Q&ASaddhamma Meditation Society Retreat1 Dec 2016
Day 2a interviews — Observing Aversion and the Knowing Mind
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 38 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:38:42
AI-written summary
The interview clarifies recognizing mental instability and aversion toward physical pain or strong sensations. The Sayadaw advises observing the mind's reactions with right view, helping yogis understand non-self (anatta) and lessen identification with experiences.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Saddhamma Meditation Society Retreat · 16 talks
- 11 hr 14 minDay 1 · opening — Cultivating Mind Qualities, Right Effort, and Attitude30 Nov 2016
- Viewing21 hr 39 minDay 2a interviews — Observing Aversion and the Knowing Mind1 Dec 2016
- 32 hr 5 minDay 2b interviews — Practicing with the Mind and Daily Defilements1 Dec 2016
- 41 hr 47 minDay 3a interviews — Light Awareness, Observing the Mind, and Recognizing Feelings2 Dec 2016
- 51 hr 46 minDay 3b interviews — Knowing the Mind Process and Natural Experience2 Dec 2016
- 61 hr 47 minDay 5a interviews — Watching the Reactive Mind and Knowing the Awareness4 Dec 2016
- 737 minDay 5b interviews — Observing the Mind as Object and Investigation4 Dec 2016
- 81 hr 50 minDay 6a interviews — Overly Active Mind and Observing the Thinking Mind5 Dec 2016
- 91 hr 20 minDay 6b interviews — Samādhi, Sampajañña and Awareness in Daily Life5 Dec 2016
- 101 hr 56 minDay 7a interviews — Distinguishing Reality and Concept, Observing Emotions with Right View6 Dec 2016
Transcript
English
Sadhama Meditation Society, Virginia, Fall Retreat 2016, the 2nd day. December 1, interview English. Nganmar Group.
English
If I start to, uh,
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to observe
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the aware, uh, like a body, sensation,
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it's like it cannot stay for a while, it immediately,
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uh, you know, the mind changes to another part.
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It's like it's always changing, changing, changing. If I
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observe the seeing, the looking, maybe less than 2 seconds, it immediately changes to other sounds. And
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so this is, uh, the mind is not stable.
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It's very hard to make it stable. ，，"stable"，。，，，，，，，stable，。 ，，，stable，，，stable。，。 It's possible for the mind to actually know, um, in this way.
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It only becomes not stable while— it only becomes not stable. It only becomes stable when you
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like, like— sorry, it only becomes not stable when you like or don't like what is happening. Okay? So the fact that your mind can be aware of what is happening in this way means that there is samādhi. And samādhi is stability of mind. So, um, it's hard to say that the mind is not stable. But if you don't like what's happening, it will feel like it's not stable.
English
Because of it's the aversion that's— that gives the feeling of instability. Um, but if you, uh, just see what is happening as it is, and just observe continuously, and especially if you are aware, you know, check that on the aversion. Um, and if there's no aversion, then, you know, if what you are observing, if it feels fast, it may slow down.
English
But aversion will make things feel more intense, or. So when you know something, you know that this is happening, it means you are aware. First. And if you are aware, it means samādhi is present. If you are really uncomfortable with this, like you can't deal with the aversion, then Sayadaw says you can choose to, uh, take one object.
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object。 Use an anchor. Uh-huh. And keep coming back to it.
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The, uh, even though I choose one anchor, like a rising, falling, stomach, breathing. Breathe, breathe, breathe out. But it still does not stay for a while. Sayadam's name. Just several seconds. He says it may not stay. And, you know, it's not our choice to control, like, to make the mind stay or know whatever we want it to.
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The mind still knows what it does.
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Our job is to recognize it. Yeah. So, you know, awareness is not about choosing where the awareness stays. Awareness is the choice to be aware. And it doesn't matter what you are aware of.
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So if the— if you're aware of different things, that's okay.
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Uh,
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I, I found that there is a phenomenon, uh,
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you know, some, uh, some thinking arise and coming. Then I feel some part, uh, body, uh, some part, there is some special feeling. So that affects mind change.
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Sorry, I'm not understanding what you said. Chest, you think it's chest, chest, not the— Not the chest, not the chest. For
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example, I, I try to stay awareness, uh, for something, for a while. If I observe like a sea or something. But later, uh, I get lost. Mind is sticking something.
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So then I try to find why mind is so easily changed.
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So, so then I try to find— Why the mind is so easily? Yeah, why the mind is so easily changing. Changing. From one place to move to another place. And I get lost. So now I try to stay, you know, try to find the reason why mind is so easily changed. So later I found that
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because
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some, some feeling arise. Why I ob- observe something, be aware of that. But later some feeling arise, and if I don't, um,
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if I, uh, didn't pay attention, didn't know that, uh, that feeling, you know, that if that feeling is not obvious. Some, some small, subtle feeling. So that looks like mind to be affected by feeling. Mind looks like it always
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changes that feeling. So after I know that, so I try to, to pay my attention to my feeling. Or some kind of sensation. My body sensation.
Keep listening by topic
Suggestions for what to listen to next · Based on the topics of this talk. No account history needed.
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- Q&A group A 1 — Awareness Instead of Focusing, and Appreciating the AwarenessSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 45 min
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- Day 6 Dhamma discussion group D — Knowing Mind, Object, and Continuous Practice in Daily LifeSayadaw U Tejaniya59 min
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- Group F · session 3 — Building Continuity and Working with Greed and DefilementsSayadaw U Tejaniya2 hr 16 min
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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.…