如是說999

On this Spot, Sadhguru gives us a deeper understanding on maybe the most fascinating of the five elements – fire! He not only explores the different forms of fire within the human system and their effects, but also cultural and even cosmic dimensions of fire. “Though among the five elements, fire accounts for the smallest proportion in the composition of the human body, its influence is tremendous.”

在这篇文章中，萨古鲁对可能是五大元素中最吸引人的元素 — 火元素进行了更深的讲解。他不仅讲解了火元素在人类系统中的不同形式和作用，还涉及了火元素的文化以至宇宙维度。“尽管在五大元素中，火元素在人体构成中所占比例最小，它的影响却是巨大的。”

Sadhguru:   In any society, just uttering the word “fire” loudly creates a lot of excitement. Fire is generally perceived as danger – which it is, if you do not handle it properly. Let us look at the elemental dimension of fire or agni – its manifestations, ways to conduct it, and above all, ways to master it. Though among the five elements, fire accounts for the smallest proportion in the composition of the human body, its influence is tremendous. In many ways, fire represents life. One major indicator for whether you are alive or dead is if the fire is still on in you, or if your body has gone cold. Life upon this planet is essentially solar-powered. You know, the Sun is a huge ball of fire that fuels life on this planet. Any machine, while it works, invariably generates heat because fundamentally, fire is the fuel. You may call it electricity, petrol, wood, coal, or whatever else, but essentially, it is fire that lets any machine run, including your body.

萨古鲁：在任何社会，仅仅是大声说出“火”这个词就可以产生很大的刺激。火通常被认为是危险的——它的确是，如果你处理不妥的话。让我们看看火或者阿格尼（Agni，印度火神）的元素维度——它的显化、使用方式、最重要的是掌控它的方法。尽管在五大元素中，火元素在人体构成中所占比例最小，它的影响却是巨大的。在很多方面，火代表了生命。你是活着还是死了的一个主要标志就是火元素是否还在你身上，或者说你的身体是否已经变凉。这个星球上的生命本质上是太阳能驱动的。你知道的，太阳就是个巨大的火球，给这个星球的生命提供燃料。任何机器，在它运作的时候，无一例外地产生热量，因为本质上来讲，燃料都来源于火。你也许会叫它电力、石油、木材、煤或者别的什么，但是本质上，是火让所有的机器运作，包括你的身体。

If you take charge of your bhutagni, you will have fundamental mastery over the process of life.

如果你掌控了你的火元素, 你就会对你的生命进程有根本的掌控。

In this culture, the element of fire is personified as Agni Deva, a two-faced god who rides on a fiery ram. The two faces are symbolic representations of fire as a life giver and a life taker. Without the fire burning within us, there is no life. But if you do not take care, fire can quickly go out of control and consume everything. When it burns our body, it is called cremation. Another aspect is we are using fire to cook, so that we can consume foods that otherwise may not be edible or palatable for us. There are many dimensions of fire, within and without. Let us look at the three forms of fire that burn within us. One is known as jatharagni. Jathara means stomach or digestive process. Without a little bit of fire in your belly, you cannot digest the food that you eat. Food is functioning as fuel that you need to break down in order to release the energy that you need. If the digestive fire is well-nourished and well-supplied with fuel, it also becomes reproductive fire. Both digestion and reproduction depend on jatharagni.

在这个（印度）文化中，火元素被人格化为阿格尼提婆，一位骑在燃烧着的公羊上的双面神。双面象征着火既是生命的给予者又是夺取者。如果我们体内没有火在燃烧，就不会有生命。但如果不小心，火会很快失去控制，毁灭一切。当火燃烧我们的身体，我们称之为火葬。另一方面我们用火来煮食，这样我们就可以食用那些如果不经烹饪就不能吃或不好吃的食物。火有很多维度，内在和外在的。让我们先了解在人体内燃烧的火的三种形式。第一种叫做jatharagni。Jathara的意思是胃或消化过程。你的肚子里如果没有一点点火，你将无法消化你吃下的食物。食物是起燃料的作用，你需要将燃料分解以释放出你需要的能量。如果消化之火营养充沛、燃料充足，它还能变成再生之火。消化和再生都依赖消化之火（jatharagni）。

The second kind of inner fire is called chitagni. It is the dimension of the mind and beyond. Chitta is a dimension of intelligence within you that transcends the limitations of the physical form. Your physical form is an outcome of your genetic and your karmic memory. By contrast, chitta is a dimension of intelligence that is untainted by memory. The fire of intelligence can manifest on many different levels, the first level of manifestation being the intellect. If we look at the different fires within you, only if your digestive fire is going well, the reproductive fire will come into the act. If you are not well-fed, the reproductive instincts will disappear. Similarly, if your chitagni is not reasonably fired, your intellect will become weak and ineffective. However, if your chitagni is fired up, it will manifest itself in the form of intellect – even if you are not in a state to consciously access other dimensions of intelligence.

