亲愛老師, Dear Teacher,
我可以在家自己或和家人閉關三天或更長吗? May I have my own retreat at home with my family for 3 days or longer?
It is not wise to do a personal retreat at home. Over the decades, I have seen people do it with various unfortunate results.
自己在家閉關不是個明智之舉。數十年來我見到一些人如此做而得到各種不同的不幸結果。
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靜坐時應该没有亮光吗?, 光絨對靜坐的影響是什么? Should there be no light while meditating? What’s the impact of light on meditation?
I am not sure if you mean lights on in the room or light seen within your awareness. Either way, the answer is the same: It does not matter. Just treat is as you would any other thought. Of course, if the light in the room is excessively bright, it is fine to dim it.
我不確定你指的是室內的光線或是靜坐時看見的光。不管是哪一種情形況，答案都是一樣的：那個無關緊要。你如何看待其他的念頭你就如何看待它。當然，假如室內光線是極度明亮，是可以把光線亮度調暗些。
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靜坐后为什么要听Sama Veda and RK9, RK10, 坐著听還是躺著听? 有何不同? Why listening to Sama Veda and RK9, RK10? Should we be sitting up or laying down? What’s the difference?
Sama Veda has a soothing and integrating effect… like oiling a machine so it runs more smoothly. Rig Veda, Ninth Mandala (RK9) has a somewhat similar effect as Sama Veda, just a different angle of approach. Rig Veda, Tenth Mandala (RK10) enlivens the wholeness value.
Sama Veda 有安撫的作用以及整合的效果──好比上了油的機器跑得比較順暢。Rig Veda第九篇有些類似的效果，只不過是從不同的角度契入。Rig Veda第十篇有使生命本體活化起來的作用。
Sit for a while with your eyes closed. Then lie down for a while with your eyes closed. You should be able to tell the difference for yourself. If not, try it again at another time. You may find that the challenge is not to feel the difference. The challenge is to put your experience of the difference into words. Roughly speaking, the mind is more inclined to being restfully alert when sitting up. To lie down inclines the awareness toward a less alert state. This is the natural way of the nervous system. It is, of course, better to support that, not resist it. However, if it requires significant effort to sit up, then it is fine to not sit up.
闔眼坐一會兒，然後在闔眼躺一會兒，你應該可以感受到不同的感覺。假如你無法感受到不同，就另找時間試試。你可能發現其中的挑戰並不是感受到兩者的差別，而是在於困難用言語來表達它們的差異。大體而言，坐著時神智是傾向於安然的警戒狀態，躺著時神智則傾向於更少的警戒狀態。這是神經系統的自然現象。當然囉，最好是能夠協助這種狀態，而不是抗拒它。但是，假如需要花很多力氣才能坐起來，不坐起來也無仿。
請問”最好是協助這種狀態，而不是抗拒它”。請問，”這種狀況”指的是什麼？是安然的警戒狀態，對吧？文中翻譯並非很能清楚看出來。
Would you please clarify “…better to support that, not resist it.?” What does “that” refer to? Is it restful alert state? Cannot really tell from the translation.
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IT IS BETTER TO SUPPORT THE NATURAL FUNCTION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM RATHER THAN RESIST IT. IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH PEOPLE DO IN THE NAME OF PERSONAL EVOLUTION THAT ACTUALLY FIGHTS WHAT IS NATURAL. HUGE SPIRITUAL MOVEMENTS ARE EVEN BUILT AROUND UNNATURAL PROCESSES OF MEDITATION AND HOW TO LIVE LIFE.
最好是隨著神經系統的功能給予支持而不是抗拒與限制它。令人驚訝的，有很多人打著生命成長的口號，實際上卻抗拒那最自然的成長。極多數靈性成長活動是建立在不自然的靜坐和該如何生活的教條基礎上。
請問，1.若自己平時較有空時，靜坐從早晚兩次增加到三次是可以的嗎？
2.可否再明確指出自己在家閉關為何不明智？是怕有狀況沒有老師或同修的協助？還是沒有自己在家做小閉關的需要？請澄清一下自己在家做小閉關有何不妥之處，謝謝妳。
May I ask the following questions?
1. If there is time throughout the day, is it fine to increase meditation from two times (one in the morning, one in the afternoon) to three times?
2. Could you be more specific why it’s not wise to have your own retreat at home? Is it because there is no teacher’s or group‘s support? Or there is no need to do so? Would you please clarify why it’s not a good to have your own retreat at home?
Thank you!
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NO. IT IS IMPORTANT TO BALANCE INNER WITH OUTER. SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION IS ABOUT INTEGRATION OF INNER WITH OUTER… TOO MANY MEDITATION TIMES IN A DAY COMPROMISES THIS INTEGRATION. OCASSIONALLY, OR IF YOU ARE SICK IN BED, THEN EXTRA MEDITATION IS OK.
不合適。平衡內在與外在是很種重要的。靈性成長是著重在內在與外在的整合。一天靜坐太多次反而對整合的功效打了折扣。偶爾，假如你臥病在床，那麼多靜坐是無妨的。