問7：內觀修行需要對所緣進行標記或稱名嗎，如「起、伏」等等？

Q7: Venerable Sir, in Vipassana practice is it necessary to label or name an object such as 「rising, falling」 etc.?

問7：內觀修行需要對所緣進行標記或稱名嗎，如「起、伏」等等？

Names, whether they are in technical terms or in ordinary language, are all conceptual or conventional and not that important. What matters most is to be aware of the phenomena involved in an object like 「rising and falling of the abdomen when breathing.」 In reality, just being aware of an object without labeling at all, will serve the purpose. Without labeling, however, it may be difficult to be fully aware of an object precisely and accurately. Also, it will not be easy for the yogi to report his or her experience to the teacher, or for a teacher to give advice to the yogi. That is the reason why the yogi is instructed to label an object when he or she notes it. Even then, it would be difficult to use technical terms for all objects a yogi encounters. That is why I instruct yogis to use ordinary language like 「rising, falling」 when he or she practices.

不管是專業術語還是日程用語中，名字都是屬于概念或世俗的，因此並不重要。重要的是覺知所緣涉及的現象如「呼吸時腹部的起伏」，實際上，只需覺知目標根本不需標記就能達到目的。然而不用標記可能難于精準而充分地覺知目標，學生也不方便向老師彙報自己的體驗，老師也不方便給學生指導。這是為什麼我們教學生在觀照目標時進行標記。即使這樣，也難于用佛教名相標記所有禪修者遇到的所緣，因此我教學生在禪修中使用日常用語如「起、伏」。