英文原文
Loving-Kindness Practice: Healing Our Wounds | Samatha Yoga
Metta, from Pali: loving-kindness. Meaning: benevolence, friendliness, amity, kindness, good-will, and an active interest in the well-being of others. Metta is considered one of the sublime attitudes of an enlightened being, the first of the Four Immeasurables, Brahmavihāras (“Divine Abodes”), which also include: compassion (Karuṇā), empathetic joy (Muditā), and equanimity (Upekkhā). While Metta meditation practice is often associated in Buddhist communities, the first mention of practicing with kindness appears in the Chandogya Upanishad, one of the oldest of the Upanishads, found within the Samaveda. Further, the Brahmavihāras also appear in The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali as a guide on relationships with others: *1.33 In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or evil. (maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhka punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam) Metta Meditation has been a part of my practice for many years. It helps me to settle anxiety, calm busy thoughts, and ease the times I find myself caught up in negative self-judgement. Metta is a perfect response when I feel helpless to help in a situation; when I cannot assist directly I can at least send loving-kindness to those suffering. When Chozen Bays, Roshi, was still my teacher she would say that Metta is the only tool you need in any situation. Metta meditation practice is done as a set of phrases you repeat mentally or aloud, often with the breath. I was taught to repeat each phrase on an exhale. The phrases are repeated in four rounds. The first round is to generate loving-kindness for the self. This is quite literally a meditation example of “putting on your own oxygen mask first”; you make sure you’re ready to offer Metta to others before proceeding. Second, you offer loving-kindness to a person you are fond of. Third, you consider someone you feel neutral for; the cashier that helped you at the grocery store, for example. For the fourth round you focus loving-kindness on a person you have difficulty with; letting us practice offering goodwill despite having negative feelings about a person. There are many different suggestions for scripts to use for the phrases. Some are more detailed, for example these from Jack Kornfield: May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering. May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without suffering. May they remain in the boundless equanimity, free from both attachment to close ones and rejection of others. Another of my Zen teachers, Hogen Bays, would use only two phrases. It is this more simple approach I’ve continued to practice with over the years. The phrases I use in my practice now are: May I be free from anxiety and fear. May I be peaceful and happy. That word “Happy” can catch people. Some days we don’t feel ready for happy or ready to wish some people happiness. Rather than judging ourselves harshly for struggling over a word, we can chose to use the word “Content” instead. As Chozen Bays noted during the loving-kindness retreat I attended, contentment really is happiness after all. Through the process of deepening my own practice with Metta, I began thinking about how to incorporate this practice in healing myself. While having a practice that lets us open our heart to the world is deeply beneficial, this practice can be used as a way to reconnect with the body. I began incorporating it while teaching yoga movement to help students manage the negative self-judgement that arrises, to help heal the relationship with the body directly. As I started to explore applying the phrases of Metta to my chronic pain, to the toxic messages I absorbed as a child, and to the abuse and sexual trauma I’d experienced across the early years of my life, I experienced a growing comfort with my body, my back pain, and with my trauma history. Turning Metta inward opened it up for me, offering me insight for my own healing and in my work with others. Some of us live with a condition that causes chronic physical pain and creates limitations; we can offer loving-kindness for a body that works especially hard. Using the lens of Metta we look deeply at the physical pain the body experiences; offering tenderness instead of flinching away from discomfort. Many of us were taught to judge our bodies or how we view the world harshly, we need a way to temper the voice of the Inner Critic or the felt sense of unease and unhappiness held in the body. Metta provides space to be curious about our bodies and our insight into the world, instead of critical. For those of us who’ve experienced the violation of our bodily integrity through abuse, sexual trauma, or domestic violence, Metta can offer a way to befriend the body again. We can cultivate loving-kindness for the very anxiety, fear, and anger we still experience, held in our bodies. In doing this work to befriend the body, I’ve changed the phrases I use. Instead of offering the energy outwards to others, the loving-kindness energy is sent inwards, directly to the body. May I be free from the anxiety and fear I have about my body (I feel in my body). May I feel peaceful and happy about my body. It can be tough to offer yourself loving-kindness. When I first started this practice I found it so difficult to offer it to myself that I worked my way around to it, offering it to everyone else ahead of me as a kind of warm-up! Chozen would advise me to picture myself as a small child. Hogen even suggested visualizing myself as a tiny kitten, so in need of love. During some meditation sessions, instead of offering myself Metta, I’d find myself disassociated from the present moment. My struggles with offering myself loving-kindness opened my eyes to the depth of trauma I’d experienced from my family of origin. This was part of the impetus to begin work with a therapist who specialized in trauma recovery and used EMDR, which really set me upon the path to healing. I still struggle with shame. I’ve come to realize shame underlies most of my anxiety and all of my negative self-judgement. When I’m deep in a struggle with shame I am certain that I don’t deserve loving-kindness. Of course, that’s exactly when I need it most. I’ve learned to respond to those shame messages as a signal to stop and do Metta meditation, as soon as I can. I’ve sat and meditated in all kinds of places, including a bathroom stall! I recognize that I need to turn down the toxic messages that can still bubble up from the past before they overwhelm me, so any place is a good place for Metta practice! The more we befriend our body, treat it like a treasure and an ally, the more resources we have for healing ourselves and others. The more curiosity we can have for those things like fear, anger, and pain, the more spaciousness we will have around those experiences, rather than being overwhelmed by them. Metta practice is a valuable tool for this journey, may it help us all to find peace. May our practice together be meaningful. May our practice together bear fruit. May the fruits of our practice benefit others. Metta Prayer; for Everyone Who’s Been Abused May we be Freed from The misery Of shame. May we Be released From the thought That somehow It was our fault. May we Rest in the Truth that we Never did Anything Wrong. May the too many Who’ve experienced Abuse in any way Be free from Anxiety and fear. May we all Be peaceful. May we all Be happy. *Thanks to Swami J for the translation of the Yoga Sutras.
