#sayadaw

[holybookslibrary]

Snow in the Summer by Sayadaw U Jotika

Snow in the Summer Snow in the Summer is a compilation of extracts from letters written by Sayadaw U Jotika, a Burmese Buddhist monk living in the forest, to his Western students. Sayadaw U Jotika writes in this book on several topics such as mindfulnes, meditation, solitude, relationships etc. The book is reported to be picked and read from any page. You do not need to read it in any particular order. From the book: There is a kind of dullness in the mind which is always there. We need something exciting, some kind of stimulant, either talking or reading or travelling or to keep the mind awake. Otherwise it is in a half-wakeful state. If you can train your mind to be awake all the time, without any of those stimulants, you will find a new kind of energy. Only by being constantly mindful can you get there. Whether you are on retreat or not it is important to be mindful all the time. Doing a retreat is useful. But it is very important to keep up your practice so that you can maintain your clarity. Otherwise you go downhill again. ItÕs like swimming upstream: If you donÕt make a continuous effort you go downstream. Download the free PDF here (104 pages) :

Snow in the Summer  

Who is Sayadaw U Jotika?

Sayadaw U Jotika is a respected Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk and meditation teacher. Here's a brief overview of him: - Background: Sayadaw U Jotika was born in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). He became a monk in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which is the dominant form of Buddhism in Myanmar. - Teachings: He is known for his teachings on meditation, mindfulness, and the path to enlightenment. His teachings often emphasize the importance of understanding one's own mind, cultivating inner peace, and developing compassion for all beings. - Writings: Sayadaw U Jotika has written several books and given numerous talks on Buddhist teachings, meditation, and the path to enlightenment. His writings and teachings have been translated into various languages and are followed by many people around the world. - Meditation Centers: He has been associated with various meditation centers in Myanmar and has played a role in guiding and mentoring numerous meditation practitioners. - Legacy: Sayadaw U Jotika is revered for his deep insight into the Dhamma (Buddhist teachings) and his ability to convey complex teachings in a simple and relatable manner. He has inspired many individuals to take up the practice of meditation and to lead a life based on Buddhist principles. Read the full article

[dasenergi-diary]

I have been back for a week now, from the silent meditation retreat I went on in August.

As always, you come back from these retreats as a changed person. I am not the same person as I was in July.

Oddly, there is not a lot I want to share about this retreat. But there are a few things I want to say.

First, the things I loved:

I love being in noble silence.

I love being in the mountains.

I love that food was provided for me, and I didn't need to want for anything.

I loved watching and listening to the birds and all of the other animals I saw.

I love hiking in the middle of nowhere and not seeing another soul.

I loved doing yoga every night under the stars, and afterwards just laying there watching the night sky.

I love meditation. My two favorite mediations, the first meditation of the day at 6am and the last meditation of the day at 9pm.

Usually when I come home from these retreats, I try to continue my practice. Meditating every day and eating healthier, etc.

But not this time.

Whereas everything about this retreat was just like every retreat I have ever been on, one thing was distinctly different — the teacher and the type of meditation she taught.

She was born into Buddhism in a Buddhist country. It is all she has known, often living in Buddhist monasteries.

In the United States most people gravitate to Buddhism after experiencing some hardship, looking for freedom from suffering. Most Buddhist practitioners in the United States want actionable teachings. Tangible things we can do, to be free from suffering. Tell us what to do, and we will do it.

Whereas my teacher doesn't teach us to do anything. “Do nothing. Just be aware. Observe what is happening right now. Be curious.”

“If you brush your teeth with your right hand, what is your left hand doing?”

I spent several days just watching my mind thinking…

"The mind is not you, it is a process happening all by itself."

The #1 thing my mind does? It makes plans. It's always planning. It plans things to do. It also plans conversations that I might have some day. It fantasizes about things that might happen, and plans what I would do, how I would react.

As my thinking mind was sensory deprived while on the retreat (no reading, no writing, no talking, etc.) it's favorite activity was counting. It wasn't counting anything in particular. It just likes to count 1-2-3-4-5…

Whenever I caught my mind counting, I stopped and checked all six sense doors:

What can I hear?

What can I see?

What can I smell?

What can I taste?

What can I feel?

How is my mind?

