23 October 2015

Part Four : QA and Dhamma Discussion (USA)

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion 
with Overseas Disciple from USA 
(Part IV)


Traditionally people can do any kinds of dana (good deeds or donations) at any time and place, observe sila at any time and place by taking precepts, practice meditation at any time and place by following the methods and instructions from the manuals ... all are not difficult actions.  You can do those actions either at home or on your own or you can simply go to any of the meditation centres to do it.  Not that difficult.

Doing those actions can be considered as merely doing good deeds superficially and thus difficult to realise the essence, the power of 'abandoning' in your mind.  Those actions show that you only possess the power of 'doing' but lacks the power of 'abandoning'. 

Everybody knows how to depend on themselves, on Buddha, Dhamma and Sanga (Triple Gems), etc but unable to abandon the habit of depending on themselves, on Triple Gems, etc in their minds.  Thus, they can never be able to accomplish the essence of 'abandoning'.

It is the universal truth if you can use the constraint of time to overcome obstacles, and not to end your path on sense of time.

Over the years, I have been continuously guiding, solving the problems and issues of those who are interested in to practice dhamma and meditation beyond traditional way, including our local people, locals living in foreign countries as well as foreigners.

By doing so, along the way, I have discovered even more effective and useful ways to solve those issues.  Hence, as time goes by, problems and issues of mind become so much easier for me to handle.

You might still find my teachings as difficult as long as you are facing difficulties in understanding the issues of your mind.  Similarly, it is even more challenging for me to explain and teach you those deep issues till you understand them clearly.  Hence, the difficulties remain in both ways and for both parties.

Currently, you only have superficial understanding.  Hence, you might find going beyond those superficial understanding as difficult.  Currently you have the power of doing superficial actions.  Hence, you might find abandoning your this habit as difficult.

As for me, it might not be so challenging if I just follow the food steps of my teachers and masters.  Since I had listened to their teachings for countless of times in the past, I became familiar with the teachings of my teachers and masters.  Hence, walking along the path paved by my teachers Mogok Sayadaw, TheInnGu Sayadaw and other teachers might not be as uphill task as paving my own way ... like what I am doing now.


I might not need to use new terminologies, explore more effective methods and approaches of teaching if the traditional ways of teaching can effectively address to the issues and problems of the mind.  I can just distribute recorded teachings and encourage people to practice as per the recorded teachings or if they do not have place to practice, I can simply establish meditation centre rather than exploring new ways of teachings personally. 

Since I personally discovered that the conventional teachings are not so exhaustive and adequate, together with those who have already been practicing and those who are genuinely interested in to practice dhamma and meditation beyond conventional way, I tried my best to explain and teach till the yogis and disciples have clear understanding. 

I always encourage people to cultivate the right mindset to understand dhamma beyond conventional understanding.  Along the way, I also discover new ways and approaches of teaching dhamma and meditation even more effectively.

I personally believe that if you clear your doubts by asking Questions while practicing, your understanding will definitely be improved.  You will not have any improvement if you develop negative feelings, e.g. you do not feel like asking Questions anymore or practicing meditation anymore.

Judgement depends on attitude .... Effect depends on the way of doing.

You will experience improvements as long as you practice meditation regularly and diligently. 

You will never be able to experience any improvements, the problems and difficulties will still be remained as problems and difficulties, if you do not practice meditation regularly and diligently.

If you carry out created actions diligently, you will only know how to do created actions such as how to earn money, how to earn more money, how to do various actions, etc.

If you set aside some of your time to do good deeds continuously, your problems and issues of not knowing how to practice meditation and not understanding dhamma will gradually be solved due to the merit accumulated from the good deeds that you did.

Once you know how to do 'abandoning' in your mind, you will also be able to help people to acquire similar understanding like you.  By doing so, you will eventually have alternatives and choices for your life.

In the past, before practicing meditation, I did not have any alternatives and choices.  After setting my foot firmly in dhamma and insight meditation, I had completely abandoned my created actions, works, business and endeavours.  By doing so, change of actions and direction of life happened.  I was given priceless chance to switch my direction completely and do unimaginable actions of life since there are not many who can do actions like me.


