Yesterday, we lost another senior master, Luang Pu Haa. And earlier this year, Luang Pu Saeng passed away. The number of masters is declining, urging us to engage actively in mindfulness practice and become self-reliant. We must do this befoe there are no more masters for us to study under. The determination. It requires both past merits and current efforts to sustain our practice.
Some individuals, despite having limited merits, aspire to Practice and seek liberation from suffering. Many find themselves under the guidance of teachers who deviate fromthe right path. When I was in Kanchanaburi, a now-deceased layman shared with me that all the Buddhist monks he highly respected had ultimately transgressed the most sacred rules. Consequently, he never met a good one. I immediately told him to seek guidance somewhere else, as he consistently ended up with monks who violated fundamental rules. Some people’s journey often leads them to those who mislead. Those with ample past merits, however, tend to find authentic things. Whether our experiences are positive or negative, they are shaped by the accumulation of merits and demerits.”
We can’t selectively choose positive or negative expeiences dictated by karma. Instead, we must focus on cultivating good deeds. For example, if we have met an authentic master because of our ample past merits, then consistently cultivate more good deeds, adhere to the Five Precepts, and commit to mindfulness practice. We can elevate our spirits progressively this way. Conversely, when negative experiences arise from past karma, we may encounter someone falsely posing as authentic. We may adore the person temporarily before shifting to another one. This outcome is a result of demerits. Despite facing challenges with a wrong guide, it is crucial to continue practicing. The difficulty arises though, if we are influenced by false teachings.
There are always many who deviate from the right path, and some even go as far as shortening the Tripika. If you end up becoming a disciple of such a person, that’s because of your past demerits. When you cannot distinguish authentic masters, the best way is to equip yourselves with tools. At least you must learn the fundamentals of mindfulness practice, which are not numerous. They include the Four Noble Truths, the Five Aggregates, the Six Sense-Fields, The Three Characteristics of Existence – not an extensive list, and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. While I mentioned “not numerous”, in reality, there are quite a few.
I experienced mindfulness practice on my own. Since childhood, I had exclusively practiced Samatha. My father took me to visit Father Lee at Wat Asokaram, where I learned to breathe in “Bud” and breathe out “Dho,” counting “1”. He told me to repeat this pattern, counting up to 10 and then counting backward from 10 to 1. However, being very young, I struggled with counting backward, so I counted from 1 to 100 and repeated the process. At that time, I was clueless and knew nothing. I simply followed the master’s instructions and developed concentration as a result. Children find it easy to gain concentration because they don’t overthink. On the contrary, adults tend to overthink during mindfulness practice, making concentration elusive. They constantly wonder when their minds will become tranquil or seek a method for achieving tranquility. In their pursuit, they expect quick results, giving themselves troubles
Children approach. Mindfulness differently. They simply follow their master’s breathing instructions without thinking about what they’ll gain. Without greed, their minds easily become tranquil. People often say children are like white cloth, getting dirty as they grow up. In reality, they have both good and bad in them. They don’t possess only merits. However, mindfulness is easy for them because they don’t overthink. On the contrary, adults find it difficult because. they tend to overthink. It was easy for me as a child, too. I breathed in “Bud,” breathed out “Dho,” and my mind became tranquil. I didn’t know what to do next, so I tried to find guidance by reading the Tripitaka. I only read two parts, the Basket of the Discipline and the Basket of the Discourses. I didn’t get to the Basket of the Ultimate Doctrine. The first chapter was already hard with “Kusaladhamma, akusaladhamma, apyakata dhamma.” I didn’t understand how chanting this would help. I chose to repeatedly read only the first two parts, trying to find a way to practice, but I still didn’t get it.
The morning prayer includes the Five Aggregates and the recognition of their Three Characteristics of Existence.
