AN OPENING REFLECTION

"Because the mind is covered by defilements [greed, aversion and delusion], we are unable to see dhamma or to understand nature as it is. What is the meaning of nature? It is cause and it is also effect. The cause and effect process itself is nature. Whatever is happening in the present moment is nature, dhamma. Even defilements become dhamma, become nature. Nature is becoming, nature is arising, knowing is arising and awareness is arising—object and mind, object and mind. In nature, there is nobody there. Nature is not us, not them, not others; nature is nature.

Dhamma is ever present and there is dhamma talk everywhere. Nature is also teaching us dhamma but we are unable to hear. We can’t know or see dhamma because of the defilements in the mind and because there isn’t enough understanding or wisdom. If we can think and see nature as it really is, the mind is free and free from defilements. Dhamma is everywhere. Dhamma is here all the time, everywhere. Is the mind ready to understand?"

— Sayadaw U Tejaniya —

The Path in Brief: THE WAY of PRACTICE ‣

Sayādaw U Tejaniya began practicing meditation in his early teenage years under the late Shwe Oo Min Sayādaw (1913–2002), ordaining several times as a novice monk. He took the robe in 1996 after a life as a householder and businessman. He is now the meditation teacher of the Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Tawya meditation center in Yangon, Myanmar. Sayādaw Tejaniya’s style of teaching and what he emphasizes is dynamic—an evolving process based on his own experiences and his recognition of difficulties yogis face in their practice.

With an easy sense of humor, Sayādaw Tejaniya relates naturally to his lay students, helping them to appreciate the presence of dhamma everywhere with awareness + wisdom. Don’t Look Down on the Defilements, They Will Laugh at You, Awareness Alone Is Not Enough, Dhamma Everywhere, and Collecting Gold Dust are books printed for free distribution that will resonate with both new and experienced meditators alike. Relax and Be Aware (Shambhala Publications) is another of his books worth reading.

◎ About this site

The Excerpts and The Discussions presented on this website are transcriptions of spoken teachings. Only those excerpts explicitly marked as "edited” have been reviewed and verified by the teacher. Gratitude is extended to Bhante Khema Sara and Bro. Chiu Sheng Bin for their dedicated efforts in compiling and sharing these transcriptions. For more resources and enquiries, please visit ashintejaniya.org .

◎ HOW TO GO ABOUT

If you’re new, Opening Talks is a gentle place to start. For seasoned yogis, Wise Utterances offers nourishing insights, and Guided Meditation makes a wholesome main course. Wherever you begin, may these deepen understanding within you..

◎ GET FULL BENEFIT FROM THIS SITE

Rather than reading casually, receive these words as a direct pointing to your own mind— the very place where the teachings come alive and the heart of practice is found.

Browse by Topic

The categories below are offered as entry points, arranged to support learning in practice, and are not fixed boundaries. In actual experience, qualities such as awareness, effort, understanding, and difficulty do not arise in isolation — they condition and inform one another.

For this reason, it is natural that some excerpts and discussions appear relevant to more than one topic. This is not a mistake, but a reflection of how practice unfolds in life. Readers are encouraged to browse freely, follow what resonates, and return to the same excerpt from different angles as understanding matures.

01. ATTITUDE IN PRACTICE ‣

How the mind relates matters more than what is being observed.

02. HOW TO PRACTICE ‣

What to do, what to notice, and how to adjust when conditions change.

03. MINDFULNESS AND AWARENESS ‣

Knowing what is happening, as it is happening, without adding.

04. EFFORT, TRYING AND CONTROL ‣

When effort helps, when it hinders, and how to find balance.

05. INSIGHT AND RIGHT UNDERSTANDING ‣

Seeing clearly what is already present, not reaching for conclusions.

06. THINKING AND THOUGHTS ‣

Learning from thinking without being carried away by it.

07. STABILITY OF MIND (SAMADHI) ‣

Collectedness that grows naturally through right understanding.

08. THE FIVE SPIRITUAL FACULTIES ‣

Confidence, effort, mindfulness, stability, and wisdom working together.

09. THE FIVE HINDRANCES ‣

Conditions that obscure clarity — and how they can be understood.

10. DAILY LIFE PRACTICE ‣

Practice does not begin or end on the cushion.

11. OBSTACLES AND DIFFICULTIES ‣

When practice feels hard, learning often deepens.

FULL COLLECTIONS

THE DISCUSSIONS‣

Ven. Khema Sara is a local bhikkhu who resides at Dhammavibhajja, Myanmar where he records and shares Sayadaw U Tejaniya’s sharing spoken either in Myanmar and English. These Discussions — whether given during travel, tea times, or informal conversations — often include Sayadaw’s meditation experiences, present practice, and exchanges with both Myanmar and international yogis. By transcribing and distributing them, he helps make the teachings accessible to practitioners everywhere, including those new to the path.

THE EXCERPTS‣

If you wish to dive straight into all the excerpts found on this website, this Collected Excerpts will surely nourish your interest. They are not arranged by specific topic but preserved in the natural order in which they were discovered. Since 2016, Bro Chiu Sheng Bin has patiently listened to countless recordings, carefully extracting and preserving the words of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. What you find here is not only a compilation of teachings but also a testament to his interest and tireless devotion to the Dhamma.

LISTEN AND PRACTICE