34

“陛下，”仆人对国王说道，“圣人纳罗丹从来都不曾屈尊进入你的王家神庙。”

“他在大路边的树阴下吟唱颂神的歌曲，庙里已经没有信徒。”

“他们簇拥着他，像蜜蜂只顾着围绕白莲，却把黄金的蜜罐抛在了一边。”

心中不快的国王去到了纳罗丹所在的地方，纳罗丹坐在草地上。

国王问道：“师父啊，为什么你不待在我黄金穹顶的神庙里，偏要坐在外面的尘土之中宣示神明的爱呢？”

纳罗丹说：“因为神明并不在你的庙里啊。”

国王皱起了眉头，说道：“我花了二千万黄金才造就这个艺术的奇迹，又通过各种代价高昂的仪式把它献给了神明，这些你都知道吗？”

“是的，我知道，”纳罗丹答道，就在神庙落成的那一年，你成千上万的子民因为火灾失去了家园。他们站在你的门前乞求帮助，但却枉自徒然。

“于是神说，‘那个连自己兄弟都庇护不了的可怜东西竟然要为我修建居所！’”

“就这样，他决定跟那些无家可归者为伴，在路边的树下栖身。”

“就这样，你那个黄金气泡变得空无一物，有的只是虚荣散发的腾腾热气。”

国王恼怒地咆哮起来：“离开我的国土。”

圣人平静地说道：“好的，你已经赶跑了我的神，把我也赶去和他作伴吧。”

34

"Sire," announced the servant to the King, "the saint Narottam has never deigned to enter your royal temple.

"He is singing God's praise under the trees by the open road. The temple is empty of worshippers.

"They flock round him like bees round the white lotus, leaving the golden jar of honey unheeded."

The King, vexed at heart, went to the spot where Narottam sat on the grass.

He asked him, "Father, why leave my temple of the golden dome and sit on the dust outside to preach God's love?"

"Because God is not there in your temple," said Narottam.

The King frowned and said, "Do you know, twenty millions of gold went to the making of that marvel of art, and it was consecrated to God with costly rites?"

"Yes, I know it," answered Narottam. "It was in that year when thousands of your people whose houses had been burned stood vainly asking for help at your door.

"And God said, 'The poor creature who can give no shelter to his brothers would build my house!"

"And he took his place with the shelterless under the trees by the road."

"And that golden bubble is empty of all but hot vapour of pride."

The King cried in anger, "Leave my land."

Calmly said the saint, "Yes, banish me where you have banished my God." dWtCyNoiUqyOezG2y8Zw/x7Uh6TL/UyAXl2bHMwsPFGbekuT58xihrU+CTSGG2gq