Q&ASpirit Rock Meditation Center Retreat4 May 2015
Group C · session 3 — Building Awareness and Managing Defilements in Daily Life
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 33 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:33:42
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
This group interview clarifies how to work with defilements using continuous awareness and right view. The Sayadaw explains the difference between compassion and aversion, while emphasizing natural practice during daily interactions.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Retreat · 38 talks
- 2040 minMorning instructions day 8 — Observing the Nature of Mind and Defilements3 May 2015
- 211 hr 39 minGroup A · session 3 — Wrong View, Stories, and the Sense of Self3 May 2015
- 221 hr 46 minGroup B · session 3 — Working with Defilements and Nature of Mind3 May 2015
- 2329 minMorning instructions day 9 — Wisdom, Concepts, and Ultimate Realities4 May 2015
- Viewing241 hr 34 minGroup C · session 3 — Building Awareness and Managing Defilements in Daily Life4 May 2015
- 251 hr 46 minGroup D · session 3 — Working with Defilements and Practice at Home4 May 2015
- 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
Transcript
English
It's Friday, May 4, at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Sai-do U Tejaniya, interview group C.
English
Monday. Monday. Monday. It's Monday.
English
Third session? Third session.
English
With group C.
English
The floor is open for the first speaker.
English
Um, I wanted to ask for some ideas on how to work with core beliefs, things that recur and recur, about karmic energy. So I noticed that I think I have a view of myself as having basic badness, and everyone else as having basic goodness.
English
And, um,
English
I look at this and it's almost as if I'm seeing the world through this belief, but it doesn't seem like it could be that solid. So it's just recurring and recurring and recurring and recurring. So it kind of gives me an idea of how strong it is. And I don't I'm looking at do I look at it as just a thought?
English
It's a thought. It's a thought. Do I look at it as it's a very deluded thought? It seems to also be a thought with aversion, against something that's going on. A thought with wanting, as in clinging to some self. Um, so I'm looking for skillful ways to deal with it.
English
Do you have a feeling associated with it?
English
It varies. It really varies in the sense of. What feelings come up whenever you say that? Yes. Oh, yes. Yes. Um, yeah, it's so pervasive that many feelings come up at different times.
[Burmese segment]
English
. So
English
yes, it's a deluded thought, he said. And you need to remind yourself of that whenever you see these thoughts arising. This is a deluded thought. And then, he says, you set it aside and you do your work, which is mindfulness, gaining continuity, right view, um, gaining stability of mind, um, by applying right view and, um, awareness.
English
And
English
if there are any feelings associated with, um, that moment, watch whatever that feeling is. Again, with right view, awareness, and continuity. You are just like anybody else. And yeah, you can, you can do this.
English
Any mind that we have, um, is strong when we allow that mind to arise unchecked over and over again in the mind. So there is no reason why you cannot change this pattern.
English
And there is nobody there. It's not happening to you or them or anyone else. These are just minds. And the laws of mind. Mind law, . You know, the laws of mind just doing their work.
English
Okay.
English
Next.
English
Uh, in Dhamma everywhere he wrote that we need expansive awareness. And I was curious what the difference is between regular awareness and expansive awareness.
English
. I don't know how it's expressed in the book, but the, the purpose of describing this, um, scenario is not for yogis to try and get there because it's a better state.
English
It's not that. He's just saying that if you practice continuously and you have right view and you have right effort and right practice, this is where it will get to. When you begin practice, you just know one object, maybe two.
English
And then when
English
awareness becomes more natural, you find that you're holding many, um, it feels like many awarenesses of many things you know. You're holding them, um, seemingly effortlessly, and yet with much clarity, knowing that each moment is just a moment that's passing.
English
The reason, the reason these states are described is so that people who have started with a practice where they're just watching one object, and if they have not found that their mind has, um, or they have not allowed their mind to expand, um, with long practice, everybody's mind does, everybody's mind does try to expand or, or naturally has that tendency.
English
But if we're holding it back, he wants people to know that it's all right. That that is a natural pro-pro-process that happens when, when there is continuous mindfulness.
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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.…