MINDFULNESS MEDITATION with right view

by Sayadaw U Tejaniya; transcribed and edited from a brief instruction given on 20 Jan 2026.

I wish to explain how to develop mindfulness meditation correctly. Mindfulness simply means awareness—knowing what is happening. But the most important point is how we practise.

Meditation is work of the mind; it depends on how we think and how we feel. That is why right view, right attitude, and right thinking are essential. We are mindful of this body and this mind. When we observe ourselves, an idea naturally appears: “I, me, myself”. This idea of self is very strong. When attention stays with “I” and “me,” emotions increase. That is why vipassanā cannot develop properly when practice is based on “I”.

For example, when pain arises and we think “I am in pain” or “this pain is mine,” the suffering becomes stronger. But if we think “Pain is a natural process,” the mind does not resist. Only the idea changes, but the mind state also changes. That is why right view is crucial.

Some people are very mindful of their depression, but because they think “I am depressed,” their depression becomes deeper. This happens because of wrong view. When practice is based on “I,” defilements increase and the mind cannot calm down. Even concentration can increase pride: “My samadhi (concentration) is very good”. Again, emotion increases because of “I” and “mine”.

So first, we must understand that body and mind are natural processes, not “me” or “mine”. At the beginning, this understanding is intellectual, but it is necessary.

We don't practice just because the teacher said so. We practise to understand the physical and mental processes, how they work, and how suffering arises and decreases. We observe to understand nature, not to control or change experience.

Watching means stepping back and relaxing. If we focus too hard, we try to control; then we use too much effort, craving appears, and energy becomes unbalanced. Meditation requires understanding how much energy we use, why we practise, and how the mind works. Without understanding the mind, practice becomes difficult.

The object is not important. You can use the body, seeing, hearing, thoughts, or feelings. Anything known by the mind is an object. We use objects to develop qualities of mind: awareness, stability of mind, and wisdom. This is what meditation really means: cultivating wholesome mental qualities. That is why meditation is called bhāvanā—mental cultivation. Objects are tools; the mind is what matters.

Mind states arise and pass away, but they leave behind mental qualities. If awareness arises again and again, the quality of awareness grows. The same applies to stability of mind and wisdom. So first, we learn how awareness, stability of mind, and wisdom arise, and later, we learn how to maintain them.

You can practise with all six sense doors: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking. Many meditators (yogis) rarely develop the awareness of seeing because they always close their eyes while meditating. But daily life happens through the senses; if you cannot practise with seeing and hearing, daily life practice is impossible. When seeing is untrained, liking and disliking arise immediately and concentration collapses. This is not a problem with seeing—it is a lack of skill.

Many meditators practise with craving: wanting calm, progress, or results. This makes the mind tense and restless. Practice driven by craving is wrong practice. Meditation must be developed with wholesome mind states: mindfulness, effort, faith, stability of mind, and wisdom. These Five Mental Faculties grow every time we are mindful.

Meditation is not part-time. From waking up until falling asleep, every moment is practice. There is no special meditation place or time. Walking, eating, using the toilet, showering—just know what is happening. That is enough.

A meditator has only three tasks:

• Keep right view: Remember everything is nature.

• Be aware of the present moment: Just know what is happening.

• Maintain consistency of awareness.

We are not trying to create or control experiences, and we do not judge them.

Thoughts, sounds, and pain are not bad. When we judge, liking leads to attachment and disliking leads to resistance, both of which weaken the mind. Nature is neither good nor bad. When we stop judging, the mind settles.

Pain is difficult because resistance is strong, so we do not start by watching pain directly. First, we observe the unpleasant feeling, the resistance, and the aversion. When resistance weakens, pain can be observed calmly. If anger increases, changing posture is not failure. The Buddha never said "do not move"; instead, he said to "know that you are moving," ensuring that awareness continues even while changing posture.

Mindfulness must be consisitent, moment to moment, again and again. Without consistency, momentum cannot grow. Short daily sessions are not enough because defilements return immediately. Consistent awareness is essential.

We observe to understand why suffering and peace arise and how they change. Understanding comes gradually through repeated observation. That is the path.

SUMMARIZED POINTS

• Nature vs. Self: Meditation is a mental process, not a personal one. We must view the body and mind as natural processes rather than "I," "me," or "myself".

• The Danger of "I": When we think "I am in pain" or "I am depressed," suffering and defilements increase.

• Intellectual Preparation: Understanding that everything is nature is a necessary intellectual starting point for practice.

• Observation, Not Control: The purpose of awareness is to understand how physical and mental processes work, not to change or force our experiences.

• Learning the Mind: We observe to see how suffering arises and how it decreases.

• Developing Qualities: Meditation (bhāvanā) is the cultivation of wholesome mental qualities like awareness, stability of mind, and wisdom.

• Relaxed Awareness: Watching means stepping back and relaxing; using too much effort or focus leads to craving and tensed energy.

• Wholesome Motivation: Practice should be driven by the Five Mental Faculties (mindfulness, effort, faith, stability of mind, and wisdom) rather than the craving for results or calm.

• Object Neutrality: The object of meditation (seeing, hearing, thinking, etc.) is not important; it is merely a tool used to train the mind.

• 24/7 Practice: Meditation is not a part-time activity; it should be consistent from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep.

• Six Sense Doors: Practice is possible through all senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, thinking). If you cannot practice while seeing or hearing, daily life practice is impossible.

• Momentum: Consistency is essential because momentum cannot grow if the practice is constantly stopping and starting.

• Non-Judgment: Thoughts, sounds, and pain are not "bad"; they are just nature. Judging them leads to attachment or resistance.

• Handling Pain: Instead of watching pain directly, start by observing the mind's resistance or aversion to it.

• Flexibility: Changing posture is not a failure as long as awareness of the movement is maintained.