专注
本译文由人工智能辅助工具生成，可能存在不准确之处。如需查阅权威文本，请参考英文原文。
AI-translated. May contain errors. For accurate text, refer to the original English.
中文
专注
（1900年3月16日在旧金山华盛顿大厅演讲）
【此讲及其后两篇讲演（《冥想》与《宗教的修习》），经南加州吠檀多学会慷慨许可，转载自《吠檀多与西方》，美国版权由该学会保留。这些讲演由艾达·安塞尔记录，她本人对当时的情况如此描述：
"斯瓦米·辨喜第二次赴西方是在1899至1900年间。1900年上半年，他在旧金山及其周边地区讲学。我是那座城市的居民，当时二十二岁。……从1900年3月至5月，我大约聆听了他二十余场演讲，并记录了其中十七场。……
"这些演讲在旧金山、奥克兰和阿拉米达举行，地点包括教堂、阿拉米达和旧金山的真理之家，以及租用的大厅。……斯瓦米吉除了几乎每天进行的个别谈话和非正式课程外，在3月、4月和5月共发表了至少三四十场主要演讲。……
"由于笔记不够完整，我长期犹豫是否将这些演讲转录发表。那时我只是一名业余速记员。……要完整记录斯瓦米吉汹涌澎湃的雄辩，每分钟至少需要三百字的速度，而我的速度还不及所需的一半，加之当时我根本没有意识到这些材料对他人会有任何价值。除了他讲话速度极快之外，斯瓦米吉还是一位卓越的表演者。他的故事与模仿，绝对令人不得不停下笔来，尽情欣赏。……尽管我的笔记有些残缺，我还是接受了众人的意见，认为其内容弥足珍贵，必须付诸出版。
斯瓦米吉的演讲风格口语化、清新而有力。出版时对其文风未作任何改动，也未对其即兴流畅的表达进行任何调整或润色。凡因文意晦涩而省略之处，均以省略号标示。凡为便于理解而补充之内容，均置于方括号内。除上述注释外，所有文字均与斯瓦米吉演讲时所说的完全一致。
斯瓦米吉所说的一切都蕴含着巨大的力量。这些讲演在我那本老旧的速记笔记本中沉睡了五十多年。如今当它们重见天日，人们仍能感受到那力量依然鲜活如初。"】
我们所拥有的一切知识，无论是关于外部世界还是内部世界的，都只通过一种方法获得——即心灵的专注。任何一门学问，若不能将心灵专注于其对象，便无从获取任何知识。天文学家通过望远镜专注其心……如此等等。若要研究自己的心灵，过程亦然。你必须将心灵专注，并使之返照自身。世人心灵之间的差异，不过在于专注程度的高低。专注程度越深，所获知识越多。
纵观古今一切伟人的生命历程，我们都能发现这种惊人的专注力量。你们说这些人是天才。瑜伽（Yoga）的科学告诉我们：只要努力尝试，我们人人皆是天才。有些人带着更好的禀赋来到这一生，或许进步得更快。但我们同样能够做到。同样的力量存在于每一个人之中。本次演讲的主题，是如何专注心灵以研究心灵本身。瑜伽修行者制定了若干规则，今晚我将向你们概述其中的一些。
专注当然可以从各种途径获得。通过感官可以获得专注。有人听到美妙的音乐便进入专注状态，有人看到美丽的风景亦然。……有人躺在尖锐的铁钉床上获得专注，有人则坐在尖利的鹅卵石上。这些都是极端情形，所采用的方法极不科学。科学的方法是循序渐进地训练心灵。
有人靠将手臂高举来获得专注。肉体的痛苦给予他所需的专注。但这一切都是极端之举。
各位哲学家根据自己的主张，归纳出了普遍适用的方法。有人说我们所欲达到的境界是心灵的超意识状态——超越身体为我们设定的种种局限。伦理学对瑜伽修行者的价值在于：它能净化心灵。心灵越纯净，就越容易控制。心灵会接受每一个升起的念头并将其付诸作用。心灵越粗糙，就越难以控制。道德败坏的人永远无法充分专注心灵以研究心理学。他或许在开始时能获得少许控制，获得少许感知的力量……然而，即便是这些力量也终将离他而去。问题的关键在于：若仔细研究，你会发现那些以非正规方式获得的超常力量，并非通过正规科学训练所得。那些靠魔力控制蛇的人，终将被蛇所噬。……任何通过各种途径获得超常力量的人，最终都会被那些力量所击倒。在印度，有数以百万计的人通过各种途径获得力量。其中绝大多数人最终精神失常而死，有相当一部分人因心灵失衡而自杀。
修习必须走上安全的轨道：科学、渐进、平和。首要条件是品行端正。这样的人期盼诸神降临，而诸神确将降临，向他显现自身。这便是我们心理学与哲学的精髓所在——达至完全的道德净化。试想这意味着什么！不伤害任何生灵，纯洁无瑕，苦行圆满！这一切都是绝对必要的。试想，若一个人能在这一切方面达至完美！你还需要什么？若他对任何生命皆无敌意……一切动物都将放弃对他的敌意。瑜伽修行者制定了极为严格的戒律……以使人不能仅靠外表的慈善行为便自称慈善。……
若你相信我，我曾见过一个住在洞穴中的人，与他同住的有眼镜蛇和青蛙。……有时他会禁食数日乃至数月，然后出来。他始终沉默无言。有一天，来了一个强盗。……
我的老师曾经说："当心中的莲花盛开时，蜜蜂自会飞来。"如此境界的人至今犹存。他们无需开口。……当一个人从内心深处达至完美，没有丝毫憎恨之念，一切动物都将在他面前放弃各自的憎恨。纯洁亦是如此。这些对于我们与同类的相处至关重要。我们必须爱一切人。……我们没有理由去关注他人的过失；这毫无益处。我们甚至不应去想它们。我们的事业在于善。我们不是来处理过失的。我们的事业就是做善人。
某位女士走来说道："我要成为一位瑜伽修行者。"她将这消息说了二十遍，冥想了五十天，然后说："这种宗教毫无意义。我已试过了。其中什么也没有。"
精神生活的根基根本就不存在。这种完美的道德正是基础所在。这是最大的困难所在。……
