對話四十六 Talk 46.
1935年4月12日12th April, 1935
來自納蓋科伊爾(Nagercoil泰米爾南都邦城市)的拉瑪商德拉·艾耶先生在聽過了馬拉雅拉姆版的《修行精要》(UpadesaSara)唱誦後，用他獨有的簡明風格問及有關識心、專注和控制的問題。尊者說識心只是認身體爲自性的認同，是被創造出來的虛假自我，並繼續創造出各種假象，還似模似樣地遊走其中；如此種種皆是虛假。自性是唯一的實相。若虛假的認同消除，永恆的實相即顯現出來。
After hearing the Malayalam version of Upadesa Sara chanted,Mr. Ramachandra Iyer of Nagercoil asked in a characteristically unsophisticated way about the mind, concentration and control. The Master said that the mind is only identity of the Self with the body. It is a false ego that is created; it creates false phenomena in its turn, and appears to move in them; all these are false. The Self is the only Reality. If the false identity vanishes the persistence of the Reality becomes apparent.
但這不是說實相不在此時此地。它一直都在，永遠不變。它也在每個人的經歷中，因爲每個人都知道他自己存在。“他是誰？”或參問主人公 “我是誰？”。虛假的自我與對境相聯；這個自我就是它自己的對境。對境即是虛假，唯有主人公纔是實相。不要把自己和名叫身體的那個對境相混淆。這會令虛假的自我升起，繼而世界顯現，而你在其中經歷着所產生的不幸。不要認爲你自己是這個、那個或別的什麼；要如何如何，或要成爲這樣那樣。只需要離於虛假。實相會自然顯現。經文稱自性是“nitya-siddha”，即“常在當下”。然而經文還說要消除無知(ajnana)。若自性是常在、當下，怎麼還會有無知呢？無知是對誰而有呢？這些說法自相矛盾。但這種論述可以指引熱忱的求道者走上正確的道路。若樸素描述唯一真理，如說“非汝，非我，非諸王……”[見《薄伽梵歌》II.12(梵：natwam naham neme janadhipah)黑天所說偈：“我、你和這些國王，過去無時不存在，我們大家死去後，仍將無時不存在。”(張寶勝譯本)]，求道者尚無法輕易理解。黑天尊者宣說真理，但阿周那不能明白。之後黑天用平白的語言說人們把身體認作他，而事實上，他並沒有出生也不會死亡。可阿周那還沒完全明白，在整部《薄伽梵歌》裏一直在請求給他講清楚真理。
It does not mean that Reality is not here and now. It is always there and eternally the same. It is also in everyone’s experience. For everyone knows that he is. “Who is he?”Subjectively, “Who am I?” The false ego is associated with objects; this ego itself is its own object. Objectivity is the falsity. Subject is alone the Reality. Do not confound yourself with the object, namely the body. This gives rise to the false ego, consequently of the world and your movements therein with the resulting misery. Do not think yourself to be this, that or anything; to be so and so, or to be such and such. Only leave off the falsity. The Reality will reveal itself. The scriptures say that the Self is nityasiddha, ever present, and yet speak of the removal of ajnana. If Self is (nitya) always and (siddha) present, how can there be ajnana? For whom is the ajnana? These are contradictory. But such statements are for guiding the earnest seeker in the right way. He does not readily understand the only Truth if mentioned in plain words as in natwam naham neme janadhipah (not thou, nor I, nor these kings ...). Sri Krishna declared the Truth, but Arjuna could not grasp it. Later Krishna plainly says that people confound Him with the body, whereas in reality He was not born nor will He die. Still Arjuna requires the whole Gita for the Truth to be made clear to him.
看，自性僅僅是“是”，而非“是此”或“是彼”。它只是“是”。“是”——無明就會終結。去參問無明是對誰而有。當你從睡眠中醒來，自我也升起。熟睡時，你不會說自己正在睡覺，之後會醒來，或說睡了好久。但你仍然在。只有當你醒來後，你會說你之前睡着了。你的清醒中也包含了睡眠。了悟你純粹的“是”吧，不要有任何與身體的混淆。身體是念頭的產物。念頭還會繼續遊戲，而你不會再受干擾。既然在睡眠時你和身體無關，那麼你可以一直這樣保持下去。
Look, the Self is only Be-ing, not being this or that. It is simple Being. Be - and there is an end of the ignorance. Enquire for whom is the ignorance. The ego arises when you wake up from sleep. In deep sleep you do not say that you are sleeping and that you are going to wake up or that you have been sleeping so long. But still you are there. Only when you are awake you say that you have slept. Your wakefulness comprises sleep also in it. Realise your pure Be-ing. Let there be no confusion with the body. The body is the result of thoughts. The thoughts will play as usual, but you will not be affected. You were not concerned with the body when asleep; so you can always remain.
伊卡納特·饒先生問：如何把這樣的修行和世俗生活中必需的賺錢工作相調和呢？
尊者：事業不會造成任何束縛。束縛只是一個虛假的概念。放開“我是做者”這樣的念頭，不去幹擾身體和感官，讓它們各司其職吧。
Mr. Ekanatha Rao: How can anyone reconcile such activity with the wage-earning which is a necessity for worldly people?
M.: Actions form no bondage. Bondage is only the false notion. “I am the doer.” Leave off such thoughts and let the body
出自《馬哈希對話錄》Talks with Ramana Maharshi ，妙高峯上翻譯