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==Personal History== ==Personal History==
Unlike most of his peers, Sayadaw U Tejaniya lived as a ], running a textile business, until age 36. At various intervals during his pre-monastic life he studied intensively with Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, a highly venerated teacher who was one of the first disciples of ].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kumara|first=Ayasma|title=Destined To Teach|journal=Sāsanārakkha Newszine|year=2008|month=July}}</ref> Sayadaw Tejaniya credits this nontraditional background with allowing him to better understand the mindset and motivations of contemporary ]. Sayadaw Tejaniya feels that because of his experience developing his practice to a very high level while leading the life of a ], he understands both the challenges ] face in integrating their ] practice with their everyday lives and how to overcome them. Another notable episode in his biography was his struggle with two major episodes of ], which he credits with providing the motivation to develop his (in this case therapeutic) skills at ] to an extraordinary level. Unlike most Sayadaws, Sayadaw U Tejaniya lived as a ], running a textile business, until age 36. At various intervals during his pre-monastic life he studied intensively with Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, a highly venerated teacher who was one of the first disciples of ].<ref>Ayasma Kumara "Destined To Teach" http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/Destined-to-Teach.pdf</ref> Sayadaw Tejaniya credits this nontraditional background with allowing him to better understand the mindset and motivations of contemporary ]. Sayadaw Tejaniya feels that because of his experience developing his practice to a very high level while leading the life of a ], he understands both the challenges ] face in integrating their ] practice with their everyday lives and how to overcome them. Another notable episode in his biography was his struggle with two major episodes of ], which he credits with providing the motivation to develop his (in this case therapeutic) skills at ] to an extraordinary level.


==Method and Style of Teaching== ==Method and Style of Teaching==
Sayadaw's teaching style has been characterized as a contrast to the dominant style of ] ] in ], developed by ] and still widely practiced around the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gunatillake|first=Rohan|title=Check Your Attitude, Release Your Practice|url=http://www.21awake.com/checking-your-attitude-evolving-your-practice|work=21Awake|accessdate=12 January 2013}}</ref> Rather than making a single primary object the focus of ], such as the rising and falling of the abdomen or the raising and placing of the foot in walking meditation, Sayadaw Tejaniya believes that awareness must first pay attention to the presence of ] in the mind -- greed, aversion and delusion -- which can make themselves subtly present in traditional ] methods undercutting the effectiveness of the practice.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Shaheen|first=James|title=The Wise Investigator|journal=Tricycle|year=2007|volume=XVII|issue=2|pages=44–47}}</ref> Sayadaw's teaching style has been characterized as a contrast to the dominant style of ] ] in ], developed by ] and still widely practiced around the world.<ref>Rohan Gunatillake "Check your attitude, release your practice" 21awake blog http://www.21awake.com/checking-your-attitude-evolving-your-practice</ref> Rather than making a single primary object the focus of ], such as the rising and falling of the abdomen or the raising and placing of the foot in walking meditation, Sayadaw Tejaniya believes that awareness must first pay attention to the presence of ] in the mind -- greed, aversion and delusion -- which can make themselves subtly present in traditional ] methods undercutting the effectiveness of the practice.<ref>James Shaheen, "The Wise Investigator" Tricycle Magazine Winter 2007 http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/8_tej.pdf</ref>
Sayadaw Tejaniya places little emphasis on form -- the sitting posture or the specific method of walking -- emphasizing instead a more natural pose closer to how yogis act in real life.<ref>Ven Kumara Bhikkhu, "Fantastic! An Interview With Sayadaw u Tejaniya" http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/fantasticarticle.pdf</ref> He also believes that meditation retreats conducted in absolute silence are of limited benefit as they don't allow practitioners to develop skills in mindful communication, lacking which yogis are easily set off balance as they try to practice in the noisy world outside the retreat center. Sayadaw Tejaniya places little emphasis on form -- the sitting posture or the specific method of walking -- emphasizing instead a more natural pose closer to how yogis act in real life.<ref>Ven Kumara Bhikkhu, "Fantastic! An Interview With Sayadaw u Tejaniya" http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/fantasticarticle.pdf</ref> He also believes that meditation retreats conducted in absolute silence are of limited benefit as they don't allow practitioners to develop skills in mindful communication, lacking which yogis are easily set off balance as they try to practice in the noisy world outside the retreat center.
Sayadaw Tejaniya tends to shift yogis away from too much involvement with concepts like ], ], supernatural aspects of ] belief and is even tempered in his interpretation of the concept of ], or non-self. He believes the most important aspect of meditation is cittanupassana (awareness of mental states) and emphasizes ] (investigation of phenomena) of an almost scientific sort, as the most productive route to knowledge of the world as it really is<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fabjański|first=Marcin|title=Nirvana: Access Code|journal=Polityka|year=2009|volume=13|issue=3|pages=73–75}}</ref> . He is particularly concerned with helping ] build skills that they can and will continue at home rather than practices which, though technically advanced, are only feasible to perform while at a retreat center.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Knaster|first=Mirka|title=Taking a Relaxed Approach with Sayadaw U Tejaniya|journal=Inquiring Mind, A Semiannual Journal of the Vipassana Community|year=2008|volume=24|issue=2}}</ref> Sayadaw Tejaniya tends to shift yogis away from too much involvement with concepts like ], ], supernatural aspects of ] belief and is even tempered in his interpretation of the concept of ], or non-self. He believes the most important aspect of meditation is cittanupassana (awareness of mental states) and emphasizes ] (investigation of phenomena)of an almost scientific sort, as the most productive route to knowledge of the world as it really is. He is particularly concerned with helping ] build skills that they can and will continue at home rather than practices which, though technically advanced, are only feasible to perform while at a retreat center.<ref>Mirka Knaster "Taking a Relaxed Approach with Sayadaw U Tejaniya" Inquiring Mind (Volume 24, Number 2, Spring 2008) http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/inquiring-mind-article.pdf</ref>
Although by some standards Sayadaw Tejaniya's teachings differ radically from ] orthodoxy, he has been well received even in communities that value traditionalism in meditation practice, such as ] and ] itself. Although by some standards Sayadaw Tejaniya's teachings differ radically from ] orthodoxy, he has been well received even in communities that value traditionalism in meditation practice, such as ] and ] itself.


