Krista Tippett: Reconnecting with compassion

譯者: Siyi Shao 審譯者: Sunny Kan Ngai Hang

We're here to celebrate compassion.

在這裡我們來讚頌同情。

But compassion, from my vantage point,

但以我的觀點觀之，同情

has a problem.

卻有些問題。

As essential as it is across our traditions,

儘管它在我們的傳統中無處不在，

as real as so many of us know it to be

儘管我們承認它

in particular lives,

在某些人的生命中真是存在，

the word "compassion" is hollowed out in our culture,

“同情”這一詞語還是在我們的文化中千瘡百孔，

and it is suspect in my field of journalism.

在新聞領域中也是岌岌可危。

It's seen as a squishy kumbaya thing,

它被看做類似Kumbaya的東西。

or it's seen as potentially depressing.

或具有讓人悲愁的潛質。

Karen Armstrong has told what I think is an iconic story

Karen Armstrong講述了一個我認為很典型的故事

of giving a speech in Holland

她在荷蘭做了一個演講，

and, after the fact, the word "compassion"

事後，同情一詞

was translated as "pity."

被翻譯為可憐。

Now compassion, when it enters the news,

而今，當同情進入新聞語境的時候，

too often comes in the form

它往往被當做

of feel-good feature pieces

善意的代名詞，

or sidebars about heroic people

或是平凡人無法企及的

you could never be like

英雄事蹟的註腳

or happy endings

或是大團圓的完滿結局，

or examples of self-sacrifice

或是那些自我犧牲的案例，

that would seem to be too good to be true

而我們往往認為那些案例過於崇高，

most of the time.

在大多數時候都不可能存在。

Our cultural imagination about compassion

我們文化中對於同情的想像

has been deadened by idealistic images.

已然被種種不著邊際的理想圖景嚴重削弱。

And so what I'd like to do this morning

所以接下來幾分鐘里

for the next few minutes

我要做的，

is perform a linguistic resurrection.

就是從語言學上復活這一詞語。

And I hope you'll come with me on my basic premise

當然我希望大家都認同一個基本的前提，

that words matter,

即文字事關重大，

that they shape the way we understand ourselves,

言語塑造了我們理解自身的方式，

the way we interpret the world

我們理解世界的方式

and the way we treat others.

以及我們對待他人的方式。

When this country

當這個國家

first encountered genuine diversity

在六十年代第一次

in the 1960s,

遭遇真正的多元化時，

we adopted tolerance

我們揀出“容忍”

as the core civic virtue

來作為核心的公民道德

with which we would approach that.

以處理多元化帶來的種種問題。

Now the word "tolerance," if you look at it in the dictionary,

如果現在你翻開字典，

connotes "allowing," "indulging"

容忍一詞的含義包括了容許

and "enduring."

與忍讓。

In the medical context that it comes from,

容忍源自醫學領域，

it is about testing the limits of thriving

在那裡，它關乎挑戰逆境下

in an unfavorable environment.

蓬勃發展的可能性。

Tolerance is not really a lived virtue;

其實容忍並不是鮮活的美德，

it's more of a cerebral ascent.

毋寧說，它更多代表了理性的巔峰。

And it's too cerebral

而恰恰由於它過於理性，

to animate guts and hearts

以致它很難真正激發勇氣和決心

and behavior

很難激發出有益的行為，

when the going gets rough.

當事情真的開始變得糟糕。

And the going is pretty rough right now.

而實際上，現在事情就很糟糕。

I think that without perhaps being able to name it,

我想也許儘管我們很難明確的以言語表達

we are collectively experiencing

但我們無一例外都體會到，

that we've come as far as we can

以容忍作為我們唯一的道德嚮導，

with tolerance as our only guiding virtue.

我們已無力走的更遠。

Compassion is a worthy successor.

同情可以作為一個合格的繼任者。

It is organic,

它具有系統性，

across our religious, spiritual and ethical traditions,

橫跨宗教，靈性以及倫理各個傳統領域，

and yet it transcends them.

