多样中的统一
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中文
1→第九章 2→ 3→多样中的统一 4→ 5→（1896年11月3日讲于伦敦） 6→ 7→"自存者将诸感官向外投射，因此，人向外观望，而非内省自身。某位智者，渴求不朽， 8→以倒转的感官，觉知了内在的真我[Atman]。"如我已然所言， 9→我们在吠陀中所发现的最初探究，是关于外在事物的， 10→继而一种新的观念出现了——事物的实相并非存在于 11→外部世界；不是向外凝视，而是如文字所字面表达的那样，将目光转向内在。而用于灵魂的词汇 12→极为深刻：它指的是那位已转向内在的存在，是我们 13→存在最深处的实相，是心之中枢，是核心，仿佛一切从那里 14→涌现而出；是中央之日，心意、身体、感官，以及 15→我们所有的一切，皆不过是向外散射的光芒。"孩童般心智的人， 16→无知之辈，追逐外在的欲望，落入 17→死亡绵延的罗网，但智者，了悟不朽， 18→从不在这有限事物的人生中寻求永恒。"同样的观念在此 19→清晰呈现——在这充满有限事物的外在世界中， 20→不可能目睹并寻见无限。无限唯有在那本身亦是无限者中方能寻得，而我们之中 21→唯一的无限，正是我们内心所有，是我们自己的灵魂。身体不是，心意不是， 22→甚至我们的思想，还有我们眼前所见的世界，皆非无限。那观者， 23→那一切所归属的主人，人的灵魂，那在内在人中觉醒的他，方是无限，而为寻见 24→这整个宇宙的无限因，我们必须前往那里。唯在无限灵魂中我们方能寻得。"此处有者， 25→彼处亦有，彼处有者，此处亦有。那见到多者， 26→从死走向死。"我们已见，起初有升入天堂的渴望。当这些古代雅利安人对 27→身边的世界感到不满，他们自然地思忖，死后将前往 28→某个满溢幸福而无有苦难之处；这些 29→地方他们层层叠加，称为Svarga——此词可译为 30→天堂——在那里将有永恒的欢乐，身体将变得完美， 31→心意亦然，他们将与先祖同住。但一旦 32→哲学出现，人们便发现这是不可能的，也是荒诞的。 33→"在空间中的无限"这一观念本身将是自相矛盾的，因为 34→地点必然在时间中开始并延续。因此他们不得不放弃那 35→观念。他们发现，住在这些天界的神明曾一度是地上的 36→人类，通过善业而成为神明，而所谓的"神性状态"， 37→如他们所称，是不同的状态，是不同的位置； 38→吠陀中所提及的任何神明都不是永久的个体。 39→ 40→例如，因陀罗与伐楼那并非某些具体人物的名字，而是 41→诸如统治者等职位的名称。从前存在的那位因陀罗与 42→当今的因陀罗并非同一人；那位已经离去，而 43→另一位来自地上的人填补了他的位置。所有其他神明亦然。 44→这些是某些职位，由已将自身提升至神明境界的人类灵魂 45→相继担任，然而即便他们也会死去。 46→在古老的梨俱吠陀中，我们发现"不朽"一词被用于描述这些 47→神明，但后来它被完全摒弃，因为他们发现，超越 48→时间与空间的不朽，不能用于描述任何 49→物质形式，无论那形式多么精微。无论它多么精细，它必定 50→在时间与空间中有一个开始，因为进入 51→形式构成的必要因素存在于空间之中。试着设想一个不在 52→空间中的形式：这是不可能的。空间是构成形式的材料之一，可以说， 53→而这在不断变化。空间与时间存在于幻象[Maya]之中，这一观念表达于这一行——"此处有者，彼处亦有。" 54→若这些神明存在，他们必定受到同样的法则约束， 55→而所有法则都涉及毁灭与一再更新。 56→这些法则将物质塑造成不同形式，又将它们碾碎。 57→一切生者皆必死；因此，若有天界，同样的法则 58→必定在那里有效。 59→ 60→在这个世界上，我们发现一切幸福之后都跟随着苦难，如其 61→影子。生命有其影子，即死亡。它们必须相伴而行，因为它们 62→并非对立，并非两种分离的存在，而是同一单元——生与死、悲与喜、善与恶——的不同显现。 63→善与恶是两个分离实体并皆永恒运行的二元论观念， 64→从表面上看便是荒诞的。它们是同一事实的 65→多元显现，有时显现为坏， 66→有时显现为好。差别不在于种类，而仅在于 67→程度。它们彼此之间的差别在于强度的程度。我们确实发现， 68→同样的神经系统同样携带着好的与坏的感觉，而 69→当神经受损时，两种感觉都不再传达给我们。若某条 70→神经麻痹，我们不再获得曾经沿那条线传来的愉快感觉，而同时我们 71→也不再获得痛苦的感觉， 72→亦然。它们从不是两个，而是同一个。再者，同样的事物 73→在人生的不同时期带来快乐与痛苦。同样的现象会 74→给一人带来快乐，给另一人带来痛苦。吃肉给人带来 75→快乐，但给被吃的动物带来痛苦。从来没有 76→任何东西能给所有人同样带来快乐。一些人高兴， 77→另一些人不高兴。如此将永远持续下去。因此，存在的这种二元性 78→被否定了。接下来会是什么？我在上次讲座中告诉你们，我们永远不可能 79→在这大地上最终拥有一切善而没有任何恶。这或许 80→令你们中的一些人失望和惶恐，但我无能为力，当有人向我展示相反的情况时， 81→我愿接受说服；但在那被证明给我， 82→并且我能发现它是真实的之前，我无法如此说。 83→ 84→反对我观点的一般论据，表面上看非常有说服力， 85→是这样的：在进化的过程中，我们 86→周围所见的一切邪恶正在逐渐被消除，其结果是，若这种 87→消除持续数百万年，终将到来一个时刻，所有的 88→邪恶都将被根除，唯有善独留。这表面上 89→是一个非常合理的论据。但愿神使之成真！但其中有一个谬误， 90→那就是它将善与恶都视为永久固定的事物。它预设 91→存在一定数量的邪恶，可以用百计，同样也有一定数量 92→的善，而这些邪恶每天都在减少，只留下 93→善。但果真如此吗？世界的历史显示，邪恶是一个 94→不断增加的量，善亦如此。取最低等的人；他 95→生活在森林中。他的享乐感非常有限，他所受苦难的能力 96→亦然。他的痛苦完全在感官层面。若他 97→得不到足够的食物，他就痛苦；但给他充足的食物和 98→自由漫游、狩猎，他就完全快乐。他的幸福 99→只在感官中，他的苦难亦然。但若那个人 100→增长了知识，他的快乐将增加，智识将向他敞开，而他的感官享受将进化为智识享受。 101→他将感受到阅读一首美丽诗歌的快乐，而一个数学问题 102→将对他充满迷人的兴趣。但随之而来的是，内在的神经将 103→变得越来越敏感，对那些野蛮人从不在意的心理痛苦更加敏感。 104→举一个非常简单的例子。在西藏没有婚姻， 105→因此没有嫉妒，然而我们知道婚姻是一种 106→更高的状态。