LEARNING FROM LIFE’S HARD KNOCKS

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 - Monks and Nuns’ Q&A 1002 (36:15-38:47)

Yogi: When I'm not mindful, defilements overcome the mind and it suffers terribly.

Sayadaw: People who suffer a lot understand this very well. That’s why I’m interested in suffering. It wakes us up – but people are afraid of suffering.

When real suffering comes into your life, it is a very good experience because only then can you find out how to overcome this suffering.

That’s why I wish yogis not always to be happy and peaceful.

Yogis when they meet real suffering, they have no choice but to practice hard; and one day when they overcome it, they will realize the value of the practice, the value of awareness.

WITH THE RIGHT PRACTICE, WRONG IDEAS ARE CORRECTED BECAUSE OF WISDOM

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 English Interviews 20180925 (36:40-37:04)

We have the wrong idea that I’m seeing, seeing is me and hearing is me.

When we practice this process (being aware that the 6 senses are happening) again and again, slowly the view can change because wisdom can come.

Then only we can realize that there’s nobody there; that it’s only conditioning due to its own cause and effect process.

WHENEVER PAIN APPEARS CONTINUOUS, THE MIND IS PAYING ATTENTION TO CONCEPT

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 Chinese Interviews 20180920 ( (23:44-24:33)

When we’re aware and pain appears continuous or the same for say 5 or 10 minutes, it means that we’re thinking about the concept of pain, we’re not watching reality yet.

When we see the reality of pain, the mind is calm and the pain changes all the time.

Now the pain appears non-stop; later, we may see the pain changing – new, new, new.

EMOTIONS ARISE BECAUSE OF THOUGHTS

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 Chinese Interviews 20180920 (26:20-27:54)

Yogi: When I pay attention to people, my mind is more relaxed as I feel compassion for them

Sayadaw: If you pay attention to some people, compassion comes and the mind is more relaxed. For others, the mind can be tense. Why?

Before feelings arise, the mind has some idea, some thoughts. If you have positive thinking, positive feeling comes; if the mind has negative thinking, then negative feeling comes.

That’s why if the mind pays attention to the person, to the external object/concept, many emotions can arise – feeling relaxed, pleasant or unpleasant.

When the mind gives meaning to the object (who and what), reactions can arise – liking, disliking, loving kindness, hatred, and whatever, can happen. The way you think (cause), the way you feel (effect).

Now you can see the feeling (effect); later, you can be aware of the thought (cause).

MEDITATE SO NATURALLY THAT OTHERS WON’T KNOW YOU’RE MEDITATING

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 Chinese Interviews 20180920 (1:03:17-1:04:27)

When you’re meditating, don’t let other people know that you’re meditating.

When a skillful meditator meditates, no one knows she’s meditating because the practice has become a natural process; but for a beginner, everyone can see she’s meditating.

If you focus too much, then the body is not natural; it becomes artificial. So the natural process is better – don’t let other people know that you’re meditating.

YOGIS CAN GET DEPRESSED WHEN THEY IDENTIFY WITH UNPLEASANTNESS

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 English Interviews 20180925 (0:59:57-1:00:49)

Some people know their mind (thoughts and feelings) very well.

However, whenever they notice their mind, the wrong view is already there.

Because they know their mind and have the idea that it is MY mind, every time they notice unpleasant thoughts and feelings, they become more depressed.

THE MIND CANNOT WANDER; IT’S JUST THINKING MIND ARISING

| China 2018 Retreat File: 20180527 Q&A 1 (2:04-3:23)

Yogi: I count 1 to 100 when I do walking meditation to stop the mind from wandering.

Sayadaw: When you’re busy counting, awareness is not working. Counting is not important. Knowing the movement, body sensation or touching is more important.

You count because you say that the mind is thinking too much, and you don’t want the mind to wander off.

The mind is not something that goes away and comes back. It arises and disappears every moment. When you notice this happening, you’re already aware; meditation is already working.

If you notice that thinking mind is arising, you’re already aware.

DON’T TRY TO MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN, JUST CONTINUE TO BE AWARE

| China 2018 Retreat File: 20180527 Q&A 1 (50:22-54:15)

Yogi 1: In walking meditation, I know the movement, but it is not quite clear. Is that right?

Sayadaw: That’s good enough. Just continue to maintain the awareness as much as you know. There’s no need to see in detail. When awareness gains momentum, it can naturally see in detail.

Your duty is: as much as you know, maintain the awareness moment to moment.

Yogi 1: During walking meditation, thinking mind arises, but I can only notice after it has occurred.

Sayadaw: Yes, in the beginning, it is like this.

Yogi 2: In sitting meditation, what should I do when the rising and falling of the abdomen becomes subtle? Should I breathe stronger?

Sayadaw: Let the object be; just continue to be aware of the subtle object. Continue to know that the object is subtle, not obvious; that this is happening.

Because the mind has settled down and awareness has gained strength, the object has become subtle – there is no need to change and make the object more obvious.

The important thing is to continue to be aware.

Sometimes, yogis are not satisfied and want to see the object clearly; craving then becomes the problem.

There is no need to rush in meditation; just be regular. Meditation is like running a marathon, not a sprint race.

