人的真实本性
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中文
1→第二章 2→ 3→人的真实本性 4→ 5→（在伦敦讲演） 6→ 7→人对感官的执著，竟到了如此顽固的地步。然而，无论一个人认为自己所生活 8→其中、所活动其间的外部世界多么真实，在个人与民族的生命中，总有一个时 9→刻会在不经意间叩问："这是真实的吗？"对于那些从不曾有片刻追问感官证 10→据的人，对于那些每时每刻都沉溺于某种感官享受的人——就连他，死亡也会 11→降临，他也被迫追问："这是真实的吗？"宗教从这一追问开始，以其答案告 12→终。即便在文字记录所无法企及的遥远过去，在神话的神秘幽光中，在文明的 13→曙光暮色里，我们仍能发现同一追问回荡其间："此后会怎样？何为真实？" 14→ 15→奥义书[Upanishad]中最具诗意之作——《卡塔奥义书》，以此探询开篇："当 16→一个人死去，争论便由此而起。一方断言他已永远逝去，另一方则坚持他依然 17→存活。孰为真？"各种答案纷至沓来。形而上学、哲学与宗教的整个领域，实 18→则充满了对这一问题的各种回应。与此同时，也有人试图压制这一追问，试图 19→平息那追问"彼岸为何？何为真实？"的心灵不安。然而，只要死亡尚存，一 20→切压制的努力终将归于徒劳。我们或许大谈什么都看不穿越，将所有希望与抱 21→负局限于当下此刻，竭力不去思索感官世界之外的事物；也许，外部的一切都 22→在助力将我们局限于这狭小的边界之内。整个世界或许都合谋阻止我们超越当 23→下的樊笼。然而，只要死亡尚存，那追问就必一再涌现："死亡是否即是我们 24→所执着之一切事物的终结？我们如此紧抱这些事物，视其为一切实在中最真实 25→者、一切实体中最坚实者——而这一切是否都将随之消散？"世界在一瞬间消 26→逝，随即消散。站立在无垠深渊边缘，每一颗心灵，无论多么冷硬，都势必退 27→缩，追问："这是真实的吗？"一生的希望，经由伟大心灵的全部精力一点一 28→滴积累而成，在一瞬间化为乌有。这些是真实的吗？这一追问必须得到回答。 29→时间非但不减弱其力量，反而增强它。 30→ 31→随后是对幸福的渴望。我们追逐一切以使自己幸福；我们在感官的外部世界中 32→疯狂奔逐。若你问那位生活顺遂的年轻人，他会宣称人生是真实的；他真的这 33→样认为。也许，同一个人到了老年，发现命运总是与自己擦肩而过，便会说那 34→都是命。他最终发现，自己的欲望无法得到满足。无论走到哪里，前方总有一 35→堵金刚石墙横亘，无法穿越。每一种感官活动都带来反应。万物皆是过眼云 36→烟。享乐、苦难、奢华、财富、权力与贫困，乃至生命本身，无不是过眼云烟。 37→ 38→人类面临两种立场。其一是与虚无主义者一样相信：万物皆空，我们一无所 39→知，关于未来、过去乃至当下，我们永远无从知晓。因为我们必须记住，否认 40→过去与未来、只想固守当下的人，不过是一个狂人。否认父母而断言孩子的存 41→在，也可说得通。这同样是合乎逻辑的。若要否认过去与未来，当下也必然无 42→法幸免。这是一种立场，即虚无主义者的立场。我从未见过真正能哪怕一分钟 43→成为虚无主义者的人。说说倒很容易。 44→ 45→然后是另一种立场——寻求解释，寻求真实，在这永恒变迁与转瞬即逝的世界 46→中，探寻真实之所在。在这由物质分子汇聚而成的肉身中，是否存在某种真实 47→之物？这是贯穿人类心灵历史的永恒探索。在极遥远的古代，我们常能发现光 48→明的微光照入人们心灵之中。我们发现，即便在那时，人类便已超越此身而迈 49→进一步，发现了一种并非此外在肉身之物，尽管与之颇为相似，却更为完整、 50→更为完美，在此身消亡后仍然长存。我们在《梨俱吠陀》颂诗中读到，向烧化 51→遗体的火神的颂词："O火神，请温柔地以你的臂弯将他托起，赐予他一个完美 52→的身体、一个光明的身体，将他带往列祖所居之处，在那里不再有悲伤，在那 53→里不再有死亡。"同样的观念存在于每一种宗教之中。我们还得到另一个观 54→念，与此相伴。这是一个意义深远的事实：所有宗教，无一例外，都认为人是 55→其曾有之状态的堕落，无论他们以神话的语言、哲学的清晰表达，还是诗意的 56→优美文字来加以陈述。这是从每一部经典、每一个神话中涌现出来的同一个事 57→实——现今之人，是其曾有之状态的堕落。这是犹太经典亚当堕落故事中的真 58→理内核。这一主题在印度教经典中一再重申：他们所梦想的那个时代，他们称 59→之为真理时代，在那个时代，人非自愿死亡便不会死去，他可以随心所欲地保 60→留肉身，他的心灵纯洁而强壮。彼时没有邪恶，没有苦难；而现在这个时代， 61→是那种完美状态的堕落。与此并行，我们到处都能发现大洪水的故事。那个故 62→事本身便是证明：每一种宗教都认为现今时代是对往昔时代的堕落。它每况愈 63→下，愈发腐败，直到大洪水席卷人类的大部分，而后上升的序列重新开始。它 64→正在缓慢地再度上升，以期重回那早期的纯洁状态。《旧约》中大洪水的故 65→事，诸位想必都熟知。同样的故事也流传于古代巴比伦人、埃及人、中国人与 66→印度人之中。摩奴，一位伟大的古代贤者，正在恒河岸边祈祷，一条小鲦鱼来 67→到他面前寻求庇护，他将其放入手边的一个盛水的罐子里。"你想要什么？" 68→摩奴问道。那条小鱼说它正被一条大鱼追捕，需要庇护。摩奴将小鱼带回家 69→中，到了早晨，它已长得和罐子一样大，说道："我无法再生活在这个罐子 70→里了。"摩奴将它放入一个水箱，第二天它已长得和水箱一样大，说它无法再 71→待在那里了。于是摩奴只得将它带到一条河里，到了早晨，那条鱼已充满了整 72→条河。于是摩奴将它放入大海，它宣告道："摩奴，我是宇宙的创造者。我以 73→此形态来此，是为了警告你：我将淹没这个世界。你建造一艘方舟，将每种动 74→物各备一对放入其中，让你的家人进入方舟，我的角会从水中探出，将方舟拴 75→住它；当洪水退去，出来，繁衍大地。"于是世界被淹没，摩奴拯救了自己的 76→家人，以及每种动物各两只，还有每种植物的种子。当洪水退去，他出来繁衍 77→了大地；而我们都被称为"人"，因为我们是摩奴的后裔。 78→ 79→如今，人类语言是试图表达内在真理的尝试。我完全相信，一个牙牙学语的婴 80→儿，其语言由难以理解的声音构成，他正在试图表达最高的哲学，只是婴儿尚 81→不具备表达它的器官，也没有手段。最高哲学家的语言与婴儿的呀呀之声的差 82→别，是程度上的差别，而非种类上的差别。你所谓的当代最精确、最系统、最 83→具数学性的语言，与古人模糊的、神秘的、神话性的语言，只有程度上的差 84→异。所有这些语言背后都有一个宏大的观念，那观念仿佛在挣扎着自我表达； 85→这些古老的神话背后，往往蕴藏着金块般的真理；而遗憾的是，现代人精雕细 86→琢的措辞背后，往往不过是一堆垃圾。因此，我们不必将一样东西抛弃，仅仅 87→因为它披着神话的外衣，因为它不符合当今某某先生或某某女士的观念。若人 88→们该嘲笑宗教，只因大多数宗教要求人们相信某某先知所传授的神话，那么他 89→们更该嘲笑这些现代人。在现代，若一个人引用摩西、佛陀或基督，便会遭人 90→嘲笑；但若他提出赫胥黎、廷德尔或达尔文的名字，便被不加鉴别地全盘接 91→受。"赫胥黎说了"——这对许多人来说已然足够。我们确实从迷信中解脱出 92→来了！那是宗教的迷信，这是科学的迷信；只不过，从那迷信中涌现出了赋予 93→生命的灵性观念；从这现代迷信中涌现出的是贪欲与私利。那迷信是对神的崇 94→拜，这迷信是对污秽财利、对名声或权力的崇拜。这就是区别所在。 95→ 96→回到神话。