西藏人不知道那种美妙的享受， 107→贞洁的祝福，拥有一位贞洁、有德行的妻子或 108→贞洁、有德行的丈夫的幸福。这些人无法感受到这些。同样地，他们 109→也感受不到贞洁的妻子或丈夫那强烈的嫉妒，或 110→不忠所带来的苦难，以及所有那些相信贞洁者所经历的心碎 111→与悲伤。在一方面，后者获得了幸福，但在另一方面，他们亦承受了苦难。 112→ 113→看看你们的国家，那是世界上最富有的，也比任何其他国家都更奢华，看看苦难是多么深重，与其他种族相比，你们有多少更多的 114→精神病患者，这仅仅是因为欲望是如此强烈。一个人必须维持高标准的生活，而他一年花费的钱在印度 115→对一个人来说将是一笔财富。你无法 116→向他宣扬简朴的生活，因为社会对他的要求如此之多。 117→社会的车轮滚滚向前；它不会为寡妇的泪水或 118→孤儿的哭声而停止。这是处处的现状。你的享乐感 119→已经发展，你的社会比某些其他社会要美丽得多。 120→你有更多可以享受的东西。但那些拥有较少的人所承受的 121→苦难也少得多。你可以如此逐一论证，你大脑中的理想越崇高， 122→ 123→你的享乐越大，你的苦难就越深。 124→一者如同另一者的影子。邪恶正在被消除或许是真的，但若如此， 125→善也必定在消退。但邪恶不是正在迅速增多，而善在减少，如我可以这样说？若 126→善以算术级数增加，恶就以几何级数增加。 127→而这便是幻象。这既非乐观主义也非悲观主义。 128→吠檀多不持这个世界只是苦难的立场。 129→那将是不真实的。同时，说这个世界充满幸福与祝福也是错误的。因此，告诉孩子们 130→这个世界是全善的、全是鲜花、全是牛奶与蜂蜜，是没有用的。这是 131→我们所有人曾经梦想过的。同时，认为因为某人受苦比另一人更多， 132→因此一切皆是邪恶，这也是错误的。正是这种二元性， 133→善恶的这种游戏，构成了我们的经验世界。同时 134→吠檀多说，"不要认为善与恶是两个，是两种 135→分离的本质，因为它们是同一事物，以 136→不同程度与不同伪装出现，在 137→同一心意中产生不同的感受。"因此，吠檀多的第一个思想是 138→在外在中寻找统一；那唯一的存在显现着自身， 139→无论其在显现中看起来多么不同。想想古老粗陋的 140→波斯人理论——两位神明创造这个世界，善神做 141→一切善事，而恶者，做一切恶事。单从表面上看， 142→你就能见其荒谬，因为若它被贯彻，自然的每条法则 143→必须有两个部分，一个由一位神明操控，然后他 144→离去，另一位神明操控另一个部分。困难在于 145→两者都在同一个世界中运作，而这两位神明通过 146→伤害某一部分并对另一部分行善来保持彼此和谐。 147→当然，这是一个粗陋的情形，是表达存在二元性 148→最粗陋的方式。但且看那更为进步、更为抽象的理论—— 149→这个世界部分是善，部分是恶。从同样的立场 150→论证，这也是荒诞的。正是统一的法则给我们食物，而 151→正是同样的法则通过事故或不幸杀死了许多人。 152→ 153→那么我们发现，这个世界既非乐观也非悲观；它是 154→两者的混合，当我们前进时，我们将发现所有的责难都从 155→自然那里被移走，放在了我们自己的肩上。同时， 156→吠檀多指示出了出路，但不是通过否认邪恶，因为它 157→勇敢地分析了事实原貌，并不寻求隐藏任何东西。它不是 158→绝望的；它不是不可知论的。它找到了一种救治方法，但它想要 159→将那救治方法建立在磐石般的基础上：不是通过封住孩子的嘴，用 160→不真实的东西蒙上他的眼睛，而那孩子几天后就会发现真相。我记得当我年轻时，一位年轻人的父亲 161→死去，留给他一个贫困的处境和一大家子需要养活，他发现 162→他父亲的朋友们不愿意帮助他。他与一位神职人员有一次谈话， 163→那人提供了这样的安慰，"哦，这一切都是善的，一切都是 164→为我们的善而送来的。"那是在旧溃疡上敷一片金箔的老方法。 165→这是软弱的表白，荒诞的表白。那位年轻人 166→离开了，六个月后一个儿子降生于那位神职人员， 167→而他举办了一个感恩派对，那位年轻人受邀参加。 168→那位神职人员祈祷，"感谢神的慈悲。"那位年轻人站起来 169→说，"停下，这一切都是苦难。"那位神职人员问，"为何？""因为 170→当我父亲死去时，你说那是善，尽管表面上看是恶；因此现在， 171→这表面上看是善，但实际上是恶。"这就是治疗 172→世界苦难的方法吗？要善良，怜悯那些受苦的人。不要试图 173→拼凑修补，什么都无法治愈这个世界；超越它去吧。 174→ 175→这是一个善与恶的世界。无论哪里有善，恶便随之而来，但 176→在所有这些显现之后与背后，在所有这些矛盾背后， 177→吠檀多发现了那一体性。它说，"舍弃恶，同样也舍弃善。" 178→那留下来的是什么？在善与恶背后屹立着某种属于你的东西， 179→真实的你，超越一切邪恶，也超越一切善， 180→而正是那个在显现着善与恶。首先认识那个， 181→然后才只有那时，你才是真正的乐观主义者，而非在此之前；因为 182→那时你将能够控制一切。控制这些显现， 183→而你将自由地显现真实的"你"。首先成为 184→自己的主人，站立起来，获得自由，超越这些法则的范围，因为这些 185→法则并不绝对统治你，它们只是你存在的一部分。首先 186→发现你不是自然的奴隶，从未如此，也永不如此； 187→这自然，无论你认为它多么无限，它只是有限的，是大海中的一滴， 188→而你的灵魂是大海；你超越星辰、太阳， 189→与月亮。它们与你无限的存在相比，如同微小的气泡。认识到 190→这点，你将控制善与恶。那时，整个视野 191→将改变，你将站立起来说，"善是多么美丽， 192→恶是多么奇妙！" 193→ 194→这便是吠檀多所教导的。它不提出任何草率的救治方法，通过 195→用金箔覆盖伤口，伤口越溃烂，便贴上 196→更多的金箔。这生命是一个艰难的事实；大胆地走过它， 197→即便它坚硬如金刚；无论如何，灵魂更为强大。它不把 198→责任推给小神明；因为你是自己命运的创造者。 199→你使自己受苦，你创造善与恶，而正是你把 200→双手放在眼前，说天是黑暗的。移开你的双手，看见 201→光明；你是光辉的，你从一开始就已是完美的。我们现在 202→理解了这节经文："那看见此处多者，从死走向死。" 203→看见那唯一，获得自由。
