佛教感恩修持助益中年生活实践

英文原文

The Practice of Gratitude | Plum Village

Four lay and monastic practitioners in Plum Village tell us about their practice of gratitude and how it helps them in daily life and their relationship with others.

On Gratitude Itself

Mick: Gratitude can be a source of our joy. For me, I have directly experienced that. I love how the practice of gratitude has gone mainstream. I hear a lot about people keeping gratitude journals. In my experience when I practice gratitude I become happier as a direct result. It makes me happy to think of all those humans who I hope also cultivate happiness by contemplating their gratitude journals each day.

Zoe: My deep gratitude goes to my spiritual teachers and here in Plum Village to the Sangha, because it’s what allows me actually to see myself and to actually be able to understand what gratitude is. To go deeper into myself and water the seed of love, of understanding. Without the help of the Sangha, without the insight of some of my teachers, I could not walk this path and be the person I am today. The more gratitude I have, the more gratitude grows within me. So it’s actually an interaction between me and the Sangha, between my teachers and I. It’s a flow. It’s a give and receive.

Brother Troi Thien Hoa, or “Brother Harmony”, grew up in a Christian family and church community in the United States, his family would begin their prayer time together each day by giving thanks for the many blessings and people in their lives.

Brother Thien Hoa: Some months ago a sister shared with us, “as long as you have gratitude, you have happiness”. I could see that she really meant it, that she lived it. Through her, I could feel how deep the practice of gratitude could go.

I think in the past I’ve seen gratitude as something helpful and important to practice, but relatively small and limited. Like brushing my teeth- important, but just a small piece of the picture. Lately, I feel like gratitude is simple but it can also be something immense. I feel there are no limits to the space it can open up in my heart. In the words that speak to my heart, I would say that when I am living with gratitude, I am going through life holding God’s hand. For me, that means: all of life is right here, complete and perfect already. I don’t need to fear any more. I don’t need to run. I don’t need to chase or seek after anything whatsoever. In this very moment, I have enough, and I am enough. When I can see that- when I can be in touch with that even a little bit- it changes everything.

As long as you have gratitude, you have happiness

To Parents

Sister Trang Giac Minh: This practice has helped me to realize how much love and support my parents have given me. Even though my family is not rich materially, I have never felt lacking in anything. I feel very lucky to be my parents’ daughter. They have given me so much love, opened the door for me to practice the Buddha’s Teachings, and supported me to become a monastic.

Zoe: I think my deepest gratitude is towards my parents. I can feel and understand how much they’ve given me as a child and during my life, even when I couldn’t see it or didn’t understand it. Now, I can see that they’ve actually offered me in a very safe environment as a child. I was very free to do what I liked to do, and they would support me in their own way.

Zoe is a French long-term in Lower Hamlet for the Rains Retreat 2021.

Thanks to the practice, I can feel that when I go home, that my relationship towards them has changed and I can now sit for two hours just speaking with my mom, which is something I couldn’t do when I was a teenager at all. I can feel that through gratitude, I now have more respect and understanding for them. Gratitude is actually a consequence of understanding. Through this understanding of my parents and what they sacrificed for me in their life, I found they could open themselves to me much easier, and I could also share more with them because I now understand how well they know me as a baby, as a child, as a teenager. They might sometimes know me better than I know myself!

[For some people, it might be very difficult to feel gratitude towards parents. If that is the case it might be more appropriate to practice gratitude towards another caregiver or person who has supported you.]

Nature and all beings

Sister Chân Trăng Giác Minh (“True Moon of Awakened Brightness”) comes from Indonesia. Joyful and creative, she is a source of happiness for her sisters in New Hamlet, Plum Village.

Sister Trang Giac Minh: The beauty of nature is a source of my gratitude. I grew up in a big city and rarely saw an open sky at dusk, except as images on a screen. When I first arrived in Plum Village five years ago, I started to be in touch directly with such beauty of mother earth and it led me to feel grateful for my two eyes.

During walking meditation, I have a chance to enjoy the songs offered by the birds, and the beauty and presence of the trees. Every day, I can savor meals cooked by the sisters. These are also gifts from the earth, sky, numerous living beings and much hard, loving work. There are so many simple things that I feel grateful for, such as a smile. When I see someone smiling at me, I feel grateful towards them because sometimes, just a smile is enough to lift me out of my dark thoughts and be in touch with the wonders of life.

