Question: Hello Sayadaw! I am practicing under the guidance of a Myanmar master in Mandalay for three years but focusing more on the last year. I feel my practice getting improved. My mind gets more peaceful and calmer. But I usually cannot sleep at night after meditating, I didn’t sleep at all for one month but I still feel good inside my body. Since I came here with this retreat, it happens again. Is it ok? Please give me an advice.

“I have experienced about yogis who have the same problem as yours. If you can relax, release, abandon your physical, verbal and mental actions; if you can be mindful in the knowing mind; if you try to be mindful in the knowing mind and present actions of the mind, you sure will feel tired because you don’t get used to practice like this. If we cannot abandon our physical, verbal, and mental actions, we can easily do something by using physical, verbal, and mental actions. But we have difficulties to control our physical, verbal and mental actions when not to use or do. We should do what we cannot do. We should be mindful of what we are unable to be mindful of. If we are able to do nothing with our physical, verbal, and mental actions; not-to-do-something becomes easy, to-do-something becomes difficult. But we must be able to do what we should do. Even if it is difficult to do. If we follow the Middle way, it will be difficult most of the time but that is nature. We cannot reject, we should try to be mindful in the mind and Dhamma or the Truth or ever-new-impermanent nature. That will solve your sleepless problem.”

Question: But Sayadaw, when I am unable to be mindful of the knowing mind, what should I do when I cannot sleep? Normally, I observe my awakened mind but sometimes I couldn’t do it but still am able to aware myself of being awake. Is there any solution for me? “

“If we cannot be mindful of our present mind, or knowing mind. We should practice more seriously, continuously. Besides, we should do what we can d,o we can support the other meditators, we can ordain. This is not to grasp but to detach and also to develop the ability. Now you are skillful to be mindful of your knowing mind. Otherwise, there are many things you cannot do, you should try to do what you cannot do. This is for all. Like us, if we cannot open TNC at the current place, we can open in another place. This is what we should do. When you cannot be mindful of the knowing mind, you can do another thing which you cannot do, there are many of them. We need to do it continuously, likely going to school. When we pass the 5th grade we don’t need to study it again. We need to study the 6th and then the 7th grade. Finally, we can be educated. Practicing meditation also is like that. Kayanupassana Satipathana [body observing meditation] is not the end just beginning. If we can do it, we should try to do more. If we are trying to do so, we will be able to do many things. Like Thabarwa center, in the beginning, we can open only the meditation center for meditators. When we can open the center, we try to access anyone who wants to stay, who wants to do good deeds. There are also many difficulties whatever we do. But that is nature, we cannot avoid, we should try to accept it and then continue again and again. In this way, Thabarwa center organization can be many things, after 3 years, the center becomes countrywide, worldwide. This is the way to be doing-only. You should also try to accept sleeplessness as nature. If you cannot accept that nature, it will be a problem. If we can accept it, it will not be a problem. Likely old age, sickness, and death, if we cannot accept, all these are problems for us. If we can do so, all these will not be a problem. This turns to-experience-only, to-use-only.”