這是一個介紹自然之道給中華民族的編輯工作

一切尚在草稿階段, 歡迎討論.

謝謝

2. Background

Sahaj Marg originated in India.  Some understanding of Indian culture is essential to appreciate the beauty of Sahaj Marg. However Indian culture is both very beautiful and very complex.  It is not practical for everyone to understand Indian culture in depth. The purpose of this chapter is to provide sufficient information for readers to appreciate the latter chapters.

God

Many of us might not like to discuss this topic. Some of us might not like to even mention the word God. But it is quite impractical for spirituality without God. According to India sacred scriptures, God is beyond senses and mind cannot grasp it. God is unknowable. Do not be frustrated yet. Master Babuji of Sahaj Marg said: “God cannot be known, but can be experienced.” So God is beyond knowledge but not beyond experience. The concept of God is in almost every culture. Some estimated that there are over 2000 different names for God. In this book God, Ultimate, Center, Nature, Self and Bradman mean the same thing. They are essential the same as Tao and Buddha in Chinese culture. Sahaj Marg believes that God exists in our own hearts. We do not have to search God in the jungles, temples or even in sacred scriptures. We stand much better chances to find Him in deep of our hearts.

Samkhya

Samkhya is one of the six schools of classical India philosophy. Sage Kapila is traditionally considered to be the founder of the Samkhya School. Sahaj Marg is one kind of Raja Yoga and Raja Yoga is based on Samkhya philosophy.

Soul

Originally soul and God and are one. When soul develops its identity (ego), it starts to separate itself from God. The identity marks the beginning of individual soul. Soul is also called Self in Indian scriptures. According to Samkhya philosophy, only God and soul are non-material everything else is material. From ego, buddhi, mind, senses to physical body are all considered material. God and soul have no birth and no death. They are the only conscious beings. Even buddhi, mind and senses are considered unconscious. It seems against common senses and everyday experiences. My eyes see consciously flowers and trees. My ears hear consciously music and speeches. My mind consciously figures out problems and makes decisions. Why they are considered unconscious? We know that moon does not have its own light; it reflects the light of sun. So it appears that moon has light. It is the same thing about eyes, ears and mind. They appear conscious only because they reflect the consciousness of soul.

Origin of Everything

It seems overly ambitious and arrogant to even mention about this topic. But ancient Indian did offer their answer to this grand question.

According to Samkhya philosophy, when soul entered primordial matter, the soul triggered the evolution of primordial matter.  From primordial matter emerges buddhi. This is the subtlest form of mental activity, and the source of will.  From buddhi evolves ahamkara, the "I-maker", which is the source of the sense of ego or individual identity. From ahamkara there is a four-fold unfolding into mind, sense organs, the organs of action, and the subtle elements. These latter are the source from which evolve the five gross elements of the material world. Five gross elements are earth, water, fire, air, ether. The ‘ten thousand things’ are made of the five gross elements.

Raja Yoga

Raja means king. Raja Yoga is king among yogas. Raja Yoga is the only way to achieve the highest goal there is no other ways. Raja Yoga is yoga of mind. Why mind? Indian rishis claimed that the power of human mind is unlimited. Mind has the identical power as that of God’s original thought. One of Master Babuji’s basic teachings is that everything originates in the mind. Nothing originates from the physical system. What is born in the mind as an idea becomes a thought; what emerges as a thought goes further to end in activity. Activity gives us feedback information and the whole process is repeated again and again. So raja yoga directs work on the point of origin, the mind.

Heart and Mind

The difference between heart and mind is a very difficult one, especially in Chinese culture. Chinese character does not even have precise words for them.  The mind is referred to combined activities of human brain. It involves manipulation of symbols and reasoning.  The heart is much trickier to explain. The heart is not the physical heart which pumps blood. The heart does not need reasoning; it just knows. It is best to know what heart is by experience rather than through intellectual reasoning.  How can I get the experience? If you practice Sahaj Marg sincerely, it will come.

samskaras, rebirth and bondage

Every action leaves an impression, however small it is, in the subconscious. This impression is called samskaras.  It is very important to know that action here does not means physical action only.  It includes mental activities. Mental activities are far more numerous and important than physical activities that cause samskaras. 