After college, I pursued a master’s degree and didn’t work during that period. I was ordained at Wat Chonprathan, where Luang Por Panya served as my preceptor. As a monk, I recited prayers to the Lord Budhha at the temple both in the morning and evening, using Suan Mokkh’s prayer book, which included translations. The morning prayer contains many meaningful elements. However, at that time, I simply recited the prayers without fully understanding their benefits. The morning prayer includes the Five Aggregates and the recognition of their Three Characteristics of Existence.
However, I am not so fond of the evening prayer. It is about begging for this and that from the Triple Gem. I don’t like it. I find it lacking in meaningful substance, and it caters more to those with faith, a characteristic I don’t possess. My inclination leans more towards the wisdom aspect. Even though the morning prayer is rich in impressive contents, I found myself merely reciting the words without truly understanding how to put them into practice. I only know their meanings. It was only after I met Luang Pu Dune that he taught me to observe my mind, saying, “You’ve read so much already. Now, read your own mind.” This left me bewildered, as I had no idea where the mind was, what it looked like, what I needed, and how to observe it.
That. was when I had already departed from him that I realized such. The thing is, after teaching me, Luang Pu Dune asked if I understood what he said. I was overjoyed at the time, so I said yes. Then, I greeted him goodbye and headed to the train station to see Luang Por Put in Khorat Province. Once I got on the train, I realized that he told me to observe the mind but I knew nothing. Where is the mind? How do I watch it? What do I need to watch? As I realized that there was nothing I could do, I practiced meditation by breathing in “Bud” and breathing out “Dho”. Once the mind became tranquil, I began to contemplate that the mind must be in this body but where? So I started observing from my head to toe, up and down, down and up. Eventually the mind went into deep concentration and the body disappeared. However, I still didn’t see the mind and where it was in the body. That means that the mind and body are separate entities. I became even more confused. The mind is inside the body but not located anywhere in it. Then what should I do?
I recalled and contemplated the morning prayer, “Rupupatanakkhandho: the aggregate (khandha) where attachment is established, is ‘form’. Vedanupadanamakkhandho: the aggregate where attachment is established, is ‘feelings’. Sanyupathanakkhandho: the aggregate where attachment is established, is ‘memory’. Sankharupatanakkhando: the aggregate where attachment is established, is ‘mental formations’. Vinyupadanakkhandho: the aggregate where attachment is established, is ‘consciousness’.” When the mind gained concentration, this excerpt from the morning prayer came to mind. If the mind is nowhere in the form, could it be in feelings? Since there were still feelings, memory, mental formations, and consciousness, I observed them individually to locate where the mind was.
I began sitting meditation. Due to my familiarity with this practice, I quickly achieved the desired tranquility and happiness. Subsequently, I observed happiness. However, as it dissipated, I couldn’t see. the mind. Could the mind be in suffering? I didn’ t know how to induce a suffering mind, so I watched the body instead. As I sat still for quite some time, the body started to experience discomfort. Despite observing the suffering, I still couldn’t see the mind. Recalling the next excerpt, “Sanyupathanakkhandho, Sankharupatanakkhando”, I examined them separately. In fact, the excerpt dealt with the
separation of aggregates. Cultivating wisdom involves the ability to separate aggregates. The morning prayer imparts this wisdom by delineating what we refer to as the “self” into distinct entities, namely form, feelings, memory, mental formations, and consciousness.
When the mind has gone off, know that it has
Unable to locate the mind even after separating form and feelings, so I thought that it might reside within my thoughts. I intentionally thought of another excerpt from the morning prayer, “Buddho susuddho karuna mahannawo: The Lord Buddha is pure. His compassion runs as deep as the ocean.” At the moment, I saw the current of thought emerging from emptiness at the center of my chest. It arose from the center of the chest, from emptiness, and then dissipated within it. As I saw the flow of thought, not the thought itself but the act of attending to it, it dissipated. The mind then shifted into the role of the Knower.
