The One Sentence That Can Turn an Ordinary Person Into a Noble One

Phra Ajarn Suraphong opens this sit by stressing one of the most important sentences in the Buddha's teaching, spoken to the monks:

> "Monks, you should know clearly the body, the feelings, the mind, and mental phenomena, in order to remove craving and grief for the world."

He says that even if we remember nothing else, we should remember this sentence — because this single line alone is enough to turn an ordinary person into a noble one. Every wholesome state arises through "determining" — that is, through knowing. Knowing is mindfulness; clarity is full awareness. Wherever we direct our knowing, mindfulness establishes itself right there.

The Sphere of Knowing Is the Sphere of Mindfulness

He explains that mindfulness is a wholesome sphere, and every wholesome sphere has the character of being clear and radiant. Mindfulness is the "sphere of knowing" — a wholesome sphere. Wherever we direct our knowing, we know: whether it's a physical sensation of cool, warm, soft, or firm, or the word we're reciting in meditation. When the sphere of knowing arises, the sphere of not-knowing — ignorance — falls away. The mind becomes balanced, unshaken by stimuli, whether from inside or outside.

Once this sphere of knowing is established, it draws in the stream of merit along with the subtle fortune that comes bundled with it — good looks, wealth, virtues, followers, honor, praise, happiness, favorable circumstances, all flowing in fullness. When merit flows through us, this subtle fortune flows through us too. Our only task is to know gently — without pressure, without rushing — reciting "Samma Arahang" at ease.

See With the Mind, Not With the Eyes

He warns firmly against trying to see with the physical eyes. The moment we strain to see that way, the eyes roll, the head aches, everything tightens. He compares seeing with the mind to recalling the refrigerator at home, the table, the chairs, the door, the household items — that is what seeing with the mind feels like. See only as much as naturally comes; whether clear or unclear doesn't matter. But if we strain to force clarity, we fall back into the habit of using the eyes to stare, causing eye strain and a tight, aching head — none of which works, because the inner world must be seen with the mind, unlike the outer world, which is seen with the eyes.

The Inner Light Arises on Its Own — Don't Rush It

He explains that unclearness simply means the inner light hasn't yet arisen, so things stay dim. As the inner light arises, clarity gradually appears by itself. If it's completely dark right now, that's fine — as we keep knowing steadily, the sphere of knowing draws merit in to drive the system of wholesome states, gradually clearing away impurities. As they thin out, brightness naturally emerges.

He compares this to our liver, kidneys, and intestines, which work automatically — we can't command them to digest food faster. It just happens according to its own mechanism. The same is true of the inner world: we cannot rush its brightness. Everything follows its own automatic inner mechanism. Our role is only to keep knowing steadily, without lapsing. Overstepping this role is like interfering with the system's own workings — it short-circuits and fails.

Receiving the Stream of Merit Is the Starting Point of Building Perfections

Once we understand this, simply sitting to receive the stream of merit right now means we have already fulfilled the purpose of life — because we were born to build perfections and accumulate merit. Merit comes to cleanse the impurities within us, and we can only reach it through this one path: continuous, steady knowing. Right now, we are already walking the path of merit-making and building perfections, the very starting point for fulfilling the intention that brought us to be born. Doing this steadily lets us develop, step by step, until we reach the sphere of Dhamma and the Triple Gem within — reciting "Samma Arahang" one repetition at a time.

Radiating Loving-Kindness From the Self Outward to the Universe

Next he leads a recollection of loving-kindness (mettā). As we recall it, mettā arises as a bright, clear sphere, filled with the quality of Dhamma likened to genuine goodwill. As this sphere of mettā arises, the mind feels goodwill toward itself and toward all beings. He then leads us to expand this mettā-filled mind outward, circle by circle — first filling the whole meditation hall, wishing all fellow practitioners freedom from suffering and happiness, free of enmity toward one another; then covering the practice grounds; then the sub-district, district, and neighboring provinces; until it covers the whole of Thailand, wishing everyone and every being within it freedom from suffering and true happiness.

From there it spreads to neighboring countries and all nations, until it covers the whole world, turning it into a radiant, clear, pure jewel. May the earth spirits, sky spirits, all heavenly beings of every realm, all the brahma gods, and likewise the beings of hell, the asuras, and animals, all be freed from suffering and find happiness. May those with much suffering have less; those with little suffering be free of it entirely; those with little happiness have more; and those already happy grow even happier. Finally the mettā expands to fill the whole atmosphere of the universe, embracing the countless stars and worlds throughout infinite universes, so that this loving-kindness dissolves ill will in the hearts of all beings and calls forth wholesome states within every one of them.

Resting Still in the Centre of the Triple Gem and Making the Aspiration

After radiating mettā, he leads everyone to rest still in the centre of the Buddha-jewel, the Dhamma-jewel, and the Sangha-jewel, in the centre of the revered teachers, in the Dhamma body of the Great Master Monks. He then leads a formal aspiration, asking for blessings from Nibbāna and the great teachers, that success come to our lives and our path of building perfections; that all the merit accumulated since our very first life, through countless births, converge into a sacred, boundlessly powerful merit; that it purify our body, speech, mind, and the elements within us until they shine clear, cool, and pure; that we be freed from misfortune, the fruits of past bad kamma, and all obstacles; that greed, hatred, delusion, ignorance, wrong view, craving, and clinging be exhausted without remainder; that we reach and penetrate the knowledge of the Dhammakāya, attaining the three knowledges, the eight knowledges, the six higher powers, the four analytic insights, the eight liberations, and the fifteen conducts in full; along with good health, long life, and unending strength of heart to keep building perfections.

Aspiring for Forgiveness and Closing With the Chant

He continues, asking that any unwholesome deed done unknowingly across countless past lives be forgiven — released as kamma that has run its course — while all the merit sincerely accumulated bring sacred, powerful, continuous results all the way to the ultimate goal of Dhamma. The sit closes with the chant "Sabbe Buddhānubhāvena, Sabbe Dhammānubhāvena, Sabbe Saṅghānubhāvena, Saddhā Sotthī Bhavantu Te" — invoking the power of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha as a blessing for every practitioner.