The Goal of Life: Moment-by-Moment Liberation Through Ceto-vimutti

We are born into this life for purity and liberation. A reasonable occupation is enough to support us for a lifetime. Even if it seems we don't have money to last a whole life, in truth the "emperor" residing within our sphere of merit takes responsibility for us. If we resolve to choose whichever path we consider beneficial and go to a place of practice, such places already welcome practitioners — even without money we can still get by, because those with abundant merit will offer support out of genuine benefit.

Having learned this teaching, we understand that เจโตวิมุตติ is liberation moment by moment, only that much at a time — freeing up little by little, again and again. This minute is better than the last, clearer, lighter than the minute before — that is liberation through เจโตวิมุตติ, one moment at a time. Today we're free just this much; tomorrow we'll be freer still. If defilement remains, that's fine — we simply keep noting it and clearing it; the wholesome nature draws merit in to clear it for us. Life is just this: purifying and liberating ourselves, sometimes through เจโตวิมุตติ, sometimes through ปัญญาวิมุตติ.

Looking to the Root Cause: Holding No Grudge, Since the Unwholesome Is the Real Actor

We settle from the hindrances by noting body, feeling, mind, and Dhamma-objects, understanding the basic nature of what controls all things. Once we understand this, we let go and hold no grudge against this person or that — knowing it is the unwholesome nature that is really the actor, we don't blame people. We look to the root cause: the root is the nature of the unwholesome and the neutral. What Dhamma-quality is being used to control the situation? What is directing it — an inner voice, a feeling steering thought through the heart? Understanding it this way, ปัญญาวิมุตติ arises.

As we cultivate both เจโตวิมุตติ and ปัญญาวิมุตติ, a feeling arises that dispels the dark, obscuring element, and light appears. Once light appears, we proceed along this middle path continuously; the purity that arises clears the defilement that had obscured our clarity. Once the obscuring element of ignorance is exhausted, clarity appears — light was already there, both clear and bright; a clear, bright sphere appears — but we still can't control it, because defilement holds it fixed, unable to move.

The Clear, Bright Sphere We Cannot Yet Control, Locked by Defilement

As we cultivate both samatha and vipassanā, attaining ปัญญาวิมุตติ and เจโตวิมุตติ moment by moment, bit by bit, all defilement is cleared away and the lock is released — our clear, bright sphere becomes controllable; we can move it forward, back, left, right. We gradually shift it to the center of the body. Once it arrives at the center, we may not notice any "drop into the center" at all — that's because defilement, when still thick, locks everything in place. We have had this bright sphere before; we note it, settle still in its midst, and merit is drawn in to clear the defilement locking everything down.

The First "Drop into the Center": Why It Startles You

As merit, drawn in by the sphere of sati, clears the defilement, the earth, water, wind, fire, space, and consciousness elements within the sphere of Dhamma unite into one and rise distinctly, then get pulled inward — because the pull toward the center is immense. We get pulled in, but because defilement is still present, it startles us — a sudden, unexpected jolt. If there were no defilement at all, there would be no startle; it is precisely because defilement is present that the startle occurs. Startled, we want to move forward but can't yet slip fully within the sphere of Dhamma; we simply stay, hold still, because the pure energy is strong enough to draw us in regardless — but defilement absorbs much of that pull the first time.

By the second time, it's lighter — the jolt of being startled softens. By the third and fourth time, it keeps softening, until eventually we can move inward with no startle at all. This is genuinely what happens the first several times one "drops into the center" — the more it's practiced, the more the startle fades, until it disappears entirely.

The Automatic Relay Within the Sphere of Dhamma

Once we enter within the sphere of Dhamma, the automatic system of the wholesome side can drive us forward, carrying us through its own process. We rest, still, in each successive sphere: the sphere of Dhamma, the sphere of virtue, the sphere of samādhi, the sphere of wisdom, the sphere of liberation, the sphere of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation — passed on in relay, one stage to the next, whenever our heart is pure.

From the pure sphere of Dhamma, it passes to the sphere of virtue; the pure sphere of virtue passes to the sphere of samādhi; the pure sphere of samādhi passes on to the sphere of wisdom; the pure sphere of wisdom passes on to the sphere of liberation; the pure sphere of liberation passes on to the sphere of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation; and the pure sphere of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation passes on to the next, subtler body — through the six spheres of each body in turn, cutting through to the next body, on and on until reaching the Dhamma body. There we reach the inner Triple Gem, and we train across the 18 bodies, practicing millions of times over, until they become one and the same.

