SHE WAS AMONG a group of people who had come to discuss some serious matter. She must have come out of curiosity, or was brought along by a friend. Well dressed, she held herself with some dignity, and she evidently considered herself very good looking. She was completely self-conscious: conscious of her body, of her looks, of her hair and the impression she was making on others. Her gestures were studied, and from time to time she took different attitudes which she must have thought out with great care. Her whole appearance had about it the air of a long cultivated pose into which she was determined to fit, whatever might happen. The others began to talk of serious things, and during the whole hour or more she maintained her pose. One saw among all those serious and intent faces this self-conscious girl, trying to follow what was being said and to join in the discussion; but no words came out of her. She wanted to show that she too was aware of the problem that was being discussed; but there was bewilderment in her eyes, for she was incapable of taking part in the serious conversation. One saw her quickly withdraw into herself, still maintaining the long-cultivated pose. All spontaneity was being sedulously destroyed,

她是来讨论一些严肃问题的一群人中的一员。 她一定是出于好奇，或者被朋友带了过来。 她打扮得漂亮，有些矜持， 她显然认为自己很好看。 她完全是自我意识的： 意识到她的身体、她的外表、她的头发以及她对他人的印象。 她的姿态被研究过， 她不时采取不同的姿态，她一定非常小心地考虑过。 她的整个表现，都散发着一种长期培养出来的姿势的气息， 无论发生什么情况，她都决心符合这种模式。 其他人开始谈论严肃的事情， 在整整一个小时或更长时间里，她保持着自己的姿态。 在所有这些严肃和意图的人中，人看到这个自我意识的女孩， 试图遵循所说的话并加入讨论；但她没有说出任何话。 她想表明，她也意识到正在讨论的问题。 但她的眼睛里有困惑， 因为她没有能力参与这种严肃的对话。 人看到她迅速退缩到自己身上，仍然保持着长期修炼的姿态。 所有的自发性都被肆意地摧毁，

Each one cultivates a pose. There is the walk and the pose of a prosperous business man, the smile of one who has arrived; there is the look and the pose of an artist; there is the pose of a respectful disciple, and the pose of a disciplined ascetic. Like that self-conscious girl, the so-called religious man assumes a pose, the pose of self-discipline which he has sedulously cultivated through denials and sacrifices. She sacrifices spontaneity for effect, and he immolates himself to achieve an end. Both are concerned with a result, though at different levels; and while his result may be considered socially more beneficial than hers, fundamentally they are similar, one is not superior to the other. Both are unintelligent, for both indicate pettiness of mind. A petty mind is always petty; it cannot be made rich, abundant. Though such a mind may adorn itself or seek to acquire virtue, it remains what it is, a petty, shallow thing, and through so-called growth, experience, it can only be enriched in its own pettiness. An ugly thing cannot be made beautiful. The god of a petty mind is a petty god. A shallow mind does not become fathomless by adorning itself with knowledge and clever phrases, by quoting words of wisdom, or by decorating its outward appearance. Adornments, whether inward or outward, do not make a fathomless mind; and it is this fathomlessness of the mind that gives beauty, not the jewel or the acquired virtue. For beauty to come into being, the mind must be choicelessly aware of its own pettiness; there must be an awareness in which comparison has wholly ceased.

