# What are past lives in Vipassanā meditation?

**URL:** <https://classicaltheravada.org/t/what-are-past-lives-in-vipassana-meditation/2728>\
**Category:** Meditation\
**Created:** [November 12, 2026, 7:21am UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/what-are-past-lives-in-vipassana-meditation/2728 "2026-11-12T07:21:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nature](https://classicaltheravada.org/user_avatar/classicaltheravada.org/nature/32/2114_2.png) [@Nature](https://classicaltheravada.org/u/Nature)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:21am UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/what-are-past-lives-in-vipassana-meditation/2728/1 "2026-11-12T07:21:46Z")

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🍒 I’m not sure whether sharing this Dhamma talk is meaningful, but perhaps it may offer a few gems to those who are able to see them.

> 1280 ‣ PAST LIVES DISTURB THE MIND DURING MEDITATION  
> | Singapore Q&A 21 November 2022 (1:01:34-1:04:40) with with Sayadaw U Tejaniya  
> Yogi: I could see my past lives during meditation. This obstructs me from sitting longer.
> 
> Sayadaw: The problem arises because you pay attention to **concept** (Paññatti).
> 
> Don’t go to the **storyline** ; be aware that **image** is happening. Don’t pay too much attention to the image. We’re learning about nature, not concept.
> 
> **Nature** (Paramattha Dhamma) **is the object for the vipassana meditator.** If you pay attention to concept it is easy for emotion to come; then, it becomes a hindrance.
> 
> The memory is not a hindrance. You cannot erase your memory, but if wisdom is present, craving or aversion does not arise because of the memory.
> 
> We have a lot of bad memories – for example, whenever I passed by Chinatown in Yangon, I would have a lot of regret because I used to do plenty of bad things there as a youth. The mind would be very agitated arising from the memories.
> 
> One day, I checked my memories as they appeared repeatedly and discovered that **they were merely images and not me**. Previously, I would think that I was bad whenever the memories arose, but now the memories are just memories.
> 
> Memories cannot disappear till we die, but if we have wisdom, aversion doesn’t appear with the memories.