คำสอน · พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์Teaching · Pra Ajarn Suraphong
เหมือนไมโครโฟนในใจ: เสียงที่ดังขึ้นทั้งที่เราไม่ได้พูด พิสูจน์ว่าความคิดบางอย่างไม่ใช่ของเราThe Microphone Inside the Mind: A Voice That Switches On Though We Never Spoke
พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์ใช้อุปมาไมโครโฟนที่อยู่ในใจ ซึ่งดังขึ้นเองทั้งที่เราไม่ได้พูดหรือคิดผ่านมันเลย เพื่อพิสูจน์ว่าความคิดที่ผุดขึ้นมาบางอย่างไม่ใช่ของเราจริงๆ แต่เป็นผลจากธรรมชาติ 3 ฝ่ายที่ชิงเข้ามาเป็นเจ้าเรือนของใจ ก่อนอธิบายกฎแห่งกรรมและกฎไตรลักษณ์ กลไกผังสำเร็จ แล้วนำเข้าสู่การกำหนดรู้ ภาวนา แผ่เมตตา และอธิษฐานจิตPhra Ajarn Suraphong uses the simile of a microphone inside the mind — one that switches on by itself even though we never spoke or chose to think through it — as proof that some thoughts arising in us genuinely are not our own, but the product of one of the three natures seizing possession of the mind. He then explains the law of kamma and the law of the three characteristics and the completed-blueprint mechanism, before leading into determining and knowing, meditation, radiating loving-kindness, and the closing resolve.
Meditation practice is essential and vital to every life, because we live under the control of three natures. Only nature gives us benefit; the others only bring suffering, giving no benefit at all if the system is unwholesome. We must therefore learn, understand, and train ourselves to dwell in the correct system.
The Core Teaching: Three Parts of "Determine and Know Body, Feeling, Mind, and Mental Objects"
The Buddha taught: monks, you should clearly determine and know body, feeling, mind, and mental objects, in order to eliminate covetousness and grief regarding the world. This sentence is capable of turning an ordinary person into a noble one. It contains three key parts. The first speaks of dwelling in the wholesome system — we must be the one who determines, determines to know. Determining means marking, specifying exactly; wherever we mark and specify, the mind is placed there. Once the mind is placed, we go in to know, and the sphere of knowing — the sphere of — arises within the mind. All phenomena, wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral, can arise in only one place — the mind — and only one at a time. If arises, no other nature can arise simultaneously. So simply by dwelling with the wholesome nature, no other nature can seize the mind.
Merit Clears Away Defilement, and Life Grows Lighter
Once a wholesome quality arises, it draws in pure energy — merit — flowing into the brightness at the center of this sphere of knowing and mindfulness. Purity and defilement are natural enemies, opposites; we bring in the energy of precisely to clear away the defiling energy that causes problems and obstacles. As defilement lightens, our troubles lighten too, and once it's gone, a mass of forms, liberating us continuously from one dimension to the next. The proportion of the wholesome nature increases, and life becomes easier, more comfortable, freer, more vibrant.
The Mind as the Instrument of Knowing: Breath and Heartbeat as Proof
In determining and knowing, wherever we determine, the mind rests there. For example, determine and know the breath — the mind is placed at the nostrils. Before we determined this, we felt nothing of the air moving in and out, even though breathing was happening constantly and the nervous system was functioning. Only once we focused the mind there could we perceive it. This is the essence of cultivating mindfulness. Likewise, if we turn to perceive the heartbeat — beforehand we couldn't perceive it at all, though the heart was beating and the nerves were working the whole time. Only once we determine and know it can we perceive the rhythm of the heartbeat. This proves how essential determining is — without attention, we simply cannot perceive at all. The mind is our instrument of knowing; whatever it knows, we know. No other system can substitute for it — this is why we say the mind is the sovereign.
Three Kinds of Energy, and Who Takes Possession
Beyond being sovereign, the mind also has the function of drawing energy in — but energy comes in three kinds, depending on which nature's "software" is running. For any nature to take possession, it must be subtler than the others — subtler means faster. Once it becomes the house owner, it draws in its own kind of energy to drive its own system. The unwholesome draws in defiling, dirty energy to press our elements down. If the wholesome manages to take possession, it draws in pure energy to drive the wholesome system, raising our mind and spirit higher and nobler. The neutral draws in energy that is neither good nor bad. Energy is drawn in continuously — whether we are asleep, awake, standing, walking, sitting, or lying down — our life is never without this flow of energy.
Feeling: The Sensor That Tells Us Who Has Taken Possession
How do we know which nature currently possesses us? This is exactly where the Buddha taught us to determine and know body, feeling, mind, and mental objects — so we can tell when the wholesome possesses us, when the unwholesome does, and when the neutral does. The mind has a built-in sensor that tells us — we need only determine and know at feeling, whether the mind right now is comfortable and happy, or suffering, in a state that must be endured, or simply neutral. If we perceive comfort and happiness, the wholesome has taken possession; if we perceive a state that must be endured with difficulty, the unwholesome has taken possession. Either way there's no need to be alarmed — simply determine and know it, drawing on a little . Patience comes together with austerity, a protective shield against torment. The sphere of knowing, mindfulness, easily catches this signal of enduring suffering because the signal is clear and continuous; merit then flows in to purify the defilement causing the suffering, lightening it.
