Deadly Weapons and the Middle Way (part 1)

Teaching by Sayadaw U Ottamasara
edited by Florian Dobson

Meditation is like surrendering your weapons; the weapons of like, dislike, and non-enlightenment. If you disarm yourself the minds of other people can feel it. The mind can sense if there is no like, dislike, and non-enlightenment in the mind of another. For example, I can feel if there is anger or suspicion in your mind.
It is the nature of mind to be able to know about other minds. That's why, if you are angry with someone, that someone is also angry with you. It is because of the connection between minds.
Meditation means disarming your mind. Whatever I say, whatever I do, wherever I go, there is no like, dislike and non-enlightenment. So I can stay anywhere, I can do anything. Because there is no weapon in my mind, there is no cause to bring me harm so I am out of danger. If you harbor strong like, dislike, and non-enlightenment, it is the invitation for trouble. That is why I compare them to weapons.
After I practiced meditation, there is no desire, no like, no dislike, no hatred, and no non-enlightenment in my mind. I have given up all deadly weapons that can cause trouble. That’s why I am eternally safe. If there is a cause, there will always be an effect. There will be no trouble if there is no cause for it.
Like, dislike, and non-enlightenment are the cause of all trouble and all suffering. People have to suffer from worry because they are guilty of carrying the concealed weapons of like, dislike, and non-enlightenment. Because of this crime they are sentenced to live a mortal life (in samsara).

Meditation is the practice of remaining innocent. By cutting of any association with like dislike and non-enlightenment, we are removing the cause for guilt and suffering and on the path out of samsara. The only reason we continually pick up the weapons of like dislike and non enlightenment is because of our old habits – our attachment. That’s why Buddha said if there is attachment there will be suffering - trouble. If there is enlightenment and nonattachment there will be no suffering - no trouble. That is the essence of the four noble truths.