VEN KHEMA’S SHORT COLLECTION
of the Dhamma Sakkacca of Sayadaw U Tejaniya
(Batch 61—80)
61 | SOMETIMES WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHAT ONE IS AWARE OF ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT
When a yogi is meditating, sometimes what they are aware of and what's actually happening are completely different. What's happening is one thing, and what they are aware of is another. The yogi may not be aware of what is happening, and is forgetting to be aware.
For example, when the body is comfortable (or healthy/well) and the mind is consequently enjoying that feeling, but instead of being aware of that feeling of enjoyment, the yogi just keeps being aware of the in-breath and out-breath, then when they get sick or have a fever, they will suffer. The attention on the tip of the nose that they are always aware won't be able to save them.
That is why it's necessary for the yogi to know what object they are aware of during meditation and why they are aware of it. They need to investigate what other objects of awareness are available.
If the yogi isn't aware of what is happening but only stubbornly focuses their awareness on the chosen main object, then they won't know the states of mind that are enjoying things. In that case, attachments to experiences and sense objects are bound to arise.
The object the yogi is aware of and what is actually happening must reach comprehensive awareness, they need to have a wide view. They must know which objects the mind is becoming attached to. There are so many objects. Even if the meditator only focuses their awareness on this one object and doesn't get attached to this specific object, can they not get attached to the other objects? If they don't know, they will get attached. Even sitting comfortably creates attachment. When it feels good to sit, one even thinks, "I could sit like this all day."
62 | CONTEMPLATING IN TIMES OF EASE
Sayadaw: Sometimes, when people are doing well, they forget to be mindful. So, what should we contemplate during times of well-being? How should we reflect? If we are unmindful of our easeful situation and forget, attachments will arise. When everything is going smoothly, with no particular problems and no major suffering, people forget, become delighted with the situation, and get attached. If you lack mindfulness (sati), the mind is certain to feel delighted. When the mind is thus delighted, and a time of difficulty arrives, one cannot endure it – they suffer. The intensity of the suffering depends on the degree of delight (attachment) experienced during the time of ease.
For example, a yogi who is currently suffering severely from cancer is experiencing constant pain. For the mind not to react during such continuous pain, they must have had wisdom (insight) even during the times they were well. That is why we should consider, “How should we reflect during times of ease and good health? Should we wait for suffering in order to contemplate?” But suffering is not always present. So, it feels like we would have to create suffering just to contemplate. It is also practically true that to increase the endurance for suffering, one must face and confront suffering more often. However, since suffering is not constant yet, what should we reflect upon, and how should we practice during the times when suffering is absent and everything is going well? What deeper understanding should we have? It is very important to prepare in advance so that we are able to understand suffering when it actually occurs.
This morning, I woke up and checked my blood pressure; it was 125/75. Condition is good, and I feel fine. There is no inconvenience, no suffering. How should I reflect at that time? If I forget, I will think, "This is great, today is wonderful," and become pleased and delighted. If I am thus delighted, when the opposite situation arises, I will react strongly. If you don't want such explosions and outcries to happen when you become ill later on, you must do something now, while conditions are good. What should you do? What should you focus on? How should you practice?
Yogi: For me, I have a mind that is delighted with the smooth situation, and I also have a mind that is worried that this good situation will disappear. I repeatedly recognize these thoughts as they arise. When conditions are going well, the mind is already pleased.
Sayadaw: In that case, defilements (kilesa) have already arisen. To lessen these defilements, you must have mindfulness and wisdom during times of ease. You must contemplate and reflect upon such thoughts (defilements) every time you see them. After you contemplate the arising thoughts, as you just mentioned, and they lessen, what thought arises next, and what do you do?
Yogi: At that point, the understanding comes that this smooth situation is nothing special, and it is not something to cling on to (attach to).
Sayadaw: Wouldn't it be better if that understanding (wisdom) was present from the beginning? As you repeatedly contemplate every time an experience occurs, and wisdom repeatedly arises, eventually, that wisdom will arrive beforehand. Therefore, you must have mindfulness and wisdom even during times when everything is going well. You can practice this daily.
