Q&ASaddhamma Meditation Society Retreat8 Dec 2016
Day 9a interviews — Working with Memory, Fear, and Daily Mindfulness
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 53 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:53:00
AI-written summary
In this interview, the teacher clarifies how to recognize mental processes when facing fear, busy daily life, or physical pain. He emphasizes relaxing the mind and maintaining right attitude rather than forcing or fleeing objects. Natural awareness in the present moment gradually cultivates wisdom.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Saddhamma Meditation Society Retreat · 16 talks
- 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
- 112 hr 5 minDay 7b interviews — Being Aware of the Knowing Mind6 Dec 2016
- 121 hr 51 minDay 8a interviews — Momentum, Labeling, and Watching the Mind's Reactions7 Dec 2016
- 131 hr 43 minDay 8b interviews — Working with Emotions and Right Thinking7 Dec 2016
- Viewing141 hr 53 minDay 9a interviews — Working with Memory, Fear, and Daily Mindfulness8 Dec 2016
- 151 hr 58 minDay 9b interviews — Thinking the Vipassanā Way and Objects8 Dec 2016
- 1630 minDay 10 closing — No End to Meditation: Continuing to Practice in Daily Life9 Dec 2016
Transcript
EnglishSadhama Meditation Society, Virginia. Fall Retreat 2016, the 9th day—December 8—interview English. Nhon Mar Group.
EnglishOkay.
EnglishI have 2 questions.
EnglishYesterday I was speaking with Sayadaw about
Englishworking with a difficult memory situation from the past, and I understood the first part of the instruction. The second part, I'm not so sure I recalled correctly, and I want to make sure I understand. To when the mindfulness is strong, when the mind is strong and there's stability after doing the first part, the suggestion to call up the situation or the memory and work further with it at that point.
EnglishI thought
EnglishSayadaw said "investigate." I'm not sure that's the word, and I want clarification on that, please. And also, if it's "investigate," I'm not sure what that means. The situation reflecting on? Reflecting on the state of mind at the time of the situation? The state of mind currently?
EnglishI'm very confused about what exactly that means.
[Burmese segment]
EnglishYes. When the sati-samādhi is stronger,
Englishbring back. Think of it again, and then try and work with watching.
EnglishAnd the investigation, he says, will happen on its own. Not something you do deliberately, but when there's more stability, as you observe, more will be learned. Because with the power of better sati and samādhi, he says, the mind has a clearer perspective and a broader perspective.
EnglishIt will see things that you may not have been able to before. Just to clarify, taking what is the object at that point? So at that time, both the feelings? Both the feeling and what the mind is thinking.
EnglishNot lost in the thought, but recognizing what it is.
EnglishPersonalizing it, you know. Yeah. Where the mind isn't so personalizing it anymore, but is able to see the process.
EnglishThank you. Very clear. Thank you. The other question—actually, I have 3, but let me just decide here. That's okay. You can ask. Okay.
EnglishAll right.
EnglishWhen taking the feeling and the thoughts that are arising or in any situation, sometimes the feeling can be quite strong,
Englishand there's
Englishturbulence, very turbulence, and acceleration of the thoughts, but the mindfulness, the awareness, is stable. So
Englishmy inclination in those moments is to really feel the feeling deeply. Not deeply, but you feel it fully, because it feels like passing through, and
Englishthere's space or peace at the end of it. I'm a little nervous about whether there's
Englishan intention there, a seduction there, to feel the feeling because I know it's going to feel better after. Is that wise? Or is it sneaky mind?
[Burmese segment]
EnglishYeah. Sayadaw says. Wisdom also knows that when you know. Wisdom also understands when something works, so it does it. Yeah.
EnglishSo don't worry about that. So is that what I'm hearing? Yes. Yes. He said the fear is just another layer. It's just another. Okay. But wisdom also knows. Yeah. Thank you again. And the last question was about pleasant, unpleasant, something I heard last night, and I'm not sure if I understood. But at some point in equanimity, does the pleasant, unpleasant actually go away?
EnglishOr where I am right now is the there's the awareness, and then I notice
Englisha little pleasant, unpleasant,
Englishbut it doesn't shake the it doesn't shake the awareness. But sometimes I just notice, a little bit of feels good, doesn't feel good.
EnglishDifferent from when there's pleasant and there's a little reach in that direction?
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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.…