中文翻译
慈心禅修：疗愈我们的创伤 | 萨玛塔瑜伽
慈心（Metta），源自巴利语：意为慈爱、善意、友好、和睦、仁慈、善意，以及对他人福祉的积极关注。慈心被认为是觉悟者的崇高态度之一，是四无量心（梵住）中的第一个，其他包括：悲心（Karuṇā）、喜心（Muditā）和舍心（Upekkhā）。虽然慈心禅修常与佛教社区相关联，但最早提到以善意修行的记载出现在《唱赞奥义书》，这是最古老的奥义书之一，属于《娑摩吠陀》。此外，四无量心也出现在《帕坦伽利瑜伽经》中，作为处理人际关系的指南：*1.33 在关系中，通过培养对快乐者的友好感、对受苦者的悲悯、对善者的善意，以及对我们认为邪恶者的漠然或中立，心灵得以净化。（maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhka punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam）慈心禅修已成为我多年修行的一部分。它帮助我平息焦虑、安抚繁忙思绪，并缓解我陷入负面自我评判的时刻。当我在情境中感到无助时，慈心是完美的回应；当我无法直接帮助时，至少可以向受苦者发送慈心。当Chozen Bays禅师还是我的老师时，她会说慈心是你在任何情况下唯一需要的工具。慈心禅修是通过重复一系列短语来进行的，通常是默念或出声，常配合呼吸。我被教导在呼气时重复每个短语。这些短语重复四轮。第一轮是为自己生起慈心。这实际上是“先戴上自己的氧气面罩”的禅修例子；你确保自己准备好向他人提供慈心后再继续。第二轮，你向一个你喜欢的人提供慈心。第三轮，你考虑一个你感觉中立的人；例如，在杂货店帮助你的收银员。第四轮，你将慈心聚焦于一个你难以相处的人；让我们练习提供善意，尽管对这个人有负面感受。有许多不同的短语脚本建议。有些更详细，例如Jack Kornfield的这些：愿一切众生拥有快乐及快乐之因。愿他们远离痛苦及痛苦之因。愿他们永不脱离无苦的至高快乐。愿他们安住于无边的平等舍，远离对亲近者的执着和对他人排斥。我的另一位禅宗老师Hogen Bays只使用两个短语。正是这种更简单的方法，我多年来一直实践。我现在修行中使用的短语是：愿我远离焦虑和恐惧。愿我平和快乐。那个词“快乐”可能会让人困惑。有些日子我们还没准备好快乐，或还没准备好祝愿某些人快乐。与其因纠结于一个词而严厉评判自己，我们可以选择使用“满足”这个词。正如Chozen Bays在我参加的慈心禅修营中指出的，满足终究是快乐。通过深化我的慈心修行，我开始思考如何将这种修行融入自我疗愈中。虽然拥有一个让我们向世界敞开心扉的修行非常有益，但这种修行也可以用作重新连接身体的方式。我开始在教授瑜伽动作时融入它，帮助学生管理出现的负面自我评判，直接疗愈与身体的关系。当我开始探索将慈心短语应用于我的慢性疼痛、童年吸收的有毒信息，以及早年经历的虐待和性创伤时，我体验到对身体、背痛和创伤史的日益舒适感。将慈心转向内为我打开了新视野，为我自己的疗愈和与他人工作提供了洞见。我们中有些人生活在导致慢性身体疼痛和限制的状况中；我们可以向特别努力工作的身体提供慈心。通过慈心的视角，我们深入观察身体经历的物理疼痛；提供温柔而非回避不适。我们许多人被教导严厉评判自己的身体或看待世界的方式，我们需要一种方法来缓和内在批评者的声音或身体中持有的不安和不快乐感。慈心提供了空间，让我们对身体和对世界的洞察感到好奇，而非批判。对于我们中那些经历过虐待、性创伤或家庭暴力侵犯身体完整性的人来说，慈心可以提供一种重新与身体为友的方式。我们可以培养对仍体验到的焦虑、恐惧和愤怒的慈心，这些情绪储存在身体中。在做这项与身体为友的工作时，我改变了使用的短语。不是向外提供能量给他人，而是将慈心能量向内发送，直接到身体。愿我远离对身体（我在身体中感受到）的焦虑和恐惧。愿我对身体感到平和快乐。向自己提供慈心可能很困难。当我刚开始这项修行时，我发现向自己提供慈心如此困难，以至于我绕道而行，先向其他人提供作为热身！