AN 3.16 proper way to sleep

Kathañ-ca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu	And-how, monks, {is} a-monk
jāgariyaṃ anuyutto hoti?	{devoted-to} wakefulness ****?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu	Here, monks, a-monk

(sunrise to sunset, 6am to 6pm)

divasaṃ	[during] day [time],
caṅkamena nisajjāya	walking-[meditation]-forward-and-backward (and) sitting [meditation],
āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṃ parisodheti,	obstructive qualities (of) mind (he) purifies,

(first watch of night, 6pm to 10pm)

rattiyā paṭhamaṃ yāmaṃ	At-night-time, first watch-of-the-night,
caṅkamena nisajjāya	walking-[meditation]-forward-and-backward (and) sitting [meditation],
āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṃ parisodheti,	obstructive qualities (of) mind (he) purifies,

(middle watch of night, 10pm to 2am)

rattiyā majjhimaṃ yāmaṃ	At-night-time, middle watch-of-the-night,
dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṃ kappeti	(on his) right side, (the) lion-lying-down [posture] *******,
pāde pādaṃ accādhāya	(one) foot (on the other) foot overlapping,
sato sampajāno	mindful (and) clearly-comprehending,
uṭṭhāna-saññaṃ manasi karitvā,	rising-[from sleep]-perception (his) mind sets,

(last watch of night, 2am to 6am)

rattiyā pacchimaṃ yāmaṃ	At-night-time, last watch-of-the-night,
Pacc-uṭṭhāya	After-rising [from lying down],
caṅkamena nisajjāya	walking-[meditation]-forward-and-backward (and) sitting [meditation],
āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṃ parisodheti,	obstructive qualities (of) mind (he) purifies,
Evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu	thus indeed, monks, a-monk
jāgariyaṃ anuyutto hoti.	{is} {devoted to} wakefulness.

AN 7.61 buddha teaches moggallana 7 ways to ward off drowsiness

AN 7.61

(1. don’t attend to the perception that made you drowsy)

(2. Recall dhamma using V&V, thinking and evaluation, and upekkha)

(3. Recite that dhamma out loud, vocally)

(4. Pull your earlobes and rub your limbs)

(5. Stand up, wash eyes with water, look at stars in sky)

(6. STED ASMK: luminosity perception all day all night)

(7. Start walking meditation)

(Lie down in lion posture as last resort)

(don’t sociaize with lay people too much, causes restlessness)

(don’t say confrontational things)

(Buddha praises secluded meditation areas)

(conclusion: brief summary of path to arahantship)

(7. Start walking meditation)

♦ “no ce te evaṃ viharato	“But if by doing this
taṃ middhaṃ pahīyetha,	That drowsiness (is) {not} removed,
tato tvaṃ, moggallāna,	Then **, *******,
pacchā-pure-saññī caṅkamaṃ	after-&-before-perceptions (while doing) walking-meditation
adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi	you should resolve on,
anto-gatehi indriyehi	inwardly-immersed (with your) [sense]-faculties,
a-bahigatena mānasena.	not-outward-bound (with your) mind.
ṭhānaṃ kho panetaṃ vijjati yaṃ te evaṃ viharato	"It’s possible that by doing this
taṃ middhaṃ pahīyetha.	that drowsiness (is) removed. "

(Lie down in lion posture as last resort)

♦ “no ce te evaṃ viharato	“But if by doing this
taṃ middhaṃ pahīyetha,	That drowsiness (is) {not} removed,
tato tvaṃ, moggallāna,	Then **, *******,
dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṃ kappeyyāsi	(on his) right side, (the) lion-lying-down [posture] *******,
pāde pādaṃ accādhāya	(one) foot (on the other) foot overlapping,
sato sampajāno	mindful (and) clearly-comprehending,
uṭṭhāna-saññaṃ manasi karitvā.	rising-[from sleep]-perception (his) mind sets,

paṭibuddhena ca te, moggallāna,	As soon as you wake up, moggallāna,
khippaññeva pacc-uṭṭhātabbaṃ —	quickly get-up, [with the thought,]
‘na seyya-sukhaṃ	‘No lying-down -- pleasure,
na passa-sukhaṃ	no reclining-pleasure,
na middha-sukhaṃ	no drowsiness-pleasure,
anu-yutto viharissāmī’ti.	with-dedication [to this practice] (I) will-dwell.
evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṃ.	That is how you, **********, should train yourself

