英文原文
Cultivating Purpose and Resilience: A Beginner's Guide to Loving-Kindness Meditation for Midlife Growth - Meaningful Midlife! Introduction to The Loving Kindness Meditation I recently took an online course from the University of Michigan called “Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life: Living for What Matters Most”. It was taught by Professor Victor Strecher. He has also written a book on the subject called “Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything”. His daughter had died of an illness when she was a young teen and he was lost as to how to live his life... until one day his daughter “spoke” to him while he was rowing in his kayak on Lake Michigan and told him he needed to get on with his life. During this class, Professor Strecher mentioned the Loving Kindness Meditation and that it had helped him and some other people he knew. It’s a fairly short meditation and I liked the messages it sends to ourselves and out into the world. The Loving-kindness meditation, or Metta, is a mindfulness practice that cultivates goodwill, kindness, and compassion by silently repeating phrases of well-wishes towards yourself and others. It involves starting out by sending warm feelings to yourself first and then gradually extending them to loved ones, acquaintances, someone you’ve had a difficult time with, and eventually to all living beings. This ancient Buddhist practice aims to boost happiness, reduce self-focus and negativity, and foster feelings of connection and empathy. There are many different versions of this phrase, but I like this one because it’s easy to remember: “May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe, may I live with ease”. How to Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation 1. Begin with your Breath: Find a quiet spot where you won’t be interrupted. Sit comfortably and take a few deep breaths to relax and center yourself. Breathe in to the count of 4, hold for 4 and then breathe out for 4. Once you begin reciting the phrases, if your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the phrases. 2. Focus on Yourself: First, extend the well-wishes to yourself. Silently or by whispering, repeat the phrases, inwardly hearing, feeling, affirming “May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe, may I live with ease”. 3. Expand to a Loved One: Think of a close friend or family member and direct the same loving-kindness phrases to them, continuing to inwardly hear, feel and affirm. 4. Include a Neutral Person: Next, consider someone you don’t have strong feelings about, such as an acquaintance, and offer them well-wishes. 5. Extend to a Difficult Person: Bring to mind someone with whom you have or have had a conflict, then offer the phrases for their well-being. 6. Include All Beings: Finally, broaden the circle of kindness to include all people in your community, your country, and eventually all living creatures. 7. Rest in the Feeling: Conclude the meditation by sitting with the feelings of warmth, compassion, and connection that have arisen. Benefits of Loving-Kindness Meditation Increased Happiness: It cultivates a sense of connection, leading to greater happiness and life satisfaction. Reduced Negativity: It can help quiet the inner critic, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and, even though you start the meditation with well-wishes for yourself, it lessens the focus on oneself. Enhanced Empathy: Regular practice fosters empathy and improves social interactions and close relationships. Boosted Well-being: It’s a powerful self-care technique that strengthens positive emotions and helps cope with stress. Greater Connection: It helps you feel more connected to others, including strangers. Integrating the Loving Kindness Meditation into your life For women over 50, loving-kindness meditation can reignite a sense of purpose by quieting self-doubt from past experiences and fostering optimism, much like shifting from hesitation to excitement for new adventures, leading to a more vibrant and empowered life. It can also be especially powerful in fostering resilience (super important for a fulfilling life). To help weave it into your routine, try it during quiet moments like morning reflections or evening wind-downs, focusing on affirmations that celebrate your growth and foster a sense of community, turning daily frustrations into opportunities for inner peace and joyful connections. As you practice, notice how it cultivates resilience and purpose, empowering you to embrace transitions with strength and celebrate life’s joys. Remember, kindness to yourself is the first step toward a more meaningful and vibrant journey.
