VEN KHEMA’S SHORT COLLECTION
of the Dhamma Sakkacca of Sayadaw U Tejaniya
(Batch 41—60)

Sayadaw: The late Shwe Oo Min Sayadawgyi had extremely sharp mindfulness, even while talking. Once, while we were speaking with him, he said that someone was coming—and even named the person who was approaching. At that moment, I wondered how he knew.

After many conversations, I noticed that although Sayadawgyi was talking, his mind was not fully absorbed in the conversation. He was also aware of other things. Every time a specific car sound was heard, that particular person would arrive. He had noted that. So while talking, he also heard the car. We, however, were so absorbed in the conversation that we didn’t notice it.

The point is: Sayadawgyi was never lost in conversation. He did not focus narrowly on the conversation that he forgot his surroundings. He knew every object of awareness. From what he knew, he gave more attention to what was important, but he did not fixate on any single object. He knew directly with awareness. Because of that, he was aware of all five senses. He knew everything.

So Sayadawgyi's teaching is this: “What is the mind knowing?” The very question itself directs you to the mind. The moment you ask it, attention turns to the mind. The question holds both the "what is known (object)" and the knowing mind. If you know the mind, you also know the object.

Sometimes I ask yogis: “If five enemies surround you, which one will you focus on?” If you focus on just one, it won’t work. If the one you watch does not strike but another one does, you die. You must know all five. Spread your awareness. Which one will strike first? Deal with that one first.

You cannot fix on just one. In that situation, concentration alone is useless. Only mindfulness (sati) works. Since all five are dangerous, you must deal with the one that acts first. And to do that, you must know all five at once.

People look at the defilement (kilesa) and when it disappears, they become satisfied. Meditation is not yet over just because the defilement has disappeared. We should continue to investigate. If you become satisfied when the defilement disappears and stop practicing, you won't gain true understanding. People get stuck in a cycle whereby the next time they encounter the similar object, the defilement will arise again, then they observe the defilement and if it disappears, they will be satisfied and the practice ends. They are just revolving in this cycle.

The reason in asking you to look further is so that you can compare and know the two different views: the view of the object while the defilement is present and the view when the defilement is no longer present. It's not solely observe to make the defilement disappear. When there is no defilement, wisdom (ñāṇa) has a chance to arise. Once wisdom (ñāṇa) arises, there’s true understanding and later, the defilement will no longer arise in regard to that object. If insight has not yet arisen, and you haven't truly understood, then every time you encounter this object, this defilement will keep arising. When the defilement arises, first contemplate on the defilement itself. Once the defilement subsides, bring the object back to mind and look at it again. How did you perceive the object while the defilement was present? Now that the defilement has lessened or is no longer present, how do you perceive the object? If you ask yourself these kinds of questions, it will become clear. The next time this object appears, you will be calm. It won't affect you at all.

In my case, before, whenever I went to Chinatown, I would have a feeling of regret, thinking, "I did bad things in Chinatown in the past and was quite terrible. I was really bad then." While thinking like that, one day it suddenly dawned on me: "The thought is just a thought; it has nothing to do with me." From then on, whenever I go to Chinatown, nothing happens. 

If you don't have the right view – the understanding that "what is happening is not me" – and instead, hold a wrong view, then defilement arises. So, look at the defilement first, then when it subsides, return to the object. You must inquire by asking things like, "Why is this happening?" "What is this object?" When it becomes clear, then wisdom has a chance to arise. The point is to contemplate for insight to arise, not to make the defilement disappear. Right now, people are satisfied when the defilement disappears. Truth is, when the defilement is no longer present, and the mind is clear, you must take up the object again and observe further.

Sayadaw: Many people are afraid to go on meditation retreats or to practise meditation. Why? Because the opposing forces—their habits and defilements—are very strong.

Take the precepts as an example. When you keep the five precepts or the eight precepts, do you find it tiring or relieving? Most people find it tiring. For instance, when a mosquito bites you, which feels easier — to kill it or to refrain from killing it? Of course, killing it feels easier. But holding back and not killing takes effort, and that makes you feel tired.

When unwholesome thoughts and defilements are strong, meditation practice can feel tiring. Why? Because doing what is wholesome (kusala) requires first stopping what is unwholesome (akusala), and that feels difficult.

But in truth, meditation should bring relief. It is not about forcing or struggling, but practising with a relaxed and balanced mind. Only wise people practise meditation because they do not want to live in a way that wears the mind out. If meditation truly brings ease and relief, you will naturally want to continue practising. Without meditation, life is full of stress and agitation.

Meditation cultivates wholesome mind (kusala citta). A wholesome mind is pure and naturally gives rise to happiness. When you practise correctly, these wholesome minds grow, and happiness increases.

