臣服和束縛         Surrender & Bondage

奧義書從祈禱開始：

對至高無上的婆羅門（Para Brahma），象神（Shree Ganesha），知識女神（Saraswati），女神（Devi），所有的聖人（Rishis）和瑜珈行者（Yogis）敬拜。

禱告：

“　Om yo ve Brahman viddhati purvam

Yo ve vedanschaparhinoti ∣

Tasmay tamahadeva atma buddhi prakasham

Mumukshurvay sharanamaham prapadye ∥

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti“

字譯：“對一開始就已達到至高無上意識的神和交付知識－吠陀經典（Vedas）給祂的那個神性，祂以祂自己的智慧獲得啟明，我向祂真誠的祈求靈性的自由，祈求庇護．Om，安祥，安祥，安祥！“

為了獲得任何知識，祥和是首要條件．現在我正在講話，如果你的內心不是平靜安祥的，你就無法全心全意傾聽．如果在你的頭腦裡，環境裡和你的靈魂裡沒有一定程度的安祥，你甚至無法聽到我正在說的話，你無法聽到我正在說什麼．所以，獲得任何知識的首要條件是什麼？

安祥！

如果這裡的氣氛被擾亂了（假如這裡有火災或者這裡太冷或太熱），我肯定你將無法坐在這裡，你會逃走！不是嗎？

首先在你周遭需要有安祥的氣氛，然後你的心必需在這裡！如果你的心還放在你的商店裡，在你的生意上，或者在你的汽車，或者在你的家，那你也將無法全心全意的聽我講話．如果你的心已經跑到別處去了，那麼緊靠著我坐著就沒有什麼意義！因此在你的頭腦裡，在你的環境和在你的靈魂裡都需要安靜祥和．當然，那些你們全都有．靈魂若是焦躁不安，它甚至是無法接近知識的，直到在靈魂裡獲得一些安祥．

在心智的領域，物以類聚．如果靈魂是安祥的，那麼它會吸引安祥的環境和人。

那麼如何才能獲得這份安詳呢？有什麼方法？

“對神性的崇拜，體認神性的存在．對那沒有開始也沒有結束的神，所有的知識都源自於那個神性．”

在人的心智裡，那些製造計算機晶片的思想出現，製造電視機的思想出現，製造火箭將人送到月球的想法出現，這些思想來自於何處？它透過個別的大腦展現出來．然而它們真正是從何而來？它的源頭是什麼？

你看，那就是意識（consciousness），祂是不朽的，遍佈周界的意識，亦是所有知識的原由，所有的技術，所有的科學，所有的藝術，所有詩歌的出處．那意識，那神性，那無限，那就是創造者（Brahman），那是創造力的原由，也是維護和轉化世界、宇宙的原由．“對那，我崇敬與禮拜．”

通常小孩會問，“如果上帝創造了我們，那是誰創造了上帝？”這是一個謎，因為你總是認為事情都有一個開始和結束．所以上帝也必定是某一天出生並且某一天會死，或者上帝一定是某個坐在天堂高處的人！但在第一個句子就已清楚表明：沒有誰創造了上帝，祂自放光明並且普照大地，像太陽一樣自放光亮！因為有了太陽，你才能看見世界上的任何東西，一切東西圍繞太陽運行。誰照亮太陽？

沒有人！它是自給自足的．從火炬你可以看見其它東西但你不需其它東西來看清那已點燃的火炬．相同的，你在這裡，你不需要任何其它證據來告訴自己，你在這裡！你自己就是一個證據，足以證明你就在這裡！

如果某人問“告訴我，什麼是你在這裡的證據？”

你會接著說“我就在這裡！”

不是啊！你有什麼證據？

你需要一些其它證據來證明你在這裡嗎？不，你不需要．你是自足的．你的本我，你的存在就足夠證明！某些事情是無法被證明的．如果他們能被證明，那他們將會是錯誤的，因為證據本身將是錯誤的！你們了解到我說什麼嗎？

因此如果有人設法證明上帝的存在，那他們一開始就犯了一個大錯誤，因為你證明上帝的方法本身就是錯誤的．因為凡是可以被證明的也可以被反駁．神性是超越證據的．

Mumukshurvay  sharanamaham  prapadye

自由（或解脫）是怎麼來的？

如果你在你的頭腦裡扛著一個重擔，就無法有自由！很意外的是，自由和臣服，他們是手牽手在一起的，這是一個很大的諷刺！

Mumukshu －　是一個正焦急想要獲得自由的人；

Sharanamaham  prapadye　－ 我是臣服的，因為我想要自由．

在西方，臣服的概念完全不同．他們認為臣服表示束縛，臣服意味著被困住，臣服意味著沒有力量，臣服意味著被打敗．．．但是那些聖人（rishis）對臣服的整個概念完全不同．他們說：“我想要自由，因此我臣服．沒有臣服就根本沒有自由．當我臣服時，我得到無限的自由．我越臣服，我的自由就越多。我的很多負荷都被拿走．我越自由，我的力量就越強．”

