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2014/07

瑜伽

顶礼于我们的主薄伽梵峇峇的莲花足下。

亲爱的兄弟姐妹，

感谢薄伽梵今天早上再一次把我们大家一起带到研讨会的课堂来。容我与大家分享涉及‘瑜伽’之主题的几个理念。瑜伽是经常被论及，被参照，被规定，被展示和被修习的法门。很多人在日常生活中热衷于知道及开始练习瑜伽。我们有时在报章上也看到付费瑜伽广告，保证在一段特定期间学到瑜伽技巧。他们提议一个有时间限制的瑜伽课程。大体上，人们对瑜伽略知一二，具备一些概念。我们也知道瑜伽在灵性生活里是有其特别的重要性。同时不瞒你说，在诸多情况下，瑜伽已经商业化了。它被错误地理解，错误地解释，错误的练习，即，脱离正轨，极尽卖弄与宣传的能事。薄伽梵就这瑜伽话题表达祂的意见。让我们今天早上检讨一下瑜伽的几个要点。

就一般观念或体能意识而言，瑜伽可说是一种体位法的练习，是重复而很有规律及很有系统的多种类身体姿势的动作和运动，对身心的成长和健康不无裨益。这是我们最常看到的一类瑜伽。但在灵性的含义里，瑜伽则有不同的意思。在某个意义上，瑜伽指的是二者合而为一，即，个灵（Jeevathma）认同宇宙灵（Paramatma最高灵）而结为一体。这就是个体与绝对体的结合。它是融入海洋（Sindu）的水滴（Bindu）。命我（Jeeva）之融合于圣灵就是瑜伽。客体（Bimba）找到它的映像（Prathibimba）于镜子里。Bimba（客体）是神或宇宙灵或最高灵，而Prathibimba（映像）是个灵，出现于镜中。就在镜里，我们找到二元性（因镜子，二元性显现），也就是，人与神是分开的。神是Bimba，而人是Prathibimba，在镜里所看到的生命。现在，瑜伽意味着把镜子拿开以暴露，表达和体验本来面目。但在另一种意义上，瑜伽也意味着‘Deservedness’（应得或有资格赢取）。最高的瑜伽就是认识真实的自性或内在的神性。这就是一个灵性的成就或目标。

《梵歌》说，‘Yogah Chitha Vrithi Nirodhaha’（感官控制即瑜伽）。圣者钵颠舍梨（Pathanjali）在其瑜伽经（Yogasuthras）里也作同样的描述。把感官从外在世界收回，并切断感官享乐，就是瑜伽。这意味着一个人应该超越感官之上。助你超越感官的修行就是瑜伽。这意味着，就其目的而言，瑜伽不仅仅是身体的或精神的，同时也是灵性的。

《梵歌》也说，Karthavyam Yogamuchyathe，意谓尽责就是瑜伽。义务或职责并非一种机械式的例常事务或一成不变的单调事务。义务是神。一旦我们从这视角看去，义务就变得特别而有意义了。一个人不能也不应该忽视义务。如果任何人忽视其义务，他是不会获得薄伽梵的宽恕的。祂进一步说，我们应该以爱去克尽厥职。“义务加上爱是必需的”。祂说这带来重大的差别。祂更清楚地阐明说，“不具爱的义务是可悲的”。祂总是强调工作精神，工作精神是非常重要的。以爱去履行工作，工作将转变为膜拜。

基士拿称呼阿周那为Kurunandana，意思是，“做吧，我的孩子”。有些人逃避义务而有些人则技巧不足。在这方面，祂说，“服务的手远比祈祷的唇更为圣洁”。因此，一个人必须真诚地，全心地工作。宗教从不叫你离开工作岗位。它期望你做得更多。在《梵歌》中，主基士拿说，“Yoga Karmasukausalam”，意思是，任何人竭尽所能去把工作做好就是瑜伽。我们曾否从这观点去看瑜伽？若曾，我们就会更有效率地，更具生产力地为社会乃至于国家的进步与繁荣做出了贡献。宗教并非鼓励慵懒。它是辛勤工作。薄伽梵更进一步说每一项工作都是坐禅。若你借坐禅之名，却杂念丛生，神不守舍，这无异于浪费时间。反之，你可以转而做某种有建设性的工作。这远比你那不专注的，所谓的‘虚伪坐禅’好得多。

