Q&ASpirit Rock Meditation Center Retreat6 May 2015
Group A session 4 — Defilements as Nature and Right Attitude Towards Them
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 40 min
Original audio: English
0:00−1:40:05
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
This group interview clarifies the right attitude toward defilements as natural processes rather than personal failings. Sayadaw explains that with mindfulness and right view, the mind naturally knows without excessive effort.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Retreat · 38 talks
- 2636 minMorning instructions day 10 — Bringing Dhamma into Daily Life and Continuous Mindfulness5 May 2015
- 271 hr 24 minGroup E session 3 — Energy of Defilements and Mindfulness in Daily Situations5 May 2015
- 282 hr 16 minGroup F · session 3 — Building Continuity and Working with Greed and Defilements5 May 2015
- 2942 minMorning instructions day 11 — Practicing Mindfulness While Speaking6 May 2015
- Viewing301 hr 40 minGroup A session 4 — Defilements as Nature and Right Attitude Towards Them6 May 2015
- 3132 minMorning instructions day 12 — Knowing Intentions and Continuity of Awareness7 May 2015
- 321 hr 40 minGroup B session 4 — Defilements as Forces of Nature and Understanding the Mind7 May 2015
- 331 hr 33 minGroup C session 4 — Concept, Reality and Mind Door7 May 2015
- 342 hr 8 minGroup D session 4 — Maintaining Awareness in Daily Life, Working with Doubt, and Wisdom's Role7 May 2015
- 3530 minMorning instructions day 13 — Maintaining Awareness in Daily Activities and Thoughts8 May 2015
Transcript
EnglishThis is Wednesday, May 6. Discussion groups, practice discussion group for Sayadaw U Tejaniya at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. This is Group A, fourth session.
EnglishSo,
EnglishI wanted to first express gratitude for being at this retreat and being able to hear Sayadaw's teachings. Um, I think that I had some wrong views before, and
EnglishI came to realize that I thought that the reason for meditation was to seek happiness, and I think with that came a lot of clinging, and that would bring me sadness. And so I think by shifting
Englishthe attention to seeking understanding and investigating,
Englishit's allowed me to feel more at ease and to be comfortable
Englishtrying to understand the defilements in my mind, of which there are many. And
EnglishI kind of thought that it was interesting to see the recurring patterns of some of the defilements. A lot of them stem from, I think, traits of my type A personality. And I wanted to ask the question. I think in one of the morning Dhamma talks,
EnglishSayadaw said something about personality, and I don't think I caught it. I think he might have said that personality is nature. I'm not sure. I may have misunderstood, so I wanted to ask to clarify. Mm-hmm.
EnglishAnd
Englishdo I you might push again to the art of the seichan dao, or to a meditation? Or do I chant I swear of being unedited? Mm-hmm. Abu Shimpya, Nyanpya, and all the aung lo pyoro. Seika, he's Pitta or comfortable Pitta.
EnglishAttuara, to kileda and all the abhorrable.
EnglishTo, uh, what's that called? So, um, what did you say after that? Min. Nohudku adum naule, kama you want to. The personality? Because that was. Nohudku, uh. Yeah, because that was. No, something in between. Patterns of the cognition in the mind. You mentioned so you now investigate there's a lot of defilements in the mind.
EnglishI've been able to
Englishbe more wholesome in my attitude towards defilements, I think. Okay. And not take it personally, and to be able to be more curious about them and to try to understand them
Englishand
Englishtruly, authentically want to, sort of, relate to them. Okay, great. To a kileda to the bottom of my water, kileda unaha mayubane. To rode ge sisimama, knowledge and ascent, to rode to the satsang. Uh, and pyorna, rode to the. Yeah, that's good. That's how it should be. To a number of personality well, I think
Englishthe personality thing is that I've said that. Kavalinim pyora, nature or personality? Tete pyora. Sometimes when I'm trying to. To give a different word for nature, to try and get people to
Englishunderstand it, that each of the kilesas, or unwholesome states of mind, or wholesome states of mind, are
Englishunique. And that's their nature, you know.
EnglishI sometimes use the word character. So, for example, to know the character of dosa or metta, or to know the personality of dosa or metta,
Englishor the job description of dosa or metta, or the nature of dosa or metta. You know? So I'm trying to use different words to point to something which is their nature.
EnglishI don't know about metta. I think there was something that was, like, broader about people's personalities. I can't remember what it was, either. Yeah, I can't remember. Well, so, for example, I noticed that a lot of my defilements that occur are related to causes.
EnglishMommy the. Yesterday
Englishand. Tepau, yesterday night, she explained about the nature. It's very clear. Everybody know. He said that to me when I said it, and I remember I was speaking to someone who was sitting here. Kwalati ludya. It was towards the end. Maybe the third last person, no, in the evening. Maybe the third or the fourth last person we were speaking to, and there was something about what we were describing, and he said, "Oh, I like the way you said that."
EnglishKwalati nitya. If you remember yesterday's date. Yesterday's. Definement is not personal. Definement is not personal. Listen to the end. Yeah, to come.
EnglishI guess what I was maybe trying to ask was, I recognize that defilements will not go away. Defilement is nature. But because I have a tendency towards type A personality traits, I notice certain
Englishdefilements will arise more easily. Ah, yes. Too much. And so my question is. Related to that.
Englishlode. That is teacher there, alone with the Alone with your The kind of mima burongja there. And to the Also to the
EnglishAnd I'll do that.
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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.…