英文原文
Since the Corona pandemic, waiting has once again entered our consciousness as a central and unavoidable part of life. In our fast-paced world, we had become accustomed to the fact that many things are just a mouse click away. But whether we are standing in a line, waiting for an answer, or expecting a certain outcome, waiting and impatience are often siblings. From a Buddhist perspective, however, waiting is not seen as an obstacle, but as an opportunity for growth and the development of wisdom. In this article we will look at waiting from different perspectives. We try to look at waiting in a different way, as an opportunity to practice the art of patience and equanimity. Waiting is a common experience of all life on this planet. Plants wait for the right external conditions before they bloom their flowers. Insects and animals wait for prey, people wait for trains, the ‘great love’, a creative idea, or for an illness to get better. Everyone waits, but our reactions to it can vary greatly. Some find waiting frustrating and stressful and become restless, irritable and impatient (dukkha), while others approach it with a sense of calm (upekkha). When we are forced to wait, such as in a traffic jam or a line at a checkout, we often begin to engage in something to distract ourselves from the unpleasant experience of waiting; we check the smartphone, we get lost in thought, or we bark at someone. Buddhism invites us to explore the nature of waiting and our reactions to it with mindfulness. It emphasizes the impermanence or non-permanence of all things (annica), including moments of waiting. By recognizing the impermanence of our (unpleasant) experiences of waiting, we can cultivate patience and accept the present moment as it is without being captured by impatience. In this sense, times of waiting are free time for conscious mindfulness practice. In Buddhism, patience is considered a virtue and an essential quality for an ethical life to practice. In order to cultivate patience, we must develop an unbiased understanding of our own minds and emotions. By observing our impatience and its underlying causes, we can gain insight into our desires, cravings, and aversions. We may learn how attached we are to things or people we are waiting for, or how little control we have over life when we or loved ones are suddenly ill or in need of care. Buddhism teaches that true patience is more than mere perseverance; it is an active engagement with the present moment, a willingness to accept things as they are, and a compassionate response to the suffering of others. This is expressed in the second task of Buddha's teaching, not to react immediately and automatically to unpleasant experiences, but to ‘not react,’ ‘let be’ as it is, or ‘let go.’ In this sense, the practice of patience is an important virtue because it prevents reacting inappropriately or hurtfully to unpleasant experiences reflexively. Equanimity (upekkha) complements the practice of patience in the face of waiting. Equanimity refers to a state of mental calm and stability in which we are able to maintain balance and composure in the midst of life's ups and downs. It is a state of non-reactivity and non-attachment in which we do not allow external circumstances to derail our lives. This is true for our everyday tests of patience; when extreme events occur, few are likely to succeed. Equanimity allows us to fully accept the present moment without resistance or judgment. It is the ability to give space to both pleasant and unpleasant experiences and to recognize that all things and experiences arise and pass away. Through equanimity, we find a deep sense of acceptance and serenity in the midst of waiting. In the context of waiting, cultivating equanimity allows us to remain centered and serene. It allows us to let go of the strong identification with desires and outcomes that often lead to impatience. Time spent doing ‘nothing’ or ‘nothing meaningful’ is considered wasted time by many. We often don't see how much our self-worth depends on having produced something, professionally, in our free time, in relationships. Yet people close to us often say that the greatest gift we can give them is our presence and attention. Central to the cultivation of patience and equanimity in Buddhism is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness means perceiving the present moment in a non-judgmental way and meeting our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations with curiosity and acceptance. Through mindfulness we become familiar with the arising and passing of experiences, including our experiences in the moments of waiting. When we encounter waiting with mindfulness, we become aware of the impatience that arises within us. We observe the restlessness, the desire for things to be different, and the resistance to the present moment. By acknowledging these human, automatic reactions without judging them, we create space for a more compassionate and balanced approach to times of waiting. Mindfulness also allows us to explore the causes of our impatience, such as fear, a sense of powerlessness, or the belief that we have developed certain entitlements toward others. Through the consistent practice of mindfulness, we can develop a clearer understanding of ourselves and our relationship to waiting. Waiting can be seen as an invitation to deepen our practice. Buddhism encourages us to use moments of waiting as opportunities for self-reflection and meditation, and to cultivate virtues such as patience and equanimity for the benefit of ourselves as well as the world.
