Devotee: Please could you share some tips how we can get rid of sloth and torpor?
Ajahn Brahm: Please don't get rid of anything. Transcend it. How you get rid of sloth and torpor, the more you try to get rid of it, the more you get weak. You tire yourself out. There's this one story in the sutras where the Buddha was walking with his attendant Ananda and he saw this monk with a perfect posture, didn't look sleepy at all. He turned around to his attendant Ananda. I'm worried about that monk. He had a perfect posture. He soon disrobed.
He went deep into the forest, the jungle, and he saw another monk there, nodding, had lots of sloth and torpor and the Buddha smiled, not worried about him. He soon became fully enlightened.
I remember when I first read that, I thought this is, you know, the Buddha, he knows what he's talking about.
What's going on there? That first monk living on the edge of the forest, that's when you can get some more indulgence, was a control freak. That's where he could sit perfectly still. And I remember this French monk who was a young monk in Thailand when I became a monk. And I've still got his bowl now. And I thankfully he gave me his bowl when he disrobed. He would never nod. He would never get sleepy. And when he disrobed, I thought, what we all thought, he was really close to enlightenment. But then when he said what he was experiencing sometimes in his all night sittings, we had to do, he would open his eyes and he seen me really sleepy and he was jealous. That's what he said. He was controlling himself so much. It was really painful. He saw some of these other monks. They were sleepy and they were getting sleepy. He was jealous of me. And I always remember that comment cuz now he gave me his robe, his bowl and I still got it. And what happens is you get sleepy sometimes but after a while that vanishes the meditation starts to take root and the sleepiness disappears or gets much much less.
I've already mentioned why I got sleepy in the all night sits in the jungles. Number one, I hadn't slept enough. 4 hours you were supposed to sleep a day maximum including all naps and everything else and I couldn't get under 4 and a half even that was a pretty hard achievement 4 and 1/2 hours maximum every day and then you're sleeping.
You're meditating in the jungle, it's really hot and you know what, all of you who know me really well know that I kind of find it very hard to to handle the heat. Sometimes somebody I see them, they're wearing jackets and blankets here. I think how on earth can you manage that? That's why I never like to turn on the heater in this room.
And do you see me ever wearing a blanket? That's for you guys. I love the cold. I get so much energy out of the cold. And so that's one of the reasons why he never see me wearing anything hot. And this was really hot. He had no choice. And when I went to Bangkok once, I was staying in a room right next to a hall with an air con. Oh, an air con. You go in there 3:00 in the morning and it was cool. It was like going to a heaven realm for me. I think no flies were in that room. They couldn't stand it when the air con was on. Too cold for them. I loved it. And because it was cold, there was no mosquitoes in there.
And because I was eating well and I was having a couple of extra hours of sleep during the day cuz no one's checking on you and I had energy and I got some great meditation in there and that really changed my idea what's causing the sloth and torpor . A lot of time it has its causes and conditions , when you can identify those causes and conditions --it's not laziness, it's not used to the heat, not enough sleep, not enough nutrition in your food. Frogs don't have much nutrition.
Devotee: How to get rid of sloth and torpor these days.
Ajahn Brahm: I would always say if you're really sleepy at this time of the retreat, it means you're not sleeping enough at night.
Devotee: I find myself falling asleep during meditation.
Ajahn Brahm: Is that a good idea? Falling asleep during meditation?Don't put more effort in. Just put more wisdom in. Why is this the right temperature for you? Are you eating enough? You know, is it the case that you need a bit more of a rest?
A lot of times, beginning of a meditation retreat, people don't sleep enough. A lot of times you come from overseas, you need a bit more rest. This one lady, she comes from Sydney and she came on one of these retreats. She arrived late simply because she was an executive tying up all the loose ends. And when she came, I told her, "Look, you'll be really tired." It wasn't in this place. Sorry. This was over in the East Coast when she came on one of my retreats, I said, "You'll be really tired. Please take a lot of sleep." And she understood. She was very smart. And they were staying in a room with about three other meditators like in dormitory style, not your own room like we have here. And so she was in the dormitory.
The bell went for the morning meeting. She stayed asleep. She got up for breakfast and after breakfast she went to sleep again. She got up for lunch and after lunch she went to sleep again and then until she ,you know ,felt she'd had enough sleep, caught up on some of her backlog and then she came to the some of the meditation.
But after the evening talk, she went straight back to bed. And she told me after a couple of days, the other people in the room she shared with look really angry at her. They couldn't speak. They kept the noble silence. And I told her, "They're not angry at you. They're jealous. That's what they would love to do." When I was saying that, well, you had a bit of jealousy as well. You'd love to do that, catch up on your sleep. I've got a few people nodding their heads. Of course, for three or four days, she slept a lot. And after the three or four days, she got her energy back. And once her energy had returned, then she started getting up early, started meditating more. And by the end of the nine-day retreat, she was one of the star meditators. And I really praised her for that.
Instead of just trying to impress others, find out what you need and you soon find it works properly. So many people in this world are sleep-deprived. And when you are sleep-deprived a lot of time that's what the cause of your cancer is and other sicknesses. I've seen that too many times. You learn how to rest, relax, and don't worry what other people think of you. You get really healthy.
Devotee: I keep falling asleep during meditation once it starts ,no matter how much I try to keep my awareness
Ajahn Brahm: that's the problem ,you're trying to keep your awareness on breath ,the mind goes back to sleep. what would be the best thing to do at this point? go to bed , obvious!
