RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS FEAR

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:41:48-1:44:50)

Yogi: I’m always fearful of overlooking something especially when the mind is not alert. That creates fear and doubt about what if I miss something. Because it is constantly present, my mind is always effortful not to be in that state. It is more obvious when I meditate, but it also happens in daily life.

Sayadaw: When you’re afraid, fear destabilizes the mind and you’re more likely to make mistakes when the mind is not stable.

So, it is not necessary to be afraid and it doesn’t help your mission not to miss out on something.

Whenever you notice fear, recognize there is fear and be happy about it. And if you recognize this fear very often, over and over again, eventually the mind will figure out something about the fear, about whether it is helpful or necessary or not for you.

KEEP ON PRACTICING

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:29:42-1:30:55)

Yogi: Sometimes when the mind is overwhelmed and it hears the Dhamma and the information is accepted or when some questions arise which settle the mind, my attitude shifts and it can directly observe happenings in the mind calmly.

I realize that it depends on how skillful the mind is in facing the situation and learning how to deal with it.

Sometimes it is about changing the object and other times it could be the right information, asking the right questions or even letting it be and the mind can change.

Sayadaw: Yes, that’s right. So, it doesn’t matter what you do; all of that is practice.

CHANGING AN OLD HABIT

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (3:00-4:16)

Yogi: When I practice, my habit is to push myself until I break down. I know it’s a habit I really have to change, but I cannot let go.

Sayadaw: There’s no need to let go; just be aware. Every time this habit arises, just recognize that it is happening, and do it repeatedly.

Your responsibility is to be aware of this. Don’t try to change – we’re not trying to create anything.

Every time this habit arises, just try to be aware – that’s enough. After a while, the mind learns and understands something. Because of understanding, then this habit can change.

WHEN NOTHING SEEMS RIGHT

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 12 January 2023 (31:47-35:25)

Yogi: Lately, my meditation has not been satisfying. I tried to watch but there was a big aversion. There was aversion in the mind, aversion in the attitude and aversion everywhere.

Usually what I do is stop meditating or just walk and continue to walk. When the mind settles down, I can proceed. Is that okay?

Sayadaw: That’s what you need to do.

Yogi: Sometimes I cannot separate the watching mind and the attitude when both have dosa; and I get totally confused when the mind notices so many things..

Sayadaw: It’s like a principle that if the bad feeling is escalating, stop everything. At that time, the mind is too involved and the right thing is to stop trying.

PRACTICING OUT OF THE CUSHION IS A DIFFERENT SKILL

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 12 January 2023 (2:15:30-2:18:56)

Yogi: The mind could be very stable for 3 hours of sitting and walking, but when I left the hall for half an hour, the mind was totally not mindful even though I reminded myself to be mindful before I left. I only remembered to be aware when I was back in the hall.

What actually happened in between?

Sayadaw: There was the intention to be mindful but no habit.

Some people remember they have the intention to be mindful and that’s the last thing they remember and there is no more awareness until the awareness comes back much later.

It’s the same with eating meditation. Before they start to eat, they remind themselves that they’ll be mindful while eating and the next thing they remember is when they’re full after eating. But they’re totally not mindful while they’re eating.

IS WATCHING THE BODY A SAMATHA PRACTICE?

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:24:19-1:27:15)

Yogi: I want to clarify the definition of kayanupassana, observing the body. Is observing the body similar to a samatha practice?

Sayadaw: Yes, they are similar. Actually, kayanupassana are samatha exercises.

The beginning exercises of kayanupassana are all samatha exercises. When you incline your mind towards vipassana, when the mind understands that rupa is also just nature, then even when you’re doing a kayanupassana exercise, it becomes dhammanupassana because of the understanding.

It is not the object which matters; it is how you understand it. So, when you still see it as a concept, yes, it is kayanupassana.

Yogi: Practice based on the concept is a samatha practice, but when the body is seen as reality, then it becomes vipassana. Is that right?