第二种内在之火叫做chitagni—智能之火。它是属于头脑以及头脑之上更高的维度。Chitta是你体内可以超越物质形态局限的智能维度。你的物质形态是基因和业力记忆的结果。相比而言，Chitta是没有被记忆污染的智能维度。智能之火可以在不同的层面显现，第一层的表现是思维。如果我们观察自己体内不同的火，只有你的消化之火运行良好，再生之火才会启动。如果你没喂饱自己，再生的本能会消失。同样的，如果你的智能之火没有充分点燃，你的思维能力将变得虚弱和低效。然而，如果你的智能之火被点燃，它会以思维的形式显现——即便你尚未能够有意识地去获取其他维度的智能。

Especially for children, pregnant women, sick people, and for health in general, it is vital to have an oil lamp burning in your home.

对孩子、孕妇和病人来说，在家里点一盏油灯是至关重要的。这对健康也有益。

If your chitagni is burning bright, you will lose interest in food, sexuality, and other matters of the body. It is in this context that what is unfortunately being propagated as renunciation should actually be transcendence. The next dimension of fire is called bhutagni, the elemental fire. If your elemental fire is on, the circus of the body and mind will not make much sense to you. Your interest and focus will shift from the antics of the body and mind to a more fundamental aspect of creation – the source of life. If you take charge of jatharagni, you will have a healthy and robust body. If you take charge of your chitagni, you will have a mind that you can use in many ways. If you take charge of your bhutagni, you will have fundamental mastery over the process of life.

如果你的智能之火旺盛地燃烧，你将会失去对食物、性和其它身体层面的兴趣。这通常很不幸地被传为“出离”或”放弃”，但它实际上是种超越。火的下一个维度是bhutagni，元素之火。如果你的元素之火被点燃，身体和头脑的戏剧对你将失去意义。你的兴趣和注意力会从身体和头脑的滑稽转移到创造的更加根本的方面——生命之源。如果你掌管好消化之火，你会有个健康和强壮的身体。如果你掌管好了你的智能之火，你将拥有一个你可以多方面运用的头脑。如果你掌控了你的元素之火, 你会对生命进程有根本的掌控。

The boundaries of the body are very clear and limited. The boundaries of the mind are larger. For example, if you know something about another part of the world, it is within the boundaries of your mind. As your knowledge expands, your mental boundaries can expand. But if you become conscious of the dimension of bhutagni or the elemental fire, you will be a boundless being, because the play of elements is happening across the entire creation. Beyond this, there is something called sarvagni, because, according to modern science, the physical dimension of existence is less than five percent. That means if you know the entire physical dimension of the universe, you know only five percent of existence. Sarvagni touches the dimension where there are no elements, where there is no creation as you know it, or in other words, where there is no physical nature.

身体的边界是非常清晰和有限的。头脑的边界大一些。例如，如果你知道这个世界其他地方发生的事，这还是在你的头脑边界之内。随着你的知识的扩展，你头脑的边界可以扩展。但是如果你对元素之火的维度保有觉知，你将成为一个没有边界的存在，因为元素的游戏贯穿于整个创造。除此之外，还有sarvagni。根据现代科学，物理维度还不到整个存在的5%，所以这意味着如果你了解整个宇宙的物理维度，你也仅仅只了解存在的5%。sarvagni触及的维度那里没有元素，那里没有你所知的创造物，换句话说，那里没有物理性质。

Generally, a yogi who wants to access the nature of life will not interest himself in jatharagni, chitagni, and bhutagni. He will focus only on sarvagni, because this is the ultimate fire – but it is a cool fire. Jatharagni is a very obvious fire. Chitagni is less obvious but very much there. Bhutagni is not so visible at all but very much there. Sarvagni can hardly be felt, but without it, nothing would happen. It is the fundamental and ultimate fire that encompasses all other fires. Fire is the element that is closest to akash or the ether. The akashic or etheric dimension becomes more accessible where there is fire – particularly if certain fuels are used. In South India, we either use ghee or sesame oil for a lamp. If both are not available, then groundnut oil; if that is also not available, then coconut oil. These oil-based fires have a certain quality. They have a comparably higher smoke point than other fuels. That is why, if you look at the edge of the flame – you should not look into the flame – the etheric dimension is more available.

通常，一个想要触及生命本质的瑜伽士不会对消化之火、智能之火或者元素之火感兴趣。他只会专注于sarvagni，因为这是终极之火——但它是冷的火。消化之火是很明显的火，智能之火没那么明显但可以感知到，元素之火不太看得到但仍可以感知到。Sarvagni 几乎无法被感受到，但是没有它，就什么都没有。这是最根本最终极的火，它包含所有其它的火。火是最接近阿卡西（空）或以太的元素。有火存在的地方，阿卡西（空）和以太维度变得更容易触及——特别是使用特定的燃料时。在南印度，我们要么用酥油要么用芝麻油来点灯。如果这两个都没有，就用花生油。如果也没有，那就椰子油。这些油燃烧的火都具有一种特性，它们比其他燃料有更高的烟点。这是为什么当你看着火焰的边缘——你不应该看火焰的里面——以太维度变得更易触及。

Fire makes akash or the ether more accessible.