And I mean that you have your own rooms here. You can go to bed and go to sleep whenever you want. Make use of that opportunity. After a while, you find you just don't want to go to sleep. You can't go to sleep. Not because of rules, because it doesn't feel necessary. And then you can come and sit in here and your mind doesn't feel sleepy. And because it doesn't feel sleepy, it doesn't go to sleep. You get very peaceful and happy and joyful. Once that joy starts coming up, as a couple of people have told me here, that once that joy starts coming up and you're really blissing out in the meditation, you find you won't be able to go to sleep at night either. You don't need it. And that's the interesting part. They say something wrong. Am I doing something wrong? I can't go to sleep at night? No. Enjoy. That's what happens when you do a lot of meditation. Your sleep requirements really kind of disappear.
2025 October (7/18) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMrvOpToRA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M64DjGAtJ-I0-xNRgPiP3Sr&index=7
**信徒：** 請問您能分享一些我們如何擺脫昏沉與嗜睡的方法嗎？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 請不要試圖「擺脫」任何東西。要超越它。你越是試圖擺脫昏沉與嗜睡，你就會變得越虛弱。你會讓自己筋疲力盡。
佛經裡有這麼一個故事：佛陀和他的侍者阿難一起行走，他看到一位僧人，坐姿完美，一點也不睏的樣子。佛陀轉頭對侍者阿難說：「我擔心那位僧人。他有完美的坐姿。那位僧人很快就還俗了。」
佛陀走入森林深處，看到另一位僧人在那裡打瞌睡，充滿了昏沉與嗜睡，佛陀卻笑了，並不擔心他。這位僧人很快就證得了完全覺悟。
我記得第一次讀到這個故事時，我想，佛陀確實知道他在說什麼。
這是怎麼回事呢？第一位住在森林邊緣的僧人，在那種可以更放縱自己的環境中，其實是個控制狂。所以他才能坐得完美無缺。我記得一位法國僧人，我出家時他在泰國還是一位年輕比丘。我現在還保留著他的缽，很感恩他還俗時把缽給了我。他從不打盹，從不犯睏。當他還俗時，我和大家都以為他已經非常接近開悟了。但後來當他說起他在必須參加的整夜禪坐中的體驗時，他會睜開眼睛，看到我非常睏的樣子，他竟然感到嫉妒。他是這麼說的。他當時如此強烈地控制自己，這其實非常痛苦。他看到其他一些僧人，他們睏了就是會犯睏，他反而嫉妒我。我總是記得他這番話，因為他給了我他的僧袍和缽，而我至今保留著。
情況是這樣的：你有時會犯睏，但過一段時間，這種情況就會消失。禪修開始生根，睡意就會消失，或者大大減少。
我已經提過為什麼我在叢林整夜禪坐時會犯睏。第一，我睡得不夠。規定每天最多睡4小時，包括所有小睡和其他休息，而我連4個半小時都做不到，即使達成4個半小時也已經很困難了——每天最多4.5小時。然後你還得在叢林裡禪坐，天氣非常熱。你們所有很了解我的人都知道，我有點難以忍受炎熱。有時我看到這裡有人穿夾克、蓋毯子。我心想你們到底是怎麼辦到的？這就是為什麼我從不喜歡開這個房間的暖氣。
你們見過我蓋毯子嗎？那是給你們用的。我喜歡寒冷。我從寒冷中獲得很多能量。這也是為什麼你們從沒見過我穿得很厚的原因之一。而叢林裡非常熱，他別無選擇。有一次我去曼谷，住在一個緊鄰大廳的房間，大廳裡有空調。哦，空調！凌晨三點進去那裡，很涼爽。對我來說就像去了天界一樣。我想那個房間裡沒有蒼蠅，因為牠們受不了空調的冷氣。對牠們來說太冷了。但我很喜歡。而且因為涼爽，那裡也沒有蚊子。
因為我吃得好，白天還能多睡幾個小時（因為沒人盯著你），我精力充沛，在那裡進行了一些很棒的禪修，這真的改變了我對昏沉與睡眠成因的看法。很多時候，昏沉睡眠有其原因和條件。當你能識別這些原因和條件時——這不是懶惰，而是不適應炎熱、睡眠不足、食物營養不足--青蛙沒什麼營養。
**信徒：** 如今該如何擺脫昏沉與嗜睡呢？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 我總是會說，如果你在這個禪修期間非常睏，這意味著你晚上睡眠不足。
*信徒：我發現自己在禪修時睡著了
阿姜布拉姆：這樣好嗎？禪修時睡著了。不要投入更多『努力』，要投入更多『智慧』。這個溫度對你合適嗎？你吃夠了嗎？你知道嗎，是不是你需要多休息一點？
很多時候，在禪修營開始時，人們睡眠不足。很多人從海外來，需要更多休息。有一位女士，她從雪梨來參加一個禪修營。她遲到了，只是因為她是高階主管，要處理完所有收尾工作。她來的時候，我告訴她：「聽著，你會非常累。」（不是這個地方的事，抱歉，這是在東海岸我的一個禪修營上）我說：「你會非常累。請好好多睡一點。」她明白了，她很聰明。他們當時住在宿舍式房間裡，大約還有其他三位禪修者，不像我們這裡有自己的房間。所以她住在宿舍裡。
早晨共修的鐘聲響起，她繼續睡。她起床吃早餐，早餐後又去睡覺。她起床吃午餐，午餐後又去睡覺，直到她覺得睡夠了，補上了一些欠的睡眠，然後她才來參加一些禪坐。
但晚間開示後，她又直接回去睡覺了。幾天後她告訴我，同房間的其他人看起來對她很生氣。他們不能說話，要保持聖默然。我告訴她：「他們不是生你的氣，他們是嫉妒。那是他們也想做的事。」當我這麼說的時候，嗯，你們也有一點嫉妒吧？你們也想那樣做，補足睡眠。我看到有幾個人點頭了。當然，有三四天的時間，她睡了很多。三四天之後，她的精力恢復了。一旦精力恢復，她就開始早起，開始更多地禪修。到九天禪修營結束時，她是表現出色的禪修者之一。我為此真正讚揚了她。
與其只是試圖給別人留下好印象，不如弄清楚自己需要什麼，你很快會發現事情會順利進行。這個世界上有太多人睡眠不足。而當你長期睡眠不足時，這往往就是你罹患癌症和其他疾病的原因。這種事我見過太多了。學會休息、放鬆，不要擔心別人怎麼看你。你會變得非常健康。
**信徒：** 禪修一開始，我就會一直睡著，無論我多麼努力保持覺知。
**阿姜布拉姆：** 問題就在這裡——你「努力」把覺知放在呼吸上，心卻跑回去睡覺了。這個時候最好做什麼？去睡覺！很明顯啊！
我的意思是，你們在這裡有自己的房間。你們可以隨時上床睡覺。利用這個機會。過一段時間，你會發現你根本就不想去睡覺了。你睡不著。不是因為規定，而是因為感覺沒有必要。然後你可以來這裡坐著，你的心不會感到睏倦。因為不感到睏倦，它就不會去睡覺。你會變得非常平靜、快樂和喜悅。一旦這種喜悅開始生起，就像這裡有幾個人告訴我的那樣，一旦喜悅生起，你在禪修中真的感到極樂，你會發現你晚上也睡不著了。你不需要它。這就是有趣的地方。他們會問：我做錯什麼了嗎？我晚上睡不著？不，享受它吧。這就是當你進行大量禪修時會發生的情況。你的睡眠需求真的會消失。
