พระอาจารย์นำนั่งสมาธิด้วยหลักกำหนดรู้อย่างไม่เผลอ อธิบายกลไกที่ดวงสติเหนี่ยวนำบุญมาชำระมลทินในใจ พร้อมสอนวิธีเลือกกรรมฐานและประเมินสมาธิด้วยการนับสัมมาอะระหัง จากนั้นนำแผ่เมตตาธรรมขยายจากตัวเราไปทั่วทั้งโลกและจักรวาล ปิดท้ายด้วยการอุทิศส่วนบุญและตั้งจิตอธิษฐานร่วมกับพระรัตนตรัยและมหาปูชนียาจารย์Phra Ajarn leads a guided sit built on unlapsing awareness, explaining how mindfulness draws in merit to cleanse the mind's defilements, and teaching a Samma Arahang counting method for gauging one's own concentration. He then guides the radiating of loving-kindness from the meditator outward across the whole world and universe, closing with a dedication of merit and an aspiration made together with the Triple Gem and the great venerable teachers.
As we begin to sit in meditation, Phra Ajarn invites us to look first at our own role — and it is a single, simple one: to “know”, to be aware. The moment we do this, the sphere of knowing, our , arises on its own. Once that sphere of mindfulness has arisen, it takes on its own task — drawing in pure energy, that is, , to flow in continuously. That incoming merit then drives system within us, and the wholesome system, in turn, cleanses away the defilements that cloud the mind.
Phra Ajarn cautions us not to overstep our own role. If we do, side slips in behind the scenes and takes over, and the wholesome system can no longer run correctly. He gives an example: if someone tells us to “go cleanse your inner elements until they are pure” without telling us how, and without our knowing what a defilement even looks like, we will only tire ourselves out for nothing — because that was never our job. Our only task is to be aware; the sphere of knowing, the merit, and the wholesome system each do their own work, entirely on their own.
The Three Jobs of a Defilement
A defilement in the mind has three jobs. First, it tries to press our inner elements down into a low state through , aversion, and delusion. If it cannot press us down — because we recognize it and refuse to follow its lead — it moves to its second job: stirring up trouble so we cannot rest at ease, through the five hindrances — sensual delight in sights, sounds, smells and tastes; ill will; restlessness and worry; drowsiness and lethargy; and doubt. And if, unable to find , we begin to long for release, the defilement falls back on its third job — holding us back so we cannot break free. Phra Ajarn teaches that once we recognize these three jobs, we can quietly examine whatever arises in the mind and see which of the three it belongs to.
Watching Body, Feeling, Mind, and Mental Objects
Phra Ajarn draws on the standard the Lord Buddha himself set down for developing : “Monks, you should clearly know body, feeling, mind, and mental objects.” The purpose is to remove and displeasure — covetousness being the delight that gives rise to greed, and, when that delight is thwarted, the displeasure that follows as irritation.
He explains that “to fix attention” means to mark, to point to, to single something out — wherever we mark, point to, and single out, the mind settles there. That is called “paying attention.” Once we pay attention, the sphere of knowing, our mindfulness, arises right there, and draws in pure energy — merit — to flow in and cleanse the defilement at that very spot until it fades and disappears. This opens the way into an inner dimension at that same point. Fix on , and we enter the inner dimension at the center of ; fix on the breath at the tip of the nose, and we enter the inner dimension there. Wherever we fix our attention, that is where the inner dimension opens. Even if what appears there still feels dim, hazy, or dusk-like at first, we simply keep on being aware, steadily, without lapsing.
Choosing Our Own Meditation Anchor, and Counting “Samma Arahang” to Gauge Our Focus
Phra Ajarn teaches that we may stay aware with our own , with a simple sense of ease, or with a recitation word and a mental image — whatever we choose, as long as we stay continuously aware, without lapsing. From there, we look for whichever signal feels clearest and most continuous, and let the sphere of knowing rest on that — for instance, aware of the in-breath, aware of the out-breath.
If the breath is not clear enough, we may instead use the recitation “”, counting as we go: Samma Arahang one, Samma Arahang two, Samma Arahang three, and so on. Counting this way lets us see for ourselves how long or short our concentration actually runs, so we can assess and correct it — unlike reciting without counting, where we have no way of knowing exactly where the mind wandered. Phra Ajarn notes that beginners typically manage fewer than twenty counts before losing track and starting again from one; others reach into the hundreds, and some do not see the light of stillness arise until they have counted close to a thousand. He reminds us to do this with a relaxed, light heart, never rushing or forcing it. Once our own meditation anchor has “matured”, we will no longer need to rely on someone else's voice guiding us.
Steady Awareness: The Triple Gem's Radiance and the Stream of Merit
Whatever we stay aware of appears in the mind, and the sphere of knowing keeps drawing in pure energy continuously. Phra Ajarn guides us to picture the Triple Gem shining brightly at the center of our body and mind — both we and the Triple Gem appearing radiant within Nibbana itself, the center of the boundless, countless Enlightened Ones. A stream of merit flows continuously from the subtlest depths of Nibbana into the center of our body and mind.
