I just want to say that I normally do not venture outside of my faith group for any reason, 我只想說,我通常不會出於任何原因冒險離開我的信仰團體 ( 宗教 ) , but ever since I participated in the Developing Healthy Sensual Desire Workshop you gave last October, 但自從我參加了你去年十月舉辦的「發展健康的感官慾望研討會」以來, I have developed a greater openness regarding my adolescence trauma and its connection to my offense. 我對我的青春期創傷及其與我的罪行的聯繫有了更大的開放性。
For years, I have searched for an outlet for my desire to learn about myself and heal to no avail. 多年來,我一直在尋找一個出口來滿足我瞭解自己和治癒的願望,但無濟於事。 (31 年 ) I believe I have found the answer to my search. 我相信我已經找到了搜索的答案。 I want to thank you for the books, materials, effort and concern that you have given to us. 我要感謝你們為我們提供的書籍、材料、努力和關心。 We are forever in debt to you. 我們永遠虧欠你。
I truly believe that your work is unique, ideal and life changing. 我真的相信你的工作是獨一無二的、理想的和改變生命的。 Please continue to assist our community in whatever way that you deem necessary. 請繼續以您認為必要的任何方式協助我們的社區。 In closing, thank you once again for reaching out to us in this, for planting seeds of hope in our hearts. 最後,再次感謝你們在這方面向我們伸出援手,在我們心中播下希望的種子。
第七章 超越歌唱 By honoring each other’s ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, 通過尊重彼此的種族、宗教和文化背景, we become stronger and happier, brightening the cosmic masterpiece of artwork that is our world. 我們變得更強大、更快樂,照亮了我們的世界這個宇宙藝術作品。 Rather than emphasize differences, we should be looking for similarities. 與其強調差異,不如尋找相似之處。 Our differences are ultimately superficial, and the best thing to do is celebrate them. 我們的差異最終是膚淺的,最好的辦法就是慶祝它們 ( 差異 ) 。
The religious faith that we are born into is largely determined by the region where we live and the ethnic background of our family. 我們出生的宗教信仰很大程度上取決於我們居住的地區和我們家庭的種族背景。 In my case, I was born to an African American family in the southern region of the United States. 就我而言,我出生在美國南部地區的一個美國黑人家庭。 Like most families of our description, we embraced the Baptist religious tradition. 像我們描述的大多數家庭一樣,我們接受了 浸信會 的宗教傳統。 Although I went from Baptist to Buddhist, I’ve honored my family’s heritage and cherish the similarities between these two paths. 雖然我從浸信會變成了佛教徒,但我尊重我家族的遺產,並珍惜這兩條道路之間的相似之處。
Baptist teachings encouraged me to work toward attaining admission into a heavenly paradise, 浸信會的教義鼓勵我努力 進入天堂 , while Buddhism inspires me to attain the enduring and enlightened life condition of Buddhahood. 而佛教則激勵 我達到佛性的持久和開悟的生活狀態 ( 當下 ,現在生活 ) 。 Although the goals of these two spiritual paths may sound somewhat different, both focus on creating a state of indestructible, eternal happiness. 雖然這兩條精神道路的目標聽起來有些不同,但都專注於創造一種堅不可摧的永恆幸福狀態。 To me, that is an important similarity. 對我來說,這是一個重要的相似之處。
I’ve met people from all over the world, from many cultures and faiths, 我遇到了來自世界各地的人,來自不同的文化和信仰, and I believe that all religious traditions share the same basic aspirations at their core— 我相信所有宗教傳統的核心都具有相同的基本願望 —— to experience everlasting joy by aligning with the positive forces of the universe. 通過與宇宙的積極力量保持一致來體驗永恆的快樂。 We may describe this ultimate reality as Jehovah, God, Allah, Jesus, Hashem, Dao, Brahma, the Creator, the Mystic Law, the Universe, the Force, Buddha nature, Christ consciousness, or any number of other expressions. 我們可以將這個終極現實描述為耶和華、上帝、安拉、耶穌、哈希姆、道、梵天、造物主、神秘法則、宇宙、原力、佛性、基督意識或任何其他表達方式。
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When I joined the Beyond project, 當我加入 Beyond 專案時, I made an effort to familiarize myself with diverse faith traditions, 我努力讓自己熟悉不同的信仰 ( 宗教 ) 傳統, as well as learn about the history of exchanges between those spiritual traditions. 以及了解這些心靈傳統之間交流的歷史。 For example, before recording the album Buddhist and Christian Prayers, 例如,在錄製專輯 《 佛教和基督教祈禱 》 之前, I had not been aware of any particular contact between the Buddhists and Christians of olden times. 我沒有意識到古代佛教徒和基督徒之間有任何特別的接觸。
So, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a rich history of interfaith dialogue. 因此,我驚喜地發現宗教間對話的豐富歷史。 I learned that when Jesuit missionaries first arrived in Japan in the sixteenth century and observed Buddhist ways of thinking and living, 我瞭解到,當 耶穌會 傳教士在 16 世紀第一次到達日本並觀察佛教的思維方式和生活方式時, they sent back word to Europe that it appeared the Japanese Buddhists had developed an Asian form of Christianity. 他們向歐洲傳回消息,說日本佛教徒似乎已經發展出一種亞洲形式的基督教。
At the same time, Japanese Buddhists recorded that upon listening to the first European missionaries, 與此同時, 日本 佛教徒在聽了第一批 歐洲 傳教士的講話後記載, they didn’t find much about Christian belief to be objectionable; they saw common ground. 他們沒有發現 基督教 信仰有什麼令人反感的 ; 他們看到了共同點。
For decades, Christian missionaries in Japan lived harmoniously among the largely Buddhist population, 幾十年來, 日本的基督教 傳教士在以佛教徒為主的人口中和睦相處, until tensions erupted that were rooted in political concerns of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate ( 日語:江戸幕府 ). 直到緊張局勢爆發,其根源在於執政 幕府 的政治擔憂。 It was politics, not religion, that caused discord among the people. 是政治,而不是宗教,導致了人民之間的不和。 This lesson transcends time and is something I wish more of us in today’s world would know and understand. 這一課超越了時間,我希望當今世界的更多人能夠知道和理解。
Some two thousand years before the Jesuits landed in Japan, 在 耶穌會 士登陸日本之前大約兩千年, the great Buddhist King Ashoka of India sent out emissaries to distant lands to teach Buddhist ideals of compassion and peace. 偉大的 印度 佛教國王 阿育王 派遣使者到遙遠的國度傳授佛教的慈悲與和平理想。 In the 3 rd century B.C.E. (before the Common Era), these envoys recorded in travel logs that among the places they visited were cities in Greece and Egypt, including Alexandria. 在西元前 3 世紀(西元前),這些使節在旅行日誌中記載,他們訪問的地方包括 希臘 和 埃及 的城市,包括亞歷山大港。
One hundred years before the Buddhist expeditions from India, 在佛教遠征 印度 前一百年, Alexander the Great opened up avenues of cultural exchange with Indian regions as well. 亞歷山大 大帝也開闢了與 印度 地區進行文化交流的途徑。 Knowing this, it’s easy for me to imagine that Buddhist philosophy must have traveled westward, 知道了這一點,我很容易想像佛教哲學一定是向西傳播的, including to the region where Jesus lived. 包括 耶穌 居住的地區。
Later, Thomas the Apostle explored India and sent tales of Bodhisattvas and Shakyamuni’s life to the West. 後來,使徒 湯瑪斯 探索了印度,並將菩薩和釋迦牟尼的生平故事傳到了西方。 Some of these details made their way into early Christian teachings and evolved into what is now known as the scripture of Saints Barlaam and Josaphat, 其中一些細節進入了早期的 基督教 教義,並演變成現在被稱為聖 巴拉姆 和 約薩法特 的經文, whose names come from the Sanskrit words for “illustrious Bodhisattva.” 他的名字來自梵語,意為「傑出的菩薩」。
When my kidneys failed several years ago and I was having dialysis treatments, 幾年前,當我的腎臟衰竭,我正在接受透析治療時, one of my favorite books to read during treatment was Dante’s The Divine Comedy. 在治療期間,我最喜歡讀的書之一是 但丁 的 《 神曲 》 。 To me, the nine circles of hell Dante describes in the Inferno sound like the ancient Buddhist depictions of hellish life conditions, 對我來說, 但丁 在 《 地獄 》 中描述的地獄九圈聽起來像是古代佛教對地獄生活狀況的描述 , and the cause-and-effect relationship between life and life after death. 以及生與死後生的因果關係。
Recently, I discovered I’m not alone in that view, 最近,我發現我並不孤單, as modern scholars believe Dante took inspiration from old Buddhist descriptions of infernos and icy places of torment, 正如現代學者所認為的那樣, 但丁 從古老的佛教對地獄和冰冷的折磨場所的描述中汲取了靈感, and then incorporated them into his work. 然後將它們融入到他的作品中。 The desire to seek the essence of the universe has always overflowed the banks of any one cultural or spiritual stream. 尋求宇宙本質的慾望總是充斥著任何一種文化或精神流派的河岸。
