Half-Opening the Eyes to Preserve Awareness

He opens by repeating the eyelid teaching once more, explaining why Luangphor taught it again and again: he saw the harm in sealing the eyes into full darkness. Those already settled in the wholesome system have no problem, since a wholesome background is already guiding them. But those settled in the unwholesome system suffer the instant their eyes close. Letting light through keeps us balanced between the inner and outer worlds, so we're not fully at the mercy of the unwholesome side.

Practicing with Eyes Open First, Then Closing Them

He suggests trying the meditation with eyes still open, focusing inward even while the eyes remain open to the outside. Even this much lets the stream of merit and its refined treasures flow through. As we grow more comfortable dwelling within, whether visualizing the Buddha image or the crystal orb becomes easier — held with an easy, relaxed mind, soft and light, because these qualities are mental factors already present the instant a wholesome mind arises. We simply aren't used to noticing them yet.

The Subtle Body Progressing Toward the First Jhāna

As we sit centered within, the stream of merit refines the subtle body, developing it from a refined celestial body toward a Brahma body — that's when the first jhāna arises. Until then, whatever level we reach is enough. The Triple Gem appears as a bright thread within us regardless of whether we've fully realized it; it exists and governs the wholesome system regardless.

Form and Name: Two Things to Contemplate Together

Steadiness requires zeal, attentiveness, and contemplation of both the "form" aspect and the "name" aspect. Form is the shape — clarity, brightness, or the Buddha image. Name is the quality named after what's within that form — for instance "Samma-araham" is the name of the Buddha-jewel, the Dhamma-jewel, or the Sangha-jewel. We hold onto the name word by word, steadying on each word until we grow skilled.

Ordinarily the form holds for no more than fifteen to thirty seconds before fading; we then re-utter the name, and the form re-establishes itself for another stretch. Repeating the name this way becomes the recitation that keeps calling that presence back again and again.

The Counting Technique: Samma-araham 1, 2, 3...

This is the heart of tonight's teaching. He says: if we want to know how steady our concentration actually is, we can recite while counting — "Samma-araham 1, Samma-araham 2, Samma-araham 3" — while visualizing the Buddha image or crystal orb, and see how many repetitions we can sustain before the mind slips away from the object.

Everyone gets a different number — some reach 15, some 20, some 30, some 35. When it slips, that's fine; simply start again from 1, repeating a few times, and the number gradually climbs. Say it goes from 35 to 45; when we can't push past 45, we start over again, and with practice we eventually break through.

He points out plainly why this matters: previously we had no meter, so we had no idea how far our concentration had actually progressed. But once we have a number, we see clearly — "why can I only manage this much?" or "is this really all the steadiness I have?" Seeing that number gives us the motivation to push ourselves further. The counting becomes a tangible measure of progress, not just a vague feeling of "maybe it's better."

The Knowing Orb Draws In Pure Energy

The underlying principle remains: we only need the knowing orb to arise. It draws in pure energy, and that energy cleanses the defilement obstructing our meditation. Once defilement clears, obstacles clear, and calm arises on its own. Our mind is like a child that constantly needs guidance — if we don't teach it good things, the unwholesome and undetermined sides will teach it something harmful instead.

Physical Pain as a Clear-Signal Object

If bodily discomfort arises, stay at a level that's still comfortable for the mind. If suffering arises, use it directly as the meditation object — pain has a clear, continuous signal that the knowing orb can easily latch onto. Patience protects us from being overwhelmed; only a little endurance is needed. The advantage of suffering as an object is precisely that clear, continuous signal, which lets pure energy flow in steadily alongside it.

Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension Working Together

Mindfulness (sati) is the recollection of what we're currently aware of, bringing back the meditation object — the Buddha image or crystal orb. Clear comprehension (sampajañña) then knows that object thoroughly. Though they work together, their roles differ, and both serve to keep us dwelling within the wholesome system so the stream of merit flows continuously.

Dedicating Merit to Ancestors

As the stream of merit refines body and mind into brightness and purity, dedicate this merit to ancestors waiting in the other realm, anxious for descendants to accumulate merit and dedicate it to them. Recall parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers of great kindness, guardian devas, and beings we may have wronged — our karmic counterparties — mutually forgiving one another.

Radiating Mettā Across the Cosmos

Form the wish that all fellow beings sharing birth, aging, sickness, and death find freedom from suffering and happiness, then radiate a heart full of mettā outward — over the practice hall, the village, district, province, country, and the whole world, reaching celestial beings of every heavenly realm, formless Brahmas, and even beings in hell, as hungry ghosts, or as asuras — wishing them all freedom from suffering — before expanding further into the atmosphere of the cosmos across countless world-systems.

Sealing the Aspiration

He closes by invoking blessings from Nibbana and the merit of the great teachers, asking that all accumulated merit converge into sacred power, dissolving misfortune and defilement, granting the Dhamma-eye, sound health, long life, and continuous progress on the path — while asking forgiveness for past wrongs and resolving to commit no new ones, closing with the chant on the power of the Triple Gem.