Q&AInsight Meditation Society Retreat3 May 2012
Group D 2 — Investigating Strong Objects, Torpor, and Thinking Mind
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 55 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:55:12
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
This group interview clarifies how to recognize greed, torpor, and thinking with right attitude. The teacher explains that the natural mind can be aware of multiple objects without forced focus. He also advises opening the eyes during meditation to avoid getting stuck in excessive concentration.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Insight Meditation Society Retreat · 28 talks
- 61 hr 56 minQ&A group D 1 — Working with Pain, Mental Feelings and Asking Questions30 Apr 2012
- 71 hr 47 minQ&A group E 1 — Seeing Everything as an Object and the Role of Wisdom30 Apr 2012
- 81 hr 47 minQ&A group F 1 — Removing Greed from Effort and Awareness1 May 2012
- 91 hr 48 minGroup A 2 — Functions of Mind and Dealing with Defilements2 May 2012
- Viewing101 hr 55 minGroup D 2 — Investigating Strong Objects, Torpor, and Thinking Mind3 May 2012
- 1140 minDhamma everywhere — Object, Awareness, and Right View3 May 2012
- 121 hr 59 minGroup E 2 — Working with Defilements and Nature of Objects4 May 2012
- 131 hr 41 minGroup F 2 — Bringing in Right View and Understanding Dukkha4 May 2012
- 142 hrGroup A 3 — Cause and Effect, Intention, and Metta5 May 2012
- 151 hr 56 minGroup B 3 — Practicing Mindful Speaking and Letting Wisdom Lead5 May 2012
Transcript
English
So this is Group D, second session with Sayadaw U Tejaniya,
English
May 3, 2012, at Insight Meditation Society.
English
So the 8 that will be reporting are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Okay.
English
How did it spoke last time? Huh? How did it spoke last time? I didn't spoke last time. You spoke last time? Yeah. Well, you get to speak again.
English
Steven, what about this baby? Do you want to talk about it? Like the three we talked last time. Yeah, I think you were choosing. Some of them spoke all the way around. No, but I remember because I changed the timing of she was in the talk as well. Maybe you got the wrong. Somebody changed the list, maybe. Somebody.
English
Would those who didn't speak last time speak this time?
English
I'm not sure. And please identify yourself. I just. Who spoke last time? He did. Wow. Yes, but he was at the end. He wasn't the priority. You weren't the priority last time. So you can. Were you priority last time? Yes. Priority. You priority? No. No, but I did speak.
English
Oh.
English
I don't ever want to. Okay. People know. Yeah, fair. Can you just show me, if you want, in the first group, last time, if you were or were not? If you were not. If you were not. If you were. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. You were. You were not in the first group last time. Right. What do you mean, priority-wise? Priority-wise.
English
You were. You were.
English
This is a double-minute. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Wait. You were not in a non-priority. Okay. Okay, okay.
English
So these people can speak first, please.
English
Start. Okay.
English
I'm having some difficulty with investigating particularly strong mental objects.
English
They don't come up very often, but when they do, they're usually about the past or the future, involving people and issues, not here. I usually catch them pretty quickly and identify them as an object. But then when I start investigating, I get all entangled in the content. So I'd like some help with investigating those kinds of objects.
[Burmese segment]
English
. Feel. Body sensation . So when investigating, he says when these strong mental objects come up, he says, "Stick to
English
the objects that you can know directly." Yes? Directly means you're experiencing it now. So what are you experiencing now? Are your feelings, body sensations, and thinking. Not the story and the thinking, but the actual movement of thought. Yes. So he said you can investigate them.
English
Okay. That'd be it. That's it. Okay. Yes?
English
And when it's a strong mental object, he says it's easier if the observing, the awareness, it takes a cooler stance. So the awareness needs to be not so eager, but relax a bit to watch what's going on.
English
Yeah.
English
Okay. I've been noticing how much and persistent my greed is when I'm eating. So much greed. And then I remembered all I have to do is notice the greed. And then I thought, if you're aware of the greed,
English
does it just become wholesome enjoyment then?
English
I don't have the answer. I don't know yet.
[Burmese segment]
English
If as you watch greed, it starts to decrease, you will find that the sense of enjoyment starts to get less.
English
And it becomes a neutral, it can become a neutral experience. He says when greed decreases and the mind becomes more neutral, there's just mostly awareness and the experience, the objects.
English
He says it's possible for wisdom to arise because the mind is neutral. So you might have understandings about taste or the process of eating. So feeling-wise, it will feel more easeful to just be more neutral.
English
When there's greed, you can always feel a, you can always sense, if you look, you'll see there's always a slight tension. Yeah.
English
When you can watch greed and keep an eye on it until it fades. As it fades, he says, "Yeah." And then it becomes neutral and you know clearly it's neutral and you're being aware. He says it's possible for insights to arise at that time.
Keep listening by topic
Suggestions for what to listen to next · Based on the topics of this talk. No account history needed.
- Week 3 day 4 group G — Attitude Towards Defilements and Working with RestlessnessSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 23 min
Shares topics with this talk
- 06 Zoom Q&A group A and B — Being Happy with Awareness and Checking AttitudeSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 45 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Basic questions and answers (morning) — Watching Liking and Disliking, and the Intention to KnowSayadaw U Tejaniya52 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Group F · session 3 — Building Continuity and Working with Greed and DefilementsSayadaw U Tejaniya2 hr 16 min
Shares topics with this talk
- Dharma Discussion group E1 — Recognizing Dosa and Working with WisdomSayadaw U Tejaniya1 hr 48 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.…