Q&ABangkok Retreat10 Nov 2015
Dhamma discussion group B2 — Mind as Reality and Working with Pain and Attitude
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 33 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:33:06
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
In this group interview, the Sayadaw clarifies the distinction between concept and reality and observing the mind. He guides yogis to face pain and hindrances with right attitude and relaxation.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Bangkok Retreat · 22 talks
- 612 minDay 3 instructions — Reality and Concepts in Meditation9 Nov 2015
- 71 hr 55 minDhamma discussion group D1 — Knowing with Right View and Observing Reactions9 Nov 2015
- 81 hr 58 minDhamma discussion group A2 — Observing the Mind, Working with Greed and Fear9 Nov 2015
- 915 minDay 4 instructions — Knowing the Mind and Continuity of Awareness10 Nov 2015
- Viewing101 hr 33 minDhamma discussion group B2 — Mind as Reality and Working with Pain and Attitude10 Nov 2015
- 111 hr 45 minDhamma discussion group C2 — Cause and Effect Process and Being Aware in Life10 Nov 2015
- 1221 minDay 5 guided 20 min meditation — Continuity of Awareness and Being Aware in the Present Moment11 Nov 2015
- 131 hr 18 minDhamma discussion group D2 — Concept and Nature, and Watching the Mind11 Nov 2015
- 141 hr 30 minDhamma discussion group A3 — Mind-Body Process and Right Attitude Towards Thoughts11 Nov 2015
- 157 minDay 6 guided 10 min meditation — Being Aware or Idle Thinking12 Nov 2015
Transcript
English
Interviews are extremely rewarding, and my question is regarding a remark a Sādu made yesterday, that the mind is a concept. He didn't say the word "recipe". Did I misunderstand? Ah, sorry, exactly: mind is reality, and that is—so I see, I already say what I think, because for me mind is a concept.
English
We have the reality, which are the doors that open our senses towards the mind. Wow. You're using the words in a conventional sense, but we're using the word "concept" and "reality" in a—maybe in a more technical way.
English
We're translating two words from Pali, "paññāti" and "paramattā," and
English
the other closest translation we've seen is these two words, "concept" and "reality." So it may not match your conventional way of using it in English.
English
Clear to me was, or is, that we have the doors,
English
which connect the outer world to our mind: the seeing, the hearing, the senses.
English
And I got confused about the mind itself being reality.
English
How? Because to me mind is more abstract. To mind seems more like a concept. I think I don't quite understand that yet.
[Burmese segment]
MY
says could you touch your knee yet? Know the touching sensation?
English
No. — Can you see the difference between the touching and the knowing? Yes. Yes? You can know the knowing, right? . So just take their hand off, not touching. — Any more touching? Any more touching?
English
Yeah, any more touching sensation? Not on the knee. Not on the knee. The deep thigh knee, any of the deep thigh knee like— So just put your attention at the knee, okay? The deep thigh knee . So your attention is at the knee. Can you see the attention? Yes? .
English
And touch the knee again.
MY
So now Sayadaw says when it touches you know
English
It's not touching, you still know." Do you have to think about the knowing? You can experience knowing, right?
English
The deep thigh knee So you don't have to think about knowing. You don't have to think about
English
paying attention.
English
You can experience it. You feel it. Experience it little little like that. You can feel it, yeah. But I also can put my attention—I can touch my knee and put my attention somewhere else. Yes. But you know the attention. Yes. You don't need to think about the function. You can experience the function of paying attention.
English
Right? Yeah. Still, that to me is fantasy. That's abstract. And abstract, abstract. Because I can put it wherever I want. Abstract abstract
English
Yeah. Seata says,
English
So the mind doesn't feel concrete in the beginning," Seata says. "It can feel quite subtle." But Seata says, "When we are aware a lot, the mind can feel as concrete as the body." It can. one yogi, he cannot feel the knowing. Touching and knowing, touching and knowing too
English
Repeatedly like that. Repeated little kind. All to all subtle like that. Solid Yeah. And actually, the nature of all reality is
English
abstract. But when you know it, when you understand it, it's pretty concrete. It's like understanding the principle of something. When you understand it, it's as real to you as—yeah, but yeah. But all principles are abstract. . Yeah. So he gives an example of this yogi who, you know, couldn't understand knowing.
English
Couldn't understand knowing. . So he couldn't separate knowing and the touching sensation, for example. So Seata got him to touch, not touch, touch and not touch. And repeatedly know that he was touching, and there was no touching. Touching and no touching. And then Seata said, "Stop paying attention to the touching." But can you see that you're still knowing?
English
And then he got it, you know. But you don't have a problem of knowing the knowing. Yeah. There has to be somebody.
English
When
English
the yogi got it, he was like, "Oh." He was like with his mouth hanging open. Yeah. Sikh Yeah. The mind is like that. Because it has no shape, like he says. It has no shape, size, color, place, name, time, you know? It's—and because of that, it feels so ephemeral or, you know, yeah, untouchable.
English
But you can know it. I think that just means I still have a long way to go. Yes. Okay. In this context, I— Long way to go.
English
In this context, allow me another question.
English
When you open your senses,
Keep listening by topic
Suggestions for what to listen to next · Based on the topics of this talk. No account history needed.
- Week 3 day 4 group G — Attitude Towards Defilements and Working with RestlessnessSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 23 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Interview groups E and F · session 1 (priority for group E) — Middle Way, Right View, and Working with DullnessSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 43 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Questions and answers — Right Attitude, Tension, and Being AwareSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 29 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Group E session 2 — Greed, Aversion, and Stabilizing the Mind with Right ViewSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 43 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Week 1 day 4 group A — Differentiating Functions of Mind and Reality vs ConceptSayadaw U Tejaniya2 hr 9 min
Shares topics with this talk
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.…