Vigilance (jāgariyānuyoga) and length of 3 watches

SuttaCentral Discuss & Discover

https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/three-watches-of-the-night/6944

Three Watches of the Night Q & A

Ven. Dhammanando

Vigilance (jāgariyānuyoga)

When, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple is moderate in eating, the Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: "Come you, monk, abide intent on vigilance; during the day while pacing up and down, while sitting down, cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states; during the middle watch of the night, lie down on the right side in the lion posture, foot resting on foot, mindful, clearly conscious, reflecting on the thought of getting up again; during the last watch of the night, when you have arisen, while pacing up and down, while sitting down, cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states.

MN 125

I wonder, does anyone here know anything about timekeeping in ancient India? If so, I have a couple of questions about the three yāmas mentioned above. They arose from a recent thread on Dhamma Wheel.

Firstly, was it a general Indian practice to divide the night this way or was it peculiar to Buddhism?

Secondly, with regard to the length of the yāmas it seems there are five possibilities:

All three are of equal length and of the same length throughout the year; like the four vigilias of the Roman night.

All three are of equal length but this length is subject to seasonal variation, like the Halachic hour of the Jews.

The three are of unequal length and the length of each is subject to seasonal variation.

The three are of unequal length but each retains the same length throughout the year.

The three are of unequal length, with one/some retaining the same length throughout the year and the other(s) subject to seasonal variation.

At the moment I’m inclining to #5, based on the Sammohavinodanī (Vibh-a. 345), which states that the middle watch of the night (a bhikkhu’s sleeping time) amounts to one sixth of the day and night (rattindivassa chaṭṭhakoṭṭhāsasaṅkhāta; i.e. four hours) but doesn’t specify any fixed duration for the first and last watches. It seems the absence of any such specification is most reasonably attributed to the first and last watches being longer in the cold season, owing to the longer hours of darkness, and shorter in the hot season. But is the Sammohavinodanī’s definition supported by any more ancient source?

daverupa

I’ll wager that monastics primarily used an incense clock, or oil lamps & candles (…almsbowls as water clocks?). But otherwise the only information I can find involves Vedic time cycles, from Brahma’s lifespan to the time of one eyeblink.

Wiki1 suggests that a Yāma = 1/4 of a day (light) or night, so eight Yāmas make half of the day (either day or night).

Here’s something about praharas1 (“The day is divided into eight parts: four praharas for the day, and four for the night”), in a footnote:

Some scholars correctly infer that in seasons (and regions) where days and nights are unequal in length, the praharas expand and contract in length. See Duncan Forbes’ early comment on the pahar (= prahar) in Northern India: “The first pahar of the day began at sunrise, and of the night at sunset; and since the time from sunrise to noon made exactly two pahars, it follows that in the north of India the pahar must have varied from three and a-half hours about the summer solstice, to two and a-half in winter, the pahars of the night varying inversely.” (Duncan Forbes, LL.D, transl. Bāgh O Bahār; or Tales of the Four Derwishes, by Mīr Amman of Dihli. London: W. H. Allen & Co. 1882, (p. 23, note 1). What we are encountering here is a difference between modern cultures that rely on clock time, and traditional cultures where the length of a day is observed in the sky, from sunset to sundown.

Polarbear

It appears to be a general practice among indian ascetics:

That Buddhist and Brahminic meditators exchanged ideas and practices in early times is not in doubt. Similar verses on meditation, found in both the early Brahminic and Buddhist literature, seem to prove this. We can compare, for example, the following verses:

Mbh XII.180.28:

The wise man, constantly disciplining himself in the earlier and

later parts of the night, taking little food, being pure, sees the self in the

self.

