Q&AInsight Meditation Society Retreat5 May 2014
Dharma Discussion group E3 — Investigating Defilements and Reality of the Mind
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 50 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:50:53
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
A group interview addresses the arising of random thoughts, working with aversion (dosa), and disidentifying from defilements. Sayadaw explains maintaining natural awareness in daily life without excessive effort, recognizing reality versus concepts, and viewing Nibbāna as a mind completely free from defilements.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Insight Meditation Society Retreat · 35 talks
- 212 hr 9 minDharma Discussion group B3 — Working with Defilements, Pain, and Effort3 May 2014
- 2228 minGuided meditation — Noticing Defilements and Continuous Awareness4 May 2014
- 231 hr 46 minDharma Discussion group C3 — Defilements as Objects and Awareness of Mind4 May 2014
- 242 hr 1 minDharma Discussion group D3 — Working with Defilements and Right Attitude4 May 2014
- Viewing251 hr 51 minDharma Discussion group E3 — Investigating Defilements and Reality of the Mind5 May 2014
- 262 hr 14 minDharma Discussion group F3 — Being Aware of Awareness, Personal Effort, and Looking Internally at Defilements5 May 2014
- 271 hr 41 minDharma Discussion group A4 — Practicing with Regret, Delusion, and Emotions6 May 2014
- 282 hr 1 minDharma Discussion group B4 — Wisdom, Delusion, and Relationships Between Defilements6 May 2014
- 291 hr 53 minDharma Discussion group C4 — Conditioning, Mind-Matter, and Aware Speaking7 May 2014
- 301 hr 58 minDharma Discussion group D4 — Self-Criticism, Right Effort, and Defilements7 May 2014
Transcript
English
This is May 5 at Insight Meditation Society, interview discussion group E, with Sayadaw U Tejaniya.
English
Okay.
English
I'll start.
English
Uh, my mind has been fairly quiet lately, so I've been watching the thoughts as they arise, and some are pretty random. They don't seem like they relate to my life at all. So I was just wondering: what determines, um, what thought arises? Is it something that can be known?
[Burmese segment]
English
He says, um. . He says the mind is like that, you know. He says the mind thinks thoughts when it's triggered by things either in our memory or in our environment, and, um.
English
Although it may not seem related, um, there's probably something. Um, and it's the nature of the mind to think about everything. Um, but definitely there is something that triggered it, um.
English
Yeah. And whether you're able to see it or not just depends on, you know,
English
how much you investigate or how much awareness there is, or whatever. Sometimes you might not see it now, you might see it years later.
English
It's like our dreams. Our dreams are basically thoughts, but in a sleep state. And he says the mind dreams all sorts of things, but, I mean, there are conditions for it to arise, there are reasons that the mind thinks those thoughts when we are asleep.
English
Um, but because we have no control of them when we are asleep, you know. It just seems to just. Yeah. You know, the mind, the thoughts, they build stories based on anything that's being experienced.
English
It might build stories based on what it's sensing on the body, like body sensation. It might build a story based on what it hears, or any other experience it's having. You know, it just, it seems random, but it actually is.
[Burmese segment]
English
He says whenever the
English
objects contact with the mind, um,
English
there is, you know, consciousness arises when there is contact. And, um, and when there is, the mind will think. When there is contact, the mind will. Yeah. Because whenever there is mind, there is perception.
English
Yeah. And the number of things that are being known by the mind in every moment is
English
incredible. Yeah.
English
Through the six senses. Yeah. Okay then.
[Burmese segment]
English
He says and then. And you know what happens when the mind is making contact with all these objects and experiences? He says, first there's contact, and then the next thought, the next mind, then, um, believes the perception. And then there's feeling.
English
And then, you know, there's a continuous chain of, yeah.
English
Sorry, I'm going to go next. Go next. Thank you.
English
Um,
English
about 24 hours of, of, um,
English
calm and, and a feeling of there's, you know, strong momentum.
English
Um,
English
and, and noticing liking,
English
noticing thinking. Fully understand or liking.
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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.…