Right Mindfulness Has Two Halves: Eyes Open and Eyes Closed

Phra Ajarn Suraphong opened the session by saying that this morning we would practice developing right mindfulness, which has two halves. One half is when our eyes are open; the other is when our eyes are closed. While our eyes are open, we cultivate right mindfulness so that the wholesome system can take the seat of the heart and direct us toward what is correct and good -- so we can know and understand what is truly right to do in our daily routines and activities, so everything unfolds smoothly without mistakes.

The mistakes we make in life happen because we're dwelling in the wrong system. When we're in the wrong system, the unwholesome nature steers us wrongly, as if it were our own idea -- do this, do that -- steering us wrongly the whole time.

The Phone-Reaching Example: Three Natures Steer Every Moment

He gave the most immediate example of all: from the very moment we wake up, an inner voice directs us to reach for our phone. Once we pick it up, we open this and look at that. If what we look at is beneficial and useful, that shows the wholesome side was directing us at that moment. If it neither benefits nor harms, that's the neutral nature directing us. But if that voice directs us toward something that leaves the heart tarnished and troubled, that shows it is the unwholesome nature at work.

We are governed this way constantly -- from the moment we wake, through every activity of the day, all steered by these three natures the whole time, as though it were all our own idea. Even when we're worn out from activities and come to rest -- sitting for a while, lying down for a while -- the three natures still direct us, still push us to think this and that. If the neutral nature is directing, nothing useful comes of it, just idle wandering thought. But if the unwholesome nature is directing, the heart becomes tarnished -- with lust, with aversion, with greed -- producing no benefit whatsoever.

Sitting Meditation Is Comfortable Rest, Not Hard Work

He taught that during this time of rest, right now, we should not yet think of it as sitting meditation. Think of it instead as resting -- coming to sit and rest comfortably, as if in a cool air-conditioned room. Resting means resting comfortably; don't force it, don't tense up. Because the moment we think "I am sitting in meditation," it turns into heavy work.

He pointed out that dwelling in the wholesome system is utterly different from dwelling in the unwholesome one -- even during something that looks like the same virtuous act of sitting in meditation. If the unwholesome nature is the one directing us while we perform this good deed, it will make us do it with difficulty and hardship. But if the wholesome nature, which is inherently good, is directing us, it will guide us to sit and rest at ease, to let the heart relax, to let the body feel light and the heart feel light -- comfortable, and then even more comfortable still.

Relaxing the Body Section by Section Before Settling the Mind

He taught the steps of relaxation: use a light, gentle determination -- not forceful, not rushed, not hurried. Take it slowly. Relaxation of the heart begins with softening the breath, letting it grow gentler and gentler, then relaxing every muscle -- starting from the head, down through the face, cheeks, shoulders, arms, torso, chest, abdomen, lower abdomen, back, hips, thighs, knees, shins, calves, soles and tops of the feet -- letting everything relax, feel light, and comfortable. Take it slowly, without rushing.

Then determine to check through the body again, from head to toe, noting whether it feels relaxed and comfortable, region by region. He noted that this "knowing" is mindfulness (sati) arising first. But if we determine to extend that knowing broadly across the whole body, clear comprehension (sampajanna) begins to function -- knowing throughout, from the head, face, cheeks, shoulders, arms, torso, every pore -- so that whatever part of the body moves, we know it.

Mindfulness Versus Clear Comprehension: Knowing the Body Versus Knowing Broadly

He explained that the role of sati differs from that of sampajanna. Sampajanna knows broadly, by determining to spread that awareness across the whole body -- so when any part stirs even slightly, we know. For instance, we come to know whether the back resting against the chair or the hips touching the floor feel cool, warm, soft, or firm. Before, we didn't know this, simply because we had never determined for sampajanna to function. The tool was always there; it simply hadn't been put to work.

Sati is recollection -- recollecting, being aware of the body, being present in it. Before, we weren't aware of body and mind together; once sati arises, that recollection arises, that bodily awareness arises. He stressed that it is essential to see the difference between being aware of body-and-mind and not being aware of it -- this is the crucial point.