在所有这些故事背后，我们发现一个至高无上的观念——人是其曾 97→有之状态的堕落。来到当代，现代研究似乎在彻底否定这一立场。进化论者似 98→乎完全与这一断言相悖。按照他们的说法，人是由软体动物进化而来的；因 99→此，神话所言不可能为真。然而在印度，有一套神话学，能够调和这两种立 100→场。印度神话有一套循环的理论，认为一切进化都呈波浪形态。每一道波峰之 101→后随之而来的是一次下落，下一刻又是一次上升，再下一刻又是下落，再一次 102→上升。运动是循环的。诚然，即便以现代研究的立场来看，人也不可能仅仅是 103→一种进化。每一次进化都预设了一次内蕴。现代科学家会告诉你，从一台机器 104→中所能提取的能量，不能超过你此前放入其中的能量。无中不能生有。若人是 105→软体动物的进化，那么完美之人——佛陀式之人、基督式之人——就蕴含于软 106→体动物之中。若事实并非如此，这些巨人式的人格从何而来？无中不能生有。 107→于是我们处于一种能够调和经典与现代思想的立场。那股能量，通过各种阶段 108→缓慢地显现，直至成为完美之人，不可能从无中而来。它曾经存在于某处；而 109→若软体动物或原生质是你所能追溯到的最初起点，那么那原生质，以某种方式， 110→必然蕴含了那股能量。 111→ 112→关于我们称之为身体的物质聚合体，究竟是我们称之为灵魂的那股力量的显现 113→原因，还是思想显现了这个身体，目前正有一场大辩论。世界上的宗教当然都 114→主张，称为思想的那股力量显现了身体，而非相反。现代某些思想流派则主 115→张，我们所谓的思想，不过是我们称之为身体的那台机器各部分运作调节的产 116→物。若采取第二种立场——灵魂或思想的总体，无论你如何称呼它，乃是这台 117→机器的产物，乃是构成身体与大脑的物质的化学与物理组合的产物——这问题 118→便依然悬而未决。是什么构成了身体？是什么力量将分子组合成身体形态？有 119→什么力量从周围物质之中摄取材料，以一种方式构成我的身体，以另一种方式 120→构成另一个身体，如此等等？是什么造成了这无穷无尽的差异？说称为灵魂的 121→力量是身体分子组合的产物，是本末倒置。组合从何而来？是什么力量使之产 122→生？若你说另一种力量是这些组合的原因，灵魂是那种物质的产物，而那灵魂 123→——组合了某些物质——本身又是那些组合的结果，这并非答案。应当采用那 124→能够解释最多事实（若非全部）而又不与其他现有理论相矛盾的理论。说摄取 125→物质并构成身体的力量与通过那身体显现的力量是同一种力量，这更为合乎逻 126→辑的。因此，说通过身体显现的思想力量是分子排列的产物、没有独立存在， 127→没有意义；力量也不能从物质中产生。不如说，可以证明我们所谓的物质根本 128→不存在。它不过是力的某种状态。固态、硬度或物质的任何其他状态都可以被 129→证明是运动的结果。施加于流体的涡旋运动的增强，赋予它们固体的力量。涡 130→旋运动中的一团气体，如在龙卷风中，变得如固体一般，通过其冲击力，可以 131→打断或切穿固体。一根蜘蛛网的丝线，若能以近乎无限的速度运动，将像铁链 132→一样坚固，并能切断一棵橡树。从这个角度来看，更容易证明我们所谓的物质 133→并不存在。但另一种方式则无法得到证明。 134→ 135→透过身体显现自身的那股力量是什么？对我们所有人来说，无论那股力量是什 136→么，显然它正在摄取微粒，仿佛是在塑造形体——人的身体。没有别人来到这 137→里替你我塑造身体。我从未见过任何人替我吃食物。我必须自己消化它，从那 138→食物中制造血液、骨骼以及一切。这神秘的力量是什么？关于未来与过去的观 139→念对许多人来说似乎令人恐惧。对许多人来说，它们似乎不过是纯粹的推测。
1→我们将探讨当前的主题。如今在我们之中运作的这股力量究竟是什么？我们知 2→道在古代，在一切古老经典中，这股力量——这种力量的显现——曾被认为是 3→一种具有此身形体的光明实体，在肉身消亡之后仍然长存。然而后来，一个更 4→高的观念出现了——这具光明之身并不代表那股力量本身。凡具有形体者，必 5→是种种微粒组合的产物，其背后需要某种他物来推动它。倘若此身需要一种非 6→身体之物来操控它，那么这具光明之身同样需要某种异于自身之物来操控它。 7→于是，那"某物"被称为灵魂，梵文中曰真我[Atman]。正是真我[Atman]， 8→通过光明之身，如其所是地作用于外部的粗质肉身。光明之身被视为心意的容 9→器，而真我[Atman]则超越于此。它甚至不是心意；它运作心意，并通过心意 10→运作肉身。你有一个真我，我有另一个——我们每个人都有各自独立的真我与 11→独立的精微之身，藉此我们作用于外部粗质的肉身。随后，关于这真我的种种 12→追问被提出：真我的本质究竟是什么？这既非肉身亦非心意的人之灵魂是什 13→么？大讨论由此展开。种种推测相继涌现，哲学探究的各种流派应运而生；我 14→将尝试向诸位呈现关于真我所得出的若干结论。 15→ 16→各门哲学似乎都同意，这真我无论是什么，它既无形式亦无形状；而无形无状 17→者必然无处不在。时间随心意而起，空间亦在心意之中。因果律离不开时间的 18→支撑。没有先后相续的观念，便无法建立任何因果的观念。时间、空间与因果 19→，因此，皆在心意之中；而这真我既超越心意且无有形体，就必然超越时间、 20→超越空间、超越因果。若它超越时间、空间与因果，则必为无限。于是，我们 21→的哲学中最高的思辨出现了：无限者不可能有二。若灵魂是无限的，则只能有 22→一个灵魂；关于各种各样的灵魂——你有一个灵魂，我有另一个，如此等等 23→——的种种观念，皆非真实。因此，真实之人是唯一的无限者，是遍在的灵。 24→而表象之人不过是对那真实之人的局限。从这意义而言，神话所言不虚：无论 25→表象之人多么伟大，都不过是彼岸那真实之人的一丝黯淡倒影。真实之人—— 26→灵——既超越因果，不受时空束缚，因此必然是自由的。祂从未被束缚，也无 27→法被束缚。表象之人，那倒影，受时间、空间与因果的局限，因而是被束缚 28→的。或者用我们某些哲学家的语言来说，他似乎是被束缚的，但实际上并非如 29→此。这就是我们灵魂的实相——这遍在性、这灵性本质、这无限性。每个灵魂 30→都是无限的，因此生死问题根本不存在。孩子们正在接受考试。考官提出了相 31→当难的问题，其中有一道是："地球为何不会坠落？"他想引发关于引力的回 32→答。大多数孩子完全答不上来；少数几个回答是引力或诸如此类的东西。一个 33→聪慧的小女孩则以另一个问题作答："它该往哪里坠落？"这问题本身是无稽 34→之谈。地球该往哪里坠落？地球不存在坠落或升起。在无限的空间中，没有上 35→下之分；那只存在于相对之中。无限者有何去何从？它从何而来，又往何处去？ 36→ 37→因此，当人们不再思虑过去与未来，当他们放弃身体的观念——因为身体来来 38→去去，是有限的——他们便升向了更高的理想。肉身不是真实之人，心意亦 39→非，因为心意时盛时衰。只有彼岸的灵才是永恒的。身体与心意处于不断的变 40→迁之中，其实不过是一系列变化现象的名称，如同江河，河水奔流不息，却呈 41→现出一道连绵不断的水流之表象。此身中的每一个微粒都在不断变化；没有人 42→对同一个身体保有哪怕几分钟，然而我们却将其视为同一身体。心意亦然：此 43→刻快乐，下一刻悲伤；此刻坚强，下一刻软弱；一个永恒旋转的漩涡。那永无 44→变化的无限之灵无法即是这种东西。变化只能在有限者中发生。说无限者以任 45→何方式变化，是荒谬的；这是不可能的。我可以移动，你可以移动，作为有限 46→的肉身；宇宙中的每一个微粒都处于不断运动的状态，但将宇宙作为一个整 47→体、作为一个完整的一来看，它无法运动，无法改变。