解脫的藝術與科學 (The Art & Science of Liberation)

解脫的藝術與科學

The Art & Science of Liberation

Yogi Bhajan 著・1969

「解脫之人的概念是如此重要、如此根本、如此關鍵，以至於它真的應該被刻在鋼鐵上！」

這些話和二十五年前 Yogi Bhajan 第一次說出它們時一樣，至今仍然同樣切合、同樣具有意義。因此，我們將這篇經典講座的全文重新刊印，作為送給讀者的 25 週年特別禮物。

1969 年那個星期四的晚上，我們抵達加州修道院的 YMCA，Yogi Bhajan 原本要在那裡教授一堂昆達里尼瑜伽課。然而，那棟建築因為重新粉刷而關閉了。但是，三十五位忠實的學生正坐在外面的階梯上，耐心地等待著他們的老師。

他告訴他們：「今晚我要給你們上一堂你們永遠不會忘記的課！」

什麼是解脫的存在？而我們又為什麼會在時間的手中受苦？

每一個人都有兩個面向。一個是無憂（carefree）的面向。另一個是不在意（careless）的面向。當一個人活在他無憂的面向時，他受到自己神聖能力（divine faculty）的引導。當他活在不在意的面向時，他受到自己動物性力量的引導。這裡所說的「不在意」，並不是指打破了一個玻璃杯，或是不小心把原本想留下來的東西丟掉了。在物質層面上，當我們無法履行自己的物質責任時，我們會被認為是粗心、不負責任的。但實際上，當我們失去了自己的神聖人格（Divine personality）— 當那個極其珍貴、價值無法衡量的「某個東西」，只因為激情而失去時 — 我們才是真正的「不在意」。

情緒與激情，是我們靈性人格的兩個買家。如果你分析這個想法，你會明白，這樣的一筆交易代價實在太高。我們究竟拿自己的靈性自我去交換了什麼？我們這個世界，只是生命的一個過渡階段。它並不是永久的，但是我們總是把自己與它連結在一起，彷彿我們屬於它，而它也屬於我們。在潛意識裡，每一個行動的背後，都存在著一種想要被認可的渴望。

但是，如果你去分類自己對認可的渴望，以及你試圖獲得認可的方式，你就會發現：你想在沒有成熟的情況下獲得認可。你想被認可為一個成熟的存在，但是你卻還沒有發展出一個無憂之人（care-free being）所具有的成熟態度。唯一真正無憂的人，就是那個從負面性中獲得自由的人。他是解脫的。這是一條宇宙法則（Cosmic Law）：這樣的人永遠不會缺少任何東西。一個無憂的人不知道什麼是悲慘。他也許謙卑，但那並不代表他悲慘。他總是充滿智慧，不受干擾地航行穿越時間。他不需要受到時間之手的任何糾正。他流暢的行為方式，以及人格中的平靜，都是他已成為一個解脫之人的標誌。簡而言之：他是地球上最幸福的人。

這並不意味著你應該被禁止擁有世俗的物質。物質是一種媒介。它不能被創造，也不能被摧毀。同樣地，情緒以及對慾望的投入，也都是媒介；然而，它們所帶來的滿足只是暫時的，並不是永恆的。如果你了解對酒精的成癮是如何開始的，你就會了解這個「投入理論」（Theory of Involvement）。它是這樣運作的：一個原本不喝酒的人承受了壓力，不知道該怎麼辦。他到朋友家尋求安慰，因為人是一種社會性的動物；當有人共同分擔他的悲傷時，他會感到一些舒緩。朋友拿威士忌給他，希望產生安撫作用，而這個人被勸著喝了一杯。酒精進入身體，開始產生它的化學作用。它安撫神經，並為能量中心注入能量，使這個人的態度放鬆下來，變得比較有彈性。這只是一種暫時的舒緩，但是第一次品嚐的記憶卻留在了他的心智裡。他再也無法重新獲得第一次喝酒時那種順暢的感覺；然而，因為渴求那個滋味，並且想要重新捕捉那個經驗，人們便成為習慣性的飲酒者 — 酒精成癮者。他們相信，逃離生命壓力最好的方式就是繼續喝酒，因此，喝酒最終變成了身體的一種需要。

同樣地，每當你讓自己投入生命中的任何一種模式，你就是進入了一條軌道；你會沿著它不斷、不斷、不斷地走下去，而你再也無法回到最初出發的那個點。當我們忘記自己行動最初的根基，並陷入其中時，我們就成為了奴隸。在我們整個生命觀念中可以看到，我們有 15% 是日常慣例與習慣的奴隸。人必須擁有某些習慣，沒有這些習慣，他的生命便無法繼續。但是，他可以藉由改變這些最低限度所必需之習慣的性質，而獲得解脫。