Mick: One practice that a friend recommended to me was to start a journal reflecting on my experiences with the natural world. Here in Plum Village, I am spoiled by the wild nature. Writing and reflecting upon my daily interactions with the more than human beings that I share this land with fills my bowl with a jumbo portion of gratitude. My encounters with the families of wild boar, buzzard and kestrel, lizards and snakes, forests and streams nourish my sense of gratitude in every encounter and help me touch the truth of interbeing and non self. I give thanks to life.

As dusk arrives I look up to the sky and touch the beauty of mother earth. My heart fills with gratitude. Life, so wonderful! Breathing in, a smile blooms. Recognizing the support and love from parents, teachers, friends and all beings, I smile and bow my head to express my deepest gratitude.

By Sister Trang Giac Minh

[In Plum Village, we also have a practice of connecting with the “Four Gratitudes”. We touch the earth in gratitude to our parents who have given us life; to our teachers who have shown us the way to understand, love, and live deeply the present moment; to our friends who guide and support us in difficult moments and to all beings in the animal, plant, and mineral worlds.]

Community Life

Sister Trang Giac Minh: I am the youngest member of my blood family, so I rarely had to do anything by myself. It was my biggest difficulty in my earlier years living in the sangha. I had to learn how to do household things, physical work, to live with 60 sisters, and deal with the conflicts that arose due to my lack of understanding. What helped me was the practice and support from the sisters who I see as spiritual friends. With their guidance, I slowly cultivated compassion for myself and others, and could accept and face the difficulties. I feel grateful for my spiritual friends who are always ready to support and guide me in difficult times.

Zoe: So this year we’re happy to be about 20 long-terms staying for the rain retreats in Lower Hamlet. I feel very happy and very grateful because many have given their time and space, to come here to Plum Village to practice. We are mostly young people who are very motivated, and have many ideas. I feel personally very close to them because most of them are looking for honesty. We gather here because we want to deepen our practice, we want to go deeper in our understanding of our suffering. There is a lot of care for each other among the long-terms, a lot of support as well that arose very naturally. And it’s in the doing of little things, like we know if someone’s sick, just bringing them food and people can already feel they are supported. These small things created a very warm and welcoming group. After this rain retreat many of our long-terms, want to stay for longer or come back next summer. It is a great joy and happiness that we won’t be saying goodbye and that we can welcome them back any time.

Mick McEvoy, an Irish native, now lives, works and studies in the community of Plum Village. Mick brings over 20 years of experience working with people, plants and mindfulness practice to his management of the ‘Happy Farm’ project.

Mick: The web of human connections that I experience in my life is also a deep source of my gratitude. I am lucky to have a loving family, a loving partner and I live here in Plum Village amongst my Beloved Community. When I contemplate the conditions that I have here living in Plum Village, I don’t have to struggle for things to be grateful for. I have access to the teachings of the Dharma from so many of my spiritual siblings every day alongside infinite opportunities to practice together. So-much-gratitude! In this rich life I am able to serve my Sangha here as I earn my simple livelihood caring for our Happy Farm and our wild lands around the Village, whilst all also looking after all those beautiful humans who come to participate in this meaningful practice and service in this time of climate and ecological emergencies.

Several of the long-terms retreatants of Lower Hamlet staying for the 3-month Rains Retreat 2021

In Daily Life

Zoe: Gratitude for my teachers is my favorite practice wherever I go, whatever I do. If I feel bad or if I feel sad, even if I feel happy. I offer everything to the Sangha and to my teachers. And even when I clean the floor, I think of them. Cleaning the floor is a sign of gratitude to others. When I help someone, I do it for the Sangha and my teachers and all this is gratitude in action. I try to practice through my actions, through my words, everything I do for others is an offering of gratitude. I think this is my deepest practice.

Brother Thien Hoa: For me, the basic practice of gratitude is to recognize what is present in this moment and smile to it. It has come from countless conditions and here it is supporting my existence, helping to make it meaningful and beautiful, and supporting me to continue on this path so I can offer that gratitude back through my way of living.

