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.