For example, yesterday, when I took a shower and turned on the tap, the water came out "woong" (strongly). That is a smooth situation. If you become attached to that feeling of pleasure, then whenever the electricity goes out and you can't shower well with the water spray, your mind will complain. As soon as you complain, anger (dosa) arises. Dosa is not only called dosa when you fight or yell. Disliking the situation (aversion) is already dosa. You must start practicing with these small matters and small anger. If you practice with small issues and small anger, it won't escalate into a big one. In reality, all conducive situations arise because the causes and conditions are complete. If you understand this, you will not be especially delighted. In the case of the shower, when the electricity is on, and the water pipe is in good order, the motor is working, and there is water – it is the arising of these causes that produces a result (the strong water spray). If you don't understand this, you become delighted, thinking every day, "Good, I like it," and then on the day the electricity goes out, you will lament, "Oh man!" Thus, there are many things to practice even during times of ease.
In the case of good blood pressure, one has to take many types of medicines to keep the blood pressure regulated. One is taking medicine because their health is not good, yet the mind is delighted by the good result. In reality, it is just cause and effect. The good blood pressure result is created by the medicine. If you understand that this is happening due to cause and effect, the thought of delight will not arise; you cannot be overly joyful. I always teach that all physical (rupa) and mental (nama) phenomena are effects that arise from causes.
There are many things that go smoothly every day. Even if you don't experience major suffering or sadness, don't be forgetful! If things are going well, recognize that things are going well, again and again.
63 | BEWARE OF THE INTENTION TO SPEAK; CONSIDER WITH WISDOM BEFORE SPEAKING
Yogi: It's difficult for me to be mindful when speaking. I often speak unmindfully.
Sayadaw: It is difficult because you have never practiced speaking with mindfulness. The Buddha said, "Bhāsite Sampajāna Kāro, Tuṇhībhāve Sampajāna Kāro" – meaning, "While speaking, one stays with mindfulness and wisdom; also in silence, one stays with mindfulness and wisdom." The instruction is already there. Furthermore, if you are aware of your own mind and can be aware of the intentions, then you can also be aware of those intentions when speaking. Why? Because you can't speak without the intention to talk. When the intention to talk arises, that intention is clearly obvious. If you can observe, or be mindful of that intention to talk, then you are also being mindful of the act of speaking itself.
There are forces of intention before you speak. If you notice what is pushing that intention to talk – if you know that state of intending to speak – you gain a small moment for consideration. You gain a "space." You can then consider, "Is it good to speak now or not? Is it beneficial or not?" If there is mindfulness (sati), wisdom (pañña) follows. Mindfulness and wisdom are always connected; so if there is mindfulness, there is potential for wisdom to enter. You will think, "Should I speak now, or later?" Skillful at speaking means being able to speak appropriately in a given situation. The Buddha's attribute "sugato" (well-spoken) refers to skillful speech. How is he skillful at speaking? He waits for the appropriate timing and speaks a single word or phrase that allows the other person to understand immediately.
You can practice skillful speaking while practicing the Dhamma (meditation). If you are mindful every time you speak, you will no longer speak nonsense. When some people speak, they speak unmindfully, saying unnecessary things, and their relationships have problems. Since it has become a habit, they always speak that way. Some people include words in their speech that sound like subtle digs, provocations, or sarcasm towards the other person. Because people have underlying defilements (kilesa), there are states of like and dislike present. When people speak unmindfully of this, the defilements rush in and out as they please, and the defilements insert words without the person even knowing it. Since there is no mindfulness, the defilements get the opportunity to carry out their work. That is why if you are not mindful while speaking, things will always be confusing, and problems unending.
If you know how to speak with mindfulness and wisdom, you will also only speak whenever necessary. When I was practicing meditation in the market, I read the Dhamma Rammasi magazines. I really liked the eight precepts that elaborated on false speech (musāvāda). The eight precepts that did not require avoiding the evening meal. What are they? "Not lying, not gossiping, not using harsh speech, and not slandering." This means moderating your speech. If you do this, mindfulness is included every time you speak. You also won't speak much. Progress in the Dhamma is very fast. When people are not aware, they speak unbeneficial things and gossip. If talk about others' bad things is included, it becomes gossip. Make it a habit to be mindful every time you speak. In truth, if you are always observing the mind, everything else is included.
