按:关于叙利亚教会早期灵修文献的史料和基本介绍,笔者已经开了讲座《叙利亚教会早期灵修传统(讲稿+录音+视频)》。关于这些著作的译作节选,请见《叙利亚教父灵修选集系列》。本课程的选篇参考了著名叙利亚学者布洛克的译作:Brock, Sebastian P. The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 1987)。
按:关于叙利亚教会早期灵修文献的史料和基本介绍,笔者已经开了讲座《叙利亚教会早期灵修传统(讲稿+录音+视频)》。关于这些著作的译作节选,请见《叙利亚教父灵修选集系列》。本课程的选篇参考了著名叙利亚学者布洛克的译作:Brock, Sebastian P. The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 1987)。
本系列译作的灵感源自于学者布洛克翻译的一本书:Brock, Sebastian P. The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 1987)。笔者按其目录翻译了前几篇译作(我的翻译也参考了他的英译本),分享其中部分译作节选如下:
参考英文译本:Adam Lehto, The Demonstrations of Ahrahat, the Persian (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2010)
关于阿弗哈特的个人简介和灵修精神,请参见笔者的论文《叙利亚教父阿弗哈特论心在圣祷中的作用》,以及Sebastian P. Brock, “Aphrahaṭ,” in Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition, edited by Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay, https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Aphrahat.
此外, 阿弗哈特认为心灵和思想是隶属于心的。他说,“那恶者将根植于他心灵的内室。”<43>“心灵的内室”表明心灵是隶属于心的。这个基本原则也开启了后来关于清心和清明之心灵的探讨。一位7世纪后期的著名叙利亚教父,尼尼微的圣以撒 (St. Isaac of Nineveh,约613—约700)<44>说,
“清明之心灵/思 (Purity of the mind) 与清心 (purity of the heart)有别,正如一个肢体与全身的区别。心灵只是灵魂的一种官能,而心掌控内在的所有官能:它是众官能之官能,是它们的根本。如果根部是圣洁的,那么它的枝干也是圣洁的;但如果只是一个枝干圣洁,就不是那么回事了。”<45>
这里说明,首先心灵隶属于心,就如四肢隶属于身体;其次,心是心灵的根本和中心。因为只有清心才显明全人的圣洁。因此,阿弗哈特建议心灵必须要回到它的根本,不但是要收敛心神于上帝,而且也要通过祈祷姿势转移其注意力到肉心的位置,然后通过不断地呼求耶稣之名来清理其中的一切污秽。后来的静修传统<46>继承了这种心灵回归的圣祷传统。13世纪尼克弗罗(Nikephoros)的著作《论警醒和守卫心》(On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart)中提到,不但要收敛心神于上帝,而且也要强迫自己的心思随着鼻孔吸气下降到心的位置。<47>帕拉玛(Palamas,1296—1359)也为这圣祷的姿势辩护说:“我们理性的能力不像器皿一样处在身体中,因为它是无形的,也不在身体之外,因为它与身体相连。而是处在心里,以心为它的器官。”<48>
四 肉心的位置和运动方式对于全身而言就像舵之于船
我们的思想、情绪,甚至上帝的恩典是通过肉心的位置和运动传递到全身的。身体在圣祷中不但借着祈祷姿势提供体力,而且也能领受神恩。当然,身体感受神恩的方式与我们普通的感觉有别。按学者苏珊•哈维 (Susan Harvey) 的理解,身体借着洗礼和圣餐获得了新的能以领受神恩的感觉。<49>虽然阿弗哈特并没有提及肉心的位置和运动的重要性,但后来的修士、《慕善集》(Philokalia)<50>的编辑者圣山的尼哥底母在《灵修建议手册》(A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel)中解释了这一点。<51>
爱人的行为算为在神面前的圣祷。阿弗哈特强调身心的协调一致,柴尔德斯(J. W. Childers)论道阿弗哈特时说:“人内外协调一致是人官能的正常运作状态。”<58> 因此,外在爱的行动能反映出内在圣祷的状态。对阿弗哈特而言,祈祷作为对神的献祭,必须要圣洁,因此上帝只接受一种祈祷,就是圣祷。<59> 因此,他毫不避讳地主张:每一个爱人的行动就是圣祷。
有些学者一味强调叙利亚传统中艾瓦格瑞 (Evagrius,345—399) 的影响<68>,却忽视了早期叙利亚教父如阿弗哈特、艾弗冷的著作,包括《步书》(theBook of Steps)所产生的影响。他们可能声称心灵是人的中心,心是完全无形的,不可定位的官能,因为他们害怕次等、物质的身体能参与到神恩中。这种观点显然有失偏颇。
<1> Demonstration 22.26; Parisot, PS1, 1049.3-4.《论文》(Dem)按篇节引用,并附上叙利亚原文出处,我采用Parisot编辑的版本,用册、栏和行的模式注明。叙利亚版本见D. J. Parisot, Ahpraatis Sapientis Persae Demonstrationes, PS 1-2 (Paris: 1894-1907)。本文翻译亦参考了英译本Adam Lehto, The Demonstrations of Aphrahat, the Persian Sage.关于圣经对阿弗哈特的重要程度, 参见Kuriakose, Valavanolickal, The Use of the Gospel Parables in the Writings of Aphrahat and Ephrem (Berlin: Peter Lang, 1996), 14。
<2>关于阿弗哈特的基本信息, 参见Sebastian P. Brock, “Aphrahaṭ,” in Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition, edited by Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2011); 网页版见https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Aphrahat关于阿弗哈特生平及著作的详细介绍,参见Marie-Joseph Pierre, ed., Aphraate le Sage person 1 (SC 349; Paris: Cerf, 1988-1989), 33-199。关于阿弗哈特的参考书目,包括版本、译本和学术研究文献,参见Adam Lehto, ed., The Demonstrations of Aphrahat, the Persian Sage (Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias, 2010), 533-573。
<3>Jill Gather, Teachings on the Prayer of the Heart in the Greek and Syrian Fathers: The Significance of Body and Community (Piscataway, NJ.: Gorgias Press, 2010), 64.
