A Path of Mindfulness and Wisdom for a Stress-Free Life
I want to tell you today about how to use Mindfulness and Wisdom together to be free from stress. I want to tell you casually, just like sitting and chatting at a tea shop. First, I want you to remember that I don't want stress to exist. If it is a Dhamma talk, stress tends to happen; if it is a meditation retreat, it tends to be strange. But I want you to live with stress at zero.
The Cause of Stress and the Truth
The Cause of Stress and the Truth Why do we have a lot of stress? Because we don't really feel the sense that we are safe. If something happens, stress occurs, we have to worry, we have to be anxious. Because we have expectations. A gap forms between this expectation and reality. Because of that gap, we don't feel fulfilled.
Past wise men defined Life as a struggle. But I want you to change the view (dimension) on life. Without considering life as an educational institution, we looked at it only as a struggle institution. Now I will change the dimensions. One must change the view on life.
Physical and Mental Relax and Release
For the Physical aspect, you must Reflect, Reset, and Rebuild. What are the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of the work you do? You must rebuild and repair those things. You must also look back at your health, check it, see how you should change your lifestyle, how you will live after changing, and how you will build your life.
For the Mental aspect, what must you do? You must Relax your mind. We have a lot of stress. If the mind is wandering to this object and that object too much, the mind cannot relax. So, if you Focus on the object of the in-breath and out-breath, you get Release. Gradually, the objects that cause stress are no longer there.
People going to the Gym have to do Stretching of muscles. One must loosen the muscles and live calmly. If the Body Relaxes, one must Release the Mind. One needs to know how to relax the mind. If one doesn't know how to relax the mind, if the mind wanders to this object and that object too much, the mind cannot relax.
Establishing Mindfulness and Mental Clarity
Practicing Dhamma Meditation doesn't mean just "doing Dhamma." It is practicing things related to the Mind. It is Mental Wellness. What should you do? First, Relax the Body. Scan your body from head to toe. Focus on it. Where is it tight? Where is it stiff? You can do it at once. As soon as you scan your body, look with mindfulness from head to toe. Is there a lot of tension somewhere? Is there pressure? You can adjust yourself.
After that, note the in-breath and out-breath and Release the mind. If I note the in-breath and out-breath, I fall asleep. Insomnia means stress is happening. Saying to oneself "I couldn't sleep last night, I still can't sleep now" is stress reoccurring. Just by noting the in-breath and out-breath, do you realize you are not thinking? If not thinking, do you realize you get Rest? That is what you get.
Applying Mindfulness and Wisdom Together
Establishing mindfulness is the foundation. Just having mindfulness, Vipassanā begins to arise. However, if Wisdom is weak, although this mindfulness is worthy of Vipassanā, it will not become strong Vipassanā. One must pair this mindfulness with Wisdom. If you pair this mindfulness with Wisdom, it becomes strong Vipassanā. Every time there is mindfulness, Wisdom must be included. To include Wisdom every time there is mindfulness, one must study and learn the intellectual aspects.
Some have mindfulness, practice Dhamma, have faith. Mindfulness comes, Samādhi exists, Viriya (effort) is good. But because they are weak in intellectual aspects, because strong Vipassanā does not occur, they cannot reach Magga Ñāṇa and Phala Ñāṇa.
Wisdom Means Knowing Ignorance
What is Wisdom? Knowing that if there is Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna, there is Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna—that itself is Wisdom. Others know men, women, persons, beings, buildings, houses, cars, sons, daughters. But they do not know that Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna are involved in them. This is the intellectual aspect.
We always have the knowledge known by him and me, knowledge from birth and growing up; in that knowledge, a lot of Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna is included. "Because he knows, men, women, sons, daughters, buildings, houses, cars"—we think they really exist. Why do we think they really exist? Because Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna are involved.
Free from Stress by Knowing Greed, Anger, and Delusion
When practicing Dhamma: wanting the mind to be calm is Greed. Disliking that the mind is not calm and wanders is Anger. Not knowing the true nature of the mind—that the mind arises where the object is—is Delusion.
We do not know Lobha, Dosa, Moha. Knowing Lobha, Dosa, Moha now is knowing in a worldly way. Practicing Dhamma itself is actually to make oneself free from Lobha, Dosa, Moha. Practicing Dhamma is practicing the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Practicing aimed at the cessation of suffering.
Observing the Present Moment Directly
If you stay straight in the present, nothing exists anymore. One is liberated from Lobha, Dosa, Moha. If you know how to live like that, it is enough. Now everyone is hooked to the past. What happens when hooked? One feels, one suffers. If hooked to good things, one is happy. If hooked to bad things, one suffers.
The Cetanā (volition) of speaking also arises and ceases. Cetanā arises and ceases. When Cetanā ceases, what no longer exists? The sound also no longer exists. Because sound comes out due to Cetanā. If Cetanā is exhausted, if Kamma is exhausted, the result is also exhausted. So, the sound no longer exists. The Cetanā wanting to speak no longer exists. Nothing exists anymore. It is finished. That is what is called straight in the present.
Neither Holding On nor Letting Go
Neither Holding On nor Letting Go Neither Holding On nor Letting Go—sometimes one doesn't know what to do. Those two are not as easy as said. If told neither to hold an object nor to let it go, one doesn't know what to do. Actually, what will you do? You just have to touch it.
Seeing as just seeing, hearing as just hearing, touching as just touching, knowing as just knowing, accepting reality as it is. Diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṃ – in seeing, just seeing. Mute mutamattaṃ – in hearing, just hearing. Similarly, be able to live with the Original Mind; do not let Extra Mind be included.
Conclusion – Rest In Peace, Sleep In Peace, Live In Peace
Do you want to do Rest In Peace? Do you want to do Sleep In Peace? Do you want to do Live In Peace? I said you can choose what you like. If you note the in-breath and out-breath, do you realize I am not thinking? If not thinking, do you realize you get Rest? Live In Peace—that is what you get.
If you pair Mindfulness with Wisdom, stress disappears. If you abandon Ignorance, Craving is already ceased. A criminal can hide only when there is darkness; if there is no darkness, the criminal cannot hide. We are simply abandoning the darkness. As soon as the darkness of Ignorance is abandoned, the criminal of Craving cannot hide, so one is free from being tortured by it.
Therefore, if you want to be free from stress, establish mindfulness, pair it with wisdom, practice to live straight in the present. Note the in-breath and out-breath and Release. Be mindful to know Lobha, Dosa, Moha. If so, you will be able to live with stress at zero. That is what I want to say.
Dr. Soe Lwin (Mandalay)