"Stay Continuously Aware Without Lapsing": The Master's Key Phrase

Phra Ajarn Suraphong opens the sitting by having us close our eyelids gently, relax the mind, ease the body, and become aware of ourselves. The moment we determine this awareness, mindfulness arises — in fact, mindfulness arises every time we determine; wherever we determine, that's where we know. When the sphere of knowing arises, the sphere of not-knowing — ignorance — falls away. But most people know only for a moment before lapsing, and the instant they lapse, the sphere of ignorance rises to take its place. We must therefore learn to determine continuous, unlapsing awareness. "Stay continuously aware without lapsing" is Luang Pu's key phrase, repeated every time he taught meditation, because once the sphere of knowing arises, this sphere of mindfulness continuously draws in the pure energy called merit to flow through the center of its brightness. As merit flows in, it purifies the defilement that causes problems and obstacles in the many forms of the hindrances.

Every Treasure Lies Within the Sphere of Merit

This pure energy is made of sacred, pure Dharma elements capable of dispelling every defilement that causes the difficulty of life and of practice, and of refining away the defilement of karmic residue. Beyond that, within the sphere of merit lie form-treasure, wealth-treasure, quality-treasure, retinue-treasure, honor, praise, happiness, the path and fruit of Nibbana, and the knowledge of the Dhamma body — all complete and abundant within that single sphere. So when merit flows through us, these subtle treasures flow through us too, and it is precisely these subtle treasures that draw coarse, worldly wealth toward us, letting us earn our livelihood and sustain our lives. The larger and brighter our sphere of merit, the more subtle treasure it holds, and the more effectively it draws good results, both in efficiency and in outcome.

Practice Works with Eyes Open or Closed

This practice can be done with eyes open or closed, in every activity and posture — standing, walking, sitting, lying down, talking with friends or family, discussing business, strolling, waiting, riding, or driving. Not only is it possible in every activity, it benefits every activity, because as we sustain this sphere of knowing, the Triple Gem appears as a radiant stream at the center of our being; we appear radiant within them; and we and they together appear radiant within Nibbana, the knowing ones of boundless power, uncountable as the sands. They take our elements of seeing, remembering, thinking, and knowing — earth, water, wind, fire, space, and consciousness — and refine them, connecting our line of merit and wealth, resolving without residue every defilement that obstructs our life and our work. Every time we sustain the sphere of knowing during any activity, our affairs are watched over and guided toward wondrous results. When our tasks are done and we sit with eyes closed, the merit that flows in purifies the obscuring elements further, converting mindfulness into clear comprehension and leading us, level by level, into subtler inner dimensions.

Entering Subtler Dimensions Level by Level: The Defilement Native to Each Dimension Lightens

Entering subtler dimensions, level by level, deeper within — even while things remain dim and hazy — brings great benefit, because we come to access each level's inner refinement. At every level of refinement we reach, we leave behind the old, coarser dimension for a new, subtler one, where the native defilement is itself subtler, never as coarse as the outer or prior dimension. As we refine deeper into each dimension, its defilement refines along with it. As long as we haven't attained arahantship, every dimension still carries some defilement, only progressively less. Furthermore, as we accumulate goodness, the stream of merit flowing through us grows ever purer, more refined, more sacred — the deeper and subtler we go, the purer and more sacred it becomes, and the subtle treasure within the sphere of merit grows correspondingly more valuable, better able to draw coarse, worldly wealth toward us.

A Distinct Knowing Guardian Presides Over Each Dimension

Beyond purer, more sacred merit and treasure of greater value, Phra Ajarn teaches that we also gain access to the knowing one of power presiding over each dimension. Each dimension has its own distinct knowing guardian who watches over and helps us. The deeper and subtler the dimension we reach within, the more refined, more powerful, and more knowledgeable the guardian we access there. This is why he urges us to keep reciting "Samma Arahang" continuously, with a relaxed, open, spacious, at-ease heart — clear, cool, pure, and bright.

Reciting with Vitakka and Vicara

Determine the recitation continuously, staying with each syllable of "Samma Arahang, Samma Arahang," one syllable at a time. Raising the recitation into the mind is called vitakka; sustained contemplation of it is called vicara — these two are all we need to do. As we do this, the internal automatic mechanism works: the sphere of knowing draws in the pure energy called merit to flow through the center of its brightness, purifying the darkness of ignorance that obscures subtler states, lightening it bit by bit, until that darkness can no longer conceal the underlying state. A fine, refined state then appears, and mindfulness converts into clear comprehension — still the same sphere of knowing, but now perceiving fully within that refined state. The special quality of clear comprehension is its capacity to know thoroughly within subtle Dharma.

