虔信瑜伽
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中文
虔信瑜伽（Bhakti-Yoga）
（《新发现》第三卷，第543—554页。）
【虔信瑜伽课程，一八九六年一月二十日星期一上午于纽约讲授，由乔赛亚·J·古德温先生记录】
我们在上一堂课中讲完了关于象征物（Pratikas）的内容。预备性虔信还有一个概念需要阐述，之后我们便要进入至上虔信（Parā）的境界。这个概念就是所谓的"尼施陀"（Nishthā），即对一种理念的专一奉献。
我们知道，所有这些崇拜的理念都是正确的，都是善好的；我们也已经看到，唯有对上帝的崇拜，对上帝本身的崇拜，才是虔信（Bhakti）。崇拜任何其他存在都不是虔信，但上帝可以通过各种形相和各种理念来被崇拜。我们已经看到，所有这些理念都是正确善好的，然而困难在于：如果我们仅仅止步于这最后的结论，就会发现到头来我们消耗殆尽了精力，却一无所成。
自由派人士中有一种普遍倾向：样样通而样样松——这里浅尝辄止，那里蜻蜓点水，到头来发现自己一无所获。在这个国家，这种倾向常常演变为一种痼疾——听闻种种道理，却什么也不去实践。
我们一位古代虔信者（Bhakta）曾有如此告诫："从所有花朵中采蜜，以恭敬之心兼容并蓄，对一切都说'好，好'，但切不可离开你自己的座位。"这"不离开自己座位"就是所谓的"尼施陀"。这并不是说一个人应该憎恨甚至批评他人的理念；他知道那些都是正确的。但与此同时，他必须极其严格地坚守自己的理念。
有一个关于哈奴曼（Hanumān）的故事。哈奴曼是罗摩（Rāma）的伟大崇拜者。正如基督徒将基督视为上帝的化身来崇拜一样，印度教徒崇拜许多上帝的化身。据他们所说，上帝在印度降世了九次，还将再来一次。当上帝化身为罗摩时，哈奴曼便是他最伟大的崇拜者。哈奴曼寿命极长，是一位伟大的瑜伽（Yoga）行者。
在哈奴曼有生之年，罗摩再次以克里希纳（Krishna）的身份降世；而哈奴曼作为一位伟大的瑜伽行者，知道同一位上帝已再度化身为克里希纳。他前去侍奉克里希纳，但对他说："我想看看您的罗摩形相。"克里希纳说："难道这个形相还不够吗？我就是克里希纳，我就是罗摩。所有这些形相都是我的。"哈奴曼说："这我知道，但罗摩的形相才是属于我的。遮那吉（Jānakī，即悉多之名）之主和吉祥天女（Shrī，即吉祥天女之名）之主是同一位。他们都是至上真我（Ātman）的化身。然而那莲花眼的罗摩就是我的一切。"这就是"尼施陀"——明知所有不同的崇拜形式都是正确的，却仍然坚守其一，不取其余。我们不必崇拜其他形相；我们不必憎恨或批评它们，只需心怀敬意。
大象口中伸出两颗牙齿，那只是用来展示的，它不能用那些牙来进食。而内部的牙齿才是它用来咀嚼食物的。所以，与所有人交往，对一切都说好，但不要加入任何一方。坚守你自己的崇拜理念。当你崇拜时，崇拜那属于你自己的"伊施塔"（Ishta），你自己的"本尊"——你选定的理念。如果你不这样做，你将一无所获。什么也不会生长。
当一株植物正在生长时，有必要在它四周筑起篱笆，以免被动物啃食。但当它已长成一棵强壮的参天大树，就不必在意任何篱笆了——它本身已是圆满的。同样，当灵性的种子刚刚萌芽之时，将精力消耗在种种宗教理念上——这里沾一点，那里碰一点：一点基督教，一点佛教，而实际上什么都不是——这会摧毁灵魂。
这种【兼容并蓄】有其善好的一面；最终我们都会达到那个境界。只是不要本末倒置。
首先，我们注定要成为宗派中人。但宗派的理念应该是这样的——不回避任何人。我们每个人都必须有一个宗派，而这个宗派就是我们自己的"伊施塔"——我们自己选定的道路。然而，这不应使我们想要杀害他人——而只是坚守我们自己的道路。它是神圣的，甚至不应该告诉我们自己的兄弟，因为我的选择是神圣的，他的选择也同样神圣。所以将那选择珍藏于心。这应该是每个人崇拜时应有的态度。当你向你自己的理念、你自己的"伊施塔"祈祷时，那就是你唯一应有的上帝。上帝固然以各种面相存在，但就当下而言，你自己的"伊施塔"就是唯一属于你的面相。
然后，在长期修持这个"伊施塔"之后——当灵性之树已经成长，灵魂已经强健，你开始体悟到你的"伊施塔"无处不在——那时，所有这些束缚自然会脱落。当果实成熟时，它会因自身的重量而落下。如果你摘下一颗未成熟的果实，它是苦涩的、酸涩的。所以我们需要在这个理念中逐渐成长。
仅仅听听讲座之类的空谈——在头脑中制造一场滑铁卢战役，尽是些未经消化的观念——毫无益处。专一于一个理念——拥有这种专一的人才能成就灵性，才能见到光明。你看每个人都在抱怨："我试过这个""我试过那个"。如果你追问他们到底试了什么，他们会说在这里听了几场讲座，在那里听了几次演讲，在这个角落和那个角落听了一些闲谈。然后他们崇拜了三个小时，或者几天，就以为自己做得够多了。这是愚者的做法，不是通向圆满的道路——不是通向灵性的道路。
拿起一个理念，你的"伊施塔"，让整个灵魂都奉献给它。日复一日地修行，直到你看到成果，直到灵魂成长。如果你的修行是真诚善好的，那个理念本身就会扩展，直至覆盖整个宇宙。让它自行传播；一切都会由内而外地到来。到那时你就会说，你的"伊施塔"无处不在，祂存在于万事万物之中。
当然，与此同时，我们必须始终记住，我们必须承认他人的"伊施塔"并尊重它们——尊重关于上帝的其他理念——否则崇拜就会蜕化为狂热。有一个古老的故事，说的是一个崇拜湿婆（Shiva）的人。在我们国家，有的宗派以湿婆为上帝来崇拜，另有一些宗派以毗湿奴（Vishnu）为上帝来崇拜。这个人是一位湿婆的狂热崇拜者，而且他对湿婆的崇拜中还掺杂着对一切毗湿奴崇拜者的极端憎恨，他甚至不愿听到毗湿奴的名号被念诵。印度有为数众多的毗湿奴崇拜者，他无法避免听到这个名号。于是他在耳朵上穿了两个孔，系上两个小铃铛。每当有人提到毗湿奴的名号，他就摇头使铃铛响起来，这样就不会听到那个名号了。
