七 上师、化身、瑜伽、持咒、服务
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中文
七
导师（Guru）、化身（Avatara）、瑜伽、持诵（Japa）、服务（Seva）
问：如何实证吠檀多？
答：通过"闻、思、修"。闻法必须从真正的导师（Sad-guru）处获得。即使不是正式弟子，只要是合格的求道者，听闻了真导师的教言，便能获得解脱。
问：谁是真导师？
答：真导师是通过师徒传承（Guru-parampara），即不间断的传法脉系，承接了灵性力量之人。
扮演灵性导师的角色是极其艰难的事。一个人必须承担他人的罪业。对于修行尚浅之人，堕落的危险极大。如果仅仅招致身体上的痛苦，那他应当庆幸了。
问：灵性导师不能使求道者变得合格吗？
答：化身（Avatara）可以，普通的导师不能。
问：难道没有通向解脱的捷径吗？
答："几何学没有御道"——除非那些有幸接触到化身的人。至上大天鹅（Paramahamsa）曾说过："处于最后一世的人，无论如何都会见到我。"
问：瑜伽不是一条通向解脱的捷径吗？
答：（打趣地）你说得好啊，我看！——瑜伽是捷径！如果你的心不纯净而去修习瑜伽，你也许会获得某些超常能力，但那将成为障碍。因此，心地纯净才是首要条件。
问：如何才能达到心地纯净？
答：通过善行。善行有两种：积极的和消极的。"不偷盗"——这是消极的戒律；"利益他人"——则是积极的戒律。
问：利益他人岂不应在较高阶段才去做？因为在较低阶段做，可能会使人束缚于世间？
答：应当在最初阶段就去做。有所贪求之人起初会受迷惑而生束缚，其余的人则不会。渐渐地，行善会变得非常自然。
问：先生，昨晚您说"一切皆在你之中"。那么，如果我想成为毗湿奴那样，我是否也要观想其形相，还是只观想其理念？
答：可依各人能力选择任一方法。
问：证悟的途径是什么？
答：导师是证悟的途径。"无师则无知识。"
问：有人说不必在专门的礼拜室中修习冥想，这话有多少道理？
答：已经证得主的临在之人或许不需要，但对其他人而言是必要的。然而，人应当超越形相，冥想神的无相之面，因为没有任何形相能赐予解脱。从观想形相中，你可以获得世间的繁荣。侍奉母亲的人在此世获得成功，崇拜父亲的人升入天界，而礼敬圣者（Sadhu）的人则获得知识与虔诚。
问："क्षणमिह सज्जनसंगतिरेका"——"与圣者片刻的交往便足以超越此相对存在"——此句何意？
答：合格的求道者与真正的圣者接触，便能证得解脱。真正的圣者极为稀有，但其影响力如此之大，以至于有位伟大的作家说过："虚伪是恶对善所致的敬意。"但化身是"Kapalamochana"，即他们能改变众生的命运。他们能震撼整个世界。最安全、最好的崇拜形式是崇拜人。一个在人身上领悟了梵的人，便已在整个宇宙中证悟了它。出家修行与在家生活，依各人不同的情况而言都是好的。知识才是唯一必要之物。
问：应该在身体内部还是外部冥想？心应当收摄于内还是持守于外？
答：我们应当尝试在内部冥想。至于心在此处还是彼处，我们达到心意层面还需要很长时间。现在我们的修行是与身体作斗争。当一个人在体位（Asana）上达到完美的稳定时，那时——也唯有那时——才开始与心意作斗争。体位既已征服，四肢便能纹丝不动，想坐多久就能坐多久。
问：有时持诵真言（Japa）会感到疲倦，应当继续持诵还是改读一些好书？
答：持诵感到疲倦有两个原因。有时是大脑疲劳，有时是懈怠所致。如果是前者，就应当暂时停止持诵，因为此时勉强坚持会导致幻觉，甚至精神失常等。但如果是后者，就应当强迫心继续持诵。
问：有时坐下持诵，起初会感到喜悦，但随后因为这喜悦反而不愿继续持诵了。这时应当继续吗？
答：是的，那种喜悦是灵性修行的障碍，其名为"尝味"（Rasasvadana，品尝甘美）。人必须超越它。
问：即使心在游荡，长时间练习持诵是否有益？
答：有益。正如有些人驯服野马的方法，就是始终坐在马背上不下来。
问：您在《虔信瑜伽》中写道，如果体弱之人试图修习瑜伽，会产生巨大的反应。那该怎么办？
答：为证悟真我（Self）而死，有何可惧！人为了求学和许多其他事情都不怕死，为宗教而死又有何惧？
问：仅靠服务众生（Jiva-seva）能获得解脱（Mukti）吗？
答：服务众生不能直接赐予解脱，但能通过净化心灵而间接达成。然而，如果你想把一件事做好，就必须在当下认为那就是一切所需。任何教派的危险都在于缺乏热忱。必须有坚定（Nishtha），否则便无增长。当前有必要着重强调业行（Karma）。
问：我们工作的动机应当是什么——悲悯，还是其他什么动机？
答：出于悲悯而利益他人是好的，但以主的精神来服务一切众生则更好。
问：祈祷的功效是什么？
答：通过祈祷，人的精微力量容易被唤醒。如果是有意识地祈祷，一切愿望都可由此实现；但若无意识地祈祷，十个中也许只有一个能实现。然而，这样的祈祷是自私的，因此应当舍弃。
问：当神以人身显现时，如何辨认？
答：能改变众生命运的便是主。无论多么高深的圣者，都不能自称拥有这一独特的地位。我没有看到谁真正把罗摩克里希纳证悟为神。我们有时隐约感觉到，仅此而已。既证悟他为神，却仍执著于世间，这是自相矛盾的。
English
VII
GURU, AVATARA, YOGA, JAPA, SEVA
Q.—How can Vedanta be realised?