在地球上沒有其它的力量，最大的力量就在臣服裡，臣服於神性．它看起來就像水滴擁有海洋，那些水滴如果和海洋保持分離，它將消失不見，但是當它變成海洋，它就是永久，它就能保持到永遠．

臣服帶來生命的尊嚴。我告訴你，你根本就沒有什麼力量好失去的！水滴能透過融入海洋而失去什麼嗎？水滴認為它很偉大，而這只是一個幻想－“我是如此偉大，我會消失嗎？”如果你不與海洋連結起來，你將消失．

你沒有什麼可失去，你真的沒有什麼可失去的．所有你能失去的就是你的緊張，你的擔心，你的小心智，恐懼和焦慮．也就由於這些小心智裡的恐懼，憂慮，緊張，擔心，制止了心智獲得自由，制止了心智去經歷無限的潛能，制止了心智在這顆行星上變得更強而有力．

Mumukshurvay  sharanamaham  prapadye　－　我臣服，因為我渴望自由．我想要自由！

Om  Shanti  Shanti  Shanti　－　說三次，讓他們成為安祥．

Om是安祥，Om shanti，shanti，shanti． Om意味著那神性，無限，難以形容的存在即是安祥．臣服的那一刻，就有安祥，就在臣服的那一刹那就有安祥．

l      經言一：現在，讓我們來解釋什麼是瑜珈

接著說：

Atha  yogam  vyakhyasyamaha

這就是第一句經言．『現在，讓我們來解釋什麼是瑜珈．．．』，它是無法被解釋但仍然可以努力來嘗試．

什麼是合而為一？在什麼之間合而為一？水滴和海洋？心智和靈魂？小心智和大心智？個體和無限？瑜珈是什麼？它是什麼？

如果你就是海洋，那還需要與什麼連結呢？若一切的存在只有你而已，那麼什麼是瑜珈？

現在我們將來深入研究它，我們將研究這所有的迷惑．已經有很多關於它的講法被提出來，很多概念正漂浮在這世上，很多意見存在那裡，而它們看起來完全不相同．有人說虔誠奉獻是瑜珈，有人說知識，覺知是瑜珈，有人說體位法（asanas）是瑜珈，瑜珈是什麼？

每一個人都有他自己的觀點和理解．Atha現在我們將解釋什麼是瑜珈．

但是，先決條件是什麼？

要有安祥，臣服和安祥．現在我們可以坐得更近一點，坐在一起，然後了解什麼是瑜珈？

l      經言二：瑜珈是思想浪潮的止息

Yogas  chitta  vrutti  nirodhaha    (Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.2)

心智總是連續大量的湧入許多思想．當你在睡覺時，夢會出現，當你醒著時，總有一些思想或者其它就會進到你的頭腦裡．有些思想你喜歡而有些你不喜歡，你越抗拒某些思想，它們就越轟炸你的心智！然而當所有這些思想以這樣快的速度，這樣的強度，這樣的數量，徘徊在頭腦裡時，就無法有任何合一出現，無法有瑜珈．

現在該怎麼辦呢？

對於思緒（vritti）、心智的變調、心智的功能，需要深入的來探究．

Yogas  chitta  vrutti  nirodhaha

平息思想或心智裡所發生的波浪就是瑜珈．你有沒有注意到，當你非常祥和時，當心智是安靜的，你就會只有少許的思想或沒有思想。當你聽音樂並感到非常愉快時，你只感受到一些感覺但沒有思想．當你正看著一座山，或日出或月亮，在你的頭腦裡什麼會發生？會有太多思想嗎？你會被很多思想轟炸嗎？