If you actually practice meditation way beyond conventional ways, you will gradually discover that there are countless of shortfalls and vacuum in this field.  The reason could be because there are not many who are doing those actions intensely as well as there are not many who can be able to do those actions effectively.

I abandoned my previous life style when I started to realised that there are countless of people who are doing the same created actions as me and thus it is not at all crucial for me to hang on to that life style.

As a beginner, try your best to practice meditation regularly while carrying out your usual created actions and obligations.  At the same time, try to encourage others to follow your footsteps.

Good Deeds can change from .... immature to be matured ... unhealthy to be healthy ... stressful to be relaxed ... unstable to be stable ... weak to be powerful ... Do limitless Good Deeds

Even doing those simple and basic actions can truly and genuinely be beneficial and thus you will experience even greater results and benefits.  Try to perfect your skills by practicing regularly and diligently.

I am still perfecting my teaching and explanation skill by continuously doing limitless good deeds, teaching and coaching regardless of my physical condition, whether I am feeling exhausted or sick or feel like resting.

Perfecting skill and achieving significant results from your hard work takes time.

Your teaching skill might never be improved if you keep on uttering created (worldly) topics and issues.

Your skill of doing good deeds will never be improved if you keep on doing created actions.

While carrying out your usual created actions, you should also try to explore into new and unknown territories like this.  
                                       
Since you still need to do your usual created actions and fulfil your created obligations, set aside some of your time to do more rewarding actions like this.  While doing those two actions concurrently, try to reduce the time which you set aside for your created actions (obligations) and gradually increase your time for original actions like this.

The side effect of created actions can be the deteriorating health.  It is because you focus your attention solely on your outside actions but totally neglect the health alarm of your body.


In other words, your mind habitually pays full attention only on created truth like method, time, place, who, whom, etc but fails to pay attention on your physical body.  In other words, you chase after the created truths without realising the happenings of your mind and the physical body.

Worldly actions are related to created truth.  The more you do created actions and the more you pay attention to created actions, the less you will pay attention to the happenings and changes of your body.  For example, you might fail to notice the temperature changes (hot and cold) and other not so obvious signs and alarms of your body till those small and minute problems become big, out of control and turn into serious problems.

Try to know the original truth by real practice, not by theory.
Get the definite answer by practice.
Prove by deeds, not by words.

If you follow my way and train your mind accordingly, your mind will stop depending on and focusing on the external created things, such as whether you have money or not, whether you are famous or not, whether you are educated or not, etc.

Once you do not allow your mind to pay so much attention to the words of the books and perceived qualifications, your mind will automatically be paying more attention to the physical body.

Once you abandon paying attention to the external issues, your mind will start to do its primary task of looking after the physical body.  As such, you will not encounter serious health problems and thus no longer need to seek medical treatments.

As long as you cut down your created actions and as much as you do your created actions as 'doing-only' without any attachment, you can keep on doing your usual and routine created actions without compromising your health.

If you do not have the mind power of 'abandoning' and focus your full attention on those created actions, you will surely experience unwanted side effects.

As far as speaking or talking is concerned, people tend to focus solely on the actions of 'speaking or talking' without considering when to talk or what to talk or how to approach as well as without giving any consideration on time, place and situation.  This typically is our nature of doing created actions.

As far as doing actions to earn money is concerned, people tend to focus solely on the actions of earning without considering other issues.

Hence, this is the proof that doing actions in habitual and traditional ways produce unfavourable side effects.

On one hand, you might achieve your objectives and fulfil your ambitions but on the other hand, you might also receive unexpected and unwanted side effects.

You might have what you aimed for but at the same time, you might also receive unwanted side effects as bonus.

For this reason, you need to develop the power of 'abandoning' in your mind.  Then only you will know how to do necessary actions only.  You will also achieve appropriate, relevant and favourable results.



To be continued

20 October 2015

Part Three : QA and Dhamma Discussion (USA)

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion 
with Overseas Disciple from USA 
(Part III)


You need to abandon your habitual understandings.  Started from the leader, your 'mind', you need to learn to abandon all the actions of 'doing'.  If not, your mind will always be busy with 'doing this and that', 'saying this and that', 'contemplating this and that', 'concentrating this and that', 'doing this and that good deeds', 'taking this and that precepts', etc.