运动永远是相对的事 48→情。我相对于某物而运动。宇宙中的任何一个微粒都可以相对于其他微粒而变 49→化；但将整体宇宙视为一，它相对于什么而运动？除它之外，别无他物。所以 50→这无限的整一者是不可改变的、不可移动的、绝对的，这就是真实之人。因此， 51→我们的实在性在于普遍性，而非在于有限性。这些都是古老的幻象，尽管它们 52→令人安慰——以为我们是渺小有限的存在，处于不断的变迁之中。当人们被告 53→知他们是无处不在的宇宙存在时，会感到恐惧。你透过一切而工作，透过每一 54→只脚而行走，透过每一张嘴而言说，透过每一颗心而感受。 55→ 56→人们被告知这些时感到恐惧。他们会一再问你，他们是否还能保有各自的个 57→性。什么是个性？我倒想看看它究竟是什么。婴儿没有胡须；当他长大成人， 58→或许就有了胡须与络腮胡。若个性在于身体，他的个性便会消失。若我失去了 59→一只眼睛，或一只手，若个性在于身体，我的个性便会消失。那么，酗酒者不 60→该戒酒，因为他将失去他的个性。小偷不该改过从善，因为这样他就会失去他 61→的个性。没有人该改变自己的习惯，以免失去个性。除了无限者中，没有任何 62→个性可言。那才是唯一不变的条件。其余一切皆处于不断变迁的状态之中。个 63→性也不在于记忆。假如由于头部受到打击，我忘却了所有的过去，那么我便失 64→去了一切个性，我消失了。我不记得儿时两三年的事，若记忆与存在是同一回 65→事，那么凡我忘却的，便已消逝。我所不记得的那段生命，我并未活过。这是 66→对个性非常狭隘的理解。 67→ 68→我们尚未成为真正的个体。我们正在朝向个性挣扎前进，而那个性就是无限 69→者，就是人的真实本性。唯有以整个宇宙为生命的人才真正活着，我们越是将 70→生命聚焦于有限的事物，便越快走向死亡。只有当我们的生命在宇宙中、在他 71→人之中时，我们才真正活着；而这渺小的生命是死亡，纯然的死亡，这就是为 72→何死亡的恐惧会产生。只有当人认识到，只要宇宙中还有一个生命，他便还活 73→着，死亡的恐惧才能被征服。当他能够说："我在一切之中，我在每一个人之 74→中，我在所有生命之中，我即是宇宙"，那时才进入无畏的境界。谈论处于不 75→断变迁之物中的不朽，是荒谬的。一位古代梵文哲学家说道：唯有灵是个体， 76→因为它是无限的。无限者不可被分割；无限者无法被打碎成片段。它永远是同 77→一个不可分割的整一，这就是个体之人——真实之人。表象之人不过是一种挣 78→扎——试图表达、彰显那超越之处的个性；进化并不在灵之中。那些持续进行 79→着的变化——邪恶者变善、动物变为人，无论你以何种方式理解这些——都不 80→在灵之中。它们是自然的进化与灵的显现。假设有一道幕布将你与我隔开，其 81→上有一个小孔，我透过它只能看见你们面前的几张面孔。现在假设那个孔开始 82→愈变愈大，随着它的扩大，面前的景象愈来愈多地显现出来；当幕布最终完全 83→消失时，我站在那里，与你们所有人面对面。在这个过程中，你们并未发生任 84→何改变；是那个孔在演化，而你们则逐渐地显现自身。灵亦是如此。没有什么 85→完美需要被达成。你们已然自由，已然完美。宗教、神与追寻来世这些观念是 86→什么？人为何寻求神？为何每个民族、每种社会状态中的人，都在某处——或 87→在人中，或在神中，或在别处——渴望一个完美的理想？因为那理想就在你的 88→内心之中。那是你自己的心跳，你却不知晓；你把它误认为是某种外在之物。 89→正是你自己内心深处的神在驱策你寻求祂、实现祂。经过了在庙宇和教堂、在 90→大地与天堂中的漫长寻索，你终于回来了，走完从你出发之处画出的圆，回到 91→你自己的灵魂，发现你走遍世界寻找的那位，你在教堂和庙宇中为之哭泣祈祷 92→的那位，你曾视之为被云雾遮蔽的一切奥秘中最深奥之奥秘的那位，就是最近 93→的近者，就是你自己的真我，就是你生命、肉身与灵魂的实在。那就是你自己 94→的本性。宣告它，彰显它。不是为了变得纯洁——你已然纯洁。你无需变得完 95→美——你早已如此。自然犹如那道遮蔽彼岸实在的幕布。你所思所行的每一个 96→善念，都仿佛在撕开那幕布；其后的纯洁、无限、神——愈来愈多地彰显自身。 97→ 98→这就是人的整个历史。幕布愈来愈精微，其后的光芒愈来愈多地照耀而出，因 99→为照耀是它的本性。它无法被认知；我们徒劳地试图认知它。若它可被认知， 100→它便不会是其所是，因为它是永恒的主体。知识是一种局限，知识是客体化。 101→祂是宇宙中一切事物的永恒主体，是永恒的见证者，就是你自己的真我。知识 102→可以说是一个较低的阶梯，一种堕落。我们早已是那永恒的主体；我们怎能认 103→知它？这是每个人真实的本性，他正在以各种方式挣扎着表达它；否则，为何 104→会有那么多伦理准则？一切伦理的解释在哪里？有一个观念屹立于所有伦理体 105→系的中心，以各种形式表达，即：行善于他人。人类的指导动机应当是对人类 106→的仁慈，对一切动物的仁慈。但这些都是那永恒真理的各种表达——"我即是 107→宇宙；这宇宙是合一的。"否则，理由何在？我为何应当对同类行善？我为何 108→应当对他人行善？是什么在驱策我？是同情，是对处处皆同一的感受。最铁石 109→心肠的人有时也会对其他存在产生同情。即便那个被告知他所执着的个性实际 110→上是幻象[Maya]、执着于这表象个性是可鄙的便感到恐惧的那个人，也会告诉 111→你极端的自我否定是一切道德的核心。而什么是完全的自我否定？它意味着对 112→这表象自我的否定，对一切自私的否定。"我与我的"这个观念——自我意识 113→与占有欲——是过去迷信的产物，而这现有的自我愈是消退，真实的真我便愈 114→是彰显。这就是真正的自我否定——一切道德教导的中心、基础与精髓；无论 115→人是否知晓，整个世界都在缓慢地朝向它前进，或多或少地实践它。唯一的问 116→题是，绝大多数人是在无意识地这样做。让他们有意识地去做。让他们作出 117→牺牲，明知这"我与我的"并非真实的真我，而不过是一种局限。但那无限实 118→在的哪怕一丝一瞥，那在其后的无限之火的哪怕一点火花——这就代表了现在 119→的人；无限才是他真实的本性。 120→ 121→这种认知的效用、效果与结果是什么？在当今，我们必须以效用来衡量一切 122→——衡量它代表多少英镑、先令与便士。一个人有什么权利要求用效用或金钱 123→的标准来评判真理？假设毫无效用，它就因此变得不那么真实吗？效用不是真 124→理的检验标准。尽管如此，这里有着最高的效用。幸福，我们看到，是每个人 125→都在追求的，但大多数人在那些转瞬即逝而非真实的事物中寻求它。在感官中 126→从未有人找到幸福。从未有人在感官或感官享受中找到幸福。幸福唯在灵中才 127→能找到。因此，对人类来说最高的效用是在灵中找到这种幸福。其次，无明是 128→一切苦难之大母，而根本的无明是以为无限者在哭泣哀号，以为祂是有限的。 129→这就是一切无明的根基——我们，不朽的、永远纯洁的、完美的灵，却以为我 130→们是渺小的心意，是渺小的身体；这是一切自私的根母。一旦我认为自己是一 131→个渺小的身体，我便要保护它、维护它、在其他身体的代价上使之安好；于是 132→你与我便成为了分离的。一旦这种分离的观念出现，它便打开了一切祸端的大 133→门，通向一切苦难。这里的效用是这样的：若今日生活着的人类中哪怕极小的 134→一部分能够放弃自私、狭隘与渺小的观念，这片大地明日便会成为乐园；但仅 135→靠机器与物质知识的改进，则永远不会实现。这些只会增加苦难，如同将油浇 136→入烈火，使火焰愈烧愈旺。没有灵性知识，一切物质知识不过是为火添柴，不 137→过是向自私的人手中再递一件工具，让他去攫取属于他人的东西，靠他人的生 138→命为自己谋利，而非将自己的生命奉献给他人。
