THE DAILY TEJANIYA —2019

Reality is Not Solid
Reality is not solid.

Is There Identification or Not?
In meditation, it is only important to re-
cognize when there is identification with
an object and when there is not.

The World Is A Creation of Mind
The world is a creation of the mind. So
there is no need to look outside. Everything
is happening right here in our own minds.

Prime Meditation Time
Whenever the mind complains,  
it is prime meditation time.

Do Not Practice Too Seriously
Do not practice too seriously, but
peacefully and respectfully.

Don’t Try to Create Anything
Don't try to create anything; trying
to create something is greed.

RELAXATION

Relax and Be Aware (1 of 31)
The first instruction I give to a yogi who is new
to this practice is to relax and be aware; to not have
any expectations or to control the experience; and not
 to focus, concentrate or penetrate. Instead what
I encourage him or her to do is observe,
 watch, and be aware.

Total Relaxation (2 of 31)
YOGI:
What exactly does it mean to be relaxed? 
SUT: 
Feeling relaxed is really about being free of expecta-
tion and anxiety. You can only be totally relaxed when
the mind is free of craving or aversion. Wanting to be
relaxed or trying to become relaxed will only
make you even tense.

This Heart-Mind Must Be Relaxed (3 of 31)
This heart-mind is very important. It
has to be relaxed, at ease, and comfort-
able, then it can do its best.

"Am I Relaxed Right Now?” (4 of 31)
To be relaxed and in the right frame of mind is of
 prime importance. Everything else comes later. To
recognize whether or not you are in the right frame
of mind is more important than experiencing
peaceful states or having a "good sit." 

Observe in a Relaxed Way (5 of 31)
Meditating is acknowledging and observing
whatever happens—whether pleasant or un-
pleasant—in a relaxed way. 

Relax. Observe. Learn. (6 of 31)
Relax. Observe. Learn.

Why Relaxation Must Come First (7 of 31)
Once you know how to relax, you become
sensitive to your own needs. You will then
know when you are using energy unnec-
essarily, and also learn to conserve
your energy.

How to Practice in a Relaxed Way (8 of 31)
In order to be able to practice continuous-
ly, you just need to keep reminding yourself
to be aware. This right effort will allow you
to practice in a relaxed way, free of tension.

If You Are Tense, Watch the Tension (9 of 31)
It is important that you regularly check whether
you are relaxed or tense. If you don't, you will not
be aware whether you are relaxed or getting tense.
When you find yourself tense, watch the tension.
You cannot practice when the mind is tense.

Any Tension Indicates a Defilement (10 of 31)
Any tension is an indication that you are developing
some defilement. Either you are wanting something,
disliking something, or you are feeling confused about
something. Fear, anxiety, or any kind of defilement
brings tension to the mind, so check this often.

If You Lose the Desire to Meditate (11 of 31)
If you lose the desire to meditate or feel you do
not know how to meditate, do not panic. Do not
try to make yourself meditate. Just remind your-
self to relax. The desire to meditate will naturally
come back after a while. Trying hard will
just make things worse.

Become Even More Relaxed (12 of 31)
If you are continuously aware of your state of
relaxation you will become even more relaxed.

Learn How to Be Comfortable (13 of 31)
If you can't observe, don't force yourself to do it.
Learn how to relax, how to be comfortable first.

Relaxation is Not Wanting (14 of 31)
You want to be relaxed. Is the meditating mind
unbiased, open and honest? When the mind doesn't
want anything or is not dissatisfied with anything,
it's cool and has the right view. It sees nature as
nature. Awareness becomes continuous.

Practice in a Relaxed Way (15 of 31)
When you put in too much effort to be mindful,
you will spend your energy too quickly and there-
fore you will not be able to maintain mindfulness
throughout the day. If you practice in a relaxed
way, you will conserve energy and be able
to practice for long periods of time.  

Balance Relaxation With Interest (16 of 31)
The balance you have to find is the balance between
relaxation and interest. Interest is using wisdom; there
is a wisdom quality to interest. People usually try to find
the balance between effort and relaxation by using more
or less effort. But if the mind is interested in knowing
something, effort is already present.   

Sit Back, Relax, and Watch (17 of 31)
Mindfulness meditation can be compared to
watching a movie. You sit back, relax and watch.
The storyline of what you are watching
will naturally unfold.  

If There is Resistance, Feel It (18 of 31)
In sitting meditation both the mind and body should
be comfortable. Keep checking whether you are relax-
ed or not. If there is tension, first relax, then check 
your attitude. If there is resistance, feel the resist-
ance and observe it. Be simple and just watch.  

A Surefire Check for True Relaxation (19 of 31)
If you are aware of your facial sensations you will  
will be able to know whether you are relaxed or not.
When you are focusing too much it will show on
your face. When a person is really relaxed, the 
face is very clear, soft and calm.  
 
To See Things Clearly, Relax (20 of 31)
The more you try to see something, the less clear-
ly you can see it. Only when you are relaxed can
you see things as they are. Those who don't try
to look for anything, see more.  

The Wise Mind Makes Adjustments (21 of 31)
Don't be too anxious about your practice. The mind
needs to be able to adjust accordingly, walking the
middle road between too much and too little effort.
The wise mind makes adjustments as needed. 

Keep Reminding Yourself to Relax (22 of 31)
Learn to watch anger or resistance, tension or
discomfort in your mind. If necessary, alternate
between checking your feelings and the attitude
behind your resistance. Keep reminding your-
self to relax the mind and the body. 

Your Responsibility is Only This (23 of 31)
Your responsibility is only to maintain
awareness moment-to-moment, in a
relaxed way and with interest.  

Bring Relaxation to your Speech (24 of 31)
When you learn to talk with awareness in a relaxed
manner, mindful of your intentions, your way 
  of talking will become less emotional. 

To Deal With Pain Skillfully, Try This (25 of 31)
To deal with pain skillfully, try this:
From the moment you start feeling
pain, no matter how weak it is,
check your mind and body for
tension, and relax. 

The Relaxed Mind Feels Less Pain (26 of 31)
There is a direct link between your state
of mind and pain. The more relaxed and
calm the observing mind, the less intense
you will perceive the pain to be.

Is the Mind Relaxed While Eating? (27 of 31)
There's a certain high feeling that accompanies
the desire to eat. Awareness is either very weak
or not present in the presence of this strong
eagerness. How is the mind while you are eat-
ing? Is it relaxed? Check regularly that you
are not eating with eagerness.  

Don’t Try Hard to Look for Awareness (28 of 31)
Don't try hard to look for awareness; relax
and see that is is already there.  

Is the Mind Relaxed? Keep Checking. (29 of 31)
Start with awareness of any object. As you maintain
awareness, keep checking the mind. What is the mind
aware of? When it is aware, is the mind at ease or
not? Is it relaxed? What is the attitude in  
the mind? Keep checking.  

Right Now, Can You Feel Your Feet? (30 of 31)
Right now, are you aware of your posture? Are
you aware of your hands? Can you feel your feet?
Notice how little energy or effort you need to know
any of this. That is all the energy you need to remain
aware. But remember, you need to do this all day.  

Practice in a Relaxed Way, But Don't Stop (31 of 31)
Practice in a relaxed way, but
don't stop practicing. 

Stop Observing Objects of Desire
If desire arises because of a particular object, you
should stop observing that object. It is not a dhamma
object; it is an object of desire. The object you need
to watch in such a situation is desire itself.

Worse Than Ignorance is Not Wanting to Know
There is a Burmese saying: "Ignorance is worse than
being deprived." But far worse than being ignorant
is not wanting to know!

See the Mind as Nature, Not "I"
By simple observation with a calm and aware mind,
we will soon see the mind as nature. Not "I," not self,
personal. No one is there.

Be Aware of Whatever Comes Your Way
Looking for something which we think we are
supposed to see is not mindfulness meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is just being aware
of whatever comes your way. Feb 10

When The Mind is Quiet, There's Work to Do
When the mind becomes quiet, there
is a lot of work left to do. You have to
start investigating at that time.

Mindfulness is Awareness Without Wants
Many people believe that strong mindfulness is 
a kind of power. Actually, strong mindfulness is
simply an awareness that is free from anxiety, ex-
pectations or wants—a mind that is free from
concerns, that is simple and content.

Life is a Reflection of the Quality of Mind
Life is a reflection of the quality of
the mind. If you really understand the
mind, you understand the world.

Never Get Discouraged When You Lose Awareness
Never get discouraged when you lose awareness.
Every time you recognize that you have lost aware-
ness you should be happy. Because the fact that
you have recognized that you lost awareness
means that you are now aware.

Interest is Wisdom at Work
Because of knowledge, because of wisdom, the mind
is peaceful and stable already. That's why there's no
need to use too much focusing. Check the mind, what
the mind is thinking and what the mind is knowing.
Only interest is necessary. When the mind is
interested, wisdom is working.

Understand Causes and Effects
If you understand cause-and-effect relationships  
you will know how to deal with any situation.

Don't Worry About Defilements, Just Grow Wisdom
Don't worry about the defilements, they are always
there. Just practice to grow wisdom. When wisdom is
strong enough it will remove the defilements.

Drop One Word Into the Mind
If you are struggling and the mind is feeling dull,
then a way to investigate is to drop one word or a
short simple question into the mind, with no
expectations of an answer, all the while
maintaining awareness. 

Be Aware of What’s Already Here
Being mindful is being aware of
what is right here already.  

Adjust the Quality of Your Observation
What you are always trying to adjust
is the quality of observation. 

Peace and Thinking Are Both Within the Mind
Thinking is within the mind. Peace too is within
the mind. Understanding this allows you to watch
them both as mind objects rather than as
something personal, as ‘mine.

Just Watch the Confusion
There cannot be any wisdom as long as you are
confused. If you try to think of solutions when in a
confused state of mind, you will only get confused
answers. Don’t try to do anything, don’t even
try to meditate. Just watch the confusion.  

Emotions are Not “Your” Emotions
Emotions are not ‘your’ emotions. They are natural
phenomena; everybody experiences them.

It Doesn’t Matter if Thinking Stops or Not
It does not matter whether thinking stops or not. It
is more important that you understand whether your
thoughts are skillful, unskillful, appropriate, inap-
propriate, necessary or unnecessary.

Meditating is Cultivating Good Qualities of Mind
Meditation is cultivating good qualities
in the mind. It's making conditions right
so good qualities can arise.

Understand the Nature of Defilements
If you understand the nature of the
defilements, they will dissolve. 

Don’t Assume Conditions are “Bad” for Practice
There is a lot you can learn from what you think are
unfavorable conditions for meditation. There may be
 unhappiness or suffering. Don't make judgments that
 that these conditions are bad for practice. In Dham-
ma, there is only what's happening. Accept
the situation and be aware. 

Keep the Mind in the Best Possible State
People who are really interested in the quality of their
minds will watch that quality all the time. They will learn
how to always keep that quality in the best possible state.
If you can clearly see the vast difference between the qual-
ity of the mind when it is aware and the quality when  
it is not aware, you will automatically want to
be aware more and more often. 

Why Are the Defilements Stronger at Home?
Why are the defilements stronger at home? Be-
cause it is MY home, MY wife, MY car, etc.

The Sense of “I” is Just Another Object
The sense of "I" arises continuously, but to
the mind it is just like any other object. You can
learn to be aware of its presence or absence.

AWARENESS IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS

Natural Awareness in Social Situations (1 of 5)
YOGI:
If I am in a harmonious social environment there seems
to be a natural flow, a sense of ease and enjoyment. If I
bring mindfulness into such a situation, it seems to inter-
rupt this natural flow and the joy and ease seems to
fade away. What is your take on this? 
SUT:
This is a misunderstanding of practice. The fact that you 
are interacting with others, that the situation is harmonious,
that there is ease and enjoyment, shows that you are aware
of what is going on. If you then decide to observe this, you 
are doing too much. You are putting in unnecessary effort
to be mindful and that feels unnatural. Just let your
awareness flow naturally with what is happening.

