The teacher explained the human role within the wholesome-dhamma system. Because the human body was formed the way it is, the wholesome side already knows that once the human body is under the influence of intruding forces, it cannot know very much — so it needs the simplest possible task. That simplest task is to "determine and note" awareness. As the great teacher taught, simply stay neutral: note wherever you place your attention, and know it there — for instance, note the center of the body, and know it at the center of the body. Simply knowing in this neutral way establishes a "sphere of neutrality," a wholesome state that appears as a clear, bright, round sphere. Once this sphere is established, we can remain neutral, even when the unwholesome side brings in various stimuli to lure us, because the "program" of neutrality is already running.

Determining Awareness Is the Only Thing a Human Being Must Do Once the sphere of knowing (the sphere of mindfulness) is established and perceives this sphere of neutrality, it draws in merit to cleanse, drive the wholesome-dhamma system, and refine our underlying elements — all without the human being needing to do anything else. A human being can only determine awareness, keeping it constant, never lapsing. And if it does lapse, that's fine too: once intruded upon and knocked loose, the wholesome side will help win it back. The human body need only determine its awareness again, and the sphere of knowing will draw merit in once more.

Do Not Overstep Into the Wholesome Side's Work A human being is only the one who sets the intention and holds it in place — nothing more. Doing more than this means overstepping into work that belongs to the wholesome side, which must handle the corrections on our behalf. When we overstep, we stop doing what we should be doing and start doing what we shouldn't, and no benefit results. Everything has its own process, its own inner mechanism. When the wholesome side clears away the impurities — the hindrances — mental agitation subsides. Sometimes we may feel a sense of emptiness, wondering why there's no light, no happiness appearing as expected. This is exactly the moment the unwholesome side may step in with suggestions that breed doubt and dissatisfaction. If we fail to stay neutral and accept that suggestion, it only serves to destroy our own happiness. We must therefore understand our role and go no further than that — don't be impatient. It's like rushing a doctor mid-examination to finish quickly, or hurrying a mechanic who has barely started repairing the car — doing so only ensures the job never gets properly done. Everything unfolds in its own steps; all we need do is keep drawing that energy in continuously.

Energy Flows Through Our Mind in Every Moment The teacher explained that energy never stops flowing through our mind, not even for a fraction of a second. Whether that energy is wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral depends entirely on which side we allow to cooperate with our mind. Whichever side gets in installs its own "software" and draws in its own energy to drive its own system. Unless it is the wholesome side, nothing good comes of it for us; and if it is the unwholesome side, suffering and harm result. We must therefore be aware, in every moment, of which nature we are currently cooperating with. Having chosen the wholesome side, we must then learn how to remain in continuous cooperation with the wholesome-dhamma system.

Ease of Mind Is the One Way to Cooperate With the Wholesome Side Continuously The teacher said that the one thing that helps us cooperate continuously with the wholesome side is dwelling in a state of ease, because everything else is very difficult. Luang Pu once said, "mindfulness paired with ease." Whether walking, eating, sitting, lying down, or speaking with someone, simply stay with that ease, letting mindfulness settle and rest upon that feeling — or, as the great teacher taught, simply "stay neutral." This neutrality is itself a form of equanimity; once the mental factor of even-mindedness (tatramajjhattatā) is established, balance follows. There are many such approaches to choose from — the point is simply to train ourselves to abide with the wholesome nature that brings real benefit, where "benefit" here means the ability to draw in pure energy, merit. Anything that cannot draw merit inward brings no true benefit to our life at all.

The Wholesome Mental Factors and Right View As we learn to determine awareness and cultivate calm, observing the results of our efforts and seeing our own progress, the mental factor of faith brightens and draws merit in all the more. All of this is bound up with right view (sammā-diṭṭhi). When we no longer react with delight or aversion, non-greed and non-aversion remain undisturbed, and moral shame and moral dread can do their work. These mental factors are the very mechanism that establishes morality and allows the first jhāna to arise. The more right view develops, the clearer our understanding becomes, and life grows steadily easier — easier by the hundredfold, the thousandfold, even the hundred-thousandfold. All of this is simply the wholesome side's own mechanism at work for us, systematically — we need only fulfill our own role: to determine awareness, and keep it constant, never lapsing.