9. Concentration
9. 專注

Mystical Concentration
祕修中的專注

To gain knowledge of concentration requires not only study, but balance also. Before touching this subject I would first like to explain what motive we have behind concentration. There are two aspects of life: the audible life and the silent life. By audible life I mean all experiences, all sensations that we experience through our five senses. This is distinct from the life which I would call the silent life.

要了解專注，不僅需要學習，也需要平衡。在談這個主題之前，我想先說明，我們為什麼要練習專注。生命有兩個面向：有聲的生命與寂靜的生命。所謂有聲的生命，我指的是我們透過五種感官所經驗的一切感受與經歷；它不同於我所稱的寂靜生命。

And when one asks what benefit one derives from getting in touch with the silent life, the answer is that the benefit is as abstract as the silent life itself. The life of sensation is clear; its benefit is clear; and yet as limited as is the life of sensation, so limited is its benefit. That is why in the end we find all our experiences of little value. Their importance lasts as long as we experience them; but after that the importance of the life of sensation is finished.

當我們問，與寂靜生命接觸能帶來什麼益處，答案是：這種益處就如寂靜生命本身一樣，難以具體言說。感官生命是明確的，它所帶來的益處也是明確的；然而，感官生命有多麼有限，它的益處也就有多麼有限。因此到最後，我們會發現，所有這些經驗本身的價值其實不大。它們的重要性，只在我們經歷它們的時候存在；經驗過後，感官生命的重要性也隨之消逝。

The value of silent life is independent. We are inclined to attach a value to something which concerns our outer life. The silent life does not give us a special benefit but a general benefit. In other words, if there is a minor wound on the body an external application of a certain medicament can cure it; but there are other medicines which can cure the general condition, and this is more satisfactory than the external cure, though it is less spectacular.

寂靜生命的價值卻是獨立存在的。我們往往只會把價值賦予那些與外在生活有關的事物。寂靜生命帶給我們的，不是某一項特定的益處，而是一種整體性的益處。換句話說，如果身體有一處小傷口，在外部敷上某種藥物就可以治好；但也有一些藥物能改善整體的身體狀況。後者雖不像外敷治療那樣效果顯而易見，卻更令人滿意。

One cannot say exactly what profit is gained by concentration, but in reality every kind of profit is to be attained through concentration, in all directions. There are two kinds of concentration: automatic concentration and intentional concentration.

我們很難確切說出，專注究竟能帶來什麼益處；然而事實上，無論在哪一方面，各種益處都可以藉由專注而獲得。專注有兩種：自動化的專注，以及有意識的專注。

Automatic concentration is found in many people who do not know that they concentrate and yet they do. They concentrate automatically, some to their disadvantage, some to their advantage.

自動化的專注存在於許多人身上；他們並不知道自己正在專注，事實上卻一直如此。他們的專注是自動運作的，有些對自己不利，有些則對自己有利。

• Those who concentrate to their advantage are the ones whose mind is fixed on their business, on their art, on any occupation they have. They are the ones who because of their concentration can work more successfully; be it a composer, a writer, or a musician, according to his power of concentration so will be his success.
  
  對自己有利的，是那些把頭腦專注於事業、藝術或自己所從事工作的人。正因為具有這種專注，他們的工作才能更加成功。無論是作曲家、作家或音樂家，一個人的專注力有多深，他所能達到的成就也會相應而來。
  
  I once had the pleasure of hearing Paderewski in his own house. He began to play gently on his piano. Every note took him into a deeper and deeper ocean of music. Any meditative person could see clearly that he was so concentrated in what he did that he knew not where he was.
  
  我曾有幸在帕德雷夫斯基（Paderewski）自己的家中聽他演奏。他開始輕柔地彈奏鋼琴，每一個音符都帶著他進入愈來愈深的音樂海洋。任何熟悉冥想的人都能清楚看出，他是如此全然專注於自己正在做的事，以至於已不知道自己身在何處。
  
  The works of great composers which will always live, which win the hearts of men, whence do they come? From concentration. So it is with a poet, so it is with an artist; it is concentration which brings color and line, which makes the picture. Naturally, whether it be an artist or a writer, a musician or a poet, or somebody who is in business or industry, in the absence of concentration he can never succeed.
  
  那些歷久不衰、能贏得人心的偉大作曲家作品，是從哪裡來的？來自專注。詩人如此，藝術家也是如此；是專注帶來色彩與線條，成就一幅畫。自然，無論是藝術家、作家、音樂家、詩人，或從事商業與實業的人，若缺乏專注，都不可能真正有所成就。

• Sometimes concentration works to a disadvantage. There are some people who always think that they are unlucky, that everything they do will go wrong, who think that everybody dislikes them, that everybody hates them. Then some begin to think that they are unable to do anything, that they are incapable, useless. Others out of self-pity think that they are ill. In that way even if they are not ill they create illness. Some by concentration cherish illness, always think of it. No physician could be successful with them. An old physician once said, “There are many diseases, but there are many more patients.” Once a person has become a patient through concentration, he is difficult to cure. And there are many such cases of automatic concentration to the disadvantage of man.
  
