Why We Practice

Meditation practice is necessary and vital for every life, because we need merit to sustain our human existence — to stand, walk, sit, and lie down peacefully. Without merit, we cannot maintain this state at all; we would fall ill and be bedridden. Studying would bring problems, working would bring many obstacles. Without merit helping to resolve and cleanse our life, family, and society, we would suffer. Merit is the force behind happiness, success, and the fulfillment of life. But to have merit, we must abide only with a wholesome nature — every other nature gives no benefit whatsoever, and if unwholesome, actively causes harm.

The Foundation: Knowing Body, Feeling, Mind, and Dhamma

The Buddha taught: "Monks, you should clearly discern body, feeling, mind, and dhamma, to remove craving and aversion toward the world." This teaching we must commit to memory, because the Buddha teaches us to abide with a wholesome nature in the simplest way possible — merely by observing. Nothing could be easier. Wherever we fix our attention, the mind is placed there; this is called "paying attention." Then we go in to know it, and the sphere of knowing — the sphere of mindfulness, the sphere of recollection — arises; this is called "setting the intention." Once the sphere of mindfulness arises, it induces pure energy, merit, to flow continuously into the brightness at its center. This merit drives the wholesome system, refining our elements toward cleanliness and purity, because defilement is what causes problems and obstacles. Once purified, we are freed from one dimension into another, continuously, increasing the proportion of wholesomeness and diminishing the force of the unwholesome.

Why We Observe Four Bases

The Buddha teaches us to observe body, feeling, mind, and dhamma because these four positions are of the utmost importance — they let us know the mechanism of whatever nature has come to possess the mind. When it arrives, it comes with its entire management team: body, feeling, mind, and dhamma together, overlaying our own body, feeling, mind, and dhamma — like being possessed by a ghost. This changes our behavior and our thinking. So we must keep observing without lapsing. Whatever we fix on, that is what we know; wherever we fix, that is where we know. The sphere of mindfulness draws pure energy, merit, to purify wherever we've fixed our attention. Once purified from ignorance — which conceals things behind obscuring elements — that dimension at the point we've observed opens up, the obscuring elements clear away, and we can enter the dimension at that very point.

From Darkness and Haze to Openness

At first, entering that dimension still feels dark, hazy, dim — but we can sense that we've entered a room, even if it seems dark at first. Then we begin to perceive spaciousness. Mindfulness gradually turns into clear comprehension (sampajañña), perceiving the particles of the atmosphere. We simply keep observing without lapsing. What matters is only that the sphere of mindfulness has something to rest upon, to draw in pure energy. Stay aware without lapsing; whatever we fix on, that is what we know. Merit then flows in continuously. What matters most is a clear, continuous signal. Once the sphere of mindfulness arises, the sphere of ignorance falls away. Within each sphere of merit pouring in is fullness of happiness and purity, along with refined treasures — form, wealth, virtue, retinue, honor, praise, happiness, the path and fruit of nibbāna, and the knowledge of the Dhammakaya. When merit flows through us, these refined treasures flow through us too, drawing coarser worldly treasures toward us.

Chanting the Mantra and Visualizing the Form

If the signal isn't clear or continuous, we can set our own — reciting "Sammā Arahaṃ, Sammā Arahaṃ, Sammā Arahaṃ," slow or fast as we choose. The mantra recitation and the visualized image, as the revered Grandmaster taught, always go together — fix on one and the other appears. Reciting the mantra means uttering the name; the visualized form is the image that appears. When we utter his name, his form appears at the center of the mind — a crystal Dhammakaya image, clear, clean, and pure. "Sammā Arahaṃ" means "the one who practices well, practices rightly, practices in a way leading far from every defilement" — a name given according to quality. Once he appears, he does not appear empty-handed; he arrives together with his function, refining our seeing, remembering, thinking, and knowing — our earth, water, wind, fire, space, and consciousness elements — into purity. Beyond that, he expands and merges as one with our human body, flowing from a small point at the very center outward, merging with our body, life after life, continuously, as "Sammā Arahaṃ" repeats.

