201. WHEN THE MIND IS UNWHOLESOME, EVERY THOUGHT IS NEGATIVE
Singapore Retreat 2014 141107 Discussion Group 2B (49:46-51:49)
A yogi when he saw the Buddha statue, he heard his thoughts say: ‘Throw away the Buddha image!’ He was shocked. Thereafter, he never went to the monastery again.
When he talked to me, I said: ‘This is nature.’ When unwholesome mind is present, every thought is negative. That is nature.
So, you need to grow yourself – if you can build up your wholesome mind, then everything becomes positive.
The monastery is not the problem; the Buddha statue is not the problem. The Buddha is not angry at you!
If I don’t explain the nature of the mind, yogis can stop doing good things. I need to give them the right information.
This is the nature of the mind. When the mind quality is not good, when you are suffering, you cannot think good things; also cannot talk nicely, right? This is a process; there is nobody there.
If you can understand the nature of the mind, you can easily forgive other people. If he is angry, he’ll talk bad things; this is nature.
202. HOW TO OBSERVE THE FEAR MIND
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 5 Discussion Group B (00:11-2:55)
With the fear in mind, it’s impossible to just theoretically say these things to ourselves. It’s better to just look at the fear – to observe the fear and understand how it works.
When the mind is able to do that, maybe it understands more and it feels more settled, because of that, then the mind can think in a more rational way that suits the circumstances that you’re in.
The presence of fear makes it difficult for the mind to accept platitudes.
So, don’t try to say something; just observe the feeling.
As far as possible, this is the opportunity to observe the workings of fear (it is going to be very obvious) and as much as you can muster, have an interest to seeing it as objectively as you can.
203. HOW TO OBSERVE WHEN EXPERIENCING DOUBT
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 2 Discussion Group A (25:54-28:14)
In that sort of state, your refuge is observation (stop thinking; just be aware) because the mind is already in a downward spiral; anything that the mind thinks, it’s going to be wrong for the mind.
At that time, what you do is just observe. Stop thinking about it; rather, how does the body and mind feel? It feels not good; it’s not comfortable. Keep watching all that as long as you can.
What you’re experiencing is doubt – it’s just a defilement, a hindrance. The way to deal with it is to observe it. You make the hindrance the object, and it becomes part of the practice. And you have to observe it until it’s not there. It’s an object that is very available; and until it clears, don’t think about it.
Don’t decide anything about your practice; don’t make conclusions or judgments because the mind isn’t thinking in the right way. Put it aside and stay with the simple feeling.
Use it as an object – see what it feels like and the effects it has on you. You can also go back and forth to the body too.
At that time, make the mechanical type of awareness where you keep making sure that you’re applying awareness your goal.
You can also try looking at doubt directly; and sometimes the mind finds its way and it can watch it, and then doubt disappears. And when you’re struggling with that, go back to the body and feelings which are more immediate and more available.
204. RIGHT EFFORT: FIND WAYS TO HAVE AWARENESS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group C (52:11-53:18)
When the mind has no awareness, that it’s not attending properly, we have to personally make the mind attend. We cannot let the awareness come by itself because the practice is about having the right effort to make awareness present.
So, if awareness is not present, we find ways to have awareness whether it’s to remind ourselves, or to pay attention, or to think about being aware. It’s about bringing awareness to the present moment. So, if it’s not there, we need to bring it without expectations; and that’s right effort.
We should not be waiting around for awareness to happen. When you’re waiting, you can also notice that when you’re waiting you are aware.
205. WHEN THERE IS MENTAL SUFFERING, CHECK THAT ENERGY USED IS JUST TO BE AWARE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group C (54:27-54:47)
When there is mental suffering, the mind will do its own thinking but we don’t contribute actively to thinking about the mental suffering – like to try to analyze it, or comfort it, or relieve it – and our energy is used to just be aware.
206. DON’T PUSH, GO BACK TO WHAT IS SIMPLE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 1 Instructions (19:05-20:25)
If you suddenly find that you have lost everything that was going well (when the mind was effortlessly aware), the important thing is to accept it. ‘Oh, the mind is feeling it’s not plain sailing now; I need to start with something simple!’ It’s very important to recognize the quality of your mind; when it’s not ready, don’t push it.
You don’t have to know the mind; you just have to be aware.
The mind is not ready right now, but the mind can still be aware of something else, something simple like the breath or the body. Go back to what is simple.