在我们国家有些素食教派。他们会在清晨将大量糖撒在地上喂蚂蚁，据说，有一位信徒正在地上撒糖喂蚂蚁时，一个人踩上了那些蚂蚁。前者怒道："恶人，你杀死了这些小动物！"随即给了他一拳，竟将那人打死。
外在的纯洁极易做到，全世界的人都争相趋之。若某种装束即是需要恪守的道德规范，任何蠢人都能做到。然而，当涉及与心灵本身的搏斗时，那才是艰苦的工作。
那些只做表面文章的人是多么自以为义啊！我记得，当我还是个孩子时，我对耶稣基督的品格非常崇敬。【后来我读到圣经中婚宴的故事。】我合上书说："他吃肉、饮酒！他不可能是一个好人。"
我们总是忽视事物的真正意义。那些微不足道的饮食与着装问题！任何蠢人都能看到这些。谁能看到那超越其上的东西呢？我们所需要的是内心的修养。……在印度，我们看到大批人一天洗浴二十次，使自己极为洁净，并且拒绝与任何人接触。……粗陋的表象，外在的形式！【若单凭沐浴便能使人纯洁，】那么鱼才是最纯洁的生命。
沐浴、着装与饮食的调节——当这一切是灵性修习的辅助手段时，皆有其适当的价值。……首先是灵性，而这一切皆有助益。但若缺乏灵性，无论吃多少草……也毫无用处。若理解正确，这些都是助缘；若理解错误，则适得其反。……
我解释这些事情的原因是：首先，在一切宗教中，任何事物一旦由无知者付诸实践，便会退化变质。瓶中的樟脑已挥发殆尽，人们却还在为那个瓶子争论不休。
还有一点：……当他们说"这是对的，那是错的"时，【灵性】便随之消散。一切争论都在于形式与教条，而非在于精神本身。佛教多年来弘扬了光辉灿烂的法义；渐渐地，这种灵性消散殆尽。……【基督教亦复如是。】然后便开始争论，究竟是三位一体还是独一真神，没有人愿意直接趋向上帝本身，亲证其实相。我们必须亲自趋向上帝，才能知晓祂究竟是三一还是一三。
现在，有了上述说明，我来讲坐姿的问题。在尝试控制心灵时，某种坐姿是必要的。任何能让人安舒坐定的姿势，就是适合那个人的坐姿。通常，你会发现脊柱必须保持自由，不承受身体的重量。……坐姿中唯一需要记住的一点是：采用任何能使脊柱完全不承受身体重量的姿势。
其次是调息（Prânâyâma）……即呼吸练习。这方面受到极大的重视。……我所讲授的并非来自印度某一教派的内容，而是具有普遍真理性的。正如在这个国家你们教导孩子背诵某些祷文一样，在印度，人们带着孩子传授给他们某些事实等等。
在印度，孩子们除了一两首祷文之外，几乎不被教授任何宗教内容。然后他们开始寻找一位能与之心心相印之人。他们前往不同的人那里，发现"这个人正是我所需要的"，并接受入门传授（initiation）。若我已婚，我的妻子或许会得到另一位男性导师，而我的儿子则会找到另外一位，这一切始终是我与导师之间的秘密。丈夫无需知晓妻子的宗教，也不敢询问她信奉什么宗教。众所周知，他们绝不会说出口。这只属于当事人与其导师之间的秘密。……有时，对某人来说荒诞可笑之事，对另一个人而言恰是恰当的教导。……每个人都背负着自己的重担，需要根据其特定心性加以帮助。这是每个人与其导师和上帝之间的个人事务。但有些普遍的方法是所有这些导师共同宣讲的。呼吸与冥想是普遍性的。这便是印度的礼拜方式。
在恒河（Gangâ）的岸边，我们随处可见男男女女、老老少少，都在【修习】呼吸，继而冥想。当然，他们还有许多其他事务要处理，无法在此投入太多时间。但那些以此作为毕生修习的人，则修炼各种方法。有八十四种体式（Âsanas，坐姿）。那些在某位老师指导下修习之人，始终能感受到呼吸以及气息在身体各部位的运行。……
其次是执持（Dhâranâ，专注）。……执持是将心灵持守于特定之处。
印度的男孩或女孩……接受传授，从导师那里得到一个字。这被称为根本字（root word）。此字由导师的导师传给他，他再传给弟子。其中一个这样的字是"唵"（OM）。所有这些象征都含有极深的意义，他们将其秘而不宣，从不以文字记录。此字必须通过耳朵接受——而非通过书写——从老师那里传来，然后将其视为神明本身而守护。随后他们冥想这个字。……
我曾经如此祈祷，历经整个雨季，四个月之久。我会起身跳入河中，湿衣未换，一遍遍地持诵【真言（Mantra）】，直至日落。然后我吃一些食物——少许米饭或什么。整整四个月，在雨季之中！
印度的心灵相信，世上没有什么是不可获得的。若一个人在这个国家想要钱，他便外出工作赚钱。在那里，他得到一个咒语，坐于树下，相信财富必将自来。一切都必须通过他的【思想】之力而来。你们在这里赚钱。这是同一回事。你们将全部精力投入于赚钱之上。
有一些被称为哈他瑜伽士的教派。……他们说最大的善是使身体免于死亡。……他们的全部修习都是执着于身体。十二年的训练！他们必须从小孩时便开始，否则根本不可能。……关于哈他瑜伽士，有一件事极为奇特：当他初为弟子时，他走入旷野，独居四十天。他们所学的一切，都在那四十天内习得。……
加尔各答有一个人，据说已活了五百年。人们都告诉我，他们的祖父曾见过他。……他每次散步要走二十英里，从不步行，而是奔跑。他走入水中，将全身从头到脚涂满泥浆，然后再次跃入水中，再次将自己裹满泥浆。……我看不出这有什么益处。（据说蛇能活两百年。）他一定非常年迈，因为我在印度游历了十四年，走到哪里，人人都认识他。他一生都在游方。……【哈他瑜伽士】会吞下一条八十英寸长的橡皮管，然后再将其取出。他每天必须清洁身体的每一个部位，包括内外各处，每日四次。……
【据说】他们能使身体存活数千年之久。……又有什么意义呢？我不愿活那么久。"当日的难处当日当就够了。"一个小小的躯体，带着它所有的幻象与局限，已经足够了。
还有其他教派。……他们给你一滴长生不老的灵药，使你永葆青春。……要列举所有的教派，需要我数月的时间。他们的一切活动都在这一边【物质世界之中】。每天都有一个新的教派出现。……