1→这是否切合实际？——是另一个问题。能在现代社会中付诸实践吗？ 2→真理不向任何社会俯首称臣，无论古代还是现代。社会必须向真理致敬，否则便归于灭亡。社会应当以真理为模范， 3→而真理不必去迁就社会。若无私这般崇高的真理 4→无法在社会中付诸实践，那么人倒不如舍弃社会、隐入山林。这才是真正勇敢的人。勇气有 5→两种：一种是面对炮火的勇气，另一种是 6→精神信念的勇气。某位入侵印度的君王，被其导师劝告去拜访当地的几位贤者。经过漫长的 7→寻访，他终于找到一位极年迈的老者，端坐于一块石头之上。 8→君王与老者交谈片刻，便深为其智慧所折服。他请求贤者随他回国。 9→经过长时间的寻访，他找到了一位非常年迈的老者，坐在一块石头上。君王与他交谈片刻，深为其智慧所折服。 10→"不，"贤者说，"我对自己的这片山林已然满意。"君王说："我可以给你 11→财富、地位、权势。我是天下之主。""不，" 12→老者答道，"我不在乎那些东西。"君王答道："若你不从， 13→我便杀了你。"老者平静地微笑，说道："那是 14→你说过最愚蠢的话，陛下。你无法杀死我。我—— 15→太阳无法晒干我，火焰无法焚烧我，刀剑无法斩杀我，因为我是无生无死、 16→永恒长存的全能遍在之灵。"这便是精神的豪气， 17→而彼者不过是狮虎之勇。在 18→一八五七年民变期间，有一位斯瓦米，一位伟大的灵魂，被一名穆斯林叛军刺成重伤。印度教叛军抓住了那名凶手，带到斯瓦米面前， 19→要处死他。但斯瓦米平静地抬起头，说道， 20→"我的弟兄，你即是祂，你即是祂！"随即气绝。这是另一个 21→例证。大谈你的肌肉之力、 22→谈论西方制度的优越，这有何益，若你无法使真理与你的社会相契合，若你无法建立一个能容纳最高 23→真理的社会？大谈你的宏大 24→与伟大，这样的炫耀之词有何益，若你站起来说，"这种勇气并不实际。"难道 25→除了英镑、先令与便士，别无实际之物？若果如此，何以炫耀你的 26→社会？最伟大的社会，是最高真理得以实践之处。这是我的见解；若社会不适合最高的 27→真理，就使之具备这种能力；愈快愈好。男男女女，以此 28→精神站立起来，敢于信奉真理，敢于实践真理！世界需要几百位勇敢的男女。实践那种豪气， 29→那种敢于认知真理、敢于在生命中展现真理的豪气， 30→不在死亡面前颤抖，不，反而欢迎死亡，使人知晓他 31→即是灵，在整个宇宙之中，无物能毁灭他。那时你将 32→获得自由。那时你将认识你真实的灵魂。"此真我[Atman]首先应被聆听， 33→继而被思索，再继而被冥想。" 34→ 35→在现代，有一种极大的倾向——过多地谈论工作而贬低 36→思想。行动固然极好，但行动从思想中来。通过肌肉表现出来的那些微小的 37→能量显现，被称为工作。但若 38→没有思想，就不会有工作。因此，用崇高的思想、最高的理想充实大脑，日夜将它们置于你的眼前，由此 39→便会涌现出伟大的工作。不要谈论不净，而要说我们是 40→纯洁的。我们已将自己催眠入这样的念头：我们渺小， 41→我们受生，我们将死，陷入一种持续的 42→恐惧状态。 43→ 44→有一个故事说，一头即将临产的母狮，正在外出 45→寻食；见到一群绵羊，便猛扑而上。她在 46→挣扎中死去，生下了一头小幼狮，没有了母亲。羊群 47→收养了它，将它抚育长大，它随羊群一同成长， 48→吃草，像羊一样咩咩叫。尽管渐渐长成了一头健壮的 49→成年狮子，它却以为自己是一只羊。有一天，另一头狮子来 50→寻食，惊讶地发现，在这羊群之中居然有一头狮子， 51→在危险来临时像羊一样四处奔逃。它试图 52→靠近那头羊狮，告诉它不是羊而是狮子； 53→但那可怜的动物在它靠近时便落荒而逃。然而它守候 54→时机，有一天发现羊狮正在熟睡。它走近， 55→说道："你是狮子。""我是羊，"另一头狮子叫道，全然不信， 56→只知咩咩叫。那头狮子把它拖到一处湖边， 57→说："你看，这是我的倒影，那是你的。"于是， 58→比较开始了。它看看狮子，再看看自己的倒影， 59→刹那间领悟到它是一头狮子。狮吼响彻，咩咩声 60→消散了。你们是狮子，你们是灵魂，纯洁的、无限的、完美的。宇宙的力量 61→就在你们之中。"我的朋友，你为何哭泣？你既 62→无生亦无死。你为何哭泣？你既无疾病亦 63→无苦难，你如同无垠的苍穹；种种色彩的云朵飘过其上，嬉戏片刻，随即消散。而苍穹永远是 64→那亘古永恒的湛蓝。"我们为何看见邪恶？有一截树桩， 65→在暗夜中，一个窃贼经过，说："那是个 66→警察。"一个等候爱人的年轻人见到它，以为是 67→他的恋人。一个被告知了鬼故事的孩子把它当作 68→鬼，开始惊叫。但始终不过是一截树桩。我们 69→看见的世界，如同我们自身。假设一个房间里有一个婴儿，桌上放着一袋 70→金子，一个窃贼进来偷走了金子。婴儿知道 71→金子被偷了吗？我们内心有什么，我们便在外面看见什么。婴儿心中无贼， 72→眼中也看不见贼。一切知识皆如此。不要谈论 73→世界的邪恶与一切罪孽。为你自己仍被迫看见 74→邪恶而哭泣。为你自己仍被迫看见处处皆是罪孽而哭泣；若你 75→想要帮助世界，就不要谴责它。不要使它更加软弱。因为 76→罪孽是什么，苦难是什么，这一切又是什么，不过都是软弱的果实？世界因这样的 77→教导而日益软弱。从幼年起人们便 78→被告知他们是软弱的、是罪人。教导他们 79→他们都是不朽荣光的子嗣，即便是那些在显现上 80→最为软弱的人。让积极的、强壮的、有益的思想 81→从幼年起便进入他们的头脑。向这样的思想敞开你自己， 82→而不是那些软化和麻痹的思想。对你自己的心说："我即是祂，我 83→即是祂。"让这句话日夜在你心中回响，如同一首歌，在 84→死亡之际，宣告"我即是祂"。这才是真理；世界的无限力量 85→属于你。驱散那遮蔽你心灵的迷信。让 86→我们勇敢起来。认知真理，实践真理。目标或许遥远， 87→但觉醒吧，奋起吧，不达目标，誓不停歇。 88→而不是那些软化和麻痹的思想。对你自己的心说："我即是祂，我 89→即是祂。"让这句话日夜在你心中回响，如同一首歌，在 90→死亡之际，宣告"我即是祂"。这才是真理；世界的无限力量 91→属于你。驱散那遮蔽你心灵的迷信。让 92→我们勇敢起来。认知真理，实践真理。目标或许遥远， 93→但觉醒吧，奋起吧，不达目标，誓不停歇。 94→
English
CHAPTER II
THE REAL NATURE OF MAN
( Delivered in London )
Great is the tenacity with which man clings to the senses. Yet, however substantial he may think the external world in which he lives and moves, there comes a time in the lives of individuals and of races when, involuntarily, they ask, "Is this real?" To the person who never finds a moment to question the credentials of his senses, whose every moment is occupied with some sort of sense-enjoyment — even to him death comes, and he also is compelled to ask, "Is this real?" Religion begins with this question and ends with its answer. Even in the remote past, where recorded history cannot help us, in the mysterious light of mythology, back in the dim twilight of civilisation, we find the same question was asked, "What becomes of this? What is real?"
