Lately, many of us are listening to YouTube and practicing regularly. Our mental strength is increasing. Some have studied with me for a long time, but solely listened, did some practices. This won’t make them understand. It’s been many years and they still don’t understand. But once they started practicing regularly, they saw changes in themselves quickly. The Dhamma of the Buddha, if done correctly and enough, you will soon see changes within yourself. The wise will know for themselves, no one has to tell us, we see the changes.
Some are diligent in their dhamma practice, listen a lot and practice a lot. But they couldn’t see their own minds. They do walking meditation, though overfocusing. They do sitting meditation, though forcing themselves. This is a waste of time, causing delays. Listen to YouTube and practice, then use observation. Is what we’re doing right or not? If you’ve been doing it for a long time and the defilements don’t waver at all, it’s definitely not right. If after practicing, you see your own defilements more quickly and clearly, and can let go quicker. All sorts of feelings, once known, can let go more easily. This is progress. So, keep paying attention to practice, be determined.
Our lives are short, we will die soon. If we die when we haven’t yet realized the Dhamma, we have no assurance that our future will be free from suffering. There is really no guarantee in this cycle of birth and death. So, we can’t be negligent. If we have a chance to listen to Dhamma, listen. If we have a chance to practice, hurry and practice. Don’t procrastinate. Some people procrastinate until they haven’t done any practice in this life. As long as we haven’t become a Sotapanna (stream-enterer), we don’t have any sure guarantee in this cycle of birth and death. We may be a good person, have a lot of merit, but not yet a Sotapanna. When we die, we might commit evil deeds again. We forget, forget the wish to be free from suffering.
Not just us, during the era of the Buddha, the disciples also experienced these. Like Venerable Ananda, he built his virtues. Whatever merits he did, he wished to be handsome. He wanted to have a handsome appearance. Now, doing merit with Paccekabuddha (Solitary Buddha), the merit gives results. Every time he is born, he is always handsome. But he forgot the main goal in life, the end of suffering. He forgot and started using his beauty for wrongdoing. He was a lover of this person and that person. He was stuck in hell for a long time, then born as an animal and got neutered countless lifetimes. When born as a human, he was a Pandaka (intersex), a Pandaka is abnormal.
Pandaka is not just being gay. Being gay is just one type. It doesn’t forbid ordination, doesn’t forbid the results or attainment. Some types of Pandaka can’t be ordained, like being born with both sex organs, this can’t be ordained. It’s abnormal. If just being gay or something, it’s possible to ordain. It doesn’t forbid the results of the ordination. He said he had been a transvestite for 500 lifetimes before he could come back to be a person with a strong heart. Being gay is not wrong, but it has its weaknesses. The heart is easily, quickly fond of others and is ready to commit mistakes again. Easily and quickly fond.
In our era, there are many gay people. It’s not surprising. Uphold the Five Precepts well; it’s a form of defense. Don’t indulge in promiscuity, whether you have a girlfriend, a boyfriend, or whatever, it’s not a big deal. However, maintain the Five Precepts, and you can practice dhamma successfully. It doesn’t prohibit the fruit of practice. Therefore, if we are born fickle-minded or weak, we must train ourselves to be stronger, be determined, and be firm. Sensual pleasure lasts in the blink of an eye; sorrow and suffering that follows are immense. Get your mind right and trust the right things, and you will progress steadily. Don’t keep making the same mistakes.
This morning, two young men came from Hat Yai to see Luangpor. They were very determined to ask questions and wanted to meet Luangpor. And they said they wanted to achieve the stream enterer. I said it’s good to be determined to attain that. He sets his goal to reach at least stream enterer in this lifetime. As for the other one, he needed to adjust his samadhi a bit, still stuck in fabricating his mind to make it still. The other one was good, just listening on YouTube, but managed to practice correctly: his mind is stable, and the aggregates are separated through his observation. Listen to the Luangpor’s teachings and observe what they really are and whether what we’re doing is right or not. You don’t need to ask anyone, but use your observation.