但同時它又超乎于它們之上。

Compassion is a piece of vocabulary

作為我們語彙中的一份子，

that could change us if we truly let it sink into

同情真的可以改變我們，

the standards to which we hold ourselves and others,

如果我們可以讓它深深扎根于

both in our private and in our civic spaces.

公共私人空間里我們對待自我及他人的方式之中。

So what is it, three-dimensionally?

所以，它到底具有什麼樣的立體圖景？

What are its kindred and component parts?

什麽與它相關，它又由什麽組成？

What's in its universe of attendant virtues?

它的連帶道德又有哪些？

To start simply,

簡單來講，

I want to say that compassion is kind.

我想說，同情就是善良。

Now "kindness" might sound like a very mild word,

善良可能聽起來是個溫和的詞，

and it's prone to its own abundant cliche.

也很容易落入窠臼。

But kindness is an everyday byproduct

但是善良是所有美德

of all the great virtues.

共同的附屬品。

And it is a most edifying form

它也是欣慰

of instant gratification.

的最具啓發性的化身之一。

Compassion is also curious.

同情還是好奇。

Compassion cultivates and practices curiosity.

同情產生并實踐著好奇。

I love a phrase that was offered me

我尤其喜歡這一個詞組，

by two young women

它是由兩個在洛杉磯

who are interfaith innovators in Los Angeles,

從事跨宗教活動的年輕婦女提供個我的。

Aziza Hasan and Malka Fenyvesi.

Azizi Hasan和Malka Fenyvesi.

They are working to create a new imagination

她們試圖通過努力來創造出一種新的圖景

about shared life among young Jews and Muslims,

即青年猶太人和穆斯林和平共處。

and as they do that, they cultivate what they call

在實踐中，她們試圖培養出她們叫做

"curiosity without assumptions."

“無前提好奇心”的東西。

Well that's going to be a breeding ground for compassion.

它可以作為產生同情的溫床。

Compassion can be synonymous with empathy.

同情可以是移情的同義詞。

It can be joined with the harder work

更深的說，它還可以與

of forgiveness and reconciliation,

原諒與和解產生聯繫。

but it can also express itself

但是，它還可以以它自身的單純存在

in the simple act of presence.

來表達自己。

It's linked to practical virtues

它與慷慨、好客那樣的

like generosity and hospitality

實踐美德聯繫在一起。

and just being there,

它就在那兒，

just showing up.

它就那麼無故出現。

I think that compassion

我認為，同情

also is often linked to beauty --

還經常與美產生聯繫

and by that I mean a willingness

我的意思是，那種

to see beauty in the other,

在他者中發現美的意願，

not just what it is about them

而不僅僅是需要

that might need helping.

幫助的弱者。

I love it that my Muslim conversation partners

我的穆斯林對話夥伴們

often speak of beauty as a core moral value.

常說美是一個核心的道德價值，對此我深表贊同。

And in that light, for the religious,

在這一方面，對於信者，

compassion also brings us

同情還把我們

into the territory of mystery --

引入神秘的領域，

encouraging us not just

它鼓勵我們去發現，

to see beauty,

不僅僅是美，

but perhaps also to look for the face of God

而或許還有在受難一刻，

in the moment of suffering,

在面對他者時，

in the face of a stranger,

在面對異教的狂熱信徒時

in the face of the vibrant religious other.

上帝的面容。

I'm not sure if I can show you

我不確定我是否能夠給你們展示

what tolerance looks like,

容忍的含義，

but I can show you what compassion looks like --

但我的確可以給你們看看同情長的什麼樣子，

because it is visible.

因為同情是可見的。

When we see it, we recognize it

每當我們看見它，我們就能認出它，

and it changes the way we think about what is doable,

而它也改變了我們對於可行性

what is possible.