Thag:

The teacher has conquered this path which transcends attachment and

the fear of birth and old-age. Being diligent, discipline [yourself] in the

earlier and later parts of the night, make [your] practice firm. The Origin of Buddhist Meditation. Ch 3. Pg. 241

The Pali and Sanskrit didn’t copy and paste well so I had to delete it, but you can see it in the book in the link. Although I question whether the website I got it from, A Handful of Leaves1, has permission to use the works on there.

DKervick

daverupa

Wikipedia, citing an article by Hartmut Scharfe, claims that at Nalanda University,

“… four hours a day and four hours at night were measured by a water clock, which consisted of a copper bowl holding two large floats in a larger bowl filled with water. The bowl was filled with water from a small hole at its bottom; it sank when completely filled and was marked by the beating of a drum at daytime. The amount of water added varied with the seasons and this clock was operated by the students of the university.”

No guarantee the Indian use of water-clock methods that were used in the Buddha’s time. But apparently, the basic water-clock method goes all the way back to Mohenjo-Daro.

Vibhanga commentary on wakefulness

Dhammanando

22h

I also think #5 is the most likely. I was reading this passage yesterday:

AN 6.20 marana-sati (death mindfulness)

Thanks for this. It does seem relevant; as does the Udāna’s Yasojasutta, Ud3.3, which seems to suggest that it was the appearance of dawn that signalled the end of the third watch, and not any other timekeeping method.

Thanks for the interesting topic Ven. Does the Vibhanga say anything about when then fixed 4 hour middle watch occurs?

No, the Vibhaṅga itself just repeats the sutta description of ‘devotion to wakefulness’ that I quoted in my opening post. Then its commentary says:

In the description of jāgariyānuyoga (“practice of wakefulness”) here, as to pubbarattāpararattaṃ (“before the night and after the night”), the period before the part of the night called midnight is “before the night”; by this both the first watch and the period after the meal are included. The period after that part of the night is “after the night”; by this both the last watch and the period before the meal are included. But the middle watch is not included as being the time for the dispelling of the bhikkhus’ sleep and weariness.

Jāgariyaṃ (“practice of wakefulness”) is practice of wakefulness as being the state of not sleeping. Anuyutto (“devoted to”): he is devoted to, joined to, that cultivation, development called practice.

But in its description by the words idha bhikkhu divasaṃ (“here a bhikkhu by day”) the three parts of the day are included, namely, morning, noon and evening. Cankamena nisajjāya (“while walking and sitting”): one who dwells the whole day in only this pair of postures, purifies the mind from mental obstruction, from states productive of obstruction and from the five hindrances or from all unprofitable states, he cleanses it, liberates it from those states. But here standing is not included; but it should be included too by making it connected with walking and sitting.

Paṭhamayāmaṃ (“in the first watch”): in the whole first watch.

Majjhimayāmaṃ (“in the middle watch”): in the middle watch called a sixth portion of the night and day.

Sīhaseyyaṃ (“in the lion’s sleeping position”): here there are four sleeping positions, the sleeping position of one who enjoys the sense desires, the ghosts’ sleeping position, the lion’s sleeping position and the Tathāgata’s sleeping position.

Herein, the sleeping position of one who enjoys the sense desires is this: ‘Mostly, bhikkhus, beings who enjoy the sense desires sleep on the left side’ (A ii 244); for among these there is mostly no lying down on the right side.

The ghosts’ sleeping position is this: ‘Mostly, bhikkhus, ghosts sleep face upwards’ (A ii 244); for ghosts are beings with little flesh and blood and, consisting of skeleton, are unable to lie down on one side; they sleep face upwards only.

