BE SIMPLE AND OPEN WHEN WE’RE AWARE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 17 (56:25-1:02:37)

Yogi: In the evening, I was calmly doing walking meditation and investigated the unpleasant energy field in my shoulder. The unpleasantness in the body got stronger and stronger, but I couldn’t see any reaction in the mind.

Finally, I stopped watching the mind and noticed that the tension in the shoulder went back to normal.

I was surprised that I couldn’t see the reaction in the mind; it was like the doors were closed.

Sayadaw: It is okay. You’re already seeing quite a lot.

When you check the mind, check if the mind has an idea of how it thinks aversion will represent itself. So, do not to have an idea what you think you will find when you look for the reaction to the unpleasantness.

Theoretically, the logic is when it is getting more unpleasant, there must be more reaction in the mind. But if the mind thinks that the reaction must be seen in a certain way, it might be off focused – the reaction might be there but you’re not seeing what is there because you’re expecting to see something else.

It could also be possible that the mind is not reacting because you describe the sensation as an energy field, which represents that the mind doesn’t see it as a solid block of unending pain. It sees its nature more, then it could be body-based without the mind reacting, not something that is influenced by the mind.

BE CONTENT TO BE MINDFUL AND THE LEARNING WILL HAPPEN

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 17 (1:21:20-1:28:35)

Yogi: When there is no strong greed or aversion, I’m still attentive, but I notice the energy getting lower and I’m not so content with that, but I don’t have any real useful means to investigate.

Sayadaw: If the mind always has the right attitude, like it is always simple, just beginner’s mind all the time, it is content to just be mindful and it doesn’t matter if the moment is calm or otherwise, if it just likes to be mindful continuously, even that will help the mind to learn.

If you’re mindful continuously, if it has momentum and we take care of the cultivation of awareness, the rest of the mind will do its own work. But the mind has to be content.

RECOGNIZE THAT OLD HABITS TAKE TIME TO CHANGE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 16 (08:00-12:03)

Yogi: I took a long hike yesterday – I was feeling really joyful, sometimes with grasping. When I returned, thoughts were going wild and I realized that it was self-doubt and all about the self, like if I was a good yogi.

Sayadaw: There are some qualities of the mind, some activities of the mind, which are such a habit of the mind that it takes time to understand them and to become free of them.

Yogi: It will still take a lot of time.

Sayadaw: Only practice one day at a time.

Whether you’re a good or a bad yogi, it is fine just as long as you’re a yogi.

NO OBSERVATION IS EVER WASTED

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 16 (51:53-53:48)

Yogi: The mind goes back so often to my childhood and adolescence, especially on retreat, for hours and hours. I recall memories and make them up again and again, all the people, relatives and things.

This goes on and on and on – it’s like the mind is chewing on it, especially before sleeping, like a lullaby. I can’t make out what is behind it, why my mind is so interested in these old stories.

Sayadaw: You will find it. It is not for nothing – there is something the mind is attached to; that is why it comes back over and over again.

As you observe, you’ll see.

WHEN THE DEFILEMENTS ARE SUBTLE AND THE MIND GETS BORED

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 17 (1:26:45-1:27:41)

Yogi: It is like a stagnation when the defilements are subtle and the mind gets a little bored. How can I investigate when there are no strong inputs to observing?

Sayadaw: Even when we continue to be mindful and the mindfulness gains momentum, we’ll still have moments when we go up and we go down; and every time we go up and down, there is a chance for the mind to investigate why it goes up, why it goes down.

From that learning, and when all those other insights about our practice become steadier, that’s when the practice starts to feed itself and we keep progressing.

But before that, we have to make some effort to explore and learn.

SELF CONSCIOUSNESS CREATES TENSION

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 18 (16:22-17:50)

Yogi: When walking, I could feel some stiffness in my lower back; it was particularly stiff when I crossed path with Sayadaw along the corridor.

Sayadaw: The selfing creates tension. When we’re alone, it is not so obvious; when somebody passes us, it becomes more obvious because once there is another, there has to be a self.

LETTING THE PRACTICE HAPPEN BY ITSELF

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 18 (22:34-27:40)

Yogi: During working meditation, I panicked a little from doubt, greed and aversion. And I recalled Sayadaw telling a yogi to just leave it to the Dhamma.

You don’t get involved with the defilements but just do your job of being aware. This was a big release and joy arose when I realized that I didn’t have to overcome the defilement.

Sayadaw: In the beginning, it’s all about me – we suffer is ‘me’, the practice is ‘me’ and all we know is ‘me’. Then, we practice and we see that what we’re observing is not ‘me’ and eventually we’ll see that the practicing is not ‘me’ also – everything is just processes.

When there is momentum, we see this more and more clearly – everything has its own momentum. Then, there’s a real understanding of anatta, that everything is just cause and effect.

When you feel there is a good momentum, just stop observing and then you will see observing is still happening by itself.

When we’re very involved in being mindful, the practice can get very strong, but we’re still involved in the practice. We don’t see that the practice is happening.

Sometimes, when there is that much momentum, it helps to stop observing; and then you see that it is doing it. Then, you see that there is a cause and effect that brings that momentum.

WHEN WE SEE THE VALUE OF LEARNING, WE WILL PERSIST

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 16 (1:05:49-1:09:07)

Yogi: I’m trying to be aware now because I usually get lost during interviews and looking at the benefits of being aware, it is quite amazing. The mind feels broader and can receive more information; and I’m not so tense.