《梵歌》说，“Yogamsamathwa Muchyate”，其意为瑜伽就是平常心，或平等心。瑜伽应该把我们带到二元性之上而不因褒而雀跃，因贬而沮丧。一个超越欢乐与痛苦的平衡的心境，一个超越利益和损失的稳定的心念，一个不受胜利或挫折影响的不动摇的心念，代表着平常心（Samathwa）。这就是完全智慧的结晶，得自对神的万变不渝的信心和不断的，虔诚的灵修（Sadhana）。瑜伽使你一视同仁，不论贫富，文盲与知识分子，美丑，布衣与权贵。平常心也包括认知和体验寓于大家之内的同样的圣灵。宇宙的神圣原则，阿特玛（Atma）存在于微小与宏大的生命体之内，它是小而无内，大而无外的。它也可以说是‘圆常大觉’（Constant Integrated Awareness）。这既是瑜伽之目的也是瑜伽之目标。它必须达到体悟神的最高峰。今天，我们可有听到假瑜伽之名而提供的这些理念？没有。假如为了身体的健康成长，我们可以诉诸日常的运动，如体操，竞技和田径。所有这些都不能被称为瑜伽。

没有一个人能在没有‘作为’（Karma，业或行动）之下存活。其实，人生（Janma）就是为业（行动）所束缚。我们或许在入睡，然而我们仍在呼吸，血液仍在循环，心跳仍在继续。它们都是行动，只是你不必出力而已。其它活动如个人的，社会的，政治的等等，也都是需费力去做的志愿行动。但我们却以机械化的心态为之。所有一切都为了自私的目的而为之。薄伽梵说，今日，凡事都以私利为目标而去做。除了自己外，我们没有其它的念头。然而，还是有无私的行动及有利于大众福祉的行动，这些服务与奉献的行动比利己的行动高尚。以担当和献身的精神去执行的任何事务都会转为瑜伽。那业或行动就被称为业瑜伽（Karma Yoga行动瑜伽）。这是朝向神的行动方向。在一般的意识上，人类的行动是具竞争性的。但业瑜伽是不具竞争性的。世俗行动是为获得某种身份，地位和功绩而做的，但业瑜伽纯粹是灵性的。体能的行动使你鄙视他人或感到优越，然而，行动瑜伽带来满足感，一种感恩的意识于他最终所达到的至福的境界之中。行动瑜伽使你更为谦虚，服从和单纯。在所作的世俗的努力下，你要求功绩，而在行动瑜伽里，你把行动的成果交给神，以报圣恩。一言以蔽之，灵性化的行动就是行动瑜伽。

我们也听过‘Bhakthi Yoga’（信瑜伽）。对神强烈的爱是为Bhakti或虔诚。一个信徒认为他的每一个行动都是奉献给神的。每一个工作都是膜拜。每一个行动都是为了亲近神而定向的。每一个任务都是使个人迈向神性的一步。每一个任务是把他带到神的一个过程。他视一切为Sadhana或灵性修习。但在此其种类有多个，不一而足。一些人祈祷神，赐予他物质财富和资产（Artharthi）。一些人向神祈求超脱（Moksha）。一些人为了利益（Jignasu）才找祂。他们都期望得到一些回报。当我们在需要时才找祂的话，哪里是无私的虔诚。虔诚而无所需求才是真正的虔诚。

