NOTHING BLOCKS THE PRACTICE EXCEPT OUR EXPECTATIONS

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 6 January 2023 (30:55-34:25)

Yogi: I can feel that my practice is blocked and it cannot move forward.

Sayadaw: Nothing blocks you except your own beliefs. When we expect the practice to be like this and that to mean we’re improving, we’ll feel like our practice is not improving when we don’t get what we expect.

We’re not supposed to be thinking about where our practice is going; we’re only supposed to be practicing.

There is no block except our expectations. As long as we’re practicing, the practice is moving forward. We only have to check if we’re practicing.

Watch out for those expectations.

THE YOGI’S JOB IS TO KEEP BEING AWARE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 6 January 2023 (1:07:47-1:14:10)

Yogi: When there is understanding, the issue dissolves; but when there is clinging, although the mind releases the grip, the issue comes back regularly.

Do I stay with the unpleasant feeling?

Sayadaw: Your job is only to recognize and there is no timeline. Keep doing it over and over again. Keep it up.

Yogi: But there is no learning from that.

Sayadaw: Just keep knowing and also recognize the thought that says ‘I still haven’t learned anything’, and bring that into your field of awareness. That is also what is happening.

We really miss the fact that in our quest for meditation, we’re expecting a result; so, recognize the thought that says ‘I still haven’t learned anything’.

SAYADAW’S ADVICE TO AWARENESS-WISDOM YOGIS

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 10 January 2023 (1:55:42-1:56:45)

Remind yourself not to fight with your experience or to complain or judge it. Every experience that we know is a sign that we’re aware. We’re supposed to celebrate the fact that we’re aware.

Every object that we know is supporting our awareness because we’re already aware due to the object. Every object is a supporting condition for our awareness. If we see it that way, whatever the experience, it is never an obstacle.

BUILDING RIGHT ATTITUDE WITH RIGHT INFORMATION

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 10 January 2023 (21:30-26:10)

Yogi: I know all the right information and yet the suffering is there. I believe my attitude is not right. When I’m really in it, I still don’t have the right attitude. What am I missing?

Sayadaw: The practice is like a game. The more you play, the more you get it right and the more you become skilful.

You have all the right information like wrong attitude is when you don’t want something and you want something else, and right attitude is when the mind is accepting and welcoming.

Whether we can recognize it or not in the moment, that’s the game; what attitude are we operating from.

Every time you recognize your attitude whether it’s right or wrong, that’s an insight into your own practice and it’s a skill that you build. Each time you spot it, it helps you to see it more often. The more often you spot it, the less it will get in your way.

DON’T TRY TOO HARD TO SEE THE OBJECT

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 10 January 2023 (41:54-44:04)

Yogi: I notice thinking happens all the time; how do I directly observe thinking?

Even when I notice thinking is happening, that itself is also a thought.

Sayadaw: You already noticed it, that’s why you thought about it. And the thought about it, that thinking is happening, you also noticed that, right?

Just recognize that it has been observed already. We don’t try too hard to see the object.

If you’re sitting and watching your breath, and you notice thinking is happening, that means that your awareness is matched with knowing thinking and breath at the same time.

It is actually knowing both – it is not necessary then to see the thought and see breath individually.

WE CAN PRACTICE SEEING AND STILL TALK AND THINK

Singapore Q&A 21 November 2022 (55:00-55:40)

Yogi: When I practice seeing and when someone talks to me, I cannot respond; I cannot think.

Sayadaw: You concentrate too much, that’s why.

When you’re learning, it is difficult to respond because you’re busy learning. It’s not a problem when you have practiced many times.

ENCOURAGING OURSELVES TO PRACTICE AT HOME

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 8 January 2023 (1:57:28-1:58:00)

A big part of practicing at home is contentment and appreciation. If we go home and we want to practice like we practice at the retreat, we’re always going to be disappointed.

But if we’re happy for every second we’re mindful, if we’re happy for one out of ten days we’re mindful, if we’re happy for one moment we’re mindful and appreciate it, we’re going to grow the awareness.

If we don’t appreciate the awareness, we won’t grow it.

USE ALL EXPERIENCES TO GROW THE AWARENESS-WISDOM

Singapore Q&A 21 November 2022 Guided Meditation (07:00-08:45) 2023 (00:16-01:00)

If you want to be relaxed, peaceful and happy, you must know the nature of the mind. You must know why the mind suffers and why it is happy and peaceful.

We watch the mind because we want to know every mind, good mind and bad mind also. We want to know the nature of physical and mental processes; that is why we watch the body and mind all the time.

Don’t judge the experience – for an awareness yogi, the object never disturbs the mind. An object is an object, meaning, it is neither good nor bad. We use the object to grow the understanding.

For normal people, craving and aversion arise because of the experience; for the meditator, awareness and wisdom arise and wholesome mind increases because of the object.

RECOGNIZING GREED IS ALSO SOMETHING YOGIS NEED TO APPRECIATE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 8 January 2023 (00:16-01:00)

What we should appreciate is the work we’re doing, and not the results we’re hoping for.

Greed can come in as in the form of the questions yogis ask: Why am I not progressing?

Notice and appreciate that because it is also part of knowing the mind and how it is working.

