คำสอน · พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์Teaching · Pra Ajarn Suraphong
นับอสงไขยพระองค์ไม่ถ้วน มากกว่าเมล็ดทรายในมหาสมุทรทั้ง 4 — เรื่องใหญ่ก็เป็นเรื่องเล็กUncountable as the Grains of Sand in the Four Oceans — When Big Problems Become Small
พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์อธิบายพระพุทธพจน์เรื่องการกำหนดรู้ชัดในกาย เวทนา จิต ธรรม แล้วนำนั่งสมาธิภาวนาสัมมาอะระหังจนเห็นองค์พระธรรมกายแก้ว ก่อนย้ำเตือนว่าพระสัมมาสัมพุทธเจ้า พระปัจเจกพุทธเจ้า และพระอรหันตเจ้าที่ดูแลเราอยู่นั้นมีจำนวนนับอสงไขยไม่ถ้วน มากกว่าเมล็ดทรายในมหาสมุทรทั้ง 4 เมื่อเราอยู่ในกลางของผู้มีอานุภาพเช่นนี้ เรื่องใหญ่ก็กลายเป็นเรื่องเล็ก ไม่มีอะไรต้องกลัวอีกต่อไปPhra Ajarn Suraphong unpacks the Buddha's teaching on clearly knowing body, feelings, mind, and Dhamma, then guides a Samma-Arahang meditation until the crystal Buddha-image appears. He reassures practitioners that the Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and Arahants watching over us are asaṅkhyeya — uncountable, more numerous than grains of sand in the four great oceans — so that abiding at the center of such boundless power, nothing is left to fear, and even big problems become small.
Practicing is essential and vitally important for every life, because we are all under the control of three natures, which use and to govern all beings, including ourselves. Only wholesomeness can give us , understanding, , success, and fulfillment in everything right and good. The other natures offer no benefit at all — and if unwholesome, actually cause great suffering. We must therefore learn, understand, and train ourselves to abide within the system of wholesomeness.
The Buddha's Teaching on Clearly Knowing Body, Feeling, Mind, and Dhamma
In abiding within the system of wholesomeness, the Buddha taught: "Monks, you should clearly know the body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena, in order to eliminate covetousness and grief regarding the world." This is a crucial sentence we must commit to memory, because it is capable of transforming an ordinary person into a noble one. Though brief — just a single sentence — its meaning is complete and profound, containing both the principle and method of practice, along with essential content embedded within it.
The essence of this sentence has three parts. The first is what the Buddha taught about abiding with wholesome nature: "Monks, you should clearly know" — determining means to mark, to specify, to pinpoint. Wherever we mark, specify, or pinpoint, the mind is placed there — this is called "attending." For example, marking the abdominal wall, in order to know it.
The Difference Between Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension
"Knowing" means knowing the main point; "knowing clearly" belongs to (), which goes into the details. For example, knowing the abdominal wall — the belly rising on the in-breath, falling on the out-breath, called "rising, falling." If we focus on the breath, we come to know it directly — a short in-breath known as short, a long in-breath known as long, a short out-breath known as short, a long out-breath known as long. This is called , ; or knowing the body directly in its various postures, called kāyānus.
Wherever we focus our attention, we come to know it there, and the sphere of arises right at that point — because all phenomena, wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral, can only arise in one place: the mind, nowhere else. This bright, clear sphere of mindfulness, once arisen in the mind, draws pure merit-energy to flow continuously into its brightness.
When Wholesome Mind Arises, the Triple Gem Appears
While we focus our attention and the sphere of mindfulness arises, this means wholesome mind arises simultaneously, since mindfulness is a of wholesomeness, appearing together with wholesome consciousness. When the system of wholesomeness arises, the Triple Gem, which oversees this system, shines radiantly at the center of our being, whether we see it or not — and we appear radiant within him, and both of us appear radiant at the center of Nibbāna, the center of the Knowing One of boundless, incalculable power.
This wondrous thing happens to everyone, so long as they abide within the system of wholesomeness — so long as they focus attention until the sphere of mindfulness arises, until wholesome mental factors arise. The Triple Gem then shines radiantly within them; they shine radiantly within the Triple Gem; and both appear radiant at the center of Nibbāna, the center of the Knowing One of boundless, incalculable power. The stream of merit from the subtle essence of Nibbāna continuously pours into the brightness of their sphere of mindfulness.
Merit Drives the System of Wholesomeness, Clearing Defilement Dimension by Dimension
When pure merit-energy flows into the brightness of this sphere of mindfulness, it drives the system of wholesomeness, refining the elements within us to be clean and pure, free from the defilements that create problems and obstacles, causing difficulty in life and practice. As defilement lightens, problems and obstacles lighten too, and difficulty in life eases. Once the binding forces tying us to a given dimension are fully cleared away, the mind is freed from the coarse dimension into a subtler one. Every dimension carries some defilement, right up until Arahantship.
