十六 母亲
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中文
XVI
致G. W. 黑尔夫人
转交埃格伯特·格恩西医生
第五大道528号
纽约
1894年4月10日
亲爱的母亲：
您的来信刚刚收到。我对救世军怀有极高的敬意；事实上，他们与牛津传教团的诸位先生，是我所尊重的仅有的基督教传教士。他们与印度民众同甘共苦、共同生活、一心为民。愿主赐福于他们。然而，倘若有人对他们耍弄任何把戏，我将深感遗憾。在印度，我从未听说过那位勋爵，更遑论在锡兰（即今斯里兰卡）了。锡兰人与北印度人之间的差异，远甚于美国人与印度教徒之间的差异。佛教僧侣与印度教徒之间亦无任何关联。我们的衣着、礼仪、宗教、饮食、语言，均与南印度截然不同，与锡兰更是相去甚远。您也已知晓，我连那罗辛哈的语言一个字也不会说！！虽然那不过是马德拉斯而已。话说回来，您那里有印度教公主；既如此，出现一位勋爵又有何稀奇，那不过是一个并不更高贵的头衔罢了。
芝加哥有一位史密斯夫人，我是在斯托克姆夫人处与她相识的。正是她将我引荐给了格恩西一家。格恩西医生是本城最负盛名的医生之一，是一位非常善良的老绅士。他们对我十分厚爱，是极好的人。下周五我将赴波士顿，回来后再在纽约做些演讲。
过去几天，我受海伦·古尔德小姐的款待——她是富商古尔德的女儿——在其距城约一小时车程的豪华乡间别墅小住。她拥有世界上最美丽、最宏大的温室之一，其中种满了各式奇花异草。他们是长老会教徒，她是一位极为虔诚的女士。我在那里度过了一段愉快的时光。
我与友人弗拉格先生（威廉·约瑟夫·弗拉格）多次会面，他近来精神焕发。这里还有另一位史密斯夫人，非常富有而虔诚，今日邀我前往用餐。
至于演讲筹款之事，我已彻底放弃。我不能再使自己堕落了。当年有某种目的驱动，我可以全力以赴；如今那目的已去，我便无法为自己谋利。我已有足够的盘缠返回。我在此地不曾为自己谋取分文，并婉拒了友人们欲赠予我的一些礼物。尤其是弗拉格——我拒绝了他的馈赠。在底特律，我甚至曾试图将款项退还给捐赠者，告知他们，既然我的事业几乎毫无成功希望，我便无权保留他们的钱；但他们拒绝收回，并表示即便将其投入水中也由我处置。然而我于心不忍再接受任何馈赠。母亲，我生活得很好。主在各处为我安排仁慈之人与温暖的居所；因此，我实无必要沉沦于那种卑俗的世俗追逐之中。
纽约人虽不及波士顿人博学，但我以为，他们更为真诚。波士顿人深谙占他人便宜之道，我甚至担忧，连水从他们紧握的指缝中也难以滑过！！！愿主赐福于他们！！！我已应承前往，必须履约；然而，主啊，让我与真诚、无知而贫穷的人同住，莫让我与那些伪君子、高谈阔论者的阴影相交——正如我的师父所言，那些人犹如兀鹫，言谈间翱翔高远，心中所念的却不过是地上一块腐肉。
我将在布里德夫人处客居数日，在波士顿略作游览之后，便返回纽约。
盼诸姐妹一切安好，尽情享受音乐会。此城音乐不多，这倒是一件幸事（？）前几日去观看了巴纳姆的马戏，确实蔚为壮观。市区我尚未涉足。这条街道十分幽静宜人。
前几日在巴纳姆马戏团听到一段美妙的乐曲——他们称之为西班牙小夜曲。无论它究竟是何曲目，我都深为喜爱。遗憾的是，格恩西小姐并不热衷于弹奏，尽管她拥有世间一切喧嚣乐器的精良配置——因此她无法为我演奏此曲，令我深感惋惜。
您顺从的 辨喜（Vivekananda）
附言：我很可能将作为巴格利夫人的客人赴安尼斯奎姆。今夏她在那里有一处宜居的房子。在此之前，如有可能，我将再度返回芝加哥一次。
辨喜
English
XVI
To Mrs. G. W. Hale
[C/O DR. EGBERT GUERNSEY
528 FIFTH AVENUE]
NEW YORK
10 April 1894
DEAR MOTHER,
I just now received your letter. I have the greatest regard for the Salvationists; in fact, they and the Oxford Mission gentlemen are the only Christian missionaries for whom I have any regard at all. They live with the people, as the people, and for the people of India. Lord bless them. But I would be very, very sorry of any trick being played by them. I never have heard of any Lord in India, much less in Ceylon. (Now Sri Lanka.) The people of Ceylon and northern India differ more than Americans and Hindus. Nor is there any connection between the Buddhist priest and the Hindu. Our dress, manners, religion, food, language differ entirely from southern India, much less to speak of Ceylon. You know already that I could not speak a word of Narasimha's language!! Although that was only Madras. Well, you have Hindu princesses; why not a Lord, which is not a higher title.
There was a certain Mrs. Smith in Chicago.[6]* I met her at Mrs. Stockham's. She has introduced me to the Guernseys. Dr. Guernsey is one of the chief physicians of this city and is a very good old gentleman. They are very fond of me and are very nice people. Next Friday I am going to Boston. I have not been lecturing in New York at all. I will come back and do some lecturing here.