The lion’s sleeping position is this: ‘Mostly, bhikkhus, the lion, king of beasts, puts his tail between his legs and sleeps on his right side … . is glad’ (A ii 245); for owing to prominence of the fire [element] the lion, king of beasts, places his two fore feet in one place and places his hind feet in one place, he puts his tail between his legs, he observes the position of his fore feet, hind feet and tail, he places his head on the top of his two fore feet and sleeps. And on waking up after sleeping in the day he does not wake in fright. But he discerns the position of his fore feet, etc. If anything is out of place he is downcast, thinking: ‘This is not becoming to your birth nor to your bravery,’ and he remains lying there, he does not go out to his resort. But if nothing is out of place he is happy and contented, thinking: ‘This is becoming to your birth and to your bravery,’ and getting up he stretches with the lion’s stretch, shakes his mane and after roaring the lion’s roar three times, he goes to his resort (cf. AA iii 218).

But it is the sleeping position of the fourth jhāna that is called the Tathāgata’s sleeping position. Among these [four sleeping positions] it is the lion’s sleeping position which has been handed down at this point; for this is called the supreme sleeping position because of being the posture which has prominence of the fire element.

Pāde pādaṃ (“with one foot overlapping the other”): the left foot on the right foot. Accādhāya (“overlapping”) = ati + ādhāya, placed one a little beyond the other. For when the ankle presses on the ankle and the knee on the knee, [painful] feeling continually arises, the mind is not one-pointed and the sleeping position is uncomfortable. But since he does not make them press, when they are thus placed a little beyond, [painful] feeling does not arise, the mind is one-pointed and the sleeping position is comfortable. Hence it is said “with one foot overlapping the other”.

Sato sampajāno (“mindful and clearly comprehending”): being possessed of both mindfulness and the understanding of clear comprehension. By this is expounded mindfulness and clear comprehension that lays well hold [of its object].

Uṭṭhānasaññaṃ manasikāritvā (“bringing to mind the perception of [the time for] arising”): having established in his mind perception of arising which has decided the hour of arising thus: ‘I shall arise at such and such an hour,’ since one who has lain down after so doing is bound to arise at the time decided on.

(Dispeller of Delusion II 70-1)

Did the Buddha encourage napping?

(from an email conversation with a friend)

Regarding the sutta's frequent expression of the Buddha "going into the day's abiding," (e.g. MN35), most people naturally assume this means spending time in sitting meditation. However, I came across a Chinese source that says that the Pali expression divaviharam traditionally means taking a siesta/post-meal rest:)

this is what MN 35 says:

“Esa, aggivessana, bhagavā mahāvanaṃ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṃ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṃ nisinno”ti.

“Aggivessana, the Buddha has plunged deep into the Great Wood and is sitting at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.”

sitting (nisinno) at tree root for diva vihara. so not in this case, it doesn't seem like power napping.

let's look at another one, MN 18:

Kapilavatthusmiṃ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṃ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena mahāvanaṃ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya.

He wandered for alms in Kapilavatthu. After the meal, on his return from alms-round, he went to the Great Wood,

Mahāvanaṃ ajjhogāhetvā beluvalaṭṭhikāya mūle divāvihāraṃ nisīdi.

plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a young wood apple tree for the day’s meditation.

Daṇḍapāṇipi kho sakko jaṅghāvihāraṃ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno yena mahāvanaṃ tenupasaṅkami.

Daṇḍapāṇi the Sakyan, while going for a walk,

Mahāvanaṃ ajjhogāhetvā yena beluvalaṭṭhikā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṃ sammodi.

plunged deep into the Great Wood. He approached the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṃ kathaṃ sāraṇīyaṃ vītisāretvā daṇḍamolubbha ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṃ ṭhito kho daṇḍapāṇi sakko bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side leaning on his staff, and said to the Buddha:

---------------------------------------------------------

this one mentions it's after a meal, but at the time the person approaches the buddha he wouldn't have been in a nap.

So I could believe diva vihara covers many hours, and a nap may be included within there, but I doubt it would be a nap for the entire period of 'diva'.

what does the chinese say exactly, and what context is it?