Moving from a coarse dimension to a subtler one requires continuously focusing our attention to draw the stream of merit in to clear away defilement, freeing us dimension by dimension. Each dimension we're freed from decreases the proportion of unwholesomeness — whatever pressures and dictates us to think, speak, or act wrongly diminishes accordingly, and life's difficulty decreases too. The decreasing proportion of neutral states also reduces life's meaninglessness. The increasing proportion of wholesomeness gives our lives more substance, increasing our chances of happiness, success, and fulfillment. Life becomes more open, light, and vibrant.
Settling the Body, Calming the Mind — Like Visiting a Doctor
Let us gather, still, and settle the mind — settle the body, calm the mind. Anything done well must be done with ease. The first thing we do is for the mind's sake — make it comfortable. Once the mind is truly at ease, we bring that ease to our work; even difficult tasks become easier when done with a comfortable mind, and hardship itself diminishes or disappears when approached this way. The first thing we must learn to practice is doing everything with ease.
Let us sit at ease, with a relaxed mind. As we continue to relax, the breath naturally slows and softens, and every muscle in the body loosens. Make the mind open, spacious, light. If it's still not open, picture an open sky or open sea, and the mind will follow suit, becoming spacious and light. If repeating this doesn't yet bring results, picture a clear, cool stream, and the mind becomes clear, cool, light, refreshed and moist. Or picture lush green trees and grass, and the mind becomes fresh and light as well. The mind can be directed through three channels: sound, image, or feeling. Sound is usually an instruction — telling ourselves to relax.
He compares this to visiting a doctor for an illness: we go to the doctor and let ourselves relax; the doctor examines our symptoms, and once diagnosis is complete, the doctor handles the treatment — whether an injection, medication, or surgery, the doctor manages everything. "Visiting the doctor of the mind" works similarly — we bring ourselves, our minds, to wholesomeness for treatment. Settle the body, calm the mind, relax, be light — with nothing but ease, and more ease.
Reciting Samma-Arahang and the Vision of the Crystal Buddha-Image
Once truly at ease, try focusing on "Samma-Arahang, Samma-Arahang, Samma-Arahang," or simply count it onward — Samma-Arahang 1, 2, 3, and so on. "Samma-Arahang" is a descriptive name for the Arahant Dhamma-body, complete in wisdom, , and boundless compassion, perfected in higher , higher mind, and higher wisdom.
As we recite his name, he appears as a crystal-clear, pure Buddha-image at the center of our mind, with a radiant lotus-bud crest, seated in meditation within a sphere of Dhamma filling his lap, embracing the whole body. He never appears for nothing — his appearance comes with boundless compassion, bringing great benefit to us. He refines the elements of our being — sight, memory, thought, awareness, earth, water, wind, fire, space, consciousness — to be clear, clean, and pure, clearing away the defilements that create problems and obstacles causing difficulty in life and practice. He resolves all defilement so our future is free from obstacles and problems. Beyond that, he clears the way ahead so we can reap success easily, and expands to merge as one with our human body — because his wish is for us and him to become a single unity, so he can help and refine us with maximum effectiveness and the greatest result.
"I Am the Buddha-Image, the Buddha-Image Is Me"
Given this, we merge with him by putting on the feeling — the way an actor takes on the feeling of whatever character they're playing. We put on the feeling that "I am the Buddha-image, the Buddha-image is me," letting our entire body become the crystal Dhamma-body, radiant and bright. Our crown becomes clear crystal of the Dhamma-body; our face becomes his countenance, eyes gently closed, softly smiling; forehead, nose, cheeks, mouth, chin, and neck all become the radiant, clear, cool, clean, pure crystal Dhamma-body; both shoulders and arms become the crystal Dhamma-body; chest, belly, lower abdomen, back, hips, thighs, knees, shins, calves, and feet all become the radiant, clear, cool, clean, pure crystal Dhamma-body.
The mind is a wish-fulfilling element — whatever we focus on becomes so. The revered Luang Phor once said reaching the Dhamma-body is both hard and easy: easy, because we know the mind is a wish-fulfilling element; what makes it hard is simply not knowing, not understanding. The Dhamma-body already exists within us, and he already wishes to be one with us. Attainment ranges from 1% to 100%; whatever level of readiness we have right now is enough to start from. Examine and reflect part by part through the body — if any part feels clear and bright, start from there; if not, that's fine too, simply use the feeling. Focus at ease, with an open, light mind, without forcing or straining — whatever we perceive is enough. What we truly need is for the sphere of mindfulness to arise, because once it arises, it continuously draws pure merit-energy in.
Training to Do Everything with Ease
We've carried enough burdens in life already — from now on, we won't carry any more. Whatever we do, we must do it with ease. Before doing anything, check whether we're at ease — ask the mind first. If it feels fulfilled and content, go ahead; if not yet, focus on relaxing the mind, opening it, lightening it, until it's truly at ease, then proceed with the activity. Eat with ease, drink with ease, walk, sit, and lie down with ease. Whatever business or work we do, we must first make the mind comfortable — once the mind is at ease, everything becomes easy, because when the mind is at ease, the Triple Gem shines radiantly within us; we shine radiantly within him; and both of us shine radiantly at the center of Nibbāna, the center of the Knowing One of boundless, incalculable power.
