พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์นำนั่งสมาธิในช่วงบ่าย สอนหลักการกำหนดใจให้ตรงจุดเพื่อเหนี่ยวนำบุญเข้ามา พร้อมทั้งย้ำว่าองค์พระธรรมกายภายในไม่เคยว่างเว้นจากการชำระแก้ไขช่วยเหลือเราแม้แต่วินาทีเดียว ไม่ว่าเราจะยืน เดิน นั่ง นอน หรือเที่ยวเตร่ ก่อนนำแผ่เมตตาและอุทิศส่วนบุญIn this afternoon sit, Phra Ajarn Suraphong teaches how focusing awareness at one clear point draws merit through it, then emphasizes that the inner Dhammakāya never once stops purifying and helping us — working continuously whether we are standing, walking, sitting, lying down, or out among people — before leading loving-kindness radiation and merit dedication.
Before sitting, we pay homage to the Buddha, , and Sangha with the traditional verses, three times, then begin the practice.
Bringing Body and Mind to the Triple Gem
Let's practice together. Think of bringing our body to Nibbāna to be treated and cared for, letting the Triple Gem refine the elements and within us to be clean and pure. All we do is maintain awareness — bring body and mind and simply know. We may keep awareness on the recitation "Samma-Arahang" together with the crystal Buddha image, or simply rest in quiet stillness.
Wherever We Focus, the Mind Settles There — and Merit Flows There
We need one clear anchor point for the mind. Wherever we focus is drawn to us — arises there, the mind settles there, and pure energy flows in there to purify that spot. This is the key principle: wherever we focus, the mind settles there, the base of the mind is there, and merit flows through there; that area receives correction and refinement first, and light appears there. So we bring this point to , at the middle of the abdomen, and settle into reciting "Samma-Arahang" without worrying further about the exact position.
The Meaning of "Samma-Arahang" and the Buddha Image
"Samma-Arahang" is the honorific name of the Dhamma Body, named for its qualities — the One who practices rightly, practicing so as to be free from every defilement, full of wisdom, , and great compassion, perfectly complete in higher , higher mind, higher wisdom, liberation, and the and vision of liberation. That is his mental quality (nāma); his visual form (rūpa) is a crystal-clear, pure Buddha image, radiant like a lotus bud, full of life — able to smile, speak, and converse — seated on a plane of within the sphere of dhamma filling his lap, appearing within the heart, since the heart is where all dhamma resides. Wherever the mental quality appears when we say his name, the visual form appears there too, since form and quality are always paired.
Merging Body and Mind With the Buddha Image
The Buddha image arises from a tiny clear point at the center of the body and expands, merging as one with us — his knees overlapping our knees, thighs, torso, shoulders, arms, head, and face, all merging as one throughout our entire body, becoming a crystal , radiant, delicate, soft, gentle, clear, cool, clean, and pure. Once body merges with body, we merge our mind with his mind as one. Whatever he does, we do the same — as he brings his mind to rest, still, at the center of the body, we do too: still within stillness, soft, light, at ease, resting still in the center of the Buddha image. The Buddha image continues arising, one after another, merging as one with us.
Making the Body Comfortable, the Mind Calm
Make the body comfortable, the mind calm. Think of this as resting, relaxing, at ease. Don't try too hard — over-effort creates tension and tightness, which lets unwholesome states slip in. Just keep sitting, comfortably, at ease in body and mind, aware of whatever states of mind arise as different natures compete to take hold, each showing its own distinct behavior. We simply recognize the nature of each.
Mindfulness Needs an Object to Hold Onto
Stay continuously aware without lapsing, knowing what we're aware of — wherever we focus, we know it; whatever we hold in mind, we know it. All that's needed is for the sphere of knowing, which is mindfulness, to arise. When mindfulness arises, it needs a signal to hold, to rest on, to be aware of — that's the meditation object, giving mindfulness something to anchor to. Once the sphere of mindfulness is established, it draws pure energy — merit — continuously flowing into the brightness of that sphere. This pure energy then drives system, refining the elements within us to be clear, clean, and pure, clearing away the impurities that cause problems and obstacles.
