专注与呼吸
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AI-translated. May contain errors. For accurate text, refer to the original English.
中文
专注与呼吸
人与动物之间的主要差别在于专注力的差别。一切领域中的成功都是专注的结果。人人对专注都略有所知。我们每天都看到专注的成果。艺术、音乐等领域的卓越成就都是专注的结果。动物的专注力极为微弱。训练动物的人常常遇到一个困难，那就是动物不断忘记所教的内容。它无法将心灵长时间集中于任何事物之上。这就是人与动物的区别——人拥有更强大的专注力。专注力的差异也构成了人与人之间的差异。将最低等的人与最高等的人相比较，差异就在于专注的程度。这是唯一的差别。
每个人的心灵都会在某些时候变得专注。我们都会专注于自己所爱之物，而我们所爱的正是那些我们对之投注心灵专注的事物。哪个母亲不爱自己最不起眼的孩子的面容呢？那张面孔在她眼中是世上最美的。她爱它，因为她将心灵专注于它；如果每个人都能将心灵专注于同一张面孔，每个人都会爱上它。对所有人来说，那将是最美丽的面容。我们都将心灵专注于自己所爱之物。当我们听到美妙的音乐时，心灵便紧紧地依附其上，无法抽离。那些将心灵专注于所谓古典音乐的人不喜欢通俗音乐，反之亦然。音符急速连续的音乐容易抓住心灵。孩子喜欢活泼的音乐，因为音符的急速让心灵没有机会游移。喜欢通俗音乐的人不喜欢古典音乐，因为古典音乐更为复杂，需要更高程度的专注才能跟随。
这类专注的最大问题在于：不是我们控制心灵，而是心灵控制了我们。某种外在之物，可以说是将心灵吸引进去，并随其所欲地牢牢把持。我们听到悠扬的旋律或看到一幅美丽的画作，心灵便被紧紧攫住！我们无法将它抽离。
如果我就你喜欢的话题对你讲得很好，你的心灵就会专注于我所说的内容。我将你的心灵从你自身拉开，使它不由自主地集中于这个话题上。如此，我们的注意力被牢牢抓住，我们的心灵不由自主地专注于各种事物上。我们身不由己。
现在的问题是：这种专注力能否被培养，我们能否成为它的主人？瑜伽行者说：能。瑜伽行者说我们能够获得对心灵的完全控制。但在伦理方面，专注力的发展存在一种危险——将心灵专注于一个对象后却无法随意将其抽离。这种状态会造成巨大的痛苦。我们几乎所有的痛苦都是因为缺乏抽离的能力。因此，在发展专注力的同时，我们必须同时发展抽离的能力。我们不仅要学会将心灵专一地系于某一事物，还要学会在瞬间将其抽离并转移到其他事物上。这两者应该同步发展，方能安全。
这就是心灵的系统训练。在我看来，教育的真正本质就是心灵的专注，而非事实的积累。如果让我重新接受教育，并且有发言权的话，我根本不会去学习事实。我会培养专注与抽离的能力，然后凭借这一完美的工具，我可以随意收集事实。在儿童身上，专注的能力与抽离的能力应当并行发展。
我的发展一直是片面的。我发展了专注力，却没有获得随意抽离心灵的能力；我一生中最强烈的痛苦就源于此。如今我已拥有抽离的能力，但这是我在日后的人生中才学到的。
我们应该主动将心灵投注于事物之上；不应让事物把我们的心灵吸引过去。通常我们是被迫专注的。我们的心灵因事物中某种我们无法抗拒的吸引力而被迫固着于不同事物上。要控制心灵，将它置于我们所欲之处，需要专门的训练。除此之外别无他法。在宗教的研习中，心灵的控制是绝对必要的。在这一研习中，我们必须将心灵转向自身。
在心灵的训练中，第一步是从呼吸开始。规律的呼吸使身体处于和谐的状态；此后便更容易触及心灵。在呼吸练习中，首先要考虑的是体式——即坐姿。任何能让人轻松坐着的姿势就是他的正确坐姿。脊柱应保持自由不受压，身体的重量应由肋骨承载。不要试图用巧技来控制心灵；在这方面，简单的呼吸就已足够。一切为获得心灵专注而进行的苦行都是错误的。不要这样做。
心灵作用于身体，身体又反过来作用于心灵。它们相互作用、相互影响。每一种心理状态都会在身体中产生相应的状态，身体的每一个动作也会在心灵中产生相应的效果。无论你认为身体和心灵是两个不同的实体，还是认为它们同为一体——物质身体为粗的部分，心灵为细的部分——这并不影响这一事实。它们相互作用、相互影响。心灵不断地变为身体。在心灵的训练中，通过身体来触及心灵更为容易。身体比心灵更容易把握。
工具越精微，力量越强大。心灵比身体精微得多、强大得多。因此，从身体入手更为容易。
呼吸的科学就是通过身体来触及心灵。通过这种方式，我们获得对身体的控制，然后开始感受身体更细微的运作，更细微、更内在的运作，如此逐步深入直至触及心灵。当我们感受到身体更细微的运作时，它们便纳入了我们的掌控之中。不久之后，你便能感受到心灵对身体的作用。你还将感受到心灵一半对另一半的作用，并感受到心灵补充神经中枢的过程；因为心灵控制并主宰着神经系统。你将感受到心灵沿着不同的神经电流运作。
如此，心灵便被纳入控制之中——通过规律系统的呼吸，先驾驭粗的身体，继而驾驭细的身体。
第一种呼吸练习是完全安全且非常有益健康的。它至少能带给你良好的健康，并全面改善你的状况。其他练习则应当缓慢而谨慎地逐步展开。
English
CONCENTRATION AND BREATHING
The main difference between men and the animals is the difference in their power of concentration. All success in any line of work is the result of this. Everybody knows something about concentration. We see its results every day. High achievements in art, music, etc., are the results of concentration. An animal has very little power of concentration. Those who have trained animals find much difficulty in the fact that the animal is constantly forgetting what is told him. He cannot concentrate his mind long upon anything at a time. Herein is the difference between man and the animals—man has the greater power of concentration. The difference in their power of concentration also constitutes the difference between man and man. Compare the lowest with the highest man. The difference is in the degree of concentration. This is the only difference.
