THE DAILY TEJANIYA — 2022

Every Moment is Always New Nothing is ever the same, every
moment is always new. Once you can
really see this, your mind will always be
interested in whatever it observes. No mo-
ment will ever be boring because your ex-
perience shows that "things" are forever
changing. You don't get tired of know-
ing, as knowing is never finished.
This work is for life. 

When It’s All A Fog, Bring Out Curiosity
At times when the mind seems to be
up against a wall and it's all fog, there is
a lot of delusion and you can't see through
anything. That's when you need to bring out
a little curiosity. What is happening here?
What am I not seeing? Bring out these
qualities of wisdom to help the mind-
fulness of the present moment.

Make Positive Qualities Automatically Arise
My teacher always said to me
that all the problems in the world
originate from the trio of craving, a-
version and delusion. Keep an eye on  
them. Watching these bad qualities is
important because if you can keep
them at bay, the good qualities
will automatically come in.

Every Experience Is A Tool to Develop Wisdom
Let any experience arise. Greed, 
 hatred and delusion are objects like
any other. Because we are getting to
know them, there is no need to fear
them. Just know they are there.  
They are tools for you to fur-
ther develop wisdom.

Why People Say Meditation Is Difficult
Many yogis tell me that medi-
tation is difficult. What they are
actually saying is that they can-
not get what they want.

Having Assumptions is Delusion at Work
Having assumptions is
delusion at work. 

Delusion Says “Let’s Party!”
If wisdom is lacking, delu-
sion will be right there to say,
"We've finished meditation. 
 Now let's party!

This Will Help You Do Well in Life
When your understanding of 
the true nature of things grows, your  
values in life will change. When your  
values change, your priorities change as 
well. Through such understanding you
will naturally practice more, and this
will help you to do well in life.”

Make Your Way of Talking Cool Down
When you learn to talk
with awareness in a relaxed
manner, mindful of your inten-
tions, your way of talking will
become less emotional.

Don’t Try to Avoid Objects or Experiences
Don't try to avoid objects
or experiences; try to avoid
getting entangled in craving,
aversion and delusion.

Emotions Are Never Your Emotions
When you investigate emo-
tions it is important that you
remind yourself that they are
natural phenomena. They are
not your emotions; every-
body experiences them.

What Differentiates a Meditator from a Non-Meditator?
When a car passes by, what dif-
ferentiates a meditator from a non-
meditator? The meditator knows that
the car passed by and also knows the ex-
perience of seeing, feeling, hearing, inter-
preting the experience, thoughts, thinking
mind, and so forth—some or all of these,
as the case may be. The non-meditator
just knows a car passing by.

Wanting to Understand is Wisdom
Wanting to understand is wisdom;
wanting a result is greed.

Get In Touch With the Natural Flow of Awareness
If we can get in touch with
the natural flow of awareness,
working with the awareness that
is, we can be mindful in an 
easy and natural way.

Be Yourself! Don't Pretend!
Be yourself! Don't pretend!

What Is Our Relationship to Life?
First, we must ask ourselves:
what is our relationship to real-
ity? What is our understanding
of life? We must look at life as it
is, and come into intimate  
contact with life.

Anger Diminishes As Understanding Grows
We need to understand the nature of an-
ger, the thought processes that lead to this
 upsurge of emotion. Ask questions of your-
 self: "Why was the mind not angry before,
 but now it is? What activity has made the
 the mind angry?" Whatever level of un-
 derstanding we come to, the anger will
 decrease by that same amount. 

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

Keep a Sharp Eye on Your Mind
My teacher used to say,
"The fire on your stove won't
do anything to you; it's the fires
of greed, hatred and delusion
  that will get you.”

Don’t Think So Much, Just Watch and Learn
When I say "inquire" or "investi-
gate," it doesn't mean to actively over-
think what is happening in the mind. It 
means to watch and learn from the re-
actions and relationships the mind has 
to objects such as thoughts, feelings,
and body sensations.

Drop a Simple Question 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 main-
taining awareness.

Quiet or Noisy, Which is Better?
When it is quiet or when it is
noisy, which is better? When the
mind judges or has a preference
for something to be better, then it
 will automatically develop a reac-
 tion if the opposite happens. So 
right view is to not have a pre-
ference. Sound is just sound,  
a process of nature.

With a Calm Mind We See No One is There
By simple observation with a
calm and aware mind, we will 
soon see the mind as a process of
nature. Not "I," not "self," not
personal. No one is there.

Greed and Hatred Arise From Ignorance
Greed and hatred arise out
of ignorance. What is ignorance?
It is just not seeing what is really
happening in the mind.

Reside in Awareness and See What Comes Along
Reside in awareness and see what
comes along. Be with your experience
as it is, and allow things to turn out
without trying to control.

How To Quiet and Stabilize the Mind
If we take the role of observer and watch
what's going on in the mind and body with-
out reaction, the mind will automatically 
become quiet and stabilize.

Thoughts of “Me” or “Mine” Fuel the Emotions
All thoughts that you identify
with as being "me" or "mine"
actually fuel the emotions.

Mindfulness Remembers What is Right
Right mindfulness aims to remember,
to recognize, not to forget. What
do we forget? What is whole-
some, what is right.

The Innate Nature of Our Mind is Wakefulness
The innate nature of our mind
is wakefulness, where nothing is
created. There are no conditions,
just bare awareness, and we
can reside in this.

The Only Sensible Approach to Our Reality
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 prac-
tice to attend to life.

Wanting a Result is Greed
Wanting to understand is wisdom,
 wanting a result is greed.

Meditation is Cultivating Good Qualities of Mind

Meditation is cultivating good

qualities in the mind. It's making

conditions right so the good

qualities can arise.

Find the Balance Between Relaxation and Interest

The balance you have to find is  

the balance between relaxation and

interest. People usually try to find a

balance between relaxation and ef-

fort, by using more or less effort.

But if there is interest, effort

is already present.

Understand the Mind to Understand the World

If you really understand

the mind, you understand

the world.

Don’t Allow Greed, Hatred or Delusion to Run Freely

Don't allow greed, hatred

or delusion to run freely or your

situation will deteriorate. 

When You Dislike Something You Attach Yourself to It 

Attachment happens not

only when you like something,

but also when you are afraid of

something, or dislike something.

Attachment happens because

of the emotion.

Try to Make the Mind Positive Every Moment

We need to try to make

what's in the mind positive

in every moment, because if

it's not positive it's going

to be negative.

Desire is Always a Part of Compassion

Compassion is a wholesome state. When

you feel pure compassion, it feels good. The

energy of the mind is good. Very gentle. And,

the desire to help is always a part of compas-

sion. You  want to bring relief. You accept,

and you want to help. It is very positive.

Accept, Observe, and Learn from Sleepiness
If you feel bad about sleepiness it means you
have an aversion towards it and will try to resist
it. This is a wrong attitude. It is perfectly natural
to become sleepy. So simply recognize and accept
sleepiness. As long as you observe sleepiness
with the right attitude*, you are meditating.
* According to Sayadaw, right attitude is "accepting,
observing, and learning from your experience just as it is."

Keep a Close Watch on Attachment and Aversion

When there is attachment or aversion

in the mind, always make that your

primary object of observation.

Everything is Nature

Everything is experience. Whatever is

happening is happening through cause-and-

effect. They do their job, we do our job. What

should we do? We just recognize what is 

happening. Everything is nature.

Sit Back and Watch the Grasping Mind

Throughout our life we

habitually seek and grasp. To

sit back and just watch this hap-

pening is difficult. However, this

sitting back and just watching is

essential to become able to see

and understand these habits.

To Develop Right Attitude, See Wrong Attitude First

Only if the mind recognizes

a wrong attitude, can it then

switch to the right attitude.

Transform Your Hindrances Into Understanding

A wise and skillful person can turn

poison into medicine. In the same way,  

a skilled meditator can transform hin-

drances into understanding.

