不朽
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中文
第十三章
不朽
（在美国讲授）
哪个问题被追问的次数最多，哪个观念最多地驱使人们寻遍宇宙以求答案，哪个问题最贴近人心、与人最为亲密，哪个问题与我们的存在最密不可分——那便是这一个：人类灵魂的不朽。这是诗人与圣贤、祭司与先知的主题；宝座上的君王曾讨论过它，街头的乞丐曾梦想过它。人类中最优秀者曾趋近它，最卑劣者也曾寄望于它。对这一主题的兴趣尚未消亡，只要人性存续，它便不会消亡。各种不同的心灵向世界呈现了种种不同的答案。历史的每一个时代，又有数以千计的人放弃了这场讨论，然而这问题依然鲜活如初。在我们生命的喧嚣与搏斗中，我们似乎时常将它遗忘，但突然间某人离世——也许是我们所爱的人，我们心中亲近珍贵的人被从我们身边夺走——四周世界的搏斗、喧嚣与嘈杂，会静止片刻，灵魂于是追问那个古老的问题："此后如何？""灵魂将归往何处？"
所有人类知识都来自经验；我们只能通过经验来认知任何事物。我们所有的推理都建立在归纳经验之上，我们所有的知识不过是系统化的经验。环顾四周，我们发现了什么？持续不断的变化。植物从种子中生长，长成大树，画完整个圆圈，回归种子。动物来了，活了一段时间，死去，画完圆圈。人也是如此。山岳缓慢而确定地崩裂，河流缓慢而确定地干涸，雨从海中来，归回大海。到处圆圈在完成，生、长、发展与衰败以数学般的精确相互追随。这是我们日常的经验。在这一切之内、在这被我们称为生命的广大万象之后、在数百万种形式与形态的背后，在从最低等的原子到最高等的灵化之人的数百万种变体中，我们发现存在着某种统一性。每一天，我们都发现那被认为分隔事物的墙壁正在被打破，所有物质被现代科学认定为同一种本质，以不同的方式表现，以各种形式体现；那贯穿所有事物如一条不间断链条的同一生命，所有这些不同的形式代表着这条链条的一个又一个环节，几乎无限地延伸，却是同一条链。这被称为进化。它是一个古老、古老的观念，与人类社会一样古老，只是随着人类知识的进步而愈来愈焕发生机。还有一件事，古人已经认识到，但在现代却尚未如此清晰地被认识，那就是内卷。种子正在成为植物；一粒沙永远不会成为植物。父亲成为了孩子；一块泥土永远不会成为孩子。这进化来自何处，才是问题所在。种子是什么？它与树相同。一棵未来大树的所有可能性都在那粒种子之中；一个未来人的所有可能性都在那个小婴儿之中；任何未来生命的所有可能性都在胚芽之中。这是什么？印度的古代哲学家称之为内卷。于是我们发现，每一次进化都预设了一次内卷。没有任何事物能够被进化出来，若它尚未在那里。在这里，现代科学再次助我们一臂之力。你们从数学推理知道，宇宙中所展示的能量总和始终是相同的。你无法从宇宙中取走一个原子的物质或一英尺磅的力。你无法向宇宙中添加一个原子的物质或一英尺磅的力。因此，进化并不从零中涌现；那么，它从哪里来？来自先前的内卷。孩子是内卷的人，人是进化的孩子。种子是内卷的树，树是进化的种子。生命的所有可能性都在胚芽中。问题变得稍微清晰了一些。在此之上，加入生命延续的第一个观念。从最低等的原生质到最完美的人类，实际上只有一种生命。正如在一生中我们有许多不同的表达阶段，原生质发展为婴儿、孩子、青年、老人，同样，从那原生质直到最完美的人，我们获得一条连续的生命，一条链。这就是进化，但我们已经看到每一次进化都预设了一次内卷。这整个生命，从原生质到圆满之人——上帝在地球上的化身——这整个系列缓慢地表现自己，从原生质进化自身，这是一条生命，而这整个表现必定已经内卷于那原生质之中。这整个生命，这位地上的上帝，内卷于其中，缓慢地出现，缓慢地、缓慢地、缓慢地表现自己。那最高的表达必定已经以细微的形式存在于胚芽状态；因此这一股力量、这整条链，是那无处不在的宇宙生命的内卷。正是这一团智识，从原生质直到最圆满的人，缓慢地、缓慢地展开自身。不是说它在成长。将成长的所有观念从你的心智中移除。成长的观念与来自外部的某种东西相关联——某种外来之物，它会否定这个真理：潜伏于每种生命中的那无限者是独立于所有外部条件的。它永远不能成长；它一直都在那里，只是在表现自身。
效果是已表现的原因。效果与原因之间没有本质差别。以这块玻璃为例。有材料，加上制造者的意志，制成了这块玻璃，这两者是其原因，并存在于其中。意志以何种形式存在？作为凝聚力。若这股力量不在这里，每个粒子都会分散开来。那么效果是什么？它与原因相同，只是呈现出不同的形式、不同的组合。当原因被改变并暂时受限，它便成为效果。我们必须记住这一点。将它运用于我们关于生命的观念：从原生质到最完美之人，这整个表现系列，必定与宇宙生命是同一件事。它先被内卷而变得精细；从那精细的某物，即原因，它继续进化、表现自身、变得愈来愈粗重。
然而不朽的问题尚未解决。我们已经看到，宇宙中的一切都是不可摧毁的。没有什么是新的；也不会有什么是新的。同一系列的表现轮流呈现，如同一个车轮，不断升起降落。宇宙中所有的运动都以波的形式进行，依次升起降落。一个又一个系统从精细形式涌现，进化自身，取粗重形式，再次熔解，回归精细形式。再次从中升起，进化一定时期，再缓缓回归其源头。生命亦然。每一次生命的表现都在升起，然后再次降落。降落的是什么？形式。形式分崩离析，但它再次升起。在某种意义上，身体和形式甚至也是永恒的。怎么说？假设我们取一副骰子将其抛出，它们以这样的比例落下：6—5—3—4。我们将骰子拾起，一遍又一遍地抛出；必然有一个时刻，同样的数字会再次出现；同样的组合必将再来。现在我将宇宙中每个粒子、每个原子都视为这样一颗骰子，它们被一遍又一遍地抛出并组合。你们面前所有这些形式，是一种组合。这里有玻璃、桌子、一壶水等形式。这是一种组合；假以时日，一切都将破碎。但必将有一个时刻，同样的组合再次到来，那时你们将在这里，这个形式将在这里，这个主题将被谈论，而这壶水将在这里。这已经无限次地发生，并将无限次地重复。就物质形式而言已是如此。我们发现了什么？就连物质形式的组合也是永恒地反复出现的。
