birthday present talk of insight meditation

8/8/2019 Birthday Present Talk of insight meditation

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-1-by Tsunami Sayadaw

Sayadaws 41st

Birthday PresentFor those only who want

to abandon sufferings permanently

Guided Insight MeditationTalk by Tsunami Sayadaw U Ottamasara

at Thanlyin Pagoda Hill

Natural Meditation Centre

(23.10.2010)

Translated by Hnin Nwe Soe ([email protected])Edited by Sayadaw U Ottamasara ([email protected])

& Soe Win Htut ([email protected])


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Preface

I am one of the Sayadaw's disciples who has been practicing meditation

under Sayadaw's guidance.

Actually,Sayadaw's boundless compassion for all goes beyond description.

I am translating this Guided Insight Meditation Talk by Sayadaw since I

would like to express my deepest gratitude and sincere appreciation to

Sayadaw for his incredible guidance and support to me in practicing

meditation regardless of situation.

I am particularly thankful to my mother who has given me the opportunity

to practice meditation.

In preparing this book, I have been helped by my dhamma friend, Ko SoeWin Htut. Special thanks to him for his indispensable role in shaping this

book, editing it with photographs and for his suggestions and creative

ideas.

I use plain language in order to help the readers to follow the teaching of

Sayadaw as closely as possible.

I hold myself responsible for any misinterpretation of the discourse if it

should occur.

With loving-kindness,

Hnin Nwe Soe

Contents

Page 3 ....................................Motto QuotesPart 7.......................................Guided Insight Meditation talk


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Motto Quotesby Tsunami Sayadaw, U Ottamasara

1. The more the anger,

the more the danger.The less the anger,the less the danger.Free from anger,free from danger.

2. The more the desire,

the more the discomfort.The less the desire,the less the discomfort.Free from desire,free from discomfort.

3. "Using with grasping and using with comparing " is wrong."Using only " is right.

4. "Action only " is free, flexible and powerful.

5. "Difficulty " is the first step towards " easiness "

6. If there is a will, there is a way.Your mind is the creator of your life.


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7. Belief is the fundamentalrequirement in practicingmedtation.-Even ' created belief '

has power to some limits.-'Real belief ' has powerto non-limit. (or)

Created belief' has limited power.Real belief' has limitless power.

8. Unlimited time, place, effort and

abandonment " are required toexplore the original wisdom.

9. The real meditation is tryingto abandon one's minduntil nothing to be left.

10. Try to practice meditation

regardless of busy life.

11. Practice meditation by freewisdom and desire.

Practice meditation without anyreason- how to do and what to do.

12. From free wisdomarises free action;from free actionarises free power ;from free powerappears limitlessresults.


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13. Nothing is permanent EXCEPT ever new impermanent natureand permanent nature.

15. The original truth has limitless power.The created truth has only limited power.

16. The real meditation is trying to stop the cause.There's no effect free from cause.No cause, no effect.

18. The real meditation is like" digging up an invaluable treasure well "

of good deeds.

17. The real meditation is tryingto inherit

the right understandingfrom Buddha.

Real good deed is sharingthat right understanding.

14. Nothing to take refuge inEXCEPT the original truth,(ever-new impermanent natureand permanent nature).

-The original truth is to be taken refuge in.- The created truth is to be used only.


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22. Problems are problems because of no connection with theoriginal truth.Problems are not problems because of the connection withthe original truth.

19. The surest wayto satisfy(fulfill)

one's mind

isthe fulfilling

others' mindsindiscriminately.

23. " Floating inthe unstable main stream

of modern ageand

depending on instability "

makes one's mindunstable and imperfect.

20. Try to do good deeds

continuously without

limitation and

hesitation.

21. " Helping to others "is helping to oneself.


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Guided Insight Meditation Talk

by Tsunami Sayadaw U Ottamasara

at Thanlyin Pagoda Hill

Natural Meditation Centre.

elax the whole body. Just close your eyes. Meditation is just to

meditate only. To be able to practice meditation only, the meditators have

to abandon in paying attention to the action (or) some actions of how to

do, what to do, whatever actions that can be understood or that can be

done .

