专注
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中文
专注是一切知识的精髓；没有它，什么都做不成。普通人百分之九十的思维力量被浪费了，因此他不断犯错；而训练有素的人或心从不犯错。当心被集中起来并转向自身时，我们内在的一切都将成为我们的仆人，而非我们的主人。希腊人将他们的专注力运用于外部世界，其结果是艺术、文学等方面的完美。印度教徒则专注于内在世界，专注于自性中不可见的领域，从而发展出瑜伽的科学。瑜伽是对感官、意志和心的控制。学习瑜伽的益处在于，我们学会控制，而不是被控制。心似乎是一层叠一层的。我们真正的目标是穿越我们存在的所有这些中间层次，找到神。瑜伽的终极目的是实现神。为此，我们必须超越相对知识，超越感官世界。世界对感官是清醒的，主的孩子们在那个层面上却是沉睡的。世界对永恒是沉睡的，主的孩子们在那个领域中却是清醒的。这些就是神之子。控制感官只有一条道路——在宇宙中见到那个"实在"。只有那时，我们才能真正征服我们的感官。
专注是将心约束到越来越小的范围之中。有八种方法来如此约束心。第一是持戒（Yama），通过避免外在事物来控制心。一切道德都包含在此之中。不造恶业。不伤害任何生灵。如果你十二年不伤害任何生灵，那么连狮子和老虎也会在你面前俯首。践行真实。十二年在思想、言语和行为上绝对真实，便能使人心想事成。在思想、言语和行为上保持梵行。梵行是一切宗教的基础。个人的纯洁是不可或缺的。其次是精进（Niyama），不让心向任何方向游移。然后是体位（Asana），即坐姿。有八十四种坐姿，但最好的是对每个人最自然的那一种，即能以最大的舒适保持最久的那一种。
此后是调息（Pranayama），即呼吸的约束。然后是制感（Pratyahara），使感官从其对象中收回。然后是执持（Dharana），即专注。然后是禅那（Dhyana），即冥想或沉思。（这是瑜伽体系的核心。）最后是三摩地（Samadhi），超意识状态。身心越纯净，所期望的结果就来得越快。你必须完全纯净。不要想邪恶的事情，这些念头必定会将你拖下去。如果你完全纯净并忠实地修习，你的心最终可以成为具有无限力量的探照灯。它的范围没有限制。但必须有持续不断的修习和对世界的不执着。当一个人达到超意识状态时，一切对身体的感觉都消融了。只有那时他才变得自由和不朽。在一切外在表现上，无意识和超意识是相同的；但它们的区别犹如一团泥与一团金。那个将整个灵魂都交付给神的人，已经达到了超意识的境界。
English
Concentration is the essence of all knowledge; nothing can be done without it. Ninety per cent of thought force is wasted by the ordinary human being, and therefore he is constantly committing blunders; the trained man or mind never makes a mistake. When the mind is concentrated and turned backward on itself, all within us will be our servants, not our masters. The Greeks applied their concentration to the external world, and the result was perfection in art, literature, etc. The Hindu concentrated on the internal world, upon the unseen realms in the Self, and developed the science of Yoga. Yoga is controlling the senses, will and mind. The benefit of its study is that we learn to control instead of being controlled. Mind seems to be layer on layer. Our real goal is to cross all these intervening strata of our being and find God. The end and aim of Yoga is to realise God. To do this we must go beyond relative knowledge, go beyond the sense-world. The world is awake to the senses, the children of the Lord are asleep on that plane. The world is asleep to the Eternal, the children of the Lord are awake in that realm. These are the sons of God. There is but one way to control the senses—to see Him who is the Reality in the universe. Then and only then can we really conquer our senses.
Concentration is restraining the mind into smaller and smaller limits. There are eight processes for thus restraining the mind. The first is Yama, controlling the mind by avoiding externals. All morality is included in this. Beget no evil. Injure no living creature. If you injure nothing for twelve years, then even lions and tigers will go down before you. Practise truthfulness. Twelve years of absolute truthfulness in thought, word, and deed gives a man what he wills. Be chaste in thought, word, and action. Chastity is the basis of all religions. Personal purity is imperative. Next in Niyama, not allowing the mind to wander in any direction. Then Asana, posture. There are eighty-four postures: but the best is that most natural to each one; that is, which can be kept longest with the greatest ease.
After this comes Pranayama, restraint of breath. Then Pratyahara, drawing in of the organs from their objects. Then Dharana, concentration. Then Dhyana, contemplation or meditation. (This is the kernel of the Yoga system.) And last, Samadhi, superconsciousness. The purer the body and mind, the quicker the desired result will be obtained. You must be perfectly pure. Do not think of evil things, such thoughts will surely drag you down. If you are perfectly pure and practise faithfully, your mind can finally be made a searchlight of infinite power. There is no limit to its scope. But there must be constant practice and non-attachment to the world. When a man reaches the superconscious state, all feeling of body melts away. Then alone does he become free and immortal. To all external appearances, unconsciousness and superconsciousness are the same; but they differ as a lump of clay from a lump of gold. The one whose whole soul is given up to God has reached the superconscious plane.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。