1.陽明大學傳統醫學研究所, 台北, 台灣=Institute of Tritional Medicine, Yang-Ming University, Taipei, TAIWAN; 2.衛生署桃園醫院心臟內科, 桃園, 台灣=Department of Medicine, Tao-Yuan General Hospital, Tao-Yuan, TAIWAN; 3.台北榮總教學研究部, 台北, 台灣=Department of Medical research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, TAIWAN
俯臥在佛教經典中稱為[餓鬼臥]. 從佛教將俯臥稱為具負面意涵的[餓鬼臥]，就知道佛教不贊成睡臥時採欲俯臥. 惟有又稱為[師子王臥]的右側臥才是佛教修行者睡臥時應採用的臥姿. 但佛教經典並未進一步解釋[餓鬼臥]的命名由來，與為何不宜採用餓鬼臥的理由. 歷代經典中涉及臥姿的主張多包含在養生與氣功這兩大範疇內. 在中國傳統有關養生的典籍中，大部分學者都不認為俯臥適合養生，例如有些文獻主張[大暑不得伏地臥]，[童子勿趴睡]. 但在氣功功法中，仍有部分功法採取俯臥的臥法，例如武當[中和功]的四種臥工中，[普濟眾生態度法]就採用俯臥的臥姿來練功. 雖佛法不主張採用俯臥，傳統醫學也不認為俯臥適宜養生，但現代醫學已證明俯臥可提昇急性肺損傷或及性呼吸窘迫症候群病人的血氧濃度，也是適合手術麻醉病人的臥姿之一，故俯臥有其醫學上的意義，不可忽略. 急性肺損傷及急性呼吸衰竭症候群是一種很嚴重的缺氧性疾病，死亡率相當高. 若我們把急性肺損傷及及性呼吸衰竭症候群病人的呼吸困難及其對氧氣的飢渴解釋成[餓鬼]所表現的症狀，則似可理解為何佛教會將俯臥稱做[餓鬼臥]，也可理解為何有老病時不必非採用右側臥不可. The prone position was termed "Peta recumbency" or "Preta recumbency" or "ghost recumbency" or "hungry ghost recumbency" in Buddhism. From the name of "Peta recumbency"，it can be realized that the prone position is not favored in Buddhism. Only the right lateral decubitus position，also termed the "Lion King recumbency" in Buddhism，is the recumbent position that should be adopted by all Buddhists during recumbency. Unfortunately，the scriptures of Buddhism did not explain why the prone position was the position for the hungry ghosts, and why the prone position should not be adopted during recumbency.The descriptions of prone position in the traditional Chinese books were mostly found in the realm of Chi-Gong and healthy-promotion. Many ancient Chinese medical doctors did not think of the prone position as a good recumbent position for healthy-promotion. For instance，it was said in the traditional Chinese literature that prone position should not be adopted when the environmental temperature was high, and that small children should not assume the prone position during recumbency. However，in the Neutralization Chi-Gong of Taoism，the prone position and the right lateral decubitus positions were two positions that can be used for the practice of Chi-Gong.Although prone position was not favored by the Buddhists and traditional Chinese medicine，modern medical researches have found that the prone position can improve the arterial oxygen tension in acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)，and is one of the suitable positions that can be used during general or spinal anesthesia.Acute lung injury and ARDS are severe clinical conditions that are associated with severe oxygenation failure and very high mortality rate. If we interpret the symptoms of shortness of breath and air hunger in patients with acute lung injury and ARDS as the presenting symptoms of the hungry devils, we may be able to realize why the prone position was termed "Peta recumbency" in Buddhism，and why the old and sick people may not necessarily adopt the right lateral decubitus position during recumbency.
