美国优秀作文选读.docx
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美国优秀作文选读
1.AMagicalPotion
MorningDew
Theworldawakenseachdayfromitsnightlyslumber,transformedbyasparklinglayerofmorningdewonthegrass,onflowerpetalsandleaves,oncarsandcarwindows.Theseglisteningdropletslastonlyalittlewhile,anintegralpartofwhatimbuestheearlymorningwithitsauraofmagic.Ifwesleeptoolate,wemissthemagnificentdisplayofsunlightplayinguponaninfiniteamountoftinycrystalballs.Tostepontothedew-coveredgrassistoanointourfeetwithaformofwaterthatcomesonlyonceadayforashorttime,ararefiedgiftofthenightairthatwillsoonevaporateinthefulllightofthesun.Ifweinhaleslowlyandconsciouslyenough,itisalmostasifwearedrinkinginthismagicalelixirformedintheboundarybetweendarknessandlight.
Inonemyth,morningdewisbelievedtobetearsfromheaven,andinanother,thedropletsarepouredfromthevesselofthegoddessofdawn.Whenweseetheearthdrapedwiththeseshimmeringdrops,itiseasytoimaginefairiesbathinginthewater,oraskygodweepingfromalongingtobeclosertohisbelovedearthgoddess.Seeingthesparklingbeautyoftheearthemergingfromdarkness,wemayunderstandthislongingintermsofourowngratitude;howblessedwearetobehere.
Perhapsheavenreallydoeslongtobehereonearth,andperhapsthatiswhywearehere梐sconduitsbetweenthedivineandtheearthbound.Aswedrinkthemorningdewinwithoureyes,ourskin,ourbreath,itiseasytoimaginethatitreallyisamagicalpotion,agiftfromheaven,areminderofourtruepurpose,andadailyopportunitytobetransformed.
2.ExploringAnAlternateUniverse
WhatMakesPeopleTick?
Allpeoplehavetheirownwayofbeingintheworld.Itiseasiesttocomprehendthisbasicyetprofoundfactwhenweconsiderthateveryhumanbeingontheplanetoccupiesadistinctroleintheuniverse.Wegrowupindifferentenvironments,affectedbyauniquerangeofinfluences.Thepreferences,values,andbeliefsweembracearefrequentlyrelatedintimatelytoourorigins.Andtheneedtoindividualizeourexperiencesisinstinctive,asdoingsoenablesustocopewhenwemustfacechallengesonourown.Consequently,eachofushasdevelopedaperspectivethatisuniquelyours.Interactingpeacefullyandconstructivelywithpeoplefromallwalksoflifeisamatteroffirstunderstandingwheretheyarecomingfrom.Thenwecanadjustourexpectationssothatweavoidmakingundueassumptionsaboutwhattheyareabout.
Inthefaceofemerginginterpersonalconflict,itiseasytoassumethatothersarebeingdifficult,unreasonable,orstubborn.Weareapttogrowfrustratedwhensomeoneinourenvironmentdoesnotshareouropinionsorfeelcompelledtosupportusinourendeavors.Itislikelythattheindividualorindividualsbeforeusmaysimplypossessdifferingnotionswithregardtowhatisandwhatisnotimportantinthislife.Wecaneasethetensionthatexistsbetweenusbyreaffirmingourbeliefinthefundamentalrightofallbeingstodeterminetheirowndestinies.Tofosteraharmoniousrelationship,weneedtodoourbesttorelatetotheuniqueuniversestheyinhabit.Andaswediscoverwhatmakesthemtick,ourabilitytofindamodeofinteractionthatispleasingtobothofusisenhanced.
Whentherearebarrierskeepingyoufromconnectingwithsomeoneelse,thinkofquestionsyoucanaskthemtogainamorethoroughunderstandingoftheirpointofview.Youmaydiscoverthatinadditiontothedifferencesinperspectivedividingyou,theyaresubjecttoinsecuritiesandotherpersonalissuesthatinfluencetheirwayofseeingtheworld.Itislikelythatyouwillneverfullygraspthemyriadcomplexitiesembodiedbyhumanity,butyoucangoalongwaytowardencouragingmutuallysatisfyingrelationsbyreachingouttoothersinthespiritofsympatheticcomprehension.
3.PresentInTheProgression
LettingLifeUnfold
Ourlivesareguidedbynaturalrhythmsthatareparticulartoeachofusandcannotbealteredbyforceofwillalone.Lifeitselfisajourneymadeupofprocessesandeventsthatmanifestbeforeusonlytobesweptawaywhentimemarcheson.Whetherweenvisionourselvescreatingacareer,buildingafamily,ordevelopingtheself,weinstinctivelyknowwhenthetimehascomeforustorealizeourdreamsbecauseallthatisinvolvedcomestogetherharmoniously.Whenthetimeisright,thepassageofdestinycannotbeblocked.Yetasdesperateaswearetotouchthesebeautifulfutureswehaveimagined,wecannotgrowifwearenotfullypresentintheevolutionaryexperience.Thepresentcanbechallenging,uncomfortable,andtedious,butlifeunfoldsasitwill,andtheuniversewillwaitpatientlyaswemakeourwayintotheunknown.
