“Meditation is a method to bring a peaceful, open, and happy state of mind.”

[[en]]Benefits of Meditation[[zh]]禪修之好處：

[[en]]Meditation is a method to develop beneficial states of mind. Below are some benefits of breath meditation:[[zh]]禪修，即是開展有利於人類心靈之特殊技巧。禪修之功德（或利樂/好處）如下：

[[en]]Meditation is a method to develop beneficial states of mind. Below are some benefits of breath meditation:1) Combats stress. Helps ground you.  2) Manages and relieves physical and emotional pain.  3) Provides tools you can use in daily life.   4) Helps you understand yourself and others.  5)  Builds positive emotions, like love and compassion. 6)  Builds up new neural pathways.[[zh]]1） 能夠幫助我們減壓、抗壓；讓我們更接地氣，更貼近現實人間之境況和因緣。2） 能夠幫助我們舒緩身體及心靈上的痛苦。3） 禪修乃面對生活生命最方便、最善巧、最具效驗之心靈工具。4） 禪修能夠幫助我們了解自他、利樂自他。5） 禪修能夠幫助我們培養如慈愛、悲憫等等正面積極的情緒及念頭。禪修能夠幫助我們建設頭腦中新的神經通路或途徑。

[[en]]Basic tips for Meditation[[zh]]基本禪坐貼士：

[[en]]Place for Meditation:  A clean and comfortable space will help the mind settle[[zh]]禪坐的地點：尋找一個整潔舒適的空間，有助於讓您安定心靈、舒活自在。

[[en]]Posture for Meditation: Sit with a straight but relaxed back. Relax shoulders, neck, and facial muscles. You could also sit in a chair. Some forms of Zen meditation do not encourage any movement. In other types of meditation, you may move your legs as you need to.[[zh]]禪坐的姿勢：背部挺直且又放鬆的坐姿。放鬆肩膀、頸部和面部肌肉。你也可以坐在椅子上。一般禪宗的禪修方式要求您就此安坐，不鼓勵您有任何身體上的移動；然而在其他類型的佛教禪修中，您是可以根據自己身體的需要而移動你的腿部。

[[en]]Time for Meditation: Beginners can start with just three to five minutes sittings. Aim for a short and focused period and increase your time as you feel more comfortable.  One of the most important principles to remember is that there are ups and downs. Some days your meditation will go well, some days it won’t.  Aim to keep your body and mind relaxed, don’t push yourself too hard. Progress is never linear but over time you will see your progress.[[zh]]禪坐的時間：初學者可以從三到五分鐘的坐禪開始。以短暫而專注的時間為初期目標，而隨著自己逐漸感到更舒適、更自在時，您就可以逐漸增加您的禪修時間。其中一個必須記取的最重要的原則是 – 禪修的體驗和其他體驗一樣，會有所謂的高潮和低谷。有些日子你的禪修進展順利，有些日子則不然。但切莫忘了您的目標是保持身心的放鬆和自在，千萬不要過於勉強自己。禪修境界的進步永遠都不是線性的，但隨著時間的推移，你會看到自己在禪修境界上的必然提升。

[[en]]How Often to Meditate: Aim for a consistent practice. Begin with a few minutes every day if you can. After the first few minutes, take a short break, and then try again.[[zh]]禪修之頻率：我們的目標是保持一致性的穩定練習。如果可能的話，每天以幾分鐘為目標來開始。靜坐了幾分鐘後，稍微休息片刻，然後再開始上座禪修。

[[en]]Meditation on the Breath: Focus on your breath. This helps you calm down when stressed. Breathe normally through the nose: not too fast, not too slow, not too deeply, not too shallow. Focus on the breath in one of two places – going in and out of the nose to help raise our energy, if you’re feeling sleepy, or on the sensation of the abdomen going in and out if your mind is wandering. Breathe with awareness by counting cycles of ten in, and out breaths. When your mind wanders, bring its attention gently back to the breath.[[zh]]呼吸禪修法：把心思專注在呼吸上。這類禪修法能讓您在面對壓力時快速地冷靜及鎮定下來。通過鼻子來進行 正常呼吸：不要太快，也不要太慢；不要太深，也不要太淺。觀呼吸時，專注於身體的兩個不同地方為為您帶來兩種不同的效果。如果您感到昏昏欲睡的話，就專注於鼻孔，用鼻子來吸氣和呼氣 – 這會讓您覺得精神奕奕、充滿能量和精神抖擻！而如果您心思散渙、萬念紛飛的話，那就把心力集中在自己腹部的起伏上。

[[en]]You’re not turning your mind off here. The real work is to recognize as soon as possible that your attention has wandered off and then to bring it back. Or, if you’ve started to become dull and sleepy, to wake yourself up. Your breath is always there, it’s something stable that you can always bring your attention back to.[[zh]]每呼吸一次，就算一次；從一數到十為一圈；周而復始，以【數息法】來觀照自己的呼吸。就這樣有意識地、有覺知地呼吸。當你的思想在漫遊而散渙、掉舉時，只需輕輕地把注意力拉回，重新安放在自己的呼吸上即可。要知道您其實並不是在“關閉掉”您自己的思想。您真正的任務其實是 – 當自己變得心思散渙、無法集中的時候，您會立即有所覺知而產生警惕和正念，然後柔和地、緩緩地重新把心力重新集中或安放在自己的呼吸上。若覺得自己開始變得心思沉重或昏昏欲睡，那就要適時地喚醒自己。您的呼吸一直在那裡，它一直都和您同在。您的呼吸其實穩重如山，您大可放心地依靠它、回歸它；它是您的避風港，您總是可以將您的注意力帶回到那裡，緩緩地靠岸、安全地回歸心靈的家！