นำนั่งสมาธิ: จุดวางใจ สติ และกระแสแห่งเมตตา — ธรรมรส เขาใหญ่ #16Guided Meditation: The Anchor Point, Mindfulness, and the Stream of Mettā — Dhamma Rot Khao Yai #16

Starting Correctly: Settle the Mind, Adjust the Body, Close the Eyes

So let's not take meditation lightly, and not take closing our eyes lightly either, because sitting in meditation has to be done the right way. We should begin the way our revered teacher taught us to begin: making the mind comfortable. Make the mind comfortable together with the body — comfortable, in a moderate way. Once we've adjusted the body into good posture, we close our eyes — gently, just letting the eyelashes touch. Then we settle our attention on a feeling, bringing the different elements of the body together, and watch our feeling, or set a marker for where we rest the mind — a marker for awareness — some point we can actually rest the mind on.

The Anchor Point: Choosing One So the Mind Doesn't Drift

We need an anchor point that's just right for us — a point where we gather our attention, our feeling. Hold at that point, and keep the feeling resting there. It can be as simple as the feeling of our two hands touching — we can use the hands as the marker, bringing body and mind together into a single point. When body and mind come together like this, energy arises — the power of concentration. Mindfulness (sati) has to be the link between body and mind; then we have mindfulness present, aware, at that point.

There are many different ways of resting the mind in meditation. Some follow the breath. Some recall the image of the Buddha, a crystal ball, or their teacher. But whichever we choose, we need to set the marker clearly — don't let the mind drift. If the mind drifts, it has no power, because there's no clear point of gathering. We have to bring the mind together clearly. The touch of the hands can be the point; so can visualizing the Buddha image, or resting the feeling at the navel. Sometimes that area feels too broad, so we need to narrow the focus — or we can practice as in walking meditation, fixing the point at the tip of the nose, at the first base, the second base, the third base. Make it a point — start with a small point. If the point is too large, the focus won't land. Take a small point; if it's the Buddha image, let it be the Buddha image — try different sizes and see which one comes to mind most easily.

Start Easy: Don't Set Too Many Rules for Yourself

We start from what's easy — don't begin with what's hard. Whichever way of resting the mind feels easy, use that one first. Don't cling to old assumptions that it “has to be this way” or “has to be that way” — go with what feels comfortable right now, with the way of resting the mind that's easiest in the present moment. Don't impose too many rules on yourself. Don't over-attach to any one particular method. Take the way of resting the mind, in the present, inside our own body, inside our own feeling — and keep it easy. Start from easy, and we'll get an easy result. If we start from hard, we'll get a hard result. If we want it easy, we have to start with the mind ready, the body ready, and bring mindfulness to focus on that point — then it comes easily.

Rest the mind easily, recollect easily, stay easily, with mindfulness simply aware like that — it doesn't need to be complicated. Make it easy. Make it normal. Make it continuous. Rest the mind continuously, stay aware continuously, focused on that one single point — the point that feels easiest to focus on, not too broad — and just right, just right. The comfort has to be just right too: not too much, not too little. Staying still like that is what's called training in samatha — calm-abiding through stillness. We need samatha to purify —

Mindfulness Is the Heart: Body and Mind United at One Point Is Concentration

— to be aware, with mindfulness as the one that's aware, the one that sustains, the one that rests the mind. Without mindfulness it can't be done; without a marker to know by, it can't be done. Don't let the mind drift — a drifting mind has no power. The instant the mind drifts, the focal point disappears, mindfulness can't find its footing, and concentration doesn't settle. Sit for however many days, months, or years — if the mind has no power, the merit gained is small. If our focus isn't clear, we're sitting and wasting the time. So we need to make the focal point clear, the anchor point clear, resting the mind just right in every single second that we sit — don't let it drift along pleasantly with no method. Because if we sit for a long time — months, years — without a clear anchor point, all we've gained is time spent, not quality. We're not after that; we want quality in our sitting. So the anchor point has to be good, has to be clear — whatever point, whatever word of recitation it may be — “stopped within stopped, still within still.” If we feel that a particular word of recitation brings the mind to a stop, keep reciting it, until the mind stops, and then settles into stillness by degrees.

