Q&AInsight Meditation Society Retreat27 Apr 2014
Dharma Discussion group A1 — Recognizing the State of Mind and Viewing Experiences as Nature
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 26 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:26:21
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
In this group interview, the Sayadaw advises asking questions to spark interest and using bodily sensations against drowsiness. Meditators are reminded to maintain right view, regarding all experiences and suffering as natural objects to learn from.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Insight Meditation Society Retreat · 35 talks
- 11 hr 16 minOverview of the meditation instructions by Sayadaw U Tejaniya26 Apr 2014
- 234 minGuided meditation with morning reminders — Right Attitude and Continuous Awareness27 Apr 2014
- Viewing31 hr 26 minDharma Discussion group A1 — Recognizing the State of Mind and Viewing Experiences as Nature27 Apr 2014
- 41 hr 56 minDharma Discussion group B1 — Being Aware of Awareness and Watching Mind Activity27 Apr 2014
- 533 minGuided meditation with reminders — Object and Mind, Feeling and Wisdom28 Apr 2014
- 61 hr 45 minDharma Discussion group C1 — Wisdom of Knowing How to Practice28 Apr 2014
- 71 hr 59 minDharma Discussion group D1 — Recognizing Nature of Objects and Continuous Awareness28 Apr 2014
- 840 minGuided meditation with reminders — Right View and Attitude Towards Objects29 Apr 2014
- 91 hr 48 minDharma Discussion group E1 — Recognizing Dosa and Working with Wisdom29 Apr 2014
- 101 hr 53 minDharma Discussion group F1 — Awareness of Mind, Thinking, and Dosa29 Apr 2014
Transcript
EnglishSo the— Tell me when to start.
EnglishOkay, so this is Sunday, April 27, and I am asked to discussion group A. Okay.
EnglishHmm.
EnglishAnybody? You can say about your experience, or you have some difficulty, and we can discuss about this.
EnglishThis is your chance.
EnglishYes.
EnglishWell, first of all, thank you very much for coming
Englishto our country to teach. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to practice with you in person. Mm-hmm.
EnglishYou've talked about meditation being cultivation of the wholesome qualities. Mm-hmm. And many of us have learned formal techniques for cultivating
Englishthe Brahma-vihāras through repeating of phrases or radiating metta, for example. How do those practices
Englishfit or not fit with, uh, meditation as you teach it? Sometimes there are, there are Vimal-vihāra-ri, Vimalamitta-guna, Atthumude, through Vaiyāra. Mm-hmm. Every Atthumude, I would say, then a neenah below, uh, fifty level. Got it. Piya. What are you teaching the people?
EnglishJust be aware while you're doing that. They can see piya, yeah. And notice whether you're really developing those feelings of, of compassion or loving-kindness.
EnglishThat is, say, Dhammapada Yeah. So when, when you know that these minds are arising, you have these feelings, and you recognize these minds are arising, then, then you're recognizing minds. It's Chittanupasana, basically. Yeah, Vedānanīna Śūma, the pleasant, the pleasant, unpleasant, unpleasant dignity.
EnglishThere's also Vedānanupasana because you, you know how it feels. You know if it feels pleasant or unpleasant. Mm-hmm. You see, that, "Pāppi piya, se piya, piya, piya, yo, piya, piya, dignī," the Driva Kāṇa-vaṇa. Yeah. He says, regardless of what we're aware of, so long as we're aware of mind or body, um, something in mind or body, then satipaṭṭhāna is already some version of it is happening.
EnglishMm-hmm. Lo-load up, yeah, dīla, yeah. Yeah. And you can also recognize the mind at work, the mind that is doing the work of, of, you know, um, sending metta, of, of bringing up those images. Vibhāṣīma, Kañcāma-śīma, Duhī-śīma, Dao-śūmya, Sayadaw, Nibbāna-pittaḥ. There'll be feelings and thoughts. Yeah.
EnglishSo there'll be Vedānanupasana, Chittanupasana.
EnglishMm-hmm. Whatever. Go ahead.
EnglishUm, I think I've had a pretty good sense of awareness for the last day and a half. Um, and this morning when you said, "Are you aware, or are you thinking?" Mm-hmm. Um, I wonder if you could just elaborate on the difference there. Um, the neerta, the decom, right, Loto Kāñcāra, right, right, would say a Thaï nomad.
