Why We Forget the Useful Things

In a few more days we'll have to disrobe and go back to our livelihoods. When we go out, people will ask us: what did you get from this ordination? Do you have anything good to share? This question matters. Someone once went to hear a monk's sermon; afterward a friend asked, "How was it, was the sermon good today?" "Oh, it was very good, very good indeed." "What did he teach?" "So much! I can't remember." So much, so good, but can't remember. It's like sending our children to school and asking, "What did the teacher teach today?" "So much, Dad!" "Well, tell me about it." "I can't remember." Yet ask them about something useless, and they remember perfectly. What's useful, we forget. So we need to understand clearly what makes something genuinely useful — it must be able to draw pure energy, that is, merit, into ourselves. That is what makes something useful.

When We Recall the Good, Wholesomeness Arises

When we recall something good, wholesomeness (kusala) arises. When wholesomeness arises, the drawing-in of pure energy, along with subtle treasures and the completed blueprint, comes into being. Once that occurs, it can also refine our mind, purifying it, freeing us from one dimension into another, increasing our proportion of wholesome states. One benefit leads to a second beneficial process, which leads to a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, more and more. This is not a small matter — it is something truly great. Great for us as human beings, great for our entire lineage of elements and Dhamma. Countless levels all wait for the human body to abide in wholesome states, so that merit can be drawn in.

The Path Merit Flows Through, From Nibbāna Down to the Human Body

When merit flows in from the subtlest realm of Nibbāna, it passes through the subtle Arahant dharmakaya, the coarse Arahant dharmakaya, the subtle Anagami dharmakaya, the Anagami path and fruit, the Sakadagami path and fruit, the Sotapanna path and fruit, the subtle Gotrabhu body, the coarse Gotrabhu body, flowing on through the subtle arupa-brahma body, the coarse arupa-brahma body, the subtle rupa-brahma body, the coarse rupa-brahma body, flowing into the subtle divine body, the coarse divine body, and finally into the subtle human body, then the coarse human body — which is us. Merit flows this way from the subtlest level continuously downward. As it flows through, it refines the sphere of Dhamma, the sphere of precepts, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge-and-vision of liberation, in each body, purifying it, and merit is stored within each of these bodies, every one of them.

The Coarse Body Is the Base for Doing Good

All of this depends on the coarse (physical) body. Only through the coarse body can we perform the causes of goodness, abide in wholesome states, and bring wholesomeness to fulfillment, which then appears as merit — as a subtle treasure within each sphere of merit — depending on what kind of wholesome cause was performed at that moment. For instance, giving food to people and living beings yields the five blessings of longevity, complexion, happiness, strength, and eloquence, appearing as radiant merit within the subtle treasure at the center of the merit-sphere. This merit that flows through then comes to rest within the Dhamma-sphere of each body. When we go to enjoy happiness in the heavenly realms, the fruit of that merit manifests as celestial treasures there, depending on which realm we're born into. This is why human beings need diligence and effort to perform the causes of the ten meritorious deeds, so that whatever realm we're reborn into, we reap the fruits of the merit that has arisen.

Environment and Good Companions, According to the Blessings of Life

To cultivate merit in various ways, we need a suitable environment. These two components — environment and good companionship — are extremely important. If you look at the Mangala Sutta (Blessings of Life) that the teacher gave us, you'll see that items one through six all speak of environment. The very first item — avoid people who disguise themselves as friends, that is, fools masquerading as friends — is the most dangerous of all. The rest speak of environment and good companions (kalyāṇamitta) who support our benefit, gradually bringing wholesomeness to completion. If the environment isn't suitable, it's hard to establish the causes for wholesome states to arise. Since we need a suitable environment and don't always have one, we must create it ourselves — connecting ourselves with an inner good companion.

Tell Good Stories to Whoever You Meet, Before They Ask

How do we do that? Whoever we meet, we don't wait for them to ask — we volunteer good stories first, before they even speak. That is us and our inner good companion speaking first — telling good stories, which is really letting ourselves hear them too. We went and ordained, heard interesting things, and now we tell others what we heard. We pick out the points from what we heard — each evening, after chanting and paying homage to the Buddha, we hear various case studies presented to us, reinforcing the law of kamma and the law of the three characteristics, pointing to what lies behind events. Then we take these stories and retell them to one another, reinforcing ourselves again and again. At the same time, as we tell the story, our inner knowing whispers to us — tell this part, mention this point, conclude it this way, here's where the key point is. The inner knowing guides us, as if we were thinking it ourselves. The first telling may not be perfect, that's fine; the second telling becomes more complete, because the one with spiritual power refines it, removing flaws, making them lighter. By the third telling, the details are fuller, richer in flavor.

