原文: What Travel Can do for the Soul

Photo by Lisandro Moises>
This article originally appeared the Healthy Living Lounge. Right now I’m in Buenos Aires for a couple of months. Read on to find out why.

Is traveling just fun? Or can it help us to grow?

In the following I’ll share with you what I’ve learned from my visits to Argentina.

Every time I arrive in Buenos Aires with my partner David, we go straightaway to a little run-down cafe in San Telmo, called Cafe Pedro. It’s run by Negra - an elderly lady with black, flashing eyes.

As we walked up to the cafe, I could see the marmalade cat stretched out on the windowsill, basking in the meager winter sun. We walked in. Negra gave a little scream, dropped her towel, rushed over and smothered us in her arms. It was as if we were her long-lost children. She cried as she stroked my hair.

She then turned around and told everyone in the cafe - loudly - how much she’d missed us. We were escorted to a table and served her best lunch. She stood over me to see that I ate the last morsel on my plate! “Sos demasiado delgada” she muttered, frowning. “You are too thin”

This is why I adore Argentina!

Here in New Zealand where I live, people are reserved. A shy little hug at greeting is about all I get - even from long-time friends. I’ve had to adapt to that and I restrain myself. But by nature I’m expansive, laugh and cry easily, gesticulate wildly, upset my wine glass, drop food in my neighbor’s lap, and in general create happy mayhem.

But here in New Zealand I squeeze myself into a tighter package.

When I first visited Argentina - some seven years ago - it was an amazing experience to feel my spirit expand and take up its full shape!

Discovering a “new me” is one of the joys of traveling.

Each new country brings out a different part of us that is usually hidden.

Initially we came to Buenos Aires to dance the tango. (My partner is a tango teacher). I had been to other Latin American countries and enjoyed it, but when I saw Buenos Aires - I fell in love. And this love has drawn me back, year after year.

I love the sounds of the city with tango music oozing from every crack in the sidewalks. I love the faded splendor of buildings. Most of all, I love the warmth and generosity of the people.

To my surprise, I immediately found some work. I’m a Zen master and teach in various countries. A Zen group in Buenos Aires heard that I had arrived, and soon I was leading workshops and giving individual guidance. The group arranged for interviews in leading magazines, and I became quite well-known.

When a country is right for you opportunities open up.

Actually, I would be able to move to Buenos Aires and work there full-time. A friend of ours owns a recruitment agency that works for US firms. He asked me to work for him. It’s not really my thing, and I don’t want to move to Buenos Aires permanently. But I take note of the fact that opportunities open to me in that particular place. I take it to mean that it is a place where there is something special for me to learn.

One of the things I have learned there is to play. My ordinary life is pretty busy; I lead Zen retreats and teach my students. I write a lot: articles, blog posts and books. I also assist David in his tango lessons. I sometimes help my son to renovate houses: busy, busy, busy.

In Buenos Aires I play. I dance through the night and eat breakfast as the sun comes up. I spend fun time with David and treasured friends.

I enjoy myself!

Does that sound selfish? Well, maybe it is. But what happens is that this joy triggers my creativity and deeply restores my spirituality. It’s as if the strings on the instrument that is me are sometimes too tight. To get a full sound, I need times when I can ease off. That’s what travel to Buenos Aires does for me.

And the gift that Buenos Aires gave me has changed my life back home. My time in Argentina taught me that it’s vital to have moments in life that remind us that we are free spirits.

What’s you’re experience of traveling?
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Note from Mary:
Even though I’m away from my desk and have to write in internet cafes, I’ll attempt to keep my regular posting rhythm at Goodife Zen. I might not be able to respond to each comment, though. Please bear with me!

译文: 我们能从旅行中得到什么？

Photo by Lisandro Moises>
 

这篇文章最初刊登在健康生活休闲吧，现在我想在布宜诺斯艾利斯生活几个月。继续读下去你就会发现为什么我想留在布宜诺斯艾利斯。

难道旅行只是单纯的娱乐？或许它还有助于我们的成长?

