虔诚向道，就得过自我惩戒的生活吗？清心寡欲，就表明你已觉悟吗？自我折磨，是通向真谛之路吗？心灵纯洁，就得克制欲望吗？禁欲苦行，这条路能走很远吗？冲突手段，能带来宁静吗？手段不是远比目标更重要吗？

目标或许在远方，但手段是当下实实在在的。我们必须如实领会现实真相，而不运是用定论、空想和狡黠的辩白，来掩盖真相。痛苦，绝非通向幸福之路。所谓情欲，我们必须去领会，而不是压抑或拔高它；而另寻他物来替代它，也非良策；只要情欲还没有被爱、被理解，则无论你做什么，无论你想出什么花招，都只是在强化它。用心去爱那情欲，就等于领会情欲。爱，即心心交融；如果心怀怨气，或抱定某种成见、定论，你就绝没有爱。如果你发下誓愿，去打压情欲，又怎能用心爱并领悟情欲呢？发愿，是一种抗拒；而你无论抗拒什么，最终它必定会击败你。真相不是等你征服的，你不能向它发起猛烈攻势；如果你想抓住真相，它反而从你手上溜走了。唯在宁静中，真相轻轻地来，你不知不觉；凡你所认知到的，都不是真相，那只是见解、信条（symbol）而已，因为幻影绝非实相。

——克里希那穆提《生命书：365观心日课》（The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti）

译按：symbol，在宗教领域专指教义、信条，见《21世纪大英汉词典》及陆谷孙《英汉大字典》，韦氏英语词典释义：an authoritative summary of faith or doctrine, creed.

Understanding Passion

Is it a religious life to punish oneself? Is mortification of the body or of the mind a sign of understanding? Is self-torture a way to reality? Is chastity denial? Do you think you can go far through renunciation? Do you really think there can be peace through conflict? Does not the means matter infinitely more than the end?

The end may be, but the means is. The actual, the what is, must be understood and not smothered by determinations, ideals, and clever rationalizations. Sorrow is not the way of happiness. The thing called passion has to be understood and not suppressed or sublimated, and it is no good finding a substitute for it. Whatever you may do, any device that you invent, will only strengthen that which has not been loved and understood. To love what we call passion is to understand it. To love is to be in direct communion; and you cannot love something if you resent it, if you have ideas, conclusions about it. How can you love and understand passion if you have taken a vow against it? A vow is a form of resistance, and what you resist ultimately conquers you. Truth is not to be conquered; you cannot storm it; it will slip through your hands if you try to grasp it. Truth comes silently, without your knowing. What you know is not truth, it is only an idea, a symbol. The shadow is not the real.

APRIL 20