If your mind only understand the action of 'doing', your power of 'doing' will be increased.  Your ability in doing kamma actions will also be increased.  But they are not the genuine mind power of 'abandoning'.

Your power of true 'abandoning' will be increased only when you have the right understanding and faith in 'abandoning'.  Hence, you need to start changing the actions of the leader, your 'mind'.

You will always be remained as ordinary yogi (meditator) as long as you practice meditation with the understanding of 'doing' and 'practicing'. You will also be contemplating on and practicing meditation like other traditional yogis.

If you observe 'sila' with conventional understanding in mind, you will only become one of those who take Uposatha (precepts) in conventional ways.

If you do good deeds with conventional understanding in mind, you will only become one of those who do good deeds in conventional ways but will not know how to do good deeds to achieve perfection (parami).

Starting from the leader, your 'mind', you need to learn to do the right actions such as using living and non-living beings for abandoning purpose. 

Change must be started from the leader, your 'mind'. Only then, you will learn to use physical (kamma) and oral (vaci) actions for abandoning purpose ... do actions with the power of abandoning in mind, say things with the power of abandoning in mind, etc.

Started from the leader, your 'mind', you must try to abandon all your physical actions.  By doing so, you will gradually be able to 'abandon' all the created actions such as worries, anticipations, suspicions, 'I', me, place, possessions, life, death, health, well beings as well as placing central emphasis on those created actions in your mind.

Placing central emphasis on life and death in your mind can be called as 'placing life and death as prime importance'. 

Use your state of health and sickness ….. Do not end your path over the state of health and sickness.


Placing central emphasis on health in your mind can also be called 'placing health as prime importance'.

In order to abandon those actions of your mind, you need to do 'abandoning' at all times ... be it whether you are healthy or sick.  Even while listening to dhamma teachings or while practicing meditation or etc, you still need to remember and contemplate on 'abandoning' in your mind.

You need to listen to dhamma teachings and practice meditation with the understanding of 'abandoning' in your mind.

The essence of this teaching is to change the duties and actions of the mind because mind creates everything. 

Becoming this and that is also the created action of your mind. 

Feeling healthy or sick is also created by your mind. By nature, your physical body will either be healthy or sick.  Mind will automatically interpret this nature as feeling healthy or sick.  Hence, those feelings are purely the creations of your mind.

If your mind is associated with pleasant feelings, you will feel pleasant.  If your mind is associated with unpleasant feelings, you will feel unpleasant. 

Unpleasant feeling is created by your mind.  Pleasant feeling is also created by your mind.

Good or poor concentration is also created by your mind.

The real duty is to stop doing all those created actions of the mind and perform the single most important action of 'abandoning' all the time.

When the actions of the leader, your 'mind', is changed, all the actions of the followers will automatically be changed.

If the actions of the leader is not changed, the actions of the followers will never be changed.

Since the leader is your 'mind', the leader must do the action of 'abandoning' continuously at all times.  Only then, the actions of the followers, physical and oral actions, will be changed.

If you know how to do the actions of 'abandoning', you will discover that doing 'abandoning' in your mind is not as difficult as you think.  You will always perceive 'abandoning' as difficult if you do not even try it out.

Use your mind sense ….. Do not end your path by wavering over tranquillity of mind and disturbance.



We habitually do all kinds of actions for 'doing' purpose.  This is the proof that our habitual understanding is not perfect and complete. We only possess the power of 'doing' but do not possess the power of 'abandoning' in our mind.

You have to train your mind to do 'abandoning' continuously, including abandoning the concept of using living and non-living beings for grasping purpose.  If you keep on training your mind to do 'abandoning' continuously, you will eventually understand 'the truth of abandoning'.

The truth of doing is 'created truth'. Concentrate this and that, contemplate on this and that, go here and there, say this and that, do perceived good things, avoid doing perceived bad things, I, you, my belongings, your belongings, all are called created actions and hence they have the power of created truth.

Carrying out actions with 'I' in your mind has the power of normal human being.

Doing actions with 'educated person' in mind can be considered as merely using the created power of the majority of educated persons.

From using limited power of created truth 'doing', you should switch to using unlimited power of original truth 'abandoning'.

