古埃及、古希臘、古猶太、古印度、古中國……世界許多古老民族的文化中都流傳著「末後救世」和「萬法歸一」的預言,其中,源出於古埃及文化的預言版本,可能是世界上最早的「創世主末後救世」預言之一。
古埃及的文明歷史可以上溯到五千年之前,柏拉圖的作品《蒂邁歐篇》中曾記述了埃及祭司向希臘人講過大洪水之前亞特蘭蒂斯的史前文明歷史。
古埃及文化中有一位重要人物——托特(Thoth),相傳他出現在上古文明之初,就像中國黃帝時代的倉頡,是文字和書寫的發明者,有著超凡的智慧和知識,被視作「智慧之神」和「知識之主」、偉大的祭司和先知。
公元前4世紀,埃及被希臘托勒密王朝統治,之後又被羅馬帝國吞併,這期間,古希臘語成為了埃及的通用語言。在這時期的文獻中,「托特」也被用希臘語記作「赫爾墨斯」,古埃及的文化就被重疊到「赫爾墨斯」身上。公元2-3世紀前後整理出來的《托特之書》(世俗體埃及語系)和《赫爾墨斯文集》(希臘語、拉丁語系)特別流行,對後世的西方文化和宗教產生著深遠的影響。但其中也混雜著當時祕密教派的偽托之作,在歐洲文藝復興時期、自然科學奠基時代、共濟會共產主義思潮興起時,以及近現代的新紀元運動中被廣為推崇。傾向於魔法祕術和控制自然的「赫爾墨斯祕教」思想深深地影響了德國的黑格爾、馬克思及光照幫等祕密教派,也是共產主義理論的思想源頭之一。
而這其中有一部被記作《阿斯克勒庇俄斯‧完美闡述》(Asclepius·the Perfect Discourse)的拉丁語文獻,記錄著古埃及聖者「三重偉大的托特」關於埃及未來的預言:古埃及文明和宗教的消亡、末後世界的種種亂象,最後是宇宙創世主救世,曉諭眾生,淨化宇宙,世上會出現災劫或瘟疫、戰亂,有幸走過劫數的人們將步入新的歷史紀元。
在原文的對話中,預言者被尊稱為「三重偉大」,這是古埃及聖者托特(Thoth)的特有稱號,講的是在遠古時代預見埃及和世界的將來,可見這是指古埃及的托特(希臘名字亦稱「赫爾墨斯」),而不是希臘奧林匹斯神譜系中的赫爾墨斯,所以我們就稱它《托特預言》。這段預言內容獨特、宏觀大氣,講對神以及創世主的信仰,和後世崇尚魔法祕術及控制自然的偽托之作截然不同,也深受歷史研究者重視。它與一些上古的文化歷史特徵吻合,很可能代表著當時人們的一些信仰共識,是埃及古老的文化和預言在當時社會(公元2-3世紀前後)的傳承,反映出一些古老文化思想最早時的模樣。
這個古老的預言版本中描述了許多細節:各民族古老文化與神的對應;當人們排神、不相信神、背離正統文化和道德時,思想會走向變異;到了末後,眾神就不再管人,邪靈將在世間肆虐,指揮著人走向犯罪和毀滅。這邪靈(evil angels)的涵義正好對應著希伯來《聖經‧舊約》中的「墮落天使」撒旦魔,以及撒旦崇拜者馬克思炮製的共產邪黨背後的共產邪靈。預言還講到了世界會因此而混亂不堪,末後世上會出現瘟疫、戰爭和災禍,世人將在劫難中償還罪業……這時,宇宙的創世主將來到人世間,召喚人們回歸正途,聽從創世主教誨的人會得到救度。而創世主的意旨和智慧——造就宇宙的恆古不變的本源根本法則——將使世界和宇宙重歸美好,這和東方預言中「法正乾坤」「萬法歸一」的描述極為相似。其實,許多古老民族和文化中都流傳著相似的末後救世預言。
以下是這篇古老預言的全文翻譯。本文依據的底本是沃爾特‧斯科特教授(Walter Scott,1855-1925,英國古典學者)於1924年出版的《赫爾墨斯文集》英譯本。
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古埃及《托特預言》
(中文全譯)
(一)序言
你不知道麼,阿斯克勒庇俄斯,埃及是其天界神國在大地上對映的縮影,或更準確地說,天界神國的造化法則被傳到下界的土地上,就形成了埃及文化的生命力。不,應該說,整個宇宙的造化法則都映聚在我們世間的這土地上,同時他又存在於其聖域(法界)中。嗯,智者應該在事情到來前就有全面的了解和預見,所以,你一定不能對這件事情一無所知:將來會有一天,埃及人再如何虔誠地信仰和敬奉神,都會變得徒勞無用;眾神將離開大地,回到天上;埃及將被神遺棄。神不再住留,這片曾經繁榮的信仰誕生地將變得荒蕪。
Do you not know, Asclepius, that Egypt is an image of heaven, or, to speak more exactly, in Egypt all the operations of the powers which rule and work in heaven have been transferred to earth below?Nay, it should rather be said that the whole Kosmos dwells in this our land as in its sanctuary. And yet, since it is fitting that wise men should have knowledge of all events before they come to pass, you must not be left in ignorance of this: There will come a time when it will have been in vain that Egyptians have honored the Godhead with heartfelt piety and service; and all our holy worship will be fruitless and ineffectual. The Gods will return from earth to heaven; Egypt will be forsaken, and the land which was once the home of religion will be left desolate, bereft of the presence of its deities.