With the Beyond project, our vision was to include as many international faith traditions as possible. 通過 Beyond 專案,我們的願景是盡可能多地納入國際信仰傳統。 We began with Buddhism and Christianity—the two faiths closest to our personal experiences. 我們從 佛教和基督教 開始,這是最接近我們個人經歷的兩種信仰。 Subsequent albums have continued to expand that vision by including the Hindu traditions of India, 隨後的專輯繼續擴大這一視野,包括印度的印度教傳統, as well as traditions from Jewish and Arab cultures. 以及 猶太和阿拉伯 文化的傳統。
I wanted to make my spiritual message for the album as universal and inclusive as possible. 我想讓我在這張專輯中傳達的精神信息盡可能具有普遍性和包容性。 I just wasn’t sure how to go about crafting it. 我只是不確定如何製作它。 I had dabbled in writing songs about Buddhist concepts in the late 1970s, but I hadn’t finished them. 我在 1970 年代後期涉足寫過關於佛教概念的歌曲,但我還沒有完成它們。
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Later, when I met with Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda, 後來,當我遇到佛教哲學家 池田大作 時, he spoke encouragingly to me about the potential of music to cross cultural boundaries and to inspire a “never give up” spirit in people’s lives. 他鼓勵我談到音樂跨越文化界限的潛力,並在人們的生活中激發“永不放棄”的精神。 I’ve always believed that music is more than notes on a page; 我一直認為,音樂不僅僅是頁面上的音符 ; it’s a language, something I tried to convey to my band when I said to them, 這是一種語言,當我對我的樂隊說時,我試圖向他們傳達的東西,
“When you express music from your heart, 「 當你發自內心地表達音樂時, when you merge it with your soul, the people who hear your artistry will be moved by it so much more.” 當你將它與你的靈魂融合在一起時,聽到你的藝術的人會被它所感動。 」 How could we bring that intention to Beyond? 我們怎樣才能把這種意圖帶到 Beyond? Since I was on my way to the US for my tour, 由於我正在前往美國巡迴演出的路上, I decided to make a quick stop in Carlsbad, California, to ask author Deepak Chopra for advice. 我決定在加利福尼亞州的卡爾斯巴德短暫停留,向作家迪派克 · 喬普拉( Deepak Chopra) 尋求建議。
As I hoped, he was gracious and supportive, and when our visit ended, 正如我所希望的那樣,他很親切和支持,當我們的訪問結束時, he gave me a collection of spiritual books to read, 他給了我一本屬靈的書讓我讀, assuring me that the right words would come to me at the right time. 向我保證,正確的話語會在正確的時間出現在我面前。
As I started reading, I searched for words and phrases that resonated with me and wrote them on large sheets of paper. 當我開始閱讀時,我搜索與我產生共鳴的單詞和短語,並將它們寫在大紙上。 Then, I took all the papers and spread them across my floor. 然後,我把所有的檔都鋪在我的地板上。 Sitting among these inspirational words, I was basking in a literary garden of positivity. 坐在這些鼓舞人心的文字中,我沐浴在積極的文學花園中。 At first, I remained perfectly still and let the wise words around me enter my consciousness through osmosis. 起初,我保持完全靜止,讓周圍的智慧話語通過滲透進入我的意識。
Maya Angelou, a hero to many of us, believed that “words are things.” Maya Angelou, 我們許多人的英雄,相信 “ 文字就是事物。 ” Words, she felt, hold energy and power. I agree. 她覺得,言語蘊含著能量和力量。我同意。 Words are one of the three types of action (thoughts, words, and deeds) that create karma and affect the condition of our lives. 言語是造成業力並影響我們生活狀況的三種行為(思想、言語和行為)之一。 With this in mind, I chose my words carefully. 考慮到這一點,我仔細選擇了我的話。
I started by arranging the sheets I’d gathered into groupings. 我首先將收集到的表格分組。 Sorting them to select my favorites and putting them into just the right order was a playful process. 對它們進行排序以選擇我的最愛並將它們按正確的順序排列是一個有趣的過程。 Regula joined me, and we had such a good time that by the end we were giggling like schoolgirls. Regula 加入了我的行列,我們玩得很開心,到最後我們像女學生一樣咯咯地笑。 She suggested that I pin my final selections to the wall and think about them during my daily walks. 她建議我把最後的選擇釘在牆上,在每天散步時想想它們。