The Buddha Image Appears at the Center of the Heart When We Utter His Name

"Samma Arahang" is the descriptive name (nemittika-nama) of the arahant Dhamma body. When we utter his name, he appears bright and clear at the center of our body — a name for one who practices rightly and well, far from every defilement, called according to his qualities. When we utter his name, he appears at the center of our heart; and once he appears, he does not appear in vain — he continues to expand, layering as one with us. We merge ourselves with him as one by putting on the feeling that we are the Buddha image and the Buddha image is us, even if we cannot see him — the way an actor about to play a role first recollects that character and puts on the feeling of being them; what they recollect appears in the mind and shows forth its qualities, its mental factors arising to match whatever is recollected.

Merging Body and Mind as One with the Buddha Image

When we recollect him, he appears bright and clear at the center of our being, and his qualities appear within our heart — we perceive the qualities of one who practices rightly and well, far from every defilement, and our heart automatically becomes clearer and purer. He leads us section by section: the head becomes the pure crystal Buddha image with a radiant lotus-bud crest; the forehead, clear crystal; the eyes become his eyes, closed gently, with a serenely smiling face brimming with boundless loving-kindness; neck, shoulders, both arms, chest, belly, lower belly, back, hips, thighs, knees, shins, calves, soles all become the radiant, gentle, tender crystal Dhamma body. He teaches that this human body is only a temporary dwelling — when we close our eyes and leave this world, we leave this body to decay, and only the Dhamma body follows us everywhere through the cycle of birth and death, having watched over and helped us for an immeasurably long time.

Gathering the Mind to Stop and Be Still at the Body's Seventh Base

Merge our body with his, our mind with his, into one — whatever he does, we do the same. He gathers his mind to stop and be still, entering cessation attainment (nirodha-samapatti); we gather ours the same way, at the center of the body, the Buddha image, the seventh base, two finger-widths above the navel. Imagine two threads: one stretched from the right side of the waist to the left, the other from the spine to the navel; where they cross marks the seventh base. Even without perfect clarity about the exact spot, the heart already knows it, since we pass through this position every time we're born, die, sleep, and wake — simply determine it at the seventh base, and the mind settles there, its natural resting place. This position is the sovereign center, common to every body from the coarsest human body to the subtlest arahant Dhamma body, path and fruit alike, all layered as one at this very point.

The Stream of Merit and the Sphere That Stops Body and Mind

Stop within stop, still within still, ever toward the center of the center — not left, not right, not forward, not back, not up, not down. This path leads directly toward Nibbana. As we dwell on this path, a radiant stream appears at the center of Nibbana, and Nibbana appears as a radiant stream at our own center. The elements of seeing, remembering, thinking, and knowing — earth, water, wind, fire, space, consciousness — along with the spheres of virtue, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge of liberation belonging to each body, are refined pure and clear by the stream of merit flowing from Nibbana. As we determine to stop, a sphere of stopping arises — a clear, bright, round orb with the special quality of stilling every bodily vibration, stopping every system, even the breath. Body and mind stop together as this sphere of stopping arises, its qualities appearing throughout the body, everything settling ever deeper into the center of the center.

Dedicating Merit to Ancestors and Karmic Counterparts

As the stream of merit flows continuously through the center of our body and heart, let us dedicate this merit to our ancestors — our parents, siblings, grandparents, and all our teachers and benefactors, along with the devas who help and support us, our caretakers and guardians, and all beings we may have wronged, our karmic counterparts (khu kam khu wen) — asking that we forgive one another and share equally in this merit.

Radiating Loving-Kindness Across the World and the Cosmos

Once the merit is dedicated, we generate goodwill for the world and all beings, drawing on the heart of a mother's love for her own child: may all beings who share this suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death be free from suffering and share in happiness — those with much suffering, less; those with little suffering, none; those with little happiness, more; those with much happiness, ever more. We expand this heart to cover our home, our loved ones, then village, subdistrict, district, province, Thailand, neighboring countries, until it becomes a radiant, clean, pure crystal sphere covering the whole world — this light of loving-kindness also dissolves the resentment and irritation in the hearts of people and beings. We extend further still, to earthbound devas, tree devas, sky devas, the heavenly beings of every level, Brahma and formless Brahma realms, even beings in hell, as hungry ghosts, and as animals — and further still, across the countless stars and galaxies of the boundless cosmos. Whoever benefits the world and the cosmos may in turn make use of its treasures, as the Bodhisatta of old did, practicing loving-kindness until reaching jhana attainment, then becoming a universal monarch ruling the four continents, whose people lived by virtue, free from harm and war.

Closing Aspiration

In closing, Phra Ajarn leads an aspiration for success now and in all lives to come, from the first beginning of the aeon. May the merit of our teachers and our own accumulated goodness combine into sacred, potent merit; may we be freed from misfortune, karmic results, demonic obstruction, and every obstacle; 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 Nibbana. He closes by asking that old wrongdoing be forgiven, and that new merit bear fruit successfully for us all.