問13：尊者，觀照「起與伏」就是要僅僅覺知腹部自身的起與伏嗎？

Q13: Venerable Sir, if one notes 「rising and falling,」 will one be expected to be solelyaware of the abdomen itself rising and falling?

問13：尊者，觀照「起與伏」就是要僅僅覺知腹部自身的起與伏嗎？

Yes, indeed, in the beginning of practice, one is plainly aware of the abdomen itself. There is no problem in that. Enlightenment of magga phala is not expected in the beginning,ofcourse.Even Nama-rupa-pariccheda-ñana(the firstand foremost insightdistinguishingbetween mind and body) cannot be gained. In the beginning of practice, one has to work to keep the hindrances (wandering thoughts) away by noting them closely. Only when the hindrances are kept away for quite a long time (Vikkhambhana) and the mind is free of them, will a yogi start to experience true phenomena involved in the 「rising and falling,」 suchasstiffness, tension, vibration and so on, beyond the plain abdomen.

是的，確實是這樣，開始禪修的時候，你簡單地覺知腹部本身，這沒什麼問題。當然，並不指望你在一始就證悟道果，甚至不指望獲得名色分辨智(分辨心和身是第一個也是最初的觀智)。在禪修開始階段你必須用功密切標記觀照(妄念)以遠離蓋障，只有當遠離五蓋相當長時間(鎮服)，內心已凈除五蓋，禪修者才會體驗到「起與伏」所涉及的真實法如繃、緊、振動等等，而不只是平板一塊的腹部。