瑜伽的艺术和生活 Y o g i c A r t & L i f e

Yama的博客已搬迁至http://yamaart.yculblog.com

2007-09-09T18:49:00.001-07:00

Yama's Blog is moved to http://yamaart.yculblog.com

namaste!

Yama

CD推荐列表

2007-06-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

去http://www.amazon.com键入CD标题就可试听。我推荐的都是我听过的音乐。

这是在YogaTree的现场演出。

除了音乐以外无以言表的柔情和奉爱。

这是Rasa乐队的成名作。其后的专辑也日见成熟和丰富。绝佳的感性的女性声线，绝佳的传统印度器乐和现代编曲的结合。

金属般的音色。古典风格。传统上所有伟大的妇女的祈祷和奉爱歌曲。

几乎是没有任何起伏的音乐，但从一开始听就几乎可以放慢你的心跳，你的脑电波，你的一切⋯⋯类似背景音乐，没有人声，纯器乐。

所有传统上最经典的韦达唱诵（Vedic Chanting）曼陀罗，是乔治哈里逊和印度的希塔琴大师Ravi Shankar合作制作的，风格非常传统、朴素、宽广、庄严而富于冥想性。

My Sweet Lord

2007-06-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvH6fxP5hMo&mode=related&search=
这是披头士的George Harrison非常有名的一首歌，注意歌曲后半部非常有趣的组合。哈里路亚和哈瑞奎师那。边上有他本人的现场版本和其他版本。感受其中的那种喜悦和活力。

My sweet lord
Hm, my lord
Hm, my lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you lord
But it takes so long, my lord

My sweet lord
Hm, my lord
Hm, my lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you lord
That it wont take long, my lord (hallelujah)

My sweet lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My sweet lord (hallelujah)

I really want to see you
Really want to see you
Really want to see you, lord
Really want to see you, lord
But it takes so long, my lord (hallelujah)

My sweet lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my lord (hallelujah)

I really want to know you (hallelujah)
Really want to go with you (hallelujah)

Really want to show you lord (aaah)
That it wont take long, my lord (hallelujah)

Hmm (hallelujah)
My sweet lord (hallelujah)
My, my, lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my lord (hare krishna)
My, my, my lord (hare krishna)
Oh hm, my sweet lord (krishna, krishna)
Oh-uuh-uh (hare hare)

Now, I really want to see you (hare rama)
Really want to be with you (hare rama)
Really want to see you lord (aaah)
But it takes so long, my lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (krishna krishna)
My lord (hare hare)
Hm, hm (gurur brahma)
Hm, hm (gurur vishnu)
Hm, hm (gurur devo)
Hm, hm (maheshwara)
My sweet lord (gurur sakshaat)
My sweet lord (parabrahma)
My, my, my lord (tasmayi shree)
My, my, my, my lord (guruve namah)
My sweet lord (hare rama)

[fade:]

(hare krishna)
My sweet lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (krishna krishna)
My lord (hare hare)

这是另外一张我要向大家推荐的CD，所有传统上最经典的韦达唱诵（Vedic Chanting）曼陀罗，是乔治哈里逊和印度的希塔琴大师Ravi Shankar合作制作的，风格非常传统、朴素、宽广、庄严而富于冥想性。

关于新版的《瑜伽经》

2007-05-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

摄影：小月(Chandra)

新版的《瑜伽经——现在开始讲解瑜伽》一时在上海市场买不到,编辑对我说是因为上海的旧版尚未售完,所以没有向上海发货。想要的朋友请打电话到：028-86259624 或
发邮件到：zhuli1969@163.com 或
在QQ上找： 278183714
找四川人民出版社发行部朱莉女士，就可以邮购到此书。

namaste!

Yama

A timeless realm 唱诵——超越时间的王国

2007-05-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Just come and sit down and chant, allow the power of chanting to
do the rest, it will come to you and then take you away, just open you
heart and allow that happen! let go of the whole world, let go of your
ego and anxiety, at least for that hour.

Meditation is not a psychological game to make you feel good about
yourself. It is a tool to connect to our spiritual identity. The ecstasy of
chanting is the Revelation of your eternal blissful nature which
transcendent the chronological and psychological time. The night of
chanting is to step into the timeless spiritual realm in the form of
vibration.

The best thing in life is Free. Open to all and bring your friends, the
only thing you have to pay is: your attention!

Location: Jivatma Yoga Center, Room C-D, 28F, Hui Jia Building,
Xujiahui, No41 Cao Xi Bei Rd(behind Gino Italian Resturant)
Time: 7pm Saturday, May 26
Contact:（021）54904413 54900261

你只需坐下，暂时把整个世界、你的自我和焦虑都放在一边，开始专注的唱诵，唱诵的力量便会进入你的心中，你只需敞开你的心，它会做你所需要的一切。冥想并不是一种自娱自乐的心理游戏，而是一种和我们真实身份连接起来的工具。你发自内心的唱诵是那一瞬间你的永恒喜乐的本性的展露，唱诵超越了物理和心理时间。唱诵的那个夜晚你步入的是古老的灵性的世界，在声音和旋律中震荡的爱的世界。只有超越时间我们才能体验到爱，只有超越因果我们才能超越时间，只有超越自私我们才能超越因果，只有通过给予我们才能超越自私——唱诵就是把你的心给予宇宙的声音——曼陀罗的音震，并允许它把你带走，就象被你所信任和爱的人带走那样，你感到分外的幸福和安全。

时间：周六晚7点，5月26日 地点：徐家汇漕溪北路41号汇嘉大厦28楼C－D室（太平洋电脑城）
交通提示：地铁1号线徐家汇站出9号口 
联系电话：（021）54904413 54900261

推荐书籍：《博伽梵歌》 Bhagavad-gita

2007-05-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

这是北京紫图图书出的《博伽梵歌》，推荐！
http://www.readroad.com/bookshow.asp?id=465

瑜伽体系及其哲学的根源出自韦达文献（Vedas，旧译吠陀经）。Veda，韦达的意思是“知识”。韦达文献被认为是印度本体／主流文化的根源，是哲学，科学，法律和宗教典籍的总和，由几乎阐述人类生活所有不同题旨的众多经典组成。韦达经典极其附属文献大约有100，000拉克斯(lakhs)，每个克拉斯有100，000个梵文诗节。主要的论题分为四大部分：1，人类在这个世界里应该履行的职责(dharma)，2，物质的繁荣(artha)，3，获得快乐的方法(kama)，4，解脱的途径(moksha)。《博伽梵歌》（Bhagavad-gita）则是全世界被翻译和评述得最多的一本韦达经典，被誉为是所有韦达经典的精髓。

瑜伽作为印度六大哲学体系之一，属于正统范畴，即意味着他们都接受韦达文献（Veda）为其阐述的根据和权威。这六个流派被称为六个达莎那(shat darsana)，即对真理直接的领悟和感知（而非仅仅是理论性的推敲或阐述），目标是达到永恒平和喜乐的生命。这六个体系是：

1. 尼亚雅（Nyaya）
2. 米玛萨（Mimamsa）
3. 外瑟希卡（Vaisheshika）
4. 三可亚（Samkhya）
5. 瑜伽（Yoga）
6. 维丹塔（ Vedanta）

Yoga of the Matrix

2007-05-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

作为该片导演的华卓斯基俩兄弟其实是用高超的电脑特级和武术搏击作为诱饵，给全世界上了一堂哲学课。不过如果你被其中高深莫测（或莫名其妙）的哲学讨论和晦涩的对白搞得头昏脑胀，那也不是你的错。因为最终哲学是指向月亮的手指，而不是月亮本身。

黑客帝国（Matrix）几乎触及了所有关键的韦达文化的理念（瑜伽哲学的根源）。当然，最终—— what you see is what you get! 这是一部同时娱乐哲学家、瑜伽师和大众的影片。

Matrix——母体，应该是最恰当的译词。指的是整个虚拟世界——物质宇宙，或称Maya的世界，她是一种阴性的力量。通过三种物质属性（tri gunas）——善良、激情和愚昧完全控制着我们的感官和心意。这通过所有昏睡的人都被管子“接在”母体上而被表达出来，即他们只能去感觉母体让／要他们感觉的东西，并以母体的方式进行——做梦。所以莫菲斯说，“这个系统是我们（想要活在真实世界的人）的敌人”。而由于人们对这个奴役着他们的世界的依赖，他们绝大多数都“没有准备好接受真实的世界”，没有准备好“觉醒”。

Neo——尼欧，这三个字母的另一个拼法就是one，暗指“他就是那个人”。他代表了灵魂的自由意志／灵性的能量。也就是说，只有灵性的能量才是真正的拯救力量，因为灵性永远高于电脑人Smith所代表的机械／物质力量。他似乎多次“击败”尼欧，但他永远不可能摧毁尼欧。因为尼欧的力量在于，他有自由的意志，他可以选择，他永远会再次问：“这一切是为什么？”。当最终Smith问尼欧“你为什么不放弃？”，尼欧的回答是：“因为我选择。”

（《薄伽梵歌》第二章奎师那对阿褚那说：“你要知道，遍透整个躯体的东西（指灵魂的知觉）不会毁灭，没有人能毁灭不朽的灵魂。任何时候灵魂都无生死。他既不是以前形成，也不是现在形成，更不是将来形成。他太始无生，永恒常存，不会因为躯体被杀而被杀。灵魂火不能烧，水不能潮，风不能蚀，永远不会被任何武器戮碎。个体灵魂不可摧折，不能溶解，烧不毁，烤不干。灵魂永存，遍存万有，不变不动，永恒如一。灵魂目不能见，不可思议，永恒不变。了解了这些，你就不应该为躯体而悲伤。”）

而尼欧的“为什么”则是他开发他的一切潜力的前提和开始。机器和Zion锡安之间的战争代表的是我们所生活的外部世界的冲突，但这场战争的结束却最终要由尼欧和电脑人Smith之间的个人决斗来决定。这是另人深思的地方。尼欧曾经问祭师，“Smith是谁？”，祭师说：“他就是你，你的反面，你的负面！”。也就是说，尼欧和Smith的搏斗其实是灵魂的内在的挣扎。解决外在冲突的核心实际上是战胜自己——战胜假我、战胜自己的负面、消极面。而母体只有通过我们的消极面才能产生作用，才能控制我们。

祭师有点象尼欧的Guru，但她在和尼欧的对话中始终把问题推回给尼欧自身，她的工作是引导尼欧认识他自己。

尼欧：如果你已经知道了未来和结果，我的选择还有什么意义呢？
祭师：你其实已经做了选择，你来是想知道你为什么做了那样的选择。

片末以韦达唱诵结束
asatoma Sat Gamaya
tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya
mityorma Amritam Gamaya

把我从虚假引向真实
从黑暗引向光明
从死亡引向永恒

Yama

迟到的复杂性

2007-05-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

很多瑜伽馆或瑜伽中心（比较专业一点的）都会提醒学员提前到达，不要迟到。我对准时的概念是，学生应该至少提前15分钟到达瑜伽馆做好所须的准备工作（进入前台、换衣服、找好位置、拿好工具、准备活动等等）。有的瑜伽馆说迟到5分钟（有的说10分钟）以后不能再进入练习场地。但其实只存在两种情况，一种是迟到，一种是没有迟到（据说人也就分成这两种）。我不理解为什么迟到5分钟是允许的。迟到15分钟并不比迟到5分钟更糟。相反，按我的观点，最糟的就是那些迟到几分钟的学员。让我们看看瑜伽课的结构，并且想一想为什么。

一堂瑜伽课（以体位练习为主）的开始和结束都是安静的。最开始的5分钟恰恰是教师引导学员进行“知觉的切换”的阶段，即从日常的忙乱、麻木、机械、浮躁的态度转换成安静、敏感、柔和、警觉的态度。如果瑜伽练习不能在一种平和、清醒和充满觉知力的状态下进行，那练习的不是瑜伽，而只是健身操而已（遗憾！）。在体位练习开始前我们必须让自己先进入一种冥想性的状态，这就是我们为什么关注呼吸和唱诵aum，这是为了让我们的注意力或知觉进入一个更高更、敏感和直观的状态，而体位练习只是这种状态的延续和深入罢了。体位是行动中的冥想（karma yoga）。如果在这个阶段不断有人闯入教室，发出声音，找位子，要别人给她让位子，摆弄瑜伽垫，等等，这是对整个课堂的冥想氛围的骚扰（除非一个教师根本不想或不能创造这种氛围，这另当别论）。迟到者的心态往往是由于知道自己迟到而非常忙乱、急躁，他们的进入也把这种感觉和能量带入了课堂，其结果是所有人，教师、学员、包括迟到者自己，谁都无法进入恰当的冥想的准备状态。因此从某种角度而言，宽容迟到者实际上是对提前和准时到达的学员的不公正待遇和惩罚。

作为教师我的处理方法曾经很简单，一旦到了该开始的时间，我就把门从里面锁上，谢绝一切迟到者。这一招非常管用，我的课从此以后没有任何人迟到。但我曾看到我的老师Karin的另一种处理方法，如果当她正在引导课堂做预备冥想或唱诵的时候有迟到的学生进入，她立刻示意他们就在门口坐下，不要走动，然后在预备冥想和唱诵结束后再让他们进入位置。

我们都会有迟到的时候，都会有无法控制的处境，但很重要的一点是，（无论在生活中还是在瑜伽练习中）我们必须懂得如何尽量减少多米诺骨牌效应，减少一个过失带来的其他过失和对自己和他人所产生的副作用。如果你在去瑜伽馆的路上发现要迟到了，Ok，首先保持安静并且安静地进入瑜伽馆，然后在进入教室前先在门口停顿一下，观察或倾听一下课堂处于什么样的状态和阶段，如果课处在刚刚开始的冥想和唱诵的阶段，你就不应该进入，这是你的修养，因为你进入而不发出噪音是不可能的，而在冥想中任何丁点的声音都是一种对冥想者的干扰和刺激，因为冥想从最基本的意义上讲就是对敏感性的培养——这是从不练习冥想的人所不能理解的。如果体位练习已经开始，这时你进入问题不大，老师有时甚至会根本没注意到你。但你自己会有些问题——你还没有做准备，你没有切换你的状态，你的身体、你的心、你的感觉仍然还在那些嘈杂的人群和堵塞的交通之中。你一下子无法立刻进入瑜伽那片内在的，安静的，专注的天空——怎么办？很简单——不要再迟到。

冥想身体是庙宇

2007-05-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

选择一个舒适的盘腿坐姿，为了在这个冥想过程中帮助脊椎挺直，可把坐骨垫高5厘米左右，或垫高到使你的腹股沟略高于或至少不低于你的膝盖，这是为了使你的腹股沟和大腿内侧始终保持放松，腿部要有微妙地向外向下流淌的感觉。双手进入Jnana Mudra(拇指尖和食指尖相触，伸直另外三个手指，掌心朝上，手背放在膝盖上)，使身体的重量均匀地落在左右臀骨上。在坐定前可养成一个非常有用的习惯是：用手指把你臀部的肌肉向后、向两边分开，使坐骨更直接地压住地面，使腹股沟和大腿内侧的肌肉向内旋转。

利用坐骨和地面之间的反作用力向上伸展整条脊椎。先感觉最下面几节椎骨轻轻向前锁住骨盆，腰椎微微向前贴入胃部（但不要强迫或使腰部肌肉紧张）。在吸气时胸部展开，使胸骨和躯干正面的能量上升，同时感受肚脐两侧的皮肤微微拉长、伸展。把胸部的顶端和锁骨向两侧舒展开，向肩膀的方向延伸。让肩膀放松地下沉，离开耳朵。让背部和腰部的皮肤柔和地流向臀部。下巴微微向喉部方向收回，感觉后脑和双耳的背面向上伸展。保持尾骨到头顶的延伸感，放松面部皮肤，使表情变得安详柔和。先放松太阳穴，然后进入内部，放松眼球的背面和正面，最后再放松眼皮。先放松外耳，然后再把耳朵的内部向头颅的中心收回。

用内在的眼睛观察你胸部细微的起伏和运动，象观察一个内在海洋中的平静波涛；用你内在的耳朵倾听你的呼吸和内心那些细微的语言和声音。只是凝神谛听，不要去辨别什么，期望什么或作出任何判断或评价。不要进入头脑那些相对性的游戏（肯定／否定，喜欢／讨厌，希望／失望，赞美／贬低等等）。保持你知觉的地平线的宽广的视野，微风习习——是你轻柔缓慢的呼吸，保持2～3分钟，或直到身体、呼吸和内心都渐渐进入另一层面的安定感为止。在这期间冷静地体会呼吸如何作为一种安静的力量始终在你身体的各部分流动并且充满、影响着你的知觉。呼吸仿佛是一面镜子，通过冥想和专注于呼吸你好像逐渐看清了一个更平和稳定的自我。

现在感觉眼球轻轻向上注视着前额，并同时意守眉心的位置（Ajna Chakra，Sambhavi Mudra），凝固住所有纷乱的思绪。现在深长地吸气，吸满后屏住呼吸，然后把下巴压向锁骨，Jalandhar Bandha。屏息的同时把肚脐向内收回，轻轻上提会阴或直肠（Mula Bandha），感觉内脏和隔膜贴向胸部，保持面部、全身和内心的放松，保持内心的从容，继续观察。现在你在头脑中听见你自己清晰大声地唱颂第一个曼佗罗的声音，要以一种清晰和从容的速度唱颂完。现在放松会阴和肚脐，抬起下巴，这次用平稳的音调大声唱出第一个曼佗罗，同时冥想这个曼佗罗的声音能量正在注入眉心之间。用这一口气唱完整个曼佗罗。然后再次深深地吸气，屏住呼吸开始第二个循环。每个曼佗罗做3个循环。

第一个曼佗罗：
Aum Keshavaya Namah——专注于眉心的位置。
第二个曼佗罗：
Aum Narayanaya Namah——专注于紧靠肚脐的腹部。
第三个曼佗罗：
Aum Madhavaya Namah——专注于胸骨的中心。
第四个曼佗罗：
Aum Govindaya Namah——专注于锁骨之间的喉部。
第五个曼佗罗：
Aum Vishnavaya Namah——专注于肚脐和右腰部的中间区域。
第六个曼佗罗：
Aum Madhusudanaya Namah——专注于右肘部上方手臂外侧。
第七个曼佗罗：
Aum Trivikramaya Namah——专注于右上臂外侧接近肩膀的区域。
第八个曼佗罗：
Aum Vamanaya Namah——专注于左腹部部肚脐和左腰部的区域。
第九个曼佗罗：
Aum Shridharaya Namah——专注于左肘部上方的手臂外侧。
第十个曼佗罗：
Aum Hrishikeshaya Namah——专注于左上臂外侧接近肩膀的区域。
第十一个曼佗罗：
Aum Padmanabhaya Namah——专注于颈部后面第七颈椎的区域。
第十二个曼佗罗：
Aum Damodaraya Namah——专注于肚脐的正后方，腰椎的区域。
第十三个曼佗罗：
Aum Vasudevaya Namah——专注于Bindhu Chakra，后脑的上部。

在唱诵每个曼佗罗和冥想相应的部位之间，可放松的呼吸几次，然后再继续下一个曼佗罗和下一个部位。要清晰从容地发出每一个曼佗罗的音节，并体会曼佗罗对身体的那个部位的净化力。结束最后一个曼佗罗以后，深深地吸气，屏住呼吸，在舒适的范围内保持10~60秒。（收回肚脐，上提会阴。）先慢慢抬起头，再缓缓呼气。并感觉到随着这口呼气所有身体和内心的污染、障碍和困扰都被排出体外。保持原来的姿势和放松的呼吸，继续冥想1~3分钟。

练习的最佳时间：清晨做完清洁法和沐浴以后，开始其它练习之前。

然后整天去感觉你的身体像一座适合灵魂居住的纯洁的庙宇一样散发着美丽的灵性的光芒。你的身体得到了曼佗罗的声音构成的精微能量的净化和保护。你的感官是喜悦的出口。

永不褪色

2007-04-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

我本来的计划是在看完有关素食的影片之后说几句总结性的话，但我发现我已经既没有力量也觉得没有必要了。人类对动物的残忍是那样的可怖、冷酷和愚昧。在如此触目的现实面前，任何哲学或理论都是多余的，从人性只能导出的唯一直觉就是：“为了肉食而如此对待动物是不对的”。再多说恐怕我就没有力量唱诵了。好了，我们马上坐下来开始唱诵。

唱诵是如此的美好。真的，一旦体验到以后，谁会拒绝这心灵的甘露呢。这是灵魂的食物。我的喜悦并不是因为我能引导大家唱，而是因为通过我的努力，我又能再次进入由大家共同的声音所创造的美丽的天堂，并再次成为她的一部分。每次她都同样美丽，经久不衰，永不褪色，从不另人失望，充满了灵性的青春活力。我们的每一次呼吸都在内心不断地塑造着、渴望着、并深入到这个如此安详、无限、深远、永恒和美好的世界，没有残忍和另人痛心的自私，只有在纯净的光明之中的爱的汹涌的流淌。你的肉眼无法直接看到，但心已沉浸其中，语言已失去解释的必要。我只愿在其中流连忘返，难以自拔。

灵魂的声音。其中有热烈和渴望，但其本质却如此恬静，因为不可思议的是这种渴望本身已是自足的解脱。超然地去渴望，并为拥有这种渴望而喜悦，这就是我们的本性。乘着这声音的翅膀飞翔，愚昧的、痛苦的黑夜已经远去。

Yama

水的信息，对你来说这意味着什么？

2007-04-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

水听完《田园交响曲》

"水变干净了，谢谢！“

仔细读一下下面的文章，然后深思。这意味着什么？人类的身体70％是水，你每天用你的心，你的思想，你的知觉和意念，在对“你的水”——也就是你的身体说了些什么，你在心里对其他人的身体说了什么？这是从科学的角度在证明，瑜伽中的专注、冥想、唱诵的力量。

Yama

我们每个人每一天都要喝水，每次当你拿出一个玻璃杯，注入清水时，可能你从来也没有想过，此时此刻，杯中的水，也正在望着你。不止于此，那些水同时也正在感受着房间里的情景，望着窗外的景色，听着周围的声音，阅读着你内心的思想，更不可思议者，那些水居然还将这一切一切，用它的方式记录下来！这是天方夜谭吗？

　　波动研究室

　　现任日本IHM总和研究所所长的江本胜先生，因为经营“美国低周波治疗器执照公司”的缘故，自1994年开始接触最新的“水”研究技术。以高速摄影技术来观察水结晶的形状。在经过了许多实验和不断改良仪器与方法后，终于发明了水结晶拍摄技术，并得到了许多惊人的成果，在日本一时造成轰动。他表示，这些研究结果显示:所有的物质特性也会影响水的特性，水的波动（频率）可以解释所有物质的特性。因此，他将自己的研究室取名为“波动研究室”。