When we can’t know what’s happening in the mind – it’s too confusing, or it’s too constricting, go back to the body. Go back to what is easy – don’t build tension because it means that you’re trying too hard.
207. CONTINUE TO BE AWARE EVEN WHEN REALIZATION HAPPENS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 2 Discussion Group A (16:27-16:55)
First you’re aware of the thinking; then you have some realization thoughts and continue to think because you are happy that you have some realization. Then awareness is gone.
So, try to be aware of whatever is happening – wholesome thought or unwholesome thought arising, you need to continue to recognize it.
Continue to be aware that you’re thinking. That’s it.
208. WHATEVER HAPPENS, CONTINUE BEING A WITNESS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 7 Discussion Group D (21:01-21:22)
Whatever happens, it’s important that we recognize it – that we should be an audience to what is happening, rather than use the word ‘watching’ which sounds very active.
If we are just seeing what is happening, that we continue to see what is happening – that’s good.
209. DEFILEMENTS CANNOT DO WISDOM’S JOB
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 4 Discussion Group C (1:03:45-1:05:07)
In times when we stand up for something that is right and we feel anger as well as some wisdom about it, the anger is not our control.
When we have blind anger, there is no more wisdom. But anger only does its job – it gets outraged, but anger is not the one that thinks of the right things to do. Anger is that which makes you feel uncomfortable, like the world is going to end and everything is so horrible. And wisdom is the one thinking “Well I need to do this!” They’re doing their different functions.
So, you can’t think that what wisdom is doing is what anger is doing. Anger is doing its job, its destructing bit.
The defilements are doing their own work and displaying their own characteristics; the wholesome minds are doing their own work and displaying their own characteristics. But they are mixed and the mind happens so fast that it feels like they’re both there together.
So, we mustn’t mistake the defilement as doing the work of the wholesome mind.
210. HOW THE DHAMMA CAN BE ALIVE IN DAILY LIFE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 5 Discussion Group B (08:56-10:00)
The power of the Dhamma in daily life is much more obvious if we truly use the Dhamma, all of it, in daily life – awareness, right view, everything we know and understand about the Dhamma – if we really use it.
You can really see how much relief we get from our own beliefs, fears and all that if we can bring the Dhamma in and if the mind can settle into its understanding. And then we can see it’s so powerful and a source of relief for the mind.
And then we gain more faith in the Dhamma because we see that it’s effective.
211. SOLITUDE MEANS THE MIND IS NOT ENTERTAINING DEFILEMENTS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 9 Discussion Group B (04:37-05:12)
We’re not talking about living alone when we say solitude in body. It means not socializing unnecessarily.
Mental solitude means that the mind is not entertaining the defilements.
It’s not about living alone; it’s about being circumspect.
212. WE FEAR THE FAKE DEATH BECAUSE WE DON’T SEE THE REAL DEATH
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (55:35-56:25)
Conceptual death, the death of a conceptual person or life, is what we see because delusion does not see that every moment there is a rising and passing away.
Every moment, things are dying in the sense of changing.
And so, there are the small deaths and the big deaths. Actually the big death is not real.
Because we’re in samsara, the big death doesn’t mean the end of life – the big death brings you to another life. That stream of consciousness doesn’t actually die.
But every moment, a mind dies – and that’s the real death. But we don’t see the real death because we miss seeing the real death, we fear the fake death.
213. DELUSION PERSONALIZES THOUGHTS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (48:51-49:58)
Whenever there is this thought that something is ‘me’ comes up, recognize that the mind is thinking this is ‘me’ doing it. Sometimes we think of it as free will. And whenever it sees the mind as less personalized, recognize that the mind is seeing it as less personalized.
Otherwise, when you think about going home, you think that’s you. And when you watch the thoughts and you have no control over the thoughts, you think there’s no free will.
There’s this switching between thinking something is impersonal and something is personal and believing in the personal and not realizing that you’ve just personalized what is also being seen.
As for the thoughts, you have been observing them for so long, you can talk about them as though they’re happening on their own, but other times we think we’re thinking, right? But they’re all part of the mental stuff.
It’s delusion that personalizes the thoughts – it’s not you either.
214. VEDANA IS A USEFUL OBJECT
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 4 Discussion Group C (1:19:10-1:20:00)
I like using vedana as an object because I have used vedana as an object for so many years, for so much of my practice that the mind is so skillful at using vedana as an object and not getting biased.
