Yogi: In the sit, how should I choose a focused awareness, an open awareness, or metta practice and switch from one to the other?

Sayadaw: Yogis are often unsure when to do focused awareness or open awareness – if the mind is busy, then focused awareness will be more suitable for settling the mind. When the mind is settled and there is momentum in awareness, then you can allow the awareness to take in more objects.

If any time we find that having a metta attitude in our practice is helpful, it is always a skillful means. When we’re skillful, we just apply it in the practice – it doesn’t matter what we call it.

When there are challenging experiences, when the mind cannot observe in a neutral way, then focus solely on the feelings of the associated aversion or craving thoughts, cutting off the thoughts.

The most important thing ultimately is the awareness, maintaining the awareness with right attitude. When a particular object cannot stabilize the awareness, then we use whatever objects to stabilize the awareness – whether it’s metta practice or a neutral vipassana object or a samatha object.

The reason we are confused is that we divide samatha and vipassana practices. We should rather learn how and when each practice helps us – discover for ourselves what works.