和可能性的看法。

It is so important

當我們討論

when we're communicating big ideas --

重大想法時，

but especially a big spiritual idea like compassion --

尤其是像同情這樣一個重大的精神性概念時，

to root it as we present it to others

在展示的同時，還要讓它滲入人們的血肉，

in space and time and flesh and blood --

在時空中展開，以豐富的色彩

the color and complexity of life.

和內涵讓人們和它產生共鳴，這尤其重要。

And compassion does seek physicality.

同情與肉體息息相關。

I first started to learn this most vividly

我第一次對此深有感觸，

from Matthew Sanford.

是源於Matthew Sanford。

And I don't imagine that you will realize this

看他的這幅照片，

when you look at this photograph of him,

也許你們不會想到，

but he's paraplegic.

他其實是個高位截癱病人。

He's been paralyzed from the waist down since he was 13,

從13歲開始，他從腰部以下就癱瘓了，

in a car crash that killed his father and his sister.

那場車禍奪取了他父親和妹妹的生命。

Matthew's legs don't work, and he'll never walk again,

Matthew的腿不能動彈，他也永遠不可能行走，

and -- and he does experience this as an "and"

而且——他真實的體驗到——是“而且”，

rather than a "but" --

而非“但是”

and he experiences himself

他感到自己

to be healed and whole.

已然痊愈。

And as a teacher of yoga,

作為一個瑜伽教練，

he brings that experience to others

他把這種感受傳遞給其他人，

across the spectrum of ability and disability,

無論他們是健全的抑或殘疾的，

health, illness and aging.

健康的，病重的，衰老的。

He says that he's just at an extreme end

他說自己僅僅是我們共同所在的譜系上的

of the spectrum we're all on.

一個端點。

He's doing some amazing work now

他現在正從事一些令人驚歎的工作，

with veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.

與那些伊拉克戰爭和阿富汗戰爭中退伍的老兵們共處。

And Matthew has made this remarkable observation

Matthew有一個心得，

that I'm just going to offer you and let it sit.

這也正是我想與你們分享的，

I can't quite explain it, and he can't either.

我很難解釋它，他也不能。

But he says that he has yet to experience someone

但是他說，他遇到的所有人

who became more aware of their body,

當他們意識到

in all its frailty and its grace,

自己身體的脆弱和優雅之後，

without, at the same time,

也都同時產生了

becoming more compassionate towards all of life.

對其他生命的同情和敬意。

Compassion also looks like this.

同情也可以是這樣的。

This is Jean Vanier.

這是Jean Vanier.

Jean Vanier helped found the L'Arche communities,

Jean Vanier參與建立了L'Arche社區，

which you can now find all over the world,

這一組織遍佈全世界，

communities centered around life

它致力於關注

with people with mental disabilities --

精神殘疾患者的生活，

mostly Down syndrome.

其中大部份都是唐氏綜合癥患者。

The communities that Jean Vanier founded,

JeanVanier所建立的社區，

like Jean Vanier himself,

就如同他自己一樣，

exude tenderness.

向世界散髮著溫柔之香。

"Tender" is another word

“溫柔”是另一個

I would love to spend some time resurrecting.

需要語言學復活的詞語。

We spend so much time in this culture

在這個世界上

being driven and aggressive,

我們花費大量經歷驅動自己積極進取，

and I spend a lot of time being those things too.

我也不例外。

And compassion can also have those qualities.

同情也可以具有相同的品質。

But again and again, lived compassion

但是，我再三強調的是，鮮活的同情

brings us back to the wisdom of tenderness.

把我們帶回到那個以溫柔為智慧的時代。

Jean Vanier says

Jean Vanier說

that his work,

他的工作

like the work of other people --

就如同其他人的工作一樣——

his great, beloved, late friend Mother Teresa --

比如他偉大的、令人敬愛的，剛剛去世的Teresa修女——

is never in the first instance about changing the world;

首先關注的不是改變世界，

it's in the first instance about changing ourselves.

而是改變我們自身。

He's says that what they do with L'Arche

他說，L'Arche所做的工作

is not a solution, but a sign.

