การบวชหรือสร้างบุญบารมี "วันต่อวัน" คือการไม่กดดันตัวเองด้วยเป้าหมายระยะยาว แต่ทำวันนี้ให้ดีที่สุดเสมือนเป็นวันสุดท้ายของชีวิต ทบทวนบุญกิริยาวัตถุ 10 และบารมี 10 ทุกวัน จะทำให้ใจสบายและมีกำลังใจทำความดีต่อเนื่องได้อย่างเป็นปกติ"Ordaining day by day" — or for lay people, "building merit day by day" — means not pressuring yourself with a long-term goal, but doing your best today as though it were the last day of your life. Reviewing the ten bases of merit and the ten perfections each day brings peace of mind and steady motivation to keep doing good, without strain.
A student asked the teacher what it means to "ordain day by day," and whether this approach could sustain the motivation to stay ordained long-term.
The teacher explained that ordaining day by day means not pressuring the mind. Today, we simply ordain for today — no need to think far ahead about whether we'll eventually disrobe. We wake, pay respects, meditate, listen to the teaching, and train ourselves in the and ten perfections as well as we can, one day at a time. Setting a goal of three months, a year, or a lifetime creates pressure on the mind, giving unwholesome tendencies an easier opening to stir up trouble.
For lay people who haven't ordained, the same principle becomes "building merit day by day" — thinking of today as the last day of your life, so you give, keep precepts, and meditate fully each day. Review the ten bases of merit and the ten perfections: have I completed them today? Once done, even if you fell asleep tonight and never woke again, there would be nothing to worry about — peace of mind arises naturally. It's like a farmer sowing seed in fertile soil: the harvest will come in time.
Building the Perfections Fully, Every Day
A follow-up question asked what it means that "whatever needs accumulating, accumulate it; whatever needs building, build it."
The teacher explained that accumulating merit is tied to place and time. Place refers to a source of merit, such as a temple — going there lets us offer food, take precepts, meditate, listen to teachings, and rejoice in merit. Time refers to set periods for practicing together — through daily chanting, meditation, extending , and making resolutions, merit is accumulated.
As for the ten perfections, we need to examine ourselves regularly — morning, noon, and evening — asking whether we've completed them, and where we fall short. If we're stingy, we train ourselves to give. If we cling to sense pleasures, we train ourselves to step back from them. If we lack diligence, we train ourselves to be industrious. If we lack sincerity, we train ourselves to be earnest. If the mind is unsettled, we train it toward equanimity. As we keep learning and training this way, day after day, life proceeds with genuine peace of mind.