It is not the real meditation or practicing only if you pay attention

to----

1. The idea of the meditation time (duration)--- such as How long to

sit ? or Sit as long as one can

2. The meditation method--- such as Practice one method or hearsay

methods and Practice many methods that have been heard as much

as one can

3. The place ---such as Practice at home or at the meditation centre

4. The being of individual, or someone for e.g, (what kind ofyogi,

the idea of regarding oneself as a teacher or as a follower and meditating

as one thinks).

Without paying attention to the meditation methods, time and

place, just practicing only makes the real vipassana wisdom (panna).To become like this, it is necessary to meditate only with the idea

that the meditation itself cannot be grasped.

R


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To use only means abandoning the

idea of paying attention to

something, time, place, situation and

life by not forgetting the original

truth, ever-new misunderstandingonly.

Meditation is just to meditate only

without paying attention to this life or

that life as we usually do__ such as

the idea of being a better life or a

certain life or stopping a life cycle or

samsara. Every meditator can meditatewith grasping automatically (naturally).

Everyone can obey the created law or

discipline, traditional or regional customs with grasping as usual. For

e.g, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

The real meditation is not to reject the actions of obeying the

created law or discipline, but to abandon the idea of grasping and

misunderstanding them as reality.

Everyone does the studying with the idea of misunderstanding

about education and actions of learning or not as reality. Everyone

earns ones living (does business) with the idea of misunderstanding about

the money and actions of doing or not doing business as reality.

The real meditation must be meditate (doing or practicing) only.

Instead of meditating or doing things with grasping and misunderstanding,

the meditatiors have to abandon the idea of grasping and

misunderstanding of the actions as real importance. It will not be free if

one practices meditation with the idea of misunderstanding somewhere,

everywhere, sometime, every time, the whole life cycle, limited period,

limitless period until death as reality.

The attitude that --- How to practice--- this way or that way?

How to conduct--- like this or like that? Doing something or doing

nothing? is our programmed habitual practice (attitude). This

attitude makes us not free in practice meditation and whatever we


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do in our daily life. The ability of doing something or doing nothing

that everyone understands is the instinctive (inborn) ability that

everyone has. If you pay attention to it, you cannot go beyond the

created (instinctive or habitual) ability.

We always use our bodily, oral and mental actions individually.Due to taking the created person I as reality and identifying : I or You,

Self or Others, Man or Woman, Parents or Children, there will be

problems about social, gender and economic endlessly. Lots of social,

gender and economic problems occur endlessly because of the wrong

use (misuse) of I, You, Individual or Others as reality. Also the problems

between man and woman, parents and children are because of the wrong

use of man, woman, parents and children as if real importance.In fact, I, you, man, woman, parents and children are just labels

or created truths, not to think as reality. If we can use these labels without

grasping there will be no more problems. Everything will be ok if there is

no grasping or classifying them as reality. This is just to meditate only or

meditate freely.

This is just to meditate freely__ just to use life freely. Need to

understand that the real importance is to be a real freedom. The realmeditation is intended to emphasize on the real freedom.

It will not be free if one uses everything with grasping. The idea

of classifying that I or You, Mine or Yours, Right or Wrong, Good or Bad,

Life or Death as reality -etc makes us not free. If the concept of I is

being paid attention or if one makes distinction between I and You, it

will not be free. If the concept of death and life is being paid attention,

there will be worry about safety of life endlessly. If you use the things

with the idea of mine or yours -- worry about loss of things __ mine to

yours will happen endlessly.

The real meditation does not mean to stop the events

(happenings) of changing mine to yours or yours to mine, but it means

to abandon the idea of paying attention to these happenings,

grasping and misunderstanding them as reality. The process of

changing mine to yours or yours to mine is not the key point.

Not to stop this happening. The key point is to abandon the idea of


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grasping and misunderstanding of this process as real importance.

Not only in meditation, but also in whatever we do (worldly doing)

habitual daily work__ it is important to meditate freely or to be able to do

freely. It is difficult to be heard that even the worldly work can be done

freely. We will be able to meditate freely with the help of Buddha whodid meditation and propagation freely and who just used his lives freely

without the idea of grasping such as my life, your life, teachers life,

students life, parents life, childrens life, humans life, devas life,

brahmas life and animals life.

Practicing meditation only is the real cause of vipassana wisdom.