　　1997年2月2日下午2时，实验主持人江本胜请求全日本500名波动指导员（也就是江本胜博士主办的波动学的毕业生们）同时对他放在办公室桌上来自东京品川的一杯自来水发出意念。要求每个人都怀着“水变干净了，谢谢”的愿望，从日本各地在同一时刻发出这“爱的信息”。这样就照出了一张接收到来自全国的“爱的信息”的水结晶照片。当然，实验过程没有做任何物理性的变化处理。当摄制组的全体成员看到漂亮的影像时，个个都被感动得热泪盈眶。人类善良美好的意念似乎有着不受距离影响的伟大能量呢！

　　早在1987年，法国科学家杰克·班伯尼做了一个实验，证明水有记忆的功能，但是始终得不到科学界的认同。江本胜一直有志于进一步寻找这方面更多的更有说服力的证据，后来他忽然悟出了雪花结晶能独一无二的原理（历史上世界各地亿兆粒出现过的雪花，没有两粒是图案完全一样的），于是他开始观察不同来源的水所结出来的冰粒，晶状图案有什么分别。他将水放进一般的冰箱里结冰，然后用强力的显微镜拍下结晶的样貌。

　　实验进行时

　　有一天，江本胜博士研究组的一位摄影师忽然提议说：让水听听音乐，看看会有什么样的结晶吧。于是，更难以置信的事接二连三发生了，他们发觉：当水听了优雅的音乐时结晶变得很漂亮，而听了吵闹令人烦厌的音乐，则变得扭曲丑陋。他们用普通的音响器材，在两个喇叭中间放一瓶水，并用一般人听音乐的音量来播出录音，结果？听过贝多芬《田园交响曲》的水，结晶正如明朗爽快的曲调那样美丽而整齐;听过韩国民谣《阿里郎》的水，结晶形状好像心痛万分（该曲描述恋人分手的悲痛心情）;听过猫王唱（《碎心酒店》）的水，结晶体竟成了一个破碎的心的形状，部分掉了出来;而听过巴西音乐那些强烈节奏激动旋律之后，水结晶纷纷成复杂细腻的星星形状;听过奥地利民谣《提罗尔的摇篮曲》的水，结晶体内甚至出现了一个婴儿的形状;为进一步研究此现象，研究组又邀请一些小学生来对着一瓶一瓶的水讲话。结果？听过“好可爱喔”的水，结晶体纷纷呈现可爱的图案形状，被诅咒过“王八蛋”的水，一片灰暗混浊，无法结晶;听过一次“你好漂亮喔”的水，结晶精美，不断听到“你好漂亮喔”的水，结晶更完整匀称，而丢在一旁没有人关心的水，结晶形状散乱，令人感到可怜。

　　既然发现水有听觉，那么会不会还有视觉呢？他们决定要试一试。当他们把同样的水装入多个瓶子内，然后在纸上写下不同的字，并将字面朝内贴到透明的瓶身上，让水能阅读到，结果惊讶地发现:水不仅识字，而且能识别外文，当看到了“谢谢”字样的水，结晶后呈现出美丽的六角形，相反，看到“混蛋”字样的水，结晶亦是像听过重金属乐曲一样的混浊零散;看到“我们一起做吧”的邀请字句，水结晶形状匀称完整，看到“给我做”这句不客气的命令句子，水分子一片凌乱，无法呈现结晶;看到用多国文字写“谢谢”这句话，水呈现出不同的结晶，但一律都晶莹匀称动人，但看到了不同文字写的“混账”、“蠢蛋”之类诅咒的语句，水都无法结晶，其中“火冒三丈，宰了你”那句话，水看了之后，竟呈现出类似一个小孩被人欺负的形象;当水看到了日、英、德文“智慧”一词，结晶都端正而中空，呈六角形状;看了“天使”一词，水呈现一个小结晶的美丽光环;看了“恶魔”一词，水结晶中心部分呈现黑色突起状，感觉充满攻击性。而当优美的风景或祝福字句放在了水的前面，结晶变得漂亮。当把诅咒的字句放在水的前面，水则变得扭曲丑陋。让水看日语、英语和德语的“爱和感谢”，竟然全部都呈现出精致美丽的水结晶！

　　江本胜博士的实验还有以下的发现？研究组人员将蒸馏水放入一个个瓶内，在其中一些瓶身贴上写着“爱与感谢”日文字样的字条，字面朝内，让水阅读。然后，这些水（有些阅读过字条，有些未曾）一起放入微波炉内加热、一起放在电脑旁、一起放在手机电话旁。结果？未阅读过字句的水呈混浊凌乱状，大多无法结晶，而阅读过“爱与感谢”那些字样的水依然结晶匀称完整悦目可爱。

　　实验的原水用的是同样标准的精制水。结果虽然使用了不同的语言，却形成了结构相似的结晶！江本胜由此猜想，“语言是因为大自然的振动而产生的”，即使国家不同，语言也不同，但是，因为大自然的天理相同吧，所以同样意思的文字，就显示出相同的形状了。

Meet your Meat－和你的肉“约会”

2007-04-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.meat.org

这段视频是面对大多数人的饮食中被回避但却无法逃避的现实。

不选择素食是个人的选择。
我们尊重个人的选择。
但是，非素食者往往都是在缺乏客观资料和资讯的情况下选择肉食的。

我们自幼就被灌输：
——肉是美味的
——肉是可以在很人道的环境下生产的
——肉是对身体健康有益的
——肉是均衡饮食的重要部分

但这些全都不是事实。

肉食带来的那点快感的背后，是无数敏感、无辜的生命悲惨痛苦的生活和一生的酷刑。虽然每个国家的农场和屠宰场对待动物的方式各不相同，但是在任何情况下，痛苦都是不可避免的。因为没有任何动物是自愿被囚禁和屠杀的，成千上万的动物，会继续在恶劣的饲养环境中成长，然后被惨无人道地杀害，只要人类继续对肉有所需求。如果您选择素食，就可能停止这一切残忍。

瑜伽和人类暴力的关系

2007-04-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/anderson-vid.asp

这段录象反映的是庞大的“肯德基”工业中惨无人道地对待鸡的一生的内幕。这些另中国儿童欢天喜地的“肯德鸡”（总算找到了一个能大量倾销这些悲惨的尸体的市场），从未被当成动物或有感觉的生命来对待，而只是“造肉机器”。它们一生都未见过阳光和草地，生活在暗无天日的“集中营”里。它们一出生就被切掉嘴巴，每天的食物全都被激素注满，骨骼无法承受快速生长的体重，大部分时间都处于骨折的痛苦中。最后工人用手把它们甩向墙摔死（为了让它们昏迷），然后再用脚踩，最后大部分鸡被活活在去毛机中烫死。

通过观察人类的残忍，你能得出什么结论？我的结论是人类是多么需要瑜伽，以便从那种愚昧的暴力的怪圈中摆脱出来。人类的智能、技术和知识一旦被失去仁慈之心的人拥有，就能在这个世界上制造巨大的痛苦，制造出地域般的生活氛围。通过残忍的行为和对其它生命的痛苦的麻木和自欺，其结果是人类阉割了自身“敏感性”。我们无法和一个麻木的人谈“爱”的问题，因为敏感性是爱的前提。一旦失去了这种敏感性，人类彼此相残又有什么值得惊讶的呢？

Yogasutra《瑜伽经》的作者帕檀伽里提出的第一条瑜伽原则就是Ahimsa，非暴力。这种非暴力的原则是为了保证瑜伽的练习者具有一个人类的基本敏感性和仁爱本能，就象一个想要学音乐的人要有起码的乐感和节奏感一样。因此整棵瑜伽之树可说是建立在非暴力之上的。也许我们每次坐下来吃饭都可以深思一下，我的食物是那些大自然天然的平静的恩赐，还是人为制造的悲惨的痛苦的结果？

1. 亚玛Yama – 瑜伽师对待其他生命的五大原则
Ahimsa-satyasteya-brahmacaryaparigraha yamah (《瑜伽经》2.30)

• 阿嘿姆萨Ahimsa – 非暴力，在思想，语言，行动上避免不必要地伤害其它的生物
• 萨提亚Satya – 诚实、真诚，追求真理
• 阿斯忒亚Asteya – 不占有和偷取不是我们的东西
• 布茹阿玛恰尔亚Brahmacharya – 贞节，对性能量的控制
• 阿帕里嘎哈Aparigraha – 不贪婪，放弃占有欲

2. 尼亚玛 Niyama – 瑜伽师个人生活的五大原则。
sauca-santosa-tapah-svadhyaya isvara-pranidhanani niyamah (《瑜伽经》 2.32)

• 绍恰Saucha – 洁净（身体的、语言的、内心的和环境的）
• 香托沙Santosha – 知足，满足于物质上的简朴
• 塔帕斯Tapas – 热情、刻苦精进的态度，
• 斯瓦迪亚雅Swadhyaya –自省，研读经典，以智慧探求真理
• 伊施瓦拉帕尼达纳Ishvarapranidhana –对超灵的专注和冥想

3. 阿萨那Asana – 瑜伽体位，使身体稳定，头脑清晰，内心喜乐
sthira-sukhamａsanam (《瑜伽经》2.46)

4. 普茹阿纳亚玛Pranayama – 瑜伽呼吸练习，净化精微的身体和纳地，控制能量以使知觉纯净

5. 普茹阿提亚哈拉Pratyahara – 训练感官回到他们的本源，排除外部世界的干扰，以便体验内在的宁静和喜乐

6. 达拉那Dharana – 对某一点或某一冥想对象不间断的专注力

7. 迪亚纳Dhyana – 冥想，这是和我们更高的灵性本质连接的方法，也是清除所有污染的手段。

8. 萨玛地Samadhi – 达到了冥想的目标而进入浑然忘我的最高瑜伽境界，这是完全处于真理，极乐和与神性结合的永恒生命。

钻石的十六个面

2007-03-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

一个完美的卓越的瑜伽教师会象钻石一样闪闪发光。这是一种灵性的、内在的品质所发出的光芒。如果没有这种光芒，其他人又如何能相信瑜伽能给人带来灵性的喜乐、希望、纯洁、知识、仁爱、信心、活力、健康、光彩、美丽和恬静呢？所以，卓越的昆达里尼瑜伽大师Yogi Bhajan把一个瑜伽教师的完美品质比喻为钻石的十六个切割面，而切割的过程则相当于坚忍的刻苦的练习和为得到净化所付出的持久努力和苦行，这样，生命之光才会象钻石一样永恒、纯净和璀璨。他写下这十六个面以激励他的那些将要成为瑜伽教师的学生：

1. 一个教师永不能出于个人的见解而改变教导，你必须以身作则。
2. 作为教师你的境界越高你就必须越是谦卑。
3. 教师要永远服务学生，这样他们才会在今后比你强大十倍，因为每一个学生都是明天的老师。
4. 一个教师必须极其仁慈、关爱、充满怜悯和宽恕之心。
5. 为了使你的学生变得优秀，作为教师你必须始终敦促、激发、面对你学生缺陷并提升你的学生。
6. 作为教师你必须在所有方面不断观想、想象、相信和扩展你自己，你必须接触所有事物，冥想、练习并且表现出你是Ang Sang Wahe Guru（我的每一个肢体，我的每一个部分都属于神性，这样guru ram das的能量就会因你而涌现。
7. 作为教师你要永远处于Chardi kala(更高的精神)，并和你更高的自我相连接，不要落入情绪的混乱中。多想想你得到的祝福而不是你的不幸。要永远保持你的优雅和光彩，不断成长。
8. 作为一个教师你要不断地迈向神性和无限，因为那是你存在的精髓。你不是一个追求灵性的人类，而是一个在体验出生为人的灵魂。你作为灵魂（Atma)的纯洁和虔诚是永远存在并受到保护的，它始终是卓越的并发射着光芒。无论在心智上、身体上还是在灵性上，始终看清这一点，这比任何事情都重要。
9. 作为教师应聆听和遵从所有正确的教导，通过阅读你才会了解，通过写作你才会理解，通过教授你才会达到完美。一个教师的完美是传递信息的完美。你作为教师的成功并不取决于你知道多少，而是取决于你的学生接受了多少。一个教师的价值要由学生的成长、尊严和优秀来衡量。如果你发现任何才华，要去培养、教导他，以你最大的力量使他达到完美。
10. 作为教师要摆脱假我和世俗的争权夺利，始终关注精神、灵魂和人的本质。永远关注智慧、才华和知觉，永远关注习惯、方式和心态。只有纯洁的思想才能带来宇宙性的知识，才会使你变得慷慨、喜乐和美丽。
11. 你的业报是神和guru的恩赐，作为教师你必须投身于dhama（正直的生活方式）来荣耀神所赐予的生命的礼物。永远不要偏离或和你的Atma相分离。
12. 教师在教学时应穿白色的棉质衣服，白色的衣服会使你看上去更神圣，并且白色代表着光，白色也代表了7种色彩的合一，而棉是大地的花朵，这对你的心灵、能量和神经系统都是有益的。你的穿着要显得圣洁，散发出优雅的光芒，你必须看上去象一个圣哲、王子或公主，代表着平和和神性。一个教师是一个Ph.D（博士），P代表王子或公主，H代表高等的，D代表神性。
13. 只有种子消失它才能长成一棵大树并结出果子，那些不能成为完美学生的人不能成为大师。
14. 使地球运转的那种宇宙力量能够解决你所有的问题，作为教师你必须学会信任和信仰。把每一次呼吸都当成生命的礼物。要努力地充满知觉地呼吸，一分钟呼吸一次。
15. 一个教师的旗帜上写的是：“我在神之中”，一个教师的常规武器是：“我信任在我之中的神”，一个教师的荣誉是：“以神的名义，我在服务”，一个教师的座右铭是：“内心保持平和，在物质世界里保持平和”。
16. 一个教师必须献身于Nam(神圣的名字)，这是神赐的本性，没有Nam你就不会有自我的纯粹和把握所有事物的神赐的仁慈的力量。没有献身就不会有品格；没有品格就不会有尊严；没有尊严就不会有神圣；没有神圣就没有恩赐；没有恩赐你就不能为别人牺牲和服务别人，你的同情心和帮助都不会起作用，你也不会快乐。永远要记住的是：快乐是你与生俱来的权利，快乐永远是对的，那就让你变得快乐、健康和神圣吧。我们都是神圣的（holy，英语还可理解为“有洞的”），因为我们身上有九个洞，再加上两条胳臂和两条腿就是十三，你出生时有这十三样东西，你用这十三样东西生活，也带着这十三样东西死去，三和一加起来是四：这就是祈祷之杯。祈祷是你的力量，你的保护者和你的源泉。Sat Nam

雅沐拿河边的芥末籽花，温达文，印度

2007-03-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

摄影：Bhurijana das

对《瑜伽经》诗节的思考和笔记：第一章，瑜伽及其目标，sutra 2，3，4

2007-03-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

《瑜伽经》共有196个sutra，或196个诗节，分为四个”Pada"，或四章，其中的每一个诗节称之为一个“sutra”，一般常规的、传统的做法是每一个sutra都给予单独的注释，但我相信大多数读者读《瑜伽经》都有云里雾里的感觉，其原因是找不到常规哲学的理论层次和内在关联，即使某一个诗节经注释后似乎理解了，但其实在上下文的连贯性上还是没有领悟。原因是首先《瑜伽经》所论述的哲学并非常规哲学，其次，针对的读者也并非常规读者。"Sutra"是韦达文化或印度哲学的一种特定的文体，sutra这个梵文词的直译是“线”或“线索”，是一种极其浓缩的写作或纪录文体，与其说它是格言、箴言或警句，不如说是学者之间的密码，其功能是（如果你有那种能力的话）当你读一句，你就能联想起所有背后的、附属的、关联的哲学内容。举例来说，你的电脑中有500个零散的文字文件，这些是你的文件、你创造的文件、你熟悉的文件，你看一眼某个文件名你就知道那是什么内容，然后你把这500文件根据内容整理后归入50个文件夹里面，你得给每一个文件夹起一个文件名，以便一看那个文件夹你就知道里面是哪些文件，这些文件夹的名称就相当于“sutra"，但如果另一个人来用你的电脑，他也许只能大致估计或猜测你的文件夹有些什么，因为他并不熟悉你的那500个文件，而你的文件夹只是提供一个猜测的”线索‘罢了。

古代的瑜伽学习方法是你先得找到一个古茹，花多年时间和他一起勤勤恳恳地学习那500个文件中的内容，等到他认为你学得可以了，他也许向你传授“sutra"，你得背出所有的sutra，这样你就能轻易地回想起你学习过的所有内容。而我们的学习过程正好相反，我们既没有古茹，也对主体内容几乎一无所知，但却想要从读sutra开始了解它们背后的内容和哲学，这就和靠读文件夹名称来猜其中的文件内容一样，难怪云里雾里！但我们别无选择，只能试一试了。

第一章，samadhi pada主要是阐述什么是瑜伽以及它的目的是什么
第二章，sadhana pada主要阐述瑜伽的修炼，即一个瑜伽师该怎么做来达到第一章所讲的目的
第三章，vibhuti pada主要阐述通过瑜伽人会获得什么样的物质力量
第四章，kaivalya pada主要阐述瑜伽的解脱和自由境界

第一章最重要的诗节也许就是sutra2，3，4，因为它们直接针对第一章的主题，什么是瑜伽，瑜伽的目的是什么。

Sutra2，yogah cittavrtti nirodhah
Sutra3，tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam
Sutra4，vrtti sarupyam itaratra

Sutra2三个词：
citta：指的是整体上的生命知觉、意识，精微的感知媒体；思维、情绪和意欲；也包括更高级的心智活动，判断力等等。Citta一般分为三个层次，mana(mind)、buddhi(intelligence)、ahamkara(ego)，即心意、智性、假我。
vrtti:（心理上的）波动、变化、活动、运行、功能、各种意欲
nirodhah：停止、抑制、结束、消除、控制

sutra3四个词:
tada：然后，那时侯，相当于英语的then
drastuh：观看者、感知者、自我、灵魂
svarupe：自我的、原本的、真实的状态
avasthanam：栖息于、安处于、荣耀、光芒

sutra4两个词
sarupyam：认同、类似、相似、接近
itaratra：在其他时候，如果不是这样、否则

直译sutra2\3\4：瑜伽是（对）知觉（感知媒体）的波动的控制（停止），
（然后）这时，感知者（自我—灵魂）就能（真实地看见他自己）安处于他原本的状态（的灵性和光芒中）
否则（在非瑜伽的境界中），感知者（自我）就认同于（表现出类似于或自认为是）那种波动（的知觉）

如果我问你什么是“杯子”，你必定先向我描述杯子（外形，样子、状态等），然后告诉我杯子是干什么用的（目的，用途、功能等），如果你再仔细些，你还会告诉我被子和其他非杯子的容器的区别，以免我混淆。同样，sutra2描述的是瑜伽的（内在的，知觉上的）状态，然后sutra3点明这种状态的要达成的目的是什么，最后，sutra4再澄清非瑜伽的状态是什么。

——《薄伽梵歌》第七章第四诗节：
“土、水、火、气、以太、心意、智性、假我——这八者合起来便构成游离于我的物质能量。”

在这八中物质能量中前五者被称为“粗糙的物质元素”，后三者被称为“精微的物质元素”。在前五者中，气和以太又相对较精微，气又称为vayu，prana，而以太则是构成空间的不可思议的物质元素，也是声音传递的基础。这五大元素构成了大自然、世界中一切我们可感知触及的对象，同时也是形成我们躯体活动所需的结构、框架和材料的元素，这部分躯体称为“粗糙的”躯体，所以实际上我们的躯体（皮肤、毛发、肌肉、骨骼、内脏、各种体液等等）是大自然的一部分，因为它是由构成大自然的同样的粗糙物质元素组合起来的。而后三者精微的元素，则是我们大部分人误认为是构成我们的“精神”、“气质”或“自我”的东西，这是一种根深蒂固的幻觉，所以为什么最后一个元素称之为“假我”，连带心意和智性被统称为“精微的”身体，这就是citta。而我们生命的本体，或真我，则被这两层粗糙的和精微的物质躯体 “包裹”或“覆盖” 着，原本纯粹的知觉（svarupe)只能通过这两层媒介来感知，就象不得不通过手套来触摸，透过眼镜来观看一样。一个长期依赖眼镜看东西的人虽然几乎认为眼镜就是他眼球的一部分，镜片的度数就几乎等于他的视力一样，但我们稍用理性分析就能明白，镜片既不是他的眼睛的一部分，镜片本身也没有“看”的能力，虽然他要依赖镜片来看清世界，但真正在“看”的是他，“看”是他的力量，这种力量并不来自镜片，镜片的本质只是机械的、工具性的。同样，这八大物质元素无论多么不可思议或复杂，也不过是死的、本身没有知觉的元素而已。我们的身体之所以表现出活力、情感和知觉是因为它反射着内在的“觉知者”的光芒。就象镜子反射着太阳的光芒一样。

——《薄伽梵歌》第七章第五诗节：

”臂力强大的阿尔诸那呀，除了这些（八大物质元素）之外，我还有一种高等能量，由开发利用物质资源这一低等能量的生物构成。“

超越这八大元素或“通过”这些元素在“观看”的“觉知者”是我们生命的本体，由高等的灵性能量构成，称为atma，jivatman，purusa，即灵魂，在sutra3中被称为drasthuh，观看者（而思维、情绪和意欲构成的citta则是“被观看者”），这个“观看者，觉知者“是svarupe，即那个原本的、真实的、具有纯粹知觉的自我。所以结论是，生物体的本质并不是他的物质身体，因为灵魂才是真正具有感知力的活力本源，是由一种完全不同于物质元素的高等能量构成的，称之为“para”，亦即超然能量，佛教的经典中的“般若”一词即由此而来。

sutra2和sutra3之间的连接词是“tada”——然后，所以从逻辑上讲sutra2是sutra3的条件。也就是说除非这种“vrtti”, 这种内在波动、变化、活动等等通过瑜伽的作用而得以平息下来，得到控制，否则，那个drastuh, 那个真正的观看者、原本的高等的自我——灵魂就始终是处于一种受蒙蔽的状态而无法显露出来。所以，这个瑜伽所要平息的“cittavrtti”到底是什么呢？

