二十五 阿拉辛迦
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中文
二十五
迪尔伯恩大道五百四十一号，
芝加哥，一八九四年
亲爱的阿拉辛加：
您的来信已收悉。……我当初请您刊登我所寄的那些零散文稿，实属错误。那是我一时的严重失误，显露出片刻的软弱。在这个国家，通过讲学二三年是可以筹得资金的。然而我稍加尝试之后，虽然公众对我的工作颇为赞赏，但此事对我而言实在格格不入，令人意志消沉……
您在信中提及印度各报纸的批评，这些批评实属自然，我已悉数拜读。嫉妒乃是每一个受奴役民族的核心痼疾。正是嫉妒与缺乏团结，造成并延续了奴役状态。不走出印度，您便无从深切体会此言之真谛。西方人成功的秘诀，便在于这种团结协作的力量——其根基乃是相互信任与相互欣赏。一个民族越是懦弱怯懦，这一弊病便越是触目惊心……然而，我的孩子，您不应对一个奴性十足的民族抱有任何期望。此种处境固然几近绝望，但请允许我向诸位陈明实情：您能否将生命注入这一死气沉沉的群体——他们对几乎所有道德理想麻木不仁，对一切未来可能漠然视之，却随时准备对那些试图为其谋福之人扑而噬之？您能否以一位医师的姿态，将良药灌入一个挣扎踢打、倔强抵抗的孩童喉中？……美国人或欧洲人，在异国他乡总会支持本国同胞……再次提醒您："你有工作的权利，却无权执着于工作的果实。"坚如磐石，屹立不动。真理永远凯旋。愿室利·罗摩克里希纳（Ramakrishna）的门徒对自身忠实，则一切终将步入正轨。我们或许无缘亲见结局，但只要我们尚在人世，这一天迟早必会到来。印度所需要的，是一股新的电火，以激发民族血脉中焕然一新的活力。此种工作向来进展迟缓，未来亦然。安心于工作，最重要的是，对自己忠实。保持纯洁、坚定与赤诚，贯彻到底，一切终将步入正轨。若您曾留意室利·罗摩克里希纳弟子身上的某种特质，那便是——他们的赤诚贯彻始终。若我能在印度各地培育并推出一百位此等人才，我的使命便已完成，含笑而逝亦无憾。主，祂自知最善。且任无知之人胡言乱语。我们既不求援，亦不拒援——我们是至高者的仆人。小人物的卑鄙图谋，不值得我们正眼相待。勇往直前！性格乃历经数代艰辛方能铸就。切勿灰心丧志。一句真实之言永不消逝；或许数代之久被埋没于瓦砾之下，但它终将迟早显现。真理不可摧毁，德行不可摧毁，纯洁不可摧毁。给我一个真诚的人；我不需要大批改宗者。我的孩子，坚守不渝！不必在意是否有人助你。主岂非远胜于一切人力之助？保持圣洁——信靠主，时刻依赖祂，则您便走在正确的道路上；任何力量皆不能胜过您……
让我们祈祷："引领我，慈光"——一道光芒将穿透黑暗而来，一只手将伸出引领我们。我时常为您祈祷：您也必须为我祈祷。让我们每一个人日夜为印度那些饱受贫困、愚昧与压迫之苦、身陷囹圄的数以百万计的贫苦民众祈祷——日夜为他们祈祷。比起达官贵人，我更渴望向这些人传播宗教。我不是玄学家，不是哲学家，更不是圣人。然而我是穷人，我热爱穷人。我看到这个国家所谓的穷人，以及有多少人为他们动容！而印度与此相比，相差何其悬殊！有谁为那两亿男女老少而动容？他们永远沦陷于贫困与无知之中。出路何在？谁来为他们感怀？他们无从觅得光明或教育。谁将光明带给他们——谁将挨家挨户地为他们送去教育？让这些人成为您心中的主——思念他们，为他们工作，不懈地为他们祈祷——主将为您指引道路。我称那些为贫苦者心痛难忍之人为摩诃特曼（Mahātman，伟大的灵魂），否则便是杜拉特曼（Durātman，邪恶的灵魂）。让我们汇聚心志，持续为他们的福祉祈祷。我们或许死于默默无闻，无人怜悯，无人哀悼，一事无成——然而没有任何一个念头会白白失落。它终将发生作用，迟早而已。我心绪满溢，难以言表我的感受；您知晓，您能体会。只要数以百万计的人们生活在饥饿与无知之中，我便视每一个曾受他们资助而受教育、却对他们漠然置之的人为叛徒！那些身着华服、以榨取穷苦大众血汗敛财的人，只要他们不为那两亿如今与饥饿的蛮荒之人无异的民众做任何事，我便称其为可鄙之徒！我们贫穷，我的兄弟们，我们微不足道，但至高者的工具历来如此。愿主赐福于你们众人。
携所有爱意，
辨喜（Vivekananda）
English
XXV
541 Dearborn Avenue,
Chicago, 1894.
