Q&AShwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Retreat1 Apr 2016
Day 5 Dhamma discussion group A — Investigating Unpleasant Objects and Neutral Mind
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 26 min
Original audio: English
0:00−1:26:02
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
A group interview clarifying how to investigate unpleasant objects instead of pushing them away, and understanding that true peace arises from wisdom. The teacher explains the link between right thought and right view, working with drowsiness, and the difference between habitual deluded reactions and wise choices.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Retreat · 25 talks
- 630 minDay 4 morning guided — Experience as Object and Checking the Mind31 Mar 2016
- 71 hr 19 minDay 4 Dhamma discussion group C — Nature and Concept, Object and Awareness, and Cause and Effect31 Mar 2016
- 81 hr 9 minDay 4 Dhamma discussion group D — Object Versus Concept, Working with Reactions, and Mind Nature31 Mar 2016
- 938 minDay 5 morning guided — Observing Mental Processes and the Value of Awareness1 Apr 2016
- Viewing101 hr 26 minDay 5 Dhamma discussion group A — Investigating Unpleasant Objects and Neutral Mind1 Apr 2016
- 111 hr 11 minDay 5 Dhamma discussion group B — Recognizing Wisdom and Craving in the Mind1 Apr 2016
- 1244 minDay 6 morning guided — Recognizing Mind Activities and Natural Effort2 Apr 2016
- 131 hr 29 minDay 6 Dhamma discussion group C — Changing Mind's Habitual Reactions and Cultivating Interest2 Apr 2016
- 1459 minDay 6 Dhamma discussion group D — Knowing Mind, Object, and Continuous Practice in Daily Life2 Apr 2016
- 1538 minDay 7 morning guided — Aim of Practice: Understanding Rather Than Peaceful Experiences3 Apr 2016
Transcript
EnglishOkay, Sayada. Um, so since last interview—no, not a couple of minutes—I understood that all these years I've been focused on getting calm and peaceful states and pushing away pleasant experience. Sorry, say it again? Yeah. So, um, I understood all these years I've been focused on getting calm and peaceful states.
EnglishTo—to expect the focus to— Uh-huh. Then get into this state, right? Yes. Yeah, right. And to push away unpleasant experiences. Yes. Yeah. Oh my God.
EnglishAll these years. Okay. So I began to investigate the feeling of the unsatisfied mind, and, um, this led to, uh, eventually the arising of relaxed equanimity, freedom— Mm-hmm. For us, and then happy state of mind.
EnglishThen later that evening, when walking and meditating, um, a lot of anger fee—a lot of angry feelings came up. Mm-hmm. And then I would investigate them, and then eventually they would, the relaxed and calm. Okay. Again. So now, I think after all these years, I understand that, um, all of these unpleasant, or what I think, bad objects.
EnglishYeah. Need to be investigated, not pushed away. Yes.
EnglishYes. Mm-hmm. That's very good. Very good to understand, right? I saw one yogi many years ago, one—it's one state is so calm, so quiet, and he's looking for this. Many years. Many years. Never come back.
EnglishHe practices himself alone. He practices himself alone in the forest, in the street of lobha, many years. When we talk, then he can find out this problem. Mm-hmm. Because attachment to someone who can't get back. Mm-hmm. That's because of title is sometimes the craving.
EnglishReally the title is meditation,
Englishright?
EnglishCraving, craving brings the title is meditation. Okay. But people, they don't know this is a craving. Mm-hmm. Because the title is I'm meditating. I try to meditate. Mm-hmm. But state of mind, quality of mind, it's very important to know what state of mind and we are meditating. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
EnglishSo a-along with so I had said last time that, you know, there had been a long problem for like six months or so, the unsatisfied mind. And along with the unsatisfied mind, or maybe not together, but there's this, uh,
Englishno-no feeling of joy. Mm-hmm. Um, kind of very, uh, very neutral, bland, mechanical, um, feeling that's sort of, uh, it's almost like my base background experience. I walk through the day. Mm-hmm. And kind of, hmm, no joy.
EnglishYeah. Right. And so I st-started looking at it and, uh, no understanding. It just look it looks back at me. I look at it and it looks back at me. Mm-hmm. I don't know. Yeah. What, what, what, what do you mean? Yeah. So I investigate, uh, the, uh, this no joy.
EnglishMm-hmm. No happiness. Okay. Uh, which is kind of throughout the day. Uh-huh. Uh, so now I start investigating. Right. And, uh, no understanding. I, I look at this, uh, this mind state, and it's just there. Mm-hmm. It's just there. Yeah.
EnglishSo you cannot get some un not understanding yet. Not yet. Yeah. Okay. No problem. No, we cannot get immediately. Uh-huh. Just as use as the object. Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm.
EnglishSo just neutral, right? Yeah, just neutral. Kind of. No joy. The joy come from yeah, actually, the joy is come from understanding. Mm-hmm. Should be. Not only the experience feeling pleasant or unpleasant. If you joy from the feeling pleasant.
EnglishMm-hmm. This is a maybe craving. Mm-hmm. We should be we need to be joy from understanding. If we really understand calm, joy is automatic. And, and also beauty of some beauty arising itself. So we, we cannot grow we cannot create immediately the understanding.
EnglishWe need to take a time. Just interest the process. Just checking your attitude, just expect or not. That's all. But neutral is neutral is, uh, neutral is the neutral. Neutral is more freedom. What whatever, just walking to this state again and again.
EnglishOkay. I-I thought it was unusual that, um,
Englishgoing along in life, everything, you know, fine, and then
Englishalways having this, uh, neutral feeling. Mm-hmm. No joy feeling. Um, almost mechanical feeling. Mm-hmm. Um. But th-this neutral feeling come from the maybe you must have a come from the understanding.
EnglishWithout understanding, the mind is not equanimity, right? Mm-hmm. Neutral. Why the mind not, not react? Not liking, not disliking? Why? Right? After that, if it's not neutral, the mind must be have some res uh, liking or disliking must be come. Why the mind become neutral?
EnglishActually, the meditation is if you understand, the mind become equanimity, right? Because of understanding. We it's we can interest or joy from understanding, not from neutral.
EnglishIf you have a wisdom, the mind equanimity, this e this e-equanimity is a balance. And also you, you can feel the freedom.
EnglishNo craving, no avoiding. It's freedom. Mm-hmm. We say freedom. Free from what? Right? Freedom mean it's free from defilement. Mm-hmm. Because of wisdom. But if you know wisdom, only neutral is maybe something that's why this joy cannot come. Interest cannot come.
EnglishSo you need to check what kind of understanding you have.
EnglishWhen you are meditating, there's some understanding must be there. If you don't have a wisdom, then you d you don't know how to practice. Maybe don't you cannot recognize you have wisdom also. You can know only the feeling state, mental feeling state.
EnglishMm-hmm.
EnglishNow you can understand like this. Today you said you understand. Mm-hmm. This years, this month, you're practicing to focus to the one to get the. Mm-hmm. Pleasant. Yes. If you understand like this, how do you feel?
EnglishUh, equa-equanimity and freedom. Yes. Yes. Very, very good, actually. Right. Oh.
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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.…