1→我们如何才能见到它？这心意，如此迷惑，如此软弱，如此容易被引导，即便是 2→这心意也能变得强大，或许得窥那知识、那 3→一体性的片刻，它使我们从一死再死中得救。如同落于 4→山上的雨水沿山坡流下形成各种溪流，如此，所有 5→你所见的能量皆源自那一个本源。它因堕入幻象[Maya]而变得多元。 6→不要追逐多元；走向那一个。"他在一切运动之中；他在一切纯净之中；他充满宇宙；他在 7→祭祀中；他是家中的宾客；他在人中、在水中、在 8→动物中、在真理中；他是伟大的一者。如同火进入这个世界， 9→在各种形式中显现自身，如此，宇宙的那一个灵魂 10→在所有这些各种形式中显现自身。如同气进入这个 11→宇宙在各种形式中显现，如此，一切灵魂、一切 12→众生的灵魂，正在所有形式中 13→显现自身。"当你了悟了这一体性之后，这对你方才成为真实，而非在此之前。那时才是 14→真正的乐观，因为他被处处见到。问题在于，若这一切皆是 15→真实——那纯一者，真我，那无限者——已进入这一切，他如何 16→受苦，他如何变得悲苦、不净？他不受苦， 17→奥义书说。"如同太阳是每一众生视力的根源， 18→却不因任何眼睛的缺陷而受损，如此，一切的真我 19→不受身体苦难的影响，也不受任何 20→你周遭苦难的影响。"我或许有某种疾病而将一切看成黄色，但太阳 21→并不受此影响。"他是那唯一者，一切的创造者，一切的统治者， 22→每一众生的内在灵魂——他使自己的一体性变为多元。如此， 23→那些将他觉悟为其灵魂之灵魂的贤者，永恒的平和属于他们； 24→不属于其他任何人，不属于其他任何人。那在这无常世界中 25→寻见那永恒不变者的人，那在这死亡宇宙中寻见那唯一 26→生命的人，那在这多元中寻见那一体性的人，以及所有那些 27→将他觉悟为其灵魂之灵魂的人，永恒的平和属于他们； 28→不属于其他任何人，不属于其他任何人。在何处寻他于外在世界，在何处寻他 29→于日月星辰？那里太阳不能照耀， 30→月亮与星辰亦不能，闪电的光芒不能照耀那处； 31→更不必说这必朽之火？他发光，其他一切因此发光。正是 32→他的光芒为它们所借用，而他通过它们照耀。"此处 33→还有另一个美丽的比喻。你们中那些曾在印度见过 34→榕树如何从一根主干生出，向四方延展的人，将 35→理解这个比喻。他就是那棵榕树；他是一切的根，已 36→延伸分支直至成为这整个宇宙，无论他延伸多远， 37→这些每一条主干与枝桠皆 38→相互连接。 39→ 40→吠陀婆罗门部分提到了各种天界，但 41→奥义书的哲学教导放弃了升入天界的观念。 42→幸福不在这个或那个天界，而在于 43→灵魂；地点本身毫无意义。此处是另一段展示 44→不同悟境层次的文字："在先祖的天界，如同 45→人见事物在梦中，如此见到真实。"如同在梦中我们见到 46→事物模糊，不那么清晰，彼处我们如此见到实相。还有 47→另一个称为乾达婆的天界，在那里更不清晰；如同 48→人在水中见到自己的倒影，如此在那里见到实相。 49→印度人所构想的最高天界称为梵世界；而 50→在那里，真理被更清晰地见到，如光与影，但 51→仍未完全清晰。但如同人在镜中见到自己的面容，完美、 52→清晰、明确，如此真理在人的灵魂中闪耀。因此，最高的 53→天界在我们自己的灵魂之中；最伟大的礼拜殿是 54→人的灵魂，比所有天界都伟大，吠檀多如是说；因为在任何天界 55→无论何处，我们都无法像在这 56→今生、在我们自己的灵魂中那样清晰而鲜明地了解实相。改变地点于人 57→并无多大裨益。我在印度时曾以为洞穴会给我更清晰的视野。我发现 58→并非如此。然后我以为森林会如此，再后来，瓦拉纳西。但 59→同样的困难处处存在，因为我们创造了自己的世界。若我是 60→邪恶的，整个世界对我而言便是邪恶的。这正是奥义书所言。而 61→同样的道理适用于所有世界。若我死后前往天界，我将 62→发现同样的情形，因为除非我已净化，否则去洞穴、森林， 63→或去瓦拉纳西，或去天界，都毫无益处，而若我已磨亮了我的镜子，那就 64→无论我住在哪里，我都能如实得见实相。因此，到处奔走是徒劳的， 65→来回奔走，白白耗费本应仅用于 66→磨亮镜子的精力。同样的观念再次被表达："无人 67→见他，无人以眼见其形。他在心意中，在纯洁的 68→心意中被见到，而如此获得不朽。" 69→ 70→那些曾参加胜王瑜伽[Raja Yoga]夏季讲座的人将会有兴趣 71→了解，那时所教导的是一种不同的瑜伽[Yoga]。我们现在所思考的瑜伽 72→主要在于控制感官。当感官成为 73→人的灵魂的奴仆，当它们不再能扰动 74→心意，那时瑜伽行者便达到了目标。"当心的所有虚妄欲望 75→都被舍弃，那时，这个本是必朽者变得不朽，那时他 76→即便在此世便与神合一。当心的所有绳结都被切 77→断，那时，必朽者变得不朽，而他在此处享有梵。" 78→在此，在这大地上，不在别处。 79→ 80→此处应说几句话。你通常会听说这种吠檀多， 81→这种哲学以及其他东方体系，只是仰望遥远的彼岸，让 82→今生的享乐与奋斗随风而逝。这种观念是 83→完全错误的。只有不了解任何东方思想， 84→从未有足够的悟性去理解其 85→真正教导的无知之人，才会这样告诉你。恰恰相反，我们在经典中读到， 86→我们的哲学家不想去往其他世界，反而贬低那些地方， 87→称那里的人只是哭笑片刻便死去的地方。 88→只要我们软弱，我们就必须经历这些体验；但 89→凡是真实的，皆在此处，而那便是人的灵魂。同样被 90→坚持的是，通过自杀，我们无法逃脱那不可避免者； 91→我们无法回避它。但正道是难以寻得的。印度人与 92→西方人同样务实，只是我们对生命的看法不同。一方说， 93→建一座好房子，让我们有好的衣食、智识培养， 94→如此等等，因为这就是生命的全部；在这方面他极为 95→务实。但印度人说，对世界的真正了解意味着对 96→灵魂的了解，形而上学；而他想要享受那种生命。在美国有 97→一位伟大的不可知论者，一个非常高尚的人，一个非常善良的人，一个非常出色的 98→演说家。他讲论宗教，说宗教毫无用处；为何要为其他世界烦恼 99→我们的头脑？他用了这个比喻；我们手头有一个橙子， 100→我们要把果汁全都挤出来。我曾与他相遇，说道， 101→"我完全同意你。我也有一些水果，我也想要 102→挤出果汁。我们的分歧在于对水果的选择。你 103→想要橙子，而我更喜欢芒果。你认为在此生活着、吃喝， 104→拥有一点科学知识便已足够；但你无权 105→说这将适合所有口味。这样的观念对 106→我毫无意义。若我只需学习苹果如何落地，或 107→电流如何震动我的神经，我宁可自杀。我想要 108→了解事物的心脏，那最核心的精髓本身。你的研究是 109→生命的显现，而我的研究是生命本身。我的哲学说你必须 110→了解那个，并从你的心中驱除一切关于天堂地狱以及 111→一切其他迷信的念头，即便它们与这个 112→世界一样真实地存在着。