Work With the Awareness That Is (2 of 5)
One of the metaphors the Buddha used for mindfulness
is a security guard. A security guard will allow those to
enter who are supposed to be in a building, but not allow
in others. Mindfulness is not a door lock. If you lock the
door, neither the bad nor the good people can enter. 

Intentionally Practice in a Simple Way (3 of 5)
There is a lack of skill in watching with a natural kind
of awareness. If we can get in touch with the natural flow
of awareness, when we just work with the awareness that
is, we can bring this understanding into social situations
and be mindful in an easy and natural way.

Don’t Let Emotions Build Up (4 of 5)
YOGI:
When I am on my own, I feel there is a very easy and
relaxed kind of awareness. But when I am in a social
situation, being mindful becomes kind of artificial.
SUT:
You need to remind yourself to be aware in that easy
and relaxed kind of way when you are with people.
You also need to be aware of where your attention is.
When you are on your own, your attention will tend
to be all "in here." When you are with others, it will
most likely be all "out there." Why does it all go "out
there?" It is because you are more interested in what
is going on "out there," because you are not really 
interested in what is going on "in here." When the 
attention is all "outside," thoughts and emotions
will come unnoticed and things will build up. 

The Outside is Important But So Are You (5 of 5)
YOGI:
I try to maintain the internal awareness but
when the awareness wants to go "out there," 
it affects that awareness.
SUT:
The outside is important but so are you! Why not
be aware of both? Why not go for 50/50? There are
of course variations. In some circumstances it might
be 60/40, etc. You need to experiment and 
learn in different situations. 

It Is Not You Who Removes Defilements
Always remember that it is not you who removes
defilements—wisdom does the job. When you are
continuously aware, wisdom unfolds naturally. 

Actively Remember Good Mind States
When you experience good mind states, actively
remember them. Remind yourself that you are ex-
periencing a good mind state; that good mind states
are possible; that this is how a good mind state feels.
In this way you reinforce the understanding
of the good mind states you experience.

Advice for When Thinking in Incessant
When thinking becomes so incessant
that you can no longer observe it, stop
looking at the thoughts and try to
watch the underlying feelings or
bodily sensations instead.

Think of Your Experience as Nature
Think of our experiences as nature. Nature
is not personal. Nature is just a process of
cause and effect. Nature is not out to get
us. Anything we experience is nat-
ural. It is just happening.

Whatever Is, Is Fine
Wisdom is freedom. Anything can come,
and anything can be the experience.
Whatever it is, is fine.

DHAMMA VICAYA:
INVESTIGATING THE NATURE OF REALITY

Investigating the Nature of Reality (1 of 31)
In the process of being mindful and conscious of ourselves,
we learn about ourselves. When we really understand some-
thing, it's like an epiphany, the mind suddenly understands
and then becomes free of what was encumbering it. That's
what the ultimate goal is. So being conscious leads to the 
awakening of understanding, which leads to peace.

Watch and Learn from Your Experience (2 of 31)
Usually meditators are not that interested in learning the
truth of body and mind. They are trying to control the body
mind. Whenever there is an attempt to control, you will tire
very quickly. So just be with your experience as it is. Watch
it and learn from it. In this way, you will soon come to  
understand the truth of body and mind, allowing
dhamma to fully enter your life. 

The Stable Mind is Ready to Learn (3 of 31)
When the mind is in a calm, steady state, it is in a position
to do dhamma investigation. It's ready to practice with in-
telligence, and ready to study and learn what is happening.
If we don't realize that this is the way to proceed at this
point, the greedy mind will just step in and enjoy this
calm state, which is exactly what many yogis do!

Be Intelligently Aware (4 of 31)
When you are being aware, don't be blind-  
ly aware. Be intelligently aware.

Don’t Try to Control, Just Observe (5 of 31)
Because we want to learn about the nature of mind and
objects, we don't try to calm the mind down or try to re-
move objects. We don't interfere or control but observe,
because we want to understand the mind and objects  
in their natural state, as they are happening.

Learn to Face the Defilements (6 of 31)
If you keep avoiding difficult situations, you cannot
learn and grow. This is especially true for dealing with
the defilements. Learning to face the defilements allows
you to investigate and understand their nature, and 
this will help you transcend them.

Always Be Interested in the Mind (7 of 31)
It is not easy to see the mind. When you do see
the mind, it's not easy for understanding to arise.
Defilements are even even tougher to understand.
You must always, always be interested in the
mind and continually learn about it.

Your Practice is Learning About Connections (8 of 31)
It is good if you can see and learn about thoughts,
feelings, and body sensations together. How are they
related? How are the mind and body related? How
are the causes and effects related? Your practice 
is learning about these connections. Just
watch and observe.

Don’t Just Follow Instructions, Innovate (9 of 31)
I want you to think and meditate, not just to blindly
meditate. Use awareness intelligently. It's not just fol-
lowing the instructions. Expand on them, innovate.

Just Being Aware is Not Enough (10 of 31)
You have to use wise thinking to decide how to
handle things; you cannot just try to be aware. 
That's not good enough. The defilements are very
dominant in the mind, they are very experienced
and very skillful. If you don't fully recognize
them and bring in wisdom, they will take
over your mind.

Curiosity is Wisdom in the Mind (11 of 31)
It's only when some kind of wisdom is present that
defilements are not able to sneak into the mind. One
kind of wisdom that must be present in the mind is
curiosity and interest, a wholehearted de-
sire to really understand.  

The Three Kinds of Wisdom (12 of 31)
Buddhism distinguishes between three kinds of wisdom.
First, information and general knowledge such as you 
get from reading, listening to, and discussing Dhamma. 
Second is using your own intelligence, rational mind,
logic and reasoning. The third is insight. Dhamma-
vicaya—being aware intelligently—is the
second kind of wisdom.  

How to Cultivate Intelligent Awareness (13 of 31)
According to the scriptures, there are seven
conditions for dhamma-vicaya to arise:
1. Repeatedly asking dhamma questions, talking about topics
related to dhamma nature, investigating them, thinking about them.
2. Cleaning our possessions, both external and internal.* This brings
clarity of mind. Clarity of mind is a condition for wisdom to arise.
3. Learning to balance the five spiritual faculties. 
4. Avoiding the company of people who do not have wisdom.
5. Associating with people who have wisdom.
6. Contemplating deep wisdom, contemplating or reflecting
on deeper things. 
7. Having the desire to grow in wisdom.

Use Your Brain Wisely (14 of 31)
When I was young, whenever I discovered something new
in my meditation and then went to tell my teacher all about
it, he would often just ask me: "Why?" I usually did not know the answer. Since I desperately wanted to know, I would invest all my energies into trying to find the answer. For this kind of investigation
it is not sufficient just to be aware. I really had to use my brain.
 This is intelligent investigation, dhamma-vicaya.

Learn From What is Happening Right Now (15 of 31)
YOGI:
Sometimes I lose interest because 
I cannot see any progress.
SUT:
That's because you are not learning. You are not really
interested in what you are doing. You expect results. You
need to learn from what you are doing, not just sit there
and expect results. You need to be aware of and learn
from what is happening right now, you need to look
at the process of meditation itself.

The Mind Finds Ways to Improve Itself (16 of 31)
You'll notice that whatever your mind has interest in,
you just have to do it once or twice and your mind
will start innovating. It will find ways to do it better,
more quickly, more efficiently, and beautifully. The
mind always does that and it's a natural process of
mind. The same thing happens with meditation.

This Practice Marries Awareness with Wisdom (17 of 31)
This practice of awareness is a practice of marrying
awareness with wisdom. There must be wisdom to
guide the awareness; we can't just blindly be con-
scious and not really know what the purpose is.

Don’t Hurry, Just Keep Learning (18 of 31)
Don't hurry, just keep learning.

Replace Not Knowing with Knowing (19 of 31)
The moment we become aware, we re-
place not knowing with knowing.

Understanding Brings Peace to the Mind (20 of 31)
Understanding what is happening will bring peace
to the mind. Once you understand the preciousness
of this process, you will feel joy and you will always
be interested in looking deeper and deeper.

Learn to Accept Situations as They Are (21 of 31)
A yogi who really understands the practice is fine with
uncomfortable or difficult experiences and sees them as 
a challenge, as a learning opportunity. If there is no un-
derstanding, there will immediately be resistance to the 
unpleasant experience. We need to learn to accept
things as they are, and that also means accept-
ing difficult situations as they are.

Keep Learning from Personal Experience (22 of 31)
Life is a reflection of the quality of the mind. If
you really understand the mind, you understand
the world. You don't need to believe something
you cannot intellectually understand. Just keep
investigating. Just keep learning from
your personal experience.

Always Watch the Quality of the Mind (23 of 31)
People who are really interested in the quality
of their minds will watch that quality all the
time. They will learn how to always keep
that quality in the best possible state.

Aware vs Not Aware—Know The Difference (24 of 31)
If you can clearly see the vast difference between
the quality of the mind when it is aware and the
quality when it is not aware, you will automat-
ically want to be aware more and more often.

Learn Why Mind States Arise (25 of 31)
It is really important to recognize what is going on
in the mind. Sometimes it is calm and happy, other
times it is agitated and unhappy. By becoming clear-
ly aware of these states and observing them we
will—over time—learn why they arise.

Bring New Wisdom to Old Values (26 of 31)
We can see that our behaviour and our thinking are
governed by ideas and values we blindly accepted,
usually when we were young, and we also realize how
much we are attached to them. Becoming aware of
these ideas and values gives us a chance to bring in
some wisdom which will allow us to re-evaluate
them, to become less attached to them and, 
if necessary, to replace them with more
useful ideas and values.

Wisdom Dissolves the Unwholesome Roots (27 of 31)
From the investigation of a defilement, when we learn
more about it, we can become free of it, because wisdom
grows. When we investigate, invariably, inevitably, wis-
dom will grow. And it's wisdom that can eliminate the
defilements. So we rely on wisdom; we don't try
to eliminate the defilements.

Understanding Brings True Happiness (28 of 31)
If we truly want happiness, we need to have
understanding. When there is no true under-
standing, happiness is not completely ours.
It is something incidental or coincidental—
sometimes we are happy and sometimes we
aren't. We don't have full control of it.
When you truly understand then
you are in control of it.

Keep an Eye on Wrong Views (29 of 31)
YOGI:
You said that some form of wisdom is always present
in moments when there is no greed, aversion or de-
lusion. How can I become aware of this wisdom?
SUT:
First you need to ask yourself: "Am I really aware of my
present experience?" Then: "How do I think about this ex-
perience, what are my views connected to it?" If you can
recognize right views, that's wisdom at work. But you
might see wrong views a moment later and it is  
 important to keep an eye on them. 

Insights Don’t Happen by Accident (30 of 31)
We need to learn our lessons. There is no shortcut. If we
don't learn our lessons when they present themselves, they
will come up again and again until we give them our atten-
tion and learn from them. We have to earn our under-
standings; insights don't happen by accident. 

Learn from What is Happening (31 of 31)
You need to learn from what you are doing,
not just sit there and expect results. You need
to be aware of and learn from what is happen-
ing right now. You need to look at the
process of meditation itself. 

Understand the True Nature of Things
When your understanding of the true nature of
things grows, your values in life will change. When
your values change, your priorities will change as
well. Through such understanding, you will
naturally practice more, and this will    
help you do well in life. 

The Mind is Not Yours But …
The mind is not yours, but you   
are responsible for it. 

Don’t Feel Disturbed By the Thinking Mind
Don't feel disturbed by the thinking mind.
You are not practicing to prevent thinking,
but rather to recognize and acknowledge
thinking whenever it arises. 

