How They Meditate – Sayadaw U Tejaniya
September 6, 2026
Thursday Morning Meditation – Mindful Listening
September 10, 2026
Last Updated on October 1, 2026 by Matthew Sockolov
A few weeks ago, we talked about mindfulness of mind in one of our meditation groups (recording of the meditation and talk below). Then, our most recent episode of our How They Meditate series covered Sayadaw U Tejaniya. This is a series we’re offering on the podcast covering various teachers, their styles, and their lives in order to offer more understanding of different techniques and traditions.
Anyway, all of this has brought up the idea of practicing awareness of awareness. From the Tejaniya podcast episode and the recorded talk from that week’s group, I’ve been hammered with questions, interest, and lovely dharma discussions. So I want to offer a bit of clarification about this practice of bringing awareness to the awareness itself, what it means, how we practice, and what it is not.
What is Awareness of Awareness?
There are many things we can focus on during meditation: the breath, sounds, sights, vedana, etc. In this practice, we actually make the awareness itself the object of our awareness. This is a practice that can sometimes be difficult to capture in words. As you read this post or any other content about this topic, I strongly encourage you to pause and practice. Investigate for yourself. Where words fail to clearly describe it, experience fills in the gaps.
I want to note that there are practices in Mahayana schools such as Dzogchen and Mahamudra that focus on awareness of awareness or some sort of resting in awareness. These practices are quite similar to what we’re describing here, but I’m going to focus on where my experience actually is, in a more Theravada approach.
So let’s start how Tejaniya starts often. Is awareness present right now? Can you feel your hands? Do you know you’re reading? How much effort does it take to know these things? Awareness is probably there now that I brought it up, and you may notice it doesn’t take a ton of effort (more on this later). Awareness is always there and accessible.
Awareness of awareness means we recognize if there is awareness, what its quality is, and when it has gone. It certainly starts by simply recognizing whether there is awareness or not. Whereas typical mindfulness practices focus on other objects, such as sounds arising, thoughts passing, or feelings in the body, awareness of awareness is tuning into the awareness itself.
As we practice like this, there’s an openness. Recognizing awareness, we can see all of the different sensations or experiences arising. You might notice when attention does narrow. For example, I often notice while doing walking meditation a sound or sight arise and my awareness narrow onto it. I compare it to the aperture of a camera. The mind can change it’s aperture back and forth volitionally or non-volitionally.
Whether it is during meditation or in daily life, we can tune into the awareness itself to really get to know the mind. For example, in ordinary mindfulness we might note that we’re hearing a bird. With awareness of awareness we ask something like, “What’s the mind like while hearing?” We get to know if the mind is interested, if it’s tense, and if it has what Tejaniya calls Right Attitude.
The object, such as the sound of the bird, becomes somewhat irrelevant. What is relevant is how the awareness and mind are receiving the experience of hearing. We begin to see patterns, catch defilements more easily, and grow to understand the mind more deeply in this way.
How This Can Be Helpful
So why practice in this way? It’s not that this practice is necessarily better or more useful than other forms of practice. I have found for myself that this practice is useful to me specifically because I can notice craving in the mind more easily. This is especially true with “spiritual craving” or craving for growth on the path. This clouds our awareness and prevents us from seeing clearly. But there are many ways this practice can support insight and wisdom.
Catching Things Early
With practice in this style, we may be able to catch defilements (greed, ill-will, delusion) fairly early. We can see it fairly clearly in the attitude. Are we watching experience with some tension? Is there a craving for a specific experience? Often, the defilements exist in the way we are observing itself. Additionally, when defilements do arise, we are right there waiting at the door for their arrival.
I shared this recently in another post, but I had a bit of a stomach ache the other night. It was nothing horrible, but rather unpleasant. Watching the mind, I clearly sensed the aversion in the mind as it arose. Instead of allowing the aversion to grow and take root, the aversion itself became the object of awareness. As aversion was observed, it weakened (more on why this works in the section on “creating space” below). As the aversion temporarily passed, I was able to be with the unpleasant sensation of the stomach ache with clarity and understanding.
In this way, watching the mind itself gives us some insight into the arising and passing of anger, aversion, craving, tension, anxiety, etc. We catch them before they have grown very strong, and they are much more manageable. Simply by observing the awareness, we grow able to see these defilements as objects rather than states that have overtaken us.
Continuity
Practicing awareness of awareness offers some continuity in practice, something Tejaniya advocates for repeatedly (or continually!). When we practice open awareness, attention goes from one thing to the next. We can build momentary samadhi of course in this way, as Mahasi Sayadaw outlines. But with mindfulness of the mindfulness, we have much more continuity.
This continuity offers us a chance to deepen our practice, understanding, and wisdom. Although the experiences that float through the mind may change, we’re continuously looking at awareness. This allows us more time to deepen our practice and really get to know the mind. This is something I heard repeatedly in my practice. Once I came to see the benefits of this continuity in my actual experience, it became a point I insist on sharing nearly every time I talk or write about mindfulness.
