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{{Short description|Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk}}
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⚫ {{Burmese name|Sayadaw U}}
{{AFC submission|d|bio|declinets=20130112095510|decliner=Bonkers The Clown|ts=20130112095157|u=Iguana0000|ns=2}}
⚫ {{Burmese name|U}}
]
{{Infobox religious biography {{Infobox religious biography
⚫ |name = Sayadaw U Tejaniya
|background = #FFD068 | color = black
|native_name = {{lang|my|ဆရာတော် ဦးတေဇနိယ}}
|name = Sayadaw U Tejaniya <br/> {{my|ဆရာေတာ္ ဦးေတဇနိ}}
|image = File:Sayadaw U Tejaniya and Bhikku Kumara CROPPED.jpg
|image =
|caption = Sayadaw U Tejaniya (left) with Ayasma Kumara Bhikkhu at the Shwe Oo Min Meditation Center
|caption =
|birth name = |birth name =
|alias = |alias =
|dharma_name = {{IAST|Tejaniya}}
|dharma name =
|website = |website = {{url|www.ashintejaniya.org}}
|birth_date = |birth_date = 1962
|birth_place = |birth_place =
|death_date = |death_date =
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|religion = ] |religion = ]
|school = ] |school = ]
|lineage = Mahasi |lineage = ]
|title = ] |title = ]
|location = ], ] |location = ], ]
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{{Buddhism}} {{Buddhism}}


] U Tejaniya (]: ဆရာေတာ္ ဦးေတဇနိ) is a ] ] ] of ] descent and the ] Teacher at the Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Center in ], ]. '''] U Tejaniya''' ({{langx|my|ဆရာတော် ဦးတေဇနိယ}}) is a ] ] of ] and the ] teacher at the Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Center in ], ] whose teachings have attracted a global audience.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nguyễn Mạnh|first=Hùng|title=Doanh nhân làm nhà Sư một tuần tại khoá thiền Niệm Tâm do Thiền sư U Tejaniya hướng dẫn|url=http://yume.vn/hoasenngancanh/article/doanh-nhan-lam-nha-su-mot-tuan-tai-khoa-thien-niem-tam-do-thien-su-u-tejaniya-huong-dan.35D4BB36.html|publisher=Yume Network News / MẠNG THÔNG TIN YuMe|access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref>


==Personal History== ==Personal life==
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. Sayadaw U Tejaniya lived as a ] running a textile business until age thirty-six, which is atypical for Sayadaws in Myanmar.<ref name="KochliWalter">{{cite book|last=Kochli|first=Walter|title=The Practice of Mindfulness Will Change You|year=2007|publisher=Shwe Oo Min Production Society|location=Yangon, Myanmar|pages=15–17}}</ref> At various intervals during his pre-monastic life he studied intensively with Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (1913–2002), a highly venerated figure who was one of the first meditation teachers trained by ].<ref name="KumaraAyasma">{{cite journal|last=Kumara|first=Ayasma|title=Destined To Teach|journal=Sāsanārakkha Newszine|date=July 2008}}</ref> Sayadaw Tejaniya feels that because of his experience developing his ] while leading the life of a householder, he understands both the challenges ]s face in integrating their meditation practice with their everyday lives and how to overcome them.<ref name="KumaraAyasma" /> Another notable episode in his life was his struggle with two major episodes of ], which he credits with providing the motivation to develop his skills at ] (Dhamma vicaya) to an extraordinary level.<ref name="KochliWalter" />


==Pedagogical style==
==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 differs in emphasis somewhat from the style of ] meditation generally practiced in Myanmar.<ref>{{cite book|last=Shankman|first=Richard|title=The Experience of Samadhi: An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation|year=2008|publisher=Shambhala Publications|location=Boston, MA|isbn=978-1590305218|pages=107, 112}}</ref> Rather than making a single, primary object the focus of ] for meditation, Sayadaw Tejaniya believes practitioners must first pay attention to the presence of ] in the mind—greed, aversion and delusion—which can make themselves subtly present while meditating and diminish 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> As Sayadaw Tejaniya has said, "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."<ref>{{cite book|last=Tejaniya|first=Ashin|title=Don't Look Down On The Defilements, They Will Laugh At You|year=2008|publisher=Auspicious Affinity|location=Selangor, Malaysia|pages=15}}</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 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>
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.