I used the counting as a reminder to be in the present moment and "pay attention to what I can be aware of in the present moment." And then I would usually follow that up with, "And what else?"

Don't meditate. Just be relaxed. Be aware. THAT is meditation.

A lot of people at the retreat had a problem with this style of "meditation". They wanted something to focus on. A mantra. A task to do / perform. Loving-kindness / metta meditation. Forgiveness meditation. Something other than doing nothing.

What dawned on me was that after 20+ years of meditation, this "style of meditation" accurately described my daily practice. I just didn't have a name for it or a way to describe it until now. I don't sit daily anymore, because I am always in a constant state of mindfulness… Being aware.

When I swim I am meditating. When I am fixing dinner I am meditating. When I am mowing the lawn I am meditating. When I am doing the dishes I am meditating. When I fall asleep at night I am meditating.

"Don't meditate with expectations. Let go of goals and simply observe what is happening right now."

"Don't be eager for results. Let things happen naturally."

"If you are tense, the mind cannot see clearly. Be relaxed and aware."

"Be here right now."

"Meditation is not just about sitting. It's about how you live your life."

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jeffrey Catherine Jones art

* * * * *

"Persistence—the ability to hang in there with something difficult without turning away, to be willing to simply wait when waiting is what’s called for—is not a throwaway virtue, and it is not simply a form of passivity. Persistence is a powerful and positive virtue that can be cultivated and developed. It’s a key practice for nurturing all the qualities of maturity that we value: stability, responsibility, self-acceptance, a loving heart—all require that we persist with what we are up to, that we stick with steadfastly, without glancing off or running away."

Norman Fischer, 

Taking Our Places: The Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up [—My teacher, Sayadaw U Tejaniya talks a lot about viriya (often translated as energy or effort), a key factor (indriya) in one’s spiritual practice, as persistence or perseverance. He also emphasizes the meaning of the word bhavana(meditation) as cultivation.] (via sharanam)

[t-jfh]

Webu Sayadaw [17 February 1896 – 26 June 1977]

•

[philosohappy]

Right view is the idea that mental and bodily processes are nature. They have their own nature, and they're showing that nature to us. That's something to learn from. If we can tap into this truth, then we won't struggle so much. We won't be buying into the story, "Why is this happening to me?"

Quote by Sayadaw U Tejaniya

[haikuyosef]

The moment before letting go is often when we grip the hardest

[nicksalius]

Vipassana - Istruzioni di Mahasi Sayadaw

Vipassana – Istruzioni di Mahasi Sayadaw

Argomentare sulla meditazione Vipassana è quasi pleonastico. Un conto è leggere o approfondire determinate istruzioni, qualsivoglia commento, ben altro mettere subito in pratica tutto ciò che lì per lì si è riusciti ad afferrare. La vipassana è un esercizio concreto che darà sicuramente i suoi frutti, purché si abbia coraggio sufficiente per inoltrarsi nell’universo mistico della propria…

[radical-revolution]

When I first began studying with the Burmese master Sayadaw U Pandita, I had been practicing meditation for 14 years. He was a powerful teacher with a rigorous pedagogy, requiring that each student meet with him one-on-one six days a week for interviews to describe our meditation experiences to him. Nervous and not sure what to expect from the interviews, I resolved that I would take notes after each of my meditations so that I could describe my experience precisely.

During our first interview, I shared everything I remembered (and had written down) about one of my meditation sittings. U Pandita nodded and said, “Well, in the beginning it can be like that.” A one-sentence response, and that was the end of the interview.

To my disappointment, each of our subsequent interviews followed a similar pattern. I’d come in fully prepared to describe a revelatory meditation sitting or a horrible one (or anything in between), and he would give me the consistent but frustrating reply, “Well, in the beginning it can be like that.”

The beginning? ! I’d think to myself. I’ve been practicing for 14 years!

I couldn’t stand the fact that U Pandita thought of me as “at the beginning.” How could he not sense my progress? These feelings of resentment persisted until one day something clicked.

During my previous years living in India, I had been conceiving of my meditation practice in terms of progress. I knew that I was diligent and consistent, and thought I was doing well. I was on the right track toward enlightenment, or something, and wanted to hear that my efforts and perseverance were “paying off.” It’s no surprise that U Pandita’s constant references to my being a “beginner” made me annoyed. I was so obsessed with a goal-oriented way of thinking.

