3. Physical Culture
3. 身體鍛鍊

There are two tendencies: the tendency towards activity, which has brought man from the Unconscious to the manifestation, and the tendency towards inactivity, which takes him back there. It is a mistake, often made by ascetics, to give all attention to the inactive tendency and to neglect the physical altogether. Our physical body is our means of experiencing this world, and it is necessary to keep it in good order. To do this three things are needful: one is to keep the circulation in good order by physical practices, another is purification, and the third is development of the muscles.

有兩種傾向：一種是趨向活動的傾向，它使我們從無意識進入顯現；另一種是趨向不活動的傾向，它將我們帶回那裡。苦行者常犯的一個錯誤，就是把所有注意力都放在不活動的傾向上，而完全忽略身體。我們藉由肉身來體驗這個世界，因此有必要使它保持良好的狀態。為此需要三件事：第一，透過操練身體使循環保持良好；第二，淨化；第三，鍛鍊肌肉。

It is very necessary to keep the circulation in good order. There must be balance: so much activity, so much sleep; so much eating, so much activity. If there is too much activity, the circulation cannot be good. There must be a balance of activity and repose, and there must be a balance of eating and work. I do not say, “Eat very little”, I say, “Eat much and do much work.”

使循環保持良好非常重要。生活中必須有平衡：有多少活動，就需要多少睡眠；吃多少，也要有相應的活動。如果活動過度，循環就無法保持良好。活動與休息之間必須有平衡，飲食與工作之間也必須有平衡。我不是說：「要吃得很少。」我說的是：「多吃，也多做事。」

It is a mistake to think out of an idea of delicacy that by eating little we shall become very wonderful. We should not think that we can only eat at certain hours; if it is wanted, we should be able to eat at any hour. We should not think that we cannot eat certain things; we should not think, “This is too heavy for me, I cannot eat it.”

若出於一種以纖弱為美的想法，以為少吃便會使我們變得格外不凡，那是錯誤的。我們不應認為自己只能在某些特定時間進食；身體若有需要，任何時候都應該能夠進食。我們也不應認為自己不能吃某些東西，不要想著：「這對我太難消化了，我不能吃。」

We should do whatever movement occurs in the course of our occupations, not thinking, “I shall be tired”, but thinking that we are able to do it.

在日常工作中，凡是需要做的動作，我們就應該去做，不要想著：「我會累。」而要想著自己有能力做到。

It is necessary to keep our life pure, and the five purifications should be done very carefully: the purification by air, the purification by water, the purification by earth, the purification by fire, and the purification by ether. A person is often inclined to neglect that which does not bring an immediate result that he can see with his eyes. But these purifications should be done very exactly. Washing face and hands is not enough: every tube and vein of the body must be kept clean. The postures and positions that are taught, the posture of the zikr, of the fikr, of shaghal, have the effect of making the blood flow through certain veins. If this is done there is no disease.

我們有必要使自己的生活保持純淨，而五種淨化都應當仔細地進行：以空氣淨化、以水淨化、以土淨化、以火淨化，以及以乙太淨化。我們往往容易忽略那些無法立即產生眼睛可見之結果的事。然而，這些淨化應當確實地進行。只洗臉、洗手並不夠；身體中的每一條管道與血脈都必須保持潔淨。所教導的各種姿勢與體位，包括 Zikr、念修法與 Shaghal 的姿勢，都能使血液流經特定的血脈。若能如此，便不會有疾病。

[譯註] Zikr 是一種傳統的修習方式，透過反覆誦念配合呼吸、節奏與專注，為心調頻。Shaghal 則是一種結合呼吸、身體姿勢與注意力集中的內在修習。

The muscles develop during the whole of life, while the bones do not continue to grow. They become solid, while the muscles develop. Whatever your age may be, you should have ten minutes or a quarter of an hour a day in which to do physical exercises. All physical practices, like standing on the hands or on the head, on both feet or on one foot, taught by the Sufis, are taught for this purpose.

肌肉在人的一生中都能繼續發展，而骨骼並不會持續生長；骨骼逐漸變得堅實，肌肉則仍能繼續發展。無論年齡多大，每天都應留出十分鐘到十五分鐘做身體鍛鍊。蘇菲所教導的各種身體練習，例如以雙手或頭部支撐身體、以雙腳或單腳站立，都是為了這個目的而教導的。

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