Q&AShwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Retreat7 Mar 2017
Day 7 Discussion group D — Observing Defilements and Looking for Cause
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 2 hr 16 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−2:16:08
AI-written summary
This group interview covers recognizing defilements, reactions to discomfort, and natural letting go through wisdom. Sayadaw explains the difference between thinking about causes and directly knowing present experience. When the mind understands suffering, it lets go naturally.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Retreat · 18 talks
- 91 hr 47 minDay 5 Discussion group D — Natural Effort and Not Personalizing Experiences5 Mar 2017
- 101 hr 15 minDay 6 Discussion group A — Free Will, Knowing the Mind and Anchor Objects6 Mar 2017
- 111 hr 19 minDay 6 Discussion group C — Working with Six Sense Doors and Reactions6 Mar 2017
- 121 hr 36 minDay 7 Discussion group B — Being Aware of Thinking and Noticing Judging Mind7 Mar 2017
- Viewing132 hr 16 minDay 7 Discussion group D — Observing Defilements and Looking for Cause7 Mar 2017
- 141 hr 10 minDay 8 Discussion group A — Cause and Effect, Anatta, and Role of Samatha8 Mar 2017
- 151 hr 57 minDay 8 Discussion group C — Samādhi, Quality of Awareness and Attitude8 Mar 2017
- 1620 minDay 9 closing — Carrying Practice into Daily Life9 Mar 2017
- 171 hr 16 minDay 9 Discussion group B — Reality, Stability of Mind, and Wisdom9 Mar 2017
- 181 hr 46 minDay 9 Discussion group D — Talking Meditation, Dealing with Defilements, and Uncovering Subtler Layers9 Mar 2017
Transcript
English
7 March 2017, in Kallor, Tuesday, at 6:00 PM. Group D. Because I couldn't make up my mind, I flipped the coin, and the coin said I should move to the monastery. So that's why I did it yesterday. Okay.
English
I came down with a slight cold yesterday.
English
I have some physical dukkha also.
English
I read in Sayadaw's book yesterday, and I read something about awareness being in the background, and that was, I don't know, it somehow was good for me to just—because it kind of kept
English
it set to me, like, take away even more effort, just be with the experience. So this was one thing which happened. But also I did some—so I sometimes do lying down meditation, and I do it in a constructive rest position, just my knees, my legs being like. Bent. Bent.
English
And I kind of automatically went into
English
something called TRE, which is kind of a shaking exercise to release stress and trauma.
English
You did it? You did it. You would. I kind of—because I've done it so many times, it just happened automatically. It just, okay. And I just let it happen for a couple of minutes.
English
And then after that, I noticed that awareness was just very effortless and very easy. And I can't really say what the conditions were, but I mean, these were kind of part of the conditions, I realized. And
English
yeah, it was interesting for me to see. Also, through the interview, that I could be very—I was with myself, but also with what was being said. So it was much easier than before, for some reason. I don't know why. But yeah. , ,
[Burmese segment]
English
He says, "We make these efforts, you know, and slowly the mind begins to understand, find its way around the landscape of awareness."
English
And I mean, if I take that as an indication that there is stress in the system, I think, I mean, these retreats, as I have been sharing before, these retreats create some intense stress for me. So I was just wondering also how much that is maybe a function of old, like, you know, old, maybe you would say, conditioning, some psychologists would say trauma.
English
I mean, it kind of points again for me to just being very gentle, trying to be very gentle with myself. Yeah, I mean, I think awareness was pretty okay today, so maybe nothing to worry about so much. Yeah. Yeah.
English
He says, "Slowly you begin to understand, like. How do we awaken? Yeah. How the mind works so that it can relax. , He says, "It's easy to say." He understands that it's not easy to just bump into it, you know.
English
We have to learn the lessons. Okay. Good news.
English
Yeah. He says, "You look so much more relaxed now." Yeah. , , When he saw you in Thailand, he thought, "Oh, difficult." You know? How is he going to get across to you? Yeah. How is he going to be able to help you to see? Yeah. Nice.
English
He's happy. Thanks God.
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He said, "Thanks God." Thanks God. He always says "thanks God" instead of "thank God."
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Yeah. He recognizes that it's not his import alone, you know. That your input is what? Yogi For him to be there. That it's not his input alone.
English
Your input as well. Your efforts to practice, your own understanding, and so on. So, you know, he has to do the talking, and you do your understanding and your trying, and then somehow, somehow, some way it works out. So that's good. Okay. Yeah. We all have to be patient, he says. Okay.
English
Good. I share. I want to share the packing, the process of packing of the gift. Before I go for the production of the packing, I already pre-
English
pre-want, pre-frame my mind. Okay. I say, "This retreat shall be done in a very peaceful and mindful way." Even I write down the instructions to let the yogi say, "This is the instruction. You're supposed to follow. Just be mindful, putting the item in." So, but, you know, things is like when you plan, but it's not according to the plan.
English
So it's like, okay, I still recollect myself. Every time I recollect myself, I say, "Okay, ask them to sit down." First, still aware, aware. Then after a few comments, the awareness all gone. Because a lot of sound that is coming in, that comment, "Here is the bottleneck."
English
For me, I'm thinking, the mind will say, "What bottleneck? Where do we want to rush? There's nothing to rush here." So then bottleneck, they say, "Oh, here you must not put here. This sweets should not be here, here, here." So a lot of comments. So before that, I beginning, I still okay. But so many comments, I just total lost that.
English
The feeling is uneasy, uneasy, and then wipe off the awareness is all wipe off. So but after that, I just thank them, and then I still go on to for working for a while, to just stay with the awareness. So to think of, just stay. It's actually uneasy. The heart is pumping. And take on some time, maybe about 5 to 10 minutes.
English
Then I just say, "Stay." Then the idea come. Idea actually come in that, "Oh, I want it to be my way. I already planned to be like that. Cannot be otherwise. It should be perfect like that." And then it's mine. It's my project. Why so many interruptions?
English
Why can't you follow? It's like, you know. So after that, ah, okay. Then also have thoughts coming in that, "Oh, conditioning. Yeah, I can't change, right?" So everything is perfect. Because I also complain the mind, complaining thoughts also coming in, like, "Should give more sweet to the children. Why have to reduce left a lot?"
English
So all this is all settle down. Then the mind can go back to the awareness again. So I'm saying that this is so little, and then here is so conducive. Very fast, the awareness just gone like that. That kind of disappointment also is more important. It's like bombarded by thoughts or disappointment is never mine, but the awareness gone.
[Burmese segment]
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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.…