关于转世投胎

假如我们强调转世投胎可以带来完善，以致物质被净化和细致化，由这里展现的灵魂之光也显得彻底完善，这也是一个妄想。因为即使我们假设真有其事，一个物体的重复出现是不会给它的精华带来改变的。不完善的物质，不会因为重新回来而成为一个完善的物体；完全的黑暗不会因为这样而成为一个光的来源；卑微的弱小不会这样而变得力大无穷；一个尘世之精也不会因此变成一个天堂的真实。不管重临多么频密，一棵地狱之树不会因此而结出甜美的果实，一株好树也不会因此开出苦涩之果。所以，明显的，重临和回归物质的世界，不是达致完善的手段，这个假想是没有事实根据的，仅仅是个猜测而已。非也，实际上，完善的获取完全有赖于上天的恩宠。——阿博都巴哈

And were we to claim that reincarnation is intended to bring about perfection, so that matter might gain in purity and refinement and that the light of the spirit might appear therein with the utmost perfection, this too would be mere imagination. For even if we granted such an assumption, the renewal of an object’s existence cannot bring about the transformation of its essence. For the substance of imperfection, by returning, will not become the reality of perfection; total darkness will not become a source of light; abject weakness will not become power and strength; and an earthly essence will not become a heavenly reality. However often it may return, the infernal tree will never bring forth a sweet fruit, nor will the good tree bear a bitter one. It is thus clear that recurrence and return to the material world are not the means of attaining perfection, and that this supposition rests on no proof or evidence; it is merely a conjecture. No, the attainment of perfection is in reality dependent upon the grace of God. ——‘Abdu’l-Bahá

译者评述：很多人因为相信肉体的重临而很想知道自己的前身是谁，但被告知之后发觉这个东西对于精神的精进没有什么好处。你的前身是个帝王或者是个奴隶，对你的现状会构成影响吗？很多人以为投胎转世是一个净化的过程，但是一片荒芜的野林未经开垦是不会变为良田的。你向善向上的一面受到怎么样的启发和肯定，才是精进的保证。人类原本混混沌沌，得到上天的恩宠才有今天的模样，这不是一个轮回的问题，而是人如何获取上天的恩宠的思考。再说，相信轮回的人们认为灵魂除了这个尘世好像没有别的世界可以去了，其实上天的大千世界繁复之处，远远超越我们的想象，而这地球并非天堂，不值得如此依恋。生命只有一次，不会不断发生，更不宜将生命当儿戏，错过了一次不要紧，还有下一次。切要慎重！

#