WATCHING THE BODY OR THE MIND?

Singapore Q&A 14.7.2023 (01:16-02:20)

Sayadaw: What object are you more aware of? Body or mind?

Yogi: Body.

Sayadaw: Why?

Yogi: I prefer the body.

Sayadaw: But the mind is more important.

Yogi: I know.

Sayadaw: If you’re aware of the awareness, you can also know the body.

That is why I remind yogis: What is the mind aware of? This is also attention to the mind.

I also ask: Do you recognize that awareness is present? That is also the mind. That is enough because the body sensation is already with the awareness.

CHECK THE OBJECT AND THE KNOWING MIND

Singapore Q&A 7.7.2023 (2:19-4:50)

Sayadaw: Sometimes we check if the awareness is present; then, we check again if we have realized something. Basically, you need to know what the object is and what the mind is.

Tell me what you’re aware of in the 30-minute sit.

Yogi: I know my breath and then the sound of the door and then the breath again. Then I go to thinking.

Sayadaw: Only aware? At that time, do you know what the object is and what is the awareness?

Yogi: Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

A HOME-LIFE PRACTICE

Singapore Q&A 14.7.2023 (03:14-04:14)

Just recognize the intention and action together throughout the day; that is enough. Then, you already recognize the process. If you’re aware of the intention and action, then you will know that there is nobody there.

You can see the intention and action process the whole day – and if you’re more aware of this, you’ll understand anatta, i.e., there’s nobody there.

For example, when there is the intention to look, we look; and when there is the intention to move, the hand moves. All actions come from intention.

A SIMPLE CLUE TO THE AWARENESS OF AWARENESS

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (47:50-48:45)

Do you recognize the object and the awareness?

If so, it means that you know the awareness already.

If you can see 2 objects, it means there are 3 because there is always a witness.

The beginner only knows one, the object. He doesn’t know the awareness.

But if you see the object and the awareness, it means that you are aware of the awareness already.

The witness is the awareness; so, if you see two, it means there are three.

THE RIGHT APPROACH TO HOME PRACTICE

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 14 January 2023 (32:30-39:06)

Yogi: I need to find a way to balance my own life and meditation so that I can enjoy sensual pleasures as well as meditate.

Sayadaw: I don’t say that you can’t have sensual pleasure or do your work. Meditation doesn’t tell you not to do that.

Don’t try too hard to meditate; the key is just to recognize when you’re aware and to always appreciate yourself for having done that even if it’s one moment – e.g. you’re working on your computer and all of a sudden you recognize yourself.

Pat yourself on the back for recognizing that you’re aware; and the more you recognize little bits like that, the more awareness will show up.

The key is to be happy that you have done a little bit. It is the same with recognizing sensual pleasures.

That’s how you inject meditation into your life. It is not like meditation is a separate activity and sensual pleasures and work are a separate activity.

Because meditation is just being aware, you can be aware of your work or sensual pleasures without trying.

When you recognize and appreciate the awareness, it will help you to grow the awareness because you’re happy enough with it whenever it is there.

When you try to practice in daily life, you’re not trying to overcome all the defilements because we also cannot, don’t even have that idea. Your only goal is to be aware, it’s like if you’re aware, you’re happy.

Even if your awareness is scattered moments in the day – you recognize a bit here and a bit there and you’re happy, the mind will put all these moments for us and we’ll begin to understand some of our defilements more.

There will be times when we are carried away into whatever, and that’s okay because we’ve been doing that all our life. It is not a loss, but every time we recognize it a bit, that’s a gain. It doesn’t matter if we understand anything yet, that’s fine; we’re aware and that’s the way we want to go.

It is like we’re allowing the defilements to co-exist with us – we’re not pushing them away. We also do not purposely go and sink ourselves into it. Of course, there’re times we get swept away; that’s okay.

HOME PRACTICE IS DIFFERENT FROM RETREAT

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Concluding Talk 17 January 2023 (07:50-17:34)

We come on retreat to fine-tune the skills of being aware, but the real place to put these skills into action is at home.

When we try to practice at home, we’ll realize that the amount of awareness does not match the kind of unwholesome qualities that arise in the mind. We’ll feel disappointed or we’ll feel like we can’t practice at home.

On retreat, we can feel like meditation is working because we only face a restricted amount of unwholesome qualities. But when we get home, we can’t handle it because the defilements are coming faster than we can manage. We also feel like our practice is not enough.

One of the differences is that on retreat our mind is fully geared to practice meditation – it is like what we’ve come to do. But when we go home, it is no longer our first priority anymore.

On retreat, we keep reminding ourselves that everything is nature. Our business is just to meditate, but at home, everything suddenly becomes ours and then the defilements can come on strong because we’re identified with them.

