2022年11月14日 VOA慢速英語：Zen Meditation 將阿拉斯加社區(qū)聚集在一起

For more than 30 years, members of Alaska's Anchorage Zen Community gathered for meditation wherever they could find a place. But now they have their own zendo, or meditation hall, in a neighborhood in Alaska's most populous city.
30 多年來，阿拉斯加安克雷奇禪宗社區(qū)的成員在他們能找到的地方聚集在一起進行冥想。但現(xiàn)在他們在阿拉斯加人口最多的城市的一個街區(qū)擁有了自己的禪堂或冥想大廳。

Meditation is the act of spending time in quiet thought. In the zendo, meditation starts when a member of the group rings a bell. The members breathe in and out in unity. Their collective breaths can be heard in the room.
冥想是花時間安靜思考的行為。在禪道中，當團體成員敲響鈴鐺時，冥想就開始了。成員們團結(jié)一致地呼吸。房間里可以聽到他們集體的呼吸聲。

The community was founded in 1986 after meeting for years informally with followers of different kinds of Buddhism.
在與不同類型的佛教信徒進行了多年非正式會面后，該社區(qū)成立于 1986 年。
 
Genmyo Jana Zeedyk leads the Zen group. She said that a sense of community is very important in a state like Alaska.
Genmyo Jana Zeedyk 領(lǐng)導 Zen 小組。她說，在阿拉斯加這樣的州，社區(qū)意識非常重要。

While Anchorage has a population of about 300,000, Alaska has the lowest population density of any American state, with less than one person per square kilometer.
雖然安克雷奇的人口約為 30 萬，但阿拉斯加的人口密度是美國所有州中最低的，平均每人不到 1 人。平方公里。

Zeedyk said Alaska's seasons affect their meditation practices. In winter, days are very short. There is not even seven hours of daylight. She said that when outdoor activity slows down, it gives more opportunity for zazen -- or sitting meditation.
Zeedyk 說阿拉斯加的季節(jié)會影響他們的冥想練習。在冬天，白天很短。甚至連七個小時的日光都沒有。她說，當戶外活動放緩時，就會有更多機會進行坐禪 - 或打坐冥想。

She said, "There's the quiet that comes with the snow -- the conditions make it easier to be inside and sit."
她說，“雪帶來的寧靜 - 這些條件讓人們更容易進去坐下。”
 
Judith Haggar is the group's treasurer. She said that in summer, when there is up to 19 hours of daylight, zazen can help people stay calm.
Judith Haggar 是該集團的財務(wù)主管。她說，在夏天，日照時間長達 19 小時，坐禪可以幫助人們保持冷靜。
 
Back at the zendo, several minutes pass until the members rise to their feet and begin to slowly walk in circles. At the end, Zeedyk talks about how practitioners can find awareness and compassion in even simple, everyday activities.
回到禪堂，幾分鐘后，成員們站起來，開始慢慢地繞圈子走。最后，Zeedyk 談到從業(yè)者如何在簡單的日?；顒又姓业接X知和同情心。

The group connects their practice with the Anchorage community. They have helped clean bodies of water, organized community meals and visited prisoners to share Buddhist teachings.
該小組將他們的實踐與安克雷奇社區(qū)聯(lián)系起來。他們幫助清潔水體、組織社區(qū)聚餐并探訪囚犯分享佛教教義。
 
Meditation has been a life-changing experience for many women in prison, said Haggar. For more than 20 years, she and other community members have taught zazen, yoga and Buddhist teachings to women at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center. The program was temporarily stopped during the coronavirus pandemic but has since restarted.
Haggar 說，冥想對許多監(jiān)獄中的女性來說是一種改變生活的經(jīng)歷。 20 多年來，她和其他社區(qū)成員在海蘭山懲教中心向女性教授坐禪、瑜伽和佛教教義。該計劃在冠狀病毒大流行期間暫時停止，但后來重新啟動。

Brian Schumaker, who calls himself a beginner practitioner, noted the benefits of zazen in a busy world. He said it helps to take some time away from all the thoughts, sounds, words and distractions that find us every day.
自稱是初學者的布賴恩·舒馬克（Brian Schumaker）指出了坐禪在繁忙的世界中的好處。他說，花一些時間遠離每天都會出現(xiàn)在我們身上的所有想法、聲音、語言和干擾是有幫助的。
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