One of the most poetical of the Upanishads, the Katha Upanishad, begins with the inquiry: "When a man dies, there is a dispute. One party declares that he has gone for ever, the other insists that he is still living. Which is true?" Various answers have been given. The whole sphere of metaphysics, philosophy, and religion is really filled with various answers to this question. At the same time, attempts have been made to suppress it, to put a stop to the unrest of mind which asks, "What is beyond? What is real?" But so long as death remains, all these attempts at suppression will always prove to be unsuccessful. We may talk about seeing nothing beyond and keeping all our hopes and aspirations confined to the present moment, and struggle hard not to think of anything beyond the world of senses; and, perhaps, everything outside helps to keep us limited within its narrow bounds. The whole world may combine to prevent us from broadening out beyond the present. Yet, so long as there is death, the question must come again and again, "Is death the end of all these things to which we are clinging, as if they were the most real of all realities, the most substantial of all substances?" The world vanishes in a moment and is gone. Standing on the brink of a precipice beyond which is the infinite yawning chasm, every mind, however hardened, is bound to recoil and ask, "Is this real?" The hopes of a lifetime, built up little by little with all the energies of a great mind, vanish in a second. Are they real? This question must be answered. Time never lessens its power; on the other hand, it adds strength to it.
Then there is the desire to be happy. We run after everything to make ourselves happy; we pursue our mad career in the external world of senses. If you ask the young man with whom life is successful, he will declare that it is real; and he really thinks so. Perhaps, when the same man grows old and finds fortune ever eluding him, he will then declare that it is fate. He finds at last that his desires cannot be fulfilled. Wherever he goes, there is an adamantine wall beyond which he cannot pass. Every sense-activity results in a reaction. Everything is evanescent. Enjoyment, misery, luxury, wealth, power, and poverty, even life itself, are all evanescent.
Two positions remain to mankind. One is to believe with the nihilists that all is nothing, that we know nothing, that we can never know anything either about the future, the past, or even the present. For we must remember that he who denies the past and the future and wants to stick to the present is simply a madman. One may as well deny the father and mother and assert the child. It would be equally logical. To deny the past and future, the present must inevitably be denied also. This is one position, that of the nihilists. I have never seen a man who could really become a nihilist for one minute. It is very easy to talk.