在Srimade Bhagavatam《圣典薄伽瓦谭》中有一个很美的例子，夜空中的明月看见自己投在井水水面上的影子，空中的明月相当于灵魂／自我／观看者，井相当于我们的粗糙躯体，井水相当于我们的知觉／心意，而月影则相当于我们的假我。井水由于其本性是注定会波动的，同样我们的心意也似乎永无宁息（所谓的“意识流“），永远在快乐／痛苦，希望／失望，喜欢／厌恶，接受／排斥，荣／辱，得／失等诸多相对性中徘徊。它越是被这些相对性迷惑，它波动得就越是厉害，它所反映的自我就越是扭曲和虚假。虽然空中的明月始终如一，没有受到任何影响，但如果他执着于水中的影子，他便自认为是波动的／变化的／破碎的。而只有在水面宁静下来的时候，他看到的才是一个相对更接近真实的自我的影像。这是瑜伽境界的开始，也是自我觉悟的第一步。需要逐渐觉悟的是，我们的身体（粗糙的）只是灵魂的影子，而心意（精微的）则是对于身体这个影子的记忆。在无数次的轮回中我们做的／感受到的一切（karma，业）都以种子／密码的方式被输入了心意的信息库（samsara），这相当于是一个假我的庞大的照相册。只要假我还未被净化，心意的波动就注定使我们痛苦和困惑。所以vrtti，波动这个词，实际上是所有物质存在，所有物质痛苦的根源和概括。瑜伽要中止的“波动”，实际上是所有以内心波动的形式出现的“痛苦的幻觉”。

——《薄伽梵歌》第六章：
5. 心意对于受条件限制的灵魂来说，既是朋友，也是敌人。 6. 征服心意，心意便是最好的朋友；征服不了心意，心意就是最大的敌人。 7. 征服了心意的人，已到达超灵，因为他已经达到宁静平和。悲喜、冷热、荣辱对这样的人，均无分别。 8. 因得到了知识和觉悟而完全满足的人，被认为是处在觉悟中，堪称瑜伽师(或神秘主义者)。这样的人自我控制，安处超然境界，视万物如一——无论是石块，还是金子。19.正如灯在无风的地方不再飘忽晃荡，超然主义者控制了心意，便常安然处于对超然自我的观想之中。20-23.在神定(萨玛迪)的完美境界之中，人的心意通过瑜伽的修习彻底地摒除了物质性的心智活动。这完美之境的特点就表现在人能以纯净的心意而看见自我，并在自我中品尝到快乐。在这种喜悦状态下，人便处于无尽的超然快乐中，以超然的感官而觉悟。这样达成之后，人就永不会违背真理；获得了这些，他认为再没有更大的收获了。人一旦处于这样的位置，即使陷于最大的困难之中，也永远不会动摇。这才是摆脱了一切来自于与物质接触而产生的苦难而得到的真正自由。（待续）

七天、七个月、七年，还是七十年？

2007-03-09T03:33:00.000-08:00

温达文

恒河，Risikesh

恒河边的唱诵，Risikesh

雅沐拿河岸边，温达文

也许在所有队员中最不适合旅行的人就是我了。从机场到家的路上不断晕车呕吐，到家后仿佛浑身虚脱了一般，仍然处于时空混淆的状态中，难以自拔，只能靠闭上眼睛听刚买来的CD，印度音乐维持平静。也不敢上街，怕受到精神上的“打击”。美丽的sandoor，音色有点象中国的扬琴，但声音要缥缈和细腻得多，还有一种印度的弦乐器有一个很动听的名字叫Esraj，有点象大提琴，但是是在“哭泣的”大提琴。

这一个月的生活是一种没有物质焦虑的生活，从某个角度讲并不是我“真实的”生活，但我们都需要不时地生活在“不真实或不现实”中，以便破除所谓的现实带来的幻觉和麻木不仁：即我们无法获得自由。我们可以过一种容忍的、不尽人意的生活，但不能过一种麻木不仁的生活（无论是富有还是贫穷）。在薄伽瓦谭第一篇中，Pariksit Maharaj被一个婆罗门小孩诅咒在七天后被毒蛇咬死，由此他知道了自己确切的死期。他在这七天中完全断食，只是坐在恒河边不停地听他的灵性导师Sukadeva Goswami讲述灵性觉悟的知识，并达到了完美。也许我们的悲哀和幸运是我们都不知道自己的死期，否则也许我们的生活会很不同，但到底如何不同呢，我们每一个人都可以真的问一下自己，其实，七天、七个月或七十年，只是个时间问题罢了，我们这些注定要（死）被身体所抛弃的人，每天每时每刻都在用我们每一个瞬间，用我们的每一个选择和行动在回答这个问题。

这张照片是我们坐在一条板船上漫游温达文的雅沐拿Yamuna河的那个下午拍的，雅沐拿是奎师那五千年前带着他的牛群饮水的地方。微风徐徐从黝黑的河水上漂来。Yamuna的河水之所以是“黝黑”并不是因为赃或污染，而是那就是她的色彩，如果你用手碰起河水，非常的清，但把水放回水中，她又是黑的了。这水中的色彩反映着奎师那的肤色：略带蓝的乌云的颜色。

和船夫讨价还价一番，最后用十卢比（人民币2元左右，我无法理解这个价格，但印度无法理解的事情太多了）带我们游河。时间临近黄昏，夜幕正在降临，我们没有让船走远，一切都越来越美，但却无以言表，那不是一种（类似西湖的）景致的美，所以即便用照片也拍不出来。那里的一切使你的灵魂停留在古老的、永恒的、静谧的灵性情感中，我得说，那是一种私人情感，因此，我能理解为什么有些瑜伽师甚至发下永不离开温达文的誓言。

摄影：Anne

From India

2007-02-19T02:49:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Happy new year!!

i am in a street Internet bar in Rishikesh, the city of yoga, sorry i can only write in English here. i miss all of you. i think it is very selfish that i keep all the wonderful experiences just with myself. Just like our Bhagavad-gita teacher said, the goal of our life is to share love with our beloved ones eternally and unconditionally. Whatever we try to keep with our self will be lost finally and helplessly, and whatever we shared with others will be always alive in others heart.

Yesterday, the first day of Chinese new year we did something special, as we are staying in Parmarth Niketan Ashrama, we were invited as special guests to participate in the Ganga Arati, and then we sang kirtan together with all the people from all of the world on the bank of Ganga as the sun setting.

The way of India is not to be understood unless you become a part of it's life. it is so different from the life of a big city like Shanghai, please come to see with your own eyes, come to smell with your own noses, come to taste with your own tongue, come to hear with your own ears, come to feel with your own sensation, once a while in your life. And you will value it and understand why this is the home of yoga, where people, nature and animal are so friendly with each other in the state of Union.

namaste!

Yama
Rishikesh, India

River Yamuna, Vrindavan, India

2007-02-04T05:29:00.000-08:00

To be in another world is to be in another mind!

What you are looking for is what is looking. 你所寻找的正注视着你

2007-02-03T08:44:00.001-08:00

> 当但丁最后直接来到天堂中的上帝面前时，他遇到一束可畏的“永恒之光”，这束光由环航的天使所组成的九个同心圆所包围。但丁完全被这束光所震撼，而只能盯着它，“全神贯注，一动不动，并而热情澎湃。”

----摘自《无尽的爱》Ravindra Svarupa Dasa

星期二一早就要上飞机了，我似乎仍然有些麻木和未进入状态。为什么我没有对旅途劳顿的恐惧和担忧，也没有对即将来临的感受的期待和兴奋呢？我是变得麻木了吗（还是我开始变老了）？我唯一的欣慰是能够打破一年来所习惯的、机械的作息，除此以外，我把一切都交给下一个瞬间！时间和空间的幻觉紧紧地缠绕着我所体验、感受、思维和意欲的一切，使我生活在另人痛苦的物质中，对爱变得麻木，但从飞机上下来，我们将进入另一个季节，另一种气息和不同的人们组成的世界（Vrindavan，Krishna的出生地），但我在心中听见：

radhe radhe radhe shyam
govinda radhe sri radhe

啊，Radhe Radhe，还有美丽的黑皮肤的Shyam(Krishna)，神圣的爱侣！我的心离你们还有多远呢？我的岁月，我真正的生命离你们还有多远呢？啊，美丽的Vrindavan，所有超然主义者和神秘主义者向往的土地！
啊，Govinda，只有你能给感官带来真正的快乐，难道我的感官曾有一刻不属于你吗？我的眼睛多么黑暗，请不要让我的肉眼欺骗我，啊，Radha，愿你赐予我光明和平静。

om tat sat

I feel I need to take a drastic change and move away from the city to live in nature.

2007-01-31T06:28:00.000-08:00

This is a sentence from a letter of my teacher shakti mhi. I will tell her that i am going to india for some time and part of the reason is that i feel so exhausted phisically mentally and spiritually. A city is "one type of forest", but definitely is not the type that yogis need. Yoga teaching is a profession that you have to(at least, i have to) give your energy to support people to lift their spirit and sometimes even to give hope for a worthy life. Then what will happen to the teacher him/herself? Is he or she constently connected to the scourse of energy knowledge and wisdom so that he and she can keep giving and giving and giving without a sense of drying out and mechanism? We are all limited imperfect human beings with different weakness, after all. The best thing we can do is try our best to help each other, forgive each other, accept each other, understand each other, support each other and then we can really love each other, unconditionally.

To manifest the heaven in our heart from inside to the earthly life, this is the work of yoga, this is the work of a true yogi.

再版的《瑜伽经》将随书赠送Yama制作的瑜伽经梵文唱诵CD！四月将由印度大使馆举办发行仪式后正式向全国推出。

2007-01-31T05:59:00.000-08:00

摄影：小月(Chandra)

回家的唱诵，本周六（1月27日）晚7点

2007-01-25T00:17:00.000-08:00

家不仅是躯体出生的地方，而是它解脱的地方。
家不仅是你的心所习惯的地方，更是它所属的地方，
家是灵魂的极乐之所在，是相爱的生命欢聚的天堂。
在那里
淡忘了对幻象的记忆
消除了对永恒的迷惘

每一句话语都是诗歌，
每一次表达都是音乐
每一丝感觉都是歌唱
每一个步伐都是舞蹈，
每一滴水都是甘露
每一款眼神都是祝福

家是我们从未离开
但都遗忘了很久的地方

让唱诵带你回家！

Home,
is not where the body was born
but where it liberates
Home,
is not where the heart got used to
but where it belongs to
Home,
is where Soul find its ecstasy
and where beloved ones meet each other
Where,
fading is the memory of illusion
Freeing from all confusion
Where,
Every utterance is poetry
Every presentation is music
Every sentiment is singing
Every step is dancing
Every drop of water is nectar
Every glance is a blessing

Home,
Is a place we are always there
But where we all forget

Let's chant and go home!

Location: Jivatma Yoga Center, Room C-D, 28F, Hui Jia Building,
Xujiahui, No41 Cao Xi Bei Rd(behind Gino Italian Restaurant)
Time: 7pm Saturday, Jan 27th
Contact: 13701839401 Yama

Sukhasana/Easy pose/Happy sitting pose

2007-01-23T00:24:00.000-08:00

Sukhasana is the basic cross-legged sitting posture which we use to begin each class. In the Iyengar system of nomenclature, Sukhasana and Swastikasana are two names for the same pose.

We sit for a few minutes in Sukhasana at the beginning of class to create a receptive mind before beginning our yoga practice. In Sukhasana, begin the process of involution which you will extend and deepen throughout the class. Begin to observe yourself inwardly rather than extracting information from the external world with your eyes.

For Sukhasana, fold at least one blanket in half from the storage fold to sit on. Cross your legs at the mid-shins, not your ankles as is our common tendency. Your pubic bone and the cross of your shins should be in one line. Keep your ankles flexed a little so that your feet are on their outside edges, perpendicular to the floor, but relax your toes. The soles of your feet face to the sides and your toes will face forward. You should not be able to see your feet since they will be basically under your knees. Do not have your feet under your thighs -- try to bring your feet under your knees or further forward. Balance evenly on your sit bones. With your hands, reach back under your buttocks and manually pull your buttock flesh back and out to sides on your sitting support. As you do that, also separate your sitting bones. After you roll your buttocks outward, roll your thighs inward.

If you place your fingers on your anterior iliac crests (the "hip points") and your thumbs on the tops of your pelvis in back, they should be level. If your thumbs are lower than your fingers, your pelvis is tilting backward. If this is the case, you should sit on more height, such as another folded blanket. Your pelvis should be in a neutral position, not tilting forward or backward. This allows for normal lumbar lordosis, allows your groins to relax, and lessens the effort required to keep your torso erect. Level your pelvis both side to side and from front to back. Make sure your pelvis is upright and not tilting back. Do this every time you sit in this asana. Without this base you cannot build the rest of your spine and torso structure onto it properly. This is the foundation.

Your groins must relax and descend. You may notice a tendency for them to harden and tense to pull your torso forward into an upright position. If that is happening, take more height under your buttocks until you can sit upright with your torso perpendicular to the ground without feeling your groins tense. If you're doing the pose to practice pranayama, you especially want your legs to feel as if they're "flowing away from you" without any tension in your groins whatsoever. This may require even more height under your buttocks than you usually use a the beginning of class. Your knees should not be higher than your hips. This is another sign of needing more sitting height. Also verify that your knees are level with each other.

Take your lumbar spine very slightly and softly inward so that your lower back is concave. Draw your abdomen softly inward and upward. Sit high enough so you find you have a good lift your lower abdomen region. Lengthen the often neglected space between the pubic bone and the navel. From the right and left side floating ribs to the armpit chest, feel yourself ascend.

Lift your spine and your chest upward and also broaden your chest out to the sides. Allow your ribs to spread outward with each inhalation and note how horizontal actions of the body foster a broadening of the mind and consciousness. Move your dorsal (thoracic) spine into your body, but do it without hardening your diaphragm or your throat or eyes. Breathe in from your back body diagonally upward through your sternum and use that action to help you maintain the lift of your chest. Place your fingertips onto the blankets at your sides and press them into the blankets with your elbows flexed a little and use the lifting action of your arms to raise your torso as erect as you can. "Circularize your ampit chest" as discussed under the Tadasana section (moving your rear armpits under and upward toward your front armpits). Lift your chest. Have your front torso energy ascending and your rear torso energy descending. After you have pressed your hands down to lift your chest, also rotate your upper arms outward to broaden your chest from side to side. When you return your hands to your thighs, imagine you still have your two hands pressing down at your sides, keeping your torso just as erect. When your hands are on your thighs, the median line of your upper inner arms should align with the median line of of the sides of your torso.

When you take your hands into Anjali Mudra (Namaskarasana, Namaste position) place them palm to palm with your thumbs and the flesh of your thenar eminences against your lower sternum and your fingers together pointing away from your chest at an angle, not pointing straight up toward the ceiling. Press your palms together and then press them a little harder. Feel the bones of your hands press into each other. Take time to feel each bone press into the corresponding bone on the other side -- experience that awareness. And then after a moment or so, relax the pressure back to the point where only the skin is touching and re-experience that awareness now a little differently.

As in all asanas, soften your face, tongue, eyes, and throat areas. Keep them free from tension Keep your tongue resting on your lower palate. Have the feeling of drawing your inner ears into your head, and relaxing them downward. When you close your eyes, note there is still a tendency for them to continue to try to look outward, to seek for information from the outside. You must relax the eyeballs themselves as well is the muscles that move them in their sockets (extra-ocular muscles). Your upper eyelids close downward to meet your lower eyelids. If that seems like a silly observation, try raising your lower eyelids to your upper ones, or try having the two meet midway at the center of your eye and see how that feels. For chanting (e.g. the invocation), relax your eyes straight back into your head. For pranayama and meditation, turn them downward toward the floor as well. Keep lifting through your inner body, but allow your brain and your face, both, just to melt and descend.

Keep your sense organs relaxed. As your sense organs become quiet, your brain also becomes quieter and quieter. Feel as though your frontal brain is receding into the back of your brain. Allow your brain cells to recede and be quiet in that state. Use the rhythm of your breathing to still the "lake of your mind" and draw your awareness more and more inward.

From The Brad's Iyengar Notebook

苦和涩的瑜伽

2007-01-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

> "我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒……”
——苏东坡《水调歌头》

卢梭在他的《忏悔录）中说他在十六岁时，就渴望“离弃”整个世界。如果我们内心从未产生过对物质生活的怀疑、唾弃和过一种“不食人间烟火”的生活渴望，这是由于两个原因：
1）麻木不仁
2）从未看到或有人告诉我们还有一种这样的生活存在

其结果也有两个：
1）我们从不欣赏或在物质生活中感到满足
2）我们失去了理解另一种生活的机会

但除非我们曾经“唾弃、离弃”过世界，或相反，被这个世界“唾弃、离弃”过，我们并没有真正理解过这个世界的生活的意义，也没有真正深刻地欣赏、珍惜或客观地评价人间、尘世或所谓的世俗所包含的一切的能力。和某样东西保持距离，这是你理解它的前提。

如果瑜伽师被认为过的是一种非主流的另类的生活，那么整个印度、韦达的文化就是一种离弃物质世界的文化。如果严格的按照传统、印度、西藏、尼泊儿和泰国等类似文化体系中的男子，生命的第一阶段是“brahmacharya”，即在很小的时候就离开父母成为一个出家的“贞守生”，去修院或庙宇和古茹住在一起，学习经典并过一种苦行、勤奋和弃绝的生活。（这和当今父母对待小孩的方式恰好相反）这种童年经历将给一个人的一生造成深远的影响。这样的人成年后无论表面上卷入物质生活多深，他心里始终知道，有另一种生活存在。而生命的最后一个阶段称为“sannyasi”，即托钵僧，这时一个人可以有资格完全平和地离开世俗活动，只在至尊的喜悦中寻求快乐，而没有丝毫“高处不胜寒”的顾虑。

印度阿育韦达的饮食文化中，健康完整的饮食要包含六种味道即：酸、甜、咸、苦、辣、涩。先上的是苦味和涩味的食品，然后是咸、酸和辣的食品，最后以甜味结束。这和人的一生的味道类似。苦味和涩味对我们的感官具有控制和收敛的作用，也就是说在我们的感官最饥饿、最活跃、最贪婪时候先要用苦味控制住、镇住它们，因为这会让感官变得敏感和有力。相反，感官的放纵是迟钝和软弱的原因。瑜伽师对感官有他自己的”用法“，因为他知道感官是他体验和进入瑜伽境界的工具。一个真正的瑜伽师即使选择生活在世俗中，他过的也不是世俗的生活。因为世俗的生活，无非就是不同层面的“感官的世界”。

但在生活中，有多少人会主动地选择先品尝“苦和涩”的味道呢？我表示怀疑。

关于古茹

2007-01-17T03:30:00.000-08:00

古代瑜伽经典中有提及，一个对古茹没有奉献, 而想只靠sadhana，即练习本身进入觉悟的境界的人，就象一个想用沙子在水上搭桥过海的人一样。瑜伽本身不光是一种练习，或达到目标的手段, 而是一种生活和生命的状态. 瑜伽中所有不同的练习只是帮助我们获得那种生命状态的品味，并引导我们进入那种生活。就象婚姻生活意味着找到一个合适你的配偶，瑜伽的生活或灵性的生活是从找到一个真正的导师，或古茹(guru)开始的。这并不是说我们只能有一个老师，我们可以有很多个（我们可以谦卑地向任何人学习），但其中有一个会在我们心中占据特殊的位置而获得我们的信任、尊崇和皈依。这不是一种表面的关系，而是一种私人关系。这种关系和这个人有没有很长的胡子，能不能说出你的前世和未来，能不能治好你的慢性病等等没有关系；和任何头衔、地位或名气等外在的东西也没有直接的关系。这个人要能改变我们对世界和对自己的看法，仿佛从另一世界射入的光芒，但却又另我们觉得是如此的熟习、亲切和激动人心。在他面前，我们的假我、浮躁和惶惑自然而然地得到了控制。他将告诉我们如何练习，而当我们按他的话去做时发现变得比自认为的我更出色。我们会在心里说，“对，就是这样，就是这样！”That’s it! 在这里我很难用语言来表述这种关系，也许可称之为“灵性的亲缘关系或血缘关系”。我们是籍着这种关系而进入我前面所说的生命状态的，缺乏了这种关系，我们就无法进入灵修的圈子。就象打高尔夫球的人有他们的圈子，喜欢户外的人有他们的圈子，用苹果产品的人有他们的圈子。用梵文来称呼这种灵性关系或圈子叫做“sat sanga”，“sat”的意思是永恒的真理，“sanga”的意思是关系、联谊，亦即那些在你追求永恒的真理的道路上能够帮助和鼓励你的关系。我安排的唱诵冥想以及这个博客的目的之一也是为了逐渐促成和鼓励这种“sat sanga”，它可以有很多表现形式。

你和你的古茹的关系则是sat sanga的精髓，而在我们找到这种sat sanga之前我们还只是灵性上门外汉、孤独者和流浪者。如果你是一个真诚追求觉悟的人，这种流浪也许不无益处。其间所遭遇的挣扎、胆怯、挫折和失望（因为你全得靠自己）会有两个结果，一是我们会放弃灵性上的追求而成为一个怀疑论者，二是当我们超越了第一阶段而找到（更准确的说是遇到）那个guru时我们就会变得非常珍惜、更真诚和认真。这时瑜伽就不再是书本上的神秘理论或是从别人那里听起来玄之又玄的东西，而是成了你的日常生活。除非有一个老师，我们几乎没有一个人有这样的天赋、领悟和毅力自觉地这样去做并且改变自己的生活。读一读那些大师的传记，比如《一个瑜伽行者的自传》Swami Yogananda，他们一般从小十几岁的时候就对灵性生活有一种强烈的吸引和渴望，我的老师之一shakti mhi也是这样，她十四岁开始她的“寻游”。然后他们大都离开家外出寻找自己心中的老师，其实正是那个“心中的老师”指引他们找到了那个最终站在他们面前的老师。

三种老师

2007-01-17T02:41:00.000-08:00

从孔夫子的角度来讲，恐怕我们大多数人都不是“生而知之者”，我们从小就需要有人来传授知识，给予指导、鼓励或启发，并解答学习和生活中的种种疑惑和困难，并自然而然地对在生命中这样帮助我们的人产生尊敬和爱戴之心。这种对老师的尊崇遍及世界上每一种古老的文明，但在瑜伽和印度的文化中这种尊崇被推广到了一个特殊的高度。

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana shalakaya
chakshur unmilitam yena tasmai shri gurave namaha

我因愚昧的黑暗而盲目，但我的古茹用灵性知识的火炬启亮了我的眼睛，我向他致以谦卑的顶拜。

om
gurudevaya vidmahe
brahmanandaya dhimahi
tanno guru pracodayat
om shanti shanti shantihi

让我们冥想神圣的古茹。冥想至尊的喜悦。愿古茹把我们引向他！

在《Jivamukti Yoga》一书中说到：

The teaching of yoga are passed through transmissional lineage. Much of this knowledge cannot be verbalized because it is beyond the body and mind. Because its subtle, secret or even unspeakable nature, this knowledge is only imparted through relationship. Without direct transmission, from someone who has had direct transmission, no connection is established to the knowledge sought.