◉ When Anger Speaks, Do Not Believe a Word of It
| Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 29 November 2025 [Edited for clarity by Chan Lai Fun]Yogi: This morning, while I was talking on the phone about a problem, I was mindful and aware of the mind. But immediately after the call ended, there was a sudden surge — waves of anger rising strongly. The anger didn't manifest outwardly, but tears flowed on their own. While speaking on the phone, I even sounded calm, saying ‘okay, okay,’ but the moment I hung up, together with thoughts, anger welled up intensely. My skin trembled continuously and tears kept falling. The story is, I had helped those people with a lot of money, but now when it’s time to repay, they said they cannot repay. So after ending the call, much anger came up and many tears streamed out.
Sayadaw: In life, there are times when you endure losses. Sometimes the lesson learned comes at a high price. When you have endured such things before, you gain experience.
Loss is something we encounter repeatedly. If you learn to take lessons when the loss is small, then when a big one comes, it is easier to bear.
Living in this world, we inevitably face loss — loss of possessions, loss of people; something will always be lost. It is important to develop resilience. Ultimately, we even lose this very body. This body that we cling to as “my body,” that we speak about — we will have to relinquish it. In Burmese, we say “possessions are saṅkhāra, people are saṅkhāra” — meaning everything is impermanent phenomena. The more you experience, the more mature you become.
Why did tears come out? Because the mind was agitated. Tears do not arise simply because you did not get the money back. This is the nature of cittaja-rūpa — mind-produced matter. Even in crying, you can learn something. Tears do not appear without a cause; they arise because the mind is agitated. When happy, tears also come out, don’t they? When agitation arises, cittaja-rūpa manifests. If you can understand this as Dhamma, it is beneficial.
Also, not every time anger arises do tears come out. Some people, when angry, never shed tears — only fists come out. When the mind is stirred, emotions arise, and tears follow. For example, when the desire to eat appears, does saliva not come out? Who ordered it to come out? Did you command it? Did you want it to come out? It arises according to its nature. When the desire to eat arises, the body produces saliva. This is cittaja-rūpa. I am explaining this so that you understand the nature of the body, how mind and matter are connected and working together. By observing crying again and again, you will come to understand cittaja-rūpa.
Yogi: At that time, thoughts such as, “These people only call me when they need something,” arose in my mind — blaming the other side.
Sayadaw: At times like this, whatever the mind says — do not believe any of it. When anger is present, whatever the mind wants to say, absolutely do not believe it. If you believe it, the anger will intensify. At such moments, the mind will not say anything good; it will only produce thoughts that provoke more anger. When anger arises, not a single thought is correct — they are all distorted. At that time, the mind only thinks in ways that generate more anger. Do not take hold of the stories it tells. Do not follow or indulge them.
When those thoughts support the intense, strong feeling, tears come, isn’t that so? The nature of the mind is fast. When the mind arises, it is extremely quick. Because the mind is so fast, the body also changes instantly. You need to know and understand the cause and effect of mind and matter—like this.
◉ The Meditation Mind Must Be Equanimous (Upekkhā) in Every Situation
| Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 8 December 2025 [Edited for clarity by Chan Lai Fun]Yogi: Is it that only obvious suffering can be seen as dukkha? I was wondering whether we can also recognise the small, constantly occurring forms of dukkha—the minor dukkha that happen in small, everyday matters—as dukkha as well?
Sayadaw: Exactly. In what the Buddha taught, there is only “the truth of dukkha” (dukkha sacca). So can the times when things are going well also be understood as dukkha? For example, Sayadaw U Jotika once asked: “How can one understand a state of good samādhi (stability of mind) as dukkha?” When samādhi is good, the feelings of calm and peace are pleasant—so how can such moments be understood as dukkha? People cannot recognise these states as dukkha. Insight that sees them as dukkha did not arise. But in truth, that too is dukkha. The Buddha taught that all mind and matter, without exception, are dukkha. So when one is in a pleasant moment, how will one know the characteristic of dukkha? When conditions are good, people feel calm and pleasant, and dukkha is no longer seen.
