“And this discontent has a root,
and what is this root?
All felt experiences should be answered.”
So what is the cause of discontent?
It’s everything that we experience.
This is vedanā.
Vedanā is sensations or feeling.
But mainly, this is everything that you are experiencing.
Whether it’s at the ear,
visual cognition,
whether it’s taste,
whether it’s touch,
whatever it is:
There is an experience.
And that experience, that’s the truth.
That’s the truth of what is happening right now.
Like… mmm… it’s cold.
It’s cold and it’s touching the skin.
It’s not completely unpleasant I would say, but…
It’s really crisp. (Laughter)
But this is just the way it is.
I mean, I cannot change this.
This is just what is experienced right now,
it’s simply the sensation that is ongoing.
But here is the most important links of this chain.
This is where we have the choice.
Where we have the experience that is really happening, here and now,
and then we have the label that we put on it.
Or we have the judgement,
or we have the opinion,
or we have the ‘I want it’ or ‘I don’t want it’,
or ‘I like it’ or I don’t like it.’
And this is where all of the problems start.
Well yes, it’s going to change something.
It’s going to change that your mind will be all over it,
and all over the place.
And not peaceful at all.
This is the place in Dependent Origination where we have really the choice.
[…]
This is also where we let go of the hindrances.
When you are meditating and you have this experience arising,
because the mind is also only just a sense for the Buddha,
When you have restlessness arising in the mind for example,
well… that is still an experience,
that is still just a sensation.
You don’t take it personal.
You don’t say:
‘Oh that’s me’
‘Oh my meditation, I can’t do it!’
‘I am incapable’
That is actually feeding the hindrance.
“You just let it do its thing.
You let it go.
See the tension that came up with it.
It’s like a tight fist around your brain
or around your shoulders.
And then you let go
and you relax that
and you let it go.”
That’s where the Path is also.
When we practice the path,
we practice it right there.
We cultivate the mind of course,
with that joy and tranquility and happiness and collectedness.
And that helps us see when these distractions arise
Based upon these sensations.
These felt experiences.