It’s like what masters usually teach. When the mind has gone off, know that it has. When the mind has lost in thought, know that it has. If we know when the mind is thinking, not what we are thinking, the thinking mind will dissipate immediately. The Knower will emerge. As I chanted, “Buddho susuddho karuna mahannawo”, the stable-knowing mind observed the flow of thought arise and dissipate. It noted that this experience resembled moments from my childhood when I practiced sitting meditation. Gradually, the Knower emerged and the mind attained a state of stable-knowing. Back then, I didn’t know that it was the mind, instead, it felt as if there was an observer of the phenomenon. As a child, I lacked the terminology to describe it or recognize it as the mind.
When the Knower emerged initially, I had no idea how to handle it. After encountering Luang Pu Dune, who advised me to watch the mind, I attempted to focus on this Knower. When the mind had gone off, I realized that it had and redirected my attention to the Knower. I consciously avoided engaging in thoughts or mental fabrication because I knew that they were not the mind. If Luang Pu Dune told me to watch the mind, it implied focusing only on the mind, not thoughts or mental formations. I kept practicing this way, and gradually, my mind became empty. Those who practice cultivating empty minds do the very same thing, discarding thoughts when they arise until the mind reaches a state of emptiness. I adhered to this practice of maintaining an empty mind for three months.
On my second visit to Luang Pu Dune, I reported, “Luang Pu, I can now watch the mind.” He looked at me, knowing if my practice was right or wrong, but he still pretended to ask so that he could advise me, “How is the mind like?” I answered, “Oh, the mind is amazing. It can fabricate various things but I managed to discard all of them and stayed with the mind only. The mind was the Knower, being still and empty.” He then taught me, “Your practice was wrong. The mind is the Thinker and Fabricator, but you made it unable to think and fabricate. It was a modification, an intervention to mess with and fix its behavior. That’s not correct practice. Try again.”
Masters in previous generations were strict. They wouldn’t tell you why and how your practice was wrong, or how you could fix it. Luang Pu Dune only said, “I told you to watch the mind, not to modify its behavior. Try again.” So I followed his instruction. I took my time to observe. Previously, I tried to make the mind become empty, which then I knew that was not correct. Luan Pu said that such intervention equals modifying the mind to become empty, and that was not the right path. The mind naturally thinks and fabricates. So I let the mind function while observing it. That’s why I noticed when a thought appeared. Thoughts often emerged unexpectedly. For instance, while sitting, thoughts would arise. Sometimes it arose after contact at sense doors. Let’s say our eyes see a woman. Initially, the eyes can’t tell if that was a man or a woman. The mind, or perception, is the one who translates the picture as a woman. Then, the mind begins to attribute beauty and favor to what was seen. This leads to the arising of greed upon seeing the woman.
The mind changes after impact emotion
One of my previous bosses was the office head. We had worked together for a long time. She was a very stressful person and lacked self-confidence. She would keep working on the same task repeatedly, often revising as many as 10-20 times each. In those days, we didn’t have computers. The typewriter had such a hard time retyping the document until her fatigue led to confusion about how to go home. She fell unconsciously along the way. Although the boss’s office was in another room, her door remained open, and the sound of her desk chair was enough to unsettle my mind.
The ears heard the sound but the mind became unsettled, anticipating that she would come and give me more trouble with trivial, detailed corrections, such as why not use other prepositions in the sentences. She was worried about these unimportant issues, instead of the content. I was annoyed. As soon as I heard her chair moving, anger arose. As soon as I heard her walking, anger arose. A younger colleague who sat next to me became aroused madly once he heard her footsteps. This is an example of the ears hearing the sound and the mind becoming aroused.
When the eyes see forms, the mind is aroused. When the ears hear sound, the mind is aroused. When the nose smells, the mind is aroused. For example, if we are inside our house and start to notice a bad, rotten smell, we might wonder if there’s a dead rodent or lizard in the house. However, when we detect the same smell while practicing mindfulness in a temple in a forest, we won’t think of rodents but of ghosts instead. The mind interprets different things despite the same smell. When thinking if there’s a dead rodent, the mind is worried of finding it before the smell gets worse. But if you’re meditating in the temple or in the woods, you will think of ghosts and become scared. Do you see how we can feel differently? With different interpretations of the same smell in different situations, we don’t feel the same way.
