The Perfection of Energy - Anumana Sutta

As we read in the Commentary, the teachers of old advised the monks to examine themselves three times daily. If one cannot do this, then one should do this twice or even only once a day, but it is wrong not to examine oneself at all. When we reflect on the “Anumana Sutta” and its Commentary, we see that people had different degrees of panna. Someone who has many defilements is a person who is “difficult to speak to”; he does not see his own defilements, he only sees those of someone else. We should find out which defilements we have ourselves. If someone never reflected on this or spoke about this with someone else, he should first of all listen to the Dhamma and reflect on what he heard so that he sees the danger of akusala. Then right effort can arise and be a condition for him to examine himself and consider his own akusala before going to sleep.
This can be applied by a person who is “difficult to speak to” and who has many defilements. If someone has already some understanding of the development of satipatthana, he can be aware of the reality which appears. Whatever kind of akusala arises, sati can be aware immediately of its characteristic. When panna understands the way to know and study the characteristics of realities, it is of a higher level.
After we have studied the Anumana Sutta, how often in a day do we examine ourselves? For someone who habitually develops satipatthana, sati-sampajanna can immediately be aware when akusala citta arises, and he does not need to wait until it is time to examine himself. This is the beginning of the development of satipatthana, even if one does not know yet realities as nama and rupa which are non-self. It is already a degree of sati-sampajanna when the characteristic of akusala dhamma is known as it naturally appears.
As we read in the “Anumana Sutta”:

“If, your reverences, while the monk is reflecting,

he knows thus: ‘I am of evil desires, in the thrall of evil desires,’

then, your reverences, that monk should strive to get rid of those evil, unskilled states.

But if, your reverences, that monk, while reflecting,

knows thus: ‘I am not of evil desires, not in the thrall of evil desires’,

then he should abide with rapture and delight,

training himself diligently day and night in skilled states.”