1651. THE ART OF LIVING
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: In this retreat, day by day, I’m more committed to the practice.
Sayadaw: You practice the whole day when you’re here, right? This is living life.
If someone knows how to practice and understands mindfulness meditation well, they should apply it in their life. If they cannot apply in their life, they still don’t understand the practice well.
Life is the six sense doors happening. We call life happening; life is bhava or becoming.
Our mental and physical processes are always happening.
Meditation in life is awareness arising together with our mental and physical processes. It also means living life, or the art of living.
1652. INFERENTIAL WISDOM TO PERCEIVE CAUSE THROUGH EFFECT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
When we see both the awareness and the experience, a witness is present. This witness is actually wisdom. Without wisdom, we cannot see the separation of minds.
This is inferential wisdom – just as we may not see the rain itself, but upon noticing flowing water and puddles, we deduce that it has rained. The mind can perceive cause through effect.
1653. DAILY LIFE MEDITATION BECOMES EASY WITH PRACTICE
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: It is easy to practice in the meditation hall, but very difficult in my room because the defilements are present whenever I’m in my room.
Sayadaw: Why difficult, why easy? It is because you only practice in the hall and not in your room.
For me, practicing in daily life was easier than practicing sitting quietly. When I sat, my mind wandered a lot.
During work, the mind was very aware, awake, and alert; it was very busy to be aware.
Yogi: I notice that it is easier for defilements to arise in my room.
Sayadaw: Use them as objects. If you use the defilements as objects, daily life practice is more interesting. It is not interesting without defilements!
1654. THINK FOR YOURSELF HOW TO PRACTICE IN DAILY LIFE
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Find out by yourself how to practice in daily life as well as you practice in the Dhamma Hall. Think for yourself.
Don’t ask me; find out for yourself. It is more interesting that way.
My teacher only taught me at the center – nobody taught me how to practice in daily life, and I had to figure it out for myself. So, try to find out for yourself.
1655. WHY DOES LESS DEFILEMENT ARISE IN THE DHAMMA HALL
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: I don’t understand why the defilements are harder to arise in the Dhamma Hall as compared to daily life.
Sayadaw: It is because you’re not paying much attention to the outside world in the Dhamma Hall. In daily life, we pay a lot of attention outside.
That is why, in daily life, you need to be skillful in your 6 sense doors. Here, you only have the body sensations and the mind.
[Dhamma Hall aka Meditation Hall]
1656. HANDLING A STRONG OBJECT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: If the object is very strong, even though we use a neutral object, the mind gets pulled into it. What shall we do?
Sayadaw: Keep on bringing the mind back to the neutral object repeatedly, back and forth.
Or, we can use the samatha way - e.g., Buddhanusatti or metta – to settle the mind.
At that time, try to practice any way, either samatha or vipassana. Don’t surrender totally; try as much as you can.
[Buddhanusatti : contemplation of the Buddha’s virtues]
[metta : loving-kindness, selfless love, unconditional love]
[samatha : tranquility meditation, concentration meditation]
[vipassana : insight, insight meditation]
1657. WATCHING A STRONG DEFILEMENT INDIRECTLY
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: I watched a strong defilement. There was resistance, but the mind was stable. The defilement was still strong.
Sayadaw: Don’t push; use a neutral object, but keep the defilement process at a distance. Don’t push to do something about the defilement or focus on the defilement.
Yogi: What neutral object?
Sayadaw: Some sensation that the mind can accept. Use it to stay aware; don’t get lost in the defilement. It is better to be aware in any way to build up the awareness with a neutral object.
The better way is to use a neutral object and not face the defilement directly. If you look at it directly, it becomes serious; if you watch a neutral object with the defilement in the background, it is less serious.
1658. RESTARTING THE PRACTICE
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: If a yogi has not practiced for a long time, how can he jump-start his practice?
Sayadaw: Start from zero. Take my case: As a layperson, I had practiced for many years in the monastery, but did not practice at home. When I had depression, I started simply from the very beginning, guided by my knowledge of how to meditate.
Yogi: Because an experienced yogi already knows how to practice, it is easier for him to pick up the practice again.
Sayadaw: Yes.
1659. WATCH THE DEFILEMENT THROUGH THE FEELING
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
If there is suffering thinking and you try to be aware, the defilement thinking reduces because you’re busy being aware.
