251. DON’T TRY TO CHANGE ANYTHING, BUT WATCH AND LEARN
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 15 July 2017 (7:35-9:15)
Everybody, when upset and depressed in daily life, try to change their mood by, for example, sleeping. When they wake up, they feel better. But they cannot learn anything this way.
What is the meaning of meditation? We try to be aware and learn about this mental state. Good or bad quality of mind, we need to know what it is, how it is working, why it is happening. We want to know. So, you need to change your attitude to “I want to know this nature”; and then, the mind will be more interested to watch.
So, the first step is for yogis to learn how to watch their mental states. Normally, when all experiences come, the mind is either liking or disliking the object. This is a very strong habit. Now, we are learning how to watch the pleasant and unpleasant situations with equanimity. You need to learn this first to be skillful in meditation.
Whatever comes, if we can watch with equanimity, only then, understanding can come.
252. WHEN YOU SEE LOTS OF DEFILEMENT, DON’T FORGET THAT AWARENESS IS PRESENT
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 8 September 2017 (43:20-46:35)
You forget that the awareness is working – you’re only thinking that the defilement is happening and judging that the defilement is not good. ‘My mind is full of defilement’ – then you become worried. Because you’re only thinking about the defilement, the object; you forget how much you’re aware.
You don’t have a complete view – you only see the experience, and you forget that awareness is working.
You need to appreciate that awareness is present. You are not concerned over how much defilement is there because it is not your responsibility. It is already there even if you’re not aware, it’s already happening. Now awareness is present, now you know that it is happening. So you should be happy that you’re aware – you need to appreciate that awareness is working. We’re trying to cultivate this awareness quality.
You forget what you’re doing. You only see half the picture – only the experience part; then your thinking cannot be right. You see only the defilements and become upset because you don’t see the wholesome quality that is there. Defilement is unwholesome but watching mind is wholesome. Don’t forget that awareness is present.
If the person only looks at the experience, then liking and disliking are bound to arise. If the person is more aware of the awareness, he appreciates the awareness more and more. The mind is happier that the awareness is still there because it knows that awareness is working.
253. USING FEELINGS AS AN ANCHOR TO RECOGNIZE THE HINDRANCE
IMS 2014 Dhamma Discussion Group B1 (41:30-42:28)
The feelings that you have are a reflection of the hindrances in the mind. And to access that hindrance, you want to start by watching the feeling.
If you are thinking about the thoughts as hindrances like aversive thoughts or anything that is motivating the whole thing, you can get into thinking.
You use the feelings as an anchor to recognize what the hindrance is.
Continue to watch that to see how it changes, watch how the feelings change and then you can see how the hindrance changes.
254. HOW TO BE AWARE WHEN AT WORK AND HAVING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group A (0:30-2:51)
You have to watch out for the defilements that might be motivating the thinking. You need to know your thoughts and your feelings so that you can identify if there are defilements in the process and clear the defilements so that you do the thinking you need to do without the defilements.
When you need to think you cannot not think. At that time, you have your thoughts and your feelings – and you want to check if there are defilements; and if there are defilements, you want to clear them first. You clear them by watching your feelings and when the feelings are cleared, then you continue what you need to think.
That’s what you have to do at work – you can’t work without thinking. You have to plan.
You’ll know that defilements are there because you can feel them – it’ll not be comfortable; there will be suffering, tension, stress. Basically, if it’s stressful, there’s defilement.
255. WAIT AND WATCH
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2015 Oct. 4 English Interview (41:10-41:51)
When any defilement comes, wait and watch. At the retreat, you have the time, right?
In daily life, you’re busy and don’t have time; that’s why sometimes defilements overwhelm you.
Now you have time; there’s no need to hurry.
Every time defilement comes, you need to watch the defilement first. Don’t follow what the defilement wants and pushes you. Wait and watch.
Make it a habit.
256. RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR HOME PRACTICE – ANY AWARENESS IS NO WASTE
IMS 2014 Dhamma Discussion Group A1 (57:10-58:44)
At home, we’re not so dedicated to watching with so much attention. We might find that at home the defilements are much stronger and we’re not able to watch them.
At home, you might find that whatever happens, you’re not able to stop the bad TV (yogi’s note: the defilements) but you’re aware.
The attitude you have to keep is that as long as you’re aware, it doesn’t go to waste.
You may not be able to win the war today, but you’ll come back for another day. So just keep being aware as much as you can.
Learning still happens as long as awareness continues.
You have to be patient for wisdom to come for that sort of thing; and when wisdom comes, wisdom will help to stop the defilement.
257. A YOGI IS AFRAID TO LOSE THE AWARENESS AND LOSE THE PRACTICE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-1 English Q&A (02:30-03:28)
This attitude is not right – if you practice with fear, awareness will not be good.
Try as much as you can – if you lose awareness, you can try again, and you can start again. Try as much as you can – that’s enough.
If you’re afraid to lose awareness, then the mind becomes tense; it is not free.
In the beginning, the exercise is just to bring back awareness every time it is lost.
258. SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE MEANS NOT TO FIX, CHANGE, MANIPULATE OR CONTROL
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 5 Discussion Group D (33:25-34:15)
Change doesn’t come because we want to change. Change happens when the ability to change happens.
The work is to see things as they are; not to fix things, or change things, or manipulate things, or control things. That’s not what the practice is about. The practice is about seeing the way things are. And when the understanding comes, then maybe something will change. Our work is just to be aware so that we can learn.
259. THE EXPERIENCE IS NOT IMPORTANT, AWARENESS IS IMPORTANT
Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat 2013 – Guided Meditation Part 2
When the mind recognizes that there’s defilement, there’s right view. When the mind recognizes that there’s defilement happening, it is the right view.
We’re not trying to stop anything; we’re not trying to create anything. We are trying to know. So don’t complain about what is happening in the mind; we need to appreciate that we’re aware of the defilement.
260. A YOGI THINKS SHE MAKES NO PROGRESS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-1 Q&A Chinese & Malaysian Yogis (33:30-36:46)
If you continue to practice, improvement is sure to happen. When you stop, the quality of mind goes down. As much as you have practiced, you have already got the result. If you understand this nature, you’re bound to improve if you continue to practice.
Yogis say that they have not improved because they want to see special things. Improvement means that the quality of mind improves, not getting any special experience. Because of expectation, you become bored – you want something new, and that’s craving. Because of craving, you get upset or bored.
If you don’t have expectation, naturally wholesome qualities increase when you continue to practice. Joy, interest, and confidence will grow naturally – it won’t be boring because the mind will be happy and interested to practice. Boredom arises because of craving.
261. DEFILEMENTS INCREASE WHEN WE PAY ATTENTION WITHOUT RIGHT VIEW
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-17 English Interviews (1:03:06-1:05:06)
Sometimes awareness is present but there’s no right attitude – that’s why defilements increase.
Paying attention and awareness could be different. Defilement can pay attention – when we’re eating, craving pays attention to the taste and feeds it. Craving also pays attention to the object, thinking it’s nice and enjoy.
This is not awareness. Meditation awareness is awareness with right attitude – then meditation is happening.
That’s why I remind yogis: are you aware, or feeling the object? Feeling the object is either craving or aversion towards the object – and paying attention is already happening.
Paying attention is either in the wrong way or right way.
Now you’re paying attention but without right attitude.
Defilements also pay attention to the object; defilements also notice the object – without the object, defilements cannot grow.
You think in the wrong way, and the mind feeds it and craving increases.
Taste is very obvious – when you like the taste, craving pays attention to the taste and the mind feeds it: nice, nice, nice, good, good, good, yummy, yummy. It knows the object.
Defilement is already working, paying attention is there too; so, we only need to change the attitude. Because of right view and right information, then meditation is happening.
