吠檀多的精神与影响
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中文
吠檀多的精神与影响
（在波士顿二十世纪俱乐部所作演讲）
在进入今日下午的主题之前，请允我先借此机会，说几句感谢之言。我在诸位之间生活了三年，走遍了美国几乎每一个角落；如今我即将从这里返回故土，借此机会，在美国的雅典——波士顿——表达我的感激，实属当然。我初来此地之时，不过数日，便自以为可以写就一本关于这个国家的书。然而三年过去，我发现自己连一页都写不出来。另一方面，我在游历各国的过程中发现：在服饰、饮食与日常礼仪的种种表面差异之下，举世之人皆是一样的人；那同样奇妙的人性，在每个地方都得到了体现。然而确有某些特质，我愿以寥寥数语，概括我在此地的全部体验。在这片美利坚的土地上，没有人追问一个人的特异之处。倘若一个人是一个真正的人，这便已足够，他们将他接纳入心——这是我在世界上任何其他国家都不曾见到的。
我来到这里，是为了引介印度的一种哲学，名曰吠檀多（Vedanta）哲学。这一哲学极为古老，它是那浩瀚的古代雅利安文献——吠陀——所孕育的成果。它可以说是那部文献中历经世纪积累与提炼的一切思辨、体验与分析的精华之花。这吠檀多哲学具有若干特质。首先，它是完全超个人的；它的起源不归于任何一个人或先知；它不以某一个人为中心来构建自身。然而它并不反对那些确实以特定人物为中心而构建的哲学体系。在印度后来，出现了其他哲学体系与宗派，皆以某位人物为中心——如佛教，或我们当今的诸多宗派。它们各有一位领导者，奉为效忠的对象，一如基督徒与穆斯林之所为。但吠檀多哲学屹立于所有这些不同派别的背景之中，在吠檀多与世界上任何其他体系之间，既无争斗，也无对立。
它立下一项原则——吠檀多宣称，此原则可见于世界上一切宗教之中——即人是神圣的，我们周遭所见的一切，皆是那神圣意识的产物。人性中一切强大、善良与有力之物，皆是那神圣性的产物；尽管在许多人身上它尚是潜能，然而人与人之间，就本质而言并无差异，一切人皆同等神圣。仿佛有一片无垠的大海在后，而你我皆是那无垠大海中涌起的一个又一个浪头；我们每一个人都在竭力将那无限向外显化。因此，就潜能而言，我们每一个人都以那"存在绝对、知识绝对、喜乐绝对"的无限大海为我们的天赋权利，为我们的真实本性；我们之间的差异，是由于彰显那神圣性的能力有强弱之分。因此，吠檀多主张，对待每个人，不应依据他所展示的，而应依据他所代表的。每个人都代表着那神圣性，因此每一位导师都应施以助力——不是通过谴责人，而是通过帮助他呼唤出内在的神圣性。
它还教导：我们所见的，社会中以及一切行动领域中所展现的那浩瀚能量，实际上皆是由内向外涌现的；因此，其他派别所称的"灵感"，吠檀多论者冒昧地称之为人的"呼出"。与此同时，吠檀多并不与其他派别相争；吠檀多与那些不理解人之神圣性者并无争执。有意识或无意识地，每个人都在努力展现那神圣性。
人犹如一根无限的弹簧，蜷缩在一个小匣子里，那弹簧正努力展开自身；我们所见的一切社会现象，皆是这种努力展开的结果。我们周遭所见的一切竞争、斗争与罪恶，既非这些展开的原因，也非其结果。正如我们一位伟大哲学家所言——灌溉田地之时，水箱在较高处，水在努力流向田地，被一道水闸所阻。然而一旦水闸打开，水便依其本性自行涌入；若路途中有尘土污垢，水便会越过它们滚滚而流。但尘土与污垢，既非人之神圣本性展开的结果，也非其原因。它们是并存的情境，因此是可以改善的。
吠檀多主张，这一理念见于一切宗教之中，无论是在印度内部还是外部；只不过，在其中一些宗教里，这理念是通过神话来表达的，而在另一些里，则是通过象征。吠檀多宣称，历史上无论哪一种宗教灵感，哪一种伟大的神圣人物的显现，皆不过是人性中那无限之一体性的表达；而我们所称的伦理、道德与行善，亦不过是这一体性的显化。每个人都有某些时刻，感到自己与宇宙合而为一，便奔涌而出，加以表达——无论他是否意识到这一点。这种对一体性的表达，便是我们所称的爱与同情，它是我们一切伦理与道德的基础。吠檀多哲学以那著名的格言将此概括为："汝即彼也"（Tat Tvam Asi）。
对每个人，此理皆被如此教导：你与那普遍存在是一体的；因而，一切存在的灵魂皆是你的灵魂，一切存在的身体皆是你的身体；在伤害任何人时，你是在伤害自己；在爱任何人时，你是在爱自己。一旦一股仇恨的洪流从你身上涌出，无论它还伤害了谁，它同样伤害了你自己；而爱若从你身上涌出，必然会回归于你。因为我即是宇宙，宇宙即是我的身体。我即是无限，只是我如今尚未意识到这一点；然而我正在努力获得这对无限的意识，而当对此无限的完全意识降临，圆满便将实现。
吠檀多的另一独特理念，是我们必须允许宗教思想中的这种无限多元，而不应试图将所有人引向同一意见，因为目标是相同的。正如吠檀多论者以其诗意的语言所言："犹如众多河流，各自发源于不同的山岭，蜿蜒或直流而下，终于汇入大海——同样，所有这些不同的信仰与宗教，从不同的起点出发，经由曲折或平直的路途，终于归于您。"
作为这一理念的彰显，我们发现这一最古老的哲学，通过其影响，直接激励了佛教——世界上最早的传教宗教——并间接地，通过亚历山大里亚学派、诺斯替主义者以及中世纪欧洲哲学家，影响了基督教。其后，又通过对德国思想的影响，在哲学与心理学领域引发了几乎是一场革命。然而所有这些浩瀚的影响，几乎是在不经意间施予世界的。犹如夜晚甘露的轻柔降落，滋养着一切植物生命，这神圣的哲学，缓慢而悄然地，为人类的福祉传播于世界各地。宣扬这一宗教，从未动用军队的行进。在佛教——世界上最具传教精神的宗教之一——中，我们可以见到伟大的阿育王（Asoka）皇帝留下的铭文，记载着传教士如何被遣往亚历山大里亚、安条克、波斯、中国，以及当时文明世界的其他各地。在基督诞生之前三百年，他们就获得了这样的训诫：不要诽谤其他宗教——"一切宗教之基础皆相同，无论它们在何处；尽力帮助它们，尽力教导它们，但不要试图伤害它们。"