不會。只有一個令人愉快的振波，一陣涼爽的微風，美好的感受！只要回憶起在你的生命中讓你非常愉快或者感激或者充滿愛或安祥的那些時刻，你是只有非常少的思想或者沒有思想．你們完全同意嗎？而只要回憶或想起在你生命中那些令你非常緊張，焦慮不安或是擔心，憂愁的時刻，幾秒鍾內可能就有百萬種思緒大量湧入，你有過那種經驗，不是嗎？那些歡樂、平靜、愛或寧靜的歡慶時刻，你的心智思想（chitta vriti）是受控制的或減到最少，只有非常少的思想．你感到好像浮了起來，飄飄欲仙，那就是你和本我合而為一的片刻；連結或瑜珈的跡象就是回到你的本我，你的心智安息在你的本我之中，你的源頭，回歸到你原來的自然本性．

l      經言三：和神性合而為一

Tathascha  paramatmanaha  samavayaha

然後你與上帝、與那神性和那些無限就會有交流．交流，連接，合併入那個本源，那些內在深處神性的本源．

Tathascha  paramatmanaha  samavayaha

因此，當思想被抑制時，你的心智被安定下來，安祥地處在那個靜心狀態，你已經和神性合而為一，成為神性的．你不再是你的小個體的本我，你是和宇宙生命，宇宙本我合而為一，與上帝合而為一．

l      經言四：跟著一位上師學習瑜珈

Gurorantikam  yogam  abhyasayet

跟著一位上師（Guru）學習瑜珈．

很多人心裡會有一個問題：“為什麼需要一個上師？”你能從書本上學習，透過研讀，聽錄音帶，做一些事情，為什麼還需要一個上師？

在奧義書裡，聖人說，“不﹗你必須跟隨一位上師學習．”你可能是一個解剖學的學生，你可能自己是一位醫生，但是你無法在自己的身體上進行手術．你可能是一位按摩師，但你無法為你自己的背按摩！即使你是一位醫生，你明白如何用藥，可是當你生病時，你也需要一位醫生或一位外科醫生，因為你不可能為自己動手術！嗯？

像學習駕駛汽車或者照顧你的身體這樣一件粗俗的事情，你都需要別人的幫助，而走在一個完全未知，全新的領域，對於“意識”你完全不知道，你想你能什麼都自己來嗎？

不可能！

如果你想開車去一座新城市，你需要一些地圖，一些指導．你將會在加油站停下來幾次，問別人怎樣才能到達你要去的地方，你需要一步一步關愛的指導！

一支點燃的蠟燭能點燃百萬支以上的蠟燭，那不是問題！但僅是一個火材盒和一枝未點燃的火材是無法點燃任何一枝蠟燭；它有潛能，火柴盒有潛能去點燃火材．你可以說，“所有需要的東西都在這裡了．”但火材必須被敲擊和點燃，然後它才能去點燃其它蠟燭．你了解到我說什麼嗎？

上師是一位已成就大我的人．上師本意就是巨大的意思，他不是小的．上師（Guru）這個字在梵文表示非常巨大的，巨大到你無法對它有任何判斷，任何概念，任何思想，無法闡述他，也無法說“這就是他．”他是無法測量，難以理解的，那就是上師，但是仍然有形體，可與之連繫的．

無限是存在的但郤不具有形體．上師是無限的並且有形體的．神性是非個人化的，而上師既是個人化的又是神性的．上師是無法被人格化的但是為了成就你而人格化，因為只有人格化你才知道如何與他相聯繫！

愛在整個創造界裡，一切都是愛，但在你的生命中，除了具有名相的東西之外，你是不曾與它們有相聯繫的．你無法去愛那些沒有名字和沒有形式的東西．你了解到我說什麼嗎？

上師，佛陀，耶穌－他們都是那無限的愛的顯現，却仍具有名字和形象．

Gurorantikam  yogam  abhyasayet

你必須在上師的指導下，靠近上師來練習瑜珈．

l      經言五：思想是什麼

Sarasyavartadiva  vruttihi  antahakarana  parinama

思想是什麼？vrittis是什麼？情緒是什麼？它們看起來就像在湖裡的一個漩渦，而漩渦就是那心智．

不管是好或壞的思想，那都是你內在裡的相同物質，相同的能量．你可以將整個生命浪費在擔心，抱怨，煩惱並痛苦的不斷徘廻在事情上面；或相同的能量，也可以用來將你推舉到你無法想像的高度！思想是一種能量，一個波浪，那是你的心智，就像漩渦一樣，它是在湖水內出現的波浪。然而相同的湖水也可以形成其它波浪，所以思想不是從外部進入你並攻擊你的力量，它是意識的一部分．

如何與它一起和解共生？這是我們明天將談的！

( prayer…)

To him who ordains brahman in the beginning and who delivers to him the knowledge, the Vedas, to that God. Who is lightened by his own intelligence, do I eager for liberation, resort for refuge. Om peace, peace, peace.

