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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 21
The Investigating Mind
By Sayadaw U Tejaniya
Sayadaw U Tejaniya began his
Buddhist training as a young
teenager in Burma under the late
Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (1913–
2002). After a career in business
and life as a householder, he has
become a permanent monk since
1996. He teaches meditation at
Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha
Forest Meditation Center in
Yangon, Myanmar.
Sayadaw’s relaxed demeanor and
easy sense of humor can belie
a commitment to awareness he
encourages his students to apply
in every aspect of their lives.
His earlier life as a householder
gives him a rare insight into
the challenges faced by his
lay students. His books, “Don’t
Look Down on the Defilements,
They Will Laugh at You”,
“Awareness alone is not Enough”
and “Dhamma Everywhere:
Welcoming each Moment with
Awareness+Wisdom” aptly
characterize his teachings—
accessible and true to the
traditional teachings of the
Buddha.
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I once was sitting in meditation mind complaining about the noise
while listening to my teacher, Shwe and complaining that I couldn’t
Oo Min Sayadaw, giving a dhamma hear my teacher’s talk. Some strong
talk. My mind was very calm, but feelings came up. The observing
suddenly I saw it become highly mind saw everything that was going
agitated. How did this happen? on in the mind.
How did anger arise in the mind so
quickly when it was peaceful only Can you see how expansive the
moments before? mind’s field of view was at this
point? After it saw itself going
In that moment, I noticed something back and forth between these
very interesting: my mind became two sides for a while, it saw the
curious about what had happened. dissatisfaction, the aversion. The
It wanted to know about itself. It mind realized that it had taken one
wanted to know why it had lost its kind of sound, which was the sound
peacefulness and had become angry. of my teacher’s voice, and labeled it
So it had backed up a bit, and it “good” and favorable, whereas the
began to ask questions. Its interest sounds of other people talking were
in knowing itself then changed the “bad,” unwanted sounds.
mind’s quality away from anger.
It wanted to learn and know the In this moment of realization, the
truth, and, because of that, it began mind didn’t favor one object or
to gently watch the anger run its another. It was able to hear sounds
course. as just sounds, without buying into
the story the mind was telling about
As I continued to sit, I was able to good sounds and bad sounds. At
watch aversion operating in the that point the mind stopped both
mind. On the one hand, the mind was its craving to hear my teacher’s
straining to hear what my teacher voice and its aversion to the voices
was saying. On the other hand, a of the people who were talking.
group of children were making noise Instead, the mind just remained in
just outside the meditation hall. I the middle and continued watching
wanted them to stop, and I saw the with interest. The mind saw the
4/18/2021 11:59:23 AM
4/18/2021 11:59:23 AM