<4> Mind 也译为理智、心智、灵智、心思等,但笔者在这里多译为心灵。因此,本文谈到心灵时,读者应按照Mind来理解。笔者认为,在东方教会灵修传统中,将Mind译为理智,心智或灵智是有失偏颇的,应译为心灵。本文稍后会显明Mind是隶属于心的一种官能,心灵一词最能体现这个含义。
<7>Brock, The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life. x-xi.
<8>Childers, “Virtuous Reading: Ahprahat’s Approach To Scripture,” 46.
<9> Ibid., 47.
<10> Fabry Heinz-Josef eds, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament(TDOT), translated by John Willis et al., vols.7 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1970-89), 412. 有关清洁之心(pure heart)的希伯来确切术语之详尽讨论,参见Nowell, Irene, “the Concept of Purity of Heart in the Old Testament”, in Purity of Heart in Early Ascetic and Monastic Literature, edited by Luckman, Harriet and Kulzer, Linda, 17-29(Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1999)。
<12> Kittle Gerhard et al. eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Edited and Translated by Bromiley Geoffrey, vols.3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1964), 611.
<13> Dem.1.3; Parisot, PS1, 8.24-9.11.
<14>叙利亚语的音译和元音,参见J. F. Coakley, Syriac Grammar, 6th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), 1-13。
<15> Dem. 6.17; Parisot, PS1, 301.17-20.
<16> Dem. 4.10; Parisot, PS1, 157.19-26.
<17>同样的解释也见于希腊和拉丁作家的著作,如Origen, De oratione 20.2, Cyprian, De oratione 4-5.另见DelCogliano,189。
<44>尼尼微的圣以撒是最具影响力的叙利亚作者,他的作品很早就翻译成希腊文、拉丁文以及后来的斯拉夫语,对希腊静修传统影响深远。参 Brock, Syriac Fathers on Prayer, 242。
<45> Isaac of Nineveh, Discourses. Part I. Mar Isaacus Ninivita: De perfectione religiosa, edited by Paul Bedjan (Leipzig, 1909; reprinted 2007), 29. 另参考Brock, Syriac Spirituality, 151。
<46>东正教静修传统受到了叙利亚传统的影响,主要是通过马卡里乌斯(Macarius,300—391)和尼尼微的以撒。 在《论警醒和守卫心》中,尼克弗罗说:“坐下收敛心神,引导它随着呼吸道进入你心。迫使它伴随着吸气进入你心。一旦它进入那里,就不会觉得沉闷无聊。正如一个离家的浪子高高兴兴地回来与妻儿团圆,照样心灵一旦与灵魂联合就充满了不可言喻的喜乐。”(Nikephoros, On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart, 27.13-29)
<47> Nikephoros, On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart, 27.13-17.
<48> Palamas, Triads 1.2.3.
<49>Harvey, Senting Salvation: Ancient Christianity and the Olfactory Imagination, 63.
<52> Nicodemos, A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel, 110. Trans. by Chamberas, Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain: a Hand book of Spiritual Counsel, 154.
<53> ibid, 112. Trans. by Chamberas, 155.
<54> Ibid. 113. Trans. by Chamberas, 155.
<55>Harvey, Senting Salvation: Ancient Christianity and the Olfactory Imagination, 64.
<56> Ephrem, Hymns on Nisibis 69. 3, 5 . Trans. Brock, Harp of the Spirit, 77.
<57> Harvey, Senting Salvation: Ancient Christianity and the Olfactory Imagination, 62.
<58> Childers, 57.
<59> Dem.4.
<60> Dem. 4.14; Parisot, PS1, 169.19-23.
<61> Dem. 4, 14
<62> Dem. 4.15; Parisot, PS1, 172.17-173.4
<63> Dem. 4.16; Parisot, PS1, 173.23-176.3.
<64> Brock, Syriac Spirituality, 148-9.
<65> Dem. 3.2
<66> ibid, 57n. Pierre, Aphraate le sage persan, 1.181.
<67> ibid, 57. Lehto, “ Aphraate and Philoxenus on Faith,” in Journal of the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies 4 2004: 48; “Moral, Ascetic, and Ritual Dimensions,” 173–174.
<68>比如Bruria Bitton-Ashkelony 试图阐明艾瓦格瑞对叙利亚传统的影响有多深远。参Bruria Bitton-Ashkelony, The Ladder of Prayer and the Ship of Stirrings (Leuven: Peeters, 2019)。
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