The Balance of the Heart: The Tatramajjhattata Mental Factor

When we are aware of body-and-mind, balance arises. Balance means setting the heart to neutral -- neither pleased nor displeased, not leaning toward gladness or sorrow. What normally disturbs that balance is precisely gladness and sorrow. But once we set the heart to neutral, balance arises. When we can sustain this balance, steadiness follows -- whatever experience appears, pleasing or displeasing, we simply remain equanimous, whether the practice yields good results or not.

This neutral nature is the tatramajjhattata mental factor. This factor maintains the balance that is the foundation of equanimity (upekkha). It arises together with wholesome consciousness. Because it is already present, we need only pay attention to it, and it can establish itself continuously. All we need to do is determine to know -- knowing is sati, knowing is sampajanna. In the beginning, sati arises first, giving rise to bodily awareness; we then see that this bodily awareness is what allows the heart to become balanced, neutral, neither pleased nor displeased. Once that balance and neutrality are established, steadiness and stability gradually appear on their own -- simply by our dwelling in the correct system.

Being Aware Versus Being Unaware: Two Wholly Different Systems

The incorrect system is the state of not being aware of body-and-mind, which yields the opposite result entirely: knowing nothing at all, the heart drifting here and there, with a voice directing thought after thought endlessly, the heart scattering and wandering, being pulled and bound and imprisoned within whatever it becomes fixated on, depending on what pleases or displeases it -- mulling over those matters again and again. This is the incorrect nature.

If we dwell in right mindfulness, we dwell in what is correct and good, and the induction of pure energy will arise continuously, coming in to purify the defilements that are the source of problems and obstacles in the many forms of the hindrances -- which lead only to hardship in life and in practice.

The Sphere of Knowing Is the Sphere of Mindfulness: Inducing the Pure Energy Called Merit

When we determine to know, the sphere of knowing draws in the pure energy called merit to cleanse away these defilements. As the defilements grow lighter, problems and obstacles grow lighter, hardship grows lighter, ease gradually appears, comfort gradually appears, and happiness gradually appears on its own -- whether we wish for a good or bad experience or not, it all unfolds according to its own process.

Our late revered teacher said that once the sphere of knowing -- the sphere of mindfulness -- is established at the heart through determination, it draws the pure energy called merit to flow continuously into the brightness at its centre. This pure energy then purifies all defilements automatically, because purity and defilement are natural enemies; when purity arises it automatically cleanses away defilement. Our only role is to determine to know, so that the sphere of knowing can be established -- nothing more. We must never overstep and try to do more than this, because the moment we do, the determined knowing can no longer sustain itself continuously; the sphere of knowing vanishes, and the sphere of not-knowing -- the sphere of ignorance -- arises in its place.

The Stream of Merit: The Coffee-Straw Bubble Analogy

This pure energy called merit takes the form of a clear, round, radiant sphere. Within the sphere of merit lies pure, sacred dhamma-elements -- the purer it is, the more sacred; the more sacred, the greater its power to dispel every defilement. At the centre of this sphere of merit lie all manner of treasures -- treasures of form, of wealth, of virtue, of retinue, of gain, honour, praise and happiness, the paths and fruits of liberation, and the knowledge of the Dhammakaya -- all complete and abundant within the sphere of merit.

He compared it to dipping a coffee straw into water and blowing through it: bubbles rise continuously. The spheres of merit rising within us are just like that -- rising one after another in rapid succession, forming a stream of merit. At the centre of this stream is a clear, radiant thread of treasure. As we sit with eyes closed, continuously determining for the sphere of knowing to be established, we are, in effect, sitting to receive this stream of merit and treasure, which will benefit us both now and in the near and distant future.

The Forty Meditation Subjects and Anchoring Mindfulness

Once we are aware of body-and-mind, the next step is recollecting what we wish to know. Our teachers advise relying on one of the forty traditional meditation subjects, all of which serve as anchors for the sphere of knowing -- the sphere of mindfulness -- to grasp and rest upon, so we know what we are aware of at any given moment: bodily awareness, breath awareness, awareness of posture. These all belong to bodily mindfulness. Sati then anchors itself on the breath or on posture; whichever part moves, we know it.