Don’t See Something as a Problem
Don't see something as a prob-
lem. Just see it as it is. 

The Mind Needs to See the Bigger Picture
For wisdom to grow, the mind needs to see the
bigger picture. It must learn how to relate to all
objects and how to let go of them. 

How Emotional Fires Grow and Consume Energy
When we don't notice the state of mind, a big
fire can grow and consume all our energy. 

With Skill There is No Bad Meditation
Our state of mind colors our practice. When we
become skillful, there's no bad meditation, though
we might be having a difficult experience. 

Stay With the Awareness, Not the Experience
he meditating mind stays with the aware-  
ness, not with the experience. 

“It’s Hard to Keep Up My Practice"
YOGI:
I am having a hard time keeping up with
my practice. I am in the middle of packing
and moving and so I often forget.
SUT:
One of the main reasons we forget, why we are not
able to practice in daily life, is not what we are doing
but the way we go about it. It is because we are eager
to get things done. We are in a hurry to finish the task
at hand. In daily life we really need to watch our
minds. We really need to keep checking what
kind of mind state we are working with. 

Meditation and Eagerness Are Opposites
Meditation and eagerness are opposites.

Boredom Arises Because of Craving
Boredom arises because of craving.

For Those Who Say Meditation is Difficult
Many yogis tell me that meditation is
difficult. What they are actually saying is
that they cannot get what they want.

When You Eat, Enjoy the Understanding
When you eat, enjoy the under-
standing, not the food.

Wanting to Speak and Not Wanting to Speak
Wanting to speak and not wanting to
speak are the same problem.

Wanting a Peaceful Life is Laziness
Wanting a peaceful life is laziness.

Don’t Try to See Harder or Look Closer
You don’t try to see harder; you don’t
try to look closer. You just have to wait
for the eyeglasses to become clear.

If We Know Nature, We Can Use Nature
If we know nature, we can use nature.
 
ASKING QUESTIONS IN MEDITATION

Asking Questions in Meditation (1 of 31)
What is more important than an experience is your
understanding of that experience. Only people who
investigate can realize this. You begin with ques-
tions like: What is this? What is happening?
Why is it happening?

Asking Questions Keeps the Mind Alert (2 of 31)
You need to apply wisdom to keep the mind alert and
interested. Asking questions helps the mind to remain in-
terested and therefore alert. Trying to get the mind more
interested in what is happening is "wisdom effort."

What Is happening? Why Is It Happening? (3 of 31)
What is this? What is happening? Why is it
happening? Any one of these questions always
helps. When the mind asks a question to which
it doesn't yet know the answer it always
awakens the mind mind because
 it wants to know.

Asking Questions Wakes The Mind Up a Little (4 of 31)
Asking questions wakes the mind up a little.
If you have the right attitude and practice con-
sistently you will find that, over time, the ener-
gy of your mind will start increasing. You will
 become more awake, alert and aware.

All Experiences are Universal (5 of 31)
When I give instructions, I try to point out that
what we are observing are just natural phenomena,
nature at work. I ask yogis to reflect on questions
like: Are you the only person who experiences all
these different sensations and mind states? Yogis
need to understand for themselves that these are
all universal, that they are all part of nature,
that they do not belong to any individual.

We Ask Questions to Bring in Interest (6 of 31)
We ask questions to bring in in-
terest, not for an answer.

Just Ask a Question, Don’t Look for an Answer (7 of 31)
Just ask a question, don't look for an
answer. The answer will come as soon as
the mind has gathered enough data.

Sometimes It’s Not Worth Asking a Question (8 of 31)
Sometimes it's not yet worth asking a question. If you
haven't done much observing and yet you ask a ques-
tion, then all you have is a question. Awareness on its
 own is already gathering information. When you have
enough information that it prompts some sort of
 curiosity, then you can ask a question.

Investigate the Suffering Mind (9 of 31)
Remember that you are not looking at reactions of the
mind to make them go away. Always take such reactions
as an opportunity to investigate their nature. Ask yourself 
questions! How do they make you feel? What thoughts are
in your mind? How does what you think affect the way
you feel? How does what you feel affect the way you
think? What is the attitude behind the thoughts?
How does any of this change the way
 you perceive pain? 

Why Is the Mind Thinking So Much? (10 of 31)
Once a yogi was watching her mind thinking and asked 
herself the question, "Why is the mind thinking so much?"
She realized it was because the mind wanted to entertain 
itself. Once we know the cause, that usually stops it. 

You Need Knowledge to Ask a Good Question (11 of 31)
In some area that we are expert in, when you're doing
that work, questions come naturally to your mind, don't
they? Like, "How can I organize this better?" For cooking,
when it tastes like this, how can I fix it? Whenever some-
thing new comes up, questions come because you have
enough knowledge about that subject to ask an intelligent
question. That’s how it is in meditation, too. First we
need to have a body of knowledge, so that we have enough
background to ask a question about how to go about it. 

The Buddha Asked Questions (12 of 31)
Sometimes just from listening to everyone, reading the
Dhamma, and all sorts of things, we become curious about
something. The Buddha asked questions like "Is the rupa
dukkha or sukha?" "Atta or anatta?" Things like that. 

Just Keep Asking Questions (13 of 31)
Today in practice, I'm asking questions
about bodily pain. If I have a pain some-
where I ask, "Why? What is it?"
SUT:
And what happens?
YOGI:
After some time it goes.
SUT:
Just keep investigating, watching, asking.

“Why Is There Breathing?” (14 of 31)
One time my teacher asked me: "Why is there breathing?"
I couldn't answer that; it wasn't in my experience. I watch-
ed and watched and tried to find the answer, but I couldn't.
After a week, I finally said, "Okay, never mind." Then as I
was breathing suddenly the answer came: there was desire
 to breathe. I saw it so clearly. The intention. It took one
week of investigation to finally see that because there
is desire to breathe, breathing is happening.

“How I Began My Practice” by Sayadaw (15 of 31)
Think about yourself from the moment you wake up.
Reflect on how you will live with awareness. If you think
about yourself, you will have awareness. What is the mind
feeling? What is the mind thinking? Where is the mind?
What is it doing? Usae the information you now have and
what you know about the nature of the mind. Ask these
questions from the moment you wake up. If you are
able to do this, can't you practice anywhere or 
anytime? I began my practice this way.

Learn From the Positive (16 of 31)
Make it a habit to reflect on your state of mind not
only when things aren't going well but also when things
 things are going well! Ask yourself questions like: "What
is happening?" "How is the mind working?" "What atti-
tude is present?" "Why are things going so well right
now?" You need to recognize the factors that
are contributing to the positive state.

Three Questions to Ask (17 of 31)
You continually sharpen intelligence and wisdom 
by being interested in the process of meditation  
and by asking these kinds of questions:
                                      • What is this?
                                      • What is happening?
                                      • Why is it happening?

 As You Wake Up, Ask a Question (18 of 31)
See what you can be aware of as you go to bed
and fall asleep. When you wake up, you can be  
aware of the groggy feeling or wanting to go back 
to sleep. This also is meditation. You can ask:
                          • What are you aware of the moment
                             you wake up?
                          • Is the body on its back? Is it on its stomach?
                          • What is happening in the body?
                          • What is happening in the mind?

What to Do If the Mind Lacks Interest (19 of 31)
YOGI:
You encourage us to ask questions in order to
enliven the practice and stir up interest. It does
not seem to work for me. The mind does not
seem interested. What can I do?
SUT:
Ask the mind why it is not
interested! [Laughter]

Only Ask Questions from Sincere Interest (20 of 31)
Only when you really want to know, will the
mind become interested. If you just throw in
a question because you have been told to, out
of a sense of duty, it's not going to work.  

One Question is Usually Enough (21 of 31)
YOGI:
I will try to find out what the mind is really in-
terested in. Would you advise me to ask many dif-
ferent questions or just one question at a time?
SUT: 
Usually it is best to just ask one question at a time.
At the beginning of your practice it will be necessary
to think up questions to ask yourself. As your practice
develops, awareness becomes more continuous and wis-
dom starts to work. The mind will develop a sense of
 curiosity, a natural tendency to investigate.

Ask One Question at a Time (22 of 31)
YOGI:
I will try to find out what the mind is really in-
terested in. Would you advise me to ask many dif-
ferent questions or just one question at a time?
SUT: 
Usually it is best to just ask one question at a time.
At the beginning of your practice it will be necessary
to think up questions to ask yourself. As your practice
develops, awareness becomes more continuous and wis-
dom starts to work. The mind will develop a sense of
 curiosity, a natural tendency to investigate.

Use the Questions That Arise Naturally (23 of 31)
Curiosity is an expression of wisdom. Once continuous 
awareness gathers momentum, questions will now come
naturally to the mind and give it a sense of direction in
which it will continue to observe. Once you find that the 
mind asks questions naturally, there is no more need to
intentionally think them up. Just use the ques-
tions that arise naturally.

Use Questions to Give the Mind Good Work (24 of 31)
When you do not bring in questions to help the 
mind look more critically at what is happening,
it will feel that there is nothing to do. For example
you could ask yourself whether you can clearly see 
the difference between the nature of the mind and
the body, between physical and mental pro-
cesses. That will keep the mind busy.

Four Questions to Ask an Emotion (25 of 31)
When trying to deal with an emotion you can ask yourself
four questions: 1) "Does this emotion make my body and
mind feel pleasant or unpleasant?" 2) What is the emotion 
 about, what is it directed towards?" 3) "Why am I having
this emotion?" 4) "Is this emotion necessary or unneces-
sary?" These questions support the practice because they
create interest and encourage us to use our intelligence.

When the Mind Gets an Answer, It Lets Go (26 of 31)
The moment we get a real answer to a
question asked in meditation—when the
mind really sees something—it lets go.

Peace Comes With Understanding (27 of 31)
If you watch and recognize the emotions of anxiety
every time they come up, they will decrease. But as
long as you haven't really understood them, they will
keep coming up again and again. You will have to

Trying to Understand Intellectually Is Not Real (28 of 31)
Don't ask questions if it makes you
feel agitated. Just trying to under-
stand intellectually is not real!

The Mind Will Automatically Investigate (29 of 31)
As long as you are interested in the process
of watching, the mind will automatically in-
vestigate the relationship between cause and
effect. If you are watching continuously, you
will be aware of the state of mind before a
good state comes into existence, and also  
observe how it fades away again. Watch-
ing this whole process, the mind will  
recognize causes and effects.

Understanding Experience is the Most Important (30 of 31)
What is more important than an experience 
is your understanding of that experience. Only
people who investigate can realize this. You
begin with questions like: "What is this?"
"Why is this happening?" "Why is 
it happening?”

We Always Return to the Practice (31 of 31)
Whatever we hear, see, or experience, in the
end the question for ourselves should be, 
"What do I do now with myself?" We must
come back to ourselves, to the practice.

Is Any Object Worthy of Anger?
Please reflect on this: Is there any object worthy
of greed or anger? Do you truly recognize that cra-
ving, aversion and delusion—and all their relatives—
are all unwholesome mental states? Have you really
understood that mindfulness, stability of mind, wis-
dom, selfless love, compassion, sympathetic joy and
equanimity are wholesome mental states? 

Wisdom Comes in More Quickly, Over Time
As we learn from our mistakes, wisdom will start
coming in more naturally, more automatically. Over
the years, as our practice progresses, as we become 
more and more mindful, the knowledge and under-
standing we have accumulated will naturally come
in more quickly. Wisdom and mindfulness
will start working as a team. 
 
Don’t Eat Based on Liking or Disliking
You can learn to eat without greed. You can
change your attitude so that you no longer eat
something because you like it but because it is
 food. Eat something because it is appropriate or
because it is healthy, and not because greed is 
pushing you. Be aware of your liking and dis-
liking and never decide what to eat or
not to eat based on that.

