Practicing Dhamma for Liberation and an Extraordinary Life

Phra Ajarn Suraphong opened the sitting by teaching that Dhamma practice is essential for every life, because we live under the control of three natures. When we hope for happiness, prosperity, and freedom from suffering, we need to rely on the wholesome system, which the Triple Gem oversees and which Nibbana stands behind. If we don't wish for happiness and prosperity, we needn't practice at all. But if we do wish for them, we need to practice in order to draw on the pure energy called merit to drive the wholesome system, so we can reach the knowing, powerful ones who help govern and care for our lives, directing them toward happiness and prosperity.

One Sentence That Turns Ordinary People Into Noble Ones

More than 2,500 years ago, the Fully Enlightened Buddha taught the monastic community: "Monks, you should determine to know clearly the body, feelings, mind, and mental objects, in order to eliminate covetousness and grief regarding the world." Phra Ajarn said he must repeat this sentence so everyone commits it to memory, because this single sentence alone can transform an ordinary person into a virtuous one, and a virtuous person into a noble one. It leads toward purity and liberation, toward a better life, a life that is extraordinary and truly wondrous.

To Determine Means to Mark, to Pinpoint What and Why

Every word in this sentence carries great weight. The first word, "determine," means to mark, to specify, to pinpoint -- marking what, and marking for what purpose. It is marked so that we may go on to determine to know -- knowing as sati, knowing as sampajanna. Knowing thus has two aspects: knowing through sati and knowing through sampajanna. Sati is recollection, remembering, being aware; sampajanna is knowing thoroughly and in detail. Sati arises first, establishing the topic; sampajanna then goes into the details. Knowing "clearly" doesn't mean seeing clearly -- it means knowing clearly. Sampajanna is the part that knows clearly in detail, because it goes into the details, and that is precisely what makes it clear. Sati knows only the headline, the main point; sampajanna goes on to know all the particulars.

Knowing the Body Clearly: Marking a Precise Location

To determine to know the body means to specify, to mark precisely which part of the body we intend to know -- knowing the breath, knowing the center of the body, or knowing our own bodily presence clearly, specifying exactly what we are going to know.

Knowing Feeling and Mind Clearly: Which Nature Has Taken the Seat

The aspect concerning the mind is feeling (vedana) -- pleasant, painful, or neither -- a quality belonging to whichever nature has possessed the heart as its seat: wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral. If wholesome, we feel pleasant and at ease, because that is the quality of the wholesome. When the unwholesome takes the seat, it displays its own quality -- a state that must be endured and is difficult to endure, called suffering. The neutral nature, meanwhile, is a strange, oddly blank neutrality -- neither quite good nor quite bad -- and this blankness of the neutral differs entirely from the neutrality that is equanimity.

True Equanimity: The Balance That Leads to Steadiness and Stability

The neutrality that is equanimity belongs to the wholesome Dhamma -- it serves balance, remaining unmoved by either delight or displeasure. The heart stays neutral, neither pleased nor displeased, unshaken by anything at all -- neutral, and balanced as well. Once balanced, it becomes steady; once steady, it becomes stable; once stable, it becomes sovereign, possessing mastery over itself. This is the quality of equanimity, and we must dwell within this quality of equanimity in order to eliminate covetousness and grief regarding the world. Only by dwelling in equanimity can we eliminate both delight and sorrow entirely. Dhamma practice is precisely the path toward this equanimity, becoming steady and stable automatically.

The Raft-on-the-Water Analogy: The Blankness of the Neutral Nature

He compared the neutral nature to a raft of debris drifting on water -- neither quite good nor quite bad, unlike a crocodile that snaps and bites at whoever passes by; the drifting raft is simply neither good nor bad, without substance or purpose, a life like a bird or a crow drifting aimlessly. Regarding the consciousness that possesses the heart: if unwholesome, it aligns with hell, hungry ghosts, and animals; if wholesome, it aligns with the refined subtle body, the consciousness of one who is virtuous; if neutral, it resembles a wandering spirit, drifting here and there, the heart never settled in the body -- speaking without substance, acting without accomplishing anything, unable to develop in any direction.

