Writings and Teachings of the Ba’b

作者：纳德-萨伊迪博士（by Dr. Nader Saiedi）

译者：苏英芬

新的诠释学

巴布认为上帝的话语有无限多的意义，因为它是一种创造性和活生生的力量。然而，在这无限多的意义中，有一个最权威的意义。这个至高意义是通过合一性的视角来发现的。因此，真正的文本意义在忽略了文字、词语、句子、段落和章节的差异时变得明白可见。因此，读者将神圣文本视为纯粹的合一，成为一个重点。

这一个重点无非是上帝绝对纯净的启示，也就是神圣文本的真相。然而，一切事物的真相都是这个上帝的纯粹启示。因此，不仅圣典的各个部分，而且各种神圣经书都是一致且相同的。所有经典的这个共同真理无非就是一切存在的真相，所有先知的真相。（萨伊迪《门》48-65）

在最高层次的诠释学中，任何一部神圣经书中的每一个陈述的至高意义都是一致相同的：所有经书都是一体而相同的，所有宗教都是一体而相同的，所有人类都是一体而相同的。诠释学成为发现和揭示一切真相的艺术。

New Hermeneutics 

The Bab believes that the word of God has infinite meanings because it is a creative and living force. Yet, among these infinite meaning there is one meaning that is the most authentic. This supreme meaning is discovered through the gaze of unity. Thus, the real meaning of the text becomes accessible through ignoring the differences of letters, words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters of the text. Therefore, the reader sees the divine text as pure unity, as one point.

This one point is nothing but the utter pure revelation of God which is the truth of the divine text. Yet, the truth of everything is this pure revelation of God. Consequently, not only various parts of the sacred text, but also various divine books are all one and the same. This common truth of all scriptures is nothing but the truth of all beings, the truth of all prophets. (SaiediGate 48-65)

At its highest level of hermeneutics, the supreme meaning of every statement in any sacred scripture is one and the same: all books are one and the same, all religions are one and the same, all humans are one and the same. Hermeneutics becomes the art of discovering and unveiling the truth of everything.

人类的高贵性

在过去，人类的身份识别通常是经由与他人的区别来定义的。同理，在后现代的观点中，人类的身份是通过性别、种族、语言、阶级、年龄、国籍、文化等来定义的。巴布的著作提出了一种完全不同的哲学观。

对于巴布来说，人类是灵性的造物，这意味着一个人包含了两个方面。一方面是区分我们彼此的特征，而另一方面则是确认我们的共同合一性。

在巴布的语言中，人类的这两个方面被称为本质和存在，或者是仆性和神性。就像镜子一样，所有人的真相都存在于他们反映出相同形象的事实。（《波斯文巴扬经》4:1）

因此，巴布意图在世界上创造一种新的文化。在这种文化中，人们将自己和他人看作是神圣属性的反映，一种所有人类共有的神性。

Human Nobility In the past, human identity was usually defined in terms of the characteristics that separate us from each other. Likewise, in the postmodern approach, human identity is defined in terms of one’s gender, ethnicity, language, class, age, nationality, culture and the like. The writings of the Báb propose an entirely different philosophy.

For the Báb, humans are spiritual beings, and this means that a human being consists of two aspects. One aspect is what distinguishes us from each other, whereas the other aspect affirms our common unity.

In the language of the Báb, the two aspects of human being are called essence and existence, or servitude and divinity. Like mirrors, the real truth of all people lies in the fact that an identical image is reflected in them. (Persian Bayan 4:1)

The Báb, therefore, intends to create a new culture in the world. In this culture people see themselves and others as the reflections of divine attributes, a divinity that is common to all human beings.

这种灵性文化要求所有人类表现出高贵性和尊严。在祂的著作《圣名之书》（Kitab al-Asma’）中，巴布将农民与国王的社会地位进行比较，祂认为农民/耕耘种是上帝的至高名号之一。

上帝是一个农夫，因为祂将祂的神圣话语的种子植在人类心中。人类必须净化他们灵魂的土壤，使这些种子结出果实。祂接着说，虽然农民显然属于社会中的最低阶层，但他们也是神圣名号的反映，而国王也是神性名号的反映，因此，人们应该以完全相同的方式对待农民和国王。他们都是同一个实在，并都按照上帝的旨意生活。（《圣名之书》383）

在巴布的著作中，还有另一种相同的逻辑表达乃是针对语言的灵性理解。祂教导我们，在思考任何事物时，应该检查构成其名称的字母。然后，我们应该将该名称的每个字母视为上帝名号的缩写。通过这种方式，我们可以将一切看作是各种神圣属性的具现。则万事万物都变得神圣和美丽，因为它们都是神性的反映。（《波斯文巴扬经》5:9）

巴布将人类看作是被赋予了自主思考能力的高贵存在物，因此，他们有义务进行独立的真理探究。这意味着没有一个人应该依赖其他人来探究灵性真理。这一思想的两个主要表现形式是废除神职人员的权威和以言辞来替代奇迹。

This spiritual culture requires the nobility and dignity of all human beings. Comparing the social rank of farmers with kings, in his work the Kitab al-Asma’ (the Book of Divine Names), the Báb argues that farmer/cultivator is one of the supreme names of God.