When Mindfulness Sharpens, Intentions Come Into View
Once mindfulness improves and
you're able to pick up on subtle mental
activities, you'll then be able to detect the
subtle energies and impulses, which are 
constantly there, called intentions.

When Expectations Arise, Learn to See Their Nature

When expectations arise

in the mind, learn to see their

nature. Whenever you feel any 

resistance to the way things are,

you can be sure that you  

have expectations.

Don’t Try to Stop Thoughts and Thinking

When you try to get rid of

thoughts, you are actually trying

to control them, rather than learn-

ing to understand them.

Are You Trying Too Hard? 

When you're focusing too much,

it will show on your face; and if you're

aware of your facial sensations, you will

know. When a person is really relaxed,

the face is very clear, soft, and calm.

Awareness Doesn’t Always Bring Wisdom

Whenever you have wisdom

you are aware; but just because

you are aware does not necessar-

ily mean you have wisdom.

Awareness and Wisdom Have Their Own Work

The work of awareness 

is just to know. The work of

wisdom is to differentiate be-

tween what is skillful and

what is unskillful.

Watch Your Mind or Weeds Will Grow

If you do not look after your garden it will

overgrow with weeds. If you do not watch your

mind then greed, hatred and delusion will grow

and multiply. The mind does not belong to 

you, but you are responsible for it. 

Just Be Aware of Whatever Comes Your Way 

Looking for something we

think we are supposed to see 

is not mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness meditation is just

being aware of whatever

comes your way. 

When to Detach and When to Accept

When things are good, learn how to

detach from them. When things are not

good, learn how to accept them.

Applying Right Thought Calms the Body and Mind

Applying the right thought—

reminding yourself that "this is

not me, this is the nature of this

emotion "—calms the mind

and the body.

When Confronting an Angry Person, Check Within

Every time you are confronted with

an angry or demanding person, check

to see how your mind feels. Their greed

and aversion is their problem; you   

need to see whether there is greed   

and aversion in your mind.

Be Mindful in a Natural Way 

Be mindful in an easy and natural way. 

If we practice with a super-conscious kind 

of mindfulness—always telling ourselves that

"now we are going to be mindful"—we will 

distort the picture and our experience

will be kind of stultified.

Whose Mind is Wholesome or Unwholesome
The practice is to understand what
a wholesome mind is, and what an un-
wholesome mind is—to really know for
yourself. Whose mind is the wholesome
mind? Whose mind is the unwhole-
 some mind? Are they your mind?

If The Mind Isn’t Interested, Ask It Why 

YOGI:

The mind does not seem to be

 interested. What can I do?

SAYADAW:

Ask the mind why it is not interested!

We Meditate Because We Want Understanding

Having a desire to really under-

stand what is going on, is much more

important than just trying to be aware.

We practice mindfulness meditation

because we want to understand.

With Joy and Interest You Are Doing Fine
As long as you find joy  
and interest in the practice,
you are doing fine.

Don’t Pay Overmuch Attention to Experiences
Don't pay too much attention to the
experiences you have during meditation.
But do make an effort to keep watching the
mind. If your attention is more on the mind,
it will be easier to notice whenever any 
form of greed sneaks in.

The Mind Will Know Its Own Limits
If you are aware of whatever
you are doing, the mind will
know its own limits.

Be Aware of Peacefulness
Be aware of peacefulness; and
be aware of the awareness of peace-
fulness. Doing so allows you to check
whether you are indulging in peace-
fulness or not; getting attached  
to it; or are still aware.

Wisdom is Never Frustrated, Disappointed or Depressed
When wisdom is present there is
never frustration, disappointment, or
depression because a goal has not yet been
reached. There is real understanding, so the
mind knows that just by keeping on the path,
it will eventually get there. Greed, on the
other hand, is always disappointed if
a goal has not yet been reached.

Observe Confusion If You Are Confused
YOGI: 
Sometimes my mind feels confused
and I don't know what to do.
SAYADAW:
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 any-
thing, don't even try to meditate. Just
observe the confusion.

Know How Your Attitudes Make You Feel
YOGI:
I often find it very difficult to name my
attitude or my emotions. I can feel whether
they are positive or negative, though. Is
it sufficient to be aware of that?
SAYADAW:
Yes, it is. It is not so important whether
you can name your emotions or not.

Always Keep Tabs on the Mind
We have to keep tabs on the
mind. Always be aware of what  
is going on, and keep working
at it. It is a full-time job.

What’s Your Choice, Complain or Meditate?
YOGI:
I am finding the heat un-
bearable these days.
 SAYADAW:
So what do you do? Com-
plain or meditate?

Awareness Grows in a Natural Progression
There is a natural progression in the growth
of awareness. You might start off with just one  
object, say the breath. After a while, you will become  
aware of several objects in the body. Then you will no-
tice how you're feeling, while being aware of all these ob-
jects in the body. Later on, you will become able not only
to be aware of the objects and feelings, but also of the  
mind that is aware, plus the attitude that is behind
the awareness. Once you're able to see this whole
picture, you will begin to understand how all  
objects affect each other. This is under-
standing; this is wisdom.

Assumptions Are Based on Wrong View
It is important to notice assump-
tions. Assumptions are based on wrong
views, and they will prevent you from
seeing the true nature of things. 

Working With Awareness is Good Karma
YOGI:
Is kamma being created when we
are working with awareness, when
we are aware of awareness?
SAYADAW:
Yes, you could say so. Good kamma. 

Don’t Let Thoughts and Feelings Go Unnoticed
When you are not really interest-
ed in what is going on "inside," and
your attention is all "outside," thoughts
and emotions will go unnoticed,
and things will build up. 

Notice What Naturally Attracts the Mind
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 the mind
naturally takes an interest in. The mind 
naturally takes objects* and this
is Dhamma at work. 
* E.g., any of the five sense perceptions (sights,
sounds, etc.) plus thoughts; pleasant and unpleasant
 feelings; emotions; attitudes; moods; etc.  

To Dissolve Greed, Hatred and Delusion, Dissolve Them
If you understand the nature
of greed, hatred and delusion,
they will dissolve. 

See Greed and Aversion Just As They Are
Learn to watch greed,
anger and delusion as greed,
anger and delusion, and not as
"I am greedy," "I am angry,"
and "I am deluded." 

No Two Moments Feel Exactly the Same
If you think that you are
watching the same thing over
and over again you will become
bored. However, if you take a closer
look at your experience you'll un-
derstand that no two moments
feel exactly the same. 

Go Slowly and Feel Your Way Through Things
Go slowly. Feel your way through
the things that are happening. Try to
to understand and gather as much
information as you can. 

Watch You Intentions Throughout Each Action
Intentions occur throughout
every movement or action, not just
at the beginning of a movement or
action. Even every moment you are
 sitting has intentions. It is impor-
 tant to remember this. 

The Wandering Mind is Not the Problem
The wandering mind is not
the problem; it is a natural men-
tal activity. Your attitude that it 
should not be wandering 
is the problem.

Continuously Look Inwards
Most of the time you are too concerned
with other people's emotions. Train your-
self to continuously look inwards.

Wisdom Inclines to the Good
Wisdom inclines towards the
good, but is not attached to it. It
shies away from what is not good,
but has no aversion to it.

Notice Thoughts When They Arise
Learn to acknowledge thoughts
whenever they arise. Don't try to 
avoid doing this by keeping your  
awareness on the body only, or  
you may miss the nature of  
how the mind works.

Notice When the Mind is Free
When greed, hatred or delusion
are in your mind, you have to recog-
nize and acknowledge their presence.
But it's also important that you re-
cognize when they are absent!

Like Watching a Movie: Sit Back, Relax, and Watch
Mindfulness meditation can be
compared to watching a movie. You
just sit back, relax and watch. The story-
line of what you are watching will natu-
rally unfold, and how much you learn
from what you watch depends on
your level of understanding.

Don’t Get Too Serious About Practice
Don't get too serious
about practice. If you are
too serious, you become tense
and are no longer natural.

