BREATHING EXERCISES
呼吸的练习
(1) There has been a great deal of nonsense talked and taught about the science of breath. Many groups give a great deal of dangerous instruction anent breathing – dangerous because it is based on book knowledge, and its exponents have never practised it extensively themselves, and dangerous because many groups simply exploit the unready, usually for commercial gain. Fortunately for the mass of aspirants, the information and the instruction given, are both feeble, inaccurate and frequently innocuous, though there are many cases of significantly bad reaction; fortunately also, the purpose of the average aspirant is so weak that he is incapable of persistent, [Page 34]daily, unchanging compliance with the requirements, and fails to render that application which would be the guarantee of a dubious success; hence, in these cases, no danger exists. Many occult groups exploit the subject, in order to build up mystery, and to hold out inducements to the unwary, or give their adherents something to do, and thus gain kudos for themselves as learned and well-trained occultists. Anyone can teach breathing exercises. It is largely a matter of periodic in-breathing and exhalation, timed and spaced according to the wish of the teacher. Where there is persistence in effort, results will be achieved, and these will usually be undesirable, because the average teacher emphasises the technique of the breath, and not the ideas which – upon the energy which that breath engenders – should take form in the life of the disciple.
有关呼吸的科学，有太多无意义的内容。许多团体给了很多有关呼吸的危险指导 —— 危险是因为它是基于书本的知识，而这些指导的倡导者自己从未完全地进行实践；危险也是因为很多团体利用了那些未准备好的人，通常来说出于商业的利益。幸运的是，对于大量的有志者来说，那些信息和指引常常是效果微弱、不准确、无害的，尽管也有很多情况下出现了非常糟糕的状况；幸运的还有，一般寻求者的决心很弱，他无法持续地遵守那些日常不变的要求，不能成功地通过对他的测试；因此，在这些状况中不存在危险。很多秘法团体会利用这个主题，以建立神秘感，诱惑那些不设防的人，或者是让他们的追随者有事可做，这样就为自己的博学和训练有素赢得美名。每个人都可以教导呼吸的练习。它主要是周期性的吸气和呼气，根据老师的意愿设定时间和间隔。只要坚持不懈地努力，就会取得成果，而这些通常来说并不受欢迎。因为一般的老师会强调呼吸的技巧，而不是注重呼吸时的能量孕育的想法，这些能量应该在弟子的生活中表达出来。
The entire science of the breath is built around the use of the Sacred Word, the OM. The use of the Word is intended to be confined to those aspirants who are earnestly pledged to tread the Way, but it has been passed on, and its use enjoined by many unscrupulous teachers, particularly those swamis who come from India, pose as Holy Men, and get silly women of the Occident into their clutches. The Word is then used with no spiritual intent, but simply as a sound which, carried on the breath, produces psychic results, which indicate to the gullible their deep spirituality. The trouble is that breathing is inevitably related to the OM, but the effects are dependent upon motive and inner fixed intention. (10 – 253/4).
有关呼吸的整个学科，都是围绕着使用神圣的词语OM建立的。圣音的使用仅限于那些坚定执著、誓要踏上神圣道路的有志者，不过它的使用被传承了下来，许多不谨慎的老师也喜欢使用它，尤其是那些来自印度的宗教偶像，他们摆出圣人的姿态，让那些西方的愚蠢女性进入他们的圈套。他们在使用这个词时，没有任何灵性的意味，只作为一种圣音的表达，通过呼吸来产生一些心理上的结果，向那些容易上当的人展现自己深厚的灵性修养。问题在于，呼吸的确与OM有着密不可分的关系，但是效果取决于动机，和内在的确切意图。
(2) The right use of the Life-Breath is the whole art at which the aspirant, the disciple, and the initiate work, bearing in mind, however, that the science of the physical breath is the least important aspect, and follows sequentially upon the right use of energy, which is the word we apply to the divine breath of life. (4 – 152).
正确地使用生命-呼吸是寻求者、弟子和启蒙者工作的全部艺术所在。但是要记住，物质层面的呼吸科学是最不重要的面向，之后应该遵循的是能量正确的使用，这是我们用来形容神圣生命气息的词汇。
(3) No breathing exercises can be safely used where there is no attempt to impose rhythm upon the life of every day. The two activities must go hand in hand. . . . Let no one doubt the effect of breathing exercises upon the vital body. As surely as eating and drinking build or destroy the physical body, and aid or hinder its right functioning, so do breathing exercises produce potent effects, if rightly used over a long period of time. (4 – 206/7).
如果每天的日常生活中没有规律，那么就不能安全地进行呼吸练习。这两项内容必须同时进行……不要去怀疑呼吸的练习对以太体（能量体）的影响。就像饮食会建立或者破坏物质身体，帮助或者阻碍其正常的运作那样，如果正确地长时间练习呼吸一段时间，就会产生有效的结果。
(4) The only factor which makes the breath effective, is the thought, the intent and the purpose which lies behind it. In this statement, you have the clue to dynamic, useful breathing exercises. Unless there is a clear appreciation of purpose, unless the disciple knows just what he is doing as he practices esoteric breathing, and unless the significance of the words “energy [Page 35] follows thought” is
understood, breathing exercises are sheer waste of time, and can be dangerous. From this it can be gathered that only when there is an alliance between breathing and thinking, will results be possible.
让呼吸变得有效力的唯一因素是其背后的思想、意图和目的。在这个陈述中，你可以一睹动态的 、有效的呼吸练习的线索所在。除非对目的有着明确的认知，除非弟子在练习秘法呼吸时确切地知道自己在做什么，除非“能量跟随想法流动”这句话的重要性被理解，否则呼吸的练习是纯粹的浪费时间，而且可能有危险的后果。由此可见，只有呼吸与思想结合，才能产生必要的结果。
Behind this lies a third and even more important factor – the will. Therefore, the only person who can safely and usefully practice breathing exercises, is the man whose will is active – his spiritual will and, therefore, the will of the Spiritual Triad. (10 – 255/6).
在这之后暗含着第三个更加重要的因素 —— 意志。因此，唯一可以安全地练习呼吸技巧的人，是意志活跃的人 —— 他的灵性意志，也就是他灵性三位一体中的意志。
(5) That breathing exercises may eventually find a place in the training of the disciple, is true and possible, but they will be self-initiated as a result of rhythmic living, and a constant right use of the Sacred Word, the O M. (10 – 262).
呼吸的练习最终会在弟子的训练中占有一席之地，这是真实且可能发生的，作为有节律的生活，以及持续地正确使用圣音OM的结果，弟子会完成自我启蒙。
(6) Breathing exercises or pranayama training should never be undertaken without expert guidance, and only after years of spiritual application, devotion, and service. (13 – 18).
呼吸的练习，或者说，调息训练，不应该在没有专家的指导下进行，并且必须经过多年的灵性训练、奉献和服务。
