DAYDREAMING ON THE CUSHION

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 5 (15:35-19:45)

Yogi: My mind keeps slipping away into daydreaming during the sit, and I really want to get out of the sitting. It doesn’t happen when I’m active. 

There are moments when I’m awake after struggling, but do I need to go through this fight?

Sayadaw: Day dreaming and night dreaming are the same – they’re thinking.

You need to give your mind work – your mind is idling during sitting meditation. In sitting meditation, the mind has less to do and not so alert. 

You need to direct the mind. Try to ask yourself constantly from the start of the sit: Am I thinking or am I aware? Check again and again if you’re thinking or aware.

DEALING WITH SLEEPINESS

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 6 (23:33-25:15)

Yogi: I often get sleepy while sitting. I don’t want it to become a habit and try not to be sleepy, but it is difficult to accept sleepiness and not be averse because I don’t want to fall asleep. 

I do ask questions to ignite interest, but it is difficult.

Sayadaw: Just try and if you cannot, get up. Don’t stay sitting and sleepy. 

Yogi: I still feel sleepy when I stand. 

Sayadaw: Walk; and if you feel sleepy when you’re walking, go and sleep. And, sometimes you’ll be sleepy when you sit, stand and walk and when you finally go and sleep, you wake up.

If the mind is tired, you just need to let it rest.

AWARENESS AND OBJECT ARE DIFFERENT BUT THEY HAPPEN TOGETHER

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 4 (40:43-41:40)

Yogi: Everything that I see, there is a knowing of what it is. I thought that they are 2 different things, yet they are always coming together. 

Sayadaw: Yes, they do happen together because they are part of the same process. 

Whatever happens doesn’t necessary happen one at a time. Many functions happen together; we’re just figuring out that one is a different nature and the other is a different nature but they’re happening together.

WHEN FINDING OUT WHY LEADS TO MORE THINKING

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 4 (22:14-23:45)

Sayadaw: If you’re used to thinking, you don’t need to think now – you just need to observe with some curiosity. 

If there’s anger now, we’re not fixing the anger but observing what is anger, how does it work and what is it doing; and what do I know when I observe it. 

Just observe; don’t think about it. You need to observe for a long time before you get answers. You must be patient.

Yogi: I don’t have to know why I’m angry or why I’m anxious?

Sayadaw: No. First, you just need to observe continuously. 

Yogi: I find it difficult because the thinking of why I’m angry or anxious starts automatically.

Sayadaw: You acknowledge the thought and bring the mind back to the sensation and the feeling repeatedly.

MEDITATION IS NOT DOING THIS TO GET THAT

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 6 (1:14:30-1:14:55)

When we meditate, we never think of meditation as if I did it this way, then maybe I could get it that way.

That’s not how we meditate. Meditation is just open, like what do I know. Whatever happens happens. And, none of it should be like this or should be like that.

GIVE THE MIND A TASK TO DO WHEN WE PRACTICE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 4 (1:26:48-1:29:25)

Yogi: I give myself a task to see if it is possible to feel, see and hear at the same time. Is it?

Sayadaw: Of course.

Yogi: I can’t.

Sayadaw: At first, you will experience the switching; it’s fine because the awareness is not so fast at the start of the retreat.

Yogi: The training keeps me awake.

Sayadaw: That’s the most important thing – that the mind has a task. If it’s working, then it’ll be awake; if it no longer has a task, it gets dull.

Meditation is mind work; so, the mind has to have something to work on.

What can the mind do? It can pay attention or think about what it is doing. If we know how to think, it will help us to observe. 

Whatever I say is just to help us to think or it may lead to other things that are helpful to us, like now you’ve found a task that is interesting.

Sometimes we hear other people’s experiences and we think that it’s interesting – we have something similar and we go and investigate. That keeps us awake and aware. 

WHEN THE MIND TURNS QUIET

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 6 (53:56-56:20)

Yogi: The sit was good until many thoughts arose. I told myself that they were just the work of the mind and the mind became calm. Then, there was nothing happening except for the breath.

Sayadaw: When it becomes quiet, check which is the object and which is the awareness. Can you see?

They are different and you can see in every experience – when you watch your breath, do you know that breath is the object, and do you know the awareness? When you watch sensation, do you know that sensation is the object and do you know the awareness? 

When you know the thoughts, do you know the awareness?

THE POINT OF BEING AWARE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 5 (01:00-07:23)

Yogi: I’m simulating practice in daily life – I notice that I’m late in seeing thoughts and that does not help to prevent unwholesome thoughts and actions. And, that’s not useful in daily life.

Can we really be aware of thoughts as they occur? That can prevent unwholesome actions. 

Sayadaw: It is possible for the mind to be aware of thinking or whatever else it is doing. For example, you can be aware while walking; and that is simultaneous. So, it is the same with thinking because thinking is another object.