God is a farmer because he plants the seeds of his divine words in the hearts of human beings. Humans must purify the soil of their souls so that these seeds will yield fruit. He continues that since peasants, who are apparently the lowest rank in society, are a reflection of divine names, and since princes are also a reflection of divine names, therefore, people should treat farmers exactly in the same way that they treat their kings. Both are one reality and both are living by God’s bidding. (Kitab al-Asma’ 383)

Another expression of the same logic is the spiritual approach to language in the writings of the Báb. He teaches that in thinking of anything, we should examine the alphabetical letters that constitute its name. We should then take each letter of that name as an abbreviation of one of the names of God. In this way we can see everything as the embodiment of various divine attributes. Everything becomes sacred and beautiful, because it is a reflection of divinity. (Persian Bayan 5:9)

The Báb sees humans as noble beings who are endowed with the inherent capacity to think for themselves and, therefore, are obligated to engage in the independent investigation of truth. This means that no human being should be dependent on other humans to investigate the spiritual truth. Two major expressions of this idea are the elimination of the clerical authority and the replacement of word in place of the miracles.

巴布的著作取消了神职人员制度，并禁止他们登上讲坛。祂认为这种抬高的做法，以及让人们坐在神职人员脚下，是对所有人尊严的侮辱。（《波斯文巴扬经》7:11）

祂还禁止了需要跟随神职领导带领的集体式祈祷。据巴布言，崇拜上帝并不需要人类的中介，人人都必须以自己的纯洁心灵来进行祈祷。即使在为死者作集体祈祷的例外情况下，祂也强调没有人应该高立于他人之前祈祷。所有人都必须众生平等地站立为逝者祈祷，以尊重逝者。（《波斯文巴扬经》9:9）

巴布的一个核心教导是，奇迹作为违反自然法则的现象，与先知的使命没有关联——先知的使命是对人类进行灵性和道德教育。因此，奇迹不能作为真理的真正依据。巴布拒绝了迷恋奇迹的什叶派观点，这旨在消除社会向理性主义迈进的巨大阻碍，也旨在将宗教领域从迷信和魔法取向里净化出来。

上帝的至高奇迹属于灵性领域，即神圣话语。人类都有责任直接研究上帝的话语，沉思其中，并独立作出自己的判断。（《波斯文巴扬经》2:1，2:14，2:16，6:8）

The writings of the Báb eliminated the clerical institution and prohibited them from mounting the pulpit. He finds such ascent, as well as the seating of the people beneath the cleric, an insult to the dignity of all human beings. (Persian Bayan 7:11) He also prohibits congregational prayer which requires following the clerical leader of the prayer.

According to the Báb, worship of God does not require human mediation, and all must engage in prayer with the purity of their own heart. Even when the Báb makes an exception in the case of the prayer for the dead, he emphasizes that no one should stand ahead of others. All must stand in equal rows to honor the deceased. (Persian Bayan 9:9)

One of the central teachings of the Báb is that miracles, as the breaking of the laws of nature, have no relevance to the mission of the prophet—which is the spiritual and moral education of humanity. Therefore, miracles cannot function as a true evidence of truth. The rejection of the obsessive Shi’i preoccupation with miracles, was intended by the Báb to remove a great obstacle against the progress of society towards rationalism, and was intended to purify the realm of religion from superstition and a magical orientation.

The supreme miracle of God belongs to the realm of spirit, namely the divine words. Humans are all directly responsible to study the word of God, meditate upon it and independently make their own judgment. (Persian Bayan 2:1, 2:14, 2:16, 6:8)

伦理学

巴布的著作提供了一条普世的伦理准则。祂说，人类的行为应该都是为了上帝，也是为了祂造物的缘故而做的。（萨伊迪，《门》第302-3）人类的行动应该是出于为整个人类乃至所有生灵服务的愿望，而不是为了要实现个人的私欲而作的。（《波斯文巴扬经》7:2）

祂指出，上帝的神圣慈悲是普世的，祂不会区分信徒和非信徒。即使人类否认上帝，祂依然会赐予他们恩惠。根据巴布的教导，所有人都应该遵循这种普世的伦理模式，以同样的方式对待信徒和非信徒。（萨伊迪，《门》第302-3）

巴布的主要目标之一是创建一种肯定的文化，让所有人都自认为应对他人的需求和福祉负责。在祂的《波斯文巴扬经》中，祂写道，如果有人收到一封信或者被问到一个问题，他就必须以最负责任的方式回答。然后，祂进一步强调，如果有人需要帮助，即使他没有提出请求，也应该回应他的需求。所有人都必须感到有义务回应他人的客观需求。（《波斯文巴扬经》，6:19）

这一原则的另一个表达形式乃是禁止给任何人带来忧伤。这表示我们不仅不应给他人带来忧伤，而且应给他人的心带来喜悦和欢欣。（《波斯文巴扬经》4:18）

Ethics 

The writings of the Báb offer a universal ethical maxim. He says that human deeds should be done ‘for the sake of God and for the sake of his creatures.’ (Saiedi Gate 302-3) Human action should be motivated by the desire to serve the human race as well as all beings, rather than being a means for attainment of one’s selfish desires. (Persian Bayan 7:2)

He states that the divine providence of God is universal, and it makes no distinction between believers and non-believers. Even when humans deny God, he continues to provide his bounties to them. According to the Báb, all should follow this same universal ethical model and treat believers and non-believers in the same way. (Saiedi Gate 302-3)

One of the main aims of the Báb is the creation of a culture of affirmation in which all see themselves as responsible for the needs and welfare of all others. In his Persian Bayan, he writes that if one receives a letter, or is asked a question, one has to answer it in the most responsive way. He then says that one must go further, and insists that if someone is in need of something, even if he does not ask for help, one should respond to the call of his condition. All must feel obligated to answer the objective needs of all others. (Persian Bayan 6:19) Another expression of this principle is the prohibition of causing grief to anyone. It states that not only one should not cause sorrow for others, but rather, one should bring joy and delight to the hearts of others. (Persian Bayan 4:18)

（未完待续）

（资料来源 Source: https://user-hrqc9mo.cld.bz/Writings-and-Teachings-of-the-Bab）

（15/10/23）