By being associated with original truth, your mind will gradually be able to use unlimited power of original truth and gradually be able to abandon using limited power of created truth.

Being associated with original truth is like consuming multi-vitamins.  If you consume not so powerful multi-vitamins, you will only feel slight improvement in your body. If you consume powerful multi-vitamins, you will surely be benefitted fully by consuming them.

If you associate your mind with limited created power, your mind will receive limited created power.  If you associate your mind with unlimited original power, you mind will definitely be benefitted fully from unlimited original power.

Habitually, we do physical actions, oral actions and mental actions by using limited created power.

The purpose of my teaching is to guide you to switch the power ... to guide you to use unlimited original power of your mind when you do actions, to use unlimited original power when you talk, etc.

Use your knowledge. Do not end your path by wavering over understanding and not understanding.


By nature, all the minds are the same ... be it mine, yours, human beings, animals ... the basic concept of the mind is the same.

All the physical bodies are the same, made up of bone, blood, veins, muscles ... be it young, old, man, woman ... the basic structure is the same.

Though people are using different languages, e.g. Myanmar language, English language, etc, the basic intention of using language is the same ... to communicate.

The essence here is to change our way of doing actions and to change the power of using mind, life, money, etc.

As a beginner, you have to put in your best effort to get use to this method thought it is difficult.  You find this way as difficult just because you are unable to abandon your habitual way of doing actions in your mind.

Mind always keep habitual and usual way of doing actions ... every mind has it ... worries, suspicions, doubts, anticipations, doing deemed right or wrong things ... as long as you cannot abandon those habitual created actions of your mind, you will never be able to do 'abandoning' successfully.

If you keep on doing 'abandoning' in your mind continuously, you will gradually be able to stop doing habitual and created actions of your mind.

As long as you manage to abandon your habit of doing routine actions of your mind, you will gradually be able to do 'abandoning' in mind more successfully and perfectly.

You might feel uncertain and unsure during initial phase.  You might also experience mental stress.  If you cannot overcome those initial difficulties, you might never be able to experience the change.

You should strive to practice till there is no more need to practice and you become absolutely free from desire.


As for me, I have always been solving countless of same problems and issues of yogis (meditators) on regular basis over the years, like teachers and educators who are always handling the issues of illiteracy.  The more you have encountered the same problems over and over again, the better your power of solving those problems and issues.

Since I have always been solving countless of similar problems and issues of yogis and disciples over the years, I become expert in this field of solving the problems and issues of 'mind'.

Whichever field you choose to be in, if you keep on training continuously and diligently, you will gradually become champion in that field.

Like sportsman ... if he keeps on training on the sports which he is interested in, he will gradually become champion in that sports.

As for me, I have always been practicing as well as helping and teaching yogis and disciples to understand and comprehend with real sila, samadhi, panna and bhavana in a right way, I become expert in this field.  As such, I can help, guide and coach more effectively now.

Moreover, I am leading my yogis and disciples by example, by doing limitless good deeds continuously and diligently for many years.  I am also leading and guiding those who are interested in and those who wish to practice true dana, sila and bhavana

Since I am in this doing good deeds or merit making circle and personally involve in handling these issues for many years, I now can solve these issues more effectively than others.

Traditionally people can do any kinds of dana (good deeds or donations) at any time and place, observe sila at any time and place by taking precepts, practice meditation at any time and place by following the methods and instructions from the manuals ... all are not difficult actions.  You can do those actions either at home or on your own or you can simply go to any of the meditation centres to do it.  Not that difficult.




To be continued

18 October 2015

Part Two : QA and Dhamma Discussion (USA)

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion 
with Overseas Disciple from USA 
(Part II)


QUESTION  :  I personally believe that we can make donations only when we have capacity to donate.  That is the reason why we have to work hard to earn money in order to donate. May I know your opinion please?

Sayadaw  :  In reality, you can do good deeds as long as you have strong determination.  It is immaterial whether you are carrying out your created actions (endeavours) or doing good deeds, as long as you have strong determination, you will surely be able to do them (if you have will, you have ways). 

