About this talk
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Keep being aware.
Just simply be aware, and don't expect anything.
Whatever happens, let it happen.
Everything is natural, it is Dhamma.
The yogi's responsibility is to cultivate the quality of sati.
We make effort to develop sati moment to moment.
When the mind matures, it will do its own work.
The only thing we need is sati in the present moment, together with interest. What is happening? How is it happening?
Be aware of the experiences.
Vipassanā is a process of learning.
We observe with paññā, with intelligence.
Just observing is not enough. We need information and sati.
There are two different natural phenomena: the object and that which knows.
The knowing mind is awareness, or sati.
The heat and the awareness. The touching and the awareness.
The sensation and the knowing.
How do you know the object? Is it because the mind notices, or pays attention to the object?
At first, you can use the body as the object of observation. That way it is easier to be aware and to maintain awareness moment to moment.
Is the mind relaxed?
We are not going anywhere. We are not trying to attain anything.
Just be fully here in this moment. Awake. Aware.
Don't make the practice heavy. Just practice.
We try to be aware, to notice. We are not trying to create something, nor trying to make something disappear.
We just make effort to be aware of what is happening. Knowing, recognizing, noticing, observing whatever it is.
The mind often tends to enjoy and cling.
Clinging when a good experience comes, right?
And when an unpleasant experience comes, the mind resists, suffers, becomes tense.
Now we need to learn to understand this. Whether a pleasant or unpleasant object comes, we just be aware of it with equanimity.
So we need to clearly understand what an object means.
Whatever is pleasant is also an object. Whatever is unpleasant is also an object.
An object is whatever is known. Just that. There is nothing bad or good here.
If we only want good experiences, then the mind clings, holds tightly to the object. If you see only unpleasant experiences, it means the mind is resisting.
When you understand that an experience is just an experience,
an object is just an object, then the mind becomes balanced.
It's because there is lobha. The greedy mind thinks this object is beautiful, pleasant. And the mind with dosa thinks this object is bad or no good, unpleasant.
When thinking arises, don't complain about the thinking mind.
Thinking is a natural phenomenon; everyone has to think.
You find that many thoughts arise — it's all right. That is just an object.
Thinking is a mental object.
What you need to do is to recognize that a thought is arising.
When there are many thoughts, just know that there are many thoughts. When there are fewer thoughts, just be aware that there are fewer thoughts.
There's no problem at all with thinking.
We're not interested in the content of the thoughts.
We're interested in the natural phenomenon that is happening.
That natural phenomenon is thinking happening. We need to know that it's happening, and then it passes away.
If we don't understand the nature of thinking,
we will always be sunk in the content of our thoughts.
We need to practice every time thinking is present.
Just observe and notice that thinking has arisen. And keep practicing like that, over and over again.
If sati, or awareness, is not yet strong enough, then don't watch thoughts for too long a time.
Just be aware that there is thinking, and then you can come back to the sensations in the body.
And keep practicing back and forth like that.
Sometimes, when you're aware of thinking, you also see emotion.
So then you know both that there is emotion and that there is thinking. Thoughts and emotions are related to each other.
We try to maintain sati, which is simply knowing.
We try to practice continuously, but you may also find that the mind keeps getting carried away. If so, that's no problem at all. Just continue, continue being aware.
When we first start practicing, it's hard to maintain sati continuously. But make the effort to maintain it again, and again.
Day after day, sati will be sustained and gradually gain momentum.
Every time you notice that sati has been lost, it means you already have sati.
Sati is already present.
Knowing what is happening is something very meaningful.
Try to be aware of everything about yourself.
In the beginning, we try to be mindful of ourselves, and gradually make awareness a habit.
Be aware of the body, of the mind, and then investigate. But remember, there needs to be interest throughout this whole process.
When you're aware of thinking and sensation at the same time, pay more attention to the sensation.
Be aware of the sensation more, and just know that thinking is happening.
Pay more attention to the sensation.
Because if you pay more attention to the thinking, you can easily get sunk into the content of the thoughts.
But what we need to do is simply to be aware that thinking is happening, that's all.
Appreciate sati, because when sati is present, the quality of the mind becomes better.
Vīriya is trying to be aware in every moment. Vīriya is not forcing. Vīriya means persistence, trying again, and again, together with relaxation.
Don't forget to practice in every moment.
The time to meditate is all the time. And practice more in daily life, in order to maintain sati.
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.…