但湿婆在梦中告诉他："你真是个愚人！我就是毗湿奴，我就是湿婆；二者并无不同——只是名号不同。并没有两个上帝。"但这人说："我不在乎。我不要跟毗湿奴扯上任何关系。"
他有一尊小的湿婆神像，把它装饰得十分精美，还为它建了一座祭坛。有一天，他买了些上好的香，回家为他的神点燃了一些。当他的香烟袅袅升起时，他发现那尊神像分成了两半：一半仍是湿婆，另一半变成了毗湿奴。于是这人跳起来，把手指堵在毗湿奴那边的鼻孔下面，不让一丝一毫的香气飘到那里。
随后湿婆厌恶了他，这人就被变成了一个恶魔。他就是所有狂热分子之父——"铃耳恶魔"。他受到印度孩子们的"崇拜"。这是一种非常奇特的崇拜方式。他们用泥塑成他的像，用各种恶臭的花来供奉他。印度丛林中有些花散发着最令人作呕的气味。他们就用这些花来供奉他，然后拿起大棍子痛打那尊泥像。他——这位"铃耳恶魔"——就是一切除了自家神明便憎恶其余诸神之狂热者的始祖。
这就是"尼施陀"式虔信唯一的危险——变成这样的狂热恶魔。世界上到处都是这样的人。憎恨是极其容易的。人类中的大多数变得如此软弱，以至于为了爱一个，就必须恨另一个；他们必须从一处抽取能量，才能投入另一处。一个男人爱上一个女人，然后又爱上另一个；而为了爱上后者，他不得不憎恨前者。女人也是如此。这种特性存在于我们天性的方方面面，因此也存在于我们的宗教之中。普通的、未充分发展的脆弱人类头脑无法爱一个而不恨另一个。这种特性在宗教中便演变为狂热。爱自己的理念成了憎恨其他一切理念的同义词。
这应该被避免；同时，另一种危险也应被避免。我们不能将所有精力分散殆尽，否则宗教对我们来说就成了空无——只不过是听听讲座而已。这就是两种危险。自由派的危险在于他们过于宽泛而缺乏深度。你看在这个时代，宗教已变得非常宽泛，非常广博。但这些理念如此宽泛，以致毫无深度可言。宗教对于许多人来说，不过是做一点慈善事业的手段，不过是在一天辛苦劳作之后供他们消遣的东西——他们得到五分钟的宗教来自娱自乐。这就是自由主义思想的危险。另一方面，宗派主义者有深度、有强度，但那种强度是如此狭隘。他们非常深入，却毫无广度。不仅如此，这种狭隘还催生出对其他一切人的仇恨。
现在，如果我们能够避免这两种危险，既如最开明的自由派一样宽广，又如最狂热的宗派主义者一样深入，那我们就解决了这个问题。我们的理念就是如何做到这一点。它就是通过"尼施陀"的理论——认识到我们所见的所有这些理念都是善好的、真实的，认识到所有这些都是同一位上帝的不同面相；与此同时，也认识到我们还不够强大，不足以在所有这些形相中崇拜祂，因此必须坚守一个理念，使那个理念成为我们的生命。当你在这方面成功了，其余的一切都会自然到来。至此，虔信的第一部分——形式的、仪式的和预备性的虔信——便告结束。
你们一定记得，虔信的第一课是关于弟子的。谁是弟子？弟子应具备怎样的条件？你们在经典中读到过："讲者若是卓越的，听者亦当卓越。导师（Guru）若是卓越的，被教导者亦当卓越。唯有如此，灵性方能到来。"
人类一般认为一切都应该从老师那里获得。很少有人理解自己还不配被教导。对于弟子来说，首要的条件是：他必须渴望——他必须真正渴望灵性。
我们渴望一切，唯独不渴望灵性。"渴望"意味着什么？就像我们渴望食物一样。奢侈品不是需要，而必需品才是需要。宗教对于极少数人而言是必需品；而对于广大芸芸众生而言，它不过是一种奢侈品。生活中有上百样东西，没有它们人们也能活下去，直到他们走进商店，看到某样新奇精巧的物件，便想要买下它。百分之九十九又十分之九的人就是以这种方式接触宗教的。宗教不过是他们生活中许多奢侈品之一。这并没有什么害处。让他们得到他们想要的一切吧；但如果他们以为可以愚弄上帝，那就大错特错了。上帝是不可能被愚弄的。他们只会愚弄自己，不断沉沦，直至变得如同禽兽。因此，真正能够成就灵性的，是那些渴望灵性的人——那些感受到宗教的必要性，如同感受到衣物的必要性、工作的必要性、呼吸空气的必要性一样的人。
必需品是没有它我们就无法生存的东西；而奢侈品仅仅是满足一时欲望之物。
弟子的第二个条件是他必须纯洁；另一个条件是他必须坚持不懈——他必须身体力行。聆听只是其中一部分；另一部分是实践。
虔信的第二个要素是导师。导师必须具备适当的资质。那次讲课的主旨是：导师必须拥有灵性的种子。导师不是一个空谈者，而是灵性力量的传递者——他从他的导师那里接受了这种力量，而他的导师又从其他人那里接受，如此代代相传，形成一股不断的潮流。他必须能够传递那股灵性之流。
当导师和弟子都准备好了，虔信瑜伽的第一步便到来了。虔信瑜伽的第一部分是所谓的预备阶段，在此阶段你通过各种形式来修行。
下一堂课是关于"名号"的——在一切经典中、在一切宗教中，名号是如何被尊崇的，以及名号如何赐予我们益处。虔信瑜伽的修行者必须始终认定名号本身就是上帝——与上帝毫无分别。名号与上帝是一体的。
接下来，课程讲授了虔信瑜伽修行者何以需要谦卑与恭敬。虔信瑜伽的修行者必须将自己视为一个已死之人。一个已死之人从不把侮辱放在心上，从不报复；他对一切人来说都是死的。虔信瑜伽的修行者必须尊敬一切善良之人、一切圣洁之人，因为主的荣光永远通过祂的子女而显现。
下一堂课是关于象征物（Pratikas）的。其中讲到，唯有崇拜上帝才是虔信。崇拜其他任何存在都不是虔信。但我们可以崇拜任何我们喜欢的事物，只要我们认为它就是上帝。如果我们不认为它是上帝，那种崇拜就不是虔信。如果你认为它是上帝，那便完全正确。
有一位瑜伽行者，常在森林深处、河岸之畔独自修行冥想。那里有一个贫穷的牧牛人，是一个非常无知的人，每天在那片森林中放牧他的牛群。他每天都看到这位瑜伽行者一连打坐数小时，修炼苦行，独自生活，钻研经典。不知怎的，这个牧牛人对他的所作所为产生了好奇。于是他走到瑜伽行者面前说："先生，您能教我通往上帝的道路吗？"这位瑜伽行者是一位学识渊博的大人物，他回答道："你怎么可能理解上帝——你这个普通的牧牛人？蠢货，回家去放你的牛，不要拿这些事来烦恼你的脑袋。"