Simply Keep Investigating Your Experience
Try not to jump to conclu-
sions about what you observe.
Simply keep observing and inves-
tigating your experience thoroughly
and continuously. Jumping to con-
clusions will prevent your under-
standing from deepening.

Seeing People in a Fixed Way is Delusion
The moment you start disliking
someone, an imprint is created with-
in your mind. The imprint then causes
you to see that person in a fixed way, and
prevents you from seeing how he or she
really is. This is delusion at work.

Do You Think You Are in Control?
Whenever you think you
are in control of a situation,
craving, aversion and delu-
sion are actually in control.

To Dance With Awareness is to Dance With Nature
To dance with awareness is
to dance with nature, and
allow awareness to grow.

Ask Yourself Often: “Am I Properly Aware?”
Ask yourself often: "What
am I aware of now?" "Am I
properly aware or only su-
perficially aware?”

Emotions Don’t Need to Go Away
Emotions don’t need to go away. The
objective is to know what the emotions
feel like; what thoughts you are having
when there are emotions; and to under-
stand the nature of emotions and
the mind’s behavior. 

Don’t Let Your Mind Become Idle
Do not let your mind become idle, or run
freely. You need to be aware of yourself con-
tinuously, whatever posture you are in, from
the time you wake up until you fall asleep. 

“I” Is Just Another Thing to Notice
The sense of "I" arises con-
tinuously, but to the mind it is
just like any other object. You
can learn to be aware of its
presence or absence. 

Delusion Wants to Remain Deluded
YOGI:
Why is delusion so strong? Why
is there so little wisdom?
SAYADAW: 
Because delusion wants to remain
deluded; and because we have been
practicing delusion for eons.

Can We Experience a Moment of Nibbana?
YOGI:
Can we experience moments
of nibbana when greed, hatred
and delusion are gone?
SAYADAW: 
Yes, that's possible. It's called
momentary freedom.

How to Meditate With Your Eyes Open
When you meditate with
your eyes open, don't look at
things; just recognize that
there is seeing going on.

Skillful Doubt Makes the Mind Curious
If doubt is unskillful, it causes
confusion and agitation; it makes
you feel less and less comfortable.
Skillful doubt makes the mind cu-
rious; it puts the mind into an
investigative mood.

Never Try to Force an Issue
Never try to force an issue. Just
acknowledge, accept, and keep observ-
ing until things unfold naturally.

Our Ultimate Task is Handling Craving, Aversion and Delusion
We should not forget that
ultimately—however we may
start practice — our task is to
learn how to deal with greed,
hatred and delusion.

Trust Is What Keeps Us On the Path
Only if we have trust in something,
can we actually apply ourselves to it.
We must recognize the trust we have, 
however little or much. It is what
keeps us on the path.

Don’t Hurry, Just Keep Learning
Don’t hurry. Just keep learning.

True Happiness is True Understanding
Only when there is true
understanding, will there be
true happiness. Not the kind of
happiness people like to indulge
in, but happiness that comes be-
cause you are at peace with
things as they are.

It Is Okay to Feel Indecisive
It is okay to feel indecisive, con-
fused, or restless. Look at this mind
state and try to learn from it.

Look At Experience Simply and Honestly
We need to look at our experience
in a really simple and honest way. In
the watching there should be no ideas
at all about how things should 
be seen or experienced.

Is A Leaf Impermanent While Still on the Tree?
Does impermanence only
manifest when the leaf is fall-
ing off the tree? Or is the leaf
already impermanent when it
is still part of the tree?

Remember This When You Feel Discomfort
Whenever you feel discomfort
about something, the mind is actually
telling you that it wants to feel good.

You May Be Shocked By Your Mind
When you observe your mind
you will be surprised, amazed and
possibly even shocked to discover
fixed ideas, wants, fears, hopes and
expectations which you have
not been aware of.

Stay on Top of Greed, Hatred and Delusion
If you are not on top of
greed, hatred and delusion,
they will be on top of you.

Are You Generally Accepting or Resisting?
Any unnoticed resistance to
an emotion will feed it and make
it grow stronger. So don't forget to
check, to see whether you really ac-
cept an emotion or whether you
have a resistance towards it.

Be Aware of Seeing When You Are Looking
Be aware of seeing whenever you
look at something. This ability, to be
aware of seeing, comes with practice.
As long as you are not skillful at this,
seeing will tend to distract you, and
make you lose your mindfulness.

Check Often to See if You Are Tense
Keep checking whether you
are relaxed or not. If there is ten-
sion, first relax, then check your at-
titude. If there is resistance, feel  
the resistance and observe it.

Change Your Relationship Towards Craving and Aversion
You cannot stop greed, hatred or de-
lusion. But you can change your point of
view, your relationship to them. Once you
have done this, they will no longer have the
power to overwhelm you. But, they 
will continue to come up.

Even a Tiny Amount of Greed is a Problem
When you start seeing
things just as they are, you
will notice that even a tiny  
amount of greed, hatred or
delusion is a problem.

Insight Meditation is a General Purpose Practice
Insight meditation is a "general
purpose" practice. We can take it any-
where and it can be practiced in all condi-
tions. We can use it while living life. It is so
simple and can be summed up in a few
words: Just observe and let it be.

There is Now Way to Rush Progress in Meditation
There is no way to rush
progress in meditation; we
can only proceed steadily.
But we don't stop, either.

Don't think or Reflect Too Much
much in practice; your mind
might wander off. Questions  
or thoughts should only serve
to heighten your interest.

Wanting Meditation Will Make You Tenser
YOGI:
What exactly does it mean
to be relaxed mentally?
SUT:
Feeling relaxed is really about
being free of craving, expectation, 
and anxiety. So, wanting relaxation,
or trying to become relaxed, will 
only make you even tenser.

Take An Interest in Whatever Happens
Take an interest in whatever
happens, whether good or bad.
Every experience is Dhamma,
is just the way it is.

Ask Yourself Often: "Am I Aware?"
Ask yourself often: "What
am I aware of now?" "Am I
properly aware or only su-
perficially aware?”

Emotions Don’t Need to Go Away
Emotions don’t need to go away. The
objective is to know what the emotions
feel like; what thoughts you are having
when there are emotions; and to under-
stand the nature of emotions and
the mind’s behavior. 

Don’t Let Your Mind Become Idle
Do not let your mind become idle, or run
freely. You need to be aware of yourself con-
tinuously, whatever posture you are in, from
the time you wake up until you fall asleep. 

“I” Is Just Another Thing to Notice
The sense of "I" arises con-
tinuously, but to the mind it is
just like any other object. You
can learn to be aware of its
presence or absence. 

Delusion Wants to Remain Deluded
YOGI:
Why is delusion so strong? Why
is there so little wisdom?
SAYADAW: 
Because delusion wants to remain
deluded; and because we have been
practicing delusion for eons.

Can We Experience a Moment of Nibbana?
YOGI:
Can we experience moments
of nibbana when greed, hatred
and delusion are gone?
SAYADAW: 
Yes, that's possible. It's called
momentary freedom.

How to Meditate With Your Eyes Open
When you meditate with
your eyes open, don't look at
things; just recognize that
there is seeing going on.

Skillful Doubt Makes the Mind Curious
If doubt is unskillful, it causes
confusion and agitation; it makes
you feel less and less comfortable.
Skillful doubt makes the mind cu-
rious; it puts the mind into an
investigative mood.

Never Try to Force an Issue
Never try to force an issue. Just
acknowledge, accept, and keep observ-
ing until things unfold naturally.

Our Ultimate Task is Handling Craving, Aversion and Delusion
We should not forget that
ultimately—however we may
start practice — our task is to
learn how to deal with greed,
hatred and delusion.

Trust Is What Keeps Us On the Path
Only if we have trust in something,
can we actually apply ourselves to it.
We must recognize the trust we have, 
however little or much. It is what
keeps us on the path.

Don’t Hurry, Just Keep Learning
Don’t hurry. Just keep learning.

True Happiness is True Understanding
Only when there is true
understanding, will there be
true happiness. Not the kind of
happiness people like to indulge
in, but happiness that comes be-
cause you are at peace with
things as they are.