From the standpoint of using vedana as an object it’s easy because vedana is like in the centre between the body and the mind – because vedana is the mind but most of the time it’s feeling the body. I find it an easy standpoint from which to view the mind and the body.
I find it a very useful object.
215. HOW NOT TO DRIFT INTO THINKING
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 6 Discussion Group A (24:04-25:28)
You want to keep making sure that your active attention stays active. You want to keep double checking that the mind hasn’t sort of first you are watching thinking and then slowly swayed into thinking.
You have to be active – it can be a little mechanical but you have to keep reminding yourself, “Is the mind aware now and what is it aware of now?” You need to be actively investigating your active attention.
Give yourself work – like there are five sense doors; which ones am I aware of now? Are these the only things present? Can I also notice the others?
Actively give yourself work so the mind doesn’t drift off even though there is thinking. There can be thinking, but active awareness will prevent drifting into thinking. You will remain conscious of thinking.
When you feel clearly connected to some objects that you’re observing, once the awareness feels more established and more connected, you can then start checking if you see the difference between the object and the awareness.
216. LET QUESTIONING BE RELATED TO THE OBSERVING
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 5 Discussion Group B (1:16:00 - 1:16:51)
Instead of saying “What is the mind doing now?” it might be more helpful to say “Which mind is obvious to me now?” “Which mind do I notice at work now?” because in our mind, at any moment, there are so many minds at work at the same time; it’s not one by one.
That might be more helpful because that’s what you notice. It could be the mind that is active like the thinking mind or the liking mind, or it could be the awareness itself because that is always there and you might notice that.
It doesn’t matter what you notice; it’s just whatever you notice.
217. BE REMINDED TO KEEP THE REALITY IN VIEW
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 9 Discussion Group B (16:50-18:20)
When you think of the person, the aversion arises; when you see that the mind is averse, aversion goes down. Do you see the difference?
Defilements’ object is concept; wisdom’s object is reality. This is the example. Don’t feed the mind the wrong food – don't allow the mind to pay attention to the wrong thing.
At home the ordinary mind only perceives concept objects. As we meditate, we not only know the concepts, but we also start to know what the reality is [yogi’s note: the 6 senses happening]. And we have to remind ourselves to keep the reality in view.
We will still know the concepts, we don’t ignore them. But we must remember to remind ourselves to also recognize the reality, keep our eye on the reality.
218. LOOK AT WHAT IS PRESENT, NOT FOLLOW WHAT THE MIND WANTS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 4 Discussion Group C (05:04-09:31)
It is more important to actually notice those wrong attitudes because by noticing them, then we’ll understand them. Right attitude will happen. And we’re still being aware.
Whatever it is, just look at it. This is happening – the mind is thinking like this, wandering. The important thing is not to lose sight of it, not to get lost in it, but to be witnessing it.
Looking at it, you’ll get more clues because you keep watching it and then the mind will begin to understand something about it.
219. KEEP LEARNING WHEN WRONG ATTITUDE HAPPENS REPEATEDLY
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 6 Discussion Group C (6:25-7:45)
Don’t bother about other things; just keep watching whether the wrong attitude is there or not.
When it’s there, keep watching it. When you know it and keep watching it, it’ll get less.
Don’t know it and keep doing something else. It’s not important for the greed to go away, but it’s more important for the mind to experience it again and again and watch it again and again until the mind understands that this is really not helpful.
When the mind finally understands from the repeated observations of its presence and effects, the mind finally gets it that it doesn’t help at all.
It’s a good lesson to learn; you need to give it time. So, watch it.
220. WHEN AWARENESS SLIPS AWAY
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (0:59:16-1:00:43)
You have to remind yourself “Am I aware? Am I aware?” Every now and then ask: “What is the mind doing?” “Is it here or thinking?” Check, check, check.
You must keep reminding yourself, then the awareness will keep coming back.
That reminding is called right thought. You can actually practice this reminding ourselves, this right thought by just telling ourselves to do it. And when you keep repeating it throughout the day, it helps the mindfulness to keep coming back.
Ask yourself: “What is happening in the mind? What is the mind thinking now? What is the mind feeling now? Am I aware? What is the awareness knowing?” Just checking like that, just reminding yourself very often.
If we keep reminding ourselves, the awareness starts working also.
There’s not only one way to be aware – it’s not only when you try to be aware that you are aware.
If you think about awareness you become aware; if you remind yourself, you become aware. There are different ways to help awareness to become present.