The meditation mind—the observing mind—must be upekkhā (equanimity). No matter how pleasant an experience is, the observing mind must be upekkhā. No matter how strong the samādhi is, no matter how pleasant or stable it feels, the meditation mind must be upekkhā. When you are experiencing pleasant moments, just check this point once.
Without wisdom, equanimity does not arise. When wisdom arises, equanimity arises. When one is enjoying pleasure, equanimity does not arise; when facing something unpleasant, equanimity also does not arise. Equanimity arises only when things are neither good nor bad—when the mind is balanced. On the side of the object, it may be wholesome or unwholesome. But on the side of the observing mind, it must be upekkhā. If one does not pay attention to this point and becomes attached to or carried away by the object, then upekkhā does not arise. For the meditation mind to be upekkhā, some degree of wisdom and awareness must be present.
Lately, I often remind yogis that even during pleasant times they must remain with a mind of equanimity—they must keep returning to the middle. When the experience is pleasant, one must return to the middle. If not, one will cling to one extreme. If that happens, it is certain that when dukkha comes, one will cling to the opposite extreme.
Glossary:
dukkha :
a) unsatisfactoriness, pain, suffering
b) the suffering in change
c) the unsatisfactory nature of all existence, of all conditioned phenomena
d) one of the three universal characteristics of existence (see anicca and anatta), understanding dukkha is a liberating insight (paññā)
You Will Only Practise Consistently If You Are Always Thinking About the Practice
| Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 8 December 2025 [Edited for clarity by Chan Lai Fun]
Yogi: At home, I don't practise much. Mindfulness doesn't stick. The times when mindfulness is present are very few.
Sayadaw: It's not enough. Even while staying at home, you must practise as much as you can; only then will you become familiar with the Dhamma. When there is no intention to maintain mindfulness, the times of being unmindful become many. You only remember to practise meditation at certain times, such as when you are in front of the Buddha image.
Every single day, just as you undertake the precepts upon waking up in the morning, you must make a plan to practise meditation. As soon as you get up from bed, set your mind like this: “Today I will live with mindfulness, I will live with Dhamma; whatever I do, I will do with awareness.” Only when you have this mental attitude, this intention, will you practise more. Only then will there be a path. If there is no path, you will not do it. You must constantly contemplate the practice; only then will you practise. As soon as you wake up, train yourself to turn your mind towards the practice of meditation.
People’s nature has become delusion (moha). Because they have always lived with delusion, being mindful becomes difficult. It is easy to be unmindful, but trying to be mindful feels difficult. Because they have lived with delusion for so long, delusion has become their nature. That's why when people try to be mindful, it feels difficult.
Yogi: Even though you, Sayadaw, say, “What is so difficult about being mindful? Just know it,” for me, just that knowing feels very difficult.
Sayadaw: Because you have lived with delusion and it has gained momentum, delusion does not want to live with mindfulness; it does not want to practise. It only wants to remain as it is. “More fire, fire wins; more water, water wins” — this Burmese saying refers to that. If you say being mindful is difficult and therefore live without mindfulness, you will spend your whole life under delusion, and when you die with delusion, where do you think you will go?
Therefore, Shwe Oo Min Sayadawgyi said: “When practising meditation, practise sincerely, respectfully, and earnestly.” If you guard the Dhamma, the Dhamma will guard you in return. How much the Dhamma guards you depends on how much you guard it. If you don’t guard it, how will it guard you? This is cause and effect.
◉ KNOWING THE QUALITY OF AWARENESS
| Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 25 December 2025 [Edited for clarity by Chan Lai Fun]Yogi: Knowing seems to happen at different levels, with different qualities. Sometimes awareness knows only one object; sometimes it knows many objects. Sometimes it zooms in; sometimes it has a wide view. Sometimes the quality of awareness is very sharp; at other times it is not sharp and feels blurry.
Sayadaw: Just notice what is happening. Depending on the quality of your mind, awareness will be different. Whatever happens is okay.
Yogi: I was wondering how I can take care of the quality of awareness.
