notes from sut retreat 9

7/28/2019 Notes From SUT Retreat 9

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Notes from Awareness Meditation Retreat by Sayadaw U Tejaniya 9-23

June 2013 (2 weeks)

The retreat is for us to learn How to Meditate, not To Meditate

What is meditation?

Cultivating the good qualities of the mind by having right understanding.

Duties of a yogi:

1. Right view/understanding

2. Be aware of all body and mind processes, of reality not concepts

3. Continue to be aware

Right view Know that all reality (everything that can be known by everyone, universalto all human beings) is nature. There are only mind and the 6 sense objects what is

seen, heard, smelled, tasted, felt by the body and whatever is thought. Definition of

objects: that which is known by the mind. The process can be the mind if the mind takes

the 6 objects as objects; the process can be the object if the mind takes the process as

an object (eg. The mind knows that seeing is taking place)

MIND PROCESS 6 TYPES OF OBJECTS

Knowing mind 1 Seeing What is seen - sights

Awareness/Observing mind 2 Hearing What is heard

3 Smelling What is smelled - smells4 Tasting What is tasted - tastes

5 Body feeling What is felt - hardness/softness

hot/cold, movement (water element cannot be felt)

6 Thinking Thoughts

Objects are not important, they arise because of past kamma, they are the results of

past kamma. The awareness is important, just knowing that objects have arisen; the

awareness and wisdom that arise from continuous awareness are doing good kamma

for future ripening.

Go back to the Mind/Process when drawn too much to the Objects. E.g. when we are

lost in thoughts (concepts), go back to knowing that it is only thinking taking place

(reality)

How to apply? Ex. In the dark, alone. If we hear funny sounds, just know that they are

objects to be know by the ear, they are results of a cause. If there is sound, there must


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be a cause (e.g. wind, falling fruits/leaves, insects, etc). Let them do their job. We just

do our job of knowing the objects. In this way, we better understand cause/effect.

Every time, ask ourselves, why we do what we do? (e.g. place slippers, choose where

to walk, choose our clothes for the day, etc; why do we shift our posture when we

meditate) Why choose this and that? We will grow wise fast, if we ask.

In any situation, tell ourselves that it is for growing our wisdom/understanding and for

seeing the truth

They (what we choose and how we react) are results; therefore there must be a

cause/reason why we choose?

Before defilements can be reduced, they must be understood as not me, not mine, not

myself.

All defilements take concepts as objects; wisdom takes reality as objects

(wisdom sees reality; defilements see concepts)

Dont trust your mind; ask again are you sure

Craving wants something, but wants it immediately; wisdom also wants, but it can wait

for the right conditions to arise (this also refers to arising of understanding which takes

time to mature)

Formula for observing objects

First right attitude observe to grow in wisdom and understanding

Mind observes the object and knows that one of the 6 mind processes is taking place,

e.g. seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, body feeling or thinking

If mind resists the object (e.g. pain), then switch to another object (unpleasant feelings

or aversion)

Daily practice

When wake up first thing in the morning, ask: do I know I have a mind (know our mind

first) before looking outwards (say to myself, How do I feel)

Make determination to meditate every day


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At night check back what is right, what is not right in our practice

Value awareness know that when we are aware with wisdom, we suffer less

Notice that wisdom nature sees both sides; defilement sees only 1 side

2nd level of practice How to maintain meditation continuously

(e.g. 1st level how to make $; 2nd level how to make $ and save it; 3rd level How to

make, keep and make $ grow (invest))

Sankaras (mental formations) can be seeing as any happenings in the mind

4 levels of understanding (samma sampajanna; clear comprehension):

1. Can do or not

2. Suitable or not

3. Understand the 3 characteristics annicca, dukha and annatta4. ?

In the Patthanas, the 24 conditions are causes, the first are the 6 roots (lobha, dosa and

moha and alobha, adosa and amoha); they are the root causes

Pointers:

Continuity of awareness consistency and whole process will unfold and understanding

will arise with time

Effort should be little/light and prolonged, not strong/hard and for a short time (eg. Justduring retreat and forgotten when out). There is no need to focus; just observe,

recognize and watch. Observe if the 5 good qualities of the mind are present:

awareness, effort, Samadhi (stability of mind), wisdom and faith are present.

Only when there is faith or confidence (saddh), effort will arise.Only when there is effort (viriya), mindfulness will becomecontinuous.Only when mindfulness (sati) is continuous, stability of mind willbecome established.Only when stability of mind is established (samdhi), you will start

understanding things as they are.When you start understanding things as they are (pa), faith willgrow stronger.

