พระอาจารย์สุรพงค์สอนการฝึกเจตสิกฝ่ายกุศลให้คล่องแคล่วเพื่อเข้าถึงปฐมฌานได้ง่ายขึ้น พร้อมชี้แนะเทคนิคปฏิบัติที่สำคัญคือการจงใจเก็บความดีใจไว้เพียงเล็กน้อยพอให้ชีวิตมีสีสัน ไม่ปล่อยให้ดีใจมากจนกลายเป็นความโลภในอารมณ์ และไม่ปล่อยให้เสียใจจนเกิดโทสะ ก่อนนำเข้าสู่นิมิตองค์พระ เมตตาธรรม และอุทิศส่วนบุญPhra Ajarn Suraphong teaches how repeated training makes the wholesome mental factors nimble enough to reach the first jhana with ease, and offers a key practical instruction: deliberately keep gladness small — just enough to add color to life — rather than suppressing it entirely or indulging it fully, since unchecked delight can tip into greed. The talk continues into the vision of the crystal Buddha, loving-kindness, and merit dedication.
Training the Mental Factors Like Training Mindfulness
Let the body be at ease and the mind open, spacious, and light. However we resolve it, so it becomes — resolve to be comfortable, and comfort follows. At first, comfort may need to be repeated again and again, because our s are not yet skilled; we must train by repetition so nature can operate smoothly, much as we train itself. The more we practice, the more nimble mindfulness becomes at drawing in merit. There are 19 mental factors that arise together with a wholesome mind; repeated training lets each one channel merit inward, refining the mind toward and making the first jhana easier to reach — the body settles quickly, the mind settles quickly, calm and unshaken, light and supple, fit for the task at hand.
Closing the Eyelids Gently and Meeting Sloth-and-Torpor
Close the eyes only until the lashes lightly touch, as Luang Phaw taught, so a little light still gets through. This keeps us between the inner and outer worlds; sealing the eyes completely brings total darkness. Upon entering the inner dimension, nature lays sloth-and-torpor (thina-middha) in wait, causing drowsiness and unnoticed sleep — all arising from defilements lurking within that inner dimension. Keeping the eyes very slightly open, resting the mind gently at the body's center, helps guard against this.
The Seventh Center and the Recitation
Rest the mind at the body's seventh center; wherever we place it, the mind settles there, and mindfulness — the sphere of knowing — arises on the spot. Use a recitation as an anchor for mindfulness, chanting gently and at ease: "Samma-Araham," meaning "one who practices rightly, far from all defilements." Uttering his name with a deep, subtle awareness makes the connection easier.
The Vision of the Clear, Pure Crystal Buddha
As we utter his name, he appears at the center of our mind — a crystal Buddha image, clear, pure, radiant. His appearance is never empty; he refines our elements of seeing, remembering, thinking, and knowing, dissolving every defilement. Our task is simply to keep attending, staying with the recitation word by word, relaxed and at ease.
The Qualities of Merit: Purity, Happiness, and Refined Treasures
Each sphere of merit is composed of sacred, pure -substance with the power to dissolve unwholesome defilements — nothing else can dissolve them but this pure substance of merit. Within it lies and ease, allowing us to live comfortably whatever we do — eating, resting, working. This is what distinguishes those rich in merit from those poor in it; the latter live burdened with worry. Merit also carries refined treasures — of form, wealth, , followers, honor — which draw the corresponding coarse treasures of the world into our lives.
The Wholesome Mental Factors: Mindfulness, Faith, Conscience, Non-Greed, Non-Aversion
When the wholesome nature arises, alongside mindfulness comes faith, giving us confidence in drawing merit inward. There is also conscience and moral shame (hiri-ottappa), the fruit of virtue, and non-greed and non-aversion, born of remaining neutral — neither pleased nor displeased.
Gladness in Moderation: Guarding Against Greed
When we are not swayed by pleasure, the chance of covetousness turning into greed for a feeling grows small — because greed for a pleasant feeling usually arises exactly when we feel glad, wanting more and more of that good feeling. Aversion, likewise, tends to arise when we feel sad. We must guard against aversion when sad, and equally guard against excessive gladness when glad — just a little is enough, enough to add color to life. Rest the mind evenly, through the mental factor of equanimity, unmoved by stimulation from within or without.
From Coarse to Refined Dimensions
As we keep attending without lapsing, mindfulness draws pure energy — merit — inward, driving the wholesome system to refine the elements within us. As purity increases, we are freed from coarser dimensions into subtler ones, the proportion of wholesomeness grows while the unwholesome and neutral natures weaken, and we come into contact with wiser, more powerful knowers. Our merit becomes purer, our refined treasures finer — all simply from abiding within the wholesome system.
Loving-Kindness: Love and Goodwill Needed Throughout Samsara
In samsara we cannot live without depending on one another — we rely on each other continually. Let us abide in samsara with a heart full of sincere, pure-hearted love and goodwill. Simply resolving on love and goodwill causes the sphere of metta to arise, radiant and round, drawing in every wholesome quality and a continuous stream of pure energy. Its special power dissolves resentment present in the atmosphere, in people, and in all beings — coarse defilements evaporate away, and the mind becomes pure.
Radiating Loving-Kindness Across the World and Universe
Extend this love, kindness, and goodwill to cover our home, then the village, sub-district, district, province, country, and neighboring nations, until it covers the whole world, turning it into a crystal world, bright, cool, clean, and pure. May the people of the world and all beings — devas of every heavenly realm, brahmas, formless brahmas, and beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and animals — be free from suffering and find happiness. Extend it further into the universe, across countless stars and infinite world-systems.
Dedicating Merit and Merging as One
We dedicate this merit to all people and beings, to our parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers who have shown us kindness, helping devas, caretakers, and all karmic counterparties (khu-kam-khu-wen), asking for mutual forgiveness. We then rest the mind, still, within the Buddha Jewel, the Dhamma Jewel, the Sangha Jewel, and the refined kaya body of the great masters. The mind is a substance of accomplishment — however resolved, so it becomes.
Closing Aspiration
Using this auspicious moment, we pay respects and set our resolve that our path of building perfections be filled with wisdom, happiness, and purity. May this accumulated merit dissolve misfortune, sin, and every obstacle — greed, hatred, delusion, lust, , wrong view, craving, and clinging — leaving no trace. May we attain the eye of Dhamma, penetrate the of Dhammakaya, enjoy good health and long life, and when we pass may we be born in the Dusit heaven, returning to a family of right view, a crystal family, a Dhammakaya family. The teaching closes with the traditional Pali chant of homage.