พระอาจารย์นำนั่งสมาธิ เริ่มจากผ่อนคลายกายใจ วางฐานที่ตั้งของใจ แล้วภาวนา “สัมมาอะระหัง” นับจำนวนเพื่อวัดกำลังสมาธิ ก่อนนำเข้าสู่การเห็นองค์พระธรรมกายกลางกายและหยุดนิ่งในกลางของกลาง มุ่งสู่หนทางพระนิพพาน จากนั้นแผ่เมตตาไปทั่วโลกและจักรวาล อุทิศส่วนบุญแก่ครอบครัว ครูบาอาจารย์ และคู่กรรมคู่เวร ปิดท้ายด้วยการหลอมรวมใจกับพระรัตนตรัยและมหาปูชนียาจารย์พร้อมอธิษฐานจิตPhra Ajarn leads a guided sit that opens with relaxing body and mind and settling on a meditation anchor, then counting “Samma Arahang” to gauge the depth of one's concentration. The sit moves into visualizing the crystal Buddha image at the center of the body and stopping still at the very center, heading toward the path to Nibbana, before radiating loving-kindness to the whole world and universe. It closes with dedicating merit to family and teachers, forgiving karmic counterparties, and merging the mind with the Triple Gem and the Great Teachers in a closing aspiration.
Relaxing the Body and Mind, Settling into the Right Attitude
Let the mind relax, become open, spacious, empty, light, cool and clear, clean and pure, radiant. Whatever we picture, we let it lead first — every word we picture in the mind has an effect. Whatever we picture, that is what appears in the mind. Picture relaxation, and a point of relaxation forms, and a current of relaxation flows into the mind. Picture openness, and openness forms too, and it spreads. Picture something good, and something good arises in the mind. Picture it again and again — every word we picture has an effect.
In practicing meditation we need the right, wholesome attitude. If sitting feels heavy, think of it instead as resting — resting in comfort, resting the mind in , with nothing but ease, resting with a sense of ease. But the important thing is to have a clear base for the mind to rest on.
Choosing a Meditation Anchor
Choose where to place your base. You may place it at the tip of the nose, where you will notice the breath, or at , , and then silently repeat “.” Use whichever point you are familiar with, and keep the mind there. Wherever the mind is placed, it settles there, and as we go on knowing it, a point of awareness — the point of — forms right at that spot.
The Point of Awareness Draws in Merit — the Wholesome System Works on Its Own
Merit is drawn continuously into the brightness of that point of awareness. The that flows in then drives system, which refines the elements of our being, making them clear, clean and pure — entirely on its own, entirely automatically.
It is like eating a meal: we simply put the food in our mouth, chew, and swallow, and after that the body's own processes digest and absorb it — each part doing its own work. Our mind works the same way. Our task is only to place it: wherever we place it, the mind settles there, and the point of awareness — the point of mindfulness — forms and does the work of drawing merit into that spot. The merit flowing in drives the wholesome system, which refines our inner elements, making them clear, clean and pure, clearing away the impurities that cause difficulty and obstruction in both practice and daily life. As the impurities lighten, the obstacles lighten with them, and once whatever binds us to the coarser dimension is gone, we are freed into a subtler one — even without being fully aware of it. This wholesome system does all the refining and freeing for us; we need only sit still, at ease, at the base we have chosen, resting in nothing but comfort. Use whatever you are used to, but hold it gently.
Counting “Samma Arahang” to Gauge the Depth of Concentration
Or place the mind at the seventh base, the center of the abdomen, and repeat “Samma Arahang,” counting one, two, three, and on. This lets us know whether our concentration is short or long — if we know it is short, we can work on it, but if we do not know, we cannot fix it at all. Keep going up to one hundred, then either start again or keep counting. Do it with a relaxed, open, light mind, without rushing, with a cool, clear mind, happily and at ease, each person in their own way. Stay continuously aware, never drifting — wherever you place attention, know it there; whatever you picture appears in the mind. The point of awareness forms and keeps drawing merit in. We will appear radiant within the Triple Gem, and the Triple Gem will appear radiant within us; we will also appear radiant within Nibbana, within the one who knows, whose power is beyond measure, uncountable in number. Continue repeating within him, as the stream of merit keeps welling up continuously within body and mind, and simply sit receiving that stream of merit and treasure, at ease, staying with our meditation anchor.