Keep observing from the real things, if it contradicts with the principles of the Four Noble Truth, then it’s certainly wrong
If what we are doing contradicts the Four Noble Truths, it’s certainly wrong. Contradicting the Three Characteristics, it’s certainly wrong. Contradicting the Four Noble Truths, like when we practice, we see suffering, and we want to rid of suffering. Lord Buddha didn’t teach to do away with suffering; the Four Noble Truths teaches us to know suffering, not to get rid of it. Instead, what to rid of is desire. But we have desires. What is our desire? We desire for ridding of suffering, which is completely contrary to the teaching. Lord Buddha taught us to know suffering and to let go of the cause of suffering. For us, we develop the cause of suffering by wanting to rid of suffering. So, we should observe ourself while practicing whether we aim for knowing suffering or ridding of it. Use self-observation. Observe ourself while practicing whether we are indulging in defilements or intending to be freed from them.
Desire occurs, and we often go along with it. Wanting to do something, we follow it. Wanting to do something, we follow it. Observe. There are two types of desires that arise. One is the desire from defilements, the other is physical necessity. Like when our body is hungry, we need to find food to eat. This is not a defilement. We work hard, the body needs rest, we sleep. That’s not a defilement. But when we are full, wanting to eat this and that, this is defilement. You’ve been sleeping all day long and still wanting to sleep more, this is laziness, which is a defilement.
We have to observe whether our practice still align with the principle. Do we know suffering or do we want to rid of suffering? Do we intend to fight against defilements, or do we intend to follow defilements? When following defilements, we will find an excuse to defend our wrongdoing. There are many excuses, like when we are practicing walking meditation. We intend to do walking meditation for two hours. We keep walking, and we get bored, we find an excuse. If we are bored like this, why should we force ourselves to walk? It’s Atthakilamathanuyoga (self-mortification). It’s causing physical and mental difficulty, so it’s better to sleep. This is justifying defilements. We are always ready to justify defilements. Whenever we are about to do something wrong, we constantly find excuses. The more intelligent we are, the more excuses we have. We’re clever in a worldly way, but foolish in terms of Dhamma, as we are protecting defilements.
We keep observing whether what we’re doing aligns with the principles of the Four Noble Truths or not. If it goes against these principles, then surely, it’s wrong. Or observe if it violates the Three Characteristics of Existence. If it does, then it’s also certainly wrong. I also abide by these two principles to observe if I am walking on the path of the Noble Eightfold Path or not, or if I am deviating from the Three Characteristics of Existence.
There was a time, a long time ago, before I was ordained, I was meditating, and I noticed a defilement arising from the middle of my chest. The moment I noticed it, it disappeared immediately. I was curious about what would happen if I didn’t pay attention to it and let it be. So, I let it be, lightly observing it, as lightly as possible. Because when observed with a strong and stable mind, the defilements will abruptly fall away. So, when the defilement arises, I knew lightly that it has arisen. Turned out, it moved outward and then it fell away. I thought my mind was stable and knowing, but in reality, the knower mind followed the defilement, going outwards, leaving the mind empty and bright, dwelling in light, for a long time, even for years. Until I noticed that, hey, is this right or not? The Buddha said that our mind is not permanent, why was it permanent, and why was my mind so bright and happy for so long? Why was it permanent? The Buddha said it is not permanent, why was it permanent? He said it’s suffering, but why did I only have happiness, and my heart was filled with happiness?
He said it’s non-self, uncontrollable, but why could I control it? I could make it feel this way, peaceful and comfortable for as long as I want, I could maintain it, I could control it. It contradicted the Three Characteristics. What I was doing here contradicted the principle. So, I tried to observe, where is it wrong? I couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t figure out because my mind faltered, it’s outside. If it’s not at its base, the mind won’t be able to observe anything truly, wisdom couldn’t arise. But I didn’t know that my mind was off the base, it followed the defilements, and defilements lured the mind away. The defilements disappeared suddenly and the mind was left outside, not realizing it was outside. I observed for a long time and couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
One day, I went to Hin Mark Peng Monastry during the day. In the morning, I drove to Bann Taad. Back then, people didn’t visit Bann Taad often. During the time when Luangpu Tes was there, all roads led to Hin Mark Peng. Not many people visited at Baan Taad. I came down to Baan Taad, Luangta was still having breakfast, in a small wooden pavilion, it’s not big, it’s on the second floor, no one was stopping or preventing, anyone could go up. I went up and saw him sitting leaning against a post, instructing one monk to do this, another to do that, having the sittings ready for eating food. He was very meticulous in his instructions. I approached him, paid my respects, he turned and asked “What is it?” I replied “Would you give me a chance (grant me permission), master?”