The action is the cause and samskaras is the effect. Later on when condition is right, samskaras reactivated and causes an action. The action also leaves an impression in the subconcious. This time samskaras is the cause of first action and effect of second action; and action is the effect of first samskaras and cause of second samskaras. This process goes on in circle forever until liberation comes. Rebirth is that when the material body dies, the soul casts out the body and seeks another new body. The soul gets out of old body carries samscaras with it. The next body the soul enters is dependent on the samscaras it carries with. Samscaras not only affect the process of rebirth. It also decides the tendency or characteristics of individuals. The more samscaras the soul has the tighter the bondage is. In order to achieve liberation or higher the removal of samscaras is a must. One of the most important reasons for the highly effectiveness of Sahaj Marg is that its Masters help abhyasi the very removal of samscaras by pranahuti. Pranahuti is a yogic transmission technique. It is used by yogis several thousand years back and rediscovered by Master Lalaji of Sahaj Marg. Without the help of Pranahuti it will be difficult, if not impossible, to reach higher stages of spirituality. However, liberation is not the goal of Sahaj Marg. The goal of Sahaj Marg is God-realization or Self-realization which is much higher than liberation.

Why spirituality

Many of us might wonder why people go to church or temple.  Why not use that time and efforts to make more money to improve material life? Why some of us become monks or nuns?  Why not enjoy life have party have fun? Why choose to have such hard and bored life? Individual soul has strong desire to merge with its origin, God. This is the reason why some of us pursue religion, spirituality and even realization.

Self-realization and God-realization

Self-realization is the same as God-realization. Why is that? In microcosm, human body, we start from grosser physical body to finer and finer up to soul. In macrocosm, universe, we start from grosser material to finer and finer up to God. Originally soul is identical to God. This is the reason that Self-realization is God-realization and vice versa.  According to Chinese Taoism, microcosm is the same as macrocosm. Human body is a microcosm.

The danger of ‘Inner voice’

Master Babuji of Sahaji Marg offered a very good advice for people who follow their inner voice for guidance. Here is his advice:

The practice of seeking inspiration or guidance from gods and demi-gods or from some departed soul treating it as Guru or Master is in most cases very dangerous. Similar is the case with those also who seek guidance from their inner voice, as they call it. I have come across people who lay great stress upon their inner voice which they think to be the real guide in all controversial matters arising in the mind. Really what they think to be their inner voice or an impulse from the departed soul is only the play of their undisciplined mind. This undesirable practice, if followed for some time, makes the mind so much unduly powerful and over-active that it begins to question and answer by itself. This the people often misunderstand as a stage of Yogic attainment where one acquires the power to intercommune with departed souls. They are really far away from it. The inner voice or the voice of the real self is no doubt never misleading, but how many there are who are advanced enough to catch it. To most of those who profess to follow the inner voice it is quite inaudible. They are merely befooled by the wonder-working tendencies of the mind which can create anything and everything by itself. It can even present fearful ghosts to their view or make them hear strange voices in trees and stones. This is all due to the activities of the mind in its indisciplined and polluted state. Unless the mind is brought to a state of perfect poise and moderation, inspiration or guidance from the inner voice is meaningless. Most of those who pose to follow the inner voice or seek guidance from a departed soul are really following the dictates of their own unregulated and indisciplined mind. It is mere hallucination. If we develop this vicious habit we are lost forever. It leads us to constant mental worry and harassment.

Bhagavad-Gita

The Bhagavad Gita("Song of God") is revered as sacred by Hindu traditions. Most Indian religions and spiritual sects recognized its authority. Sahaj Marg is no exception. Its masters quoted Bhagavad Gita in many of their speeches and books. The content of the text is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra just prior to the start of the Kurukshetra war. It begins with the Pandava prince Arjuna, as he becomes filled with doubt on the battlefield. Realizing that his enemies are his own relatives, beloved friends and revered teachers, he turns to his charioteer and guru, Lord Krishna, for advice. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and Prince and elaborates on different yogic philosophies, with examples and analogies.  Krishna is considered to be God in human form.

The war of Kurukshetra is a dynastic struggle between sibling clans of Kauravas and the Pandavas for the throne of Hastinapura in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of the rival clans. Kurukshetra is located in the modern state of Haryana in India. In the war prince Arjuna defeated and killed his close relatives- brothers, uncles, and teachers. In all, on Kauravas's side there were 1.1 million soldiers and 0.7 million on the side of Pandavas; total 1.8 million. The war lasted for 18 days. Except for Lord Krishna, five Pandavas, Draupadi and a few others everyone was killed in this Great War of Kurukshetra. It was the worst human carnage ever witnessed on the earth.