Q&ABangkok Retreat14 Nov 2015
Dhamma discussion group C4 and D4 — Nature of Mind, Defilements and Wisdom
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 49 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:49:57
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
In this group interview, the teacher clarifies how to recognize greed, conceit, and samādhi without expecting objects to disappear. He explains that samādhi means mental stability rather than forced concentration, and encourages maintaining natural, relaxed awareness throughout daily life.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Bangkok Retreat · 22 talks
- 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
- 161 hr 42 minDhamma discussion group B3 — Wrong Attitude, Defilements, and Relaxation in Practice12 Nov 2015
- 172 hr 11 minDhamma discussion group C3 — Working with Anger, Resistance, and Thoughts12 Nov 2015
- 1815 minDay 7 guided 15 min meditation — Right Attitude and Practicing Vipassanā Anywhere13 Nov 2015
- 191 hr 57 minDhamma discussion group D3 — Working with Loud Noise, Thoughts, and Cause and Effect13 Nov 2015
- 201 hr 56 minDhamma discussion group A4 and B4 — Grounding Mind When Facing Challenges and Working with Emotions13 Nov 2015
- Viewing211 hr 50 minDhamma discussion group C4 and D4 — Nature of Mind, Defilements and Wisdom14 Nov 2015
- 2254 minFinal sit and encouragement — Carrying on Practice After Retreat14 Nov 2015
Transcript
EnglishSayadaw, in the recent sitting,
Englisha solution to a work problem presented itself to me in my thoughts.
EnglishI knew exactly what are the steps I should take, what are the resources I could use to overcome the work problem, and the whole process of presentation has a beginning and an end. I was not drifted away in the thoughts. I wonder, is this still called considered as awareness?
EnglishHmm. So if you were to
Englishno? To a Polar Now Dao Shou to Asah Ya. This is called wisdom.
EnglishOh. Thank you.
EnglishBut it's because you had awareness that the mind is clear, and then the right thought and the wisdom presents itself. Shweda, over the days of sitting, so sometimes when I sit, and the sitting is very well, I mean it's with awareness, and when I notice somebody moves or makes some noise, my mind begins to compare, you know, "Oh, I'm very good," you know, "I'm sitting very well," and the guy is moving, you know.
EnglishSo there's that kind of ego, kind of feeling come out. But I know it's conceit, you know, so I recognize conceit. And when I hear more people making noise, even bigger, the conceit even gets bigger. Then at times when I don't meditate very well, when I couldn't meditate, the same thing, I felt, "Oh, I'm not doing so well compared to others." Look at others sitting so still, and I'm moving.
EnglishAnd I still recognize that. It's still conceit, you know, in me, you know. But I'm aware of the conceit, Shweda. But how do you deal with it, Shweda?
EnglishJust keep recognizing conceit. What do you do when you have greed? Just watch the wanting mind, the mind of. The same, all. I mean, the five minds are the same. So all the five minds are the same. Watch the feelings, watch the thoughts.
EnglishYeah, to go back to the tightness of the chest again. I think I'll take back what I said earlier about it being a muscle tension. It seems to be a gas in the stomach. When I get up to walk around, there's burping
Englishcoming out. So I'm not sure how to handle this.
Englishmuscle tension It's just an object. Physical process, mental process, There's a physical process, mental processes going on.
EnglishHow do we observe them? They are just objects. Yeah. What is important is this object, you know, leads to the arising of awareness, samādhi, and wisdom. yoga Even if we're sick, you know, on our deathbed, whatever, even if we're sick, we should be using that condition to make sati-samādhi and paññā arise in the mind.
EnglishThat's the practice.
EnglishYeah, because this is the best what we can do. If we don't summon sati-samādhi and paññā, then the defilements will take that space. You know, we will worry, be anxious, wonder what to do, and all those sort of things.
EnglishA little lonely, I think. Yeah. Yeah. He says you're a little worried about all this tension on you. Are you? Yes, a little bit. yoga But if there's a body, the body will have dis-ease. And as we get older, the dis-ease gets worse. So be prepared from now.
EnglishYou can't ask it. So rather than allow unwholesome states to arise because of this, allow wholesome states to arise, beginning with awareness.
Englishyoga yoga Yeah. If— Meditation and meditation If the body is sick, we medicate with a C. When the mind is sick, we meditate with a T. Medication and meditation. Medication and meditation.
EnglishSayadaw, what is idle thinking? I-D-L-E, right, right, right. Idle thinking about— He doesn't know that English.
EnglishHe didn't say it. He said, "That's what you say in English for what he said in Burmese."
EnglishWhen your mind is just, you know, thinking its own rubbish thoughts, you're just lost in thought, that's idle thinking.
EnglishSayadaw, I'd like to express great thanks. I found all the answers that earlier I was, like, troubled with because of this practice these last few days. And I just want to relate, like, what I—one of the things that I saw. Because of the seeing, it's all very clear.
EnglishLast time I thought that when I cannot see, I really want to see. Then it went on and on. For instance, like, I would think, "I want to see a version." And then I keep wanting to see. I cannot see. Okay, now I find the answer is that when I want to see, actually the defilement already morphed into something else already.
EnglishSo while I was trying to see, it was creating doubt already. That's why the mind goes into the questioning. The questioning actually was to feed the doubt, which I did not detect. So now I find that because I can see, I can see the whole thing, the feeling and everything coming together.
EnglishSo it's very clear. And when it's very clear, I think about that situation. Now I understand. So earlier the misunderstanding was because I thought the moment-to-moment, the staying with the sensation was nothing. So I was trying to skip that stage. So that was the wrong, that was the error.
EnglishSo now when I stay with just that and be comfortable, I find that all the senses open. And then I begin to see things. And everything becomes clear. I. I'm so thankful. If there's no wanting,
Englishyou can see more. And last night, when I felt like for, again, for the several times when I sat and really I could see the sensation in the sitting, I find, like, sitting cross-legged very difficult. But I can do it, this retreat, many times. In fact, I test it.
EnglishEven I test, like, last time when I don't feel the pain, I'm, like, very scared to open the eyes in case, like, the pain will come. But now I can test it again and again and again. And it's just, yeah, it's just there. I can feel the sensation and really no pain. And really everything becomes easy, you know.
EnglishAnd I feel like really when I go back, I have a good idea how to practice. And I'm very thankful. And last night too, I felt great thanks for my teachers. One is here, one is at home. Both are with Sayadaw. And I'm—they are the ones who introduced this teaching to me. And I'm so glad that I've been practicing.
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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.…