Dear Alasinga,
Your letter just to hand. . . . I was mistaken in asking you to publish the scraps I sent you. It was one of my awful mistakes. It shows a moment's weakness. Money can be raised in this country by lecturing for two or three years. But I have tried a little, and although there is much public appreciation of my work, it is thoroughly uncongenial and demoralising to me. . . .
I have read what you say about the Indian papers and their criticisms, which are natural. Jealousy is the central vice of every enslaved race. And it is jealousy and want of combination which cause and perpetuate slavery. You cannot feel the truth of this remark until you come out of India. The secret of Westerners' success is this power of combination, the basis of which is mutual trust and appreciation. The weaker and more cowardly a nation is, so much the more is this sin visible. . . . But, my son, you ought not to expect anything from a slavish race. The case is almost desperate no doubt, but let me put the case before you all. Can you put life into this dead mass — dead to almost all moral aspiration, dead to all future possibilities — and always ready to spring upon those that would try to do good to them? Can you take the position of a physician who tries to pour medicine down the throat of a kicking and refractory child? . . . An American or a European always supports his countrymen in a foreign country. . . . Let me remind you again, "Thou hast the right to work but not to the fruits thereof." Stand firm like a rock. Truth always triumphs. Let the children of Shri Ramakrishna be true to themselves and everything will be all right. We may not live to see the outcome, but as sure as we live, it will come sooner or later. What India wants is a new electric fire to stir up a fresh vigour in the national veins. This was ever, and always will be, slow work. Be content to work, and, above all, be true to yourself. Be pure, staunch, and sincere to the very backbone, and everything will be all right. If you have marked anything in the disciples of Shri Ramakrishna, it is this — they are sincere to the backbone. My task will be done, and I shall be quite content to die, if I can bring up and launch one hundred such men over India. He, the Lord, knows best. Let ignorant men talk nonsense. We neither seek aid nor avoid it — we are the servants of the Most High. The petty attempts of small men should be beneath our notice. Onward! Upon ages of struggle a character is built. Be not discouraged. One word of truth can never be lost; for ages it may be hidden under rubbish, but it will show itself sooner or later. Truth is indestructible, virtue is indestructible, purity is indestructible. Give me a genuine man; I do not want masses of converts. My son, hold fast! Do not care for anybody to help you. Is not the Lord infinitely greater than all human help? Be holy — trust in the Lord, depend on Him always, and you are on the right track; nothing can prevail against you. . . .
Let us pray, "Lead, Kindly Light" — a beam will come through the dark, and a hand will be stretched forth to lead us. I always pray for you: you must pray for me. Let each one of us pray day and night for the downtrodden millions in India who are held fast by poverty, priestcraft, and tyranny — pray day and night for them. I care more to preach religion to them than to the high and the rich. I am no metaphysician, no philosopher, nay, no saint. But I am poor, I love the poor. I see what they call the poor of this country, and how many there are who feel for them! What an immense difference in India! Who feels there for the two hundred millions of men and women sunken for ever in poverty and ignorance? Where is the way out? Who feels for them? They cannot find light or education. Who will bring the light to them — who will travel from door to door bringing education to them? Let these people be your God — think of them, work for them, pray for them incessantly — the Lord will show you the way. Him I call a Mahâtman (great soul) whose heart bleeds for the poor, otherwise he is a Durâtman (wicked soul). Let us unite our wills in continued prayer for their good. We may die unknown, unpitied, unbewailed, without accomplishing anything — but not one thought will be lost. It will take effect, sooner or later. My heart is too full to express my feeling; you know it, you can imagine it. So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them! I call those men who strut about in their finery, having got all their money by grinding the poor, wretches, so long as they do not do anything for those two hundred millions who are now no better than hungry savages! We are poor, my brothers, we are nobodies, but such have been always the instruments of the Most High. The Lord bless you all.
With all love,
Vivekananda.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。