It is easier to have right view on retreat, but at home, it is easier to have wrong view because identification is our view our entire lives and it comes automatically.

I’m not telling you to reject it, but to notice that identification is coming in strong and that is getting into the way of remembering to practice because we want to set things right rather than be mindful of what is in the mind.

Expect that practice at home is not going to be easy – expect that and be okay with it. Just practice without thinking what it should look like because the awareness is not going to be consistent at home. Just think about following the instructions ‘I’ll try to be aware and if I’m aware a bit, it is good enough’.

WHEN TO SWITCH OBJECTS

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 16 January 2023 (1:28:37-1:29:37)

Yogi: Whenever the mind touches the object and it overwhelms the mind, it means that it is not the right time to observe the object. Is that correct?

Sayadaw: If the mind is overwhelmed, yes, at that time you cannot face it directly. Do something to help the mind, to calm it down by using a different object or go for a walk. When the mind feels more grounded and stable, then you can allow the mind to explore.

Sometimes, it might even find things out by itself.

ACKNOWLEDGING THE MIND THAT IS NOT HAPPY

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group A+B 14 January 2023 (1:05:45-1:13:33)

Yogi: I wish to confirm if I’m practicing correctly. I observed the awareness while doing walking and sitting meditation. When I became drowsy during sitting and noticed the body bending forward during the sit, I would straighten up the body.

I then tried to observe what drowsiness was, but couldn’t find out anything. I felt very pleasant when I sat straight up and I could even hear Sayadaw’s recording very clearly.

I felt that I couldn’t really see the mind despite noticing all these happenings, and am not happy with what I have achieved.

Sayadaw: Your mind has a judgment about your progress. Can you continue to keep observing that because that is the first thing you need to work with?

Be happy with yourself for recognizing that your mind is not happy and keep knowing that.

Noticing that you’re unhappy means that you’re knowing your mind. That’s your doorway to recognizing the rest of your mind. Please keep doing that.

Yogi: During my sitting, I feel drowsy but when I sit straight up I know that the defilement is there and I want to watch but I couldn’t see the flavor of the drowsiness. When I sit straight up, the pleasantness is already there. I go back to the mind to try to watch other sensations of the body. Then, I just do not know how already.

Sayadaw: You need to recognize what you’re doing. There are not enough effort and wisdom when we’re drowsy. You can see that in the state of drowsiness, you could not observe defilements – so, you already recognize that the wisdom is not very good when you’re drowsy. And then you sat up straight – that’s increasing your effort and you felt more pleasant and you’re less drowsy, right?

You have to acknowledge the things you’re doing – you can be satisfied with what you’re doing. We need to change this mindset of thinking that what we’re doing is not enough.

NOTICE WHEN WE’RE AWARE WITH THE WRONG ATTITUDE

Singapore Q&A 4.7.2023 (13:43-15:33)

Yogi: One morning I was mindfully doing my housework. Not long after, an agitation arose and it lasted the whole day.

Sometimes when I meditate, I do get this agitation too. I stopped and watched this agitation, but it is hard for me to watch it.

Sayadaw: Awareness is not difficult; you can see that this experience is happening.

It is hard means that you cannot get what you want. You want the agitation to go away, right?

It is never hard to be aware because knowing that this is happening and that is happening is very obvious.

Hard means that you want to get rid of the agitation but you cannot get it.

To be aware of the suffering experience is not hard because you already know.

Everybody’s question now is that awareness is the problem. We’re aware, aware, aware, but it is not working. It means that we’re aware with the wrong attitude.

MAKE USE OF DEFILEMENTS TO CULTIVATE SATI, SAMADHI AND PANNA

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (0:36-2:52)

Yogi: Whenever I see defilement, I can’t help but want to get rid of it.

Sayadaw: Don’t judge nature. Defilement is not good but it is also nature. We have to understand the nature of defilement.

First, we need to understand that defilement is nobody, it is nature. Craving is just craving, it is nature; anger is also nature. Getting rid of defilement is much later.

Every time defilement arises, you need to remind yourself that this is nature and I want to understand this nature of the defilement.

You need to appreciate the awareness every time defilement comes. Why? We can cultivate sati, samadhi and panna because of the defilement.

You can use this object to cultivate the quality of the awareness. If you think this way, you will not resist the defilement too much.

AS THE PRACTICE MATURES

Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary Retreat Zoom Q&A Group B 12 January 2023 (2:11:50-2:12:30)

Yogi: The way I practice being aware now is different from the past. In the past, I would hold on and try to be right.

Now, when aversion happens, the awareness is just to be with the aversion. And even with the wrong attitude, the awareness can be with the wrong attitude instead of trying to be right.

Sayadaw: Good improvement.