พระอาจารย์นำนั่งสมาธิในค่ำคืนหนึ่งของธรรมรส เขาใหญ่ #16 สอนหลักสำคัญสองอย่างคือสติและศรัทธา วิธีหาจุดวางใจที่ใช่ และการหยุดนิ่งอย่างเป็นธรรมชาติทีละวินาทีจนกลายเป็นรากฐานของสมาธิPhra Maha Vajarin leads a sit on one evening of the Tham Rot Khao Yai #16 retreat, teaching the two essentials — mindfulness and faith — how to find the point where the mind settles easily, and how stopping still, second by second, becomes the foundation of samādhi.
The Goal and the Two Essentials: Mindfulness and Faith
The goal of sitting meditation is to “stop” and then “be still.” Our goal is a settled stillness — we are not chasing an experience or trying to achieve anything special. To stop and be still requires (); mindfulness is what brings and mind to a settled stop.
Once we know the goal, the second thing we need is confidence — belief that we can do it. We must believe we are capable, that the mind can rest in stillness. When there is confidence, there is heart, and we can sit with genuine assurance.
So while we sit, we use two things: sati (mindfulness) and saddhā () — the belief that we can do it, we can do it, we can do it — and we look for the point where the mind settles. Because when what we are doing is correct, it can hold back () that bring doubt or a deep uncertainty. This uncertainty exists at both a deep and a shallow level. If it lies deep, we may not notice it, yet there remains an inner doubt about whether this is right. So we need to fill ourselves with confidence while we sit. These two qualities must be used together as we sit, while keeping our focus clear.
If we can do this, we will be able to sit the way the teacher has said: within a minute of meditating you already know whether you are still or not. The moment we close our eyes and settle the mind, we know right away whether it's right or not — no need to waste time. If it isn't right, look for the point that is. Once you find the right point, stay with it, and let it keep being right, in that one single point, sustaining it for longer and longer.
Finding the Right Point — Whatever Settles the Mind Most Easily
It doesn't have to be the same point for everyone. If you like a particular point and find that it settles you, then use it — it's a matter of what works for each person. So we each need to find the point we like, the point that feels right. For instance, if feels right when you rest there, then rest there. For someone else, the easiest point to settle the mind may be different. Whatever you prefer, settle the mind there — but it has to genuinely feel right. Settle the mind at that point, observe, and gently let go. So find the easiest point where body and mind come together, and keep mindfulness present throughout — because with mindfulness in charge, the mind won't grow bored.
Preparing Body and Mind Before We Sit
Now let's sit and practice. This is the time we come to train the mind, to train our awareness of the state within. We bring the mind back inward by adjusting the body first, since the body is the base that supports it — adjust the body into a posture you feel you can stay relaxed in for a long time.
Then look within the body to find the spot where settling the mind gives us a clear point of reference for awareness. We take that feeling — awareness itself — and bring it to rest there. Our perception, memory, thought, feeling: at the most basic level this is simply awareness, and we direct that awareness to settle at that one point within, wherever in the body it relates to — the head, the middle of the belly, or anywhere else that feels easy to rest in, easy to sustain, and clear.
Settling the mind needs to be clear, not vague or drifting. When the settling is clear, the result is clear; when the settling of the mind is clear, what appears is clear, the feeling and mood that arise are clear. We will know for ourselves whether we are still or not. Once you settle and feel you can stay there, try staying and see how long you can sustain it. As long as you can stay, simply continue being still.
The First Stop — the Foundation of Samādhi
This is training the first point. The first point has to be achieved first — we must get this point right; this is called the “first stop.” The first stop is not difficult — once you know how, it isn't hard. Once you can do it, the following stops — the second stop, the third stop — become easy too. The point where the mind gathers, the point where you settle and can stay a long time — that is the first point. From that first point, we accumulate this kind of stopping so it continues on: stop the mind, stop the mind, stop the mind, moment by moment. Stop one second at a time — it doesn't need to be long, it doesn't need to be a long stop. If this second is stopped, that's fine, be content; the next second, stop again, and be content with that too. Train gradually, second by second, truly one second at a time.