中文翻译
自新冠疫情以来，等待再次进入我们的意识，成为生活中核心且不可避免的一部分。在我们快节奏的世界里，我们已经习惯了只需点击鼠标就能获得许多东西。但无论是排队、等待答案，还是期待某个结果，等待和不耐烦常常如影随形。然而，从佛教的角度来看，等待不被视为障碍，而是成长和智慧发展的机会。在本文中，我们将从不同视角审视等待。我们尝试以不同的方式看待等待，将其视为练习耐心和平等心艺术的机会。等待是这个星球上所有生命的共同经历。植物等待合适的外部条件才绽放花朵。昆虫和动物等待猎物，人们等待火车、“伟大的爱情”、创意灵感，或等待疾病好转。每个人都在等待，但我们的反应可能大相径庭。有些人觉得等待令人沮丧和压力重重，变得焦躁不安、易怒和不耐烦（苦），而另一些人则以平静（舍）的心态面对。当我们被迫等待时，比如堵车或排队结账，我们常常开始做些什么来分散自己对等待不愉快体验的注意力；我们查看智能手机、陷入沉思，或对某人发火。佛教邀请我们以正念探索等待的本质及我们对它的反应。它强调一切事物的无常性（无常），包括等待的时刻。通过认识到我们（不愉快的）等待体验的无常性，我们可以培养耐心，接受当下本来的样子，而不被不耐烦所困。从这个意义上说，等待时间是进行有意识正念练习的自由时间。在佛教中，耐心被视为一种美德，也是实践道德生活的基本品质。为了培养耐心，我们必须对自己的思想和情绪发展出无偏见的理解。通过观察我们的不耐烦及其潜在原因，我们可以洞察自己的欲望、渴求和厌恶。我们可能会了解到自己对所等待的事物或人有多么执着，或者当我们或所爱之人突然生病或需要照顾时，我们对生活的控制力是多么微弱。佛教教导说，真正的耐心不仅仅是忍耐；它是对当下的积极参与，是接受事物本来的意愿，是对他人苦难的慈悲回应。这体现在佛陀教导的第二项任务中，即不对不愉快的体验立即自动反应，而是“不反应”、“随它去”或“放下”。从这个意义上说，耐心练习是一种重要的美德，因为它防止了对不愉快体验反射性地做出不当或伤害性的反应。平等心（舍）在面对等待时补充了耐心的练习。平等心指的是一种心理平静和稳定的状态，在这种状态下，我们能够在生活的起伏中保持平衡和镇定。这是一种不反应和不执着的状态，我们不让外部环境扰乱我们的生活。这对我们日常的耐心考验来说是正确的；当极端事件发生时，很少有人可能成功。平等心使我们能够完全接受当下，没有抗拒或评判。它是给予愉快和不愉快体验空间的能力，并认识到一切事物和体验都会生起和消逝。通过平等心，我们在等待中找到深深的接纳和宁静感。在等待的背景下，培养平等心使我们能够保持中心和宁静。它使我们能够放下对欲望和结果的强烈认同，这些常常导致不耐烦。许多人认为花时间“无所事事”或“做无意义的事”是浪费时间。我们常常看不到自己的自我价值在多大程度上取决于在职业、空闲时间、关系中有所产出。然而，亲近我们的人常说，我们能给予他们的最大礼物是我们的存在和关注。佛教中培养耐心和平等心的核心是正念练习。正念意味着以非评判的方式感知当下，并以好奇和接纳的态度面对我们的思想、感受和身体感觉。通过正念，我们熟悉体验的生起和消逝，包括我们在等待时刻的体验。当我们以正念面对等待时，我们会意识到内心升起的不耐烦。我们观察焦躁不安、希望事情不同的欲望，以及对当下的抗拒。通过承认这些人类的自动反应而不评判它们，我们为更慈悲和平衡地对待等待时间创造了空间。正念还使我们能够探索不耐烦的原因，如恐惧、无力感，或认为自己对他人拥有某些权利。通过持续的正念练习，我们可以更清晰地理解自己及我们与等待的关系。等待可以被视为深化我们练习的邀请。佛教鼓励我们利用等待时刻作为自我反思和冥想的机会，并培养耐心和平等心等美德，以利益自己和世界。
文章概要
本文探讨了佛教视角下的等待艺术，强调耐心和不耐烦的重要性。文章指出，等待是生活中不可避免的部分，佛教将其视为成长和智慧发展的机会。通过正念练习，我们可以观察等待中的不耐烦，培养耐心和平等心，接受无常，从而在中年等待期等情境中实现内心平静和道德提升。
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：这篇文章就像在说，我们生活中常常要等，比如等公交车、等成绩，有时候会觉得很烦。但佛教告诉我们，等待其实是个好机会，可以练习耐心和保持平静。就像玩游戏时，等待加载不是浪费时间，而是让自己冷静下来的好时机。通过注意自己的感受，比如为什么我们会不耐烦，我们可以变得更平和，更好地面对生活中的各种等待。
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：从佛教宗派视角看，本文强调的耐心和平等心在大乘显宗中尤为重要，如《显密圆通成佛心要集》所示，准提法融合显密，提倡在日常生活中修持，等待期正是实践“心要”的良机。显宗注重般若智慧，通过观照无常培养耐心；密宗如准提法则以咒语和观想加速成就，在等待中持诵准提咒，可转化烦躁为清净。准提法的优点在于其简便易行，适合现代人，在中年等待期等压力下，能快速安定心神，显密圆通地提升修行。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题：在修行实践上，本文内容可应用于培养耐心，解决诸如焦虑、压力、人际关系紧张、自我价值感低、时间管理困难、情绪波动、健康问题应对、生活不确定性、中年危机和灵性成长停滞等问题。通过正念和准提法练习，人们能在等待中找到宁静，提升生活质量。