พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าเบื้องหลังชีวิตของสรรพสัตว์มีธรรมชาติสามฝ่ายคอยชี้นำอยู่ตลอดเวลา คือกุศลธรรม อกุศลธรรม และอัพยากตธรรม ผ่านอุปมาลูกเต่า เรื่องเล่าชายผู้ถูกทำร้ายบ้าน และคำถามจากผู้ฟังในการปฏิบัติธรรม ท่านชี้ให้เห็นว่าความสำเร็จและความผิดพลาดในชีวิตล้วนมาจากการเลือกเชื่อเสียงและความรู้สึกภายในฝ่ายใด และวิธีฝึกสติเพื่อเหนี่ยวนำบุญเข้ามาหล่อเลี้ยงชีวิตอย่างต่อเนื่องPhra Ajarn teaches that three hidden natures — kusala (wholesome), akusala (unwholesome), and abyakata (indeterminate) dhamma — steer every being's life. Through the parable of the baby turtle, the story of a man whose home was attacked, and questions from retreat participants, he shows how success and failure both trace back to which inner voice we choose to believe, and how mindfulness draws merit in to sustain us.
Before turning to the main teaching, Phra Ajarn reflected on a difference he has noticed between how Thai and foreign students learn. When teaching the very same lesson, he said, foreigners often understand it better than Thai students do — even though they have no prior familiarity with Buddhism. The reason lies in the education system. Thai students are trained to listen passively and rarely dare to ask questions, fearing they will be seen as disrespectful or confrontational toward their teacher. Westerners, by contrast, either ask immediately when they don't understand, or let the information “sink in” first before questioning it later. Thai students, he joked, tend instead to let it “sleep in” — letting it pass by without ever circling back.
He stressed that this matters greatly, because the time available for teaching is limited; each journey to teach takes hours of travel each way. He wants both the giver and receiver of the teaching to work with full effectiveness. If the teacher sends the message wholeheartedly but the listener never asks when something is unclear, the effort is wasted. He therefore urged everyone present to speak up if anything in what follows is not understood.
The Long Road of Samsara: Even a Great Brahma Returns as a Piglet
Phra Ajarn opened the main teaching by pointing to just how long a life in samsara truly is — as long as we have not attained arahantship, we cannot escape the cycle. We must therefore learn the full picture of life within samsara in order to build a good future for ourselves.
Even doing good, avoiding evil, and purifying the mind, he said, is still not enough to escape the cycle of birth and death. In the past there were yogis who could fly through the air and lived for hundreds or thousands of years, yet none of them escaped rebirth. He recounted an episode in which the Buddha, while touring a rural village, asked Ven. Ananda whether he had seen a certain piglet passing through the village. Ananda said he had. The Buddha then revealed that before that piglet was born as a pig, it had once been a Great Brahma. Even a Great Brahma, who had accumulated enough to be reborn in the Brahma realm, had to return and experience the fruit of unwholesome kamma as a pig once that merit was exhausted. This shows that the wheel of rebirth never truly stops — born human, one may die and become a heavenly being, a Brahma, a formless Brahma, and then cycle back down into hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, or the animal realm, endlessly. Even the Buddha himself had to accumulate perfections across twenty incalculable aeons plus a hundred thousand great aeons before realizing that doing good and avoiding evil alone is not enough — one must know the truth that lies behind it all.
The Three Natures Behind the Lives of All Beings
Upon attaining supreme enlightenment, the Buddha discovered that behind the world and all sentient beings lies a threefold nature: (), dhamma (), and abyakata dhamma ().
Kusala dhamma aims to benefit people and beings, offering love, goodwill, sincerity, and of heart. It guides people toward wholesome deeds, away from wrongdoing, and toward a clear, bright mind.
Akusala dhamma is its complete opposite. It aims to destroy and ruin people and beings, dragging them, even after death, into the lower realms — hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, the animal realm. It controls beings through inner voices and feelings, planting thoughts that feel like our own, gradually conditioning us to accept unwholesome influence bit by bit, pulling us further and further down through , hatred, delusion, and lust.
Abyakata dhamma is neither good nor bad — it takes neither side, yet it governs more than 90 percent of our waking lives. Almost all of our time, resources, and money slip away under its quiet control, spent on neither merit nor demerit at all.
Phra Ajarn observed that although we chant the words “kusalā dhammā, akusalā dhammā, abyākatā dhammā” at every temple we visit, most people have no real understanding of what these three natures actually mean — even though they govern us through two fundamental laws.
Two Laws That Govern Our Lives
The three natures control all beings through two laws: the Law of Kamma and the Law of the Threefold Characteristic (Trilakkhana). The Law of Kamma links the past to the present, causing every present moment to bear fruit from what came before. The Law of the Threefold Characteristic compels us to create causes, and then uses the fruit of those causes to shape our future.