瑜伽的知识是以师徒关系来传递的。这种知识很大一部分内容是超越躯体和心智的，因而是语言不能函盖的。由于这种知识精微，机密和不可言传的性质，它只能在一种特定的关系中传递。也就是说，除非从传递者那里直接接受----而这个传递者也是以同样方式接受的，我们就无法和这知识的源头建立关系。

书中把瑜伽老师分为三类sattvic，rajasic，tamasic，即善良属性、激情属性和愚昧属性的老师。

1）善良属性的老师唯一的兴趣是灵性的觉悟，并鼓励和帮助他们的学生培养这样的兴趣。他们对别人的痛苦充满慈悲，对学生一视同仁，但同时又能根据他们的特点给予指导。他因为拥有的经典的知识和觉悟而自信、清晰、喜悦、平和。他的生活是自律而专注的。他把教学看作是一种对学生的服务，并从中体验的是给予的快乐。

2）激情属性的老师的兴趣是得到学生的崇拜，并希望从中得到金钱、名誉和情感上的回报。他把教学看成是一种获取的手段。从这个角度他们反而是依赖他们的学生（而善良属性的老师是独立的）。他们很注重以外表吸引别人，并总是希望他们的“表演”或“表现”得到欣赏，如果偶尔有人不欣赏就会很沮丧。他们的注意力是他们自己而不是在学生身上。由于一般他们自身内在的灵性修为较弱，他们会花很多时间和精力包装自己，获取各种头衔、地位等来弥补内在的贫乏以获得安全感。一般他们如果比较成功就会变得目中无人，妄自尊大，并且认为他的学生是他的“私人”财产。

3）愚昧属性的老师没有有关瑜伽的正确理解和完整的知识。他们的兴趣是以“躯体”为核心的，对真正灵性的题旨没有真诚的兴趣。但有意思的是他们仍有可能吸引不少和他们类似的愚昧和没有辨别力的人。

不同属性的老师会吸引相应的学生，因为物以类聚，人以群分。但根据上面的诗节，似乎只有第一种老师才符合或接近“古茹”的含义, 他的纯粹和无私使他具有传递瑜伽知识的资格, 他是经典的要义, 真正的知识和学生之间透明的媒介。

有关瑜伽的问答(三)

2007-01-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

问: 我在练习哈塔瑜伽时有感觉你说的身体的稳定、心智的清晰但较少感受到内在的喜悦。你对此有什么看法和建议呢？

答: 我的理解是，原本的hatha yoga并无其本身的独立性，而只是raja yoga或tantra修行的辅助手段，最早的hatha yoga只有kriyas, 清洁法，也就是说在古代瑜伽师用kriya yoga净化身体内外以后，他们就可以直接进入更高的修行和冥想（对超灵的冥想），这些修行是瑜伽正真的内容。古代瑜伽师的品质和能力是我们现代人无法想象的。但后来随着人们的能力的衰退，只做kriya yoga不够了，所以hatha yoga后来又结合了asana,体位pranayama调息等等其他内容，作为补充。当时只有哲学家、出家人和真正的修行者才会练习hatha yoga，而且也不过是用来作为辅助，至少在帕檀加利的时代是这样的。这和现代人做瑜伽只是为了摆出造型和保持身材而练体位完全是两码事情。

《瑜伽经》中对体位的解释完全是心理学上的，即稳定、清晰和（内在的）喜悦。这三种相辅相成的品质包括在体位练习的过程中的感受，也包括了对体位练习的结果的描述。也就是说不管你以什么方式练习体位，只要达成或有助于这三个品质就行了。这里的喜悦是一种生命（身体、语言和思想）被净化以后的轻松和喜悦，这是一个瑜伽师，生理、心理、饮食、生活方式、交往、环境都处于净化的善良属性的结果，也是体验更高的喜乐或samadhi的先决条件。真正的瑜伽师在任何时候都应该有身体的稳定，心智的清晰和内在的喜悦，而不仅仅是在做体位的时候或其他练习的时候。只是练习一些姿势是不够的，我们必须过一种瑜伽师的净化的生活，也就是帕檀加利说的yama niyama，这时我们做任何事都会有内在的喜悦。但从体位练习的角度而言，身体的稳定是心智的清晰的开始，心智的清晰是内在的喜悦的开始。

体位本身可以只是一个身体的造型或姿势（就象舞蹈或体操），也可以是yoga asana瑜伽阿萨那,是什么完全取决于做的人的意向、动机、生活状态和生命境界，即他的目的是不是为了净化自己。一个人可以只是简单的盘腿坐而处于samadhi之中，也可以做出蝎子式而只是一种身体层面的杂技表演。

让我们不断回到经典，并理解经典的内容。namaste!

Opening Mantras 作为前奏的曼佗罗

2007-01-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

om om om

Salutation to previous great teachers, acharya and saints for blessing
Invocations for auspicious for teachers and students

lokah samasta sukhino bhavantu
om shanti shanti shantihi

sarvesham svasti bhavatu
sarvesham shantirbhavatu
sarvesham purnam bhavatu
sarvesham mangalam bhavatu
om shanti shanti shantihi

asatoma Sat Gamaya
tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya
mityorma Amritam Gamaya
om shanti shanti shantihi

Translation 译义:

May the entire world know peace happiness and love
Let there be peace peace peace

让所有的生命充满平和、快乐和爱
平和！平和！平和！

May all have good fortune.
May all attain peace.
May all become Whole.
May all be blessed.
Let there be peace peace peace

让所有的生命变得幸运
让所有的生命变得平和
让所有的生命变得完整
让所有的生命获得祝福
平和！平和！平和！

Lead me from the unreal to the Real
Lead me from the darkness to the Light
Lead me from the temporary to the Eternal
Let there be peace peace peace

把我从虚假引向真实
从黑暗引向光明
从死亡引向永恒
平和！平和！平和！

A letter to my frind Chrys and The Rationality of Vegetarainism Part I

2007-01-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Chrys,

i just wrote an article in Chinese on my blog called: The Irrationality of Vegetarianism. i didn't put any logical scientific thing, but just described how a vege diet can be a taste of a new life, coz life doesn't need to be "right" in a scientific way to be worthy or wonderful. People are doing so many crazy things just to make themself happy without considering any consequence, but when they were told to be a vegetarian, they immediately want to be scientific. We are nothing to do with the mechanism of this body. Life is an beginning-less and endless song to be sung by those who dare to be different and musical in their behaviour, because this is what people really afraid of knowingly or unknowingly, behind a diet: a related new life which is challenging to their habits, getting rid of the old, be out of their comfortable zone, isolation, etc, and they will find endless excuses to not listen to the voice and the melody of their heart and soul.

In my mind an article called The Rationality of the Vegetarianism will follow up the first one, and just then you sent your article today. I am sure the Universal Mind (paramatma) told you to do that :-)

i wish you again a happy new year and may the universal music playing beautifully in your heart. Thank you so much!

om shanti

your friend forever
Yama

Singer Sir Paul McCartney:
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian."

"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you could do. It's staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty."

Albert Einstein The great scientist Albert Einstein:
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival of life of Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

The great Russian author Leo Tolstoy:
"This is dreadful! Not only the suffering and death of the animals, but by eating meat man suppresses in himself, unnecessarily, the highest spiritual capacity – that of sympathy and pity towards living creatures like himself – and by violating his own feelings, becomes cruel."

Carl Lewis

Hippocrates, the father of medicine:
"Your food shall be your remedies, and your remedies shall be your food".

Some Famous Vegetarians

Plato, Socrates, Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Voltaire, Leo Tolstoy, H.G. Wells, Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Richard Wagner, Paul McCartney, Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, Albert Schweitzer, Dalai Lama, Rabindranath Tagore, George Bernard Shaw, Carl Lewis, Martina Navratilova, and the list goes on...

Moon Day Yoga 月亮日瑜伽

2007-01-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

首先, 也许需要了解的是, 在传统上, 或至少在古代的印度, 极少有妇女从事瑜伽修炼(至少不是公开的), 并不是她们被禁止,而是当时的社会、习俗和文化状况使妇女从事着和男子相当不同的活动和角色。不象当今的现代社会, 妇女出与自愿或经济的压力或任何其他原因，在职业上工作上差不多被社会象一个男人那样使用着,承担同等的压力和责任. 过去的妇女不练习瑜伽,也许恰好和较少有现代的男子练习瑜伽的原因类似(没有人禁止男子练习瑜伽)。瑜伽由于其原本的严肃性,哲学性,学术性和苦行的性质而属于男性活动范围(和柔韧、减肥、保持苗条、维持身材、帮助产前和产后的问题等等女性语汇没有任何关系，你翻开《瑜伽经》连读一小时而不觉得疲劳和枯燥，也许你就明白些我说的严肃是指什么)。但遗憾的是由于商业的炒作，瑜伽渐渐失去了它的严肃性和哲学性，而变成了一种廉价的时尚，高雅的男士嫌它太大众化，大众化的男士嫌它太女子气，正统的男士嫌它太另类，另类的男子嫌他太类似健身。总之，种种误解，跳进黄河也洗不清。

在印度，妇女称经期为"moon day"，月亮日，是用来内省，隐退，休息，净化和冥想的日子。从生理上讲，由于荷尔蒙分泌的变化在体力和情绪上造成的影响，推荐的是尽量减少外界的激烈繁忙的活动和刺激，转而进入内省和静心的状态。职业妇女也许并没有很大的选择，在必须上班的时候“隐退”，但她们仍可以练习在这些日子里以一种低调和隐退的心态去活动，工作和与人交往，并改变瑜伽练习的方式。

从原则上讲，经期的瑜伽练习应帮助我们消除不适和疲劳，恢复体力，稳定情绪，保持内在的宁静（虽然通常的情况恰好相反）。每个妇女在经期身心受影响的程度各不相同，因此，那些有规律地练习瑜伽的女士应该培养出一种内在的“听觉”，倾听身心所发出的信号，并用你的直觉来判断今天应不应该练习体位，练什么和如何练习等等，除了你自己没有人能替你做决定。你可以选择彻底的休息，停止任何体位练习，也可以选择非常柔和的练习以便更好地放松，如坐在地面上的或用靠垫支撑的仰卧姿势和前曲姿势。这里的关键词是：休息、放松、平和和内省。

基于这一原则，在经期应避免的练习是：
１）避免所有倒置姿势（子宫位置高于心脏的姿势），这会干扰经期身体能量（apana)向下排毒的自然过程
２）过于剧烈的容易造成紧张和疲劳的姿势
３）保持过久的站立或平衡姿势
４）剧烈的后弯动作如弓式，骆驼式，轮式等
５）所有腹部剧烈收缩和运动的姿势如，腹部旋转（jathara parivartanasana）仰卧抬腿（urdhva Prasarita padasana）和船式（navasana）
６）跳跃
７）用手臂支撑全身平衡的动作
８）避免有难度的姿势或学习新的姿势

推荐在月经期做的体位都是缓慢、平静、温和和舒适的，可自己在家中练习的有：
1.坐角式（upavistha konasana）：尾骨靠墙坐直，３～5分钟，闭上眼睛，关注呼吸
2.束角式（baddha konasana）：尾骨靠墙坐直，３～5分钟
3.仰卧英雄式（supta virasana）：背部和头用三四个大枕头垫高，前额高于下巴，5分钟
4.仰卧束角式（supta baddha konasana）：用带子绑住骶骨和双脚，5分钟
5.头至膝盖式（janusirsasana）：用椅子的边缘支撑头部，每边2~3分钟
6.单腿跪伸展式（triang mukhaikapada paschimottanasana）：用椅子的边缘支撑头部，左右各2~3分钟
7.半莲花坐单腿背部伸展式（ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana）：左右各2~3分钟
8.坐角式前曲（upavistha forward）：身体前屈，用三四个枕头支撑胸部和头部
9.坐角式侧弯（upavistha to the sade）：用三四个枕头支撑胸部和头部，左右各2~3分钟
10.双腿背部伸展式（paschimottanasana）：用三四个枕头支撑胸部和头部，5分钟
11.仰卧尸体式放松（savasana）：10分钟

调息：
平静缓慢的Ujjayi pranayama乌佳伊调息5~10分钟
nadi shodhana，纳地净化调息（鼻孔交换呼吸法）５～１０分钟
Bramari pranayama，蜜蜂调息，２～３分钟
然后做仰卧尸体式放松（savasana）５分钟

这里的练习不是注重加强柔韧性和耐力，而是去体验＂无为＂和保持内在的觉醒和平静。经期实际上不但不应该是一个瑜伽练习者的障碍，相反它可以是深化我们瑜伽体验的和开发新的练习领域的机会。你可以找一个安静的地方花更多的时间阅读有关瑜伽的经典或哲学（不要认为这不是瑜伽练习），或只练习平静的调息和冥想，或练习japa，轻柔地重复念诵或唱诵曼佗罗。

另外，给那些在经期仍然必须教课的瑜伽老师的建议是，也许这是一个你练习更多地用语言和心灵，而不是用身体去教课的机会，你的学员也许也会有新鲜的感受。我们要始终记住，瑜伽不受我们的躯体、空间和时间的限制，唯一受限制的是我们对瑜伽狭隘的理解。

How can we escape the negative effects of past karma?

2007-01-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

Prashant S. Iyengar
Interviewed by Christine Perre
(Prashant S. Iyengar is the son of B. K. S. Iyengar)

Christine Perre: How can we escape the negative effects of past karma?
Prashant S. Iyengar: You see, if you can escape, it is no destiny. There is no way to escape destiny. If it is escapable, it is no destiny. Why is there spiritualism, if you and me have to suffer, materialistic fellows have to suffer, unscrupulous fellows have to suffer, and saints have to suffer? What is the point in becoming a saint? This is an obvious question. If an unscrupulous materialistic fellow is going to face the fruits of his past actions, then the saint also has to face them. What is the point in taking all that, on going in spiritual path? The point is that, first of all, if it is escapable, it is not destiny. Know that. You can’t escape destiny. But the difference is that an unscrupulous materialistic fellow is going on his track of life, and the saint is also going on the track of life. Both are going on the track of life.

Now, a simple thing. Suppose you are all asked to travel from here to Bombay. There is only one road, you are all going to travel by the same road, but some of you are given bullock-carts and some of you are given Rolls Royce’s. What‘s the difference in the journey? Is there no difference? The track is the same. But one traveller is travelling on a bullock-cart and experiences lots of jerks and jolts, the sun, the heat, the rains, breeze, whatever; and this fellow goes in Rolls-Royce. He has all the windows shut, air conditioning working, super suspensions; he doesn’t feel even a pothole, no rumbles are felt on the road, because he has got super suspensions. Why? It is just because of the “vehicle.” The road is the same. Just because of the vehicle he has the difference. And will he appreciate the difference or no?

Do you say that both are on the same track and therefore both are in the same situation? Can you say that? Because they are travelling on the same track? The unscrupulous brute materialistic fellow and the spiritual saddhaka, the spiritually evolved person, they are all going on the track of life. So, understand the track of life as a road, as I told you, a good example is the Pune-Bombay road. But then the saint is going in a super suspension Rolls Royce, with all the facilities; they don’t even feel the sun, the heat, the rain or whatever. So, they are not escaping destiny, they are also getting the potholes, they are also getting the rains, they are also getting the sun, they are also getting the wind or whatever. But then, spiritualism gives them lots of suspensions, lots of cushions. Thereby, you do not feel the impact of destiny. A bull-cart gets every pothole; imagine his fate, he will break his spine. This Rolls Royce fellow doesn’t even notice, doesn’t even feel it. Why? Because he has got super-suspensions. He doesn’t feel the noise outside. So in spiritualism — the path of spiritualism and the path of yoga—all these things come to you, you’ve lots of protecting gears, you have lots of cushions. You have super-suspensions, shock absorbers, so you don’t have to bother about destiny. That is what spiritualism is, you see, what it has given to humanity. And naturally when your life becomes smoother and smoother, you can go on to higher hierarchies. If you are always getting hardship in your life, obstacles, if you are all the time getting potholes and jerks, well, then you know that you are uncomfortable in life. And you want to progress, but you can’t progress, for all those several reasons. But suppose you are given a Rolls Royce; you will say, “I will travel ten times! I will enjoy it!” Pune-Bombay. Bombay-Pune. Pune-Bombay. Bombay-Pune. The other fellow will say,“Not even once, it is enough!”

You can progress in spite of all the onslaughts that are inescapable, the onslaughts which you don’t escape. The escape is only possible at the highest point, because the vehicle is such that it will be altogether a different track. Until the liberation, you are going to face all those things but you will not suffer, because you will have a Rolls Royce and more than that. Imagine there is something greater than a Rolls Royce, then how is your journey? In spiritualism, you get all those things, the cushions. And ultimately, the last stage, “tatah klesa karma nivrttih”(Yoga Sutra IV, 30: “Then comes the end of afflictions and of karma.”) is the highest stage and you don’t have anything in destiny and even destiny itself is burnt out. Destiny is only destroyed at the highest point. Until then, it is not destroyed. You have to face it. So although I said that destiny is inescapable, it is in relation to all of us. It is only destroyed on the point of liberation(kaivalya). Until then, it is not destroyed; it has to be faced.

But apart from that, there are so many facilities in Karma-siddhanta. The Yoga Sutras say, “you can postpone,” “sometimes, your destiny can be postponed” or “your destiny can be suppressed.” And that’s a great advantage. That also doesn’t come to you and me. But yogis can keep the destiny suspended for some time. Now suppose that destiny is full of sufferings. And suppose you have to eat something very, very pungent. “What to do?” you say, and there are so many sweets you will call for, so that you will not burn your tongue. And there are many sweets: goulab jamoun, shrikhand, laddous, jalebis, and so on. All the sweets are of such a nature that you will also be able to taste pickles, which are hot and pungent and you will relish them. So there is a stage in life—when there are all jalebis and laddous in your life—where you will easily swallow that trauma. You will even call for it. When you are called for a party, you don’t just ask for sweets. You say, “give me some pepper, give me some chutney, give me some pickle. Why? Because you will relish it. But suppose you have whole a bowlful of pickles on your plate, a bowlful of chutney and just a salt pinch of shrikhand, will you appreciate that party?

So that facility is there, adyatma, that you can suppress your destiny, you can postpone it, keep it away for some time and invite it whenever you are in a convenient setting and finish it off. You have got to face the karmas. So, a yogi has an advantage, not you and me. It clearly comes in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutra, which is “karma siddhanta”; you can postpone, you can suppress, which is a great facility — but for you and me, we can’t do those things. But we definitely can have head gears, body gears, all sorts of sheaths, all sorts of bolsters, all sorts of suspensions and then, we can be facing destiny without suffering.

A simple example: Sri Ramana Maharshi had cancer but, to tell you, he did not have cancer; he had a tumour in the armpits, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had throat cancer. But suppose that you get a throat cancer, you say, “I have cancer.” Now, actually, cancer is a part of the body, too. But we say, “I have cancer.” Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did not suffer on account of his cancer, because he had the suspensions. As a matter of fact, even without cancer, you can suffer: the doctor comes and says he has diagnosed cancer in you — his diagnosis might be wrong, but still you will suffer. The doctor gives a wrong report, somebody’s report is given on your name, and he says you have got cancer. Now, even without having cancer you will suffer. So we are such people that we can suffer without a real cause of sufferance. It is our fate that we can be suffering without anything to suffer! On the other hand, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa definitely had cancer in the throat, but he did not suffer.

That you have to face your destiny is a fact; it is a reality. You can’t escape. But it doesn’t mean that you have to suffer. If you do yoga, in the authentic way, you’ll have lots of cushions, guards and suspensions. You can face destiny without any trauma, without any apprehension, without any fear, without any threat.

音频谜语 govinda hari gopala hari

2007-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. "

"真正的诗歌在被理解之前就已经和你产生交流了."

-------T. S. Eliot

govinda hari gopala hari
勾文达哈利勾帕拉哈利
he prabhu dina dayala hari
嘿帕布地纳达亚拉哈利

govinda勾文达： Krishna奎师那的另外一个常用的名字，梵文“go”的意思可以是：母牛、感官、牧牛童或牧牛姑娘。勾文达一般的意思是：给母牛和感官带来快乐的人
hari哈利：拿走所有不吉祥的事物，带来所有吉祥事物的人
gopala勾帕拉：牧牛童，仍然是指奎师那作为牧牛童的逍遥形象
he嘿：深情的呼唤
prabhu帕布：主人
dina地纳：堕落的人
dayala达亚拉：慈悲

啊！勾文达，勾帕拉，
你驱散了所有不吉祥的一切！
你是对堕落者慈悲的人！
主人啊，我深情地呼唤你！

这段优美的巴赞（bhajan，灵性的赞歌）至少有五千年之久的历史。Bhajan巴赞的唱诵和mantra曼佗罗的唱诵都是为了唤起超然的情愫和灵性的情感。巴赞更注重的是情感和渴望的自然流露和表达，而曼佗罗则强调的是排除知觉上的污染，让唱诵者（或聆听者）停留在一个超然的层面上。曼佗罗的重复唱诵或念诵在开始更象是一种 sadhana 撒达纳，即练习或修持，但在深入和高级阶段，它们既是修习者强烈的情感的表达方式，也是他们情感或渴望获得满足的方式。这种满足带来常人无法体验的内在的平静。超然的爱要以某种超然的方式来表达才能得到满足，这是唱诵不可思议的地方，也就是说，你的申请报告变成了批准许可证；你的渴望转化成了满足；你对爱人的思念变成了和爱人的相聚；分离变成了结合；矛盾变成了统一。你必须实践唱诵才能逐渐领悟我说的是什么意思。

梵文的力量和内涵远远超出文字所能翻译的范围。梵文是一种灵性的音频谜语。除非你能得到谜底，翻译出谜面本身只是个开始罢了。解开谜语的方法就是全然投入和专注的唱诵和聆听。从这个角度，唱诵是最神秘和深入的冥想。文字上的翻译只能解释心智上的内容，但不能解释超越心智层面的内容。瑜伽是从文字和哲学结束的地方开始的。文字和哲学只是地图和旅行手册，瑜伽才是旅行本身。瑜伽是关于如何把文字和哲学变成活生生的体验的过程和科学。文字上的意思只是唱诵时冥想路途上的路标，你在路上所体验到的一切，以及事后唱诵在你生活内外造成的影响才是唱诵正真的力量所在。

已经有很多人对我说：为什么唱诵刚一开始，我还不知道什么意思，就有一种毛发直竖、又仿佛要泪如泉涌的感觉？为什么唱诵给我一种如此深刻而又熟悉的回家的感受？为什么一唱诵，就立刻有一种喜乐？

可以这样回答，在唱诵时曼佗罗的音节所发出的音震形成了一种强烈的灵性能量的共鸣，而当我们的内心和知觉处于某种恰当的状态时（一种单纯和净化的状态），我们便能接收到到这种共鸣，而这是在一个超越思维和心智的层面上进行的。

在这里听和学唱这首巴赞:

http://mp3.baidu.com/m?f=ms&rn=&tn=baidump3&ct=134217728&word=krishna+das&lm=-1

What you are looking for is what is looking.

2006-12-31T22:03:00.001-08:00

Raga 在说什么?