If meditation makes you feel tired, then something is wrong—you are not practising correctly. That is why I always tell yogis from the very beginning: you must understand what wrong practice is. Otherwise, even while “meditating,” you may actually be practising in the wrong way.

True meditation brings ease and clarity, not tension or strain.

Transcriber’s Note:

Defilements (kilesa) refer to unwholesome qualities of the mind — any manifestation of greed, anger, or delusion.

Yogi: When I'm at home, I don't practice as much as I do at the meditation center. At home, while doing chores like washing clothes, cooking rice, and doing work, I can manage to maintain the awareness and continue the practice. But once I go outside, I become completely unmindful. After going out, I end up not practicing at all.

Sayadaw: How do you go about when you go out? There will be times you go by walking, and times you go by car. What do you do every single day? You sit, you walk, you eat, you talk—you only do these things. During those times, try to live with awareness. Make living with mindfulness a habit.

For a person who practices every time they walk, every time they go—whether it's at the center, at home, or outside—as soon as they walk, mindfulness is already there. I always tell yogis to practice every time you go, every time you walk. That phrase “every time” isn’t put there for nothing.

For a person who is aware every time they go, as soon as they go, mindfulness naturally arises. It becomes nature. You don’t have to chase after mindfulness anymore. With practice, mindfulness becomes the natural way of being.

Previously, yogis didn’t have the habit of being mindful. Through repeated practice of mindfulness, eventually mindfulness becomes established. We call that “established mindfulness.” If you practice every time you go, as soon as you go, mindfulness will stick.

For a person who practices every time they eat, as soon as they eat, mindfulness naturally arises. You don’t need to call it back anymore, you don’t need to place it anymore. Train so that awareness is present with every seeing, every looking. For a person who is aware with every look, whatever they look at, mindfulness naturally arises. It’s all about practice.

Coming to the meditation center means coming to learn—to practice how to practice when sitting, how to practice when walking, how to practice when eating, how to practice when doing chores. At the center, you can do these things full-time, dedicating time to them, so you come to practice.

When you return home from the center, you must continue at home and integrate it into your life. If you have learned a skill but cannot apply it, can we say you have mastered that skill? Even when you go outside, it’s the same as at home: you see, you look—it’s all the same.

Meditating is like turning the radar towards yourself. If the mind is turned towards yourself, you can go anywhere you want. Even if you go to the moon, you can still practice.

Yogi: How does one find a balanced mind?

Sayadaw: First, you must recognize when the mind is unbalanced. Once you can see the unbalanced mind, you will gradually come to know what a balanced mind is.

An unbalanced mind means being at one of two extremes. When you begin to see these two extremes, you will also see the middle way. Recognizing the middle way means you have already seen both sides. Every time the mind goes too far, you know it has gone too far; every time it goes too little, you know it has gone too little. By maintaining this consistent awareness, you gradually arrive at balance.

For example, it is like making lime juice. The taste should be balanced—not too sweet and not too sour. If it becomes too sweet, you reduce what is too much. If it becomes too sour, you add what is lacking. Only then will the taste be just right, a pleasant balance of sweet and sour.

Yogi: When the mind clings to something and defilements arise, I manage to watch the mind. At such times, whatever state the mind is in, I reflect: “As it is.” I reflect that everything is not related to ‘me’—just “as it is,” thinking that whatever is meant to happen will happen.

Sayadaw: Doing it this way is not a very good method. If you don’t truly understand “as it is,” the sense of ‘I’ can creep in and create confusion. In that case, you must first look at this wrong attitude.

When something is wrong, the first step is to recognize it as wrong and see clearly what is wrong. Don’t try to make it right immediately. Sometimes yogis are so busy trying to be right that they miss seeing what is wrong. But only when you know what is wrong can it become right.

People don’t want to see their mistakes; they only want to be right. But it is more important to recognize when you are mistaken. The understanding of “as it is” must arise from genuine insight. Only at the moment of true understanding will the realization of phenomena as they are arise.

It is not effective to force the idea of “as it is” from the beginning. When wrong attitude is no longer present, then truth can reveal itself. That understanding is more real.

You cannot be afraid of being wrong and only want to be right all the time. Having the right attitude is the most important. Many yogis know “as it is” as an idea, but they cannot actually practice it. If this goes on for too long, they may even begin to dislike themselves.

Yogi: Is the defilement (kilesa) that still remains without being completely cut off called latent defilement (anusaya kilesa)?

Sayadaw: Latent defilements (anusaya kilesa) refer to defilements that lie dormant in potential form. They have not yet arisen or manifested, but they still exist as latent tendencies. What remains hidden as potential is called anusaya.

When a sense object comes into contact with the mind, that potential can “spring up” and manifest. If there is no contact with sense objects, it does not arise. Yet, in its latent form, it still exists. For arahants, this potential no longer exists — the root has been completely cut off.

