二十三 母亲
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中文
二十三
致G·W·黑尔夫人
转寄：利昂·兰兹伯格 麦迪逊大道144号 纽约 1894年7月1日
亲爱的母亲，
希望您此时已安然定居，心归平静。那些孩子们在泥泞镇（威斯康星州基诺沙）过得很好——我相信她们在那座修道院里一切安好。这里天气极为炎热，但时有微风吹来，稍可消暑。我目前住在菲利普斯小姐（玛丽·A·菲利普斯）处，定于周二迁往另一处。
此处我发现了一段引文，出自牛津大学梵文教授莫尼尔·威廉姆斯爵士的演讲。这段话出自一位每日都期待看到整个印度皈依基督教的人之口，实属罕见。他说："然而，印度教有一特质颇为显著，那便是它既不要求改宗，也不致力于使人改宗。它目前的信众人数绝非减少，也未被伊斯兰教与基督教这两大传教宗教逐出其领地。相反，它目前正在迅速增长。更令人称奇的是，印度教兼容并蓄、包罗万象、博大精深。它自称为全人类的宗教、人类本性的宗教、全世界的宗教。它不设障碍以阻拦基督教或任何其他宗教的发展，因为它自有能力将一切宗教纳入其无所不包的怀抱与不断拓展的疆域之中。事实上，印度教能为各类心灵提供所需。其力量正在于它对人类性情与人类志向之无限多样性所具备的无限适应力。它有其高度精神性与抽象性的一面，适合哲学思辨的上层阶级；有其实践性与具体性的一面，适合实业之人与世俗之人；有其审美性与仪式性的一面，适合具有诗意感受与想象力之人；有其宁静性与沉思性的一面，适合追求平和与热爱隐居之人。
"确实，印度教徒比斯宾诺莎早两千年便已是斯宾诺莎主义者，比达尔文诞生早数百年便已持达尔文式观点，比进化论被我们时代的赫胥黎们所接受早数百年便已是进化论者，彼时世界上任何语言中尚无'进化'一词。"
这番话出自基督教最坚定的捍卫者之一，着实令人称叹。而他似乎已将这一观念把握得相当准确。
我今日将打算把那件橙色外衣寄出；至于那些从费城寄来的书，我认为根本不值得寄送。我不知道自己下一步将做什么。耐心等候，将自己交托于祂的引领——这便是我的座右铭。我向你们所有人致以爱意。
您深情的儿子， 辨喜（Vivekananda）
English
XXIII
To Mrs. G. W. Hale
C/O LEON LANDSBERG
144 MADISON AVENUE
NEW YORK
1 July 1894
DEAR MOTHER,
Hope you are settled down in peace by this time. The babies are doing well in Mudville (Kenosha, Wisconsin) — in their nunnery, I am sure. It is very hot here, but now and then a breeze comes up which cools it down. I am now with Miss [Mary A.] Phillips. Will move off from here on Tuesday to another place.
Here I find a quotation from a speech by Sir Monier Williams, professor of Sanskrit in the Oxford University. It is very strange as coming from one who every day expects to see the whole of India converted to Christianity. "And yet it is a remarkable characteristic of Hinduism that it neither requires nor attempts to make converts. Nor is it at present by any means decreasing in numbers, nor is it being driven out of the field by two such proselytizing religions as Mahomedanism [sic] and Christianity. On the contrary, it is at present rapidly increasing. And far more remarkable than this is that, it is all-receptive, all-embracing and all-comprehensive. It claims to be the one religion of humanity, of human nature, of the entire world. It cares not to oppose the progress of Christianity nor of any other religion. For it has no difficulty in including all other religions within its all-embracing arms and ever-widening fold. And in real fact Hinduism has something to offer which is suited to all minds. Its very strength lies in its infinite adaptability to the infinite diversity of human characters and human tendencies. It has its highly spiritual and abstract side suited to the philosophical higher classes. Its practical and concrete side suited to the man of affairs and the man of the world. Its aesthetic and ceremonial side suited to the man of poetic feeling and imagination. Its quiescent and contemplative side suited to the man of peace and lover of seclusion.
"Indeed, the Hindus were Spinozists 2,000 years before the birth of Spinoza, Darwinians centuries before the birth of Darwin, and evolutionists centuries before the doctrine of evolution had been accepted by the Huxleys of our time, and before any word like evolution existed in any language of the world."
This, as coming from one of the staunchest defenders of Christianity, is wonderful indeed. But he seems to have got the idea quite correct.
Now I am going to send up the orange coat today; as for the books that came to me from Philadelphia, I do not think they are worthy of being sent at all. I do not know what I am going to do next. Patiently wait and resign myself unto His guidance — that is my motto. My love to you all.
Your affectionate son,
VIVEKANANDA
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。