June 2012
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May 2012
29 posts
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“Don’t think when you’re meditating.”
The saying, “Don’t think when you’re meditating” means, “Don’t think with defilements.” Right thought needs to be there. You can think with sammā-sankappa (Right Thought). Right View and Right Thought are important.
There must be wisdom involved in meditation. Vipassana is the work of wisdom. We say we’re mindful when we are mindful with wisdom. What kind of wisdom are we talking about here?...
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Cultivating wholesome qualities (1)
We meditate to develop the sati, samādhi, viriya, saddhā, and paññā that are not yet present in the mind. The stronger these five spiritual faculties become, the weaker the defilements become.
When sati is present, defilements become weak.
When samādhi is present, defilements become weak.
When viriya is present, defilements become weak.
When saddhā is present, defilements become weak.
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Talking
Why are you talking? Is it because it’s important [topic]? Of course you’ll lose mindfulness if you go on talking when it’s not important. Speak only when it’s necessary. There’s no need to talk when it’s not necessary – but you’ve going around talking when it’s not necessary. If you just watch, you’ll see when the little desire to talk arises. Just be mindful of when you want to talk. I’m not...
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Wisdom is there ...
Wisdom is there when there is right awareness. However, if the awareness is too focused, there’s no chance for wisdom to come in. That is why we don’t force, focus, control, or restrict. We don’t try to make anything disappear. We are just aware of all that is happening and all that is passing away. There is no expectation or discontentment.
—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhamma...
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“What would you do if you are the only one with sight, surrounded by the blind?...”
– Sayadaw U Tejaniya - extract from a Burmese interview, translated by Prof Hla Yee Yee
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Wake up
How do you know when you’re awake? What wakes up: the body or the mind? (Yogi: the mind wakes up). Waking up happens when the mind becomes aware of objects. Is the mind aware of these objects when you’re asleep? No—that’s why you’re asleep. (Laughs) In sleeping there’s no knowledge of these objects. As you wake up you become aware of these objects—that’s waking up. When you get up, what do you get...
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“Yogi: If all there is is awareness and the object of awareness, and we don’t...”
– This segment of a Q&A taken from Sayadaw’s USA “Dhamma Everywhere” May 2012 retreat in Barre, Massachusetts. The whole audio available from Dharma Seed, recording Group A #3, starting at 1:08 minutes. Moushumi Ghosh, translator. (“Um”, “ah”, etc. have...
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Wisdom has no preference (4)
It is kusala if wholesome states of mind are continuously followed by wholesome states of mind. Samādhi doesn’t develop if wholesome states are followed by unwholesome states. There is samādhi when the previous mind is wholesome, if the present mind is wholesome, if this is followed by wholesome mental states, and there is continuity in awareness. The absence of sati, samādhi, and paññā is...
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Sayadaw U Tejaniya's Dharma Talks | Dharma Seed →
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Wisdom has no preference (1)
As you continue to practice, observe when awareness is present and when awareness is absent, when wisdom is present and when wisdom is absent. Wisdom naturally understands what is beneficial and what is not beneficial. You are practicing to learn to watch the mind and body. Insights will grow according to your understanding and what you can know. What is more beneficial: To have awareness or to...
April 2012
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Understanding the Noble Truth of Dukkha (1)
People think that they see the truth of dukkha only when they experience suffering. If that is so, how can they understand that experiencing calm (samādhi), the moments of bliss or delight (pīti), or of tranquility (passaddhi), are also dukkha? So long as moha is present and considers any of these experiences as pleasing, the Noble Truth of dukkha can’t be understood yet. Because people...
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Craving for comfort and happiness ...
There is craving for comfort and happiness. There is also aversion to agitation and unhappiness. Happiness and discomfort are just feelings. The experience is only to be experienced; the object is only an object. Whether good or bad, feelings are just feelings. Wisdom recognizes this and releases the grip of lobha that desires good experiences.
—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhamma Everywhere (pp. 89-90)
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Lobha is sticky like glue (1)
Lobha is always present. Lobha’s nature is wanting or craving and its nature is to exaggerate things. It is very sticky like glue; it doesn’t let go or release. It never feels satisfied or contented because it thinks there is too little, there is never enough.
—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhamma Everywhere (p. 90)
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Wait and watch (6)
Observe how the mind and objects interact. Are you aware only of what you want to be aware of, or of what is happening right now? Do you only observe what the mind is attracted to? Things happen according to their nature and awareness just waits and watches.
—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhamma Everywhere (p. 89)
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Wait and watch (5)
Observe how the mind and objects interact. Are you aware only of what you want to be aware of, or of what is happening right now? Do you only observe what the mind is attracted to? Things happen according to their nature and awareness just waits and watches.
—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhamma Everywhere (p. 89)
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Wait and watch (4)
Sights and sounds are always happening. Because the mind and object arise according to their nature, sights and sounds happen. You don’t hear something because you want to hear. You don’t see something because you want to see.
Do not think that these sensory experiences are happening because you wanted them. There is nothing happening due to your desire; everything happens due to cause...
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Wait and watch (2)
Is it good to have many thoughts? Is it bad? Is it good to have no thoughts? Is that bad? Having many thoughts or having few thoughts is neither good nor bad. Objects are just objects. If you consider them to be positive or negative, that will then be followed by likes and dislikes. That is when you get confused in your practice.
—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhamma Everywhere (p. 89)