There are three levels of defilements:

1. Latent defilements (anusaya kilesa) — underlying tendencies that remain dormant until conditions trigger them.

2. Manifest defilements (pariyutthāna kilesa) — defilements that have arisen in the mind and agitate it.

3. Transgressive defilements (vitikkama kilesa) — defilements expressed as unwholesome actions of body or speech.

Among these, transgressive defilements (vitikkama kilesa) have the greatest impact on others because they manifest through bodily and verbal actions. Manifest defilements (pariyutthāna kilesa) arise internally, within the mind. This is the second level.

Now, latent defilements (anusaya kilesa) cannot be directly observed. Why? Because they have not yet arisen; they exist only as potential, so they cannot be seen or contemplated.

Because of this, only Path Knowledge (magga ñāṇa) and Fruition Knowledge (phala ñāṇa) can eradicate latent defilements (anusaya kilesa). Ordinary insight knowledge (vipassanā ñāṇa) cannot uproot latent defilements, but it can deal with the mental defilements that have already arisen in the mind.

When such defilements are observed, they disappear. However, because the latent potential remains, they can arise again and again. When observed, they vanish temporarily, but as long as the potential exists, they will keep reappearing.

As long as the root potential (anusaya) has not been eradicated, it can sprout again. That is why I always remind yogis: practice must be consistent. If one does not practise consistently, defilements will regain strength. When mindfulness and wisdom are not cultivated diligently, the latent defilements at the root will resurface and grow stronger once more.

Transcriber’s Note:

Defilements (kilesa): unwholesome qualities of mind — any manifestation of greed, aversion, or delusion.

Yogi: While I was walking, I saw something unpleasant and dirty. Aversion immediately arose in the mind. Then a thought came: “What if this object is actually something different, not what the mind is assuming?” Suddenly the state of mind changed. The aversion disappeared.

From this, I felt that when the mind attends to one concept, aversion can arise. But when it attends to another concept, the state of mind can change. I understood from this experience that concepts can affect the mind, depending on how the mind observes them.

Sayadaw: It is not because of the concept itself. Defilement does not arise simply because of concepts. However, whenever defilement arises, it pays attention to concepts as its object.

Yet not every conceptual object gives rise to defilement. For example, some concentration meditation (samatha) objects are also concepts—such as cultivation of loving-kindness  (mettā-kammaṭṭhāna) or recollection of the Buddha’s qualities (buddhānussati). These are concepts, but they do not produce defilement. Defilements arise because of wrong view or wrong attitude.

If you attend to conceptual objects with delusion (moha), then defilements will arise. But if you attend to them with wisdom, it will not be a problem. Not every time you pay attention to a concept does it lead to defilement, but all defilement minds pay attention to concepts.

The important point is: what state of mind is paying attention to the conceptual object? If the mind understands what is concept and what is reality, and if right understanding is present, then defilements will not arise.

Yesterday, I liked the Dhamma talk given by Sayadaw U Pannavamsa, so I would like to share it again with you all.

He said, “May yogis be fortunate.”

I also wish to say to all of you, “May you be fortunate.”

People do want to be fortunate, don’t they?

If you wish to be fortunate, you must create good kamma (wholesome action). It’s very clear.

If you wish to create good kamma that leads to good fortune, then among the three kinds of kamma, which one is the most important?

It is manokamma (mental action).

Among the three kinds of kamma — kayakamma (bodily action), vacīkamma (verbal action), and manokamma (mental action) — manokamma is the most important.

If you consistently observe and purify your mental actions, making an effort to keep them wholesome, then your verbal and bodily actions will naturally become wholesome as well.

When your mental action is good, your overall kamma improves.

Even if you wish to be fortunate, if you continue to act unwholesomely, it will not work out.

If your thoughts are unwholesome, your speech is careless or untruthful, and your bodily deeds are unskilful — if all three kinds of kamma (kayakamma, vacīkamma, and manokamma) are faulty — how can good kamma arise?

Since mental action (manokamma) is the most important in creating good kamma, you should always check your mind, keeping it wholesome and pure. Gradually, your kamma will become better and better.

Yogi: When meditating, if unwholesome thoughts arise – if bad thoughts appear – does that make me guilty? These bad thoughts seem to arise by themselves. For example, in a thought, I am hitting someone I am dissatisfied with. In that case, am I guilty?

Sayadaw: When a thought arises, don't follow the storyline. The yogi should simply be aware of the thinking mind that has arisen as 'thinking'. There are two directions you can proceed: going toward the concept or going toward the reality. In meditation practice, one does not follow the concept. There is no person, no individual, no being.