(二)古埃及文明和古老宗教的消亡
將來這片土地上會混雜著許多異族人;人們不但會忽視對神的敬奉,而且……埃及將會被斯基泰人或印度人或周邊野蠻國家的種族所占領。到那時候,我們最神聖的土地,這片遍布神社和寺廟的土地上,將滿是屍體和葬禮。最神聖的尼羅河呵,我面對著你哭泣,我向你預言將來會發生的事:鮮血匯流入河,你的河水也將因此溢過兩岸,你聖潔的波浪不但被玷污,還會被血腥完全污染。
This land and region will be filled with foreigners; not only will men neglect the service of the gods, but … ; and Egypt will be occupied by Scythians or Indians or by some such race from the barbarian countries thereabout. In that day will our most holy land, this land of shrines and temples, be filled with funerals and corpses. To thee, most holy Nile, I cry, to thee I foretell that which shall be; swollen with torrents of blood, thou wilt rise to the level of thy banks, and thy sacred waves will be not only stained, but utterly fouled with gore.
你為此哭泣嗎?阿斯克勒庇俄斯,更糟糕的還在後頭。埃及還將經受更多的苦難,她將陷入更悲慘的困境,人們大面積地感染可怕的瘟疫。這片土地曾經是聖潔的,是虔誠禮敬眾神的土地。為了回報她的虔誠,眾神願意在這片土地上住留。這片土地曾經是人們神聖而虔誠的修學聖地,看不到種種殘酷的惡行。但將來,死去的人會遠遠多於活著的人;倖存下來的人呵,人們僅能通過其語言口音來知道他們是埃及人,但他們的種種行為表現,已經沒有了埃及民族的文化特徵。
Do you weep at this, Asclepius? There is worse to come; Egypt herself will have yet more to suffer; she will fall into a far more piteous plight, and will be infected with yet more, grievous plagues; and this land, which once was holy, a land which loved the gods, and wherein alone, in reward for her devotion, the gods deigned to sojourn upon earth, a land which was the teacher of mankind in holiness and piety, this land will go beyond all in cruel deeds. The dead will far outnumber the living; and the survivors will be known for Egyptians by their tongue alone, but in their actions they will seem to be men of another race.
噢,埃及,埃及,你的宗教,將來什麼都不會留下,只留下一些零星不全的傳說故事,這些連你自己將來的子孫也不會相信;除了鐫刻在石頭上的文字,你什麼都不會留下,只有這些石刻訴說著你的虔誠。
O Egypt, Egypt, of thy religion nothing will remain but an empty tale, which thine own children in time to come will not believe; nothing will be left but graven words, and only the stones will tell of thy piety.
(三)未來世界的危機
到那一天,人們會厭倦生活,他們將不再認為宇宙值得虔誠的讚歎和崇敬。因此,所有神傳的恩典中最重要的——宗教信仰——過去、現在、將來,沒有任何事物的恩典比它更神聖——將面臨著被毀滅的危險;人們會認為它是一種負擔,並開始蔑視它。
And in that day men will be weary of life, and they will cease to think the universe worthy of reverent wonder and of worship. And so religion, the greatest of all blessings, for there is nothing, nor has been, nor ever shall be, that can be deemed a greater boon, will be threatened with destruction; men will think it a burden, and will come to scorn it.
屆時,他們會不再愛我們這個世界——這世界是至高的主神、創世主無與倫比的造化,這輝煌的構造,是至善至美的匯萃,創世主的意旨容貫於其中,給予人類無盡的福祉。這種種美好匯聚成的世界,足以讓看到的人升起無比的崇敬、讚歎和敬愛。
They will no longer love this world around us, this incomparable work of God, this glorious structure which he has built, this sum of good made up of many diverse forms, this instrument whereby the will of God operates in that which he has made, ungrudgingly favoring man’s welfare. this combination and accumulation of all the manifold things that can call forth the veneration, praise, and love of the beholder.