Uncountable Beyond Number — More Than the Grains of Sand in the Four Oceans
He teaches us to recognize the sheer number of Sammāsambuddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and Arahants who watch over and protect us at the center of Nibbāna: we must tell ourselves it is not a hundred, not a thousand, not ten thousand, not a hundred thousand, not a million — but **asaṅkhyeya, uncountable, more numerous than the grains of sand in the four great oceans.**
Given this, abiding at the center of beings of such boundless power, what is there left to fear? **A big problem becomes small; a hard thing becomes easy.** If we abide at the center of such power, there is truly nothing to fear. This is something we must cultivate — cultivate the recognition of this wondrous truth.
Cultivating Loving-Kindness for All Beings
Once we've done good for our own benefit, we move to doing good for the benefit of people and all beings. While abiding at the center of the Triple Gem, at the center of the Knowing One of boundless power that is Nibbāna, we come to benefit people and all beings, all of whom come from the same place and gradually return to the same place we came from. While we and all beings still cycle through birth and death in this round of rebirth, we've all at some point been relatives, siblings, parents, children, grandchildren, beloved friends, family who cared for and depended on one another — who've loved us, shed tears for us, cared for and cherished us, given us so many good things.
We must therefore cultivate love and sincere, pure goodwill toward all beings equally, and do good so that all beings may be free from suffering and find happiness everywhere. As we set this intention, arises — a bright, clear sphere, filled with sincere, pure love and goodwill. Once this sphere of mettā arises, we hold this feeling, earning the name "keeper of Dhamma."
Radiating Mettā Across the World and the Cosmos
Mettā reveals its own qualities: wherever the mind extends, mettā's light reaches there too, since mettā depends on the mind as its birthplace. We then expand the mind transformed by mettā to cover our home and surroundings; mettā shines for the benefit of people and all beings. Mettā's special quality is its ability to dissolve the defilement of resentment and irritation present in the atmosphere — in people, beings, and things — entirely.
We then expand further to cover the whole village; mettā shines, refining every particle of the atmosphere — trees, grass, buildings, homes, belongings — making them all bright and clear. We then expand our sincere, pure love and goodwill to cover the sub-district, continuing to the district, the province, the country, neighboring countries, other nations, until it covers the whole world, making the world a crystal world, radiant, cool, clean, pure. May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and find happiness everywhere — the earth-bound devas, tree devas, sky devas, heavenly beings of every realm, Brahmas and formless Brahmas, as well as beings in hell, asuras, and animals. May those with much suffering have less; those with little suffering be entirely free; those with little happiness have more; and those with much happiness have ever more.
Having set this wish, we expand the mind transformed by sincere love and goodwill further into the atmosphere of the cosmos, covering countless stars — tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, trillions — continuing onward to the ten-thousand world-systems, the hundred-thousand-koti universes, the infinite universes, letting our mettā shine, benefiting all beings without limit. Our minds expand joyfully, open, spacious, light, clear, cool, clean, pure, radiant. The stream of merit continues to pour through the brightness of the sphere of mettā without pause.
Dedicating Merit and Forgiving Our Karmic Counterparts
We then dedicate this arisen merit to all people and beings. May all beings share in this merit we've sincerely made, be free from suffering, and find happiness everywhere — including our ancestors, parents, siblings, grandparents, our benefactor-teachers, and the devas who help and support us, as well as those who care for and protect all beings. To any **karmic counterparts** we may have wronged, we ask forgiveness from one another, and may they too receive a share of this merit equally.
Uniting the Mind Within the Triple Gem and the Great Masters
We then gather, still, and settle the mind at the center of the Triple Gem — the center of the Buddha jewel, the Dhamma jewel, the Sangha jewel — and rest the mind within the great teachers: the finest Dhamma-body of the revered Luang Pu, of Luang Phor, and of Khun Yay Ajahn. The mind is a wish-fulfilling element; whatever we focus on becomes so.
As we focus on him, we appear radiant within him; he appears radiant within us. Let us intend to merge as one unity with him. Together, we and he appear radiant at the center of Nibbāna, the center of the Knowing One of boundless, incalculable power.
Closing Aspiration
We use this auspicious moment to pay respect to Nibbāna and set our aspiration deep within this radiant sphere of merit, that our entire path of accumulating perfections be filled with wisdom, happiness, and purity, and success in everything right and good. May all the merit and perfections we've sincerely accumulated since our very first existence gather into sacred, powerful merit, purifying our body, speech, mind, and every element within us to be radiant, cool, clean, pure — freeing us from misfortune, sacred sin, karmic obstruction, and every kind of hardship in life, dissolving greed, hatred, delusion, lust, , wrong view, craving, and clinging without remainder — granting us the Dhamma-eye to fully penetrate the knowledge of the Dhamma-body, complete in every respect, along with good health, long life, and the strength to build perfections throughout our lives, all the way to the ultimate end of Dhamma.
He closes with the traditional Pali verse: "Sabbe Buddhā papetā... Arahantānañca tejena rakkhaṃ vandāmi sabbaso. Sabba-Buddhānubhāvena, sabba-Dhammānubhāvena, sabba-Saṅghānubhāvena, saddhā-sotthī ntu te" — Sādhu.