พระอาจารย์แนะนำให้เจริญเมตตาธรรมและแผ่บุญกุศลให้ผู้ล่วงลับ และอธิบายว่าคนที่มีบุญมากคือคนที่สอนตนเองได้ เพราะเชื่อมกับผู้รู้ภายในได้ง่าย ซึ่งต้องอาศัยการทำสมาธิทำใจหยุดนิ่งและการศึกษาธรรมะควบคู่กันThe teacher advises radiating loving-kindness and dedicating merit to the departed, and explains that having abundant merit is what allows a person to "teach themselves" — because it lets them connect with the wisdom within, something that depends on both stilling the mind in meditation and studying the Dhamma.
A lay follower asked: if a relative has passed away, but never did much merit-making or knew anything about meditation during their life, what can be done to help them during the first seven days?
Helping the Departed During the First Seven Days
The teacher advised radiating and dedicating merit to the departed. When we radiate loving-kindness while thinking of them, that kindness shines brightly at the center of their body and mind, helping to purify defilement and resentment, so that ness within them can more easily take charge and draw in pure energy, freeing them from suffering more readily. Radiating loving-kindness is itself a form of giving — it makes it easier for their own wholesome mind to arise. Dedicating merit, meanwhile, is giving energy directly. During the first seven days, both should be done.
The questioner also asked about commissioning a Buddha image in the departed relative's name. The teacher explained that creating a Buddha image is creating a representation of the Lord Buddha here on the human plane. When the departed person's name is attached to it, it is as if inviting the Buddha himself to help look after and support that person directly. Even if the departed never set foot in a temple or understood anything about practice, the merit generated still reaches them, allowing them to reach a fortunate heavenly realm, possess heavenly treasures, and live happily according to the combined strength of their old and new merit.
Someone With Abundant Merit Is Someone Who Can Teach Themselves
The questioner cited a teaching from the revered senior teacher (khun yai) that a person of great merit is one who can teach themselves, and asked how one comes to be able to do that — and whether someone who gives generously but rarely meditates could do the same.
The teacher explained that teaching oneself requires connecting with the wisdom within — the voice that seems like our own thought guiding us is, in truth, the voice of the inner knowing one. But to connect with it, we must first set up our "receiver." It's like setting up a radio or television antenna: if the receiver we've built is full of im, the signal comes through garbled, like a picture full of static — impurity gives rise to , which create confusion and disturbance that interferes with the connection. This is why we must train in through meditation, stilling the mind. As merit flows through and purifies the mind, the inner voice of wisdom can then guide and teach us. This is why someone with abundant merit is someone who can teach themselves — they have enough merit to lighten the hindrances.
The other piece is studying the , which is like conversing with a wise friend endowed with wisdom. We need to commit what we study to memory. When we hold a topic of Dhamma in mind, a sphere of awareness forms, drawing in pure energy to clear away the impurity that obscures wisdom. Once cleared, the wisdom within can convey a clearer, deeper understanding of that topic. So teaching oneself depends on both stilling the mind through meditation to clear impurity, and studying and remembering the Dhamma so there is something for the inner wisdom to illuminate more and more deeply.