Merit Flows Through Both Teller and Listener

Every time we tell the story, the stream of merit's generosity flows from us first, then to whoever listens — refining both us and them. Not only does the stream of merit flow, but treasures arise in both listener and teller. The process of wholesome states works to improve and purify both of us, freeing us both, continuously, from one dimension to the next — and neither of us is even aware of it happening. The good information we give away, the wholesomeness within the other person stores it away and uses it — while they're driving, wholesomeness will bring up that topic to converse with them; while they eat, sit around, or bathe, at every opportunity wholesomeness will bring the story we told into conversation with them, and at the same time, draw merit into them. Because once wholesomeness has claimed them for that moment, it needs material to continue with, or some other force might claim them instead. So there must be a continuous supply of stories and conversation, to purify the stains of demerit and bring about purification and liberation. The more substantial and meaningful our story is, the longer and richer its content, the longer wholesomeness can anchor it in the mind — meaning more pure energy, that is, merit, flows through, more refinement happens, and more subtle treasure flows through as well.

An Example With Precepts: The Sphere of Sīla Brightens Upon Taking Them

Take the example of telling a story about precepts (sīla). A person who keeps precepts differs from one who doesn't — inside the one without precepts, the sphere is hollow. But the one who keeps precepts, upon undertaking them, has the sphere of sīla — which sits within the Dhamma-sphere — become bright and luminous, drawing in pure energy, that is, merit, to flow in, refining the elements of Dhamma within us to be pure and clean, freeing us continuously from one dimension to the next. Precepts also guard our mind, storing it in a safe dimension, and teach us to protect both ourselves and others — protecting life, protecting property, protecting family, protecting our speech, protecting our wholesome states. The listener reflects and agrees — yes, a person with precepts differs from one without; keeping precepts brightens the sphere of sīla. Before, they never knew this — they thought that once you undertake the precepts, that's it, whether you keep them or not doesn't really matter much. But once we tell them what actually happens when precepts are undertaken — that it provides safety to oneself and others, that the sphere of sīla at the center of the body, a permanent instrument of the human body, brightens and draws merit in — along with subtle treasure and the completed blueprint that provides safety.

What Lies Within the Sphere of Merit: The Bubbles-From-a-Straw Analogy

Within each sphere of merit is composed of pure, sacred elements of Dhamma, possessed of power sufficient to eliminate the stains of defilement, suffering, grief, danger, and all manner of karmic consequence. Within the sphere of merit is a state brimming with happiness. Not only that — at the center of the sphere of merit are also treasures of every kind: physical treasure, material treasure, virtuous qualities, retinue, gain, honor, praise, happiness, and the path, fruit, and Nibbāna itself. When merit flows through us, it's like dipping a coffee straw into water and blowing through it — bubbles continuously rise and pass through. As long as we remain abiding in wholesome states, merit continues to flow through without interruption. Someone who has never known this will be surprised — oh, is this what merit really is? When people don't know this, how can we expect them to want to go seek merit? Not knowing what merit even is, why would they go after it, why put themselves through the trouble? When we don't know the benefit, we won't want to bother doing something whose benefit we don't understand.

Teaching Ourselves Again and Again Through Retelling

Sometimes we know and understand something but cannot explain it. Then we need to study the details further, to understand more deeply. We teach ourselves the same thing over and over — and once we've taught ourselves repeatedly, whenever we meet someone, we tell them the story — not teaching, just sharing. Whatever is good, we come and tell each other, reinforcing ourselves in the process. The benefit is that merit flows through both the listener and us; wholesome states purify and liberate; the proportion of wholesomeness grows greater. As the proportion of wholesomeness grows, wholesomeness gains more power, making it harder for the unwholesome or neutral states to bother us, to try to talk us into this or that. It's like having more allies of wholesomeness surrounding us, while at the same time, unwholesome and neutral states lose power, their proportion shrinking. As the proportion of wholesomeness increases, the power of the wholesome side increases, bringing more freedom, a clearer mind, a lighter body and mind. Worries decrease, because defilement is what breeds worry; obstacles and problems decrease; difficulties in life decrease.