Then there is the other position — to seek for an explanation, to seek for the real, to discover in the midst of this eternally changing and evanescent world whatever is real. In this body which is an aggregate of molecules of matter, is there anything which is real? This has been the search throughout the history of the, human mind. In the very oldest times, we often find glimpses of light coming into men's minds. We find man, even then, going a step beyond this body, finding something which is not this external body, although very much like it, much more complete, much more perfect, and which remains even when this body is dissolved. We read in the hymns of the Rig-Veda, addressed to the God of Fire who is burning a dead body, "Carry him, O Fire, in your arms gently, give him a perfect body, a bright body, carry him where the fathers live, where there is no more sorrow, where there is no more death." The same idea you will find present in every religion. And we get another idea with it. It is a significant fact that all religions, without one exception, hold that man is a degeneration of what he was, whether they clothe this in mythological words, or in the clear language of philosophy, or in the beautiful expressions of poetry. This is the one fact that comes out of every scripture and of every mythology that the man that is, is a degeneration of what he was. This is the kernel of truth within the story of Adam's fall in the Jewish scripture. This is again and again repeated in the scriptures of the Hindus; the dream of a period which they call the Age of Truth, when no man died unless he wished to die, when he could keep his body as long as he liked, and his mind was pure and strong. There was no evil and no misery; and the present age is a corruption of that state of perfection. Side by side with this, we find the story of the deluge everywhere. That story itself is a proof that this present age is held to be a corruption of a former age by every religion. It went on becoming more and more corrupt until the deluge swept away a large portion of mankind, and again the ascending series began. It is going up slowly again to reach once more that early state of purity. You are all aware of the story of the deluge in the Old Testament. The same story was current among the ancient Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Chinese, and the Hindus. Manu, a great ancient sage, was praying on the bank of the Gangâ, when a little minnow came to him for protection, and he put it into a pot of water he had before him. "What do you want?" asked Manu. The little minnow declared he was pursued by a bigger fish and wanted protection. Manu carried the little fish to his home, and in the morning he had become as big as the pot and said, "I cannot live in this pot any longer". Manu put him in a tank, and the next day he was as big as the tank and declared he could not live there any more. So Manu had to take him to a river, and in the morning the fish filled the river. Then Manu put him in the ocean, and he declared, "Manu, I am the Creator of the universe. I have taken this form to come and warn you that I will deluge the world. You build an ark and in it put a pair of every kind of animal, and let your family enter the ark, and there will project out of the water my horn. Fasten the ark to it; and when the deluge subsides, come out and people the earth." So the world was deluged, and Manu saved his own family and two of every kind of animal and seeds of every plant. When the deluge subsided, he came and peopled the world; and we are all called "man", because we are the progeny of Manu.
Now, human language is the attempt to express the truth that is within. I am fully persuaded that a baby whose language consists of unintelligible sounds is attempting to express the highest philosophy, only the baby has not the organs to express it nor the means. The difference between the language of the highest philosophers and the utterances of babies is one of degree and not of kind. What you call the most correct, systematic, mathematical language of the present time, and the hazy, mystical, mythological languages of the ancients, differ only in degree. All of them have a grand idea behind, which is, as it were, struggling to express itself; and often behind these ancient mythologies are nuggets of truth; and often, I am sorry to say, behind the fine, polished phrases of the moderns is arrant trash. So, we need not throw a thing overboard because it is clothed in mythology, because it does not fit in with the notions of Mr. So-and-so or Mrs. So-and-so of modern times. If people should laugh at religion because most religions declare that men must believe in mythologies taught by such and such a prophet, they ought to laugh more at these moderns. In modern times, if a man quotes a Moses or a Buddha or a Christ, he is laughed at; but let him give the name of a Huxley, a Tyndall, or a Darwin, and it is swallowed without salt. "Huxley has said it", that is enough for many. We are free from superstitions indeed! That was a religious superstition, and this a scientific superstition; only, in and through that superstition came life-giving ideas of spirituality; in and through this modern superstition come lust and greed. That superstition was worship of God, and this superstition is worship of filthy lucre, of fame or power. That is the difference.
To return to mythology. Behind all these stories we find one idea standing supreme — that man is a degeneration of what he was. Coming to the present times, modern research seems to repudiate this position absolutely. Evolutionists seem to contradict entirely this assertion. According to them, man is the evolution of the mollusc; and, therefore, what mythology states cannot be true. There is in India, however, a mythology which is able to reconcile both these positions. The Indian mythology has a theory of cycles, that all progression is in the form of waves. Every wave is attended by a fall, and that by a rise the next moment, that by a fall in the next, and again another rise The motion is in cycles. Certainly it is true, even on the grounds of modern research, that man cannot be simply an evolution. Every evolution presupposes an involution. The modern scientific man will tell you that you can only get the amount of energy out of a machine which you have previously put into it. Something cannot be produced out of nothing. If a man is an evolution of the mollusc, then the perfect man — the Buddha-man, the Christ-man — was involved in the mollusc. If it is not so, whence come these gigantic personalities? Something cannot come out of nothing. Thus we are in the position of reconciling the scriptures with modern light. That energy which manifests itself slowly through various stages until it becomes the perfect man, cannot come out of nothing. It existed somewhere; and if the mollusc or the protoplasm is the first point to which you can trace it, that protoplasm, somehow or other, must have contained the energy.
There is a great discussion going on as to whether the aggregate of materials we call the body is the cause of manifestation of the force we call the soul, thought, etc., or whether it is the thought that manifests this body. The religions of the world of course hold that the force called thought manifests the body, and not the reverse. There are schools of modern thought which hold that what we call thought is simply the outcome of the adjustment of the parts of the machine which we call body. Taking the second position that the soul or the mass of thought, or however you may call it, is the outcome of this machine, the outcome of the chemical and physical combinations of matter making up the body and brain, leaves the question unanswered. What makes the body? What force combines the molecules into the body form? What force is there which takes up material from the mass of matter around and forms my body one way, another body another way, and so on? What makes these infinite distinctions? To say that the force called soul is the outcome of the combinations of the molecules of the body is putting the cart before the horse. How did the combinations come; where was the force to make them? If you say that some other force was the cause of these combinations, and soul was the outcome of that matter, and that soul — which combined a certain mass of matter — was itself the result of the combinations, it is no answer. That theory ought to be taken which explains most of the facts, if not all, and that without contradicting other existing theories. It is more logical to say that the force which takes up the matter and forms the body is the same which manifests through that body. To say, therefore, that the thought forces manifested by the body are the outcome of the arrangement of molecules and have no independent existence has no meaning; neither can force evolve out of matter. Rather it is possible to demonstrate that what we call matter does not exist at all. It is only a certain state of force. Solidity, hardness, or any other state of matter can be proved to be the result of motion. Increase of vortex motion imparted to fluids gives them the force of solids. A mass of air in vortex motion, as in a tornado, becomes solid-like and by its impact breaks or cuts through solids. A thread of a spider's web, if it could be moved at almost infinite velocity, would be as strong as an iron chain and would cut through an oak tree. Looking at it in this way, it would be easier to prove that what we call matter does not exist. But the other way cannot be proved.
What is the force which manifests itself through the body? It is obvious to all of us, whatever that force be, that it is taking particles up, as it were, and manipulating forms out of them — the human body. None else comes here to manipulate bodies for you and me. I never saw anybody eat food for me. I have to assimilate it, manufacture blood and bones and everything out of that food. What is this mysterious force? Ideas about the future and about the past seem to be terrifying to many. To many they seem to be mere speculation.
We will take the present theme. What is this force which is now working through us? We know how in old times, in all the ancient scriptures, this power, this manifestation of power, was thought to be a bright substance having the form of this body, and which remained even after this body fell. Later on, however, we find a higher idea coming — that this bright body did not represent the force. Whatsoever has form must be the result of combinations of particles and requires something else behind it to move it. If this body requires something which is not the body to manipulate it, the bright body, by the same necessity, will also require something other than itself to manipulate it. So, that something was called the soul, the Atman in Sanskrit. It was the Atman which through the bright body, as it were, worked on the gross body outside. The bright body is considered as the receptacle of the mind, and the Atman is beyond that It is not the mind even; it works the mind, and through the mind the body. You have an Atman, I have another each one of us has a separate Atman and a separate fine body, and through that we work on the gross external body. Questions were then asked about this Atman about its nature. What is this Atman, this soul of man which is neither the body nor the mind? Great discussions followed. Speculations were made, various shades of philosophic inquiry came into existence; and I shall try to place before you some of the conclusions that have been reached about this Atman.
