16 Cultivating Joy

【培养喜悦】

我们可能会认为喜悦是自然生发的。但是，喜悦也需要培养和练习才能生长。当我们与他人一起以正念坐下时，坐着就更容易了。当我们与他人一起放松时，放松就更容易了。集体的能量可以在我们疲倦或者心神游离时帮助我们。集体的能量可以把我们带回到自己这里。这就是为什么与他人一起练习如此重要的原因。起初，我们可能担心我们没有正确地进行坐禅或者行禅，可能因为害怕被评判而犹豫是否与他人一起练习。但我们都知道如何坐和如何呼吸。这就是我们所需要做的一切。只需要集中精力呼吸几分钟，我们就能为我们的身体和心灵带来平和与宁静。

我们只需要关注于我们的吸气和呼气。只需专注于此。这就足以开始平息你的心灵和身体中的躁动，恢复内在的稳定与平和。你周围人的专注也会在你开始练习时支持你。每天做一点点，无论是独自一人还是与他人一起。当你这样训练时，回归到你的正念呼吸就变得越来越容易。你训练得越多，你就越容易触及你意识的深处，越容易产生慈悲的能量。我们每个人都可以做到这一点。

[Cultivating Joy]

We may think of joy as something that happens spontaneously. But joy needs to be cultivated and practiced in order to grow. When we sit in mindfulness with others, it’s easier to sit. When we relax with others, it’s easier to relax. The collective energy can help us when we’re tired or when our mind wanders. The collective energy can bring us back to ourselves. This is why it’s so important to practice with others. At first we may worry that we aren’t doing sitting or walking meditation properly, and we may hesitate to practice with others for fear of being judged. But we all know how to sit and how to breathe. That’s all we have to do. After only a few moments of concentrating on our breathing, we can bring peace and calm to our body and mind.

We only need to pay attention to our in-breath and out-breath. Just focus on that. That’s all it takes to begin to calm the agitation in your mind and body and restore stability and peace within yourself. The concentration of those around you will also support you as you begin to practice. Do this a little bit each day, alone or with others. When you train like this, it becomes easier and easier to return to your mindful breathing. The more you train yourself, the more easily you touch the depths of your consciousness, and the more easily you can generate the energy of compassion. Each one of us can do this.