並不是提供一種解決辦法，而只是展示一種象徵。

Compassion is rarely a solution,

同情極少提供解決辦法，

but it is always a sign of a deeper reality,

但它總可以是一個象徵，

of deeper human possibilities.

象徵著我們對現實、對人性有更加深入理解。

And compassion is unleashed

同情在更廣闊的領域中

in wider and wider circles

被實踐，

by signs and stories,

被一個個故事和象徵所實踐、展示，

never by statistics and strategies.

而不是被統計數據和各種策略所實現。

We need those things too,

我們當然也需要那些東西，

but we're also bumping up against their limits.

但是我們偶爾也會觸及它們的極限。

And at the same time that we are doing that,

我們做著統計、策略，

I think we are rediscovering the power of story --

但同時我們也重新發現故事的力量——

that as human beings, we need stories

作為人，我們需要故事

to survive, to flourish,

來生存，來發展，

to change.

來改變。

Our traditions have always known this,

我們的傳統深知這一點，

and that is why they have always cultivated stories at their heart

這就是爲什麽它總是把故事熟記於心，

and carried them forward in time for us.

并將給我們聽的原因。

There is, of course, a story

有一個故事

behind the key moral longing

在這個故事背後

and commandment of Judaism

根植著猶太教

to repair the world -- tikkun olam.

修復世界的道德根據，tikkun olam。

And I'll never forget hearing that story

當Rachel Naomi Remen醫生講給我這個故事時，

from Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen,

我印象深刻。

who told it to me as her grandfather told it to her,

她祖父講給她，她又原樣講給我。

that in the beginning of the Creation

在創世之初，

something happened

突然間，

and the original light of the universe

宇宙的元初之光

was shattered into countless pieces.

被打碎成千千萬萬個碎片。

It lodged as shards

它就以碎片的形式

inside every aspect of the Creation.

存在與被造物的每一方面之中。

And that the highest human calling

人類最高的使命

is to look for this light, to point at it when we see it,

就是去找尋那光，一看到就指出給他人看，

to gather it up,

去收集那光，

and in so doing, to repair the world.

就這樣修復世界。

Now this might sound like a fanciful tale.

這聽起來好像一個幻想故事。

Some of my fellow journalists might interpret it that way.

我的一些同行可能就會以此詮釋這個故事。

Rachel Naomi Remen says

Rache Naomi Remen說

this is an important and empowering story

對於我們的時代

for our time,

這是一個重要的具有力量的故事，

because this story insists

因為故事告訴我們

that each and every one of us,

我們每一個個體，

frail and flawed as we may be,

儘管我們自身可能很脆弱，也有很多過失，

inadequate as we may feel,

儘管我們可能覺得自己非常無力，

has exactly what's needed

其實我們每個人都擁有

to help repair the part of the world

那份可以修復世界的力量，

that we can see and touch.

我們可以真切的看到，觸到這份力量。

Stories like this,

像這樣的故事，

signs like this,

這樣的象徵，

are practical tools

在這樣一個渴求將同情

in a world longing to bring compassion

給予眾多不幸的世界，

to abundant images of suffering

在一個不幸足以將我們擊垮的世界，

that can otherwise overwhelm us.

這樣的故事和象徵無疑是有力的武器。

Rachel Naomi Remen

Rache Naomi Remen

is actually bringing compassion

自己實際上就在將同情

back to its rightful place alongside science

重新置於與科學並重的位置上，

in her field of medicine

就在她所從事的醫學領域，

in the training of new doctors.

通過訓練新的醫生。

And this trend

Rache Naomi Remen

of what Rachel Naomi Remen is doing,

的這種趨勢

how these kinds of virtues

這種在醫學領域中

are finding a place in the vocabulary of medicine --

樹立道德的趨勢——

the work Fred Luskin is doing --

Fred Luskin在做同樣的事——

I think this is one of the most fascinating developments

在我看來，是21世紀

of the 21st century --

最令人折服的貢獻之一——

that science, in fact,

科學

is taking a virtue like compassion

正將同情這樣的道德品質

definitively out of the realm of idealism.