This is a customary practice for dhamma practitioners. Anything involving the master, you should ask for the chance (permission) first. If you want to turn on the fan, you should ask for the chance (permission), asking ‘May I turn it on?’ If you want to open the door or window, you should ask too. This exists within the monastic discipline, although the discipline does not specifically cover fans, but it does deal with opening windows or doors. I told Luangta, ‘May I have the chance?’ Luangta turned to look at me and said, ‘Hold on, I am not yet free, wait a moment.’ Then I sat nearby him. Once Luangta finished having his disciples arranged the sittings, he then turned and asked ‘What were you saying?’ So, I told him, ‘The master told me to observe my mind, and I did observe my mind, but I feel it’s not progressing. What’s wrong?’ Luangta answered immediately, ‘you said you observe the mind; you no longer reach the mind. You must believe me. This is crucial. I have gone through this myself. Nothing can compare to chanting mantra.’
I understood what he said. He suggested me to come back to mantra. I observed the mind on and on until it was permanent. There was only happiness. It could be controlled. It was under control because I could command it to be in any state, for as long as I wanted. The mind was in a meditative state. But it was wrong. Luangta said, ‘you no longer reach the mind. You must believe me. This is crucial. I have gone through this myself. Nothing can compare to chanting mantra.’ So, I paid respect to him and then retreated a little, keeping a distance of about 2-3 meters, and sat while chanting ‘Buddho’, repeatedly. After a while, the heart feels uncomfortable. I did not like solely chanting Buddho. Chanting Buddho made me irritated. It was like I just sat there, thinking ‘Buddho, Buddho’ over and over.
This suits some people’s demeanor. For example, Luangta Maha Bua, he only recited ‘Buddho’, from beginning to end. When I tried to follow him, it didn’t match with my demeanor, it didn’t feel right. So, I thought to myself, why did he advise me to focus on such mantra? Usually, chanting a mantra is about improving samadhi, so it seems the problem I was facing was that my samadhi was not sufficient. Therefore, I decided to practice samadhi in a way that I was adept at – breathing in with ‘Bud’, breathing out with ‘Dho’, like this, while also counting. Breathing in with ‘Bud’, breathing out with ‘Dho’, count one. Breathing in with ‘Bud’, breathing out with ‘Dho’, count two. Returning to the basic practices that I had done since I was 7 years old, starting over again.
A few breaths later, the mind was united. Once the mind was united and the mind withdrew from meditative state, I wanted to knock myself in the head. For the past year, it was a waste because my mind was not at the base. The mind was outside, it didn’t return to the body and the mind. So, it felt free, bright, outside. I knew it was wrong because we could grasp the principle. What I was doing was against the three characteristics. It was permanent. The mind was permanent, happy, under control. It was wrong. When we are alone and there are no masters around, we should observe whether our practices are right or wrong according to the principles. We can look at the principles of the noble truths, which are the fundamental guidelines. Or when we’re practicing, and we don’t see the three characteristics, we’re not making progress. It implies that we might be stuck with a certain kind of samadhi. If we go back to practicing samadhi that is stable and rooted at its base. Once the mind is stable and rooted in awareness, we can then proceed with wisdom seeing the mind arises and falls away portraying the three characteristics.
The first sign of the noble path
I used this method of observing myself, because I am a city-dweller, civil servants. I don’t have a lot of time, nor do I have a lot of money. To think about going to seek advice from masters, flying here and there. I couldn’t do it. To go see masters, I needed to take the train or bus all night, and when I got there, sometimes I have to wait. They are elderly, sometimes they are unwell, I had to wait. So, I don’t have the opportunity to stay with my masters. What can help me is the principles of practice. Whether what we are doing is against or in line with the noble truths, we know suffering, or we want to abandon suffering. What we are doing, we see this physical or mental part and body or mind as impermanent, suffering, and non-self? Or do we see it as permanent, a source of happiness, and self? We observe ourselves.