下面我想跟大家一起分享我去阿根廷旅行时所感受到的东西。

每次我跟搭档大卫一到达布宜诺斯艾利斯，我们就会直奔圣太摩一间又小又旧的佩德罗咖啡店。它的主人叫尼格拉，一个上了年纪的老妇人，她有着乌黑闪亮的眼睛。

当我们走近咖啡店，可以看到咪咪猫仰卧在窗台上，伸着懒腰，沐浴在冬日不太灿烂的阳光里。我们走进咖啡店，尼格拉就会小声尖叫起来，然后扔下毛巾，向我们跑过来，紧紧地抱住我们，勒得我们差点喘不过气，好像我们是她多年未见的孩子。她抚摸着我的头发，哭出声来。

然后，她转过身去，大声告诉咖啡店里的每一个人：她是多么的想我们。她把我们带到一张桌子钱，给我们端上最丰盛的午餐。她就站在我旁边，一边看着我咽下碟子里的最后一口菜，一边皱着眉头喃喃自语“怎么吃那么少”“你太瘦了”。

这就是我为什么喜欢阿根廷! 

在我所生活的新西兰，人们都太矜持了。即使是一个老朋友的问候，我得到的也只不过是一个腼腆的小小的拥抱。我必须适应它并且控制住我自己。但我生来就喜欢手舞足蹈，很容易大笑或者痛哭，有时候会做夸张的手势，把酒杯打翻，把食物弄到邻座的大腿上。但通常会创造一种快乐的混乱氛围。 

但在新西兰，我把自我隐藏起来。

大概七年前，我第一次游览阿根廷。那是一次令人惊讶的经历。我感觉自己精神振奋，心情畅爽。

 

旅行带来的快乐之一就是发现一个全新的自我

走到一个新的国家，我们平常时候隐藏起来的另一个自我就会显现出来。

最初我们去布宜诺斯艾利斯是为了探戈舞（我的搭档是一名探戈舞老师）。我曾去过其他一些拉丁美洲国家，并且也很喜欢它们。但当我踏上布宜诺斯艾利斯的土地，我就爱上了它。而这份爱牵引着我年年都去那里。

我喜欢那个城市的声音。在那里探戈舞曲从人行道的每个裂缝渗透出来。我喜欢那些已褪去昔日光彩的建筑。但我最喜欢的还是那里的人民，他们热情好客，慷慨大方。

令我惊讶的是，在那里我一下子就找到工作了。我是一名禅师，在不同的国家讲过道。布宜诺斯艾利斯的一个佛教组织听说我的到来，就邀请我去传道，给予给人指导。那个组织为一些重要的杂志安排了访问，后来我就变得非常有名了。

 

合适你的国家会给你带来机遇

事实上，我可以移民到布宜诺斯艾利斯，在那儿可以找到一份全职工作。我们当中的一个朋友拥有一家为美国公司服务的猎头公司。他邀请我加入他的公司。我不是很想做，也不想永久地呆在布宜诺斯艾利斯。但我注意到一个事实：在某个特定的地方，机遇之门都是为我打开。那个地方总有一些特别的东西值得我去学习。

在那里，我学到的其中之一就是玩。我平常的生活总是非常忙碌。我要讲禅，我要教书，我还要写文章，发博客帖子，出书，同时我还协助大卫教探戈。有时候会帮我儿子整修房子。总之，除了忙碌还是忙碌。

然而在布宜诺斯艾利斯，我学会了玩。我会彻夜跳舞，然后在太阳升起之时吃早餐。我和大卫以及珍贵的朋友在一起度过了很多快乐的时光 

我真的玩得很开心！

那听起来是不是有点自私？也许是吧。但是，这份快乐激发了我的创造性，恢复了我的灵性。我就像乐器上的某一根弦，有时候绷得太紧。所以，为了奏出优美的全音，我需要时间去放松。而我在布宜诺斯艾利斯的旅行中，得到了我所需的。

而布宜诺斯艾利斯给予我的馈赠改变了我原来的生活。我在布宜诺斯艾利斯的那段时间让我懂得：在生活中，重要的一点就是要不时地找点时间来提醒自己——我们的灵魂是自由的。

玛丽注释：尽管我不能在我的书桌上而是必须到网吧去写，我会尝试按时发帖到好生活禅宗。但我可能不能够回复每一条评论。敬请原谅！