This method is not the created vipassana meditation but it is a real

vipassana meditation. This is to reveal the cause of becoming the realvipassana wisdom, not the created vipassana.

Practice, experience, time, place and hearsay methods in

meditation are just to use only (practice only) and to use freely

without the idea of grasping at this happening or that happening.

Just to do only. Just to be practicing only.

Dualities such as pain or pleasure, calmness or agitation,meditating for a long time or for a short time seem to be real in

meditation or in daily life. There will be some happenings such as __

pain or pleasure, calmness or agitation, meditating for a long

time or for a short time while meditating. Whatever happenings are

not important. The real meditation is just to use only these dualities

without misunderstanding them as reality. This is to be able to do

the real abandonment.

This is the real renunciation that any parents, any teacher or any

doctor cannot renounce in our worldly life. This type of renunciation has

never been heard or practiced in our daily life.

Try to use only meditation practice, place, life of yogi and life of

teacher without the idea of grasping and misunderstanding them as

reality. Meditation practice, life of yogi, life of teacher and places etc

are just to use only without grasping and misunderstanding them as reality.It is hardly been known that--- this is the real abandonment one can be

done and should be done.


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In fact, life can be used without misunderstanding as my life

or your life. So also are healthy life or unhealthy life, time and place

by not forgetting the original truth, misunderstanding only. Try to

be able to use only. The real importance is just to use them without

grasping and misunderstanding.There will be competition between competitors in life when life is

used with the idea of grasping such as my method, your method,

Im right youre right. For example _ (1) struggle for food in animals

(2) traffic accidents in overtaking for a place. If one car let the other pass

up, there will be no accident or problem about it. So also, there will be

competition or struggle in life - if life is used with grasping- such as my

life or your life. It does not matter if it is just for using only. The realmeditation method is intended to be meditation only (practicing only)

(using only).

The real meditation method is quite different from the

traditional meditation methods with which we are most familiar

such as--how to do?, how long shall I do?, where to do? Original

misunderstanding is taking the idea of being something or someone

as reality. Understanding misunderstanding of being something orsomeone as reality makes one free from original misunderstanding

temporarily. __ Not forgetting the original misunderstanding makes

one free from original misunderstanding temporarily.

I do

propagation of

Buddhas religion

(sarsana) andteach meditation

freely without

grasping the life

of monk. Just use

the monks life

freely. I do not

grasp at thedhamma talk as

my dhamma or


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Buddhas dhamma. I just address dhamma without the idea of grasping

and misunderstanding them as my dhamma or Buddhas dhamma. Just

use it freely with no more attachment.

So also in using places, it is important to use the places only with

no mistake such as this country or that country for the reality. To be freefrom grasping and misunderstanding the places as reality-- is of real

importance. It does not matter teaching dhamma at hospital or at home

or at the meditation centre. The real matter is only to have the idea of

non-grasping those places as reality or importance. All these places are

also just to use only. It is the same in teaching to the Buddhists or Non-

Buddhists. To be free from grasping and misunderstanding this religion

or that religion as reality is of the real importance.Non-grasping means non-grasping to oneself as well as to

others. Non-grasping is not only for oneself but also for others.

Using with the concept of non-grasping, we progress towards

harmony with everyone (all life). Because of the idea of non-grasping,

anyone can be friendly and associated with. One can live anywhere

and do anything with the power of non-grasping or non-attachment.

This is the ability of the power of abandonment.

The power of grasping and misunderstanding is our heredity

(normal habitual one). Paying attention to self or others or being self

or being others makes competitions between each country, each religion,

each other who emphasizing self or others.

Winning through competition is not the real win. It is the created

win.

No more competition, no more win.

Wisdom through learning is not the real one.

No more learning, no more wisdom.

Taking precepts (sila) intentionally is not the real

precept(sila). If there is no intentional taking, there is no precepts.

No more taking, no more sila.

So is the created kind-hearted mind. It is not the real one.So is the created abandonment. It is not the real alobha

(greedlessness).


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So is the created patience. It is not the real adosa

(hatelessness)_real metta (loving-kindness). No more compassion,

no more metta. When created patience cannot be done, violence

appears. No more tolerance, no more patience.

