修行或高级生活的准备
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
修行——通向更高生命的准备
如果返祖倾向占了上风，你就会退步；如果进化占了上风，你就会前进。因此，我们决不能让返祖倾向发生。在我自身的身体里，就是修行的第一步。我们总是忙于纠正邻人的行为，这才是问题所在。我们必须从自己的身体开始。心脏、肝脏等等都是返祖性的；将它们带回到意识之中，控制它们，使它们服从你的命令，依照你的意志行事。曾经有一个时代，我们能够控制肝脏；我们能像牛一样抖动整个皮肤。我见过许多人通过纯粹的艰苦练习恢复了这种控制力。一旦留下印记，它就永远存在。唤回所有沉没的活动——那浩瀚的行动之海。这是伟大修行的第一部分，对我们的社会生活而言是绝对必要的。另一方面，仅仅研究意识并不需要时刻进行。
然后是修行的另一部分，它对我们的社会生活并非那么必要，却趋向于解脱（Moksha）。它的直接作用是解放灵魂，将火炬带入黑暗，清除背后的障碍，将其动摇甚至挑战，让我们穿透黑暗奋勇前进。那就是目标——超意识。当达到那个境界时，这个人就变得神圣，变得自由。对于这样训练出来的超越一切的心灵，这个宇宙将逐渐开始揭示它的秘密；自然之书将被一章一章地阅读，直到目标达成，我们从这个生死之谷超越到那个"一"——在那里生与死都不存在，我们认识了真实并成为真实。
首先必要的是安静而平和的生活。如果我整天不得不奔波于世间以谋生计，在此生中就很难达到很高的境界。也许来世我会出生在更有利的环境中。但如果我足够真诚，即使在此生中，这些环境也会改变。有什么你真正想要却得不到的吗？那是不可能的。因为正是欲求创造了身体。正是光在你的头上钻出了叫做眼睛的孔。如果光不存在，你就不会有眼睛。正是声音造就了耳朵。感知的对象先于你制造的器官而存在。再过几十万年或更早，我们可能会有其他器官来感知电和其他事物。没有人不渴望宁静的心灵。除非外面有某种东西来满足欲望，否则欲望不会产生。外面的某种东西仿佛在身体上钻了一个孔，试图进入心灵。所以，当渴望拥有和平、宁静生活的欲求产生时，一切有利于心灵发展的条件就会到来——你可以把这当作我的亲身经验。也许要经过千百次生命才会到来，但它一定会到来。紧紧抓住那个渴望。如果它的对象不是已经在外面等着你，你就不可能产生那么强烈的渴望。当然你必须明白，欲望与欲望之间是有区别的。导师（Guru）说："我的孩子，如果你渴望神，神就会来到你身边。"弟子没有完全理解导师的话。有一天，两人一同去河里沐浴，导师说："潜下去。"男孩照做了。转瞬间导师按住了他，将他压在水下。他不让男孩浮上来。当男孩挣扎到筋疲力尽时，他才放手。"是的，我的孩子，你在水下感觉如何？""啊，对一口气的渴望！""你对神有这种渴望吗？""没有，先生。""对神怀有那样的渴望，你就会得到神。"
没有它我们就无法活下去的东西，必定会来到我们身边。如果它不来到我们身边，生命就无法继续。
如果你想成为一个瑜伽（Yoga）修行者，你必须自由，置身于独处而无一切忧虑的环境中。一个既渴望舒适安逸的生活，又想证悟真我（Atman）的人，就像那个想要渡河却抓住一条鳄鱼误以为是木头的傻瓜。"你们要先求神的国和神的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。"一切都会归于那不在意任何事物的人。命运如同轻浮的女子：她不理会追求她的人，却拜倒在不在意她的人脚下。金钱纷纷降临到不在意它的人身上；名声也同样丰盈地到来，直到成为一种烦恼和负担。它们总是来到主人面前。奴隶永远得不到任何东西。主人就是能够不受这些事物左右而活的人，他的生命不依赖于世间那些微不足道的愚蠢事物。为一个理想而活，只为那一个理想而活。让它如此伟大、如此强大，以至于心中再无其他事物的容身之地，再无其他事物的时间。
看看有些人如何将全部精力、时间、头脑、身体和一切都投入到致富之中！他们连吃早饭的时间都没有！一大早他们就出门工作了！其中百分之九十的人在追逐中死去——而剩下的人赚到钱以后，却无法享受。这是何等壮观！我并不是说追求财富是坏事。这是了不起的，令人惊叹的。为什么呢？这说明了什么？这说明一个人可以将同等的精力和奋斗用于追求自由，正如他用于追求金钱一样。我们知道死时必须放下金钱和一切身外之物，然而看看我们能为它们付出多大的精力。但我们，同样的人类，难道不应当付出千倍的力量和精力去获取那永不消逝、永远伴随我们的东西吗？因为这才是唯一伟大的朋友——我们自己的善行、我们自己的灵性修为——它追随我们超越坟墓。其他一切都随着身体留在这里。
这就是伟大的第一步——对理想的真正渴望。在那之后，一切都会变得容易。印度的心灵发现了这一点；在那里，在印度，人们竭尽全力去寻找真理。但在这里，在西方，困难在于一切都被弄得太容易了。伟大的目标不是真理，而是发展。奋斗才是伟大的课程。请记住，此生最大的益处就是奋斗。我们正是通过它才得以前进。如果有一条通往天堂的路，那它一定穿越地狱。通向天堂的道路永远要经过地狱。当灵魂与环境搏斗过，在路上遭遇了千次死亡，但毫不畏惧，一次又一次、再一次地奋勇向前——然后灵魂以巨人的姿态出现，嘲笑他一直为之奋斗的理想，因为他发现自己远比那个理想伟大。我就是终极，我自己的真我（Atman），别无其他，因为有什么能与我自己的真我相比呢？一袋黄金能成为我灵魂的理想吗？当然不能！我的灵魂就是我所能拥有的最高理想。证悟我自己真实的本性才是我生命的唯一目标。
没有什么是绝对的恶。魔鬼在这里也有它的位置，正如神一样，否则它就不会在这里。正如我告诉你们的，我们正是通过地狱才到达天堂。我们的错误在这里也有其位置。前进吧！如果你认为自己做了什么不对的事，不要回头看。试想，如果你以前没有犯过那些错误，你今天能成为现在的你吗？感恩你的错误吧。它们是不知不觉中的天使。祝福苦难！祝福幸福！不要在意你的命运如何。紧抓理想。前进！不要回头看那些小小的错误和琐事。在我们这个战场上，错误的尘埃必然会扬起。那些皮肤薄到受不了尘土的人，就让他们退出队列吧。
因此，这种要比你在追求此生任何事物时付出百倍更大的巨大决心去奋斗——这就是第一个伟大的准备。
与此同时，还必须有冥想。冥想是唯一的事。冥想！最伟大的事就是冥想。它是最接近灵性生活的途径——心灵在冥想。这是我们日常生活中唯一完全非物质的时刻——灵魂思考着自身，脱离了一切物质——这是灵魂的奇妙触动！