这个理论所引出的一个最有趣的结论，是对如下事实的解释：你们中有些人，也许见过一个能够读取他人前世并预知未来的人。若没有一个受到规律约束的未来，任何人怎么可能看到未来？过去的效果将在未来再次出现，我们看到确实如此。你们见过芝加哥的大摩天轮。摩天轮转动，轮中一个个小舱室依次出现；一批人进入其中，绕完圆圈后出来，新的一批人进入。这一批批人，就像从最低等的动物到最高等的人，这些表现的一个又一个。自然界如同摩天轮的链条，无尽而无限，这些小车厢是一批批灵魂所乘坐的身体或形式，愈升愈高，直到圆满并走出轮子。但轮子继续旋转。只要身体在轮中，它们将到哪里，就能被绝对精确地从数学上预测，但灵魂则不然。因此，读取自然过去与未来成为可能，是精确的。我们于是看到，在特定时期同样的物质现象会反复出现，同样的组合从永恒以来就一直在发生。但那并不是灵魂的不朽。没有任何力量会消亡，没有任何物质可以被消灭。它会怎样？它继续变化，来来去去，直到回到它来自的源头。没有直线运动。一切都在圆圈中运动；无限延伸的直线变成圆圈。若是如此，就不可能有任何灵魂的永久堕落。这不可能。一切都必须画完圆圈，回到其源头。你、我以及所有这些灵魂是什么？在我们对进化与内卷的讨论中，我们已经看到，你我必定是宇宙意识、宇宙生命、宇宙心智的一部分，被内卷了，我们必须画完圆圈，回到这宇宙智识，即上帝。这宇宙智识是人们所称的主、或上帝、或基督、或佛陀、或梵，唯物主义者将之感知为力量，不可知论者将之视为那无限的、无可言说的彼岸；我们都是它的一部分。
这是第二个观念，然而这仍不够；仍将有更多疑问。说没有任何力量会消亡，这非常好。但我们所看到的所有力量和形式，都是组合体。我们面前的这个形式，是若干组成部分的组合，同样，我们所见的每一种力量也是如此组合而成。若你采用力量的科学概念，称之为若干力量的总和、合力，你的个体性又将如何？一切在宇宙中是物质或力量之组合的结果，迟早都必须回到其组成部分。凡是特定原因之结果的，都必然死去，必然被摧毁。它被分解、分散，并被解析回其组成部分。灵魂不是力量；它也不是思想。它是思想的制造者，而非思想本身；它是肉身的制造者，而非肉身。为何如此？我们看到，肉身不可能是灵魂。为何不可能？因为它没有智识。一具尸体没有智识，肉店里的一块肉也没有。我们所说的智识是什么意思？反应力。我们要更深入地研究这一点。这里有一只水罐；我看见了它。如何看见的？来自水罐的光线进入我的眼睛，在我的视网膜上形成图像，再被传送到大脑。然而还没有视觉。生理学家所称的感觉神经将这个印象向内传送。但到此为止尚无反应。大脑的神经中枢将印象传送给心智，心智作出反应，一旦这个反应出现，水罐便在心智面前闪现。再举一个更平常的例子。假设你在全神贯注地听我讲话，一只蚊子停在你的鼻尖上，给你带来蚊子所能给的那种快感；但你如此专注于听我讲话，以至于你完全感觉不到那只蚊子。发生了什么？那只蚊子叮咬了你皮肤上的某个部位，那里有某些神经。它们将某种感觉传送到大脑，印象就在那里，但心智专注于他处，没有作出反应，因此你意识不到那只蚊子的存在。当一个新的印象到来时，若心智没有作出反应，我们将不会意识到它，但当反应来临时，我们感觉、看见、听见，等等。伴随着这个反应，光照随之而来，正如数论哲学家所称的。我们看到，肉身不能使任何东西光照，因为在注意力缺失的情况下，任何感觉都是不可能的。有些例子是已知的，在特殊条件下，一个从未学过某种特定语言的人，被发现能够讲那种语言。随后的调查证明，那个人在孩童时曾生活在讲那种语言的人们中间，印象留在了他的大脑中。这些印象储存在那里，直到通过某种原因心智作出反应，光照出现，那个人便能讲那种语言了。这表明仅有心智是不够的，心智本身是某人手中的工具。在那个男孩的情况下，心智中包含了那种语言，他却不知道，但后来有一个时刻他知道了。这表明在心智之外还有某人；当那个男孩还是婴儿时，那某人没有使用那种能力；但当男孩长大后，他利用了它并使用它。首先是肉身，其次是心智或思想工具，第三是在这心智背后的人的真我[Atman]。梵文词是阿特曼。由于现代哲学家已经将思想与大脑中的分子变化相等同，他们不知道如何解释这样的案例，通常否认它。心智与大脑有着密切的联系，每次肉身改变时大脑都会死去。真我[Atman]是光照者，心智是其手中的工具，通过那个工具，它掌握外部工具，感知由此而来。外部工具把握印象并将其传送给器官，因为你必须永远记住，眼睛和耳朵只是接收者——是内部器官、大脑中枢在发挥作用。在梵文中，这些中枢被称为感官，它们将感觉传送给心智，心智将其呈献给另一种心智状态，梵文称为"质"，在那里它们被组织为意志，所有这些再将其呈献给内部的万王之王，宝座上的统治者，人的真我[Atman]。然后祂看见并发出命令。然后心智立即作用于器官，器官作用于外部肉身。真正的感知者、真正的统治者、总督、造物主、一切的操控者，是人的真我[Atman]。
我们于是看到，人的真我[Atman]不是肉身，也不是思想。它不可能是一个组合体。为何不能？因为凡是组合体都可以被看见或想象。那无法被想象或感知、无法被绑定在一起的，不是力量也不是物质，不是原因也不是结果，不可能是组合体。组合体的领域只延伸到我们的心智宇宙、我们的思想宇宙所到之处。超出这个范围，它便不成立；这是规律所统治之处，若有什么超越规律的，它就不可能是组合体。人的真我[Atman]超越了因果规律，因此不是组合体。它永远自由，是规律范围内一切事物的统治者。它永远不会死，因为死亡意味着回归组成部分，而那从未是组合体的，永远不可能死去。说它死去，是纯粹的胡言乱语。