2006-12-31T06:20:00.000-08:00

“尘世所看重的东西在上帝眼里毫无价值，而上帝所看重的东西在尘世则不被赏识。”
-------------克尔凯格尔（丹麦）

梵文字典，RAGA：欲望、依附、爱、激情、情感、欢乐、愉悦、音乐模式、声音的秩序

昨晚我是第一次听真人演奏SITAR悉塔尔琴。从STEVE开始解释的那一瞬间，可以说我已经处在他所描述的音乐情感之中了。从某个角度，这种音乐可以说是如此的单调（因为我们离那种音乐情感太遥远了），但这恰恰是它的起点。在印度的文化中，没有一件事物是和灵性的修为无关的。音乐原本就是一种和神、神性、灵性能量沟通和交流的方式（原本的西方音乐也一样），而个体在这种交流中复苏了他的神圣的灵性本性并达至一种狂喜的合一的境界（瑜伽）。

音乐的开始仿佛是一种带着犹豫的内省和沉思，在几个构成RAGA的音阶上来回徘徊。这并不陌生，我们在刚刚开始灵性的追求的时候，最大的担忧就是我也许会失去很多世俗的快乐，但到头来仍一无所获。但衬托的这一犹豫的则是内心不断听见的真理的召唤，这就是那不断在重复并衬托着那犹豫的旋律的背景音，仿佛梦中一个遥远而神圣的召唤，一个永恒的爱侣的晨星般的脸庞，飘渺但又无比的坚定和慈爱，不允许我们再拒绝或选择别的道路。

节奏的加快和重复便是我们在渐入佳境，音乐开始从断断续续变得流畅和娴熟，这是真正自我开始展露的象征：内心在变得坚定的同时慢慢变得充满活力。而鼓的加入则是灵性喜乐和陶醉的开始的征兆，这种喜乐逐渐和内心的渴望和活力的增长相吻合。然后音乐就象火焰一样开始燃烧起来，变得越来越浓郁、强烈和专注，近乎狂热而且无法自拔，无比富饶的激情在源源不断地倾泻而且永不中断，直至狂喜的顶点。这音乐既没有开始也没有结束，因为他陶醉在过去、现在和未来以外的维度里。

有一种普遍的误解认为，灵性的境界是一种没有情感的境界。我们必须把心变成石头，只有厌世、冷酷，方有希望超越尘世。其实正真的解脱者（samadhi）根本不用回避尘世，因为在他眼里，他根本看不到尘世，对他来说，没有尘世。他的所有世俗的情感都被一种神圣能量所融化、净化而升华成了一种纯粹的东西，他以一种完全不同于常人的方式行走在世间。他知道自己只是神圣能量的工具和出口，而他的快乐使他不受任何诱惑。

《博伽梵歌》第五章，第8、9诗节：
身处神圣知觉中的人，虽然看、听、触、嗅、食、走动、睡觉、呼吸，其内心却总是知道，实际上自己什么也没做。因为他恒知，说话、排泄、收受、睁眼、闭眼时只是物质感官与感官的对象搅在一起，而他自己则是远离它们的。

音乐和瑜伽一样，都是我们知觉的实验室，让我们来练习对自我情感的净化。但只有那些真正有情感的、而且有意识地不断这样做的人，才会最终成功。

TADASANA 山式

2006-12-27T19:23:00.002-08:00

"你们连怎么用脚站立都不懂，但你们都已经想用头来倒立。”
-- B.K.S. 艾扬格

TADASANA山式的梵文念法是：塔达-萨那，“达”的发音稍稍拉长。TADA是山，ASANA是体位、姿势。简单的说就是立正。在英语中立正的口令是: “Attention!”，意思是“注意了！专心！”这非常符合TADASANA的核心要求。在艾扬格的瑜伽体系中，山式是所有其他姿势的基础和出发点，也被认为是最难的姿势（而不是最容易的姿势）。如果你没有平常心，你很难用心地练习TADASANA山式----很多人甚至不认为这是一个瑜伽姿势，这个看上去简单，其实却无限复杂的姿势。其实每一个瑜伽姿势都可以是无限复杂的，如果我们能够从“一颗沙子中看见一个世界，从一滴水里发现一个天堂”的话（威廉布莱克，英国诗人）。山式的练习就是练习如何处于当下，并同时获得完整性和平衡感。山式中所要遵循的原则几乎可运用于任何姿势，可以说衡量其他姿势的正确性，就是看我们在那些姿势中在何等程度上继续保持着山式所孕育的能量——稳定、清醒、轻快和内在的喜悦（sthira sukham asana《瑜伽经》第二章，46诗节）。所有以下的细微的身体上的要求都是为了把山式（和任何一个姿势）转化为一种内在的冥想，不要把他们看作是苛刻的躯体层面的指令。躯体的运动不是目的，对躯体的觉知和深度的观察才是体位练习的核心，这些细节会协助你。这需要躯体完整的敏感性，这样它才有可能成为灵魂的工具。任何玄之又玄、高深的哲理都得转化成具体的行动，觉悟才能产生。夸夸其谈有什么用呢？虽然也许我们的山式永远不会完美（这又有什么关系呢），但Tadasana却是随时可练习的姿势，你为什么不从现在开始，每当你排队、等车时，好好地练一下你的山式呢？在读下面的内容时，不要光只是读，站起来试一试，感受下真正的山式到底是什么感觉。

山式中的脚和脚踝
双脚大脚趾相触，脚跟微微分离。平衡有问题的人可双脚和臀部同宽。脚踝相触，第二脚趾平行。先抬起脚趾，伸展并铺开脚趾和脚掌下的皮肤。在任何站立姿势中脚趾都不应抓抠地面。抬脚趾的动作也可帮助保持脚弓提起，防止平足。让脚底的皮肤和骨点接触地面，你仿佛是在用脚底“盖章”。尽量清晰地感受大脚球，小脚球和脚跟中心的三角支点的概念。重心应该分布在脚跟靠前的部分。从你脚底的皮肤感受你的全身的平衡状况。我们一般倾向于站在脚掌的前端和脚掌的外围。从现在开始试试看，在所有的站立姿势中尝试更多地把重心落于脚跟。做前后左右的摆动的练习以便确定你的重心，然后静止下来，尽量减少晃动。

山式的双腿
保持胫骨垂直在脚跟的正上方。感觉小腿上的肌肉裹住腿骨，然后感受大腿四周的肌肉和皮肤上升的感觉。膝盖骨向上提起（收住髌骨周围的韧带，向上，这是需要不断重复的动作）。如果可以用手指移动你的膝盖骨，说明你没有收紧你大腿正面的肌肉。感觉大腿内侧互相靠拢，然后向会阴方向上升。大腿肌肉向内旋，因为大腿的习惯是懒散地向外转出。

山式的臀部和骨盆
尾骨向下、轻轻向前锁住（不是夹臀部的动作）。拉长腰椎。同时感觉大腿背面向后展开。保持骨盆的中立位置，避免骨盆：
1. 前倾、后仰
2. 左右出现一前一后
3. 左右出现高低

山式的胸部
上提胸骨并在每次吸气时向两侧均匀扩张。展宽胸部，展开锁骨。但不要在背后收缩肩胛骨，上背部也要一起展宽。可练习“艾杨格的肩胸部旋转”：吸气时感觉腋窝向前，肩部的正面向上伸展，肩部顶端后移，呼气时肩胛骨向臀部下沉，如此周而复始。吸气十向上拉长躯干正面的皮肤，从肚脐到锁骨。从躯干的中心拉长到头顶。内部和外部同时伸展。感觉正在创造躯体内部空间。

山式的肩膀
肩膀自然下垂向后，对齐并远离耳朵。使肩胛骨贴入背部，向下靠近骨盆背面。下沉时斜方肌的皮肤拉长，同时抬高胸部的顶端。练习：
1.手臂体侧伸展，掌心向上，小指一侧向上旋转
2.背后十指交叉，指关节朝下，向地面伸展手臂，下沉肩胛骨，同时收回下巴，延伸头顶
3.双手置于臀部，肘部向后，展开锁骨，肩胛骨贴入背部但同时保持互相之间的距离。

山式的手臂
学会在放松的同时完全伸长手臂，和抬高胸部的方向相反。二头肌向外旋转，前臂向内旋转。掌心对着大腿，离开大腿六英寸左右。中指朝下。

山式的脖子和头部
正视前方，头颅保持在正中心，目光柔和平静。头顶轻轻向上伸展（不要抬高下巴，从尾骨开始拉长。脖子和喉咙放松。感觉后脑勺向上提起，在不紧张的情况下，均匀拉长脖子的四周。脸部，舌尖轻轻贴在下排牙齿的后面，舌头休息在下颚上，放松舌根，离开上腭，流一个微小的空间在口腔里。喉部要象在所有姿势中那样保持放松。均匀深长的呼吸。

Let's Chant into the new year!2006最后的唱诵之夜!

2006-12-25T20:52:00.001-08:00

Photo: George Harrison, a very serious spiritual seeker among other Beatles, who has a very deep connection with India's spiritual tradition and very fond of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, is playing a sitar in his late period as a musician.
照片:著名摇滚乐队披头士之一的乔治哈里逊正在弹奏悉塔琴,他被誉为摇滚歌星中最严肃的灵性追求者,和印度的灵性传统有着千丝万屡的关系,而且非常热衷于唱诵hara krishna曼佗罗.

Dear yogi/yogini/friends/teachers/students,

namaste!

The 2006's last chanting evening will be a special one, as i will arrange my friends Steve Landsberg(sitar player, from US) and Vinod Kumar(tabla player, from India), to perform during our program, please come with your friends and enjoy this evening of spiritual musical vibration, it is my karma yoga so it is FREE to all. Delicious dessert will be served as usual, (because sweet is the TASTE of a Yogi!)make sure you don't miss that!

Looking forward to seeing you then!

om tat sat

Location: Jivatma Yoga Center, Room C-D, 28F, Hui Jia Building,
Xujiahui, No41 Cao Xi Bei Rd(behind Gino Italian Restaurant)
Time: 7pm Saturday, Dec 30th
Contact: 13701839401 Yama

亲爱的瑜伽师/瑜伽尼/朋友/老师和学员, namaste!
2006年末最后的唱诵之夜的特别之处是我邀请了我的朋友Steve Landsberg和Vinod Kumar在我们唱诵的节目中表演!他们将组成一个悉塔琴和塔布拉鼓的双人演奏组合.请和你的朋友一起来参加这个充满灵性音震和能量的夜晚.这个节目是我对大家的服务和karma yoga. 和往常一样,会在休息时给大家派发美味的甜点,因为甜食正是瑜伽师的食物!

希望届时能见到你!

om tat sat

地点:梵灵瑜伽徐家汇漕西北路41号汇嘉大厦28楼C-D,地铁一号线9号出口,意大利季诺餐厅后面
时间:2006年12月30日星期六晚7:00
联系:Yama13701839401

Tadasana/samasthiti/mountain pose

2006-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

"You want to stand on your head and you don't even know how to stand on your feet."

-- B.K.S. Iyengar

Give your attention to mastering Tadasana from the very beginning of your practice. Practice Tadasana in every line you have to wait in, at the grocery store, in the ticket line at the theater, etc. All the points learned from Tadasana should be applied in each of the other asanas. In each pose, keep asking yourself, "Is there Tadasana in this body part, in this body part," and so on.

Occasionally precede Tadasana with a thorough foot massage. You have to do this to understand its benefit. Practice interlacing the fingers of one hand with the toes of your opposite foot all the way up to the webs of your fingers and toes. If this is difficult at first, practice it often.

The Tadasana of the feet and ankles
Always begin Tadasana by placing your feet. Place your feet so that your great toes and inner heels are touching. You can also do the pose with your feet hip width apart if balance is difficult. Pull your ankles together so that your inner ankles touch if your anatomy permits. Your second toes should be pointing forward and be parallel.

Lift and lengthen the soles of your feet from the middle of the arch of your foot forward on the floor or sticky mat. As you do this, spread all of your toes wide. Lengthen your toes forward as you spread them apart. Never scrunch up or grip the floor with your toes in any of the standing poses.

Then lengthen each foot from the middle of the arch back through your heels. After lengthening the soles of your feet both forward and back, broaden them side to side, even though this may be more of a feeling than a movement. Try to feel your feet widen as much as possible from the centers outward. Maximize the contact of your feet with the floor or sticky mat. Notice that this is not the same as gripping the floor with your feet or toes. Allow your feet to be soft. Lengthening and broadening them does not mean tensing them.

Cut the outer ankles in. Lift the inner arches of your feet. If that action is difficult, you can get the flavor of it by raising your toes up and spreading them which will also lift the inner arches. Then try to maintain that feeling even as you place your toes back on the mat. Another useful exercise to get the feeling of lifting the inner arches is to loop a belt across the dorsum (tops) of your feet and then bring it under both feet and up along the insides of the feet. You then pull it upward with your hands. Press through the four corners of your feet and feel the lift of your inner arches.

Bring equal weight to all four corners of each of your feet. Feel the weight of your body sink into your feet to flatten them and make them heavy. Feel the skin of the soles of your feet. Is each part of that skin touching the ground equally? In Mr. Iyengar's language, your feet should be "stamping."

Instead of the "four corners" of the feet, we also sometimes use the analogy of a tripod, taking our weight evenly to each of the three places:
(1) the mound of the big toe (head of first metatarsal)
(2) the mound of the little toe (the head of fifth metatarsal)
(3) and the center of the heel (or the inner heel)
In Tadasana our tendency is often to shift our weight more into the balls of our feet and we need to bring it back into the heels with conscious effort. Our weight should fall around the anterior part of our heels and not in the frontal feet hardly at all. Feel the weight of your body in the bones of your legs (right down through your heels), not in your groins and not in the front of your thighs. With your weight mainly on your heels see how the skin on the bottom of your foot, near the mound of your toes is free to open more. Geeta Iyengar says if the bottoms of the feet go even a little wrong the spinal muscles and the muscles of the pubic region also go wrong. Stand with as little movement as possible, watch the skin on the bottom of your feet, and see how much knowledge it can give you throughout your body.
In general, try to bring your weight a little more into your heels in all of your standing poses to draw yourself a little more into the back of your body since we usually tend to work too much from the front of our body. This is true even in daily life while standing in a line -- ask yourself are you more on the balls of your feet with your hips out in front of your feet and your torso sagging? Or can you draw your weight back a little more into your heels and be in the back of your body as much as you are in the front and lift your torso evenly from the front, back, and both sides? Try this and observe how other people stand in daily life.

There is a tendency to allow our weight to fall to the outsides of our feet and let them roll outward. Resist this by a strong inward action of your inner ankles, lifting the outer ankles to achieve this. Don't be on the outer or inner foot, bring yourself as much as possible to be centralized on the bottom of each foot. As much as you lift your outer ankles, lift your inner ankles upward equally. As you lift your ankles, lift the arches of your feet as well.

Experiment with shifting your weight back and forth slightly between each foot in order to feel more clearly the point where your weight is equally distributed between them. In any asana it sometimes helps to move deliberately out of alignment or balance to feel more clearly what it feels like to be in alignment or balance.

The Tadasana of the legs
Make sure each shinbone is exactly balancing over its heel. Take your weight onto your heels by shifting the weight of your body and taking your shins back and moving the front of your thighs toward the backs of your thighs. Especially move your inner thighs back, pulling your groins back a little but having the feeling of softening or "hollowing" them. Do not harden your groins.

Firm the muscles of your legs into your bones on all sides, both in your lower legs and in your thighs. Have the feeling of "hugging" your bones with your muscles strongly. As you squeeze your muscles inward, also feel as though you are squeezing them upward into your pelvis, particularly on all side of your thighs. Lift your hamstrings toward your buttocks. Lift your inner thighs toward your inner groins (the place where your legs meet your pelvis). Lift the front of your thighs toward your front groins and draw them back into your femurs. Lift your outer thighs toward your hips. Lift not only your muscles but your skin as well. Squeeze your inner thighs together. Just keeping your inner thighs together and not stretching your legs strongly as described is wrong Tadasana.

The action of firming and lifting your quadriceps (front thigh) muscles should also raise your kneecaps. Lift your kneecaps strongly upward and also feel as though you are drawing the tops them into your knees somewhat. Open the backs of your knees strongly so there would be no space there if you put a block up against the skin. Feel the skin at the back of your knees stretch both vertically and horizontally. All vertical actions should be accompanied by expanding horizontal intelligence as well.

In any pose where your legs are kept straight, you should lift your kneecaps. You may find that you have to keep "recharging" this action, pulling up your kneecaps each time they fall. This is a good indication that you are human. In all the standing poses, remember, if you can wiggle your patella (kneecap) with your fingers, you are not engaging your quadriceps. Raise the inside and outside of your knees equally. Lifting your kneecap is not the same as pushing your knee back and hyperextending your knee. Hyperextension of the knee is when the top of the shinbone moves back further than the bottom of the thighbone. Lifting your kneecaps and the front of your thighs (quadriceps) in fact helps to ensure that you do not hyperextend your knees. Lifting your kneecaps involves tightening your quadriceps, not squeezing your kneecaps into your knees by tightening the muscles around your kneecap. Get the feeling of both of these and ingrain the former. The latter leads to hyperextension.

Your upper calves should press forward toward your shinbones rather than bowing back in order to move your shinbone slightly forward away from your heels. You should maintain enough weight in the area of the balls of your feet to feel this forward moving action of your shins. This action will also help prevent hyperextension of your knees. Remember, while your thighs are drawing strongly back, resist forward with your upper calves and upper front shins to keep your legs straight. This type of leg action may be called "Tadasana legs" or "Uttanasana legs" and is also found in other poses like Trikonasana. However, the leg/knee action of Adho Mukha Svanasana is quite different.

To reiterate, there should be no heaviness in your calves. Feel how easy it is to just press them back? To just "rest on your calves" in Iyengar parlance? Your calves and buttocks are partners who both move forward while being resisted back by your knees and internal thighs and groins moving back. The movement of the calves forward is slight, but you must feel it.

Take the tops of your thighs back somewhat so they are directly above your ankles. Draw the front skin of your thighs back into your quadriceps muscles, which draw back into your thighbones, which draw back to press against your hamstrings which are drawing forward.

In Tadasana, the tendency is for our thighs to roll lazily outward. This is a common tendency in many poses. You will probably need to roll your thighs slightly inward to ensure that the front center line of each thigh is facing directly forward. This involves internally rotating your legs so that you are taking your inner thighs back more than your outer thighs. Note that rolling your front thighs inward and rolling your rear upper hamstrings outward are part of the same action and augment each other. Even though you're rolling your thighs inward, take your inner calves toward each other but allow your inner calf muscles to go back more. Move your inner heel skin toward your outer heel skin and turn the back of each calf to follow that movement.

Remember that these leg actions are performed (with some variation) consistently in all of the standing asanas.

The Tadasana of the pelvis, hips, and torso
As you are drawing your thigh bones backward, draw your tailbone (sacrum) underneath and forward. Lift your pubic bone upward toward your chest. You want your coccyx bone moving both downward and forward, but the heads of your thighbones (femurs) moving back. This tucking of the tailbone also applies to poses such as plank pose (where it is resisted by the rising thighs) and Caturanga Dandasana -- both of which are just variations of Tadasana really.

The buttocks in Tadasana and any other pose do not squeeze together toward each other. Instead, they engage forward into the sacrum. Tucking your tailbone under is a spinal action that begins by lengthening your lumbar spine. It is not a buttocks-squeezing action. You tighten and engage the top half of your buttocks, but not the lower half -- do not contract your anus. Again, do not squeeze your buttocks together. The tucking-under pelvis of Tadasana is everywhere in yoga. It is used in Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana, and other poses.

Lengthening your lower back helps you to move your sit bones toward your heels, your sacrum forward, and your hip points upward. Note these are three parts of the same action.

A good summary of the three primary actions of the pelvis, hips, and thighs in this pose would be:
(1) Rotate your rear thighs outward (front thighs inward) to make space for your pelvis to tuck underneath
(2) Tuck your pelvis under into the space created (which you may also think of as lifting your frontal hip points)
(3) Compact your hips inward to seal those actions.
So, after you have established the pelvic actions, compact your hips, draw them toward each other. Draw them and your outer thighs together and hold it all in one place. But do not let that cause you to squeeze your buttocks together.

Level your pelvis in all three possible planes: front to back (so that your pelvis is neither tipping forward into the "swayback" position nor tipping back and allowing your low back to round), side to side (so that one hip is not higher than the other), and rotationally (so that your hips are square to the front). This action is also particularly important in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and other standing poses where the extension of the legs in various directions tends to pull the pelvis away from its neutral position. Lengthen both sides of your torso from your hips upward toward your armpits. Feel as though your torso is lifting upward off your hips, out of your pelvis.

Lift your side ribs both forward and upward. If you look at a skeleton, you observe that most of your ribcage is in the front of your body. Only the spine belongs to the back of the body. Show that in your posture. Lift your sternum toward the ceiling and expand it side to side. Whenever we lift or open the chest, we actually want to lift the manubrium (bone above the sternum) upward while we lower the xiphoid process (bone below the sternum) downward toward the navel. Draw the skin overlying your front ribs away from your sternum. Broaden your chest and collar bones. Press the skin of your back in toward your sternum to assist these actions. Project your shoulder blades through the front of your chest. Opening your chest is always an action that is done primarily with the muscles of your upper back. However, do not make the common mistake of squeezing your shoulder blades toward each other to open your chest. You must broaden your upper back as much as you broaden your chest and collar bones.

One direction given in Iyengar parlance to help establish the proper movement in the chest is to "Circularize the armpit chest." The "armpit chest" refers to the sides of the chest just underneath the armpits. The image of circularization is used to explain that this area of the chest should be moving forward while the front of the chest should be moving upward while the shoulder itself is moving backward and the back skin of the shoulder is moving downward in a circle to lift and expand the chest. Make this action strong, but don't let it cause your front ribs to jut forward or arch your low back. This action should make the nook off your front armpits and the nook of your rear armpits level with each other. Open the backs of your armpits to the front. The "circularize the armpit chest" action also incorporates taking the shoulder blades forward into chest.

Pull the skin up the front of your torso to lengthen it. Extend up the back of your body as much as the front. Also elongate through the inner core of your body up through the crown of your head. Elongate internally as well as externally. These movements create maximal space within your body. That's what Tadasana is about.

We work on lengthening the front of our torso a lot in yoga, especially in forward bends. But in actuality, in almost all poses the goal is to lengthen all sides of the torso, especially including the area from the bottom of the ribs to the tops of the pelvis on the sides of the torso and the lumbar area. Do not neglect these areas. You should not deliberately firm your abdomen, although it does retain a degree of firmness naturally from the uplifting action in your torso. Do not have it soldier-like tensed.

The Tadasana of the shoulders
Your shoulders should fall naturally down away from your ears and be aligned with your ears in the forward-to-back plane, neither rounding forward, nor being pulled back too strongly in a military-style position. Broaden and separate your shoulders away from each other so you widen your shoulder bones to the sides. Spread your collar bones to the sides and move your shoulders back enough to ensure they are aligned with your ears.