A.—By "hearing, reflection, and meditation". Hearing must take place from a Sad-guru. Even if one is not a regular disciple, but is a fit aspirant and hears the Sad-guru's words, he is liberated.
Q.—Who is a Sad-guru?
A.—A Sad-guru is one on whom the spiritual power has descended by Guru-paramparâ, or an unbroken chain of discipleship.
To play the role of a spiritual teacher is a very difficult thing. One has to take on oneself the sins of others. There is every chance of a fall in less advanced men. If merely physical pain ensues, then he should consider himself fortunate.
Q.—Cannot the spiritual teacher make the aspirant fit?
A.—An Avatâra can. Not an ordinary Guru.
Q.—Is there no easy way to liberation?
A.—"There is no royal road to Geometry"—except for those who have been fortunate enough to come in contact with an Avatara. Paramahamsa Deva used to say, "One who is having his last birth shall somehow or other see me."
Q.—Is not Yoga an easy path to that?
A.—(Jokingly) You have said well, I see!—Yoga an easy path! If your mind be not pure and you try to follow Yoga, you will perhaps attain some supernatural power, but that will be a hindrance. Therefore purity of mind is the first thing necessary.
Q.—How can this be attained?
A.—By good work. Good work is of two kinds, positive and negative. "Do not steal"—that is a negative mandate, and "Do good to others"—is a positive one.
Q.—Should not doing good to others be performed in a higher stage, for if performed in a lower stage, it may bind one to the world?
A.—It should be performed in the first stage. One who has any desire at first gets deluded and becomes bound, but not others. Gradually it will become very natural.
Q.—Sir, last night you said, "In you is everything." Now, if I want to be like Vishnu, shall I have to meditate on the form also, or only on the idea?
A.—According to capacity one may follow either way.
Q.—What is the means of realisation?
A.—The Guru is the means of realisation. "There is no knowledge without a teacher."
Q.—Some say that there is no necessity of practicing meditation in a worship-room. How far is it true?
A.—Those who have already realised the Lord's presence may not require it, but for others it is necessary. One, however, should go beyond the form and meditate on the impersonal aspect of God, for no form can grant liberation. You may get worldly prosperity from the sight of the form. One who ministers to his mother succeeds in this world; one who worships his father goes to heaven; but the worshipper of a Sâdhu (holy man) gets knowledge and devotion.
Q.—What is the meaning of "क्षणमिह सज्जनसंगतिरेका"—"Even a moment's association with the holy ones serves to take one beyond this relative existence"?
A.—A fit person coming in contact with a true Sadhu attains to liberation. True Sadhus are very rare, but their influence is such that a great writer has said, "Hypocrisy is the tribute which vice pays to virtue." But Avataras are Kapâlamochanas, that is, they can alter the doom of people. They can stir the whole world. The least dangerous and best form of worship is worshipping man. One who has got the idea of Brahman in a man has realised it in the whole universe. Monasticism and the householder's life are both good, according to different circumstances. Knowledge is the only thing necessary.
Q.—Where should one meditate—inside the body or outside it? Should the mind be withdrawn inside or held outside?
A.—We should try to meditate inside. As for the mind being here or there, it will take a long time before we reach the mental plane. Now our struggle is with the body. When one acquires a perfect steadiness in posture, then and then alone one begins to struggle with the mind. Âsana (posture) being conquered, one's limbs remain motionless, and one can sit as long as one pleases.
Q.—Sometimes one gets tired of Japa (repetition of the Mantra). Should one continue it or read some good book instead?
A. —One gets tired of Japa for two reasons. Sometimes one's brain is fatigued, sometimes it is the result of idleness. If the former, then one should give up Japa for the time being, for persistence in it at the time results in seeing hallucinations, or in lunacy etc. But if the latter, the mind should be forced to continue Japa.
Q.—Sometimes sitting at Japa one gets joy at first, but then one seems to be disinclined to continue the Japa owing to that joy. Should it be continued then?
A.—Yes, that joy is a hindrance to spiritual practice, its name being Rasâsvâdana (tasting of the sweetness). One must rise above that.
Q.—Is it good to practice Japa for a long time, though the mind may be wandering?
A.—Yes. As some people break a wild horse by always keeping his seat on his back.
Q.—You have written in your Bhakti-Yoga that if a weak-bodied man tries to practice Yoga, a tremendous reaction comes. Then what to do?
A.—What fear if you die in the attempt to realise the Self! Man is not afraid of dying for the sake of learning and many other things, and why should you fear to die for religion?
Q.—Can Jiva-sevâ (service to beings) alone give Mukti ?
A.—Jiva-seva can give Mukti not directly but indirectly, through the purification of the mind. But if you wish to do a thing properly, you must, for the time being, think that that is all-sufficient. The danger in any sect is want of zeal. There must be constancy (Nishthâ), or there will be no growth. At present it has become necessary to lay stress on Karma.
Q.—What should be our motive in work—compassion, or any other motive?
A.—Doing good to others out of compassion is good, but the Seva (service) of all beings in the spirit of the Lord is better.
Q.—What is the efficacy of prayer?
A.—By prayer one's subtle powers are easily roused, and if consciously done, all desires may be fulfilled by it; but done unconsciously, one perhaps in ten is fulfilled. Such prayer, however, is selfish and should therefore be discarded.
Q.—How to recognise God when He has assumed a human form?
A.—One who can alter the doom of people is the Lord. No Sadhu, however advanced, can claim this unique position. I do not see anyone who realises Ramakrishna as God. We sometimes feel it hazily, that is all. To realise Him as God and yet be attached to the world is inconsistent.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。