Learn From Difficulty at the Workplace
Try to learn from the difficulties at your 
workplace. What makes the mind agitated?
Why do you lose mindfulness? Why does the 
mind become eager? Is it necessary to hurry?
Investigating in this way will help you deal
more skillfully with difficult situations and 
will prevent unwholeseome mind states
from taking over. 

Study Anger Down to the Smallest Detail
Study anger from the side, as it is happening, with
the view that this is dhamma nature, not your anger
or that you are angry. What are the different charac-
teristics of anger? How does it work? How does an
anger-motivated mind think? Study and learn every
single time, down to the smallest detail. There is no
way for anger to intensify if you observe it every
time it arises. It can't rear its head.

Keep Learning About the Defilements
The mind can only completely drop a defilement
 such as anger, desire or delusion once wisdom has
fully understood it. If you have to deal with it again
and again there is not enough wisdom and you
need to keep learning from the situations
in which it manifests.

PRACTICING WITH SLEEPINESS

The Mind is Sleepy When it Lacks Interest
My understanding of sleepiness is very straight-
forward: the reason the mind becomes sleepy.
If the mind is truly interested in the processes
which are going on—if it wants to understand
the objects, the feelings, the emotional reactions
and how they all interact—it will never feel sleepy.
is because there is no interest.  Maybe the awareness
is still working; maybe there is still samadhi; but
when the mind is not interested, it becomes sleepy.
If the mind is truly interested in the processes
which are going on—if it wants to understand
the objects, the feelings, the emotional reactions
and how they all interact—it will never feel sleepy.

Practicing Skillfully With Sleepiness
The mind can only completely drop a defilement
 such as anger, desire or delusion once wisdom has
fully understood it. If you have to deal with it again
and again there is not enough wisdom and you
need to keep learning from the situations
in which it manifests.

Interest in Sleepiness Awakens the Mind
Instead of trying to stop drowsiness, you want to learn
about the nature of drowsiness. These are two different
motivations. You may find that if there's an aversion to
this drowsiness, it'll slowly get stronger and you will 
fall asleep. If, however, you are interested in what is 
happening, the mind will become alert once again.

Check Your Attitude Before You Watch Sleepiness
Check your attitude before you attempt to
watch sleepiness. If you resist it, meditation
becomes a struggle. If you accept it, you will
find it easier to make an effort to be aware.

Be Aware as You Fall Asleep
See what you can be aware of as you go
to bed and as you fall asleep. When you
wake up you can be aware of the groggy
feeling or wanting to go back to sleep.
This also is meditation.

How Do You Sleep?
How do you sleep? Here, I'm not asking
whether you fall asleep on your stomach,
side, or back. I'm asking about your mind.
Do you just let go of everything when
you fall asleep? Are you think-
ing? Are you aware? 

Remain Aware Until You Fall Asleep
YOGI:
I find it very difficult to watch or control the
mind when I am in bed, ready to sleep.
SUT:
The reason your mind wanders off is because it does
not have an objective at that time. You have no aim,
you do not tell the mind what to do. You need to aim
at remaining aware until you fall asleep. Try it and
see how it makes you feel in the morning.  

How to Skillfully Wake Up
When do you first realize that you are awake? Many
people will just start to do things without realizing 
they are awake. So here's a suggestion: As soon as
you wake up, don't start doing things just yet. Saya-
daw U Jotika gave this idea to consciously breathe
in and out for four or five minutes after you first
wake up. The mind will become more alert.  
Then, with awareness, get up.  

With Right Thought the Mind Can’t Be Sleepy
When we are meditating and the mind thinks about
dhamma, about practice, nature, or object, this think-
ing makes our awareness stronger and stronger, be-
cause of interest. The dhamma nature is more awake
and alert because of checking. If our minds are think-
ing these right thoughts, the mind can't be sleepy. 

The Defilements Make the Mind Tired
The quality of mind that you have when you fall asleep
is the quality of mind that you wake up with. If you fall
asleep in a wandering, hazy state, you will wake up in 
a similar state. The defilements make the mind tired. 
That's why we should not let the mind be idle. 

It is Okay to Feel Tired and Confused
YOGI:
When I woke up this morning I still felt really tired. I
asked myself whether I should stay in bed or get up and
practice. This happens to me quite often. Could you give
me any advice on how to deal with such situations?
SUT:
If you cannot make up your mind, just accept that.
Simply stay in this 'space,' recognizing and accepting
what is happening. It is okay to feel indecisive or con-
fused. Look at this mind state and try to learn from
it. Whatever happens, this is your practice.

Fall Asleep and Wake Up With Right View
Go to sleep with right view, then you 
will wake up with right view.

Sometimes While Drifting Asleep in Meditation
When you are meditating and you're being mind-
ful and falling asleep, you will notice yourself drift-
ing into sleep and sometimes hear yourself snore
and wake yourself up again! [Laughter]

Do Prayer and Meditation Mix?
YOGI:
Should I pray when I meditate or is it 
better to pray at different times?
SUT:
Taking the advice of the Buddha is the same as pray-
ing or paying respect to him. The Buddha's main advice
to his followers was to be aware all the time, as much as
possible. Therefore, every time we remember this advice
and practice awareness, we are paying respect to him.

Recognition Helps the Mind Let Go
YOGI:
What do I do when I am confronted by strong feelings
of worry, anxiety or fear? How do I observe them? 
SUT:
Look at how the mind is working. You will learn how
thoughts influence your feelings, and how feelings influ-
ence your thoughts. You will recognize certain harmful
patterns, and this will enable the mind to let go. You
will for example stop indulging in certain ways of
thinking when you realize this just makes
 the mind feel miserable.

An Experience of “Ah, Now I Understand”
YOGI:
How will I know when wisdom arises? 
SUT:
You will see it very clearly. You will have an ex-
perience of "Ah, now I understand." This is real
understanding not just intellectual understanding.
You won't have to ask anyone. You will know.

What is Our Understanding of Life?
First, we must ask ourselves: What is our relationship to 
reality? What is our understanding of life? From this, we
will find meditation is really the only sensible approach to
our reality and the problems that can arise from living.
We can use it as an escape or avoidance from life, or
we can use it as a practice to attend to life.

Two Ways to Turn the Mind Inward—1
Mindfulness meditation turns the mind inward. So how
does the mind turn inward? If you just think about turning
the mind inwards towards what is happening at the six sense
doors, the mind is already paying attention internally. It is the
nature of the mind to take as an object what it thinks about.
Doesn't the mind go directly to your hand if you think about
what is happening at your hand? If you ask, "What is happen-
ing on my head," the mind  is immediately at your head.

Two Ways to Turn the Mind Inward—2
Another way to turn the mind inward is, first, to notice
that the mind is paying attention to external objects.
Then, let the mind step back to think about what is happen-
ing in the mind and body. The mind's attention will
be at the mind and body. The body is easier to notice at
first because it's more apparent, but with practice,
the mind will also become very easy to observe.

MEDITATING WITH THE EYES OPEN

Meditating with the Eyes Open (1 of 14)
Yogis tend to close their eyes when they want to meditate.
Many yogis who have been practicing for some time may
not be adept yet in meditating while looking, seeing, and 
talking, as they haven't had much practice in these areas.
Keeping your eyes closed or open is not what is impor-
tant. What is key is whether the mind is
wholesome or unwholesome.  

Learn How to Look With Awareness (2 of 14)
You need to become skillful at meditating with your
eyes open if you want to take this meditation into your
daily life. Many defilements arise in relation to eye sense
objects, every time you look without awareness+wisdom. 
The fires of defilements are burning. You need to learn
how to practice while looking. You need to learn 
how to look with awareness. 

The Desire to See Specific Things (3 of 14)
The desire to see specific things or experiences
stems from lobha (greed, craving). Wisdom can't
arise when the mind is filled with lobha. When you
observe with lobha, only more lobha will arise.
However, it is wisdom that recognizes when
lobha has arisen in the mind. 

You Can Choose to Be Conscious of Seeing (4 of 14)
Seeing can be one of the objects of meditation. It
is a very obvious object. Seeing is happening, sight
is happening. You can choose to be conscious of it. 

Samadhi Must Always Be There (5 of 14)
Some yogis have told me that they are afraid to
open their eyes after a sitting meditation. I ask why,
and they say, "Because when I open my eyes my sa-
madhi is gone." That's not very good samadhi. If the
mere act of opening the eyes makes the stability of
the mind go away, then that samadhi was not very
strong or stable. Whether we are seeing, walking,
eating, taking a shower, or sitting, samadhi
must always be there. 

We Don’t Recognize When We Focus (6 of 14)
When you meditate with your eyes open, don't look
at things; just recognize that seeing is going on. Don't
look at anything! Our minds are used to focusing. We
are very skillful at it because we do it all the time. The
 problem is that we don't recognize that we are focus-
 ing. We are trying to meditate but we don't really
 understand what meditation is.

With Open Eyes You Don’t Notice Thoughts (7 of 14)
When you close your eyes to meditate, you may
get the impression there is suddenly a lot of think-
ing. But the mind is actually thinking all the time.
You just do not notice it because when your eyes
are open you are paying more attention to
external objects than to thoughts.

Stop Identifying With the Seer (8 of 14)
Thinking and seeing are very similar in nature. In
the practice of being aware of thinking, you have to 
make yourself conscious that you are thinking. You 
have to remind yourself, again and again, "Oh, think-
ing is happening," until you are able to view thinking
objectively, and not identify with the thinker. If you
apply the same pattern to seeing, and keep reminding
yourself "seeing is happening," you are able to step
away from it a little bit. Remind yourself, "seeing
is happening, seeing is happening," and you can
stop identifying with the seer.

How to Become Conscious of Seeing (9 of 14)
I always tell beginners not to watch thoughts con-
tinuously at first, because we get swept away. We get
sucked into the thoughts. Recognize that "thinking is
happening," make a note of it, and then come back to
being conscious of yourself in another way. You can do
the same with seeing. Briefly try opening your eyes, and
then closing them again, and then being aware; and 
then opening and closing them again, and then being
aware. In this way become conscious of seeing.

Seeing and Not Seeing Are Both Objects (10 of 14)
There is seeing and there is not seeing. Both are objects.

Eyes Open vs Eyes Closed (11 of 14)
When the eyes are open the mind tends
to be slightly more awake, because there
is one more sense consciousness. When
there is one more sense consciousness,
there's one more object. 

Choose When Eyes Open or Closed is Best (12 of 14)
Learn to choose when it's best to keep
your eyes open, and when it's best to close
your eyes, in order to be in states that are
more wholesome for your mind. Choose
whatever gives you better mindfulness  
at a given time. What is always most 
important is the quality of the mind. 

Looking, Listening and Paying Attention (13 of 14)
Looking, listening, and paying attention are the same
kind of mind. They are active movements. The sense
doors are different but the movement of the mind is
the same. It's an active attention. When the mind pays
attention through the eye door, it's looking; when it
pays attention through the ear door, it's listening;
when it pays attention through the mind
 door, it's paying attention. 

Awareness of Seeing Helps Us Stay Aware (14 of 14)
If we make it a practice to be con-
scious of seeing, then in daily life,
because our eyes are always open,
this consciousness can come back
to help make us more aware
during the day. 

The Experience of Calmness Is Not So Important
The experience of calmness is not so impor-
tant. It is more important to know and under-
stand why calmness does or does not arise.

DEALING SKILLFULY WITH PAIN

Dealing Skillfully With Pain (1 of 21)
Never force yourself to observe pain. This is not a 
fight, this is a learning opportunity. You are not ob-
serving pain to lessen it or to make it go away. You 
are observing it—especially your mental reactions
to it—in order to understand the connections be-
tween your mental reactions and your per-
ception of the physical sensations.

