Q&ANirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Retreat3 Jun 2019
Week 2 day 3 group A2 — Dangers of High Concentration and Right View on Thinking
Sayadaw U Tejaniya · 1 hr 45 min
Original audio: Burmese · English interpretation
0:00−1:45:49
Uses compressed audio.
AI-written summary
In this group interview, the teacher discusses maintaining right view toward thinking and defilements. He warns about the pitfalls of excessive concentration and encourages stepping back to awareness. He also highlights the importance of learning to practice independently without relying on an external schedule.
Topics
Talks in this retreat
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Retreat · 33 talks
- 131 hr 10 minWeek 2 day 1 group A2 — Wisdom at Work, Subconscious Mind, and Decision-Making1 Jun 2019
- 1459 minWeek 2 day 2 group D — Recognizing Thoughts as Mind and Working with Judging Mind2 Jun 2019
- 1528 minWeek 2 day 2 group E — Maintaining Awareness and Observing Mental Habits2 Jun 2019
- 162 hr 6 minWeek 2 day 3 group A1 — Attitude Toward Experiences, Greed, and Reality3 Jun 2019
- Viewing171 hr 46 minWeek 2 day 3 group A2 — Dangers of High Concentration and Right View on Thinking3 Jun 2019
- 181 hr 20 minWeek 2 day 4 group D — Self, Relationships, and Working with Strong Emotions4 Jun 2019
- 1945 minWeek 2 day 4 group E — Being Aware of Thinking and Understanding the Heart-Mind4 Jun 2019
- 201 hr 42 minWeek 2 day 5 group A1 — Recognizing and Acknowledging, Existence of Objects, and Right Attitude5 Jun 2019
- 211 hr 55 minWeek 2 day 5 group A2 — Recognizing Conditioning, Right Attitude and Subtle Defilements5 Jun 2019
- 221 hr 23 minWeek 2 day 6 group D — Working with Restless Mind and Unpleasant Objects6 Jun 2019
Transcript
EnglishYesterday, um, yesterday I had a period of a lot of coercive thinking, and I kept repeating it nearly like a mantra.
EnglishThat's what the mind does: thinking, thinking, thinking. But somehow, I think, at some level it's actually what I was doing that was actually still
Englishnot wanting the thinking. So I'm kind of still
Englishsuppressing it. And
Englishthen at some point, suddenly, there was a voice from somewhere else, and it was like a light was switched on, and it says, "That's what the mind does: thinking." And then suddenly there was a kind of complete change in the
Englishrelationship with the thinking. That's right. Yes.
EnglishAnd since then, yeah, the thinking is still there, but there is no problem. Yes. ...
[Burmese segment]
EnglishAnd so you see, then you know that, like, after going through, like, the exercise of reminding yourself of right view, finally the mind actually has right view. And then, like, in, like you said, a different voice said, like, you know, "See is just the nature of the mind." And he says, "But remember, it's nobody else. It's nobody else.
EnglishIt's not a person. It's just the mind, right? It's just another quality of the mind that sees differently." Yeah, and now it sees right. See, I just said, you know, all the qualities of our mind, they speak to us.
EnglishLike, you know, meta will speak to us, wisdom will speak to us, dosa will speak to us, lobha will speak to us. They all have their own voices, and, you know, so on. But don't ever mistake it for— ""
EnglishBut it doesn't mean that it's a person, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Thank you.
EnglishAtta to gotta. And you'll notice that when the mind has a reaction, the mind talks more. When it has a reaction, it continually—that reaction talks a lot because it's trying to get a rise out of you.
EnglishYeah.
EnglishSo
EnglishI'm doing quite well.
EnglishI like to practice, and I appreciate Sadhu's presence. Yes. And
EnglishI carry on with the instruction.
EnglishOne question I have is about
Englishopen eyes during meditation.
EnglishI actually practice with open eyes even while sitting,
Englishbut sometimes I don't know how to
Englishbalance it because my practice generally is that
EnglishI have open eyes maybe 20 minutes, then I close the eyes for another 20 minutes, and then another 20 minutes I open eyes again. Or sometimes
EnglishI
Englishhave like 10 minutes open eyes and 40 minutes closed eyes. So I kind of alternate according to
Englishmy state of mind. Yeah, like you said, that's no problem. Okay. Okay. I woke up. Open eye also you need to be open. Close eye also you need to be open. Both you need to be scared. That's it. So it doesn't matter, right? Doesn't matter. No problem.
EnglishActually, when I'm more sleep. Better to be open eye is more awake, alert, right? Yes. That's what I wanted to say. That when I feel sleepy and kind of down and drowsy, I open the eyes and it's better. Yeah. Light. Because of light, the mind goes awake.
EnglishSo quality of mind are more easy than what? The quality of the mind is more important. Yeah. Awake, alert, people are easy. To be awake and alert.
EnglishBut sometimes
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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.…