Have to abandon the idea of assuming this, that, something,everything, someone, everyone, sometime, every time, somewhere,

everywhere, endless life cycle, endless universe etc.. as truth __ by not

forgetting the original truth_misunderstanding only.

It does not mean to reject the place but just to use it freely. Not to

reject the life cycle (samsara) _ whether it is a second or a life or a life

cycle_all are to use only, without grasping and misunderstanding as real

importance .

It does not mean to stop (cut off) the life cycle (samsara)

with the idea of grasping and misunderstanding it as reality.

It means to abandon the idea of grasping it as reality.

It is also just to use only.

Parami(perfection) is also to use only. So is the cycle of rebirth

(samsara). Not to cling to the continuation ofsamsara with the concept

of taking it as reality. Not to grasp annihilation of samsara (uccheda

ditthi) with the idea of taking it as reality. It is just to use only. Life

Cycle_Samsara is neither for rejecting nor grasping. And also not

for taking it as reality. To use only means using life and death, I or

you, man or woman, parents or children, whatever religion and whatever

race without the idea of taking them as reality.

Whatever nationality, race, yogi, man or woman, parents orchildren will be, it is not important. Not to stop being someone or

something.

The real meditation does not concern with them. They are the

created truths (just labels) and they are just to use only. Created truth is

not to reject, accept and take as reality. Created truth is neither for

rejecting nor grasping, also not for taking it as reality. So there is nothing

to talk or criticize about the created truths such as _ social welfare, politicsand even about the meditation centers. Created truths such as life, place,

humans life, devas life, brahmas life_ all are to use only without


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grasping and misunderstanding. Therefore, nothing to talk or criticize

about them.

Try to use only them which are just for using only. It does not

mean using with usefulness or using with uselessness that we

understand. To use only means using in the right way. It means not tocompare like that __this life is better (or) that life is better , I am

better (or) you are better and my religion (or) your religion. Comparing

ones life with others leads to the problems.

It will be wrong

once you pay attention

to (grasp) the idea of

being something orsomeone. It will be a big

mistake as soon as the

idea of being something

or someone is paid

attention to (grasped). It

is not wrong about

something or someonebut original wrong. It is wrong because we use something or someone

which is just for using only with grasping and misunderstanding. Using

something or someone with grasping and misunderstanding as if it is

real, is wrong. It is not just an ordinary wrong.

It is the original mistake which seems to be not wrong or which

deceives us to be right. Pointing out the big mistake that one can hardly

be noticed or known as wrong.Good deed is also to use (do) only. It is not to use (do) with

grasping such as this good deed or that good deed, my good deed or

your good deed. Because of not knowing how to use it in the right way,

we are using it in the wrong way. The good deed is misused by not

knowing how to use it in the right way. Using in the right way __ using

only will lead to the real enlightenment .Understanding how to use it

rightly (using only) is the cause of the real enlightenment. Notunderstanding how to use it in the right way makes attachment on

someone or something.


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One cannot help doing something with grasping. So also even in

doing good deeds such as Dana (Generosity), Sila (Morality), Bhavana

(Meditation). For eg. (1) one can not stop offering things with grasping

on Dana. Eg (2) one can not stop taking precepts with grasping on Sila. In

spite of doing good deed and meditation --- doing with grasping on it orattaching to it is not right . The real meditation is just to do good deed

__ doing only without grasping, misunderstanding and taking it as reality.

Life is just to use only. Therefore, nothing to talk about the

real importance of it. Talking or not is not of the real importance.

Talking will be no problem if one has the ability to talk with no

grasping and misunderstanding. Buddha also talked about what he

did in which life or what happened in this life or that life but nograsping or attachment to that talking. Just talking only. Buddha just

used the words only__without the idea of grasping and

misunderstanding of past life, what had happened in that life as reality.

Talking or not is not of real importance, the real importance is

whether to be free or not from attachment or grasping upon it and

misunderstanding of it. It is really important to use only the events,

happening, situation, era and time etc; with no grasping andmisunderstanding.

Words (Speech) are just for using only, not for grasping as this

word or that word or my word or your word. Meditation is just to meditate

only_ just practicing only, not to pay attention to the actions that everyone

can do in habitual ways. Try to be able to do what Buddha wants us to do

.The main goal (target) is to be able to use (do) only which is just for

using only without grasping and misunderstanding. So do the meditationpractice and experience_ they are also just for using only, practicing only

and experience only.

