พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่ารูปคือหีบห่อบรรจุภัณฑ์ของนาม กุศลธรรมมีลักษณะเป็นดวงกลมใสสว่าง ส่วนอกุศลธรรมมีลักษณะเป็นดวงดำ ทั้งสองเกิดได้ที่เดียวคือที่ใจ ก่อนนำเข้าสู่การเห็นองค์พระธรรมกายแก้วกลางกาย สวมความรู้สึกเป็นองค์พระ และเจริญเมตตาธรรมแผ่ไปทั่วสรรพสัตว์Pra Ajarn explains that form is the "packaging" of name -- wholesome dhamma takes the shape of a bright, clear sphere, while unwholesome dhamma takes the shape of a dark sphere. Both can arise in only one place: the mind. This leads into seeing the crystal Dhamma body at the center of the body, wearing the feeling of being the Buddha-image, and cultivating loving-kindness toward all beings.
Meditation practice is essential and vital for every life, because every moment we are alive, energy is continuously being drawn in -- sometimes wholesome, sometimes unwholesome, sometimes neutral (abyakata) -- each competing to draw in its own kind of energy, to flow through and drive its own system, to control and direct us toward its own aims. Our life is never free of this flow of energy, even while we sleep. Only nature can truly benefit us -- giving , understanding, what is right and good, , and prosperity. The other natures give no benefit at all, and worse, cause suffering and harm.
The Buddha taught: "Monks, you should clearly determine and know the body, feelings, mind, and -objects, in order to clear away delight and displeasure regarding the world." To determine means to mark, to specify, to pinpoint -- wherever we mark it, the mind is placed there, so that we may come to know it. The sphere of awareness, the sphere of , can arise in only one place: the mind. **All dhamma -- wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral -- can arise in only one place, the mind, and nowhere else. The mind is like a generator: a machine capable of drawing in energy.** Whichever nature takes hold draws in its own energy, letting it flow through to drive its own system.
Determined Awareness of Body, Feeling, Mind, and Dhamma Reveals How the Three Natures Work
The Buddha taught us to determine our awareness in four domains: body, feelings, mind, and dhamma-objects. Through this determined awareness, we come to understand the mechanism by which each nature takes hold of the mind. Whichever nature seizes the mind brings its own s along with it. If takes hold, it brings an unwholesome mind and unwholesome mental factors, and unwholesome thoughts appear in the mind. The mind is our instrument of knowing -- whatever the mind knows, we know. If the wholesome takes hold, it brings a wholesome mind and wholesome mental factors, and the goodness born of them guides us to act with . We can see, then, that whether we become good or bad depends entirely on which mental factors -- wholesome or unwholesome -- have taken hold of the mind.
The role of the human body in this determined awareness is simply to remain aware, without lapsing -- staying with mindfulness, a wholesome mental factor. Once mindfulness arises, whether rooted in the body or the mind, it perceives feeling, mind, and dhamma-objects as they appear in each present moment, never drifting to the past or future. Having mindfulness requires determination, which specifies and pinpoints exactly where the mind should be placed. Wherever we determine, the mind is placed there, and at that location the pure energy called merit continuously flows into the brightness of that sphere of mindfulness, driving the wholesome system, refining the elements of our being, clean and pure, clearing away the defilement that causes life's problems and obstacles.
We Are the Sovereign of This House: Whatever We Determine, So It Becomes
Our teachers advise us to determine our awareness at , , using the recitation and the mental image as our tools. We simply determine, within the mental image and recitation, the words "Sammā Arahaṃ," with deep, subtle awareness, and the sound of Sammā Arahaṃ arises from that deep, subtle inner awareness. **We are the owner of this human body and mind, like a king, like a monarch, like an emperor, capable of commanding it.** No other nature -- wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral -- can command us; they must persuade us, because we are the one who commands. We command through determination: whatever we determine, so it becomes, because our mind is a substance of accomplishment. If we determine something unwholesome, unwholesome energy flows in. If we determine something wholesome, the pure energy of merit flows in. Whatever dhamma we determine, that dhamma arises. Everything depends on what we determine.