Liberation, One Dimension at a Time, Automatically
Once pure energy has cleared the impurities, nothing binds us to the old dimension, and we are freed, moving into a subtler dimension — even while we remain somewhat dim or unclear, whether we're aware of it or not. The automatic system of wholesomeness keeps correcting and freeing us continuously, increasing the proportion of wholesome states and reducing the strength of unwholesome and neutral ones. Life then becomes easier, more comfortable, and we find more success and fulfillment.
Radiating Loving-Kindness Because We Need Each Other
Having done good for ourselves, we now do good for the people and beings of the world. We must support one another because we live within the cycle of rebirth — we come from the same place and return to the same place. Throughout this long cycle, there is no one who has never been our relative, parent, child, or grandchild at some point; we have all been kin to one another.
Wishing others well is a tool of , meant for those with more merit to support those with less. Whenever we're able to help others, we should. Simply setting a sincere wish is enough — the mind is a servant that fulfills whatever it's set to. Once we set this wish, loving-kindness arises, and we sustain that state, holding the feeling of love and goodwill continuously in our hearts — this is called "bearing the Dhamma."
Loving-Kindness Dissolves Resentment and Spreads to the Whole World
Set the wish of love and goodwill sincerely and purely, just like a mother's love for her own young child. Once loving-kindness arises as a bright sphere at the center of the heart, it draws pure energy continuously into its brightness. This loving-kindness has the special quality of dissolving resentment and irritation in the hearts of people, beings, and the surrounding atmosphere, until it vanishes entirely.
Expand this love and goodwill to cover this place of practice, the village, subdistrict, district, province, country, neighboring countries, and the whole world — until the world becomes a crystal world, radiant, clear, cool, clean, and pure. May the people and beings of the world be free from suffering and find — including earthbound devas, sky devas, heavenly beings, brahma and formless-brahma beings, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. May those who suffer greatly suffer less; those with little suffering be entirely free; those with little happiness find more; and those already happy find still greater happiness. Then expand further to the vastness of the cosmos, covering countless stars and world-systems.
Dedicating Merit and Forgiving Karmic Counterparties
The stream of merit continues pouring through in the midst of loving-kindness's radiance. We dedicate this merit to all people and beings, our ancestors, parents, siblings, grandparents, and teachers who have shown us kindness, the devas who help and support us, those who tend and protect all beings, and our karmic counterparties whom we may have wronged — may we forgive one another, and may all receive a share of this merit.
The Inner Buddha Never Once Stops Helping Us
We bring our hearts to rest, still, in the center of the Triple Gem — Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha — and in the center of our great teachers, resting still in the most refined dhamma body of our revered Grand Master, Master, and Teacher. The mind is a servant that fulfills whatever it's set to; we must merge ourselves with them as one, because their kindness toward us is beyond measure.
Every single instant, they never once cease correcting and helping us — even while we go on standing, walking, sitting, lying down, or out among people, they never stop working to refine and help us, day and night, whether we are asleep or awake, standing, walking, sitting, or lying down. Their kindness toward us is truly without limit. As we recall them and merge ourselves with them as one, we appear radiant within them, and they appear radiant within us; both we and they appear radiant within Nibbāna, within the boundless power of the One Who Knows.
Setting the Wish and Closing
Using this auspicious time, we pay respect and ask for their blessing, setting a lasting, successful pattern deep within our sphere of merit, so our path of perfections may be filled with knowledge, happiness, and purity, and every righteous wish fulfilled. We ask for the merit and power of Nibbāna and our teachers to combine with the merit we've built up since our first life, refining body, speech, mind, and every element to be radiant, clear, cool, clean, and pure, free from misfortune, bad kamma, and every obstacle; may greed, hatred, delusion, lust, , wrong view, craving, and clinging be uprooted; may we gain and penetrate the knowledge of the Dhammakāya, achieving the three knowledges, eight higher knowledges, six superknowledges, four analytical s, eight liberations, and fifteen conducts, in full. The sit closes with the traditional chant and paying homage to the Buddha, then asking the boundless power of Nibbāna and the merit of our teachers to protect and care for us all until the very end of the path.