ANGER ARISES BECAUSE OF LOBHA

Singapore Q&A 4.7.2023 (11:00-12:15)

People are afraid of suffering because they’re attached to peacefulness.

Everybody has lobha already; we want everything to be okay. That is why when something not okay happens, the mind immediately reacts with suffering. Reacting, right?

It is because we’re attached to wanting everything to be good and okay.

We don’t know it – only when something unpleasant happens that we realize our attachment.

Anger arises because of lobha, because of craving, and when we cannot get what we want.

We cannot accept it because we expect a good experience.

Sayadaw: Instead of contemplating, it is better to just recognize as a reminder that we’ll grow old and there will be pain – it is a process. You will not forget then.

When you contemplate, check if the mind is calm and peaceful. If the mind is not happy, then there is dosa. If so, it is not contemplating, it is complaining. 

IS THE MIND CONTEMPLATING OR COMPLAINING?

Singapore Q&A 21.7.2023 (17:22-18:25)

Yogi: If I keep on contemplating about ageing and death, won’t I be thinking too much?

Sayadaw: Instead of contemplating, it is better to just recognize as a reminder that we’ll grow old and there will be pain – it is a process. You will not forget then.

When you contemplate, check if the mind is calm and peaceful. If the mind is not happy, then there is dosa. If so, it is not contemplating, it is complaining. 

IF OUR EMOTION INCREASES WHEN WE’RE AWARE, CHECK OUR EXPECTATION

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (0:58:40-1:00:34)

Yogi: An agitation arose in the day and I tried to stop it, but the mind just wanted to return to the suffering.

I checked my attitude and asked ‘Why is the agitation happening’ and ‘What is the quality of my mind’. I wanted to know the nature of agitation with right attitude; I waited and watched.

I did not control the experience; whatever happened, I just watched and constantly checked if the awareness was still present.

Later, the mind changed and became peaceful and the agitation and disliking feeling reduced.

Sayadaw: That’s right; it is already good. If we practice the right way, the emotion will reduce. That is why I say if we’re aware the right way, the emotion reduces.

When the emotion increases as we’re aware, it means that something is wrong with the awareness.

BE AWARE OF PAIN, NOT THINK ABOUT THE PAIN

Singapore Q&A 21.7.2023 (06:44-07:50)

Yogi: Sayadaw, is your mind affected by your illnesses?

Sayadaw: Not much because whatever happens just happens.

Good or bad, we need to be aware. It is better that we take care of the quality of our mind because good or bad is just the experience.

That is why I say not to judge the experience one way or the other. If we judge that it is good, we get attached to the experience.

For example, we forget to be aware and enjoy the experience when we’re happy because there is no pain; as a result, we complain a lot when we’re sick.

GOOD OR BAD, WE NEED TO BE AWARE

Singapore Q&A 21.7.2023 (06:44-07:50)

Yogi: Sayadaw, is your mind affected by your illnesses?

Sayadaw: Not much because whatever happens just happens.

Good or bad, we need to be aware. It is better that we take care of the quality of our mind because good or bad is just the experience.

That is why I say not to judge the experience one way or the other. If we judge that it is good, we get attached to the experience.

For example, we forget to be aware and enjoy the experience when we’re happy because there is no pain; as a result, we complain a lot when we’re sick.

HOW TO MAINTAIN THE PEACEFUL MIND THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (42:23-44:00)

How do you maintain peacefulness in your life the whole day long?

I remind yogis to try to practice when they wake up in the morning and bring that peacefulness to their daily lives the whole day. If you’re skillful, you can maintain your peaceful mind all day. You have to try and practice.

Sometimes, I cannot maintain it too; at times, it’s gone by lunchtime. But we have to try every day.

When we wake up in the morning and the mind is calm and peaceful after sitting, be aware of this feeling and try to know every relationship that affects this peaceful mind; what you’re thinking and what you’re talking and how mental actions, verbal actions or physical actions affect your feeling and mental state. You need to learn and then you can know how to maintain your peacefulness and samadhi level.

PRACTICE WATCHING ALL FEELINGS IN DAILY LIFE

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (41:04-41:40)

In daily life, try to be aware of your feelings because there are reactions all the time in daily life.

You can be more skillful in being aware in daily life because the mind feels pleasant or unpleasant and happy or sad. Every day, we have a lot of emotions, right? Use them to become more skillful in the practice.

It is important to watch all feelings.