Let's try stopping — that is, settling the mind still, still, still — this is called “stopping still.” To stop is to be still, still at that one single point. Stop into it, stop into it, and be aware of our own awareness. We use mindfulness to receive. Once we can stop, we become able to stay. Once we can stay, confidence — faith — arises; the light of faith arises, and the continuity of mindfulness arises. So these two points, these two lights, are what matter most in sustaining our practice. If we have confidence, the hindrances cannot come in to disturb the mind, because we trust that we have done it, and we can be aware of the settled mind simply and easily. Body and mind remain joined as before, joined continuously, joined without interruption — mindfulness unbroken, aware throughout without lapsing: this is continuity. For there to be continuity, there must be mindfulness. If mindfulness lapses, the mind wanders, so we must use mindfulness to keep it clear. Once there is mindfulness, — full, all-around awareness — follows; mindfulness arises first, and sampajañña follows after.
We bring mindfulness and faith together, and in truth they arise together already — once we believe we can do it, these two qualities establish themselves. There's no need to keep checking whether it's definitely right or not — simply stop the mind, and if you can keep stopping, that is right. Once it's right, stay with the clarity of that settling. Being clear in settling the mind doesn't require forcing or excessive effort — just be aware to the extent you naturally can. Don't try too hard; do it just right, just enough — stop just enough, know just enough. Don't rush, don't strain to focus — simply be aware, and stay neutral, still. Make it natural: the breath we breathe in and out, let it be natural too. Whatever we do, we should do it as something normal, natural — sitting meditation should be made natural as well, without trying too hard. Make it easy — we simply are aware, and follow that awareness, the way we know we are sitting here; we simply know we are sitting in meditation.
Simply the Knower, the Observer — Unmoved
Wherever our mind gathers, be aware of that one point only — aware of the point of focus — and rest there just like that. Let it be still, let it be neutral, let awareness simply remain at that one point. Be aware of only that one point, the point we like, wherever in the body it may be — as long as the awareness there is clear, that is all that's needed.
Once our awareness becomes continuous, we gradually watch that awareness — watch the state, watch the mood that arises after we have settled the mind still at that point. From here on, we are simply the observer — observing how it feels, now that the mind is settled there and aware there. Whatever feeling arises, whatever mood arises, we simply are aware of it, aware of the state, aware of that thing — without the mind moving from that point. The feeling doesn't drift, the focus doesn't drift.
It's like knowing this is a glass of water and drinking it — we simply know the taste of the water, whether it goes down smoothly or catches in the throat, or however it feels — we simply are aware, with our focus staying on what we are doing. Settling the mind is the same: we stop, neutral, at the point we are focused on, still — and simply watch, aware. Aware of the state, aware of what arises, aware of the subtlety and softness that arises. Whether or not something arises doesn't matter — if it arises, we know it; if nothing arises, we still know that. Because having settled the mind, if nothing arises, whether something arises or not, we simply remain aware — but the mind does not move from where it is settled. Mindfulness does not shift; the feeling does not shift from the point we are focused on. It remains at that one point, in contact with, aware of whatever state arises, whatever mood arises, whatever manifests. If there is something, we are aware; if there is nothing, we are aware. It isn't only being aware when there is something — when there is nothing, we are aware that there is nothing. Aware of both presence and absence — we are simply the one who is aware, from having settled the mind. And then we keep watching, keep observing, keep noticing, keep being aware, letting mindfulness stand firm in this stillness.
Whether there is a sense of spaciousness or lightness or not, it doesn't matter — if there is, we know there is; if not, we know that too. There's no need to go seeking any particular state or experience — our only task is to keep following the awareness at the point where we've settled the mind, nothing more. If it's good, whatever comes next, we simply keep knowing — the mind doesn't move from that; if there's nothing, whatever comes next we simply keep being aware, the mind doesn't move from that either, it's the same either way. We train just with this — but from this simple training, an inner state or a strength arises: the stillness of , the practice of samatha arises, the stillness arises, and flows to us. Just be aware that this process exists, but we don't need to concern ourselves with how much or how little — we simply stop, stay still, and remain aware at the point of focus, the point of settling.