我必须了解这生命的心脏，其最根本的本质，其所是， 113→不仅仅是它如何运作以及其显现是什么。我要一切事物的"为何"， 114→将"如何"留给孩子们。如你国某人所说， 115→'当我在抽一支雪茄时，若我要写一本书，那将是 116→关于雪茄的科学。'科学是伟大而崇高的，愿神祝福 117→他们的探索；但当一个人说那便是全部，他是在 118→愚蠢地说话，不在乎去了解生命的存在理由，从不研究 119→存在本身。我或许可以争辩说你所有的知识都是无稽之谈，没有 120→基础。你在研究生命的显现，当我问你 121→生命是什么，你说你不知道。欢迎你继续你的研究，但请允许 122→我继续我的。" 123→ 124→我是务实的，在我自己的方式上非常务实。因此，你认为只有 125→西方才务实的观念是无稽之谈。你在一种方式上务实，而我在 126→另一种方式上。人与心智各有不同类型。若在东方有人被 127→告知他将通过一生单腿站立而寻得真理，他 128→将追求那种方法。若在西方人们听说在某个未开化的国家有一座金矿， 129→数千人将不顾那里的危险， 130→希望获取黄金；或许只有一人成功。同样的 131→人听说他们有灵魂，却满足于将对灵魂的关怀 132→交给教会。第一个人不会靠近那些野蛮人，他说那 133→可能很危险。但若我们告诉他，在一座高山顶上 134→住着一位能给予他灵魂知识的奇异圣者，他会试图 135→攀爬上去，即便在尝试中丧命也无所畏惧。两种类型的人都是 136→务实的，但错误在于将这个世界视为整个 137→生命。你的是感官享乐的消亡点——其中 138→没有任何永久的东西，它只会带来越来越多的苦难——而我的则 139→带来永恒的平和。 140→ 141→我不是说你的观点是错的，欢迎你持有它。伟大的善与 142→祝福由此产生，但因此请不要谴责我的观点。我的在其自身 143→方式上也是务实的。让我们所有人都按自己的计划工作。愿神使 144→我们所有人在两方面都同样务实。我曾见过一些科学家， 145→他们同样务实，既作为科学家，又作为灵性之人，而 146→我的伟大希望是，随着时间的推移，全人类将 147→以同样的方式变得高效。当一壶水将要沸腾， 148→若你观察这个现象，你会先看到一个气泡升起，然后 149→是另一个，如此持续，直至最终它们全都汇合，发生一场巨大的翻腾。 150→这个世界与此极为相似。每个个体就像一个气泡， 151→而各个民族，犹如众多气泡。渐渐地这些民族正在汇合， 152→我确信那一天将会来临，当分离消失，那一体性—— 153→我们所有人都在走向的那一体性——将会显现。必将到来的那一天，每一个 154→人将在科学世界中如在 155→灵性世界中一样充满实践精神，那时那一体性，一体性的和谐，将遍及 156→整个世界。全人类将成为解脱生者——在世解脱者。 157→我们所有人都在通过嫉妒与仇恨， 158→通过爱与合作，走向那同一个目标。一股巨大的洪流正 159→流向大海，带着我们所有人一同流去；尽管如同 160→稻草与纸片，我们或许有时会漫无目的地漂浮，但在 161→从长远来看，我们一定会加入生命与极乐的大海。
English
CHAPTER IX
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
( Delivered in London, 3rd November 1896 )
"The Self-existent One projected the senses outwards and, therefore, a man looks outward, not within himself. A certain wise one, desiring immortality, with inverted senses, perceived the Self within." As I have already said, the first inquiry that we find in the Vedas was concerning outward things, and then a new idea came that the reality of things is not to be found in the external world; not by looking outwards, but by turning the eyes, as it is literally expressed, inwards. And the word used for the Soul is very significant: it is He who has gone inward, the innermost reality of our being, the heart centre, the core, from which, as it were, everything comes out; the central sun of which the mind, the body, the sense-organs, and everything else we have are but rays going outwards. "Men of childish intellect, ignorant persons, run after desires which are external, and enter the trap of far-reaching death, but the wise, understanding immortality, never seek for the Eternal in this life of finite things." The same idea is here made clear that in this external world, which is full of finite things, it is impossible to see and find the Infinite. The Infinite must be sought in that alone which is infinite, and the only thing infinite about us is that which is within us, our own soul. Neither the body, nor the mind, not even our thoughts, nor the world