221. IT’S NOT WHAT YOU DO, BUT WITH WHAT ATTITUDE WHILE DOING
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group C (1:28:29-1:29:22)
Notice that in the components of working with something, it’s not what you do. It’s not the activity so much as the attitude held – like whether there is greed, simplicity, non-expectation. That’s what we need to check for.
Do we have the same mindset as when we did the other day? The other day, we weren’t expecting anything – we have to watch out for that; that’s the real ingredient.
If the attitude is right and the activity is right, then the result will be the same. But if the activity is the same but the attitude is different, the result will not be the same.
222. FIND OUT THE BENEFITS OF BEING AWARE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 7 Discussion Group B (1:33:16-1:34:02)
You need to check with yourself – when you’re aware, how is the mind? When you’re not aware, how is the mind?
How does being aware, even though it seems to be about useless things, what sort of effect does it have in your life? When you’re not aware, what sort of effect does it have in your life?
And then you understand the benefit of this exercise of awareness. You need to have more information because even when you learn something, you don’t even know that your mind learns something.
223. NON-SELF IS CAUSE AND EFFECT
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (51:46-53:15)
People have an incomplete understanding of Anatta. They think of Anatta as ‘I have no control’ over things, but that’s not correct because there’s a cause and effect process.
What we need to understand is that when the result is already here, we cannot change the present result. Anatta is actually cause and effect – if we understood cause and effect, we would know that in the present moment there is a choice to effect new causes, to put in new conditions.
Wisdom can put in new conditions like remembering to be aware, learning how to be aware, or just putting in wholesome minds. It can then have positive effects because if you put in the wholesome conditions, then wholesome results come about.
Anatta doesn’t mean that there is no control; it only means that all you can work on are the conditions, not the current results.
If there were no Anatta, you wouldn’t be able to fulfill the perfections, the paramis; you won’t be able to supply those conditions for the perfection of the paramis. But because it is possible, we can fulfill the paramis.
224. MEDITATION UNDERSTOOD, IS THE WAY OF LIFE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (37:50-39:35)
Meditation can be understood in so many different ways. For a lot of people, so often meditation can be such a separate thing from life, not a way of life.
Meditation is something to escape from life – that if they do it separately, exclusively, one day their problems will just disappear like that.
But if we understood meditation in the right way, then it should be something that we can definitely use as part of our life. It should be the most useful thing in our life.
The Buddha taught that the Dhamma is good for both the mundane world, i.e., our daily lives, and the supramundane matters, gaining enlightenment. He says it’s beneficial in both. But the way the people use it, often it’s almost useless for daily living.
225. DEFILEMENTS EXAGGERATE THE EXPERIENCE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 7 Discussion Group D (1:54:15-1:58:44)
Our reality and our fantasies are so different. In the thoughts, the old is real; the fantasies are real in the thoughts. The present experience is not the same as the fantasies.
The mind has so many fantasies and beliefs, and the reality is sometimes so far away from that.
So if you eat without mindfulness, then you’ll eat it with your idea of what it is like. That is why when you’re really mindful, the mind cannot indulge so much in its fantasies; and when it does indulge, it can’t really be mindful.
226. STRONG AVERSION TOWARDS NOISE IN THE MEDITATION HALL
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 6 Discussion Group C (31:34-33:18)
This is your weakness; so, you must spend time watching anger. You need to spend a lot of time looking at what you think is noise, learning about your mind’s reaction to it.
Every time you have a reaction to the noise, you should watch the anger. Watch it until it’s gone and then look at the noise. You must do this.
It is only when the mind has no reaction to the noise that the mind has learnt its lesson. If it has a reaction, it is something we must learn from.
227. WHEN THE SIT BECOMES A STRUGGLE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 5 Discussion Group B (1:10:22…)
In that sit, although it feels like a struggle, recognize that you have been trying to be aware.
228. WHY ONE SHOULD TRY NOT TO FOCUS
China Feb 2014 Retreat Q&A File No:20140220-1
If you use energy to focus on the object, the mind then starts to think what the object looks like; it then becomes a concept, something the mind imagines.
229. LET IT HAPPEN AND JUST KNOW – DON’T FORCE TO BE AWARE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 3 September 2017 (23:45-25:40)
Just know, just know. I don’t want to say ‘Be mindful or be aware’. I like to say ‘know’ because knowing is more relaxing. When we say ‘aware’, sometimes people use a lot of energy.