  有時，專注也會對我們不利。有些人總認為自己運氣不好，做什麼事情都會出錯；他們覺得每個人都不喜歡自己，每個人都討厭自己。還有些人漸漸認定自己什麼都做不到，既沒有能力，也毫無用處。另一些人則因自憐而認為自己有病；如此一來，即使原本沒有生病，也會為自己造出疾病。有些人藉著專注不斷滋養自己的疾病，總是不停想著它。面對這樣的人，再好的醫師也很難有所成效。一位老醫師曾說：「疾病很多，但病人更多。」一個人一旦藉由專注把自己變成了病人，就很難治癒。這類對人不利的自動化專注，其實十分常見。

Intentional concentration is taught by thinkers, philosophers, and meditative people.

有意識的專注，則是思想家、哲學家以及從事冥想之人所教導的。

The whole of mysticism, of esotericism, is based upon the idea of concentration. This mystical concentration can be divided into four different grades. The first is concentration, the next contemplation, the third meditation, the fourth realization.

整個祕學與內修之道，都建立在專注這個觀念之上。這種祕修中的專注，可以分成四個不同的層次：第一是專注，第二是觀想，第三是冥想，第四是證悟。

1. Concentration
專注

The definition of the first grade is the fixing of one’s thought upon one object. One should not concentrate upon just any object that comes along, for what one concentrates upon has an effect upon one. When one concentrates on a dead object it has the effect of deadening the soul; when one concentrates on a living object it naturally has a living effect. The secret of the teachings of all prophets and mystics is to be found in this.

第一個層次，可以定義為把自己的思想固定在一個對象之上。然而，我們不應隨意把專注放在任何碰巧出現的對象上，因為我們所專注的事物會對自己產生影響。當我們專注於沒有生命的事物，它會產生使靈魂失去生氣的作用；當我們專注於有生命的事物，自然就會帶來具有生命力的作用。所有先知與祕士教導中的祕密，都可以在這一點上找到。

• The first way is by action. One makes a certain movement or performs an action which helps the mind to concentrate on a certain object.
  
  第一種方法是透過行動。我們做出某種動作，或進行某項行為，藉此幫助頭腦專注在某一個對象上。

• Another way is with the help of words. By the repetition of certain words one learns to think automatically of a certain object.
  
  另一種方法是藉助語詞。透過反覆念誦某些語詞，我們逐漸學會自然而然地想到某一個特定的對象。

• The third way is with the help of memory. Memory is like a builder’s yard. From this the builder takes anything he likes: tiles, pillars, bricks, whatever he wants. The man who concentrates in this way does the same as children who have bricks to build toy houses with. He collects things in his memory and with them he composes objects in order to concentrate on what he wishes.
  
  第三種方法是藉助記憶。記憶就像建築工人的材料場；建築者可以從中取用自己需要的東西：瓦片、柱子、磚塊，任何他想要的材料。以這種方式練習專注的人，就像孩子拿著積木蓋玩具房子一樣。他從記憶中收集各種事物，再用這些材料組合出所需要的對象，以便專注在自己想要專注的事物上。

2. Contemplation
觀想

As to contemplation, it is only when a person is advanced enough that he can contemplate; because contemplation is not on an object, it is on an idea. No doubt a man may think that he is ready to do anything, and that after concentration he can contemplate; but the nature of the mind is such that it slips out of one’s hands the moment one tries to hold it. Therefore before one really starts to think the mind has already thrown off the object of concentration like a restive horse.

至於觀想，只有當一個人已經進展到足夠的程度，才真正能夠進行觀想；因為觀想所面對的已不再是一個具體對象，而是一個觀念。當然，一個人可能覺得自己什麼都準備好了，以為練習過專注之後就可以進入觀想；然而頭腦的本性是，我們一想把它抓住，它便立刻從手中溜走。因此，還沒等我們真正開始思考，頭腦往往早已像一匹躁動難馴的馬，把原先專注的對象甩開了。

Mind is not always so unruly; it proves to be unruly when it wants to rule itself. It is like the body: one may feel restful sitting naturally, but as soon as one keeps quite still for five minutes, the body begins to feel restless; and it is still more difficult to make the mind obey. Mystics therefore find a rope to tie the mind in a certain place where it cannot move. What is that rope? That rope is breath. It is by that rope that they bind the mind and make it stand where they wish it to stand. It is like the bird which uses its saliva to make its nest; so is it with the mystic who out of breath creates atmosphere, creates light and magnetism in which to live.