剝離出理想主義。

This is going to change science, I believe,

我相信，這將會改變科學，

and it will change religion.

亦將會改變宗教。

But here's a face

但是，這裡有一張面孔

from 20th century science

來自20世紀科學界。

that might surprise you

他關於同情的探討

in a discussion about compassion.

也許會讓你感到吃驚。

We all know about the Albert Einstein

我們都知道愛因斯坦，

who came up with E = mc2.

他發現了E=mc二次方。

We don't hear so much about the Einstein

然而我們卻並不熟悉這樣的一個愛因斯坦：

who invited the African American opera singer, Marian Anderson,

非洲裔美國歌手Marian Anderson

to stay in his home when she came to sing in Princeton

因種族隔離而無法入住Princeton當地賓館時，

because the best hotel there

愛因斯坦邀請她

was segregated and wouldn't have her.

住在自己的住所裡；

We don't hear about the Einstein who used his celebrity

愛因斯坦以自己的影響來宣揚

to advocate for political prisoners in Europe

釋放歐洲的政治犯

or the Scottsboro boys

和美國南部

in the American South.

Scottsboro男孩兒。

Einstein believed deeply

愛因斯坦堅信

that science should transcend

科學可以超越

national and ethnic divisions.

民族和種族的分歧。

But he watched physicists and chemists

但他親眼見到物理學家和化學家

become the purveyors of weapons of mass destruction

在20世紀早期

in the early 20th century.

成為大規模殺傷性武器的批發商。

He once said that science in his generation

他曾說，在他的年代，

had become like a razor blade

科學成爲了3歲孩童手中

in the hands of a three-year-old.

揮舞的利刃。

And Einstein foresaw

愛因斯坦還預見

that as we grow more modern

時代越現代，

and technologically advanced,

科技越進步，

we need the virtues

我們就越需要

our traditions carry forward in time

傳統中的

more, not less.

道德品質。

He liked to talk about the spiritual geniuses of the ages.

他喜歡談論各個時代的精神領袖，

Some of his favorites were Moses,

其中有摩西，

Jesus, Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi,

耶穌，釋迦牟尼，圣方濟各，

Gandhi -- he adored his contemporary, Gandhi.

甘地——他憧憬他的同時代人甘地。

And Einstein said --

愛因斯坦說——

and I think this is a quote,

我想這也是一句引言，

again, that has not been passed down in his legacy --

也是一句埋沒在它眾多文獻中的引言——

that "these kinds of people

“這些人

are geniuses in the art of living,

是生存藝術的天才，

more necessary

對於人性的尊嚴、安全和愉悅，

to the dignity, security and joy of humanity

比起客觀知識的發現者

than the discoverers of objective knowledge."

我們更加需要他們。”

Now invoking Einstein

援引愛因斯坦

might not seem the best way to bring compassion down to earth

看起來也許不是讓同情降下神壇

and make it seem accessible to all the rest of us,

讓大眾望其項背的好辦法，

but actually it is.

但事實卻正相反。

I want to show you

我想給你們看看

the rest of this photograph,

這張照片的餘下部份，

because this photograph

因為這張照片

is analogous to what we do to the word "compassion" in our culture --

恰恰為我們提供了一個方便的類比以闡明我們處理同情的方法——

we clean it up

我們把它清理乾淨，

and we diminish its depths and its grounding

我們簡化它的深度和基礎

in life, which is messy.

因為這些都容易造成麻煩。

So in this photograph

就如同這張照片

you see a mind looking out a window

大家看到心靈向窗口外望去

at what might be a cathedral -- it's not.

他注視的也許是教堂——其實不是。

This is the full photograph,

這是一整張照片，

and you see a middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket,

一個中年男人穿著皮夾克，

smoking a cigar.

叼著雪茄。

And by the look of that paunch,

看看他肚子上的贅肉，

he hasn't been doing enough yoga.