身体既是我们的敌人，又是我们的朋友。你们中有谁能忍受看到苦难？但当你们只是在一幅画中看到它时，你们中又有谁不能忍受呢？因为它是不真实的，我们不会将自己与它认同，我们知道它只是一幅画；它不能祝福我们，也不能伤害我们。最可怕的苦难画在一块画布上，我们甚至可能欣赏它；我们赞叹画家的技法，惊叹于他的非凡天才，即使他所画的场景最为恐怖。这就是秘密——无执着。做那个见证者。
没有调息，没有瑜伽的体能训练，在你达到"我是见证者"这个理念之前，一切都毫无用处。当暴君的手掐住你的脖子时，说："我是见证者！我是见证者！"说："我是灵！任何外在的事物都无法触及我。"当恶念升起时，重复这句话，给它们当头一棒："我是灵！我是见证者，永恒的至福者！我没有理由去做什么，也没有理由去受苦，我已超越一切，我是见证者。我在我的画廊中——这个宇宙就是我的博物馆，我在看着这些连续的画作。它们都是美丽的。无论善恶。我看到了那奇妙的技艺，但一切都是一体的。伟大画师的无限光焰！"真正说来，什么都没有——既无意志，也无欲望。一切都是祂。祂——她——那位母亲，正在游戏，而我们如同玩偶，是她在这场游戏中的助手。在这里，她此刻给一个人穿上乞丐的衣裳，下一刻穿上国王的衣裳，再下一刻穿上圣者的衣裳，然后又穿上魔鬼的衣裳。我们穿上不同的衣裳来帮助母亲之灵完成她的游戏。
当婴儿在玩耍时，即使母亲呼唤她也不肯过来。但当她玩完了，就会奔向母亲，再也不玩了。在我们的生命中也有这样的时刻，我们觉得游戏结束了，想要奔向母亲。那时我们在这里的一切劳苦都将失去价值；男人、女人和孩子——财富、名誉和声望，生命的欢乐和荣耀——惩罚和成功——都将不复存在，整个人生将如同一场演出。我们将只看到无穷的韵律在进行，无尽而无目的，不知去往何方。我们只会说这一句：我们的游戏结束了。
English
SADHANAS OR PREPARATIONS FOR HIGHER LIFE
If atavism gains, you go down; if evolution gains, you go on. Therefore, we must not allow atavism to take place. Here, in my own body, is the first work of the study. We are too busy trying to mend the ways of our neighbours, that is the difficulty. We must begin with our own bodies. The heart, the liver, etc., are all atavistic; bring them back into consciousness, control them, so that they will obey your commands and act up to your wishes. There was a time when we had control of the liver; we could shake the whole skin, as can the cow. I have seen many people bring the control back by sheer hard practice. Once an impress is made, it is there. Bring back all the submerged activities — the vast ocean of action. This is the first part of the great study, and it is absolutely necessary for our social well-being. On the other hand, only the consciousness need not be studied all the time.
Then there is the other part of study, not so necessary in our social life, which tends to liberation. Its direct action is to free the soul, to take the torch into the gloom, to clean out what is behind, to shake it up or even defy it, and to make us march onward piercing the gloom. That is the goal — the superconscious. Then when that state is reached, this very man becomes divine, becomes free. And to the mind thus trained to transcend all, gradually this universe will begin to give up its secrets; the book of nature will be read chapter after chapter, till the goal is attained, and we pass from this valley of life and death to that One, where death and life do not exist, and we know the Real and become the Real.
