พระอาจารย์สอนว่าเมื่อทุกข์บังเกิดขึ้น เพียงกำหนดรู้ทุกข์นั้นก็พอ เพราะสติจะได้อาศัยความรู้สึกทุกข์ที่ชัดเจนเป็นที่เกาะ แล้วเหนี่ยวนำกระแสธารแห่งบุญเข้ามาชำระมลทินให้เบาบางลง ในระหว่างนั้นต้องอาศัยขันติความอดทน ซึ่งทุกครั้งที่อดทนได้ จะได้ตบะเป็นเกราะป้องกันความทรมานเพิ่มขึ้นเสมอ ไม่สูญเปล่าThe Master teaches that when suffering arises, simply acknowledging it clearly is enough — mindfulness can anchor onto that sharp, unmistakable feeling of suffering and draw in the stream of merit to cleanse away impurity. Along the way, patience is essential: every act of endurance forges new tapas, a protective shield against suffering, so nothing is ever wasted.
Someone asked the Master: when suffering is overwhelming and even sitting in meditation doesn't bring calm, what should be done?
How Merit and Demerit Work
The Master explained that within our sphere of lie both a sphere of merit — a bright, luminous sphere — and a sphere of demerit, a dark sphere saturated with a state that must be endured, and is hard to endure: suffering. The sphere of merit draws in good fortune and repels misfortune; the sphere of demerit does the opposite. Whichever sphere is larger dominates the other, preventing it from expressing its qualities. When the sphere of demerit grows larger, it draws in misfortune and pushes away fortune, producing hardship and suffering.
When Suffering Arises, Simply Acknowledge It
He pointed out that suffering is the coarsest, clearest state there is — sharp enough to cut through any meditation object; no meditation practice can withstand the state of suffering itself. This is why the Buddha taught that when suffering arises, simply acknowledging it is enough — because suffering is a clear, continuous signal, so can anchor onto that feeling easily. When mindfulness, a wholesome quality, stays continuously anchored to the feeling of suffering, it draws in the stream of merit to flow in and gradually cleanse away the im of demerit.
The Role of Patience and Tapas
The Master offered a comparison: if we never confront suffering directly, life becomes like walking with a stone lodged inside our shoe at all times — suffering wherever we go. But if we face it and ac it clearly, it's like a fresh wound that needs medicine or alcohol applied — stinging at first, but gradually healing. In the beginning we may need to endure a little, because acknowledging suffering directly is very sharp. If the we've built up isn't yet strong enough, the pain will still be there — but every moment we manage to endure isn't wasted. Patience forges a new "tapas" — a protective shield against suffering — as its reward.
If the endurance truly exceeds what we can bear, he advised turning to our teachers, the Triple Gem, and Nirvana for help, who are always watching over us. But if we can still endure, he recommended pushing through a little longer first — because asking for help too soon means we never build our own , just like a child who never learns to be strong on their own never truly grows resilient.