Soon, I realized that I wanted to condense the message even further, 很快,我意識到我想進一步濃縮資訊, to the simplest nonsectarian terms. 用最簡單的非宗派術語來說。 It was important to me that as many people as possible be able to understand the meaning. 對我來說,讓盡可能多的人能夠理解其中的含義是很重要的。 I wanted to reach anyone who might be struggling in life, 我想接觸任何可能在生活中掙扎的人, anyone who needed inspiration to develop peace and happiness within themselves. 任何需要靈感來發展自己內心的和平與幸福的人。
Eventually, I found the precise words I wished to express. 最終,我找到了我想表達的確切詞語。 As I recorded them, I was amazed to see that the sound engineers and others in the studio were moved to tears by what I said. 當我錄製它們時,我驚訝地看到錄音室裡的音響工程師和其他人被我說的話感動得流下了眼淚。 For the Buddhist and Christian Prayers album, I recorded the beginning of gongyo ( 日文 : 勤行 ) *, 在 《 佛教和基督教祈禱 》 專輯中,我錄製了 《 gongyo 》 ( 日文 : 勤行 ) 的開頭 , *a selection from the Lotus Sutra that is part of my daily Buddhist prayer routine. 選自 《 法華經 》 ,是常佛教祈禱程式的一部分。
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Nothing lasts forever. 沒有什麼是永恆的。 No one lives forever. 沒有人會永遠活著。 The flower fades and dies. 花凋謝並死亡。 Winter passes and spring comes. 冬天過去了,春天來了。 Embrace the cycle of life; that is the greatest love. 擁抱生命的 循環 ; 那是最偉大的愛。 Go beyond fear. Go beyond fear. Beyond fear takes 超越恐懼。超越恐懼。超越恐懼 you into the place where love grows, where you refuse 你進入愛成長的地方,你拒絕的地方 to follow the impulses of fear, anger, and revenge. 追隨恐懼、憤怒和復讎的衝動。
Beyond means to feel yourself. 超越 [ 所有 ] 方法感受自己。 Start every day singing like the birds. Singing 開始每天像鳥兒一樣唱歌。唱歌 takes you beyond, beyond, beyond, beyond… 帶你超越,超越,超越,超越 ...... We need a repeated discipline, a genuine training, 我們需要反覆的訓練,真正的訓練, to let go of our old habits of mind and to find and 放下我們的舊思維習慣,找到和 sustain a new way of seeing. 維持一種新的觀看方式。
Go beyond the rights and the wrongs. 超越對與錯。 Prayer clears the head and brings back peace 祈禱使頭腦清醒,恢復平安 to the soul. Go beyond to feel the oneness of unity. 到靈魂。超越感受合一的合一。 Sing! Singing takes you beyond, beyond, beyond, 唱!歌唱帶你超越,超越,超越, beyond… 超越。。。 We are all the same, all the same. Looking to find 我們都是一樣的,都是一樣的。尋找 our way back to the source. To the one, to the only one. 我們回到源頭。給一個,給唯一的一個。
Go beyond revenge. The greatest moment in our lives 超越復讎。我們生命中最偉大的時刻 is when we allow ourselves to teach one another. 就是我們允許自己互相教導的時候。 Go beyond to feel the oneness of unity. Singing. 超越感受合一的合一。歌唱。 Singing takes you beyond, beyond, beyond, 歌唱帶你超越,超越,超越, beyond… 超越。。。 我的看法 :超越種種分別心 我們可以達到非世俗的心態 / 狀況。
Take the journey. 踏上旅程。 Take the journey inside of you. 踏上你內心的旅程。 To become quiet to hear the beyond. 變得安靜,聆聽遠方的聲音。 To become patient to receive the beyond. 要有耐心地接受超越。 To become open to invite the beyond in. 變得開放,邀請超越者進入。 Be grateful. Be grateful to allow the beyond. 心存感激。心存感激,允許超越。 Be in the present moment, to live in the beyond. 活在當下,活在超越。
Start every day singing like the birds. Singing 開始每天像鳥兒一樣唱歌。歌唱 takes you beyond, beyond, beyond, beyond… 帶你超越,超越,超越,超越 ... What does love have to do with it? 愛與它有什麼關係? Love grows when you trust. 當你信任時,愛就會增長。 When you trust, love heals and renews. 當你信任時,愛會治癒和更新。
Love inspires and empowers us to do great things. 愛激勵並賦予我們力量去做偉大的事情。 And makes us a better person to love. Love makes us 讓我們成為一個更好的人去愛。愛造就我們 feel safe and brings us closer to God. 感到安全,讓我們更接近上帝。 When you go beyond, that’s where you find true love. 當你超越時,那就是你找到真愛的地方。 Keep singing. Singing takes you beyond, beyond, 繼續唱歌。歌唱帶你超越,超越, beyond, beyond… 超越,超越 ……