Sayadaw: Just keep knowing the quality of awareness consistently. If awareness is good, you can investigate why it is good. If the quality is weak, you also need to investigate why it is weak.
The important thing is to remain aware consistently. When awareness is consistent, you will be able to understand why these differences happen. You will see the reasons when awareness is consistent.
If awareness becomes stronger or weaker, you need to know what was happening before that – what you were doing, or what you were talking about before this experience.
Yogi: So does that mean I have to look for the conditions that make awareness sharp?
Sayadaw: Yes, that is correct. Just be aware of the quality of awareness.
You need to investigate why awareness is sometimes good and sometimes not good.
Investigate how to maintain the good quality of awareness, and how you are relating to it.
Be aware consistently – before it happens, during happening, and after it has happened. You need to notice each part clearly.
◉ Ordinary Awareness Is Not Enough — Dhamma-Awareness Must Be Present
| Dhamma Discussion with Sayadaw U Tejaniya 28 December 2025 [Edited for clarity by Chan Lai Fun]Ordinary awareness is something almost everyone has. People certainly have attention, but it lacks wisdom; there is no Dhamma-awareness in it. What people commonly call awareness is merely sensory perception, not Dhamma-awareness. If one practises meditation, Dhamma-awareness must be present.
True Dhamma-awareness arises only when one is aware with the right view (sammā-diṭṭhi) and right attitude. Merely knowing conventional concepts is not Dhamma-awareness. We say we know heat and cold—but doesn’t a dog also know heat and cold? Since a dog knows heat and cold, can we say it understands ultimate reality (paramattha)? Simply knowing heat and cold cannot be called knowing reality, nor is it Dhamma-awareness.
Dhamma-awareness means being able to understand the object one is aware of with right view (sammā-diṭṭhi) and right attitude. It is called Dhamma-awareness only when one understands that what is happening is not a person or a being, but a natural phenomenon. Ordinary awareness is something everyone has. Everyone knows what is sweet, salty, or bitter. When hungry, everyone knows they are hungry. Yet they do not clearly understand, “This is mind” and “This is body.” They do not have the kind of awareness that sees hunger as a mind–matter (nāma–rūpa) process, not a person or a being, but merely nature.
When ironing and being careful not to touch the hot iron, that is ordinary awareness—there is no Dhamma-awareness in it, so it cannot be called Dhamma-awareness.
That is why right view (sammā-diṭṭhi) must be explained first. Right view is crucial. Without right view, there is no vipassanā, and no Dhamma-awareness. Although everyone knows things, most of their knowing is conceptual—knowing in terms of “I” and “mine.” When walking and stepping on a stone, everyone feels pain in the foot. But the ordinary knowing is usually, “I am in pain,” “My foot hurts.” People think in terms of “I,” don’t they?
Dhamma-awareness is the opposite of this. It is the kind of awareness that sees, “This is not I,” “This is not mine.” Only then can it be called Dhamma-awareness. Even if one does not yet have this kind of awareness, one should at least reflect on it. At an intellectual level, one must change one’s view—right view must first be established. Later, when true understanding arises, it is directly realised.
People know what is happening in their bodies, but they grasp it with conceptual awareness—personality view, “I”-awareness—holding it as “mine.” Even people who are depressed know that they are feeling down. But knowing it as “I am depressed” makes it worse. Because the knowing is accompanied by wrong view, the more one knows it in this way, the worse it gets. Observing oneself with wrong view leads to greater agitation.
When I myself was suffering from depression, if I thought, “I am depressed,” my hands would begin to shake, and the condition became worse. When serving soup in public, my hands trembled so much that I could hardly serve. Even though I was aware of what was happening, because there was no Dhamma-awareness, I suffered greatly.
There is a fundamental difference between ordinary knowing and knowing in terms of Dhamma. The underlying view is completely opposite.
When walking, there should be two aspects present: the contact or touching, and the knowing mind. As the revered late Shwe Oo Min Sayadawgyi said, “If there is only one, it is not Dhamma. It is only Dhamma when there are two.” If there are two—the object and the knowing mind—then one is practising meditation. Only when these two are clearly distinguished—this is the object, this is the knowing consciousness—does Dhamma-awareness arise.