The example you mentioned earlier about hitting a person you're dissatisfied with in the thought – is it really a "person" who appears and does the hitting? The "person" doesn't actually go and hit, right? What is it that goes and hits? It's merely the mind thinking and imagining. The "person" who is hitting does not truly exist. 

If a thought enters and you simply know that it has arisen, there is no problem. But if you take that thought and continue to think about it with interest and engagement – if you continue to imagine it further – then there is a problem, then it becomes guilty. When you put mental effort into the storyline with interest and involvement, then mental volitional action (mano kamma) has been committed.

A small thought that appears due to certain conditions initially has no strength. Just be aware of the thinking mind as 'thinking'. However, if instead of doing that, you take the arisen thought and continue thinking with lobha (greed), dosa (aversion), and moha (delusion), then it becomes a fault. The mere arising of a thought by itself is not yet a fault; you can still change the direction. Will you go towards the wrong side or the right side? That is your choice. A dhamma practitioner will go towards the dhamma, while a wrong attitude person will go towards the wrong attitude side. An ignorant person, a person with strong delusion, will encourage the lobha (greed) and dosa (aversion). A wise person will go towards the dhamma. That is the only difference.

Our Shwe Oo Min Sayadawgyi said, “No matter how unwholesome a thought is, if you know it, be glad.” Are we being told to be glad about the unwholesome mind state arising? Or are we being told to be glad about knowing the unwholesome mind? We are being told to be glad about the “knowing”. What has arisen may indeed be unwholesome, but knowing it is good. The knowing mind is the dhamma mind; the mindful awareness mind is the dhamma mind. You should appreciate the knowing. If you are not glad about the knowing but instead become disappointed about what has arisen, you will suffer twice. First, it was unwholesome when it arose, and then later, through wrong reflection, you suffer again –double!

Make the best use of what has arisen. This thought that has arisen is just a mind state, just an object, just an experience to be mindful of. If you contemplate it in this way, won't sati (mindfulness), samadhi (stability of mind) and panna (wisdom) arise? A person with right thinking and right attitude, who mindfully observes lobha (greed) and dosa (aversion), will naturally give rise to sati (mindfulness), samadhi (stability of mind), and panna (wisdom).

As soon as mental defilements (kilesa) arise, recognise and abandon them. As soon as they begin to arise, guard the mind so that they do not continue. Only in this way will they not take hold and linger.

Because we are often unable to recognise and abandon defilements immediately when they arise, they tend to linger and form habitual tendencies within the mind. Meditation therefore needs to include both recognising and abandoning the old defilements, and preventing new ones from arising.

We must repeatedly recall — that is, observe with awareness and wisdom — the old attachments and residues of past reactions. At the same time, we must be alert to new defilements arising moment by moment, recognising them clearly and abandoning them right at the moment of their arising so that they do not continue and strengthen.

This is what is meant by “taking care of one’s own mind.” Only by doing this will the mind become pure. Otherwise, if we abandon the old but continue allowing new ones to arise, the new defilements will simply become old again and keep strengthening within the mind.

Whether dealing with the old or the new, the way to overcome them is the same — through awareness with right attitude and wisdom. The same method applies both to observing and weakening old residues and to preventing the arising of new defilements.

What is important in this practice is to do the work well and consistently. If you are not yet skilled at recognising and abandoning defilements at the very moment they arise, they will continue to arise again and form new habitual patterns.

Glossary:

kilesa: defilements; unwholesome qualities of the mind — any manifestation of greed, anger, or delusion.

Footnote:

In Myanmar culture and language, the meanings of old and new defilements are already understood. However, for accurate translation, old should be understood as existing defilements arising from past habits, while new refers to present attachment arising in the moment.

Yogi: It's not that I don't want to go to crowded places or places with many objects; rather, I'm afraid to go. My concern is that when I meditate, the sights and sounds I encounter while going out will reappear.

Sayadaw: Everything that arises is of dhamma nature. Whatever arises, you must take them as dhamma. In daily life, when one is practicing meditation, it is not possible to avoid such objects. Because the yogi is not yet mature, fear arises, right? Still, one must try and practice. Even though you are not yet mature, to become mature, you must start practicing.

The essential point is to have a plan and think about how to practice. If from the very beginning you have the intention to practice meditation, then even when a pleasant or liked object appears, won't every object encountered become dhamma? Aren't all things seen and heard dhamma? The visual objects and sounds which are happening right now – are they not dhamma? Right now, you are also just seeing and hearing. It depends on how you perceive the object, doesn't it?

The mind only arises when it meets with an object, isn’t it? Therefore, you should be interested in that which has arisen. If you always avoid objects like this, how will you ever become mature? If you constantly avoid them, you will never become mature.