The error in assumption is if you will know what is happening, you can prevent what is happening. That is not the point of being aware.

The point of being aware is to know. The only thing that can prevent the unwholesome or encourage the wholesome is wisdom; and that comes from practice and realization. And that takes time. 

WHEN WE’RE CARELESS IN GOOD TIMES, WE’LL SUFFER MORE IN BAD TIMES

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 4 (1:46:56-1:48:45)

Always remember that when the meditation doesn’t seem to be working – like when it’s foggy or not working the way it should, just stop. 

When business is not good, we should stop and regroup to figure out what is wrong with the business.

When it’s fine, yes, we can just go with the flow, but when something is off, we shouldn’t just keep trying.

We stop for a while and check what is in the mind – how and why is the mind trying to do this, and generally you’ll see the greed.

Probably what’s more subtle is to notice that when things are going well, it’s much harder to detect the greed and attachment to keeping it the way it is. Although we’re helpless to doing anything about it except watch, try to notice that because when greed comes in and the next day if things don’t come our way, then it’s aversion that arises to cause the cloudiness, difficulty and all that. 

JUST BE AWARE OF WHAT IS THERE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 6 (1:17:45-1:18:10)

Yogi: When I do standing meditation, I can’t feel the aversion, but I know that I want to walk away.

Sayadaw: You know that you want to walk away – watch that feeling. 

You can’t see aversion clearly; it’s fine. You don’t have to look for something that is not there – what’s there is the feeling of wanting to walk away, and you watch that.

HOW TO BE AWARE OF THOUGHTS

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 5 (9:55-11:25)

Yogi: How can I be aware of my thoughts as they happen?

Sayadaw: Right now when we are trying to practice, when we have to intentionally think, it is hard to be mindful because we also have to intend to be mindful.

It’s hard for the mind to do consciously when there are two intentions at the same time. But when you have been intentionally mindful for a long time, when the mind has some understanding of the nature of the awareness, the nature of thinking, the nature of knowing the object, then you can try to think of something and you’ll know that there is thinking, not because you’re trying to be aware, but because the awareness has become familiar with what thinking is. 

So you just need to practice to be mindful continuously. 

WE CAN’T FOCUS ON THE MIND LIKE WE FOCUS ON EXTERNAL OBJECTS

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 5 (1:10:43-1:14:43)

Yogi: I was aware of sound and bodily sensations and tried to be aware of the awareness of sound and sensations. But it was too late and stressful.

Sayadaw: Don’t try to be aware of the awareness. In this instance, it is clear that the awareness is present. Just know the distinction between the object and the awareness, that you’re clear there is awareness. 

Rather than try to know the awareness, point to it with the question: Do I know that I’m aware? If there’s a sense that awareness is present, that’s enough. Don’t try to focus or lock in on it.

Usually, we don’t look at reality; we understand reality.

We can’t focus on the mind like we focus on the external objects. 

You can know the mind by its activity, movement and intention.

You can know what passes by, but to focus on it like you would on your leg, you will over focus and it will feel out of sync. 

The mind is subtle and always shifting and you can’t grip it. 

MINDFULNESS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE GOOD

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 5 (1:07:20-1:10:27)

Yogi: So much is going on in daily activities – I have to concentrate on chopping the vegetables and I have to concentrate on being aware. I have so many sensations and thoughts and my mind is so busy and complex. Sometimes I’m aware and sometimes not.

Do I have to be aware of everything?

My meditation appears better in formal practice than in daily activities.

Sayadaw: Mindfulness doesn’t have to be good – you just have to try to be mindful. 

When you lose it, you come back – you lose it, you come back. That’s all that is needed.

If we keep practicing, the way mindfulness feels changes just because we keep trying. 

Don’t expect it to be like sitting. In sitting, it’s quiet and it seems like it is better mindfulness. That’s just an illusion; it only seems like it is better.

AWARENESS IS NEVER TOO LATE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 6 (1:19:45-1:20:14)

Yogi: Often I’m too late recognizing what is happening – I want to know the thoughts that send me to doing something. When I realize it, I’m already there drinking tea.

Sayadaw: Now you’re aware – start now. You’re aware that you’re drinking tea.

It’s not late; you’re just aware now.

ADVICE FOR THE FAST WORKER

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 4 (1:12:16-1:13:45)

Sayadaw: I notice that you do things fast.

If we do something quickly, it can quickly agitate the mind because of the energy we put in to be quick. 

When we are relaxed and we have to react to something, we can even see just how much energy is needed to respond. 

Yogi: Sometimes I do, and I tell myself there is no need and it is better to be slow and steady as in a marathon. 

Sayadaw: Yes, and there’s no competition because you’re the only one running.