The Meaning Behind the Name “Samma Arahang”
Once the mind is truly at ease, bring that ease to rest with the Triple Gem within. Calling his name “Samma Arahang” is a name given according to his qualities — he is one replete with the of wisdom, the virtue of , and . He is complete in higher virtue, higher mind, and higher wisdom, in and the and vision of liberation. He is the one who has practiced well, practiced rightly, practiced so as to be far from every defilement — and so is called “Samma Arahang.” When we speak his name, he appears at the center of the mind, for form and name always go together: wherever there is form, name appears, and wherever there is name, form appears.
Seeing the Crystal Buddha Image at the Center of the Body, and Merging as One
His form appears as a clear crystal Buddha image, clean and pure, crowned with a bud-like crest, brilliant and radiant. He appears at the center of the mind and rests there as if seated on a meditation cushion, with a bright disc of filling the space in front of him, clear and radiant, clean and pure. When he appears at the center of our body and mind, he does not appear empty-handed — he comes together with his boundless great compassion, bringing great benefit to us. He takes the elements of seeing, remembering, thinking and knowing, along with the elements of earth, water, wind, fire, space and consciousness within us, and refines them to be clear, clean and pure, clearing away the impurities that cause every problem — bad karmic results, obstacles, misfortune, disaster — resolving and dissolving them, and clearing the path ahead so that we may reap success in every wholesome wish.
Not only that — he also expands to envelop our human body. His lap overlaps our lap, his torso overlaps our torso, his head and face merge as one with ours. His wish is for us and him to become a single unity, because that allows him to help us with full effect and the greatest result, since he is our true self. Given this, we are glad to merge as one with him, taking on the feeling that we are the Buddha image, and the Buddha image is us.
As we take on this feeling with our whole being, we merge as one with him — from head, face, cheeks, shoulders, arms and torso down to the tips of our toes, all become the radiant crystal kaya, cool, clean and pure. Our head becomes the clear crystal of the crystal dhammakaya, crowned with a bud-like crest, brilliant and radiant, subtle, soft and gentle, clear and cool. Our face becomes the countenance of the crystal dhammakaya, eyes gently closed, lips softly curved. Our shoulders and arms on both sides become clear crystal, brilliant and radiant. Our chest, abdomen and back become the crystal dhammakaya, brilliant and radiant, subtle, soft and gentle, clear and cool. Our hips, thighs, knees, shins, calves and the soles and backs of our feet all become the radiant crystal dhammakaya, cool, clean and pure. We are the Buddha image, and the Buddha image is us — our whole being is the radiant crystal dhammakaya, cool, clean and pure.
Phra Ajarn recalled that the revered Luang Phor once said reaching the dhammakaya can be said to be easy, or it can be said to be hard. It is easy because once we know and understand that the mind is a element that accomplishes whatever it pictures, that is exactly what forms. And the dhammakaya already exists within each of us — each person has their own. Reaching the inner dhammakaya ranges anywhere from one percent to a hundred percent; whatever degree we reach, we simply take that for now.
Let us picture, from head, face, cheeks, shoulders, arms and torso, merging with him — wherever we sense that brilliant, crystal clarity, begin from that point and gradually let the awareness expand, from one percent to two, to five, to ten, twenty, thirty, until it reaches a hundred percent. Even if we cannot sense it fully, that is fine — it is enough simply to hold the feeling that we are the Buddha image, and the Buddha image is us. With just this, the Triple Gem appears radiant within us, we appear radiant within him, and both of us appear radiant within Nibbana, within the one who knows, whose power is beyond measure, uncountable in number.