It is easier to be aware of the defilement through the suffering feeling.
You use the feeling as the object first. Don’t try to be aware of thinking because it is easy for you to get lost in thought.
1660. PRACTICE KNOWING, KNOWING, KNOWING
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: The mind cannot see the resistance to the pain and tiredness.
Sayadaw: But you can know, can’t you?
Yogi: Yes, but there is more reaction. It tries to look for the resistance, but the mind cannot see it.
Sayadaw: Cannot see? Cannot know? You can know, but you cannot see it as an object.
You just need to cultivate this knowing – knowing, knowing. Just notice about knowing. You try to practice knowing. Knowing, knowing, and knowing.
Ask: Can the mind know? Just reminding.
1661. MEMORY ARISES FROM A FAMILIAR OBJECT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 31 December 2024
Yogi: I saw an old lady carrying a baby outside a house yesterday; I looked into the baby's eyes and was immediately drawn to them. The meditating mink appeared, and I could step back.
Today, when I passed by the house, the memory of the old lady with the baby appeared.
Sayadaw: The object and mind are related. The memory arises from a familiar object, such as a place.
The mind doesn’t happen all the time; it arises because of some trigger. (Sayadaw mentions elsewhere: the arammanika is the mind that is dependent on the arammana, the object.)
1662. YONISO MANASIKARA (WISE ATTENTION)
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: What is yoniso manasikara (wise attention)?
Sayadaw: It is right thinking. It means that you have the right information and you use it to think the right way. We call that yoniso manasikara.
If you don’t have wisdom or the right information, then it is ayoniso manasikara because the motivations are delusion and craving.
Ayoniso manasikara is moha because wrong view is moha.
[moha: delusion, ignorance, not understanding, not seeing reality]
1663. GROSS AND SUBTLE MEMORY
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: Once, I was chanting before lunch and saw that the words came from the mind.
Sayadaw: Because of memory and thinking, you could chant in your thoughts.
Yogi: I didn’t remember, but because we did it every day, the words came out on their own.
Sayadaw: You didn’t try to remember, but because of chanting every day, it was already in your memory.
Sanna (perception or memory) is working well – memory is strong due to repetition.
1664. RELAX AND REMIND OURSELVES TO BE AWARE
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: The problem with old-timer yogis is that when they restart the practice, they always want the wisdom.
Sayadaw: Yes, they really have to start step by step.
Relax and remind ourselves; that’s all we can do.
The more relaxed we are, the more awareness can work.
Yogi: Reminding about what?
Sayadaw: Reminding to be aware of yourself.
1665. USING WISDOM TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
When the defilement is very strong and I cannot face it, I’ll choose an object that the mind can accept. I listen to music at that time – I can be aware of this because the mind likes it.
You have to use your wisdom to change the direction of the mind. Sometimes, we can use the wrong concentration.
I would play a game on my hand phone and focus on it. I used the wrong concentration for only a short time. Because of interest, I can focus, and the mind settles down. Using the right attitude, I would then change the object – the samadhi changes from wrong to right concentration.
[samadhi : calmness, stillness or stability of mind]
1666. PEACEFULNESS IS NOT OUR GOAL; OUR GOAL IS AWARENESS
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: When the mind is not peaceful, I come back to one object to calm the mind.
Sayadaw: No, we’re not meditating to calm the mind; we’re trying to be aware. We’re not aiming for a stable mind. Our aim is to know and continue to know, not to try to get calm.
Peacefulness is not our goal; our goal is awareness.
Yogi: So, when I’m restless, I stay aware of it?
Sayadaw: Yes, use restlessness as the object. It is a good object because it is obvious.
1667. WE’RE NOT TRYING TO STOP THE DEFILEMENT; WE’RE TRYING TO BE AWARE OF IT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: When I saw the cake, craving pushed me to eat it. But when I noticed it, I didn’t eat the cake.
Sayadaw: There is no need to stop eating; reduce the momentum as if applying the brakes. Don’t stop eating.
We’re not trying to stop eating; we’re trying to be aware. If you’re aware, the momentum of the craving reduces.
1668. WITHOUT RIGHT VIEW, DON’T WATCH THE DEFILEMENT OBJECT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Some new yogis are unable to change their attitude towards defilements. When they try to face and think about the defilement intellectually, they already resist it unconsciously.
