最好的祷告方式

(Originally in English)



Today, I'm going to read you a story to let you know what people think about prayers. Because some of you might think that your prayers are the best. Now, do you know how to pray to the Lord? Maybe you know better than I do. OK, let's see if you know better than these people.


今天念个故事给你们听，让你们知道人们对祈祷的看法，因为你们有些人可能认为自己的祈祷是最好的。要怎么跟上帝祈祷呢？也许你们比我还清楚。好，我们来看看，你们是不是比这些人多懂一些。


There was a village somewhere, at some time on our planet or maybe on another planet. In this village, there was a holy man. Every time the people had some problem, some difficulty or disaster, or something that didn't go right in the village, they would come to this holy man and ask him to help them, like to pray to God and meditate for them, and see what was wrong. Then the holy man would retreat into a very special forest, and he would sit in a very, very special place. And then he would say a very, very special prayer. And then it happened that God always listened to his prayers somehow. So the villagers always got the help they needed.

从前，在我们星球或别的星球的某个地方，有一个村庄，这个村庄住着一位圣人，每当村民们遇到麻烦、困难、灾难，或是村子里出了状况的时候，他们就去找这位圣人，请他为村民们打坐、向上帝祷告，看看哪里出了问题。然后这位圣人就会前往一处非常特别的森林闭关，坐在一个非常特别的地方，说一种非常特别的祈祷文，而上帝似乎总是听见了他的祈祷，所以村子里的人都能得到他们所需要的帮助。






But then one day, as with everyone else, he died. So now the villagers didn't know what to do. Because their troubles didn't die. The holy man died, but the troubles were still alive. And new troubles were born every day. It's funny how we die, but our troubles never die! So after the villagers thought for a long time, they decided that they would take their troubles to the holy man's successor.




但是这位圣人也和常人一样，有一天他往生了，所以现在村民们不知道该怎么办才好，因为他们的麻烦并没有跟着结束。圣人虽然往生了，可是村民们的麻烦还在，每天都有新的麻烦出现。村民们在经过一阵讨论后，决定把他们的问题丢给圣人的继承人处理.


The successor of this holy man was not that holy; people knew that. But there was no one else now who was better than he. So people came to him and laid their problems in front of him, and asked him to help. So this not-so-holy man also went to the forest. And then he sat there and said a very special prayer. He didn't know what his master used to say, but now he said something special like, \"Oh, my Lord! You know I am not a holy man.\" Well, at least he was a very honest man. \"But surely you are not going to hold that against my people, are you? So listen to me and come to my assistance.\"

虽然大家都知道他没有那么神圣，但实在是找不到比他更合适的人了，所以大家只好来找他，把问题告诉他，请他帮忙。这个没有那么神圣的人也一样来到森林里，坐在同样的那个位置，说了一些非常特别的祷告词，虽然他不知道他师父通常都说些什么，但是他所说的也很特别，他说 :‘噢！主啊，您知道我并非那么圣洁，’至少他是个很诚实的人，‘但是您绝不会因此而拒绝村民们的要求吧！所以请您倾听我的祷告，并给予援助。’






And God thought, \"That's reasonable enough. Even though this man is not holy, the village people have nothing to do with his lack of holiness.\" So God listened to this, and then helped the people all the same.


所以上帝就想：‘嗯！蛮合理的，好吧！虽然这个人并不是很圣洁，但这不关村民们的事。’于是上帝还是照样聆听，并且同样地给予帮助。



So, people continued to come to this not-so-holy man, to have him pray to God and solve their problems. So far, so good. But you know what? It happened that this not-so-holy man also died. Ah, gosh! We have no end to the problems and no solution. The people also felt very confused now: What were they to do? So they tried to find another man, not even a holy one, and not even the successor of the other master, but someone more special, like maybe one who was sweeter than anyone else, or perhaps more diligent in his prayers.


　所以人们还是继续来找这个不是很圣洁的人，请他向上帝祈求，解决他们的问题。到目前为止，一切还好。但是你们知道吗？这个不是很圣洁的人也往生了！哎呀！真伤脑筋！问题似乎永远没完没了，没办法，所以现在村民又再度彷徨无依了，不知该怎么办才好，只好再找别人来替代，即使这位人选不圣洁也可以，甚至不是那位继承人的传人也没关系，只要他具有较特殊的某样特质，像是比较和蔼可亲，或是比较认真祷告就行了。


So they just picked one of the people from the congregation. And then they said, \"Now it's your job. You pray for us. We have such-and-such problems. You must try.\" But it happened that this man didn't know anything about the previous two people. So he didn't even know where the forest was. Well, he knew of the forest, but he didn't know where the special place was. And he didn't even know any special prayers himself. So he didn't know what to do. He just came near the forest and sat anywhere, not in a special place. Because before, the two persons used to go to that very special place. To them, it was very sacred. So therefore every time they prayed, their prayers were answered. And for the successor, it was also the same. At least he knew a very special prayer, and he knew of that very special place where his master used to sit in that very special forest.


