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about meditation.
My favorite definition of meditation is from my primary teacher, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, who lives and teaches in Yangon, Burma.
Sayadaw says, "Meditation is cultivating wholesome states of mind."
I love this definition, because it says nothing about form. We don't have to be sitting or still or quiet or concentrated to cultivate kindness, steadiness, care, joy, friendliness. Yes, we can cultivate beneficial, supportive mind states on the cushion, and, we can also cultivate them all day long in our day-to-day lives.
For me, this has been a game-changer as someone who lives with ADHD and a kind of restlessness in my mind and body that has often made it hard to spend long periods of time on the cushion.
some basic principles of meditation practice.
In order to take care of our mind, we first need to know that we have a mind. In the same way that we take care of the body, we can also take care of our mind.
How often do you remember that you have a mind?
On the cushion, and in daily life, we already know a lot about what happens in the mind. It can get imbalanced, overwhelmed, and confused. It can feel kindness, patience, joy and ease. Sometimes at the same time.
Sayadaw U Tejaniya likes to ask: How am I going to look after my mind today?
knowing awareness + wisdom.
At the heart of our ability to care for our mind, is knowing the difference between being aware and not being aware. This is key. Many people think about awareness. And often feel inspired by the idea of awareness. But this is different than knowing directly what it feels like to be aware.
Awareness is a quality of mind that we can know clearly. It is also a capacity that can be developed. It is essential for the development of wisdom.
Wisdom, or insight, is what transforms our mind and heart. We can't create wisdom – but we can support the conditions for it to arise. We let wisdom "do it's job" as Sayadaw says. Our 'job' is to cultivate awareness and wise view.
To learn more about this style of meditation practice, see section below under Sayadaw U Tejaniya. I also include a variety of dhamma influences and resources below.
dhamma books.
**If you use the referral code below at checkout on books you purchase at Bookshop.org, we both get 20% off** Bookshop.org is the only online bookseller where every purchase supports local bookstores.
https://refer.bookshop.org/susatalan
Sayadaw U Tejaniya Resources:
websites:
books (on his site above, as a PDF, or find on eBay/bookstores online):
Other Dhamma books:
In Love with The World – Mingyur Rinpoche
The Heart Sutra: Prajnaparamita – Thich Nhat Hahn
The Wisdom of No Escape – Pema Chodron
Other Resources for Living Skillfully:
How to Be An Adult – David Richo
meditation apps + podcasts.
Ten Percent Happier podcast with Dan Harris
Happier app
Waking Up app
dhamma websites.
meditation retreats.
Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
Common Ground Meditation Center
Insight Meditation Center