Form Is the Packaging: The Bright Clear Sphere of Wholesome, the Dark Sphere of Unwholesome
When we utter a name, calling to something, its form naturally appears, because form and name always go together. **Form is like packaging. If the packaging is wholesome, it takes the shape of a bright, clear sphere -- this is called wholesome dhamma. But if the packaging is unwholesome, it takes the shape of a dark sphere.** This holds true across the board -- the unwholesome is always a dark sphere; the wholesome is always a bright, clear sphere. All 84,000 sections of the are, without exception, bright, clear spheres. Within each sphere lies a specific mental quality -- the sphere is the vessel that holds it. Each quality has its own distinct character, and we name it according to that character: , compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, diligence, . Whatever the name, that is the nature of the quality it holds.
When we specify, utter, and determine a name, both its form and its name-quality appear -- and they can appear in only one place: the mind. Once it appears, the inner quality it holds becomes known to the mind. If an unwholesome nature arises, bringing a dark sphere of hatred, the mind perceives the state of anger. If a sphere of lust arises, we perceive lust appearing. If a sphere of greed arises, the mind perceives the state of greed. We may think these are simply our own thoughts and feelings, but in truth they are entirely the unwholesome nature that has taken hold of our mind. We can only come to know this through determined awareness of body, feelings, mind, and dhamma-objects -- only then do we see the mechanism by which these natures operate.
Seeing the Crystal Dhamma Body at the Center of the Body
When we determine our awareness on the recitation "Sammā Arahaṃ," the Buddha-image appears, because Sammā Arahaṃ is the descriptive name of the Arahant Dhamma body -- the one who practices well, practices rightly, practicing in a way that leads far from all defilements. When we utter this name, its form and state appear in our mind. When it appears, it does not appear empty-handed -- it appears together with drawing the pure energy called merit continuously into the brightness of the sphere of mindfulness, driving the wholesome system, refining the elements of our being, clean and pure. It then expands, overlapping to become one with us, so that our whole body becomes the crystal Dhamma body, radiant, cool, clean, and pure. Our head becomes the clear crystal of , with a lotus-bud crest, clear, glittering, and radiant. Our face becomes its face, eyes gently closed, lips curved in a soft smile. Forehead, cheeks, nose, mouth, chin, and neck all become the crystal Dhamma body, clear, glittering, radiant, delicate, soft, and gentle. Both shoulders and arms down to the fingertips, torso, chest, belly, back, hips, thighs, knees, shins, and soles of the feet likewise all become the crystal Dhamma body, radiant, cool, clean, and pure.
Wearing the Feeling of Being the Buddha-Image, Stopping in Stillness
The Dhamma body is our true self. Whatever we determine, so it becomes. Reaching the Dhamma body ranges anywhere from 1% to 100% -- whatever we can perceive right now, that is enough for the moment. Once we have merged our body with its body into one unity, we merge our mind with its mind into one unity as well. The Dhamma body abides with us, cultivating the attainment of ceson, stopping and stilling the mind, refining the elements of our being, clean and pure. Whatever it does, we do the same -- gathering our minds into the center of the Buddha-image, the center of our body, the center of our mind. Stopping within stopping, stillness within stillness, soft and light and at ease, clear, cool, clean, and pure. We send the mind aiming directly toward the path of nibbana, resting at the center of the center, knowing the center, stopping at the center, stilling at the center, continuously. We appear bright and clear at the center of nibbana; nibbana appears bright and clear at the center of us -- every Buddha, every Paccekabuddha, and every Arahant. They hold all beings at their center already. Any being who abides in universal goodness has the pure stream of merit from the depths of nibbana continuously flowing into the brightness of their mind.
Merit Together With Refined Qualities Flows Through Us
Within each sphere of merit lies pure, sacred dhamma-substance, possessed of power and might, able to clear away defilement completely. Not only that, within the sphere of merit lies form, wealth, virtue, and retinue, honor, praise, happiness, the path and fruit of nibbana, and the Dhammakaya knowledge -- all complete within it. When merit flows through us, refined qualities flow through us as well, and these refined qualities are what draw coarser, worldly wealth toward us, into our lives. All we need is determined, unwavering awareness. The role of the human body is simply to determine and know; the role of the wholesome system is to refine the elements of our being, clean and pure, bringing about continuous liberation from one dimension to the next.