They should not do it because it is not only difficult, but later the defilement wins. The mind at the unconscious level is very powerful.
That is why you don’t use the defilement object. When you have the strength later, you slowly face it a little bit and come back to a neutral object.
Whenever defilement comes and you notice it, that is enough; go to some other object.
1669. NOTICE THE PROCESS OF THINKING AND ACTION
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
What a monk told me is good information for your practice, yogis. Sometimes, a thought arises, and he will follow it, and that leads to doing something wrong.
Do you notice that when your mind says something, your action follows? How many times do you notice it throughout the day?
This process happens the whole day long. Whatever you talk or do arises from your idea, right? The mind says something, and action follows – thinking and action.
1670. UNDERSTANDING MENTAL PROCESSES
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: I close my eyes, and when I open and focus on something, sometimes a name appears, but other times, no name arises because I don’t have the information.
Sayadaw: This is also a type of mental activity. You should know this process – how the mind is working. If awareness is present, you know how the mind works.
Every time you see or hear, the process is already happening – it happens all the time.
1671. THE RIGHT MEDITATION OBJECT INCREASES OUR AWARENESS
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: If the object attracts more defilement, is it the wrong object?
Sayadaw: Yes, it is the wrong practice. If awareness increases, it is the right practice.
You’re watching with the wrong view if the defilement increases. You should not use this object as your meditation object at that time.
For example, if you watch the person who makes you angry, your mind will get more and more angry. Or, if you use pain or suffering feeling as the object, and more pain arises, at that time, you should not use it as the meditation object because the mind cannot accept this object.
You use an object that the mind is neutral towards to build up the strength of awareness. When the mind settles down, you can slowly face the defilement object.
1672. IF THE DEFILEMENT INCREASES WHEN WE WATCH IT, IT IS NOT THE RIGHT OBJECT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: If there is still awareness but the defilement is strong…
Sayadaw: I see that your mind has wisdom because you can clearly see what is happening. So just maintain your awareness and wisdom. That is good enough; the object is not important.
Yogi: So, even if awareness is continuous, but the defilement still increases, it means that it is the wrong practice?
Sayadaw: It is still wrong practice. It is watching with the wrong idea or wrong view. That is why the defilement is increasing.
Some beginners cannot change their attitude and if they try to think intellectually while facing the defilement, unconsciously their mind resists it. You should not do this.
Later, the defilement wins; it will overwhelm the mind because the unconscious mind is more powerful.
That is why you shouldn’t use this object. When the mind has the strength, then you can slowly face the object.
1673. DIFFERENT MIND PROCESSES
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: When I wake up in the morning, a mind still wants to continue sleeping. But there is a knowing mind, very clear, that is not sleepy.
There are two minds – the awareness mind is separate from the sleepy mind.
Sayadaw: Yes, some yogis can see the defilement and the awareness watching the defilement. Actually, there are 3 minds because there is a witness of the defilement and the awareness.
The witness mind is in effect wisdom, yet there is the idea of self because we can also identify with the wisdom mind.
1674. MEDITATION IS GOOD WHEN AWARENESS IMPROVES, NOT WHEN THE MIND IS CALM
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: In the meditation hall, I can practice better. There is more craving to eat and to do this and that during daily activities.
Sayadaw: There are more obvious objects during daily activities, right? Awareness can become better and better.
Why do you say that your awareness is not good? Because you think that calmness is better. It may not be peaceful when you practice, but you can still cultivate a lot of awareness.
You like calmness; so, you think calmness is good, and your meditation is good.
No, it is when awareness improves that meditation is good. You can get more understanding from awareness, not from calmness.
Calmness leads to drowsiness.
1675. AGITATION IS THE MIND, NOT YOUR AGITATION
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 31 December 2024
Sayadaw: Your mind is easily agitated; so, you must understand the nature of agitation.
What is agitation? Ask, but don’t think further; watch.
When the mind is unstable due to restlessness or agitation, you need to take care of it first and attend to other things later.
Yogi: When I sat and meditated, the image of my ex-boss appeared, and I felt agitated.
Sayadaw: This object is not suitable for you because it is not peaceful.
Yogi: I remind myself that the heart beating faster and the body getting hotter are natural processes; they are bodily sensations and not my feelings.
Sayadaw: You already know that body sensations are the mind. It is the same with agitation; can’t you understand that it is the mind too?