Phra Ajarn explained that “anicca, , anattā,” the phrase most people associate with the Threefold Characteristic, is in fact only a minor branch of it. “Tri” means three, and “lakkhana” means characteristic — three utterly distinct characteristics: good, bad, and neither good nor bad, corresponding exactly to kusalā dhammā, akusalā dhammā, and abyākatā dhammā. These three natures deliberately keep themselves hidden from us, so that the world never comes to recognize them as the true controllers behind the workings of this law.
The Parable of the Baby Turtle: Instinct as a Hidden Program
When teaching foreigners unfamiliar with Buddhism, Phra Ajarn often uses the parable of a baby turtle. A hatchling turtle has no information in its brain and no parent to guide it, yet it walks straight toward the sea — never turning left into the forest, never turning right into town. He often asks people: how does the turtle know the sea lies in that direction, even when there is no sound of waves or wind? Why is it not afraid of drowning once it enters the water? And how does it know what to eat, with no parent to teach it?
Everyone, regardless of nationality or language, answers the same way: “.” In Thai — which Phra Ajarn calls a “dhamma language” — the word “sanchāt-ayān” (instinct) combines “sanchāti,” meaning the origin of birth, with “yāna,” meaning inner . Together they mean an innate knowledge present from the very origin. Since baby turtles on every continent, in every era, all walk straight to the sea the same way, this uniformity itself proves that a controlling program must exist behind it.
This program is not unique to turtles. Baby birds open their beaks the moment they hatch, waiting for a parent to feed them, without ever being taught. Every mammal, the moment it leaves the womb, crawls toward its mother to nurse, unprompted. And as each creature grows — through adolescence, courtship, family-building in middle age, and finally old age — the same patterns repeat across every stage of life, all under the same hidden program. The Buddha taught that this nature truly exists, but because it splits into three opposing sides, it produces utterly different outcomes — explaining why some turtles die young, some in middle life, and some in old age, depending on which of the three natures controls them.
Two Voices Within: The Story of a Man Whose Home Was Attacked
To make this vivid, Phra Ajarn told the story of a man — standing in for all of us — who left home early for work. In the afternoon, a call came telling him to rush home immediately: something terrible had happened. Arriving home, he found his belongings scattered and broken. He learned that a former relative-turned-rival, with whom he had feuded many times before, had stormed the house and destroyed everything.
At once, an inner voice screamed, “You must kill him.” Another voice inside pushed back: “You can't kill him — if you do, you'll go to prison, and what will happen to your wife, children, and parents?” Mindfulness returned, but the instigating voice would not back down, still urging him to gather allies and take revenge. The restraining voice held firm that this must not be done.
Phra Ajarn asked the room whether everyone had heard voices like these before. Every listener agreed they had. These very voices, he said, are what lead us both into failure and into success — every mistake we have made, and every success we have achieved, traces back to them. The question is how to tell one from the other.
These voices never arrive alone; they come bundled with feelings that make us want to obey them. That feeling-component of a voice is called , the accompanying consciousness. For some, the voices are faint and manageable; for others they roar day and night until a psychiatrist must be consulted. On the other end of the spectrum, some voices are strikingly good — thoughts with no precedent in our own memory, offering fresh solutions, filling us with gentle, refined, cool, feelings. And sometimes the opposite arrives: voices and emotions so frightening we become afraid of ourselves.
Citta and Cetasika: When What Is Not Us Overlays Body, Feeling, Mind, and Dhamma
Phra Ajarn explained that the wholesome voice arises from , consciousness, that is not our own — not belonging to the human body at all. He asked how many types of citta exist: 121 in the expanded classification, or 89 in brief. Of these, only one belongs to the human body; all the rest belong to beings other than the human, some governed by akusala and some by kusala.
When akusala manages to possess a person, it brings in a “lower” citta — still ours in a sense, but our lowest register — and overlays it onto our mind. What surfaces as intrusive thoughts and feelings is not a solitary voice but an entire bundled set: body, feeling, mind, and dhamma (, , citta, dhamma) all arriving together. The possessing “body” seizes our own body, making our behavior suddenly coarse and aggressive — which is why, sometimes, hearing just one wrong word from a friend can flip someone's demeanor instantly into hostility, leaving even the person themselves unable to explain why.
This, he said, is exactly why the Buddha instructed monks to contemplate kāya, vedanā, citta, and dhamma — because when something not-us seizes these four and overlays them onto us, the antidote is to observe in the body, so it cannot commandeer our body; to observe feeling in feeling, so it cannot commandeer our senons; to observe mind in mind, so it cannot commandeer our thoughts; and to observe dhamma in dhamma, so it cannot commandeer our emotions. Many times in life we reject a thought or feeling, knowing it is wrong, yet still cannot resist acting on it — as the revered late abbot once put it, “we know good from bad, yet cannot restrain ourselves.” This happens because akusala conditions us little by little, drawing in demerit bit by bit until there is enough of it to force us to speak or act as it wishes. Once its purpose is achieved, it withdraws immediately, leaving the human being to be branded as wicked.