We should be careful that we don’t pay attention without right view because it is dangerous.
262. EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN INSIGHT, IT FREES THE MIND
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 5 Discussion Group D (34:34-35:04)
People often ask me ‘What is an insight?’
You can’t name an insight, but you can tell that you have one because usually, it makes you feel free of whatever you were caught up in before.
263. REALITY IS ACTUALLY PRINCIPLES
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 9 Discussion Group B (24:27-26:11)
Reality is actually principles. When we understand one reality, when we see its truth, we begin to recognize the same principle in action although the object is not the same. You have understood the way greed works. Even though you’re not wanting the same thing anymore, you can still see greed at work. You’re recognizing it more.
Initially, yes, wisdom also prefers things – wisdom prefers things that are beneficial because it is understood, not out of craving. But you have to also be vigilant because it can turn into greed without your noticing it.
264. THERE’S NO NEED TO STOP THE EXPERIENCE
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 8 Discussion Group C (11:12-11:46)
Piti (rapture) can continue – just in case that people think piti must become equanimity. Sometimes people have a lot of piti and it continues, like it’s very strong and the strength of piti doesn’t stop.
So long as they can be aware of the piti without attachment; they make piti the object and they watch it neutrally. Then piti becomes the object and everything about the nature of things can be understood from watching piti as an object.
265. WHEN THE MIND CAN ENJOY WHOLESOME MINDS, IT WILL NOT ENJOY DEFILEMENTS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-12-26 Malaysian Interviews (00:25-01:15)
Can’t you enjoy the understanding? Instead, the mind wants to enjoy drowsiness.
If you want to enjoy the understanding, or awareness, or the practice, then defilements cannot come.
How do you feel every time you notice that you have awareness? Nothing?
266. YOGIS SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE GREED TO GET MORE RESULTS
Kalaw Retreat Mar 2017 – Day 9 Discussion Group B (22:40-23:16)
Greed just wants something more. And this works out in our practice. We understand something and then what happens is we think this is not enough, we want to understand more.
And we think that it’s a good thing; but often it’s greed that’s driving it. For some yogis, it’s very strong and they suffer a lot in the practice because of this greed to keep getting better and better.
267. LEARN FROM ANGER INSTEAD OF SENDING METTA
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Malaysian Interviews 2018-01-09 (1:16:13-1:17:15)
Yogi: I want to send metta to somebody I don’t like
Sayadaw: Your objective is to learn from your anger, not send metta to that person. At that time, the person is not important; what’s important is the anger nature.
The persons you get angry with can change, but anger is the same. We try to understand the nature of anger. If you really understand anger, you won’t ever be angry with anybody.
If you send metta, it’ll be only for this one person. If you understand the principle, the nature of anger, and use the principle, you’ll never be angry with anybody again. You have a chance to learn by observing anger, why then do you want to change to sending metta?
The tension and suffering you experience by watching anger is something for you to learn.
268. WE’RE INTERESTED IN THE THINKING MIND, NOT THE THINKING
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa 2015 Oct. 13 English Interview (24:37-27:57)
Yogi: I know the reason why I’m upset
Sayadaw: You pay attention to the storyline; you don’t know the mind process. We learn not from the storyline, we learn from the mind process – first mind, second mind. For example, anger comes because of craving – however strong the lobha, that’s however strong the anger when you don’t get it.
It is a process – before, you have expectation and because you cannot get what you want, anger comes.
We try to understand the mind process. We’re not trying to learn about anger from the storyline. Storyline is a concept; we try to learn from the mind process.
Anger is not present all the time. When anger arises, we try to find out what causes anger to arise. What idea, what thought leads to the next mind.
‘Why?’ means we learn from the process, not from the storyline.
If you find out the answer from the storyline, anger cannot go away. If the realization is from the mind process, then anger stops immediately.
Your responsibility is to have right view and watch the process. We’re not interested in the storyline; we want to know that thinking mind is happening. We pay attention to the thinking mind, not the thinking. We call thinking the storyline.