火让阿卡西（空）和以太维度更易触及。

Whenever you want to create a conducive atmosphere, the first thing is to light an oil or ghee lamp. This is so much a part of Indian life. And the fuel for the lamp should be of a certain kind for maximum benefit. Candles generally do not have the same effect, especially when they are made of chemical wax. Essentially, what you are trying to do is make a fire with a material that creates a certain aura around itself, so that akash becomes available. With an oil lamp, you create an akashic field from which you and others in your home can benefit. Especially for children, pregnant women, sick people, and for health in general, it is vital to have an oil lamp burning in your home. Such a fire not only enhances your jatharagni for increased health and robustness of the body, but also the chitagni, and the availability of akash. It is important that the fire of intelligence burns within you. When only the physical fires are burning within you but not the fire of intelligence, life can get miserable and ugly. When there is too much jatharagni and not enough chitagni, people will do the stupidest things.

每当你想创造一个有利的氛围，第一件事是点燃一盏油灯或酥油灯。这是印度生活中很重要的一部分，而且为了获得最大的益处，灯的燃料应该是某种特定的燃料。蜡烛通常没有这些功效，特别是那些化学蜡。本质上，你试图做的是用特定的原料生火，在火焰周围可以产生某种光环，使阿卡西（空）变得可触及。经由一盏油灯，你可以创造一个阿卡西（空）气场，你和你的家人都能受益。在家里点一盏油灯是至关重要的，特别是对孩子、孕妇和病人。这对健康也有益。这样的灯火不但会提升你的消化之火以提升身体的健康和强壮，同样可以提升智能之火和阿卡西（空）的可触及度。智能之火在你体内燃烧是很重要的，当你体内只有物质之火而没有智能之火时，生活会变得悲惨和丑陋。当有太多的消化之火，智能之火却不足时，人们会做愚蠢至极的事。

In this culture, everything of significance in people’s lives happened around fire. Without fire, there was no worship, no marriage, no significant event. Many different manifestations and ways of using fire got established in this culture, including sacrificial fires like homas and havanas. Fire makes akash or the ether more accessible. Of all the elements that we are made of, akash is the one that is most transparent and fluid. The earth in my body and your body is fundamentally the same, but in terms of what your body contains and what mine contains, it is distinctly separate. The water within you and within me is separate – you could say it is kept in different containers right now. But the air that we breathe cannot be separated. It is being exchanged all the time. The fire element of who we are is shared to an even larger extent. The akashic element is absolutely shared. We are all in the same akash. If you enhance the akashic element in any atmosphere, a certain bonding happens between human beings. Around a fire, togetherness and communication are greatly enhanced, because where there is fire, the element of akash becomes dominant.

在这个文化中，人们生活中的所有重大事件都是围绕着火发生的。没有火，将没有礼拜、没有婚姻、没有重大事件。这个文化建立起了许多展现和使用火的不同的方式，包括祭祀之火比如homas和havanas。火让阿卡西（空）和以太更容易触及。在所有组成我们人体的元素中，阿卡西（空）是最透明和具有流动性的。我体内的土元素和你体内的土元素基本一样，但是你身体里包含的土和我身体里包含的土是完全分开的。你和我体内的水元素也是分开的——你可以说它现在是被不同的容器装着。但是我们呼吸的空气无法被分隔，它时刻都在相互交换，我们所是的火元素是在更大程度上共享的。阿卡西元素（空元素）无疑是完全共有的。我们都在同一个阿卡西（空）中，如果你在任何一个氛围当中增强阿卡西元素（空元素），人和人之间的某种连接会发生。围火而坐时，人们之间的团结和沟通会大大加强，因为有火的地方，阿卡西元素（空元素）就成为主导。

To sum it up: Although fire only forms a small part of you in terms of quantity, in terms of quality, it is very significant because of its unique nature. Your ability to touch fire is very minimal. At the same time, fire is the element to which you are most sensitive. Fire is a means to set the atmosphere to communicate, to create receptivity, to transcend limitations, and to touch another dimension that you can refer to as the Divine or God or whatever you want to call the source of creation.

总之，尽管火元素是组成你的一小部分，就质量而言，因为它独特的性质，它是至关重要的。你触及火元素的能力是微弱的，同时，火又是你最敏感的元素。火可以创造利于沟通、接收性、超越局限以及触及另一个维度的氛围——那个维度你可以称之为神或上帝或者任何你想叫的名称，它是创造之源。

Love&Grace

Sadhguru

爱与恩典

萨古鲁

原文链接：

http://isha.sadhguru.org/blog/sadhguru/spot/the-element-of-fire/

 (图文来自网络，版权属于原创)