[LeThanhPhong]

(continued - MOGOK SAYADAW'S WAY TO THE VIPASSANA PRACTICE

Mogok Sayadaw: It is all right to change the posture for beginners. As you become more experienced you may not need to change the posture when you feel sleepy.
            How would I do it Sire? I don’t know how to evade sleepiness without changing posture.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When you become sleepy how was your breathing? Was it quicker or slower?
            It was slow and shallow, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, the breathing will be slower and you feel sleepy. Then what about your Sati at that time?
            It was poor, Sire. I was not mindful at that time.
        Mogok Sayadaw: "Ca catawva acasati, ca tawva pacasati." As mentioned in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta a Yogi who practises Anapana must breathe in and out with mindfulness. But you have lost mindfulness, you must never let it go.
            I admit I lost mindfulness, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You must breathe in fully and then breathe out fully. (You must notice as soon as the breathing becomes slower and correct it by breathing fully again. If you do not notice as soon as the breathing gets slower you may go into torpor and soon become sleepy) You must never let the mindfulness escape. If you breathe fully in this way for ten to fifteen minutes you can become alert again.
            Yes Sire, now I understand.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Another thing is, when you become angry don’t you breathe more harshly?
            Yes I do, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, why does the breathing become quick and harsh?
            I have no idea, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Maung Kyaw Thein, you note this down well. When you are angry your blood in the heart is bright red and hot. As the heart needs to beat faster it needs more energy and you have to breathe much faster. (Thus, the blood became redder and hot due to increased turbulence and flow)
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When you recover from anger don’t you feel that your body is weary and tired?
            It is, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Why is that?
            I don’t know, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Because your heart beats much faster, but you do not realise it during the anger as you are not aware. Only after it you came to know about the situation and you become weary and tired.
            Exactly Sire, I have the experience.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Sometimes when you are carried away by greed or desire, you say you do not have the time to become tired, don’t you?
            Yes I do, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: That is you have followed your desires instead of your mind.
            Yes sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When you meditate Anapana you must relax your body and your muscles. Only then you can breathe regularly and correctly. The Buddha said "Pacambayan Kayasankharan." That is you must breathe neither slowly nor quickly, and neither shallow nor deep, but regularly.
            Yes Sire, I will follow your instructions, but what shall I pay more attention?
        Mogok Sayadaw: You remember this very carefully. It is only Sati (concentration) that is never in excess. Saddha, Samadhi, Viriya, Panna (faith, concentration, effort and knowledge) must be developed simultaneously. If you could not develop them simultaneously and equally they would not be well balanced and either Uddhacca (distraction) or Htina middha (torpor or sloth) would result. At present, you have been instructed to meditate just to develop Samadhi. Don’t let it mix with anything else!
            Yes Sire.

(To be continued)