The first thing necessary is a quiet and peaceable life. If I have to go about the world the whole day to make a living, it is hard for me to attain to anything very high in this life. Perhaps in another life I shall be born under more propitious circumstances. But if I am earnest enough, these very circumstances will change even in this birth. Was there anything you did not get which you really wanted? It could not be. For it is the want that creates the body. It is the light that has bored the holes, as it were, in your head, called the eyes. If the light had not existed, you would have had no eyes. It is sound that had made the ears. The object of perception existed first, before you made the organ. In a few hundred thousand years or earlier, we may have other organs to perceive electricity and other things. There is no desire for a peaceful mind. Desire will not come unless there is something outside to fulfil it. The outside something just bores a hole in the body, as it were, and tries to get into the mind. So, when the desire will arise to have a peaceful, quiet life, that shall come where everything shall be propitious for the development of the mind — you may take that as my experience. It may come after thousands of lives, but it must come. Hold on to that, the desire. You cannot have the strong desire if its object was not outside for you already. Of course you must understand, there is a difference between desire and desire. The master said, "My child, if you desire after God, God shall come to you." The disciple did not understand his master fully. One day both went to bathe in a river, and the master said, "Plunge in", and the boy did so. In a moment the master was upon him, holding him down. He would not let the boy come up. When the boy struggled and was exhausted, he let him go. "Yes, my child, how did you feel there;" "Oh, the desire for a breath of air!" "Do you have that kind of desire for God?" "No, sir." "Have that kind of desire for God and you shall have God."
That, without which we cannot live, must come to us. If it did not come to us, life could not go on.
If you want to be a Yogi, you must be free and place yourself in circumstances where you are alone and free from all anxiety. He who desires for a comfortable and nice life and at the same time wants to realise the Self is like the fool who, wanting to cross the river, caught hold of a crocodile mistaking it for a log of wood. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Unto him everything who does not care for anything. Fortune is like a flirt; she cares not for him who wants her, but she is at the feet of him who does not care for her. Money comes and showers itself upon one who does not care for it; so does fame come in abundance until it is a trouble and a burden. They always come to the Master. The slave never gets anything. The Master is he who can live in spite of them, whose life does not depend upon the little, foolish things of the world. Live for an ideal, and that one ideal alone. Let it be so great, so strong, that there may be nothing else left in the mind; no place for anything else, no time for anything else.
