发表于2025年9月7日2025年9月7日作者管理员

My Spiritual Glasses

2024-03-17 heyumapati Hare Krishna

调皮的奎师那拿着一块糖

Mayapur. I walk out of the ISKON compound on to the main road. I close my eyes and massage them for a few seconds to soothe them. They are allergic to something in Mayapur.
玛雅普。我走出 ISKCON 大院，步入主路。我闭上双眼轻轻揉搓了几下，以舒缓它们的不适。它们对玛雅普的某些东西过敏。

I hail a ricksha. Haggle with the driver over the fare. Then drive north for about twenty minutes till I come to the Chaitanya Math, an institution composed of a few buildings decorated in colorful Bengali style. I go inside.
我叫了一辆人力车。跟司机讨价还价了一番后，朝北大概行驶 20 分钟，到了柴坦尼亚·玛特（Chaitanaya Math），这是一所由几栋色彩斑斓的孟加拉风格装饰的建筑组成的机构。我走了进去。

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the spiritual master of my own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, founded the Chaitanya Math in 1918. He left this world in December of 1936.
施瑞拉·巴克提希丹塔·萨茹阿斯瓦提·勾斯瓦米·玛哈茹阿佳——我自己的灵性导师施瑞拉·帕布帕德的灵性导师——在 1918 年创立了柴坦尼亚·玛特。他于 1936 年 12 月离开了这个世界。

I amble into a room where I see Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s wheelchair and a pair of glasses. He had not actually used those glasses, a friend once told me. His disciples had the glasses made after his departure, with lenses ground according to the original prescription.
我缓步走进一个房间，那里摆放着施瑞拉·巴克提希丹塔的轮椅和一副眼镜。一个朋友曾经告诉我，他实际上并未用过那副眼镜。他的门徒是在他离世后，根据原始的验光单磨制了镜片。

I wonder, Did the great teacher really need glasses? Even without them he could see things that I cannot.
我在想，那位伟大的老师真的需要眼镜吗？即便没有它们，他也能看到我所看不到的事物。

I close my eyes and soothe them with my hand. “Allergic conjunctivitis,” the doctor had told me.
我闭上眼睛，用手轻抚它们。医生告诉我是“过敏性结膜炎”。

“Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati could see the spiritual world,” I think, “ but I cannot. I’m the one who needs glasses. But what kind of glasses?”
我想，“巴克提希丹塔·萨茹阿斯瓦提能够看到灵性世界，但我不能。我是那个需要眼镜的人。但是什么样的眼镜呢？”

Wait. I’ll ask Sri Brahma, the builder of our universe. The name “Brahma” means “the greatest,” and many people mistake him for the Supreme Lord. But Brahma knows better. He admits that someone else surpasses him.
等等。我要问问我们宇宙的创造者施瑞·布茹阿玛（Sri Brahma）。布茹阿玛意为最伟大的，很多人误把他当成至尊主。但布茹阿玛很清楚。他承认有一个人超越他之上。

How can I see that greater person? What I need, says Brahma, is not glasses but ointment:
我怎样才能看到那个更伟大的人物呢？布茹阿玛说，我需要的不是眼镜，而是爱膏：

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Syamasundara, Krishna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love. (Brahma Samhita 5.38)
我崇拜原始的主勾文达（Govinda），祂是有着无数不可思议属性的夏玛逊达尔（Syamasundara）——奎师那本人。纯粹的奉献者在他们的内心深处用涂有爱膏的眼睛看到了这个形象（《布茹阿玛·萨米塔》5.38）

It sounds easy enough, but where will I find that salve of love? Not at Walmart. Not at an Indian market. Not at the eye doctor’s. Where then?
这听起来似乎很简单，但我去哪里才可以找到爱的药膏呢？沃尔玛没有。印度超市没有。眼科医生那里也没有。那又该去哪里找呢？

My eyes itch. I rub them.
我的眼睛很痒。我揉了揉它们。

Well if I can’t find Brahma’s solution, maybe I should go directly to Lord Krishna. It’s worth a try. I open my Bhagavad-Gita As It Is.
好吧，如果我找不到布茹阿玛的解决方案，也许我应该直接去找主奎师那。值得一试。我打开我的《博伽梵歌原意》。

First, Krishna tells Arjuna about what won’t work. So I won’t try these:
首先，奎师那告诉阿尔诸纳（Arjuna）什么是行不通的。所以我不会尝试这些：

The form you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am. (11.53)
你以超然的眼睛看到的形体，仅仅是研习《韦达经》，进行严格的苦修、布施或崇拜，都是不能理解的。靠这些方式并不能看到我的原样。（《博伽梵歌》11.53）

Now Krishna doesn’t say that I should not study the scriptures or perform austerities. But I must consider another element. I read on:
那么奎师那并没有说我不应该学习经典或进行苦行。但我必须考虑另一因素。我继续往下读：

My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.(11.54)
我亲爱的阿尔诸纳，只有通过专一的奉献服务才能按我的真实面貌了解我，我就站在你面前，如此，便能直接看到我。只有这样，你才能进入领悟我的奥秘之中。（《博伽梵歌》11.54）

Devotional service? Yes.
奉爱服务？是的。

I have read about the great souls who attained Krishna through devotional service. But could I ever do what they did?
我读到过那些通过奉爱服务达到奎师那的伟大灵魂的故事。但我能做到他们所做的吗？