Beware the Voice of External Praise Once the Wrong Inner Voice Is Gone

Once we have become unified this way, there is little or no voice left to mislead us from within. Now the unwholesome side turns instead to praise from people outside — whatever unwholesome residue remains inside seizes the opportunity to flatter and inflate us further. This is exactly where we must be careful. But if we pay it no mind, continuing steadily toward the center, indifferent to praise from without or within, focused solely on purity along this inner middle path, then the revered หลวงปู่ will continue to guide us, and our teachers will continue to watch over and support us, aiming toward purity, benefiting the world and all beings. Our merit and perfections keep growing, and our life moves toward something better, more excellent, and ever more wondrous.

Choosing the Path of Dhamma — Gender Is No Obstacle

But for that to happen, we must choose — choose the path of Dhamma over the path of the world. Just this much is enough for us to save ourselves; having learned and understood this much already, with little time left, we should walk this path better. Whether we were born a woman or a man doesn't matter — we didn't get to choose that, and we must accept the fact and move on, setting our resolve firmly toward the path of Dhamma, toward purity, straight toward Nibbāna. Even if we haven't yet reached it, we already dwell within its embrace, simply by abiding in goodness, established in wholesome Dhamma — we appear bright within it, walking the pure path of Dhamma, our life flourishing more and more.

When we close our eyes on this world, we become a special disciple destined to study the knowledge of Dhammakāya with หลวงปู่, หลวงพ่อ, and คุณยาย. When the time comes to be reborn, we will do what needs doing, accumulate merit and perfections on this human plane, then return to reside in the Tusita heaven — never trapped by wealth, status, and worldly praise, which vanish the moment we die; money and rank cannot be carried with us. Human time passes in a blink, so we must take up what is good, practice correctly, aim truly at the goal, and fulfill the purpose of this rebirth. We did not vow to be reborn merely to be rich and comfortable — we came down to gain merit and perfections, to reach the inner Triple Gem. This is why หลวงพ่อ keeps repeating the same point: we are born to reach the inner Triple Gem, seeking merit and building perfections — that is all there is to it.

Living Day to Day by the Wholesome System, and Good Companions

Every moment of daily life, train to abide within the wholesome system. While walking, wholesome Dhamma teaches us to have an anchor for the heart; our thoughts stay on wholesome matters; whatever we say to others is spoken politely, on substantive, beneficial subjects that purify and ennoble our spirit. What we say should draw pure energy in, because our life is a continuous channel of energy — sometimes the energy of demerit, sometimes of merit, sometimes neutral — alternating constantly, never fixed. Demeritorious energy brings suffering and harm; meritorious energy brings happiness, purity, and the fulfillment of our wishes; neutral energy simply keeps life drifting on aimlessly, without substance or future — merely playful, like a child, a bird, a puppy or kitten running about until time runs out.

We choose, then, how to live in a way that is genuinely beneficial, letting pure energy — merit — flow through, which requires the wholesome to arise, which in turn requires a supportive environment. A wholesome friend — a กัลยาณมิตร, a good companion — supports the wholesome; when conditions support it, the wholesome arises easily and merit is drawn in continuously. We must examine whether our present environment is supportive; if not, we should seek an environment that supports the wholesome and that we can actually live within, because this concerns our very future. These are things we must teach ourselves, and teach those we love, our children and grandchildren, newcomers who don't yet know — we must show them what is good, prove it through experience so they come to trust and apply it in their own lives, gaining a new life cared for by the wholesome system, with the Triple Gem shining bright within.

The Emperor Within the Sphere of Merit: Managing Our Resources

Nibbāna takes the merit that arises and uses it to refine future realms into purity, setting up a blueprint of good outcomes, designating certain places as sources of merit connected to Nibbāna. Once such a source of merit is set for the people of the world, it draws us there, making us part of what receives the กระแสธารแห่งบุญ (stream of merit). That stream comes from the ocean of merit, from the most refined level of Nibbāna, which designates, for each place and position in the world, who is fit to serve as the presiding recipient of that stream — and grants benefit accordingly.

