พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์อธิบาย "เครื่องรู้" — สัญญาณต่างๆ ที่ผุดขึ้นเองโดยอัตโนมัติเมื่อมลทินในใจเบาบางลง ตั้งแต่ความเย็นในท้อง ความโปร่งโล่ง ไปจนถึงความสว่าง ซึ่งล้วนเป็นตัวช่วยให้สติได้เกาะได้อาศัย พร้อมสอนวิธีแยกแยะสติกับสัมปชัญญะ และนำเข้าสู่การแผ่เมตตาอุทิศบุญPhra Ajarn Suraphong describes the 'inner markers' — signals that spontaneously arise as mental defilement lessens, from coolness in the belly to spaciousness to brightness — each one becoming an anchor for mindfulness. He also distinguishes the roles of mindfulness and clear comprehension before leading into loving-kindness and the dedication of merit.
Phra Ajarn Suraphong opens by asking listeners to bring the mind to reside with the body before closing the eyes, gathering the excitement of the senses inward. He has us notice the breath even with eyes still open — whether the in-breath is short or long, the out-breath fast or slow — without forcing it, simply knowing it as it naturally is. When we notice ourselves trying too hard, tensing the breath, he suggests switching to noticing the heartbeat instead.
Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension: Two Distinct Roles
Wherever we direct attention, he explains, that is where awareness arises, because consciousness fixes itself at the point we determine. The mind is the one that knows; nature has, in this session, chosen the citta of the body-within-the-body to assist our meditation. This subtle body is continuously refined — from the fine human body to the celestial body, from the celestial body to the finer celestial body, and onward to the brahma body — according to how thoroughly defilement is cleansed. Wisdom takes many forms: ordinary , , the voice of the inner knower, and direct — all together are called wisdom, and all serve to solve our problems.
Our Role: To Be the One Who Determines
He stresses that we must be the one who determines what to know. If we fail to determine it, other forces — especially the neutral, undetermined nature — will determine it for us, pulling our attention toward matters unrelated to meditation. If we do not determine it, unwholesome forces pressure and compel us toward what they want; wholesome forces, by contrast, offer good guidance with reason, pointing toward what is right and good, and invite — never force — us to determine it ourselves.
The Inner Markers: Signals That Arise as Defilement Lightens
This is the heart of the talk. As we continue noting with sustained awareness, the teacher explains, the knowing mind draws in pure energy that cleanses defilement to a certain degree, and **markers begin to appear**. These markers already exist within us; has simply obscured them, preventing us from using what is already there. As we keep noting, pure energy purifies the obscuring elements further, until we can perceive the state that constitutes each marker — an aid that has surfaced.
He describes how varied these markers are. Most commonly there is coolness in the belly, in the middle of the abdomen; some feel a cool, moist freshness; some feel an open, spacious emptiness in the belly; some feel a sense of mass, perceiving the accumulating state directly; some experience brightness. Once a marker appears, it operates automatically, and we can hold onto it the way we hold onto the breath — naturally, without effort.
He notes that the more defilement we purify, the more markers will appear — by the hundreds — each becoming an aid to us. But while unwholesome forces still hold power and use ignorance to obscure things, we must keep gradually correcting this through continued noting. Once a marker appears, it produces an effect on the mind — but unlike markers from side, wholesome markers never cause irritation or torment.
The Benefit of Markers: No Longer Needing a Mantra
Once a marker becomes clear and continuous, he explains, we no longer need to recite a mantra or hold any other meditation image — simply noting the clear, continuous marker itself is enough to draw in pure energy. He laments that some practitioners reach a marker without recognizing it as such — as the very thing can anchor to, in order to draw pure energy inward and bring the mind to a still, unified stop.
The Aspiration in Our Chanting: Reaching the Supreme Personal Marker
He points out that the aspiration recited in our chanting — asking to reach "one's own supreme personal marker" — refers to exactly what has just been explained. Because markers exist at many levels, as we keep noting and defilement is progressively purified, an initial marker appears first; we anchor to it to draw in more pure energy, purifying defilement further. As it lightens another degree, further markers appear in abundance, available for us to choose and use.
Constant, Unwavering Awareness: The Unchanging Principle
Whichever marker we use, the principle stays the same: know constantly, without lapse. Know whatever is present — emptiness, stillness, or any state directly before us. When the knowing mind is established, ignorance falls away, and pure energy called merit flows in continuously, cleansing the defilements that create problems and obstacles in meditation.
Dedicating Merit and Radiating Loving-Kindness
As the stream of merit flows continuously, he dedicates it to parents, siblings, grandparents, benefactor teachers, guardian deities, caretakers and protectors, and all beings we may have wronged — our karmic counterparts — asking mutual forgiveness. He then radiates goodwill to the world and all beings, wishing them free from suffering, expanding to cover the home, the neighborhood, district, province, country, and the entire world and universe.
Setting the Aspiration
The talk closes with the customary aspiration, invoking the power of every Buddha, every Paccekabuddha, every Arahant, and the blessings of his own teaching lineage, asking that this merit combine with all merit accumulated with good intention — purifying and brightening everyone's mind, freeing them from misfortune, granting insight into the , good health, and unwavering resolve to build perfections all the way to the final goal.