每个人都培养出一种姿势。 一个成功商人的行走和姿态， 一个已经到达的人的微笑； 一个艺术家的外表和姿态； 一个有礼貌的弟子的姿态，以及一个自律的苦行僧的姿态。 就像那个有自我意识的女子一样， 所谓的宗教人士摆出一个姿态， 这是他通过弃俗和牺牲而精心培养出的自律的姿态。 她为了效果而牺牲自发性，他为了达到目的而自焚。 两者都关心结果，尽管在不同的层面上； 虽然他的结果可能被认为在社会上比她的更有益， 但从根本上说，它们是相似的，一个并不优于另一个。 两者都是不明智的，因为两者都表明了头脑的琐碎。 琐碎的头脑总是琐碎的；它不能变得富有、丰富。 虽然这样的头脑可能装扮它自己或追寻美德， 但它仍然是它本来的样子，一个琐碎的、浅薄的东西， 通过所谓的成长、体验，它只能丰富于自己的琐碎。 一个丑陋的东西不能变美。一个琐碎的头脑的神就是一个琐碎的神。 通过知识和聪明的短语来装扮自己， 通过引用智慧的话语，或者通过装饰自己的外表， 一个肤浅的头脑不会因此而变得深不可测。 装饰，无论是内在还是外在，都不会使头脑变得深不可测； 正是头脑的这种深不可测给予了美，而不是宝石或获得的美德。 为了美的形成，头脑必须无选择地意识到自己的琐碎； 在这意识之中，比较已经完全地停止。

The cultivated pose of the girl, and the disciplined pose of the so-called religious ascetic, are equally the tortured results of a petty mind, for both deny essential spontaneity. Both are fearful of the spontaneous, for it reveals them as they are, to themselves and to others; both are bent on destroying it, and the measure of their success is the completeness of their conformity to a chosen pattern or conclusion. But spontaneity is the only key that opens the door to what is. The spontaneous response uncovers the mind as it is; but what is discovered is immediately adorned or destroyed, and so spontaneity is put an end to. The killing of spontaneity is the way of a petty mind, which then decorates the outer, at whatever level; and this decoration is the worship of itself. Only in spontaneity, in freedom, can there be discovery. A disciplined mind cannot discover; it may function effectively and hence ruthlessly, but it cannot uncover the fathomless. It is fear that creates the resistance called discipline; but the spontaneous discovery of fear is freedom from fear. Conformity to a pattern, at whatever level, is fear, which only breeds conflict confusion and antagonism; but a mind that is in revolt is not fearless, for the opposite can never know the spontaneous, the free.

这个女子修养的姿态， 以及所谓的宗教苦行僧的自律姿态， 都是一个琐碎的头脑的被扭曲的结果，因为这两人都拒绝基本的自发性。 两人都害怕自发性，因为它向自己和他人揭示了他们本来的样子。 两者都一心要摧毁它， 而衡量他们成功的标准 是他们对某一个所选择的准则或结论的完全的遵循。 但自发性是打开现状之门的唯一钥匙。 自发性的回应揭露出头脑的本性； 而被发现的东西会立即被装饰或摧毁， 因此自发性就被终结了。 扼杀自发性 是一个琐碎的头脑的方式，然后在任何层面上，装扮外在； 而这种装扮，就是对它自己的崇拜。 只有在自发性中，在自由中，才能有所发现。 一个有自律的头脑无法去发现； 它可能有效地运作，因此是无情的，但它不能揭露那深不可测的。 正是恐惧创造出那种被称之为‘戒律’的抵抗； 但自发性的发现恐惧，就是从恐惧中解脱。 遵循一种规范，无论在什么层面上，就是恐惧， 它只会滋生冲突性的困惑与敌对； 但是一个处于反抗中的头脑，不是无所畏惧的， 因为对抗者永远不可能知道自发性、自由。

Without spontaneity, there can be no self-knowledge; without self-knowledge, the mind is shaped by passing influences. These passing influences can make the mind narrow or expansive, but it is still within the sphere of influence. What is put together can be unmade, and that which is not put together can be known only through self-knowledge. The self is put together, and it is only in undoing the self that that which is not the result of influence, which has no cause, can be known.

没有自发性，就不可能有自我认识； 没有自我认识，头脑被流逝的影响所塑造。 这些流逝的影响能够使头脑狭窄或膨胀， 但它仍然在影响的范围之内。 放在一起的东西可以拆开， 那不被放在一起的东西只能通过自我认识来知道。 自我被放在一起， 只有拆除自我，那么， 那个并非影响的产物，那个没有原因的东西，才能被知道。