2025 October (7/18) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMrvOpToRA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M64DjGAtJ-I0-xNRgPiP3Sr&index=7
Devotee: How to avoid drowsiness during meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: please, a cup of coffee or a cup of tea is okay sometimes. But obviously, the key is to make sure you sleep well at night. Again, you know there's a lot of insomnia in our current world, and a lot of times, people cure insomnia through mindfulness practice. So when you go to bed tonight, don't just go to sleep and start thinking about things; practice the first stages of meditation: present moment awareness.
How can you do that now? How many of you sleep in bed with your shoes on or slippers on? Do any of you do that? You take your slippers off before you get into bed. So, as you take your slippers off before you go into bed, let the left slipper represent your past. Think that that's your past; you take the slipper off and put it under your bed. And as you take off the right slipper, just imagine your right slipper is your future, and you take that off and put it under your bed. You never take the past and future into bed with you. That's a dirty habit, like taking your shoes into bed.
Which means, if you identify the left shoe with the past and the right shoe with the future, just do that little imagination. It means when you go into bed, you're not carrying all the stuff which happened to you so far today and all the worries, anxieties, and fears of the future. You don't take that into bed with you either. This means that the cause of so much insomnia—worry about the future, lingering being hurt about the past—doesn't go into bed with you, so you can really relax and have a very beautiful, deep sleep. Just simple things like that help you relax enough to get a good night's sleep.
You know, there are not that many people who sleep well, which is one of the reasons why, in the current world where so much is asked of you—you have to work hard, get up early, get to work on time, with so much you have to do every day—so you really need to learn how to sleep well. So, in the few hours you do have in bed, you make the best use of them. And if you can sleep well, just imagine how much energy you will have in life and how much health you will have. There are so many sicknesses that come from tightness: cancers, cardiac problems, and just so much other stuff. Grumpiness, not knowing how to have a good relationship with anybody because you're just… so much stuff comes from just a simple thing like not learning how to sleep well.
So here, just that simple exercise—let go of the past, let go of the future. You go in there and just have nothing to worry about at all, and you can have a very good night's sleep. It also means you don't have all these dreams which activate your brain; you know, you can sleep deeply and peacefully. And the other thing to do is just to practice that letting go, making peace, being kind, being gentle as you go to sleep. Make peace with yourself, be kind to your body, really relax it, be kind to your mind and be very gentle. And that's what you take into sleep with you: making peace, kindness, gentleness. If you have any dreams, you have these beautiful, soft, kind dreams; you wake up feeling so refreshed.
