And Now, And Here-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



americans　are　showing　interest　in　meditation　because　they　have　lost　sleep。

they　think　that　perhaps　meditation　may　bring　their　sleep　back；　that　it　may　bring　some　peace　into　their　lives。

thats　why　they　look　upon　meditation　as　nothing　more　than　a　tranquilizer。

when　vivekananda　first　introduced　meditation　in　america；　a　physician　came　to　him　and　said；　〃i　enjoyed　your　meditation　immensely。

it　is　absolutely　a　non…medicinal　tranquilizer。

its　not　a　medicine　and　yet　it　puts　one　to　sleep　……　its　great。

〃　yogis　are　not　the　reason　their　influence　is　growing　so　much　in　america　……　the　lack　of　sleep　is　the　real　cause。

their　sleep　is　in　a　mess；　and　consequently　life　in　america　is　filled　with　heaviness；　depression；　tension。

so　in　america　we　see　the　growing　need　for　tranquilizers　……　somehow；　to　bring　sleep　to　people。

every　year；　millions　of　dollars　are　being　spent　on　tranquilizers　in　america。

ten　big　laboratories　are　conducting　research　on　thousands　of　people　who　are　being　paid　to　undergo　nights　of　rather　unfortable；　painful　sleep。

all　kinds　of　electrodes　and　thousands　of　wires　are　attached　to　peoples　bodies；　and　they　are　examined　from　all　angles　to　find　out　what　is　happening　inside　them。

one　incredible　discovery　these　experiments　have　revealed　is　that　man　dreams　almost　the　whole　night。

waking　up；　some　people　said　they　didnt　dream；　while　some　said　they　did。

but　in　fact；　all　of　them　dreamt。

the　only　difference　was　that　those　with　better　memories　remembered　dreaming；　while　those　with　weaker　memories　could　not　recall　dreaming。

it　was　found；　however；　that　a　pletely　healthy　person　was　able　to　slip　into　a　deep；　dreamless　sleep　for　ten　minutes。

dreams　can　be　scanned　through　machines。

nerves　in　the　brain　remain　active　during　our　dreaming　state；　but　as　the　dream　stops；　the　nerves　cease　to　be　active　as　well；　and　the　machine　indicates　a　gap　has　occurred。

the　gap　shows　that　at　that　time　the　man　was　neither　dreaming　nor　thinking　……　he　was　lost　somewhere。

it　is　interesting　that　the　machines　keep　recording　movement　inside　the　man　while　he　is　in　the　dreaming　state；　but　as　soon　as　he　falls　into　dreamless　sleep；　the　machine　shows　a　gap。

they　dont　know　where　the　man　disappeared　in　that　gap。

so　dreamless　sleep　means　the　man　has　reached　a　place　beyond　the　machines　range。

it　is　in　this　gap　that　man　enters　the　divine。

the　machine　is　unable　to　detect　this　space　in　between；　this　gap。

the　machine　records　the　internal　activity　as　long　as　the　man　is　dreaming　……　then　es　the　gap　and　the　man　disappears　somewhere。

and　then；　after　ten　minutes；　the　machine　starts　recording　again。

it　is　difficult　to　say　where　the　man　was　during　that　ten…minute　interval。

american　psychologists　are　very　intrigued　by　this　gap；　hence　they　consider　sleep　the　biggest　mystery。

the　fact　is　that　next　to　god；　sleep　is　the　only　mystery。

there　is　no　other　mystery。

you　sleep　every　day；　yet　you　have　no　idea　what　sleep　is。

a　man　sleeps　all　through　his　life；　and　yet　nothing　changes　……　he　knows　nothing　about　sleep。

the　reason　you　dont　know　anything　about　sleep　is　that　when　sleep　is　there；　you　are　not。

remember；　you　are　only　as　long　as　sleep　is　not。

and　so；　you　e　to　know　only　as　much　as　the　machine　knows。

just　as　in　the　face　of　the　gap　the　machine　stops　and　is　unable　to　reach　where　the　man　has　been　transported；　you　cannot　reach　there　either　……　because　you　are　no　more　than　a　machine　as　well。

since　you　do　not　e　across　that　gap　either；　sleep　remains　a　mystery；　it　remains　beyond　your　reach。

this　is　so　because　a　man　falls　into　wakeless　sleep　only　when　he　ceases　to　exist　in　his　〃i…am…ness。

〃　and　therefore；　as　the　ego　keeps　growing；　sleep　bees　less　and　less。

an　egoistic　person　loses　his　capacity　to　sleep　because　his　ego；　the　i；　keeps　asserting　itself　twenty…four　hours　a　day。

it　is　the　i　that　wakes　up；　the　same　i　that　walks　on　the　street。

the　i　remains　so　present　the　entire　twenty…four　hours　that　at　the　moment　of　falling　asleep；　when　the　time　approaches　to　drop　the　i；　one　is　unable　to　get　rid　of　it。

obviously；　it　bees　difficult　to　fall　asleep。

as　long　as　the　i　exists；　sleep　is　impossible。

and；　as　i　told　you　yesterday；　as　long　as　the　i　exists；　entering　into　god　is　impossible。

entering　into　sleep　and　entering　into　god　are　exactly　one　and　the　same　thing；　the　only　difference　is　that　through　sleep　one　enters　into　god　in　an　unconscious　state；　while　through　meditation　one　enters　into　god　in　a　conscious　state。

but　this　is　a　very　big　difference。

you　may　enter　god　through　sleep　for　thousands　of　lives；　yet　you　will　never　e　to　know　god。

