พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่า 'ผ่อง' คือสว่างและ 'ใส' คือใส จิตกุศลจึงเป็นดวงที่ทั้งใสทั้งสว่างเหมือนดวงแก้ว ต่างจากจิตอกุศลที่ดำมืดและอัพยากตะที่ไม่ใสไม่สว่าง คุณภาพความผ่องใสมีหลายระดับ เป็นตัวกำหนดคุณภาพของกระแสบุญที่ไหลผ่าน จึงควรรักษาใจให้ผ่องใสและเจริญภาวนาเพื่อรองรับสายบุญPra Ajarn explains that 'pong' means bright and 'sai' means clear — so a wholesome mind is a sphere both clear and bright, like a crystal, unlike the dark unwholesome mind or the neutral that is neither clear nor bright. The quality of clarity has many levels, determining the quality of the stream of merit that flows through — so one should keep the mind clear and bright and meditate to receive the stream of merit well.
Someone raised the teaching, 'A clear, bright mind, and the stream of merit flows' — that a wise builder of perfections should gather good moods to support their practice, because if the mind is clear and untroubled each time they make merit, the stream of merit flows through continuously; and asked why it must be a clear, bright mind alone.
'Pong' Means Bright, 'Sai' Means Clear — So a Wholesome Mind Is Like a Crystal
The word for clear-and-bright (phong-sai) has two parts: phong is bright, sai is clear. A wholesome mind is a sphere both clear and bright, like a crystal. An unwholesome mind is dark in substance and dim; the neutral is neither clear nor bright, yet neither dark nor dim. When rules, it overlays the body, feeling, mind, and mental objects of the wholesome side — the subtle body, celestial body, brahma body, formless-brahma body, and body — onto the mind, and draws merit in. When the wholesome mind arises, the wholesome s, the mood of that mind, arise, and merit flows through.
Clarity Has Many Levels, Determining the Quality of the Stream of Merit
Clarity and brightness have many levels — like the differing brightness at various times of day, or water of differing clarity and murkiness — which is the quality of the stream of merit and treasure flowing through. This is what Luang Phor meant: a builder of perfections should gather good moods. If the mind is clear and untroubled each time one makes merit, the stream of merit flows through continuously. If the mind isn't clear and bright, another system dominates: not clear, the neutral dominates; dark and dim, — and then not only does merit not flow, demerit takes its place.
One Should Meditate to Develop the Mind to Receive the Stream of Merit Well
A mind that is less clear and bright receives merit of correspondingly lesser quality, because the receiving mind differs in quality. Though the stream of merit flowing through is the same, each recipient's clarity and brightness differ, so , , and refined treasures are absorbed and held unequally. This is why, before a great merit event, Luang Phor had people meditate to prepare, or led sitting during the making of merit — to develop the mind to receive the merit-element and the stream of merit and treasure well, by settling the mind, meditating, and cultivating .