I used this method of observation. By continually observing ourself, we could guide our own practice, especially when distanced from the masters. If you’re close to masters, when you make mistakes, they will correct you quickly. Once, when I went to see Luangpu Dune who had already passed away, I went to practice dhamma at Wat Na Ruen Jam Temple. After having breakfast in the morning, after finishing my meal, I went out to find a place to meditate. I saw a long wooden bench under a tree. My mind thought, ‘Oh, this place seems nice to sit. I could sit here for a long time. It’s under a tree, so I could sit even during the day.’ I wanted to practice but didn’t realize that a desire had arisen. Luangpor Kuen, said, ‘Pramote, the mere desire to practice is already a mistake.’
Being close to the masters has its advantages. If you’re wrong, they’ll tell you right away. But if we’re not close to masters, nothing can beat self-observation. It’s called Yoniso Manasikara. It means to observe carefully and attentively, not to think in a scattered manner. it’s thinking with principles. What we’re doing, is it right according to the principles taught by the Buddha? Is it right according to the Dhamma or not? This is called Yoniso Manasikara. If you think wildly, thinking about the cause and effects according to your own notion, that’s not Yoniso Manasikara; that’s a scattered mind.
There are two things that the Lord Buddha praised a lot, saying that they are the starting points of the noble path. Sometimes he says, “Monks, Kalyanamitta (good friends) is the beginning of the noble path.” He says, “Before the sun rises, there is light, silver light, gold light.” People in Bangkok have never seen it, they only see electric light. People in other provinces, like monks who go on alms round, have to see this light first before they leave the temple to go on an alms round. It’s called the silver, golden light. It’s bright and shiny. He says that this bright and shiny light is called the dawn light. The dawn light is the first sign, called the primary sign, that tells us that the sun is about to come. We see the light rising in the east, it is the first sign that shows the sun is about to rise.
Having a good friend is the first sign of the noble path. Sometimes he didn’t mention good friends. He taught others instead. He said, ‘The dawn light is the primary sign of the sun, in the same way, wise consideration (Yoniso Manasikara) is the primary sign of the noble path.’ He said it twice, exactly the same each time, the only difference being that sometimes he mentioned “good friends” and the other times he mentioned “wise consideration.”
“Kalyanamitta” is not the good friends that we often imagine. It is rare to find someone who can be a Kalyanamitta. It is not something that you become just by registering. Some people practice in a bizarre way. When I ask where they learned, they say it was taught by a Kalyanamitta. If so, that is not a Kalyanamitta. A Kalyanamitta who will guide us must have walked that path before us. The best Kalyanamitta is Lord Buddha. Next are the Arahant disciples. In our era, we have teachers and masters. We consider them Arahants. Whether they are Arahants or not, we don’t even know. We merely assume they are.
So, we must be careful. Even when listening to me, you need to verify what I taught by seeing whether it can help reduce defilements, whether mindfulness arises more frequently, whether your precepts are better, whether you feel ashamed when about to break the precepts, whether your mind is stable, whether you can separate the aggregates, and whether you can see the three characteristics appearing in physical and mental parts. Use these as tools to verify me. Therefore, if you just listen to me and believe, you are foolish. The Buddha said it is foolish. If we listen to the Dhamma and immediately believe it, we are not wise. In the Buddha’s era, Buddha pointed out directly who was an Arahant and who was an Anagami (non-returners). Therefore, people in that era knew who their Kalyanamitta was. We in this era don’t have that knowledge. We just believe blindly. We could be right, or we could be wrong.
Hence, one thing that can compensate for this is Yoniso Manasikara (wise reflection). Therefore, the Buddha praised two things as the first signs of the noble path: Kalyanamitta and Yoniso Manasikara. It is difficult to verify a Kalyanamitta in this era. In some places, they even have names registered and put up cutouts saying, “The names that follow are Arahants.” How can we believe that? How can we verify that? The power and privilege of predicting this belong to the Buddha. And when people practice dhamma, they know it for themselves. But other people shouldn’t interfere or predict anything. Don’t believe it. The thing that can compensate for the uncertainty of a Kalyanamitta is Yoniso Manasikara.