Before going out, prepare yourself in advance. Prepare by reflecting, “I will go, but I will go with mindfulness, I will practice.” When you prepare yourself in advance like this, you will end up practicing. You will not follow the conceptual side. Otherwise, you will become involved with concepts.

If defilements don't arise because you haven't encountered an object or haven't seen it, it's not because you have practiced. You don't need to practice for that. There is no skill or ability in that. Since no practice is needed, no skill will develop. Skill develops through practicing again and again; it becomes stronger. If you prepare yourself in advance, thinking “how will I practice when I encounter this situation?”, then when you do encounter it, you will practice. If you haven't prepared yourself like that, then defilements will be the first to enter and take over.

Glossary:

dhamma: conditioned object, thing, phenomena, “natural law”, “nature”

Yogi: When I meditate, I don't like it when thoughts arise.

Sayadaw: Don't fight with the thoughts. There is no such thing as good or bad thoughts. Thoughts are simply natural phenomena. No matter how 'bad' a thought may seem, it's not important. Don't create problems with the thoughts. Don’t follow the story that arises from the thoughts – just be aware of their nature. 

A thought is simply a thought-mind. A wholesome thought is just a thought; an unwholesome thought is just a thought. Take a thought as merely a thought. Don't label it as good or bad, okay? Just recognize it as a mental phenomenon (nāma-dhamma).

The nature that “thinks” is what we call a 'mental phenomenon'. The Buddha explained that the nature of planning, the nature of thinking, the nature of knowing, and the nature of directing the mind toward an object – are mental phenomena (nāma-dhamma). Since a thought is a mental phenomenon, just take the mental phenomenon as a mental phenomenon.

However, you must be aware of every thought. Since you are just beginning to practice, at first, don't watch it for too long – you can't manage that yet. The main point I wish to emphasize is not to get angry at the thought. The moment you get angry at a thought, the practice is ruined and cannot continue. Thoughts such as "There are so many thoughts!" or "The thoughts are coming again!" arise and then it's ruined, isn’t it? Once anger arises, samadhi (stability of mind) is broken and the mind is no longer calm.

You need to clearly distinguish between concept (pannatti) and reality (paramattha). Concepts are the stories, images, words, and meanings that appear in thoughts. Don't take those. Just know, "A thought-mind has arisen." Just take the thought-mind as a thought-mind. Having known it, cut it off and don't continue thinking. Once you know it, return to the main object, return to the body. The body is more obvious, so it's better to stay with that, right? The mind is fast and subtle. When you first begin practicing, it's difficult to be aware because you're not yet skilled.  So when you get carried away by thoughts, yogis become afraid of them.

However, you cannot avoid thoughts. You can only become mindful of them gradually. Why? Because thoughts and feelings are the easiest mental phenomena to be aware of. You start with those.

Every time defilements arise, first change the mind. "First change the mind" means to change the direction toward the Dhamma mind. It's not enough to merely be mindful. First and foremost, you must change your attitude. First and foremost, you must change your view. 

When a defilement arises, change your attitude by thinking, "This is just an object, this is merely a Dhamma nature," and then simply be aware of it. If you do this, the path has changed. The course has turned towards the practice of meditation, and you have reached the stage of true practice. At that point, take feeling as the main object of awareness. By observing the feelings, you will also become aware of the thoughts.

As mindfulness and wisdom become established, you will see how thoughts function. Those who are skilled at practice, who can know the mental states, will increasingly see the functions. Through practice, you will see both the feeling and how the mind functions. You will be able to direct the mind toward what you want to observe. You will see:

1. Feeling, 

2. Thought, 

3. The mind’s direction toward the object

When you see all three clearly, you have understood. You will understand and comprehend things like, "Anger arises because the mind did not get what it wanted."

First and foremost, you must change to a Dhamma mind. Some people, without changing the mind, simply focus intensely on the object. This method can also work. To focus intensely means not to think about anything, not allowing thinking. If you don't allow thinking, defilements lessen. Why? The defilements keep arising continuously precisely because we are thinking about them and pondering over them. If you don't allow thinking and just focus intensely, they lessen. However, understanding doesn't arise. Since you are told not to think, the wisdom also stops thinking, so you don't reach the stage of understanding. However, calmness may happen.

See mind as just mind. A jealous mind will think jealous thoughts. An angry mind will think angry thoughts. A greedy mind will think greedy thoughts. We take only the mind.

A yogi once met an angry person and felt unsettled. That yogi consoled their own mind by thinking, "Oh, this person's character is like this, it's their nature." After doing that, the mind calmed down for that one time, but it's not the best method.

A better approach is not taking it as "his mind," but taking the mind as just mind. Remove "them" and "mine," and take the mind as just mind. Reflect: "The nature of a deluded mind is to think like this," or "A mind with weak wisdom naturally thinks like this." One should reflect in that way. In what is happening, there is no person, no individual being. See mind as just mind. If it's understood this way, then such minds can arise here as well. Can't these minds arise here too? They certainly can. A defiled mind will think defiled thoughts; that is its nature. We cannot prevent it from arising just because we don't want it to; we cannot stop it from arising.