These are things we need to understand and pass on, teaching our children and grandchildren to know, understand, and appreciate them, then use them to benefit their lives — no need to fear or struggle over making a living. As long as we have merit, the "emperor" within our sphere of merit manages our resources for us. คุณยาย used to say: don't be afraid — abide in merit, and merit itself will sustain you. Children and grandchildren each go their own way and may stop caring for us, but if we have merit, merit itself sustains us. The emperor within the sphere of merit looks after us, finding people, patrons, and supporters to help us — we're not the ones depending on them; rather, we live by our own merit, and it is precisely because of our own merit that others want to look after and help us. But without merit, who would bother spending the time to care for us?

The Foundation of Vipassanā: Noting Body, Feeling, Mind, and Dhamma to Dispel Craving and Grief

"Monks, you should clearly note body, feeling, mind, and Dhamma-objects, in order to dispel craving and grief." Craving (อภิชฌา) is the delight that gives rise to greed; grief (โทมนัส) is sorrow — we blame this person or that, this or that circumstance, as the cause, and misunderstanding arises. We look to the root: the root of every problem and obstacle is the wholesome nature, the unwholesome nature, and the neutral nature — this is the root of every single difficulty.

Sati knows the topic, the theme; sampajañña gives us clear knowledge of the details. Once we note the details, clarity naturally arises. Sati and sampajañña support each other — the theme comes first, then boring into the details is the role of sampajañña, sharpening our knowing. Stay continuously aware, without forgetting; wherever we note, we know right there; whatever we note, we stay with it there; the sphere of knowing, sati, arises at exactly that position, drawing pure energy into the sphere of energy called merit — a round, clear, bright sphere, filled with pure, sacred merit-element, powerful and potent, able to dispel suffering and illness entirely, clearing defilement and the residue of past kamma.

The Nature of the Sphere of Merit, and Our Teacher's Words: Practice the Cause, Observe the Result

Within the sphere of merit there is also happiness, meant to furnish our life with comfort and ease; and within its center lie every kind of refined treasure — bodily excellence, wealth, virtue, retinue, status, praise, happiness, and the path and fruit of Nibbāna — all complete within the sphere of merit. When merit flows through us, refined treasure flows through us as well, and this refined treasure draws in the coarser, worldly treasures of the world, bringing us comfort and convenience.

Note continuously, without forgetting, at ease, receiving the stream of merit pouring through without interruption. We may stay with a chant, a meditation image, or whatever practice we're used to, receiving the stream of merit joyfully, with a relaxed, light, clear, cool heart. Purity continues to appear, clearing all the defilement present in this dimension, growing lighter. Notice the changes as they appear — the heart becomes cleaner, clearer, lighter, more vibrant.

หลวงพ่อ used to say: "ประกอบเหตุ สังเกตผล สนใจเถิดประเสริฐนัก" — practice the cause and observe the result; how excellent it is to pay attention. Having practiced, we must observe the result; noticing that this minute differs from the last is enough to reassure us that progress is being made. Each recitation of "สัมมาอะระหัง" fuses us more closely with that state, one and the same; seeing this improvement gives us encouragement, and with encouragement comes effort, and with effort comes steadiness.

Closing Chant

Every time we offer respect to the Buddha, recollecting the inner Triple Gem, we appear bright and clear within Him, and He appears bright and clear within us; together we appear radiant within Nibbāna. The stream of merit from His innermost, subtlest depths shines radiantly within us, driving the wholesome system, refining and correcting our elements to purity, and we are freed from one dimension into a subtler one, decreasing the proportion of the unwholesome and easing life's difficulties, while increasing the proportion of the wholesome, making our life clearer, freer, and better.

The sitting closed with: "Arahaṃ sammā-sambuddho bhagavā, buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi" (the Buddha is our refuge), "Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, dhammaṃ namassāmi" (the Dhamma is our refuge), "Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, saṅghaṃ namāmi" (the Sangha is our refuge), followed by a dedication asking for the boundless power of Nibbāna throughout all realms, together with the blessing of the lineage of teachers, to protect everyone present, free from suffering, sorrow, worldly bondage, and danger, granting the Dhamma-eye and easy access to Dhamma, together with wondrous merit that can be used to build perfections endlessly, life after life, until reaching Nibbāna itself.