Therefore, when we listen to the Dhamma, the principles of dhamma practice must be adhered to. I have emphasized this over and over again. We must firmly adhere to the dhamma principle. The first thing is to know the principle of the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are the constitution, the rules. Have you ever heard of the Matika Bungsukun? It’s the mother verse of Higher Dhamma. The Four Noble Truths are the mother verse for practitioners. Lord Buddha teaches about suffering. What is suffering? The five aggregates are suffering. In reality, he used the term “Upadanakkhanda,” the five clinging aggregates are suffering. The term “Upadanakkhanda” makes us confused in Thai. We think Upadanakkhanda are the aggregates that we cling to, as suffering. If we don’t cling to them, they aren’t suffering. That’s not the case. Upadanakkhanda is a technical term. It’s actually the aggregates that we have right now. However, there are things that are excluded from upadanakkhanda, such as the Lokuttara-citta (supermundane consciousness), which are not in the mass of suffering. They are in the category of Nirodha (Extinction).
Keep studying our bodies and minds, continuously observing them portraying the three characteristics, repeatedly
What most of us have is Upadanakkhanda, our five aggregates. This true essence that we possess is the suffering. The duty towards suffering is to know. The cause of suffering is desire. The duty towards desire is to let go. What is the cause of suffering? It is the craving. What is craving? It is a potent form of greed. If it’s just ordinary greed or lust, it falls within the category of suffering, and can be extinguished as soon as it’s recognized. But if the greed is potent, it starts to push us, triggering various desires, leading to attachment, craving, and clinging. It becomes a cause for us to fabricate, that is, to create existence, and then suffering arises. If we start holding onto the physical and mental aggregates, we will suffer. Let go of this.
There are many ways to let go of craving, but the best is to abandon the cause of craving. The cause of craving is ignorance, the lack of clear knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. We do not understand that the five aggregates are suffering, and this leads to the desire for the five aggregates to be happy, the desire for the five aggregates not to suffer. This is born out of the ignorance of the Four Noble Truths, the ignorance of the truth that the five aggregates are suffering, and this causes desire to arise. Therefore, we should study our bodies and minds, continuously observing them portraying the three characteristics, repeatedly.
This morning, I spoke to two young men from Hat Yai who traveled from afar. They said they wanted to become Sotapanna (stream-enterers) and set this as their goal. That’s good, setting a goal like this is good. But to become a Sotapanna, you need to see the physical and mental aggregates as not being us, not belonging to us. How can we see the physical and mental aggregates as not us, not ours? The mind must be stable. The ability to see physical and mental parts or body and mind as not self and not ours is wisdom. The wisdom has the right samadhi as its proximate cause. It (the right samadhi) is stability of mind not the mind that’s stable.
Having stability of mind is samadhi. So, make the mind stable. Once the mind is stable, the aggregates can be separated. As we sit here having the stable mind, we can clearly see that the body is sitting and the mind is the knower. They are different. The body is not the mind. The body is known. It’s not us either. We can feel it ourselves, not think. Just feel. When we are walking while having the stable mind, we can see the body. Mindfulness recognizes the body that is walking while having the stable mind comprising right samadhi, the mind sees the truth that the walking body is not us.
Because our mind is stable, the awareness recognizes the body that lies down, that stands, and we will see the body that lies down, that stands, is not us. If our mind is stable, the awareness recognizes the happiness and suffering occurring in the body, and we will see that happiness and suffering in the body are known, they are not us. When the mind is stable, the awareness recognizes happiness, suffering, neither happiness nor suffering occurring in the mind, it will see happiness, suffering, neither happiness nor suffering that occur in the mind are not us. If our mind is stable, when wholesomeness or unwholesomeness, greed, aversion, or delusion arise, it will see that these things are known, they are not us nor ours.
Gradually, we keep becoming aware, and then we see that our own mind is also known. What is it that knows the mind? It is the mind that knows the mind. Don’t think there’s only one mind; the mind arises and ceases all the time. For instance, one mind has greed, then we become mindful, the new mind is already wholesome. The mind that possesses mindfulness doesn’t have greed. Therefore, we don’t need to abandon the greed; there’s no greed to abandon. As soon as mindfulness arises, the unwholesome mind with greed has already ceased automatically. We will then see the mind as it sometimes becomes wholesome, at times unwholesome, at times it’s a knower, at times it gets lost in thought, and at times it’s a knower again, then it lost in sight, then becomes a knower, then lost in listening, then knowing again, then lost in smelling, lost in tasting, lost in bodily sensations, then becomes a knower, then lost in mental thoughts, then becomes a knower, then lost in overfocusing on different object of meditation.