“Pleasant” or “Painful” is a Mental Interpretation (2 of 21)
If you're able to maintain a state of mind where
the mind is not attached and not averse,  then the
mind cannot think something is "nice" or "not nice," 
"pleasant" or "painful." Pleasant or painful is the
interpretation of a mind that has attachment or
aversion. When the mind is neutral then the
experience is just the experience.

People Don’t Usually Learn from Pain (3 of 21)
When people are going through mental or
physical pain, they [usually] don't take inter-
est or learn. They only want to escape pain.

It Is Not Important for Pain to Disappear (4 of 21)
It is not important for aches and pains to
disappear. You want to learn about the mind
and body processes that arise and pass away
in the presence of these aches and pains.

Don’t Try to Make Pain Go Away (5 of 21)
Don't observe pain to lessen it or make it go
away.  Observe it—especially your mental re-
actions to it—in order to understand the con-
nections between your mental reactions and
your perception of the physical sensations.

Watch the Mind’s Internal Dialog With Pain (6 of 21)
You need to study the mind's reaction to pain from
different angles, and observe the reactions and all 
their manifestations. Why is the mind reacting this
way? How are thoughts and feelings related? What
background ideas and underlying attitudes show
up through thoughts? Without trying to stop this
thinking, you can see the mind's internal
dialogue from morning until night.

Don’t Try to Observe Pain While Resisting It (7 of 21)
If you observe pain while still feeling any
resistance towards it, it will only become
worse. It is like when you are angry with
someone; if you look at that person again
and again you will become even angrier.

Bring the Same Skills to Physical and Emotional Pain (8 of 21)
Whatever skills we learn in dealing with our reac-
tions to physical discomfort can also be applied in
dealing with defilements such as emotions of anger,
frustration, jealousy, disappointment, or rejection
as well as happiness, pleasure, lust or attachment.
They and all their relatives should be dealt
with in similar ways as pain. 

Pain is Not the Problem (9 of 21)
Wishing for pain to decrease or go away is the wrong
attitude. It does not matter whether the pain goes away
or not. Pain is not the problem; your negative mental 
reaction to it is the problem. If the pain is caused by 
some kind of injury you should of course be careful
not to make things worse. But if you are well and
healthy, pain is simply an important opportuni-
ty to practice watching the mind at work. 

Learn to Watch Anger and Resistance (10 of 21)
When there is pain, the mental feelings and
reactions are strong and therefore easy to ob-
serve. Learn to watch anger and resistance, ten-
sion or discomfort in the mind. If necessary, al-
ternate between checking your feelings and the
 attitude behind your resistance. Keep remind-
ing yourself to relax the body and mind. 

Aversion Exaggerates Pain (11 of 21)
When there is pain, aversion exaggerates the 
situation, making the pain seem stiff, hard, or 
solid. In reality, it may not be that painful. In
the absence of aversion, there are just subtle
sensations; the pain will no longer seem solid.
Even the concept of "pain" may disappear. 

Pain is a Name Given By Aversion (12 of 21)
“Painful” is the name that aversion, dosa, gives to a 
sensation. If you can really get to the point where you
can relax the mind until there is no dosa, you can look
at the same sensation and find it's just an interesting
sensation to observe. Instead of a solid kind of hard
sensation you will find that it becomes much softer,
that there's more movement. 

Discomfort Comes With a Body (13 of 21)
When there is pain, do we like the pain? No? That's
because we have decided that pain is not good. But pain
is a natural phenomenon. When there's body, there will 
be discomfort. It's not a problem, it's just a manifestation
of nature. When we think it's a problem, when we think
that there should not be pain, then every time pain
comes we make it a problem. 

Change the Mind’s Perspective on Pain (14 of 21)
If there is pain, you don't try to change the pain,
you try to change the aversion in the mind. You do
that by changing perspective. First, try to bring in 
Right View; and then observe aversion continuous-
ly. If the aversion should go away, and the state of
 mind changes, you'll find the view of the mind  
towards the pain becomes different.

Use Pain to Explore Mind-Body Connections (15 of 21)
For as long as you can tolerate the pain you might
want to learn from it. When the pain is there, what
does the mind think? How does that thinking make
the mind feel? How does the thinking affect the feel-
ing and vice versa? When the pain starts increasing,
how does the mind's attitude about it change? You
want to see how a change in the thinking and state
of mind affects your experience of the physical.
It becomes an experiment.
 
Use Pain to Grow Stability of Mind and Wisdom (16 of 21)
If you have the right attitude then everything is no
problem, and the object does not disturb you. Any 
object is a dhamma object, dhamma nature. Even 
pain can be an object. Pain is an object; no pain is
also an object. Object is object. If you understand
object as object, the mind can't attach and can't
resist. Objects help your awareness. You can
use any object to grow mindfulness, stabil-
ity of mind, and wisdom.

Look at Mental Discomfort Subtly (18 of 21)
When you look at mental discomfort at a more
subtle level you may get to the point where your
mind feels completely equanimous. If you look
at pain directly and if there is true equanimity,
mental discomfort will not arise anymore.

See the Mind’s Subtle Resistance (19 of 21)
I used to tell people first to accept what was happen-
ing. But sometimes deep inside the mind doesn't really
accept it. So at a very subtle level it still feels tension
towards whatever it's experiencing. When you're able
to see that, you're not supposed to try to accept, be-
cause that's artificial. What you're supposed to do
is to recognize the mind is not accepting this. 

Check First for Resistance to Pain (20 of 21)
It is best to look at pain directly only
if you cannot feel a resistance to it. 

A Relaxed Mind Thinks Anew of Pain (21 of 21)
Once the mind is clear and cool, with the right
attitude present, you can observe anything you
want. This relaxed mind, when looking at what
was considered "pain" before, will no longer
consider it painful. When the mind begins to
understand this, acceptance will
naturally follow. 

The World Is a Creation of Mind
The world is a creation of the mind. So
there is no need to look outside. Everything
is happening right here in our own minds. 

It is Important to Notice Assumptions
It is important to notice assumptions.
Assumptions are based on wrong views,
and they will prevent you from see-
ing the true nature of things. 

Learn to Handle Desire, Aversion and Delusion
Most yogis make the mistake of expecting good
experiences instead of trying to work with de-
sire, aversion and delusion. Once you are able
to handle the three unwholesome roots, good
experiences will naturally follow. 

If You Don’t Know What to Do, Just Wait
Whenever you get the feeling of
not knowing what to do, just 
wait. Don’t do anything. 

To Be Calm is Not So Important
The experience of calmness is not
so important. It is more important
to know and understand why calm-
ness does or does not arise. 

Right View Has No Preference
When it is quiet or when it is noisy, which is
better? When the mind judges or has a prefer-
ence for something to be better, then it will auto-
matically develop a reaction if the opposite hap-
pens. Right view is to not have a preference.
Sound is just sound, nature.

All That You Need is Surrounding You
Everything you need for understanding to arise
is surrounding you in this moment. It is all on your
doorstep: family, friends, work colleagues, and any
other relationships you may have can all be power-
ful catalysts to your work of revealing wisdom.

Practice Being Aware of Seeing
The ability to be aware of seeing comes
with practice. As long as you are not skill-
ful at this, seeing will tend to distract you,
and make you lose your mindfulness.

Actively Remember Good Mind States
When you experience good mind states, actively
remember them. Remind yourself that you are ex-
periencing a good mind state; that good mind states
are possible; that this is how a good mind state feels.
In this way you reinforce the understanding
of the good mind states you experience.

Every Moment is Fresh
The mind's tendency is to like new
things. It wants variety; it wants fresh-
ness. One thing to remember is that no
moment is the same as the old.
Every moment is fresh.

Do Not Practice Too Seriously
Relax! Do not practice too seriously,
but peacefully and respectfully.

See That Awareness is Already There
Don't try hard to look for awareness; relax and
see that it is already there. Experienced yogis find
that being aware of the mind is just as straight-
forward as being aware of the body.

Remain Aware of Whatever Happens
To keep bringing one’s attention to the
breath can be useful when the mind needs
calming down. But I encourage all yogis to
remain aware of whatever happens, of what-
ever the mind naturally takes an interest in.

Quiet Mind and Unquiet Mind Are Equal
A quiet mind is something we can be aware
of; it is an object. An unquiet mind is also
an object. So from the meditation point
of view, as objects, they are equal.

Life Will Always Be New and Interesting
If we are practicing correctly, then life will
always be new and interesting because we are
always seeing more. We are observing nature
happening in the deepest possible way. This 
is nature, experiencing nature.

Dogs Barking and Cats Screeching
At our center there is always a lot of sound:
gongs ringing, chanting over loudspeakers, dogs
barking and cats screeching. Most yogis seem not
too bothered by any of this. Sound is just nature hap-
pening. These sounds somehow remind us to bring
in awareness and, with this, right thought.

There is No Body, No Person
With right view we are aware of what is happening
in the present moment. We are experiencing nature
happening. There is no body, no person. If we take
this attitude and we are aware of what is happen-
ing, then we have right view and right thought.

“Do You Want to See a Devil?”
When I was a child, my father would take me and
all the other children in the family to see his teacher.
Sayadawgyi would ask if we had ever seen a devil.
We would all answer no. "Well, do you want to see a
 devil?" he would say, and we would all answer yes.
Then Sayadawgyi would say, "Next time you are
angry, go and look in the mirror, and you will
see a devil. Then when you see what you look
like, you will never be angry again.”

TWO WAYS TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION

Two Ways to Deal With Depression—1
The most effective way to deal with this mental
activity is to observe it in order to understand its
causes and conditions. Only once these are really
understood, will the mind be free of depression.

Two Ways to Deal With Depression—2
You can practice samatha meditation in order to  
develop samadhi. As samadhi increases, depression
will decrease. But even though the depression might
 totally lift for a while, it will always arise anew when
the samadhi is gone and you are again confronted
with the causes of depression.

Ask These Two Questions Often
Ask these questions often: "What am I aware
of?" "What is my level of awareness?" This  
will support continuity of awareness.

COLLECTING GOLD DUST: NURTURING THE
DHAMMA IN DAILY LIVING

Play With Awareness and the Mind
You have to play, play with awareness and the
mind. Then it becomes very interesting. Use your
know-how and wit. If meditation feels like a respon-
sibility, it'll just be a burden. Create your world.

Use Wisdom to Continue the Work
I want you to use your wisdom to continue the
work. Collect this gold dust a bit more each day,
day by day. Mindfulness is a lifetime commit-
ment, not a part-time job. It is something you
really, really need to do all the time.

The Dhamma Will Carry You Along
The Buddha said, "If you look after the Dhamma,
the Dhamma will look after you." Looking after
the Dhamma simply means practicing it. After a
certain point, the Dhamma will carry you
along on its wave. So keep going!

Let Nature Unfold Things in a Steady Way
The more we understand the forces of nature
and how they work, the more we begin to rely on
them to let things unfold in a steady way. It's not
for nothing that I use the word "nature" over and
over.  When something becomes your nature, real-
ly second nature, it means that the momentum
of that nature is very strong in you. It
 has become your nature.

Noticing Specks of Greed, Hatred and Delusion
When you know the peaceful mind continuously,
and you know everything that's happening in the
mind, you'll also immediately notice when a speck
of greed, hatred or delusion comes to disturb that 
peace. At this point, you can immediately recog-
nize the thought that preceded that shift from a
peaceful mind to an agitated mind.

Bring a Light Attention With Full Interest
When we are learning to be skillful at something,
like putting in golf for example, we putt again and
again and assess whether the energy we have used
is sufficient. We then adjust our game and try a-
gain. We need to bring that same approach to our
meditation. Instead of a forced focus, it is a light
attention with full interest in the process.