EnglishThe di śī nilā, senjā nilā, lobha ira tu below pyāra level, right, ashaya. Cool, say, Bhālam, right, Uttāśayina. Mm-hmm. Um, he just wants us to recognize what the mind is actually doing. Eh, a-aware, aware nē, do, say, the decom, decom, mandī, right? Yeah. For example. Pyā-mēra, right, right? You have a sense. Piya, piya, piya, mēra. You've had a sense these past one and a half days that you've had good awareness.
EnglishMm-hmm. That's recognizing the quality of your awareness. It's just like that. So he's just asking you to do that. Amāgā, the, alo mēga, maybe, yeah, would say a mēra, right? Ko pya means, checking out, right? Out. Ko a lob, would say a lobhyā. Yeah. He says the questions that he asks are really questions that we could be asking ourselves. Um, and he's just up there on stage giving examples of the things that he might check with himself.
EnglishAnd these are things that we could do for ourselves as well. Remind me, yeah, namadva, awake pitta, ko viro, dechāra is, dignitā dechāra. Yeah. Reminding ourselves, he says, or, um, you know, having that sort of thought, he says, it just makes us more sure in that moment about whether we're aware or not. Kāla-beja yogī, yeah, doing it, I see. Every mēra, right, the thing, right, do, oh, doing it, right, I'll do it.
EnglishYeah. Sometimes we're, uh, sort of aware, but we might be lost in thought or some sort of, sort of hazy in thought. He says that sort of question can bring us back to the immediate. Uh, remind me, yeah, yogī, remind me right now. So it's just a reminder for the yogis.
EnglishYou see, that, go say it, say, right, the dignitā gāna. Yeah. He says. Bhūkaunā, right, say, lobha nīrāti, bhūkaunā. Yeah. He says, basically, or most importantly, he says, it's about knowing the state of your own mind. And even better, if you actually also recognize what work the mind is doing. What is the mind doing at that time?
EnglishOkay.
EnglishI'm wondering, um,
Englishwhether it's, uh, one can ask a question of the mind. Um, I notice that, um, when I'm thinking, usually it's in the form of something I've learned that I want to teach to someone, like, like teaching them about meditation or teaching them about environment. Um, and, um, it's in that form, and sometimes it's very urgent, like, I want to help save the environment or keep people from suffering.
EnglishIt's like craving, almost. And, um, is there a way to ask the mind, "What's this all about?" I mean, can, can you suggest to the mind to work on this somehow, to get some guidance? Mm-hmm. So you're saying, um, can you ask a question of the mind so that it's directed towards fi-figuring out what's happening in the mind?
EnglishYes. With, with, um, issues like that. Why is it coming up all the time? Okay. Abhidhamma? Tuā, oh, tuā, mēguntōṇā, right? Mm-hmm. Abhidhamma-ta-kāli, tu se ka-alo, um, dilo, upamāla. Yeah, thinching out. Yeah, thinking out, right, not worrying. Tala? Tuā, environment, environment, environment, right? Thinking out, right? And then thinkāja nāra, yeah, alo, you say, the Dhamma, yeah.
EnglishThe Dhamma, yeah, yeah. The Dhamma, yeah. The Dhamma, yeah. The Dhamma, yeah, yeah. Lobha pya chenāmatī, right? Okay. Alo, mēguntukutombro, di seka degē dhammā pya nilēlo, uh, nāle āulo, alo, meloyālā. Yāravo kaunābha. Yeah, definitely, he says. It's good. Abhidhamma-ta-dāla, lobhā lāma, ko u pya. He says, so it seems like right now you're not, uh.
EnglishWholesome, or a-a, a wholesome, right? Yeah. Ko ta-dhāryā, wholesome mind. Lobhāga, a wholesome mind. Yeah, she and all of them. You're not certain about where the boundaries lie between greed and, um, effective action. Yes? And, um, he says we need to be clear. And for that, you need to ask yourself the question and then find the answer within the mind and how it's doing things and its effects on yourself.
Keep listening by topic
Suggestions for what to listen to next · Based on the topics of this talk. No account history needed.
- Group D session 4 — Maintaining Awareness in Daily Life, Working with Doubt, and Wisdom's RoleSayadaw U Tejaniya2 hr 8 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Group E session 3 — Energy of Defilements and Mindfulness in Daily SituationsSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 24 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Group B 4 — Observing Defilements, the Illusion of Self, and Cause-and-Effect ChainSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 38 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Q&A group C 1 — Natural Process, Delusion and Open AwarenessSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 53 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Group D · session 3 — Working with Defilements and Practice at HomeSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 46 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.…