習慣有兩種：提升性的習慣（Promoting Habits）以及降低性的習慣（Demoting Habits）。降低性的習慣，使你在身體、心智與靈性上變得不快樂。提升性的習慣，使你在身體、心智與靈性上變得快樂。如果在你的生命裡，你所有的習慣都是提升性的習慣，最終你將成為一個解脫而神聖的人。如果你擁有的是降低性的習慣，那麼最終你總會成為一個身體崩壞、心智失常，以及／或者靈性失去功能的人。習慣是你的人格與心智所必需的一部分。在你依照某個降低性的習慣行動的那段時間裡，你完全處於負面人格之中。另一個事實是：如果你進入任何一種負面習慣，它就會自動吸引它的另外四個姊妹習慣，因為它們喜歡待在一起。這五種在行為與態度上的降低性習慣是：貪婪、憤怒、色慾、依附，以及負面小我（negative ego）。當一個姊妹進入屋子裡，她便會把其他姊妹也叫來加入。每一種習慣都由兩個三腳架支撐：

1. 身體、心智、靈性

2. 過去、現在、未來

在人之中存在著兩種引導性的本能。他不是正在改善自己的未來，就是正在阻擋自己未來的改善。如果你覺察到這一點，並且真誠、坦率地渴望改善自己的未來，那麼你將永遠擁有提升性的習慣。人啊，即使你連神都不在意，至少也要在意你的未來。當你足夠在意自己的未來，因此選擇擁有提升性的習慣時，你就會成為一個解脫的人。一個解脫的人，永遠是一個快樂的人。他不缺少任何物質上的舒適。他不知道地球上有任何力量能夠羞辱他。他以恩典（grace）活在這個世界上；當他離開身體之後，後來的世世代代仍然會尊敬他。每個人都可以成為這樣的人。昨天最大的罪人，在這一分鐘也可以成為一位聖者。唯一需要的，就是一個決定：「我要守護自己的未來，選擇成為一個解脫的人？還是我要阻擋自己的未來，依循這個世界的物質—身體層面而活？」對任何阻擋自己未來的人而言，可以確定的是：他將在未來受苦。任何一個利用「現在」而造成他人損失的人，都在阻擋自己的未來。任何一個占「現在」便宜的人，都是在邀請「未來先生（Mr. Future）」帶著麻煩來找他。

維持正向的態度與提升性的習慣 40 天，你就能改變你的命運。這個關於人類行為的心理學概念，是一種模式；它能夠引導你走向那個在我們的經典中被描述為天堂的目標。在自我之中，一個人必須種下神聖振動的種子；並且藉由這些振動的力量，一個人必須安住於那個終極之中 — 那是真理、實相，以及永遠活著的原初力量。這個原初力量，被基督徒稱為神God，被印度教徒稱為絕對本原之我 Paramatma，被穆斯林稱為阿拉 Allah。每一方都給了它某個名字，但是這個宇宙精神的宇宙意識只有一個名字，那就是：Truth — 真理。

因此，我們稱它為 Sat，並以 Sat Nam 來憶念它。

Sat，在眾神的語言 — 梵文（Sanskrit）中，意為「真理」；Nam 意為「名字」。因此，毫無爭議地，我們可以說：那個宇宙意識、宇宙精神，以及存在於我們之內的創造力量，有一個宇宙性的名字，那就是：Sat Nam。

所有想要解脫自己，並尋求安住於終極之中的人，都必須淨化自己的身體自我，並將自己的心智存在導向 Sat Nam — 眾存在之存在（the being of beings）。一個人在一天最初的時刻 — 黎明之前，當振動的通道非常潔淨、清晰之時 — 安住於這個神聖之名 Sat Nam的振動之中，他將透過這個 Bij Mantra（種子曼陀羅）的恩典，領悟「解脫之人」的概念。

這個 Bij Mantra 會喚醒一個人內在的覺知女神（goddess of awareness）。

於是，他便以一個解脫之人的身分，生活在地球這個星球上。

The Art & Science of Liberation

by Yogi Bhajan - 1969

"The Concept of a Liberated Man is so important, so basic, so vital, that it should really be engraved in steel!"

Every bit as relevant and meaningful as they were twenty-five years ago when Yogi Bhajan first spoke these words, we are reprinting the entire text of this classic lecture as a special 25th Annive sary gift to our readers.

That Thursday night in 1969, when we arrived at the Alhambra, California YMCA where Yogi Bhajan was to teach a Kundalini Yoga class. the building was closed for repainting. However, thirty-five faithful students were sitting outside on the steps, waiting patiently for their Teacher. He told them, "I'll give you a class tonight that you'll never forget!*

W

hat is a liberated being? and what is the reason we suffer. in the hands of time? Every

person has two sides. One is a carefree side. The other is a careless side.

When one lives in his carefree side he is guided by his divine faculty

When he lives in his careless side he is guided by his animal force. It is not the carelessness of breaking a glass or accidentally throwing away some. thing you meant to keep. Materially we are considered careless when we are unable to discharge our material responsibilities. But in reality, we are truly careless when we lose our Divine personality — when that "something" which is very precious, beyond value, is lost just for passion.

Emotion and passion are the two buyers of our Spiritual personality. If you analyze this thought, you will realize that such a bargain is too costly. For what are we trading our spiritual self?