And that's the sort of thing you can do. And if you can do things like that, you don't get even sleepy during the meditation. If you do, it's just because you've been working extra hard, so just accept that. But the sleepiness gets reduced enormously, and your happiness and health increases. So try that. Learn how to sleep on this retreat: sleep deeply, sleep well, sleep softly, peacefully, kind, gently. Like in the second factor of the Eightfold Path, it doesn't just lead to Nibbana; it leads to deep, peaceful sleep.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 1 July 2014
信徒提問：如何避免禪修時昏沉嗜睡？
阿姜布拉姆：偶爾喝杯咖啡或茶也無妨。但顯然，關鍵在於確保夜間睡眠品質。要知道當今世界失眠問題普遍，而許多人正是透過正念練習來治癒失眠。今晚就寢時，不要躺下就開始胡思亂想，請實踐禪修的初階要領：保持覺知當下。
具體該怎麼做？你們有多少人穿著鞋子或拖鞋睡覺？有誰這樣嗎？你們上床前都會脫掉拖鞋吧？當你脫鞋準備就寢時，不妨將左拖鞋視為你的過去，想像把「過去」脫下塞進床底；右拖鞋則代表未來，同樣將「未來」脫下置於床下。永遠別帶著過去與未來上床，這就像穿著鞋履臥榻般糟糕。
透過這個簡單的意象練習——左鞋代表過去，右鞋象徵未來——意味著當你躺下時，不再背負今日種種與未來憂懼。導致失眠的主因（對未來的焦慮、過往創傷的糾結）便不會隨你入眠，如此你才能真正放鬆，享受深沉美好的睡眠。正是這些簡單方法能助你充分鬆弛，獲得優質睡眠。
當今社會鮮少有人能安睡，這正是因為我們被過度要求：必須努力工作、早起準時上班、每日應接不暇的事務......因此你實在需要學習如何睡好覺。在有限的臥床時間裡最大化利用，若能安睡，試想人生將獲得多少活力與健康？太多疾病源於緊繃狀態：癌症、心臟問題，還有各種其他症狀。暴躁易怒、人際關係失和......諸多困擾竟都源自「未能學會好好睡覺」這般簡單的原因。
所以請實踐這個簡單練習：放下過去，放下未來。躺下時無牽無掛，自然能享有安眠。這同時意味著不再受紛亂夢境干擾大腦，你將能深沉寧靜地安寢。另一要點是練習「放下」：入睡時締造和平、懷抱善良、保持柔軟。對自己善良，善待身體令其徹底放鬆，溫柔善良地對待心念。帶著這份寧靜、善良與溫柔入眠，即便做夢也將是美好輕柔的夢境，醒來時必感煥然一新。
若能實踐這些方法，禪修時便不易昏沉。若仍感睏倦，不過是過度操勞所致，坦然接受即可。但睡意將大幅消減，幸福感和健康狀態則會提升。請務必嘗試：在此禪修期間學習睡眠之道——睡得深沉、睡得香甜、睡得輕柔、睡得安詳、帶著善良與溫軟。正如八正道第二支所示，這不僅通向涅槃，更引領我們邁向深沉寧靜的睡眠。
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月1日在禪修園的問答開示
當心懶惰時，實在不好受啊！
心好像水浸一樣，失去了光明、清爽與舒服
懶惰是什麼？ 其實就是五蓋之中的昏沉睡眠
既然懶惰不好，當它生起時，為什麼還縱容它繼續留下？當然立即把它去除！
怎樣去除？佛陀教導，我們應該發起精進、 發起能夠驅除懈怠的能量、激發進一步的能量 （AN1.18）
有些人在心裡喊：
‘振作！振作！振作’
‘精神！精神！精神！’
‘精進！精進！精進！’
總之就是想辦法讓能量充滿整顆心
就好像太陽一出來，黑暗立即消失
同樣地，當能量遍滿內心，原本佔據心的昏沉睡眠立即消散
心回復光明、清爽與舒服
When laziness sets in, it truly feels unpleasant!
The mind feels as if submerged in water, losing its brightness, clarity, and comfort.
What is laziness? It is actually the hindrance of sloth and torpor among the five hindrances.
Since laziness is harmful, why do we allow it to remain when it arises? Of course, we should immediately eliminate it!
How to eliminate it? The Buddha taught that we should arouse diligence, generate the energy to dispel laziness, and stimulate further energy (AN 1.18).
Some people shout in their minds:
"Get up! Get up! Get up!"
"Energy! Energy! Energy!"
"Diligence! Diligence! Diligence!"
In short, find ways to fill the entire mind with energy.
Just as the sun rises and darkness immediately vanishes,
similarly, when energy permeates the mind, the sloth and torpor that occupied it instantly dissipate.
The mind regains its brightness, clarity, and comfort.
佛陀教導，如果修行要進步，就不要樂於睡眠
如果樂於睡眠，修行是會退步的！（AN6.21）
為什麼佛陀這麼說？
一旦我們睡覺睡多過足夠的量；會發生什麼事情？
我們會發現，心會開始水浸了，被昏沉睡眠所籠罩，失去了本來的清爽
昏沉睡眠，或者說懶惰，是很難擺脫的
一旦陷了入去，就好像陷入泥濘那樣，久久也不能起來；整顆心充滿著黑暗
也好像掉進懸崖那樣，幾乎不能翻身
有些人攤在床上可以攤一整天，有些人可以攤兩天；不斷下去，就變成躺平族😂
如果不能逆轉這個慣性，死後就做那些鮑魚啊，螺啊，象拔蚌啊，繼續昏沉睡眠咯~
所以啊，睡覺只需睡到讓身體得到足夠的休息就可以了
如果是出家人，因為他們整日都在修行，心整日都處於禪定的狀態當中，所以心根本不會累，累的只是身體。所以佛陀說他們只需睡四個小時（10pm-2am），其餘時間應起來繼續修行（AN4.37 ）
身體累要睡，但千萬不要睡過頭~
The Buddha Taught: If You Want to Progress in Practice, Don't Indulge in Sleep
The Buddha warned that if we're fond of sleeping, our spiritual practice will regress! (AN 6.21)
Why did the Buddha say this?
What happens when we sleep more than necessary?
We'll find our minds becoming "flooded"—drowned in drowsiness and lethargy, losing their natural clarity.
Sloth and torpor (or plain laziness) are incredibly hard to shake off.
Once we're trapped in them, it's like being stuck in mud—struggling to get up, with the mind shrouded in darkness.
It's also like falling off a cliff—nearly impossible to recover.
Some people can lounge in bed all day, some for two days... and if this continues, they become full-time "Tang Ping clan"! 😂
If this habit isn't reversed, after death, they might even be reborn as clams, abalone , or geoducks—stuck in sloth and torpor!
So how much sleep is enough?
Sleep only as much as the body needs to rest.