Suppose I am about to eat a spoonful of pumpkin. First, I just recognize this is pumpkin or I see in my mind the image of a pumpkin growing on a vine in a farmer’s field. In a split second, I can see the presence of an immense fiery ball called the sun; the rain which has risen from the oceans and fallen from the clouds; and Mother Earth who has been traveling though space offering miracles and beauty for a very long time. If any of these things were not there- or the food delivery truck driver, the donors who generously support us, my brothers and sisters who gave their time and care to cook the meal- then this pumpkin would not be on my spoon right now. If there were no food for me to eat, for the community to eat, we could not continue very long at all. We would not have this chance to learn to live and train together like this to develop our understanding and love and to be a refuge for many, many people.

When I really connect, then the gratitude is very powerful because it’s not an idea- it’s like a direct communication between my heart and all of life.

Community work day at the Upper Hamlet Happy Farm

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What is Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh January 15, 2020

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中文翻译

感恩的修持 | 梅村

梅村的四位在家和出家修行者向我们讲述了他们的感恩修持，以及这如何帮助他们的日常生活和人际关系。

关于感恩本身

米克：感恩可以是我们喜悦的源泉。对我来说，我直接体验到了这一点。我喜欢感恩修持如何成为主流。我听到很多人写感恩日记。根据我的经验，当我修持感恩时，我会变得更快乐，这是直接的结果。想到所有那些我希望通过每天思考感恩日记来培养幸福的人，我感到很高兴。

佐伊：我深深的感恩归于我的精神导师和梅村的僧伽，因为这让我真正看到自己，并真正能够理解什么是感恩。深入自我，浇灌爱与理解的种子。没有僧伽的帮助，没有一些导师的洞察，我无法走这条路，成为今天的我。我拥有的感恩越多，感恩在我内心就增长得越多。所以这实际上是我与僧伽、我与导师之间的互动。这是一种流动。是一种给予和接受。

兄弟Troi Thien Hoa，或“和谐兄弟”，在美国的一个基督教家庭和教会社区长大，他的家人每天一起开始祈祷时间，感谢生活中的许多祝福和人。

兄弟Thien Hoa：几个月前，一位姐妹与我们分享，“只要你有感恩，你就有幸福”。我能看出她是认真的，她活出了这一点。通过她，我能感受到感恩修持可以有多深。

我认为过去我把感恩看作是有帮助且重要的修持，但相对较小和有限。就像刷牙——重要，但只是画面中的一小部分。最近，我觉得感恩很简单，但它也可以是巨大的。我觉得它在心中打开的空间没有限制。用触动我心的话来说，我会说，当我怀着感恩生活时，我正握着上帝的手走过人生。对我来说，这意味着：整个生命就在这里，已经完整和完美。我不需要再害怕。我不需要逃跑。我不需要追逐或寻求任何东西。就在这一刻，我足够了，我就是足够的。当我能看到这一点——当我能稍微触及这一点时——一切都改变了。

只要你有感恩，你就有幸福

对父母

姐妹Trang Giac Minh：这种修持帮助我意识到父母给了我多少爱和支持。尽管我的家庭在物质上不富裕，但我从未感到缺少任何东西。我感到非常幸运能成为父母的女儿。他们给了我如此多的爱，为我打开了修持佛陀教法的门，并支持我成为出家人。

佐伊：我认为我最深的感恩是对我的父母。我能感受和理解他们作为孩子和在我一生中给了我多少，即使我当时看不到或不理解。现在，我能看到他们实际上在我小时候提供了一个非常安全的环境。我非常自由地做我喜欢做的事，他们会以自己的方式支持我。

佐伊是2021年雨安居期间在下村长期居住的法国人。

多亏了修持，我能感觉到当我回家时，我与他们的关系已经改变，我现在可以坐两个小时只是和妈妈说话，这在我十几岁时完全做不到。我能感觉到通过感恩，我现在对他们有更多的尊重和理解。感恩实际上是理解的结果。通过对父母和他们为我牺牲的理解，我发现他们可以更容易地向我敞开心扉，我也可以更多地与他们分享，因为我现在理解他们多么了解我作为婴儿、孩子、青少年。他们有时可能比我自己更了解我！

[对一些人来说，对父母感到感恩可能非常困难。如果是这种情况，可能更适合对另一位照顾者或支持你的人修持感恩。]