Let it happen (elsewhere: meditation object must be natural) and know. This I learn from young – when I was young I liked to try to know whatever I was doing. That’s it. After a long time, this knowing became stronger and stronger.
Sometimes awareness is lost, but no problem because we try again and again. Try to know, try to know.
It’s the same with the body process. Run, run, run and how to know? Just think about this – that’s enough. And practice every day. Awareness follows behind and slowly, slowly, awareness becomes stronger and stronger.
People start by trying to be aware with force – they can’t get out of this habit. They try to be aware, aware, mindful, and mindful with a lot of energy. You cannot learn this way. I also tried doing this way in daily life, but couldn’t. So, I ask ‘how to do?’ Try whatever – just know, just know – practicing every day.
You cannot try to be aware by force because it’s not natural.
230. WHEN ENERGY IS GIVEN TO THE WATCHING, LESS ENERGY GOES TO THE DEFILEMENT
IMS 2014 Dhamma Discussion Group A1 (54:25-55:05)
Watch the greed directly – because that desire is very strong, we can watch the greed continuously.
So long as the watching begins, that is the key because when we give work in the direction of the watching, we’re giving less energy to the greed itself; we’re giving energy into the awareness itself.
231. LEARNING FROM FAST LANE CAUSES BURN-OUT AND INABILITY TO SLEEP
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 31 July 2017 ( (25:30-26:39)
You need to settle down – you use a lot of energy when you think non-stop, that’s why the mind gets speedy and tired.
When the mind settles down, wisdom comes by itself and becomes better. Then, you don’t have to use too much energy to think.
You stay in the present moment; and don’t think too much. When you’re aware more continuously, naturally the mind thinks less and settles down.
You use a lot of energy when you think non-stop; that’s why, in the long term, you burn out.
232. WHEN THE MIND IS TOO TIRED TO MAINTAIN MINDFULNESS DURING MEDITATION
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 11 August 2017 (6:30-8:24)
There are 2 types of tiredness – either the body is tired or the mind is tired. If the body is tired, you need to rest your body. If the mind is tired, it’s because of defilements.
If the mind is tired, you need to meditate. When you meditate, good quality of mind comes and the bad quality of mind reduces – that means the mind becomes more relaxed, peaceful, open and less tired.
First, you need to think of the tiredness as an object. Don’t try to push. If you push, that’s another defilement too.
Mental fatigue is because of defilement – sometimes craving or aversion is strong. When any defilement becomes stronger and stronger, the mind becomes tired.
If the awareness, stability of mind and wisdom are growing, the mind never gets tired – it becomes more peaceful, tranquil, equanimous because of meditation.
If you practice and the mind becomes tired, and increasingly tense, then something is wrong with the meditation. Then, you should check how you’re practicing, what state of mind you’re meditating with.
If you practice in the right way, the mind becomes more and more relaxed.
233. WHEN AWARENESS IS WEAK, THE MIND CANNOT LEARN
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-13 Q&A Chinese & Malaysian Yogis (1:31:13 - 1:33:45)
If defilement is stronger and awareness is weak, you need to build up your awareness first – you use a neutral object to build up your strength first and then face the defilement.
First, we need to have the strength – when the strength comes, you then face the defilement. This is better.
234. AWARENESS AS A STEPPING STONE TO WISDOM
IMS 2014 Dhamma Discussion Group B1 (48:05-48:50)
My instruction can be clearer.
Meditation is the cultivation of wholesome states of mind, but the wholesome state of mind that I’m primarily interested in is awareness because the ultimate goal of what I’m teaching is to use awareness as a stepping stone to get to wisdom, to the true understanding of the nature of things as they are.
And to do that, we use awareness to watch things as they are when they’re happening; just allowing things to unfold as they are and watching them and seeing. And that awareness will lead to the understanding of what you’re watching.
That’s the wholesome mind that I want you to cultivate.
235. HOW TO BE AWARE OF SOMETHING WE’RE NOT SKILLED IN LIKE EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 25 July 2017 (1:05:08-1:05:56)
One by one (start by noticing any one thing that is obvious to the mind).
First, you can be aware that you’re looking (focusing), or how you feel. How do you feel when you’re reading the email? Or, do you know that you’re reading?
In the reading process, you can start to be aware of anything that is easy for you to be aware of. Try to be aware of something when you’re reading. If awareness is present, then the mind slowly knows the whole process.