Draw your shoulder blades (scapulae) into your back and down your back toward the top of your rear pelvis while still maintaining space and breadth between them. Also draw your floating ribs in the middle of your back downward toward your rear pelvis. Do not allow these actions to compromise the uplifting of your torso.

Draw the skin on the tops of your shoulders back and downward toward your shoulder blades. Do not tense your shoulders as you do this. Relax them as much as possible. Drop your trapezius skin. As your trapezius skin drops, lift the top of your chest and "circularize your armpit chest" more.

To feel the correct Tadasana of the shoulder blades, sit on a chair with your knees under a table, put your hands underneath the table with your elbows at your sides, and pull the table gently upward with your palms. Remember the shoulder blades belong with the back. If you are lifting your arms overhead (Urdhva Hastasana), though you may extend your arms fully and strongly, do not let your shoulder blades be pulled along out of their correct position down the back. Another way of saying this is to keep your shoulders lowered down away from your ears and the tops of your shoulders and collar bones broad -- do not let your shoulders hug your ears. This is especially important in such poses as Adho Mukha Svanasana.

To understand the feeling of lifting your side ribs and sternum and drawing your shoulder blades down and into your back, extend your arms straight out to your sides and turn your palms upward strongly toward the ceiling (more from the little finger side of your palms than the thumb side). This action will help you create the feeling in your chest and upper back that you should have in virtually every yogasana. This lifting creates space in the torso for breathing deeply. Another good exercise for feeling the correct action of the shoulder blades is to interlace your fingers behind your back, palms up, knuckles toward the floor, and stretch your arms firmly down toward the floor. Feel your shoulder blades pull into and down your back, and raise the top of your skull toward the ceiling to elongate your neck and prevent your chin from jutting out.

Yet another exercise to work on the shoulders in Tadasana is to place your hands on your hips with your elbows pointing straight back to the wall behind you. Then broaden your collar bones and feel how your shoulder blades press into your body and your chest opens. Move your shoulder blades away from each other. So, there are two important actions in this exercise:
(1) your shoulder blades move inward by virtue of the actions you are doing, but
(2) you still maintain space between them.

The Tadasana of the arms
Learn to lengthen both your arms in a relaxed way, fully extending them. As much as your chest moves upward, extend your arms down strongly. Use the resistance of your arms moving down to help lift your chest. However, do not pull your arms down toward the floor so strongly as to pull your shoulders down with tension. Turn your biceps strongly outward in Tadasana, but keep your forearms and palms turning inward so that your palms face your thighs. Have your palms out about six inches away from your thighs. Move your upper arms slightly back.

The classical Tadasana is also done with your arms extended overhead, a posture called Urdhva Hastasana. When you extend your arms overhead and lift them strongly, it aids in the feeling of your torso also lifting strongly. Though you lift with your arms, do not lose the Tadasana of the shoulder blade.

The Tadasana of the neck and head
Look outward at eye level. There is a common tendency to look downward with the eyes in this pose, even though the head is level. Maintain a neutral head position. From a side view, your ear canals should align with the center of your shoulders. Have someone check this visually for you.

Gently press upward through the crown of your head. Lengthen the line all the way up from your sacrum to your head. Be as tall as you can be, like a kid trying to get on a carnival ride he's just a little too small for. As your cervical spine lengthens, you will feel some stretch in your throat, but make sure there is no tension there. Allow your neck and throat to soften.

Lift the back of your head (the base of your skull) away from your neck to lengthen your neck. Keep your neck long on all sides without tension.

Your face, eyes, tongue, and throat areas should remain soft, as in all asanas.

From The Brad's Iyengar Notebook

Yama的日程表

2006-12-25T02:24:00.000-08:00

圣诞\新年寄语

2006-12-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time

我们不会停止探索
而我们所有探索的终点
将会是到达我们开始时的起点
并第一次对那里有所了解

T. S. Eliot

这几句诗引人深思但同时又散发出平和的气息.过去的时间已经和我们分离,但我们在过去播下的行为\语言\思想的种子,已在我们心灵的感光胶片上留下了印记,并付着在我们的此刻正在创造的每一次呼吸\行为\语言\情绪\和感受上面.

我回顾我在这一年中浪费的无聊时间,那些多余的挣扎和愤怒, 欲望的碎片, 放弃内心原则的某些瞬间,对别人习惯性的无礼\冷漠和恐惧,空洞的谎言和傲慢的言说,等等,但我惊异这宇宙仍然平静地容纳着我的卑微,仿佛一个深藏不露的难以察觉的微笑,在苍穹的深处,也在我皮肤表面的每一个毛孔中,每一次呼吸中, 举行着神秘的节庆.

对灵性的追求实际上始于物质快乐幻象的破灭. 物质的本质就是麻木, 麻木的本质就是死亡. 追求物质快乐的手段越先进越成功, 死亡就越是可怖和无法逾越, (死刑犯前夜的宴席越是丰盛,越显示出旭日的悲惨)我们就越是把无私的爱的问题搁置在一边, 因为我们是如此地恐惧, 以至于无暇思考和顾及他人.

祝愿我们在新的一年变得更纯洁和无惧.

素食主义的非理性

2006-12-22T17:21:00.000-08:00

包括吸烟者在内，所有的人都知道吸烟有碍健康，但很少有吸烟者会因为这一“知识”而放弃吸烟。快乐的原则是非理性的，不论那一种层次的快乐都是如此。因此尼采才说，生活的一切价值都是有关“品位的讨论”。吸烟的快乐真正牵涉的是某种吸烟者本身缺乏，但很渴望有，因而通过吸烟让自己感觉“已经有了”的那种气质、那种品味和感觉（但实际上仍然没有，就象我们希望通过做爱以便相信和感觉到我们和所爱或并不爱的人“结合”了，但事实上并没有），身体对烟草和尼古丁的依赖是后来的事，这是身体的一种配合，协助我们继续巩固住头脑中的幻象，因为身体其实是“心意”的延伸。

曾有人问我瑜伽练习是否需要成为素食者，我曾经给过的回答是，不一定，但，如果你成为素食者，你有机会品味到瑜伽中更微妙更深刻的东西，当然，这只有等你品味到了以后你才会明白“那是什么”，而且，这取决于你有没有想要获得更高品位的“品味”。这对有些人来说天生就有，有些人则需要鼓励、培养和带动。我们都可以靠食物来充饥和填饱肚子，但“美味”则是另一码事；正如我们都得找份差事来维生，但到底是否在自己的工作中感到快乐、满足和价值则是另一码事。作为教师虽然我看到教室里的每一个人都在做“下犬式”，但我很清楚每个人的感受都不同，同一个下犬式对某个人是折磨和挣扎，对另一个人而言则是自由、舒展和无以言表的内在喜悦。其中的区别仍然是品味和品味的层次。

之所以要谈素食主义的非理性，是由于它是某种品味（而非逻辑，虽然素食主义已有了足够的理性和科学的证明）引起的内在的“觉醒”。在某一刻你突然意识到了放弃和简化你的食谱所带来的“弃绝”的快乐，在潜意识中它是某种你的生命进展与众不同的信号和保证的实际体现。因此实际上除非你获得足够的自信，你无力成为一个素食者。并且也许生平第一次，你可以在愤世嫉俗的同时感到平静和宽容，因为从今以后你只需和那些静物油画中那些另人愉快的、悦目的、美丽的植物叶子、果实打交道，而无须再接触那些曾经非常痛苦的尸体上的皮肤、脂肪、黏液、指甲、没有清除干净的毛发、肚肠、血液、骨髓等等另人恶心不愉快的东西，内心深处我们都知道这些东西不会带来快乐，但在大多数情况下，我们也许只是别无选择罢了，由于共同生活的人和环境使然。我们的软弱可以理解但仍然非常不幸,因为我们不得不在这样基本的事情上成为习惯的牺牲品,而习惯则是生活中另一个非理性的因素。在这方面素食和建立某种独立性有关．我记得在我９５年决定成为素食者的时候，当时唯一的可能是我得过独立的生活并给自己做差不多每一顿饭。我仍然记得我的独立生活刚开始时在菜场买菜时的情景，我总是发现我是整个菜场买菜者中唯一的年轻小伙子，买菜的人都是年纪大的主妇保姆阿姨这类中年妇女，而我则夹在她们当中买菜（当然，我不讨价还价的）。当时的感觉现在想来很滑稽，但我知道这是我建立自己的生活和独立人格必须付出的代价。

还有必须要说的是，非暴力既是幸福的条件，也是幸福的产物。被爱的人更容易给予爱。越是满足、快乐的人越是不愿意给别人带来不必要的痛苦，而越是不满足不快乐的人越是不在乎伤害其他生命。所以这就是为什么素食主义的概念在高层次的人群中比较容易被接受。如果瑜伽是一刻参天大树，非暴力（Yama五项中的第一项Ahimsa，既放弃在行为、语言和思想对其他生命的伤害）就是树根。说得严格一点，就算你练习体位，但那些无意反省自己生活和饮食中的暴力，并愿意逐渐放弃那些暴力的人，并不能被划在瑜伽的圈子里。正如杂技演员能毫不费力地做出所有体位，但他们并不是瑜伽师。而且即便你成了素食者，也仍然只是非暴力努力的开始，更难放弃的是在语言上、思想上放弃对他人的伤害、敌意和嫉妒。从某个角度讲，只要我们还没有解脱，就不能百分之一百的做到非暴力，我们走路时踩死蚂蚁，呼吸时杀死细菌，点火做饭时也杀死其它生命，包括植物。但是，这和把成千上万只鸡倒挂在流水线线上用机器切断脖子和把成千上万的犹太人赶入毒气室是两码事。而原因是相同的，有些人认为这两者都是“劣质生命种族”（按这个逻辑，如果我刚出生的兄弟是个低能儿，我可以把他变成我的午餐）。从原则上讲，自助餐确实允许你想吃什么就吃什么，想吃多少就吃多少，但如果你造成不必要的浪费，别人就知道你是个没有教养的人。同样，虽然任何食物都可以充饥，任何食物也都是生命，但瑜伽师仍然选择叶子、果实、根茎、五谷、豆类、坚果、种子、奶制品作为自己的食物，因为这些食物的获得不用引起其它生命不必要的痛苦，在滋养我们身体和精神中的“非暴力细胞”的同时，使身心内外都变得清洁、平静和愉悦。

我们生活在同一个世界里，但同时由于不同的品味，我们又生活在不同的世界里。真正瑜伽师的素食主义不是一种压抑肉食欲望的表面的戒律，而是一种内在的喜悦导致的单纯的饮食快感和内在的非暴力导致的平和的统一。

玛亚埔外士那瓦高等教育学院中明媚的庭院

2006-12-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

摄影：Chandra（小月）

流经玛亚埔的恒河2005

2006-12-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

恒河，解脱之河，在韦达经典中被称为是流经三个世界的圣河（高等星系、中等星系和低等星系），喜马拉雅山是恒河从高等星系进入地球的入口。在《瑜伽的故事》封面上的就是恒河女神。
摄影：Chandra （小月）

2007年的印度之旅计划

2006-12-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

2007年印度之旅由Yama带领，统一办理签证和机票，全程从2月7日至3月8日，也可以只去14天后回来，以学习瑜伽哲学和文化观摩为主，参与者必须同意遵守全程素食的原则。15天游经的城市有，德里、温达文、瑞希凯施，一个月游经的城市再加上，加尔各答、玛亚埔。由于机票位紧张，以付款为准，14天的预付7000人民币，一个月的预付9000人民币。其他需要准备的有：有效期半年以上护照、身份证复印件、六张2寸彩照、三个月以上2万元存款证明原件（领馆不退）、申请表（资料真实）、英文在职证明加盖公章。愿意加入的朋友具体事宜请联系Candra 13817833604。namaste!

有关瑜伽的问答（二）

2006-12-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

问：是不是应该去国外学瑜伽呢？你能谈谈这方面的看法吗？
Yama：如果有适当的条件，去国外学习当然非常好。我想说的是，瑜伽的练习和进步的核心是找到一个能不断鼓励、激发你的热情的老师。这是一个非常古老的原则，几乎和瑜伽一样古老，而且这原则不仅限于瑜伽的学习。在印度或瑜伽的文化中，老师被称为“古茹”guru，“gu"的意思是黑暗，”ru"的意思是光明，因此古茹的意思实际上指一个把我们从黑暗带向光明，从愚昧带向知识的人。当然并不是我们的每一个老师都能有资格在我们的生命中起到这样的作用，但至少从文化的古典意义上讲一个真正的瑜伽师就是这样的一个人。我在普内的时候每个学生都称艾扬格为“古茹吉”，Guruji意思是“敬爱的古茹”。我很幸运的是在我生命中我遇到了一个这样的人，他改变了我生命的进程，这意思是说，即便我按照他的方向去努力失败了，我也不是一个平庸的失败者。自从遇见他，我的生命，无论是快乐还是痛苦，都充满了意义和内在的喜悦。他让我觉悟到我们在这世界里所受的任何痛苦都可以被升华为一种净化的力量，并从中获得喜悦的潜质，而死亡则可以是终极意义上的祝福。但前提是我们不能把时间和生命花费在表面的快乐，以便回避和忘却死亡和痛苦。这是问题的关键。真正的瑜伽并不是让你放弃活动和快乐，与世隔绝，而是和培养一种更高的品味有关。《博伽梵歌》中说一个从事瑜伽的人的白天对普通人来说就象是黑夜，而普通人的白天对瑜伽师来说则是黑夜。这意思是说他们虽然生活在同一个世界里，但对事物的视角、感知方式和品味却完全不同。一个制鞋商派了两个推销员去非洲，两个人都给老板发了电报，一个说，这里的人都习惯赤脚生活，没有市场；而另一个说，这里的人都没有鞋穿，这里有最大的市场。后者是一个瑜伽师。也就是说，除非你遇上一个人是以其他方式感受世界和生活的，你不并知道世界和生活原来可以是这样的。我现在所做和能做的一切都是出于我的老师的鼓励和鞭策以及他的榜样，但遗憾的是他已经离开了这个世界，我可以改天再谈这个伤感的话题，虽然我觉得他并没有离开我。

我当初不是为了学瑜伽才出国的。我是为了逃避。当时是我生命中非常黑暗痛苦和彷徨的一段时间，我个人的追求和人际关系都是失败和失望，再加上失业。我是为了逃避我当时精神上的困境才出国的。但瑜伽在我生活中的力量也就是在这个时候显示出来的。现在回想起来，那段日子非常的美丽，我任凭世界把我带到某个角落，然后在那里深刻地反省我自己并为未来的岁月做准备。这需要一个陌生的环境来完成，在这样一个环境里有时我们会比平时更开放地去学习、感受和反省自我，并使心灵变得更富饶。我想任何去国外学习过的人都会有的印象是，外国人的学习方式不知怎么就是和我们从小接受的方式很不一样。有一种无法复制和模仿的东西。中国人是天生聪明而又勤奋刻苦的民族，几乎没有任何技术上的困难可以难到中国人，但这种优势同时又是一种悲哀，中国人因此常常容易沦落为匠人。比如说，国内目前钢琴考级的技术难度远远超过英国的标准，老外看到中国七八岁的孩子弹钢琴看得目瞪口呆，我母亲是钢琴教师，所以这方面我了解。因为中国人愿意苦练，什么苦都能吃。但我们的教育中，几乎没有如何认识和运用心灵的内容。让孩子背些唐诗宋词当然好，但恐怕敌不过麦当劳肯德鸡的广告词。一旦碰上不靠技术，只靠涵养和文化底蕴的领域，这些孩子就找不到北了，这不是他们的错。我们有很多一流的演奏家，但却没有一流的作曲家，没有伟大的有创造力的大师，没有那种靠心灵的力量造成影响的人物。现在的中国的学者、专家、教授不管学术上如何出众，地位如何，他们大都缺乏优雅的气质和高贵的人格魅力。我不知道你注意到没有，这是我们的文化中严重缺乏人文特质的体现，缺乏心灵、性格和智慧。我曾看到一篇文章说现在连大学这样一些应该是象牙塔的地方，也堕落成一个庞大的打工仔培训基地了。从身体的条件讲，东方人、中国人的身体相对西方人要柔韧得多，很适合瑜伽体位的练习，我相信技术上没有什么问题，但现在的中国人的心却非常的浮躁（至少很多上海人是这样）。但瑜伽的目的是唤醒一颗敏感、平和、无私、慈爱、智慧而又超脱的心，而这是技术上再如何苦练都练不出来的，这是一种对自我、他人和环境不断体验、反思和不断觉悟的结果，需要在整体的人文关怀，灵性的氛围和文化环境中慢慢酝酿而成的。不管程度如何，所有练习瑜伽的人都会受益，但瑜伽的核心却只有很少的人才会领悟，因为瑜伽是一种，我称之为“天然的心灵教育”，它对心灵的潜力的认识、开发和转变有着不可思议的力量，旨在让你的身体和心灵都变成一个圣洁的地方。一般的教育只是一种“资讯”的积累，是一种机械的加法，但大都你得自己琢磨如何筛选和使用这些资讯，它们大都覆盖住了我们的灵性本能和知觉潜力，把我们一个个都变成平庸、烦恼和无趣的成年人；但瑜伽要起的效果是做“减法”，你越是少受以前接受的资讯的干扰和覆盖，你便越快进入佳境。一个瑜伽师的心是和儿童类似的，即便他拥有成人的常识和责任，那也不是他的烦恼之源，因为他在不断净化自己的同时，把握住了自己喜乐纯洁的本质，因此也把握住了宇宙的本质。这一段是瑜伽经典《博伽梵歌》中对完美的瑜伽境界的描述：《博伽梵歌》第六章第20~23 诗节：
在神定(萨玛迪)的完美境界之中，人的心意通过瑜伽的修习彻底地摒除了物质性的心智活动。这完美之境的特点就表现在人能以纯净的心意而看见自我，并在自我中品尝到快乐。在这种喜悦状态下，人便处于无尽的超然快乐中，以超然的感官而觉悟。这样达成之后，人就永不会违背真理；获得了这些，他认为再没有更大的收获了。人一旦处于这样的位置，即使陷于最大的困难之中，也永远不会动摇。这才是摆脱了一切来自于与物质接触而产生的苦难而得到的真正自由。

Humans 'hardwired for religion'

2006-12-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

The battle by scientists against "irrational" beliefs such as creationism is ultimately futile, a leading experimental psychologist said today.

The work of Bruce Hood, a professor at Bristol University, suggests that magical and supernatural beliefs are hardwired into our brains from birth, and that religions are therefore tapping into a powerful psychological force.

"I think it is pointless to think that we can get people to abandon their belief systems because they are operating at such a fundamental level," said Prof Hood. "No amount of rational evidence is going to be taken on board to get people to abandon those ideas."

He told the annual British Association Festival of Science in Norwich that the standard bearers for evolution, such as the biologist Richard Dawkins and the philosopher Daniel Dennet, had adopted a counterproductive and "simplistic" position.

"They have basically said there are two types of people in the world," he said - "those who believe in the supernatural and those who do not. But almost everyone entertains some form of irrational beliefs even if they are not religious.

"For example, many people would be reluctant to part with a wedding ring for an identical ring because of the personal significance it holds. Conversely, many people are disgusted by an object if it has associations with 'evil'."

In his lectures, Prof Hood produces a rather boring-looking blue cardigan with large brown buttons and invites people in the audience to put it on, for a £10 reward. As you may expect, there is invariably a sea of raised hands. He then reveals that the notorious murderer Fred West wore the cardigan. Nearly everyone puts their hand down.

Unfortunately, it is just a stunt: the cardigan is not West's. But it illustrates the way even the most rational of people are can be irrationally made to feel uncomfortable.

Another experiment involves asking subjects to cut up a photograph. When his team then measures their galvanic skin response - ie sweat production, which is what lie-detector tests monitors - there is a jump in the reading. This does not occur when a person destroys an object of less sentimental significance.