Just be awake, aware and alert without forcing/focusing

Posture is not important the mind is important: have awareness and wisdom all the

time.


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Dont forget dont stop Observing, Recognising and Watching

Right practice should not get tired or be miserable

Right view/attitude towards objects is very important the objects are only body

sensations, feelings and mental activitiesDont take possession/dont own and dont identify with defilements see them as

nature at work; e.g. anger is a natural force everyone experiences it. Only when we

dont take defilements as belonging to us (right view), then can we work on reducing

defilements

E.g. heat/hot as natural qualities rather than think that body, etc. is hot. Think if heat

belongs to you, then when heat disappears, by right the body should also disappear

since both body and heat belong to you.

Awareness & Wisdom see reality as nature/anatta not ME it is a special view/ extra-ordinary view (Vipassanna) there is only Awareness + Object (experience) at any one

time the motivation is important in whatever we do.

This is only a natural process, nature happening due to cause and effect

This is only an object that which is known is an object/experience

Looking, seeing, thinking and listening are all the mind all have the same purpose of

bringing to attention to the mind

Continuity of awareness is very important it is a train of events

Effort is better understood as to persevere/to sustain

Interest/curiosity/questioning is an aspect of wisdom

Experience/object is a process, not the result

Samadhi is to be understood as stable state of mind, not concentrating. It arises due to

right view, not concentration

Unskillful response leads to off-balanced mind

Faith in practice, in ourselves. When we see benefits of practice, faith increases

Wisdom when we gain wisdom, it is feedback to insight

3 types of wisdom book knowledge/info wisdom, intelligence/intuitive wisdom, and

insight wisdom


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Always check quality of mind attitudes and What is my motivation?

Keep precepts to reduce/fight defilements

Realise the benefits of awareness + wisdom to really appreciate it

A yogis duty is to grow awareness and wisdom

Do you know that youre looking and listening when paying attention to someone talking

to you (should have 50:50 balance, 50 to object and 50 inside)

Every moment is a new mind+experience, both arise and pass away very fast; so no

such thing as pain continues all experiences are new everytime, it is new, e.g.

pain .. always a new experience, not a continuation

Yogis job is not to stop experiences, but to understand them. Should not stop natural

process whatever appears, step back and recognize e.g. defilements as they are

impersonal. When we are drawn to the objects, step back and try to stay with the

knowing (seeing, hearing, thinking, disliking, liking)

A yogis job is to maintain awareness as continuous as possible thats all. Wisdom will

naturally arise when the conditions are there, when there is momentum this is not the

yogis job.

Wisdom always thinks in a reasonable way you can only get as much as you can do

not as much as you want

Small realizations lead to bigger realizations. They lead to more faith, interest and joy

Wisdom is the leader of the 5 indriyas. E.g. if father is rich, wife and children are also

rich

To arouse interest and joy, ask yourself questions: why is it so?, how is it so? Check

how awareness comes, how awareness goes? How awareness continues? What do

you want to do? Why do you do? If mind changes, objects change

Dont resist pain practice and know that we do our job (awareness doing its job) and

pain does its job. The whole process is such that each mind is doing its own job just like

a restaurant has chefs, waiters, cashiers, receptionist, etc Each person is doing itsown job in the restaurant. Wisdom, awareness, defilements, sense contacts, sense

objects, attention, intention, etc.

Recognise the mind reacting to pain, the object; observe the attitude towards pain

(aversion, resistant and pushing away, etc..) When attitude changes, the object

changes


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Wisdom takes nature/reality as objects; defilements takes concepts as objects

So, no problem seeing a naked woman wisdom focuses on seeing, not the

object/concept.

I often ask the question: How do I know theres a mind?Whenever I recognize/know anything, Im happy because I know theres a mind

E.g. when I wake up blur2/stuck in the morning, I know that there is sloth and torpor

and Im happy that I can recognize I have a mind, i.e. sloth and torpor

Continuity of awareness in daily living

From waking up to going to toilet, know the process, no need details. Build up the

awareness momentum naturally, know as much as you can naturally, no need to focus

Make awareness our home (look inside)

What do you know when youre talking?

When planning, watch anxiety when present

When watching defilements, see relationship between feelings and thinking

Another way to check awareness: when talking is awareness present?

Sitting, eating, walking ask if awareness is present

Watch thoughts just place attention to happenings (thinking, thinking), not the

thoughts. We can know seeing + thinking together, likewise with other objects. We can

slowly be aware of more and more objects at the same time

If unpleasant objects upset/agitate us, then we will have no peace if there are many

unpleasant objects arising (e.g. construction noises, sounds from vehicles in heavy

traffic, heat and humidity)

There are only 6 classes of concepts: colors, time, direction (north, south, east and

west), name, place and forms+shapes

Wisdom is reasonable thinking, fear is not reasonable thinking

When we are asleep, the mind is not knowing the senses; when we wake up, mind

knows the mind first

If we are aware of the process, no need to think back, see better the next time around.