For monastics, since they spend all day in stillness, their minds never tire—only their bodies do. Thus, the Buddha said they need just four hours of sleep (10 PM–2 AM) and should spend the rest of the time practicing (AN 4.37).
Rest when the body is tired—but never oversleep!
《怎樣對治昏沉》
問：請問怎樣對治昏沉？
Ajahn Golf ：這是很好的問題。打坐的時候是想要睡覺 ，那麼其中一個原因就是你的正念沒有力。
另外一個原因，就是一整天下來工作，身體已經疲倦了，你開始坐下來打坐的時候就i想要睡覺 ，因為身體已經沒有力量了。
我以前的師父是這樣教導我的： 當你打坐昏沉的時候 ，千萬不要讓他睡著。 一旦你嘗試過 打坐的時候 給他睡著， 已經有了這個習慣， 那麼日後想要改掉這個習慣就比較難了。
這個昏沉過後就會入睡。入睡跟入定只差一樣東西，就是沒有了這個正念 。同樣的這個思想，他也是越來越少，心越來越沒有力， 那麼他就入睡， 就睡下去了 。
另外一種方式就是，你要入定的時候， 同樣的這個思想也是越來越少 ，但是你有那個正念。 正念的力量越來越強， 越來越強 ，那麼他就會進入到定，心就會越來越明亮。
當你昏沉時，你應該全身專注在業處上。比如說你是念 buddho 的， 你就在心裡快速地念，或者在心裡大大聲地念，不需要說念了擔心不平靜。首先要做的就是刺激讓心不要睡下去。更加地專注和用心去提升這個正念。
第二個方式就是，如果你是使用這個觀呼吸的方式 。平常你只是靜靜地看著那個呼吸 ， 那麼如果你想睡的時候， 先深深地吸氣 ，然後再深深地呼氣。
不需要去害怕他得不到平靜，首先要提起這個正念先。
那麼第三個方式呢 ，就是如果平時你只是念buddho , 你可以換一個方式, 可能念 itipiso bhagava 整個這樣念；或者選擇你喜歡的經文，去念它；這個是為了提起正念。
佛陀也是有教導這個方法的。
如果深呼吸了還解決不到， 唸了佛號還是解決不到，那麼你就要站起來。如果有空間有地方，你就去那邊行禪。佛陀他曾經教導目犍連尊者，當你昏沉時，你可以去揉你的身體，但是要有正念 。但對於你們呢，就不適合用揉，你們應該用捏，捏你們的身體。
其實第一個方式呢，就是捏他自己，就是一面捏一面buddho， 讓他自己醒起來。
那麼第二個方式呢，就是來咬這個辣椒。吃這個辣椒呢 ，肯定會醒的 ，但是舌頭就會有點辣， 會很口渴
這樣吃呢，就不會昏沉。不會昏沉的同時呢，也會沒了這個定
因此當昏沉的時候，自己應該選擇一個方式 。
比如說如果你念這個buddho佛號的， 佛號太短 ，你就轉去唸經 。
或者觀這個呼吸的， 平常你是放自然的觀這個呼吸 ，那麼嘗試去控制這個呼吸， 深深地吸一口氣 ，深深地呼一口氣 。
或者你可以起身去行禪
儘量地不要就是放任它讓它入睡。
或者是你可以開著眼 ，不需要閉上眼睛也是可以。
如果以上剛才所說的方式 你都嘗試過了 還是不能的話呢 ，那麼你就先去休息， 先去睡覺。但是睡之前，你先要決意，先發願，就是我決定等下我休息幾個小時後， 一起身，我就要立刻地去繼續打坐。但是切記這個方式呢，肯定是最後一個方式的。
這個睡覺的方式永遠都是最後的一個方式。 以上所說的，都盡量先嘗試。如果嘗試了身體都還是不行，你就去睡覺
**"How to Overcome sloth and torpor"**
**Question:** How can we deal with sloth and torpor?
**Ajahn Golf:** This is a very good question. When you meditate and feel sleepy, one reason is that your mindfulness is weak. Another reason is that after a whole day of work, your body is already tired. When you sit down to meditate, you feel sleepy because your body has no energy left.
My teacher taught me this: When you feel drowsy during meditation, **do not let yourself fall asleep**. If you allow yourself to sleep during meditation even once, it becomes a habit, and later, it will be very difficult to break.
sloth and torpor leads to sleep. The difference between falling asleep and entering meditative absorption (*jhāna*) is just **one thing—the presence of mindfulness**. In both cases, thoughts decrease. But if mindfulness is lost, you fall asleep.
On the other hand, when entering meditative absorption, thoughts also decrease, but **mindfulness grows stronger and stronger**, leading the mind into a state of clarity and brightness.
**Methods to Overcome Drowsiness:**
1. **Focus intensely on your meditation object.**
- If you recite *"Buddho,"* repeat it **quickly and strongly** in your mind. Don’t worry about losing calmness—first, **stimulate the mind** to prevent sleep. Increase your focus and strengthen mindfulness.
2. **If you practice breath meditation:**
- Normally, you just observe the breath naturally. But when sleepy, **take deep breaths**—inhale and exhale forcefully.
- Don’t worry about disturbing calmness—**first, reawaken mindfulness**.
3. **Change your meditation subject.**
- If you usually recite *"Buddho,"* try switching to a longer phrase like *"Itipiso Bhagava…"* or a scripture you like.
- This helps **revitalize mindfulness**. The Buddha also taught this method.
if deep breath and chanting buddho don't help, stand up and do walking meditation if space allows.
The Buddha once advised Ven. Moggallāna to rub his body mindfully when drowsy. But for lay practitioners, **pinching** the body is better than rubbing.