中文翻译
培养目标与韧性：慈心禅修初学者指南，助力中年成长——有意义的中年生活！慈心禅修简介 我最近参加了密歇根大学的一门在线课程，名为“寻找生活的目标与意义：为最重要的事情而活”。该课程由维克多·斯特雷彻教授讲授。他还就此主题写了一本书，名为《有目标的生活：为最重要的事情而活如何改变一切》。他的女儿在青少年时期因病去世，他一度迷失了生活的方向……直到有一天，他在密歇根湖上划皮划艇时，女儿“对他说话”，告诉他需要继续生活。在这门课上，斯特雷彻教授提到了慈心禅修，并说这帮助了他和他认识的一些人。这是一种相当短的禅修，我喜欢它传递给自身和世界的信息。慈心禅修，或称Metta，是一种正念练习，通过默默重复对自己和他人的祝福语，培养善意、仁慈和同情心。它从向自己发送温暖的感觉开始，然后逐渐扩展到亲人、熟人、与你相处困难的人，最终扩展到所有众生。这种古老的佛教修行旨在提升幸福感，减少自我关注和消极情绪，培养连接感和同理心。这个短语有许多不同版本，但我喜欢这个，因为它容易记住：“愿我快乐，愿我健康，愿我安全，愿我生活安逸”。如何练习慈心禅修 1. 从呼吸开始：找一个安静的地方，不会被打扰。舒适地坐着，深呼吸几次，放松并集中注意力。吸气数到4，屏住呼吸数到4，然后呼气数到4。一旦开始念诵短语，如果思绪飘散，轻轻将其带回短语。2. 专注于自己：首先，将祝福语延伸给自己。默默地或轻声重复短语，内心听到、感受到、确认“愿我快乐，愿我健康，愿我安全，愿我生活安逸”。3. 扩展到亲人：想到一个亲密的朋友或家人，将同样的慈心短语指向他们，继续内心听到、感受到和确认。4. 包括一个中立的人：接下来，考虑一个你没有强烈感情的人，比如熟人，并为他们提供祝福。5. 延伸到一个困难的人：想起一个你与之有或曾有冲突的人，然后为他们的福祉提供短语。6. 包括所有众生：最后，扩大仁慈的圈子，包括你社区、你国家的所有人，最终包括所有生物。7. 沉浸在感觉中：通过坐着感受出现的温暖、同情和连接感来结束禅修。慈心禅修的好处 增加幸福感：它培养了一种连接感，带来更大的幸福感和生活满意度。减少消极情绪：它可以帮助平息内心的批评，减少抑郁和焦虑症状，并且，即使你从为自己祝福开始禅修，它也减少了对自我的关注。增强同理心：定期练习培养同理心，改善社交互动和亲密关系。提升幸福感：这是一种强大的自我照顾技巧，增强积极情绪，帮助应对压力。更大的连接感：它帮助你感觉与他人更连接，包括陌生人。将慈心禅修融入生活 对于50岁以上的女性，慈心禅修可以通过平息过去经历中的自我怀疑和培养乐观情绪，重新点燃目标感，就像从犹豫转向对新冒险的兴奋，带来更充满活力和赋权的生活。它在培养韧性方面也特别强大（对充实生活非常重要）。为了帮助将其融入日常，尝试在安静时刻如早晨反思或晚上放松时进行，专注于庆祝你的成长和培养社区感的肯定语，将日常挫折转化为内心平静和快乐连接的机会。当你练习时，注意它如何培养韧性和目标感，赋予你力量以坚强拥抱转变并庆祝生活的喜悦。记住，对自己仁慈是迈向更有意义和充满活力旅程的第一步。
文章概要
本文介绍了慈心禅修作为一种正念练习，帮助中年人群应对孤独感，培养目标与韧性。文章详细描述了慈心禅修的步骤，从自我祝福扩展到所有众生，并强调了其好处，如增加幸福感、减少消极情绪、增强同理心等。特别针对50岁以上女性，文章指出慈心禅修可以重新点燃目标感，培养乐观和韧性，融入日常生活以提升内在平静和连接感。
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 这篇文章讲的是一个叫慈心禅修的方法，就像在心里默默对自己和别人说好话，比如“愿我快乐，愿我健康”。先从自己开始，然后想到家人、朋友，甚至不喜欢的人，最后祝福所有人。这样做可以帮助中年人不那么孤单，感觉更开心和有力量。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 从佛学视角看，慈心禅修属于大乘佛教的修行方法，强调慈悲心与利他精神。在显宗中，如《显密圆通成佛心要集》所倡导，慈心禅修是培养菩提心的重要基础，通过扩展善意到所有众生，破除我执，促进智慧与慈悲的圆融。准提法作为密宗修行，也重视慈悲心的培养，慈心禅修可视为其前导练习，帮助净化心念，为更深层修行铺路。从大乘视角，此法直接针对中年孤独感，通过连接众生，体现“无缘大慈，同体大悲”的精神，是显密圆通理念的实践应用。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，慈心禅修可以应用于缓解中年孤独感，具体可解决以下十个问题：1. 减少自我中心，增强社会连接；2. 降低焦虑和抑郁情绪；3. 提升生活满意度和幸福感；4. 培养同理心，改善人际关系；5. 增强心理韧性，应对生活压力；6. 重新发现生活目标感；7. 平息内心批评，提升自我接纳；8. 促进内在平静，减少日常挫折感；9. 扩展慈悲心，包括对困难人物的包容；10. 为更深层佛学修行如准提法奠定基础。准提法的优点在于其快速成就和广泛适用性，慈心禅修作为其辅助，能加速心性转化，帮助修行者更易融入显密圆通的成佛之道。