那个可怜人走开了，但不知怎的，一种真正的渴望已在他心中升起。所以他无法安宁，又回到瑜伽行者面前说："先生，您就不能教我一些关于上帝的东西吗？"
他再次被拒绝了："噢，你这个蠢货，你能理解什么上帝？回家去。"但这个牧牛人睡不着，也吃不下。他必须了解关于上帝的一些东西。
于是他又来了；那位瑜伽行者为了让这个执拗的人安静下来，便说："好吧，我来教你关于上帝的道理。"
那人问道："先生，上帝是怎样的一种存在？祂是什么形相？祂看起来是什么样子？"
那位瑜伽行者说："上帝就像你牛群中的那头大公牛。那就是上帝。上帝已化身为那头大公牛。"
那人信了他的话，便回到自己的牛群中去。日日夜夜，他将那头公牛视为神明，开始虔诚地供奉。他为那头公牛采来最嫩绿的青草，依偎在它身旁歇息，为它点燃灯火，坐在它近旁，寸步不离地跟随。就这样，日复一日，月复一月，年复一年。他的整个灵魂都倾注在那头公牛之上。
有一天，他仿佛听到一个声音从那头公牛身上传出。"公牛在说话！"牧牛人心想。
"我的孩子，我的孩子。"
"怎么，公牛竟然在说话！不，公牛不会说话。"
他又走开了，坐在那里冥想，内心极度苦闷。他什么也不明白。他又一次听到那声音从公牛身上传来："我的孩子，我的孩子。"
他走近前去。"不，公牛不会说话。"于是他又退回去，颓然坐下。
那声音再次传来，而这一次他终于领悟了。那声音来自他自己的内心。他发现神就在他之内。于是他领悟了万师之师那奇妙的真理："我永远与你同在。"就这样，这个贫穷的牧牛人参透了全部的奥秘。
然后他回到瑜伽（Yoga）行者那里去，当他还在远处时，那位瑜伽行者便看见了他。这位瑜伽行者曾是那个地方最博学的人，多年来修苦行——冥想、研习。而这个牧牛人，一个愚昧无知的蠢汉，从未读过一本书，连字母都不认识。但他走来时——整个身体仿佛已经蜕变，面容改换，天上的光辉照耀在他脸庞四周。瑜伽行者站了起来。"这是怎样的变化？你从何处得到了这一切？"
"先生，是您赐予我的。"
"怎么可能？我当时不过是戏言。"
"但我却当了真。我从那头公牛身上获得了我所渴求的一切，因为他难道不是无处不在的吗？"
那头公牛便是象征物。那个人将公牛作为他的象征物——作为神——来崇拜，他也从中获得了一切。正是那种强烈的爱——那种渴望——召唤出了一切。一切都在我们自身之内，而外在的世界与外在的崇拜只是形式、是暗示，将内在的一切唤醒。当这些变得强大时，内在的主便觉醒了。
外在的导师（Guru）不过是一种启示。当对外在导师的信仰足够强大时，内在万师之师的声音便会响起；永恒的智慧便会在那人的心中宣说。他无需再去翻阅任何经典，无需再求教于任何人或任何更高的存在；他无需再追逐超自然或超凡的存在以求教导。主自身成为了他的导师。他从自身获得了他所需要的一切。再也不需要去任何寺庙或教堂。他自己的身体已经成为世界上最伟大的殿堂，而造物之主就居住在那殿堂之中。在每一个国度里，都曾诞生过伟大的圣者，都曾有过不可思议的生命——纯然从爱的力量中涌现而出。
因此，虔信（Bhakti）的一切外在形式——持诵圣名、崇拜象征物、专一修持、礼敬本尊——这些不过是准备阶段，直到那永恒的力量觉醒。唯有到那时，灵性才真正降临——当一个人超越了这一切律法与束缚。到那时，一切律法尽皆瓦解，一切形式化为虚无，寺庙与教堂崩塌为尘埃，归于消亡。生于教堂之中是好的，但死于教堂之中却是最糟糕的命运。生于教派之中是好的，但怀着教派偏见死于教派之中，却是最可悲之事。
什么教派能束缚住主的孩子？什么律法能捆绑住他？他应当遵循什么形式？他应当崇拜什么人？他崇拜的是主本身。主亲自教导他。他活在一切殿堂中最至高的殿堂——人的灵魂之中。
这便是我们所趋向的目标——至高的虔信——而引导我们走向这一目标的一切不过是准备。但这些准备是必要的。它预备无限的灵魂挣脱经典、教派与形式的桎梏；这些最终将飞散而去，唯余人的灵魂。这些是无量时间中累积的迷信。"我父亲的宗教"、"我国家的宗教"，或"我的经典"，或我的这个那个，不过是世代相传的迷信，它们终将消逝。正如一个人被荆棘刺伤后，取另一根荆棘将先前那根挑出，然后将两根都丢掉一样，迷信就是如此存在于我们之中。
在许多国家——甚至在幼小婴儿柔嫩的头脑中——都被灌输了最可怕、最邪恶的荒谬，以教派观念的形式。父母们以为自己在为孩子做好事，实则不过是为了迎合世俗的虚荣而在摧残孩子。何等的自私！人们出于对自身或对社会的恐惧，没有什么事做不出来。人们会杀害自己的孩子，母亲会让自己的家人挨饿，兄弟会与兄弟反目成仇——一切只为遵从形式——因为某某太太会因此高兴和满意。
我们看到，绝大多数人生于某个教堂或某种宗教形式的殿堂之中，却永远走不出来。为什么？这些形式促进了灵性的成长吗？如果通过这些形式，我们能登上爱的最高境界，在那里形式消散，一切教派观念荡然无存，那为什么绝大多数人总是在某种形式中匍匐不起？他们其实都是无神论者；他们根本不需要任何宗教。
如果一个人来到这个国家，没有朋友，谁也不认识——假设他在自己的国家就是个无赖——他在这个国家做的第一件事就是加入一个教堂。这种人还会有宗教吗？
你是否认为那些去教堂炫耀衣裳的女人们将来会有宗教，或者会超越形式？她们会一次次退回原点。当她们死去时，她们将堕入畜生之类。
你是否认为那些去教堂只为端详女子美貌的男人们会有宗教？那些信奉某种社交性宗教的人——因为社会要求他们必须属于某某先生的教会，或因为那是他们父亲的教会——他们会有宗教吗？他们理解某些宽泛的观点，但他们必须维持某种社会地位——而且会永世维持下去。
你渴求什么，你便得到什么。主满足一切愿望。如果你想保持某种社会地位，你会如愿以偿；如果你想要教堂，你会得到教堂，却得不到他。如果你想一辈子与这些教堂和愚蠢的组织玩闹，你会拥有它们，而且不得不终生生活在其中。"渴慕亡者之人，去往亡者之处，得到的是幽魂；但爱他的人，皆归于他。"因此，唯有那些单独爱他的人才会来到他身边，而那些爱其他事物的人则会去往他们所爱之处。
