Q10: Venerable Sir, if noting “sitting, sitting” when one is sitting serves one’s purpose, why is one instructed to note “rising, falling” when one is sitting?

问10：尊者，如果坐时观照“坐、坐”是目的，为什么还要教我们坐时观“起、伏”呢？

Of course, it serves one’s purpose to note “sitting, sitting” when sitting. But if one observes a single kind of object for long, it would become so easy that he may lose balance from little energy and too much concentration. This would result in sloth and torpor andshalloworweakawareness.That’s why one is instructed to observe“rising andfalling”as a main object when one is sitting.

当然，坐时观坐是目的，但一个人观照单一目标太长，就会变得太容易观照，以至于会因为精进力太少、定力太过而失去平衡。这会导致昏沉睡眠和表浅的觉知或无力的觉知。这是为何教你坐时以观照“起、伏”作为主要所缘。