When awareness becomes natural by sayadaw u tejaniya

“This is the work of an eminently skilled meditation master who uses many examples from his own life and practice to help us understand and free our minds There is both simplicity of expression and subtlety of understanding in Sayadaw’s teachings, and they will be of great help to both beginning and experienced meditators Highly recommended.” —Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening “A wonderfully fresh and lively contribution, rooted in classical Theravadin tradition and at the same time of practical and contemporary relevance, illustrated by intimate, vivid personal examples of how dharma practice can help us all learn how to live with more wisdom and kindness.” —Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation ABOUT THE BOOK The flame of wisdom can be kindled in the midst of any life, even one that might seem too full of personal and professional commitments to allow for it Such is the teaching of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, who himself learned to cultivate awareness in the raucous years he spent in the Burmese textile business before taking monastic ordination at the age of thirty-six Train yourself to be aware of the clinging and aversion that arise in any situation, he teaches If you can learn to that, calm and deep insight will naturally follow It’s a method that works as well for sorting the laundry or doing data entry as it does in formal sitting meditation “The object of attention is not really important,” he teaches, “the observing mind that is working in the background to be aware is of real importance If the observing is done with the right attitude, any object is the right object.” SAYADAW U TEJANIYA is a Burmese monk in the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw who teaches meditation at Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Meditation Center in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar He’s unique among the more high-profile monastic teachers of his tradition in that, though he began practice under his teacher at age thirteen, he didn’t enter monastic life till he was nearly forty—after an active career in his family’s textile business His teaching emphasizes the application of awareness to every aspect of life, de-emphasizing the centrality of practice forms even as he teaches them rigorously—and his style is relaxed, funny, and informed by his intimate knowledge of the workaday world He has taught in Australia, China, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Israel, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala When Awareness Becomes Natural A GUIDE TO CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS IN DAILY LIFE Sayadaw U Tejaniya Edited by Robert French Foreword by Steven Armstrong Shambhala Boulder 2016 Shambhala Publications, Inc 4720 Walnut Street Boulder, Colorado 80301 www.shambhala.com ©2016 by Sayadaw U Tejaniya Photographs ©2016 Zack Hessler Cover design by Graciela Galup Cover art: Cultura RM/Oscar Bjarnason/Getty Images All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Tejaniya, Sayadaw U Title: When awareness becomes natural: a guide to cultivating mindfulness in daily life / Sayadaw U Tejaniya; edited by Robert French; foreword by Steven Armstrong Description: First Edition | Boulder: Shambhala, 2016 Identifiers: LCCN 2015032729 | eISBN 9780834840164 | ISBN 9781611803075 (pbk.: alk paper) Subjects: LCSH: Meditation—Buddhism Classification: LCC BQ5612.T38 2016 | DDC 294.3/4435—dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015032729 To my parents and my teachers We meditate to develop right view This cannot be achieved by the ego; meditation must proceed naturally by watching any experience just as it is This is the way to develop right view —SHWE OO MIN SAYADAW Contents Foreword Introduction PART ONE Recognition of Wisdom Getting Started Knowing the Mind The Defilements PART TWO Wise Investigation of the Mind Causes and Conditions The Depression PART THREE A Commitment to Wisdom The Spirit of Practice The Meditating Mind Bringing Practice into Daily Life Final Words Glossary of Selected Pali Terms Acknowledgments E-mail Sign-Up Foreword What follows is a practical guide for the wise application of mindfulness of mind in our daily lives It is refreshing to hear the liberating teachings of the Buddha taught in a way that is simple, nondogmatic, practical, and suitable for our times, our place, our lives U Tejaniya is just such a teacher He discourages ambitious spiritual athleticism He cautions us from becoming meditative technicians He doesn’t mistake experience for wisdom He points out the danger of seduction by emotions and by attachment to false promises of “spiritual goodies,” such as calm, concentration, clarity, and joy He offers instead the practice of perseverance and mindful awareness in our daily lives, where we simply relax and attend to all experience, letting them all come and go From this, wisdom grows naturally I first met Sayadaw U Tejaniya in 2005 during six weeks of intensive practice During that time he offered me generous and extraordinary access to his teaching In those exhilarating first weeks and in continuing to train with him over the ensuing ten years, I have benefited from his guidance and have integrated his teachings to complement other meditative practices I offer Many Western dhamma students have found their way to Sayadaw’s teachings, and I am happy to introduce you to these teachings here Uncharacteristically for Burmese monks, Sayadaw generously shares the wisdom he learned from his trials and errors in life U Tejaniya has had a unique journey to becoming a meditation master His dhamma biography proceeds in fits and starts through the youthful follies of delinquency and drug use and abuse As a young adult, he was challenged with severe depression multiple times He experienced all the trials of an active householder’s life of family and economic obligations His life now includes taking on monastic commitments and the responsibilities of guiding others along the way At every step on his path of awakening, U Tejaniya’s journey inspires us Through his experience we clearly see how the liberating wisdom of the Buddha ... Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Tejaniya, Sayadaw U Title: When awareness becomes natural: a guide to cultivating mindfulness in daily life / Sayadaw U Tejaniya; edited by Robert French; foreword by. .. mindfulness continuous Be vigilant concerning the amount of energy you are putting into each moment of awareness When you remind yourself to be mindful or think about being mindful, then awareness. .. suffering in our lives through the recognition of the mindfulness of mind Sayadaw U Tejaniya teaches by offering a corrective understanding of unskillful mindfulness practice more often than by