- Another method is **biting a chili pepper**—it will definitely wake you up, but your tongue will burn, and you’ll get thirsty! However, this may also disrupt your stillness
If none of these methods work, go rest and sleep. But before sleeping, make a firm resolution:"After resting for a few hours, I will immediately resume meditation when I wake up."
Sleep should always be the last option—try all other methods first.
---Ajahn Golf 阿贊高爾夫 อาจารย์กอล์ฟ
26/6/2025 下午問答 Q&A
excerpted from <17:43 :
Some people are lazy too.
But if there is calm, there must also be wisdom. That’s how it should be.
Without wisdom, you’ll end up dozing off.
If you’re not dozing, you might be sitting straight but out of ego—tense from overthinking,
not from mindfulness or stillness.
Agree, don’t you?
確實有些人就是懶散。
但若有定力，智慧必然現前——
應該要是這樣。
缺乏智慧時，
你不是昏沉打盹，
就是挺直腰桿卻充滿自我——
因妄念緊繃，
而非正念或禪定。
同意嗎？
----Luang Por Ganha
2025. 5. 28
《Ajahn Brahm teaches how to overcome sloth and topor》
Devotee： How to overcome sleepiness and pain during meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: If you're meditating and you feel sleepy, then don't fight it.
There's a cause and effect there.
I was sleepy in the jungles of Thailand for many years, went down to Bangkok to do some visas, stayed in Wat Pa Bong, it was a wealthy monastery, a royal monastery. They had a new building where we stayed, had one room, it was an air-conditioned room.
We used to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning, so no one else was using that room at that time of the day, 3 o'clock in the morning, before alms-round. So we managed to borrow the key, and we'd meditate in there, from 3 to maybe 4, 5 o'clock in the morning. In the air-conditioned room, the Westerners were meditating in there, no sloth and torpor, no sleepiness.
The temperature was just right for Westerners. We didn't feel sleepy. From that time on I realised, there's external causes that make you sleepy.
You haven't slept enough, you're catching up on your sleep, your tiredness, you're bored with Ajahn Brahm's talks, all of them, I don't know, but there's external causes.
You look at those simple answers, and you become bright, catch up on your sleep, it's just the right temperature, you have some good food, your body's fit and healthy, then sleepiness doesn't come. In brief, it's not your fault.
Don't blame yourself, it's cause and effect. So if you're sleepy, go to bed. That's the best antidote for sleepiness.
If it's painful, stretch your legs. People just want, no, no, come on, Ajahn Brahm, can't you give us something more spiritual, more psychic, more deep? Sometimes people just want the deep teachings, and they just don't see the obvious answers.
---Ajahn Brahm
2019 HK meditation retreat
《阿贊·布拉姆教你如何克服昏睡睡眠》
信徒：如何克服冥想時的困倦和疼痛？
阿贊·布拉姆：如果你在冥想時感到困倦，那麼不要去抗拒它。
這裡有因果關係。我在泰國的叢林中困倦了很多年，後來到曼谷辦簽證，住在Wat Pa Bong，那是一個富裕的寺廟，皇家寺廟。他們有一棟新樓，我們住在那裡，有一個空調房間。
我們通常在早上三點起床，那時候沒有人使用那個房間，早上三點，在乞食之前。我們借到了鑰匙，從三點到四、五點在裡面冥想。在那個空調房間裡，西方人在裡面冥想，沒有懶惰和昏睡，沒有困倦。
溫度正好適合西方人。我們沒有感到困倦。從那時起我意識到，有外部因素會讓你感到困倦。
你可能沒有睡夠，需要補覺，或者對阿贊·布拉姆的說話感到無聊，這些我不知道，但肯定有外部因素。你看看這些簡單的答案，然後你會感到清醒，補充睡眠，溫度合適，吃一些好的食物，身體健康，這樣就不會感到困倦。簡而言之，這不是你的錯。
不要責怪自己，這是因果關係。所以如果你感到困倦，就去睡覺。這是克服困倦的最好解決辦法。
如果感到疼痛，伸展一下腿。人們往往想，不，不，來吧，阿贊·布拉姆，你能不能給我們一些更精神、更深奧的東西？有時人們只想要深奧的教導，而他們卻看不到明顯的答案。
---阿贊·布拉姆
2019 香港禪修營
《Laziness》
When we let the self lead our lives, we become lazy and unmotivated. It is the ego—the self—that generates laziness. Laziness itself is a manifestation of this constructed “person,” a legal fiction of selfhood.
We must recognize that laziness is not just a passing mood—it is tied directly to the idea of self. It arises from identifying with a separate, individual entity.
If we fail to understand this, we allow ego to guide us—and with it, laziness becomes the dominant force in our lives.
Being attached to laziness is just another way of being attached to the idea of self.
The Lord Buddha taught us clearly: we must know and understand the nature of laziness.
To overcome laziness, we must cultivate selflessness—we must be willing to let go. Without self-sacrifice, we cannot uphold moral discipline (sīla), and we cannot engage in right practice.
Without self-sacrifice, we remain trapped in delusion, indulgence, and heedlessness.
The Buddha understood causes and conditions. The Arahants, too, understood causes and conditions.
They did not let self-view or ego lead their lives. They did not allow laziness to guide them. They completely abandoned laziness.
They recognized the symptoms of the so-called “legal entity” of self and, through wisdom, they stopped laziness. To be truly calm, truly at peace, we must end laziness. Only then will we experience the greatest happiness.
In all our work, we must cultivate joy.
In our education and learning, we must also cultivate joy.