How some people give all their energies, time, brain, body, and everything, to become rich! They have no time for breakfast! Early in the morning they are out and at work! They die in the attempt — ninety per cent of them — and the rest when they make money, cannot enjoy it. That is grand! I do not say it is bad to try to be rich. It is marvellous, wonderful. Why, what does it show? It shows that one can have the same amount of energy and struggle for freedom as one has for money. We know we have to give up money and all other things when we die, and yet, see the amount of energy we can put forth for them. But we, the same human beings, should we not put forth a thousandfold more strength and energy to acquire that which never fades, but which remains to us for ever? For this is the one great friend, our own good deeds, our own spiritual excellence, that follows us beyond the grave. Everything else is left behind here with the body.
That is the one great first step — the real desire for the ideal. Everything comes easy after that. That the Indian mind found out; there, in India, men go to any length to find truth. But here, in the West, the difficulty is that everything is made so easy. It is not truth, but development, that is the great aim. The struggle is the great lesson. Mind you, the great benefit in this life is struggle. It is through that we pass. If there is any road to Heaven, it is through Hell. Through Hell to Heaven is always the way. When the soul has wrestled with circumstance and has met death, a thousand times death on the way, but nothing daunted has struggled forward again and again and yet again — then the soul comes out as a giant and laughs at the ideal he has been struggling for, because he finds how much greater is he than the ideal. I am the end, my own Self, and nothing else, for what is there to compare to me own Self? Can a bag of gold be the ideal of my Soul? Certainly not! My Soul is the highest ideal that I can have. Realising my own real nature is the one goal of my life.
There is nothing that is absolutely evil. The devil has a place here as well as God, else he would not be here. Just as I told you, it is through Hell that we pass to Heaven. Our mistakes have places here. Go on! Do not look back if you think you have done something that is not right. Now, do you believe you could be what you are today, had you not made those mistakes before? Bless your mistakes, then. They have been angels unawares. Blessed be torture! Blessed be happiness! Do not care what be your lot. Hold on to the ideal. March on! Do not look back upon little mistakes and things. In this battlefield of ours, the dust of mistakes must be raised. Those who are so thin-skinned that they cannot bear the dust, let them get out of the ranks.
So, then, this tremendous determination to struggle a hundredfold more determination than that which you put forth to gain anything which belongs to this life, is the first great preparation.
And then along with it, there must be meditation Meditation is the one thing. Meditate! The greatest thing is meditation. It is the nearest approach to spiritual life — the mind meditating. It is the one moment in our daily life that we are not at all material — the Soul thinking of Itself, free from all matter — this marvellous touch of the Soul!
The body is our enemy, and yet is our friend. Which of you can bear the sight of misery? And which of you cannot do so when you see it only as a painting? Because it is unreal, we do not identify ourselves with it, eve know it is only a painting; it cannot bless us, it cannot hurt us. The most terrible misery painted upon a price of canvas, we may even enjoy; we praise the technique of the artist, we wonder at his marvellous genius, even though the scene he paints is most horrible. That is the secret; that non-attachment. Be the Witness.
No breathing, no physical training of Yoga, nothing is of any use until you reach to the idea, "I am the Witness." Say, when the tyrant hand is on your neck, "I am the Witness! I am the Witness!" Say, "I am the Spirit! Nothing external can touch me." When evil thoughts arise, repeat that, give that sledge-hammer blow on their heads, "I am the Spirit! I am the Witness, the Ever-Blessed! I have no reason to do, no reason to suffer, I have finished with everything, I am the Witness. I am in my picture gallery — this universe is my museum, I am looking at these successive paintings. They are all beautiful. Whether good or evil. I see the marvellous skill, but it is all one. Infinite flames of the Great Painter!" Really speaking, there is naught — neither volition, nor desire. He is all. He — She — the Mother, is playing, and we are like dolls, Her helpers in this play. Here, She puts one now in the garb of a beggar, another moment in the garb of a king, the next moment in the garb of a saint, and again in the garb of a devil. We are putting on different garbs to help the Mother Spirit in Her play.
When the baby is at play, she will not come even if called by her mother. But when she finishes her play, she will rush to her mother, and will have no play. So there come moments in our life, when we feel our play is finished, and we want to rush to the Mother. Then all our toil here will be of no value; men, women, and children — wealth, name, and fame, joys and glories of life — punishments and successes — will be no more, and the whole life will seem like a show. We shall see only the infinite rhythm going on, endless and purposeless, going we do not know where. Only this much shall we say; our play is done.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。