我们现在踏上愈来愈精微的土地，你们中有些人，也许会感到恐惧。我们已经看到，这个真我[Atman]超越了物质、力量与思想的这个小宇宙，是一个单一体；作为单一体，它不会死去。那不会死去的，也不能活着。因为生与死是同一枚硬币的正反两面。生命是死亡的另一个名称，死亡是生命的另一个名称。一种特定的表现模式，我们称之为生命；同一事物的另一种特定表现模式，我们称之为死亡。当波浪升至顶端时，那是生命；当它落入波谷时，那是死亡。若有什么超越了死亡，我们自然可以看出，它也必定超越了生命。我必须提醒你们第一个结论：人的灵魂是宇宙中存在的宇宙能量的一部分，即上帝。我们现在发现它超越了生与死。你从未出生，你也永远不会死去。我们在周围所看到的这生与死是什么？这只属于肉身，因为灵魂是无处不在的。"这怎么可能？"你也许会问。"这里坐着这么多人，而你说灵魂是无处不在的？"我问，有什么能限制那超越规律、超越因果的东西？这块玻璃是有限的；它不是无处不在的，因为周围的物质迫使它呈现那种形状，不允许它扩展。它被其周围的一切所制约，因此是有限的。但那超越规律的东西，那里没有任何东西作用于它，它怎么可能受限？它必定是无处不在的。你无处不在于宇宙之中。那我为何出生，我将要死去，诸如此类？那是无知的言语，大脑的幻觉。你既未出生，也不会死去。你既没有过出生，也不会有再生、生命、化身或任何事情。你所说的来与去是什么意思？都是肤浅的废话。你无处不在。那么这个来去是什么？那是你所称的心智这精细体发生变化所产生的幻觉。那正在进行着。只是一小片云彩从天空前飘过。它继续移动，可能造成天空在移动的错觉。有时你看到云彩从月亮前飘过，你以为月亮在移动。当你在火车上时，你以为大地在飞速后退，或者当你在船上时，你以为水在移动。实际上你既没有来也没有去，你不是在出生，也不是将要再生；你是无限的、永远存在的，超越所有因果，永远自由。这样的问题是不合时宜的，是彻头彻尾的废话。当没有出生时，又怎能有死亡？
我们还需再迈出一步，才能得出合乎逻辑的结论。没有折中之道。你们都是形而上学家，没有空间可以退让。那么，若我们超越所有规律，我们就必定是全知的、永远有福的；所有知识必定在我们之中，所有力量与幸福亦然。当然如此。你是宇宙的全知、无处不在的存在。但这样的存在能有许多吗？能有一百万亿个无处不在的存在吗？当然不能。那我们所有人将如何？你只有一个；只有一个这样的真我[Atman]，而那个唯一的真我[Atman]就是你。站在这小小自然背后的，就是我们所称的灵魂。只有一个存在，一个实存，永远有福的，无处不在的，全知的，无生无死的。"通过祂的统治天空展开，通过祂的统治空气呼吸，通过祂的统治太阳发光，通过祂的统治一切生存。祂是自然中的实在，祂是你的灵魂之灵魂，更甚者，你就是祂，你与祂是一体的。"凡有二的地方，就有恐惧，就有危险，就有冲突，就有争斗。当一切都是一体时，有谁可恨，有谁可以争斗？当一切都是祂时，你与谁争斗？这解释了生命的真正本性；这解释了存在的真正本性。这是圆满，这是上帝。只要你看见众多，你就是在幻象之中。"在这众多的世界中，那看见那唯一者，在这不断变化的世界中，那看见那从不变化者、看见祂为自己灵魂之灵魂、为自己的真我[Atman]者——他是自由的，他是有福的，他已达到目标。"因此要知晓，你就是祂；你是这宇宙的上帝，"汝即彼"（那你就是）。所有这些各种各样的观念——我是男人或女人，我病了或健康，我强壮或虚弱，或者我憎恨或爱，或我有一点点力量——都不过是幻觉。把它们都扔开！是什么使你虚弱？是什么使你恐惧？你是宇宙中唯一的存在。什么能吓到你？站起来，自由吧。知晓每一个使你在这世界上软弱、恐惧的念头与言语，是唯一存在的恶。凡是使人软弱和恐惧的，是唯一应该回避的恶。什么能吓到你？若太阳坠落，月亮崩碎成尘，一个又一个宇宙体系被抛入毁灭的深渊，那对你意味着什么？如磐石般屹立；你是不可摧毁的。你是真我[Atman]，宇宙的上帝。说——"我是绝对的存在，绝对的幸福，绝对的知识，我就是祂"——如一头雄狮冲破牢笼，挣断你的锁链，永远自由。什么能吓到你，什么将你束缚？只有无知与幻象；没有其他东西能够束缚你。你是那纯洁者，那永远有福者。
愚蠢的人告诉你，你是罪人，你便坐在角落里哭泣。说你是罪人是愚蠢、邪恶、彻头彻尾的无赖行径！你们都是上帝。你看见上帝，却称之为人？因此，若你敢，就以此为基础——将你的整个生命塑造在此之上。若有人割断你的喉咙，不要说不，因为你是在割断自己的喉咙。当你帮助一个穷人时，不要感到丝毫骄傲。那对你是崇拜，而不是骄傲的原因。整个宇宙难道不是你吗？哪里有不是你的人？你是这宇宙的灵魂。你是太阳、月亮与星辰，到处闪耀的正是你。整个宇宙就是你。你将去憎恨谁或与谁争斗？那么要知晓，你就是祂，并据此塑造你的整个生命；知晓这一点并据此塑造生命的人，将不再在黑暗中匍匐。
注
English
CHAPTER XIII
IMMORTALITY
(Delivered in America)
What question has been asked a greater number of times, what idea has led men more to search the universe for an answer, what question is nearer and dearer to the human heart, what question is more inseparably connected with our existence, than this one, the immortality of the human soul? It has been the theme of poets and sages, of priests and prophets; kings on the throne have discussed it, beggars in the street have dreamt of it. The best of humanity have approached it, and the worst of men have hoped for it. The interest in the theme has not died yet, nor will it die so long as human nature