所以他们就从群众里面选出一个人，对他说：‘现在这是你的工作，你要为我们祈祷，这些是我们的问题，你一定要尽力试试看。’
　可是这个人完全不认识先前那两个人，所以他不知道森林在哪里，或许他知道那个森林，但他不知道那个特别的地方，当然也不知道什么特别的祈祷文。他不晓得该怎么办才好，只好一个人逛到森林附近，随便坐个地方，但并非那个特别的地方。因为先前两个人通常都会到那个非常殊胜的地方，对村民们来说，那是一处非常神圣的地方，所以每次祈求才都会灵验。那个继承人至少还会讲一种非常特别的祈祷文，而且也知道他师父通常会去的那个特别的地方.






But now, this man knew nothing about that. So what did he do? He just knelt or sat there, and said to the Lord, \"Oh my Lord! If it's the formula or the prayer that makes You listen, then I am helpless. But please don't be attached to a special formula or prayer, and just listen to me. Our villagers have a lot of problems. Why don't you help them?\" And with that, he just stood up and went home to sleep. And God listened all the same, because no one else prayed to Hirm. That was the only man. So Hes said, \"Okay. I'll help.\" So God helped the villagers all the same, just like before.


但是这个人对这方面却一无所知，他该怎么办呢？他跪坐下来，对上帝说：‘噢！上帝啊！如果一定得透过特定的祷告方式，您才能听见祷告的话，那我真是束手无策了！求您不要只接受一种特定方式的祷告，请聆听我。我们村民有这么多的问题，请问您为何不帮助他们呢？’祷告完之后，他就站起来，然后回家睡觉。结果上帝还是照样倾听，因为没有人向祂祷告，这个人是唯一的一个，所以上帝说：‘好，帮忙！’就这样，像往常一样，上帝又帮助了村民。


Now this man suddenly became a very special person, and he continued to do his special job every day like that. But it happened that this man also went to see Saint Peter one day, like all of us. So this man died, too. It was terrible! What kind of luck did these villagers have? One died after another. But the village still existed, and the problems still existed. Perhaps the children of the villagers continued, and they kept their customs. So now they looked again for a man to do this job of praying for them. Funny! Why don't people pray directly and why do they think they have to find someone? It's a habit. We rely on something, and we're attached to something because it works one time, but it never works again. Even then, we feel attached.


现在这个人突然变成一个非常特别的人，他也继续日复一日地从事着这项特别的工作。但是有一天，这个人也跟常人一样，去向圣彼得报到去了，这个人也死了。噢！真是的，这个村子的运气真差！人一个接一个地死去，只有他们的村落和问题仍然存在。也许这村子的小孩继续承传着他们的风俗，所以现在他们又得再去找一个人来接这份工作──为他们祈祷。真是好笑！为什么他们自己不祈祷，老是要找别人来做？这就是一种风俗习惯，人们依赖而且执着在某些事情上面，即使那些事只行得通一次，以后就再也没有效，人们还是执着不放。


So after this man died, the people were very much troubled. No one came near this category of holiness, or diligence in prayer. There was no virtuous person in the village. So they were very much troubled. They didn't know how to get in touch with the Lord anymore. And their troubles kept mounting and mounting, and nothing helped. So they just thought hard and then gathered together, and decided to pick just any man. And they happened to pick a businessman.

所以当这个人往生后，村民感到非常忧虑，因为现在村子里找不到一个称得上神圣，或是很精进祈祷，或道德高超的人，所以村民们十分困扰，不知如何再跟上帝沟通。而一方面，麻烦和问题又不断地累积增加中，可是没有人能使得上力。所以他们就聚在一起，绞尽脑汁商议后，最后决定随便抓个人充数，结果选到一个生意人。


This man was very wealthy. He didn't have to work very hard, so he could afford the time to pray for the people. That's what they thought. That would do. Money is better than nothing. If you don't have virtue and you do have money, that's also not bad. So the man became a reluctant priest, just like that.

这个人很富有，他不必辛苦工作，可以有很多时间为他们祈祷，村民们心里打着这样的如意算盘。喔！这样也行，有钱总比什么都没有好；如果没有美德，但是有钱，那也不是坏事。所以这个人就勉强当了牧师.






So now, people entrusted to him the job of getting in touch with the Lord and praying for them. But this businessman, what did he know about praying? All he knew about was the bank, money, accounting, taxes and things like that. But everyone begged him to do it, so he accepted it finally. As he was always more interested in money than in God, he was no-nonsense. He would speak directly. He just sat in his house, in front of his accounting machine, and looked up to Heaven, or maybe he looked into his computer, and he said, \"Now then, what kind of God are you, that You are perfectly capable of solving any problem in this world, which You have caused?\" (This means the problems you have caused yourself.) \"You're capable of solving them, but you just don't do anything about it. So what kind of God are you? And then you refuse to do anything that is your duty. Now you're waiting for what? You're waiting for us to get on our knees and beg you to do it? What kind of God is that? Just do your job, won't you?!\" So God felt embarrassed. But Hes listened, and Hes helped the people anyhow.


