After the Lord Buddha attained supreme enlightenment, he traveled from place to place teaching people with two purposes: first, to free people from the defilements that cloud the mind, and second, to enable people to reach a noble, wondrous life.

The law of kamma brought us to this place

When we, as Buddhists, feel the wish to come learn and understand the Dhamma, this is truly an occasion that results from the law of kamma. The law of kamma bears fruit in every present moment — if we stay at home, it draws certain conditions in and makes each day of our life shift and change, all as fruits of the law of kamma, giving results of gladness, sorrow, or neutrality — only these three feelings — or carrying us to other circumstances according to the ripening of unwholesome, wholesome, or neutral kamma. For all of us gathered here, it's clear we came through the ripening of wholesome kamma, the fruit of good causes well-planted in the past when we intended to study the Dhamma — which is why, at this moment, we had to move from where we used to live to this place.

Dwelling in the realm of Dhamma: a stream of merit flows through the heart every moment

At the same time, the law of the Three Characteristics is also at work, giving rise to delight, aversion, or equanimity. The feeling we experience upon arriving here is one of ease and comfort — we are dwelling in the dimension of Dhamma, in the realm of Dhamma. In truth we live in the human realm, but there are many realms layered upon it; right now we are dwelling in the realm of Dhamma. A stream of merit flows through our hearts every moment, every fraction of a second, every breath. The Triple Gem shines brilliantly, even if we cannot see it — we appear shining within it, and it appears shining within us; both we and it appear shining within Nibbāna, whose countless Buddhas are beyond number.

Nibbāna protects all who stand in universal goodness

Nibbāna refers to every Fully Enlightened Buddha, every Silent Buddha, and all the Arahants. Even though they passed into final Nibbāna long ago, they did not simply disappear — they abide in the Nibbāna-sphere, where no Māra, not even the Māra of death, can ever again seize their body. So they watch over and protect all beings who stand in universal goodness, whether or not those beings follow Buddhism, or hold any religion at all — as long as they stand in universal goodness, the Triple Gem shines brilliantly within them, because everyone carries their own Triple Gem within. The stream of merit from Nibbāna wells up and shines within them, and Nibbāna takes the merit-element flowing within them and refines it, purifying their inner elements — just as is happening to us right now. Dwelling within the system of wholesome states is therefore a matter of the greatest importance in life.

The Three Characteristics: the three natures of phenomena

While the stream of merit flows, the law of the Three Characteristics (tilakkhana) also operates. Ti means three, lakkhana means characteristic — three differing natures of phenomena: wholesome states, unwholesome states, and neutral states. Speaking of impermanence, suffering, and non-self describes the nature of the unwholesome side, whose qualities are impermanence, suffering, and non-self. In truth, all conditioned phenomena still caught in the cycle of existence fall under the law of the Three Characteristics — the three natures of wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral take turns becoming the master of our house all the time, a subject we will study further in the coming days.

Wholesome states overlay body-feeling-mind-dhamma, lifting the human body

Whatever nature currently occupies our heart — if it is wholesome, wholesomeness possesses the heart, overlaying its own body-feeling-mind-dhamma onto the human body's body-feeling-mind-dhamma. This overlaid body-feeling-mind-dhamma of wholesomeness is of a higher quality than the human body, because it aims to lift the elements of the human body to be noble and good; our thoughts and feelings become noble and good along with it, so that our behavior, manners, and virtue become good as well. This is what the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana) mean by "body in body, feeling in feeling, mind in mind, dhamma in dhamma" — because when wholesomeness comes to possess us, it overlays its body-feeling-mind-dhamma to lift the human mind and heart to be noble and good. Purity and liberation are thereby arising continuously.

Purity and liberation arise like a child gradually growing

The purity and liberation that keeps arising all the time can be compared to a child gradually growing up. When a child eats, they grow bit by bit each day — a millimeter here, two millimeters there — imperceptible at first, until after some time has passed, one notices, "oh, the child has grown." Our hearts are just the same. When we dwell in the wholesome nature, the purity and liberation arising may only be perceived as a feeling of ease and lightness, because the stream of merit flows through body and heart, clearing away the defilement that once weighed us down — the body feels lighter, the mind feels lighter; what was once coarse becomes refined and gentle; what was once restless in body and mind gradually gives way to calm (passaddhi); what was once sluggish and heavy becomes nimble in both body and mind. This is the fruit of the stream of merit flowing through us, changing our bodily and mental behavior — the fruit of wholesome states while we practice together.

Incline toward wholesome states; do not dwell on unwholesome ones

One more thing to understand: once a wholesome state is established, it keeps bearing fruit as a continuous stream of merit. So incline your mind toward good qualities — relaxation, openness, spaciousness, lightness, fullness, brightness, freshness, coolness, and all forms of refined gentleness — these are all wholesome states. Incline the mind toward them to sustain that good feeling, or recall your own pure precepts, and the stream of merit will keep flowing continuously. On the other hand, heat and agitation in the heart, stuffiness, boredom, worry, stress, irritation, weariness, discouragement, hopelessness, gloom, restlessness, and resentment are all unwholesome states — do not dwell on them, because once established, these unwholesome states draw in a stream of demerit that appears as dark spheres, a state of suffering that is hard to bear, filled with impurity and defilement. So do not pay attention to these unwholesome emotions; remain instead with wholesome states — relaxed, at ease — at ease while sitting, at ease while walking, at ease while lying down.

We are the ones who set the state: the role of the human body

The state of ease itself is also a kind of wholesome state; once established, it releases a stream of ease that keeps our heart comfortable. The heart is our instrument of knowing — whatever the heart knows, that is what we know. But we must be the one who sets the intent (kamnod) — this is the role of the human body: to set the intent. Whatever state we set our intent on will be established, and we then sustain that state. We can sustain a state of relaxation, of coolness and ease, of comfort in body and heart, or we can sustain a state of pure precepts. Once we set it, we sustain it, and in that moment, we are called one who upholds the Dhamma. When we sustain this good state, it releases its stream continuously, letting us keep perceiving that state — such as a feeling of ease — while at the same time the stream of merit keeps welling up and flowing through, refining our heart and mind to be clean and pure. Today we have covered just the basics — take this and practice it little by little.