点亮心灯引言：第二单元 生命和死亡

点亮心灯引言：第二单元生命和死亡

第一课

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.“The body is the physical or animal degree of man. From the bodily point of view man is a sharer of the animal kingdom. The bodies alike of men and animals are composed of elements held together by the law of attraction. Like the animal, man possesses the faculties of the senses, is subject to heat, cold, hunger, thirst, etc.; unlike the animal, man has a rational soul, the human intelligence.”

“肉体代表了人的生理或动物性状。从肉体的角度看，人属于动物范畴。人和动物的肉体同样都是由基本元素通过吸引力的法则组构而成的。和动物一样，人具有感觉能力，会感受到冷、热、饥饿和口渴，等等。但与动物不同的是，人具有理性的灵魂，即人的智慧。”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p.96.

阿博都巴哈，《巴黎谈话》，第78页，新纪元国际出版社1999年中文第一版。

2.“The soul of man comes into being at conception.”

“人的灵魂自受孕那一刻起存在。”

Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p.536.

守基•阿芬第，Lights of Guidance，第536页。

3.“The spirit of man has a beginning, but it has no end; it continues eternally.”

“人的精神有开始，但无终结；它永续长存。”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p.151.

阿博都巴哈，Some Answered Questions，第151页。

4.“...the rational soul, meaning the human spirit, does not descend into the body-that is to say, it does not enter it, for descent and entrance are characteristics of bodies, and the rational soul is exempt from this. The spirit never entered this body, so in quitting it, it will not be in need of an abiding-place: no, the spirit is connected with the body, as this light is with this mirror. When the mirror is clear and perfect, the light of the lamp will be apparent in it, and when the mirror becomes covered with dust or breaks, the light will disappear.”

“……理性的灵魂，即人的精神，并非降入肉体，也就是说，它不会进入到肉体之中，因为降入和进入只是肉体的特性，理性的灵魂不受其制约。精神不会进入肉体，因此在离开肉体时，它无需另寻住所；不，应该说，精神与肉体紧密相连，就像光线与镜子的关系。如果镜子光洁而完整，那它就能明亮地反射光线，如果镜子布满灰尘且破损，那镜子里的光线就会消失。”

Ibid., pp.239-240.

阿博都巴哈，Some Answered Questions，第239-240页。

5.“The spirit does not need a body, but the body needs spirit, or it cannot live. The soul can live without a body, but the body without a soul dies.”

“精神不需要肉体，但肉体却需要精神，否则肉体就没有生命。没有肉体灵魂也照样生存，但没有灵魂肉体便会死亡。”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp.86-87.

阿博都巴哈，《巴黎谈话》，第86-87页，伦敦：巴哈伊出版社1995年英文版。

6.“The whole physical creation is perishable. These material bodies are composed of atoms; when these atoms begin to separate decomposition sets in, then comes what we call death. This composition of atoms, which constitutes the body or mortal elements of any created being, is temporary. When the power of attraction, which holds these atoms together, is withdrawn, the body, as such, ceases to exist.

“整个被创造的物质世界必定灭亡。这些物质本身由原子组成；一旦原子开始分解，腐烂便继而发生，然后就是我们所说的死亡。构成创造物本体或其灭亡因素的原子组合是暂时的。将这些原子凝聚起来的吸引力一旦消失，物体便消亡了。

With the soul it is different. The soul is not a combination of elements, it is not composed of many atoms, it is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal. It is entirely out of the order of the physical creation; it is immortal!”

而灵魂却并非如此。灵魂不是元素的组构，不是由许多原子结合而成的。灵魂属于一种单一且不可分割的存在，因此是永生不灭的。它完全超乎物质创造的范畴；它是不朽的！”

Ibid., pp.90-91.

阿博都巴哈，《巴黎谈话》，第72-73页，新纪元国际出版社1999年中文第一版。

第二课

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.“Know that the power and the comprehension of the human spirit are of two kinds — that is to say, they perceive and act in two different modes. One way is through instruments and organs; thus with this eye it sees; with this ear it hears; with this tongue it talks. Such is the action of the spirit, and the perception of the reality of man, by means of organs — that is to say, the spirit is the seer, through the eyes; the spirit is the hearer, through the ear; the spirit is the speaker, through the tongue.

“须知，人的精神力量和理解力具有两种类型——也就是说，它们以两种不同的方式来感知和行动。一种是通过工具和器官，即用眼看，用耳闻，用舌言。此即借助于器官功能的人的