exists. Various answers have been presented to the world by various minds. Thousands, again, in every period of history have given up the discussion, and yet the question remains fresh as ever. Often in the turmoil and struggle of our lives we seem to forget it, but suddenly some one dies — one, perhaps, whom we loved, one near and dear to our hearts is snatched away from us — and the struggle, the din and turmoil of the world around us, cease for a moment, and the soul asks the old questions "What after this?" "What becomes of the soul?"
All human knowledge proceeds out of experience; we cannot know anything except by experience. All our reasoning is based upon generalised experience, all our knowledge is but harmonised experience. Looking around us, what do we find? A continuous change. The plant comes out of the seed, grows into the tree, completes the circle, and comes back to the seed. The animal comes, lives a certain time, dies, and completes the circle. So does man. The mountains slowly but surely crumble away, the rivers slowly but surely dry up, rains come out of the sea, and go back to the sea. Everywhere circles are being completed, birth, growth, development, and decay following each other with mathematical precision. This is our everyday experience. Inside of it all, behind all this vast mass of what we call life, of millions of forms and shapes, millions upon millions of varieties, beginning from the lowest atom to the highest spiritualised man, we find existing a certain unity. Every day we find that the wall that was thought to be dividing one thing and another is being broken down, and all matter is coming to be recognised by modern science as one substance, manifesting in different ways and in various forms; the one life that runs through all like a continuous chain, of which all these various forms represent the links, link after link, extending almost infinitely, but of the same one chain. This is what is called evolution. It is an old, old idea, as old as human society, only it is getting fresher and fresher as human knowledge is progressing. There is one thing more, which the ancients perceived, but which in modern times is not yet so clearly perceived, and that is involution. The seed is becoming the plant; a grain of sand never becomes a plant. It is the father that becomes a child; a lump of clay never becomes the child. From what does this evolution come, is the question. What was the seed? It was the same as the tree. All the possibilities