In everyday life, it can be quite fun to be mindful if I could see the benefits. I tried to be aware in daily life, but I didn’t look at the benefit and would let go of the awareness because it was a lot of work to be mindful.

I can see the benefits now: my mind is less tired and more open, and I can get more information without losing out on what others are saying. It is quite amazing.

Sayadaw: Great. Just for that, this retreat has been worth it. When we see the value of the practice, we’ll keep doing it.

BITS OF WISDOM ARISE WHEN AWARENESS IS CONSISTENT

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 18 (10:02-12:30)

Yogi: Today’s sit was like a shift after an hour. Everything changed when my perception changed – the awareness and object were still there.

The pain changed – it retreated to the background, and I could sit another hour. I never could do that before and I was happy.

When I opened my eyes, the thought came that everything I saw was falling apart – only processes going on. I felt happy.

Sayadaw: We just have to gather all these little bits of wisdom – we have to always allow them to arise by being mindful.

RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS CULTIVATING AWARENESS

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 17 (1:27:52-1:28:40)

If the mind can maintain the right attitude – like it is always simple, just beginner’s mind all the time, it will help the mind to learn.

If we are content to be mindful and it doesn’t matter whether the moment is calm or otherwise, if we just like to be mindful continuously, even that will help the mind to learn.

If we take care of the cultivation of awareness, the rest of the mind will do its own work. But we have to be content.

A REMINDER FOR LONG-TIME YOGIS ON MOMENTUM

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 17 (1:29:14-1:30:50)

Practicing for many years doesn’t mean that we’ve been practicing continuously. If we have, our practice changes over the months and years.

In the beginning we’re just following instructions, then things start to shift – we don’t have to do things the same way we used to, and we have to recognize those changes and allow for them.

Sometimes, we don’t have to be trying so hard and making ourselves so tense. We learn the basic principles, but we have to start to see what is happening now and learn for ourselves.

For some of us who are not practicing continuously – we have an intensive practice for a while followed by a relaxed period and repeating that, then it progresses in a different way.

Every time we relax, there is a decreasing of the results that come with momentum; and when we restart intensive practice, it’s like we have to gather the momentum again. We have to accept that we’re almost like beginners again.

We can be more accepting of it if we understand that this is the process.

WHEN WISDOM IS LACKING, JUST BE AWARE – DON’T THINK

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 16 (1:21:20-1:25:40)

Yogi: I have a problem with obsessive thoughts. I keep on getting anxious over disappointing others. I’m quite fed up of these thoughts. I know the reasons but it doesn’t help – I thought I have to be familiar with the thoughts, give them space or treat them like noises, but it doesn’t change anything.

I can accept my anxiety and be okay with it, but I’m fed up with the pattern behind it.

Sayadaw: When the mind likes something a lot or dislikes something a lot, it will think of it obsessively. It is basically the aversion to what you have to face – and that aversion is feeding the thoughts.

Yogi: I know, I know; but it still doesn’t change anything.

Sayadaw: When anxiety is still there, we keep watching it.

When something keeps bothering us, we keep on wanting to get to the bottom of it.

Make the mindfulness stronger first before coming back to it. Until we understand it, it will keep on bothering us.

Yogi: My problem is I don’t manage to see what is behind it.

Sayadaw: Continue to watch.

Yogi: Do I watch continuously what is behind it?

Sayadaw: Don’t think about it; just be aware continuously without thinking about it.

WATCH DEFILEMENT IN TANDEM WITH HOW ATTITUDE IS ADJUSTED

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 18 (02:26-04:47)

Yogi: Did Sayadaw say that when there is an unwholesome mind, not to fuel it by being aware of it, but come away and go to the breath?

Sayadaw: Not quite like that. The instruction is to watch aversion, but to be careful when watching aversion. If it is growing, then use a neutral object instead of watching the aversion.

The first instruction is to know aversion, not to avoid it.

Yogi: I understand that, but it’s not easy to find the balance because when I’m watching something particularly unpleasant, I feel it in the body; then it is difficult to find something neutral in body. So, it’s just that I need to practice, really.

Sayadaw: Remember that it is because the mind hasn’t found the right attitude, the acceptance that it is happening right now, it is resisting it a little bit and when the mind is in that state, watching it fuels the aversion.

When the mind finds that it cannot adjust the attitude, and the aversion gets worse, that’s when we’ve to find some way to take the mind’s attention away from the aversion.

THOUGHTS ARE JUST A REFLECTION OF THEIR NATURE

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 17 (1:42:38-1:43:32)

Yogi: When I look at my thoughts, I find that I always take them to be a reflection of myself, and if I take away this attitude, it is often much easier.

Sayadaw: That’s right because the thoughts are just a reflection of their nature and if you take away the need to identify with them, it is much simpler.

PRACTICING TOGETHER REGULARLY

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 18 (1:46:40-1:48:13)

Yogi: When I return, I want to continue to practice more consistently at home.

Sayadaw: When we don’t understand the practice, yes, we don’t practice as much; the more we understand, the more we want to practice.

If it is possible, get together for group sitting if you live in the same town because you know how to practice and have a common understanding, and just sitting together to discuss practice with each other – discussing as like: are you practicing, have you been able to be mindful and how can you try to be more mindful – supports and reminds us to keep on practicing.

The yogis in China who met in Shwe Oo Min are doing that. Some of them have an online community.