Little by Little: How Akusala Builds Small Faults into Great Wrongs
Phra Ajarn emphasized that this dynamic is not confined to people behind bars — it happens ordinarily within families and within each of us, just not yet severe enough to land us in prison. It grows gradually, bit by bit, for as long as we keep yielding to it, until it eventually pulls in enough surrounding circumstances to turn a small matter into a large one. This is how, grain by grain, the Law of Kamma is built, and once built, it expands — from being incapable of killing an animal to becoming capable of it; from being unable to harm another human being to becoming able; from acting only in secret to acting openly. Coarseness and fearlessness of wrongdoing both grow steadily. The same pattern applies to — starting with taking something believed to have no owner, then progressing to taking things that do have owners — and to lying, starting small and growing into major deceit. All of it is guided, step by step, by these inner voices and feelings.
He added that our repeated, familiar mistakes are not isolated incidents but a “systemic issue” — part of an overall process. Akusala assesses where our weak points lie and steadily accumulates demerit there, again and again, until there is enough to compel us to speak or act as it wants. And when an old method stops working, akusala simply devises a new one — “crafting a new technique,” a new program, to keep controlling us.
The Four Components of Merit and the Trap of Discontent
Once the Law of Kamma bears fruit, every moment of life is its result — there is not a single moment that is not. When we act on the good that kusala guides us toward, the fruit of merit arises, composed of four elements.
First, pure energy that dissolves problems, obstacles, and the stains of demerit. Second, happiness within the merit-element itself, which explains why the same activity can sometimes feel joyful and sometimes not — the difference lies in how much of this element is present. Third, s held within the sphere of merit, which draw coarse, worldly wealth toward us like a magnet. Phra Ajarn recalled an engineer once asking Khun Yay how to become wealthy; she answered that one must first possess subtle treasure within — without it, effort yields little return, however hard one works. Fourth, a pre-set “” specifying exactly what, how much, and how one will receive, according to a fixed allotment already determined.
This is precisely where akusala seizes its opening — because merit is finite according to this blueprint, yet people always want more. Akusala tempts us toward shortcuts. Phra Ajarn recounted a story from the time of the revered late Grand Master: someone once asked the Abbot whether, if the kaya knowledge were truly powerful, one could see the winning lottery numbers in advance. The Abbot answered that it could never be taken that way, because every prize already carries someone's name attached to it; taking what was never meant for us is not worth the cost, since it only pulls wealth away from our own account elsewhere. Everything in this world is already locked in place by the results of the Law of Kamma — yet those who stubbornly insist on having things their own way, refusing to accept this truth, display precisely the character of akusala.
The opposite outcome, the fruit of demerit, arises when akusala's guidance is followed, bringing distress upon oneself and others. Akusala must operate this way because its system runs on the energy of demerit — the darker the state it pulls us into, the more sorrowful and clouded the mind becomes, shrinking the share of kusala within us and expanding the share of akusala. People with a large share of akusala thus tend to meet with constant small misfortunes — even something as minor as a door slamming shut in the wind, or tripping over one's own feet — signs that akusala is quietly obscuring what should be done and prompting what should not be. By contrast, when we live rightly, meditating and chanting regularly, everything tends to align smoothly, as though an unseen assistant were watching over us.
Mindfulness, the Mind's Anchor Point, and Drawing In Merit
Phra Ajarn explained the mechanics of sati, , as a cetasika, a mental factor of consciousness — appearing as a bright, clear sphere when wholesome, or a dark sphere when unwholesome. Wherever mindfulness is placed becomes the mind's anchor point, and merit flows in continuously and automatically through that very spot. Whether the point of awareness is the feet, the tip of the nose, or wherever Phra Ajarn directs attention, the mind can shift there instantly.
He noted that scientists have proven waves can be converted into energy. All 84,000 sections of wholesome teaching draw in the pure energy of merit; conversely, every form of unwholesome mental state — , boredom, restlessness, resentment — draws in demerit. For this reason, we should never hold negative thoughts or emotions, since they only pull demerit toward us. The opposite — good thoughts, relaxed feelings, spaciousness, fullness, freshness, clarity, purity, brightness — are all wholesome and allow merit to flow in continuously, since the mind is a place where whatever is set becomes reality.