看看薄伽梵的观察，那倒是相当有趣的。一个人可以爱一个或两个或几个人；作为一个情人，你不能爱很多人。然而，如果你成为爱本身的话，你就能够爱所有人了。虔诚不是表面的。它深如海洋。由于虔诚强调神的父亲身份，于是它就树立起人的手足情谊。你只是为了爱而去爱。薄伽梵指示每一个人去‘爱’众生和‘服务’众生。单纯，降服，谦虚，献身，担当，无私，随时接受该来的一切，凡此种种皆为一个虔诚者的品质。这就是信瑜伽（Bhakthi Yoga）。宣传，炫耀，卖弄，表现狂，虚名，声誉，接受表彰和认可等等有时或会爬入和窥视虔诚。然而如果要使之成为信瑜伽的话，信徒必须超越这些限制，因为瑜伽就是跟神融为一体，别无其他。如果神是你生命的主宰，那么在任何情况下，你都无须担心或焦虑或迷惑了。

在母亲怀里的孩子是无所畏惧的。同样，一个信徒亦如是。这就是信瑜伽。当你称赞一个信徒的成就时，他把功绩归功于薄伽梵。神以各种方式去试炼祂的信徒。其中一个例子是：一个信徒的失明是神给的试炼。神试炼信徒对神的虔诚是否坚定不移，即使在他失明之后。这是信瑜伽的真正标志。

人致力于追求学问。他认为有了学问就可以成为大自然的主宰。有了这些知识，五大元素被引至并用之于造福人类的计划，以及更广泛和更大规模的公用事业。奢华，舒适，方便，交通，通讯，农业，衣着，凡此种种无非知识带来的成果。科学的发明，探测，实验都朝向这目标迈进。然而，他的占有，自我，骄傲，自私也使他变成自我中心，完全自私自利，傲慢自大，忘恩负义，以及成为大自然的最糟糕的开发者。他要控制他人并要建立自己至高无上的地位。他的科学知识可能会成为人类的一个威胁。广岛，长崎，第二次世界大战受到最大重创的地方，至今仍历历在目，记忆犹新。

今天，工业与科技的进步已造成食物，食水与空气污染到了警戒的地步。这是人类知识的另一面。然而，结合技术的知识才会维持一个平衡点。仅仅学究式的知识，表面的知识，是无所助益的，除非你有常识而最重要的是实用的知识。薄伽梵峇峇说，“知识的目的是爱”。知识应该促进平和与兄弟之情。世界的安全与保障应该得到保证。无私的知识，基于爱的知识，促进合作的知识，导向服务的知识，以及引领至牺牲的知识，都演化为那叫做‘智瑜伽’（Jnana Yoga）的瑜伽。明辨是与非，好与坏，短暂与永恒，死亡与永生的知识就变成智慧。这就是智瑜伽。这造就一个真的人，并提升一个人至神识的层次。导致舍离的主要原由就是这智瑜伽。它不会把他拉下到禽兽的层次而沉溺于暴力，嗔怒，嫉妒和憎恨。所以，《梵歌》说Jnanaadevathu Kaivalyam。这是从束缚到解脱的唯一途径。至此，我们已既广且深地讨论了（一）什么是瑜伽（二）业瑜伽（三）信瑜伽，及（四）智瑜伽。薄伽梵有一次说，抛弃家庭和财产而遁入山林并不是瑜伽。你必须放弃邪恶的欲望，这才是瑜伽，根据薄伽梵所说的.