So, when you notice thinking mind is happening – that’s enough. Notice that the mind is thinking – we’re not interested in the storyline.
The mind is thinking. When feeling comes, how do you feel? Be aware of the feelings; be aware of the thinking mind and the feelings, thinking mind and feelings – that’s enough.
269. HOW TO BE INTERESTED IN DROWSINESS
IMS 2014 Dhamma Discussion Group A1 (31:15-31:50)
How to say that drowsiness is interesting?
Drowsiness has intensity – it changes. The more interesting you find drowsiness, the more you see it changing.
Sometimes people watch it until it brightens like the sun comes up behind the clouds.
270. IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR MIND, THERE IS NO WAY IT CAN REST
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya Vassa English Interviews 17 August 2017 (30:05-31:04)
It is very good that you notice your craving and aversion. If you don’t see the craving and aversion, then your practice will be difficult all the time.
If you don’t know the craving and aversion – the liking and disliking – they will never stop even until you die. If you don’t know the mind, there is no way the mind can rest.
271. FIND OWN MOTIVATION TO PRACTICE IN DAILY LIFE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Interviews 170914 (31:14-32:47)
When people cannot handle their defiled intentions, they use outside energy – they listen to dhamma talks or stay near the teacher – to help them stop the defilements. But when you’re on your own, you need to use a lot of your own energy – a lot of motivation, a lot of effort.
New yogis use a lot of outside energy from the surrounding to help them to meditate.
If you’re alone in your room, the practice is not very strong because nobody cares and you may even sleep. If you come to the dhamma hall, your mind becomes stronger because external influence helps to boost your energy to meditate.
But in daily life where you’re alone, it is more difficult to practice. Your surrounding is not helping you; it is even undermining your practice. When you interact with everybody outside, there are lots of defilements because they have lots of defilements.
So, you need a lot of motivation, a lot of effort to maintain your practice in daily life.
It’s the same with me – if I did not suffer so much, I wouldn’t have practiced like this. I suffered so much that I needed to meditate. Suffering helped me to practice. This is all due to conditioning.
272. REMINDER: ‘WHAT IS THE MIND AWARE OF?’
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Group Interviews 170903 (51:50-52:57)
Nobody teaches like this – if you remind yourself ‘What is the mind aware of?’ awareness becomes present. Everywhere you go, they only teach you to be mindful or to try to be aware.
If you remind yourself, awareness is already there. I too practice like this in daily life – I just think ‘What is the mind aware of?’ instead of try to be mindful. If you think the right way, awareness is already there. It is faster and better than trying to be mindful. It comes naturally; just reminding: What is the mind aware of? Already, awareness is present, naturally. That’s why I recommend to yogis to think about how to practice; just reminding themselves. That’s lighter and better.
273. YOGI ASKING WHICH OBJECT TO BE AWARE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180117 (32:49-35:03)
You don’t have to choose an object; just know that you know all these objects. You don’t have to know any of them clearly; you just have to know that you do know all of them. Don’t know the object; know that you know.
Why are you able to know that you’re eating, drinking, looking, thinking and a lot of other things? You know because you’re aware. So, keep the awareness; recognize that it’s through the knowing that all this is known. Just try. All the objects that you notice are known by the mind. Actually, the mind already knows all the objects; you just have to notice that the mind is doing that work.
274. HOW TO OBSERVE WANDERING MIND WITHOUT FOCUSING
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017/18 English Interviews 171229 (24:20-24:51)
If there is too much wandering mind, there is no need to watch the wandering mind; but you can still know that wandering mind is there. So, don’t focus on the wandering mind, but ground yourself on a physical object. If you know there is wandering mind, that’s enough; no need to focus on it. So, you’re busy watching the physical object – then wandering mind does its job and you do your job. Try to be aware of the physical object and also know that thoughts are already there. That’s better.