To gain any knowledge, first these need to be peace. Now I am speaking and if you are not peaceful, you cannot be attentive. If you are not having some degree on peace in your mind, in the environment and in your soul, you cannot even hear the voice what I am saying. You cannot listen to what I am saying. First and foremost is what? Have peace. If this atmosphere is disturbed, suppose there is a fire in the atmosphere or if it is too cold here or too hot, I am sure you will not be able to sit, you will run away. First of all you need a peaceful atmosphere around you. Isn’t it? And then your mind needs to be here. If your mind is in your shop, in your business, or in your car, or at your home, then also you will not be able to hear me totally. Then no pointing sitting close to me having your mind somewhere. So you need peace in your mind, in your environment and in your soul. That of course you all have. The soul is totally restless, it cannot even come near the knowledge. Till that time it gains a little peace in it. In the realm of mind, light attracts light, if the soul is peaceful, then it attracts peaceful environment around it and people around it.

Three types of peace. How this peace can come? What is the way? Adoring the divine, recognizing the divine. To that divine which has no beginning, no end, to that divine from which all the knowledge is coming up. In one mind, the thought of  computer chip’s came, making TV sets came, making rockets sending them to moon came, from where did this thought come? It came and expressed through a brain but from where? What is the source of it? See, that is the consciousness, that is imperishable, all pervading consciousness which is responsible for all knowledge, all technology, all science, all arts, all poetry to come. That consciousness, that divinity, that infinity, that is Brahman, that is responsible for the creativity, for the maintenance, for the transformation of the world, of the universe, to that I adore and I bow down.

Usually children ask a question if God created us, who created God? This is a puzzle because you always see some beginning to something and end to something. So God must have born sometime and must die sometime, or must be somebody, somewhere sitting high up in the heaven. This is clear in the very first sentence. No, its self luminant. like sun illuminates and because there is sun, you are able to see everything in the world, everything goes around the sun. Who illuminates the sun? nobody. It’s self affluent. From the torch you see everything else but you don’t need something else to see torch which is lit. In the same way, you are here and you don’t need any other proof to tell you, you are here. You are a proof, good enough to say that you are here. If someone asks what is the proof you are here, tell me! You say I’m here, (No ) what is the proof? Do you need some other proof to say you are? No, you don’t. You are self affluent. Your being, presence is good enough. Certain things cannot be proved. If they are proved, they will be false. The proof itself will be false. Do you see what I’m saying? So if someone tries to prove there is God, they are doing a big mistake because the means by which you prove God itself is wrong. Because whatever which can be proved can be disproved also. The Divine is beyond proof. ( Sanskrit … )

How does freedom come? If you are carrying a load on your head, there cannot be freedom. This is irony, big irony. Freedom and surrender, they go hand in hand. ( Sanskrit … ) One who is anxiously wanting to have freedom says ( Sanskrit … ) “I am surrendering because I want freedom”. In the west, the concept of surrender is totally different. They think surrender means bondage, surrender means getting stuck, surrender means having no power, surrender means defeat or bondage but the whole concept of Rishis of surrender is totally different. Says “I want freedom so I am surrendering”. There is no freedom at all without surrender and when I surrender I get infinite freedom. Greater my surrender is, greater my freedom is. That much the load is taken off from me. The more free I am, the more powerful I am, there is no other power on earth. Greatest power is in surrender, surrender to the Divine. It’s like a drop owning the ocean. The drop if it remains separate, it will perish but when it becomes the ocean, it’s eternal, it remains forever. Surrender brings that dignity to life. I tell you have no power to lose. What can a drop lose by getting into the ocean? It’s illusion that it is big. A drop thinks I am great, I am so big. Will I vanish? You will vanish if you do not unite with the ocean. You have nothing to lose, all that you can lose is your tensions, your worry, your little mindedness, fear and anxiety. And the fear, anxiety, tension, worry, in the small little mind will keep the mind from being free, will keep the mind from experiencing infinite potential, will keep the mind from becoming more powerful on this planet. ( Sanskrit … ) I surrender, as I am desirous of freedom. I want freedom. Om shanti, shanti, shanti. 3 times it said let them be peace.

Om is the peace, Om shanti, shanty, shanti. Om means that divinity, infinity, inexpressible existence is peace. The moment there is surrender, there is peace, that very second there is peace. ( Sanskrit … )

Now let us explain what is yoga? It cannot be explained still an effort could be made. What is this union? Union between what? The drop and the ocean, the mind and the soul, the small mind and the big mind, an individual with the infinity. What is yoga? What is it? Body, mind and being. If you are the ocean, where is the point of uniting? What is there to unite? It all that is only you, then what is yoga? Says now we will look into it, we will look into all this confusions. Many words have been said about it. Many concepts are floating in the air. Many opinion are there. It all appears to be different. Someone says devotion is yoga, someone says knowledge, awareness is yoga, someone says asanas is yoga, what is yoga? Each one has its own point of view and understanding. ( Sanskrit … ) Now we will explain what is yoga. First what? Have peace, surrender and peace. And now we can sit closer, sit together and see what is yoga?

