Wisdom investigates from a distance, not touching the experience

| Kalaw Retreat 2016 Day 5 Dhamma Discussion Group B File: 20160401 (30:06-31:08)

Inquiry is not controlling; inquiry is more of watching, not touching the experience. It just sees the experience from any angle, from more angles.

There is no need to touch the experience. Wisdom may change the angle of investigation; but it is not controlling, which is very obvious.

Slowly you can understand that nature is working. Defilements arise when you investigate too much, and then the mind becomes tense, not peaceful and not relaxed. First you need to recognize that defilement is there, then you take off the defilement; and then much later, you know how to watch.

Good time to learn when you’re sick

| Kalaw Retreat 2016 Day 4 Dhamma Discussion Group D File: 20160331 (36:05-37:15)

Meditators and non-meditators react differently when they are sick. Long time meditators when they are sick, the mind calms down, more aware, don’t think too much; the mind is more passive. Non-meditators become angry when they are sick, and then the mind exaggerates the anger.

Thinking the right way – it is not personal, it is nature, it is a physical process, it is a mental process, it becomes nature - then the mind becomes more interested.

If you think ‘I’ – ‘I’m sick, my body is sick, my mind is sick’ – then anger comes and the mind becomes more messy.

When you’re sick, it is a good time to learn about this process, how the mind reacts to this object.

Do you encourage yogis to sit longer?

| Kalaw Retreat 2016 Day 4 Dhamma Discussion Group D File: 20160331 (52:38-53:34)

If the mind is light and the energy is good, it is okay; not if, as you sit longer, the mind becomes weaker and weaker, and drowsiness comes. I also don’t encourage yogis to sit for too long because I want them to bring the awareness to other activities besides sitting.

Also, they may be attached to sitting. But we are not trying to get rid of the sitting; we try to get rid of the attachment to sitting.

It depends on the situation. Check your quality of mind while sitting – if it is awake and alert, sitting the whole day isn’t a problem.

When doubt arises, make it the object of your awareness

| Kalaw Retreat 2016 Day 4 Dhamma Discussion Group D File: 20160331 (53:38-54:04)

When you have doubt, you cannot do anything. See the doubt – Oh, doubt is there!
Be aware of your doubt; doubt becomes your object. Then, you don’t have to struggle.

Wanting with a wholesome mind, not with craving

| Kalaw Retreat 2016 Day 4 Dhamma Discussion Group D File: 20160331 (58:14-58:43)

Craving wants; and wisdom also wants. Wisdom knows that this is right, this is good; it knows, that’s why it wants. But delusion is different – delusion thinks that it is good; that’s why it wants. Think and know are different. Think is don’t know. Know is knowing clearly what is right or wrong; that’s why it wants. 

(59:02-1:00:13)

Wanting is not always craving. Wisdom and craving have their own characteristics; their quality of mind will show you. Wisdom wants because it knows that it is right, it is good; that’s why it knows that it wants. When wisdom wants, the mind does not suffer, the mind is not tense and good energy comes – there is interest and the mind is awake, that’s why the energy is good. 

But when craving wants, the mind is tense. Craving simply wants; it doesn’t understand need or not. Craving nature doesn’t understand need or not; it just wants, just holds and cannot let go.