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

问13：尊者，观照“起与伏”就是要仅仅觉知腹部自身的起与伏吗？

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，确实是这样，开始禅修的时候，你简单地觉知腹部本身，这没什么问题。当然，并不指望你在一始就证悟道果，甚至不指望获得名色分辨智(分辨心和身是第一个也是最初的观智)。在禅修开始阶段你必须用功密切标记观照(妄念)以远离盖障，只有当远离五盖相当长时间(镇服)，内心已凈除五盖，禅修者才会体验到“起与伏”所涉及的真实法如绷、紧、振动等等，而不只是平板一块的腹部。