Yogi: I notice a lot of things happening in the mind. Sometimes I try to note, but the process of noting is too slow; the mind is faster. Noting works for emotions because they stay longer, but when I note ‘hearing’ or ‘seeing’, I tend to get lost.
Sayadaw: Labeling a little at the beginning is okay if it helps the mind to recognize what it is doing or to anchor the mind. But don’t make it a habit; don’t use it as a crutch.
When there are lots of things to know, then the labeling becomes messy and confusing.
There are experiences which we don’t have a convenient label for, but we know what it is. Although we cannot name it, it’s enough to know it even if we cannot name it.
(Later in the same Group A Interviews)
Sayadaw: Whatever you experience, don’t name, describe, or interpret it – just watch it. We can name, describe, or interpret it in many ways, but that goes into the concepts/thinking; we want to get into the nature of what the experience is.