Stopping Still, Resting Still — Heading Toward the Path to Nibbana
Having merged our body with his body into a single unity, we now merge our mind with his mind into a single unity as well — by gathering the mind, stopping, gathering it still, soft and light, into the center of the Buddha image, the center of our body, the center of our mind. Stop within stopping, still within stillness, soft and light, within the Buddha image, the center of our body and mind, clear and cool. Stop within stopping, still within stillness, soft and light, clear and cool, clean and pure. Stop within stopping, still within stillness, into the Buddha image, into the center of the center of the center of the Buddha image, the center of our body and mind. Stop within stopping, still within stillness, soft and light, sending the mind straight toward the path to Nibbana along the middle way within. Stop within stopping, still within stillness, into the center of the center of the center — not left, not right, not forward, not back, not up, not down — into the center of the center of the center. Know the center, stop at the center, stay still there. Stop within stopping, still within stillness, soft and light, sending the mind straight toward the path to Nibbana, and it will appear radiant within Nibbana, within every Fully Enlightened Buddha, within every Solitary Buddha, and within every Arahant, uncountable in number.
He normally already holds all beings within himself. Whatever being abides in universal goodness — whether or not they hold any religion, whether or not they follow Buddhism — so long as they abide in universal goodness, the Triple Gem appears radiant within them too, and they appear radiant within Nibbana. The stream of merit keeps welling up continuously within the brightness of their mind, just as it does within ours now. Nibbana then takes that flowing merit to work the dhammakaya knowledge, bringing about what is sacred and good for us.
Radiating Loving-Kindness to the Whole World and Universe
While he works what is sacred into our life, we in turn create wholesome causes that benefit people and all beings, by cultivating . Loving-kindness is the tool of the wholesome system, meant for those with abundant merit to support those with less. Living as we do within the cycle of rebirth, we must support one another, because none of us can live entirely alone — we need family, parents, siblings, society, relatives, people we love. But to have people who love us, we must also create the wholesome causes that make us worthy of love. Cultivating loving-kindness is what makes us dear to both humans and celestial beings, dear to people generally — but it must come from loving-kindness filled with sincere and pure love and goodwill, like a mother's love for her young child.
Bring to mind that maternal heart, filled with sincere love and goodwill for her child, and let it rise up within our own mind. Then set the wish: may all beings be free from suffering and enjoy happiness everywhere; may they never know suffering of body or mind, but only ease of body and mind. Then extend that love and goodwill outward, covering this place of practice — loving-kindness shining through, refining every particle of the atmosphere, all people, all beings, all things, making them clear, bright, clean and pure. Extend it further to cover the whole village, the sub-district, the district, the province, the country, other countries, until it covers the whole world, making this world a crystal world, radiant, cool, clean and pure. May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and enjoy happiness everywhere. May those with much suffering have less; may those with little suffering be free of it; may those with little happiness have more; and may those already happy grow ever happier still.
Having made this wish, extend the mind filled with loving-kindness further out into the atmosphere of the universe, covering the countless stars — tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, billions of them. May the people of the world and all beings be free from suffering and enjoy happiness everywhere — earthbound spirits, sky spirits, celestial beings of every heavenly realm, the Brahma gods and formless Brahma gods, and also the beings of hell, the hungry ghosts and animals — may all beings be free from suffering and enjoy happiness everywhere. Extend this loving-kindness all around, and our mind expands, joyful, open, light, cool and clear, clean and pure, radiant. The stream of merit keeps welling up continuously within the brightness of this loving-kindness.
Dedicating Merit and Forgiving Karmic Counterparties
We then dedicate this merit so that it may reach the people of the world and all beings — may they share in the merit we have rightly made, and be free from suffering and enjoy happiness everywhere. May this merit also reach our parents, siblings, grandparents, and teachers, all those who have supported us, as well as the celestial beings who help and protect us, and all who have looked after and cared for us. And to any being we have ever wronged — our karmic counterparties — may we forgive one another, and may they too share fully in this merit.
Merging with the Triple Gem and the Great Teachers, and Setting the Aspiration
Having finished dedicating the merit, we now merge ourselves with the Triple Gem and the Great Teachers into a single unity, for we can never be distant from them — they hold boundless kindness toward our lives. Every fraction of every second, they never cease refining and helping us, whether we are asleep, awake, standing, walking, sitting or lying down. Only they keep refining and helping us every second, without pause, day and night.