275. MEDITATION AND LIFE MUST BE TOGETHER
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Interviews 170914 (41:26-42:41)
You need to practice in daily life – try to know your state of mind in whatever you do. You need to practice in your life because you don’t do them here in the center. Try to practice in any situation. The new yogi tries to maintain the awareness in every action, every moment and every posture. He learns how to be aware of the mind, how to be aware of the body moment to moment, trying, trying... making it into a habit.
You need to practice in the same way in your daily life. Then you can maintain your awareness in the job you’re doing. So, meditation and life must be together. Now, the practice is not in real life yet – you should practice there. Now you learn how to practice, now you know how to practice; then, you apply in your life.
276. DELUSION JUDGES THE PRACTICE AS GOOD OR BAD
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180116 (23:09-24:00)
Moha, it judges – it judges things as good, bad, advanced, slow and fast. That’s moha, but the practice is just the practice – one object is no different from the other. It’s only when judgment comes in that the mind starts to compare; it starts to give it a value like a grade (‘this is excellent grade and this is not’) and that is moha.
Once that judging comes in, then the greed and the aversion can set in. When it judges that this is preferable or better, that’s greed; if not good, then that’s aversion.
277. YOGI ASKING WHETHER TO SIT OR NOT
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 18-01-16 (43:53-44:27)
The advantage of a retreat is the ability to really dedicate ourselves to the continuity of practice, continuity of awareness. We sit because it’s the easiest way to keep the mindfulness continuous. We also sit because it seems to make us calm; but it is not the sitting that makes us calm. It is the continuity of awareness and right attitude that makes the mind calm. I’m not saying ‘Sit’ and I’m not saying ‘Don’t sit’ – I’m saying ‘Do whatever that serves the continuity of awareness’.
278. IDENTIFICATION IS STRENGTHENED WHEN SOMETHING FEELS PERMANENT
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 English Interviews 18-01-17 (25:44-26:19)
When something is not permanent, it is easier to see that it is impersonal. When it starts to feel permanent, gel together, we start to identify with it. When we’re still trying to be aware, when we keep losing awareness, it doesn’t feel like ours. When it starts to gain momentum, it gels together and is always around, then, we start to identify with it: ‘Oh, I’m always mindful; this is my awareness’.
279. MEDITATE FOR WISDOM, NOT FOR HAPPINESS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180121 (15:23-21:31)
If we want wisdom to arise from our observation of the worried mind (defilement), to learn about it, then the number one condition is that we are not doing it to have the happy mind. We are not observing so that we can become happy; we’re just observing the worried mind.
The mind wants happiness so much that the moment it hears of happiness, it wants it. Whenever I ask yogis why they meditate, and if they say they want peace or happiness, for sure, 100%, there’s going to be greed in the yogis’ practice. It’s the old habit of the mind that whatever it thinks as good (ie. Happiness), it becomes attached to it. So, the intentions can be very strong because there’s belief without investigation.
For people who enjoy music, when it stops, it makes us feel a little empty; that’s the indication of the attachment. I keep reminding yogis that the objective of meditation is not to find happiness or peace. It is an inevitable by-product of wisdom when it arises, but it is not the motivation or objective of meditation because then the happiness becomes the trap. When the yogis get entangled in the desire for happiness; it makes the whole practice difficult.
280. DELUSION CAUSES THE MIND TO BELIEVE THOUGHTS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Malaysian Interviews 20180109 (07:21-07:45)
This is moha. The first mind is moha, and the second and third mind are also moha.
Delusion works this way. The first mind thinks what it wants to think; it makes an assumption. The second mind believes this mind, and the third mind exaggerates the belief. But if awareness is present, delusion either stops or cannot grow.
(Elsewhere: So, if a thought agitates the mind and makes the mind suffer, don’t believe the thought and also don’t follow the thought.)
281. THE IDEA OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180130 (12:30-13:45)
The idea in vipassana meditation is actually very simple because we don’t need to control anything. So, if there’s greed, we just need to recognize that this is greed and continue to see what greed is doing and so on. If it is calm, we know that it is calm; if it is not calm, we know that it is not calm.