容我以一个故事来总结这谈话。一段时间之前，当薄伽梵身在般加罗尔（白草原）时，有两位学者到那儿去接受祂的达瞻（Darshan）。其中一人是著名的学者，他叫斯里巴帕特拉哈努曼塔劳勿（Sri Bapatla Hanumantha Rao）而另一人是前者的弟子，叫斯里坡第里毗斯瓦纳塔沙尔玛（Sri Podili Viswanatha Sarma）。薄伽梵问一个问题，“什么是瑜伽？”他们根据他们的所知回答。但最后斯里毗斯瓦纳塔沙尔玛说，“薄伽梵！我们在此与您为伴，这就是瑜伽。除了这个外，还有什么是瑜伽呢？”薄伽梵说，“是的，是的。”这里，瑜伽有另一个意思，那就是赐予的幸运，运气，应得的资格。因此，在一方面，我们有此瑜伽，有幸与我们同时代的神化身，薄伽梵斯里沙迪亚赛峇峇在一起。这是真正的瑜伽。来认识祂，接近祂，跟祂说话及有机会介入神圣的使命，就是瑜伽。在任何人的生命中，这都不是平常的事。这是丰厚圣恩的标记。

愿我们继续努力去维持这瑜伽而我祈求薄伽梵赐予我们对瑜伽的真正了解和练习。

Sai Ram（赛罗姆）。

取自《薄伽梵斯里沙迪亚赛峇峇普及和实用的教导》第17章

YOGA

My humble salutations at the lotus feet of our Lord, Bhagavan Baba.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thanks to Bhagavan for bringing us together once again this morning to our study circle class. I would like to share with you a few thoughts on the subject ‘YOGA’. Yoga is very much talked about, referred to, prescribed, demonstrated and practised. Many are very crazy to know and to start yoga in their daily life. We also at times find the newspaper advertisements promising yogic skills on payment basis over a particular period of time. They suggest a time bound programme. By and large people are aware of yoga and have some notion about yoga. We also know that yoga is of special importance in spiritual life. At the same time, to be frank in many cases it has become a business. It is misconstrued, misinterpreted, practised in the wrong way i.e., off the track, a matter of show and advertisement. Bhagavan Baba expressed His views on this subject of yoga. Let us try to investigate a few points on yoga this morning.

Yoga in the ordinary or physical sense is practised as asanas or yogasansas, and are the physical postures and exercises of many types, which are repeated in a most disciplined and systematic way for the growth and well-being of the body and the mind. This is the most common type of yoga we come across. But yoga has a different meaning with spiritual connotation. Yoga in one sense means meeting or union of two, the individual soul, jeevathma finding its identity with the cosmic spirit, paramatma. This is the merger of the individual with the absolute. It is the droplet, bindu, merging in the sea, sindu. The self jeeva merging in the Divine is yoga. The object bimba finds its reflection prathibimba in the mirror. Bimba is the Divine or cosmic soul or super spirit, while prathibimba – reflection – is the individual soul, seen in a mirror of nature. It is in the mirror we find dualism (due to the mirror, duality is visualized) i.e., man and God are separate. God is bimba, while man is prathibimba as viewed in a mirror of life. Now, yoga means removing the mirror so that the identity is revealed, expressed and experienced. But yoga also means in another sense ‘Deservedness’. The highest yoga is to know the true Self or the Divinity within. This is a spiritual achievement or goal.

Bhagavad Gita says, Yogah chitha vrithi nirodhaha, sense control is Yoga. Sage Pathanjali in his Yogasuthras also expresses the same. Withdrawal of senses from the outer world, cutting off from the sensual pleasures is yoga. It means one should be above senses. The process that helps you to go beyond the senses is yoga. This connotes that yoga is not merely physical or mental, but spiritual in its objective.

Bhagavad Gita also says, Karthavyam Yogamuchyathe, which means discharging duties is yoga. Duty is not a mechanical routine or a monotony. Duty is God. When once we view from this perspective, duty becomes special and significant. One cannot and should not neglect duty. Bhagavan does not spare anyone if duty is neglected. Further He says that we should discharge our duty with love. “Duty with love is desirable”. He says this makes all the difference. Clarifying this, He says, “Duty without love is deplorable”. He always emphasizes the spirit of work, which is very important. Work discharged with love will be transformed into worship.