It Is Okay to Feel Indecisive
It is okay to feel indecisive, con-
fused, or restless. Look at this mind
state and try to learn from it.

Look At Experience Simply and Honestly
We need to look at our experience
in a really simple and honest way. In
the watching there should be no ideas
at all about how things should 
be seen or experienced.

Is A Leaf Impermanent While Still on the Tree?
Does impermanence only
manifest when the leaf is fall-
ing off the tree? Or is the leaf
already impermanent when it
is still part of the tree?

Remember This When You Feel Discomfort
Whenever you feel discomfort
about something, the mind is actually
telling you that it wants to feel good.

You May Be Shocked By Your Mind
When you observe your mind
you will be surprised, amazed and
possibly even shocked to discover
fixed ideas, wants, fears, hopes and
expectations which you have
not been aware of.

Stay on Top of Greed, Hatred and Delusion
If you are not on top of
greed, hatred and delusion,
they will be on top of you.

Are You Generally Accepting or Resisting?
Any unnoticed resistance to
an emotion will feed it and make
it grow stronger. So don't forget to
check, to see whether you really ac-
cept an emotion or whether you
have a resistance towards it.

Be Aware of Seeing When You Are Looking
Be aware of seeing whenever you
look at something. This ability, to be
aware of seeing, comes with practice.
As long as you are not skillful at this,
seeing will tend to distract you, and
make you lose your mindfulness.

Check Often to See if You Are Tense
Keep checking whether you
are relaxed or not. If there is ten-
sion, first relax, then check your at-
titude. If there is resistance, feel  
the resistance and observe it.

Change Your Relationship Towards Craving and Aversion
You cannot stop greed, hatred or de-
lusion. But you can change your point of
view, your relationship to them. Once you
have done this, they will no longer have the
power to overwhelm you. But, they 
will continue to come up.

Even a Tiny Amount of Greed is a Problem
When you start seeing
things just as they are, you
will notice that even a tiny  
amount of greed, hatred or
delusion is a problem.

Insight Meditation is a General Purpose Practice
Insight meditation is a "general
purpose" practice. We can take it any-
where and it can be practiced in all condi-
tions. We can use it while living life. It is so
simple and can be summed up in a few
words: Just observe and let it be.

There is Now Way to Rush Progress in Meditation
There is no way to rush
progress in meditation; we
can only proceed steadily.
But we don't stop, either.

Don't Think or Reflect Too Much
much in practice; your mind
might wander off. Questions  
or thoughts should only serve
to heighten your interest.

Wanting Meditation Will Make You Tenser
YOGI:
What exactly does it mean
to be relaxed mentally?
SUT:
Feeling relaxed is really about
being free of craving, expectation, 
and anxiety. So, wanting relaxation,
or trying to become relaxed, will 
only make you even tenser.

Take An Interest in Whatever Happens
Take an interest in whatever
happens, whether good or bad.
Every experience is Dhamma,
is just the way it is.

Wanting Relaxation Will Only Make You Tenser
YOGI:
What exactly does it mean
to be relaxed mentally?
SUT:
Feeling relaxed is really about
being free of craving, expectation, 
and anxiety. So, wanting relaxation,
or trying to become relaxed, will 
only make you even tenser.

Use the Questions That Arise Naturally
Once you find that the mind
asks questions naturally, there is
no more need to intentionally think
them up. Just use the questions
that arise naturally.

Note What the Mind Naturally Takes Interest In
Let's assume you are doing mind-
fulness of breathing and the mind's at-
tention strays elsewhere. Will you bring
awareness to the breath, or will you let it
go with the flow? I encourage all yogis 
to remain aware of whatever the mind
naturally takes an interest in. 

When the Mind is Calm, Check on Awareness
When the mind is calm and peace-
ful, and there is no obvious object to
observe, take the opportunity to re-
cognize the quality and strength  
of awareness of that moment. 
 
We Need to Learn Our Lessons
We need to learn our lessons.
There is no shortcut.

Don’t Let What You’ve Learned Go to Waste
Try to practice meditation
wherever you are, as much  
as you can. Keep persevering   
and don't let what you have 
learned go to waste. 

Be Willing to Watch Difficult Emotions
Only when you are ready
and able to watch difficult
emotions are you able to
learn from them. 

Many Yogis Expect Good Experiences
Many yogis make the mistake of
expecting good experiences, instead
of trying to work with greed, hatred
and delusion. Once you're able to han-
dle these unwholesome roots, good  
experiences will naturally follow. 
 
Two Main Causes Affect Present Experience
Two main causes affect
your present experience: the
momentum of your good and 
bad habits, and what you 
are doing right now. 

Right Effort is Reminding Yourself to Be Aware
Right effort is not about
using energy to focus on an 
object; it is reminding your-
self to be aware.

Stop and Ask Yourself: “Is This Really Important?”
If you think you have some-
thing very important to think
about, stop and ask yourself: "Is
this really important? Why am I
so eager to think about it?"

First of All, Take Care of Your Mind
Take care of your mind
first; only then can you
take care of others.

Remain Aware Until You Fall Asleep
YOGI:
I find it very difficult to watch the
mind when I am in bed, ready to sleep.
SAYADAW: 
The reason is the mind has no aim at this 
time; 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.

A Relaxed Mind is Excellent Pain Relief
There is a direct link between
your state of mind and pain. The
more relaxed and calm the observ-
ing mind, the less intense you will
perceive the pain to be.

Anything Can Come and Whatever It Is, Is Fine
Wisdom is freedom. Anything can
come, and anything can be the experi-
ence. Whatever it is, is fine.

Cultivate Your Understanding Over and Over Again
The Buddha would expound
some verse or another and if some-
body understood it he would then say,
"Now that you've understood, be sure
to cultivate this understanding 
over and over again.”

Following a Pure Interest Will Take You Into Meditation
There was a lay person, one of my friends,
if you suggested that he try to meditate, he was 
like "No, no!" So I said to him, "Can you feel the
touching sensation when you touch your fingers to-
gether?" He got really interested in that, so then I
asked him, "Do you feel the sensation on the in-
dex finger or the thumb?" He got really inter-
ested in that and he watched it for hours.

Reality Cannot Be Seen, Only Understood
At a subtle level, reality can only
be understood, it cannot be seen. It
will be understood and known to be so,
but it's not like you're looking at it as
we experience all other objects. It's 
an understanding of the reality
of that experience.

Right Attitude is Understanding "This is Nature"
Right attitude is that before or
while we observe, we inject into the 
mind the understanding that, “This is
nature.” For example, we tell ourselves,
“This is aversion, and this is the nature
of aversion. We are trying to learn about
aversion." Or we say about craving:
"This is the nature of craving. We are 
trying to learn about craving.”

Conserve Energy So You Can Practice Continuously
If you are looking for a re-
sult or want something to hap-
pen, you will only tire yourself 
out. It's important in this prac-
tice to conserve energy so you
can practice continuously.

The Heart-Mind Works Best When Relaxed
Be kind to yourself. Relax.
This heart-mind is very impor-
tant. It has to be relaxed, at ease
and comfortable—only then 
can it do its best.

Observe Whatever Happens in a Relaxed Way
Meditating is acknowledging and
and observing whatever happens —
whether pleasant or unpleasant —
in a relaxed way.

Let Go of Expectations
In life you should learn not
to expect anything in return for
whatever you do for others. With
the work of awareness too, you
should learn not to expect any
results or good experiences.

Right Effort is Reminding Yourself to Be Aware
Right effort is not about using energy 
to focus on an object. Right effort is  
reminding yourself to be aware.

Don't Get Too Serious About Practice
See each and every moment as a
valuable opportunity for the develop-
ment of awareness, but don't get too
serious about practice. If you get too
serious about it, you become tense 
and are no longer natural.

Insight Per Se is Not So Important
Insight per se is not so impor-
tant. What is really important is
whether or not the insight leads to 
a transformation in your mind which
will enable you, in future, to handle
similar situations without greed, 
hatred or delusion.

