于是一个老道人说，请给我们谈宗教。

他说：

这一天中我曾谈过别的么？

宗教岂不是一切的功德，一切的反省。

以及那不是功德，也不是反省，只是在凿石或织布时灵魂中永远涌溢的一种叹异，一阵惊讶么？

谁能把他的信心和行为分开，把他的信仰和事业分开呢？

谁能把时间展现在面前，说“这时间是为上帝的，那时间是为我自己的；这时间是为我灵魂的，那时间是为我肉体的”呢？

你的一切光阴都是那在太空中鼓动的翅翼，从自我飞到自我。

那穿上“道德”只如同穿上他的最美的衣服的人，还不如赤裸着，太阳和风不会把他的皮肤裂成洞孔。

把他的举止范定在伦理之内，是把善鸣之鸟囚在笼里。

最自由的歌声，不是从竹木弦线上发出的。

那以礼拜为窗户的人，开启而又关上，他还没有探访到他心灵之宫，那里的窗户是天天开启的。

你的日常生活，就是你的殿宇，你的宗教。

何时你进去，把你的一切都带了去。

带着犁耙和铁炉，木槌和琵琶，这些你为着需要或怡情而制造的物件。

因为在梦幻中，你不能超升到比你的成就还高，也不至于坠落到比你的失败还低。

你也要把一切的人都带着：

因为在钦慕上，你不能飞跃得比他们的希望还高，也不能卑屈得比他们的失望还低。

假如你要认识上帝，就不要做一个解谜的人。

不如举目四望，你将看见他同你的孩子们游戏。

也观望太空；你将看见他在云中行走，在电中伸臂，在雨中降临。

你将看见他在花中微笑，在树中举手挥动着。

26

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 lie 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.