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to contemplate how they emerge and how they cease. As we have the awareness to experience the phenomenon, how does it disappear? That is our duty. When we have such a clear goal, obstacles will be greatly reduced. Outside matters cannot disturb us. What remain are the things that we need to wilfully contemplate—as mentioned before—there are four things: Experience the physical body, experience sensations, experience the mind, and experience dhamma.
When contemplating sensations phenomenon, we also need to have a clear intention. For example, this afternoon, a practitioner told me that a sensations phenomenon emerged, so he had to fight it and must defeat it. I was thinking—he is transforming a natural condition into an enemy! Sensations that emerge are a phenomenon that we should contemplate—they are not our enemy. They are a phenomenon that we must wilfully contemplate: How they emerge and cease. The thing that we must defeat is our own mind—not sensations. Sensations are not permanent. How do we defeat our own mind? We defeat it by not denying sensations and have the awareness to experience the sensations that emerge and how they cease. How they change? Are they heavy or light? This is our duty.
The way to battle sensations is with our wisdom, not our strength. We are cultivators of mindfulness, we need to use wisdom. When sensations emerge, the