of a future tree are in that seed; all the possibilities of a future man are in the little baby; all the possibilities of any future life are in the germ. What is this? The ancient philosophers of India called it involution. We find then, that every evolution presupposes an involution. Nothing can be evolved which is not already there. Here, again, modern science comes to our help. You know by mathematical reasoning that the sum total of the energy that is displayed in the universe is the same throughout. You cannot take away one atom of matter or one foot-pound of force. You cannot add to the universe one atom of matter or one foot-pound of force. As such, evolution does not come out of zero; then, where does it come from? From previous involution. The child is the man involved, and the man is the child evolved. The seed is the tree involved, and the tree is the seed evolved. All the possibilities of life are in the germ. The problem becomes a little clearer. Add to it the first idea of continuation of life. From the lowest protoplasm to the most perfect human being there is really but one life. Just as in one life we have so many various phases of expression, the protoplasm developing into the baby, the child, the young man, the old man, so, from that protoplasm up to the most perfect man we get one continuous life, one chain. This is evolution, but we have seen that each evolution presupposes an involution. The whole of this life which slowly manifests itself evolves itself from the protoplasm to the perfected human being — the Incarnation of God on earth — the whole of this series is but one life, and the whole of this manifestation must have been involved in that very protoplasm. This whole life, this very God on earth, was involved in it and slowly came out, manifesting itself slowly, slowly, slowly. The highest expression must have been there in the germ state in minute form; therefore this one force, this whole chain, is the involution of that cosmic life which is everywhere. It is this one mass of intelligence which, from the protoplasm up to the most perfected man, is slowly and slowly uncoiling itself. Not that it grows. Take off all ideas of growth from your mind. With the idea of growth is associated something coming from outside, something extraneous, which would give the lie to the truth that the Infinite which lies latent in every life is independent of all external conditions. It can never grow; It was always there, and only manifests Itself.
