Why Did I See the Buddha Image Clearly Just That One Time? — "Right Proportion" Someone shared an experience: once, while meditating and reciting "sammā-arahaṃ," holding the thought "we are the Buddha image, the Buddha image is us," they saw a vivid vision of the crystal Dhammakaya at the seventh base, continuously, for the full hour of that sitting — and it was the only time this had ever happened automatically. They asked the teacher why.

The teacher explained that the great teachers called this phenomenon "right proportion" (thuk suan). He compared it to cooking: when the seasoning is in the right proportion, the flavor turns out just right. When we practice by focusing and reflecting until we reach the right proportion, the Buddha image appears on its own — everything happens naturally. We need only pay attention: not becoming so excited that we crave it, and not becoming dissatisfied when we cannot repeat what happened before. Simply keep focusing and reflecting; as the mind grows finer, right proportion arises by itself. Every time this happens, a stream of sacred merit flows through continuously. In that moment, the wholesome side works to adjust things into right proportion, clearing away impurity, while the unwholesome side tries to intervene so we cannot connect with the Buddha image, relying on ignorance and impurity to do so.

If we focus and reflect free of craving, the unwholesome side finds it hard to intrude. But if craving arises — wanting to see the Buddha image again and it doesn't happen — an inner voice may insist, "I've done this so long and still nothing," which is in fact the unwholesome side's intrusion. This becomes a real problem especially for those who have seen it once and now crave seeing it again. For those who have never seen it at all, simply keep your head down and continue focusing and reflecting; refinement develops gradually, step by step, as long as you don't stop. Stopping for a few days and then resuming only stirs up craving again — so it is best to practice every day, whenever there is a free moment, whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down, cultivating right mindfulness. When free of other duties, enter the inner world so that right concentration can settle progressively into finer and finer dimensions — this is an automatic inner process; we cannot force our way into those dimensions ourselves. Our role is only to determine awareness, keeping it constant, focusing and reflecting on whatever states appear. If we still cannot perceive them, that's fine — simply continue reciting sammā-arahaṃ and holding the Buddha image in mind, joyfully and playfully, and right proportion will arise on its own in time. When it does, don't get too excited; if it doesn't, that's fine too — we can still recall the memory of what we once saw, which makes reconnecting easier. Whatever level we've reached, be content with that for now. What matters most is contentment — being satisfied with what we currently have and are — and abiding in equanimity, free of delight and aversion, keeping the mind still and balanced within.

Dhamma Principles for Managing Money A follow-up question was asked: for someone whose monthly income is irregular, is it necessary to keep an emergency reserve and invest in savings, insurance, or cooperative funds — and does holding onto reserves like this count as clinging to wealth? They asked for dhamma guidance on financial management.

The teacher answered that the Buddha also taught on this subject, dividing wealth into four parts — one for spending, another set aside as a reserve for times of need. Keeping an emergency reserve is necessary; otherwise, when a real need arises, one is forced into debt.

He explained that someone with a steady salary is, in effect, blessed with an unfailing treasure each month — even changing jobs simply means reconnecting the "pipeline of merit" to a new employer. But someone self-employed must personally prove the boundless power of the Triple Gem, by accumulating enough merit that work becomes so abundant it can no longer be handled alone — requiring help, expanding into an office, a hub. This can only happen through refined wealth generated by abiding with the Triple Gem and with Nibbana, continuously creating the causes for merit — not merely through giving, but through cultivating right mindfulness and right concentration, spreading loving-kindness, studying the dhamma, cultivating right view in line with reality, speaking kindly, being consistent, and keeping precepts and meditating every single day. Abiding within the wholesome-dhamma system this way, Nibbana draws pure energy down to overlay us, making us the center around which our work revolves, drawing in abundant refined treasures.

He advised making a resolution to meet capable people with whom to share good work, whether by delegating tasks or hiring help. He shared that he himself had worked this way in the past — work is never easy to come by, and we don't need to know in advance who will bring it to us. Simply use free time to sit in meditation, purifying oneself; that purity itself draws beneficial things toward us. He advised making a clear, specific resolution — for both work and income together, not just one or the other — settling on an amount that feels just right, neither too heavy nor too light. Once resolved, the guardian deity gathers old and new merit together and compounds it on our behalf. He emphasized that this must be proven for oneself, since the Sangha's role involves three steps: learning the teaching, proving that it truly produces good results, and only then teaching it to others.

The Sphere of Liberation and the Sphere of Liberating Insight The teacher added that within us are two related spheres of dhamma: the sphere of liberation (vimutti) and the sphere of liberating insight (vimuttiñāṇadassana). When we wish to be freed from any impurity, the sphere of liberation works to free us, drawing on the fruits of purity from morality, concentration, and wisdom as its basis. The sphere of liberating insight, meanwhile, helps us access good things and a truly wondrous life. Both spheres rest on the foundation of wisdom; wisdom rests on concentration; and concentration rests on morality, which adjusts the three underlying natures into their proper proportion, so that the wholesome-dhamma system holds a large enough share to sustain and support us. This principle applies to every area of life — dhamma practice, finances, work, relationships, family, and health alike.