自然和一切众生

姐妹Chân Trăng Giác Minh（“觉醒光明的真月”）来自印度尼西亚。快乐而富有创造力，她是梅村新村的姐妹们幸福的源泉。

姐妹Trang Giac Minh：自然的美丽是我感恩的源泉。我在大城市长大，很少看到黄昏时的开阔天空，除了屏幕上的图像。当我五年前第一次来到梅村时，我开始直接接触大地母亲的这种美丽，这让我感激我的双眼。

在行禅中，我有机会享受鸟儿提供的歌声，以及树木的美丽和存在。每天，我可以品尝姐妹们烹饪的饭菜。这些也是来自大地、天空、无数众生和许多辛勤、充满爱的工作的礼物。有这么多简单的事情让我感到感恩，比如一个微笑。当我看到有人对我微笑时，我感激他们，因为有时，仅仅一个微笑就足以让我摆脱黑暗的想法，接触生命的奇迹。

米克：一位朋友推荐给我的一个修持是开始写日记，反思我与自然世界的经历。在梅村，我被野生自然宠坏了。写作和反思我与分享这片土地的超越人类的众生日常互动，让我的碗充满了大量的感恩。我与野猪、鵟和红隼、蜥蜴和蛇、森林和溪流的家族的相遇，滋养了我每次相遇的感恩感，并帮助我触及互即互入和无我的真理。我感谢生命。

黄昏来临时，我仰望天空，触摸大地母亲的美丽。我的心充满感恩。生命，如此美妙！吸气，微笑绽放。认识到父母、老师、朋友和一切众生的支持和爱，我微笑并低头表达我最深的感恩。

由姐妹Trang Giac Minh撰写

[在梅村，我们也有连接“四感恩”的修持。我们触地感恩给予我们生命的父母；感恩向我们展示理解、爱和深刻活在当下之道的老师；感恩在困难时刻引导和支持我们的朋友；感恩动物、植物和矿物世界的一切众生。]

社区生活

姐妹Trang Giac Minh：我是我血缘家庭中最年轻的成员，所以我很少需要自己做任何事情。这是我早年生活在僧伽中最大的困难。我必须学习如何做家务、体力劳动，与60位姐妹一起生活，并处理由于我缺乏理解而产生的冲突。帮助我的是修持和被我视为精神朋友的姐妹们的支持。在她们的指导下，我慢慢培养了对自我和他人的慈悲，并能够接受和面对困难。我感激我的精神朋友，她们总是准备在困难时刻支持和引导我。

佐伊：所以今年我们很高兴有大约20位长期在下村参加雨安居。我感到非常高兴和感激，因为许多人付出了时间和空间，来到梅村修持。我们大多是年轻人，非常有动力，有很多想法。我个人觉得与他们非常亲近，因为他们大多数人在寻找诚实。我们聚集在这里是因为我们想深化我们的修持，我们想更深入地理解我们的痛苦。长期者之间有很多相互关心，也有很多支持自然产生。这体现在做小事上，比如我们知道如果有人生病，只是给他们带食物，人们就能感觉到他们被支持。这些小事创造了一个非常温暖和欢迎的团体。这次雨安居后，我们的许多长期者想停留更长时间或明年夏天回来。我们不会说再见，我们可以随时欢迎他们回来，这是一种巨大的喜悦和幸福。

米克·麦克沃伊，爱尔兰人，现在在梅村社区生活、工作和学习。米克带来了超过20年与人、植物和正念修持合作的经验，管理“快乐农场”项目。

米克：我在生活中经历的人际关系网络也是我感恩的深刻源泉。我很幸运有一个充满爱的家庭，一个充满爱的伴侣，我生活在梅村，在我心爱的社区中。当我思考我在梅村生活的条件时，我不必挣扎于寻找感恩的事物。我每天都能从许多精神兄弟姐妹那里接触到佛法教义，同时有无限的机会一起修持。如此多的感恩！在这种丰富的生活中，我能够在这里服务我的僧伽，同时通过照顾我们的快乐农场和村庄周围的野生土地来谋取简单的生活，同时也在气候和生态紧急时期照顾所有那些来参与这种有意义修持和服务的美丽人类。