we see around us, are infinite. The Seer, He to whom they all belong, the Soul of man, He who is awake in the internal man, alone is infinite, and to seek for the Infinite Cause of this whole universe we must go there. In the Infinite Soul alone we can find it. "What is here is there too, and what is there is here also. He who sees the manifold goes from death to death." We have seen how at first there was the desire to go to heaven. When these ancient Aryans became dissatisfied with the world around them, they naturally thought that after death they would go to some place where there would be all happiness without any misery; these places they multiplied and called Svargas — the word may be translated as heavens — where there would be joy for ever, the body would become perfect, and also the mind, and there they would live with their forefathers. But as soon as philosophy came, men found that this was impossible and absurd. The very idea of an infinite in place would be a contradiction in terms, as a place must begin and continue in time. Therefore they had to give up that idea. They found out that the gods who lived in these heavens had once been human beings on earth, who through their good works had become gods, and the godhoods, as they call them, were different states, different positions; none of the gods spoken of in the Vedas are permanent individuals.
For instance, Indra and Varuna are not the names of certain persons, but the names of positions as governors and so on. The Indra who had lived before is not the same person as the Indra of the present day; he has passed away, and another man from earth has filled his place. So with all the other gods These are certain positions, which are filled successively by human souls who have raised themselves to the condition of gods, and yet even they die. In the old Rig-Veda we find the word "immortality" used with regard to these gods, but later on it is dropped entirely, for they found that immortality which is beyond time and space cannot be spoken of with regard to any physical form, however subtle it may be. However fine it may be, it must have a beginning in time and space, for the necessary factors that enter into the make-up of form are in space. Try to think of a form without space: it is impossible. Space is one of the materials, as it were, which make up the form, and this is continually changing Space and time are in Maya, and this idea is expressed in the line — "What is hole, that is there too." If there are these gods, they must be bound by the same laws that apply here, and all laws involve destruction and renewal again and again. These laws are moulding matter into different forms, and crushing them out again. Everything born must die; and so, if there are heavens, the same laws must hold good there.