Mindfulness is therefore the essential point — mindfulness has to come first. Relaxing just right, relaxing comfortably, is secondary. We must always give importance to mindfulness first — mindfulness first, then let the body relax comfortably — comfortable in moderation, not too much, not too little.

Rest Is the Heart of Practice

As practitioners, we need to understand our own bodies, understand rest, understand when to sleep and when to rest. When we go back tonight, we should sleep fully, so that tomorrow we'll have the strength and the steady mindfulness to keep learning, to keep practicing. We need to rest enough — if the body doesn't get enough rest, it will hold us back from reaching a ready state. Rest is therefore the heart of spiritual practice. Sleeping happily and waking happily — that's the heart of it. Sleep should be happy sleep, with a happy mind even while asleep, and when we wake we should wake refreshed and happy, ready to learn on the new day.

Body and Mind United at One Point, Governed by Mindfulness, Is Concentration

When we sit, we set our awareness — that is, we set a continuous marker for being aware of the mind. Knowing the point, we stay with that point, resting the mind without wavering, without drifting. We must focus clearly, rest the mind clearly, be aware clearly — this is what's called doing it the right way. The principle is this: body and mind must come together at one single point, governed by mindfulness at that point. Body plus mind plus mindfulness equals concentration. It can be any point in our body — we're the one who chooses the point — but the principle stays the same: body and mind united at one point, with mindfulness, and concentration will arise.

Once concentration arises, the power of merit flows in and purifies the mind — purifying the hindrances (nivarana), purifying some portion of accumulated kammic results that are steadily being refined away. This process keeps happening, moment by moment, breath by breath. If it's like this, then we're breathing usefully — breathing with meaning — not just breathing to get through the day, but generating happiness with every breath. Every moment of mind matters, which is why we need mindfulness and concentration with us at all times, staying with our own anchor point continuously. This is each person's own path, each person's own technique — we each need to know ourselves, to know which point works best for us: whether it's a mental image used as the meditation anchor, a word of recitation, or simply resting with whatever state of mind appears. We can choose freely on that front — but the principle stays the same: body and mind united at one point, with mindfulness. This is the heart of the principle — the principle for connecting to the stream from Nibbāna, the principle for linking to right concentration (sammā-samādhi). We have to keep receiving it, and sustain that state continuously, for as long as we can. However long that turns out to be, we'll know for ourselves — and the more mindfulness stays present throughout, the better. Thank you all very much.

Spreading Mettā, Forgiveness, and Extending the Stream of Mind to All Beings

(The recording is unclear in a number of places through this section; only what could be made out with reasonable confidence has been arranged here, and unclear words have been skipped.)

May everyone be happy — happy from wholesomeness. Let this stream flow into the hearts of people and of all beings. Even toward those who are our enemies, may there be mutual forgiveness. Let the power of merit spread out to cover a wide reach. May everyone find happiness through wholesomeness, through goodwill toward one another. May everyone be happy at heart, with love and goodwill for each other. Let this stream extend across every family, across every country, out into the universe — the hundred-thousand universes — for the sake of wholesome dhamma. Extend loving-kindness to all beings, including ourselves. May there be love and loving-kindness toward all beings.

Dedication of Merit and the Closing Chant

(This section of the recording is very unclear; only the portions that could be made out with reasonable confidence are arranged here.)

We pay respect and ask for the blessing and power of the pāramī of the Lord Buddha and of Nibbāna. We express our gratitude to Luang Phor Dhammajayo, who leads us in building pāramī, and to the Dhamma pāramī of our teachers. May everyone's heart be joyful, happy wherever they go, safe from every kind of danger, long-lived, and complete in wealth and good qualities — as in the old story he offered as an example. May everyone's wisdom shine bright, understanding the law of kamma, understanding the law of wholesome dhamma, and resolve to build pāramī fully — the pāramī of virtue and the pāramī of Dhamma — so that even in this one lifetime, may everyone's good wishes come to fulfillment.

He then led a closing Pali chant of appreciation, whose sense is roughly: by the power of all the Buddhas, by the power of all the Dhamma, by the power of all the Sangha, may it be so in every respect.