He reminds us: stay aware, do not lapse — for the moment we lapse, , that is, darkness, moves back in. Know what you are aware of, know what you are resting on, and stay with it at ease, unhurried, enjoying the process. Phra Ajarn offers this reflection: “Watch the result that comes from the cause you build; observe the result — attend to this well, for it is truly excellent” — meaning we watch the result appearing moment by moment even as we keep building the cause, which is simply steady, unlapsing awareness.
Radiating Loving-Kindness Across the Universe
Once we have built this good cause through unlapsing awareness, the stream of merit keeps pouring in. Phra Ajarn explains that he takes this stream of merit to further his own practice of kaya , purifying us in the process — and at the same time, we ourselves get to benefit others by cultivating .
Loving-kindness, he teaches, is a tool of wholesome , meant for those with more merit to support those with less — because life in the cycle of existence depends on mutual support; no one lives entirely alone. He has us bring up sincere, pure love and goodwill in the heart until it appears as a bright, clear sphere of loving-kindness. Once that sphere arises, it draws pure energy — merit — continuously into its brightness.
The special quality of loving-kindness is that it can dissolve away the irritation in the hearts of others. Phra Ajarn has us extend this brightness outward step by step — from the meditation hall, across the surrounding mountains, through the village, sub-district, district, province, and country, and on to other nations, until it covers the whole world, turning it into a “crystal world”, clear, cool, clean, and pure. We wish that all beings — earthbound devas, tree devas, sky devas, celestial beings of every heavenly plane, brahmas and formless brahmas, as well as beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and animals — be free of suffering and know happiness. May those with much suffering have less; those with little suffering, none at all; those with little happiness, more; and those who already have much happiness, ever more.
He then has us extend this loving-kindness further still, out across the whole cosmos, covering stars and worlds beyond number, and on into realms without end — letting our loving-kindness shine into the hearts of all beings everywhere, dissolving their irritation too. Phra Ajarn notes that, ordinarily, the wholesome side of a person's mind has to compete for its place before it can take charge there — but the light of our loving-kindness makes it easier for the wholesome side in others' hearts to take that place, carrying pure energy, merit, in with it to drive their own inner wholesome system.
Whoever Benefits the World Has the Right to Its Resources
Phra Ajarn teaches that whoever benefits the world and the cosmos earns the right to use the resources of the world and cosmos — because they have made the environment itself, the earth, water, air, sky, mountains, seas and oceans, clear and fit for all beings to live in.
He gives the example of a Bodhisatta of old, who cultivated loving-kindness for the benefit of all beings for an entire lifetime, thereby attaining the s. On passing away, that being was reborn in the Brahma realm, enjoying its long-lasting happiness, and on returning to the human world was born as a Wheel-Turning Monarch, using the resources of the world and cosmos to govern and care for all beings. In that age, the world lived as though in heaven — no wars, only mutual generosity and care, everyone upholding good moral conduct. Phra Ajarn therefore encourages us to keep cultivating loving-kindness like this, letting its light purify both ourselves and others, while the stream of merit keeps pouring continuously into the center of our hearts.
Dedicating Merit and Setting Our Aspiration
Having radiated loving-kindness, Phra Ajarn leads us to dedicate this merit to all beings in the world, along with our ancestors, parents, siblings, grandparents, benefactor teachers, the devas who help and support us, and all our karmic counterparties — asking for mutual forgiveness with each of them, so that all may share in this merit together.
He then has us bring the mind to stillness at the center of the Buddha jewel, the Dhamma jewel, and the Sangha jewel, and further to stillness within the refined Dhamma-body of the great venerable teachers — Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and Khun Yai — until we appear radiant within them, and they appear radiant within us, our entire lineage of elements and Dhamma shining within the Triple Gem and the great venerable teachers.
In this auspicious moment, Phra Ajarn leads us to ask for blessings and to set our heart's aspiration: that our path of building perfections be filled with wisdom, happiness, and , and succeed in every rightful and good pursuit; that we be freed from all misfortune and the results of past unwholesome kamma; that greed, aversion, delusion, lust, ignorance, wrong view, craving, and clinging dissolve without remainder; that we gain the eye of Dhamma and attain the full range of Dhammakaya knowledge — the three knowledges, the eight knowledges, the six higher powers, the four analytical s, the eight s, and the fifteen conducts — together with good health, long life, and the chance to keep building merit throughout this life. And when this life ends, may we be born in the Tusita heaven's special sphere of merit reserved for future Buddhas, and when we return to the human world, may we be born into a family of right view, warm and complete, blessed with sacred merit, able to recall past lives from birth, and able to study the Dhammakaya knowledge correctly alongside Luang Pu, Luang Phor, and Khun Yai for the whole of that life. He closes by asking forgiveness for all past unwholesome deeds, and dedicates this whole aspiration to bear fruit through the boundless power of every Lord Buddha.