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.