So let us gather the mind, stop, gather it still into the center of the Buddha Treasure, still into the center of the Dhamma Treasure, and still into the center of the Sangha Treasure, and also still into the center of the Great Teachers — into the subtle dhamma body of the revered Luang Pu, into the subtle dhamma body of the revered Luang Phor, and into the subtle dhamma body of Khun Yai Ajarn. The mind is a element that accomplishes whatever it pictures — that is exactly what forms. As we picture merging into a single unity with them, we appear radiant within them, and they appear radiant within our coarse human body, our subtle human body, our celestial body and its subtle form, our form-Brahma body and its subtle form, our formless-Brahma body and its subtle form — throughout our entire lineage of merit and Dhamma, merged with the Triple Gem and the Great Teachers into one unity. Both we and they appear radiant within Nibbana, within the one who knows, whose power is beyond measure, uncountable in number. The stream of merit from the subtlest depth of Nibbana keeps welling up continuously.
We then make use of this most auspicious moment to pay respect and ask for blessings, setting our aspiration and fixing it firmly within this radiant sphere of merit — that throughout our path of building perfections, we may be filled with knowledge together with happiness and purity, and with success in every wholesome and rightful wish. We ask for the merit, the radiance, the strength, the absolute power of Nibbana throughout all directions, and for the blessing of the revered Luang Pu, Luang Phor and Khun Yai Ajarn — may all this merit combine with the merit we ourselves have sincerely accumulated since our very first existence, through countless lifetimes up to the present, gathering into a sacred merit of boundless power, refining our body, speech and mind, and the elements of seeing, remembering, thinking and knowing, earth, water, wind, fire, space and consciousness within us, making them radiant, cool, clean and pure — freeing us from bad karmic results, obstacles, misfortune and every disaster in life, dissolving them entirely, and may , hatred, delusion, lust, , wrong view, craving and clinging be extinguished without remainder. May we gain the eye that sees the Dhamma, reaching and penetrating the dhammakaya knowledge completely — the three knowledges, the eight knowledges, the six higher powers, the four kinds of analytical , the eight liberations, and the fifteen conducts, all in full. May we also have strong and complete health, a long lifespan, and the chance to keep building merit and perfections throughout our whole life, with unfailing high spirits in building perfections, heading straight along the path to Nibbana, to the very end of the Dhamma. Wherever we travel, may we meet only good fortune and safety, be dear to humans and celestial beings alike, have a mind bright with wisdom, and see clearly and penetrate the teaching of the Fully Enlightened Buddha and the dhammakaya knowledge completely. Whatever work or business we undertake, may it flourish and prosper, yielding results beyond expectation, beyond calculation, beyond measure — may we gain great wealth, a treasure that never runs dry no matter how much we draw from it, so we may build great generosity endlessly, without ever holding back, using it fully to build the perfection of giving.
And when the time comes to close our eyes and leave this world, may we be born in the Tusita heaven, in the special merit realm of the great bodhisattvas, and when we return to build perfections in the human world, may we be born into a family of right view, a crystal family, a dhammakaya family, a model family for the world — warm, and complete with the finest form, the finest wealth, and the finest virtue, including gain, status, praise, happiness, and the fruit of the path to Nibbana. May we also have vast and sacred merit, able to recall our past lives from birth, and be born together with a clear and radiant inner dhammakaya, able to study the dhammakaya knowledge correctly and in accordance with the truth, following Luang Pu, Luang Phor and Khun Yai, from youth until the end of our life. May whatever unwholesome deed we have mistakenly done in the past never catch up with us or have the chance to bear fruit, but be forgiven entirely; may we never commit new wrongdoing in body, speech or mind. May whatever merit we have sincerely accumulated combine together, sacred and powerful, extraordinary in effect, and continue to bear fruit from this moment onward until the very end of the Dhamma. May all these good wishes come to pass — may they come to pass, may they come to pass — for all of us, from this moment on, in every life and every existence, until the very end of the Dhamma, by the boundless power of every Fully Enlightened Buddha. May it be so in every respect.
The sit closes with a Pali chant invoking protection and blessing.