Sacca
Dhamma and Middle Way
Teachings
of ThaBarWa Sayadaw U Ottamasara
Mogok, 2nd February 2014
When I practice meditation I listen not only Mogok Sayadaw but also other Sayadaws. Beside this I practice as I know so I came to
realize about each teacher and his teachings. So you should try to do like
this. Try to collect English teachings from various teachers and try to
practice their teachings also. In this
way you will understand about the teacher and their method.
My teaching can combine with every teaching. I can teach
only what is the most important. Because
of my weakness in language, I cannot teach every single detail. What I can do
help not to miss the target. In order to
be able to teach in detail, I must learn a lot. it is also very useful .
Most of the meditators are using their eyes but they don’t
understand. They don’t know that it is
necessary to stop or to abandon using their eyes. If you are not trying to
abandon using your eyes, you are using your eyes with attachment. It is necessary to abandon all the attachments. This is also
abandoning our own practice. To be doing-only without attachment.
You can use your mind and also your eyes but in order to be
using-only, try to abandon using your eyes. It is possible to do like this. Try to control using your eyes. Eyes are also the window of your mind. If you
want to control your mind you should also try to control your eyes. In this way
you will be able to control your mind.
Mind is very difficult to control but controlling the eyes
is not so difficult but you must practice a lot. We are using our eyes to see something or
someone, or somewhere or sometime. That
can be stopped.
Try to detach from something or someone. Try to detach from
time and place. You can open your eyes but in order to be using-only. Try to control your eyes ... not for
something, not for someone, just for using-only.
We are always looking for something or someone. And because
we are not abandoning doing like this, we are using our eyes with attachment.
Attachment for something or someone. Attachment to time and place.
Our mind is controlling the action of our eyes. This is why we are looking at something or someone.
When you drive a car you can make the gear in a free line,
not 1, 2, 3, 4 … so also when you use your mind or your eyes, it is possible to use
freely, to be using-only; not for something, not for someone, not for time and
not for place. This is using our eyes and mind freely, or using-only. This is
also trying to detach from the idea of something or someone. We must try to
abandon all what we are doing.
In order to be doing-only, using-only, experiencing-only, the
power of abandonment is necessary. You have problem with the food because you
cannot abandon your habits. In order to solve that problem try to abandon your
physical, oral and mental actions. This is also saving the abandoning power.
If abandoning power is stronger you will be able to abandon
being hungry for the food. Because there is attachment there is problem. If there is no attachment, no problem. There
is problem in everyone because of attachment.
Nobody causes problem, only attachment causes problem. This
is why the practice of mindfulness and detachment is necessary for everyone.
You must be mindful of each of your action and we must try to detach from what
we are doing.
Question : I
had an injury on the knee few months ago, now because of sitting long time in
the car without stretching my legs, when I am sitting I get strong pain
again…should I try not to move or considering the pain comes form injury should
I stop sitting?
Sayadaw : Your
pain comes from ... you are suffering from the pain because you pay attention
to that pain. Try to abandon your mental action of paying attention to what is
happening. If you can abandon your habit or if you can control your mind you
will not suffer.
Whatever good or bad experience is to use-only, not to be
grasped, not to be rejected nor to be attached to it but to be using-only, to
be experiencing-only. What you are practicing now can solve that problem of
pain. There is nothing to do. Try
to do what you must do and it can solve
all the problems. I have a lot of experience with other meditators.
If you can control
your mind there won’t be any problem. If
you cannot control your mind there will be problem.