For the last few days I was the guest of Miss Helen Gould — daughter of the rich Gould[7]* — at her palatial country residence, an hour's ride from the city. She has one of the most beautiful and large green-houses in the world, full of all sorts of curious plants and flowers. They are Presbyterians, and she is a very religious lady. I had a very nice time there.
I met my friend Mr. Flagg (William Joseph Flagg.) several times. He is flying merrily. There is another Mrs. Smith here who is very rich and pious. She has invited me to dine today.
As for lecturing, I have given up raising money. I cannot degenerate myself any more. When a certain purpose was in view, I could work; with that gone I cannot earn for myself. I have sufficient for going back. I have not tried to earn a penny here, and have refused some presents which friends here wanted to make to me. Especially Flagg — I have refused his money. I had in Detroit tried to refund the money back to the donors, and told them that, there being almost no chance of my succeeding in my enterprise, I had no right to keep their money; but they refused and told me to throw that into the waters if I liked. But I cannot take any more conscientiously. I am very well off, Mother. Everywhere the Lord sends me kind persons and homes; so there is no use of my going into beastly worldliness at all.
The New York people, though not so intellectual as the Bostonians, are, I think, more sincere. The Bostonians know well how to take advantage of everybody. And I am afraid even water cannot slip through their closed fingers!!! Lord bless them!!! I have promised to go and I must go; but, Lord, make me live with the sincere, ignorant and the poor, and not cross the shadow of the hypocrites and tall talkers who, as my Master used to say, are like vultures who soar high and high in their talks, but the heart is really on a piece of carrion on the ground.
I would be the guest of Mrs. Breed for a few days and, after seeing a little of Boston, I would come back to New York.
Hope the sisters are all right and enjoying their concerts immensely. There is not much of music in this city. That is a blessing (?) Went to see Barnum's circus the other day. It is no doubt a grand thing. I have not been as yet downtown. This street is very nice and quiet.
I heard a beautiful piece of music the other day at Barnum's — they call it a Spanish Serenada. Whatever it be, I liked it so much. Unfortunately, Miss Guernsey is not given to much thumping, although she has a good assortment of all the noisy stuffs in the world — and so she could not play it, which I regret ever so much.
Yours obediently,
VIVEKANANDA.
PS — Most probably I will go to Annisquam as Mrs. Bagley's guest. She has got a nice house there this summer. Before that, I will go back to Chicago once more if I can.
V.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。