Why should one sleep sitting up

　　爲什麼要坐單？

　　The reason one sleeps sitting up is so that one will sleep less. If you sleep lying down, you can sleep for eight hours and still feel like you haven”t had enough sleep. On the other hand, you only need four hours if you sleep sitting up; you will feel energized and also be able to enter samadhi easily. Do not be afraid of hardship when it comes to meditation; do not be afraid of the pain in your legs and do not crave comfort. Do not say, “I”ll be really comfortable if I stretch my legs out and lie down; it is just too uncomfortable to sit.” Of course sitting is uncomfortable. However, look at all the Patriarchs of old; they achieved great things by enduring discomfort. If you crave comfort, eat well and sleep well, how can you show your sincerity in cultivation

　　坐單的用意就是不睡那麼多覺，你躺著睡八個鍾頭還覺得不夠；你坐著睡四個鍾頭就已經夠了，很有精神也容易入定。坐單你要不怕苦，不怕腿痛不貪舒服，不要說：「我把腿伸開，躺在那個地方很舒服，坐著實在不太舒服了。」坐著當然不舒服，但是你考察過去的祖師，都是在不舒服裏邊成就的；要是盡貪舒服，吃的好睡的好，怎麼能表示出你修行的真心呢？

　　In India, there was the Venerable Xie (“Ribs”), who never lay down to sleep throughout his entire life. In China, there were also many cultivators who meditated and vowed to never lie down to sleep. In the United States, Buddhism is just beginning. The seeds have just been planted. That is why I promote eating only one meal per day and never lying down. These are two of the twelve ascetic practices.

　　所以在印度的脅尊者，他一生脅不著席，也就是不躺著睡覺；中國也有很多是坐單，發願脅不著席的也有很多。在美國，佛教是剛剛開始，剛剛種下種子，所以我提倡日中一食，又長坐不臥，這是十二頭陀行的其中兩種。