Zhuang Chunjiang mentions this in his translation/compilation of the EBT's. He mentions that it's from a commentary without providing a citation.

I'm sure that the Buddha didn't spend his whole day napping. Neither was that what Zhuang claims. But perhaps the expression divaviharam specifically refers to taking siestas, and therefore should be understood as one sort of activity done in a short amount of time; whereas the usual translation of the "entering into the day's abiding" gives the impression that the Buddha sat for the bulk of the day.

I recall coming across a Vinaya passage a long time ago on how, on one occasion, the Buddha was particularly tired out from traveling, and he took a longer nap than usual; when Ananda tried to wake him, he said that he needed more rest.

In any case, naturally I'm not trying to put the Buddha in a less favorable light. But I frequently wonder if the general impression we get from contemporary Theravada on how a monk spends his day is too distorted by modern revisionist PR efforts or reimaginings of a few reformers in the 19th century (think about the smile-less pictures Burmese monks would allow themselves to take, it was more about projecting a certain expected cultural image than an indication of their everyday demeanor). Though I'm certain that internally a monk should ideally be heedful and ardent, externally he probably doesn't spend most of his day in formal postures (i.e. alternating between cross-legged sitting and jongrom walking).

These days, my jhanic practice veers more and more away from focusing on an object in a formalized posture, and is more about thorough-going-ly enjoying the wholesome bliss, peace, and ease that can be made to permeate, well up, saturate, surround my being. This takes place while I sit or move in a casual and varied manner. It is such a natural and intuitive thing to do, and the traditional stilted approach, as far as I can see, creates more obstacles than helping the pleasant abiding here and now. If people see me practicing, they're more likely to see me as a leisurely stroller in a park. In this physically casual mode, I feel that I can easily take that sense of bliss and peace wherever I am, and the body-mind is properly set up so any EBT technique can potentially be undertaken. Practice feels like a flow, and there's hardly any of the subtle resistance/pressure I previously experience in retreat settings.

Ayurvedic reasons for sleeping on side

(from suttacentral discussion msg)

I read a book called Body, Mind, and Sport by John Douillard many years ago. It had a lot of information about Ayurvedic practices in it. I remember the book recommended lying on the left side to rest after lunch, as it aids in digestion and is more comfortable (the stomach being located on the left side).

After a quick search, I found this:

Left side

When you sleep on your left side, it aids your digestion. How? In our body there are two main energy channels (nadi) called Ida (moon) and Pingala (solar nadi). Breathing through Ida (which goes through the left nostril) brings calmness to your body and mind. Breathing through Pingala (right nostril) energizes and stimulates your whole being (including your digestive fire). The air always comes through one of the nostrils at a time, producing the corresponding effect.

Now, when you sleep on your left side, Pingala is at work, which means that the air gets into your body through the right nasal passage. Thus you get more energy, your digestion and metabolism increases. So Ayurveda advises to rest on the left side after the meals (well, actually not immediately; firstly you need to walk about 100 steps before lying on the side of your body).

What about sleeping on the left side?

Generally it’s OK, but it might be better to sleep on the right side.

Right side

When you are on that side of the force body, Ida nadi is working, so it calms you down and serves as a good way to beat insomnia (though not the only one, of course).

Your sleep is sound, deep and rather peaceful. Waking up is refreshing. Therefore the right side is, probably, the best position for the restful sleep.

I believe Ayurveda has been traced back to about 5000 BCE in India, so it may be that this recommendation to sleep on the right side is due to its influence.

A-titti-suttaṃ n (AN 3.109)	AN 3.108 No-Satiation discourse (bodhi trans.)

soppassa, bhikkhave, paṭisevanāya natthi titti.	(1) There is no satiation by indulging in sleep.
surāmerayapānassa, bhikkhave, paṭisevanāya natthi titti.	(2) There is no satiation by indulging in liquor and wine.
methunadhammasamāpattiyā, bhikkhave, paṭisevanāya natthi titti.	(3) There is no satiation by indulging in sexual intercourse.