What matters is that we want the sphere of knowing to be established, because this sphere -- a wholesome sphere -- is a clear, round, radiant orb that can arise nowhere but the heart. Once established at the centre of the heart, it manifests its quality -- the element of knowing -- and however the heart knows, that is what we know, because the heart is our instrument of knowing.

Reciting "Samma Arahang": Determine, Attend Closely, and Contemplate -- Without Rushing

When we want to know what to recollect, our teachers advise determining on "Samma Arahang," then continuously determining to be aware of this recitation. Reciting requires determination; once we determine on the recitation, the sound of it arises within the heart.

The next instruction is to attend closely and contemplate -- staying fixed on the recitation of "Samma Arahang." Otherwise the heart will drift elsewhere. The heart is like a child; we must guide and direct it through determination. However we determine, so the heart will follow -- it depends entirely on us.

Then comes a further, subtler instruction: there is no need to rush, no need to hurry. The unwholesome will try to intrude and push us to rush, hoping for quick results. We must firmly determine: no rushing, no hurrying -- proceeding gently, just right, neither too fast nor too slow, staying attentive and contemplative on the recitation of "Samma Arahang," reciting with a heart that is relaxed, light, comfortable, and pleasantly at ease.

Practicing Until It Becomes Automatic: The Automatic Appliance Analogy

What matters most is letting this recitation take hold of the heart -- reciting until it becomes second nature, a hundred times, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million times, until it becomes automatic. Everything, if practiced continuously, develops toward automaticity. He compared this to modern conveniences: automatic rice cookers, automatic coffee makers, even cars are becoming automatic. Our recitation of "Samma Arahang" is the same -- attending closely and contemplating with a relaxed, light, comfortable, pleasantly-at-ease heart, whether standing, walking, sitting, eating, bathing, brushing our teeth, or conversing -- reciting without stopping. However it happens, it will surely develop into an automatic practice.

When Suffering Appears: Fortitude (Tapa) Helps Us Endure

He taught that what matters is knowing continuously, without lapsing -- though we may lapse a little when the unwholesome or the neutral seizes the moment; the wholesome will seize it back, and we gradually train ourselves to know continuously, without lapsing, with a relaxed, light, comfortable heart, staying aware of the recitation of "Samma Arahang." For those familiar with mindfulness of breathing instead, that works equally well.

But if, in practicing, we feel stifled and burdened, as though forced to endure, that shows suffering has appeared. The Fully Enlightened Buddha taught that suffering, in this sense, is a state that must be endured and is difficult to endure. When suffering arises, simply determining to know it is enough. As we determine to know it, the sphere of knowing -- the sphere of mindfulness -- draws in the pure energy called merit to cleanse away the defilement that is the root cause of that suffering, making it lighter. In the beginning we may need to endure a little while determining to know this state of suffering -- and this is precisely where fortitude (tapa) comes in, helping us endure just enough. Once we can endure it, we can determine to know this suffering -- this state that must be endured and is hard to endure -- well enough for the sphere of knowing to establish itself, anchored continuously on this very state of suffering. The sphere of knowing then draws in pure energy to cleanse the defilement gradually, step by step.

Whether we experience happiness, suffering, or neither, we must rely on this sphere of knowing -- the sphere of mindfulness -- to determine and know. The sphere of knowing continuously draws pure energy into the brightness at its centre, and this pure energy purifies all defilements on its own. Our heart gradually becomes clear, clean, and pure by itself, through the cleansing work of this pure energy called merit.

Closing Chant

Phra Ajarn Suraphong closed the sitting by leading the chant of homage to the Triple Gem: Sabbe Buddha balappatta, paccekana nca yam balam, arahantananca tejena, rakkham bandhami sabbaso. Sabba-Buddhanubhavena, sabba-Dhammanubhavena, sabba-Sanghanubhavena, sadda-sotthi bhavantu te.