In the mental process of a mind with weak awareness and wisdom, defilement minds will inevitably arise. We cannot go and tell people not to have these [thoughts]. We must accept it. There are people living with delusion, without having developed wisdom yet, so only these kinds of minds will arise. We must understand that. Because it is a natural occurrence, we should not complain and ask, "Why does this have to happen?" Just accept cause and effect: it happens because there are causes for it to happen. Don't focus on the person.

The Buddha taught, "observe a mind with greed as a mind with greed." He didn't instruct us to observe it as "my mind" or "his mind." He taught us to look at it as a natural phenomenon, without adding "them" or "us." If "them" and "us" enter, then it becomes complicated.

Yogi: Is the act of drinking alcohol itself considered wrong? Or does it become wrong only when, after drinking, one goes around disturbing or causing trouble for others?

Sayadaw: If you do something that shouldn't be done, it becomes unwholesome khamma (akusala) and is wrong. When greed is strong, one does things that shouldn't be done. One has an intense desire to drink alcohol, even though alcohol doesn't have any benefit and can be dangerous – why does one still forcefully drink it? This is because the mind of greed (lobha) wants to do it, so one ends up doing it.

You have money with you, so you buy and consume whatever you want. Would you feel guilty? Do you think it is not wrong? Truth is, whatever done with greed is wrong. Any action done with an unwholesome state of mind will give unwholesome results. The reason we say it is wrong is that you’re cultivating unwholesome states; if you act with intense greed, it’s like you are cultivating greed, making it stronger. That's why we say it is wrong. 

The late Shwe Oo Min Sayadawgyi often asked, "Is it wrong to use the money in your own pocket to buy and eat what you like?" Every action done with intense greed is wrong. On the surface, it may seem not wrong, but when you examine the quality of the mind, you will see that whatever done with greed is wrong. If you cultivate and encourage greed, doesn't greed become stronger? So, is it wrong or not?

By doing what shouldn't be done, a person causes suffering for themselves. It's not good for the body, and it's not good for the mind. When one gets drunk, one becomes forgetful. Through repeated forgetfulness, one can even become mentally unstable. Drinking alcohol deteriorates the quality of the mind. It causes forgetfulness and can lead to madness. 

Drinking alcohol causes one to forget doing wholesome things (kusala dhamma), so it is wrong. Because you are doing what is unwholesome, you cannot do what is wholesome. Drinking alcohol causes forgetfulness, which leads to many things that shouldn't happen. Forgetfulness is a delusion (moha). Forgetfulness is the opposite of mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (panna). It blocks wisdom. One can no longer consider cause and effect, good and bad. Therefore, a person who is drunk has weakened wisdom and becomes like a mad person. When one gets drunk, the defilements (kilesa) become stronger. If anger arises, it becomes intense anger. That's why it is dangerous.

It's not only wrong when you cause suffering to others, you know? Even if you cause suffering to yourself by doing what shouldn't be done, it is wrong. Because greed is strong, one eats whatever one desires, as much as one wants, and as a result diseases arise.

Yogi: Before, when I ironed clothes, I wasn't very mindful, so while ironing, my mind would wander to other matters, thinking about this and that, hence I would often burn my hand. Today, I was mindful while ironing and it went well. While ironing, I was aware of things like how to position my hand, how to iron to smooth out the fabric properly. The work became smoother.

Sayadaw: Exactly. When mindfulness is present, everything falls into place and the quality of the work you are doing improves. Whatever you do, if you are mindful, the quality will get better. It will become safer, and the work will progress smoothly. Furthermore, you will become capable of improving it. As wisdom arises, you will see how to do it even better. While working, if you do it mindfully, you know what is happening. By continuing to work with mindfulness consistently, you will become inventive in making work even better. You will also get ideas on how to improve it. This is what we mean when we say things go well in daily life. While working, if you are mindful, mindfulness is present, so you know what is happening and you know how you are doing it. Even while cooking, insights on how to cook better will arise, and you might even create new dishes.

You will also learn to do things more easily. Without mindfulness, the work becomes messy and chaotic, disorganized, and consequently requires more time. When you are mindful, you will understand and know which task to start with for things to go more smoothly and easily.