Radiating Loving-Kindness to All Beings
Once we have done good for ourselves, we go on to do good for the people of the world and all beings, by determining loving-kindness. We simply set the sincere wish that the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and find happiness everywhere. Our revered Luang Pu advised drawing on the mind of a mother, full of love and goodwill for her young child, and letting it arise in our own mind. The quality of this loving-kindness shines bright and clear, with the special power to clear away patigha -- irritation, a form of defilement -- in all beings and all things. We then expand this heart filled with loving-kindness outward, covering our home, village, sub-district, district, province, the whole country, neighboring countries, until it covers the entire world, turning it into a crystal world, bright, cool, clean, and pure -- extending to earth-dwelling devas, tree-dwelling devas, sky devas, the heavenly beings of every realm, brahmas and formless brahmas, and beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. May those with much suffering have little; may those with little suffering be free of it; may those with little happiness have more; may those with much happiness have ever more. We extend this further, out into the atmosphere of the cosmos, covering countless stars, extending to ten thousand world-systems and countless universes, without limit.
Dedicating Merit to Relatives and All Beings
The pure stream of merit continues pouring forth into the brightness of loving-kindness. We dedicate this merit to all people and beings, including our ancestors and relatives. May all beings who are our companions in birth, aging, sickness, and death receive a share of the merit we have sincerely made. May our ancestors, companions, friends, teachers, and all who have shown us kindness, together with the devas who help and protect us, and all beings we may have wronged as karmic counterparts (khu-kam khu-wen), forgive one another and share equally in this merit.
Merging with the Triple Gem and the Great Teachers
We gather our minds, stopping and stilling, into the center of the Triple Gem -- the Buddha jewel, the Dhamma jewel, the Sangha jewel -- and into the center of our great teachers. We still ourselves into the refined Dhamma body of our revered Luang Pu, then of Luang Phor, and then of Khun Yai Achan, and into the center of nibbana -- the center of every Buddha, every Paccekabuddha, and every Arahant. As we recall them, we appear bright and clear at their center, and they appear bright and clear at the center of us.
Closing Aspiration and Setting the Blueprint of Success
We pay homage and ask for the blessing of every Buddha, every Paccekabuddha, and every Arahant, that our good wishes remain fixed within this radiant sphere of merit, so that from this moment forward our lives change, carrying knowledge together with happiness and , and success in everything right and good. We ask for the blessing, the merit, the radiance, the power, and the absolute authority of nibbana throughout all elements and all dhamma, together with the blessing of Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and Khun Yai Achan -- may all this merit combine with what we have sincerely accumulated since our very first life, becoming sacred merit of boundless power, purifying our body, speech, mind, and the elements of our being -- seeing, remembering, thinking, knowing, earth, water, wind, fire, space, and consciousness -- making them bright, cool, clean, and pure. May we be freed from calamity, misfortune, karmic obstacles of every kind, and may greed, hatred, delusion, lust, , wrong view, craving, and clinging be extinguished without remainder. May we gain the Dhamma-eye and penetrate the Dhammakaya knowledge fully -- the threefold and eightfold knowledge, the six higher powers, the four analytic s, the eight liberations, and the fifteen conducts, in full. May we have strong health and long life to build merit throughout our lives, with unfailing resolve toward nibbana, the end of Dhamma. Wherever we travel, may we meet only good fortune and safety, loved by humans and devas, with bright wisdom penetrating the Dhamma and the Dhammakaya knowledge. In whatever work we undertake, may we prosper beyond expectation, gaining the wealth of a universal monarch to build great generosity and perfections without end. When the time comes to leave this world, may we be born in Tusita heaven, in the realm of the great bodhisattvas of the special merit lineage, and when we return to build perfections on earth, may we be born into a family of right view -- a crystal family, a Dhammakaya family -- complete with the finest form, wealth, virtue, honor, and the path and fruit of nibbana and the Dhammakaya knowledge. May whatever unwholesome deeds we have committed in the past be forgiven and never bear fruit again; may we commit no new unwholesome deed; and may all the merit we have sincerely accumulated combine into sacred, powerful, wondrous results, continuing without end until the very end of Dhamma, by the boundless power of the Lord Buddha, every Buddha. May all these good wishes come true.
*By the power attained by all Buddhas, by the power of the Paccekabuddhas,*
*and by the power of the Arahants, I bind this protection entirely.*
*By the power of all the Buddhas, by the power of all the Dhamma, by the power of all the Sangha,*
*may you always be well and at peace.*