Sayadaw: You don’t want to break up your meditation practice into technical categories like that. Just keep in mind that when you’re practicing samatha your goal is a certain thing and when you practice vipassana your goal is another thing.

WHAT CAN MOTIVATE OUR MINDS TO PRACTICE AT HOME?

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (0:57:20-1:00:45)

Yogi: I’m inspired by Sayadaw always advocating awareness at home and that Sayadaw’s home practice surpassed retreat practice.

What is Sayadaw’s advice when the mind is not interested in the Dhamma at home where the external worldly pleasures are more entertaining?

Sayadaw: I was practically forced into practicing at home because just like you whenever I left retreat I wasn’t interested in practicing at home. It was only when I was super depressed and took a break to go on retreat with my teacher, that I had some experiences that finally gave me the motivation to make the effort.

I didn’t start off at full speed, just bit by bit.

What helped me was the lack of wrong attitude towards practice – as long as I was practicing, it was enough.

We all need some motivation and sometimes suffering is that motivation.

HOW MUCH CONCENTRATION IS NEEDED TO PRACTICE AWARENESS

Singapore Q&A 4.7.2023 (27:30-27:59)

Yogi: How much concentration do we need to practice?

Sayadaw: If you know the object, that is enough concentration. You cannot know the object if you don’t have the concentration.

Momentary concentration is enough to practice vipassana meditation.

If you know the object, you already have samadhi. If you continue to be aware, this samadhi will increase. You don’t need too much concentration to practice vipassana.

RESTLESSNESS ARISING FROM DISCONTENT

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 12 January 2023 (1:23:58-1:30:53)

Yogi: With restlessness, I cannot be aware at all – I couldn’t figure out except for wanting to do this and that and fidgeting. Everything doesn’t seem right and I couldn’t be aware at all.

The mind refused to do breath or walking practice either. I notice that the restlessness carries energy different from the monkey mind; it drives the intention to do this and that.

It only ceased when the mind got what it wanted, and I was so surprised.

How do I watch restlessness because I see so much resistance?

Sayadaw: You say restlessness but I recognize discontent.

You said that you couldn’t be aware of anything, but in fact, you were aware of everything.

You were only discontent because you couldn’t get want you wanted, which is to be still and know something for an extended period of time. You only deem that to be awareness and meditation.

It is discontent and not restlessness because you said when you got what you wanted the restlessness stopped.

To say that you couldn’t be aware is not true; it is only that you didn’t like that you were aware in a disconnected way.

You were judging the awareness by the continuity of the object that you were observing rather than recognizing that awareness was happening whenever you knew the experience.

Yogi: But the awareness was not clear in that state.

Sayadaw: In fact, you are knowing it very well that the mind is not clear. So, see it as it is.

CLARIFYING A WRONG IDEA

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:14:31-1:17:25)

Yogi: I understand from a teacher that some of us are born with 2 roots which are sati and samadhi and some with the complete 3 roots – sati, samadhi and panna. Those with 2 roots cannot gain any insight or realization in this life because of the absence of panna.

Sayadaw: The roots are lobha, dosa and moha and alobha, adosa and amoha. Those who are considered 2 roots don’t have the amoha or panna root.

Even yogis with 2 roots can develop nana in this life, only that they cannot be enlightened.

I know of a lady yogi who was a little mentally challenged; she was inspired to practice when she met me, and she practiced a lot and became more peaceful. She could understand that the Dhamma is valuable and that is a kind of panna.

Yogi: It is really reassuring because when I heard it, it got me concerned that perhaps I only have 2 roots.

Sayadaw: No, no. It’s cruel to say that somebody couldn’t develop even some basic understanding in this life.

OPEN AWARENESS IS THE RESULT, NOT THE PRACTICE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:17:35-1:18:48)

Yogi: I hear that Sayadaw teaches open awareness practice. Is it true?