In our manners and conduct, we must be attentive to details. Don’t allow laziness to sneak in.
In our professions and livelihoods, we must also abandon the self. If we do not let go of ego, our livelihood will not be pure. It will be a career driven by self-centeredness.
---Luang Por Ganha
8/4/2025
《懶惰》
當我們讓'自我'主導我們的生活時，我們會變得懶惰和缺乏動力。是自我——這個自我，產生了懶惰。懶惰本身是這個構建的「人」的表現，是一種自我的虛構。
我們必須認識到，懶惰不僅僅是一種短暫的心情——它直接與自我觀念相關。它源於對一個獨立的、個體實體的認同。
如果我們無法理解這一點，我們就會讓自我引導我們——而隨之而來，懶惰成為我們生活中的主導力量。
對懶惰的依附只是對自我觀念另一種形式的依附。
佛陀清楚地教導我們：我們必須認識和理解懶惰的本質。
要克服懶惰，我們必須培養無私——我們必須願意放下。沒有自我犧牲，我們無法堅持戒（sīla），也無法進行正確的修行。
沒有自我犧牲，我們將依然陷入妄想、放縱和漫不經心之中。
佛陀理解因緣。阿羅漢們也理解因緣。
他們不讓自我觀或自我主導他們的生活。他們不讓懶惰引導自己。他們徹底捨棄了懶惰。
他們識別出所謂「個人實體」自我的症狀，並通過智慧停止了懶惰。要真正平靜，真正安寧，我們必須結束懶惰。只有這樣，我們才能體驗到最大的快樂。
在我們的工作中，我們必須培養喜悅。
在我們的教育和學習中，我們也必須培養喜悅。在我們的舉止和行為中，我們必須注意細節。不要讓懶惰潛入。
在我們的職業和生計中，我們也必須放棄自我。如果我們不放下自我，我們的生計就不會純淨。它將成為一種以自我為中心驅動的職業。
---Luang Por Ganha
2025年4月8日
《坐禪時昏昏入睡？》
信徒：坐禪的時候觀呼吸，但觀著觀著，卻睡著了
Luang ta siri: 正念不足。亦都是一個痴心的生起，迷失的生起。在你昏昏欲睡的時候就深長地呼吸。
這個是因為當時我們的心沒有覺知到呼吸，沒有了正念，已經墮落到痴心、 迷失的狀態，所以這個是愚癡的禪修、 禪定
深呼吸。跟著呼吸下去，跟著呼吸出來；長吸、 長呼20次30次來去除昏沉。重新叫醒你的心。這個就是痴心的狀態，亦都是我們沒有了解到五蓋。五蓋中的昏沉、 掉舉、 疑蓋就是痴心。貪蓋屬於貪，嗔蓋屬於嗔。所以就是貪嗔癡。
所以這個五蓋是屬於中等的煩惱。如果我們打瞌睡的時候，就睜開眼，然後深呼吸，讓呼吸又粗又深又長；跟著呼吸入、 出
這個就是愚癡的禪定，心迷糊。
痴就是迷失的意思，也就是蠢的意思
當我們深長呼吸下去，直至我們的昏沉消失了，我們才如常地覺知如常的呼吸
"Fallen Asleep While Meditating?"
Disciple: When meditating, I observe my breath, but I fall asleep.
Luang Ta Siri: This is a lack of mindfulness. It is a rise of delusion and confusion. When you feel drowsy; take deep, long breaths. This happens because our mind is not aware of the breath; we have lost mindfulness and fallen into a state of delusion. This is foolish meditation.
Take deep breaths, following the inhale and exhale; do this 20 to 30 times to dispel drowsiness and awaken your mind. This is a state of delusion, and we do not understand the five hindrances. Among the five hindrances, sloth and torpor, restlessness, and doubt are forms of delusion. Greed and hatred correspond to the hindrances of greed and hatred. Thus, it’s greed, hatred, and delusion.
These five hindrances are considered moderate level defilements. If we find ourselves dozing off, we should open our eyes and take deep breaths, making our breathing coarse, deep, and long. Following the breath in and out, this is the foolish meditation where the mind is confused.
Delusion means being lost or foolish. When we take deep, long breaths until our drowsiness disappears, we can return to being aware of our breath as usual.
When you open your eyes, do you see Luang Phor every time?
Take a look—do you think Luang Phor feels sleepy?
If we abandon the self, we don’t feel drowsy.
But when we’re full of self, we sway back and forth like an earthquake.