Meditation is Like a Mother Tending a Baby
I would liken mindfulness to a mother tending to
a baby. I once observed a mother caring for her two-
year-old and saw just how skillful she was with the tod-
dler sitting on her lap. She held a conversation with four
other people while feeding the child. As the toddler moved
in her lap, she adjusted along with him. Every now and 
then she gave him some food, and if he didn't like it, she
would give him a different piece, and later on pick up
the original piece to give to him. She was always
going with the flow, not making judgments of
the child. Meditation should be like this.

Pay Attention to Intentions
Mental intentions are present everywhere in the body.
What intentions are you aware of while you are walk-
ing? Do you notice the wanting to move? What do you
want to move? Every movement involves mental inten-
tions. You can see them if you're watching the mind. If
you only watch the body, you will not see a complete  
picture. When you begin to see a more comprehen-
sive picture of how the mind and body are operat-
ing, then you will also come to see causes and
effects, and it becomes very interesting.

Watch Every Time Anger Arises
You have to watch every time anger arises. For
example, people feel they shouldn't get angry 
when they're on retreat. Anger arises anyway.
 Now they're angry that there's anger! 

The Student and the Teacher Are Both Inside You
My teacher never told me not to think. He
didn't exactly encourage me to think either,
but he did ask me questions that required me
to be aware and to reflect on how I was prac-
ticing. I eventually discovered the answers and
realized that one finds answers by being aware
and by questioning. The student is inside  
you. The teacher is also inside you. 

Keep An Eye of Greed, Hatred and Delusion
My teacher constantly reminded me that all
the problems in the world originate from the
trio of lobha (greed), dosa (hatred) and moha
(delusion). Keep an eye on them. Watching
and keeping these unwholesome qualities at
bay will allow the wholesome qualities
to arise automatically. 

The Difference Between Hunger and Desire to Eat
When you are eating something, do you notice
the difference between the taste of the hot-and-
sour soup, and the feeling that it is something
pleasant? Hunger happens in the body, in  
materiality; whereas the desire to eat
happens in the mind.

Post-It Note Attachment vs Super Glue Attachment
Let’s say we see a flower growing on a roadside.
Some people may note, "It's a lovely flower," and
keep walking, while others may look at the flower
and think that they want to keep it for themselves
and pluck it. Some attachments are like Post-It 
Notes while others are more like Super Glue! 

DELUSION

Delusion Says: “This Whole Thing Is Fantastic!” (1 of 2)
Delusion can be so strong that we are initially attract-
ed to a particular characteristic, but as we are trapped
and move towards the object, we come to believe we like
the whole thing. Delusion spreads the view that this whole
thing is fantastic! Only one or two characteristics reel us
in and then delusion ensnares us whole. Check what 
catches your own mind. Notice the experiences you
are trying to recreate or re-experience through
this particular person, product or experie
 
What is the Mind Wrapping Itself Around? (2 of 2) 
 You may be attracted to a particular person and think
you like the person as a whole. What exactly is it you
like about this person? Do you like their eyes or hair?
The way they behave or smile? Are you attracted to a
 mental quality? Do you have some idea about this 
person? Do they evoke a certain feeling that you
do not get elsewhere? What particular charac-
teristic is the mind wrapping itself around? 

THE WISH FOR EVERYTHING TO BE OKAY

The Wish for Everything to Be Okay (1 of 3)
Everyone has a lot of craving, but there is one
especially strong and elusive craving. It is the
desire for everything in life to be okay. This de-
sire for everything to be okay is very power-
ful, but we are not aware of it because it
hits us at a subconscious level.

The Mind Gets Frustrated at Every Hiccup (2 of 3)
We grow up thinking that everything must work out
the way we want it to, and we become upset when some-
thing tiny goes wrong. The mind becomes frustrated at
the slightest hiccup. For example, if we want ten things
and we get all of them, the mind calms down without
a problem. If we can't get one or two out of ten, the
mind becomes agitated. If we can't get five, the
mind goes into depression. If we can't get
any, the mind may go crazy.

Don’t Expect Everything to Be Okay (3 of 3)
Don’t expect that everything should be
okay. The future is open and there is a
50 percent chance that the things that
we do not want can happen to us. We 
need to be prepared for this.

Whose Aversion Is It Anyway?
Let’s talk about aversion and the gamut of emotions
ranging from sadness, sorrow, and fear to hatred, an-
ger, ill-will, and other forms of aversion. Why is there
 aversion? Why is it happening? Whose aversion is 
 it? If there is some kind of understanding about
the nature of aversion, it is very hard
for it to grow in intensity.

Reach the Point Where You Recognize Cause and Effect
It's not enough to just know whenever anger
arises. You have to reach the point where you
recognize cause and effect as well. Without 
catching the causes, the effects will contin-
ue to grow unhindered and anger
will grow and grow.

The Anger-Management Practice of 0-1-0
There was a time in my lay life when I had been practicing 
continuously for a year or so and I hadn't had a major bout 
of anger for quite some time. I woke up sick one day and I 
went to work anyway and managed the family business alone.
Little dissatisfactions accumulated throughout the day but
I didn't take the time to work through them to clear them out.

Later that night, I asked one of my younger brothers (a doc-
tor) for some medicine and he responded dismissively. That
was the final straw. I just exploded, thinking, "How dare he 
talk to me like this?" I kicked a chair across the room as I was
used to doing in my younger days. My family was all sitting 
around the room at that time and everyone looked stunned. 

Awarenesss only kicked back in when my older sister asked,
"What's happening to you with so much meditation?"

I then saw the whole process internally and externally. I saw
the frightened faces around me and realized how I had disrup-
ted my surroundings. I also saw the whole mental process from
a very tiny grain to this explosion. It became very obvious how
negative this anger was. There was not one bit of wholesome-
ness anywhere. 

Seeing all of this in one big picture, I made a vow that I
wouldn't let something like this happen again. I learned not
to continue along a line of thinking when I saw dissatisfac-
tion arising in the mind. Instead I would switch to watching
the feeling associated with that thinking. From then on, I
would clear the anger out even when I noted a little bit of 
it. Nothing else mattered except to pay attention to even
the smallest hints of anger and I would work with sama-
tha (tranquility meditation) and/or vipasssana depending
on the situation.

Anger could go from a scale of zero to one and back to 
zero. I worked with zeros and ones, never letting
anger accumulate further. 

You Don’t Need to Rein In Restless Mind
You don't need to try to restrict or rein in a restless
mind. Just recognize that if the mind is scattered, it
is scattered. The fact that you recognize it means
that something is already at work. Just know
gently without getting lost in thinking.

The Mind That You Thought Was Yours is Not Yours
Instead of taking a storyline as your object, just
know that the thinking mind has arisen. When one
new thought has happened, you know. When another
new thought has arisen, you know. Many, many new
thoughts will arise. Then you begin to observe that
the mind that you thought was yours is not yours.
The mind is mind, not "mine" or “me."

The Real Benefits of the Dhamma
The real benefit of the Dhamma is in having 
looked at the defilements of greed, hatred and
delusion, and having understood them, to then
approach the same tasks with wisdom.

Understanding What is Wrong as Wrong
When the mind truly comes to understand
something that is wrong as wrong, it will 
not repeat the same mistake again. Under-
standing will then mature and you     
can handle life issues wisely.

People and Objects “Out There” are Concepts
People out there and what they are doing are
concepts. Moreover, objects out there are not
doing anything but minding their own busi-
ness. But this mind is not minding its own
business, and it is getting into all sorts of
trouble. This is the relationship that we
want to take care of and this is what
the practice is all about.

A Price for the End of Suffering
There is a temporary end to suffering, and
there is an ultimate end to suffering. We have
to pay the price accordingly. Some things come
easily and are cheaper. We will have to pay a
higher price for something more valuable.

Accept Whatever is Happening As It Is
Daily life will be full of ups and downs when greed, 
anger, delusion and all their relatives come on strong.
How do you approach such situations? The first step 
is to accept whatever is happening in the mind as it
 is. Accept that this is just the nature of the mind.
Unless you accept, you will be fighting
defilements with defilements.
~ Sayadaw U Tejaniya

Even if you’ve read countless Dharma books,
you’re better off sticking to a single phrase. If
 anyone asks which one, tell him: "Know
 your own mind just as it is.”
~ Ry?kan 



Don’t Force Something to Happen
Don't force something to happen. This goes against
nature. You can't get something just because you want
it or you work for it. There are two things that can move
us forward: how much we do and how skillful we are.
Pay attention to applying skill and to right  
effort—these deserve our attention.

Conceiving Enemies is Already a Battle Lost
When yogis observe defilements, it is often from a
point of view that they are enemies to be fought. That
is already a battle lost. Defilements like it when you
fight, because fighting is itself a defilement. 

What is Special or Different Today?
My teacher would always ask me how I was prac-
ticing, and that is what I'm asking you now. What
are you doing? What is special or different today?
Yogis who are practicing will have an answer;
those who are not practicing will not.

Over Time You Will See the Whole Picture
Let things unfold naturally. You job is to watch,
know, learn, and gain experience. As you watch
an experience continually, you will begin to re-
cognize patterns. Later you will see the whole
picture. The value of meditation becomes
more apparent with dedicated practice
over long stretches of time.
 
Hold Concepts and Story Lines to the Side
What is happening in the mind and what is
happening in the body right now? How is one
mental state related to another mental state?
You want to be interested in the nature of 
this mind and body. Hold concepts and
story lines to the side.

There Aren’t Many Problems Per Se
As wisdom gains traction and defile-
ments thin out, you'll see that there
aren't that many problems per se.

We Exhaust Ourselves With Desire
"Problems" arise when there is a lot of greed,
aversion or delusion present. When we can't 
accept things as they are, we exhaust ourselves
with desire for things that are not present, or
with desire to push away things that
are already there.
 
If We Are Bored We Aren’t Observing Properly
If we think that a certain experience is
lingering longer than we'd like, we're not
observing properly. No two moments are
the same. Every moment is fresh and
every moment is changing.

If You Merely Follow Instructions, Wisdom Won’t Arise
If you merely follow my instructions without
conducting your own investigation, wisdom 
won't arise in you. You need to learn to the
point where you personally understand
why you need to act in certain ways.
 
The Two Aspects of Moral Conduct
There are two aspects of moral conduct: the doing
of what should be done, and the not doing of what
should not be done. The Five and Eight Precepts
that we always talk about is abstaining from that
which should not be done. Remember that there
is also the other side: do as much as pos-
sible of what should be done.

Mindful Speech Will Deepen Your Practice
In my experience, my behavior changed through con-
tinuous practice. I became very calm and spoke very
little, or not at all if it was not important. I was serious
when I did talk. Being very careful in my speech became
important in my practice. I practiced refraining from
lying, slander, gossip, talking nonsense, speaking 
harshly, and idle chatter. And as a result,
my meditation deepened.

Happy In La La Land, We Don’t Learn
When yogis successfully observe something un-
wholesome and it passes, they are happy. But
that's not the end. It's important to reflect what
would have happened if we had not been mind-
ful. If we are just happy in la la land, we don't
get to learn what it is like to be unmindful.

See the Idea Behind the Story
I usually tell yogis to stay away from the storyline,
but it can help to see the idea that the story carries.
The story might be, "Anne was making noise and I
was really angry with her," while the idea behind
it might be, "People shouldn't make noise." This
 idea influences the mind. When it is seen clear-
ly for what it is, and that it's not help-
ful, this idea can be let go.

Attend to the Internal Landscape With Eyes Open
You need to have your eyes open while meditating
in daily life. I learned how to be aware with my eyes
open because fellow shopkeepers used to tease me 
when I meditated at work with my eyes closed. They
thought I was sleeping on the job! So I learned to 
pay attention to the internal landscape while keep-
ing my eyes open. I eventually became more skill-
ful at knowing the difference between seeing and
looking, and the people I worked with didn't 
even know that I was meditating.