AWARENESS OF ONE OBJECT OR MULTIPLE OBJECTS?

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 - Monks and Nuns’ Q&A 0920 (1:16:25-1:17:50)

The important thing is the awareness – how to be aware.

At first, we start with one object to establish the awareness, and slowly the mind knows more objects. We don’t stick to being aware of only one object.

If the mind can see many objects, then let the mind know many objects. At first, we use only one object because we’re still not skilful how to be aware. When the awareness improves, it can naturally receive more than one object.

So, you need to allow the mind to know. But samatha practice only stays with one point of concentration. Also, the object of samatha practice is a concept. Vipassana object is nature/reality.

Depending on the yogi, some yogis can know many objects, and whichever is obvious, they’re aware of it. Some yogis have difficulty knowing many objects therefore they may start with only one object.

TO BE AWARE OF PHYSICAL OBJECTS AND AWARE OF THE MIND ARE 2 DIFFERENT NATURES

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 English Interviews 20180925 (1:12:15-1:14:09)

In the beginning, the yogis can only know the physical object, but they don’t know the knowing. 

[Yogi’s note: It’s easier to notice the body senses, the physical objects than to notice the mind.]

For example, if your 2 fingers are touching each other; do you know the touch sensation or the knowing? Knowing is also there, but not as obvious as the touch.

Actually, it is only because of knowing that we can say there is touching. Without knowing, we cannot say that there is touching. But touching is more obvious than knowing because knowing is an activity of the mind.

Later with practice, the yogi can see both the touching and the knowing. Knowing is the mind and being known is the object. The awareness and the object have 2 different natures. When you can notice the 2 different natures, then you can see the activity of the mind.

It is the same with hunger and wanting to eat; they are 2 different natures. Hunger is of the body, but the desire to eat is the mind.

LEARNING HOW THE MIND REACTS WITH EACH SENSE CONTACT

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 Chinese Interviews 20180920 (24:50-26:12)

Yogi: Observing body sensations is okay, but the mind is tense when people come.

Sayadaw: Whenever there’s a reaction, the first thing to watch is the feeling. Be aware of the tension first; later, we learn why the mind is tense.

You already have some idea of the people (you’re already thinking about them) when they come. That’s why the mind reacts.

Now you only know the feeling; you don’t know what the mind is thinking yet. Many things have already happened before the reaction; some idea is already there.

What you know now is that when people come, the mind becomes tense.

This is the starting point of being aware – we learn how the mind reacts with each sense contact – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. We need to know this process first.

WHEN THE MIND FOCUSES ON AN OBJECT, IT NEGLECTS OTHER OBJECTS

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 Chinese Interviews 20180920 (1:17:55-1:18:07)

Yogi: The mind is always interested in thinking, not in paying attention to seeing, hearing, smelling and touching.

Sayadaw: When the mind is interested in a particular object, it focuses. The mind lets go of other objects and so is not aware of them.

WHEN YOU’RE LATE IN WATCHING THE MIND, NOTICE THAT TOO

| Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2018 English Interviews 20180925 (11:39-11:57)

Yogi: When fear arises, the mind jumps into the fear story. It’s only later that the mind observes the fear

Sayadaw: You’re late because the mind pays attention to the outside. (Notice that you’re late.)

In the future, every time you notice that there’s a reaction to any object, watch the reaction first.

When the mind settles down, you can use other objects.

3 REASONS TO BE INTERESTED IN AWARENESS

| China 2018 Retreat File: 20180528 Q&A 4 (6:50-9:05)

For me, I watch the mind all the time because I want to know what makes the mind suffer.

I don’t want to get rid of suffering; I want to understand why the mind suffers. Because of this understanding, you’ll then be free from suffering.

The motivation to observe is wanting to understand. Even if you don’t have this motivation now, slowly the mind will be more interested as it understands the value of the practice.

This one question gets me interested to practice all the time because the mind really wants to know.

Second, try to be aware of your mind state (in the present moment) all the time. What is the mind aware of? What is happening in the mind? If you’re interested in the mind process, the mind will then want to be aware, to watch the process.

Third, you need to understand the value of awareness. Understanding the value of awareness will increase your confidence in being aware.

Check how you feel when awareness is present and when it is absent. If you check repeatedly, slowly the mind will understand the value of awareness. At that time, the confidence in the practice, in the Dhamma, will increase and the practice will become a habit.

HOW TO LEARN TO WATCH THOUGHTS WITHOUT FORCING

| China 2018 Retreat File: 20180528 Q&A 4 (02:00-03:54)

You need lots of practice trying to be aware of thoughts; and also some understanding that thoughts are happening in the mind door.

Every time the mind thinks, just know, just know, and try to know. You need to learn how to be aware when thinking is happening. For example, we try to be aware when we walk. It’s the same with watching thoughts.   

Awareness is not forcing to be aware – awareness must be natural. Natural awareness can do this (notice thought and awareness at the same time); if you put in personal effort, it cannot be done.

Because we’re developing natural awareness, we need to continue to be aware in a light way for a long time until it becomes a habit – it starts with trying to be aware whenever the mind thinks. It’ll take months and years of practice.