Everybody's mind becomes concentrated at times. We all concentrate upon those things we love, and we love those things upon which we concentrate our minds. What mother is there that does not love the face of her homeliest child? That face is to her the most beautiful in the world. She loves it because she concentrates her mind on it; and if every one could concentrate his mind on that same face, every one would love it. It would be to all the most beautiful face. We all concentrate our minds upon those things we love. When we hear beautiful music, our minds become fastened upon it, and we cannot take them away. Those who concentrate their minds upon what you call classical music do not like common music, and vice versa. Music in which the notes follow each other in rapid succession holds the mind readily. A child loves lively music, because the rapidity of the notes gives the mind no chance to wander. A man who likes common music dislikes classical music, because it is more complicated and requires a greater degree of concentration to follow it.
The great trouble with such concentrations is that we do not control the mind; it controls us. Something outside of ourselves, as it were, draws the mind into it and holds it as long as it chooses. We hear melodious tones or see a beautiful painting, and the mind is held fast! We cannot take it away.
If I speak to you well upon a subject you like, your mind becomes concentrated upon what I am saying. I draw your mind away from yourself and hold it upon the subject in spite of yourself. Thus our attention is held, our minds are concentrated upon various things, in spite of ourselves. We cannot help it.
Now the question is: Can this concentration be developed, and can we become masters of it? The Yogis say, yes. The Yogis say that we can get perfect control of the mind. On the ethical side there is danger in the development of the power of concentration—the danger of concentrating the mind upon an object and then being unable to detach it at will. This state causes great suffering. Almost all our suffering is caused by our not having the power of detachment. So along with the development of concentration we must develop the power of detachment. We must learn not only to attach the mind to one thing exclusively, but also to detach it at a moment's notice and place it upon something else. These two should be developed together to make it safe.
This is the systematic development of the mind. To me the very essence of education is concentration of mind, not the collecting of facts. If I had to do my education over again, and had any voice in the matter, I would not study facts at all. I would develop the power of concentration and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument I could collect facts at will. Side by side, in the child, should be developed the power of concentration and detachment.
My development has been one-sided all along I developed concentration without the power of detaching my mind at will; and the most intense suffering of my life has been due to this. Now I have the power of detachment, but I had to learn it in later life.
We should put our minds on things; they should not draw our minds to them. We are usually forced to concentrate. Our minds are forced to become fixed upon different things by an attraction in them which we cannot resist. To control the mind, to place it just where we want it, requires special training. It cannot be done in any other way. In the study of religion the control of the mind is absolutely necessary. We have to turn the mind back upon itself in this study.
In training the mind the first step is to begin with the breathing. Regular breathing puts the body in a harmonious condition; and it is then easier to reach the mind. In practicing breathing, the first thing to consider is Âsana or posture. Any posture in which a person can sit easily is his proper position. The spine should be kept free, and the weight of the body should be supported by the ribs. Do not try by contrivances to control the mind; simple breathing is all that is necessary in that line. All austerities to gain concentration of the mind are a mistake. Do not practice them.
The mind acts on the body, and the body in its turn acts upon the mind. They act and react upon each other. Every mental state creates a corresponding state in the body, and every action in the body has its corresponding effect on the mind. It makes no difference whether you think the body and mind are two different entities, or whether you think they are both but one body— the physical body being the gross part and the mind the fine part. They act and react upon each other. The mind is constantly becoming the body. In the training of the mind, it is easier to reach it through the body. The body is easier to grapple with than the mind.
The finer the instrument, the greater the power. The mind is much finer and more powerful than the body. For this reason it is easier to begin with the body.
The science of breathing is the working through the body to reach the mind. In this way we get control of the body, and then we begin to feel the finer working of the body, the finer and more interior, and so on till we reach the mind. As we feel the finer workings of the body, they come under our control. After a while you will be able to feel the operation of the mind on the body. You will also feel the working of one half of the mind upon the other half, and also feel the mind recruiting the nerve centres; for the mind controls and governs the nervous system. You will feel the mind operating along the different nerve currents.
Thus the mind is brought under control—by regular systematic breathing, by governing the gross body first and then the fine body.
The first breathing exercise is perfectly safe and very healthful. It will give you good health, and better your condition generally at least. The other practices should be taken up slowly and carefully.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。