The effect is the cause manifested. There is no essential difference between the effect and the cause. Take this glass, for instance. There was the material, and the material plus the will of the manufacturer made the glass and these two were its causes and are present in it. In what form is the will present? As adhesion. If the force were not here, each particle would fall away. What is the effect then? It is the same as the cause, only taking; different form, a different composition. When the cause is changed and limited for a time, it becomes the effect We must remember this. Applying it to our idea of life the whole of the manifestation of this one series, from the protoplasm up to the most perfect man, must be the very same thing as cosmic life. First it got involved and became finer; and out of that fine something, which wet the cause, it has gone on evolving, manifesting itself, and becoming grosser.
But the question of immortality is not yet settled. We have seen that everything in this universe is indestructible. There is nothing new; there will be nothing new. The same series of manifestations are presenting themselves alternately like a wheel, coming up and going down. All motion in this universe is in the form of waves, successively rising and falling. Systems after systems are coming out of fine forms, evolving themselves, and taking grosser forms, again melting down, as it were, and going back to the fine forms. Again they rise out of that, evolving for a certain period and slowly going back to the cause. So with all life. Each manifestation of life is coming up and then going back again. What goes down? The form. The form breaks to pieces, but it comes up again. In one sense bodies and forms even are eternal. How? Suppose we take a number of dice and throw them, and they fall in this ratio — 6 — 5 — 3 — 4. We take the dice up and throw them again and again; there must be a time when the same numbers will come again; the same combination must come. Now each particle, each atom, that is in this universe, I take for such a die, and these are being thrown out and combined again and again. All these forms before you are one combination. Here are the forms of a glass, a table, a pitcher of water, and so forth. This is one combination; in time, it will all break. But there must come a time when exactly the same combination comes again, when you will be here, and this form will be here, this subject will be talked, and this pitcher will be here. An infinite number of times this has been, and an infinite number of times this will be repeated. Thus far with the physical forms. What do we find? That even the combination of physical forms is eternally repeated.
A most interesting conclusion that follows from this theory is the explanation of facts such as these: Some of you, perhaps, have seen a man who can read the past life of others and foretell the future. How is it possible for any one to see what the future will be, unless there is a regulated future? Effects of the past will recur in the future, and we see that it is so. You have seen the big Ferris Wheel in Chicago. The wheel revolves, and the little rooms in the wheel are regularly coming one after another; one set of persons gets into these, and after they have gone round the circle, they get out, and a fresh batch of people gets in. Each one of these batches is like one of these manifestations, from the lowest animals to the highest man. Nature is like the chain of the Ferris Wheel, endless and infinite, and these little carriages are the bodies or forms in which fresh batches of souls are riding, going up higher and higher until they become perfect and come out of the wheel. But the wheel goes on. And so long as the bodies are in the wheel, it can be absolutely and mathematically foretold where they will go, but not so of the souls. Thus it is possible to read the past and the future of nature with precision. We see, then, that there is recurrence of the same material phenomena at certain periods, and that the same combinations have been taking place through eternity. But that is not the immortality of the soul. No force can die, no matter can be annihilated. What becomes of it? It goes on changing, backwards and forwards, until it returns to the source from which it came. There is no motion in a straight line. Everything moves in a circle; a straight line, infinitely produced, becomes a circle. If that is the case, there cannot be eternal degeneration for any soul. It cannot be. Everything must complete the circle, and come back to its source. What are you and I and all these souls? In our discussion of evolution and involution, we have seen that you and I must be part of the cosmic consciousness, cosmic life, cosmic mind, which got involved and we must complete the circle and go back to this cosmic intelligence which is God. This cosmic intelligence is what people call Lord, or God, or Christ, or Buddha, or Brahman, what the materialists perceive as force, and the agnostics as that infinite, inexpressible beyond; and we are all parts of that.