If we approach meditation that way, just to recognize what is happening, then it’s very easy; but if we think meditation needs to be in a certain way, then it becomes very difficult to be mindful at home.
It is not that there won’t be defilements; there will be defilements, but we don’t take them personally. We want to observe the defilements; we take them as nature so that we can just observe them.
282. THERE IS AN IDEA BEHIND EVERYTHING WE DO
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Malaysian Interviews 18-01-29 (10:50-11:45)
The more we look at everything we see that there is an idea behind everything we do. Then, you’ll see all the cause and effect, cause and effect because of the ideas that constantly feeding it. And one of the ideas is ‘me, I am’. I’m doing, I’m thinking, I’m angry. If you see it, you'll see that it’s just the mind – the mind is wanting, the mind is feeling, the mind is thinking. And then you can see the way lobha mind thinks and wants to do things; and the way angry mind thinks, the way angry mind wants to do things.
283. LOOKING IS THE PROCESS OF PAYING ATTENTION TO SIGHTS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Interviews 08 September 2017 (1:17:29-1:18:00)
Looking is the mind paying attention or thinking about sights. It is not seeing outside things – outside things are concept objects. You need to be aware of looking; you need to know that looking is the mind paying attention or focusing. Both seeing and looking are happening inside, not outside.
284. KNOW THE MIND ACTIVITY WHENEVER THERE IS SENSE CONTACT
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Interviews 03 September 2017 (1:32:52-1:33:21)
Whenever there is seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and the whole body sensation, any contact, check what the mind says – some idea must be there. Any object comes, the mind has some ideas – what the mind says and what the mind is doing? I call it mind activity – try to know the process.
285. MOTIVATION DETERMINES THE CONSISTENCY OF AWARENESS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Interviews 170914 (52:14-52:49)
At the time of doing whatever you do, the motivation is very important. If you do it with defilement, you will lose awareness. If you cannot maintain awareness even when cleaning your room at the meditation center, how much more difficult it will be in daily life. In all your daily activities, you need to learn to constantly check with what state of mind you do whatever you do.
286. TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS TO KEEP KNOWING THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOUR REACTIONS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180126 (53:42-55:16)
Don’t even look at pain; the mind already knows it. The mind is very smart; it knows the pain is there. Without paying attention, it already knows the pain is there – there is no need to give it special attention.
The most important thing is to know the attitude the mind holds and the reaction in the mind. Be clear that this is your primary goal. This is because the reaction in the mind and the attitude of the mind are mental qualities, you cannot focus. You can only know it – you can know what the attitude is, you can know what the reaction is; you continue to know it. So, there will never be too much focusing.
So, please don’t look at pain. There is no need to look at pain. Look at the mind – look at the reaction and the attitude. Or, just look at how you feel – you feel comfortable, uncomfortable? Is it confused, tense? Acknowledge all that. Keep your eye on that.
287. CHECK ATTITUDE FIRST, DON’T BE TOO HASTY TO MEDITATE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Interviews 08 September 2017 (39:30-41:30)
If you have some expectation, and you cannot get what you want, then the mind becomes bored. So, check your attitude. What idea do you have when you’re watching the defilement? If you have the right attitude and right view when watching the defilement, the defilement will slowly get weaker and weaker. But if the defilement gets stronger, then there is something wrong with the watching mind.
Actually, the most important thing is attitude. If the attitude is right, the object becomes more distant. Don’t expect the understanding to come – it only comes due to right conditions. If you have expectations, the right conditions cannot arise. When you don’t have any expectation, then wisdom can arise. If you want to understand, wisdom cannot come because they are opposites.
Just practice continuously, and be interested in the process, that’s enough. Don’t try to get something or expect something. If you know that there’s expectation, watch the expectation first.
