Life Under Three Natures and the Importance of Sammā-Sati

Phra Ajarn Suraphong opens by teaching that practicing Dhamma is essential for every life, because beings and the world are controlled by three natural forces, each competing to possess the mind as ruler of the house, then directing and pressuring human beings to act toward its own goals. Apart from the wholesome system, no other force produces any real benefit — instead they bring suffering. We must therefore establish ourselves rightly, practicing in accordance with the wholesome system. The Buddha taught, over 2,500 years ago: "Monks, you should clearly determine awareness in the body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena, in order to eliminate covetousness and grief regarding the world." Phra Ajarn notes that he must repeat this sentence again and again because it is so profoundly important — capable of transforming an ordinary person into a respectable practitioner, and a respectable practitioner into a noble one worthy of reverence. Whoever practices as the Buddha taught becomes pure and liberated, arriving at a better life, a nobler life, a truly wondrous life.

Determining Awareness, the Sphere of Mindfulness, and the Stream of Merit

Through determining awareness, the sphere of knowing — mindfulness — arises, and the sphere of not-knowing — ignorance — falls away. This arisen sphere of mindfulness draws energy continuously into the bright center of this sphere of knowing. This pure energy called merit then drives the refining of our elements, making them clean and pure, clearing away the defilements that give rise to the hindrances that make life and practice difficult and that bring suffering. So as merit flows in, the wholesome system drives out and dissolves all these defilements completely.

The Subtle Treasure Within the Sphere of Merit, and Its Pull on Coarser Treasure

Beyond this, within the sphere of merit lie subtle treasures of every kind — physical assets, wealth, virtues, retinue, fame, praise, happiness, the fruits of the path to Nibbana, and Dhammakaya knowledge — all complete and abundant within the sphere of merit. When merit flows through us, subtle treasure flows through us too, and this subtle treasure is what draws the coarser treasures of the world toward us.

Choosing a Kammaṭṭhāna That Works: The Signal Must Be Clear and Continuous

Let us dwell with our own kammaṭṭhāna. Whatever kammaṭṭhāna we're familiar with and that works, keep using it. But a kammaṭṭhāna we're familiar with that doesn't work should not be used. What does "not working" mean? An unclear signal — one that doesn't give mindfulness a clear place to cling to and rest upon — or a signal that is clear but keeps dropping out. We must choose a kammaṭṭhāna with a clear and continuous signal.

The Buoy in the Ocean of Saṃsāra

This life is like floating in the middle of the ocean — the ocean of saṃsāra. We need a buoy to lighten our burden, something for mindfulness to cling to and rest upon; that lightening buoy is our kammaṭṭhāna, the one suited to us. We need our own personal kammaṭṭhāna, usable for the rest of our life, and we must train to make it our own, always available, like a working buoy. If we cling to something unreliable, it will sink or vanish; we must choose a buoy sturdy enough to withstand the waves, wind, and storms of raging emotion — a kammaṭṭhāna we can truly rely on.

From Buoy to Small Boat, to Large Boat, to Great Sailing Ship: Developing a Kammaṭṭhāna to Sail Saṃsāra in Comfort

From there, we develop our kammaṭṭhāna into a small boat, then develop that small boat into a large boat, and develop that large boat into a very large one, capable of withstanding wind and waves well. But we must start from the floating buoy first, then develop it step by step until it becomes a great sailing ship — large enough to eat, sleep, and dwell in comfortably, day and night, in good spirits. In this way, we can journey through this long, long ocean of saṃsāra through the cultivation of sammā-sati.

Determining Awareness: The Principle of Establishing Sati in Body and Mind

We need to mark and know — marking means determining, fixing a spot in the body and mind, specifying one particular position of the body, such as the breath, the center of the body, or the felt sense of the body, letting mindfulness cling to it, rest upon it, and perceive it there. Once mindfulness can cling to, rest upon, and perceive the position we've specified, and we repeat this again and again, the drawing-in of pure energy happens continuously. Wherever we've marked, we go and perceive there — knowing, that is, mindfulness, arises. Mindfulness can only arise at the center of the mind — wherever the mind is directed, whether toward wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral states, that is the only place it can arise. Wherever the mind is marked, the mind settles there, and mindfulness appears at that position, because once mindfulness arises, it draws the pure energy called merit to flow into the bright center of the sphere of mindfulness, the sphere of knowing.

Staying Continuously Aware Without Lapsing, With a Relaxed Heart, Without Self-Pressure

Sati is the act of recollecting, of knowing — recollecting means mindfulness first settles into the body and mind, and only then goes on to rest with our kammaṭṭhāna. Whatever position works easily for us, use that position, and stay continuously aware without lapsing, with a relaxed, light heart — no rushing, no hurrying, no pressuring ourselves, staying relaxed, light, clear, cool, clean, and pure. Stay continuously aware, resting with our kammaṭṭhāna continuously. Train with our kammaṭṭhāna — we need our own kammaṭṭhāna. When we stay continuously aware without lapsing in every present moment, the stream of merit pours continuously, driving the wholesome system, cleansing our elements to be clean and pure. Even as the unwholesome side tries to interfere, we simply determine our awareness, staying continuously aware without lapsing, knowing on relaxed and at ease, as the stream of merit and treasure pours continuously, and we sit gathering the accomplished plans and subtle treasure pleasantly, again and again.