The real meditation method is not to forget the

original truth, misunderstanding of body, speech,

mind and whatever concerned with thesesuch as

situation, time and place as reality.


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I have a lot of experience in doing good deeds but I do not grasp

and misunderstand them as reality. Just experience only. Just doing only

without grasping. Just to be using only. Not taking it as reality. Neither

reject nor accept it. Just doing only the good deed. Just to use the

world (lokha) only. So also to use the worldly conditions, vicissitudes __ups and downs only. To achieve the main goal __ to use only is not to

forget the original truth(creations of misunderstanding). This is the

middle way that Buddha has been trodden or discovered.

The middle way is not to forget the original truth, misunderstanding

of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind, visual object, sound, odour,

gustative object (taste), touching object, tangible object, mental object,

consciousness of six sense organs, whatever concerns with them suchas something, someone, somewhere, sometime as reality which can be

known as SamudayaSacca (the real creator of the mystery or the real

culprit). These creations of misunderstanding are ever-new impermanent

nature, arising and passing away continuously, the real Anicca, Dukkha

and Anatta.

It means not to

misunderstand thesehappenings such as

where you are, what

you are doing, whatever

happens, how long it

takes, whatever feeling

well or not as reality

while doing meditation.It means not to forget the original truth_ misunderstanding only

and its creations as reality _ the real creator of the mystery, the real

culprit. Creations of misunderstanding itself is also ever-new

impermanent nature. Understanding upon misunderstanding like this

is of real importance. Try not to forget or try to understand only this original

truth, misunderstanding (ever-new impermanent nature) with the help of

the teacher.

At first, the help of the teacher (who understands well the original

truth) is required to understand the original truth. But we must not end


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up our meditation in the teachers help. We should not be satisfied with

the teachers help.

Try not to forget the original truth, misunderstanding continuously

until the vipassana wisdom (original right understanding) appears.

Continuous right understanding leads to the real enlightenment. Themore continuous right understanding, the nearer the real enlightenment.

Vipassana wisdom & Magga wisdom is also included in ever-new

impermanent nature which can be known as Cita, Cetasika and Rupa

the original truth.

It is revealing the original truth. Not assuming what one thinks as

truth. Not taking what seems to be true as truth. Also not talking with

aimlessly, but using talking to point out the original truth by words. Sharing

the ability of using time, place, life, and every life in the right way _ to

use only them. One must not end up in the idea of this life, that life,

whatever talking, whatever time or place that everyone understands.

We should not be satisfied with those things. It is important not to forget

the original truth, misunderstanding_ that has the ablility of using only

what is just for to use only without grasping and misunderstanding.

Teaching is over.

-Translated by

Hnin Nwe Soe ([email protected])

-Edited by

Sayadaw U Ottamasara ([email protected])

& Soe Win Htut ([email protected])

*Vipassana wisdom means the original wisdom that

understands the original truth (paramattha sacca).

* To use only means using only which is not for rejecting,

accepting and taking it as reality by not forgetting the original truth,

misunderstanding only.


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The real meditation methodis quite different from the

traditional meditation

methods with which we are

most familiar such as--

how to do?, how long

shall I do?, where to do?

Originalmisunderstanding

is taking the idea of

being something or someone as reality.

Understanding misunderstanding of being something or

someone as reality makes one free from original misunderstanding

temporarily. __ Not forgetting the original misunderstanding makes

one free from original misunderstanding temporarily....

_ by Tsunami Sayadaw U Ottamasara


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Natural Meditation Centre

Thanlyin Township, (Near Tar Wa University), Yangon,

Myanmar. (95)056-22707, (95)09-5085212,

Email: [email protected]: http://onlymiddleway.co.cc, http://thabarwa.org

http://trueanswer.co.cc

Sayadaws 41st Birthday Present

The real meditation method is not to forget the original truth,misunderstanding of body, speech, mind and whatever

concerned with thesesuch as situation, time and place asreality. _By Tsunami Sayadaw U Ottamasara

birthday present talk of insight meditation

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