Yogi: I find practicing with the sangha in the group sitting and walking in the meditation hall very positive with a strong atmosphere. Now with the no-schedule practice, I’m a little lost.

Sayadaw: Rather than think about a situation we find helpful but we don’t have at present (e.g. group sitting), we can make the situation work for ourselves – that’s the best way to help ourselves.

At home, not only do we not have the support from the outside to be mindful, the external is always pulling us away from mindfulness.

So, it is important to learn to use the strength within ourselves – the decision and intention to be mindful within ourselves – because when we use that, it becomes stronger.

When we use our own strength and wisdom to find out how to be aware, when we make our own effort without anybody’s help to be aware, when we find the faith in ourselves to be aware – that’s when these qualities grow stronger.

When we say we strengthen the mind, it’s when we use the wholesome qualities of the mind. We practice them and they become powerful.

In our whole lives, we have done things because other people are doing them and we follow the crowd. We need to think for ourselves and walk our own paths.

We must use our wisdom so that our wisdom will become stronger.