In short, when the eyes see forms and changes occur in the mind, be aware of it. When the ears hear sound and changes occur in the mind, be aware of it. When the nose smells, tongue tastes, and body feels sensations, and changes occur in the mind, be aware of it. For example, the weather has recently turned cooler. The Thai people live in a country where heat and humidity persist throughout the year, causing us to sweat and feel uncomfortable. Those living in hot and dry countries don’t experience sweating and discomfort like us, so they might not worry much about taking showers. However, we wouldn’t be able to bear not taking showers when we are soaked with sweat. So, for us, we become relaxed when we feel the cool breeze. Can you notice this? When the cool wind blows, we feel happy.
On the other hand, poor people in the countryside, who don’t have enough clothes to stay warm, develop cracks in their dry hands under cold weather. The skin on their feet, hands, and face bleeds. They don’t appreciate the cool breeze in the same way as those in urban areas do. The very same cool breeze brings forth different sensations for different people in different circumstances. Feelings change as contacts occur, followed by bias. Merely contacts are still fine but once bias arises upon the contacts, interpretation will be made either positively or negatively. And the mind will fabricate further. In short, the mind changes after the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or body have made contact with the outside world. Then, it interprets, causing satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
However, there is another contact occurring directly to the mind, not through eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. For instance, when we suddenly think of someone we hate, anger immediately arises. For example, “this woman is evil, stealing my husband.” The thought emerges out of nowhere and without intention. Memory has arisen here without contacts through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. It impacts the mind directly. The mind then fabricates further, followed by like, dislike, greed, anger and delusion. Whatever has arisen in the mind, know that it has.
Simply know changes in the mind
So, when any of the sense doors – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body – make contact and changes occur in the mind, be aware of them. Similarly, when there’s contact in the mind without input from the senses, and changes arise, also be aware of them. For example, you may suddenly recall someone you hold dear, leading to happiness emerging in your mind. As you continue to ponder, thoughts arise regarding the person’s life, and you begin to worry. This transition from happiness to worry occurs as you consider his/her distant living situation and whether he/she is cheating on you. The mind fabricates further here. We simply know changes in the mind.
Whatever the mind fabricates, whether it be happiness or unhappiness, good or bad, be mindful of them. However, happiness and unhappiness are spontaneously fabricated, and not considered as virtuous or vicious. For example, the joy experienced upon the eyes seeing beautiful flowers is neither virtuous or vicious. But when we favor this happiness, it represents greed/passion, which is a form of defilement. When the mind makes contact, the emergence of happiness or unhappiness is the consequence. If you have cultivated good deeds, you’ll experience favorable results, such as happiness or bodily comfort. This is how good consequences occur. On the other hand, when bad deeds lead to consequences, the contact will bring about dissatisfaction in the mind.
When joy or happiness arises, defilement has not yet emerged. However, it quickly accompanies it. In fact, they arise together rapidly. When we lack mindfulness, once happiness arises, greed or passion immediately emerges as well. Similarly, when unhappiness arises, anger also emerges. Anyway, a happy mind can be either virtuous or vicious. For example, when we think of our masters, our minds become happy and virtuous. Conversely, when greed arises, the mind becomes happy but vicious. Therefore, a happy mind can be either virtuous or vicious. However, an unhappy mind is always 100% vicious because it is accompanied by anger. You don’t need to memorize it. Just observe and learn the truth. One day you’ll understand.