==Overseas Teachings== ==Overseas Teachings==
Sayadaw Tejaniya has taught and led meditation retreats in a growing number of communities around the world. Since 2007 he has led retreats in ], the ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], ], ] and ]. Sayadaw Tejaniya is in considerable demand as a teacher and leader of meditation retreats from communities around the world. Since 2007 he has led retreats in the ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], ], ] and ].
Attendance at the Shwe Oo Min Center by ] from outside ] has risen since the publication of Sayadaw's first book in 2008 and requests for him to teach have increased both from communities he has visited in the past as well as new ones. There are independent websites devoted to discussion of Sayadaw's teachings in ], ], ], and his principal writings have been translated into 11 languages.<ref name="sayadawutejaniya">Publications by Sayadaw U Tejaniya http://sayadawutejaniya.org/teachings/</ref> Attendance at the Shwe Oo Min Center by ] from outside ] has been rising steadily since the publication of Sayadaw's first book in and requests for him to teach have increased both from communities he has visited in the past as well as new ones. There are independent websites devoted to discussion of Sayadaw's teachings in ], ], ], and his principal writings have been translated into 11 languages.
In 2012 Sayadaw traveled to the ] with his translator for a retreat at the ] in ]. Over one hundred participants attended, including many noted North American meditation teachers. In 2012 Sayadaw travelled to the ] with his translator for a retreat at the ] in ]. Over one hundred participants attended, including many noted North American meditation teachers.