This is the second idea, yet this is not sufficient; there will be still more doubts. It is very good to say that there is no destruction for any force. But all the forces and forms that we see are combinations. This form before us is a composition of several component parts, and so every force that we see is similarly composite. If you take the scientific idea of force, and call it the sum total, the resultant of several forces, what becomes of your individuality? Everything that is a compound must sooner or later go back to its component parts. Whatever in this universe is the result of the combination of matter or force must sooner or later go back to its components. Whatever is the result of certain causes must die, must be destroyed. It gets broken up, dispersed, and resolved back into its components. Soul is not a force; neither is it thought. It is the manufacturer of thought, but not thought itself; it is the manufacturer of the body, but not the body. Why so? We see that the body cannot be the soul. Why not? Because it is not intelligent. A corpse is not intelligent, nor a piece of meat in a butcher's shop. What do we mean by intelligence? Reactive power. We want to go a little more deeply into this. Here is a pitcher; I see it. How? Rays of light from the pitcher enter my eyes, and make a picture in my retina, which is carried to the brain. Yet there is no vision. What the physiologists call the sensory nerves carry this impression inwards. But up to this there is no reaction. The nerve centre in the brain carries the impression to the mind, and the mind reacts, and as soon as this reaction comes, the pitcher flashes before it. Take a more commonplace example. Suppose you are listening to me intently and a mosquito is sitting on the tip of your nose and giving you that pleasant sensation which mosquitoes can give; but you are so intent on hearing me that you do not feel the mosquito at all. What has happened? The mosquito has bitten a certain part of your skin, and certain nerves are there. They have carried a certain sensation to the brain, and the impression is there, but the mind, being otherwise occupied, does not react, so you are not aware of the presence of the mosquito. When a new impression comes, if the mind does not react, we shall not be conscious of it, but when the reaction comes we feel, we see, we hear, and so forth. With this reaction comes illumination, as the Sâmkhya philosophers call it. We see that the body cannot illuminate, because in the absence of attention no sensation is possible. Cases have been known where, under peculiar conditions, a man who had never learnt a particular language was found able to speak it. Subsequent inquiries proved that the man had, when a child, lived among people who spoke that language and the impressions were left in his brain. These impressions remained stored up there, until through some cause the mind reacted, and illumination came, and then the man was able to speak the language. This shows that the mind alone is not sufficient, that the mind itself is an instrument in the hands of someone. In the case of that boy the mind contained that language, yet he did not know it, but later there came a time when he did. It shows that there is someone besides the mind; and when the boy was a baby, that someone did not use the power; but when the boy grew up, he took advantage of it, and used it. First, here is the body, second the mind, or instrument of thought, and third behind this mind is the Self of man. The Sanskrit word is Atman. As modern philosophers have identified thought with molecular changes in the brain, they do not know how to explain such a case, and they generally deny it. The mind is intimately connected with the brain which dies every time the body changes. The Self is the illuminator, and the mind is the instrument in Its hands, and through that instrument It gets hold of the external instrument, and thus comes perception. The external instruments get hold of the impressions and carry them to the organs, for you must remember always, that the eyes and ears are only receivers — it is the internal organs, the brain centres, which act. In Sanskrit these centres are called Indriyas, and they carry sensations to the mind, and the mind presents them further back to another state of the mind, which in Sanskrit is called Chitta, and there they are organised into will, and all these present them to the King of kings inside, the Ruler on His throne, the Self of man. He then sees and gives His orders. Then the mind immediately acts on the organs, and the organs on the external body. The real Perceiver, the real Ruler, the Governor, the Creator, the Manipulator of all this, is the Self of man.
We see, then, that the Self of man is not the body, neither is It thought. It cannot be a compound. Why not? Because everything that is a compound can be seen or imagined. That which we cannot imagine or perceive, which we cannot bind together, is not force or matter, cause or effect, and cannot be a compound. The domain of compounds is only so far as our mental universe, our thought universe extends. Beyond this it does not hold good; it is as far as law reigns, and if there is anything beyond law, it cannot be a compound at all. The Self of man being beyond the law of causation, is not a compound. It is ever free and is the Ruler of everything that is within law. It will never die, because death means going back to the component parts, and that which was never a compound can never die. It is sheer nonsense to say It dies.