大家把跟上帝联系以及为人们祈祷的工作托付给他。但是这个生意人哪里知道怎么祷告，他只知道银行、钞票、帐册、税款之类的事，但由于每个人都恳求他接下这份工作，最后他只好勉为其难地接受了。但是他对钱的兴趣一直大于上帝，所以他祈祷的时候不会讲一堆废话，而是直接了当地说。他坐在家里的收银机前，看着天上，或许是看着他的电脑，他说：‘你是什么种类的上帝？你有绝对的能力解决这世上的任何问题，而且这些问题都是你引起的，’意思是说，这些问题追根究底都是上帝造出来的，‘你有能力解决，可是却坐视不理，你是什么种类的上帝啊？你不尽自己的本份，究竟在等什么？在等我们跪下来求你吗？这是哪种上帝？现在，去做你份内的工作，好吗？’所以上帝觉得很不好意思，祂不但倾听，而且还帮助了村民。


So there is a different manner of praying for different people.Now, you pick what kind of prayers you like to apply for yourself. For me, I don't care. I don't think Hes has to be told what to do, but sometimes Hes does like that. Maybe it's because Hes does what we expect Hirm to do. For the holy man, he expected that God was difficult like that, and that Hes was a very holy and pure being. So we have to be very pure and holy, and go to a very special, isolated place in order to pray to God. And then maybe God will be moved by our holiness, our purity, our time, effort and respect for God. And therefore God will grant an answer to our prayers.


所以不同的人有不同的祈祷方式，你们选一种自己喜欢的方式。若是我，我不会在乎，也不认为上帝需要人家告诉祂该做什么，但是有时候祂就喜欢这样，或许祂是照我们期望的去做。对那位圣人来说，他期待的上帝是不容易沟通的，而且是非常神圣、纯洁的，所以一定要很纯洁、神圣的人，而且要到一个非常特殊、隐密的地方，才能向上帝祈祷。然后上帝可能被我们的圣洁、单纯、投入的时间和努力以及对上帝的尊敬而感动，所以上帝会回应我们的祷告。


But the second man expected differently. He was not holy, so he expected that God didn't care whether he was holy or not, but Hes would help the people and it had nothing to do with his holiness. So God also fulfilled his desire because the man expected Hirm to be this way. And so Hes waited for this man to go to that special place. But at least this man, even though he wasn't holy, knew about the holy man, and he knew that the holy man always went to a very special place and said a special prayer. So at least this man thought that the answer from God was connected somehow with that holy place, with that special place in the isolated forest. So he clung to that notion and believed. That's why if he had prayed at home, it probably wouldn't have worked. Because his mind expected that, even if he was not holy, he had to at least be connected with that holy man through the special place. So, God waited for him to fulfill all this, and then Hes granted the blessing.


但是第二个人所期望的就不一样了，因为他并不那么神圣，所以他希望上帝不要太在乎他的圣洁与否，只要帮助那些与他圣洁与否毫不相干的村民就好了，所以上帝也满足了他的愿望。因为他希望上帝这样做，所以上帝就在那个特别的地方等候他。这个人虽不是很圣洁，但至少他认识先前那位圣人，也知道那位圣人总是会去某个很特别的地方，说特别的祈祷词，所以他认为，上帝的回应跟那个神圣的地方──那个隐密的森林中的特殊位置有某种关联，所以他深信不疑地抱着这种想法。因此，如果他在家祈祷的话，可能就不灵了，因为他的心里认为，即使他不神圣，也一定要透过那处特别的地方，才能像那位圣人一样和上帝沟通。所以，上帝就等他到了那个地方以后，再赐予加持。


And now the third man didn't know anything about it. So he could not expect himself to go to find a special place in a special forest, or say a special prayer. Because he didn't have that kind of idea in his mind, so he just did what he thought. He prayed to God, \"lease help the people.\" And because he prayed straightforwardly, sincerely and from his heart, God granted this prayer, too. And why not? God has nothing else to do. Don't you think? If even in that small thing Hes doesn't help, then what kind of God is that?

而第三个人，他则对祷告一点概念也没有，所以当然他不能期待自己去找个特别的地方或森林，然后讲一些特别的祈祷文，因为他心里没有这类的想法，所以他就依照自己所想的去做，他直接向上帝祈祷：‘请帮助人们！’由于他直接了当且发自内心真诚地祈祷，所以上帝也应允了他的祈求，为什么不呢？上帝又没别的事好做，你们不认为吗？如果连这点芝麻小事祂都吝惜帮忙的话，那算什么种类的上帝？


After all these three people, so sincere and so humble, the villagers were short of holy and humble persons. So they had to resort to any kind of person they thought would have time to pray for them, and this time they picked a businessman. Businessmen are no-nonsense; they care about their money and their business. So if they have to do a job, they just do it like it's a business. If you know how to do the thing, then you just do it. Why wait for people to beg you?

在这三个这么虔诚而又谦逊的人往生了之后，村子里再也找不到圣洁、谦逊的人了，所以村民们只好找一个有时间为他们祈祷的人，于是就选了个生意人。生意人是很会精打细算的，他们平常关注的都是钱财、生意等事务，所以，如果要他们来做这份工作，他们也会用经营生意的手法来处理。就像那个生意人告诉上帝：‘如果你知道该怎么做，那就去做，为什么还要等人来求你？’