Training mindfulness genuinely reduces forgetfulness. Those who practice can count their breaths into the thousands without losing track, while those who never train often lose count after just ten or fifteen. Training sati is therefore like connecting to the system of kusala dhamma itself, where knowledgeable and powerful protectors watch over and assist us — like having a personal secretary who never lets us forget.
Lessons from the Q&A: The Law of Attraction and Finishing the Process
During the question period, one disciple shared having applied only a few basic principles learned from Phra Ajarn — a wholesome mind, , and watching the in-and-out breath — during a difficult phone call with a life partner who was angry and repeating the same old complaints. Instead of reacting as before, the disciple sat in meditation, eyes open as usual, placing awareness at , imagining the angry partner drawn into that center and radiating loving-kindness outward. The partner gradually vented everything and then calmed down completely. Phra Ajarn called this “the spirit leaves, the Dhamma enters.” He drew from it a key lesson: once knowledge is received, it must be put into practice, or it never becomes skill — only knowledge that is never truly one's own.
A question about the law of attraction followed. Phra Ajarn explained that it relates more to the Law of the Threefold Characteristic than to the Law of Kamma. When we live within the wholesome system, both old and new merit are drawn in, creating small, fortunate coincidences throughout life. But if we strive too hard and become stressed, that stress itself reveals kusala is present but out of balance — and the resulting tension actually blocks results. He advised against expecting outcomes too eagerly; simply continue with a relaxed, unburdened mind, and merit will flow in on its own.
He also stressed the importance of “finishing the process.” He compared it to cleaning a dirty room — one must pour water, scrub, scrub thoroughly, and finally rinse the soap away completely. Stopping midway means never seeing the result. The same applies to meditation: akusala and abyakata dhamma often step in right before completion, urging us to stop early, causing us to lose the chance for the intended blueprint to fully take shape. Phra Ajarn urged in carrying every process through to its true end.
Choosing One's Environment and Good Friends: The Map Within the Blessings of Life
Phra Ajarn explained that living within the wholesome system first requires avoiding, without exception, any environment that favors akusala — and likewise avoiding environments that merely favor abyakata dhamma. Equally important is , good ship, cited among the early verses of the Mangala Sutta (Blessings of Life): avoid the company of fools, the very stronghold where akusala easily takes hold, and instead keep the company of the wise, where kusala can take hold and guide us toward wholesome action. One should hold in the heart a role model worthy of reverence, sharing the same life direction, and dwell in a suitable place among suitable surroundings.
He noted that Buddhist teaching spans an immense 84,000 sections of Dhamma, yet the Mangala Sutta functions as a “map” for the journey. Its opening verses lay the practical foundation for living happily in the world through right livelihood; from verse twenty-two onward, it turns toward the path of Dhamma that shapes one's future within samsara.
When Wronged: Turning Garbage into Fertilizer through Right View
In the final question, someone asked how to respond when falsely accused by others. Phra Ajarn advised first reflecting that every moment of human life is the fruit of the Law of Kamma. Being wronged in this way may well be a reflection of something we ourselves once did to another in the past, and so we must be willing to accept that fruit. At the same time, akusala often seizes on the unpleasantness of the moment, steering us to blame others rather than looking inward.
He taught that we should accept the situation, reflect on ourselves, and set an intention: to never, in any lifetime, become someone who slanders others; to become instead someone who praises the goodness in others and never criticizes anyone — since those who act wrongly do so because they, too, are possessed by akusala, just as we ourselves once were. He also encouraged praying for those who have wronged us, that they may be freed from such behavior.
Phra Ajarn emphasized that whatever misfortune befalls us is itself an opportunity to make a corrective resolution — had it never happened, we would never have had cause to know of it, let alone pray about it. The more difficulty that arises, the greater our opportunity to set things right through sincere resolve. This, he said, is how one turns garbage into fertilizer, transforming what is unclean into what generates merit and benefit for oneself. Right view, he stressed, is therefore of the utmost importance — never let something painful pass by without turning it to good use.
He closed by explaining that whenever the wholesome system arises within us, it draws in the pure energy of merit in exactly two circumstances: when we perform good deeds, and when we resist temptation toward wrongdoing. That merit dissolves the stains of impurity, brings happiness that sustains a healthy body and a contented mind, and carries within it the subtle treasures that draw coarse, worldly wealth toward us like a magnet drawing iron filings. Each person's magnetic pull differs according to their accumulated merit — some drawing in vast fortunes, others only a modest daily sum. He gave the example of a probiotic discovered in Japanese soil capable of converting ordinary sugar into a form safe for diabetics, selling at such a premium that domestic demand alone outstrips supply — proof, he said, that coarse wealth exists everywhere in the world, waiting only for sufficient merit to draw it forth. He closed by promising to explain, in detail on a later day of the retreat, the Universal Monarch said to dwell within the sphere of merit itself.