288. CHECK ATTITUDE OTHERWISE JUDGMENTS CAUSE MORE JUDGMENTS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180121 (03:23-03:12)
The first thing that should come to mind when we notice something is our attitude towards what we’re noticing. This is because if we have some judgment about what we have noticed, then there’s going to be more judgment. We need to notice that so that the judgment can’t run on itself. If we notice there is judgment or no judgment, then at least as we’re observing, it helps us cultivate the mindfulness, the steadiness, and so on.
But, if the judgment starts sticking around, it destabilizes the mind.
289. CONCLUSION LIMITS THE UNDERSTANDING
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Malaysian Interviews 20180109 (24:46-25:46)
Don’t make conclusions about an understanding immediately. Just recognize that the mind only knows and understand that much because we still need more information, more points of view.
Sometimes, the mind stops learning when it makes a conclusion; so, open-ended learning is better. The mind notices that much now; it is not finished yet. Now the mind only knows this way and slowly as wisdom grows further, it can see other ways.
290. FEAR AND GREED ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180202 (10:30-11:39)
Fear and greed are naturally connected – when you want something, you already fear that you either cannot get it or lose it. This is natural. We naturally have defilements. So, every time you notice the defilement, you use it as an object (we’re growing the awareness, the object is not important because regardless of whether the mind notices it or not, it has already happened) – that’s it. When understanding arises, the defilement disappears.
When we can watch the fear, the feeling, as an object, then we can see what the mind is thinking, what idea it has. The important thing is not to try to make the fear disappear.
291. EMOTIONS ARISE DUE TO THOUGHTS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180125 (33:35-34:51)
As a process, emotions always start with a thought – the thought comes first.
But when we come in and notice that process, we come in somewhere in between, in the train of the process. We might start noticing when there’s an emotion, or we might start noticing when there’s a thought. Subsequently, even though a thought starts the emotion, but the emotion feeds the thought. When we’re able to keep watching that process and not be involved, then the awareness starts becoming stronger while that process starts getting weaker.
292. EXPLORE CAUSATIVE FACTORS INSTEAD OF BEING CONFINED TO EFFECTS
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180116 (30:45-32:54)
We grasp for the result – and when the result comes, we immediately think ‘It should be this way’. When we want the result, we totally forget what works towards the result. The view is not complete – there is not a complete picture of this leading to that; that if this work is done, this will be the natural result instead of the mind that just focuses on the result and starts craving for it.
So often we always see the effect and we forget what contributes to the effect. You would explore the causes only when you want to understand them, and you see that cause and effect are related.
When we’re faced with something, that’s already the result, we should always explore what are the things that contribute to this moment that’s impacting us. It’s not just because you’ve have been mindful. There are a lot of other things. Your entire practice helps you in many ways.
293. WRONG VIEW: IDENTIFY AS ‘I’ INSTEAD OF SEEING IT’S THE MIND
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Malaysian Interviews 18-01-23 (07:07-08:42)
The yogi saw the greed and stinginess, all these are important to recognize because they are natural to the mind.
So often we recognize what is happening in the mind but we misinterpret it. Instead of seeing it as ‘Oh, the mind is like this; the mind is doing this. When it does this, this is the consequence’ – instead of seeing that process, we miss the message. We identify with the mind instead of seeing it objectively as different mind nature at work.
The mind is talking to us; it’s showing us its nature but we fail to read the messages because of wrong view – the moment we think with wrong view, ‘Oh, why is my mind bad’.
If the mind has the right attitude, then the mind can learn something from that whole process, just seeing that when there is greed, this is the result; then, it can just see the flow and process of the mind at work.
294. WATCHING DROWSINESS AMIDST BEING AWARE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017-18 English Interviews 171229 (32:42-33:54)
Drowsiness is the object and there is awareness; so, be more aware of the awareness. If you’re aware of the awareness, you can already see the drowsiness. But if you pay attention to the drowsiness, then you won't know when the awareness becomes weaker and weaker.