Liberation Happening Continuously, Even Without Our Conscious Awareness

Purity and liberation happen continuously, even without our being conscious of it at all — even while we remain dim and hazy, liberation occurs at every moment. As we dwell continuously within the wholesome system, liberation continues without pause. Let the mind settle, still and soft, relaxed and at ease. As we determine our awareness to draw pure energy in to drive the wholesome system, refining our elements to be clean and pure, connecting the stream of merit and treasure, we are liberated continuously into subtler dimensions, reaching subtler treasure, purer merit, more exquisite accomplished plans, and wiser, more powerful guides — refining our personal elements to be cleaner and purer, day by day.

Radiating Loving-Kindness: From a Mother's Heart to Our Home and Village

We now turn to benefiting the world of beings and its environment, making it clean, pure, correct, and good, through the tool of the wholesome system called loving-kindness. This sphere of loving-kindness is a bright, round, clear light within us, filled with love and goodwill. We determine that this love and goodwill arise for people and beings, for ourselves and for those we love: may the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and share happiness together. But if we still do not understand or feel the taste of loving-kindness, Luang Pu taught us to draw upon the heart of a mother's love and goodwill toward her own young child, establishing it at our center — we will come to deeply feel this pure loving-kindness. May all beings be free from suffering and share happiness together; those with much suffering, may it lessen; those with little suffering, may it end; those with little happiness, may it grow; and those with much happiness already, may it grow further still. May none of us harm one another — may we all be free from suffering of body and mind.

Having made this wish, we then expand this heart, filled with loving-kindness, to cover every area of our home and residence. Loving-kindness shines through every particle of the atmosphere — people, beings, things, and every element made bright, clear, cool, clean, and pure, shining even into the buildings, grounds, plants, soil, water, and air, down to the very particles of the elements themselves. We then expand this heart further, covering the whole village, shining bright, extending this brightness to cover the subdistrict, district, and province, several provinces.

Radiating Loving-Kindness Outward: Country, World, and Cosmos

Until it covers the entire country, and extends to neighboring countries, until it covers the whole world, making this world a radiant crystal sphere — clear, cool, clean, pure, and warm. May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and share happiness together — earthbound devas, tree devas, sky devas, the heavenly beings of every level, Brahma and formless-Brahma realms, together with beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and animals — may all beings be free from suffering and share happiness together. Those with much suffering, may it lessen; those with little suffering, may it end; those with little happiness, may it grow; and those with much happiness already, may it grow further still.

Having made this wish, we then expand this heart, filled with loving-kindness, out to the atmosphere of the cosmos, covering the countless stars — tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, billions of them — continuing across the ten thousand world-systems and the boundless cosmos, letting our loving-kindness shine and benefit people, beings, things, and every element without limit, making them bright, clear, cool, clean, and pure. The wholesome nature takes the opportunity to enter and reside as ruler of the hearts of people and beings, drawing the pure energy called merit in continuously, driving the wholesome system to refine our elements and be clean and pure once again. Purity and liberation arise for people and beings — abundant good things await them in subtler dimensions, and they are liberated through countless levels. Great benefit arises for people and beings, and it affects the environment too — the soil, water, air, and sky all growing brighter and brighter through our loving-kindness. Whoever benefits the world and the cosmos may in turn make use of the treasures of the world and the cosmos — so we should cultivate loving-kindness often.

We gather the mind to stop, gather it to be still, within this radiant loving-kindness, while the stream of merit continues pouring through its bright center. We radiate this merit to people and beings everywhere — may all beings share in the merit we have sincerely made, and may they all be free from suffering and share happiness together. We gather the mind to stop and be still at the center of this stream of merit, at the center of happiness and purity. The heart is an accomplishing element: however we determine it, so it becomes. We gather the mind to stop and be still at the center of the Triple Gem — the center of the Buddha-jewel, the Dhamma-jewel, the Sangha-jewel, the center of our great teachers — stopping still at the center of the finest Dhamma body of Luang Pu, of Luang Phor, and of Khun Yai. As we recall them, we appear bright within them; they appear bright within us; and both we and they appear bright at the center of Nibbana, the center of the knower of boundless power.

Dedicating Merit and Setting a Plan for Success

We use this auspicious opportunity to pay respects and ask for blessings from Nibbana, setting a plan for success in our life of building perfections, so that our entire path of building perfections may be filled with knowledge, happiness, and purity, along with the fulfillment of every right and good aspiration. May the merit, radiance, strength, and decisive power of Nibbana throughout all realms, together with the merit of Luang Pu, Luang Phor, Khun Yai, and our teachers, combine with the merit we have sincerely accumulated across countless past lives up to the present, becoming sacred, potent merit that refines our body, speech, mind, and every element — seeing, remembering, thinking, knowing, earth, water, wind, fire, space, and consciousness — making them bright, clear, cool, clean, and pure.

Closing Aspiration

May we be freed from misfortune, karmic results, demonic obstruction, and every obstacle in life. May greed, hatred, delusion, lust, ignorance, wrong view, craving, and clinging end without remainder. May we gain the eye that sees the Dhamma, penetrating the knowledge of the Dhamma body completely — the three knowledges, the eight knowledges, the six higher powers, the four analytical insights, the eight liberations, and the fifteen conducts, in full. May we enjoy strong health and a long life, building merit and perfections throughout our lives, with unfailing spirit as we press on toward Nibbana, the ultimate end of the path.

He closes by asking that any wrongdoing committed knowingly or unknowingly across countless past lives be forgiven fully, that no new wrongdoing be committed in body, speech, or mind, and that all the merit we have sincerely accumulated combine into sacred, potent, and wondrous power, bearing fruit continuously from this moment until the very end of the path — with this good aspiration made complete for us all, by the boundless power of every Buddha.