Krishna addressed Arjuna as Kurunandana, which means, “Do my dear son”. Some escape from duty and some are not skilful. Here in this context He says, “The hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray”. Therefore, one must work sincerely and wholeheartedly. Religion never exempts you from work. It expects even more. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says, “Yoga Karmasukausalam”, which means any work done with one’s utmost capacity, skills and expertise is yoga. Have we ever viewed yoga from this point of view? If it is so, we would have been more efficient and productive, contributing more to the progress of the society and the nation by and large. Religion is not laziness. It is hard work. Bhagavan goes one step further, when He says, every work is meditation. In the name of meditation you sit with your mind roaming around the streets, which is a sheer waste of time. Instead you can as well do some constructive work. This is much better than the so-called artificial meditation that you do, lacking concentration.

Bhagavad Gita says, “Yogamsamathwa Muchyate”, which means yoga is equanimity or equal-mindedness. Yoga should take us above duality, that we will not be carried away by praise or depressed by blame. A balanced state of mind above pleasure and pain, a steady mind above profit and loss, an unshaken mind unaffected by victory or defeat represents samathwa or equanimity. This is the essence of total wisdom obtained by unwavering faith in God and continuous sincere spiritual endeavour or Sadhana. Yoga makes you treat everyone as your equal, rich and poor, illiterate and scholar, beautiful and ugly, influential and ordinary, alike. Samathwa also includes the realization and the experience of the same divinity in all. The cosmic Divine principle, Atma is present in all micro and the macro beings, smallest among small and biggest among the big. It is in a way Constant Integrated Awareness. This is the purpose of Yoga and the goal of Yoga. It has to culminate in God realization. Do we hear these concepts today in the name of yoga? No. If it is only for the growth of the body we can take to daily exercises, gymnastics, sports and athletics. All of them cannot be branded as yoga.

No one can exist without action (karma). In fact human birth (janma) is bound by action. We may be sleeping yet breathing, blood circulation and heart beat continue. They are all actions except that you do not make any effort. The other activities like personal, social, political, etc., are also voluntary actions done with effort. But we do them mechanically. All are done for selfish ends. Bhagavan says that today, whatever is done is aimed at self-interest. We have no other thought other than self. But there are selfless actions and actions for the universal good and welfare, actions of service and devotion are of higher order than personal. Anything done with the spirit of commitment and dedication turns into yoga. That Karma or action is termed Karma Yoga. This is the path of action towards God. In the usual sense the human activities are competitive. But Karma Yoga is non-competitive. Worldly actions are done for acquiring status, position and recognition, but Karma Yoga is purely spiritual. Physical activity is to make you look down upon others or feel superior, but Karma Yoga confers contentment, a sense of gratification in the state of bliss one gets into at the end. Karma Yoga makes you more humble, obedient and simple. In human efforts you claim the credit, while in Karma Yoga you submit the fruits of action to God in gratitude. To sum up in a sentence spiritualised activity is Karma Yoga.

We have also heard about “Bhakthi Yoga”. Intense love for God is known as Bhakti or devotion. A devotee considers each and everyone of his activity as an offering to God. Every work is worship. Every action is so oriented as to gain proximity to God. Every task is a step in the advancement of the individual towards Godhood. Every task is a process taking him Godward. He considers everything as Sadhana or spiritual pursuit. But here there are some types and categories. Some pray to God for material wealth and properties (artharthi). Some look to Him for liberation (moksha). Some seek Him out of interest (jignasu). They are in expectation of something in return. It is not selfless devotion, when we look to Him in times of need. But devotion above want and need is real devotion.