印度之旅（一）

2006-12-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

飞机在孟买的夜空缓缓降落，从空中看，城市地面上的灯光象一大片铺撒在黑丝绒上的碎钻石，仿佛闪烁着异国生活的神秘之美。我左边坐着一位西装革履领带笔挺的印度绅士，也许是到家的感觉让他觉得抒怀和放松，我们才开始交谈，因为整个飞行过程他都只顾着吃飞机上的坚果小吃，喝红酒，看《欲望都市Sex and City》连续剧，为搞笑情节旁若无人地大笑。我告诉他我们去普内（Pune）的艾扬格瑜伽学院学习瑜伽。他知道我们是中国人以后说很惊讶看见我太太穿着莎丽（sari，印度传统的妇女装束，由一块五米长的布包裹身体而成），也许我太太是飞机上唯一穿莎丽的女士。我猜这种惊讶类似于在上海看见一个老外穿着中式古装出现在街上的感觉。他说他非常思念他的妻子和九岁的女儿，毫不掩饰这种印度人典型的对家庭关系的依恋。这种强烈的依附总是让我微笑并且沉思。家庭似乎是他们生命活动的核心。对家庭观念的重视也是这个文明古国五千年文化沉淀的精髓之一。这和他们的灵性文化传统是不可分割的。从印度的韦达文化的角度来讲，一个文明社会的质量要看它有没有尊重和保护好三种人，即知识分子（婆罗门）、妇女和老人。尊重知识分子意味着尊重文化、知识和智慧，对妇女的保护意味着家庭和社会的安定（一个社会的堕落遭殃的往往首先是妇女），对老人的态度则反映了对传统的尊崇。在古代，国王所代表的权利和阳性力量必须小心翼翼地保护好这三种看似阴柔的力量，因为前者也许能带来繁荣，但后者才是幸福、和平和快乐的真正原因。全世界的印度富豪比比皆是，他们拥有过任何放荡生活的财力，但具我亲身接触和所知，他们大都忠诚地维护家族和家庭传统，并为家人的幸福勤奋地工作。即使生活在西方也平和地和自己年轻时结发的妻子和孩子们生活在一起，回家吃妻子烹调的简单而温馨的食物，甚至和长辈和孩子睡在同一件屋子里。真的，如果你想知道什么是家庭观念和夫妻和睦，就去拜访印度的夫妻。那是一种和好莱坞式的激情完全不同的感觉，那是一种稳定、确信和平和的关系中散发出的淡淡的芬芳，就象一支无风的房间里的烛光。毕竟，回顾一下我自己和我周围的人，任何幸福或不幸不都是从家庭的幸福或不幸开始的吗？隐藏在很多人穷奢极欲的放荡生活背后的，是一颗渴求从童年的家庭不幸和悲伤中得到安慰的破碎、脆弱的心。

我们出关的速度很慢，看来没有谁会着急的样子。旅客中有很多欧美西方人。随着瑜伽世界范围内的盛行，去印度旅行的人越来越多。这里有个常见的误会需要澄清，很多人认为必须去印度，才能学到真正的瑜伽。但这并非真相。真相是，只有当你真诚地向一个真正的瑜伽师学习的时候，才能学到真正的瑜伽。以前这个人可能出现在印度的机率大一点，但现在不一定了。瑜伽应该说是在六十年代开始从印度走向世界的，很多印度的音乐家，文化传播者、瑜伽师和灵性导师开始走出印度，赴欧美旅行，讲学、传道或传教，教授瑜伽、冥想等神秘或灵性的练习，最早的人应该是辨喜（斯瓦米 • 维帷卡南达Swami Vivekananda），他久居英美，是第一个对西方社会产生影响的亚洲人。他可以说预见了瑜伽在全球的兴起，他甚至论证了当时人难以置信的观点：亚洲的文化本质上远远优越于西方文化！至今近半个世纪，瑜伽已成为一种国际性的文化，突破了种族、地域、宗教和时代的界限。B. K. S. 艾扬格被美国《时代》杂志评为全球最有影响力的100个人物之一。整个“新世纪”（new age）运动可以说其实就是由瑜伽精神带动起来的。这种人类文明史上可以说是最古老、最深奥晦涩、最神秘，最不可思议，有时又可以说是最古怪的艺术能在高科技如此发达的二十一世纪得到如此广泛的接纳和认可，真是另人惊讶。从六十年代起的很多知识分子就已经意识到，物质技术上的成就感未必能带来真正的快乐，相反造成的是非人性倾向和灵性上的饥荒，而瑜伽和印度文化的复兴肯定地在某种程度上弥补了这一点，并改变了人们看待世界、看待他人和看待自己的方式。反战、维持和平的意识，环保的意识，健康自然生活方式的意识，素食主义的兴起，文化大同的意识，都和瑜伽的内在精神有着千丝万缕的关系。有如此之多的印度以外的灵性追求者在瑜伽中找到了精神上的归宿，在印度人逐渐接受西方物质文明影响而开始放弃自己的文化的时候，这些“外籍的”瑜伽师却全身心地拥抱了这种古老的传统，他们放弃西方的舒适的生活方式，进入喜马拉雅山，丛林或荒漠中的修院中，象印度古代的圣人那样生活，想要理解除了追求舒适以外，人生还有没有其他更深刻更有意义的体验，其虔诚的程度甚至比印度本土的人有过之而无不及。现在瑜伽界很流行的一句话是：当学生准备好的时候，老师就会出现。在你抱怨没有好的老师的时候，先扪心自问，我是想学习真正的瑜伽并改变我的生活态度吗？我是叶公好龙，在看了几句不负责任的瑜伽广告词和几个商业网站后就人云亦云赶时髦，还是为了在我的减肥计划上多添加一个项目？或者，是为了在我瑜伽教师的履历上添加眩目的一条？我的理解是，无论你是谁，印度人、美国人、欧洲人或中国人，真正的瑜伽离所有的人都一样遥远也一样接近。瑜伽在哪里呢？在这印度的机场，我并没有感觉自己比我在上海自己的公寓里更接近瑜伽。瑜伽的主题是我们和这个宇宙和其中所有生命的和谐统一的关系。这超出了印度的范围，虽然印度养育了瑜伽。太阳从地平线上升起，但我们不会说地平线创造了太阳。其实、真正有智慧的父母都明白他们并不“拥有”自己的孩子，只是永恒的生命力借助父母的身体，以孩子的方式展现在这世界上罢了。虽然瑜伽携带着印度文化、习俗和宗教的种种色彩，就象孩子的长相类似父母，但真正的瑜伽师却超越任何文化、地域或传统的限制，或者说，除非他达到这一超然的境界，他还不是一个完美的瑜伽师。印度作为一个地域，在几千年中孕育了那么多的圣人，圣君和圣哲，他们的各种教诲无非是为了帮助我们摧毁迷惑、愚昧和加诸自身的种种局限和误解，这些愚昧、迷惑和误解正是我们痛苦的根源。

我们推着两个大箱子来到了出口，走入孟买机场的夜色中，天色和气温都很温和怡人。我并不着急地寻找我的名字，马上就看见一个印度年青人手里拿着一张硬纸板上面写着：Mr YULIANG，心中不由得产生一阵对我的老师Christine的感激。Christine是美国人，她是艾扬格瑜伽教师，她当了艾扬格近二十年的学生，她每年去普内至少一次去见艾扬格全家，普内哪条街上有什么小吃她都知道，是她替我从美国打电话预订了从孟买去普内的车辆，她告诉我车辆的牌号、司机的名字和手机号码，还叫我千万不要理睬所有机场拉客的黑车，她甚至还替我预订了普内的旅馆房间和瑜伽学院的课程。她曾在信里对我说，真正的艾扬格瑜伽就三个人在教，B.K.S.艾扬格，他的女儿基塔 • 艾扬格Gita Iyengar，还有他的儿子帕香 • 艾扬格Prashant Iyengar。她对他们全家充满情感和爱戴，并为自己是艾扬格瑜伽家族的一员而感到幸福和自豪。以前她在普内学习时曾写信告诉我她当天学了什么，今天艾扬格在课堂上说了那句话来启发所有的学生，让我不由得心驰神往。

机场外一群野孩子成群结队地在那里奔跑、打闹和乞讨。行乞对他们与其说是一种谋生方式，到不如说是一种无忧无虑的胡闹和游戏，已自然地成了他们童年的一部分，胡闹和行乞的这种混合让我感觉不到他们的悲惨。明天将会是怎么样的一天呢？我坐在机场外路灯下的栏杆上，心里出奇的平静，等着开车时间的到来。当然啦，这不是我们的专车，还得等齐其他客人才能开车。只是好奇旅馆会是什么样的。

黑暗中看见普内的城市街道并不十分宽敞，象是很多弄堂和小街连接起来的迷宫，而司机就像是在迷宫中飞行的蝙蝠一样左转右转，开得飞快，而我们则又疲劳又提心吊胆，又无能为力。

第二天，我们是在明亮的早晨的光线和嘈杂的汽车声中醒来的，原来我们的房间就在临街的一个转角上。

摄影：chandra（小月）

Mystic Yoga Perfections

2006-12-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
Canto 11: General History Chapter 15:
Lord Krsna's Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections

SB 11.15.1: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga are acquired by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on Me.

SB 11.15.2: Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and what is the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there? Please explain these things to me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic perfections.

SB 11.15.3: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.

SB 11.15.4-5: Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one's own body are aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires, and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through iśitā-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, and through the controlling potency called vaśitā-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within this world.

SB 11.15.6-7: The ten secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls called Apsarās, completely executing one's determination and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded.

SB 11.15.8-9: The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by others — these constitute five perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation. I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from Me how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes involved.

SB 11.15.10: One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone, obtains the mystic perfection called aṇimā.

SB 11.15.11: One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic perfection called mahimā. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.

SB 11.15.12: I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.

SB 11.15.13: Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of goodness, the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.

SB 11.15.14: One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is beyond material perception, the most excellent mystic perfection called prākāmya.

SB 11.15.15: One who places his consciousness on Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord of the external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic perfection of controlling other conditioned souls, their material bodies and their bodily designations.

SB 11.15.16: The yogī who places his mind in My form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, full of all opulences, becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitā.

SB 11.15.17: One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.

SB 11.15.18: A human being who concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the personification of purity and the Lord of Śvetadvīpa obtains the pure existence in which he is freed from the six waves of material disturbance, namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.

SB 11.15.19: That purified living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations occurring within Me as the personified sky and total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.

SB 11.15.20: Merging one's sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one's eyes, one should meditate on Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one acquires the power to see any distant thing.

SB 11.15.21: The yogī who completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that follows the mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the potency of meditation on Me the mystic perfection by which his body immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.

SB 11.15.22: When the yogī, applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that very form immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the mind in the shelter of My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume innumerable forms.

SB 11.15.23: When a perfect yogī desires to enter another's body, he should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other's body through the pathways of air, as easily as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.

SB 11.15.24: The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.

SB 11.15.25: The yogi who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on the purified mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the heavenly women, generated from the mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.

SB 11.15.26: A yogi who has faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always fulfilled, will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has determined to follow.

SB 11.15.27: A person who perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and controller. His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.

SB 11.15.28: A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the process of meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can therefore see the birth and death of himself and others.

SB 11.15.29: Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogi whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed in yoga science cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.

SB 11.15.30: My devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are decorated with Śrīvatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans.

SB 11.15.31: A learned devotee who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the mystic perfections that I have described.

SB 11.15.32: For a sage who has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and always absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?

SB 11.15.33: Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.

SB 11.15.34: Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any other means.

SB 11.15.35: My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the yoga system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of learned Vedic teachers.

SB 11.15.36: Just as the same material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I cannot be covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervading feature.

Adho Mukha Svanasana on block 支撑住头部和脚跟的下犬式

2006-12-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

圣哲帕檀伽里在他的《瑜伽经》中只给了体位练习一个心理学上的定义，即应该有稳定、清晰、宁静和内在喜悦的品质，sthira sukham asanam 换句话说，我们在练习中之所以不厌其烦地摆出种种姿势，其实是为了达成一个心理学上的目标和培养出一种内在的品质罢了，这些姿势本身并非目的。因此在做一个姿势的时候我们内心的体验比外表看上去如何更重要，当然一个瑜伽导师确实是会根据一个人身体的状态去判断他的学生是否放松，但目的仍是了解内在而非外在。舞蹈则相反，观众或评委看上去如何，比我现在的脚趾是否钻心的疼痛更重要，身体比心灵重要。外在比内在重要。因此瑜伽不是舞蹈的一种。因此瑜伽从来就不是用来表演的，那些所谓的表演啊竞赛啊都是些门外汉的把戏或商业策略罢了。古代的瑜伽师是在没有人的森林里为觉悟自我而修习瑜伽。

我们可以通过体位的练习来战胜虚荣，如果我们更注重内在而非外在，如果我们乐意接受躯体的局限和不完美，我们就会变得谦虚一点，少做作一点。用砖块，靠垫等可以帮助我们培养这种心态，允许工具来帮助和支撑我们，使我们舒适一些、平静一些，而不去担心别人是否认为我们无能（一种虚荣造成的抗拒）。如此瑜伽才会变得美好。

Yama

92年的某一瞬间

2006-12-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

不堪的回忆和沮丧之诗
被铁钩拉住的脊椎（不能回避的有关死亡的话题）
悬空的方向盘（多少迷失状态下的生命选择）
庸俗的花卉（生活中不得不微笑着应付的场合和猥琐）
被支撑住的羊头：愚蠢、软弱和盲目（缺乏生命的热情、目标、屈服于环境和依赖性）
片断的墨竹（无系统的知识、修养和学习）
大海和天空的背景（身处宇宙中的茫然）

厚纸板上的丙烯、水粉、墨水和圆珠笔
16开
1992

Yama

Mr Iyengar the beautiful

2006-12-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

It is so extraordinary that an old man like him so full or energy, intelligence and beauty.
一个象他那样的老人（艾扬格）充满了如此的活力，睿智和美，正是另人感到不同寻常的地方。所有瑜伽的荣耀其实都归功于伟大的瑜伽师的荣耀。我们被邀请去参加一个阿育韦达疗养中心的开幕式，艾扬格在致辞时说，他从小体弱多病，14岁时一个医生说他最多还能活几年，如果他的话是对的，那么是瑜伽给了他额外的70年！

注：阿育韦达是传统的印度医学经典，是瑜伽的姐妹科学。

Yama

我们在生活中做的一切都等于零

2006-12-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

》
既然明白生命便意味着准备荣耀地死去，我们便应把每一天当成最后一天。我们没有时间再浪费在无关和多余的事情上。即便必须去做一些比较肤浅的事，也一定要让这些事能够增进那些首要而至为关键的活动。

--《先死而死》，H. H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami

我们在生活中做的一切都等于零，除非我们做的事情和解答下面三个问题有关：

1）我是谁？（是不是我的这具肉体和它痛苦的结局就是我的一切？）
2）我在这世界上应该做些什么？（除了吃饭、性、睡眠和自我保护之外，还有没有其他活动？）
3）我要去哪里？（我的归宿是什么，生命的完美是什么？）

如果世界上没有手，就不会有手套；如果我们不需要充饥，便没有食物存在的必要; 如果没有答案，就不会有疑问。鸟之所以有翅膀，因为他的生命意味着飞翔，如果存在的一切都是合理的，那么我的带着智慧的生命，便意味着这些对自我的觉悟。在一个真正的瑜伽师的眼中，整个世界就是问题和答案，就是他练习的场所。只有当你试图真诚地解决这些问题时，你的瑜伽才算开始。

在我打这些字的时候，我的小白猫LULU安静地躺在我的腿上，它是不会问这些问题的。我不知道谁更不幸。我猜很多世之前我和它都做了选择，它决定把这些问题留给那些自寻烦恼的人，而我决定一定要找出答案才罢休。

Invocation to Sri Pantanjiali

2006-12-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

这是我每次上课开始时唱诵的两段曼佗罗，是对圣哲帕檀伽里的致敬词。想学习的朋友可以跟着下面Iyengar本人的唱诵学。

http://www.iyengaryoga.org/Resources/invocation.ram

aum

yogena cittasya padena vacam
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
yopakarottam pravaram muninam
patanjalim pranjaliranato smi

abahu purusakaram
sankha cakrasi dharinam
sahasra sirasam svetam
pranamami patanjalim

hari aum

Let us bow before the noblest of sages Patanjali,
who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind,
grammar for clarity and purity of speech and
medicine for perfection of health.

Let us prostrate before Patanjali, an incarnation of Adisesa,
whose upper body has a human form,
whose arms hold a conch and a disc, and
who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra.

Uttanasana 站立前曲伸展式

2006-12-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

ASANA 体位练习的定义是：身体的稳定、心智的清晰和内在的喜悦。
－－《瑜伽经》第2章，第46诗节

要点：Uttanasana 的身体重心并非均匀地分布在脚掌上，而是在脚掌的前端，脚跟只是轻轻地贴在地面上，并不承受太大压力。尾骨往上指，感受臀骨上升离开脚跟的同时让脊椎和背部象瀑布一样倾泻放松下来，头顶对着地面，脖子、面部、手臂、肩膀尽量放松。在均匀呼吸时平静地打开胸腔和肋骨的两侧。保持1～3分钟。

What is our difficulties?

2006-12-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

>
Our difficulties of the moment must always be dealt with somehow, but our permanent difficulties are difficulties of every moment.

----T.S. Eliot

Our permanent difficulties are birth, death, old age and disease. We are living and yet dying at same time every moment, most of us, however, are only dealing with the difficulties of the moment of the living part, so the difficulties of the moment of the dying part are forgotten or neglected, and they become the permanent difficulties of the living part, too.

Yoga is actually the art of dealing with living and dying at same time. We are not just dealing with the body, breath, energy and mind for the sake of keeping them fit so they stay forever, but to understand all the physical emotional mental problems and difficulties are due to our forgetfulness of our eternal divine nature. This is the permanent difficulties. Yoga practice is to purify ourself to such an extend that our spiritual identity is revealed. (tadaa drashtuh svaroope avasthaanam, Yoga Sutra 1. 3) As long as we remain ignorant of our spiritual nature and identify with the temorary body and mind, we will suffer and never solve their problems.

什么是艾扬格瑜伽 Iyengar Yoga？

2006-12-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

艾扬格瑜伽是以世界知名的印度瑜伽大师B.K.S. Iyengar所传授的古典瑜伽为基础的瑜伽体系。此系统对整个现代瑜伽界甚至更广泛的领域都具有巨大而深刻的影响力。艾扬格瑜伽以其精确严谨的肢体定位，安全而循序渐进的练习程序，瑜伽工具的使用闻名遐迩。
在asana体位练习方面，艾扬格瑜伽尤其注重身体各部分在姿势中的精确整齐的位置和细节，使肢体平衡稳固，头脑清晰，并达成内在能量的流动和觉醒。这种练习均衡地发展身体的每一部分，同时增强身体的耐力和柔韧性，更培养了对肢体和精微能量之间关系的敏感性。
为了使学生在体位练习中进入更深的层次，有时会借助瑜伽工具，如砖块、绑带、靠垫和椅子等等，让学生在一个姿势中保持很长时间，以对身体的循环或内分泌系统产生深入持久的作用。这种艾扬格瑜伽特色的方法的另一效果是能使练习者进入深层放松，使身心知觉进入安宁、和谐、圆融的境界。
在pranayama瑜伽调息方面，艾扬格瑜伽主张练习者要在有了一个坚实的体位练习基础之后才可开始。调息练习首先要求的是身体坐姿的稳定，脊柱的强壮、平衡和柔韧，内在专注力的培养。为了帮助初习者，很多调息练习都是躺着做，并用垫子支撑起脊椎、头部和胸部，以减少身体的不适和延长练习时间。耐心并按严格的步骤循序渐进地练习是成功的关键。
在精神训练方面，练习艾扬格瑜伽能培养极大的专注力。艾扬格体系的瑜伽教师因他们对姿势细节透彻清晰的描述而闻名，这种耐心、细致、不厌其烦的讲解能将学生带入一种冥想般的精神集中的状态。这种冥想状态一旦成为习惯进入练习者的生活，便带来精神的敏锐和情绪的稳定，不受内心和外在环境的困扰，更深地洞察生命和存在的本质。对认真的瑜伽练习者来说，瑜伽是体验身体的健康、智慧的流动和精神平静的手段，也是带来日常生活自由体验的方法。艾扬格瑜伽以其特有的方式来帮助练习者觉悟这一瑜伽的核心。

瑜伽是你生活中那幸福的闪电

2006-12-05T21:02:00.001-08:00

》
那幸福的闪电告诉我的
我将告诉每一个人

－海子，《面朝大海，春暖花开》

一个瑜伽导师的工作就是把他自己在瑜伽中体验到的“幸福的闪电”告诉每一个人，并让别人也感觉到！否则，就去教有氧操吧。

virabhadrasana I/warrior pose I/战士一式

2006-12-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

Never emphasize enough the importance of the rear leg and foot. Be strong and aware of them as much as you can, even you can not see. But you have your internal eyes. The whole structure is on the rear leg and foot. Only then the decending of the groins and the acending of the arms possible.

下次再做战士一式时试着竭尽全力专注于后腿和后脚掌外侧。整个结构都在后腿和后脚上，虽然我们看不见它们。但你可以用内在的眼睛去看。手臂上升，腹股沟下沉。

摄影：Chandra（小月）

In a garden of Suzhou 苏州园林

2006-12-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

In a garden of Suzhou
苏州园林
2004
摄影：Chandra（小月）

The traditional gardens in Suzhou are just totally sattvic, in the mode of Goodness.
那一刻，我的心是那样恬静和闲适，并为所有处于这一闲适中的花鸟鱼虫小生命而感到喜悦。苏州园林是为“善良属性”sattva guna而创造的。另外两种属性，或guna是：激情属性raja guna和愚昧属性tama guna。

Untitled 无题

2006-12-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

Untitled无题
Water color and ballpen on paper 纸面水彩，圆珠笔
Yama
1992

显而易见，这种风格是模仿瑞士的艺术家保罗克里Paul Klee的。我有一两年完全是在学他，想获得他的天真、忧郁和神秘的诗意。抹去立体和深度，只是表达对色彩的敏感性，制造些故弄玄虚的小暗示，追求画面节奏的统一和结构的音乐性。

有关瑜伽的问答（一）

2006-12-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

问：你好，我注意到去练瑜伽的男士很少，男的瑜伽老师也很少，你能介绍一下自己吗，你怎么会进入瑜伽这个领域，怎么会当瑜伽老师的呢，你以前有体操和舞蹈方面的背景吗？

答：好的。我们可以过会儿再谈男士和瑜伽的话题，我们有足够的时间。至于我自己，我想最简单的回答是，现在我觉得学瑜伽和教瑜伽是最适合我的生命状态的事。我从小到大一直在学各种东西，做各种选择，但一直没有获得过在瑜伽当中的那种全然的投入感和满足感，是瑜伽才使我的生活有了一种质的飞跃和改变。在小学里我有过一次机会去少体校学体操，但我没去，因为我母亲要我好好学音乐，我从没有接触过舞蹈。

问：你在接触瑜伽之前学过干过些什么，能谈谈吗？

答：我和我哥哥的童年都是在我母亲严厉的约束下学习音乐中度过的，这是我母亲对于我们的希望，但只有我哥哥实现了她的期望，他现在还在纽约继续当他的音乐家，他是一个很好的大提琴手。所以我也是从五岁开始学小提琴，这是因为大提琴对一个五岁的孩子来说太大了。那时我母亲拿着一把裁缝量尺寸的竹尺监督我练琴，我不记得我挨打或哭过多少次。后来我回想其实我心里是爱音乐的，但因为它所需要的机械训练使我受苦，我便自然会有抵触。从本质上说我不是那种非常刻苦勤奋的人。这样一直到初中，我的兴趣转到了绘画上面，也许这时我母亲也已经疲倦了，她尊重我的兴趣，找了老师让我学习绘画。后来我进了上海大学美术学院，毕业后当了教美术设计的老师。有意思的是在美术学院里我又想改当诗人。你看，我想很多人都熟悉这种年轻时的浮躁。在孩子还小的时候，他们无法为自己做选择，所以父母为孩子做选择是对的，但孩子大一点以后就应该尊重孩子的选择。现在我明白我童年在音乐当中受的苦都没有白费，实际上没有任何努力会白费，即便我们没有立刻看到成果。我们所有的行为、努力或欲望都会在我们的心田里播下种子，然后会在以后的某个时刻以某种意想不到的形式重新出现在我们的生命中。我想我在艺术方面的背景使我更好地理解了瑜伽当中的“无为”、或非功利性，瑜伽是当之无愧的艺术，从绘画和音乐的本质上来说，艺术是非功利性的。“无为”的意思并不是什么也不用做，而是你在做的时候并不渴望占有或享受你的成果，而且在你的活动没有结果的时候，你也继续做你该做的事情，认真地完成你的职责。在佛教和瑜伽哲学当中都有的“业报或因果”概念无非是指，当我们出于利己的功利性的动机去做任何事情的时候，就产生了业报，而其结果无论好坏，都是一种对自我的束缚，因此瑜伽提倡的是把行为和活动当作一种对他人的服务来做，当作自我的净化的过程来做，这就是“业瑜伽 karma yoga”的概念。

问：那么你母亲从小让你学音乐也是功利性的啦？

答：是的，可以这样说，她希望我继承她的事业，以后有工作，等等，这些都是功利性的。但是由于我当时很小，我没有功利性的态度，而且音乐的美本身也是非功利性的。所以我对音乐的非功利性态度一直保持到现在，而且我在瑜伽的唱诵中发现了音乐和瑜伽之间的关系。对声音（曼陀罗）或音乐的专注和冥想，Nada Yoga，是瑜伽中高层次的练习。所以，我们引申说下去的话，一个人即使带着功利性的态度开始练习瑜伽也没有害处，应当受到鼓励。恐怕百分之九十九的人都是出于功利性的目的开始瑜伽的，但在一段时间以后，如果你非常认真地练习，而且够聪明的话就会意识到，瑜伽能给予我们的远远超出身体上的好处。其实，身体的轻盈，心情的放松，精力的旺盛等等只是瑜伽的益处的开端，或副产品而已。大多数人就只能停留在这一步，但如果所有人包括老师都停留在这一步的话，那实际上并不存在什么yoga，而只有bhoga（享乐）。在瑜伽中，身体的训练是为精神的／灵性的训练服务的，而这意味着摆脱享乐的执着和蒙蔽。生命有比“舒适”更深刻的体验。我们这个时代，至少目前在中国，最可悲的就是对瑜伽不求甚解，随便就把瑜伽归类为一种特别的减肥术，或是一种躯体上的摆弄和柔软，如果你的身体是僵硬的你就和瑜伽无缘。在所有的杂志，报纸，灯箱，电视，广告中，所谓的瑜伽师们纷纷竭尽所能做出令人膛目结舌，匪夷所思的高难度自虐姿势，以便吓倒大众。即便从市场的角度，我仍然不明白这背后是什么策略。这是一个荒唐幼稚的恶性循环，首先是瑜伽教师自己缺乏足够的知识和自信，认为必须要用高难度的姿势来吓唬学生和大众才有安全感，而学生从中得到的是对瑜伽非常扭曲的理解和印象，这反过来使市场需求那些符合这扭曲印象的老师，因此这又迫使所有的老师变得更扭曲。其结果让瑜伽变成一种可悲，令人生厌和疲惫不堪的东西。

问: 那么你所谓的瑜伽更深层次的好处是什么呢? 瑜伽的目的到底是什么呢?