屆時,人們將喜愛黑暗勝過光明,有人會認為死去比活著更有意義;人們不再真正地嚮往天國,虔誠的人會被視為傻瓜,不敬神的人反被認作聰明;狂人會被視為勇士,壞人反而會被當成好人。
Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be thought more profitable than life; no one will raise his eyes to heaven; the pious will be deemed insane, the impious wise; the madman will be thought a brave man, and the wicked will be esteemed as good.
而相信靈魂不朽,或希望靈魂能不朽——這些我曾教誨你們的道理,人們都會嘲笑,甚至會去努力說服自己這些不存在。人們不再去講述、也不再相信那些虔誠敬神的純潔話語。
As for the soul, and the belief that it is immortal by nature, or may hope to attain to immortality, as I have taught you; all this they will mock, and even persuade themselves that it is false. No word of reverence or piety, no utterance worthy of heaven, will be heard or believed.
因此,眾神將離開人類——這是多麼讓人痛心的事!只見邪魔在世間肆虐,它們會附入人群,指揮著可憐的人走向各種肆無忌憚的犯罪,把人們引向戰爭、搶劫、欺騙,以及所有背離人類善良本性的事情。
And so the Gods will depart from mankind – a grievous thing and only evil angels will remain, who will mingle with men, and drive the poor wretches into all manner of reckless crime, into wars, and robberies, and frauds, and all things hostile to the nature of the soul.
(四)創世主救世 淨化地球和宇宙
屆時,大地會震動,海洋將咆哮,星辰會偏離正軌,眾神也將被迫沉默;地球上的果實會腐爛,土壤會變得貧瘠,那時空氣也會惡化,所有的一切會混亂不堪,所有的美好將消失無蹤。
Then will the earth tremble, and the sea bear no ships; heaven will not support the stars in their orbits, all voices of the Gods will be forced into silence; the fruits of the Earth will rot; the soil will turn barren, and the very air will sicken with sullen stagnation; all things will be disordered and awry, all good will disappear.
但是,當這一切發生時,阿斯克勒庇俄斯,這時,至高的主神、天上的父、先於一切而存在、造就一切神的創世主將觀察發生的這一切,他以至善的意旨、殊勝的偉力,在亂世中救度。屆時,他將向那些誤入歧途者召喚,讓他們回到正確的路上來;他將滌淨全世界的罪惡:用洪水沖刷,用烈火燃燒,或者通過戰爭和瘟疫來將罪業銷除殆盡。
But when all this has befallen, Asclepius, then the Master and Father, God, the first before all, the maker of that god who first came into being, will look on that which has come to pass, and will stay the disorder by the counterworking of his will, which is the good. He will call back to the right path those who have gone astray; he will cleanse the world from evil, now washing it away with waterfloods, now burning it out with fiercest fire, or again expelling it by war and pestilence.
因此,他會讓他所創造的世界回復到最初的狀態,宇宙也將再度變得美好,令眾生崇敬、讚歎;至高的主神——創世主,浩瀚宇宙的創造者和恢復者,將被那個時代的人永久地讚頌和崇敬。這就是宇宙的新生,再造了萬物的美好。宇宙天體的一切,神聖而令人敬畏地恢復如初。這一切是在時間的過程中按照創世主永恆的意旨而成就的。而創世主的意旨和法則沒有時間上的起始,是貫穿時間、過去現在永恆不變的。
And thus he will bring back his world to its former aspect, so that the Kosmos will once more be deemed worthy of worship and wondering reverence, and God, the maker and restorer of the mighty fabric, will be adored by the men of that day with unceasing hymns of praise and blessing. Such is the new birth of the Kosmos; it is a making again of all things good, a holy and awe-striking restoration of all nature; and it is wrought in the process of time by the eternal will of God. For Gods will has no beginning; it is ever the same, and as it now is, even so it has ever been, without beginning.
因為,創世主的存在就是成就一切美好。
For it is the very being of God to purpose good.
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※譯者註:英文底本清晰地將God(創世主)與the gods、the Gods(眾神)區分開,並給予末後救世的God(創世主)明確的定義:the Master and Father, the first before all, the maker of that god who first came into being(意即「至高之主、至上的父、先於一切而存在、一切神的造就者」);在預言的另一種英譯版本中稱他為「the Lord, the Father and god from the only first god, the Creator」(至高之主、至上的父、造就一切神的創世主),很明顯,古老的預言明確地告訴人們:末後救世的,就是造就宇宙一切的創世主。@*
責任編輯:王愉悅#