在寺庙和教堂里的那套操练——在特定时间下跪、立正稍息——全是机械式的操练荒唐事，心思想着别的地方——这一切与真正的宗教毫无关系。
印度曾有一位伟大的先知，名叫古鲁·那纳克，生于约四百年前。你们中有些人听说过锡克教徒——那个尚武的民族。古鲁·那纳克是锡克教的创始人，也是锡克教的信徒。
有一天他走进了穆斯林的清真寺。这些穆斯林在自己的国度里令人畏惧，正如在一个基督教国家里没有人敢对他们的宗教说半句不是一样。……于是古鲁·那纳克走了进去，那里有一座大清真寺，穆斯林们正站着祈祷。他们排成行列：跪下、起立，在同一时刻重复某些词句，由一个人领诵。古鲁·那纳克走到那里。当穆拉念诵"以至慈至善之真主——万师之师——的名义"时，古鲁·那纳克开始微笑了。他说："看那个伪君子。"穆拉勃然大怒。"你为什么笑？"
"因为你并没有在祈祷，我的朋友。这就是我微笑的原因。"
"没有在祈祷？"
"当然没有。你心中根本没有祈祷。"
穆拉极为愤怒，他去向一位地方官投诉，说道："这个异教蛮子竟敢到我们的清真寺来，在我们祈祷的时候嘲笑我们。唯一的惩罚就是立即处死。杀了他。"
古鲁·那纳克被带到地方官面前，被问为什么微笑。
"因为他并没有在祈祷。"
"那他在做什么？"地方官问。
"如果你把他带到我面前来，我就告诉你他在做什么。"
地方官下令将穆拉带来。穆拉来到后，地方官说："穆拉在这里了。现在解释一下你为什么在他祈祷的时候笑。"
古鲁·那纳克说："给穆拉一块《古兰经》让他发誓。他在清真寺里念'真主啊，真主啊'的时候，心里想的却是他留在家里的一只鸡。"
可怜的穆拉哑口无言。他比其他人多了一份坦诚，承认自己当时确实在想那只鸡，于是他们放走了那位锡克人。"而且，"地方官对穆拉说，"不要再去清真寺了。根本不去也比去了亵渎神明、虚伪做作要好得多。当你没有祈祷之心时就不要去。不要做伪君子，不要一边想着鸡一边念诵至慈至福真主的圣名。"
有一个穆斯林在花园里祈祷。他们祈祷非常规律。每到时辰，无论他们身在何处，便立即开始，伏身在地上又起身，如此反复。有一个穆斯林正在花园里，祈祷的呼唤传来，于是他就在那里跪地俯伏祈祷。一个女孩在花园里等候她的爱人，她看见他在另一边。她急着跑去见他，没有看到那个俯伏在地的男人，便从他身上踩了过去。他是一个狂热的穆斯林——就如同你们这里所说的长老会教徒，同一种类型。两者都信奉永恒的炼火。所以你们可以想象，当他的身体被人踩过时，这个穆斯林有多么愤怒——他想要杀了那个女孩。那女孩是个聪明的人，她说："别胡闹了。你是一个蠢人，也是一个伪君子。"
"什么！我是伪君子？"
"是的，我不过是去见我尘世的爱人，就没有看到你在那里。而你是去面见你天上的至爱，却连一个女孩从你身上走过都会察觉。"
English
BHAKTI-YOGA
(New Discoveries, Vol. 3, pp. 543-54.)
[A bhakti-yoga class delivered in New York, Monday morning, January 20, 1896, and recorded by Mr. Josiah J. Goodwin]
We finished in our last [class the subject] about Pratikas. One idea more of the preparatory Bhakti, and then we will go on to the Parâ, the Supreme. This idea is what is called Nishthâ, devotion to one idea.
We know that all these ideas of worship are right and all good, and we have seen that the worship of God, and God alone, is Bhakti. The worship of any other being will not be Bhakti, but God can be worshipped in various forms and through various ideas. And we have seen that all these ideas are right and good, but the difficulty is here: If we just stop with this last conclusion, we find that in the end we have frittered away our energies and done nothing.
It is a great tendency among liberal people to become a jack-of-all-trades and master of none — to nibble a little here and there and, in the long run, find they have nothing. In this country it many times grows into a sort of disease — to hear various things and do nothing.
