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More Westerners Go East to Learn About Buddhism

时间:2005-05-25 16:00:00

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(单词翻译)

 

Jeffrey Oliver, an Australian with a relaxed presence and penetrating1 blue eyes, is discussing Vipassana, or insight meditation2, at a large temple in Bangkok.

"We call it mindfulness meditation," he said. "It also refers to awareness3 and just paying attention to your body and mind. You may start with just breathing in and breathing out to calm the mind. You may observe the rising and the falling of the abdomen4..."

Mr. Oliver was a Buddhist5 monk6 in Myanmar for eight years. He is one of a number of Westerners who have exchanged their modern lifestyles for a life of service, poverty and meditation. Mr. Oliver says he enjoyed living in Australia, yet wanted to develop his spirituality, a hard task in what he describes as the West's frenetic pace.

"We function on the superficial part of our minds. We drive our car, we eat food, we party, we laugh and sing, but we don't have a very deep or sincere connection with our heart. We don't have a great deal of mindfulness. We function on a level of superficial awareness of life."

Mr. Oliver established a Burmese monastery7 in South Africa and has written books on Buddhist meditation. About 20 foreigners listen to his reflections at the temple in Bangkok. They came for a variety of reasons. Dutchman Michael Ensink is on a long journey through Asia. "I am just on holiday here in Bangkok for two days and I was walking by," he said. "I haven't done anything with meditation but I am curious and that is why I came here."

Moppy Barr, a 60-year-old American from Phoenix8, Arizona, wants to learn more after she met Buddhists9 in India. "That's my first experience of Buddhism10, where I saw a gentleness in the people that I wanted to explore," she said. "I am kind of tingling11 and frightened at the same time. I don't mean to make light of it. This is not easy...but it could be what I've been looking for."

Branca Pereira of Portugal came to study neurology in Bangkok. "I think neurology is related to Buddhism because both help you to understand how your mind works and what you need to get well. If you understand how your mind works, you can become happier."

Branca Pereira wanted to experience longer periods of meditation. So she joined some 50 people led by Jeffrey Oliver on a nine-day retreat. Such retreats take place for visitors and locals alike in temples throughout Thailand.

In the midst of forested mountains in central Thailand's Khao Yai National Park, the wake-up bell rings at four in the morning. The group rises for a pre-dawn meditation and then sits down for a modest breakfast. The rest of the day is dedicated12 to meditation. Students remain silent and are encouraged to avoid worldly activities involving alcohol, radio and television. All of this is designed to slow the mind down and develop concentration.

Buddhists have been meditating13 in this way since 500 B.C., when an Indian prince known as the Buddha14, or 'enlightened one,' founded what has remained a dominant15 religious force in much of Asia. Buddhist attitudes of peace, mindfulness and care for all living creatures attract many westerners.

Professor Thak Chaloemtiarana, Director of the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University, says Thailand is a natural magnet for seekers of Buddhism because the country has well-developed tourism infrastructure16 and an unusual history. "There is some truth in the fact that because the country was not colonized17 the Thai people do not look at Westerners with great suspicion and are more welcoming. There have been some negative affects of colonization18 around the region but Thailand has been spared quite a bit of that."

Although the Buddha's teachings have been known throughout Asia for thousands of years, the West has learned about them only in the last century. Buddhist monasteries19 and centers are growing in Europe and the Americas as a result of both Asian immigrants and Westerners who return with Buddhist ideals from countries like Thailand.

注释:
penetrating 敏锐的
Vipassana 内观(印度最古老的禅修方法之一)
meditation 沉思,冥想
Bangkok 曼谷
mindfulness meditation 发现冥想
abdomen 腹部
Buddhist 佛教
Myanmar 缅甸
spirituality 灵性
frenetic 狂热的
superficial 表面的,肤浅的
monastery 僧院
Dutchman 荷兰人
neurology 神经学
forested 草木丛生的


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1 penetrating ImTzZS     
adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的
参考例句:
  • He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
  • He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。
2 meditation yjXyr     
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录
参考例句:
  • This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
  • I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉,我打断了你的沉思。
3 awareness 4yWzdW     
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
参考例句:
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
4 abdomen MfXym     
n.腹,下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)
参考例句:
  • How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫?
  • He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。
5 Buddhist USLy6     
adj./n.佛教的,佛教徒
参考例句:
  • The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
  • In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里,人世上一切事情都是空的。
6 monk 5EDx8     
n.和尚,僧侣,修道士
参考例句:
  • The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
  • Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。
7 monastery 2EOxe     
n.修道院,僧院,寺院
参考例句:
  • They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
  • She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。
8 phoenix 7Njxf     
n.凤凰,长生(不死)鸟;引申为重生
参考例句:
  • The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
  • The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。
9 Buddhists 5f3c74ef01ae0fe3724e91f586462b77     
n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒,用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
  • The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后,并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句
10 Buddhism 8SZy6     
n.佛教(教义)
参考例句:
  • Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
  • Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。
11 tingling LgTzGu     
v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
12 dedicated duHzy2     
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的
参考例句:
  • He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
  • His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。
13 meditating hoKzDp     
a.沉思的,冥想的
参考例句:
  • They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。
  • The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
14 Buddha 9x1z0O     
n.佛;佛像;佛陀
参考例句:
  • Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
  • He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。
15 dominant usAxG     
adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因
参考例句:
  • The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
  • She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。
16 infrastructure UbBz5     
n.下部构造,下部组织,基础结构,基础设施
参考例句:
  • We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
  • We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设,发展各类群众文化。
17 colonized b6d32edf2605d89b4eba608acb0d30bf     
开拓殖民地,移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
  • The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。
18 colonization fa0db2e0e94efd7127e1e573e71196df     
殖民地的开拓,殖民,殖民地化; 移殖
参考例句:
  • Colonization took place during the Habsburg dynasty. 开拓殖民地在哈布斯堡王朝就进行过。
  • These countries took part in the colonization of Africa. 这些国家参与非洲殖民地的开发。
19 monasteries f7910d943cc815a4a0081668ac2119b2     
修道院( monastery的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • In ancient China, there were lots of monasteries. 在古时候,中国有许多寺院。
  • The Negev became a religious center with many monasteries and churches. 内格夫成为许多庙宇和教堂的宗教中心。

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