Half-Closing the Eyes Before Entering the Inner Dimension: Clearing the Stains First

Phra Ajarn Suraphong opens with a recommendation from Luang Phor: in the beginning, we should half-close our eyes first, to clear away the stains before entering the inner dimension. Otherwise, the instant we enter the inner dimension fully, the unwholesome side will have the dimension of grogginess, confusion, and drowsiness already waiting to ambush us. We must clear these stains first, through half-closing the eyes while determining awareness.

The Buffer Zone Between the Outer and Inner Worlds

This is the heart of this teaching. He explains that while we have not yet gone fully inward, we stand between the inner and outer worlds. In that space, we half-close our eyes and determine awareness, unlapsing, on the recitation and visualization "Sammā Arahaṃ," reciting syllable by syllable, continuously, to draw in pure energy and cleanse the stains first. Half-closing the eyes means standing at the midpoint — not yet the inner world, but poised between the inner world and the outer — a buffer zone that keeps us from being ambushed the instant our eyes close fully.

If Grogginess or Confusion Arises, Open the Eyes Again First

He teaches that the moment we go inward and feel groggy, confused, or drowsy, we should recognize immediately that we have already entered the dimension of the unwholesome side — and open our eyes again first. Then half-close them once more. Half-closing the eyes is the stage where we are not yet fully in the inner world, but poised between the inner and outer worlds — the stage where we draw in pure energy to cleanse the stains first, by holding to "Sammā Arahaṃ, Sammā Arahaṃ," or whichever meditation object we are skilled in.

Abiding With Every New Present: Not Attending to What Has Passed

He teaches that the present syllable matters most: "Sammā Arahaṃ, Sammā Arahaṃ" — the syllable that has already passed needs no attention; attend instead to every new present moment. The moment we attend to a syllable that has passed, we become imprisoned within the inner dimension of the past. Ordinary people tend to dwell on things that have already happened, and so remain imprisoned by those stories. We must train ourselves to abide with every new present moment, in order to break free from imprisonment by the indeterminate side.

Clearly Knowing Body, Feeling, Mind, and Dhamma: The Buddha's Instruction to the Monks

He cites the Buddha's teaching to the monastic sangha: "Monks, you should clearly know body, feeling, mind, and Dhamma, in order to eliminate craving and displeasure toward the world." He teaches that we must determine our awareness — there is no option not to. If we do not, some other force will determine for us, leading us to know things we should not know. We must therefore be the one who decides what to know.

Knowing Is Mindfulness, Clarity Is Clear Comprehension: An Important Distinction

He explains: "knowing" is sati, knowing only the topic — knowing the meditation object, knowing the breath, knowing the recitation. "Clarity" is sampajañña, knowing down into the detail — the fine, soft subtlety of the word "Sammā Arahaṃ," for instance. If mindfulness is simply determining, it need only register the in- and out-breath, with no need to know further detail. But once pure energy is drawn in to lighten the stains, the detail becomes known automatically; mindfulness shifts into clear comprehension, carrying us into ever deeper, subtler inner dimensions, one dimension at a time.

Our Task Is to Determine Awareness — Not to Take Over the Sphere of Knowing's Job

He stresses that our task is simply to determine awareness, so that the sphere of knowing arises and stays fixed on the meditation object, unlapsing. The sphere of knowing's own task, meanwhile, is to draw in the pure energy called merit. If our task is carried out without fault, the sphere of knowing will not fade. This pure energy is what goes on to cleanse the stains and defilements that create obstacles in the many forms of the hindrances.

Stains Are What Give Rise to the Hindrances — Cleanse the Stain, Don't Fight the Hindrance Directly

He teaches that the hindrances — restlessness, sensual desire, ill will, sloth and drowsiness, and doubt — are all obstacles to goodness. But none of these hindrances could exist without the underlying stain; the stain is what lies behind them, using the hindrances as its instrument. Only purity can cleanse the stain. Pure, clean energy comes to cleanse the stain, which is itself a form of unclean energy — and this pure energy can only arise through the sphere of knowing drawing it in.

The Triple Gem and Nibbāna Shine at the Center of Our Being

When the sphere of mindfulness arises, that means the Dhamma Jewel has appeared as a stream of light at our center. Sustaining the sphere of knowing continuously is sustaining the Dhamma Jewel. When this happens, the Sangha Jewel naturally appears as a stream of light at the center of the Dhamma Jewel, while the Buddha Jewel already watches over the wholesome system. When the Triple Gem — the station of the wholesome system — shines radiantly at our center, nibbāna, the final destination station, descends and shines at our center as well.

The Stream of Merit Flows In Continuously, Like Ocean Waves That Never Stop

As we keep determining awareness, unlapsing, the sphere of knowing draws in pure energy, letting it flow continuously into the center of its own brightness. He warns: if the sphere of knowing goes dark, merit slips away and the flow of pure energy stops. We must therefore sustain the sphere of knowing, unlapsing at all times — like ocean waves that never cease, day or night. As long as we abide with the wholesome system, the drawing-in of pure energy likewise continues without interruption.

Dedicating Merit to Ancestors and Karmic Counterparties

He has us dedicate this merit to our ancestors — recalling our parents, relatives, grandparents, and the teachers who have shown us kindness, together with the guardian spirits who protect and support us, and all beings we may have wronged, our karmic counterparties, asking for mutual forgiveness so that all may share equally in this merit.

Radiating Loving-Kindness Across the World and the Cosmos

He then leads an aspiration of goodwill for the world and all beings: may those with much suffering have less, those with little suffering have none, those with little happiness have more, and those with much happiness have ever more. He has us expand this loving-kindness-filled heart to cover our home, spreading across village, district, province, Thailand and neighboring countries, and finally the whole world, until it becomes a radiant crystal sphere, clean and pure — through the special quality of loving-kindness that dissolves resentment and irritation. From there it expands further still, across the countless stars and galaxies of the boundless cosmos. Whoever benefits the world and the cosmos may use the fortune of the world and the cosmos, as the Buddha-to-be once did in a past life, cultivating loving-kindness until he was born a universal monarch.

Closing Aspiration

In closing, Phra Ajarn leads an aspiration for success to be established in us, now and in all lives to come. May the merit and blessings of our teachers and our own accumulated goodness since beginningless time combine into sacred, potent merit. May we be freed from misfortune, karmic results, demonic obstruction, and obstacles of every kind; may greed, hatred, delusion, lust, ignorance, wrong view, craving, and clinging come to an end; may we gain the eye that sees the Dhamma and penetrate the knowledge of the Dhamma body; may we be strong in health and steadfast in spirit as we build perfections toward nibbāna. He closes by asking that old wrongdoing be forgiven, and that new merit bear fruit successfully for us all, life after life.