Our Role: Determine and Know — Don't Overstep
The sphere of knowing has the function of drawing in pure energy; pure energy has the function of clearing defilement. It is not we ourselves who clear the defilement — so don't overstep; simply perform your own role, staying continuously aware without forgetting. The automatic system of the mind is like the automatic system of the body. Our role is to bring beneficial food, water, and air into the body; the body's automatic system then digests it to nourish us. Feed the body good food and it grows strong; feed it harmful food and it deteriorates. The mind works the same way — we must feed it good thoughts and good feelings to draw in pure energy. But if anyone feeds their mind hellish moods and destructive thoughts, these negative programs draw in defiling energy that drives the unwholesome system, pressing our elements down.
The Voice of Thought and Feeling
Mental activity manifests as the voice of thought and feeling. If the wholesome possesses us, a good inner voice steers good feelings. But if the unwholesome possesses us, oppressive, distorting thoughts and feelings arise, drawing in demeritorious, defiling energy that brings suffering. Bodily behavior grows coarse and harsh, capable of cruel, oppressive acts, causing distress to ourselves and others. But when the wholesome is present, bodily behavior becomes polite, courteous, well-mannered. We can perceive this only when we are actively determining and knowing at body, feeling, mind, and mental objects.
The Microphone Inside the Mind: A Voice That Switches On Though We Never Spoke
What we think, we know we think; what we don't think, we know we didn't think. It's like a microphone inside the mind that switches on even though we never spoke through it, never thought it — yet where does that voice in the mind come from? Sometimes we even try to reject it, but the voice of that inner microphone keeps sounding regardless. Determining and knowing at body, feeling, mind, and mental objects lets us understand this truth. Once we understand it, we can avoid the wrong system and dwell in the correct one. Everything is driven by systems that require energy — bad energy drives a bad system to bad results; good energy drives a good system, and happiness, comfort, and freedom from suffering can arise.
The Law of Kamma and the Law of the Three Characteristics: The Completed Blueprint on Life's Timeline
Our life operates under two laws: , which delivers results, and , which compels us to create causes. The law of kamma we cannot resist, because it is the result of causes we created in the past — we must receive the results of our own actions, unavoidably. The result of the law of kamma is delight or grief; a good result brings delight, a bad one brings sorrow. After the law of kamma delivers its result, the law of the three characteristics operates in each present moment. We cannot avoid the law of kamma, but the law of the three characteristics is something we can choose — which system to dwell in. If we act according to unwholesome causes that bring suffering and harm to others, demerit is drawn in continuously until the act is completed. Once completed, we receive our "reward": the entire blueprint of that demeritorious deed is sealed within the completed sphere of demerit — composed of defiling energy suffused with suffering and ruin — stored in at our center, to be placed on the timeline of the near life, the present lifetime, and the far life, in a lifetime to come.
The Purpose: Eliminating Covetousness and Grief
The Buddha taught us to determine and know body, feeling, mind, and mental objects in order to eliminate covetousness and grief, which would otherwise generate terrible kammic results bringing us suffering in the future. Every life wants happiness and freedom from suffering, yet doesn't know how to achieve it. Not knowing, we are steered by the three natures — like a baby turtle steered by — making countless mistakes throughout life, all because of the guidance of the three natures, appearing to us as our own thoughts though we never realize it.
Entering Meditation: Determining and Knowing, Staying Continuously Aware
After a day spent in honest livelihood and caring for our family, having bathed and washed the body, we now come to purify the mind. Dwell with — once the sphere of mindfulness arises, it draws in pure energy that drives the wholesome system, bringing about continuous purification and liberation, increasing the proportion of the wholesome and diminishing the strength of the unwholesome. Life becomes easier and more comfortable; many good things arise when we dwell with the wholesome system.
Radiating Loving-Kindness to the World and Universe
Having benefited ourselves, we now benefit all people and beings by cultivating — simply setting a wish of goodwill for others, drawing on the heart of a mother filled with love and goodwill for her young child. A clear, radiant sphere of loving-kindness arises. May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and find happiness. Then expand this heart of loving-kindness to cover our home, our neighbors, the village, district, province, country, and neighboring countries, until it covers the whole world, turning it into a crystal world, clear, cool, clean, and pure — reaching heavenly beings, brahma of every realm, and even beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. Then expand further into the atmosphere of the universe, covering countless stars, extending to ten thousand world-systems and a hundred thousand koṭi of universes.
Making the Resolve and Dedicating Merit
Finally, dedicate this merit to all people and beings, to our relatives, parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers and benefactors, the deities who help and support us, and every , that we may forgive one another mutually. Then still and settle the mind at the center of the stream of merit still flowing continuously into the brightness of the mind. Take on the feeling of being the crystal Buddha, the crystal Buddha being us, merging ourselves as one with the Triple Gem and the Great Teachers; still and settle at the center of the Buddha-jewel, the -jewel, the Sangha-jewel, and the Great Teachers — both we and they appearing radiant at the center of Nibbāna. Using this auspicious moment to pay respects and make the resolve, fixing a completed blueprint within this radiant sphere of merit, so that our whole path of building perfections from now onward may be filled with , happiness, and purity, and every good and right wish come to pass — closing with the traditional verse of merit dedication.