Q&AShwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Retreat2 Apr 2016
Day 6 Dhamma discussion group C — Changing Mind's Habitual Reactions and Cultivating Interest
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 28 min
Original audio: English
0:00−1:28:44
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
This group interview clarifies recognizing the mind and experience as natural objects rather than reacting habitually. The teacher guides using bodily objects to stabilize restlessness and maintaining continuous awareness in daily life.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Retreat · 25 talks
- 938 minDay 5 morning guided — Observing Mental Processes and the Value of Awareness1 Apr 2016
- 101 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
- Viewing131 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
- 161 hr 26 minDay 7 Dhamma discussion group A — Wrong View, Aversion, and Natural Speed3 Apr 2016
- 171 hr 40 minDay 7 Dhamma discussion group B — Craving, the Sense of Self, and Awareness3 Apr 2016
- 181 hr 26 minDay 8 Dhamma discussion group C — Not Aiming for Awareness and Knowing the Mind Door4 Apr 2016
Transcript
EnglishYes.
EnglishI've been, um, yeah, into meditating and, like, when you were guiding us and then you say that, um, people take meanings and change it. Mm-hmm. And, um, so I noticed that, yeah, you know, like, my mind, it used to
Englishdo a lot of commenting and reacting when, like, a feeling or a thought or an emotion arises. Mm-hmm. I tend to react to it, or, you know, I do some, like, some something happens. I, I sometimes even assume things, but now I just, like, learn to just look at it.
EnglishMm, yeah, right. And not, not reacting to anything. Right. Yeah. So it's just like, uh, a whole new experience. Right. Because it's like on the habit. Mm-hmm. But I have been having it. That's just a meaning of meditation. Meditation means before we are, whatever object is here and how, it's a primary reacting, like, this level.
EnglishMm-hmm. Anxiety. Mm-hmm. Now we try to change direction. Right. Not reacting, think-thinking right away. We try to be aware. This is to change the direction to the mind, to the doing this. Yeah. That is the meaning of meditation. And even with that. Mm-hmm. Because I'm new, so it's, it's not easy.
EnglishYes.
EnglishWo-work habits are hard. So every time the mind reacts, then it starts thinking, practicing, try to think, "Oh, this is nature. This is not a problem." And you have this object and try to awake. Yeah. You try to practice this way. That's right. Again and again and again and again. That's it. Yeah. And later, no need to try. That's right. I just keep having to tell myself all the time.
EnglishMm. Yeah, but, um. It's a nature that ordinary people are, they all the time reacting with the experience with the defilement. Now we are not trying to do this. Try to change it. Change the direction. The train head to the right way, right? Before, wrong way. All the time going this way again and again and again and again and again.
EnglishYeah. So many people repeat again and again. That's why our defilement is become automatic. Right. Mm. So it's like a retraining of the mind. That's why we try to change the direction to the mind. How could grow the good quality of mind. That is the meaning of meditation. And long time you continue practice like this, and slowly your behavior change, right?
EnglishThe pattern is changing. Before, pattern this way. Yeah. Now that way. Right?
EnglishOkay. Thank you. Right.
EnglishHmm.
EnglishSpeaking of practicing over and over, um, I just, the last couple days have been a bit of a roller coaster. Right. But very familiar roller coaster. Mm-hmm. Um, so yesterday I,
EnglishI don't, I just got, I got really triggered and reactive and very angry, and
EnglishI didn't like the center, and I didn't like the teachings, and I didn't like Buddhism, and I didn't like Myanmar, and, you know. Mm. And so I was tr-trying my best to just see it as nature. Right. And not. Not, not following this idea, right? But it's very difficult. Right. Um, especially when the, the floods.
EnglishMm. Come. I mean, there's a reason they're called passivas, right? So I felt totally overwhelmed by it, but I kept pushing back against it. But it was a real struggle. And in the end, I felt like I, I needed to, I ended up holding the name of Quan Yin and. What? Holding the name of Bodhisattva. Oh, Bodhisattva.
EnglishYeah. Quan Yin, Quan Yin. 'Cause I was just like, "Please, I need some assistance." Yeah. Um, and, and. Sometimes you can use also concentration, practice, make the mind calm down, also loving-kindness or, like, the Buddha density, like just the same. Yeah. I felt like I needed an anchor. Right. And that helped. Yeah.
EnglishAnd then this morning, it was just as if, like, the storm had moved everything out of the way. Satchadha. Yeah. Very strong samādhi. Right. Very gathered. And then this afternoon, it's been a lot of restlessness. Okay. So it's just been like this. Yeah. This is a just experience, um, whatever comes. First, if you excited, agitation comes, you need to make calm down sometime.
EnglishMm. So don't think anything. Just pay attention to the continuously aware this object again and again and again. Some object. Sometimes you can use, like, Buddha density also, no? Mm. Sometimes you use the sun of more obvious object to be aware continuously. If the mind have no chance to think, the mind naturally shuts it down.
EnglishMm. Because if you allow this happening again and again, this is increasing. Mm. So don't think anything. Don't try to think anything. Try to be aware. Let the mind busy. You know, patience and try again and again and again. If you do it, you can do this. The mind cannot think too much. Naturally, the mind shuts it down. Mm.
EnglishBut whatever you can use this sun concentration practice and let the mind sun down. If it comes down, then you can open and watch this. So that's why beginning, we don't have a strength. We use the physical object to be grounded first. Don't think too much. Don't watch the mind all the time. Because the mind is so fast, so shut up.
EnglishIf you cannot catch as object, very difficult to be aware. Mm. Right?
EnglishOkay. Thank you. Mm. Yes, Sayadaw. Um, I've been practicing Vipassanā. Mm. And also, also reading some of the books. Um, I it's mentioned that, uh, also, like, uh, the goal of, like, maybe ask me a personal.
EnglishMm. The Vipassanā meditation. Maybe after that, um, I would use it as daily life. But sometimes, uh, when you in the daily life, uh, you know that defilement is, is your main focus. Right. Defilement. Mm-hmm. Right. The craving. Mm. The want is, is your main focus.
EnglishYour main focus. Main, main, this main focus. Yes. You really want to focus. Yeah. Right. I mean, if you live as a lay person, the defilement. Defilement nature is automatically try to focus to the object. Yeah. I mean. Try to get something to, to reach something. Right. And then, you know, that, um, you've, for example, when I'm thinking about the, the stuff, then I, I follow the story.
EnglishMm-hmm. Already. But it's, it's in the real life. I mean, but and then when you meditate,
Englishyou know, when you try to meditate, you're aware, "Okay, this is just a story. Let it go." But I mean, in the real life, you, you always follow the story. I mean, you always define everything. Mm-hmm. Now we are not try to follow the, the, the storyline. We try to aware the mind state. Yeah. Mind state as object. Yes. Try to aware this object. Yeah. Right? If you become more skillful, then you don't need to follow.
EnglishIf your, the mind become understanding, the thinking become object. Yes. So you can think. You should think. Sometimes we need to think. When not planning, we cannot do anything. Yes. But if the mind understand this object, then you're not involved. Yeah. The mind understand this object, then you can aware this object also. Then you can think also.
EnglishNow the mind is not understand very well about this object. Yeah. The mind more attention to the storyline, then invol- involve. That's why awareness lots.
EnglishBut in the daily life. So that's why we need to learn how to aware the mind state, thinking mind as object. So we need to practice again and again. Notice the thoughts, come back. The thoughts, aware the thoughts, come back. And later, you can think. You can aware thinking also happening. Awareness also happen. Not lots. Oh. Oh, ah, same time.
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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.…