It is interesting to note here Bhagavan’s observation. One can love one or two or a few; as a lover you cannot love many. But, when you become love itself you can love all. Devotion is not superficial. It is as deep as an ocean. Devotion establishes brotherhood of man as it emphasizes fatherhood of God. You love just for the sake of love. Bhagavan instructs everyone to Love all and Serve all. Simplicity, surrender, humility, dedication, commitment, egolessness, readiness to accept everything as and when it comes are the qualities of a devotee. This is Bhakthi Yoga. Publicity, pomp, show, exhibitionism, name, fame, recognition may at times creep in, peep into Bhakthi. But if it is to become Bhakthi Yoga, the devotee has to rise above all these limits, because Yoga is union with God and nothing else. When God is the master of your life, you need not be worried or anxious or puzzled on any account.

The child in the lap of the mother is fearless. So also a devotee. This is Bhakthi Yoga. When you praise a devotee on his achievement, he gives the credit to Bhagavan. God tests His devotees in various ways. One such instance is: the failure in the sight of a devotee is a test put by God. God tests whether the devotee is steadfast in his devotion to Him even after losing his eye sight. This is the true sign of Bhakthi Yoga.

Man tries to acquire knowledge. He thinks he has gained mastery over nature, because of this knowledge. The five elements are channelled and are used for welfare projects, wider public utility on much larger scale with this knowledge. Luxury, comforts, conveniences, transport, communication, agriculture, clothing etc., are all the outcome of knowledge. Scientific inventions, investigations, experiments, are directed towards this end. However his possessiveness, ego, pride, selfishness also made him self-centred, utterly selfish, arrogant, ungrateful and the worst exploiter of nature. He wants to dominate others and wants to establish his supremacy. His very science may turn into a threat to human race. Hiroshima, Nagasaki the worst hit places during the second world war are fresh in the memory of people.

Today industry and technology have progressed to such an extent that food, drinking water and air are polluted to an alarming level. This is the other side of the human knowledge. But knowledge coupled with skill maintains a balance. Otherwise it is killed. The pedantic knowledge, superficial knowledge alone will not help, unless one has general knowledge and most importantly practical knowledge. Bhagavan Baba says, “The end of knowledge is love”. It should promote peace and brotherhood. It should ensure universal safety and security. Knowledge which is selfless, knowledge which is based on love, knowledge which promotes co-operation, knowledge that is service-oriented and knowledge which leads to sacrifice evolves into that yoga called Jnana Yoga. The knowledge that distinguishes between right and wrong, good and bad, transient and permanent, mortality and immortality becomes wisdom. This is Jnana Yoga. This makes a true human and elevates a man to the level of Divine consciousness. It is this Jnana Yoga that is the primal cause of renunciation. It will not bring him down to the level of an animal indulging in violence, anger, jealousy and hatred. So, Gita says Jnanaadevathu Kaivalyam. It is the only way to liberation from bondage. Thus we have discussed so far (a) What Yoga is (b) Karma Yoga (c) Bhakthi Yoga and (d) Jnana Yoga in a broad perspective. Bhagavan once said that leaving the family and property and running away to forest is not yoga. One has to give up evil desires. This is yoga according to Bhagavan.

I shall conclude this talk with an episode. Some time back when Bhagavan was at Bangalore (Whitefield) two scholars went there for his darshan. One of them was an eminent scholar by name Sri Bapatla Hanumantha Rao while the other was the disciple of the former by name Sri Podili Viswanatha Sarma. Bhagavan put a question “What is yoga?” They gave the answer they knew. But finally Sri Viswanatha Sarma said, “Bhagavan! We are here in your company, this is our yoga. What else is yoga other than this?” Bhagavan said, “Yes, Yes.” Here yoga carries another meaning, good luck, fortune, deservedness conferred. Therefore, in one way, we have this yoga, the fortune of being the contemporaries of the Avatar of our age, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. This is real Yoga. To have come to know Him, to be near Him, to converse with Him and to have been blessed with a chance to associate with the Divine mission is Yoga. This is no ordinary thing in the life of anyone. This is the sign of the abundant grace of God.

May we continue to strive for the retention of this yoga and I pray to Bhagavan to bless us with the true understanding and practice of Yoga.

Sai Ram.

Universal & Practical Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Chapter 17