STILL OKAY IS NOT OKAY

Singapore Q&A 7.7.2023 (12:04-13:15)

Sayadaw: Are you satisfied with your life?

Yogi: Okay; I’m quite satisfied. It is still okay. I can meet good teachers and with a stable job, my life is quite okay.

Sayadaw: Still okay is not okay; this okay is not okay. If there is a lot of moha, then it is also okay.

A lot of people think there is no problem with their lives.

PARAMATTHA (NATURE/REALITY) AND PANNATTI (CONCEPT)

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (44:05 – 46:00)

Yogi: Sayadaw says when something disturbs the mind, we don’t follow the storyline.

When I see the storyline, I see that it is the thoughts. So, I should learn to see the nature of the thoughts and not follow the storyline?

Sayadaw: It depends on how much you understand paramattha and pannatti or nature and concept.

When you pay more attention to nature, the mind doesn’t think too much about the concept. You can see the thinking mind arising and gone, arising and gone – that’s nature.

When you pay more attention to the concept, there will be more thinking and more emotions.

You need to understand what is concept and what is nature.

Yogi: Storyline is concept? Thoughts are not concept?

Sayadaw: Yes. Thoughts are just arising, arising; just happening, happening. Happening is nature and storyline is the concept.

Whenever thinking arises, try to be aware of this.

Yogi: When I see the storyline, I don’t follow it and the story will drop? I should try to see the nature.

Sayadaw: Yes, pay more attention to the nature.

HOW TO MAINTAIN INTEREST IN BEING AWARE

Singapore Q&A 21.7.2023 (00:21-02:40)

Yogi: How do I maintain interest in the practice?

Sayadaw: If you recognize the benefit of awareness, you’ll want to practice.

Do you understand the difference between being aware and not being aware? You’ll be interested if you can see the advantages of the practice.

The benefit is more obvious when people are suffering.

If you can notice the difference in the quality of mind when you’re aware and when you’re not aware, then you’ll be more interested in practicing.

Yogis try to meditate because they’ve already experienced something good from practicing.

KNOW THE OBJECT AND THE AWARENESS MIND

Singapore Q&A 7.7.2023 (01:37-2:44)

When we’re aware there must be awareness and some understanding together.

What kind of awareness do you have? Is it awareness alone or awareness with some understanding? Do you recognize that when you’re aware?

When we practice, we check if the awareness is present. If we know that awareness is present, then we check again what else we know.

Basically, we need to know the object and the awareness mind.

HOW DO WE PROGRESS BY JUST KNOWING AND BEING AWARE?

Singapore Q&A 10.7.2023 (1:01:00-1:01:56)

Yogi: How do we improve if we’re just knowing and being aware?

Sayadaw: If you continue to be aware, this is already progress.

Moment to moment, if you try to maintain the awareness, it is already improving.

If you stop being aware, then awareness will go down.

If you want to improve, try to maintain the awareness consistently.

ASKING WHAT IS THE MIND KNOWING IS RECOGNIZING THE MIND

Singapore Q&A 14.7.2023 (01:50-02:23)

You can start being aware of the body sensations, but later, come to the awareness.

If you’re aware of the awareness, you can also recognize the body.

That is why when I remind yogis ‘What is the mind aware of?’ and ‘Do you recognize awareness is present?’ it is also attention to the mind. The body sensation is already with the awareness, right? That’s enough.

BE AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MIND AND BODY

Singapore Q&A 14.7.2023 (10:10 -10:52)

Yogi: Just now, I was watching my breathing. When I breathe in and I breathe out, in between there’s a gap.

Sayadaw: Who is breathing in and breathing out?

Yogi: My body is breathing in and breathing out.

Sayadaw: Really? I just said breathing happens because of the intention to breathe. But you said, I’m breathing in and breathing out. This is an idea, the idea that I’m breathing in and I’m breathing out.

DON’T MERELY TRY TO MAKE THE MIND ACCEPT AND LET GO

Singapore Q&A 4.7.2023 (01:00-02:25)

Yogi: I have a lot of anger and was told to accept it and let go. But I cannot; how do I change my view about anger to accept and let go?

Sayadaw: First, you need to think that anger is not yours; anger is anger, and anger is nobody’s anger. This is the first attitude when watching anger.

We’re not trying to accept; we’re trying to think the right way about anger – anger is nature. That’s enough.

Secondly, we try to be aware of this feeling, not the storyline, just the feeling, understand?