Q&ASpirit Rock Meditation Center Retreat29 Apr 2015
Group D · session 1 — Working with Delusion and Understanding the Mind
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 53 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:53:36
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
In this group interview, the teacher explains that sitting posture merely supports the mind's awareness rather than fixating on objects. He clarifies how to investigate when calm, work with right view regarding delusion and latent defilements, and cultivate skillful understanding in practice.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Retreat · 38 talks
- 41 hr 43 minGroup B · session 1 — Watching Defilements Objectively as Natural Processes27 Apr 2015
- 540 minMorning instructions day 3 — Recognizing Thoughts and Valuing Awareness28 Apr 2015
- 61 hr 32 minGroup C · session 1 — Investigating Aversion, Observing Objectively, and the Role of Wisdom28 Apr 2015
- 738 minMorning instructions day 4 — Differentiating Object and Knowing29 Apr 2015
- Viewing81 hr 54 minGroup D · session 1 — Working with Delusion and Understanding the Mind29 Apr 2015
- 91 hr 27 minGroup E · session 1 — Investigation, Stillness, and Subtle Intentions29 Apr 2015
- 102 hr 20 minGroup F · session 1 — Working with Defilements and Right Effort29 Apr 2015
- 1130 minMorning instructions day 5 — Working with the Observing Mind and Right View30 Apr 2015
- 122 hr 7 minGroup A · session 2 — Nature of Thoughts and Feelings, Mindful Communication and Hidden Defilements30 Apr 2015
- 131 hr 30 minGroup B · session 2 — Balancing Effort and Observing with Right View30 Apr 2015
Transcript
EnglishIn whatever order you wish. In the first group. You don't have to go first. The names in the order the names will come.
EnglishWhoever wants to go first.
EnglishYou're in the prime.
EnglishSometimes I phrase this: "Whoever's willing to go first." Nothing to say, right?
EnglishYes, I'll go.
EnglishSo, um, I was thinking about
Englishthe idea of continuous practice, not just when you sit on the cushion. From the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. So then I started feeling confused about why sit on the cushion.
EnglishBecause in daily life, our daily life, my daily life, I would, except for the time of practice, I would never be sitting on a cushion. And so I also asked because there are times at home where there's this real resistance to sitting on the cushion.
EnglishSuch that that resistance grows and then
Englishand I know I'm deluded at that point, but, um, it sort of wipes out some of the other mindfulness. But here, I'm wondering why, why we sit on the cushion. Nothing to do.
[Burmese segment]
EnglishI think your mind is lower. Tired of that culture. That's a very good word. You're done for. Beginner lesson, advanced lesson. I don't know. Mm-hmm. But John Jenkins wanted to do it.
[Burmese segment]
EnglishI told that John Jenkins wanted John Jenkins wanted to do that thing. Mm-hmm. John Jenkins wanted that thing. He wouldn't do it. Yeah. See, I just think, um,
Englishyour mind probably has some, um,
Englishsome negative attitude towards sitting. But he says, "Agree, that sitting is just a posture." It's not critical to the idea of meditation. But in a meditation center, he says, and when we begin meditation, he says, you know, the course might be filled with people who have and have not meditated before.
EnglishAnd to sit still, um, is a way to, to explore the process a bit more easily. It's more accessible, um, at that time. It's a start. Um, but it's about becoming skillful at the mindfulness. And of course, meditation is, um, irrelevant of the posture, because meditation is the work of the mind.
EnglishSo, so when sitting, it's to watch the mind, not to, say, focus on the breath. Yeah. I'm trying to say my saiko jina la anapanda majini aludia. Haya, bora hiyo. Haya, bora hiyo. But John Jenkins aludia I only said. Me omten ni sad na kaunta ile paisa physical sensation ni sad. Mm-hmm.
EnglishSika bahatini. Tired of that way. Sad of that way. See, I just think it's, um, all depends on the yogi, you know. He says when we're not skillful, we need an object in order to feel that we're mindful. Right? Um, to, to give us that confidence. Because you know something, therefore you're mindful.
EnglishRight? And, um, and it might be the breath, the this, the that, or the other, whatever. Uh, but when you become skillful at knowing the mind, and that's when you become skillful at knowing the mind, then he says then it's easy to stay knowing the mind because everything is known by the mind.
EnglishBut when we get to that level of skillfulness. Daily life, my lady. I told that John Jenkins I only daily life je, I do it. In daily life practice, he would consider the equivalent of sitting any moment that you have to be still in your life.
EnglishWhen you're still and not having to do anything, when you're waiting, you're standing and waiting, sitting and waiting, sitting in the toilet. Um, any time that you're just still for a while is a moment that you can take, like, you know, that you can use as you would
Englisha, a sitting session.
EnglishIf we knew, um, how to know the mind, then it's like, what does the mind know? And it's whatever the mind knows.
EnglishAnd this is when the mindfulness has a lot of momentum, and the momentum is sort of carrying on the mindfulness.
EnglishHe says, because the mindfulness is doing its own work because of its momentum, he says, you don't have to do much more than check what it's knowing. Because it knowing is happening. Yeah.
EnglishYeah. In a retreat center, there's nothing to do. It might be good to build a little factory so that we can do some assembly lines.
EnglishWhat's your little shop? Sheltered workshop. Sheltered workshop.
EnglishOkay. So, um, I think just, just this afternoon, I feel like my mind is less reactive to the defilements and things that are coming up. And so the question is around
Englishwhen the mind is less reactive and more calm, if that's the, that's the, is that the time to begin investigating? Mm-hmm.
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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.…