236. DON’T LET YOUR MIND BE FREE – TRY TO KNOW SOMETHING ALL THE TIME
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 26 July 2017 (1:09:15-1:09:55)
Awareness is not nothing – it is something because it is learning about the process.
So, try to know, try to be aware, of the process. After repeated times and days, this knowing will have learned the process already.
So, try to know something all the time; don’t let your mind be free. Then, the awareness becomes a habit and gathers momentum more easily.
237. STAY WITH THE AWARENESS AND LET THE EXPERIENCE HAPPEN
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 - Day 5 Discussion Group D (43:24-43:45)
We don’t want to see the experience; we want to control the experience.
This is our problem. Then, understanding cannot come.
238. IS THE MIND AWARE OR NOT?
Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat 2013 - Guided Meditation Part 3
We are not following the object; we’re checking, “Is the mind aware or not?”
239. WHEN THE MIND IS QUIET, NOTICE THE QUIET STATE OF MIND
Spirit Rock Retreat 2015 - Q&A Group B Session 4 (33:14-34:06)
The quietness is a state of mind – if we’re not able to see the quietness objectively as a state of mind, we can be in the quietness, and then the attachment, or the wallowing, the indulging, or the feeling good in the quietness, all these can start and then, we can just drift, and the awareness will not be so alert and sharp anymore.
So, this ability to objectify the quiet state of mind is important because the moment you know it’s an object, something which you’re knowing, then you also know the awareness already.
240. MAINTAIN AWARENESS BY KNOWING ANY OBJECT THROUGH AWARENESS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 3 September 2017 (14:15-15:15)
If the mind pays more attention to the object, awareness is lost whenever the object changes. So, you should know the object through awareness; then, you can maintain your awareness.
Otherwise, when the meditation object changes to a conceptual object, awareness is lost because concepts are objects of defilements.
If you know the object through awareness – the awareness knowing this object and that object – then you won’t lose the awareness.
241. WHEN DEFILEMENT IS TOO STRONG TO WATCH, JUST FOCUS ON THE FEELING
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 8 September 2017 (50:55-51:43)
If wisdom is weak, you need to have stronger samadhi to control the defilement first; otherwise, they overwhelm you when they come.
When wisdom is weak, you need to have some concentration to make the mind calm down first; don’t think anything, just focus on the feeling. You cannot catch the thinking mind because it is so fast. It is difficult to watch it as an object. Feelings, however, are more obvious.
When the mind calms down, you can step back and watch the defilement.
242. SAMATHA HAS ITS PLACE IN THE PRACTICE WHEN DONE CORRECTLY
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (1:04:05-1:06:43)
It may seem sometimes in the early years, for other reasons (because yogis are having lots of tension) I encouraged yogis not to concentrate in the sense of having too much concentration.
But samatha is a practice that is taught by the Buddha; it is a valid practice. Samatha is also only done correctly when the mind has the right attitude, just like vipassana. When samatha is done correctly, the mind is balanced, clear and strong, just like vipassana. So, samatha is not a practice that I discourage. Samatha is a practice you can use if you want to. It is a practice that I still use. You must know how to use it; you must understand the purpose of it.
Samatha practice is used to calm the mind when the mind is overly agitated. If a yogi is very agitated and he can’t have the right attitude, then go back to anchoring the mind on one object; stop thinking about it and concentrate on one thing.
So, when yogis cannot bring on right attitude – the mind is too angry, too confused; when the mind cannot have right attitude at all – keep stopping the thinking and keep coming back to one object, keep anchoring the mind. If the mind cannot think, the feelings will subside.
When the mind has enough wisdom – even though the mind is confused, having anger or excessive greed – it can intellectually tell itself to watch the defilement in a balanced way. If there is enough wisdom, it can do it; but when there is not enough wisdom, it cannot bring on right attitude. Then it must rely on watching a neutral object.
Some yogis find that when they try to observe defilement, they resist the defilement because there is too much identification. When there is so much resistance, it’s better at that time to calm the mind first and then try to watch the defilement again.
You can use metta, Buddhanusati, or any of the 40 samatha practices
243. DEFILEMENTS EVERYWHERE
Czech Retreat 2013 Concluding Talk (9:53-10:47)
Every day you take a hot shower – but with which mind, you don’t know.
You think you’re mindful, but there is attachment there, right? The attachment continues to arise every time you take a hot shower.