因此，在印度，印度教徒从未有过任何宗教迫害，唯有那奇妙的、对世界上一切宗教的崇敬。他们收留了流离失所的部分希伯来人，由此留下了马拉巴尔的犹太人社区。在另一时期，他们收留了几近灭绝的波斯人的遗族；这些人至今存续，作为我们的一部分而为我们所爱，即今日孟买的现代帕西人。有基督徒声称，他们是随耶稣基督的门徒多马（Thomas）而来的；他们被允许在印度定居，保持自己的信仰；他们的一个社区至今在印度存在。这种宽容精神尚未消亡，它不会、也不可能在那里消亡。
这是吠檀多有待传授的伟大教义之一。既然我们知道，有意识或无意识地，我们都在努力走向同一目标，我们又何须焦躁？倘若一个人比另一个人走得慢，我们无需不耐，无需谴责或辱骂他。当我们的眼睛开明，心灵得以净化，同一神圣影响之工作——在每颗人心中对同一神圣性的展现——将愈见明朗；唯在那时，我们才能真正声言对人类兄弟情谊的承认。
当一个人已达于至高，当他既不见男亦不见女，不见宗派亦不见信条，不见肤色，不见出身，不见任何这些区分，而超越一切，找到那藏于每个人之中、真实的"人"所是的那神圣性——唯在那时，他才达到了普遍的兄弟情谊；唯有那样的人，才称得上是一位吠檀多论者。
以上，是吠檀多若干实践性的历史成果。
English
The Spirit And Influence Of Vedanta
(Delivered at the Twentieth Century Club, Boston)
Before going into the subject of this afternoon, will you allow me to say a few words of thanks, now that I have the opportunity? I have lived three years amongst you. I have travelled over nearly the whole of America, and as I am going back from here to my own country, it is meet that I should take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude in this Athens of America. When I first came to this country, after a few days I thought I would be able to write a book on the nation. But after three years' stay here, I find I am not able to write even a page. On the other hand, I find in travelling in various countries that beneath the surface differences that we find in dress and food and little details of manners, man is man all the world over; the same wonderful human nature is everywhere represented. Yet there are certain characteristics, and in a few words I would like to sum up all my experiences here. In this land of America, no question is asked about a man's peculiarities. If a man is a man, that is enough, and they take him into their hearts, and that is one thing I have never seen in any other country in the world.
I came here to represent a philosophy of India, which is called the Vedanta philosophy. This philosophy is very, very ancient; it is the outcome of that mass of ancient Aryan literature known by the name of the Vedas. It is, as it were, the very flower of all the speculations and experiences and analyses, embodied in that mass of literature — collected and culled through centuries. This Vedanta philosophy has certain peculiarities. In the first place, it is perfectly impersonal; it does not owe its origin to any person or prophet: it does not build itself around one man as a centre. Yet it has nothing to say against philosophies which do build themselves around certain persons. In later days in India, other philosophies and systems arose, built around certain persons — such as Buddhism, or many of our present sects. They each have a certain leader to whom they owe allegiance, just as the Christians and Mohammedans have. But the Vedanta philosophy stands at the background of all these various sects, and there is no fight and no antagonism between the Vedanta and any other system in the world.