The work of effort here means that you try to know the awareness moment to moment. Effort naturally grows if you can follow the awareness continuously. If you can see drowsiness and the awareness, then stay with the awareness.
295. PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE PRACTICE
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180127 (44:40-45:15)
You know saddha in the practice – one of the translations of saddha is trust (others are faith, belief and confidence).
You must trust in the practice – when you trust, you let go of your desire to make something happen. Then you just trust in the practice – you’re just aware and aware.
All you’re doing is keeping the awareness sustained. And the understanding will come out of that practice.
296. BUILD UP THE STRENGTH OF AWARENESS FIRST WITH A PHYSICAL OBJECT
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Q&A 170720 (04:20-04:29)
First, you need to make your awareness strong with a physical object. When the awareness is strong, you can then watch the mind and body together.
297. MEDITATION IMPROVES WHEN AWARENESS BECOMES CONTINUOUS NATURALLY
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 20180123 (31:45-34:33)
Yogi: Sayadaw, if I want to improve in my meditation, what should I do?
Sayadaw: Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw once advised that when the awareness becomes more continuous, meditation will improve.
This doesn’t mean that we must make our mindfulness more continuous with our utmost until we look black. That’s so much greed in the way the mind takes it that when yogis hear the instruction, they think that they can make it happen. What Sayadaw Shwe Oo Min was saying was that when mindfulness becomes more continuous, when it becomes like that naturally, only then meditation will improve.
298. HOW TO BE AWARE OF THE MIND
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2018 Morning English Q&A 180130 (49:02-50:53)
It’s just practice – of course, it is easier to know the physical objects, but you know there is mind.
Once you know there is mind, you allow yourself to recognize it, or acknowledge it as often as you can. And when you very clearly know something is mind, it becomes easier to recognize it, acknowledge it and be with it. It just takes practice to improve.
The 5 physical senses, for us, are always located somewhere. There are markers like form and shape which make it easier to know the 5 physical senses, but the mind has no shape and no form – you can’t see or locate it – so, it’s hard to pin down the mind.
But you can know the mind and that’s all you need to do. You can know that there is mind because it’s happening; you sense that there is mind, and the other thing is that you can know that the mind is doing something – like it thinks, or it feels, or it pays attention when you’re looking and listening.
You can sense those functions of the mind, and that’s how you know the mind is there.
And just practice, don’t expect anything; just practice and allow it to grow by itself.
299. APPRECIATE THE PRESENCE OF AWARENESS
Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat 2013 Guided Meditation Part 2 (37:52-40:23)
If we’re aware when defilement arises, the defilement decreases or stops; it cannot overwhelm the mind. So, how much relief is it to the mind?
If awareness is not present, the defilement can continue to grow slowly and exaggerate the intensity of the defilement. If we don’t notice, they will grow and continue to grow and grow.
So, if you’re aware and wisdom is present, the defilement cannot overwhelm you, it cannot grow – this is a lot of relief to the mind.
You need to appreciate awareness is present – knowing something doesn’t go to waste. It is something, it is learning because we’re collecting information.
Knowing and not knowing are very different.
When you’re aware and you see clearly what is happening, the knowing mind is happening.
When awareness is absent, you won’t know anything about what is happening.
There are many levels of knowing – knowing the object and knowing the characteristics of the object are very different.
300. WHY THE MIND LIKES TO THINK
Shwe Oo Min Dhammasukha Tawya 2017 Vassa English Q&A 170715 (51:25-53:05)
Because you have already practised it for a long time. It is the momentum of old habit. If you allow something to happen again and again, it becomes very powerful.
That’s why we need to change the pattern of the mind. We try to be aware all the time; then, the mind cannot think. If you’re not aware of the present moment, the mind is thinking or day dreaming all the time.
The mind thinks so much because it wants sensual pleasure. We have enjoyed our thinking for a long time. Because of this habit, the momentum is there. That is why we try not to follow or allow this – we need to be aware all the time to change this old habit.