The different philosophies seem to agree that this Atman, whatever it be, has neither form nor shape, and that which has neither form nor shape must be omnipresent. Time begins with mind, space also is in the mind. Causation cannot stand without time. Without the idea of succession there cannot be any idea of causation. Time, space and causation, therefore, are in the mind, and as this Atman is beyond the mind and formless, it must be beyond time, beyond space, and beyond causation. Now, if it is beyond time, space, and causation, it must be infinite. Then comes the highest speculation in our philosophy. The infinite cannot be two. If the soul be infinite, there can be only one Soul, and all ideas of various souls — you having one soul, and I having another, and so forth — are not real. The Real Man, therefore, is one and infinite, the omnipresent Spirit. And the apparent man is only a limitation of that Real Man. In that sense the mythologies are true that the apparent man, however great he may be, is only a dim reflection of the Real Man who is beyond. The Real Man, the Spirit, being beyond cause and effect, not bound by time and space, must, therefore, be free. He was never bound, and could not be bound. The apparent man, the reflection, is limited by time, space, and causation, and is, therefore, bound. Or in the language of some of our philosophers, he appears to be bound, but really is not. This is the reality in our souls, this omnipresence, this spiritual nature, this infinity. Every soul is infinite, therefore there is no question of birth and death. Some children were being examined. The examiner put them rather hard questions, and among them was this one: "Why does not the earth fall?" He wanted to evoke answers about gravitation. Most of the children could not answer at all; a few answered that it was gravitation or something. One bright little girl answered it by putting another question: "Where should it fall?" The question is nonsense. Where should the earth fall? There is no falling or rising for the earth. In infinite space there is no up or down; that is only in the relative. Where is the going or coming for the infinite? Whence should it come and whither should it go?
Thus, when people cease to think of the past or future, when they give up the idea of body, because the body comes and goes and is limited, then they have risen to a higher ideal. The body is not the Real Man, neither is the mind, for the mind waxes and wanes. It is the Spirit beyond, which alone can live for ever. The body and mind are continually changing, and are, in fact, only names of series of changeful phenomena, like rivers whose waters are in a constant state of flux, yet presenting the appearance of unbroken streams. Every particle in this body is continually changing; no one has the same body for many minutes together, and yet we think of it as the same body. So with the mind; one moment it is happy, another moment unhappy; one moment strong, another weak; an ever-changing whirlpool. That cannot be the Spirit which is infinite. Change can only be in the limited. To say that the infinite changes in any way is absurd; it cannot be. You can move and I can move, as limited bodies; every particle in this universe is in a constant state of flux, but taking the universe as a unit, as one whole, it cannot move, it cannot change. Motion is always a relative thing. I move in relation to something else. Any particle in this universe can change in relation to any other particle; but take the whole universe as one, and in relation to what can it move? There is nothing besides it. So this infinite Unit is unchangeable, immovable, absolute, and this is the Real Man. Our reality, therefore, consists in the Universal and not in the limited. These are old delusions, however comfortable they are, to think that we are little limited beings, constantly changing. People are frightened when they are told that they are Universal Being, everywhere present. Through everything you work, through every foot you move, through every lip you talk, through every heart you feel.
People are frightened when they are told this. They will again and again ask you if they are not going to keep their individuality. What is individuality? I should like to see it. A baby has no moustache; when he grows to be a man, perhaps he has a moustache and beard. His individuality would be lost, if it were in the body. If I lose one eye, or if I lose one of my hands, my individuality would be lost if it were in the body. Then, a drunkard should not give up drinking because he would lose his individuality. A thief should not be a good man because he would thereby lose his individuality. No man ought to change his habits for fear of this. There is no individuality except in the Infinite. That is the only condition which does not change. Everything else is in a constant state of flux. Neither can individuality be in memory. Suppose, on account of a blow on the head I forget all about my past; then, I have lost all individuality; I am gone. I do not remember two or three years of my childhood, and if memory and existence are one, then whatever I forget is gone. That part of my life which I do not remember, I did not live. That is a very narrow idea of individuality.
We are not individuals yet. We are struggling towards individuality, and that is the Infinite, that is the real nature of man. He alone lives whose life is in the whole universe, and the more we concentrate our lives on limited things, the faster we go towards death. Those moments alone we live when our lives are in the universe, in others; and living this little life is death, simply death, and that is why the fear of death comes. The fear of death can only be conquered when man realises that so long as there is one life in this universe, he is living. When he can say, "I am in everything, in everybody, I am in all lives, I am the universe," then alone comes the state of fearlessness. To talk of immortality in constantly changing things is absurd. Says an old Sanskrit philosopher: It is only the Spirit that is the individual, because it is infinite. No infinity can be divided; infinity cannot be broken into pieces. It is the same one, undivided unit for ever, and this is the individual man, the Real Man. The apparent man is merely a struggle to express, to manifest this individuality which is beyond; and evolution is not in the Spirit. These changes which are going on — the wicked becoming good, the animal becoming man, take them in whatever way you like — are not in the Spirit. They are evolution of nature and manifestation of Spirit. Suppose there is a screen hiding you from me, in which there is a small hole through which I can see some of the faces before me, just a few faces. Now suppose the hole begins to grow larger and larger, and as it does so, more and more of the scene before me reveals itself and when at last the whole screen has disappeared, I stand face to face with you all. You did not change at all in this case; it was the hole that was evolving, and you were gradually manifesting yourselves. So it is with the Spirit. No perfection is going to be attained. You are already free and perfect. What are these ideas of religion and God and searching for the hereafter? Why does man look for a God? Why does man, in every nation, in every state of society, want a perfect ideal somewhere, either in man, in God, or elsewhere? Because that idea is within you. It was your own heart beating and you did not know; you were mistaking it for something external. It is the God within your own self that is propelling you to seek for Him, to realise Him. After long searches here and there, in temples and in churches, in earths and in heavens, at last you come back, completing the circle from where you started, to your own soul and find that He for whom you have been seeking all over the world, for whom you have been weeping and praying in churches and temples, on whom you were looking as the mystery of all mysteries shrouded in the clouds, is nearest of the near, is your own Self, the reality of your life, body, and soul. That is your own nature. Assert it, manifest it. Not to become pure, you are pure already. You are not to be perfect, you are that already. Nature is like that screen which is hiding the reality beyond. Every good thought that you think or act upon is simply tearing the veil, as it were; and the purity, the Infinity, the God behind, manifests Itself more and more.