( Sanskrit … )

Yoga is the restraint of thought waves. Mind is pouring in a lot of thoughts continuously. You are sleeping, dreams are coming and when you are awake, some thoughts or other goes on in your mind. Some thoughts you like and some you don’t like. The more you resist some thought, the more they bombard your mind. Then all these thoughts are hovering around in the mind with such speed and with such intensity and with such amount, quantity, there cannot be any union, there cannot be yoga. What to do now? The vritis（thoughts）, the modulations, functions of the mind need to be looked into. Then he says “yoga chita vriti nirodue”. Subsiding the vritis, or waves that are arising in the mind is yoga. You don’t notice when you are very peaceful, mind is calm, there are fewer thoughts or no thought. When you are listening to music and feel so pleasant inside, you only feel some sensations, there are no thoughts. If you are looking at a mountain or a sunrise, or a moon, what’s happening in your mind? Are there too many thoughts? Are you bombarded with many thoughts? No, there is only a pleasant wave, a cool breeze, beautiful sensations. Just remember all those moments in your life when you have been extremely happy or grateful or full of love or peace, you would have had very few thoughts or no thoughts. You all agree? And just remember or think about those moments in your life when you are very tensed, anxious or afraid, worried, a million thoughts would have poured in few seconds? You get it? Isn’t it? Those moments of celebration of joy or peace, of love, of calmness, your chita vriti has become minimum in control, have become very few thoughts. You feel like floating, lifted away. Those are the moments when you were uniting into one. Sign of uniting or sign of yoga is coming to your self, your mind setting into your being, your source, with your original nature.

3^rd Mantra.

Then there is communion with the lord, with the Divine, with the infinity, communion, connection, merging into that principle, the divine principle deep inside. ( Sanskrit … ) Then, when thoughts are constrained, your mind is settled down, peacefully in that meditative state, you have become one with the divinity, divine. You are no more your small little individual self, but you are one with the cosmic life, cosmic being, one with god.

4^th Mantra.

Learn the yoga under a guru. Many people have a question. What is a need of a guru? You can learn it with books. You can study, listen to the tapes, do something, what is the need of a master? In the Upanishad, rishis says, no! you have to study under a master. You may have been a student of anatomy, you may be a doctor yourself, but you cannot conduct surgery on your own body. You may be a massager, but you cannot have your own back massage by yourself. Even though you are a doctor, you need a doctor, need a surgeon. It’s not possible to treat yourself. You are a patient. When such a gross thing likes learning to drive a car, or taking care of your body, you need the help of someone. To walk in some area that is totally unknown, completely new, you don’t know nothing about consciousness, do you think you can do all by yourself, all by oneself. Not possible. If you want to drive a car in a new city, you need some map, some guidance, you’ll stop at petrol station several times to ask someone how to move there. You need loving guidance step by step. A lit candle can light a million more candles. It’s no problem. But just a match stick which is not lit cannot light a single candle. It has the potential, the matchbox has the potential to light, you can say everything that is needed is here but if it is not stroked and lit. Match stick has to be stoked and lit only then it can light other candles. Do you see what I’m saying? The guru itself means big, it’s not small. Guru word is Sanskrit means that which is enormously big, of which you cannot have any judgment, any concept, any ideas, cannot formulate and say this is what this is. Which is immeasurable, beyond comprehension that is guru, but still tangible, available. Infinity is available but not tangible but guru is both infinity and tangible. The divine is impersonal. Guru is both personal and divine. The impersonal personified, for your benefit because you know to relate only to that which is personified. Love is there in the whole creation. Everything is love but you have never related in your life other than name and forms. You could not have something which has no name and no form. Do you see what I’m saying? The guru embodies, Buddha embodies, Jesus embodies, that infinite love, yet with name and form. ( Sanskrit … ) Under the guidance of guru, near the guru, you have to practice the yoga.

5^th Mantra.

What are the thoughts? What are the vritis? The modes, moods, they are like a whirlpool in the lake, that is mind. It is the same substance in you, same energy, you can spend the whole life worrying, grumbling, brooding over things and being miserable or the same energy can be used to uplift you to unimaginable heights. It is one energy, one wave, that is your mind. Like the whirlpool, the waves arise within the water. The same water is made into wave. Thoughts are not some external force coming into you and attacking you. It is part of the consciousness. How to move about with it? It’s we will see tomorrow.