พระอาจารย์ยืนยันว่าความคิดที่จะอธิษฐานล้วนเกิดจากการชี้นำของธรรมชาติ 3 ฝ่าย ฝ่ายบาปจะชี้นำให้อธิษฐานในสิ่งที่ไม่นำสู่มรรคผล จึงต้องเรียนรู้ศีล สมาธิ ปัญญา ในฐานะเครื่องมือ และให้เวลากับกุศลเพื่อเข้าถึงชีวิตที่ประเสริฐ เพราะเราลงมาเกิดเพื่อเอาบุญบารมีให้มากที่สุดPra Ajarn confirms that thoughts to aspire all arise from the guidance of the three natural forces; the unwholesome guides one to aspire for things that don't lead to the path and fruit. So one must learn morality, concentration, and wisdom as tools, and give time to the wholesome to reach a nobler life — since we came down to gather as much merit and perfection as possible.
Someone asked: Pra Ajarn says no thought is ours — so is our setting an aspiration for what we want, or suddenly thinking to aspire, all guidance from the three natural forces?
Thoughts to Aspire All Arise From the Three Natural Forces' Guidance
Yes, all of it arises from the three natural forces' guidance. Even while sitting in meditation, when we suddenly become restless or drop off to sleep, it's all from the im of side; when contests its way back, we come to ourselves again — we don't rise on our own. Whatever they'd have us aspire to, they guide. The unwholesome has us aspire for good looks, beauty, wealth, cleverness, and fulfilled wishes, but not toward the path and fruit — and then we use that beauty and cleverness wrongly, causing harm.
Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom Are Tools to Learn Deeply
So we must learn and understand until wisdom arises. Morality, concentration, and wisdom, beyond being , are tools for creating good causes — instruments that refine the mind and generate the waves that draw in energy. We must learn to use these tools to good effect: the instruments of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge-and-vision of liberation, which have many levels, learning them ever more deeply and finely. These tools are within us, but if we don't learn to use them, we waste time on other things of no benefit — especially the unwholesome, which not only fails to benefit but causes harm.
The Spheres of Liberation and Its Knowledge-Vision Lead to a Noble Life
The sphere of liberation frees us from a poor life — being irritable, lazy, fearful, fretful, given to drink or drugs — while the sphere of knowledge-and-vision of liberation leads us to a better life: a noble life, a wondrous life. Since such a noble life exists and is possible, we need only give time — bringing body and mind for the Triple Gem and nibbana to overlay, refine, and correct — no fuss or hardship like work; just sitting at ease, relaxed and open, generating good moods.
We Came Down to Gather as Much Merit and Perfection as Possible
Before being born, we didn't come to indulge in pleasure in the human world, for the pleasures of the heavens are far finer. We came to gather as much merit and perfection as possible. Merit and perfection come from the tools of the wholesome — the instruments of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and its knowledge-vision. Don't give too much time to the unwholesome and neutral; give more time to the wholesome, though this needs a suitable environment and s to support and give us the chance. Time is limited — the day soon ends; morning, midday, afternoon, evening, night, and it's gone. We must be aware not to waste it, so that on returning we can be proud that this birth fulfilled our aspiration — not returning to regret that, having gone to the trouble of being born, we gained only this.