Have you ever had the sense that you are just... browsing through various meditative styles? It is a familiar experience—moving restlessly from one mindfulness app to another, pursuing a sudden moment of profound realization, only to find yourself back at the start with a mind that remains overactive. Within a culture that is always demanding more speed and buy into the latest "five-minute fix" for inner peace, the experience is truly draining. We’re all so busy looking for a breakthrough that we forget to actually be here.
This is precisely why the life of Sayadaw U Kundala resonates so deeply. He did not prioritize becoming a well-known spiritual figure or accumulating a vast number of admirers. He embodied true practice—a silent and stable influence who avoided the use of elaborate or pretentious terminology. He was not the right choice for anyone in search of an easy spiritual bypass. Being firmly established within the Mahāsi Vipassanā lineage, his core teaching focused on the very thing we tend to escape: staying in place.
His method was remarkably straightforward, though it could be perceived as demanding at the start. He did not encourage students to "decorate" their meditative experience or to feign a state of bliss while experiencing intense physical discomfort. It was just: rising, falling, walking, aching. No fluff, no escapes. He instructed practitioners on how to endure unease by facing it directly. There’s something so incredibly brave about that, don't you think? His silence, in many respects, was more communicative than any oratorical performance.
We are so habituated to the act of "doing" and achieving —adding new techniques, trying new rituals— that we lose sight of the strength found in pure simplicity. The fundamental premise of Sayadaw U Kundala’s teaching was: stop trying to be "better" and start being more present. He often remarked that insight develops gradually, much like fruit ripening on a branch. It is impossible to accelerate the ripening of a peach through sheer will, isn't it? It requires its own natural duration, and the practice of meditation follows the same law. It necessitates a rare and beautiful blend of sheer determination and complete humble awareness.
In truth, this leads to the realization that authentic dedication is not synonymous with a grand or drastic life change. It’s much smaller and, in a way, much harder than that. It means opting for integrity even when the practice feels tedious. It involves choosing to witness your own unorganized thoughts rather than seeking a distraction through a digital device.
Though Sayadaw U Kundala did not create a "brand" or a high-profile legacy, he left behind a much more significant gift: a reminder that the quiet path is often the one that actually leads somewhere. Every single breath, every step, every little frustration is just another door waiting to be opened. It’s not always pretty, and saddhammaramsi sayadaw it’s definitely not fast, but there is an authentic liberation in the decision to simply... cease the escape.
I would like to ask, does the image of "slow-ripening" wisdom speak to your current practice, or are you feeling more of that modern itch for a breakthrough?