Without mindfulness, people just do things haphazardly. Without mindfulness, there is no wisdom. Without wisdom, work is tiring, doesn't go smoothly, and there are more accidents. Even when carrying plates, if you are mindful, you know how to hold them, where to place them, how to carry them – you know all these things. Without mindfulness, plates often break. If you work mindfully, the quality of the work you are doing will get better and better. When there’s mindfulness, you have samadhi (stability of mind). When there’s samadhi, you have wisdom. What we are talking about now is still just the daily life aspect. In the spiritual aspect (lokuttara), you will come to understand more important realities like the nature of mind and matter (rūpa, nāma). These are the benefits that will truly manifest in your life if you are mindful. As you practice and later realize the benefits of Satipaṭṭhāna (the Foundations of Mindfulness), one wouldn't even be able to tell you not to be mindful.

If you know the work you are doing and the method is correct, your self-confidence will also increase. You get full satisfaction. When wisdom directs an action and it's completed, you get complete satisfaction. When defilements (kilesa) direct an action and it's done, you blame yourself. When there is wisdom, it knows what is right, wrong, good, and bad.

When you are about to speak to someone, you know the intention to speak, and you know what you are going to say. You can consider: Is it necessary to speak or not? Is it appropriate or not? Should I say it now or later? At what time should I say it? You can think about these things. Without mindfulness, you just say whatever you feel like saying, however you want, then things won't go well, and conflicts will arise. Not knowing whether matters should be spoken of or not, if the mind thinks of something and the mouth immediately says it, everything will get messy.

When mindfulness is present along bodily actions, verbal actions, and mental actions, wisdom will follow. Gradually, life will become more meaningful. If a person often does things they shouldn't, heedlessly, and frequently feels regret, they will tend to blame themselves and cannot be satisfied with their own life. Therefore, it is important to always have mindfulness. Truly, a person who consistently practices Satipaṭṭhāna (the Foundations of Mindfulness) in life knows the benefits and cannot bear not to practice. They have come to understand the value of mindfulness. They understand the difference between mindfulness present and absent. The more one understands the value of being mindful, the more one wants to practice, and faith (saddhā) increases.

Yesterday, I had a phone conversation with a yogi who is suffering from severe cancer. As the disease appears to be in its final stage, she’s in great pain. Painkillers are no longer very effective. After speaking with her, I contemplated on the nature of pain. 

The Buddha taught, "Let only the body be in pain, but not the mind." At such a time – when pain is constant and unrelenting – how should one observe the pain? Can one maintain equanimity? Can one truly manage to have only the body in pain and not the mind? Let's consider it. If the pain is continuous, it's not easy. It will require a lot of practice.

Before reaching such a stage, one must work on understanding pain from this very moment. Otherwise, when the final moment arrives, one will just be screaming and crying out. The patient now frequently says, "I can't bear the pain anymore, I can't take it anymore." Why is it that they cannot bear the pain? At this final stage, the only thing left is to use the pain as the Dhamma object. If one can use pain as the object and realize the Dhamma through it, then one can gain something meaningful. It depends on the practice. If one has cultivated practice deeply, one may be able to use pain as a basis for developing wisdom. 

When morphine is administered and the pain temporarily subsides, if one delights in and is satisfied with that relief, then when the pain returns, it becomes even more unbearable. Therefore, one must understand the nature of the pain. If the mind can observe the pain with equanimity, then it's possible. Even now, the various aches and pains we yogis experience aren't continuous. Yet, we still find it difficult to observe these mild pains with equanimity.

When one truly understands the nature of pain, the meaning of 'pain' disappears from the experience. What remains is simply sensation – appearing only as either a subtle sensation or a gross sensation. Although the 'meaning' of pain is said to disappear, the actual happening still exists. The nature of impermanence, the nature of change, are certainly present. If one is in constant pain nearing death, one could have mastered these lessons, right? The Buddha wouldn't have said, "Let only the body be in pain, but not the mind," without it being attainable.

When one can observe the nature of pain directly, the mind becomes a Vipassanā mind; equanimity arises. However, when one falls into the realm of concepts and the meaning of 'pain' arises, then the screaming and crying out will come. Anger will arise; one will suffer. If one is excessively aware of the conceptual aspect, defilements arise. If one is aware of the ultimate reality (the Dhamma nature), then Vipassanā wisdom arises. When the final time comes and one can no longer rely on medicine, one will have to rely solely on the Dhamma practice. Only by facing the pain with wisdom can it become bearable. 'Bearable' here means the mind no longer suffers.

To understand pain as merely a sensation requires wisdom. Only when wisdom arises and the mind no longer reacts with aversion towards the pain, then equanimity will naturally be established. It all depends on wisdom. One must understand from an early stage that it is merely a sensation. One can understand this from the very beginning – learning from small, minor instances. It doesn't have to be something major. When one thoroughly understands and comprehends from the small, minor things, then one can also face the big ones. The principle is the same. 