Sayadaw Tejaniya places less emphasis on form—the ] or the specific method of ]—recommending instead a more natural pose closer to how yogis act in real life.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kumara|first=Ayasma|title=Fantastic! An Interview With Sayadaw U Tejaniya|journal=Sāsanārakkha Newszine|date=July 2005|issue=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Stanley|first=Claire|title=Mindfulness for Educators|journal=Insight Journal|date=Summer 2007|volume=28|pages=26}}</ref> In his words, "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."<ref>{{cite book|last=Tejaniya|first=Ashin|title=Don't Look Down On The Defilements, They Will Laugh At You|year=2008|publisher=Auspicious Affinity|location=Selangor, Malaysia|pages=50}}</ref>
⚫ ==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 ].
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>
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 addition to '']'' (mindfulness) and '']'' (perseverance), the Sayadaw feels it is important for yogis to engage in '']'' (investigation, analysis) of an almost scientific sort, which he believes is the most productive route to knowledge of the world as it really is.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fabjański|first=Marcin|title=Nirwana/Kod dostępu |journal=Polityka|year=2009|volume=13|issue=3|pages=73–75}}</ref> The Sayadaw is particularly concerned with helping yogis build skills they can and will continue to use throughout their lives.<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>
==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.
⚫ ==Overseas teachings==
* 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.
Sayadaw Tejaniya has taught and led meditation retreats in ], ], the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], the ] and ]. His principal writings have been translated into eleven languages. In 2012, Sayadaw traveled to the United States with his translator for a retreat at the ] in ]. Over one hundred participants attended, including many noted North American meditation teachers.<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 Course Catalog|url=http://www.dharma.org/meditation-retreats/retreat-center/retreat-description?id=254|publisher=Insight Meditation Society, Barre MA|access-date=13 January 2013}}</ref>
* 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== ==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 Tejaniya has published three books drawn from his group interviews with yogis, one collection of brief yogi autobiographies emphasizing how the practice of mindfulness meditation has influenced them (including one by the Sayadaw himself), and two books from a commercial publisher (''When Awareness Becomes Natural: A Guide to Cultivating Mindfulness in Everyday Life'', 2016, and ''Relax and Be Aware: Mindfulness Meditations for Clarity, Confidence, and Wisdom'', 2019).
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. Many of Sayadaw Tejaniya's question-and-answer exchanges with yogis about their practice, which combine elements of traditional ] and interviews, are available online. He was apparently the correspondee of letters from Master Zhong Fushi in 2012 in which he was encouraged to remain open to the Dharmapālas.


== References == == References ==
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== External links == == External links ==

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* {{cite book | title = When Awareness Becomes Natural: A Guide To Cultivating Mindfulness in Everyday Life | publisher = Shambhala | year = 2016 | location = Boulder, Colorado | pages = 186 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8nICDAAAQBAJ | isbn = 978-1-61180-307-5 | author1 = Sayadaw U Tejaniya | author2 = ed. Robert French.}}
* {{cite book | title = Relax and Be Aware: Mindfulness Meditations for Clarity, Confidence, and Wisdom | publisher = Shambhala | year = 2019 | location = Boulder, Colorado | pages = 136 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Kw6xDwAAQBAJ | isbn = 978-1-61180-790-5 | author1 = Sayadaw U Tejaniya | author2 = ed. Doug McGill.}}


{{Buddhism topics}} {{Buddhism topics}}
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Latest revision as of 23:47, 19 November 2024

Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk In this Burmese name, Sayadaw U is an honorific, not a given name.
Sayadaw U Tejaniya
ဆရာတော် ဦးတေဇနိယ
Sayadaw U Tejaniya (left) with Ayasma Kumara Bhikkhu at the Shwe Oo Min Meditation Center
TitleSayadaw
Personal life
Born1962
NationalityBurmese
OccupationBuddhist monk
Religious life
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolTheravada
LineageShwegyin Nikaya
Dharma namesTejaniya
Senior posting
TeacherShwe Oo Min Sayadaw
Based inYangon, Myanmar
Websitewww.ashintejaniya.org
Part of a series on
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Sayadaw U Tejaniya (Burmese: ဆရာတော် ဦးတေဇနိယ) is a Theravādin Buddhist monk of Chinese descent and the meditation teacher at the Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Center in Yangon, Myanmar whose teachings have attracted a global audience.