In this world we find that all happiness is followed by misery as its shadow. Life has its shadow, death. They must go together, because they are not contradictory, not two separate existences, but different manifestations of the same unit, life and death, sorrow and happiness, good and evil. The dualistic conception that good and evil are two separate entities, and that they are both going on eternally is absurd on the face of it. They are the diverse manifestations of one and the same fact, one time appearing as bad, and at another time as good. The difference does not exist in kind, but only in degree. They differ from each other in degree of intensity. We find as a fact that the same nerve systems carry good and bad sensations alike, and when the nerves are injured, neither sensation comes to us. If a certain nerve is paralysed, we do not get the pleasurable feelings that used to come along that wires and at the same time we do not get the painful feelings either. They are never two, but the same. Again. the same thing produces pleasure and pain at different times of life. The same phenomenon will produce pleasure in one, and pain in another. The eating of meat produces pleasure to a man, but pain to the animal which is eaten. There has never been anything which gives pleasure to all alike. Some are pleased, others displeased. So on it will go. Therefore, this duality of existence is denied. And what follows? I told you in my last lecture that we can never have ultimately everything good on this earth and nothing bad. It may have disappointed and frightened some of you, but I cannot help it, and I am open to conviction when I am shown to the contrary; but until that can be proved to me, and I can find that it is true, cannot say so.
The general argument against my statement, and apparently a very convincing one, is this that in the course of evolution, all that is evil in what we see around us is gradually being eliminated, and the result is that if this elimination continues for millions of years, a time will come when all the evil will have been extirpated, and the good alone will remain. This is apparently a very sound argument. Would to God it were true! But there is a fallacy in it, and it is this that it takes for granted that both good and evil are things that are eternally fixed. It takes for granted that there is a definite mass of evil, which may be represented by a hundred, and likewise of good, and that this mass of evil is being diminished every day, leaving only the good. But is it so? The history of the world shows that evil is a continuously increasing quantity, as well as good. Take the lowest man; he lives in the forest. His sense of enjoyment is very small, and so also is his power to suffer. His misery is entirely on the sense-plane. If he does not get plenty of food, he is miserable; but give him plenty of food and freedom to rove and to hunt, and he is perfectly happy. His happiness consists only in the senses, and so does his misery also. But if that man increases in knowledge, his happiness will increase, the intellect will open to him, and his sense-enjoyment will evolve into intellectual enjoyment. He will feel pleasure in reading a beautiful poem, and a mathematical problem will be of absorbing interest to him. But, with these, the inner nerves will become more and more susceptible to miseries of mental pain, of which the savage does not think. Take a very simple illustration. In Tibet there is no marriage, and there is no jealousy, yet we know that marriage is a much higher state. The Tibetans have not known the wonderful enjoyment, the blessing of chastity, the happiness of having a chaste, virtuous wife, or a chaste, virtuous husband. These people cannot feel that. And similarly they do not feel the intense jealousy of the chaste wife or husband, or the misery caused by unfaithfulness on either side, with all the heart-burnings and sorrows which believers in chastity experience. On one side, the latter gain happiness, but on the other, they suffer misery too.
Take your country which is the richest in the world, and which is more luxurious than any other, and see how intense is the misery, how many more lunatics you have, compared with other races, only because the desires are so keen. A man must keep up a high standard of living, and the amount of money he spends in one year would be a fortune to a man in India. You cannot preach to him of simple living because society demands so much of him. The wheel of society is rolling on; it stops not for the widow's tears or the orphans' wails. This is the state of things everywhere. Your sense of enjoyment is developed, your society is very much more beautiful than some others. You have so many more things to enjoy. But those who have fewer have much less misery. You can argue thus throughout, the higher the ideal you have in the brain, the greater is your enjoyment, and the more profound your misery. One is like the shadow of the other. That the evils are being eliminated may be true, but if so, the good also must be dying out. But are not evils multiplying fast, and good diminishing, if I may so put it? If good increases in arithmetical progression, evil increase in geometrical progression. And this is Maya. This is neither optimism nor pessimism. Vedanta does not take he position that this world is only a miserable one. That would be untrue. At the same time, it is a mistake to say that this world is full of happiness and blessings. So it is useless to tell children that this world is all good, all flowers, all milk and honey. That is what we have all dreamt. At the same time it is erroneous to think, because one man has suffered more than another, that all is evil. It is this duality, this play of good and evil that makes our world of experiences. At the same time the Vedanta says, "Do not think that good and evil are two, are two separate essences, for they are one and the same thing, appearing in different degrees and in different guises and producing differences of feeling in the same mind." So, the first thought of the Vedanta is the finding of unity in the external; the One Existence manifesting Itself, however different It may appear in manifestation. Think of the old crude theory of the Persians — two gods creating this world, the good god doing everything that is good, and the bad one, everything bad. On the very face of it, you see the absurdity, for if it be carried out, every law of nature must have two parts, one of which is manipulated by one god, and then he goes away and the other god manipulates the other part. There the difficulty comes that both are working in the same world, and these two gods keep themselves in harmony by injuring one portion and doing good to another. This is a crude case, of course, the crudest way of expressing the duality of existence. But, take the more advanced, the more abstract theory that this world is partly good and partly bad. This also is absurd, arguing from the same standpoint. It is the law of unity that gives us our food, and it is the same law that kills many through accidents or misadventure.