Meditation in Buddhism Differs From Jhana: Ñana Relies on the Seven Factors of Enlightenment

We determine to know these three natures in order to know them as they truly are. It becomes clear that in Buddhism, the cultivation of meditation differs from jhana. Ñana (insight-knowledge) is the instrument for knowing things as they truly are, whereas jhana focuses the mind on rapture, bliss, and one-pointedness. Ñana, by contrast, relies on the qualities known as the bojjhanga -- the factors of enlightenment: mindfulness as a factor of enlightenment, investigation of Dhamma as a factor of enlightenment, energy as a factor of enlightenment, rapture as a factor of enlightenment, tranquility as a factor of enlightenment, concentration as a factor of enlightenment, and equanimity as a factor of enlightenment. These bojjhanga are factors of concentration distinct from the factors of jhana -- similar in some ways, yet different, in that the bojjhanga determine to know body, feeling, mind, and mental objects, whereas jhana focuses on kasina objects and similar meditation supports.

Reciting "Samma Arahang" Paired With the Mental Image of the Buddha

He taught that we may begin with either approach -- that's fine. What matters is settling the mind, staying aware continuously without lapsing, remaining with the recitation of "Samma Arahang" alongside the mental image of a Buddha figure or a crystal orb. Whether it appears clearly or not doesn't matter. "Samma Arahang" is the honorific name of the subtle Arahant Dhamma body -- a name given according to his qualities, because he is one who has practiced well and rightly, practice leading far away from every defilement. When we utter his name, "Samma Arahang, Samma Arahang," he appears at the center of our heart. He does not appear empty-handed -- he arises together with the stream of merit. When we recollect him, "Samma Arahang" once brings one Buddha figure; twice brings two; three times brings three figures appearing. We gather these Buddha figures, which come to help refine and correct the elements of Dhamma within us, making them clear and pure. Because once he has come, he stays with us -- he goes nowhere.

Uttering His Name Means Inviting Him Into the Heart, Not Speaking Idly

He stressed that we must utter his name -- but uttering his name is not merely a matter of the mouth. We must truly recollect him, truly invite him to reside within the heart. It is not enough to speak his name while the mind holds onto other things, blocking him out with this matter or that, preventing him from appearing. The heart must truly recollect him. Through "Samma Arahang," we see him appear at the center of our being, at the center of our heart. Once he appears, he comes together with the continuously flowing stream of merit. Every time we perform a good deed, merit flows through continuously. But to perform good deeds, the wholesome must first take the seat of the heart and direct us toward them. We are rather like someone who doesn't fully understand -- we hear something and simply remember it as it was told. If the wholesome doesn't direct us to practice, we simply don't practice.

The Tatramajjhattata Factor and Faith: Qualities That Arise With Wholesome Consciousness

He taught: stay aware continuously without lapsing. As we determine to know, the sphere of ignorance -- the sphere of not-knowing -- dissolves, and the sphere of knowing, sati, is established; we recollect, we are aware. We need to see the difference between having mindfulness and lacking it. Whenever we determine to know, the tatramajjhattata mental factor -- the factor that keeps us dwelling in equanimity, balance, steadiness, unshaken -- arises. This factor already arises together with wholesome consciousness; we can come to know this balanced, unshaken state directly. In addition, faith (saddha) is another mental factor that arises together with wholesome consciousness, giving us confidence and trust in the wholesome system -- that it is a system worthy of admiration and faith, that it genuinely benefits us, and that we are glad and willing to remain steadfast in doing good.

Staying Aware Without Lapsing: A Meditation Object With a Clear, Continuous Signal

What we need is pure energy. All it takes is staying aware continuously, without lapsing, knowing on and on, pleasantly, at ease. Each of us continues reciting at our own pace, pleasantly, comfortably. Staying aware continuously without lapsing, knowing what we are aware of, remaining with a meditation object that gives a clear, continuous, unbroken signal, so that sati can anchor upon it and be aware. The sphere of knowing, once established, draws in the pure energy called merit to flow continuously into the brightness at its center. As long as the sphere of knowing remains established, this continuous flow of energy into the brightness of the sphere of knowing -- the sphere of mindfulness -- keeps happening.

Purify the Aggregates First, Then Benefit Sentient Beings With Loving-Kindness

Once we have benefited ourselves by determining to know, letting the sphere of knowing draw in pure energy to drive the wholesome system in refining and correcting our own aggregates, making them clear and pure, we become liberated from the coarse dimension into a subtler one, where many good things await us. Our status changes, simply by continuously dwelling within the wholesome system. From there, we go on to benefit sentient beings -- people and beings of every kind, the world of beings -- as well as the surrounding environment: earth, water, air, sky, trees, grass, homes, and belongings -- the world of opportunity. For this, we rely on the tool of the wholesome system called loving-kindness (metta).