See Anger as Anger, NotAs "I Am Angry"
Learn to watch greed, anger
and delusion as greed, anger and
delusion, and not as "I am greedy,"
"I am angry," or "I am deluded.”

Is The Mind Wholesome or Unwholesome?
Yogis tend to close their eyes when
they meditate, but keeping your eyes
closed or open is not what is important.
What is key is whether the mind is 
wholesome or unwholesome.

All the Effort You Need to Be Mindful
Simply reminding yourself to be
in the present moment is all the
effort you need to be mindful.

Everything Follows the Right Frame of Mind
To be relaxed and in the
right frame of mind* is of
prime importance. Every-
thing else comes later.
 * The right frame of mind, Sayadaw says, is "acknowl-
edging and observing whatever happens—whether
pleasant or unpleasant—in a relaxed way."

Ask Yourself These Questions Through the Day
No matter whether you are
sitting, walking, or going about
your daily activities, ask yourself
now and again: What is the mind
doing? Thinking? Thinking about
what? Being aware? Being
aware of what?

Take Heart, At Some Point It Gets Easier
In the beginning you have to
make a big effort for some length
of time. We can take heart that with
all the effort we put in, at some point
it becomes easier. The dhamma comes
and takes you by the hand, and
shows you the way.

Whatever You Do, Know It As You Do It
Whatever you do, know it as
you do it. When you sit, know that
you are sitting. When you stand up,
know that you are standing up. When
you open a door, hold a glass of water,
 read a book, chop carrots, sweep the
floor, talk with a friend— know each
thing that you are doing when
you are doing it.

Wisdom Works With Relaxed Awareness Over a Long Time
Putting in a lot of effort for a
short period of time, in hopes of
getting some reward, is greed. Wis-
dom looks at the long term. Wisdom
puts in a steady, relaxed, light  
awareness over a long period and  
reaps a healthy reward.

Right View Brings Intimate Contact With Life
When we practice awareness with
right view, we come into intimate con-
 tact with life. With a calm and clear mind,
we simply watch every experience just as
it is. The understanding of right view—the
not-self nature of experience—then nat-
urally unfolds, and we begin to under-
stand what it's really like to live  
life as a human being.

Consciously Relaxing Tension is a Kind of Meditation
If there is tension in the
mind as the result of greed,
hatred or delusion, then it will
be reflected in tension somewhere
in the body. Consciously relaxing
those physical tensions is a
kind of meditation.

Interest is a Natural Source of Energy and Joy
Interest brings energy to the
mind naturally, without straining,
focusing, or exertion. It requires no
individual effort, so we can bring in-
terest continuously without getting
tired. Observing like this gives
us energy and joy.

Check to See the Motivation Behind Each Thought
In practice, don't just believe your
thoughts. Check to clearly see the mo-
tivation behind each thought. It could be
wholesome and wise. But if you are suffer-
ing, then thoughts of craving, aversion 
delusion are running the show.

When You Notice You’ve Lost Awareness, Be Happy
Every time you recognize that
you have lost awareness, be happy.
The fact that you have recognized
that you lost awareness means
that you are now aware.

Keep Attention on Yourself When You Listen
Keep your attention on your-
self when you're listening to some-
one speak. This doesn't mean to stay   
with the stories your mind is telling; it
means staying with your awareness of
everything that's happening in your 
mind and body as you listen.

Don’t Confuse Stories About Life, With Life
When we get lost in our ideas,
opinions, and stories about life,
we easily confuse them with life
itself. It's like forgetting that a 
movie we are watching is just
a movie and not real life.

You Can’t Eat Concepts Like “Chicken” or “Fish”
Whether a piece of food is fish,
chicken, pork, beef, or vegetable is
really only a concept. These are only
names, and we can't eat a name or an
image. What is real is the nature of the
food—the tastes (salty, sweet, sour, etc.),
the textures (crunchy, smooth, etc.), the
temperature, the smells, and combina-
tions of all such qualities that we
directly experience.

Don’t Worry About Greed, Hatred or Delusion
Don’t worry about the three
unwholesome roots—they are al-
ways there. Instead, just practice to
grow wisdom in the mind. When 
wisdom is strong enough, it will do
the work of removing greed,
hatred, and delusion.

The Defilements Are Ruthless, So You Need to Be Too
Greed, hatred and delusion are ruth-
less, without mercy. They just do what
they want to do. So we have to be ruth-
less. "We" is just a manner of speaking.
"We" represents wholesome qualities of
mind such as confidence, energy, mind-
fulness, stability of mind, and wisdom.
Cultivate these qualities. Trust
the wholesome.

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

Awareness is Knowing What is Happening Now
Every day we wake up, we open our
eyes, and seeing begins to happen. But
how often do we consciously notice this?
When we do, that is awareness. It is the
realization of our present moment 
experience. That's all. 

Stay Aware Of Your State of Relaxation
If you are continuously aware
of your state of relaxation you will
become even more relaxed. 

Strike a Balance Between Relaxation and Interest
As you maintain continu-
ous awareness of whatever is
happening, strike a balance
between being relaxed and
being interested. 

No Experience is Better Than the Present One
No experience out there is better
than the present experience. An ex-
perience is an experience. An object
is an object. Here is the more impor-
tant question: is the mind observing
with wholesome or unwhole-
some mental qualities? 

We Mistake Thoughts In Our Mind For Reality
Simple experience isn't conceptual; it's
just what it is, such as seeing, hearing, tast-
ing, smelling or touching. Our thoughts cast
a conceptual overlay onto this experience, and
these concepts are what craving, aversion and 
delusion see. In this way, when we experience
life through the mental processes of craving,
aversion and delusion, we mistake the con-
cepts that arise in our mind for reality. 

The Mind is Responsible for Its Own Happiness
The mind is responsible for
its own happiness and its own
suffering. So whenever the mind
is suffering, or whenever the mind
is happy, investigate: What is it in
the mind that has brought about
the current condition? 

How to Practice While Speaking
When we say hurtful or unhelpful things,
 the mind is agitated. When we don't say the
 things that we should say, this also brings ag-
 itation. We need to know what amount of 
 speaking is necessary and enough.

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

Knowing When to Speak is Practice
The Buddha taught his son, Rahula:
"Before you speak, reflect. When you're
speaking, reflect. After you've spoken,
reflect." This is how to practice.

For Those Who Say Meditation is Difficult
Many yogis tell me that medi-
tation is difficult. What they are
actually saying is that they can-
not get what they want.

Craving and Aversion Happen at the Same Moment
Over time, we slowly come
to see that craving, aversion and
delusion merge and overlay each
other. For example, if we want a new
experience (craving), this means we  
are unhappy with what is happening
now (aversion). Both are there  
in the one moment.

Practice Like a Sick Person
I have a saying that a lot of
you will have heard: "Practice
like a sick person." The mind of
a sick person doesn't want to do
anything; it just wants to be quiet
and observe. When we are ill, there
is less striving, and we are very
much in touch with sensa-
tions and our feelings.
 
There is Potential for Happiness in Any Moment
When we are experiencing stress,
in any form, it is good to be present
with it and notice the mind's reactions
to it. You will notice that your feelings
are dynamic and unstable, and thus  
in any given moment, there is the 
potential for happiness to arise.

Wisdom Always Stands at a Distance
Wisdom always stands at a dis-
tance. It's either watching from the
side, or the back, or from an overview.
It always takes a broader perspective;
it's never involved. Wisdom doesn't
step in; it steps away.

Be Mindful of Your Intention to Think
Always be mindful of your intention
 to think stimulating, captivating, and en-
 tertaining thoughts. This is craving at work.
 The intention to not think of certain unpleas-
 ant thoughts is aversion. Zoning out and not
 caring what kind of thoughts you're hav-
 ing is delusion doing its thing.

Accept the Situation and Be Aware
There is a lot you can learn from
what you think are unfavorable con-
ditions for meditation. There may be
unhappiness or suffering. Don't make
judgments that these conditions are  
bad for practice. In Dhamma, there
is only what's happening. Accept 
 the situation and be aware.
 
