Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teaching on "when you find something is good then greed is there" is a crucial point in his approach to meditation, which emphasizes the awareness of the attitude of the meditating mind and the subtle presence of defilements like greed.

Here is a breakdown of the core meaning and implications of this teaching:

1. The Subtlety of Greed in "Good" Experiences

• Greed's Disguise: When a meditator experiences a pleasant state—like peace, tranquility, or strong focus—they naturally label it as "good." The moment the mind likes this experience and wants it to stay, continue, or happen again, that very wanting is greed (or craving/attachment).
• The Danger of Attachment to the Positive: Many meditators are vigilant about aversion (disliking/rejecting) unpleasant experiences, but they often miss the danger of craving pleasant ones. Attachment to "good" meditation states stops the learning process and creates a subtle form of suffering.
• The Learning Stops: If you become satisfied and enjoy the pleasant state, the mind stops investigating. It rests in the comfort rather than continuing to observe the impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and not-self (anatta) of the experience.

2. The Focus on the Attitude of Mind

Sayadaw U Tejaniya constantly urges meditators to check the quality of the observing mind, not just the object of observation.

• Checking the Attitude: Instead of just noting "peaceful," the meditator should also check: What is the mind doing with this peacefulness? Is the mind relaxed and simply knowing the peace? Or is it trying to hold on to it, create more of it, or feel pleased with itself for achieving it?
• "Trying to create something is greed." If you force or strive to maintain a pleasant state, that striving is motivated by greed. This leads to wrong effort and exhaustion.
• Right Attitude: The correct attitude is to simply know the pleasant experience without preference or judgment, and to see the craving that arises in relation to it. When wisdom is present, it sees the experience as it is—just a passing mental or physical phenomenon—not as something "mine" to be grasped.

3. The Difference Between Wisdom and Greed

He distinguishes between two types of wanting:

• Wanting from Greed: This is the desire for a result, an outcome, or the continuation of a pleasant feeling. For example, "I want my mind to be peaceful now," or "I want to have a deep insight." This is selfish and leads to tension and disappointment.
• Wanting from Wisdom (Right Effort): This is the wholesome desire to know and understand whatever is happening, regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. This is a relaxed, patient perseverance in the practice itself.

In essence, the teaching means that the minute you evaluate a meditation experience as "good" and then cling to that judgment, you have introduced craving into your practice, which prevents the deeper insight into the true nature of reality. The goal is to observe the entire process—the "good" object, the feeling of liking, and the arising of greed—with a neutral, balanced awareness.