Sayadaw U Tejaniya discourages the use of visualizations in meditation because his Vipassanā (insight) practice emphasizes awareness of the mind itself rather than focusing on or creating external objects or concepts.
He teaches a continuous, relaxed, and open awareness that focuses on knowing the mind's attitudes and qualities as it interacts with all experiences, including thoughts, sights, sounds, and body sensations.
Key Points on his Approach
- Focus on the Mind, Not the Object: Sayadaw U Tejaniya's core teaching is that meditation is about cultivating the mind—specifically the observing, knowing mind—not becoming absorbed in or attached to the object being observed.
- Concepts vs. Reality: Visualizations are mental constructs or concepts. Focusing on them can lead the mind away from directly experiencing reality and its true nature (impermanence, suffering, non-self), which is the goal of Vipassanā.
- The Danger of Liking/Disliking: He cautions against practicing with a mind that wants something to happen or wants something to stop happening. Creating a visualization (like an image of peace) can lead to greed for that experience or aversion to what is actually happening in the present moment.
- Natural Awareness: His method encourages simple, natural awareness where all experiences—including seeing, hearing, thinking, and feeling—are noticed and acknowledged with a relaxed and open attitude, without forcing, concentrating too hard, or trying to create a specific experience like a visualization. The attention is on how the mind is being aware, not what it is aware of.
He encourages meditators to be aware of seeing rather than being lost in what is seen (like a specific image or visualization).
You can find more on Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teachings, including transcripts of his talks, in this video: Introducing Sayadaw U Tejaniya's Practice Style. This video introduces the main principles of his practice style, which focuses on natural, relaxed, and continuous awareness of the mind.