The Present Moment is the Only Real Thing
The present moment is the only real thing.

“How Am I Going to Live Today?”
Every morning when you wake up,
you have to set the intention, "How am
I going to live today?" "How am I going
to look after the mind today?" In this way
you clear the path, by setting an  
intention for how you will bring the  
Dhamma into your life that day.

Don’t Get Too Involved With What You’re Watching
Don't get over-involved with
what you're watching. We take
what we're experiencing to be
the main thing, but really, medita-
tion is about the awareness. Ask 
yourself, "Am I aware now?" If
the answer is "Yes," then
you're meditating.

A Story of Meditative vs Ordinary Awareness
Hi Everybody, I've noticed over the years that people often puzzle over Sayadaw's teachings on concepts and reality. And the Buddha’s, too, for that matter. Yet they are so important. In one Buddhist teaching story, for example, a sincere seeker called Bahiya was instantly enlightened when he at last saw the difference between concept and reality. In that spirit, we might receive a teaching like this one as a nifty spiritual puzzle, very much worth pondering, and one day solving for ourselves.—Doug
️Once, a yogi told me that he noticed a
car passing by. Was that meditative aware-
ness? No! Everybody also knows that. So what  
then is meditative awareness? A meditator would
know that "seeing is happening at the eye sense
door," and that "hearing is happening at the ear
 sense door." When you know what's happening
at the sense doors, that's meditative awareness.
Knowing only the concept isn't meditative,
and "a car passing by" is a concept.

With Awareness You Will Know the Right Thing to Do
 Some people are mindful during
practice but in daily life situations,
don't know what to do. I see some yogis
who practice mindfully but then, at meal-
time, jump the line for food. This should 
not happen. If you are aware, the un-
derstanding of "suitable or not," or 
"necessary or not," will be there.

Choosing Happiness is Not a Selfish Choice
Choosing happiness is not a selfish
choice. When people are unhappy, they
they go around hurting others, and all
kinds of bad things happen. But if you're
happy, you'll make others happy where-
ever you go. It's a good choice to keep
the mind in the best possible state. 

If You Don’t Know, How Can You Understand?
When your index finger touches
your thumb, how many touching 
sensations are you aware of, one or
two? Roughly, no need to be detailed!
This is a very simple experience, but
if you don't know, how then can
you understand? 

Think, “I’m Doing Well Because I’m Aware”
Don’t think, "I'm doing well
because my meditation is going
well." Think, "I'm doing well
because I'm aware." 

Don’t Meditate to Make Pain Go Away
Don't observe pain to make
it go away. You watch to learn
how the mind and the body inter-
act when there is pain. Ask yourself,
"What can I learn about my mental  
reaction to pain?", and "How does
observation affect the process?" 
It's an investigation, to learn
and understand.

Bring a Sense of Curiosity to Practice
There are many things to discover!
For example, in two fingers touching,
there's much to know in these fingers.
There could be heat, pressure, intentions,
all sorts of things. This curiosity, this want-
ing to know "What is this?" and "What
else is there?"—this quality is very im-
portant to bring into your practice. 

How to De-Energize Greed and Hatred
When you put energy
into awareness, you take
the energy out of greed,
hatred and delusion. 

Always Be Interested in the Mind
It is not easy to see the mind. Once
you do see the mind, it is not easy for
understanding to arise. And then, greed,
hatred and delusion are even tougher to
understand. Therefore you must always,
always be interested in the mind, and
continually be learning about it.*
* Sayadaw offers the metaphor of the mind as like a pair of tinted
eyeglasses that one forgets one is wearing. Nevertheless, the  
glasses are always changing the nature of what's being seen.

Delusion Hides Reality and Substitutes a Fake
Delusion does two things. First,
it camouflages reality; and second, it
gives us an illusion to take as reality. It
hides what is real, and then it throws
up an illusion for us to see, and fools
us into believing that is reality.

Spread Your Attention So You See the Whole Picture
We need to be aware of where
our attention is, and not get caught
up putting too much energy on any
particular object. Spread your atten-
tion so you are seeing the full pic-
ture, inside and out, emotion-
ally and physically.

Ignore the Noise and Watch the Mind
If you are averse to something, 
or attached to something, you should
take the aversion or the attachment as  
your object of meditation. For example,
if there is a noise and you don't like the
noise, then the aversion becomes your
object, not the noise. You ignore the
noise, and watch the mind.  

Awareness Will Show You What It Knows
Once you know there is aware-
ness of the breath, notice the aware-
ness more than the breath. Let go of 
the object and stay with the aware-
ness. Once we let go of the one object
that we know, awareness opens up 
and it shows you what else 
it already knows.  

Awareness Sees From a Birds-Eye View
We have a strange misconcep-
tion that we need to keep the mind
on one object for it to be calm, stable,
and still. That's not really true. If we
are doing it right, awareness expands
and we can know both the main ob-
ject and other objects, as if seeing
from a birds-eye view.

Re-Energize By Being Mindful Continuously
In everyday life we are
full of energy, but that ener-
gy comes mostly from craving 
and aversion. This is the energy 
of striving, and keeping going. If
we give up craving and aversion,
we lose that energy; but we can
 re-energize simply by being
mindful, continuously.

Meditation is the Highest Education
When the mind becomes peace-
ful, awareness is good and the mind
settles down. At that time you can in-
vestigate: How is the mind meditating?
What is the state of the mind? How many
minds do you know? As you investigate,
interest grows. Meditation is a learning
process. You can say meditation  
is the the highest education.

Don’t See Something as a Problem
Don’t see something as a problem. Just 
see it as it is.

Don’t Look Down on Craving, Aversion and Delusion
I advise yogis to get to know
and investigate craving, aversion
and delusion, because only through
understanding them can we learn to 
handle them, and eventually become
free of them. If we ignore them, then
the joke’s on us: they’ll always  
get the better of us. 

Meditation is Cultivating Good Qualities of Mind
YOGI:
How do you define meditation?
SAYADAW:
It’s cultivating good qualities in the
mind. It’s making conditions right 
so good qualities can arise.

There Are Two Kinds of Meditation
People associate the word “medita-
tion” with “sitting.” The two words have
become synonymous, but this is a mistake.
There are two kinds of meditation. In sama-
tha, calm abiding, you need to sit and be still.
My emphasis is on vipassana, insight medita-
tion. For vipassana practice, sitting is not
necessary. The purpose of practicing vi-
passana is to cultivate wisdom. 

Don’t Ask Questions to Get Answers
Ask questions not to get answers,  
but to strengthen awareness. You don't
need to find answers; simply asking
questions awakens awareness. 

To Observe the Mind Clearly, Relax Focus
YOGI:
What is the best way to observe
the activities of the mind?
SAYADAW:
Don't focus on any objects! The nature of
the mind is that it either focuses "outwards,"
or, when it is not focusing, it very naturally 
retreats "inwards." Only if you don't focus
outward, can the mind be aware of itself.

Stay Interested in Awareness Not Objects
Stay interested, not so much
in objects* as in the awareness
that knows the objects. 
* Such as sensations, thoughts,  
perceptions and emotions.   

Carefully Choose Where to Place Your Attention
Once awareness is established,
the mind will naturally be aware of
many things. At this stage a choice can
be made. You can ask yourself: "What
is most important to pay attention to 
now?" Check the mind that is observ-
ing: Is there any greed, expectation, or
aversion? Remind yourself that the
object is not important; that you
are looking at the mind.

Right Attitude is More Important Than a “Good Sit”
To recognize whether or
not you have the right atti-
tude is more important than
experiencing peaceful states, or
having a "good sit." Right atti-
tude is accepting, observing, 
and learning from your ex-
perience just as it is.

Wisdom Will Arise and Show the Way
If you bring awareness
to every activity in your life
in a continuous manner, then
you are practicing correctly.
Wisdom will then arise  
and show the way.