Chozen会建议我把自己想象成一个小孩子。Hogen甚至建议把自己想象成一只需要爱的小猫。在一些禅修中，我没有向自己提供慈心，而是发现自己与当下时刻分离。向自己提供慈心的挣扎让我意识到我从原生家庭经历的创伤深度。这促使我开始与一位专门从事创伤恢复并使用EMDR的治疗师合作，这真正让我走上了疗愈之路。我仍在与羞耻感斗争。我意识到羞耻感是我大部分焦虑和所有负面自我评判的基础。当我深陷羞耻感斗争时，我确信自己不值得慈心。当然，这正是我最需要它的时候。我学会了将这些羞耻信息视为信号，尽快停下来做慈心禅修。我在各种地方坐禅，包括卫生间隔间！我认识到我需要降低那些仍从过去冒出的有毒信息，以免它们压倒我，所以任何地方都是慈心修行的好地方！我们越与身体为友，把它当作宝藏和盟友，我们就有越多的资源来疗愈自己和他人。我们对恐惧、愤怒和痛苦等事物越有好奇心，我们围绕这些体验的空间就越大，而不是被它们压倒。慈心修行是这段旅程中的宝贵工具，愿它帮助我们所有人找到和平。愿我们的修行有意义。愿我们的修行结出果实。愿我们修行的果实利益他人。慈心祈祷；献给所有受过虐待的人愿我们从羞耻的痛苦中解脱。愿我们从认为这某种程度上是我们的错的想法中释放。愿我们安息于我们从未做错任何事的真理中。愿所有以任何方式经历过虐待的人远离焦虑和恐惧。愿我们都平和。愿我们都快乐。*感谢Swami J翻译《瑜伽经》。
文章概要
本文以“慈心禅修疗愈中年情感创伤的实践指南”为主题，详细介绍了慈心（Metta）禅修的定义、历史渊源、实践方法及其在疗愈情感创伤中的应用。文章强调慈心作为四无量心之首，能帮助平息焦虑、负面自我评判，并分享个人经验，包括将慈心转向内以疗愈身体创伤、羞耻感和慢性疼痛。通过具体短语和步骤，如四轮重复和调整用词（如用“满足”替代“快乐”），文章展示了慈心修行如何促进身心和谐，并扩展到对虐待受害者的祈祷，突出其在中年情感创伤疗愈中的实用价值。
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：这篇文章讲的是用一种叫“慈心”的禅修方法来帮助疗愈情感创伤，就像心里受伤了需要包扎一样。慈心就是对自己和别人都很好、很友善的想法。文章说，你可以通过重复一些好话，比如“愿我远离焦虑和恐惧，愿我平和快乐”，来让自己感觉更好。先从对自己说开始，然后对喜欢的人、陌生人，甚至难相处的人说。这能帮助减少负面情绪，让身体和心灵都更舒服。作者分享了自己用这个方法处理疼痛和创伤的经验，说明它真的有用。
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：从佛学宗派视角看，慈心禅修在大乘佛教中尤为重要，强调利他心和菩提心，与本文的疗愈主题相契合。《显密圆通成佛心要集》作为显密融合的经典，提倡圆融无碍的修行法门，慈心修行可视为显宗基础，为密宗如准提法铺垫。准提法作为大乘密法，注重咒语和观想，慈心的善意培养能净化心性，增强准提咒的效力，促进即身成佛。本文的慈心实践，从自我疗愈扩展到利益他人，体现了大乘菩萨道精神，与《显密圆通成佛心要集》中显密双修、心性圆融的理念一致，突显准提法在整合显宗慈悲与密宗实修方面的优势。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题：1. 缓解焦虑和恐惧：通过慈心短语重复，平静心绪。2. 改善自我评判：培养自我友善，减少负面自我对话。3. 疗愈身体创伤：将慈心能量转向内，安抚身体疼痛和不适。4. 处理人际关系：向不同对象发送慈心，增强包容和理解。5. 克服羞耻感：用慈心对抗羞耻信息，提升自我价值。6. 增强情绪调节：在压力情境中快速应用，稳定情绪。7. 促进身心连接：通过慈心重新与身体为友，提升整体健康。8. 支持创伤恢复：为虐待或暴力受害者提供心理安抚工具。9. 培养慈悲心：扩展慈心至所有众生，提升灵性成长。10. 实现日常修行：在任何地点实践，融入生活，持续疗愈。