The perception of 'one can do good deeds only when one has capacity and capabilities to do so' is not the complete perception as it pays central emphasis only on 'having or not-having'. 

In reality, you should pay central emphasis on the cause (effort), 'doing or not-doing'.

Paying central emphasis on 'having or not-having' means paying central emphasis on the 'effect' (result).

If you have good 'cause' in mind or if you place central emphasis on good 'cause', you surely can do good actions or good deeds.  It also does not matter whether you are rich or poor, you still can do good deeds if you have strong determination to do so.

In terms of studying, you study without knowing whether you will become learned (academic) one day but you keep on studying just because you have strong determination to do so. 

In terms of doing business, you hop into the business wagon without knowing whether you will be successful one day but you keep on working so hard just because you have strong determination to do so.

In terms of seeking medical treatments, you spend tons of money on the best specialists, medicines and medical treatments without knowing whether your illness or disease can be cured but you keep on seeking treatments till you have nothing left to sell (penniless) just because you are willing to do so.

Those examples show that if you have strong determination to do something, you can, you surely can do it.

Similarly, in terms of doing 'dana', if you have will, you surely can do it.  It is more important for you to have will and determination to do 'dana' or good deeds.

Use your eyes ….. Do not end your path with eyesight.
Use your ears ….. Do not end your path with hearing.


Because our understandings are not complete (conclusive), we tend to centre our attention on 'having' capacity and capabilities to do good deeds.  For this, we work even harder to earn more money in order to donate. Along the way, we become sickly and die without even be given any chance to do significant good deeds.  Instead, we accumulate bad kamma (akusala) as side effect.

Our conventional understanding of 'dana' is not so accurate and correct.  Hence, the 'dana' as you traditionally understand does not encourage you to abandon your desire and actions (endeavours) to earn more money.

Likewise, no matter how much you observe 'sila' in conventional way, you still unable to abandon all your physical and oral actions.  One good example is those who take precepts in traditional way.  These people tend to take pride in how many precepts they can take or how long they can take how many precepts.  It shows that these people place central emphasis on 'doing' (taking precepts) without abandoning other actions beyond the precepts that they take, e.g. saying this and that, talking about this and that, etc while taking those precepts.

Observing 'sila' according to your understanding might not be the real and correct way of observing 'sila'.

In terms of practicing meditation according to your knowledge, no matter how much you concentrate or contemplate on or how long you have been practicing meditation, if you still cannot abandon your thoughts, worries, angers, frustrations, doubts, suspicions, greed, etc (actions of mind), your ability of practicing meditation, concentration and contemplation can still be considered as your ability of 'doing actions'.

As long as you cannot abandon the other actions of your mind, the meditation that you practice might not help you to achieve your ultimate goal of enlightenment and might not help you to attain insight wisdom.

The real and genuine 'sila' is abandoning power to all physical and oral actions and 'bhavana' is abandoning power to all mental actions ... an abandoning power to all the actions of your mind and this must always be your understanding.  One the other hand, it should also be called as abandoning traditional understanding and embracing on more complete understanding.

By doing so, your mind power of abandoning will gradually be improved and reached to the fullest.  Your ability of 'doing-only' will eventually be improved.

If you place emphasis on 'doing' actions, only your mind power of 'doing' actions will be increased.

Try to understand "what should be done" by using "what must be done."


In the case of understanding 'dana' as doing actions such as working, earning money and doing good deeds and 'sila' as ability of taking precepts as well as doing whatever you can do and saying whichever you can say, the mind power of 'doing' does not equal to 'abandoning'.

In the case of meditation, practicing meditation by applying all kinds of conventional knowledge and methods can be considered as merely 'doing' actions without abandoning the habit of the mind.

In reality, you always have to remember the truth, 'abandoning', in your mind while carrying out the activities of the body (kaya kamma), oral (vaci kamma) and mind (mano kamma).  This is called trying to abandon those activities in your mind while physically doing them.

Your power of abandoning will eventually be improved if you keep on doing 'abandoning' all the time in your mind.

Central emphasis should not be placed on 'doing' or 'not-doing'.

Central emphasis should not be placed on 'doing created actions' or 'not-doing created actions'.

Central emphasis should not be placed on 'doing meditation' or 'not-doing meditation'.