We will see that even our own mind arises and ceases. It is sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes good, sometimes bad. It may arise through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, or the mind. The consciousness that arises within the mind can be happiness or suffering, wholesome or unwholesome. Yet none of it is stable. It arises and then ceases completely. It never stays in any one state for long. The life of that mind is extremely short, just an instant. Moreover, it cannot be controlled. We cannot command it to be happy, nor can we forbid it from suffering. We cannot command it to be good, nor can we forbid it to be bad. We cannot order it not to see images, nor not to hear sounds. We cannot order it to only see images and forbid it from hearing sounds. We cannot control it in any way. Once we see this repeatedly, we understand. The mind is not us. It is Anatta (non-self); it cannot be controlled.
The path and fruition of Nibbana is not beyond the reach of ordinary people
If you wish to become a Sotapanna (stream-enterers), the first step is to develop the mind that is stable. Once the mind is stable, and mindfulness is aware of the body, one will see the body as an object that is known, not ‘us’. When the mind is stable and mindfulness is aware of feelings, it will see that feelings are known, it is not ‘us’. When the mind is stable and mindfulness is aware of all formations – both wholesome and unwholesome – it will see that these formations are not ‘us’. Once stable, the mind then falls away, giving rise to an unstable mind that is drifted to the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. At times, having a stable mind then it drifts towards greed resulting in happiness. At other times, having a stable mind falls away and drifts to produce aversion, resulting in suffering. At times, the mind is stable, the mind develops happiness despite its stability. At times, the mind is stable, and yet, Upekkha (equanimity or indifference) is present.
The mind has many forms, and we can observe it operating on its own, and it can be known – even the mind itself is known and not ‘us’. If we can see form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness – where consciousness is the mind itself – as not ‘us’, then we become a Sotapanna (stream-enterer). Therefore, to be Sotapanna, it’s not about imagining it, offering food to 100 monks in one day, or listening to Dhamma talks daily. The first real step towards Sotapanna is training the mind to be stable. Once it is, no matter what the mindfulness recognizes, they will portray the Three Characteristics; there is no ‘us’ in any of it.
Therefore, Luangpor keeps on emphasizing us to practice our minds until it becomes stable. In the past, when I was a newly ordained monk, people often said I refused to teach samadhi. What I did teach was to not wandering away and not overfocusing, which is the essence of samadhi. If we are drifting away, our mind gets scattered, and there’s no samadhi. If we are overfocusing, our mind gets tense and agitated, and there’s no samadhi either. If our mind is not wandering away nor overfocusing and walks the middle path, samadhi comes easily. Why does it all boil down to not being wandering away or overfocusing? I had been practicing samadhi for 22 years. I develop samadhi whenever I want, proficiently. And by observing, I grasp the principle.
When practicing samadhi, I noticed that there were days when I couldn’t develop samadhi. ‘Ah, today my mind was scattered; I couldn’t meditate.’ Hence, a scattering mind is an enemy. When our mind is lost in thought, it becomes an enemy of samadhi. On some days, I wanted to sit and meditate, but I became tense all over, stressed, tight. There was a headache, a furrowed brow, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Samadhi didn’t happen, no matter how hard I tried. Having observed this over time, I grasped the principle: being too tense is not the answer. Therefore, indulging yourself, wandering away is not the answer. Holding on too tight is not the answer. The instruction to not wandering way and not overfocusing is not arbitrary. It is a lesson from experience, leading to this conclusion.
So, when I practiced dhamma, I would have a conclusion that is truly an essence. For instance, if we want to do calmness samadhi, how do we do it? We should know an object, incline the mind to know an object that brings happiness continuously with happy mind. And do not lose mindfulness at that moment. So, when we want to do samadhi, we can do breathing. Suppose we feel happy when we breathe, we continue breathing. Some people feel happy when chanting Buddho. Like Venerable Luangta Maha Bua, he said that ‘Buddho’ is the best for him, but that might not be the case for us; it doesn’t suit everyone. For me, I’d like to breathe in with ‘Bud’ and breathe out with ‘Dho’. The mind likes that.
When the mind finds happiness in practicing meditation like this, we continue to practice with an ordinary mind, not wandering away or overly focused. Use a normal state of mind and meditate on an object, remaining mindful, as this is crucial. Losing mindfulness can lead to extremes—either wandering away or over-focusing. If mindfulness is maintained, true stability can be achieved. Therefore, when we meditate, the principle is simple: gently and continuously direct the mind with mindfulness towards a single object that makes you happy. We gently direct the mind, not fabricating it to be tense; otherwise, it is artificially altering the mind not gently directing it.