Creating Space
Observing the awareness in this way can also help create a bit of space. As with the earlier example of the stomach ache, the awareness of awareness affords us a bit of space between the unpleasantness, aversion, and the observing mind. Rather than getting sucked into the sensation itself as we may habitually do, we are able to observe the mental reaction as a passing phenomenon.
This space can reduce reactivity, lead to a more clear comprehension, and deeper understanding. It also paves the way for the next item on the list. Just by staying tuned into the awareness itself and its quality, we aren’t getting tugged from side to side by each passing experience.
Insight into Nature
With all of this, we grow to understand the nature of experience and self more clearly. We see the three marks of existence in experience (impermanence, non-self, and dukkha), and recognize experience as simply nature. By watching awareness, the other things simply roll on through.
Coupled with wise view, we see these experiences as just natura, or dhamma. Thoughts arise. They aren’t necessarily us, our fault, or volitional. Reactions like aversion and clinging arise (and pass). And they are natural responses. We can begin to see how certain causes and conditions give rise to specific mental states and experiences, recognize patterns, all while resting in awareness rather than getting sucked away.
What Awareness of Awareness is Not
When we begin talking about awareness of awareness, it can get confusing. A lot of the questions I’ve received and conversations I’ve had have centered on a few points that I want to cover here.
Locating Awareness
We don’t need to locate awareness. We don’t need to visualize awareness as a thing to be located in any way. It’s not like your knee; you don’t need to be able to pin it down and stare at it. If you find yourself trying to locate the awareness, just notice that this is happening!
Analytical Self-Evaluation
When we look at awareness, we can fall into the habit of checking if we’re doing it right or feeding discursive thinking. Discursive thinking isn’t necessarily bad, but it isn’t the point of this practice. If there are thoughts about the awareness or its quality, there should be awareness of these thoughts in the mind! The task is not to think about awareness, but to actually experience it.
Furthermore, when we do notice over-analyzing arising, we can just observe it. How are the mind and awareness when analyzing is present? Is there an attitude of interest and acceptance, or of craving to understand and thirst for wisdom? I actually find this practice to be incredibly useful when it comes to analyzing everything in and out of meditation, as it puts space there and I’m able to see more clearly the craving.
Effortful and Tense
One of the key aspects of this practice is to practice in a relaxed way. As we cultivate awareness of awareness, we begin to notice tension in the mind. This can come from resistance to experience or over-efforting. In addition to simply recognizing whether awareness is present, we can recognize the amount of tension and effort being put forth.
Sometimes, we put too much effort forth with a belief that it will help build understanding. But this effort is often rooted in craving, and builds tension in the mind. As such, we’re not able to see with true understanding or wisdom. In order to cultivate understanding, we need to be aware without tension. If you’re over-efforting and straining, watch it! Recognize the effect it has on awareness and perception. Learn for yourself how it colors experience, and how it exhausts the mind.
How to Practice
So, how do we actually practice in this way? We have the Awareness in Everyday Life course for free that offers some instruction in the Sayadaw U Tejaniya method. Below are a few points you can use as a jumping-off point for your practice.
Is Awareness Present?
This was my go-to question in my early weeks and months with this practice. Simply asking it shifts experience. You can ask yourself this throughout the day. When you do, recognize that awareness is there and present without much effort. You might notice a tendency to move toward a specific object (such as awareness of the body or breath), and that’s okay. Notice that awareness is there and don’t get sucked into the object itself.
Practice Off the Cushion
Much like many other mindfulness practices, we can benefit from practicing in daily life. We carry awareness with us everywhere we go. As such, we can practice in any moment! Don’t just investigate awareness on the meditation cushion; try to return to awareness of awareness throughout your day. Build continuity.
Curiosity and Quality
In addition to just knowing if awareness is present or not, we can benefit from knowing the quality of awareness. Is there interest? Where is there curiosity? Watch the quality of awareness. Notice when craving or aversion is present, when you’re trying to make something happen, or when you’re resisting an experience. Don’t overanalyze, but if you do, notice it!
When Awareness is “Lost”
Recognie when awareness is lost and not present. Yes, this requires awareness itself and may seem a bit paradoxical. But recognize the actual feeling of shifting from non-awareness to awareness. As we do this, we train the mind to more habitually turn toward awareness. It acts as a bit of fuel for practice.
Experience Over Narration
Focus on knowing your experience. Although we may have the habit of noting or narrating experience, what is most important is actually knowing it. Instead of your mind going off on a narration like, “Yes, awareness is present. It feels calm and at ease. There’s no aversion…”, try to focus on the actual felt experience.
Meditation Group
We have a donation-based meditation group that meets weekly and is based on Sayadaw U Tejaniya’s teachings of awareness of awareness. You can find the information and sign up to join us here. It’s a great way to talk about this practice with other people, investigate it in your life, and build support and connections.