Placing central emphasis on the following actions can merely be called as 'habitual way of placing central emphasis on actions'.  They are ... must do meditation, must do routine actions, must seek for medical treatments, must depend on yourself, must depend on doctors, must depend on parents, must depend on teachers, must depend on Buddha, Dhamma and Sanga (Triple Gems), etc ...

The above mentioned examples are the glaring evidences that you are still unable do 'abandoning' in your mind.  You are merely 'doing actions' in your mind. By carrying out 'doing actions', your power of 'doing' will eventually be increased.  You can merely 'do actions' but unable to 'abandon actions' in your mind.


Mental disorder in human beings is one of the evidences that those people are incapable of doing 'abandoning' in their mind.  If people start to do whatever they wish to do and say whatever they wish to say according to their wish and will, regardless of the situation, they will eventually become mental patients.

Only when you can practice 'abandoning' in your mind, you will gradually be able to stop using life as if you are the owner and master of your own life, stop grasping life as if it is your own and stop referring to life as yours.
('abandoning' = abandoning physical actions, oral actions, mental actions, grasping of living and non-living beings as well as stop using things for grasping purpose, start using things for abandoning purpose, using life for abandoning purpose, etc)

The essence is to 'abandon' your habit of using life in a wrong way.  As a result of the power of abandoning, you will gradually know how to use things, life, all other actions in a right way of 'using only, doing only, etc'.

Use your life ….. Do not end your path by the definition of man, woman and lose yourself.




To be continued

16 October 2015

Part One : QA and Dhamma Discussion (USA)

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion 
with Overseas Disciple from USA 
(Part I)


QUESTION  :  Sayadaw, how should we contemplate on if we experience pain during meditation?  Should we contemplate on the pain as 'to be experienced-only'?

Sayadaw  :  The pain is to be experienced-only and not to be taken as reality ... you need to understand and contemplate on in this way.  If not, you will be suffering from the pain and take the pain as if it is meant for feeling (suffering). 

If the sensation is good, you will feel good but if the sensation is bad, you will feel frustrated.  In order to avoid this, you have to keep on understanding the truth of just to be experienced only and not to take the pain as reality.

Human mind can do only one thing at a time.  Human mind can focus only on one thing at a time.  By trying to understand and contemplate on the truth and consider the pain as just to be experienced-only, you will be able to abandon placing central emphasis on pain as reality.

By nature, the degree of physical pain could either go up or down, severe or weak, etc as it is beyond one's control.  In order not to place central emphasis on this nature, it is important for you to remember and contemplate on the truth of 'to be experience-only and not to centre your attention on the pain'.

You need to train your mind to do non-routine actions or works like this.  By doing so, your mind will stop focusing on usual and routine actions.

Don't Forget The Truth
To use only ... To experience only ... To do only ... To know only


QUESTION  :  If this is the case, should we contemplate on as 'things got destroyed just because their time is up and things got created just because their time is up'?

Sayadaw  :  Contemplating on this way is not complete and conclusive.  It is also weak in truth as the content percentage of truth in this statement is small.  Superficially, the statement seems correct but it is not a complete and conclusive understanding. 'Just to experience only' is an ultimate truth.  The pain is to be experienced only.  You should not place central emphasis on pain as the truth.

'To be experienced only' is non-rejection.

'Not to place central emphasis on it' is non-attachment.

Not only the pain that you experience during meditation, but also for all kinds of pains, sufferings and happenings due to kamma actions (kammic efforts), you always need to understand the truth of 'experience-only and not to take them as reality'.

As long as you understand and contemplate on the truth, your actions can be considered as 'you are using the truth in a right way' and 'experiencing and enduring all the pains and sufferings in a right way'.  It is called 'changing the direction or actions of your mind'.

Traditionally people associate all the good and bad feelings with 'I' ... 'this is good', 'this is bad', 'pain', 'ache', 'suffering', 'increasing', 'decreasing', etc.  Mind is always working along those traditional believes because it has been trained to do so over the years.  Hence, in order to abandon mind from doing traditional actions and dissociate mind from those actions, you always need to remember the truth of 'experiencing only and not to take your actions as reality'. 