==Quotations== ==Quotations==
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==Publications== ==Publications==
Sayadaw has published three books which are edited compilations from his group interviews with yogis and one collection of brief ] autobiographies emphasizing how the practice of meditation has influenced them (including one by Sayadaw Tejaniya himself).<ref name="sayadawutejaniya" /> Sayadaw has published three books which are edited compilations from his group interviews with yogis and one collection of brief ] autobiographies emphasizing how the practice of meditation has influenced them (including one by Sayadaw Tejaniya himself).<ref>Publications by Sayadaw U Tejaniya http://sayadawutejaniya.org/teachings/</ref>
Sayadaw Tejaniya tends not to give formal ], favoring open question-and-answer exchange with ] about difficulties they face in practice. This form combines some elements of traditional dharma talks and interviews and is generally expansive and free-flowing. Many of these sessions have been recorded by yogis and are available online. Sayadaw Tejaniya tends not to give formal ], favoring open question-and-answer exchange with ] about difficulties they face in practice. This form combines some elements of traditional dharma talks and interviews and is generally expansive and free-flowing. Many of these sessions have been recorded by yogis and are available online.


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] ]



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Sayadaw U Tejaniya (left, in a rare non-smiling moment) with Bhikku Kumara At The Shwe Oo Min Meditation Center
Sayadaw U Tejaniya
Template:My
TitleSayadaw
Personal life
NationalityBurmese
OccupationBuddhist monk
Religious life
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolTheravada
LineageMahasi
Senior posting
TeacherShwe Oo Min Sayadaw
Based inYangon, Myanmar
Websitewww.sayadawutejaniya.org
Part of a series on
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Sayadaw U Tejaniya (Burmese: ဆရာေတာ္ ဦးေတဇနိ) is a Burmese Theravadan Buddhist Monk of Chinese descent and the Meditation Teacher at the Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Center in Yangon, Myanmar.

Personal History

Unlike most Sayadaws, Sayadaw U Tejaniya lived as a householder, running a textile business, until age 36. At various intervals during his pre-monastic life he studied intensively with Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, a highly venerated teacher who was one of the first disciples of Mahasi Sayadaw. Sayadaw Tejaniya credits this nontraditional background with allowing him to better understand the mindset and motivations of contemporary yogis. Sayadaw Tejaniya feels that because of his experience developing his practice to a very high level while leading the life of a householder, he understands both the challenges yogis face in integrating their meditation practice with their everyday lives and how to overcome them. Another notable episode in his biography was his struggle with two major episodes of clinical depression, which he credits with providing the motivation to develop his (in this case therapeutic) skills at mental self-investigation to an extraordinary level.

Method and Style of Teaching

Sayadaw's teaching style has been characterized as a contrast to the dominant style of Vipassana meditation in Myanmar, developed by Mahasi Sayadaw and still widely practiced around the world. Rather than making a single primary object the focus of awareness, such as the rising and falling of the abdomen or the raising and placing of the foot in walking meditation, Sayadaw Tejaniya believes that awareness must first pay attention to the presence of defilements in the mind -- greed, aversion and delusion -- which can make themselves subtly present in traditional Vipassana methods undercutting the effectiveness of the practice. Sayadaw Tejaniya places little emphasis on form -- the sitting posture or the specific method of walking -- emphasizing instead a more natural pose closer to how yogis act in real life. He also believes that meditation retreats conducted in absolute silence are of limited benefit as they don't allow practitioners to develop skills in mindful communication, lacking which yogis are easily set off balance as they try to practice in the noisy world outside the retreat center. Sayadaw Tejaniya tends to shift yogis away from too much involvement with concepts like Metta, rebirth, supernatural aspects of Buddhist belief and is even tempered in his interpretation of the concept of anatta, or non-self. He believes the most important aspect of meditation is cittanupassana (awareness of mental states) and emphasizes Dhamma vicaya (investigation of phenomena)of an almost scientific sort, as the most productive route to knowledge of the world as it really is. He is particularly concerned with helping yogis build skills that they can and will continue at home rather than practices which, though technically advanced, are only feasible to perform while at a retreat center. Although by some standards Sayadaw Tejaniya's teachings differ radically from Vipassana orthodoxy, he has been well received even in communities that value traditionalism in meditation practice, such as Sri Lanka and Myanmar itself.