Find a Still Point in Your Mind
The answers to our problems
can be found in our own minds.
We must find a still point that 
is not dependent on anything
for our happiness.

The Very Heart of the Practice
To remember our awakened
nature is the very heart
of this practice. 

Feeling Bad is An Unwholesome Mind
Feeling bad is an unwhole-
some mind. It is not a reasona-
ble or a logical mind. When you
feel bad, you can tell that it is un-
wholesome because it blocks you
from being creative, from being
open, and from trying things.
 So, put it aside.

Is Mind Observing With Wholesome Qualities?
Knowing and observing are the
work of the mind. The mind knows
all there is to be known. Here is the 
more important question: Is the mind 
observing with wholesome or un-
wholesome mental qualities?

Wisdom Fulfills the Conditions for Success
Some people, after hearing about
Nibbana, practice very hard because
they want to get it. That is greed. When
wisdom wants something, there is no ag-
itation. There is no urge to get there im-
mediately. Wisdom understands the prox-
 imate causes needed to attain the goal,
 and it works calmly and steadily
 to fulfill them.

Just Notice Whenever You Get Lost
YOGI:
What is the best way to remain
aware while I am reading? I tend  
to get lost in what I am reading.
SAYADAW:
Just notice whenever you get lost.
Find out the difference between getting
completely absorbed in your reading, and
remaining relaxed and aware while you
are reading. It feels different.

The Mind Needs to Be Directed
The mind needs to be directed.
For example, if there is anger
and you decide to investigate this
emotion, you are setting the mind
in the right direction. If, however,
you decide to try to get rid of  
the anger, you are directing  
the mind wrongly.

Whenever You Are Upset, Look Within
Whenever you are
upset, look within. There
is nothing and nobody out 
there you can blame for
 your state of mind.

To Make the Best Decisions, Know the Mind
When there is no craving or
 aversion in the mind, you are able
 to make the right decisions.

Don’t Tell Yourself to Be Patient
Don't tell yourself to be patient. Watch
 the impatience! 

Never Try to Locate the Mind
Never try to locate the mind;
place is a concept. You recognize the
mind by the work it is doing.

When the Mind is Idle, It Will Think
When the mind is idle, it will think.

The More You Resist, the Worse You Feel
The more you resist
what's happening, and the
more you want to change
it, the worse you'll feel.

Wanting a Peaceful Life is Laziness
Wanting a peaceful life is laziness;
those who are wise work hard.

Observe the Sense of “I” Like Any Other Objects
The sense of "I" arises contin-
 uously. You can learn to be aware
 of its presence or absence, just
 like any other object.*
* Such as a sensation, a thought,  
a perception or an emotion. 

Practicing Dhamma is Understanding
Many yogis become very happy
when they have a certain experience,
and very upset if they don't. This is not
practicing Dhamma. Practicing Dhamma
is not having an experience. Practic-
ing Dhamma is understanding.

When Your Are Agitated You Need to Practice
When you are agitated you
really need to practice. Ask your-
 self: why is the mind getting agitat-
 ed? What did you do just before
 this happened? Remember!

Ask Yourself: "Why Am I So Eager to Think"?
If you think you have
something very important
to think about, stop and ask 
yourself if it is really impor-
tant. Why are you so eager
to think about it? 

The True Goal of Practice is to Understand
The true goal of pratice is
to understand things; happiness
then follows naturally. 

Wisdom Can Liberate You in This Life
No matter how many
unskillful deeds you have
done, wisdom can liber-
ate you in this life. 

Always Leave the Door Open for New Understanding
No matter how experienced we
are, no matter how much knowledge
we have, we should never be satisfied
with the wisdom or depths of insight 
we have acquired. Always leave the
door wide open for new and deep-
er understanding. 

Three Ways to See the Buddha
There are three ways to see
the Buddha: 1) With our eyes;
2) By imagining him in our minds;
and 3) By understanding the Bud-
dha with wisdom. That's why the
Buddha said: "Those who see
the Dhamma see me.”

Think and Plan, Just Don’t Get Carried Away
YOGI:
Do you discourage conceptual
thinking during practice?
SUT:
Thinking is an essential activity of
the mind. Sometimes we need to think
through something, to figure out what
to do. We just need to be careful not to
get involved, not to get carried away
by the thinking or planning mind.

Ask Yourself Often: What is the Mind Aware of Now?
Ask yourself often: "What is
the mind aware of now?" In this
way you will gradually learn to see
the mind more clearly and to know
what awareness feels like.

We Need to Practice in a Simple Way
We need to learn to remain in
an open and relaxed state of notic-
ing what is going on.  We need to in-
tentionally practice in this simple way;
and to keep doing this until it becomes
natural, both when we are alone,  
and when we are with people. 

Discomfort is an Excellent Opportunity to Learn
Whenever you feel discomfort
about something, the mind is actu-
ally telling you that it wants to feel 
good. A yogi who really understands
this is fine with uncomfortable or dif-
ficult experiences and sees them  
as learning opportunities. 

Whatever You Do, Craving is Always Pushing You
Whatever you think, whatever
you say, whatever you do, craving
is always pushing you, motivating
you. There's always wanting. It is
because of this wanting that the  
mind suffers, becomes tense
and dissatisfied. 

All You Need is a Steadily Knowing Mind
You must always remember that there
are the knowing minds, and the known 
minds. The known minds don't need to be 
calm, don't need to be peaceful. They can
be angry and raging; all of that can be go-
ing on. All that needs to be steady is  
the knowing mind. That's the only
steadiness you need.

Keeping Your Eyes Closed is Not Important
Yogis tend to close their eyes
when they meditate. But keeping
your eyes closed or open is not what 
is important. What's important is   
whether the mind is wholesome
or unwholesome.

When Our Mind is Messy, Our Life is Also Messy
Without practice, our
mind quality is messy. And
when our mind is messy, our
life is also messy. That's it.

If We Are In a Hurry, We Lose Mindfulness
If we are in a hurry we
lose mindfulness.
If we are in a hurry we
lose mindfulness.

Take the Energy Out of Craving, Aversion and Delusion
When you put energy into
awareness, you take energy
out of craving, aversion
and delusion.

Don’t Use More Energy Than You Need
YOGI:
I'm always very tense and tired
at the end of the day. It's because I'm
making so much effort, I think. 
SUT:
You need to find out why you're using 
so much energy. Check the thoughts that 
 your mind is harboring. Look at your thoughts
 when you work; look at your views and ideas; 
 and notice your feelings when these things come
 up. You need to see that you are using more  
 effort than you need. There is tension be-
 cause there is too much effort.

Don’t Try to Be Aware, Just Check for Awareness
Don’t try to be aware. Just be
the supervisor, regularly checking 
whether awareness is doing its job.
Keep checking whether awareness
is present and doing its work.

The Supreme Taste of Knowing and Understanding
It is said that among all
tastes, the best is the taste of 
Dhamma. The taste of Dhamma
is not just a feeling of peace—it
is the supreme taste of knowing
and understanding. 

For a Whole Day, Pay Attention Inwards
For a whole day, try to pay atten-
tion inwards. From the moment you 
wake up, how does your body and mind
feel? Pay attention without using too much
energy. Whatever you do, keep your mind 
radar always focused inwards. Do you 
understand? It's not difficult, right?

Real Objects Are Always Subtle
If the mind can't know an object*
clearly, it loses interest. But actually,
the subtler an object is, the closer it 
 is to nature. It is a real object. 
* Such as thoughts, sensations, perceptions, moods, etc.

With Awareness, Unwholesome States Dissolve
If we put in the necessary 
effort and practice, awareness
will grow stronger, and unwhole-
some mind states will dissolve.

We Watch Because We Want to Understand
Most people change the object when
they can't face the emotion. They go to
karaoke or something else, until the emo-
tion subsides. But meditators watch the  
emotion, and try to learn from it. Why is 
the mind suffering? What is emotion?  
And who is suffering? We watch be-
cause we want to understand.  

If You Want to Improve, Meditate All the Time
Many yogis want to meditate,
but they don't want to meditate
all the time. That's why they 
cannot improve.  