By nature, human mind is capable of doing multiple actions.  Your duty is to abandon multi-tasking of your mind but keep on doing single most important task of 'abandoning' those multi-tasking of your mind.

Depending on the severity of the pain, your mind will automatically be focusing on the pain and enduring the pain.  In order to abandon the habit of your mind, e.g. automatically focusing and enduring the pain, you continuously need to remember the truth of 'experiencing-only and not to take the pain as reality'. 

In other words, you must always remember the truth of 'abandoning and not to take the pain as reality' in your mind.

'Abandoning' means to abandon all kinds of created actions and actions which we always place central emphasis on, e.g. pain, noise (sound), sight, taste, etc.  Your duty is to abandon placing central emphasis on those habitual created actions and keep on doing non-habitual action of 'abandoning' continuously.

Do by abandoning ..... Do with abandoning ..... Do to abandon.


QUESTION  :  You always remind people to 'do Good Deeds continuously'.  In my personal point of view, Good Deeds means dana, sila and bhavana.  Out of these three, bhavana, which we traditionally understand is - to keep your body in correct posture during meditation, observe our breathing closely (concentrate on your nostril), etc. 

In your point of view, what really is the action during meditation and how to contemplate on?  Please kindly explain .....

Sayadaw  :  As far as practicing meditation is concerned, the traditional understanding of most of the meditators (yogis) are not so correct because they traditionally understand meditation as 'doing'.  In truth and reality, practicing meditation means 'abandoning', to abandon all your created actions and do the single most important action of 'abandoning'.

Traditionally, we are taught to 'do' something during meditation.  This is the reason why most of the meditators always try to do something during meditation.  Moreover, we traditionally believe that result can be achieved by doing or working hard, so we naturally try to do something to achieve desired result. 

The real meditation is 'abandoning', doing nothing but 'abandoning', abandon placing central emphasis on living and non-living things (beings).

Traditionally we use living and non-living beings with grasping such as use living beings as my relatives, my family, my race (ethnic group or nationality), etc with the mind action of centering and attachment.  In reality, the ability that can use living and non-living things as abandoning purpose is a real and genuine 'dana'. 

If you do not do 'dana', you will use living and non-living things with grasping, you will resort to all sorts of methods and approach to earn money, you will use all sorts of ways and means to widen up your circle of friends and connections, you will take living beings with the mind action of grasping, etc.  This kind of understanding is not correct.

Doing real Good Deeds means abandoning the grasping.


Traditionally we understand kaya kamma (physical actions), vaci kamma (oral actions) and mano actions (mental actions) as 'actions to do'.  Due to this understanding, even during meditation, we automatically center our attention on 'doing this, doing that', 'saying right things and trying not to say wrong things', etc.  Those actions are called observing sila in a traditional way.

The real and genuine sila is 'abandoning' ..... abandoning power to all physical and oral (verbal) actions. 

We normally do not know how to use living and non-living beings for abandoning purpose. This is the reason why we always use them for grasping purpose.

As far as kaya kamma (physical actions) and vaci kamma (oral actions) are concerned, we tend to do all sorts of actions (activities) up to our limits, we tend to say whatever we can say or whatever we wish to say, we tend to do everything until there is nothing which we do not know how to do, we tend to learn everything until there is nothing left for us to learn .... those are the norms of human beings.

The real sila is to try to 'abandon' all those created physical and oral actions without placing central emphasis on doing or not-doing.  Real sila emphasises only on the power of abandoning.  As long as you carry out your actions with the power of abandoning in mind, there is no problem.  But the problem is that we tend to do things without the power of abandoning in mind.  That is the reason why we cannot live without doing anything, saying anything, etc.  By doing so, in long term, some might develop signs of mental disorders.
                                                                                        
Dana, which we traditionally understand is also 'doing something'.  Human beings possess ability to do donations but unable to abandon the mind action of grasping on living and non-living beings along the way.  This is the reason why we always need to work so hard to earn money in order to do good deeds.

Dana
Ability that can use living and non-living things as abandoning purpose.
Sila
Abandoning power to all physical and oral actions.
Bhavana
Abandoning power to all mental actions.
Panna

Abandoning power to any attachment concerning with physical, oral and mental actions.


To be continued ...