On Religion

And an old priest said, "Speak to us of Religion."

And he said:

Have I spoken this day of aught else?

Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,

And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?

Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?

Who can spread his hours before him, saying, "This for God and this for myself; This for my soul, and this other for my body?"

All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self.

He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.

The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.

And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.

The freest song comes not through bars and wires.

And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.

Your daily life is your temple and your religion.

Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.

Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute,

The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight.

For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.

And take with you all men:

For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.

And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.

Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.

And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.

You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.

宗教

　　一位年迈的祭司说，请给我们谈谈宗教。

　　他说道：

　　难道我今天所讲的不都是么？

　　难道宗教不是一切的行为和所有的反映，

　　以及那些既非行为又非反映，而是双手凿石或抚弄织机时涌入心田的一个奇迹和惊诧？

　　谁能够将他的理念与行为分开，或将他的信仰与职责分开？

　　谁能够将他的时间摆在面前说，"这份是上帝的，而那份是我的；这份属于我的心灵，而那份属于我的肉体'？

　　你们所有的时光都是在天空鼓翼、从一个自我飞向另一个自我的翅膀。

　　将道德视作最好的衣服穿在身上的人，不如赤裸着。

　　风和阳光不会使他们的肌肤伤裂。

　　以伦理规范自己行为的人，是将自己歌唱的鸟囚禁笼中。

　　最自由的歌不能从锁链和铁栅中传出。

　　现膜拜为时开时闭的窗户的人，尚未造访他的心灵之屋，此屋的

　　窗户从黎明到黎明永远敞开。

　　你们的日常生活就是你们的圣殿和你们的宗教。

　　清带着你们的一切进入它。

　　带着犁耙和炼炉，极棒和琴瑟。

　　带着你们因需要或喜爱而制出的常用之物。

　　因为在虔敬中，你们不可能升腾得比你们的成就更高，也不可能跌落得比你们的失败更低。

　　带着所有人进入它。

　　因为在崇拜中，你们不可能飞得比他们的希望更高，也不可能因自我菲薄而降得比他们的失望还低。

　　如果你们想认识上帝，那就不要去做解谜者。

　　环顾四周，你们会发现他在与你们的孩子玩耍。

　　仰望天空，你们会看到他在云端漫步，在闪电中伸臂，在雨水中降临。

　　你们会看到他在花丛中微笑，又在树上挥手。

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