This is the whole history of man. Finer and finer becomes the veil, more and more of the light behind shines forth, for it is its nature to shine. It cannot be known; in vain we try to know it. Were it knowable, it would not be what it is, for it is the eternal subject. Knowledge is a limitation, knowledge is objectifying. He is the eternal subject of everything, the eternal witness in this universe, your own Self. Knowledge is, as it were, a lower step, a degeneration. We are that eternal subject already; how can we know it? It is the real nature of every man, and he is struggling to express it in various ways; otherwise, why are there so many ethical codes? Where is the explanation of all ethics? One idea stands out as the centre of all ethical systems, expressed in various forms, namely, doing good to others. The guiding motive of mankind should be charity towards men, charity towards all animals. But these are all various expressions of that eternal truth that, "I am the universe; this universe is one." Or else, where is the reason? Why should I do good to my fellowmen? Why should I do good to others? What compels me? It is sympathy, the feeling of sameness everywhere. The hardest hearts feel sympathy for other beings sometimes. Even the man who gets frightened if he is told that this assumed individuality is really a delusion, that it is ignoble to try to cling to this apparent individuality, that very man will tell you that extreme self-abnegation is the centre of all morality. And what is perfect self-abnegation? It means the abnegation of this apparent self, the abnegation of all selfishness. This idea of "me and mine" — Ahamkâra and Mamatâ — is the result of past Superstition, and the more this present self passes away, the more the real Self becomes manifest. This is true self-abnegation, the centre, the basis, the gist of all moral teaching; and whether man knows it or not the whole world is slowly going towards it, practicing it more or less. Only, the vast majority of mankind are doing it unconsciously. Let them do it consciously. Let then make the sacrifice, knowing that this "me and mine" is not the real Self, but only a limitation. But one glimpse Of that infinite reality which is behind — but one spark of that infinite fire that is the All — represents the present man; the Infinite is his true nature.
What is the utility, the effect, the result, of this knowledge? In these days, we have to measure everything by utility — by how many pounds shillings, and pence it represents. What right has a person to ask that truth should be judged by the standard of utility or money? Suppose there is no utility, will it be less true? Utility is not the test of truth. Nevertheless, there is the highest utility in this. Happiness, we see is what everyone is seeking for, but the majority seek it in things which are evanescent and not real. No happiness was ever found in the senses. There never was a person who found happiness in the senses or in enjoyment of the senses. Happiness is only found in the Spirit. Therefore the highest utility for mankind is to find this happiness in the Spirit. The next point is that ignorance is the great mother of all misery, and the fundamental ignorance is to think that the Infinite weeps and cries, that He is finite. This is the basis of all ignorance that we, the immortal, the ever pure, the perfect Spirit, think that we are little minds, that we are little bodies; it is the mother of all selfishness. As soon as I think that I am a little body, I want to preserve it, to protect it, to keep it nice, at the expense of other bodies; then you and I become separate. As soon as this idea of separation comes, it opens the door to all mischief and leads to all misery. This is the utility that if a very small fractional part of human beings living today can put aside the idea of selfishness, narrowness, and littleness, this earth will become a paradise tomorrow; but with machines and improvements of material knowledge only, it will never be. These only increase misery, as oil poured on fire increases the flame all the more. Without the knowledge of the Spirit, all material knowledge is only adding fuel to fire, only giving into the hands of selfish man one more instrument to take what belongs to others, to live upon the life of others, instead of giving up his life for them.
Is it practical ? — is another question. Can it be practised in modern society? Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay homage to Truth or die. Societies should be moulded upon truth, and truth has not to adjust itself to society. If such a noble truth as unselfishness cannot be practiced in society, it is better for man to give up society and go into the forest. That is the daring man. There are two sorts of courage. One is the courage of facing the cannon. And the other is the courage of spiritual conviction. An Emperor who invaded India was told by his teacher to go and see some of the sages there. After a long search for one, he found a very old man sitting on a block of stone. The Emperor talked with him a little and became very much impressed by his wisdom. He asked the sage to go to his country with him. "No," said the sage, "I am quite satisfied with my forest here." Said the Emperor, "I will give you money, position, wealth. I am the Emperor of the world." "No," replied the man, "I don't care for those things." The Emperor replied, "If you do not go, I will kill you." The man smiled serenely and said, "That is the most foolish thing you ever said, Emperor. You cannot kill me. Me the sun cannot dry, fire cannot burn, sword cannot kill, for I am the birthless, the deathless, the ever-living omnipotent, omnipresent Spirit." This is spiritual boldness, while the other is the courage of a lion or a tiger. In the Mutiny of 1857 there was a Swami, a very great soul, whom a Mohammedan mutineer stabbed severely. The Hindu mutineers caught and brought the man to the Swami, offering to kill him. But the Swami looked up calmly and said, "My brother, thou art He, thou art He!" and expired. This is another instance. What good is it to talk of the strength of your muscles, of the superiority of your Western institutions, if you cannot make Truth square with your society, if you cannot build up a society into which the highest Truth will fit? What is the good of this boastful talk about your grandeur and greatness, if you stand up and say, "This courage is not practical." Is nothing practical but pounds, shillings, and pence? If so, why boast of your society? That society is the greatest, where the highest truths become practical. That is my opinion; and if society is; not fit for the highest truths, make it so; and the sooner, the better. Stand up, men and women, in this spirit, dare to believe in the Truth, dare to practice the Truth! The world requires a few hundred bold men and women. Practise that boldness which dares know the Truth, which dares show the Truth in life, which does not quake before death, nay, welcomes death, makes a man know that he, is the Spirit, that, in the whole universe, nothing can kill him. Then you will be free. Then you will know yours real Soul. "This Atman is first to be heard, then thoughts about and then meditated upon."
There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought, there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure. We have hypnotised ourselves into this thought that we are little, that we are born, and that we are going to die, and into a constant state of fear.
There is a story about a lioness, who was big with young, going about in search of prey; and seeing a flock of sheep, she jumped upon them. She died in the effort; and a little baby lion was born, motherless. It was taken care of by the sheep and the sheep brought it up, and it grew up with them, ate grass, and bleated like the sheep. And although in time it became a big, full-grown lion. It thought it was a sheep. One day another lion came in search of prey and was astonished to find that in the midst of this flock of sheep was a lion, fleeing like the sheep at the approach of danger. He tried to get near the sheep-lion, to tell it that it was not a sheep but a lion; but the poor animal fled at his approach. However, he watched his opportunity and one day found the sheep-lion sleeping. He approached it and said, "You are a lion." "I am a sheep," cried the other lion and could not believe the contrary but bleated. The lion dragged him towards a lake and said, "Look here, here is my reflection and yours." Then came the comparison. It looked at the lion and then at its own reflection, and in a moment came the idea that it was a lion. The lion roared, the bleating was gone. You are lions, you are souls, pure, infinite, and perfect. The might of the universe is within you. "Why weepest thou, my friend? There is neither birth nor death for thee. Why weepest thou? There is no disease nor misery for thee, but thou art like the infinite sky; clouds of various colours come over it, play for a moment, then vanish. But the sky is ever the same eternal blue." Why do we see wickedness? There was a stump of a tree, and in the dark, a thief came that way and said, "That is a policeman." A young man waiting for his beloved saw it and thought that it was his sweetheart. A child who had been told ghost stories took it for a ghost and began to shriek. But all the time it was the stump of a tree. We see the world as we are. Suppose there is a baby in a room with a bag of gold on the table and a thief comes and steals the gold. Would the baby know it was stolen? That which we have inside, we see outside. The baby has no thief inside and sees no thief outside. So with all knowledge. Do not talk of the wickedness of the world and all its sins. Weep that you are bound to see wickedness yet. Weep that you are bound to see sin everywhere, and if you want to help the world, do not condemn it. Do not weaken it more. For what is sin and what is misery, and what are all these, but the results of weakness? The world is made weaker and weaker every day by such teachings. Men are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children of immortality, even those who are the weakest in manifestation. Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing ones. Say to your own minds, "I am He, I am He." Let it ring day and night in your minds like a song, and at the point of death declare "I am He." That is the Truth; the infinite strength of the world is yours. Drive out the superstition that has covered your minds. Let us be brave. Know the Truth and practice the Truth. The goal may be distant, but awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。