答: 瑜伽是个梵文词, 意思是连接，结合，这意味着建立或者说恢复一种失落了的关系，而在这种关系中，我们和自身、他人和环境处在一种真实的，完整的，和谐的生命状态中。这种状态不是外加的而是我们本有的东西，只是给躯体化／物质化的知觉蒙蔽了。在帕檀迦利的《瑜伽经》一开始，他就解释说瑜伽是一种对我们的知觉和意识的控制，以使我们的内心变得平和纯净，这样我们就能生活在真实的、灵性的自我中，否则我们的心就注定会为物所转，为境所迷，为情所困，为苦乐所惑。这种对自我的迷惑就是生命痛苦的本质，而所谓痛苦就是由这种迷惑导致的种种表现和挣扎。一切痛苦的根源是对自我的愚昧。这几千年前写下的教导仍适用于今天。因为科技的发达并未消除痛苦，今天的人失恋时仍然和一千年前失恋时一样痛苦。现代的生活是如此忙碌和复杂，实际上在这个时代，大多数人并没有在“生活”，而只是“谋生”。谋生和生活有天壤之别。教育绝大多数教你的只是如何谋生的知识，也就是如何击败别人的知识，而不是如何生活，如何爱护别人的知识。其结果便是苦闷和不快乐。你有没有注意一下地铁高峰时段的人的表情？一天还未开始，他们个个都拉长了脸，想着今天要面对的搏斗和挣扎。而瑜伽教你的是如何用和谐的方式去生活，体位的练习是训练如何首先和自己的身体、四肢、呼吸和专注力保持和谐的关系。但这只是一个开始然后就是对心灵／心意的控制，这才是瑜伽练习的核心，也是自我转变的手段。除非我们愿意净化自我，否则要改善我们的人际关系和生活是不可能的。每个人都在等待别人改变，等待男友会更爱我，等待太太变得更温柔，等待孩子变得更听话更有出息，等待老板变得更善解人意，这种对他人赐予的幸福的等待恰恰使我们失去幸福和自由。

先死而死

2006-12-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

正如存在生命，同样也存在死亡。某一个人，或某一件事会出生，成长，停留，衰退，然后死亡。生的代名词便是死。二者缺一不可。也就是说，人一当出生，很快就会死亡（因为大部分生命种族寿命都不长）；一个人死了，很快又会出生。每一个正常人，每一件正常事都想活得越久越好――达到永恒。然而，永恒与物质无关，而属灵性本质。物质和物质躯体的死亡乃属不可避免。但如在死亡之前先掌握了死亡的艺术，我们便与那永恒的天性――我们的灵魂及其灵性世界的家园――相连接起来了。毕竟，死亡的含义其实便是去除虚假和次要的一切。

我母亲曾经常说：“趁我看得见的时候给我鲜花。”我幼时总觉得这很奇怪。但长大以后，就将这视为智慧的象征。我母亲理解躯体只是一个过渡，于是她庆祝生命――“现在”――她知道人必须在每一分钟表达对生命的爱。我们的生命，或者他人的生命都会在不久的将来被带走。如果带着恰当的准备与弃绝而生活，我们便将掌握先死而死的科学，以将灵魂及其家园――灵性世界－相连接。毕竟，死亡的含义其实便是去除虚假和次要的一切。

要先死而死，我们便得在生活中找出优先和重要的事物。某些活动滋养灵魂，帮助我们摆脱物质文化的虚幻和迷惑，这些活动就应该是我们的优先选择。既然明白生命便意味着准备荣耀地死去，我们便应把每一天当成最后一天。我们没有时间再浪费在无关和多余的事情上。即便必须去做一些比较肤浅的事，也一定要让这些事能够增进那些首要而至为关键的活动。如果带着恰当的准备与弃绝而生活，我们便将掌握先死而死的科学，以将灵魂及其家园――灵性世界－相连接。毕竟，死亡的含义其实便是去除虚假和次要的一切。

人们欺骗、撒谎，利用甚至侮辱我们，令我们失望。回想这每一次经历，我们似乎又重新回到了那一时刻。这样的体验可以给我们不同方式的塑造。许多这些侮辱者和骗子使我们遭至伤害，有时甚至令我们带上终生创伤。通常情况下，受伤害或侮辱者会伺机报复，并且严重惩罚这些冒犯者。这样做很容易，但并不能完全解决问题。关键在于要带着宽恕的心态去处理这些问题。如果带着恰当的准备与弃绝而生活，我们便将掌握先死而死的科学，以将灵魂及其家园――灵性世界－相连接。毕竟，死亡的含义其实便是去除虚假和次要的一切。

大部分人都希望去看望一些特别的人，拜访一些特别的地方，并且体验一些特别的事物。当我们和重要人物联谊，我们就变得更为重要—至少在别人眼里是这样。如果能去许多激动人心的地方，生命变得似乎更为冒险。而最终要的是，如果拥有了许多激动人心的体验，生命就好像更有意义了。我们都是追求快乐的人，总是渴望体验快乐。但真正的灵性主义者并不被这些因素所迷惑。因为他懂得这个世界短暂甚至虚幻的本性。如果带着恰当的准备与弃绝而生活，我们便将掌握先死而死的科学，以将灵魂及其家园――灵性世界－相连接。毕竟，死亡的含义其实便是去除虚假和次要的一切。

有时我们是如此忙于服务我们所爱的人，而没有时间和他们一起，展示并且告知我们有多爱他们。有时，别人是如此忙于服务我们，也没有没有时间和我们一起，展示并且告知他们有多爱我们。然而，如果我们真的懂得生命乃是为了死亡而做准备，我们便总能抽出时间去给予和接受爱。

如果有人死亡，大部分的悲伤在于这份关系不够亲密。有一些事我们曾想告诉他们，有一些事我们曾想和他们一起做。也有一些事他们也曾想告诉我们并和我们一切做。我们每一个人都习惯拖延重要的机会和时刻。尤其当一个人活着只是为了吃、睡、防卫和交配、或者被极强的假我控制的话，便很可能错过充分存在的机会。这样的人，错过了机会去说或做最能满足他人最高需要的事，或者斩断了让他人满足他的需要的机会。

有质量的联谊最为重要。得到了高质量的联谊，我们就总是在学习或教导一些东西。这样的联谊建基于与那些也下决心中止生老病死轮回的人联谊。有了高质量的联谊，我们便能理解，正如有生命，同样也有死亡。我们在活动时，便能理解生命乃是为了自我觉悟，而对于物质与物质躯体而言不可避免的死亡，与灵魂其实是无关的。我们必须先死而后生！这一领悟来自于我们接受所有物质的毁灭和消亡的必然性。然后，我们就能荣耀正在和已经发生的死亡，知道这能准备通往永恒生命的道路。

真正的灵性主义者能够深刻地欣赏我母亲的话语：“趁我看得见的时候给我鲜花。”躯体一旦离去，灵魂便会寻找下一此经历；因此，现在就去说、去做对所有人有利的事，这就显得非常重要了！我们曾经作出过冒犯，那现在就必须停下来，乞求原谅！如果我们有人要见，有地方要去，有事物要体验，我们就必须找到优先，现在就理解短暂与永恒的区别！我们必须让生命的每一天都能代表健康的结局！当我们为了爱而活着，这便是最为自然。因为我们所有的联谊都将是高质量的联谊，我们一起分享彼此的怜悯，决心和领悟。

这便是如何庆祝现在的生命，带着恰当的准备与弃绝而生活的技巧。这样我们就能掌握先死而死的科学，以将灵魂及其家园――灵性世界－相连接。毕竟，死亡的含义其实便是去除虚假和次要的一切。

我便是那个低下的乞丐，竭尽全力先死而死。

H H Bhakti Tirth Swami Maharaj

Die Before Dying

2006-12-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Just as there is life, there is death. Someone or something takes birth, grows, stays for some time, deteriorates, and then dies. Another name for birth is death. One cannot live without the other, meaning that when someone is born, some will soon die (as most species do not live very long); and when someone dies, someone is soon born. Everyone and everything in its normal state wants to live as long as possible—eternally. Eternality, however, is not associated with matter, but is a spiritual affair. Death to matter and to our material bodies is inevitable, but if we master the science of dying before dying, we will connect with that which is eternal—our soul and its home in the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

My mother often used to say; “Give me my flowers while I can still see them.” As a child, I thought of it as strange, but as an adult, I saw it as a sign of wisdom. My mother understood the body to be transient and she celebrated life—the “now”—realizing one must show their love and affection for life at every moment. Our life or the lives of others will be taken away in the near future. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

When we die before dying, we put first things first. The activities that nourish our souls and help us detach from the illusion and confusion of material culture are our priorities. Since we know that life is meant to prepare for a glorious death, we can live each day as if it is our last. There is no time to waste on irrelevant, superfluous activities. Even when we must give time to somewhat superficial things, it must be done in a way that enhances the primary, significant involvements. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

People have cheated, disappointed, lied to, manipulated, and even abused us. When we reflect on each experience, it is as it we relive it again. Such experiences have shaped us in various ways. Many of these abusers and c heaters have traumatized us. In some cases, they have scarred us for life. The normal position is for the hurt or abused to seek revenge and severely punish the offender. It is easy to do, but will not fully resolve the problem. What is important is to address such problems with forgiveness. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home-- the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

Most people have special people they would like to meet, places they would like to visit, and experiences they would like to have. When we associate with important people, it makes us more important, at least in the eyes of others. When we can travel to many exciting places, life seems to be more adventurous. Most important, when we can have many exciting experiences, life seems more meaningful. We are all pleasure seekers and are always eager to experience pleasure, but the true spiritualist does not get overwhelmed by these concerns, for he understand the temporary and even illusory nature of the world. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home-- the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

Sometimes we are so busy doing things for those we love that we don't have time to be with them, show them, or tell them how much we love them. Sometimes others are so busy doing things for us that they also have no time to be with us, show us, or tell us how much they love us. However, if we truly understand how this life is a preparation for death, we will always make time to give and receive love.

When someone dies, much of the sadness comes from a lack of sufficient closure in the relationships. There is something we wanted to tell them or do with them, and there is something they wanted to tell us or do with us. Each of us had a tendency to procrastinate on the important opportunities and moments. Especially when a person lives solely for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, or when the person is captured by a very strong false ego, there is a tendency to miss opportunities to be fully present. The person misses the chance to say or do what will best honor other people’s highest needs and blocks the chance for others to honor his or her needs.

Quality association is most important. Where there is quality association, we are always learning something or teaching something. Such association is based on being with those who also are determined to end the cycle of birth, disease, old age and death. With quality association, we understand that just as there is life, there is death. We act with the knowledge that life is for self-realization, and that death, which is inevitable for matter and the material body, is not associated with the soul. We must die to live! That comes as we accept the inevitability of destruction and elimination of all matter. We can then honor the deaths that have happened and those that are manifesting, knowing that they can prepare the way for eternal life.

The true spiritualist profoundly appreciates my mother’s statement, “Give me my flowers while I can see them” Once they body is gone, the soul departs for its new encounter; therefore, it is important to say and do whatever is best for everyone now! Where we have made offenses, we must stop and ask for forgiveness now! While we have people to meet, places to visit, and experiences to have, we must put first things first, understanding the differences between what is temporary and what is eternal now! We must allow every day of our lives to represent healthy closure now! We are most natural when we live for love because all of our associations will be quality associations in which we share our compassion, determination and realizations, and receive the same from others.

This is the technology of how to celebrate life now and live with proper preparation and detachment, so that we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world! After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

I am that lowly beggar who is desperately trying to die before dying.

H H Bhakti Tirth Swami Maharaj

The Spirit of Kirtan

2006-12-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

There is no right or wrong way to sing kirtan. Kirtan can be
breathtakingly beautiful, the music can be stunning and masterful; and
it can be cacophonous, dissonant, and almost painful to the ears.
Aesthetics don't matter. All that matters is the spirit, the
feeling. Don't worry about what you sound like, feel whatever you feel,
have no expectations, no inhibitions. Kirtan is an oil well
digging deeper and deeper into the heart. A power tool of love and
longing. A train carrying us home. Make these kirtans your own prayers
and use their power to set fire to your own soul. We sing together
and each person has a totally unique, individual experience. Yet by
singing together we give strength, safety and passion to each
other, and give ourselves permission to sing and dance freely,
releasing and expressing through our voices and bodies, the emotions
tightly locked in our hearts. The pain of separation is one with the
bliss of Union.

Kirtan is a vessel that can hold love, longing, union, separation,
lust, despair, mourning, anger, hate, sadness, ecstasy, and oneness.
Powered by the fire of these emotions, the chants of Bhakti become
like a ship, singing us to the other shore. In lightness, in
darkness, in despair, in joy we sing the names-- The Name -- and turn
our human hearts toward the One, who is closer to us than our own
breath. Kirtan is food for the spirit, a life raft of song.

Source unknown

唱诵(kirtan)的精神

2006-12-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

在唱诵过程中最重要的工作是在唱的同时凝神谛听。你既是唱诵者——给与者，也是聆听者——接受者。唱诵之所以是一种如此美妙的冥想方式，是因为它调动了我们的一切，我们的身体、声音、听觉、呼吸、专注力、情感等等。我们的心念，也就是内心的思维、感受和意欲都是微妙的能量的震动，都是精微的声音。这些能量现在都通过专注融合在曼陀罗的音震中。这种专注是没有任何动机和意欲的，因而是完全开放和平静的。唱诵并没有硬性的规则。从音乐角度来说，它既可以美得如痴如醉，也可以不解音律。因为现在最重要的不是美学，而是对唱诵的感觉和内在的精神。唱诵会像一种精神的油膏那样慢慢滋润你心灵的最深处。它是爱和渴望的工具，一列带你回到灵性家园的列车。让唱诵成为你私人内心的祈祷，并用那种力量来点燃你的灵魂。我们一起敞开歌唱，仿佛登上一艘声音的巨轮，驶向灵性的彼岸，但每个人的感受都是独一无二的，但这样的歌唱却彼此给与了力量，安全感和激情，并释放出封闭在内心的情感。无论是轻快，还是沉重，是喜悦还是悲伤，我们软弱的人类的心灵在那种歌声中正接近那至高的真理，那比我们的呼吸更接近我们自我的真理。唱诵是灵魂的食物，是歌声扎成的生命的木筏。分离的痛苦现在已融合在结合的喜乐中。

Yama

The Circus of Yoga 瑜伽和杂耍（英）

2006-12-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Throughout my years of practicing yoga, when people found out about my practice, their first question usually was if I “can put my foot around my neck”.
One easily can get the idea by looking at the yoga magazines, studio brochures, the endless yoga-themed commercials or through surfing the web, that the ultimate aim of yoga is in fact to bring your leg around your neck. It’s about getting the rubber body.
In the old days the most prominent feature of a yogi who immersed himself in the higher practice of yoga was his powerful eyes; looking through you, drawing your attention to existence which may be experienced beyond the form of the body.
Today you meet endless images of lovely yogis and yoginis from all ages, cultures and styles, with their legs rapped around their neck as their smiling eyes seem to say “I reached the Everest of yoga”. In many ways it is a process very similar to that of getting to the top of the Everest.
You go through long practice and training which starts with the ambitions of the ego. As you climb the mountain of Yoga towards the goal of achieving the most obscure body postures you face a high risk of getting injured. Knees, hips, sciatica, compressed spine etc and ending with over loose joints. There is always a risk of never achieving the goal (because of skeletal structure, scar tissue etc) what may lead to a great disappointment and a feeling of being a failure.
The question is “When finally we fulfill the desire of the mind, and our foot is hanging around our neck….. then what?” Has the leg around the neck freed us from suffering? Is it helping us to master our mind? Are we acting with no reacting? Is the wrapping of the leg around the neck engaging us with our higher self to become the ultimate observer who knows that we are not this body? Is the heel close enough to our brain free us from the fear of death?
What are the reasons for the western yoga teachers identifying their abilities with the performance of the body? Is it because we have nothing wise to say from our an authentic experience? So instead, we show off our physical form as we often do outside the yoga studio setting. Is it because we are so programmed to identify with our body as who we are, that we apply it to our spiritual practice instead of applying the wisdom of the spiritual path to our life?
Or maybe after we started our yoga practice, our ego got so mesmerized by the body performance, that we forgot why we started the practice from the beginning.
The practice of the yoga asanas (posters) is for the purpose of maintenance our body so it is in a good health, is free of toxins and blockages so prana energy can flow through and widen our perception towards life and existence. The body is a great vehicle for us to use through the spiritual journey.
When people buy a car to take them to different destinations, they take care of the car so it is stays in a good shape and it is safe to travel in. Some people get obsessed with their car, blurring the definition between the object and themselves. Fully identified with the car’s look and performance, they start buying gadgets for it, investing time into it, while the car becomes a source of their pride, worries, attachments and suffering. The body is the vehicle for the self do not confuse it with the self.
In closing, think about it, “If an extremely flexible body is in fact the aim of the ancient yoga then we should all be worshipping the teenage contortionists in Cirque de Soleil.

shakti mhi

瑜伽和杂耍

2006-12-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

在我从事瑜伽练习的这些年里，人们一旦知道我在练什么，通常就会问我“是否能把脚绕过脖子”。

一个人只要读过瑜伽杂志和健身中心的宣传手册，受过没完没了的瑜伽商业广告轰炸或登陆过瑜伽网站，就会很容易认为瑜伽的最高目标其实就是把腿绕过脖子。瑜伽就是把身体练得和橡皮一样柔软。

在以往的年代，一位真正卓越瑜伽师的最显著的特征是他强有力的目光：他能洞撤你的内心，并把你的注意力引向超越躯体层面的实在中。今天各种各样俊男靓女瑜伽师随处可见，年龄有大有小，文化背景各异，瑜伽风格也各不相同。他们的腿盘到脖子上，微笑的眼睛似乎在说：“我已登上了瑜伽的最高峰。”在很多方面，它都和登上珠穆峰的程序类似。

于是一开始你的假我便雄心勃勃，去面对长期的训练和练习。当你试图攀登这座高山，朝着最古怪困难的体位姿势迈进时，受伤的可能性非常之大。膝盖和臀部受伤，坐骨神经发痛，脊椎受到压迫，最后关节也会脱臼。因为骨架和受伤的组织关系，你还有可能永远也达到不了那个目标，这可能会使你大失所望，灰心丧气。

真正的问题在于：“当我们最后实现自己的愿望，脚挂在了脖子上，….然后又怎样呢？”把脚绕过脖子就能使我们解脱痛苦吗？这能帮助我们控制心意吗？我们的活动再也没有业报了吗？这只绕在脖子上的脚，难道真的能使我们更高的自我成为终极的观察者，理解我们不是这个躯体吗？这个贴近大脑的脚后跟能使我们免于对死亡的恐惧和逃避吗？

西方瑜伽教师为什么会把自己的能力与躯体的表演混为一谈？是不是因为我们从自己的练习的真实体验中说不出什么真知灼见和智慧之语？所以我们就炫耀自己的躯体，就像我们在瑜伽馆之外的日常生活中经常做的那样。是不是因为我们深信躯体就是自我，于是就把这种概念加之于我们的灵性练习中，而不是相反，把灵性道路上的智慧贯彻到我们的生活中？或者是我们开始练习瑜伽后，我们深受躯体表演的吸引，使我们忘记了修练瑜伽的初衷？

瑜伽体位的修习目的是保持身体健康，清除毒素，这样生命之气就能在体内循环畅通，使我们对生命本质和现实的洞察能力增强。躯体是我们完成灵性旅程的一个很好的车辆。

人们买车，这样使自己能够到各个地方去。他们保养车辆，以便安全舒适地旅行。有的人爱车着了迷，搞不清主次。他们完全认同于车子的外观和性能，开始为爱车卖小饰物，花时间装饰它，而车子成为他们的骄傲、担心、依附和痛苦的原因。对于不把自我与躯体混同的人而言，躯体就是一架车辆。

最后，想一想：“如果一个极其灵活的躯体就是古代瑜伽的目标的话，那么我们都应该崇拜马戏团那些十来岁的柔软体操的表演者了。

Shakti mhi
夏克提麦

哲学命题 1～philosophical 1~意志的表象和超灵

2006-12-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

德国哲学家叔本化认为物质宇宙／世界是作为“意志的表象”出现的，那接下来的问题就是，这是“谁的意志（will）”？意志是指现象背后的动因、愿望和意图，表象是事物展现的方式和所呈现的面貌。瑜伽是个体知觉和宇宙知觉的结合，是个体jivatma对超灵paramatma的觉悟。这两者是物质世界背后真正的“意志”。

换句话说，我们每个人对上海目前所呈现出来的现象，物欲式的繁华，街道的繁乱拥挤，行人彼此粗鲁恶言的态度，另人浮躁的城市氛围，等等都负有不可推卸的责任。我们每个上海人有意识无意识地都散发出一个微小的“意愿”或“意志”，期望我们的生活成为某种样子，而超灵则根据我们意志的共性推动宇宙诸元素，形成我们想要的世界。

Yama
图：恒河玛亚蒲印度 2005 摄影：Candravali D.D