Merging Body and Mind Into the Crystal Image

We merge with him into one unity by adopting the feeling that we are the crystal image, and the crystal image is us — that our entire body, from the crown of the head, forehead, nose, cheeks, mouth, chin, throat, both arms, chest, abdomen, lower belly, and back, is all the radiant, cool, clean, pure crystal Dhammakaya. Once body has merged with body into one unity, we merge mind with mind into one unity as well. The Dhamma body dwells with us, abiding in the attainment of cessation, continuously correcting and helping us. Whatever he does, we do the same — gathering the mind, stopping it, stilling it, soft, relaxed, and at ease, clear and cool.

The Dimension That Isn't the X, Y, Z Axis

Stopping within stopping, stilling within stillness, at the center of the center of the crystal image, the center of ourselves, the center of our mind — "Sammā Arahaṃ" continues flowing through, again and again. We settle still into the center of the center of the crystal image, soft, relaxed, at ease, clear, cool — into the center of the center, the center of knowing, the center of stopping, the center of stillness, the center of the crystal image, the center of ourselves, the center of our mind, continuously. Not left, not right, not forward, not back, not up, not down, but sinking straight into the center of the center. **This is another dimension entirely — not the dimension of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis that people are ordinarily familiar with. It is a wholly different dimension, reached by going into the very center of the center.** Stopping within stopping, stilling within stillness, in that center of the center, the center of knowing, the center of stopping, the center of stillness — moving along the inner middle path that leads straight toward nibbāna. The stream of merit continues flowing; within the Triple Gem, the Triple Gem shines bright at the center of us, and we and he appear together within nibbāna, within the boundless, incalculable power of the one who knows.

Radiating Loving-Kindness

Once we have accomplished good for ourselves, we turn to develop loving-kindness to benefit the world and all beings. This loving-kindness is a tool of wholesome dhamma, given so that those with abundant merit can benefit those with less. The revered Grandmaster taught us to draw upon the loving-kindness of a mother for her own small child, letting that sphere of mind arise. As this mental factor is wholesome, once it arises it induces pure energy, merit, to flow continuously into the brightness at the center of the sphere of mindfulness. We then expand this mind, filled with loving-kindness, to cover our home. Since loving-kindness arises from and depends on the mind, wherever the mind extends, the light of loving-kindness extends too — reaching our neighbors, our whole village, district, province, country, and other nations, until it covers the entire world, turning it into a crystal world, radiant, cool, clean, and pure.

Expanding to the Cosmos and Dedicating Merit

May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and find happiness everywhere — celestial beings of the earth, of trees, of the sky, the heavenly realms of every tier, the Brahma and formless-Brahma realms, as well as beings in hell, asuras, and animals. May those with much suffering have less, those with little suffering be freed of it, those with little happiness have more, and those already happy be happier still. Then extend further to the atmosphere of the cosmos, covering countless stars, extending to ten thousand world-systems and infinite universes. This loving-kindness also purifies every particle of the environment — earth, water, air, sky, mountains, oceans, trees, plants, buildings — making them fit for peaceful habitation. Then gather the mind, still and centered, within the bright sphere of loving-kindness. The stream of merit continues pouring in, and we dedicate this arising merit to all people and beings, our ancestors and relatives, our teachers of great kindness, the devas who help and protect us, those who raised and cared for us, and all beings we may have wronged — our **karmic counterparties** — that we may forgive one another and share equally in this merit.

Merging with the Triple Gem and Setting the Resolve

Gather the mind, still and centered, within the sphere of merit still pouring into the brightness of the mind, resting within happiness, purity, and the radiant light of the merit-element. Gather the mind, still and centered, within the Triple Gem — the Buddha jewel, Dhamma jewel, Sangha jewel — and within the great masters, within the most refined Dhamma body of the revered Grandmaster, the Master, and the female teacher. Every single day we must merge ourselves with the Triple Gem and the great masters into one unity, for they are of boundless benefit to us. Every moment of their existence works to help and correct us, without ever pausing. Every time we recall them, we appear bright within them, and they appear bright within us; both we and they appear radiant within nibbāna, within the boundless power of every Buddha, every Silent Buddha, and every Arahant. We take this auspicious moment to pay homage and ask for their blessing, fixing our resolve within this bright sphere of merit, so that our entire path of building perfections unfolds with knowledge, happiness, purity, and success in all that is right and good. The session closes with the traditional Pali chant, dedicating the boundless power of every Buddha to bring these wishes to fulfillment.