พระอาจารย์ขยายความว่า รู้ตามความเป็นจริงคือของสวยก็รู้ว่าสวย ของหอมก็รู้ว่าหอม มีเราก็รู้ว่ามีเรา ไม่ใช่ปฏิเสธว่าไม่มีเรา เพราะการรู้ตามจริงทำให้จัดการได้ถูก โดยวางใจเป็นกลาง ไม่เคลิบเคลิ้มตาม พร้อมชี้ว่าเมื่ออกุศลเข้าสิงเราจะถูกกลืนกินเป็นเขาโดยอัตโนมัติ การรู้ทันจึงทำให้ตั้งสติหลุดออกมาได้Pra Ajarn explains that knowing according to reality means the beautiful is known as beautiful, the fragrant as fragrant, and a self is known as a self — not denying there's a self — because knowing things as they are lets one handle them rightly, with an even mind, not carried away. He notes that when the unwholesome possesses us we're automatically swallowed into becoming it, so catching it lets us establish mindfulness and slip free.
Someone asked Pra Ajarn to expand on the phrase 'knowing according to reality.'
Knowing Things as They Actually Are
Knowing according to reality means: the beautiful is known as beautiful, the handsome as handsome, the refined as refined, delicious taste as delicious, the foul as foul, the fragrant as fragrant, and a self is known as a self — not denying there's a self. Because if there truly were no self, try letting someone insult or strike you and see — you'd still get angry, which shows it can't actually be done. Knowing according to reality lets us handle things rightly.
Set the Mind Even, Not Carried Away
The beautiful is called beautiful, but don't dwell on gazing at it, or you'll begin to be carried away and lose your guard. The foul is known as foul — set the mind even; the fragrant is known as fragrant — don't let the mind slip, set it even. Knowing according to reality, one can handle things; but denying and deceiving oneself, one can't handle them as they really are.
When the Unwholesome Possesses Us, We're Automatically Swallowed Into Becoming It
When possesses us, once swallowed, we automatically become it. When the neutral possesses us, without firm we're likewise automatically swallowed. When we abide in , we know we're abiding in the wholesome, and it swallows us into oneness with it; when the unwholesome possesses us, it swallows us into being unwholesome.
Catching It Lets Us Establish Mindfulness and Slip Free
But while possessed by the unwholesome, if the wholesome contests its way in, we become aware that we've been possessed. Becoming aware of being possessed shows the wholesome is contesting its way in, telling us we've been possessed — so we must establish mindfulness well at that moment to slip free. But if we accept the unwholesome, we accept that mood: for example, when lust possesses us, the wholesome says lust has taken hold, and we steady ourselves, see the unloveliness and ordinariness of sensual moods, set the mind even, and slip free, not swayed by the stimulation. When aversion possesses us, we recall the danger of aversion, the irritation that follows, reflecting on the danger of each unwholesome state that possesses us. But without noting according to reality, it's hard to handle and correct — because deceiving oneself simply cannot be done.