Inner Knowing Encourages Us — Unlike the Unwholesome, Which Piles On

When we learn to abide with wholesomeness through daily life, we gradually build a new way of living, and our life changes. We come to feel proud of ourselves for having substance and meaning. In moments when we lose heart, the inner knowing comes to encourage and comfort us — we may think we're just imagining it, but not entirely; it's all wholesomeness at work. The neutral state doesn't comfort or encourage us. The unwholesome is worse still — it piles on and beats us down further every time our heart sinks. Only wholesomeness helps. As we gradually distance ourselves from the unwholesome and grow familiar with wholesomeness, our children, grandchildren, and those around us feel more at ease too. Ordaining this time has changed so much — our mind has become calmer. The heat before was because the confusion and chaos of unwholesomeness was constantly stirring within — pressuring and squeezing us this way and that, grumbling about this and that inside. How could we ever be calm with all that unwholesomeness constantly pressuring and stirring within? We can only become calm once we associate with wholesomeness, growing familiar with it.

Letting Go Without Holding Grudges, Abiding in Ease

Wholesomeness teaches us not to take things to heart. It's the nature of unwholesomeness possessing a person to make them speak unkindly — don't take it to heart. Wholesomeness and unwholesomeness possess people this way; once the unwholesome passes, the person changes back. Don't hold it against the human being. Don't harbor anger or resentment, or it will linger in the mind, and once it lingers, discontent arises, and the unwholesome will use that very point to pile on further — grumbling about this person, criticizing that one, stirring up trouble. Once we can let go, we meet everyone with a smile, a bright face. Life abides in ease — why dwell in unease? Talk to anyone with an easy mind. Bring good stories to share with them, reinforcing ourselves in the process. The important subjects are precepts, concentration, and wisdom. If someone doesn't know about precepts, explain it to them. We went and ordained, heard the teacher teach this way, and now we share it with others.

Simple Concentration: Staying With Wholesome Feeling

Concentration is simple, not difficult at all — just bring your body and mind to settle, like going to see a doctor: whatever the doctor tells you to do, you do. Simply set your awareness on anything at all, as long as it gives the mind a base to rest on — especially something that, once known, brings ease, relaxation, and a clear mind. If you don't feel like reciting a mantra, that's fine too — just stay with a comfortable, relaxed feeling. Feelings and emotions that are wholesome — relaxed, clear, open, spacious, light, fulfilled, cheerful, refreshed, bright, cool, clean, pure, delicate, gentle, tender — all of these are wholesome. Stay with whatever such feeling you have, abide firmly in it, feel at ease, and merit will flow through. On the other hand, the unwholesome feelings — boredom, distress, gloom, stress, irritation, weariness, discouragement, hopelessness, depression, restlessness, discomfort, resentment, confusion, agitation — avoid taking these on. Once they enter the mind, the mind grows hot, because demerit is flowing through. Inner demerit is a state that must be endured, and is hard to endure. When it comes, it brings stain along with it, and worse, misfortune tags along too.

It's Not "Worrying" That Solves Problems — Wholesomeness Rescues Us

In the past, whenever we had a problem, we felt we had to worry about it. The unwholesome tells us: worry, worry more, keep worrying. Each time we worried, the problem seemed to get solved anyway. But that's actually not true at all. Worry draws demerit fully into its own share. What actually resolves things is that wholesomeness rushes in to help. Once the unwholesome has drawn in its full share, it takes a temporary rest — and that's when wholesomeness steps in to fix things. It isn't the worrying itself that resolves the problem — it's the result of wholesomeness rushing in, and wholesomeness then finding the way out for us.

Closing: Paying Homage to the Triple Gem Within

Every time we pay homage to the Buddha, recollecting the Triple Gem within, once we know him, we appear bright and radiant at his center, and he appears bright and radiant at the center of us — both of us appearing radiant at the center of Nibbāna, at the center of the one who knows, whose power is boundless, uncountable as asankhyeya. The stream of merit's generosity from the depths of Nibbāna will well up and flow through the center of our mind, driving the system of wholesome states, refining and repairing the elements of Dhamma within us to be pure and clean. We will be freed from one dimension to another — even while we remain in darkness and confusion, whether we're aware of it or not — wholesome states will keep purifying and liberating us, increasing our proportion of wholesomeness, reducing the power of the unwholesome. The difficulties of life will diminish. As the proportion of wholesomeness increases, our life will find a way forward, gain substance, and find happiness and prosperity more easily and more abundantly.