King Pariksit attained perfection by the service known as sravanam, hearing about Krishna. He cast aside his royal robes for a loincloth, then sat on the bank of the River Yamuna, and listened to Srimad Bhagavatam for seven days and nights without stopping.
帕瑞克西特（Pariksit）王通过被称为刷瓦纳（sravanam）的服务——聆听奎师那——达到完美。他放弃了王袍，换上了缠腰布，然后坐在雅沐那河岸边，连续七天七夜不停地聆听《施瑞玛德·巴嘎瓦谭》。

Sukadeva Goswami left home at the age of seventeen to live in the forest as an ascetic. He attained perfection by reciting Srimad Bhagavatam while King Pariksit listened.
苏卡戴瓦·勾斯瓦米（Sukadeva Goswami）十七岁的时候离开家，在森林里过着苦行僧的生活。他通过给帕瑞克西特王讲述《施瑞玛德·巴嘎瓦谭》达到了完美。

Could I follow either one of them? I can’t even make it through the day without my afternoon nap.
我能追随他们中的任何一个吗？我甚至无法在没有午睡的情况下度过一天。

Prahlad Maharaj, a boy of just five, meditated constantly on Krishna even while his demonic father threw him under the feet of an elephant, threw him off a cliff, and surrounded him with deadly snakes.
帕拉德·玛哈茹阿哲（Prahlad Maharaj），一个只有五岁的小男孩，尽管他的恶魔父亲把他扔到大象的脚下，把他推下悬崖，并让致命的蛇包围他，他也不断地冥想奎师那。

Me? As soon as I have the littlest problem, my mind forgets Krishna and turns to thoughts of sense gratification.
我呢？一旦我遇到一小点问题，我的心意就会马上忘记奎师那，开始冥想感官享乐。

What hope do I have? Will I ever find my glasses?
我还有什么希望呢？我能找到我的眼镜吗？

Wait. I have an idea.Let me go earlier in the Bhagavad-Gita, where Krishna tells me where to look:
等等。我有个想法。让我回到《博伽梵歌》的前面，奎师那告诉我去哪里寻找：

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)
努力臣服灵性导师学习真理，询以疑难，全然顺从，而且为他服务。自觉的灵魂，因看见了真理，故能授你以知识。（《博伽梵歌》4.34）

Well if I ain’t a dumbbell! I should have gone to Srila Prabhupada first.
我这么笨！我应该先去找施瑞拉·帕布帕德。

Prabhupada writes:
帕布帕德写到：

My spiritual master used to say, ‘The spiritual master is the transparent medium.’ For example, I can see the letters of this book very nicely through these transparent eyeglasses, without which I cannot see because my eyes are defective.
我的灵性导师曾经说过，“灵性导师是透明的媒介。”比如，我可以透过这副透明的眼镜非常清楚的看到这本书上的字，没有它我就看不清，因为我的眼睛有缺陷。

Similarly, our senses are all defective. We cannot see God with these eyes, we cannot hear Hare Krishna with these ears, we cannot do anything without the medium of the spiritual master.
同样地，我们的感官有缺陷。我们用这双眼睛看不到神，用这对耳朵听不见哈瑞·奎师那，没有灵性导师的透明媒介我们什么都做不成。

Just as a defective eye cannot see without the medium of spectacles, so one cannot approach the Supreme Lord without the transparent medium of the spiritual master. ‘Transparent’ means that the medium must be free of contamination. If it is transparent, one can see through it. (Science of Self Realization, 8)
正像有缺陷的眼睛不通过眼镜的透明媒介便看不清，人没有灵性导师的透明媒介也无法接近至尊主。“透明”的意思是媒介必须不受污染。如果它是透明的，别人就能通过它看清楚。（《觉悟自我的科学》8）

Now I know. My glasses have come to me as Srila Prabhupada.
现在我知道了。我的眼镜已经来到了我身边，就是施瑞拉·帕布帕德。

Hmm… Funny…My eyes don’t hurt anymore either.
嗯…很奇怪…我的眼睛也不疼了。

⁓Umapati Swami, March 17, 2024
~乌玛帕提·斯瓦米，2024 年 3 月 17 日

Eternally touching my head to the floor at the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, for showing me this.
永恒地顶拜我的灵性导师施瑞拉·帕布帕德的莲花足，他向我展示了这一切。

NOTES:

My thanks to my godbrother and friend Yogesvara Das for suggesting that I write an article about glasses.
感谢我的灵性兄弟和朋友 Yogesvara Das 建议我写一篇关于眼镜的文章。

The opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any organization or any other person.
本文表达的观点仅为我个人的观点，并不一定反映任何组织或者任何人的意见。

Photo top: Naughty Krishna holding a piece of candy (Jishnu Das)

Write to me: hoswami@yahoo.com

Srila Prabhupada

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the teacher who brought Krishna Consciousness from India to the West and then to the rest of the world. He is the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement as well as the author and compiler of many works of Vedic knowledge. He left this world in 1977.

Umapati Swami

One of the first American devotees of the Hare Krishna Movement, he became Srila Prabhupada’s disciple in 1966. Since then, he has preached Krishna Consciousness in many countries and is the author of “My Days with Prabhupada,” available from Amazon. Now 86 years old, he has started this blog to share what he has learned.