頭腦並非總是如此難以駕馭；當我們試圖讓頭腦管束它自己時，它才顯出它的不馴。這就像身體一樣：自然地坐著時，我們也許覺得很安適；可是只要要求身體完全靜止五分鐘，它便開始感到躁動。而要使頭腦服從，比讓身體服從更加困難。因此，祕士找到了一條繩索，把頭腦繫在某個地方，使它無法四處移動。這條繩索是什麼？就是呼吸。祕士藉著呼吸這條繩索繫住頭腦，使它停留在自己希望它停留之處。就像鳥用自己的唾液築巢一樣，祕士也藉由呼吸創造出一種氛圍，創造出光與磁力，使自己生活其中。

One characteristic of the mind is that it is like a gramophone record: whatever is impressed upon it, it is able to reproduce; and another characteristic of the mind is that it does not only reproduce something, but it creates what is impressed upon it. If ugliness is recorded, it will produce disagreement, illharmony. The learning of concentration clears the record, makes it produce what we like, not what comes automatically.

頭腦有一個特性，就像一張留聲機唱片：任何印在上面的東西，它都能重新播放出來。頭腦還有另一個特性：它不只是重現印在其中的事物，也會把那些印象創造出來。如果記錄在其中的是醜陋，它所產生的便是衝突與不和諧。學習專注，就是在清理這張唱片，使它播放出我們所選擇的內容，而不是任由那些自動出現的印象支配它。

In this world one is so open to impressions. One goes about with eyes and ears open, but it is not only the eyes, not only the ears which are open; the lips are open to give out what the eyes and ears take in, that is the dangerous part.

在這個世界上，我們對各種印象是如此敞開。我們走到哪裡，眼睛與耳朵都是張開的；然而敞開的並不只是眼睛和耳朵，我們的嘴也同樣張開，不斷把眼睛與耳朵所接收的東西傳出去。真正危險的地方，就在這裡。

3. Meditation
冥想

The third part of concentration is meditation. In this grade one becomes communicative; one communicates with the silent life, and naturally a communication opens up with the outer life also. It is then that a man begins to realize that both the outer and the inner life, everything, in fact, is communicative. Then a man begins to learn what can never be learnt by study or from books, that the silent life is the greatest teacher and knows all things. It does not only teach, but gives that peace, that joy, that power and harmony which make life beautiful.

專注的第三個層次是冥想。在這個層次，我們開始具有溝通與感應的能力；我們與寂靜生命溝通，而與外在生命的溝通自然也隨之敞開。到了這時，我們開始體會到，無論外在生命或內在生命，事實上一切都在彼此交流。於是我們開始學到那些永遠無法藉由研讀或書本獲得的事，並發現寂靜生命才是最偉大的老師，它知曉一切。它不只是教導我們，也帶來安寧、喜悅、力量與和諧，而正是這些使生命變得美好。

No one can claim to be meditative. For a meditative person need not say it with the lips. His atmosphere says so, and it is the atmosphere alone which can say whether it is true or false. Once I asked my spiritual teacher what was the sign of knowing God. He said, “Not those who call out the Name of God, but those whose silence says it.” Many go about looking, searching for something worth while, something wonderful, but there is nothing more wonderful than the soul of man.

沒有人能夠宣稱自己是一個真正進入冥想的人。因為一個真正具有冥想品質的人，不需要用嘴說明；他所散發的氛圍自然會說明一切，而唯有這種氛圍才能顯示那究竟是真是假。有一次，我問我的靈性老師：「認識神的徵象是什麼？」他說：「不是那些高聲呼喊神之名的人，而是那些連沉默都在訴說神的人。」許多人四處尋覓，想找到真正值得珍視、真正奇妙的事物；然而，再沒有什麼比人的靈魂更加奇妙。

4. Realization
證悟

Realization is the result of the three other grades. In the third kind of experience man pursued meditation; but in this, meditation pursues man. In other words, it is no longer the singer who sings the song, but the song sings the singer. This fourth grade is a kind of expansion of consciousness; it is the unfoldment of the soul; it is diving deep within oneself; it is communicating with each atom of life existing in the whole world; it is realizing the real “I” in which is the fulfillment of life’s purpose.

證悟是前三個層次所結出的結果。在第三種經驗中，是人追求冥想；到了這個層次，卻是冥想追隨著人。換句話說，不再是歌者唱著歌，而是歌在唱著歌者。這第四個層次，是一種意識的擴展，是靈魂的展開，是深入自身之內，也是與整個世界中每一個生命原子相互交流。它是對那真實的「我」的證悟，而生命目的的圓滿，正在其中。

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