We find, then, that this world is neither optimistic nor pessimistic; it is a mixture of both, and as we go on we shall find that the whole blame is taken away from nature and put upon our own shoulders. At the same time the Vedanta shows the way out, but not by denial of evil, because it analyses boldly the fact as it is and does not seek to conceal anything. It is not hopeless; it is not agnostic. It finds out a remedy, but it wants to place that remedy on adamantine foundations: not by shutting the child's mouth and blinding its eyes with something which is untrue, and which the child will find out in a few days. I remember when I was young, a young man's father died and left him poorly off, with a large family to support, and he found that his father's friends were unwilling to help him. He had a conversation with a clergyman who offered this consolation, "Oh, it is all good, all is sent for our good." That is the old method of trying to put a piece of gold leaf on an old sore. It is a confession of weakness, of absurdity. The young man went away, and six months afterwards a son was born to the clergyman, and he gave a thanksgiving party to which the young man was invited. The clergyman prayed, "Thank God for His mercies." And the young man stood up and said, "Stop, this is all misery." The clergyman asked, "Why?" "Because when my father died you said it was good, though apparently evil; so now, this is apparently good, but really evil." Is this the way to cure the misery of the world? Be good and have mercy on those who suffer. Do not try to patch it up, nothing will cure this world; go beyond it.
This is a world of good and evil. Wherever there is good, evil follows, but beyond and behind all these manifestations, all these contradictions, the Vedanta finds out that Unity. It says, "Give up what is evil and give up what is good." What remains then? Behind good and evil stands something which is yours, the real you, beyond every evil, and beyond every good too, and it is that which is manifesting itself as good and bad. Know that first, and then and then alone you will be a true optimist, and not before; for then you will be able to control everything. Control these manifestations and you will be at liberty to manifest the real "you". First be master of yourself, stand up and be free, go beyond the pale of these laws, for these laws do not absolutely govern you, they are only part of your being. First find out that you are not the slave of nature, never were and never will be; that this nature, infinite as you may think it, is only finite, a drop in the ocean, and your Soul is the ocean; you are beyond the stars, the sun, and the moon. They are like mere bubbles compared with your infinite being. Know that, and you will control both good and evil. Then alone the whole vision will change and you will stand up and say, "How beautiful is good and how wonderful is evil!"
That is what the Vedanta teaches. It does not propose any slipshod remedy by covering wounds with gold leaf and the more the wound festers, putting on more gold leaf. This life is a hard fact; work your way through it boldly, though it may be adamantine; no matter, the soul is stronger. It lays no responsibility on little gods; for you are the makers of your own fortunes. You make yourselves suffer, you make good and evil, and it is you who put your hands before your eyes and say it is dark. Take your hands away and see the light; you are effulgent, you are perfect already, from the very beginning. We now understand the verse: "He goes from death to death who sees the many here." See that One and be free.
How are we to see it? This mind, so deluded, so weak, so easily led, even this mind can be strong and may catch a glimpse of that knowledge, that Oneness, which saves us from dying again and again. As rain falling upon a mountain flows in various streams down the sides of the mountain, so all the energies which you see here are from that one Unit. It has become manifold falling upon Maya. Do not run after the manifold; go towards the One. "He is in all that moves; He is in all that is pure; He fills the universe; He is in the sacrifice; He is the guest in the house; He is in man, in water, in animals, in truth; He is the Great One. As fire coming into this world is manifesting itself in various forms, even so, that one Soul of the universe is manifesting Himself in all these various forms. As air coming into this universe manifests itself in various forms, even so, the One Soul of all souls, of all beings, is manifesting Himself in all forms." This is true for you when you have understood this Unity, and not before Then is all optimism, because He is seen everywhere. The question is that if all this be true that that Pure One — the Self, the Infinite — has entered all this, how is it that He suffers, how is it that He becomes miserable, impure? He does not, says the Upanishad. "As the sun is the cause of the eyesight of every being, yet is not made defective by the defect in any eye, even so the Self of all is not affected by the miseries of the body, or by any misery that is around you." I may have some disease and see everything yellow, but the sun is not affected by it. "He is the One, the Creator of all, the Ruler of all, the Internal Soul of every being — He who makes His Oneness manifold. Thus sages who realise Him as the Soul of their souls, unto them belongs eternal peace; unto none else, unto none else. He who in this world of evanescence finds Him who never changes, he who in this universe of death finds that One Life, he who in this manifold finds that Oneness, and all those who realise Him as the Soul of their souls, to them belongs eternal peace; unto none else, unto none else. Where to find Him in the external world, where to find Him in the suns, and moons, and stars? There the sun cannot illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, the flash of lightning cannot illumine the place; what to speak of this mortal fire? He shining, everything else shines. It is His light that they have borrowed, and He is shining through them." Here is another beautiful simile. Those of you who have been in India and have seen how the banyan tree comes from one root and spreads itself far around, will understand this. He is that banyan tree; He is the root of all and has branched out until He has become this universe, and however far He extends, every one of these trunks and branches is connected.
Various heavens are spoken of in the Brâhmana portions of the Vedas, but the philosophical teaching of the Upanishads gives up the idea of going to heaven. Happiness is not in this heaven or in that heaven, it is in the soul; places do not signify anything. Here is another passage which shows the different states of realisation "In the heaven of the forefathers, as a man sees things in a dream, so the Real Truth is seen." As in dreams we see things hazy and not so distinct, so we see the Reality there. There is another heaven called the Gandharva, in which it is still less clear; as a man sees his own reflection in the water, so is the Reality seen there. The highest heaven, of which the Hindus conceive is called the Brahmaloka; and in this, the Truth is seen much more clearly, like light and shade, but not yet quite distinctly. But as a man sees his own face in a mirror, perfect, distinct, and clear, so is the Truth shining in the soul of man. The highest heaven, therefore, is in our own souls; the greatest temple of worship is the human soul, greater than all heavens, says the Vedanta; for in no heaven anywhere, can we understand the reality as distinctly and clearly as in this life, in our own soul. Changing places does not help one much. I thought while I was in India that the cave would give me clearer vision. I found it was not so. Then I thought the forest would do so, then, Varanasi. But the same difficulty existed everywhere, because we make our own worlds. If I am evil, the whole world is evil to me. That is what the Upanishad says. And the same thing applies to all worlds. If I die and go to heaven, I should find the same, for until I am pure it is no use going to caves, or forests, or to Varanasi, or to heaven, and if I have polished my mirror, it does not matter where I live, I get the Reality just as It is. So it is useless, running hither and thither, and spending energy in vain, which should be spent only in polishing the mirror. The same idea is expressed again: "None sees Him, none sees His form with the eyes. It is in the mind, in the pure mind, that He is seen, and this immortality is gained."
