Dhamma talkOther Dhamma talks26 Jun 2013
To sit or to stand, it's in the intention
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 5 min
0:00−5:02
Uses compressed audio.
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The Sayadaw explains that intention belongs to the mind, directing bodily movement or stillness through the wind element. A decision based on craving or wisdom strengthens this intention and guides bodily action.
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EnglishOne thing I noticed about intention is, um, sometimes if I'm doing walking meditation or something, and then I decide, okay, I have to go to my room to get some water and do something, or there's some change, the mind immediately—like, there's a new task, and the whole body centers around the task.
EnglishOr another example, like, I decided I'm going to—I'm doing walking meditation, now I'm going to sit in the chair, and as I approach the chair I feel the whole body like, like a ship, like getting ready for all the movements that have to go in the chair, and it's almost like everything else shuts down. Sometimes I stay like that for 5, 10 seconds, just because the feeling is so interesting, and I feel—and when I stay there and I feel the body saying to me, "Okay, sit."
EnglishYou've made the intention, like, all the different parts. It's like all the men on the ship saying, "Yes, sir, we're ready, we're ready," like, "We're standing, what are you waiting for?" And it's so interesting to watch. Sometimes I'll bend just a little, and the whole energy and intention, like, "Okay, keep going, keep going, keep going." I just, I—I've been. Also, you can see that go upstairs or downstairs, the energy, which part is used energy, sometimes muscle, sometimes knee, sometimes it's
Englishthe toes, energy different.
EnglishIntention is the whole body's food. The whole body has intention. Even the head can move intention, the head can move head.
EnglishBecause I talked about physical intention, and Håkon was talking more about, like, mental intention and— Yeah, no, that's— Is there any difference, or is it— Intention is not physical. Intention is mind. Right, of course, yeah. Yeah, right. But physical mind— If you're physical, become wayo. Sorry? Physical is become wayo, air element.
EnglishPhysical is air element. Because of intention, this is a chichasa, wayo.
EnglishIntention is a totally mind. And intention of planning? It's the same kind of— Um, so, like, Håkon was talking about intention of planning? Yeah. Like a mental activity? Yeah. How is that different from intention of movement, physical movement? Because of intention is a support to the air element to move.
EnglishSo when I go arm long, it's very hot, so I use the hand like this and go there. I'm not moving.
EnglishI'm not moving. Hand is all the time like this. But I realize this intention to standing, not moving, to cover the sun. So this intention is a still intention.
EnglishThe support to the
Englishstanding.
EnglishSo movement intention is the more obvious. Still intention is a
Englishmost of very soft. Many people, they know they want to stand up, but body, sometimes body not follow. Because they don't know intention to sit is more stronger than intention to stand up.
EnglishThat's why they only know intention to stand up. They don't know intention to sit. But intention to sit is more obvious, more stronger than intention to stand up. That's why the body not move. The mind says, "I want to move," but the body not follows. So then where does the free will come in? Where—free will? Free world.
EnglishFree will.
EnglishYeah, because of this momentum. Sometimes the mind want to mo- continue meditate, but sometimes the mind starts to maybe define and come, and time is one hour down, down, down, down, then the mind want to move. But sometimes the meditation intention is very short, continue want to meditate. So that time conflict. So which one is more obvious, more stronger, then you win.
EnglishBut what about imposing choice in the—into that? What? Choice. Choice. Yeah, if you decide. Yeah. Then the intention is increased. Before we have intention, we have to plan, but not decide yet, we're not moving yet. We're planning, thinking, intention a little bit, not decide yet. After decide, okay, do, then intention is increase the whole body move.
EnglishBut, uh, what decides? Decision. You decide to move. Order. The mind. Yes. The mind decides. Right, decide. Then the intention mind becomes stronger, then it carry on the whole body. Based on some wisdom, the mind makes. Maybe craving or wisdom. It can both.
EnglishOh.
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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.…