The teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, a prominent Burmese meditation master, place a unique and strong emphasis on the role of Right View (or wisdom) in the very act of mindfulness.
When asked how Sayadaw U Tejaniya suggests practicing with Right View, the simplest and most profound answer is to consistently integrate the insight of impersonality (not-self) into the entire field of awareness, especially focusing on the mind itself.
The core practice can be summarized as follows:
Continuous Awareness+Right View=The Practice
Right View in Practice: The "Natural, Not-Self" Principle
Sayadaw U Tejaniya's instruction centers on the understanding that the mind, the body, and all experiences are simply impersonal, natural processes (dhamma) and should not be identified with as "me" or "mine."
Specifically, he teaches two inseparable components to be maintained continuously:
- Be Continuously Aware (Right Effort): Maintain a relaxed, gentle, and non-straining awareness of everything that arises, whether it is an external object (seeing, hearing) or an internal state (thoughts, feelings, intentions, desires).
- Be Aware with Right View (Wisdom): The crucial step is to look at the observed phenomenon, particularly the observing mind itself, and acknowledge it as a natural process:
- The Mind is Nature, Not "Me": When a defilement (like anger or impatience) arises, the right view is to recognize it as "just anger, just a conditioned state of mind," rather than "I am angry."
- Check the Attitude: Constantly examine the quality of the mind that is aware. If the awareness is tight, forced, or wanting a specific result, that is wrong effort rooted in greed. The right view recognizes this tension as just another conditioned state to be observed.
- Non-Self (Anatta): Ultimately, even the quality of awareness or the presence of wisdom is seen as a wholesome natural quality that arises due to causes and conditions, not as something belonging to a permanent self.
In the most concise formulation of his practice, as you concluded:
Constantly be aware of the mind as it sees things. And see that awareness of mind as natural, not self.