Before You Eat, Check for Eagerness
All six sense doors are at work when you eat. Do
you know everything that is happening? If you for-
get yourself while you are eating, there will be a lot
of eagerness there. Eating often has a kind of excite-
ment and eagerness that accompanies it. So before
you start eating, check to see if there is eagerness.
 When this excitement calms down, aware-
ness will become steadier.

Recognize Seeing, Not Just Things You See
When we do not understand the reality of see-
ing, we may get lost in the things we see instead
of recognizing that seeing is happening. Seeing
is such an obvious object that we may not re-
cognize it as such, simply because we
  don't yet understand it.

Thinking is Part of the Practice
Thinking in the right way is part of the practice. To
do any kind of work we need to consider the situation,
reflect, and think. We use wisdom to make fewer mis-
takes and we actively reflect on what's productive and
useful in our practice. This helps us recognize what's
helpful and strengthen that. When we are observ-
ing, experiencing and thinking about how to 
practice, it all comes together.

Thinking In Itself Isn’t Wholesome or Unwholesome
The thinking mind in itself is neither wholesome
nor unwholesome. It is the motivation behind the
thinking, whether of defilement or wisdom, that
determines the quality of the thought.

An Experiment With Negative Thinking
When there are strong wholesome qualities in the mind,
it is difficult for the mind to suddenly change and become
unwholesome. When there is a strong unwholesome train
of thought going on, it's difficult for it to suddenly switch
and become wholesome. I experimented for myself once
when my mind was wholesome. I tried to intentionally
think negative thoughts and realized that I could not.

Be Careful Speculating About the Future
You can expend a lot of mental energy specu-
lating about the future without actually know-
ing what is going to happen. If a very different
outcome unfolds from what you had expected,
you have spent a lot of energy on imagination.

Observe the Intention to Think
If you can see the intention to think, know
that. Observe the intensity of the intention.
When, through skillful observation, the inten-
tion diminishes, the thoughts will also dimin-
ish. If you can't see the intention to think 
just switch back and forth between
thoughts and body as objects.

Think and Plan in a Relaxed Way
Planning is necessary but can be done with
either defilements or wisdom. Do you worry
when you're planning? Some people plan with
greed and others with anxiety. But there is a
way to think and plan in a relaxed way.

Once Second of Time is a Concept
Once, a certain yogi realized that the
idea of "one second of time" was a con-
cept, and the past dropped away for
him with this understanding.

How and When Your Life Changes
You may learn a technique at a retreat, but
it's only when you go home that you can apply
that technique continuously, all the time.
That's when your life changes.

“I Began to Feel Loving-Kindness for People”
The market where I had my shop was a very busy place.
Lots of shops were lined up side-by-side, with narrow al-
leys between them. People would run through blindly, and
I got irritated when I had to get out of the way, which was
often! When I began to practice continuously, I became
mindful of my irritation. I began to see moving aside as
a good practice both to prevent accidents, and to offer 
generosity. As I practiced day after day, mindfulness
built and good actions followed. The aversion de-
creased and with the aversion gone, I began to
feel loving-kindness for the people.  

Stay with the Knowing and Relaxed Mind
There will always be some kind of contact at the six
sense doors. Don't follow any such contact. Just know
the state of mind and stay with the knowing, observing
mind. How does the mind feel or react every time there
is contact at the sense doors? Is there a resistance? You 
may not necessarily let go and accept the situation ini-
tially, but that's fine because you are using this ex-
perience as a tool to develop skill in meditation.  
 
Pay Attention to Awareness
In daily life, where wisdom may be weak, you want
to pay attention to awareness. The mind can recognize
the situation happening while awareness naturally col-
lects data in the background. As awareness picks up
more data from the experience, and the picture be-
come complete and wholesome minds become
stronger, you will eventually stop
acting out of defilements.  

Don’t Allow Delusion to Run Freely
It is inevitable to make some wrong turns
in daily life but you have to learn how to
profit from these experiences. Don't allow
craving, aversion or delusion to run free-
ly or your situation will deteriorate. 

Build Towards a Tsunami of Awareness
When I began to meditate in earnest in my home, my
awareness was inconsistent. I over-compensated for this
spotty awareness by putting in a lot more personal effort.
I wanted to be as mindful as possible but I was just too
tired to do any more than that. After some time, I began
 to notice a lighter, general, but discontinuous awareness
that, done day after day, formed a pattern of long-term
 practice. The momentum that came out of this general 
awareness created these dots that came together
to form a tsunami of awareness that
could be seen clearly.

Patience Uses a Natural Process and Energy
We do not believe gentle awareness will work. We 
do not trust that it will grow into something, so we
are not patient with gentle awareness. Personal
effort uses our own effort, while waiting patient-
ly for momentum to grow uses a natural pro-
cess, a natural law, and natural energy.

Strategize How to Be Skillful
We think that there are many people that
we interact with in our daily lives. In fact,
most of us usually interact with only a cer-
tain limited set of people, over and over
again. How will we work with them?
How can we strategize so that
we become skillful?

When You Have Spoken Harshly
Let's say you are in a social situation and you
have accidentally said something harsh because
there was too much momentum to speak. Let a-
wareness continue to know in the background
while you're talking. At some point of seeing
this whole process, awareness will have 
enough of a picture that wisdom can
arise and resolve the situation. 

Realization Helps You Let Go
We need to look at what is in our mind,
and know it until the mind realizes that
it doesn't want to be that way any-
more. That realization will help
you learn how to let go. 
 
A Very Gentle Awareness Will Gain Momentum
A light, general awareness allows us to continue function-
ing, to do the activities we need to do while a light recogni-
tion of what is happening works steadily in the background.
This very gentle awareness, while not continuous in the
beginning, will eventually gain momentum. When it
becomes a natural, continuous awareness, it will really
feel like you're aware and you'll feel like you are living
in this awareness in everything that you do. For me, it
was at this point that I  really understood the true nature
of vipassana meditation, and began to believe that it is
possible to become enlightened while living life.

Use Wisdom Instead of Blindly Increasing Effort
Meditators often forget to use their natural wisdom when
they meditate because they haven't practiced using it. In-
vestige and use your wisdom to check in on whether aware-
ness is present, instead of blindly putting in more effort.
Here are some considerations: Can you see your level of
effort? Is there stability of mind? Do you know what
that experience is like? Do you know your level of
confidence or faith? Is wisdom at work? 

We Cause Ourselves Trouble with Our Beliefs
At the Shwe Oo Min Meditation Center, there was a nun
who sat right up front, and I could see her face turn pink
over and over again. Later, in the interview, I asked why
she was blushing repeatedly while she sat. She said it was
because of her body's tendency to pass a lot of wind, and 
she felt bad for the person behind her! I asked, "So why
 do you sit at the front of the hall? The door is wide open 
open and you don't have to sit at the front." She felt
she should sit up front because she was a nun. We
cause ourselves trouble with our beliefs.

“I Was the Black Sheep of My Family”
Before I began meditating, I was the black sheep of the
family. My words carried little or no weight because I was
known to lie about things. But about three years into my
practice, I spoke less and less, as I watched my speech very
carefully. By then, everyone would listen when I spoke be-
cause what I said was something of value. They listened be-
cause they knew that what I said had a lot of thought be-
hind it. Sometimes my family would be unnerved be-
cause they knew what I was saying was the truth. 

“I Suggested We All Meditate Together”
My family had regular Sunday social get-togethers
where we would eat and then talk. The conversations
usually revolved around the latest cars, movie stars,
and such. I had been meditating for some time by then
and found this to be a waste of time. I considered what
could be done and slowly an idea formed in my mind.
One day I suggested that we all meditate together. All
of us had meditation experience because my father
used to bring us all to the monastery. So they agreed
to meditate. We would all sit for 15 minutes, and
then we would eat. 

How Do You Make Yourself Happy?
From one week to the next, the questions
would continue: "If you're not happy with
 your life, how do you make yourself happy?" 
"How do you deal with it?" Our conversa-
tions turned into Dhamma discussions. 

“Do You Feel Satisfied With Your Life?”
After a while, we sat together in meditation every
time we met. After eating or during a meal I then
suggested a discussion and we would talk about life,
whether we were happy or unhappy. I would ask them
one by one, "How do you feel about your life? Do
you feel satisfied with your life?" The party would
turn serious. One brother replied that he was not
satisfied with his life, and another replied that it 
was 50/50.  Slowly my siblings began to share details
of their lives and feelings, and someone would cry
after sharing and get some relief. It was not something
they had considered. Everyone was just sort of going
through life. Time was passing by, and they'd never
given any thought to how they were living their own lives. 

Kamma Can Flower in Any Moment
"Everything is conditioned" just means that there is a
stream that's going on and the present moment has been
conditioned by the past. At the same time, there is an ele-
ment of choice in the present through wisdom, because
wisdom has free will. As a result, this wisdom has the a-
bility to choose whatever action or non-action it would
would like. All things are conditioned but the vast-
ness of kamma that you have accumulated has the
potential to flower in every moment.

To Be Angry or Not is a Choice
If somebody has developed a lifetime habit of anger, the
person will become angry with a little trigger. If the person
 has studied meditation, starts practicing and understands
the benefits, this person may gradually become able, with a-
wareness + wisdom, to consciously choose what to do. This
person could decide whether to continue to be angry, or to
try to be aware of the anger and grow in wisdom as
a result. This choice constitutes free will.

The Mind as a Push-Button System
If only delusion is present, conditioning is set,
and such a person will act entirely according to
that conditioning. If there is no interest in wis-
dom, the mind is just a push-button system
 that is triggered by external forces. Con-
ditioning dictates all outcomes.

Awareness Allows the Mind to Choose
You might hear someone talk about Dhamma, or
you might come across a book that opens up a bit
of wisdom. In these ways you may borrow wisdom 
and apply it to your life, to bring about more wis-
dom. In this way we can see how awareness
+ wisdom yields freedom of choice. Aware-
ness allows the mind to choose.

Be Careful in Contemplating Karma
I don't advise yogis to reflect too much on these
matters of karma and free will, as it's easy to get
lost in conceptualization and thus to drift far from 
the present moment. One of the conditions for wis-
dom to arise is to think deeply about the Dham-
ma, but it absolutely needs to be grounded in 
Right View and Right Thought.

There’s No One Here, Only Conditions
When we are experiencing an emotion, we can both
be with the emotion, and understand the nature of the
mind that is feeling aversion or craving for this emo-
tion. Understanding that this is just mind and there's
no one here, only conditions, is an insight.

The Energy of the Dhamma (1 of 4)
We always need to remember the difference between
personal exertion and the energy of the dhamma tak-
ing over. If you are personally very involved in trying
to do the practice, you will not be able to see what is
going on naturally. When you step back you are able
to see that the process of awareness is already
happening quite naturally.

Awareness is Already Happening Naturally (2 of 4)
The process of awareness is already happening quite
naturally. That's why I sometimes ask yogis: Can you
notice that you can hear even though you are not lis-
tening, that seeing is happening even though you are
not trying to look at anything? Can you notice that
even though you are not paying attention, your
mind already knows things?

The Dhamma Does What’s Needed (3 of 4)
I would like yogis, especially those who have been prac-
ticing for years, to get to the point where they realize that
without focusing or paying attention, that knowing is hap-
pening. After many years of meditating, their practice must
have gained momentum and they need to step back in order
to see that this is happening. At this point, one needs to
switch from doing to recognizing. When the dhamma
takes over, there is just a doing of what is necessary.

The Mind Will Naturally Shift Perspective (4 of 4)
Gathering momentum of awareness is important be-
cause when things continue under their own steam, you
can really see that you are not involved. If you just prac-
tice continuously and correctly, understanding will arise.
Once you gain some understanding that this process is 
just happening, the mind will start seeing things
more and more from this perspective.

