Chapter 4 of 8

Effect of Thought on Health and the Body

思いと健康

THE body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.

身体は心の召使いです。意図的に選ばれたものであれ、自動的に表れたものであれ、心の働きに従います。不法な思考の命令で身体は急速に病気と衰退に沈み、喜ばしく美しい思考の命令で若々しさと美しさをまといます。

Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.

病気と健康は、環境と同様に、思考に根ざしています。病的な思考は病的な身体となって表れます。恐怖の思考は弾丸と同じくらい速やかに人を殺すことが知られており、毎日何千もの人々を確実に、ただし緩やかに殺し続けています。病気を恐れて生きる人こそ、病気にかかる人です。不安は全身をたちまち蝕み、病気の侵入に身体を開いてしまいます。そして不純な思考は、たとえ肉体的に行動に移さなくても、やがて神経系を破壊するのです。

Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigour and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

強く、純粋で、幸福な思考は、身体を活力と優雅さで築き上げます。身体は精妙で柔軟な楽器であり、そこに刻まれる思考に敏感に反応します。思考の習慣は、善きにせよ悪しきにせよ、身体に独自の効果をもたらすのです。

Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood, so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

不浄な思考を増殖させる限り、人は不浄で毒された血を持ち続けるでしょう。清い心からは清い人生と清い身体が生まれます。汚れた心からは汚れた人生と腐った身体が生まれます。思考は行動、人生、そして現れの源泉です。泉を清めれば、すべてが清くなるのです。

Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.

食事の変更は、思考を変えようとしない人には助けになりません。人が思考を清くすれば、もはや不純な食物を欲しなくなります。

Clean thoughts make clean habits. The so-called saint who does not wash his body is not a saint. He who has strengthened and purified his thoughts does not need to consider the malevolent microbe.

清い思考は清い習慣を作ります。いわゆる聖者であっても身体を洗わないのは聖者ではありません。思考を強め清めた人は、悪意ある微生物を気にする必要がありません。

If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, and pride.

身体を守りたければ、心を守りなさい。身体を新たにしたければ、心を美しくしなさい。悪意、嫉妬、失望、落胆の思考は身体の健康と優美を奪います。不機嫌な顔は偶然にできるのではなく、不機嫌な思考によって作られます。顔を損なうしわは、愚かさ、情念、傲慢によって刻まれるのです。

I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.

私は九十六歳にして少女のように輝く無邪気な顔を持つ女性を知っています。また、まだ中年にもならないのに顔が不調和な輪郭にゆがんだ男性もよく知っています。前者は甘やかで明るい気質の結果であり、後者は情念と不満の産物です。

As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity.

部屋に空気と日光を自由に入れなければ、甘やかで健全な住まいが得られないように、喜びと善意と穏やかさの思考を心に自由に入れなければ、強い身体と明るく幸福で穏やかな表情は得られないのです。

On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong and pure thought, and others are carved by passion: who cannot distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his deathbed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.

高齢者の顔には、同情によって刻まれたしわがあり、強く純粋な思考によって刻まれたしわがあり、情念によって刻まれたしわもあります。誰がそれらを見分けられないでしょうか。正しく生きてきた人にとって、老年は穏やかで、平和で、沈みゆく太陽のようにやさしく熟しています。私は最近、死の床にある一人の哲学者を見ました。年齢以外には老いてはいませんでした。生きてきたように、甘やかに平和に亡くなりました。

There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.

身体の病を払い除ける明るい思考ほどの医者はなく、悲しみと憂いの影を散らす善意ほどの慰め手はありません。悪意、皮肉、疑念、嫉妬の思考の中に絶えず生きることは、自ら作った牢獄に閉じ込められることです。しかし、すべての人を善く思い、すべての人と朗らかに接し、辛抱強くすべての中に善を見出すことを学ぶこと——そのような無私の思考はまさに天国への門です。そして日々、すべての生き物に対する平和の思いの中に生きることは、その持ち主に満ちあふれる平和をもたらすのです。