but　if；　even　for　a　moment；　you　enter　meditation　you　will　have　reached　the　same　place　you　have　reached　in　deep　sleep　for　thousands　and　millions　of　lives　……　although　always　in　an　unconscious　state　……　and　it　will　transform　your　life　totally。

the　interesting　thing　is　that　once　a　person　enters　meditation；　enters　that　emptiness　where　deep　sleep　takes　him；　he　never　remains　unconscious　……　even　when　he　is　asleep。

when　krishna　says　in　the　gita　that　the　yogi　stays　awake　when　everyone　else　is　asleep；　he　does　not　mean　the　yogi　never　sleeps　at　all。

in　fact；　no　one　sleeps　as　beautifully　as　a　yogi　does。

but　even　in　his　deepest　sleep；　that　element　in　him　which　has　entered　into　meditation　remains　awake。

and　every　night　the　yogi　enters　sleep　in　this　awakened　state。

then　for　him　meditation　and　sleep　bee　one　and　the　same　thing　……　no　difference　between　the　two　remains。

then　he　always　enters　sleep　in　full　consciousness。

once　a　person　moves　within　himself　through　meditation；　he　can　never　be　in　an　unconscious　state　in　his　sleep。

ananda　lived　with　buddha　for　many　years。

for　years　he　slept　near　buddha。

one　morning　he　asked　buddha；　〃for　years　i　have　been　watching　you　sleep。

not　once　do　you　ever　change　sides；　you　sleep　the　whole　night　in　the　same　position。

your　limbs　stay　where　they　were　when　you　lay　down　at　night；　there　is　not　the　slightest　movement。

many　times　i　have　got　up　at　night　to　check　whether　you　have　moved。

i　have　stayed　up　nights　watching　you　……　your　hands；　your　feet；　rest　in　the　same　position；　you　never　ever　change　sides。

do　you　keep　some　kind　of　a　record　of　your　sleep　the　whole　night？〃　

〃i　dont　need　to　keep　any　record；〃　buddha　replied。

〃i　sleep　in　a　conscious　state；　so　i　find　no　need　to　change　sides。

i　can　if　i　want　to。

turning　from　one　side　to　another　is　not　a　requirement　of　sleep；　its　a　requirement　of　your　restless　mind。

〃　a　restless　mind　cannot　even　rest　in　one　place　for　a　single　night；　let　alone　during　the　day。

even　sleeping　at　night；　the　whole　time　the　body　shows　its　restlessness。

if　you　watch　a　person　asleep　at　night；　you　will　see　he　is　continuously　restless　the　whole　time。

you　will　find　him　moving　his　hands　in　much　the　same　way　he　does　when　he　is　awake　during　the　day。

in　his　dream　at　night；　you　will　find　him　running　and　panting　in　much　the　same　way　it　happens　with　someone　during　the　day　……　he　feels　out　of　breath；　tired。

at　night；　in　dreams；　he　fights　in　much　the　same　way　he　fights　during　the　day。

he　is　as　angry　at　night　as　he　is　during　the　day。

he　is　filled　with　passion　during　the　day；　at　night　as　well。

there　is　no　fundamental　difference　between　the　day　and　the　night　of　such　a　person；　except　that　at　night　he　lies　down　exhausted；　unconscious；　everything　else　continues　to　function　as　usual。

so　buddha　said；　〃i　can　change　sides　if　i　want　to；　but　there　is　no　need。

〃　

but　we　dont　realize

a　man　sitting　in　a　chair　keeps　jiggling　his　legs。

ask　him：　〃why　are　your　legs　jiggling　like　that？　its　understandable　if　they　move　when　you　walk；　but　why　are　they　moving　when　you　are　sitting　in　a　chair？〃　no　sooner　do　you　say　this　than　the　man　will　stop　immediately。

then　he　wont　even　move　for　a　second；　but　he　will　have　no　explanation　as　to　why　he　was　doing　it。

it　shows　how　the　restlessness　within　causes　agitation　in　the　entire　body。

inside　is　the　restless　mind；　it　cannot　be　still；　in　one　position；　even　for　a　moment。

it　will　keep　the　whole　body　fidgeting　……　the　legs　will　move；　the　head　will　shake；　even　sitting；　the　body　will　change　sides。

thats　why；　even　for　ten　minutes；　you　find　it　so　difficult　to　sit　still　in　meditation。

and　from　a　thousand　different　spots　the　body　urges　you　to　twitch　and　turn。

we　do　not　notice　this　until　we　sit　with　awareness　in　meditation。

we　realize　then　what　sort　of　a　body　this　is；　it　doesnt　want　to　remain　still　in　one　position　even　for　a　second。

the　confusion；　the　tension；　and　the　excitement　of　the　mind　stir　up　the　entire　body。

for　about　ten　minutes　everything　disappears　in　wakeless　sleep　……　although　these　ten　minutes　are　available　only　to　one　who　is　pletely　healthy　and　peaceful；　not　to　everyone。

others　get　this　kind　of　sleep　anywhere　from　one　to　five　minutes；　most　people　get　only　two；　or　one　minute　of　deep　sleep。

the　little　juice　we　receive　in　that　one　minute　of　reaching　to　the　source　of　life；　we　apply　to　making　our　next　twenty…four　hours　work。

whatever　little　amount　of　oil　the　lamp　receives　in　that　short　period；　we　utilize　it　to　carry　on　our　lives　for　a　full　twenty…four　hours。

the　lamp　of　ones　life　burns　on　whatsoever　amount　of　oil　it