How do you direct your mind to know an object? The mind is as it is, perceive it as such. Like right now, with our mind like this, we can see the body breathing, just try it. Use the mind at this moment. Can you feel the state of being awake? But if we manipulate the mind, make it dull or unawake, or make it tense, the mind won’t be awakened. Use the ordinary mind, the mind as it is at the present moment. Then gently know the meditation object, proceeding with a normal state of mind, being aware, and mindful. If skilled, with one single breath, the mind becomes calm, stable and unified. Give it a try.
And if we are to practice Vipassana, Luangpor simplified it as ‘be mindful and know the body and mind as they truly are‘ and added, ‘with a mind that is stable and neutral.’ To truly know the body and mind, one must have a stable and neutral mind, which means having right samadhi. Therefore, when we practice, Luangpor tries to teach us to have right samadhi, which is a state of samadhi comprising mindfulness. Without mindfulness, it immediately becomes wrong samadhi. Thus, to develop samadhi, one must train—nothing is free. Gently and continuously direct your mind with mindfulness towards a single object that makes you happy, and you will achieve a stable mind.
Each person can use different object of meditation, it doesn’t have to be the same. For some, it’s as simple as repeating ‘Buddho.’ If the mind wanders and thinks, become aware of it. ‘Buddho’—the mind wanders and thinks, be aware of it again. This is being mindful. Soon, the mind becomes stable. Or stay with the breath; if the mind wanders into thoughts, know so, or focuses on the breath, know so. Be mindful of the mind. The mind then becomes more stable. Saying “be mindful” means being aware of one’s own mind, not slipping into being lost or overfocusing. If we can do this regularly, every day, our mind will gain strength. When the mind is energized and stable without intention, then mindfulness recognizes the body. It will see that the body is not us. If mindfulness recognizes feelings, it will see that feelings are not us. If mindfulness recognizes the mind, it will see that the mind is not us. Ultimately, wisdom matures, leading to a comprehensive understanding, concluding that the ‘Five Aggregates’ are not us, there is no ‘self’ in the Five Aggregates, there is no ‘self’ anywhere else. This is the realization of a Stream-Enterer.
So, this morning, that young man came to ask Luangpor about wanting to attain Sotapanna. Luangpor said, ‘Alright, I’ll tell to you. To become a Sotapanna, follow this path. Train the mind to become stable. Once the mind is stable, incline it towards insight. Observe whatever mindfulness reveals, and you will see the Three Characteristics right there. Continue observing, and when the mind becomes exhausted and tired, return to samadhi to stabilize it again. Keep practicing this way, and the path and fruition of Nibbana will not be beyond the reach of ordinary people like us. The Dhamma taught by the Buddha is suited for humans. People like us are well-suited for the Buddha’s Dhamma.
Why didn’t the Buddha attain enlightenment in the Brahma world? Brahmas are always in a still, empty state without much change. Similarly, the Devas have beautiful forms that don’t change much, and their minds are always happy, playful, and carefree. Meanwhile, the human body constantly experiences pain, illness, and various discomforts. Our minds constantly fluctuate between happiness and suffering, good and bad. This constant change is precisely what makes us special. We have the Five Aggregates (Khandhas) that are the most suitable vessels for receiving the Dhamma.
Therefore, humans are considered a fortunate realm for celestial beings. Devas and Brahmas wish to be born as humans, while humans desire to become Devas or Brahmas. It’s truly pitiful. We possess something valuable without realizing it. We already have this precious human body that ages, gets sick, and dies; it doesn’t need to last thousands of years without changing. We can easily see the Three Characteristics. Our minds constantly change, sometimes happy, sometimes suffering. Our happiness isn’t as intense as the Devas’ to the point of getting lost in it, nor is our suffering as extreme as that of beings in hell, making it impossible to practice. The human mind is balanced and best suited for practice.
In summary, we currently have all the resources needed for practice. Our past karma has resulted in us having a complete human form. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to the Dhamma of the Buddha. Don’t waste time; aging, sickness, and death wait for no one. Start practicing today before this Dhamma is lost and we lose our way.
Wat Suansantidham
18 February 2023