Personal life

Sayadaw U Tejaniya lived as a householder running a textile business until age thirty-six, which is atypical for Sayadaws in Myanmar. At various intervals during his pre-monastic life he studied intensively with Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (1913–2002), a highly venerated figure who was one of the first meditation teachers trained by Mahasi Sayadaw. Sayadaw Tejaniya feels that because of his experience developing his practice 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 life was his struggle with two major episodes of clinical depression, which he credits with providing the motivation to develop his skills at mental self-investigation (Dhamma vicaya) to an extraordinary level.

Pedagogical style

Sayadaw's teaching style differs in emphasis somewhat from the style of Vipassana meditation generally practiced in Myanmar. Rather than making a single, primary object the focus of awareness for meditation, Sayadaw Tejaniya believes practitioners must first pay attention to the presence of defilements in the mind—greed, aversion and delusion—which can make themselves subtly present while meditating and diminish the effectiveness of the practice. As Sayadaw Tejaniya has said, "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."

Sayadaw Tejaniya places less emphasis on form—the sitting posture or the specific method of walking—recommending instead a more natural pose closer to how yogis act in real life. In his words, "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."

In addition to sati (mindfulness) and viriya (perseverance), the Sayadaw feels it is important for yogis to engage in dhamma vicaya (investigation, analysis) of an almost scientific sort, which he believes is the most productive route to knowledge of the world as it really is. The Sayadaw is particularly concerned with helping yogis build skills they can and will continue to use throughout their lives.

Overseas teachings

Sayadaw Tejaniya has taught and led meditation retreats in Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Finland, the United States and Vietnam. His principal writings have been translated into eleven languages. In 2012, Sayadaw traveled 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.

Publications

Sayadaw Tejaniya has published three books drawn from his group interviews with yogis, one collection of brief yogi autobiographies emphasizing how the practice of mindfulness meditation has influenced them (including one by the Sayadaw himself), and two books from a commercial publisher (When Awareness Becomes Natural: A Guide to Cultivating Mindfulness in Everyday Life, 2016, and Relax and Be Aware: Mindfulness Meditations for Clarity, Confidence, and Wisdom, 2019). Many of Sayadaw Tejaniya's question-and-answer exchanges with yogis about their practice, which combine elements of traditional Dhamma talks and interviews, are available online. He was apparently the correspondee of letters from Master Zhong Fushi in 2012 in which he was encouraged to remain open to the Dharmapālas.

References

  1. Nguyễn Mạnh, Hùng. "Doanh nhân làm nhà Sư một tuần tại khoá thiền Niệm Tâm do Thiền sư U Tejaniya hướng dẫn". Yume Network News / MẠNG THÔNG TIN YuMe. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  2. ^ Kochli, Walter (2007). The Practice of Mindfulness Will Change You. Yangon, Myanmar: Shwe Oo Min Production Society. pp. 15–17.
  3. ^ Kumara, Ayasma (July 2008). "Destined To Teach". Sāsanārakkha Newszine.
  4. Shankman, Richard (2008). The Experience of Samadhi: An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications. pp. 107, 112. ISBN 978-1590305218.
  5. Shaheen, James (2007). "The Wise Investigator". Tricycle. XVII (2): 44–47.
  6. Tejaniya, Ashin (2008). Don't Look Down On The Defilements, They Will Laugh At You. Selangor, Malaysia: Auspicious Affinity. p. 15.
  7. Kumara, Ayasma (July 2005). "Fantastic! An Interview With Sayadaw U Tejaniya". Sāsanārakkha Newszine (4).
  8. Stanley, Claire (Summer 2007). "Mindfulness for Educators". Insight Journal. 28: 26.
  9. Tejaniya, Ashin (2008). Don't Look Down On The Defilements, They Will Laugh At You. Selangor, Malaysia: Auspicious Affinity. p. 50.
  10. Fabjański, Marcin (2009). "Nirwana/Kod dostępu". Polityka. 13 (3): 73–75.
  11. Knaster, Mirka (2008). "Taking a Relaxed Approach with Sayadaw U Tejaniya". Inquiring Mind, A Semiannual Journal of the Vipassana Community. 24 (2).
  12. "2012 Course Catalog". Insight Meditation Society, Barre MA. Retrieved 13 January 2013.

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