每次睜開眼時，你可曾真正看見隆波？
仔細看——你覺得隆波會犯睏嗎？
當捨棄自我時，昏沉便無從生起。
但當‘自我’滿盈，身心便如地震般搖晃不定。
----Luang Por Ganha
15 May 2025
《昏沉和散亂都是自私的表現》
昏沉和散亂都是自私的表現， 為什麼？
當我們有自我感，我慢的時候；我們覺得自己重要，因而疏忽大意，放縱自己，沒有約束感官。Luang por ganha 說，這樣我們便很容易會跟著周圍的事情走。我們就會專注力不足，散亂，缺乏定力。
沒有約束感官，就是沒有戒。當沒有戒，沒有剎車制的時候，定就很難生起，心很難平靜下來。
因此散亂是自私的表現
昏沉也是自私的表現。例如我們很早起床，感到很疲倦。有時不是身體累，是心昏沉沒有力量，心懶惰。心執著於睡眠的快樂，以自我為中心，於是繼續睡。這是自私的表現。
吃飽飯後心軟弱無力。我們懶惰於做利己利他的事情，粘著於舒適。這也是自私的表現。
因此心散亂和昏沉，不要縱容它繼續下去。
佛陀在增支部一集中教導，當昏沉睡眠遮蓋我們的心時，我們要發起精進、能量和努力來對治。我們要想辦法決意、抖擻精神。當打瞌睡的時候，佛陀在 AN7.58中就曾教導，
1.假如想睡的念頭生起， 就不要作意它， 不要理它。
2. 不能的話，可以思維佛法。
3.再不能可以出聲讀誦佛法。
4.再不能，可用手拉我們的耳珠，按摩肢體來去除昏沉。
5.如果這樣做睡意不能消除，可起座用水洗眼簾，然後環視四方，仰望星光。
6.再不行，便作意光明想， 例如想像作意太陽的光芒。
7.再不行，便可以收攝六根，意念不向外弛散地行禪。
8. 最後， 便可以有正念地作獅子臥，睡前決意起來的時間， 不要放縱自己怠於睡眠的快樂。
關於掉舉(心停不下來)和後悔， 佛陀教導我們要修習內心的平息來對治。 可以選一個業處， 例如觀呼吸來讓心平靜下來。同時要以放下一切的心，放鬆到極點的心來禪修，因為Luang por ganha 說， ‘禪定只有在沒有自我的情況下才能產生’ 義註也提到， 我們可以透過避免過錯來防止未來生起後悔。 例如透過佛經學習什麼應該做， 什麼不應該做， 什麼是善， 什麼是惡等等。
"Sloth and Torpor & restlessness are manifestations of Selfishness"
Sloth and Torpor & restlessness are manifestations of Selfishness are expressions of selfishness. Why?
When we have a sense of self and conceit, we feel important, leading us to be negligent and indulge ourselves in things, lacking restraint over our senses. Luang Por Ganha says that this makes it easy for us to be swayed by our surroundings. We become unfocused, scattered, and lack stillness.
Lacking restraint over the senses means lacking precepts. When there are no precepts and no brakes, it becomes very difficult to cultivate stillness, and the mind struggles to settle down.
Therefore, restlessness is a manifestation of selfishness.
Sloth and Torpor are also a manifestation of selfishness. For example, when we wake up early and feel tired, sometimes it's not our body that's exhausted, but rather our mind is dull and lacking energy; the mind is lazy. The mind clings to the pleasure of sleep, centered on the self, and thus continues to sleep. This is a selfish expression.
After eating, if our heart feels weak and powerless, we become lazy in doing beneficial things for ourselves and others, clinging to comfort. This too is a manifestation of selfishness.
Thus, we should not allow the mind to remain scattered and dull.
The Buddha taught in the Anguttara Nikaya that when sloth and torpor cover our hearts, we should generate diligence, energy, and effort to counteract it. We must find ways to be determined and invigorated. When feeling drowsy, the Buddha taught in AN 7.58:
If the thought of sleep arises, do not engage with it, do not pay attention to it.
If that doesn’t help, contemplate the Dharma.
If that fails, recite the Dharma aloud.
If that still doesn’t work, pull on our earlobes or massage our limbs to dispel dullness.
If these methods do not eliminate sleepiness, we can rise, wash our eyes with water, and then look around or gaze at the stars.
If that still doesn’t work, we can visualize light, such as imagining the rays of the sun.
If that fails, we can gather our senses and meditate without letting our thoughts drift outward.
Finally, we can mindfully adopt the lion's posture, setting a time to rise before sleeping, and not indulge in the pleasures of sleep.
Regarding restlessness (the mind not settling) and regret, the Buddha taught us to cultivate inner stillnessto counteract it. We can choose a meditation object, such as observing the breath, to help calm the mind. At the same time, we should meditate with a heart that lets go of everything, fully relaxed. Luang Por Ganha said, "stillness can only arise without the self." The commentary also mentions that we can prevent future regrets by avoiding wrongdoing. For example, by learning from the scriptures what should be done and what should not be done, what is good and what is evil, etc.
如果有人說：’唉，很累‘
一般人不會再追問了
但如果是佛教徒，可能會問一條問題：’你是身累，還是心累呢？‘
誒～是有分別的
一般人身心會混作一團，認為身心合在一起就是一個完整的自我。
但佛陀教導， 身體是一部分，感受是一部分，記憶是一部分，意志是一部分，覺知又是另一部分。它們都不斷變異、 不是一個自我
所以身與心是兩回事來的
身累不一定心也累
有時心累身卻不累
但一般人身累心也會跟著累
有修行的佛教徒知道身心是分離兩回事來的
所以心累身不累時會禪修來讓心保持清爽與快樂
身累則直接去讓身體休息
為什麼？因為所謂的心累，就是煩惱之一的昏沉睡眠～
If someone says, "Ah, I'm so tired"
most people wouldn't ask further. But if it’s a Buddhist, they might ask a question: "Are you physically tired or mentally tired?"
Ah, there is a difference.
Most people tend to conflate body and mind, thinking that the combination of the two forms a complete self.
However, the Buddha taught that the body is one part, feelings are another part, memories are another part, will is yet another part, and awareness is a separate part.
They are all constantly changing and there is no 'self'.
So, body and mind are two different matters.
Being physically tired does not necessarily mean the mind is also tired. Sometimes the mind is tired while the body is not.
But generally, when the body is tired, the mind tends to follow suit for non-buddhist.
Practicing Buddhists understand that the body and mind are separate entities.
Thus, when the mind is tired but the body is not, they will meditate to keep the mind refreshed and happy.
But when the body is tired, they will go to take a rest
Why? Because what we call mental tiredness is one of the forms of defilements known as sloth and torpor.