所有这些教派的力量都在心灵之中。他们的理念是控制心灵。首先将其专注，并持守于特定之处。他们通常说，持守于脊柱沿线某些特定部位或神经中枢之上。通过将心灵持守于神经中枢，【瑜伽修行者】便能获得对身体的控制力。身体是扰乱其内心平静的主要原因，是其最高理想的对立面，因此他寻求控制：【将】身体作为仆人来驾驭。
其次是冥想，这是最高的境界。……当【心灵】处于疑虑状态时，那并非其伟大的境界。其伟大的境界是冥想。心灵观照万物，看见万物，却不将自身与任何其他事物相认同。只要我感到痛苦，我便是将自己认同于身体了。当我感到喜悦或快乐时，我亦是将自己认同于身体了。但至高的境界将以同等的愉悦或至乐，平等地观待苦与乐。……每一次冥想都是直接的超意识。在完全的专注中，灵魂实际上从粗糙肉身的束缚中解脱出来，如实认识自身。一个人所渴望的，皆将来临。力量与知识本已具足，灵魂将自身认同于无力的物质，因而悲泣。它将自身认同于无常的形相。……但若那自由的灵魂想要行使任何力量，它便能拥有它。若它不愿，则不来。认识了神的人即已成为神。对如此自由的灵魂而言，没有什么是不可能的。对他而言，再无生死。他永远自由了。
注释
English
CONCENTRATION
(Delivered at the Washington Hall, San Francisco, on March 16, 1900)
[This and the following two lectures (Meditation and The Practice of Religion) are reproduced here from the Vedanta and the West with the kind permission of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, by whom is reserved the copyright for America. The lectures were recorded by Ida Ansell under circumstances which she herself relates thus:
"Swami Vivekananda's second trip to the West occurred in 1899-1900. During the first half of 1900 he worked in and around San Francisco, California. I was a resident of that city, twenty-two years old at the time. ... I heard him lecture perhaps a score of times from March to May of 1900, and recorded seventeen of his talks. …
"The lectures were given in San Francisco, Oakland, and Alameda, in churches, in the Alameda and San Francisco Homes of Truth, and in rented halls. ... Altogether Swamiji gave, besides nearly daily interviews and informal classes, at least thirty or forty major addresses in March, April, and May. ...
"I was long hesitant about transcribing and releasing these lectures because of the imperfectness of my notes. I was just an amateur stenographer, at the time I took them. ... One would have needed a speed of at least three hundred words per minute to capture all of Swamiji's torrents of eloquence. I possessed less than half the required speed, and at the time I had no idea that the material would have value to anyone but myself. In addition to his fast speaking pace, Swamiji was a superb actor. His stories and imitations absolutely forced one to stop writing, to enjoy watching him. ... Even though my notes were somewhat fragmentary, I have yielded to the opinion that their contents are precious and must be given for publication.