Here is the advice of one of our old Bhaktas: "Take the honey from all flowers, mix with all with respect, say yea, yea to all, but give not up your seat". This giving not up your own seat is what is called Nishtha. It is not that one should hate, or even criticize, the ideals of other people; he knows they are all right. But, at the same time, he must stick to his own ideal very strictly.
There is a story of Hanumân, who was a great worshipper of Râma. Just as the Christians worship Christ as the incarnation of God, so the Hindus worship many incarnations of God. According to them, God came nine times in India and will come once more. When he came as Rama, this Hanuman was his great worshipper. Hanuman lived very long and was a great Yogi.
During his lifetime, Rama came again as Krishna; and Hanuman, being a great Yogi, knew that the same God had come back again as Krishna. He came and served Krishna, but he said to him, "I want to see that Rama form of yours". Krishna said, "Is not this form enough? I am this Krishna; I am this Rama. All these forms are mine". Hanuman said, "I know that, but the Rama form is for me. The Lord of Jânaki (Janaki is a name of Sitâ.) and the Lord of Shri ( Shri is a name of Laksmi.) are the same. They are both the incarnations of the Supreme Self. Yet the lotus-eyed Rama is my all in all". This is Nishtha — knowing that all these different forms of worship are right, yet sticking to one and rejecting the others. We must not worship the others at all; we must not hate or criticize them, but respect them.
The elephant has two teeth coming out from his mouth. These are only for show; he cannot eat with them. But the teeth that are inside are those with which he chews his food. So mix with all, say yea, yea to all, but join none. Stick to your own ideal of worship. When you worship, worship that ideal of God which is your own Ishta, your own Chosen Ideal. If you do not, you will have nothing. Nothing will grow.
When a plant is growing, it is necessary that it should be hedged round lest any animal should eat it up. But when it has become strong and a huge gigantic tree, do not care for any hedges — it is perfect in itself. So when just the seed of spirituality is growing, to fritter away the energies on all sorts of religious ideas — a little of this and a little of that: a little of Christianity, a little of Buddhism, and, in reality, of nothing — destroys the soul.
This [acceptance] has its good side; and in the end we will come to it. Only do not put the cart before the horse.
