ในดวงธรรมมีดวงดำ (ฝ่ายชั่ว/มาร) และดวงขาว (ฝ่ายดี/พระ) แย่งชิงกันเข้าสิงใจอยู่ตลอดเวลา ผู้ที่หมั่นบำเพ็ญสมาธิรักษาดวงขาวใสไว้จะคิด พูด ทำแต่สิ่งดีงามและไปสู่สุคติ ส่วนการสมาทานศีลอย่างถูกต้องยิ่งทำให้ดวงศีลสว่างและเหนี่ยวนำบุญได้มากกว่าการรักษาศีลเฉยๆWithin our inner sphere of Dhamma sit both a dark point (evil, Mara's domain) and a bright point (good, the Buddha's domain), constantly competing to possess the mind. Whoever keeps the bright point shining through steady meditation will think, speak, and act only for the good, and pass on to a good rebirth. Formally undertaking the precepts, rather than simply keeping them, makes the precept-sphere shine brighter and draws in more merit.
Someone asked the teacher to expand on the teaching of the late great teacher: "Evil is Mara's domain, good is the Buddha's domain."
Good and Evil Within the Inner Sphere
The cause of wrongdoing is a dark point, and the cause of right conduct is a bright, clear point, both layered within the inner sphere of inside every human body. Each has its "owner," and they compete constantly to control our minds. If we're not careful, the dark side can slip in easily, turning our thoughts, words, and actions entirely toward wrongdoing. But if we regularly meditate and keep the bright point shining at the body's center, our thoughts, words, and actions all turn toward good — and at the moment of death, being on the bright side means dying without confusion, heading with certainty toward a good rebirth.
The three natures — wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral — are constantly competing to draw in energy. Whichever one fills up first gets to "set the program" for our lives. Those with abundant merit tend to have s and mentors — parents, teachers — steering them rightly, while side dangles bait like greed, anger, and delusion, pressuring people to follow it.
This is why the great teacher had to generate a wholesome current and atmosphere on a broad scale — offering alms to monks nationwide, organizing mass ordinations, arranging province-wide almsgiving — so that wholesome states would arise in the hearts of vast numbers of people, drawing in merit on a wide scale.
Formally Undertaking Precepts vs. Simply Keeping Them
A follow-up question asked about the difference between simply keeping and formally undertaking them with the traditional recitation. The teacher explained that formal undertaking begins with paying homage to the Triple Gem, taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, and then formally vowing to keep each precept one by one. Every time we recite taking refuge, we connect with the Triple Gem, and the mind is refined through multiple layers — far more than simply resolving to keep precepts without the recitation. This is why the precept-sphere shines brighter and draws in more pure energy when precepts are formally undertaken. Even without the formal recitation, the precept-sphere still shines — just less brightly. It's this difference in behavior and ritual conduct that accounts for the difference in merit.