Swamiji's speaking style was colloquial, fresh, and forceful. No alterations have been made in it; no adjusting or smoothing out of his spontaneous flow for purposes of publication has been done. Where omissions were made because of some obscurity in the meaning, they have been indicated by three dots. Anything inserted for purposes of clarification has been placed in square brackets. With these qualifications, the words are exactly as Swamiji spoke them.
Everything Swamiji said had tremendous power. These lectures have slept in my old stenographer's notebook for more than fifty years. Now as they emerge, one feels that the power is still there."]
All knowledge that we have, either of the external or internal world, is obtained through only one method — by the concentration of the mind. No knowledge can be had of any science unless we can concentrate our minds upon the subject. The astronomer concentrates his mind through the telescope... and so on. If you want to study your own mind, it will be the same process. You will have to concentrate your mind and turn it back upon itself. The difference in this world between mind and mind is simply the fact of concentration. One, more concentrated than the other, gets more knowledge.
In the lives of all great men, past and present, we find this tremendous power of concentration. Those are men of genius, you say. The science of Yoga tells us that we are all geniuses if we try hard to be. Some will come into this life better fitted and will do it quicker perhaps. We can all do the same. The same power is in everyone. The subject of the present lecture is how to concentrate the mind in order to study the mind itself. Yogis have laid down certain rules and this night I am going to give you a sketch of some of these rules.
Concentration, of course, comes from various sources. Through the senses you can get concentration. Some get it when they hear beautiful music, others when they see beautiful scenery. ... Some get concentrated by lying upon beds of spikes, sharp iron spikes, others by sitting upon sharp pebbles. These are extraordinary cases [using] most unscientific procedure. Scientific procedure is gradually training the mind.
One gets concentrated by holding his arm up. Torture gives him the concentration he wants. But all these are extraordinary.