In the first place, we are bound to become sectarians. But this should be the ideal of sectarianism — not to avoid anyone. Each of us must have a sect, and that sect is our own Ishta — our own chosen way. However, that should not make us want to kill other people — only to hold onto our own way. It is sacred and it should not be told to our own brothers, because my choice is sacred, and his [also] is sacred. So keep that choice as your own. That should be the [attitude of] worship of everyone. When you pray to your own Ideal, your own Ishta, that is the only God you shall have. God exists in various phases, no doubt, but for the time being, your own Ishta is the only phase for you.
Then, after a long course of training in this Ishta — when this plant of spirituality has grown and the soul has become strong and you begin to realize that your Ishta is everywhere — [then] naturally all these bondages will fall down. When the fruit becomes ripe, it falls of its own weight. If you pluck an unripe fruit it is bitter, sour. So we will have to grow in this thought.
Simply hearing lectures and all this nonsense — making the Battle of Waterloo in the brain, simply unadjusted [undigested?] ideas — is no good. Devotion to one idea — those that have this will become spiritual, will see the light. You see everyone complaining: "I try this" and "I try that", and if you cross-question them as to what they try, they will say that they have heard a few lectures in one place and another, a handful of talks in one corner and another. And for three hours, or a few days, they worshipped and thought they had done enough. That is the way of fools, not the way to perfection — not the way to attain spirituality.
Take up one idea, your Ishta, and let the whole soul be devoted to it. Practise this from day to day until you see the result, until the soul grows. And if it is sincere and good, that very idea will spread till it covers the whole universe. Let it spread by itself; it will all come from the inside out. Then you will say that your Ishta is everywhere and that He is in everything.
Of course, at the same time, we must always remember that we must recognize the Ishtas of others and respect them — the other ideas of God — or else worship will degenerate into fanaticism. There is an old story of a man who was a worshipper of Shiva. There are sects in our country who worship God as Shiva, and others who worship Him as Vishnu. This man was a great worshipper of Shiva, and to that he added a tremendous hatred for all worshippers of Vishnu and would not hear the name of Vishnu pronounced. There are a great number of worshippers of Vishnu in India, and he could not avoid hearing the name. So he bored two holes in his ears and tied two little bells onto them. Whenever a man mentioned the name of Vishnu, he moved his head and rang the bells, and that prevented his hearing the name.
But Shiva told him in a dream, "What a fool you are! I am Vishnu, and I am Shiva; they are not different—only in name. There are not two Gods". But this man said, "I don't care. I will have nothing to do with this Vishnu business".
He had a little statue of Shiva and made it very nice, built an altar for it. One day he bought some beautiful incense and went home to light some of the incense for his God. While the fumes [smoke] of his incense were rising in the air, he found that the image was divided into two: one half remained Shiva, and the other half was Vishnu. Then the man jumped up and put his finger under the nostril of Vishnu so that not a particle of the smell could get there.
Then Shiva became disgusted, and the man became [was turned into] a demon. He is [known as] the father of all fanatics, the "bell-eared" demon. He is respected by the boys of India, and they worship him. It is a very peculiar kind of worship. They make a clay image and worship him with all sorts of horrible smelling flowers. There are some flowers in the forests of India which have a most pestilential smell. They worship him with these and then take big sticks and beat the image. He [the "bell-eared" demon] is the father of all fanatics who hate all other gods except their own.
This is the only danger in this Nishthâ Bhakti — becoming this fanatical demon. The world gets full of them. It is very easy to hate. The generality of mankind gets so weak that in order to love one, they must hate another; they must take the energy out of one point in order to put it into another. A man loves one woman and then loves another; and to love the other, he has to hate the first. So with women. This characteristic is in every part of our nature, and so in our religion. The ordinary, undeveloped weak brain of mankind cannot love one without hating another. This very [characteristic] becomes fanaticism in religion. Loving their own ideal is synonymous with hating every other idea.
This should be avoided and, at the same time, the other danger should be avoided. We must not fritter away all our energies, [otherwise] religion becomes a nothing with us — just hearing lectures. These are the two dangers. The danger with the liberals is that they are too expansive and have no intensity. You see that in these days religion has become very expansive, very broad. But the ideas are so broad that there is no depth in them. Religion has become to many merely a means of doing a little charity work, just to amuse them after a hard day's labour — they get five minutes religion to amuse them. This is the danger with the liberal thought. On the other hand, the sectarians have the depth, the intensity, but that intensity is so narrow. They are very deep, but with no breadth to it. Not only that, but it draws out hatred to everyone else.
Now, if we can avoid both these dangers and become as broad as the uttermost liberals and as deep as the bluest fanatic, then we will solve the problem. Our idea is how that can be done. It is by this theory of Nishtha — knowing that all these ideals that we see are [good] and true, that all these are so many parts of the same God and, at the same time, thinking that we are not strong enough to worship Him in all these forms, and therefore must stick to one ideal and make that ideal our life. When you have succeeded in doing that, all the rest will come. Here ends the first part of Bhakti: the formal, the ceremonial and the preparatory.
You must remember that the first lesson in this Bhakti was on the disciple. Who is the disciple? What are the necessary qualifications for a disciple? You read in the scriptures: "Where the speaker is wonderful, so is the listener. When the teacher is wonderful, so is the taught. Then alone will this spirituality come".
Mankind generally thinks that everything is to be expected from the teacher. Very few people understand that they are not fit to be taught. In the disciple first this is necessary: that he must want — he must really want spirituality.
