Sayadaw U Tejaniya’s emphasis on the working mind and the checking mind is a fundamental feature of his approach to meditation. It shifts the focus away from the object of meditation (like the breath or a sensation) and onto the quality of the awareness itself.
Here is a breakdown of these two concepts:
The Working Mind (The Observing Mind)
The "working mind" is the mind that is actively engaged in the process of being aware, knowing, and gathering information. It's the mind performing the actual job of meditation.
Aspect Explanation
The Job The mind's primary job in this practice is to know what is happening. The working mind is simply the mind that is aware—seeing, hearing, feeling, or thinking—at any given moment.
Focus is the Knowing The true object of meditation is not the physical object (like a hand moving) but the act of knowing that object. If you are walking, the working mind is the one knowing the movement. If you are thinking, the working mind is the one knowing the thought.
The Goal To make this working mind strong and continuous. This is achieved not through intense focus, but through relaxed, sustained awareness (Right Effort) and a clear understanding of what it is doing (Right View). If the working mind is strong, other wholesome qualities (like clarity and stability) will naturally follow.
The Importance "The object of attention is not really important; the observing mind that is working to be aware is of real importance." By seeing the knowing mind, you see that the mind is a process (anatta, or non-self), which is the essence of insight. The Checking Mind (or Checking Your Attitude)
The "checking mind" is an internal, quick quality of awareness that monitors the attitude or quality of the working mind. It is a moment of self-reflection that ensures the working mind is operating with wholesome qualities.
Aspect Explanation
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The Check This is the action of stepping back for a moment (usually very fast) to see if the working mind is contaminated by defilements (greed, aversion, or delusion). You are checking the energy and intention behind your awareness.
The Questions The checking mind often operates by asking subtle, non-judgmental questions, usually about the five hindrances or "wrong effort":
- "Is the mind relaxed or tense?" (Checking for aversion/striving)
- "Am I trying to force something to happen?" (Checking for greed/wanting)
- "Am I judging this experience?" (Checking for aversion/wrong view)
- "Am I clear or dull/fuzzy?" (Checking for delusion/sloth and torpor)
The Purpose The primary function of the checking mind is to ensure the presence of Right Attitude or Right View (awareness accompanied by wisdom). If you discover tension or wanting, you relax and let go of the wrong attitude, allowing the working mind to reset to a wholesome state. Checking your mental state is also meditation.
Its Necessity Without the checking mind, you can be very focused and aware, but the underlying motivation could be unwholesome (e.g., tense, striving to achieve something, or being arrogant about your concentration). The checking mind brings wisdom to the practice, turning mere awareness into insight.
The Interplay
The working mind and checking mind work in tandem to develop continuous awareness with wisdom:
- The Working Mind is continuously aware of whatever object is present (seeing, hearing, bodily sensation, thinking).
- The Checking Mind occasionally or spontaneously "pings" the working mind to see: How is the mind doing the work?
- If the checking mind detects unwholesome quality (like striving or dullness), that unwholesome quality then becomes the new object for the working mind, which acknowledges and studies it until it naturally fades, allowing the mind to relax and return to a wholesome state.
In essence, Sayadaw U Tejaniya's method teaches you to be aware of the content of experience, but more importantly, to be aware of the context or quality of the mind doing the awareness. This is how the meditation moves from simple concentration to liberating insight (\text{vipassanā}).