Universal methods have been organised according to different philosophers. Some say the state we want to attain is superconsciousness of the mind — going beyond the limitations the body has made for us. The value of ethics to the Yogi lies in that it makes the mind pure. The purer the mind, the easier it is to control it. The mind takes every thought that rises and works it out. The grosser the mind, the more difficult [it is] to control [it]. The immoral man will never be able to concentrate his mind to study psychology. He may get a little control as he begins, get a little power of hearing. ... and even those powers will go from him. The difficulty is that if you study closely, you see how [the] extraordinary power arrived at was not attained by regular scientific training. The men who, by the power of magic, control serpents will be killed by serpents. ... The man who attains any extraordinary powers will in the long run succumb to those powers. There are millions [who] receive power through all sorts of ways in India. The vast majority of them die raving lunatics. Quite a number commit suicide, the mind [being] unbalanced.
The study must be put on the safe side: scientific, slow, peaceful. The first requisite is to be moral. Such a man wants the gods to come down, and they will come down and manifest themselves to him. That is our psychology and philosophy in essence, [to be] perfectly moral. Just think what that means! No injury, perfect purity, perfect austerity! These are absolutely necessary. Just think, if a man can attain all these in perfection! What more do you want? If he is free from all enmity towards any being, ... all animals will give up their enmity [in his presence]. The Yogis lay down very strict laws... so that one cannot pass off for a charitable man without; being charitable. ...
If you believe me, I have seen a man who used to live in a hole and there were cobras and frogs living with him. ... Sometimes he would fast for [days and months] and then come out. He was always silent. One day there came a robber. ...
My old master used to say, "When the lotus of the heart has bloomed, the bees will come by themselves." Men like that are there yet. They need not talk. ... When the man is perfect from his heart, without a thought of hatred, all animals will give up their hatred [before him]. So with purity. These are necessary for our dealings with our fellow beings. We must love all. ... We have no business to look at the faults of others: it does no good We must not even think of them. Our business is with the good. We are not here to deal with faults. Our business is to be good.
Here comes Miss So-and-so. She says, "I am going to be a Yogi." She tells the news twenty times, meditates fifty days, then she says, "There is nothing in this religion. I have tried it. There is nothing in it."
The very basis [of spiritual life] is not there. The foundation [must be] this perfect morality. That is the great difficulty. ...
In our country there are vegetarian sects. They will take in the early morning pounds of sugar and place it on the ground for ants, and the story is, when one of them was putting sugar on the ground for ants, a man placed his foot upon the ants. The former said, "Wretch, you have killed the animals!" And he gave him such a blow, that it killed the man.
External purity is very easy and all the world rushes towards [it]. If a certain kind of dress is the kind of morality [to be observed], any fool can do that. When it is grappling with the mind itself, it is hard work.
The people who do external, superficial things are so self-righteous! I remember, when I was a boy I had great regard for the character of Jesus Christ. [Then I read about the wedding feast in the Bible.] I closed the book and said, "He ate meat and drank wine! He cannot be a good man."
We are always losing sight of the real meaning of things. The little eating and dress! Every fool can see that. Who sees that which is beyond? It is culture of the heart that we want. ... One mass of people in India we see bathing twenty times a day sometimes, making themselves very pure. And they do not touch anyone. ... The coarse facts, the external things! [If by bathing one could be pure,] fish are the purest beings.
Bathing, and dress, and food regulation — all these have their proper value when they are complementary to the spiritual. .... That first, and these all help. But without it, no amount of eating grass... is any good at all. They are helps if properly understood. But improperly understood, they are derogatory. ...
This is the reason why I am explaining these things: First, because in all religions everything degenerates upon being practiced by [the ignorant]. The camphor in the bottle evaporated, and they are fighting over the bottle.
Another thing: ... [Spirituality] evaporates when they say, "This is right, and that is wrong." All quarrels are [with forms and creeds] never in the spirit. The Buddhist offered for years glorious preaching; gradually, this spirituality evaporated. ... [Similarly with Christianity.] And then began the quarrel whether it is three gods in one or one in three, when nobody wants to go to God Himself and know what He is. We have to go to God Himself to know whether He is three in one or one in three.
Now, with this explanation, the posture. Trying to control the mind, a certain posture is necessary. Any posture in which the person can sit easily — that is the posture for that person. As a rule, you will find that the spinal column must be left free. It is not intended to bear the weight of the body. ... The only thing to remember in the sitting posture: [use] any posture in which the spine is perfectly free of the weight of the body.
Next [Prânâyâma] ... the breathing exercises. A great deal of stress is laid upon breathing. ... What I am telling you is not something gleaned from some sect in India. It is universally true. Just as in this country you teach your children certain prayers, [in India] they get the children and give them certain facts etc.