Whatever You Do, Know It As You Do It
Whatever you do, know  
it as you do it. Awareness,
awareness, awareness. 

“Not Me, Not Mine” Is Right View
“Not me, not mine” is right
view about all feelings, whether
pleasant or unpleasant. Remem-
bering "not me, not mine" helps
us to avoid grasping at pleasant 
 feelings, and attaching to unpleas-
ant feelings by making them
all about "me."  

Stay Interested in Awareness Not Objects
When the mind finds some-
thing interesting, acknowledge
that interest is present in the mind.
Then ask: Is the interest in the object,
or in the awareness of the object? Re-
member always to direct interest 
towards the awareness.  

Don’t Feel Disturbed by the Thinking Mind
Don't feel disturbed by the
thinking mind. You're not prac-
ticing to prevent thinking but rath-
er to recognize and acknowledge 
thinking whenever it arises.  

Awareness is the Ultimate Multitasking Tool
Awareness is the ultimate multi-
tasking tool. You can walk and be 
aware; you can talk and be aware; 
you can eat and be aware. So, when
you are aware, you are always get-
ting at least two things done
at the same time.  

If You Want to Identify, Identify With Awareness
If you want to identify, iden-
tify with this: "Because I'm aware,
I'm good." However much you no-
tice your ugly habits or ugly mind,
you should be happy whenever
awareness is present.  

Like a Scientist, We Research Ourselves
Like a scientist, we research ourselves.
"Why am I so angry? Why so much worry?"
My experience was a deep depression for three
years. Then I started to research why the mind
was suffering. I watched, again and again and
again. Slowly the answer came, and the depres- 
sion was gone. No need for medicine.  

Mindfulness Has a Unique Power
Mindfulness has a very unique
power. When it pays attention to 
the unwholesome, the unwholesome
gets less and less. And when mindful-
fulness observes the wholesome, the
wholesome strengthens and grows.

Thinking Should Be on an “As Needed” Basis
Thinking should be on
an "as needed" basis. Having
to think and think and think
is tiring for the mind. 

Suffering is a Good Object to Observe
People don't want to look at suffering,
but it is a good object to observe. For ex-
ample, people with phobias need to face 
their fears again and again. Day by day, 
they get closer to their fears. In the end,
the mind understands there is nothing
to fear, and then, it is finished.

Always Maintain Your Zeal to Be Aware
Look at your strong commitment to
awareness when you are sitting. When
 you get up, why does that change? You
 should always carry that same strong
 commitment with you, that same
 zeal to be aware. 

Just Be Interested in the Present Moment
Just be interested in the present
moment and you'll be free.

Be Aware of Yourself When You Speak (1 of 2)
Yogis say it's hard to be mindful
when speaking, but it's just a lack of
practice. Being aware of yourself when 
you speak, you start to learn about skill- 
ful speech, such as what to say, how to say
it, and to whom; and when to speak and
when not. You learn these skills over
time, with practice and patience.

Be Aware of Yourself When You Speak (2 of 2)
Being aware when you speak, what-
ever you notice is fine. You might feel
loving-kindness, or notice body move-
ments, hand gestures, or facial expres-
sions. You might notice your feelings,
or your thoughts. Whatever it may
be, as long as you're learning, 
you're doing fine. 

If You Aren’t Aware, the Mind is Deluded
If you aren't aware, the mind
is deluded; and when there is de-
lusion, then craving, aversion, and
any of their relatives can arise. 

When the Mind Becomes Quiet (1 of 2)
When the mind is quiet,
subtle things are happen-
ing in the mind. Begin
to notice that. 

Quietness is a State of Mind (2 of 2)
Quietness is a state of mind. If we
can't see this, we can get attached to 
 the quiet and start indulging in it. Then 
 we'll start to drift and awareness won't 
  be so alert and sharp anymore. 
 
Keep Coming Back to the Body (1 of 2)
Coming back to the body—to what
you are doing physically—helps develop
the momentum of awareness. If your hand
moves, know that your hand is moving; if
you're looking, know that you're looking;
if your leg moves, know that. This will help
you keep awareness continuous and build
up your focus in the present moment. 

The Meditator’s Radar Must Be Directed Inwards (2 of 2)
The meditator's radar must be
focused inwards, not outwards. If
you are thinking about outside things,
then it's easy to lose awareness. So,
keep awareness with your body and
physical actions. That's enough. 

When the Mind Pays Attention to Nature, You are Meditating
When the mind pays attention
to nature you are already meditat-
ing, whether you are sitting, stand-
ing, walking, or lying down. 

Are You Paying Attention to Concepts or Reality?
You need to know the difference between
paying attention to concepts, and to nature.
If you want to meditate, the object must be
nature. For example, when a fly touches you,
you don't think "fly." Instead, you are aware
of touch, and the awareness of touching. If 
you do this there is no problem; the mind
does not react. But if you think "fly," or 
"ant," or "mosquito," notice how the
mind immediately resists. 

See Pain or Illness as Nature Not “Me” (1 of 3)
When you are sick, right view is to think, 
"This is not personal; this is nature; this is
a physical and mental process." In this way,
the mind becomes interested. If you think in 
terms of "I" and "my"—by saying "I'm sick;"
"my body is sick;" "my mind is sick,"— then
anger arises and the mind becomes messy.
When you're sick, it is a good time 
 to learn about this process. 

How Meditators and Non-Meditators Handle Illness (2 of 3)
Meditators and non-meditators
react differently when they are sick.
When long-time meditators are sick,
their mind calms down and becomes
more passive. They are aware, with- 
 out much thinking. Non-meditators 
become angry when they are sick,
and then their mind exag-
 gerates the anger.  

Try to Stay With Awareness More Than With Pain (3 of 3)
When you have pain, try to
stay with awareness, more than
the pain. The more attention you
pay to pain, the more pain increases.
If you can stay aware of the know-
ing mind, then the pain is noth-
ing, it's not a problem. 

Cultivate Wholesome Qualities of Mind
If we continuously cultivate a wholesome
quality of mind,* that wholesome quality will
start to arise more naturally in the mind. It
will become a habit of the mind, and it can 
become a power of the mind.
* Such as loving-kindness, compassion, joy,
patience, truthfulness, equanimity, etc.

It’s Only In the Beginning That It’s Hard
As long as we have the inten-
tion to have Dhamma in our lives, 
awareness in our lives, we will find
a way. It's only in the beginning that
it's hard. Be patient and keep try-
ing; the world teaches you.

We Need the Resilience to Face Any Situation
What we need to develop
now, while we have the oppor-
tunity, is the understanding and
the resilience to face any bad sit-
uation in this life, whenever it
might come up—like death.

We Can Keep the Mind in Good Shape
As we get older, the body is not 
going to get better. It will become
fragile and break down. But we can
keep the mind in good shape. If we
can see the body's aches and pains  
as a natural process—not bad, just 
nature—it will free the mind.

Why Is Samsara So Strong and Sticky?
Why is samsara* so strong
and sticky? It's because of the
intensity of craving. If craving
lessens, samsara lessens; if crav-
 ing stops, samsara stops. That's
why the Buddha said: "No crav-
 ing is Nibbana." So try, try,
 and try. Me too!
* The endless cyclicality of birth, death, re-
birth and attendant suffering.

The Habit of Constantly Judging is Unnecessary
Old habits die hard. For ex-
ample, every time the mind is
making judgments, simply see
that this is what the mind is do-
 ing, and that is enough. Slowly,
 wisdom will grow and realize
that the habit of constantly
 judging is unnecessary.

The Supreme Taste of Knowing and Understanding
It is said that among all tastes, the
best taste is the taste of Dhamma. The
taste of Dhamma is not just a feeling 
of peace; it is the supreme taste of 
knowing and understanding. 

Wisdom Pays Attention to Reality Not Concepts
Reality is always paired with
the concepts that we lay over it.
Craving and aversion pay atten-
tion to the concepts; wisdom
pays attention to reality.