Cultivate the Motivation to Understand
Most yogis watch the breath only to calm
the mind down. As a result, they may watch
the breath for years, yet not know much about
 it. It's because the mind is not interested; it just
wants to calm down. In practicing vipassana, the
motivation is very different: the mind wants to
 understand. It wants to understand what is
happening, and if it wants to under-
stand, it can understand.

Conceptual Understanding is Relatively Weak
YOGI:
I’m trying to investigate (Dhamma Vicaya). When I
smell something and aversion arises, a thought says
that it’s our animal instinct to avoid danger.
SAYADAW:
This is an intellectual understanding. We are interested
in clearly seeing the whole cause-and-effect process of
aversion, rather than thinking in order to arrive at a pat
conceptual answer.  Understanding from thinking
is weak; experiential understanding is deeper.

Know How the Mind Reacts to Words
You need to know how the mind reacts to words
that convey certain ideas. For example, the word
"meditation" makes some yogis very tense. Simply
hearing the word makes them tense. So, I would
advise these yogis: "Simply sit, and observe
your experience in order to learn." 

Be Careful With Your Motivation to Practice
Be careful with your motivation to practice. If
the motivation is to feel relaxed or to feel better,
this will get in the way of relaxing. The right at-
titude is to practice in order to cultivate
wholesome minds, and to learn.

Don’t Let Eagerness Rule
YOGI:
When I’m sick and the mind is pushing
 to get things done, what should I do?
SUT:
Rest, and watch the standard that the mind
has given itself. Watch that, and don’t let the
eagerness rule. When those standards push us,
we exert too much energy. Recognizing that
 will help to balance the mind.

Awareness is Helpful When You are Tired
Awareness is really helpful when
you're tired, because you can just rest
in the awareness of the tiredness.

Notice Relaxation All Day Long
YOGI: 
I am tense all the time.
SUT:
Breathe deeply, and follow the breath. 
When you breathe in you may feel the
tension increase; when you breathe out 
you will feel some relaxation. Track the
relaxation over and over, not just when
you are sitting but all day long. 
 
You See It, You Know It, It’s Gone
When I was a teenager, my teacher taught me: "If
you know it, be happy." That really stuck with me. I
could be angry, or do something unskillful, but when
I became aware of it, I was happy. When something
unskillful came up in the mind, with awareness it 
didn't stay. Right view is so powerful: You 
see it, you know it, it’s gone.

Peace is a Side Effect of Practice
YOGI:
This morning’s session was really peaceful and
I feel that I’m on my way in the practice.
SUT:
What if your meditation hadn't been peaceful? Would
you still feel that you’re on your way? Being on the way
 is being aware; it's not when things feel good. When we
 walk the path skillfully, peace inevitably comes. But
peace is a side effect of practice, not the goal. The
goal is to keep walking the path of wisdom.

Don’t Believe the Mind’s Stories
YOGI:
There is a lot of sadness in my life lately. I’m aware
of the sadness and the mind says: "It’s my sadness."SUT:  
Don’t believe the stories the mind tells you. You
can choose to bring in right view by reminding your-
self, ‘This is the nature of the mind that wants to
hang on to the self." Or you can choose to sim-
ply recognize,  "This is happening." 

When Awareness Fades, Don’t Make it a Problem
SUT:
Sometimes we forget to maintain persistent
and continuous awareness, and that's okay.
It's an intention, not a "must."
YOGI:
Are you saying I shouldn’t judge myself, or
make it a problem, if I can’t be continuous
and persistent in being aware?
SUT: 
Yes.

Shifting the Momentum of the Mind
We want to shift the momentum of the mind completely,
from unwholesome to wholesome momentum. At present,
liking and disliking naturally arises in the mind. With more
practice, awareness + wisdom naturally will arise whenever
we look, hear, smell, touch, taste or think. Over time, we'll
then learn how to trust that awareness + wisdom.

Try to Sustain Relaxed Awareness
You do not have to use much energy to be aware.
There's no need to focus hard but you do need to
keep reminding yourself to keep awareness contin-
uous. This is right effort. If you can use energy in
this way, you can go on practicing the whole day
without feeling tired. Try to sustain awareness
for longer periods of time throughout the day.

Watch the Mind Like Watching a Movie
When there's a reaction in the mind, let the
process happen as if you were watching a  
movie. We can learn about the process by
watching it happen again and again.  

Observe the Mind and Body in Every Situation
Formal meditation moments can happen at all times of
the day when we are alone and not occupied. After some
practice, we can meditate when we are talking and inter-
acting with other people as well. It's very possible to con-
sciously observe and investigate the mind and body in ev-
ery situation. We should use all moments of life in this
way as much as possible. In fact, all the time if possible.

Observe Whatever Happens in a Relaxed Way
When there's a reaction in the mind, let the
process happen as if you were watching a  
movie. We can learn about the process by
watching it happen again and again.  

Don’t Feel Disturbed by the Thinking Mind
Don't feel disturbed by the thinking mind.
You are not practicing to prevent thinking,
but rather to recognize and acknowledge
thinking whenever it arises.  

First, Learn How to Be Comfortable
If you can't observe, don't force
yourself. Learn how to relax, how
to be comfortable, first.

Be Interested in Difficult Situations
Learn to be interested in difficult situations. By
being present with them in a gentle manner, you
may suddenly understand what caused them.

To Sit Back and Watch Can Be Difficult
hroughout our life we habitually seek and
grasp. To sit back and watch this happening
can be difficult. However, this sitting back and
just watching is essential to become able to
see and understand these habits.

The Feeling of “Not Knowing What to Do”
Whenever you get the feeling of not knowing
what to do, just wait. Don't do anything. 

The Work of Awareness and Wisdom
The work of awareness is just to know. The
work of wisdom is to differentiate between
what is skillful and what is unskillful. 

Keep Alive the Delight in Dhamma
It is important to keep alive the delight we get
from uncovering our inherent wisdom, our de-
light in the Dhamma. Nothing comes close to
the satisfaction we can gain from this. 

Relax and Be Aware
We always start with awareness. It is that quality
that grounds us and allows all the wholesome mind-
states to arise, especially the quality of wisdom. When
awareness and wisdom are working together like this,
we gain the confidence and the motivation to keep ex-
ploring and moving into the uncharted regions of our
minds,  where wrong view starts the cycle
of suffering at a subtle level.

A Meditator’s Job is to Remember to Be Aware
A meditator's job is to remember to be a-
ware.  Whether you are standing, sitting,
lying down or walking, if you remember
to be aware you are meditating, and you
are cultivating this wholesome
quality of mind.

Monitor the Quality of the Observing Mind
What the mind is aware of—the objects of aware-
ness such as sensations, thoughts, perceptions and
emotions—isn't really important. What's important
is the quality of the observing mind that is always
working in the background to be aware. The more
we remember to be aware, the more we nourish  
the wisdom that dissolves stress and suffering.

The Compass That Points the Way
Wisdom is what this practice is about. It is
the quality of mind that understands the true
nature of reality. It becomes the compass that
points the way as we try to understand and re-
move the mind's three unwholesome roots  
of craving, aversion, and delusion.

Wisdom Removes the Unwholesome Roots
As individuals we don't really know how to deal with
 the three unskillful root qualities of the mind—greed,
aversion, and delusion. That's why the right thing to  
do in practice is to grow the wisdom quality of mind,
which does know how to remove the unwholesome  
roots. Awareness grows wisdom. So, rely on 
wisdom; it will stand by you.
 
Each Moment Leaves a Legacy
It is the nature of mind to arise and pass away
every moment, but each moment leaves a legacy
for the next moment. That's why it's important to 
cultivate the mind's wholesome qualities such as
 patience, perseverance, joy, and equanimity—so
that they become the legacy that is passed on.

Rely on the Positive Qualities of the Mind
The Buddha said there is no "self." But he also
said, "Rely on yourself." What he meant was
that when we rely on ourselves, we rely on the
positive qualities of mind like awareness, self-
less love, compassion, joy, generosity, pa-
tience, truthfulness and equanimity.

It Doesn’t Take Much Energy to be Mindful
We don't need to use too much effort or
too much energy to be mindful. Every day
we wake up, we open our eyes, and seeing
begins to happen. But how often do we con-
sciously notice this? When we do, that is a-
wareness. It is the realization of our pres-
ent moment experience. That's all.

The Meditating Mind is Relaxed
The meditating mind is relaxed. We
never need to focus too much nor try
too hard. Right effort isn't about in-
tensely focusing attention.

The Essence of Right Effort is Persistence
It is very important to keep trying to maintain
the intention to remain aware all the time, whether
awareness is actually continuous or not. This points
to the essential quality of right effort: persistence. It's
not a forceful effort but rather an inner determination
to sustain the tiny bit of energy you need in each mo-
ment to know you are aware and to keep that going.

Thinking is Just Nature
Thinking is just nature. Can we stop na-
ture or avoid nature? It's impossible. In-
stead we merely need to see that thinking
is nature. That is right view. With this
view we can start to live skillfully with
 thinking instead of resisting the
 nature that is thinking.

The Unskillful Mind is Running Our Life
Thinking is just nature. Can we stop na-
ture or avoid nature? It's impossible. In-
stead we merely need to see that thinking
is nature. That is right view. With this
view we can start to live skillfully with
 thinking instead of resisting the
 nature that is thinking.

Observe Experience Just As It Is
Thinking is just nature. Can we stop na-
ture or avoid nature? It's impossible. In-
stead we merely need to see that thinking
is nature. That is right view. With this
view we can start to live skillfully with
 thinking instead of resisting the
 nature that is thinking.

There is No Need to Like or Dislike
Whatever you are experiencing in this moment
is the right experience. There is no need to be hap-
py or unhappy with what is happening, and there 
 is no need to like or dislike the experience. This
is the right attitude for meditation.

Any Object Can Cultivate Awareness
There's no need to go around trying to find an
object of choice to follow like the breath, thoughts,
or emotions. In this meditation we pay attention 
to the meditating mind, and to cultivating whole-
some mental qualities. As such we can use any
object to cultivate awareness, develop stability
of mind, and gain insight into the
nature of phenomena.

You Will Gradually Abandon Judgments
Understanding the causes of dissatisfaction will
help to dissolve them, and to recognize them if
they come up again. You will see more and more
clearly the harm that craving, aversion and delu-
sion cause to the mind and the body. You will be-
come more mindful of your judgmental atti-
tudes and gradually abandon them.

The Objective is to Know the Whole
The objective is to know the whole experience:
the thoughts, feelings, and sensations surround-
ing an emotion, and how the mind is behaving,
whether with wholesome or unwhole-
some motivations.

Understanding Brings Peace of Mind
Understanding what is happening 
brings peace to the mind.

Discover the Root Causes of Dissatisfaction
When any kind of dissatisfaction arises in the mind,
try to recognize it, fully accept it, and watch it very
alertly. These steps add a new element to being con-
tinuously aware, namely an active and purposeful
inner investigation. During this process of ob-
servation and exploration, the causes of
dissatisfaction may become clear.

Observe the Automatic Liking, Disliking, Ignoring
Right attitude develops your skills in dealing
with the three unskillful root qualities of auto-
matically liking some experiences and grasping
at them; automatically disliking others and
avoiding them; and unconsciously ignor-
ing many if not most of the experi-
ences in your life.

Are We Behaving Based on Likes and Dislikes?
We need to be checking our attitude continu-
ously. Are we behaving mostly based on our
likes, dislikes, or ignorance of what is really
going on? Liking something means you de-
sire it; disliking something means you have
an aversion to it. Desire and aversion both 
arise out of delusion, which is not
seeing the present reality.