One principle it lays down — and that, the Vedanta claims, is to be found in every religion in the world — that man is divine, that all this which we see around us is the outcome of that consciousness of the divine. Everything that is strong, and good, and powerful in human nature is the outcome of that divinity, and though potential in many, there is no difference between man and man essentially, all being alike divine. There is, as it were, an infinite ocean behind, and you and I are so many waves, coming out of that infinite ocean; and each one of us is trying his best to manifest that infinite outside. So, potentially, each one of us has that infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss as our birthright, our real nature; and the difference between us is caused by the greater or lesser power to manifest that divine. Therefore the Vedanta lays down that each man should be treated not as what he manifests, but as what he stands for. Each human being stands for the divine, and, therefore, every teacher should be helpful, not by condemning man, but by helping him to call forth the divinity that is within him.
It also teaches that all the vast mass of energy that we see displayed in society and in every plane of action is really from inside out; and, therefore, what is called inspiration by other sects, the Vedantist begs the liberty to call the expiration of man. At the same time it does not quarrel with other sects; the Vedanta has no quarrel with those who do not understand this divinity of man. Consciously or unconsciously, every man is trying to unfold that divinity.
Man is like an infinite spring, coiled up in a small box, and that spring is trying to unfold itself; and all the social phenomena that we see the result of this trying to unfold. All the competitions and struggles and evils that we see around us are neither the causes of these unfoldments, nor the effects. As one of our great philosophers says — in the case of the irrigation of a field, the tank is somewhere upon a higher level, and the water is trying to rush into the field, and is barred by a gate. But as soon as the gate is opened, the water rushes in by its own nature; and if there is dust and dirt in the way, the water rolls over them. But dust and dirt are neither the result nor the cause of this unfolding of the divine nature of man. They are coexistent circumstances, and, therefore, can be remedied.