This world of ours is a transitory phase of life. It is not permanent, but we always associate ourselves with it as if we belong to it and it belongs to us Subconsciously, behind every action is the desire to be recognized.

But if you classify your desire for recognition and the way you try to be recognized, you will find that you want recognition without maturity. You want to be recognized as a mature being but you have not developed the mature attitude of a care-free being.

The only carefree being is that person who is free from negativity. He is liberated. It is a Cosmic Law that such a person is never short of anything. A carefree man doesn't know any misery. He may be humble, but that doesn‘t mean he is miserable. Always wise, he sails through time undisturbed. He does not need any correction at the hands of time.

His smooth behavior and calmness of personality are the signs that he is a liberated being. In a nutshell, he is the happiest person ever on the earth

This does not mean that you should be barred from having worldly goods. Matter is media. It cannot be created and it cannot be destroyed Similarly, emotion and involvement in desire are also media, but their satisfaction is temporary, not everlasting. It you understand how the addiction, to liquor begins, you will under stand this Theory of Involvement.

This is how it works:

A man who does not drink comes under pressure and doesn't know what to do. He goes to the house of a friend for consolation, for man is a social animal, and by having someone participate in his grief, he feels relieved The friend offers whiskey for a soothing effect, and the man is persuaded to take a drink. The alcohol goes into the body and does its chemical action, It soothes the nerves, and energizes the energy centers so that the man's attitude relaxes and becomes flexible. It is only a temporary relief, but the memory of the first taste sticks in his mind. He can never ever regain the smoothness of that first taste of liguor, but for the lust of that taste and in order to recapture that experience, people become habitual drinkers - alcoholics. They believe that the best way to escape from the pressures of life is to continue drinking and thus drinking becomes a need of the body

Similarly, whenever you involve yourself in any mode of life, you are going into a channel where you will go on and on and on, and you can never come back to the point from which you originally started. When we forget our original basis of action and become involved, we become a slave.

It has been seen in our entire concept of life, that we are 15% slaves to a routine to habit. Man must have certain habits without which his life cannot go on. But he can attain liberation by changing the character of these minimum required habits. There are two kinds of habits: Promoting Habits and Demoting Habits. Demoting habits make you unhappy physically, mentally and spiritually. Promoting habits make you happy physically, mentally and spiritually. In your life, if you have all the habits which are promoting habits, you will end up as a Liberated, divine, person. If you have demoting habits, you will always end up, as a physical wreck, mentally insane and or spiritually defunct.

Habit is a must of your personality and mind. For that period when you are acting under a demoting habit, you are totally in the negative personality.

It is also a fact that if you get into any ore negative habit, you will automatically attract its four sister habits, for they love to stay together. These five demoting habits of behavior and attitude are: greed, anger, lust, attachment and negative ego. When one sister enters the house, she calls the others to join. Each habit is supported on two tripods: 1) Physical, Mental and Spiritual, and 2) Past, Present and Future.

There are two guiding instincts in man. He is either improving his future or blocking his future improvement. If you are conscious of this, and have an honest and sincere urge to improve your future, you will always have promoting habits. Oh man, if you are to care not even for God, at least care for the future. When you care enough for your future to have promoting habits, you will become a liberated person.

A liberated person is always a happy person. He does not lack in any material comfort. He does not know any power on earth which can insult him. He lives in grace in this world and when he leaves the body he is respected for generations to follow. Everyone can be like that. Yesterday's greatest sinner can be a Saint this minute. The only thing required is a decision. "Am I to guard my future and choose to be a liberated person, or am I to block my future and go by the mate-rial-physical aspect of the world?" For any person who blocks his future, it is a guaranteed fact he suffers in the future.

Any person who takes advantage of the

"now" causing someone else's loss, blocks his future. Anyone who takes advantage of the "now" invites trouble from Mr. Future.

Maintain a positive attitude with promoting habits for 40 days, and you can change your destiny. This psychological concept of Human behavior is a pattern which can guide you to that goal which is described in our scriptures as Paradise.

In the self one has to sow the seed of Divine vibrations and with the power of these vibrations one has to dwell in the Ultimate which is a Truth, a reality and an ever living primal force. This primal force has been named God by Christians, Paramatma by Hindus, and Allah by Muslims.

Some name has been given it by all, but the Universal Consciousness of this Universal Spirit has one name, that is Truth, so we call it Sat and we remember it as Sat Nam. Sat, in the language of Gods, Sanskrit, means Truth; Nam means Name. So without dispute we can say that Universal Consciousness, that Universal Spirit, that creative force in us, has a universal name and that is Sat Nam.

All those who want to liberate themselves and seek to dwell in the Ultimate must cleanse their physical selves and direct their mental beings towards the Sat Nam, the being of beings.

One who dwells on the vibrations of this Holy Nam - Sat Nam - in the prime hours of the day, before dawn when the channels for vibrations are very clean and clear, will realize the concept of a Liberated Being through the grace of this Bij Mantra which awakens the goddess of awareness in a being. He then lives as a liberated man on the planet Earth." 

本文選自 The Science of Keeping Up

Vol1 No.1

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