomparably better than them all.

50. 如果我們真誠地愛著上帝，藉著這個愛，就能去除心中的情欲。如果我們的心中充滿對上帝的愛，這代表了我們愛「上帝」勝過愛「世間」，我們愛「靈魂」勝過於 愛「肉體」。這也代表了我們並不看中世間的事物，而只想一心一意將自己奉獻於自律、愛、祈禱、聖詩吟唱…等，永不間斷。
50. If we sincerely love God we cast out the passions by this very love. Love for him means to prefer him to the world and the soul to the body. It means to despise worldly things and to devote oneself continually to him through self-mastery, love, prayer, psalmody, and so forth.