พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์สอนว่าไม่จำเป็นต้องเคร่งเครียดกับตำแหน่งที่แน่นอนของศูนย์กลางกายฐานที่ 7 เพียงแค่วางใจไว้กลางตัวกลางท้องก็เพียงพอ เพราะไม่ว่าจะเกิด หลับ ดับ หรือตื่น ใจก็อยู่ที่จุดเดียวกันนี้เสมอ พร้อมอธิบายหลักการกำหนดรู้ในกายเวทนาจิตธรรม แล้วนำเข้าสู่การนั่งสมาธิ แผ่เมตตา และอุทิศส่วนกุศลแบบเต็มรูปแบบPhra Ajarn Suraphong teaches that we needn't worry precisely about the exact location of the seventh base at the center of the body — simply resting the mind within the belly area is enough, because birth, sleep, death, and waking all happen at that same point regardless. He explains discerning body, feeling, mind, and dhamma, then leads a full sit with the crystal Buddha visualization, metta radiation, and merit dedication.
Meditation practice is essential for every life, because we live under the control of three natures — wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral. Apart from , none of the others bring any benefit; they only bring suffering and harm when they are unwholesome. Only the wholesome nature can truly support and benefit us — but we must learn, understand, and practice in alignment with that wholesome system for its benefits to reach us. Otherwise we gain nothing at all.
Refinement Is the Key to Depth
Practice connects us to the wholesome system at a deep, refined level. To reach that depth, the mind itself must become refined — the more refined, the deeper we can go. This refinement spans careful attention to detail, meticulousness, and even how we relate to time. The more attentively we focus on detail, the more refined and subtle the mind becomes.
The Teaching of Satipatthana: Discerning Body, Feeling, Mind, Dhamma
The Buddha taught his monks: "Monks, you should clearly discern the body, feelings, mind, and , in order to remove craving and aversion toward the world." To "discern" means to mark, specify, or fix a point — whether in the body or the mind. In the body, wherever we fix our attention, that's where we must go and attend — knowing the breath, knowing bodily senon, knowing . What pertains to the mind is feeling — pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral — or citta, the recollecting of a meditation object or of merit made. is whatever mental state is present right now, moment to moment — a currently arising, anchoring the mind.
Sati and Sampajanna, and the Purpose of Discerning
Knowing is sati — recollecting, being aware, in body and mind. Clarity is sampajanna — the difference being that sati grasps the general point, while sampajanna captures the fine detail of the mental state. The Buddha's purpose in teaching this discernment was to remove craving and aversion toward the world. Craving (abhijjha) is delight; aversion (domanassa) is distress. Delight is a tool uses to generate greed and attachment to sense pleasures — an endless craving for form, sound, smell, taste, touch. Distress, in turn, leads to irritation and ill will. Both delight and distress ultimately harm ourselves and others.
Resting in Equanimity — Neither Delighted Nor Distressed
The purpose of cultivating is to have sati that discerns without reacting with delight or aversion to whatever appears. The way to do this is to rest the mind in equanimity — a neutral state, unmoved by triggers toward delight or distress. When the mind rests neutrally, without delight or distress, it becomes balanced; when balanced, it becomes steady and firm; and as that steadiness continues, stability gradually reveals itself.
Don't Stress Over the Exact Spot — Rest the Mind in the Belly
Our teachers recommend resting the mind at , the center of the body, or simply within the belly area. But there's no need to be overly strict about the precise location of the seventh base — simply resting the mind within the belly, in the center of the body, is enough. In truth, the mind already knows exactly where the seventh base is: birth, sleep, death, and waking all occur at that very same point. It has to be there for us to fall asleep, and we wake there too — it's a point already embedded deep within the mind by nature.
Entering the Sit: The "Samma Arahang" Recitation
"" is an epithet of the refined arahant dhamma-body, meaning the one who practices well, practices rightly, in a way that leads far from defilements. Stay continuously aware with this recitation, without lapsing. When we speak his name, he appears, taking our elements — seeing, remembering, thinking, knowing — and refining them to , clearing away impurities, linking us to a stream of merit and fortune, and correcting the path ahead. With every recitation, he expands and merges as one with us, growing outward in every direction; our minds become open, spacious, and light. As he expands, we let go of our attachment to this human body, moving out into the atmosphere of the world and the universe. Each time we're liberated this way, the mind grows ever more refined.
The Knowing Mind Arises, and Merit Flows In
The knowing mind is sati; once it arises, the mind of falls away. Once sati is established, it draws in the pure energy called merit, flowing continuously into the brightness at its center. This energy drives the wholesome system forward, refining our elements toward purity. We move from coarser dimensions into subtler ones, where finer resources await — purer merit, more valuable refined treasures, a more exquisite blueprint for success, and wiser, more capable guiding beings ready to help.
Radiating Metta to the World and All Beings
Having done good for ourselves, we now do good for the world and all beings through metta — a round, luminous sphere of loving intention. We set the wish: "May all beings who share in birth, aging, sickness, and death be free from suffering and find , all around." Then we expand this feeling to cover our home, neighborhood, district, province, country, and neighboring countries, until the whole world becomes a radiant crystal globe — pure, cool, and bright. We extend it to heavenly beings, Brahma beings, and beings in the lower realms, then further still into the cosmos, across countless stars and endless world-systems.
The Story of the Bodhisatta Who Cultivated Metta
Whoever benefits the world and the universe can, in turn, make use of the treasures of the world and the universe. As the Bodhisatta of old did: when he was born into the world, he cultivated metta just as we are doing now, benefiting all beings until the end of his life, and thereby attained jhana. When he passed away, he was reborn in the Brahma realm as a Great Brahma, enjoying long ages of bliss. When that life ended, he returned to the human world once more, this time attaining the status of a Universal Monarch, using the treasures of the world and the universe to govern and care for people, giving them a life as happy as that of heavenly beings — people who lived by good moral principles, who did not harm one another, who helped and supported each other, free from war.
Dedicating Merit and Uniting with the Triple Gem
Resting the mind, still and unified, within the brightness of metta, a stream of merit continues pouring through. We then dedicate this merit to the world and all beings: "May you share in the merit we have sincerely made, and be free from suffering, finding happiness everywhere." We then rest the mind at the center of the Triple Gem, merging with it as one — never straying far from it, for it benefits us every single moment without pause, whether we are asleep, awake, standing, walking, sitting, or lying down, continually purifying our elements. From there we rest at the refined dhamma-body of Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and our teacher, who hold their students within them, constantly refining and helping. As we bring them to mind, we appear luminous within them, they appear luminous within us, and together we appear bright at the center of nibbana. While they purify our elements, we take the opportunity to pay respect, make a wish, and set our blueprint for success — that our path of building perfections be filled with wisdom, happiness, and purity.
Closing Dedication
We close by paying respect and requesting the blessings, merit, and boundless power of nibbana, together with the spiritual merit of Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and Khun Yai Achan — asking that all this merit combine with whatever good we ourselves have accumulated across countless past lives, becoming sacred and powerful enough to purify body, speech, mind, and elements; to free us from misfortune and bad karma; to grant and full penetration into Vijja Dhammakaya; to bring good health and a long life for building further merit; to keep our resolve strong toward nibbana; and, when we pass from this world, to be reborn in a good and favorable state that continues to support our path. We ask that past wrongdoing be resolved without further consequence, and that all this goodness bear fruit until the very end of the path. The sit closes with a chant invoking the protective power of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, wishing faith and well-being upon all.