靜坐點香的好處很多，因為好的天然香品具有穩定、祥和的能量，可以淨宅辟邪、袪除穢氣，營造出潔淨和諧的場域，置身其間，很快的就能感受到靜謐自在，紛亂的念頭就在不知不覺中，逐漸沉澱下來。
There are many advantages to burning
incense while meditating, for high-quality natural incense brings stable and
peaceful energy, and can thus chase away filthy energy as well as evil spirit
while creating a pure and harmonic atmosphere. With the incense around, we can
easily feel serenity and freedom; furthermore, we can evade from disturbing
thoughts and gradually calm down.
Synthetic incense is
comprised of herbs and spices, and its manufacture is based on the regulation theories
of Chinese herbal medicine. Therefore, incense can be used to regulate our
energy, breath, and circulation. Through inhalation and exhalation, the incense
enters our body and works on all the organs as well as nadi system, and
subsequently nourishes all the body parts, purifies our mind, and stabilizes
our state of mind.
帕坦佳利在《勝王瑜伽經》談到疾病、冷漠、憂傷、怠惰、呼吸不順都會導致分心。很多人在靜坐時會有頭腦昏沉、思緒紛飛的情況，而香具有醒腦、凝神之效，可以很快地改善這樣的情形。因此，靜坐時點香不但有助於養神養生、調和身心，更能安穩情緒、沉澱心靈、開啟智慧。中國道家講究養生，以香清淨身心，並作為通暢經絡穴道之用。自古以來的行者，也透過焚香靜坐的方式，升起覺悟和智慧，找回內在的清明自性。
According to a Buddha sutra, it is said
that diseases, apathy, sorrows, lethargy, and irregular breath can lead to
distraction. That is why many people tend to doze off or feel disturbed by lots
of thoughts. By burning incense in the process of meditation, we can stay
focused on our body and mind, calm down, and develop our wisdom. Furthermore,
Taoism is meticulous about regimen and its followers purify their body and mind
and smoothen their nadi systems with incense. In addition, since ancient times,
the practitioners have burned incense while meditating in order to enhance
their awareness as well as wisdom and stay in tranquility.
靜坐前，讓自己專注於點香的每個過程，從取用香材到點燃一爐清香，透過這個儀軌，收攝自心。靜坐時，先將注意力放在鼻尖，以有意識的呼吸方式，感受香氣進入體內，放鬆身肢、放下情緒、觀照念頭。香氣會與大腦的邊緣系統連結，那裡有儲存記憶的海馬迴及掌管情緒的杏仁核。海馬迴是腦部唯一會進行細胞更新的地方，刺激海馬迴會增進製造記憶的能力，使頭腦變得聰明靈活。杏仁核與喜怒哀樂的情緒反應相關，靜坐可以讓杏仁核變小，增加抗壓力。而靜坐能刺激聶頂葉的作用，長養同理心與慈悲心、學會關懷事物、並能設身處地為他人著想。
Before officially starting our
meditation, we should try to focus on each detail. Stay focused by preparing
the incense and burning it. In the process of meditation, we should concentrate
on our noses, breathe consciously, feel the incense entering our body, relax
our body, let go of all the emotions, and observe out thoughts. Then, the
fragrance will enter our Hippocampus, which is in charge of our memory, and
Amygdala, which is in charge of our emotions. Additionally, Hippocampus is the
only location where our brain cells renew themselves. If Hippocampus gets
stimulated, its memory function will be boosted and subsequently our brains can
function better. On the other hand, Amygdala is related to all our feelings, so
by means of meditation, Amygdala can shrink and enhance its resistance to
pressure. Moreover, meditation can also stimulate our temporal lobe and parietal
lobe, and thus promote our empathy as well as compassion, so that we can
hopefully learn to be more caring and understanding.
〈焚香〉是宋‧陳與義的詩作，描述他向道修行、靜坐點香時的心情：「明窗延靜晝，默坐消塵緣。即將無限意，寓此一炷煙。當時戒定慧，妙供均人天。我豈不清友，於今心醒然。爐煙嫋孤碧，雲縷霏數千。悠然淩空去，縹緲隨風還。世事有過現，熏性無變遷。應是水中月，波定還自圓。」靜坐時放下俗塵，一爐輕煙，裊裊上升，如天際的雲彩，似有若無，忽聚忽散，往而復返。儘管世事遷變流化，但內在的佛性神性則是恆常永在。透過靜坐點香，讓我們在不安定、不確定的生活中，處於心靈的平穩、平靜，內在就會像水晶一樣的晶瑩剔透。
In the Song Dynasty, a poet named
Chen-You-Yi mentioned his feelings when burning incense during meditation with
his peers in one of his poems. He implicated that when he meditated, he would
put aside all the mundane affairs and burn some incense. As he observed that
the smoke of then burning incense rising upwards, he realized the smoke was
like the clouds in the skies, which gathered and separated, appeared at one
moment and disappeared at another moment. He felt the changing clouds and
rising smoke were compared to the inconstant mundane affairs; however, our
Buddhahood and Godhood always remained unchanged. In brief, by meditating with burning
incense around, we may stay in peace and serenity though we live in an unstable
and unsure world.
靜坐時點一爐天然的好香，可以同時提升並擴展身心靈的能量。對生活忙碌、壓力過大的現代人而言，靜坐點香更是一種激發生命能量、穩定情緒的絕佳方法。
It is advised that we burn some
high-quality natural incense during meditation, so that we can enhance and
expand our energy in terms of our body, mind, and spirit. To those who live a
hectic life and suffer from lots of stress, meditating with incense around can
absolutely be an inspiring and stabilizing way of living.
沒有留言:
張貼留言