หลวงพ่อสังเกตว่าผู้นำบุญที่ไม่ค่อยพบปัญหาคือผู้ที่ประพฤติธรรมสม่ำเสมอทุกวัน ส่วนการทำหน้าที่กัลยาณมิตรให้ได้ผลต้องอาศัยการสร้างเครือข่ายความดีด้วยหลัก จุดประกาย สร้างกระแส และเสริมบรรยากาศOur teacher's own teacher observed that the merit-leaders who ran into the fewest problems were those who practiced consistently every day. Serving well as a spiritual friend to others rests on building a network of goodness through three principles: sparking it, building momentum, and reinforcing the atmosphere around it.
A student asked the teacher to expand on the technique for serving as a , as our teacher's own teacher had once described.
Why Some Merit-Leaders Never Run Into Problems
Our teacher's own teacher once observed that merit-leaders who invited relatives to join in making merit and rarely ran into trouble were those who practiced consistently at least twice a day: meditating and radiating upon waking, offering alms with a heartfelt wish for the merit to reunite them with scattered relatives so they could make merit together again, and reflecting on the day's merit before sleep. The teacher explained why this works: practicing is cultivating — wherever we place our attention, the mind settles there. Once the sphere of forms, it draws in pure energy, merit, to cleanse the impurities that cause problems and obstacles. As proportion grows, weakens, and problems naturally diminish.
Building a Network of Goodness: Spark It, Build Momentum, Reinforce the Atmosphere
Because humans are social beings, all three natures compete to expand their own networks — the larger the network, the greater that nature's reach, for good or ill. Even the Buddha built perfections for twenty, forty, or eighty incalculable aeons depending on the type of Buddha he would become; the longer the perfections were built, the larger the network of good people that followed. A network of the unwholesome, conversely, makes the surrounding environment less livable. Building a network of goodness rests on three principles: spark it in your own heart and others', build momentum around it as a shared value, and reinforce it with a supportive atmosphere — applicable equally to a family and to a wider society.
Telling Problems Apart From Obstacles
Failed undertakings seem to have countless causes, but they really boil down to two: a problem (something we don't know) or an obstacle (something we know but can't get past). Problems are solved by consulting someone able, whether an outer or inner guide; obstacles require someone capable or specially skilled. It's the same as a child relying on parents, a student relying on a teacher, or an employee relying on a supervisor to help resolve things.
Wishing to Reunite With Scattered Relatives
Making a wish after the morning's merit-making, to reunite with relatives who've been scattered across lifetimes, connects with the unseen background of those who once lived together, perhaps descending together from the Tusita heaven. The wave of that heartfelt wish, combined with the energy of the good deed, drives the unseen system toward that intended goal.
The Constitution of Life: Generosity, Precepts, Renunciation, Wisdom
The teacher added that beyond this teaching, there is a "constitution of life" — the foundation for governing our life rightly and well. The first is the perfection of generosity: we must dissolve , which locks the heart small; once unlocked, the heart widens, and so does the channel for merit. The second is the perfection of precepts, whose essence is providing safety to ourselves and others, resting on honesty and sincerity. The third is the perfection of renunciation, letting go of sensual pleasure; once the heart is made beautiful through precepts, we start to see the im in sensuality and are drawn inward, level by level. The fourth is the perfection of wisdom, which connects us to our inner knowing, helps solve problems, and gives rise to vision and inspiration to want to change our life for the better — which in turn leads into the perfection of effort, the next in line.