One student asked: the teacher once said that when we sit in meditation, if impurity is still present, sometimes we feel scattered or unable to settle, and were told to simply keep sitting. She asked what she should keep bringing to mind while continuing to sit — that day she alternated between recalling merit and a crystal sphere, but couldn't picture the crystal sphere clearly.

Choose Whatever Anchor for Mindfulness Comes Easiest — It Doesn't Have to Be Fixed

The teacher answered that it's fine — recall whatever comes to mind. All that's needed is for mindfulness to have something to rest on. Once mindfulness has an anchor, use whichever one is easiest: the chanting phrase "Samma-arahang," noted syllable by syllable if that's easy; or picturing the Buddha image or the crystal sphere, whichever stays clear the longest. If none of these work, try the in-and-out breath instead. Look for whatever comes easiest, because whatever feels difficult usually has some state of suffering interfering with it — and coarse suffering is able to collapse any meditation object at all.

When Suffering Interferes Strongly, Note the Suffering Directly

This is why the Buddha taught that if suffering is present, we should simply note the suffering itself directly, because suffering is actually easy to note — its impression stays clear and continuous. Noting suffering means facing it head-on; facing it makes it clearer, though it requires a little patience at first. As we endure it, mindfulness of the Dhamma arises together with an inner fortitude — like a shell protecting us from being tormented, without itself being a torment. We only need to endure a little. Normally people are unwilling to face suffering directly, which is actually the wrong approach, because the truth of suffering is exactly what the noble ones must face. Whenever we face a state exactly as it truly is, the truth reveals itself — it's simply the result of our own past actions, whether from the near or distant past, and there's no escaping it. But once we've endured it, we never come out at a loss — only gain upon gain.

Mindfulness Grasps the Key Point, Clear Comprehension Fills In the Details, and Brightness Appears on Its Own Once Impurity Clears

Note things clearly: mindfulness grasps the key point, while clear comprehension goes into the fine details — clarity arises from clear comprehension. As for actually seeing, if light hasn't yet appeared we won't see anything; we see only once light appears. Everything unfolds naturally after each round of impurity is cleared. Clearing suffering in this way is really clearing the hindrances — wholesomeness itself does the clearing, not us; we are simply the one who notes and keeps noting continuously, without wavering. Once impurity clears, a sense of openness and emptiness appears — but why isn't it bright yet? Because subtler impurity still remains. The wholesome nature automatically continues clearing that subtler impurity until it too is gone, and brightness appears on its own — though it may still not be fully clear, since some remaining haze of impurity lingers.

Time Is the Most Important Factor — the More Time Given, the Faster It Clears

At this stage we need to give it time, letting it clear level by level; if we stop too soon, the process simply doesn't continue developing. Time is therefore extremely important. If we sit and then quit right after, there's no telling when it will ever develop further — and when we pick up new impurity afterward, we'll have to clear the old backlog all over again. Asked whether sitting longer clears impurity faster, the teacher confirmed yes — the more time we give it, the better. How fast or slow depends on how much impurity there is, and the quality of our noting. But that's fine — just keep going, give it more time, and everything will gradually develop on its own. Once the clearing is complete, we'll come to know it, and finer instruction on exactly how to note will follow — stay still, and our clear awareness of body and mind will become sharper and sharper.