But U Pandita’s words were definitely not meant to invalidate me. I know now that I was simply choosing to let my insecurity dictate my response to him. I was reading negativity in the idea of what it means to be a “beginner.”

Over time, his response invited me to realize the challenge of choice that faces us in terms of how we respond to anything in life — whether in meditation, at work, in our relationships. If we make a commitment to living in the present moment, we are always “at the beginning” of whatever it is we are doing, constantly presented with thoughts, judgments, observations, and/or sensations that interrupt up us amidst our daily activities. The challenge is in the choice to accept these things and simply “begin” again, returning to the present moment, or to grip tightly to some idea of what we should be doing and flood ourselves with judgment in the process.

Many people, myself included, come to meditation with an initial expectation of immediate clarity and peace. We anticipate nirvana, filled with white light and an overwhelming sense of freedom. Contrary to these beliefs, meditation takes effort, a word most of us associate with burden. But the effort we make in meditation is not harsh and fueled by feelings of self-loathing or pressure. It’s an unrestrained willingness to “stick it out,” to recognize our ability to feel a sense of freedom through the act of accepting what is.

***

[yoga-onion]

The Quest for Buddhism (117)

Buddhist cosmology

Vippasana meditation - Background

Modern Vipassana meditation is a Theravada Buddhist meditation technique in the Burmese tradition introduced by the monk, Ledi Sayadaw (1846 - 1923) and established by Saya Thetgyi (1873 - 1945) as a meditation technique for lay followers.

The method of skipping the time-consuming practice of samatha meditation (Ref) and practising only vipassana meditation from the beginning was established Saya Thetgyi for lay practitioners who were not ordained, but were living at home, leading a secular life and devoted to Buddhism, and was passed down through Sayagyi U Ba Khin to Satya Narayan Goenka.

It was popularised and organised by them and other lay meditators and ordained practitioners such as Mahasi Sayadaw. It has been introduced to the Theravada Buddhist world, mainly in Myanmar, but also in Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as in the West.

Vipassana meditation for lay followers has had a practical aspect from the beginning as a technique for recovering from addiction and regaining health, partly due to Goenka's experience of recovering from drug addiction caused by migraine headaches.

Together with Hindu-derived Transcendental Meditation (Ref2), its effects on the body and mind have been studied as a form of complementary and alternative medicine, and it is also used as a healing method to soothe the mind of modern people suffering from various types of stress.

It has been pointed out that “the ability to realise through meditation that body, mind and soul and the universe are both vibrations, and that in this sense the self and the universe are in communication”, appeals to the mentality of those attracted to the anti-rationalist religious movements of recent years, and is a major attraction for people in developed countries.

仏教の探求 (117)

仏教の宇宙論

ヴィパッサナー瞑想 〜 その背景

現代のヴィパッサナー瞑想は、比丘であるレディ・サヤドー (1846年 - 1923年) が紹介し、サヤ・テッ・ジ (1873 - 1945) が在家 (ざいけ:一般信者のこと) のための瞑想法として確立したミャンマー伝統の上座部仏教 (巴: ﾃｰﾗﾜｰﾀﾞ仏教) の瞑想法である。

時間のかかるサマタ瞑想 (参照) の修行を省略し、最初からヴィパッサナー瞑想だけを行う方法は、出家せず、自宅で世俗的な生活を送りながら仏教に専念する在家修行者のために、サヤ・テッ・ジによって確立され、サヤジ・ウ・バ・キンを経てサティア・ナラヤン・ゴエンカに受け継がれたものである。

彼らやマハーシ・サヤドーらの在家瞑想者や出家によって普及され、組織も作られた。ミャンマーを中心としたスリランカやタイなどの上座部仏教圏だけでなく、欧米にも紹介されている。

在家 (ざいけ:一般信者のこと) のためのヴィパッサナー瞑想は、ゴエンカが偏頭痛による麻薬への依存から立ち直ったという体験を持っていることもあり、依存症から立ち直って健康を取り戻すための技法という実用的な側面も当初から持っていた。ヒンドゥー教由来の超越瞑想（参照2）とともに補完・代替医療の一つとして心身への影響が研究されており、様々なストレスに悩む現代人の心をいやすヒーリング (癒し) としても行われている。