Sayadaw: Let’s get this straight – I don’t teach open awareness. Other people give that word to what is being taught and have labeled it as such.

I’m saying when the mind gets to the point when there is momentum and there is awareness of awareness, when the mind recognizes the awareness, then it will find that its field of awareness is very open and it is aware of any object that arises.

That’s how I put it, in a full description with preconditions like you have momentum; I don’t teach people to try to be like that.

Yogi: I have the impression that open awareness came from Sayadaw.

Sayadaw: No, it is the label that other people give my practice.

LIKING PRAISE AND DISLIKING CRITICISM

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 12 January 2023 (1:39:10-1:46:50)

Yogi: From young, I like to be praised and dislike being criticized. Now, I know this is wrong attitude. What can I do about it?

Sayadaw: Remember the definition of right attitude? Right attitude is non-greed, non-aversion and non-delusion. So, when you like being acknowledged by others, that’s greed; it is wrong attitude. When you dislike being criticized by others, it is aversion and wrong attitude.

Your wrong attitude comes from wrong view. The center of your universe is you and you are identified with you – that’s wrong view. When you’re identified with yourself, you like it when people say good things about this you and you don’t like it when people say anything bad about this you.

When everything arises from you, identification is present. The more wisdom there is, the less we’re carried away when somebody praises us and we won’t be so upset when we’re criticized.

There is also no need to judge these minds, the mind that likes praise and the mind that dislikes criticism are just unskillful qualities of mind that are manifesting. It is good that we’re recognizing them and if there is judgment, we also want to recognize that.

It’s a constant stepping away from our experience so that we can remember to observe it instead of becoming identified with the experience and judging it.

The ‘I’ is not so involved every time we step away from the experience; there is less identification. Then, more observations can happen and eventually more understanding arises.

THE AWARENESS IS MORE CONSISTENT IF WE CAN WATCH UNCLEAR OBJECTS

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Groups A+B 14 January 2023 (1:53:35-1:57:40)

Yogi: When I ground myself in the uncertainty, the feeling of uncertainty, very soon the mind turns calm and easeful. I realize that this is the right mindset about the content of my awareness because the awareness has become consistent and effortless.

Previously, I want to be certain that the mind is aware. When I gave up that idea, as long as I know that I know even if it was unclear, the watching became easeful and more consistent.

Sayadaw: You know that the mind has done the right thing every time the consistency of awareness picks up because you have thought and observed in the right way, and you have the right attitude about it.

WHEN IT FEELS LIKE MEDITATION STARTS AND MEDITATION ENDS

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 14 January 2023 (1:28:45-1:32:52)

Yogi: Sitting after a while, there was an intention to end the sit; a thought says ‘Okay, stop meditating now’. Although Teacher says meditation is anytime and anywhere, but it is clear cut for me when meditation starts and when meditation ends.

Sayadaw: Don’t think that something is meditation and something is not meditation.

So long as while you’re not aware, you recognize when awareness comes in, ‘Ah, that’s one moment of awareness’, and if you appreciate that, it’ll grow.

Even when you’re watching TV and you’ve not been aware, suddenly, you recognize a certain feeling, meditation is already happening by itself. Be happy with that.

After that, you’re not aware again; after some time when you become aware again, meditation is happening again; and that is ok.

JUST BE HAPPY THAT YOU’RE AWARE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:12:04-1:13:58)

Yogi: When fear arises, I can be aware of the aversion and disliking attitude towards the fear. How else can I explore?

Sayadaw: You don’t need to explore; you just need to be content that you’re aware.

If you’re happy with yourself that you’re aware, you’ll continue to be aware. Then, when there is a lot of awareness, the mind will learn on its own and exploring will happen by itself.

The things you can be aware of are your feelings, body sensations and thoughts; that’s all you can be aware of.

What can be understood, the mind will do at its own pace. You just need to be happy that you’re aware.