We want everything but spirituality. What is meant by want? Just as we want food. Luxuries are not wants, but necessaries are wants. Religion is a necessary thing to very few; and to the vast mass of mankind it is a luxury. There are a hundred things in life without which they can live, until they come to the shop and see a new and artistic something and they want to buy it. Ninety-nine and nine-tenths per cent of mankind comes to religion in this way. It is one of the many luxuries they have in life. There is no harm in this. Let them have all they want; but they are entirely mistaken if they think they can fool God. He cannot be fooled. They will only fool themselves and sink down lower and lower until they become like brutes. Those therefore will become spiritual who want [spirituality] — who feel the necessity of religion, just as they feel the necessity of clothes, the necessity of work, the necessity of air to breathe.
A necessary thing is that without which we cannot live; and a luxury is that which is simply the gratification of a momentary desire.
The second qualification in the disciple is that he must be pure; and the other is that he must be persevering — he must work. Hearing is only one part; and the other part is doing.
The second necessity in Bhakti was the teacher. The teacher must be properly qualified. The main idea in that lecture was that the teacher must have the seed of spirituality. The teacher is not a talker, but the transmitter of spiritual force which he has received from his teacher, and he from others, and so on, in an unbroken current. He must be able to transmit that spiritual current.
When the teacher and the taught are both ready, then the first step in bhakti-yoga comes. The first part of bhakti-yoga is what is called the preparatory [stage], wherein you work through forms.
The next lecture was on the Name — how in all scriptures and in all religions Name has been exalted and how that Name does us good. The Bhakti-Yogi must always think that the Name itself is God — nothing different from God. The Name and God are one.
Next, it was taught how, for the Bhakti-Yogi, humility and reverence are necessary. The Bhakti-Yogi must hold himself as a dead man. A dead man never takes an insult, never retaliates; he is dead to everyone. The Bhakti-Yogi must reverence all good people, all saintly people, for the glory of the Lord shines always through His children.
The next lesson was on the Pratikas. In that it was taught that Bhakti is only when you worship God. Worshipping anyone else is not Bhakti. But we can worship anything we like if we think it is God. If we do not think it is God, that worship is not Bhakti. If you think it is God, it is all right.
There was a certain Yogi who used to practise meditation in a lonely part of the forest, on the banks of a river. There was a poor cowherd, a very ignorant man, who used to tend his herd in that forest. Every day he used to see this same Yogi meditating by the hour, practising austerities, living alone and studying. Somehow the cowherd got curious as to what he did. So he came to the Yogi and said, "Sir, can you teach me the way to God?" This Yogi was a very learned, great man, and he replied, "How will you understand God — you common cowherd? Blockhead, go home and tend your cows and don't bother your head with such things".
The poor fellow went away, but somehow a real want had come to him. So he could not rest, and he came again to the Yogi and said, "Sir, won't you teach me something about God?"
Again he was repulsed: "Oh, you blockhead, what can you understand of God? Go home". But the cowherd could not sleep; he could not eat. He must know something about God.
So he came again; and the Yogi, in order to quiet the man, as he was so insisting, said, "I'll teach you about God".
The man asked, "Sir, what sort of being is God? What is His form? How does He look?"
The Yogi said, "God is just like the big bull in your herd. That is just God. God has become that big bull".
The man believed him and went back to his herd. Day and night he took that bull for God and began to worship it. He brought the greenest grass for that bull, rested close to it and gave it light, sat near it and followed it. Thus days and months and years passed. His whole soul was there [in the bull].
One day he heard a voice, as it were, coming out of the bull. "The bull speaks!" [the cowherd thought.]"
"My son, my son."
"Why, the bull is speaking! No, the bull cannot speak."
Again he went away, and sat near meditating in great misery of his heart. He did not know anything. Again he heard the voice coming out of the bull: "My child, my child".
He went near. "No, the bull cannot speak." Then he went back again and sat despondent.
Again the voice came, and that time he found it out. It was from his own heart. He found that God was in him. Then he learned the wonderful truth of the Teacher of all teachers: "I am with thee always". And the poor cowherd learned the whole mystery.
Then he goes back to the Yogi, and when he is at some distance the Yogi sees him. The Yogi has been the most learned man in the country, practising austerity for years — meditating, studying. And this cowherd, an ignorant blockhead, never studied a book nor learned his letters. But he comes — his whole body, as it were, transfigured, his face changed, the light of heaven shining round his face. The Yogi got up. "What is this change? Where did you get this?""
Sir, you gave me that."
"How? I told you that in joke."
"But I took it seriously. And I got everything I wanted out of that bull, for is He not everywhere?"
So that bull was the Pratika. And that man worshipped the bull as his Pratika — as God — and he got everything out of it. So that intense love — that desire — brings out everything. Everything is in ourselves, and the external world and the external worship are the forms, the suggestions that call it out. When they become strong, the Lord within awakens.
The external teacher is but the suggestion. When faith in the external teacher is strong, then the Teacher of all teachers within speaks; eternal wisdom speaks in the heart of that man. He need not go any more to any books or any men or any higher beings; he need not run after supernatural or preternatural beings for instruction. The Lord Himself becomes his instructor. He gets all he wants from himself. [There is] no more need to go to any temple or church. His own body has become the greatest temple in the world, and in that temple lives the Lord of Creation. In every country great saints have been born, wonderful lives have been [lived] — coming out of the sheer power of love.
So all these external forms of Bhakti — this repetition of the Name, worship of Pratika, this Nishtha, this Ishta — are but the preparations until that eternal power wakes up. Then alone comes spirituality — when one goes beyond these laws and bounds. Then all laws fall down, all forms vanish, temples and churches crumble into dust and die away. It is good to be born in a church, but it is the worst possible fate to die in a church. It is good to be born in a sect, and the worst possible thing to die in a sect with sectarian ideas.