Now, this idea, claims the Vedanta, is to be found in all religions, whether in India or outside of it; only, in some of them, the idea is expressed through mythology, and in others, through symbology. The Vedanta claims that there has not been one religious inspiration, one manifestation of the divine man, however great, but it has been the expression of that infinite oneness in human nature; and all that we call ethics and morality and doing good to others is also but the manifestation of this oneness. There are moments when every man feels that he is one with the universe, and he rushes forth to express it, whether he knows it or not. This expression of oneness is what we call love and sympathy, and it is the basis of all our ethics and morality. This is summed up in the Vedanta philosophy by the celebrated aphorism, Tat Tvam Asi, "Thou art That".
To every man, this is taught: Thou art one with this Universal Being, and, as such, every soul that exists is your soul; and every body that exists is your body; and in hurting anyone, you hurt yourself, in loving anyone, you love yourself. As soon as a current of hatred is thrown outside, whomsoever else it hurts, it also hurts yourself; and if love comes out from you, it is bound to come back to you. For I am the universe; this universe is my body. I am the Infinite, only I am not conscious of it now; but I am struggling to get this consciousness of the Infinite, and perfection will be reached when full consciousness of this Infinite comes.
Another peculiar idea of the Vedanta is that we must allow this infinite variation in religious thought, and not try to bring everybody to the same opinion, because the goal is the same. As the Vedantist says in his poetical language, "As so many rivers, having their source in different mountains, roll down, crooked or straight, and at last come into the ocean — so, all these various creeds and religions, taking their start from different standpoints and running through crooked or straight courses, at last come unto THEE."
As a manifestation of that, we find that this most ancient philosophy has, through its influence, directly inspired Buddhism, the first missionary religion of the world, and indirectly, it has also influenced Christianity, through the Alexandrians, the Gnostics, and the European philosophers of the middle ages. And later, influencing German thought, it has produced almost a revolution in the regions of philosophy and psychology. Yet all this mass of influence has been given to the world almost unperceived. As the gentle falling of the dew at night brings support to all vegetable life, so, slowly and imperceptibly, this divine philosophy has been spread through the world for the good of mankind. No march of armies has been used to preach this religion. In Buddhism, one of the most missionary religions of the world, we find inscriptions remaining of the great Emperor Asoka — recording how missionaries were sent to Alexandria, to Antioch, to Persia, to China, and to various other countries of the then civilised world. Three hundred years before Christ, instructions were given them not to revile other religions: "The basis of all religions is the same, wherever they are; try to help them all you can, teach them all you can, but do not try to injure them."
Thus in India there never was any religious persecution by the Hindus, but only that wonderful reverence, which they have for all the religions of the world. They sheltered a portion of the Hebrews, when they were driven out of their own country; and the Malabar Jews remain as a result. They received at another time the remnant of the Persians, when they were almost annihilated; and they remain to this day, as a part of us and loved by us, as the modern Parsees of Bombay. There were Christians who claimed to have come with St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus Christ; and they were allowed to settle in India and hold their own opinions; and a colony of them is even now in existence in India. And this spirit of toleration has not died out. It will not and cannot die there.
This is one of the great lessons that the Vedanta has to teach. Knowing that, consciously or unconsciously, we are struggling to reach the same goal, why should we be impatient? If one man is slower than another, we need not be impatient, we need not curse him, or revile him. When our eyes are opened and the heart is purified, the work of the same divine influence, the unfolding of the same divinity in every human heart, will become manifest; and then alone we shall be in a position to claim the brotherhood of man.
When a man has reached the highest, when he sees neither man nor woman, neither sect nor creed, nor colour, nor birth, nor any of these differentiations, but goes beyond and finds that divinity which is the real man behind every human being — then alone he has reached the universal brotherhood, and that man alone is a Vedantist.
Such are some of the practical historical results of the Vedanta.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。