Radiating Loving-Kindness to Ourselves and Those We Love

All it takes is determining a wish for goodness, love and goodwill, like a mother's love for her own small child, letting that very quality of mind arise in the cultivation of loving-kindness. We come to taste the purity of loving-kindness continuously. We set our wish for goodness toward ourselves, toward those we love, toward people and beings, toward all who have shown us kindness, our children and extended family, as well as our companions in the Dhamma -- may the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and share happiness everywhere. For those who suffer much, may their suffering lessen; for those who suffer little, may it end and happiness arise; for those with little happiness, may it grow; and for those already abundant in happiness, may it grow still further.

Radiating Loving-Kindness Across the World and the Boundless Universe

Having set this wish for goodness, we extend our heart, brimming with loving-kindness, to cover our home and dwelling, letting loving-kindness shine through every corner of the surrounding air, encompassing all people, beings, and things. We extend it further across the whole village, letting it shine bright with our loving-kindness, radiant and clear as crystal, then extend it to cover the sub-district, district, and province, and onward to many provinces, covering the entire country, extending continuously to neighboring countries and all nations until it covers the whole world, making this world a crystal world, bright, cool, clean, and pure. May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and share happiness everywhere -- earthbound devas, sky-dwelling devas, celestial beings of every heavenly realm, the Brahma gods, as well as beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and animals -- may all beings be free from suffering and share happiness everywhere. We extend it further still, out to the atmosphere of the cosmos, encompassing countless stars, all the way to the ten thousand world-systems and the boundless universe, without limit. Loving-kindness shines forth, dispelling resentment and ill-will completely from the hearts of all people and beings.

Resting in the Refined Body of Our Teachers and Setting Our Aspiration

We gather our hearts to stillness, resting within this continuously flowing stream of merit at the center of our radiant loving-kindness, dedicating this merit to arise for the benefit of all people and beings. We rest within the Triple Gem, within our great teachers, within the utterly refined Dhamma body of our late revered teachers, Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and Khun Yai. As we bring them to mind, we appear bright and clear within them, and they appear bright and clear within us; both we and they appear luminous within Nibbana. We take this occasion to pay respect and ask for their blessing, setting our aspiration and our life-plan into the center of this radiant sphere of merit, asking that all the merit and perfections we have sincerely accumulated combine together, so that we may reap the fruits of a successful life with ease.

Asking for Blessings and Setting the Life-Plan in Detail

We pay respect and ask for the blessing, merit, radiance, power, and unequivocal authority of Nibbana throughout all elements and all Dhamma, together with the blessing of our revered teachers, Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and Khun Yai. May all this merit and these perfections combine with the merit and perfections we ourselves have sincerely accumulated since our very first existence, through countless lifetimes, up to this present moment. May all this merit combine into sacred merit, possessing power, might, and boundless force, refining our body, speech, and mind, our elements of Dhamma, our seeing, remembering, thinking, and knowing, the elements of earth, water, wind, fire, space, and consciousness, making them bright, cool, clean, and pure. May we be freed from sacred misfortune, from the results of past karma, from obstruction by Mara, and from every manner of obstacle in life; may greed, hatred, delusion, lust, ignorance, wrong view, craving, and clinging all dissolve entirely, leaving no trace.

May we gain the eye that sees the Dhamma, reaching and penetrating the knowledge of the Dhammakaya, achieving the three knowledges, the eight knowledges, the six higher powers, the four kinds of analytical insight, the eight liberations, and the fifteen conducts, complete in every respect. May we also enjoy strong and complete health, a long lifespan, and the ability to accumulate merit and perfections throughout our entire life, safely to the very end, with an unceasing, elevated spirit in building perfections, heading straight along the path to Nibbana, to the very end of Dhamma. Wherever we travel, may we meet only good fortune and safety, may we be loved by both humans and devas, may we possess a bright wisdom that clearly penetrates the Dhamma of the Fully Enlightened Buddha, and whatever business or work we undertake, may it flourish and progress, yielding results beyond what we could imagine or expect.

When the time comes to close our eyes and leave this world, may we be reborn in the Tusita heaven, in the special sphere of merit reserved for future Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas, and when we return to build perfections in the human world, may we be born into a family of right view, a crystal family, a Dhammakaya family, a model family for the world, a warm and loving family, complete and abundant with the utmost treasures of form, wealth, virtue, retinue, gain, honor, praise and happiness, the paths and fruits of liberation, and the knowledge of the Dhammakaya. Whatever unwholesome deed we may have committed by mistake or through carelessness in the past, throughout countless lifetimes, may that unwholesome karma be unable to catch up with us or bear its result, and may it become forgiven karma forever; may we commit no new unwholesome deed through body, speech, or mind. May all the merit we have sincerely accumulated combine together and yield its sacred result, powerful and wondrous, continuously from this moment onward, until the very end of Dhamma.

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.