Yogi: Are the thinking mind and awareness mind the same? Because when the mind is aware, it cannot think, and when the mind thinks, it cannot be aware.

Sayadaw: Knowing and thinking minds are different; they have different functions.

Now the awareness is not strong enough; that’s why you use a lot of energy to be aware. When that happens, the mind cannot think. And when the mind uses too much energy to think, it cannot be aware.

Beginners have this problem. But later when the awareness becomes stronger, you can see thinking and awareness together because the mind is very fast and quick.

When the awareness is not good, when you try to be aware, the mind cannot do other things. When the mind is faster, then you can notice many things happenings in the mind at the same time.