Q&AMeditationszentrum Beatenberg Retreat26 May 2016
D 3 Group interview — Appreciating Awareness and Watching Without Interference
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 2 hr 15 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−2:15:47
AI-written summary
This group interview explores recognizing greed, interference, and panic rather than controlling them. The Sayadaw advises maintaining simple awareness of the mind's natural process to reduce tension.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Meditationszentrum Beatenberg Retreat · 22 talks
- 1217 minMeditation instructions — Knowing the Mind and Developing Awareness25 May 2016
- 132 hr 29 minB 3 Group interview — Simple Awareness and Observing the Mind25 May 2016
- 142 hr 29 minC 3 Group interview — Natural Awareness, Checking the Attitude, and Facing Experiences25 May 2016
- 1517 minMeditation instructions — The Nature of Mind and Momentum of Awareness26 May 2016
- Viewing162 hr 16 minD 3 Group interview — Appreciating Awareness and Watching Without Interference26 May 2016
- 1730 minMeditation instructions — Knowing the Mind and Being Mindful When Speaking27 May 2016
- 181 hr 46 minB 4 Group interview — Deciding with Defilement or Wisdom and Background Awareness27 May 2016
- 192 hr 56 minC 4 Group interview — Greed in Meditation and Understanding Strong Aversion27 May 2016
- 2025 minMeditation instructions — Checking the Attitude and State of Mind28 May 2016
- 212 hr 17 minD 4 Group interview — Beyond Calmness and Being Aware in Daily Life28 May 2016
Transcript
English
What I'm observing is that, uh,
English
I—almost without exception—that the actions are all very self-centered, you know. So that's the good news to know, that I know that I see that. But there's also an element that the mind becomes very interested, because the moment I see—I kind of experience, "Oh, okay," then
MY
Something drops like a weight and then it's more interested in because it already knows that so it pays more attention to what's how it's functioning. So that's how I would experience it. Uh-huh.
[Burmese segment]
English
Yeah. So that's how. Yeah. That's how I work, to recognize when the self is working, when the self is not working. You know, um, when it's wrong, you're present; when it's wrong, you're not there. And it seems like, like there's a lightness to it, like, you know, there's no effort. The effort comes, and there's—it's almost always the, the, this wanting to control, you know, to just, just a little, just to manipulate it a little, and, you know, so.
English
And that's very tiring. But there's, it seems to be, uh, or in the experience, there's also this: actually there's nothing to be done. It's just to remind myself there's nothing to be done. Uh-huh. And what I find is that an environment like this, um, it's very supportive, and this is maybe the question, so it's almost like I can have a little free ride, because so many are practicing, and then, uh, this quality seems to be more present than like when everybody's going to be gone now.
English
That's how I experience it. Is that, is that kind of a delusionary factor, or is that really so? Yeah.
[Burmese segment]
English
He says, "When greed is not trying to be aware, the wisdom can be there." And then, you know, basically that's what you're doing, you're waiting, and you're, you're catching greed whenever it's trying to, um, do its—whenever it's trying to pop out.
English
Well, more often than usual. I don't think ever always, but more often than usual. Yeah, he says, "It's almost like—" Sai When you're not looking for it, you'll notice it," he said.
[Burmese segment]
English
He says, "Yes, it is one of the conditions that the environment is supporting us." You know, he says, "We must understand it is one of the condi—one of the conditions." Um, so it's not an illusion. Yeah. What I find the most is when I do things for others, then.
English
. So, so imagine, he says, "If—" . Yeah. So he said, "Imagine, um, when there is not this environment, the yogis are out in the world, and they're at home and at work," he says, "not only are they not supported," he says, "everything is also pulling them into the—" .
English
To be, you know, unhidful, unmindful, everything is like, like calling to us to, to forget about being mindful. Yeah. So it's much harder. . Yeah. So if somebody understands this nature of how the environment supports or doesn't support the mindfulness, he says, then they can sort of start to gauge how much more effort they have to put in to be mindful, how much more alert they have to be, um, to support themselves.
English
Yeah. In the, in the center, he says, "Everybody, if you look at them, they're con—they're in their own, you know, in their own work of being aware," he says, "and it's like it reminds the mind, and the mind naturally sort of starts being more aware."
[Burmese segment]
English
After healing, he said, "It's a pity you all don't understand,
English
but you will soon." He said, "I—when he had become a monk," he says, "one time he, he went for a—you know, in Burma they invite the monks to their homes or somewhere to, to eat sometime, to have a meal, and then give a Dhamma talk, you know. So, so once he, he was invited along, you know, with a group who, who went to, uh, who were invited for a meal at someone's house, and he says, "So there was a group of them, and maybe monks from other places as well, from other monasteries," he said, "the monk he was sitting next to was eating really quickly."
English
He's like, "That's the sound he's making." He's like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa."
English
He's like, "Really putting it in." Who put it down? Yeah. He said, "And he was looking at the monk, he said, and he started to feel like eating like that."
English
He was putting it like that too.
English
. Yeah. The mind tends to become influenced by the object, wants to follow the object. Okay. Thank you. And you were saying one more thing. And what I was saying, the, the, the times when I forget myself is when I do something for somebody else. You know, and then it's just, that's easiest.
English
Because the rest of the time I have to put in effort to remind myself, because it's all, you know, when I'm off, when I'm have, you know, time off, then, you know, it has so many, so many things come up of what could be done, and it's all a problem. I have the least problem when I'm working, because then I'm, you know, I have the mind is directed, I know, you know, I'm in an environment where I'm reminded to be mindful.
English
So that's the eas—that's much easier than when I'm off. Unless I visit someone and, or I do something for somebody else. But you just have time off, that's, then I almost immediately get the sense of depression, and I have to work on not falling into it, you know. I mean, in an exaggerated way. Yeah.
[Burmese segment]
English
Yeah. He says, "That's right." He says, "When people are in service," he says, "they're always more thinking of other people, not so much for themselves." Yeah.
English
Okay. Well, thank you. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.
English
Um, I have, because I'm so, uh, from my habit, so used to focus on problems or what should be better. Um, but now, in the last few days, I remarked that there are a lot of, uh, times when it's running good, or I'm really aware of, so it was good to be aware that's not so bad, so to speak.
English
Um, and, uh, besides their, their, or I experience it, it's somehow like simultaneous. There is this awareness and this, um, experience of peace and easy going. This, what I call my system of authorities, almost, the story.
English
Yeah. Um, especially like in situations like here. So, and I could, um,
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Sayadaw U Tejaniya began his Buddhist training as a young teenager in Burma under the late Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (1913–2002). After a career in business and life as a householder, he has become a permanent monk since 1996.…