The important thing is to have the understanding of wisdom. One doesn't need to wait until it becomes a major issue. If one comprehends through one sense door, it's the same for the remaining sense doors, isn't it? If one comprehends the contact between an object and the knowing consciousness at one sense door, it's the same for the other sense doors. The ultimate reality is the same. If one can understand the paramattha dhamma (ultimate reality) early on with strong wisdom, then one doesn't need to wait for intense pain. Therefore, can one practice through pleasant experiences, before intense suffering arises. The practice of not giving rise to anger towards suffering and the practice of not giving rise to greed towards pleasant feelings are the same.

When one is in pleasant states, when things are calm and peaceful, one shouldn't just be idle and enjoy. Otherwise, the deluded mind will just indulge in it. As it is now, when a pleasant object comes, one gets carried away. If one is susceptible to anger, one will also be susceptible to greed. Only when one doesn't get carried away by any object that appears, can one remain in the middle path. This is what is meant by 'Majjhimā Paṭipadā' (the Middle Way). That's why I tell yogis not to be idle when they are calm, peaceful, and pleasant. Usually, people do nothing but indulge during pleasant times and then when suffering comes, they scream and shout and struggle desperately. One must be able to dwell in the middle, between the two extremes. Once one understands the 'Majjhimā Paṭipadā' (the Middle Way) and looks from the middle with wisdom, one will no longer be carried away to either side.

Yogi: Right now, the sound of music in the neighbourhood is very noisy. They are playing songs loudly and continuously. As I have exams approaching, I am trying to study. Because of the loud music sounds, I am unable to concentrate on my studies.

Sayadaw: Whenever the mind goes towards the sound of the music, just be aware of it. Whenever the mind goes to the sound of the music, bring it back again and again to the side of studying, to the side where you need to focus. If there is liking or disliking towards that sound, the mind will keep going back to that sound. Therefore, first, be aware of the liking and disliking that is present. When there is no more liking or disliking, equanimity arises, and you no longer pay attention to the sound of the music. If that happens, you will be able to concentrate better on your studies. As long as there is liking and disliking, every time you hear the music, the mind will instinctively pay attention to it. If there is a mind of disliking towards the music sound, first be aware of that disliking mind. When the disliking is no longer there, your concentration will improve, your samadhi (stability of mind) will improve.

Yogi: The music sound is noisy and I hear it all day long. In the morning, my mind can still bear this sound. But by around the evening, I can't stand it anymore.

Sayadaw: Why is that? Because the disliking mind has been present for a long time. And the mind also assumes that it has been noisy the whole day. But if you aware directly at the present moment, the noise isn't happening for the whole day; it's only happening right now. If you assume it's been noisy the whole day, you can't bear it. You cannot hear "the whole day." You can only hear what is happening now. You can only hear what is happening in the present moment.

Yogi: When anger arises, by mindfully observing the angry mind, I gradually come to see that the cause of the anger is greed (lobha) – because what it wants doesn't happen.

Sayadaw: Looking for the cause of anger means looking for the cause from this side, the mind. Don't go looking for causes from the outside. If you go and look at the external causes, if you follow and think about them, it will become complicated. What is truly happening is the process happening on this side, the mind's process.

At first, there was no angry mind. Later, an angry mind arises. Why is that? What factors have been at work? We want to know these things. The external object is not the main point. No matter what the external object is, if you like it, it's agreeable; if you don't like it, it's disagreeable.

Asking you to find the root cause of defilements (kilesa) is not asking you to think about it. When searching for the cause, asking "Why" is not asking you to think; it's asking you to look. If greed is present, look to see the entire process of greed clearly. If anger is present, look to see the entire process of anger clearly. When greed is present, there will be feelings, there will be thoughts. These two are the main things. The practice is to look in such a way that you simultaneously see both the thoughts and the feelings.

Another thing is, if you want to know the cause, sometimes you need to know the process even before it arises to see and understand why it happens. If you only look at one part, it's not complete. In the thoughts, the mind will inevitably be talking about what it wants. Therefore, you can see through the thoughts. By continuously looking at the anger as it arises, you can see the cause – that it's because of wanting something, or desiring something to be a certain way. Within the thoughts themselves, the answer to why it's happening is already included. You just haven't been able to see it yet; you have not discovered it because you are not yet skilled in looking. That's why searching for the cause means being asked to “look”, not being asked to “think”. 

When you know something by thinking about it, that is not bhāvanā wisdom (experiential understanding); you only have the wisdom of intellectual thinking. Bhāvanā wisdom (experiential understanding) refers to the understanding that dawns from repeatedly looking at the experience itself. If you just keep thinking about why something happens without actually looking at it, it remains merely the intellect's wisdom. The experiential understanding does not arise. If you are thinking without looking at the experience, you miss observing what is actually happening. You fail to see the thoughts and feelings. You miss everything that is occurring on the side of direct experience.