就知道他沒做夠瑜伽。

We put these two photographs side-by-side on our website,

我們把這兩幅照片並排放在網路上，

and someone said, "When I look at the first photo,

有人說，“當我看到第一張照片，

I ask myself, what was he thinking?

我想，他在思考什麽？

And when I look at the second, I ask,

而當我看到第二張時，我想，

what kind of person was he? What kind of man is this?"

他是個什麼樣的人？”

Well, he was complicated.

其實，他是複雜的。

He was incredibly compassionate

在某些關係中，他非常富有同情心，

in some of his relationships

而在其他一些領域

and terribly inadequate in others.

卻遠非如此。

And it is much harder, often,

其實，對我們最親近的人

to be compassionate towards those closest to us,

我們往往最難富有同情心，

which is another quality in the universe of compassion,

在同情領域，這一方面

on its dark side,

往往被人忽視，

that also deserves our serious attention and illumination.

故而值得我我們深思。

Gandhi, too, was a real flawed human being.

甘地也並非完人。

So was Martin Luther King, Jr. So was Dorothy Day.

馬丁路德金，Dorothy Day都並非完人。

So was Mother Teresa.

Teresa修女也不是，

So are we all.

金無足赤，人無完人。

And I want to say

我想說的是，

that it is a liberating thing

意識到人人都可以富有同情心

to realize that that is no obstacle to compassion --

是解放心智的。

following on what Fred Luskin says --

Fred Luskin也說

that these flaws just make us human.

缺陷造就了人性。

Our culture is obsessed with perfection

我們的文化總是沉迷于完美

and with hiding problems.

千方百計掩飾問題。

But what a liberating thing to realize

但是，一個開放的態度是

that our problems, in fact,

意識到我們的問題

are probably our richest sources

實際上就是我們最寶貴的財富，

for rising to this ultimate virtue of compassion,

這一財富使我們得以企及最完滿的同情，

towards bringing compassion

使得讓同情

towards the suffering and joys of others.

解除他人的苦難，帶給他人歡樂。

Rachel Naomi Remen is a better doctor

Rachel Naomi Remen因為終生

because of her life-long struggle with Crohn's disease.

與Crohn疾患戰鬥而成為出色的醫生

Einstein became a humanitarian,

愛因斯坦是人道主義者，

not because of his exquisite knowledge

不是因為他關於時空與物質

of space and time and matter,

精深的理論知識，

but because he was a Jew as Germany grew fascist.

而是因為當德國遍佈法西斯主義者是他是猶太人。

And Karen Armstrong, I think you would also say

Karen Armstrong，我想你們可能會說

that it was some of your very wounding experiences

這是你們宗教生活中

in a religious life that,

最為受傷的經歷之一

with a zigzag,

歷經曲折，

have led to the Charter for Compassion.

最終收穫了同情憲章。

Compassion can't be reduced to sainthood

同情，正如它不能簡單歸結為可憐一樣，

any more than it can be reduced to pity.

也不能歸結為聖人聖言。

So I want to propose

所以，我想提出

a final definition of compassion --

同情的終極定義——

this is Einstein with Paul Robeson by the way --

一個混同Paul Robeson的愛因斯坦式版本——

and that would be for us

那就是

to call compassion a spiritual technology.

把同情當做一種靈性科技。

Now our traditions contain

我們的傳統中

vast wisdom about this,

遍佈各種相關的智慧，

and we need them to mine it for us now.

現在我們需要挖掘它們。

But compassion is also equally at home

但是同情在世俗生活中

in the secular as in the religious.

同樣如魚得水。

So I will paraphrase Einstein in closing

我想借用愛因斯坦的名言來收場：

and say that humanity,

人性，

the future of humanity,

人性的未來，

needs this technology

需要這種科技，

as much as it needs all the others

就如同我們同時需要其他這一切

that have now connected us

以使這一駭人卻又奇妙的可能性

and set before us

變為現實：

the terrifying and wondrous possibility

即人類最終

of actually becoming one human race.

能夠真正成為一個民族，能夠親如一家。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）