Recognizing greed is also something yogis need to appreciate because when we notice greed or any of the hindrances it is like having an insight into our own practice.

BEING AWARE OF THE AWARENESS

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 10 January 2023 (00:26-01:56)

Yogi: I’m not sure if I’m aware of the awareness; is it just by being aware of what is going on in the mind or by being aware that seeing or hearing or thinking is happening?

Sayadaw: When you’re thinking and you can recognize that you’re aware of thinking, that is awareness of awareness.

Right now, are you aware that you’re talking to us? And you recognize that you’re aware?

Yogi: Yes.

Sayadaw: That’s the awareness of the awareness.

Yogi: If I recognize that I’m aware of something; that is the awareness of awareness?

Sayadaw: Yes.

AWARENESS IS ALWAYS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE EXPERIENCE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 8 January 2023 (56:10-58:38)

Yogi: I was observing the intention to eating and always noticed that greed was motivating the eating every time I chose and ate. Mealtime is the biggest lesson for me.

Sayadaw: You’re aware, very aware. It doesn’t matter if you’re aware of greed all the time. The point is just to be aware.

Next meal, try to just be aware and it doesn’t matter what you’re aware of. You can be aware of anything.

Next meal, be aware and appreciate that you’re aware and see what happens.

Yogi: The greed says ‘I want to taste all the tasty food’.

Sayadaw: And you say: ‘I see you again; I see you again’.

ENCOURAGING FAITH IN THE PRACTICE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A 06 January 2023 (00:32-04:56)

Yogi: How do I increase or cultivate the faith in the practice?

Sayadaw: When you know the benefit or when you have experienced the benefit of the practice, it helps to establish your faith.

Yogi: Sometimes we lose faith; how to make the faith more continuous?

Sayadaw: None of the 5 Faculties in the practice – awareness, faith, effort, stability of mind and wisdom – is continuous in the practice; all of them go up and down. So, you cannot expect faith to be continuous either.

When there is faith, be aware; and check if the faith is strong or weak. If you lose faith and there is doubt, be aware as such.

Sometimes thinking about how the practice has benefited you helps to overcome doubt.

If you’re practicing continuously, you have more continuous awareness and samadhi; that will definitely increase your faith. When there is wisdom or when an insight arises, there’ll be more faith too.

The job of the yogi is to practice more continuously, and when the awareness and samadhi grow, your faith will also be strong at that time. What is important is to be as mindful as possible.

ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY MUSIC

Singapore Q&A 21 November 2022 (57:14-59:44) with Sayadaw U Tejaniya

Yogi: I heard some music and was enjoying it. When I applied the awareness, it was no longer enjoyable- there was just sound and hearing.

The mind said it was not enjoyable at all to be aware of the sound and chose to go back to enjoying the music. When I try to practice in that environment, should I just place the awareness on the sound or let it be?

Sayadaw: Let it be and go to your mental state – just be aware of your liking and enjoying. This is better.

When the mind calms down, then you can hear the music as it is. Watch the liking and disliking first; when right view comes, then it will choose the hearing.

Otherwise, you concentrate on the hearing, but the mind still wants to enjoy the music. Then, you won’t understand very well. It is better to come to your mental state first – if there’s liking, honestly watch the liking mind as the object.

When liking has gone and craving is not in the mind, the view changes and you can watch hearing as it is. This is more important.

RESET – LET WISDOM GUIDE OUR ACTIONS

Singapore Q&A 21 November 2022 (01:35-3:28) with Sayadaw U Tejaniya

Yogi: I often don’t want to talk and isolate myself. What advice can Sayadaw give?

Sayadaw: Talking or not talking is not important. If we should talk, we talk and if we should not talk, we don’t talk. This means that wisdom is leading.

We shouldn’t talk because of liking or disliking. Defilement is leading if we talk because of liking or disliking.

For example, I ask yogis during sitting meditation if it is okay for them to move or not. Some say ‘yes’ and some say ‘no’.

If there is a reason to move, then move. This is important – but meditators don’t know this. When wisdom leads, then it knows should or not, necessary or not.

If wisdom is leading, then you can decide if you should move or not.

SUSTAINING PEACEFULNESS

Singapore Q&A 21 November 2022 (17:03-19:27) with Sayadaw U Tejaniya

Yogi: With a right thought, the agitation disappeared and the mind became calm. The problem is I cannot sustain that calm state.

Sayadaw: Wisdom is weak because it is only intellectual level and the defilement is more powerful.

Yogi: Sayadaw, which object of meditation can I use to sustain the calmness?

Sayadaw: You can change your mind by being aware, right? You can also think the right way and try to be aware; this, you can do.

Actually, we try to change our state of mind because we cannot move physically (undergoing MRI).

If we’re not aware, the mind reacts – so, try to be aware and the reaction will be less.

Depending on how skillful your mind is, you can use a mental or physical object. If you can watch your reaction directly, it is easier to change. If not, use a physical object.

The important thing is that the mind is thinking the right way and tries to be aware.

If you don’t try to be aware, the mind is already doing the opposite.

Yogi: Can I switch objects from time to time.

Sayadaw: Can. Use any object that you are familiar with.

Yogi: Just to interrupt the emotion?

Sayadaw: Yes. Don’t allow the emotion to increase. Try.