Q&ANirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Retreat28 May 2019
Week 1 day 4 group A — Differentiating Functions of Mind and Reality vs Concept
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 2 hr 9 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−2:09:10
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
This group interview covers working with fear, handling defilements, and distinguishing reality from concepts. The Sayadaw advises yogis to recognize mental functions like feeling and intention while maintaining a relaxed attitude.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Retreat · 33 talks
- 146 minWeek 1 day 1 — Cultivating Wholesome Qualities and Right View25 May 2019
- 21 hr 34 minWeek 1 day 2 group A — Working with Greed and Aversion26 May 2019
- 31 hr 1 minWeek 1 day 2 group B — Wrong Attitude and Working with Worried Mind26 May 2019
- 41 hr 20 minWeek 1 day 3 group C — Recognizing Mind States, Handling Confusion and Cultivating Wholesome Qualities27 May 2019
- Viewing52 hr 9 minWeek 1 day 4 group A — Differentiating Functions of Mind and Reality vs Concept28 May 2019
- 655 minWeek 1 day 4 group B — Wisdom, Specific Characteristics, and Natural Awareness28 May 2019
- 71 hr 33 minWeek 1 day 5 group C — Cause and Effect, Right Effort, and Letting Go of Expectations29 May 2019
- 82 hr 20 minWeek 1 day 6 group A — The Meditating Mind, Balancing Effort and Observing Defilements30 May 2019
- 91 hr 4 minWeek 1 day 6 group B — Superficial Awareness and Observing Reactions to Suffering30 May 2019
- 101 hr 53 minWeek 1 day 7 group C — Recognizing the Mind at Work and Working with Lobha31 May 2019
Transcript
English
No questions, really. Um,
English
questions may come up, but they answer themselves, or
English
they tell me not yet.
English
Um, I find it interesting to— to explore the continuity of awareness, and to see what takes me away from it, or what prevents me, the awareness. Also, to explore what actually awareness actually
English
what we are talking about, because awareness is somehow always there, even if there's no continuity. There's always awareness. So for me, that's the exploration of, yeah, to— to see more clearly whether the meditative— or the meditating mind is actually available, present.
English
And that, for me, is— that's actually what I'm watching, and— and I find that an interesting exploration. And, um, fascinating things come up, and, um,
English
and therefore the— the awareness, yeah, the meditation mind, actually therefore for me, if there are any questions, they are being answered straight away. It's like I don't need to linger on it. The answer is either there, or if it isn't there, then for me also
English
there's a clarity about, "That cannot be answered intellectually, I just have to wait for it to come." And so the trust and the patience is also see whether they are actually— they are available, they are there. And, um, so I don't need to— basically there's nothing to worry about, really.
English
That's about it. Yeah, I'm here. Yeah. It's very interesting.
English
He agrees that, you know, questions are only asked, um, out of curiosity, because the mind has a direction about what it would like to understand, but the answers don't have to come right away. Some answers we get, and some answers we have to wait for. That's good that you have the clarity that, you know, some answers will just come in their own time.
MY
Some answers might be too quick and then we have to check whether they are always true also. Yeah.
English
あとく、、あとくで、にやる。 Yes. So your interest in the awareness and how— Quality of awareness. You know, and the quality of the awareness, that's good. So that's the interest in the practice itself. So that's wonderful.
English
Thank you. Yeah.
English
So should I keep it, like, here? Uh, like this. Just standing. Standing. Yeah. Okay. This is, like, nervous face.
English
Okay. Let's see how it goes.
English
Um,
English
I notice my heart is beating faster.
English
Um,
English
and faster. You're my nervous kid in here. パスすりたいわ。ピオリネ、ピオタコ、やあ。 You can pass for now and speak later. No, I want to. It'll be okay. No, it'll be okay with you. So, um,
English
I know that I have been reporting before about fear and being afraid.
English
So actually,
English
um, during this retreat, I have been, um, doing, like, working as a manager, so it's like a different retreat for me. Um, so one part of my job has been, uh, taking care of the paperwork of this retreat. So I have been work, um, sitting at the computer downstairs in the office. And, um, it seems that there is a spider also living in that area, and I'm afraid of spiders.
English
Um, so there is, like, this top shelf, like, uh, up there.
English
And there he is, um, living also. And usually he's, like, hiding somewhere, but when I'm sitting there, like, five minutes, he comes. And he lands with his web, just I see him, and then I'm kind of having this really big reaction to that. So
English
it has been interesting to explore it, like, almost daily. Uh, because what happens is that, um,
English
the mind and mindfulness, it's really kind of awareness is really kind of narrow, narrowing to just, like, there is only that spider and me. And I and me actually is, like, really getting stronger. So there is, like, this kind of experience. And it's really, like, a strong reaction.
English
Like, all my hair, body hair is kind of rising up, and, and there is, it's almost like panicking. And I have been, like, exploring that every time it happens. And he comes and goes. I actually, um, gave him a name. What's his name? So he's Pekka, and Pekka is there. Pekka. And it's like, it's really interesting to explore because I know that there is, like, he's a tiny guy, and.
English
He is. He's actually serious, serious.
English
You're not like a killer. And I know, I know, in logical, I know that it's not, you know, there is no threat, but actually it doesn't help. So I'm thinking that it must be somehow in my subconscious or somewhere. Because it's, like, so fast, and it's so strong. And I know, actually, that if Pekka would surprise me, like, landing to my face or somewhere, so that I didn't kind of, um.
English
Was it. I, I, it would be possible that I would kill him, like, right away, because there would be the panic. Yeah, yeah. So it's also interesting to think about fear as a wider, like, in the world, like, how much, you know, suffering it causes because of the panicking and all that stuff. Yeah. So, um, my heart is still beating.
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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.…