「瞑想を通して心身と宇宙が共に振動であり、その意味で自己と宇宙が通じているとありありと実感できる」という点が、近年の反合理主義的宗教運動に惹かれる人々の心性に訴えかけるところがあり、先進諸国の人々にとっても大きな魅力になっている」と指摘されている。

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 7.29

Beer Birthdays

Max Schwarz (1863)

Garrett Oliver (1962)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Ken Burns; documentary filmmaker (1953)

Geddy Lee; rock bassist, singer (1953)

William Powell; actor (1892)

Dave Stevens; artist, cartoonist, illustrator (1955)

Wil Wheaton; actor, blogger (1972)

Famous Birthdays

Afroman; rapper (1974)

Jean-Hugues Anglade; French actor and director (1955)

Doug Ashdown; Australian singer-songwriter (1942)

Porfirio Barba-Jacob; Colombian poet and author (1883)

Melvin Belli; attorney (1907)

Clara Bow; actor (1905)

Danger Mouse; cartoon character (1977)

Don Carter; bowler (1926)

John Clarke; New Zealand-Australian comedian and actor (1948)

Edgar Cortright; scientist and engineer (1923)

Professor Irwin Corey; comedian, actor (1914)

Sharon Creech; author (1945)

Simon Dach; German poet (1605)

Alex de Tocqueville; French writer, historian, political scientist (1805)

Stephen Dorff; actor (1973)

Neal Doughty; keyboard player (1946)

Leslie Easterbrook; actress (1949)

Richard Egan; actor (1921)

Adele Griffin; author (1970)

Tim Gunn; fashion consultant, television host (1953)

Dag Hammarskjold; Swedish diplomat (1905)

Betty Harris; chemist (1940)

Jenny Holzer; painter, author, and dancer (1950)

Robert Horton; actor (1924)

Isabel; Brazilian princess (1846)

Peter Jennings; television journalist (1938)

Eyvind Johnson; Swedish novelist (1900)

Joe Johnson; English snooker player (1952)

Diane Keen; English actress (1946)

Eric Alfred Knudsen; author (1872)

Harold W. Kuhn; mathematician (1925)

Stanley Kunitz; poet (1905)

Don Marquis; cartoonist, writer (1878)

Jim Marshall; guitar amplifier maker (1923)

Martina McBride; country singer (1966)

Daniel McFadden; economist (1937)

Frank McGuinness; Irish poet and playwright (1953)

Goenawan Mohamad; Indonesian poet and playwright (1941)

Harry Mulisch; Dutch author, poet (1927)

Benito Mussolini; Italian journalist and politician (1883)

Gale Page; actress (1910)

Alexandra Paul; actor (1963)

Dean Pitchford; actor and director (1951)

Isidor Isaac Rabi; physicist (1898)

Don Redman; composer (1900)

Sigmund Romberg; Hungarian-American composer (1887)

Mahasi Sayadaw; Burmese monk and philosopher (1904)

Patti Scialfa; musician (1954)

Mary Lee Settle; novelist (1918)

Tony Sirico; actor (1942)

Randy Sparks; folk singer-songwriter (1933)

John Sykes; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1959)

Booth Tarkington; writer (1869)

David Taylor; English snooker player (1943)

Paul Taylor; dancer (1930)

Mikis Theodorakis; Greek composer (1925)

Didier Van Cauwelaert; French author (1960)

David Warner; English actor (1941)

Woody Weatherman; guitarist (1965)

Vladimir K. Zworykin, Russian-American engineer and inventor (1888)

[adshofar]