We are now treading on finer and finer ground, and some of you, perhaps, will be frightened. We have seen that this Self, being beyond the little universe of matter and force and thought, is a simple; and as a simple It cannot die. That which does not die cannot live. For life and death are the obverse and reverse of the same coin. Life is another name for death, and death for life. One particular mode of manifestation is what we call life; another particular mode of manifestation of the same thing is what we call death. When the wave rises on the top it is life; and when it falls into the hollow it is death. If anything is beyond death, we naturally see it must also be beyond life. I must remind you of the first conclusion that the soul of man is part of the cosmic energy that exists, which is God. We now find that it is beyond life and death. You were never born, and you will never die. What is this birth and death that we see around us? This belongs to the body only, because the soul is omnipresent. "How can that be?" you may ask. "So many people are sitting here, and you say the soul is omnipresent?" What is there, I ask, to limit anything that is beyond law, beyond causation? This glass is limited; it is not omnipresent, because the surrounding matter forces it to take that form, does not allow it to expand. It is conditioned be everything around it, and is, therefore, limited. But that which is beyond law, where there is nothing to act upon it, how can that be limited? It must be omnipresent. You are everywhere in the universe. How is it then that I am born and I am going to die, and all that? That is the talk of ignorance, hallucination of the brain. You were neither born, nor will you die. You have had neither birth, nor will have rebirth, nor life, nor incarnation, nor anything. What do you mean by coming and going? All shallow nonsense. You are everywhere. Then what is this coming and going? It is the hallucination produced by the change of this fine body which you call the mind. That is going on. Just a little speck of cloud passing before the sky. As it moves on and on, it may create the delusion that the sky moves. Sometimes you see a cloud moving before the moon, and you think that the moon is moving. When you are in a train you think the land is flying, or when you are in a boat, you think the water moves. In reality you are neither going nor coming, you are not being born, nor going to be reborn; you are infinite, ever-present, beyond all causation, and ever-free. Such a question is out of place, it is arrant nonsense. How could there be mortality when there was no birth?
One step more we will have to take to come to a logical conclusion. There is no half-way house. You are metaphysicians, and there is no crying quarter. If then we are beyond all law, we must be omniscient, ever-blessed; all knowledge must be in us and all power and blessedness. Certainly. You are the omniscient. Omnipresent being of the universe. But of such beings can there be many? Can there be a hundred thousand millions of omnipresent beings? Certainly not. Then, what becomes of us all? You are only one; there is only one such Self, and that One Self is you. Standing behind this little nature is what we call the Soul. There is only One Being, One Existence, the ever-blessed, the omnipresent, the omniscient, the birthless, deathless. "Through His control the sky expands, through His control the air breathes, through His control the sun shines, and through His control all live. He is the Reality in nature, He is the Soul of your soul, nay, more, you are He, you are one with Him." Wherever there are two, there is fear, there is danger, there is conflict, there is strife. When it is all One, who is there to hate, who is there to struggle with? When it is all He, with whom can you fight? This explains the true nature of life; this explains the true nature of being. This is perfection, and this is God. As long as you see the many, you are under delusion. "In this world of many he who sees the One, in this ever changing world he who sees Him who never changes, as the Soul of his own soul, as his own Self, he is free, he is blessed, he has reached the goal." Therefore know that thou art He; thou art the God of this universe, "Tat Tvam Asi" (That thou art). All these various ideas that I am a man or a woman, or sick or healthy, or strong or weak, or that I hate or I love, or have a little power, are but hallucinations. Away with them I What makes you weak? What makes you fear? You are the One Being in the universe. What frightens you? Stand up then and be free. Know that every thought and word that weakens you in this world is the only evil that exists. Whatever makes men weak and fear is the only evil that should be shunned. What can frighten you? If the suns come down, and the moons crumble into dust, and systems after systems are hurled into annihilation, what is that to you? Stand as a rock; you are indestructible. You are the Self, the God of the universe. Say — "I am Existence Absolute, Bliss Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, I am He," and like a lion breaking its cage, break your chain and be free for ever. What frightens you, what holds you down? Only ignorance and delusion; nothing else can bind you. You are the Pure One, the Ever-blessed.
Silly fools tell you that you are sinners, and you sit down in a corner and weep. It is foolishness, wickedness, downright rascality to say that you are sinners! You are all God. See you not God and call Him man? Therefore, if you dare, stand on that — mould your whole life on that. If a man cuts your throat, do not say no, for you are cutting your own throat. When you help a poor man, do not feel the least pride. That is worship for you, and not the cause of pride. Is not the whole universe you? Where is there any one that is not you? You are the Soul of this universe. You are the sun, moon, and stars, it is you that are shining everywhere. The whole universe is you. Whom are you going to hate or to fight? Know, then, that thou art He, and model your whole life accordingly; and he who knows this and models his life accordingly will no more grovel in darkness.
Notes
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。