The core concept is: body and mind joined as one, governed by mindfulness, sustained continuously. Do it simply. We will come to know the right measure of our own settling; we need to adjust to find the point that is just right — too heavy is no good, too light won't do either; we need to be aware just right, settle the mind just right. We adjust gradually, and once we find that right point, we simply stop, stay still. Once it settles into place, there's no need to keep adjusting — take whatever level of awareness, focus, sitting, and mindfulness we can sustain; that is enough. Once it's just right, it will hold — being able to hold is fine, and then we make that holding last longer. We simply stay aware like that, sustaining it just at this level, with awareness present the whole time, not letting the mind drift, not lapsing in mindfulness, because mindfulness governs throughout. We settle the mind and simply do this much, continuously, every single second, moment by moment, gradually. Once we can stay, we continue staying — just doing this much. What matters is bringing the mind to rest within ourselves, at the point of focus; let go of everything else, don't attend to it, attend only to that one point. Bring the mind to settle at that very point, let it focus there specifically, and then sustain it, sustain the awareness — with continuous mindfulness we can sustain it. Really, it's just following, aware, every single second, not letting it lapse — that is what it means to sustain the mind. Staying in every second, focused on the point we've set, every mind-moment — that is called sustaining the mind, not letting the mind drift even for a single second; we gently, gradually sustain it.
When Something Intrudes, Stay Still
No matter what sensation or feeling comes in to intrude, even if you can feel your heart beating strongly, there's no need to be alarmed or worried — simply stay still at the point, as before. It isn't strange, it isn't something to worry about — it's completely normal. Being aware of a heartbeat that grows heavier is not a problem, and it isn't a health issue. Keep focusing on that same single point, do as before, keep the same mindfulness, stay aware as before, with body and mind joined, aware at that point. If the breath comes in to intrude, there's no need to do anything about it; if awareness of the heartbeat becomes more noticeable, there's no need to fear it; whatever other sensation or feeling arises, there's no need to worry — simply stay still, neutral, in the place where we've settled the mind. There is nothing that needs to be done; we simply keep stopping, keep being still, receiving pure merit that comes to purify. The only thing to attend to is the point where the mind is settled; whatever intrudes, don't attend to it — settle the mind as before, stay still and neutral like this throughout. No matter what happens, stay still and neutral like this throughout; whatever comes into the mind, stay still like this throughout, without letting the mind drift even for a single second — keep being aware, continuing on.
What truly matters, what is genuinely important, is that we stay with this important matter. What is happening right now is the gathering of the mind into one point — any point will do at first. Once everything is ready and settled into place, it will naturally flow down to rest at the base of the body on its own. But at the start, it doesn't matter which point in the body we use — use whatever point you can settle the mind at, whatever you can be aware of; that's enough. As we keep opening to it, it becomes easier, and easier, and easier.
Practising Second by Second — Like Driving Out From Home
Once we can stop, it will no longer be difficult to stop. It's like driving a car out from home — starting in first gear only; drive a little further and it becomes second gear, easier to drive; go a little further and it becomes fourth gear, easier still; go further and it becomes eighth gear, sixteenth gear — and it just keeps getting easier. In the beginning we may settle the mind without even quite realizing it, but as we keep settling, keep being aware, keep stopping again and again, it becomes easier, holds for longer, and lasts longer — this is exactly what training is. We are the one who trains, so we must do the work — watching each second as it arises while we keep following along, not letting the mind drift even for a single second from fixing it at the point where we've settled it.
Everyone has to do it this way — everyone begins this way. No matter how many years someone has been sitting, they still keep returning to this same basic foundation. This is the basic, the essentials — we must make the basics solid, and only then can we build up, construct a tall building. This point is the foundation of , the foundation of body and mind. We need to make it still, make it firm, again and again, repeatedly, every day, every chance we get. Once it is still, then we can go far, go a long way — the building can rise however many storeys, once we have this foundation of samādhi together with us, to support the fruits of practice all the more. Do it gradually, gradually stop, gradually — every single second, not counted in minutes but watched second by second, present moment after present moment after present moment. Let's all do this well.
Closing Blessing
... by the power of all the Buddhas, by the power of all the , by the power of all the Sangha ... may it be so for you.