2021年3个月雨安居期间下村的几位长期禅修者

在日常生活中

佐伊：对我的老师的感恩是我最喜欢的修持，无论我去哪里，无论我做什么。如果我感觉不好或悲伤，即使我感觉快乐。我把一切都献给僧伽和我的老师。甚至当我清洁地板时，我想着他们。清洁地板是对他人的感恩标志。当我帮助某人时，我为僧伽和我的老师做，所有这些都是行动中的感恩。我试图通过我的行动、我的言语来修持，我为他人做的一切都是感恩的奉献。我认为这是我最深的修持。

兄弟Thien Hoa：对我来说，感恩的基本修持是认识到这一刻存在什么并对其微笑。它来自无数条件，在这里支持我的存在，帮助使其有意义和美丽，并支持我继续走这条路，这样我可以通过我的生活方式回馈感恩。

假设我即将吃一勺南瓜。首先，我只是认识到这是南瓜，或者我在脑海中看到南瓜在农民田地的藤蔓上生长的图像。在一瞬间，我能看到一个巨大的火球——太阳的存在；从海洋升起并从云中落下的雨水；以及大地母亲，她已经在太空中旅行了很长时间，提供奇迹和美丽。如果这些事物中的任何一个不存在——或者食品送货卡车司机、慷慨支持我们的捐助者、花时间和关怀烹饪饭菜的兄弟姐妹们——那么这南瓜现在就不会在我的勺子上。如果没有食物给我吃，给社区吃，我们根本无法继续很久。我们将没有机会像这样学习和训练一起生活，发展我们的理解和爱，并成为许多人的庇护所。

当我真正连接时，感恩非常强大，因为它不是一个想法——它就像我的心与所有生命之间的直接沟通。

上村快乐农场的社区工作日

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文章概要

本文基于梅村修行者的分享，探讨感恩修持在佛教实践中的应用，特别关注感恩日记在中年生活中的作用。文章通过多位在家和出家修行者的亲身经历，阐述了感恩如何成为喜悦的源泉，帮助改善人际关系、深化自我理解，并促进对父母、自然、社区和日常生活的感激。内容强调感恩修持的普遍性和深度，包括“四感恩”实践，并展示了感恩如何通过具体行动融入日常生活，如写日记、行禅和社区服务，从而培养幸福感和内在平静。

高德明老师的评价

用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容：这篇文章讲的是感恩的练习，就像写感恩日记一样。梅村的一些修行者分享了他们如何通过感恩变得更快乐。比如，米克说感恩让他直接感到开心，佐伊感谢老师和朋友帮助她成长。和谐兄弟从小每天感谢生活中的好事，现在觉得感恩能打开心扉，让人不害怕。姐妹们感谢父母的爱，即使家里不富有，也感到幸运。他们还感恩自然的美丽，比如鸟儿的歌声和微笑。在社区里，大家互相帮助，做小事如带食物给生病的人，让团体温暖。感恩也体现在日常中，如清洁地板时想着老师，吃饭时感谢太阳、雨水和农民。总之，感恩让生活更美好，连接我们的心与所有生命。

佛学的各个宗派视角评价，突出《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角：从佛教显宗和大乘视角看，感恩修持是菩提心的重要体现，契合“四无量心”中的喜心，能破除我执、培养利他。本文的感恩实践，如感恩日记和“四感恩”，与显宗强调的“念恩”和“报恩”教法一致，有助于积累福德资粮。从《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角，感恩可视为准提法中的“净业”基础，通过感恩净化心念，为密法修持铺路；准提法注重“即事而真”，感恩日常事物如饮食、自然，正是将俗谛转化为胜义谛的修行，能快速成就慈悲与智慧。相较于小乘可能侧重个人解脱，本文的大乘感恩更强调众生互联，彰显了“无缘大慈、同体大悲”。

在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题：感恩修持在修行实践上可广泛应用，基于准提法的优点，能解决人们的十个问题：1. 缓解焦虑和压力，通过感恩日记聚焦积极面；2. 改善人际关系，感恩父母、朋友培养尊重；3. 提升幸福感，直接体验感恩带来的喜悦；4. 增强环保意识，感恩自然促进生态责任；5. 克服孤独感，社区感恩实践建立归属；6. 培养耐心，日常感恩如行禅减慢生活节奏；7. 减少物质执着，感恩非物质馈赠如微笑；8. 促进身心健康，感恩降低负面情绪影响；9. 深化灵性成长，感恩作为菩提心训练；10. 应对中年危机，感恩修持提供意义感和方向。