AN 5.137 appaṃ-supati-suttaṃ	AN 5.137 Little Sleep
1. itthī, bhikkhave, puris-ādhippāyā	1. (a) woman, *********, intent-on-a-man
appaṃ rattiyā supati, bahuṃ jaggati.	[gets] little night-time sleep, [stays] mostly awake.
2. puriso, bhikkhave, itth-ādhippāyo	2. (a) man, ***********, intent-on-a-woman
appaṃ rattiyā supati, bahuṃ jaggati.	[gets] little night-time sleep, [stays] mostly awake.
3. coro, bhikkhave, ādān-ādhippāyo	3. (a) thief, *********, intent on theft,
appaṃ rattiyā supati, bahuṃ jaggati.	[gets] little night-time sleep, [stays] mostly awake.
4. rājā VAR, bhikkhave, rāja-karaṇīyesu yutto	4. (a) king, *********, (engaged with his) kingly-duties,
appaṃ rattiyā supati, bahuṃ jaggati.	[gets] little night-time sleep, [stays] mostly awake.
5. bhikkhu, bhikkhave, vi-saṃyog-ādhippāyo	5. (a) monk, *********, intent on severing the bonds,
appaṃ rattiyā supati, bahuṃ jaggati.	[gets] little night-time sleep, [stays] mostly awake.

muṭṭhassatisuttaṃ (AN 5.210)	AN 5.210 (10) With a Muddled Mind

♦ 210. VAR “pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā muṭṭhassatissa asampajānassa niddaṃ okkamayato. katame pañca? dukkhaṃ supati, dukkhaṃ paṭibujjhati, pāpakaṃ supinaṃ passati, devatā na rakkhanti, asuci muccati. ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā muṭṭhassatissa asampajānassa niddaṃ okkamayato.	1000“Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers for one who falls asleep with a muddled mind, lacking clear comprehension.1218"" What five? He sleeps badly; he awakens miserably; he has bad dreams; the deities do not protect him; and semen is emitted. These are the five dangers for one who falls asleep with a muddled mind, lacking clear comprehension.

♦ “pañcime, bhikkhave, ānisaṃsā upaṭṭhitassatissa sampajānassa niddaṃ okkamayato. katame pañca? sukhaṃ supati, sukhaṃ paṭibujjhati, na pāpakaṃ supinaṃ passati, devatā rakkhanti, asuci na muccati. ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ānisaṃsā upaṭṭhitassatissa sampajānassa niddaṃ okkamayato”ti. dasamaṃ.	1001“Bhikkhus, there are these five benefits for one who falls asleep mindfully and with clear comprehension. What five? He sleeps well; he awakens happily; he does not have bad dreams; deities protect him; and semen is not emitted. These are the five benefits for one who falls asleep mindfully and with clear comprehension.” [252]

4👑☸ Cattāri Ariya-saccaṃ 四聖諦

jāgara ⊜ and closedly related topics

sleep😴

Sleeping

AN 3.16 proper way to sleep

(sunrise to sunset, 6am to 6pm)

(first watch of night, 6pm to 10pm)

(middle watch of night, 10pm to 2am)

(last watch of night, 2am to 6am)

AN 3.108 no satiation from sleep, liquor, sex

AN 5.137 intent for nirvana makes one sleep little

AN 5.210 five benefits of sleeping with S&S (sati and sampajano)

AN 6.17 Buddha sleeps little, divine eye looking at sleepy head novices

AN 7.61 buddha teaches moggallana 7 ways to ward off drowsiness

(7. Start walking meditation)

(Lie down in lion posture as last resort)

Vigilance (jāgariyānuyoga) and length of 3 watches

AN 6.20 marana sati day to night transition

Vibhanga commentary on wakefulness

Did the Buddha encourage napping?

Perspectives on yogic sleeping from non EBT

Ayurvedic reasons for sleeping on side

☸ Lucid 24.org 🐘🐾‍