Stress and the Mind's Product – Learning Inner Peace

I want to explain about Stress to friends today with four points. But first, I want to say, do not put pressure in your head in advance thinking that this course will be difficult and you won't understand. Just by saying "Dhamma talk" or "meditation retreat", people become strange; stress tends to enter. I do not want that stress to exist. I want you to live lightly and casually. I will not be teaching strange things or things you don't know. Actually, Dhamma exists right within what we say and the work we do at home daily. I will show you so that you know and see "these are just Dhamma".

Point One – Stress is a Mind Product

he first thing to understand is that stress is a Mind Product. In the world, Mind leads everything, and Thought is the work of the Mind (Mind Product), so it produces both good and bad. The good and bad of thoughts are only one's own responsibility. No one enters your mind to think for you. I want to explain this a little.

Mind is like the vast sky. Clouds are like thoughts. Clouds take various shapes. But where are they? The vast sky is behind them. We have the Mind. Within this mind, thoughts follow one after another. Our thoughts are just like various clouds in the sky. However, the Mind is originally just the Mind. The Mind is producing thoughts. So, because it is produced from the Mind, if good is produced, good thoughts arise. If bad is produced, bad thoughts arise. It can produce good thoughts, and it can produce bad thoughts.

In this way, stress happening is also due to thoughts coming out of our mind. We are not happy feeling that ourselves are safe. We do not feel much of the peace of mind. So, if something happens, stress occurs. One has to worry. One has to be anxious. All these are just products coming out of our mind.

Point Two – Mind is the Cause, Stress is the Effect

The next point is that Mind is the Cause, stress is the Effect. I want to explain this with Cause and Effect. Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna—to speak in English, are like the Conscious mind above and an iceberg. There are big icebergs deep in the sea. The little bit appearing on top is called an Iceberg. A lot is submerged underneath. The ice is huge. I name the top part Conscious mind. The huge part submerged underneath is the Subconscious mind.

Regarding Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna, the clinging with Upādāna is in the Subconscious mind. The little knowing above is the Conscious mind. Although knowing with that, we cannot overcome the influence of the massive Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna submerged below. Although people know it is bad, they still do it. Why? Just like this Iceberg, the submerged Avijjā, Taṇhā, Upādāna can give Influence to our Conscious mind. It can dominate.

So, Mind is the Cause, and within that mind, there are Kilesa problems called Lobha, Dosa, Moha. Based on the not knowing the truth called Moha, clinging problems of life occur: attachment with Lobha base and aversion with Dosa base. Therefore, stress happening is just the Effect. The Cause is the Kilesa existing in the mind.

Point Three – To Solve Stress, One Must Relax and Release

The third point is how to solve stress. I want to tell you the method of Relax and Release here. Relax means, first, like people going to the Gym, one has to do Stretching of the muscles. One must loosen the muscles and live calmly like this. In that, if the Body Relaxes, one must Release the Mind. One needs to know how to let go of the mind.

How to let go of the mind? If one does not know how to relax the mind, if the mind wanders 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, objects that cause stress are no longer there. That is why doing Dhamma Meditation is not just "doing Dhamma." It is practicing things related to the Mind. It is Mind wellness, Mental wellness.

So what must you do? First, Relax the Body. I say it must be like Cooked Vegetables. 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. Where am I tight? Is there a lot of tension? Is there pressure? You can adjust yourself. After that, note the in-breath and out-breath and Release the mind.

One must make the mind calm. Since Mind arises only when there is an Object, we need to take to heart a calm object. Only when these calm objects are taken to heart will the mind become calm and release. Subtle objects, calm objects mean placing the mind on the in-breath and out-breath. The in-breath and out-breath are calm. Just breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly as usual. When placing the mind on that breath, from wandering objects, one will begin to feel a calm object. If it happens like that, one's mind will gradually release and reduce [tension], and become calm. When stillness comes, we begin to establish peace of mind. It is Samādhi.

The mind becoming calm means letting go of the mind. One inserts the mind only on this object and does not take any other object to heart. One jumps in with both feet [wholeheartedly] on that. Release means dumping it on that. The mind does not have to be holding onto it. Jumping in with both feet means dumping one's mind on that, letting go of everything. That is Release. One is no longer clinging to other objects.

Point Four – For a Stress-Free Life, Reflect, Reset, Rebuild

The last point is that to get a Stress-Free Life, you must Reflect, Reset, Rebuild. Regarding the work you do, there will be needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Reflect on those, and then what? Reset—rebuild and repair. After that, Rebuild means doing it again. So for this physical aspect, you must Reflect, Reset, and Rebuild. You must also look back at your health, check it: how should I live? How should I change my lifestyle? After changing, how will I live? How will I build my life? You must go like this. This is the physical aspect.

So what must be done for the mental aspect? One must Relax one's mind. After Relaxing, what do you do? Release what you were holding onto in the past. If you do that and then Rebuild, you will be Reborn. Ah, if so, it is not bad. Even if one does not become a Sotāpanna, one is Reborn. With new person, new mind, let us continue to walk with teams of new people and new minds.

Finally, I want to say that Stress is solely the responsibility of one's own mind. No one enters your mind to think for you. It is only whether you can take responsibility for your thoughts or not. To control those thoughts, one must have a Right View. The Buddha pointed out and taught for that Right View. If the View is right, the Thought will be right. If the Thought is right, the Speech will be right. If the Speech is right, the Action will be right. If Speech and Action are right, the Livelihood will be right. It is a clear Way of Living. If one knows the Way of Living, one also knows the Way of Dying. If one knows how to die, one will be free from death.

If we understand these four points, we will be able to live stress-free. If one knows how to live straight in the present, there is no need to think. Because there is no need to think, one gets Peace. Rest In Peace is obtained only when dead. Sleep In Peace also gives Rest when asleep. But for us to get Live In Peace, we can use full energy only in the present. Now, having gone to the past, energy is depleted. Therefore, we have no energy in the present. Minds are wandering.

Therefore, if you note the in-breath and out-breath, you think of nothing. That Meditation is not sitting meditation. One must keep the mind alert, straight in the present. It is Mindfulness. If there is Sati, stress will reduce.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

Dr. Soe Lwin (Mandalay)