What sect can hold a child of the Lord? What laws bind him? What forms shall he follow? What man shall he worship? He worships the Lord Himself. He Himself teaches him. He lives in the temple of all temples, the Soul of man.
So this is the goal towards which we are going — the supreme Bhakti — and all that leads up to this is but preparation. But it is necessary. It prepares the infinite Soul to come out of this bondage of books and sects and forms; these [ultimately] fly away and leave but the Soul of man. These are superstitions of an infinite amount of time. This "my father's religion", "my country's religion", or "my book", or my this and that, are but the superstition of ages; they vanish. Just as when one is pricked with a thorn he takes another thorn to get the first out and then throws both of them away, so this superstition is in us.
In many countries — even into the soft brains of little babies — are put the most horrible and diabolical nonsense, as sect ideas. Parents think they are doing good to the child, but they are merely murdering it to satisfy Mrs. Grundy. What selfishness! There is nothing that men out of fear of themselves or out of fear of society will not do. Men will kill their own children, mothers will starve their own families, brothers will hate brothers to satisfy forms — because Mrs. So-and-so will be pleased and satisfied.
We see that the vast mass of mankind is born in some church or temple of [some religious] form and never comes out of it. Why? Have these forms helped the growth of spirituality? If through these forms we step onto the highest platform of love, where forms vanish and all these sectarian ideas go away, how is it that the vast majority of men are always grovelling in some form or another? They are all atheists; they do not want any religion.
If a man comes to this country without any friend or without knowing anyone — supposing he is a blackguard in his own country — the first thing he will do in this country will be to join a church. Will that fellow ever have religion?
Do you mean to say that those women who go to churches to show their dresses will ever have religion or will come out of forms? They will go back and back. And when they die, they will become like animals.
Do you mean to say that those men who go to church to look at the beautiful faces of women will ever have religion? Those who have certain social religions — because society requires that they shall belong to Mr. So-and-so's church or because that was their father's church — will they ever have religion? They understand certain broad views, but they must keep a certain social position — and will keep it through eternity.
What you want, you get. The Lord fulfils all desires. If you want to keep a certain position in society you will do so; if you want the church, you will get that and not Him. If you want to play the fool all your life with all these churches and foolish organizations, you will have them and have to live in them all your lives. "Those that want the departed, go to the departed and get ghosts; but those that love Him, all come to Him." So those that love Him alone will come to Him, and those that love others will go to wherever they love.
That drill business in the temples and churches — kneeling down at a certain time, standing at ease, and all that drill nonsense, all mechanical, with the mind thinking of something else — all this has nothing to do with real religion.
There was a great prophet in India, Guru Nânak, born [some] four hundred years ago. Some of you have heard of the Sikhs — the fighting people. Guru Nanak was [the founder and also] a follower of the Sikh religion.
One day he went to the Mohammedans' mosque. These Mohammedans are feared in their own country, just as in a Christian country no one dare say anything against their religion. . . . So Guru Nanak went in and there was a big mosque, and the Mohammedans were standing in prayer. They stand in lines: they kneel down, stand up, and repeat certain words at the same times, and one fellow leads. So Guru Nanak went there. And when the mullah was saying "In the name of the most merciful and kind God, Teacher of all teachers", Guru Nanak began to smile. He says, "Look at that hypocrite". The mullah got into a passion. "Why do you smile?"
"Because you are not praying, my friend. That is why I am smiling."
"Not praying?"
"Certainly not. There is no prayer in you."
The mullah was very angry, and he went and laid a complaint before a magistrate and said, "This heathen rascal dares to come to our mosque and smiles at us when we are praying. The only punishment is instant death. Kill him".
Guru Nanak was brought before the magistrate and asked why he smiled.
"Because he was not praying."
"What was he doing?" the magistrate asked.
"I will tell you what he was doing if you will bring him before me."
The magistrate ordered the mullah to be brought. And when he came, the magistrate said, "Here is the mullah. [Now] explain why you laughed when he was praying".
Guru Nanak said, "Give the mullah a piece of the Koran [to swear on]. [In the mosque] when he was saying 'Allah, Allah', he was thinking of some chicken he had left at home".
The poor mullah was confounded. He was a little more sincere than the others, and he confessed he was thinking of the chicken, and so they let the Sikh go. "And", said the magistrate [to the mullah], "don't go to the mosque again. It is better not to go at all than to commit blasphemy there and hypocrisy. Do not go when you do not feel like praying. Do not be like a hypocrite, and do not think of the chicken and say the name of the Most Merciful and Blissful God".
A certain Mohammedan was praying in a garden. They are very regular in their prayers. When the time comes, wherever they are, they just begin, fall down on the ground and get up and fall down, and so on. One of them was in a garden when the call for prayer came, so he knelt there prostrate on the ground to pray. A girl was waiting in the garden for her lover, and she saw him on the other side. And in her hurry to reach him, she did not see the man prostrate and walked over him. He was a fanatical Mohammedan — just what you call here a Presbyterian, the same breed. Both believe in barbecuing eternally. So you can just imagine the anger of this Mohammedan when his body was walked over — he wanted to kill the girl. The girl was a smart one, and she said, "Stop that nonsense. You are a fool and a hypocrite".
"What! I am a hypocrite?"
"Yes, I am going to meet my earthly lover, and I did not see you there. But you are going to meet your heavenly lover and should not know that a girl was passing over your body."
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。