Those who were at the summer lectures on Râja-Yoga will be interested to know that what was taught then was a different kind of Yoga. The Yoga which we are now considering consists chiefly in controlling the senses. When the senses are held as slaves by the human soul, when they can no longer disturb the mind, then the Yogi has reached the goal. "When all vain desires of the heart have been given up, then this very mortal becomes immortal, then he becomes one with God even here. When all the knots of the heart are cut asunder, then the mortal becomes immortal, and he enjoys Brahman here." Here, on this earth, nowhere else.
A few words ought to be said here. You will generally hear that this Vedanta, this philosophy and other Eastern systems, look only to something beyond, letting go the enjoyments and struggle of this life. This idea is entirely wrong. It is only ignorant people who do not know anything of Eastern thought, and never had brain enough to understand anything of its real teaching, that tell you so. On the contrary, we read in our scriptures that our philosophers do not want to go to other worlds, but depreciate them as places where people weep and laugh for a little while only and then die. As long as we are weak we shall have to go through these experiences; but whatever is true, is here, and that is the human soul. And this also is insisted upon, that by committing suicide, we cannot escape the inevitable; we cannot evade it. But the right path is hard to find. The Hindu is just as practical as the Western, only we differ in our views of life. The one says, build a good house, let us have good clothes and food, intellectual culture, and so on, for this is the whole of life; and in that he is immensely practical. But the Hindu says, true knowledge of the world means knowledge of the soul, metaphysics; and he wants to enjoy that life. In America there was a great agnostic, a very noble man, a very good man, and a very fine speaker. He lectured on religion, which he said was of no use; why bother our heads about other worlds? He employed this simile; we have an orange here, and we want to squeeze all the juice out of it. I met him once and said, "I agree with you entirely. I have some fruit, and I too want to squeeze out the juice. Our difference lies in the choice of the fruit. You want an orange, and I prefer a mango. You think it is enough to live here and eat and drink and have a little scientific knowledge; but you have no right to say that that will suit all tastes. Such a conception is nothing to me. If I had only to learn how an apple falls to the ground, or how an electric current shakes my nerves, I would commit suicide. I want to understand the heart of things, the very kernel itself. Your study is the manifestation of life, mine is the life itself. My philosophy says you must know that and drive out from your mind all thoughts of heaven and hell and all other superstitions, even though they exist in the same sense that this world exists. I must know the heart of this life, its very essence, what it is, not only how it works and what are its manifestations. I want the why of everything, I leave the how to children. As one of your countrymen said, 'While I am smoking a cigarette, if I were to write a book, it would be the science of the cigarette.' It is good and great to be scientific, God bless them in their search; but when a man says that is all, he is talking foolishly, not caring to know the raison d'être of life, never studying existence itself. I may argue that all your knowledge is nonsense, without a basis. You are studying the manifestations of life, and when I ask you what life is, you say you do not know. You are welcome to your study, but leave me to mine."
I am practical, very practical, in my own way. So your idea that only the West is practical is nonsense. You are practical in one way, and I in another. There are different types of men and minds. If in the East a man is told that he will find out the truth by standing on one leg all his life, he will pursue that method. If in the West men hear that there is a gold mine somewhere in an uncivilised country, thousands will face the dangers there, in the hope of getting the gold; and, perhaps, only one succeeds. The same men have heard that they have souls but are content to leave the care of them to the church. The first man will not go near the savages, he says it may be dangerous. But if we tell him that on the top of a high mountain lives a wonderful sage who can give him knowledge of the soul, he tries to climb up to him, even if he be killed in the attempt. Both types of men are practical, but the mistake lies in regarding this world as the whole of life. Yours is the vanishing point of enjoyment of the senses — there is nothing permanent in it, it only brings more and more misery — while mine brings eternal peace.
I do not say your view is wrong, you are welcome to it. Great good and blessing come out of it, but do not, therefore, condemn my view. Mine also is practical in its own way. Let us all work on our own plans. Would to God all of us were equally practical on both sides. I have seen some scientists who were equally practical, both as scientists and as spiritual men, and it is my great hope that in course of time the whole of humanity will be efficient in the same manner. When a kettle of water is coming to the boil, if you watch the phenomenon, you find first one bubble rising, and then another and so on, until at last they all join, and a tremendous commotion takes place. This world is very similar. Each individual is like a bubble, and the nations, resemble many bubbles. Gradually these nations are joining, and I am sure the day will come when separation will vanish and that Oneness to which we are all going will become manifest. A time must come when every man will be as intensely practical in the scientific world as in the spiritual, and then that Oneness, the harmony of Oneness, will pervade the whole world. The whole of mankind will become Jivanmuktas — free whilst living. We are all struggling towards that one end through our jealousies and hatreds, through our love and co-operation. A tremendous stream is flowing towards the ocean carrying us all along with it; and though like straws and scraps of paper we may at times float aimlessly about, in the long run we are sure to join the Ocean of Life and Bliss.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。