Thefatethatawaitsusisnotdependentonourpace,whichwaspreordainedbeforeweeverappearedinhumanguise.Thereforethereisnoreasontorushthroughlifetoreachthosepinnaclesofdevelopmentassociatedwiththepathswehavechosen.Enjoyingandfullyexperiencingthejourneyoflifeisasimportantasachievinggoalsandreachingmilestones.Therearelessonswecanlearnduringthosemomentsthatseemimmaterialorinsignificantthatwecannotlearnatanyothertime.Appreciatingthesetakespatience,however,becausehumanbeingstendtofocusonthefulfillmentofexpectationsratherthanthesimplejoysofbeing.
Likemanypeople,youhavenodoubtlongedforadevicethatwouldgiveyouthepowertofastforwardthroughcertainperiodsofyourexistence.Yethasteisbyitsverynaturevastlymorestressfulthanserenefortitude.Whenyoufeelyourselfgrowingimpatientbecausethepaceofyourdevelopmentisdeceptivelyslow,rememberthateverythingthatwilloccurinyourlifewilloccurinitsowntime.Quellingyoururgetorushwillenableyoutowitnessyourselflearning,changing,andbecomingstronger.Thereissomuchtoseeanddoinbetweentheeventsandprocessesthatwedeemdefinitive.Ifyouarepatientenoughtotakepleasureinyourexistence'sunfolding,thejourneyfromonepinnacletothenextwillseemtotakenotimeatall.
4.NoHardEdges
CreatingSpaceInTheBody
Ourmindsandbodiesareinterconnected,andtheconditionofoneaffectstheconditionoftheother.Thisiswhymeditationissuchapowerfultoolforhealingthebody,aspowerfulasphysicaltherapies.Whenourmindsareclutteredwiththoughts,information,andplans,ourbodiesrespondbytryingtotakeaction.Whenthebodyhasacleardirectivefromthemind,itknowswhattodo,butacluttered,unfocusedmindcreatesaconfused,tensebody.Ourmusclestightenup,ourbreathshortens,andwefindourselvesfeelingconstrictedwithoutnecessarilyknowingwhy.
Whenwesitdowntomeditate,weletourbodiesknowthatitisokaytobestillandrest.Thisisacleardirectivefromthemind,andthebodyknowsexactlyhowtorespond.Thus,attheverybeginning,wehavecreatedasenseofclarityforthebodyandthemind.Aswemovedeeperintomeditation,thestateofourmindrevealsitself,andwehavetheopportunitytoconsciouslydecidetosettleit.Ameditationteacherpointedoutthatifyouputacowinasmallpen,sheactsupandpushesagainsttheboundaries,whereasifyouprovideherwithalarge,openspace,shewillpeacefullygrazeinonespot.Inthesameway,ourthoughtssettledownpeacefullyifweprovidethemwithenoughspace,andourbodiesfollowsuit.
Whenwesettledowntoexamineandexperienceourconsciousness,wediscoverthattherearenohard,definableedges.Itisavast,openspaceinwhichourthoughtscancomeandgowithoutmakingwaves,aslongasweletthembyneitherattachingtothemnorrepressingthem.Asweseeourthoughtscomeandgo,webegintobreathedeeperandmoreeasily,findingthatourbodyismoreopentothebreathasitrelaxesalongwiththemind.Inthisway,thespacewerecognizethroughmeditationcreatesspaceinourbodies,allowingforafeelingoflightnessandrightnesswiththeworld.
5.PenetratingTheDarkness
WisdomOfTheOwl
Foraslongashumankindhasrecognizedanimalsasteachers,wisemenandwomenhaverecognizedtraitsworthyofrespectinbothwildanddomesticcreatures.Theculturalandspiritualsignificanceofcertainanimalstranscendsgeographicalboundaries,unifyingdisparatepeoples.Notsothemajesticandmysteriousowl,whichhasovermanymillenniaservedasthefocalpointofnumerouscontradictorybeliefs.Thoughowlshavebeenregardedwithaweandfascination,theyhavealsoinadvertentlyservedasagentsoffear.Sinceowlsarenocturnal,human-owlencounterstendedtooccuratnightandlikelywhenthebirdwasswoopingsilentlydowntoearthtograpplewithprey.Yetevenassomeshiedawayfromtheowl,callingitanagentofdarkness,othersrecognizedthedepthsofawarenessinbeautifulowl抯eyes.
IntheclassicalGreektradition,anowlcouldoftenbefoundperchedontheshoulderofAthena,goddessofwisdom,whileowlscouldwardoffbadluckinRomanlore.ItisinNativeAmericanmythos,however,thattheowlattainsitsownuniqueidentity.Owlsarepatientmessengers,bringersofinformationandtheholdersofwisdom,andtheyarecapableofseeingtheunseen.Withtheirkeeneyesight,theycanglanceintothesoultodiscernmeaningandmotive,andtheyaretotemsoftruth.Unlikeourdistantforebears,wemayneverencounteranowlinthewild,butwecannonethelessinternalizethewisdomoftheowlbyattuningourselvestoitsmostvenerablequalities.Fullyintegratingthemedicineoftheowlintospiritualexistenceisamatterofconsideringhowwemightopenourselvesmorefullytothewisdomthatcanbefoundinthelargeruniverse.