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