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Be naturaldont do meditation, dont try too hard

If some thought comes up, if we see the process, no emotions follow. If body sensations

develop into pain, then there must be some wrong view/thoughts.

So What slogan when experience comes, and wisdom does its job, its like the / nikesign

When we react naturally, usually it is motivated by delusion.. e.g. how we choose our

clothes, shoes, where we put our things/shoes, why we choose the way we choose

things.

The significance of praying to the Buddha Buddha is gone actually. When we pray, we

are making a wish, setting a goal and every time we pray, it reminds us to steer our

lives towards that goal without attachment and expectations

If there are expectations, dont overcome the feeling or follow the object , but rather beaware of them. A deluded mind always follows the object (e.g. getting lost by driving

and following the car in front of us, rather than steering to our destination)

When thinking changes, emotions change need to learn from the process e..g

sadness, fear, anxiety

When we understand the value of awareness/wisdom (reduce suffering), the mind

automatically inclines towards meditation. We should be joyful when we know

SADDA = ENERGY (to maintain energy/interest, listen to SUTs tapes again and again)

Instead of saying Nature, ask: Do you know its nature?

Rather than label: thinking, seeing, hearing, ask: Do you know you are

thinking/seeing/hearing?

Checking the mind from time to time is Wisdom

It is important for yogis to see 2 truths: 1. Nama-rupa; 2. Cause-effect

Dont trust your ideas/thoughts ask: Is that right? Are you sure?

Mana pride is comparing Im better, lower or equal to you; there is the self concept;

for sotapanna no wrong view but still have pride; the comparison is between this

nama-rupa (nature) with that nama-rupa (nature)

When idea of self/ego is strong, fear is strong too

Only wisdom/understanding can let go of attachment, we cannot let go of attachment


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Sankara is mental formations, 50 cetasikas (less sanna and vedana)

Fear of ghosts whatever sounds we hear in the night, they are results of causes.

There must be reasonable causes for the sounds. We dont have to know. This right

understanding takes care of us.

Knowing the mind is important, it is important to know the location of the mind, whether

the chest/heart or head/brain. Location is concept, mind is reality

When the head tightens (around the eye area and sides of head), it is the eye muscles

that tighten due to straining of the eyes esp. when closed. Relax the eye muscles, and

the head will be lighter.

Wisdom sees objects as nama-rupa happening, when wisdom energy comes,

defilements go away.

The mind recognizes that hearing is a process that everyone has, it is nature.. likewisefor all the 6 senses that is a realization

Right view of pain/itch pain is body sensation everyone can feel, it is nature

If too strong, the mind resists the pain/itch, recognize the reaction is aversion, everyone

has aversion too, it is nature

Nature of wholesome mind mind quality is calm, happy, peaceful bcos of right view

3 types of dukha:

1. Dukha dukha dukha arising from sensual feelings (e.g. bad meditation sitting, pains

from diseases of body and mind

2. Dukha due to arising viprinama dukha (e.g. dukha experienced even when in

Samadhi)

3. Dukha due to sankaras (happenings in the mind) as the sankaras rises and passes

away

When pressed for time, eg. Making a presentation, and there is great anxiety. Priority is

to calm down. Just observe the anxiety and the expectation as nature (they do theirjob). The understanding part can skip to when the event is over.

Urge = intention + craving

Wisdom approach to reducing defilements:


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1. Understanding has to come first know that defilements are not ours, not personal. It

is nature (everyone has defilements)

2. 2nd step reduce defilements by observing the thoughts behind the feelings

View on qi of the environmentDont think outside, look inside. When we move/swaydue to strong qi, it is due to intention to move. Example of woman whose body will swell

with rashes whenever she attends a funeral due to strong mind intention. When she

was a small girl, she heard her grandma say that if she attended a funeral, her body

would swell. The thought is embedded in her mind. So it happens.

In the conventional world, we have to have both wisdom + sanna working in balance to

live well in the conceptual world and still practice reality

Whatever the experience/object, they are effects of causes. We try to understand the

causes usually the defilements/attitudes/thoughts that we hold about the object.

E.g. if pain, anxiety, craving they are all effects and the causes are usually our wrong

views/thoughts about the objects.

When we ask the right questions, we think the right way and therefore they are the right

objects. This is Right Thought/Intention (samma sankapa)

notes from sut retreat 9

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