Overseas Teachings

Sayadaw Tejaniya is in considerable demand as a teacher and leader of meditation retreats from communities around the world. Since 2007 he has led retreats in the Czech Republic, Poland, Indonesia, Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia, the United States, Russia, China, Vietnam and Great Britain. Attendance at the Shwe Oo Min Center by yogis from outside Myanmar has been rising steadily since the publication of Sayadaw's first book in and requests for him to teach have increased both from communities he has visited in the past as well as new ones. There are independent websites devoted to discussion of Sayadaw's teachings in English, Russian, Korean, and his principal writings have been translated into 11 languages. In 2012 Sayadaw travelled to the United States with his translator for a retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts. Over one hundred participants attended, including many noted North American meditation teachers.

Quotations

  • Trying to create something is greed. Rejecting what is happening is aversion. Not knowing if something is happening or has stopped happening is delusion. Only to the extent that the observing mind has no greed, aversion or anxiety are you truly meditating.
  • You are not trying to make things turn out the way you want them to happen. You are trying to know what is happening as it is. Don’t practice with a mind that wants something or wants something to happen. The result will only be that you tire yourself out.
  • You have to accept and watch both good and bad experiences. You want only good experiences? You don’t want even the tiniest unpleasant experience? Is that reasonable? Is this the way of the Dhamma!
  • Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind. You are not practicing to prevent thinking; but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises.
  • Don’t reject any object that comes to your attention. The object of attention is not really important; the observing mind that is working in the background to be aware is of real importance. If the observing is done with the right attitude, any object is the right object.
  • We all have wrong attitudes; we cannot help having them. So do not try to have the right attitude, try to recognize if you have the wrong or the right attitude instead. It is important to be aware when you have right attitudes, but it is even more important to recognize and investigate your wrong attitudes. Try to understand your wrong attitudes; find out how they affect your practice, and see how they make you feel. So watch yourself and keep checking to see what state of mind you are practicing with.
  • One thing you need to remember and understand is that you cannot leave the mind alone. It needs to be watched consistently. If you do not look after your garden it will overgrow with weeds. If you do not watch your mind, defilements will grow and multiply. The mind does not belong to you but you are responsible for it.
  • You are not trying to make things turn out the way you want them to happen. You are trying to know what is happening as it is. Thinking things should be this way or that, wanting this or that to happen or not to happen is expectation. Expectations create anxiety.
  • Meditation is not just about sitting on a cushion. No matter what posture you are in, if your mind is aware with understanding, you are meditating.
  • Right effort means perseverance. It does not mean focusing hard, controlling, forcing or restricting yourself. Focusing hard arises from greed, aversion, or ignorance of the practice.

Publications

Sayadaw has published three books which are edited compilations from his group interviews with yogis and one collection of brief yogi autobiographies emphasizing how the practice of meditation has influenced them (including one by Sayadaw Tejaniya himself). Sayadaw Tejaniya tends not to give formal Dharma Talks, favoring open question-and-answer exchange with yogis about difficulties they face in practice. This form combines some elements of traditional dharma talks and interviews and is generally expansive and free-flowing. Many of these sessions have been recorded by yogis and are available online.

References

  1. Ayasma Kumara "Destined To Teach" http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/Destined-to-Teach.pdf
  2. Rohan Gunatillake "Check your attitude, release your practice" 21awake blog http://www.21awake.com/checking-your-attitude-evolving-your-practice
  3. James Shaheen, "The Wise Investigator" Tricycle Magazine Winter 2007 http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/8_tej.pdf
  4. Ven Kumara Bhikkhu, "Fantastic! An Interview With Sayadaw u Tejaniya" http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/fantasticarticle.pdf
  5. Mirka Knaster "Taking a Relaxed Approach with Sayadaw U Tejaniya" Inquiring Mind (Volume 24, Number 2, Spring 2008) http://sayadawutejaniya.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/inquiring-mind-article.pdf
  6. Publications by Sayadaw U Tejaniya http://sayadawutejaniya.org/teachings/

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