Children are not taught any religion in India except one or two prayers. Then they begin to seek for somebody with whom they can get en rapport. They go to different persons and find that "This man is the man for me", and get initiation. If I am married, my wife may possibly get another man teacher and my son will get somebody else, and that is always my secret between me and my teacher. The wife's religion the husband need not know, and he would not dare ask her what her religion is. It is well known that they would never say. It is only known to that person and the teacher. ... Sometimes you will find that what would be quite ludicrous to one will be just teaching for another. ... Each is carrying his own burden and is to be helped according to his particular mind. It is the business of every individual, between him, his teacher, and God. But there are certain general methods which all these teachers preach. Breathing [and] meditating are universal. That is the worship in India.
On the banks of the Gangâ, we will see men, women, and children all [practicing] breathing and then meditating. Of course, they have other things to do. They cannot devote much time to this. But those who have taken this as the study of life, they practice various methods. There are eighty-four different Âsanas (postures). Those that take it up under some person, they always feel the breath and the movements in all the different parts of the body. ...
Next comes Dhâranâ [concentration]. ... Dharana is holding the mind in certain spots.
The Hindu boy or girl ... gets initiation. He gets from his Guru a word. This is called the root word. This word is given to the Guru [by his Guru], and he gives it to his disciple. One such word is OM. All these symbols have a great deal of meaning, and they hold it secret, never write it. They must receive it through the ear — not through writing — from the teacher, and then hold it as God himself. Then they meditate on the word. ...
I used to pray like that at one time, all through the rainy season, four months. I used to get up and take a plunge in the river, and with all my wet clothes on repeat [the Mantra] till the sun set. Then I ate something — a little rice or something. Four months in the rainy season!
The Indian mind believes that there is nothing in the world that cannot be obtained. If a man wants money in this country, he goes to work and earns money. There, he gets a formula and sits under a tree and believes that money must come. Everything must come by the power of his [thought]. You make money here. It is the same thing. You put forth your whole energy upon money making.
There are some sects called Hatha-Yogis. ... They say the greatest good is to keep the body from dying. ... Their whole process is clinging to the body. Twelve years training! And they begin with little children, others wise it is impossible. ... One thing [is] very curious about the Hatha-Yogi: When he first becomes a disciple, he goes into the wilderness and lives alone forty days exactly. All they have they learn within those forty days. ...
A man in Calcutta claims to have lived five hundred years. The people all tell me that their grandfathers saw him. ... He takes a constitutional twenty miles, never walks, he runs. Goes into the water, covers himself [from] top to toe with mud. After that he plunges again into the water, again sticks himself with mud. ... I do not see any good in that. (Snakes, they say, live two hundred years.) He must be very old, because I have travelled fourteen years in India and wherever I went everybody knew him. He has been travelling all his life. ... [The Hatha-Yogi] will swallow a piece of rubber eighty inches long and take it out again. Four times a day he has to wash every part of his body, internal and external parts. ...
The walls can keep their bodies thousands of years. ... What of that? I would not want to live so long. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." One little body, with all its delusions and limitations, is enough.
There are other sects. ... They give you a drop of the elixir of life and you remain young. ... It will take me months to enumerate [all the sects]. All their activity is on this side [in the material world]. Every day a new sect. ...
The power of all those sects is in the mind. Their idea is to hold the mind. First concentrate it and hold it at a certain place. They generally say, at certain parts of the body along the spinal column or upon the nerve centres. By holding the mind at the nerve centres, [the Yogi] gets power over the body. The body is the great cause of disturbance to his peace, is opposite of his highest ideal, so he wants control: [to] keep the body as servant.
Then comes meditation. That is the highest state. ... When [the mind] is doubtful that is not its great state. Its great state is meditation. It looks upon things and sees things, not identifying itself with anything else. As long as I feel pain, I have identified myself with the body. When I feel joy or pleasure, I have identified myself with the body. But the high state will look with the same pleasure or blissfulness upon pleasure or upon pain. ... Every meditation is direct superconsciousness. In perfect concentration the soul becomes actually free from the bonds of the gross body and knows itself as it is. Whatever one wants, that comes to him. Power and knowledge are already there. The soul identifies itself with that which is powerless matter and thus weeps. It identifies itself with mortal shapes. ... But if that free soul wants to exercise any power, it will have it. If it does not, it does not come. He who has known God has become God. There is nothing impossible to such a free soul. No more birth and death for him. He is free for ever.
Notes
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。