수재민 기금 모금 사칭한 사기꾼들 활개

[애드쇼파르] 최근 수재민 피해가 급증하는 것을 이용하여 수재민 기금 모금을 사칭하여 가짜 SNS 만든 사기꾼들이 활개를 치고 있다고 한다. 한 사회지원단체 관계자는 가짜 SNS 페이지에서 본인이 찍은 사진을 도용한 것을 발견하기도 하였다고 한다. Sayadaw Ashin Sanda Zawtika는 사기꾼들이 본인을 사칭하며 가짜 계정을 만들고 사기를 치고 있다고 설명하며 이미 많은 사기꾼들이 유명 스님, 사회지원단체 또는 대표, 국내 실향민 지원 단체로 사칭하고 사진을 도용하고 있어 기부하기 전에 반드시 공식 페이스북 페이지인지 확인을 해야 한다고 경고하였다. Myittar Thingaha 사회지원단체에 근무하는 Ko Min Din은 최근 사기꾼들이 온라인 뿐만 아니라 현장에서도 활개를 치고 있다고…

[tsultrimpawo]

Right Interest

Right effort is effort with wisdom. Because where there is wisdom, there is interest. The desire to know something is wisdom at work. Being mindful is not difficult. But it’s difficult to be continuously aware. For that you need right effort. But it does not require a great deal of energy. It’s relaxed perseverance in reminding yourself to be aware. When you are aware, wisdom unfolds naturally, and there is still more interest.

– Sayadaw U Tejaniya, "The Wise Investigator"

[dasenergi-diary]

Just a note to say that I have signed-up for another 10-day/9-night silent meditation retreat August 19-28.

In this 9-night/10-day retreat, we will explore Vipassana meditation in the practice style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Sayadaw’s approach is free from rigid forms, influenced by his previous life as a layperson and his interest in adaptable practice. Nonetheless, his teachings are rigorous, emphasizing Right View, Awareness, and a relaxed, gentle, continuous practice attitude throughout the day.

You will explore how to create conditions for awareness to arise naturally; experience the continuity of meditation practice regardless of your posture or location; and discover wisdom and other beautiful qualities of mind and heart through your practice. Most importantly, you will learn to practice meditation in a way that you can continue to practice at home.

The retreat will be held in noble silence (no talking), and yogis are expected to keep five (or eight) precepts. The days include sitting, walking, work meditation, hiking, eating – and all of these are included in one’s practice time. There is a Dharma talk and instruction given every day, practice discussion in groups, and the option to sign up for individual guidance.

Near the end of the retreat, there will be an opportunity to practice listening and talking with other yogis who might become your Dharma friend on your spiritual journey.

“If we could feel about meditation at home like we do on retreat, if we could bring home that same commitment to mindfulness, and sustain it, we would see big changes.”

—Sayadaw U Tejaniya

[averycanadianfilm]

Introducing Abhidhamma (Lesson 1)

5,004 views  Premiered Sep 26, 2020 

 Introducing Abhidhamma Course

Introducing Abhidhamma Course by Oxford Sayadaw Ven. Prof. Dr. Khammai Dhammasami, DPhil (Oxford), 

Founder-Rector of Shan State Buddhist University. 

 This is the lesson 1: Two Types of Truth, Conventional and Ultimate. 

 It is a six week course.

[nedsecondline]

Senior Myanmar monk shot dead by junta soldiers, colleague says — Radio Free Asia

…in a video that spread on social media Thursday, the abbot’s colleague, Sayadaw Bhaddanta Gunikabhivamsa, who was a passenger in the car at the time of the attack, said junta soldiers in a truck fired around seven or eight shots at the car, killing the abbot and injuring himself and the driver. “[I said] how can you soldiers be so cruel?” the monk recounted. “They replied that they did not know…

[holybookslibrary]

A Manual of the Excellent Man by Ledi Sayadaw

A Manual of the Excellent Man A Manual of the Excellent Man - Uttamapurisa Dīpanī. Ledi Sayadaw was the “father” of the insight meditation tradition in Burma. Before he became famous, only a few monks practised insight meditation, and even fewer lay people. He lived during the time of the British Raj, when many ignorant Buddhists were converting to Christianity. Because of his knowledge of pariyatti (theory), he was able to write  books on Dhamma in both Pali and Burmese languages such as, Paramattha-dipani (Manual of Ultimate Truth), Nirutta-dipani, a book on Pali grammar and The Manuals of Dhamma all over Burma. At the same time he kept alive the pure tradition of patipatti (practice) by teaching the technique of Vipassana to a few people. Ledi Sayadaw was perhaps the most outstanding Buddhist figure of his age (1846-1923). Download the free ebook here (124 pages):

A Manual of the Excellent Man   Read the full article