Many people, when watching agitation gets more restless because they don’t like the agitation.
When you watch agitation, is the mind neutral?
1676. HOW DO I DEVELOP THE WISDOM FOR DEATH?
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Yogi: How to develop the wisdom to prepare ourselves for death, when we grow old and fall sick?
Sayadaw: You already know that the awareness is weak and easily lost when you’re sick; so, what should you do?
Make it a habit to build up the momentum of your awareness to bring in the right view or wisdom.
Whenever I’m sick, the mind is more settled because it already understands what is the object and that there is nobody there. The understanding is present, and also the object is obvious (difficult sensations are obvious) - there is no need to force to be aware because awareness comes itself. And, the mind is not interested in the things outside.
Right view is present together with awareness and samadhi.
Yogi: When I think ‘What if I cannot walk anymore’, fear arises.
Sayadaw: Because of wrong view, wrong thought arises.
Whatever happens in the body is nature, and there is nobody there. You don’t need to try to meditate because meditation is already happening.
Normal people get angry when they’re sick because of wrong view. They want to be good; actually, the biggest problem is the wanting to be good.
[samadhi : calmness, stillness or stability of mind]
1677. SUFFERING FEELING ARISES TOGETHER WITH THE DEFILEMENT
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: Once, I saw the anger mind and noticed it was clearly the thinking that caused it. And, also, the angry feeling arose.
It was the defilement and the thinking mind working together - there is nothing wrong with it, but the feeling is still present.
Sayadaw: That should be the case, because of the presence of the defilement, the feeling must be there.
It is nature – if defilement is present, suffering will also be there. Every time defilement comes, suffering feeling comes together with it. This is cause and effect.
Because of akusala mind, suffering feeling arises – this is nature (not personal).
[akusala : kammically unwholesome, unskillful, unprofitable]
1678. IF WE DON’T NOTICE, DELUSION ACCOMPANIES THE HAPPENING
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Actually, every time the mind thinks that the experience is good or nice, attachment is already there. The subconscious mind is already enjoying the experience if you’re not aware of it.
If you don’t notice, delusion accompanies the happening, and at the subconscious level, we’re enjoying it.
That is why the mind automatically resists the experience when we’re sick.
Every time the mind reacts, just notice; that is enough.
When we hear ourselves saying that everything is okay and there is no problem, it is the work of delusion. We must be aware of this, or else attachment and enjoyment will arise at the subconscious level.
1679. THE MIND GETS ATTACHED WHEN WE ENJOY
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 19 December 2024
Sometimes when I wake up, and my mind is clear, and the energy and feeling are good, the mind says ‘nice’. Immediately, wisdom notices and stops the thought because it is delusion working.
Actually, each time the mind thinks it is good or nice, enjoyment arises. And, if we’re not aware, unconsciously, the mind gets attached. That is why when we’re sick, our mind immediately resists the experience.
Just notice every time you realize it; that's enough.
1680. WATCHING AGITATION
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 31 December 2024
Yogi: How can I be better aware of agitation?
Sayadaw: Just be more interested in this agitation; for example, how does it happen, why does it happen, and what is agitation?
Be aware of it; pay more attention to it than to other objects.
You already understand about feelings; it is the same with agitation.
Agitation is just the mind, not your agitation.
1681. WHEN CALM LEADS TO DROWSINESS
Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 26 December 2024
Yogi: During this morning’s sit, the mind became peaceful and still, and then, it turned drowsy, and awareness was totally lost.
Sayadaw: This commonly happens for yogis. Usually, lobha wants to enjoy when the mind is peaceful and calm – it is an old habit that we have developed, wanting to enjoy ourselves when we feel peaceful.
Remind yourself to be aware of lobha the next time it arises. Also, when we’re satisfied with the experience, naturally, the effort to watch declines – we enjoy and sloth and torpor will arise.
If we don’t see enjoyment and declining effort happening at the subtle mind, slowly, it will occupy our mind, and we will become drowsy.
You can prepare what to do the next time now that you know.
Be careful when the mind is peaceful. I always remind yogis not to go to the object, but to stay with the awareness. If you notice the awareness, it means that it is still working, and you can handle the peacefulness.
If you’re more aware of the object, then you don’t know what is happening in the mind.
[lobha: greed, any kind of craving or liking]
To be continued…