Defilements can happen anywhere. Defilements have a chance to arise at any of the 6 sense doors. If defilement is not getting weaker, then wisdom cannot grow.
So, you need to practice awareness all the time, as much as you can – then, the mind pattern can slowly change
244. HOW TO BE INTERESTED IN THE MEDITATION OBJECT?
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-19 Chinese & Malaysian Interviews (1:55:15-1:56:57)
We use some question – e.g. “Do you want to understand?” Then the mind has some interest.
For example, you want to understand why the mind suffers. If you really want to know, then the mind becomes interested. When you ask the 'why, what and how’ questions and the mind doesn’t know the answer, it then becomes interested.
Having interest means using wisdom energy. If you want to understand nature, then you become interested.
In the beginning, it is difficult to be interested because meditation objects are so neutral. The mind becomes interested only when it is exciting, but a neutral object is only form, cold, and touching – how to be interested in this kind of object? But if you try to be aware again and again, you become more familiar with these objects.
Like a game – in the beginning, when we don’t know the game, we’re not interested; but when we play again and again and become more skillful, we then become interested.
When we know more about the subject, then more interest arises. That’s why you need to continue to practice a lot.
245. STRONG AWARENESS MEANS WISDOM IS PRESENT
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-19 Chinese & Malaysian Interviews (1:47:28-1:48:47)
A yogi reported that awareness became sleepy when watching drowsiness. But when wisdom came, awareness became detached from the drowsiness
Sayadaw: When we say that awareness is strong, it means that there is wisdom. Because of wisdom, we say that awareness is strong. Then you can see clearly the quality of awareness.
246. WITH PRACTICE, THE SKILLFUL MIND GROWS STRONGER AND THE IDEA OF ‘SELF’ GETS WEAKER
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-22 English Interviews (38:08-38:28)
There are only 2 minds – skillful mind and unskilful mind. So, whichever one has more chance to happen, it gets stronger and stronger.
Now that we’re practicing, we’re letting the skillful mind happen again and again until your mind doesn’t have ‘me’ anymore.
247. THE NON-MEDITATOR CHANGES THE OBJECT TO FIND PEACE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 11 August 2017 (41:15-43:14)
When you go to the pagoda, the mind calms down and become peaceful. You go to a party, the mind becomes hot. You go to the bar, the mind is different again. The object and mind are related.
The object overwhelms the mind of normal people. But for the meditator, the mind can be peaceful whether the experience is good or bad.
That’s why people go to a peaceful surrounding when they’re upset – because they cannot change their mind, they try to change the environment first, and then the mind calms down. It is not necessary for meditators because they can change their mind immediately in any situation.
The object is not important. Actually, the mind calms down because the mind quality has changed. But people think that it’s the object that makes the mind calm down.
When I was depressed, I went everywhere but the depression couldn’t go away. I tried to go to the mountain and the beach, but the mind was still depressed. They couldn’t change my mind because the depression was so strong. Whatever I saw and whatever I heard, I became depressed.
248. THE MIND IS NOT IN THE BODY
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-13 Q&A Chinese & Malaysian Yogis (1:07:36-1:08:27)
The mind is not in the body – the mind relies on the body to happen.
You think that the mind is in the body because you want to see the mind clearly. This is a habit. Much later, the mind won’t think over the concept of locating the mind.
The mind comes and goes, period. Objects also come and go.
249. WHEN THE IDEA CHANGES, FEELING CHANGES
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-1 Q&A Chinese & Malaysian Yogis (21:16-22:00)
When the idea changes, feeling changes. Feelings change not because of different objects. It happens so fast, you don’t see the change in the idea; you only see the change in feelings.
Thinking is so quick, so fast; and then, the feelings change. Different ideas, different minds, different feelings – it is not that this feeling changes to that feeling because of different objects.
250. DON’T SET TARGETS IN YOUR PRACTICE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-17 English Interviews (15:05-16:27)
Don’t target anything in your practice. You shouldn’t target what you want to see in Vipassana practice. Whatever happens, stay with the experience. Your responsibility is to maintain the awareness – have right view and continue to be aware.
How long? From the time you wake up till the time you sleep. It is very important that you don’t set a target for what you want to see. When you have a target, the mind starts to imagine this, and you cannot see as it is. We want to know nature as it is.
You should not think about the future – e.g. ‘I want to sit for an hour and not move.’ Whatever happens, your responsibility is to be aware of the present moment; any situation, any time. That’s all.