Happiness can arise with both virtuous or greedy minds but unhappiness always arises with anger. You’ll eventually see that fabrication occurs naturally. When it fabricates happiness or unhappiness, defilements have not yet emerged. However, it quickly permeates right after. So if you’re mindless when you’re happy, greed will seep into the mind. Conversely, when you’re unhappy, anger has already penetrated. On the other hand, bodily discomfort is different because it is not a defilement, making it impenetrable. However, mental unhappiness immediately arises in conjunction with anger.
Take your time in practicing, just as Luang Pu Dune taught me, “You’ve read so much already. Now, read your own mind.” The more you observe your mind, the better you’ll come to understand it. You’ll see how the mind constantly changes, rising and falling. Roughly, you’ll see the mind changing according to external contacts. When you can see more in detail, you’ll see changes occurring within, associated with mental fabrication, and changing continuously.
Once you’re skilled, you’ll see the mind transitioning from an inactive conscious state to an active state, whether you’re in deep concentration or sleeping. Let’s take sleeping as an example. Those who lack skill in concentration will not notice anything while asleep. However, as soon as you awaken, your mind transitions from its sleep state to being aware of sensations. At this point, we can’t choose which sensation the mind will attend to – whether it’s from the eyes, ears, nose, tongue or body. However, as soon as the mind makes its first contact with sensations, mental feelings have already arisen.
When you are fully aware, you’ll see that mental phenomena arise naturally from an inactive conscious state. There’s no intention, virtue, or viciousness involved here. These mental phenomena are consequences of the karma we have cultivated, and karma continues to influence our lives as long as we are alive. When the mind transitions from inactive consciousness, it begins to function by making contact with feelings and thoughts. As soon as the contact is made, another mind emerges. If you’re skilled, the Knower mind will arise even though the body isn’t sensed just yet. Conversely, if you’re not skilled, the arising mind will become your sense of self instead. Then, after a formless phenomenon is observed, awareness broadens to make contact with the body, and the body is sensed
When the mind transitions from inactive consciousness, awareness of formless phenomena immediately arises together with the mind. You’ll see it if you’re mindful. In the next moment, awareness broadens to include the body. Again, this awareness doesn’t involve virtue or viciousness but is simply a consequence of karma, over which we have no control. We also can’t choose what the eyes will see or what the ears will hear whenever contacts are made through the eyes, or ears, or nose, or tongue. Why do we have “or” here? Because contacts are made individually, not collectively. It’s not that contacts occur simultaneously at both the eyes and mind.
Minds arise individually, beginning with mental contact arising from inactive consciousness. And then, awareness through eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body contacts arises. In short, mental awareness occurs first, followed by awareness through contacts with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. These are simply awareness. They aren’t virtue or viciousness in themselves but consequences of karma. Therefore, whenever contacts are made, they are consequences of our past actions. If we have cultivated good deeds, leading to good consequences, the contacts will be favorable. On the contrary, when bad deeds lead to bad consequences, the contacts will be unfavorable.
Virtuous karma
I have shared with you many stories about the consequences of actions. Mother doesn’t perceive bad smells, only pleasant ones. We grew a plant called “Jampatade”. There was a poem praising it, “amazing smell Jampatade”, which led me to believe that it must have a wonderful scent. However, the term “amazing” here actually means “special”. The plant has a fecal odor. Unaware of this, we grew the plant, expecting it to smell amazing, but instead, it emitted a foul odor. Although the plant is right beside her dwelling, Mother couldn’t detect the smell at all. It’s other people who can smell its awful odor. This is an example of whether we sense a good or bad smell depends on the consequences of our past actions.
Suppose we see heavily crashed cars on the road, fearing the possibility of finding severely hit dead bodies. We turn away to the roadside instead. However, they might have moved the corpses there. We turn away to avoid seeing them but end up seeing. Ironically, by not turning away, we would have avoided it. This is another example of karma’s consequences. Some will see favorable things. Some will see the opposite. These outcomes are beyond our control. They are connected to past actions that lead to either favorable or unfavorable consequences. If we encounter unpleasant sensations
If anger arises in the mind and we are not aware of it, anger will take over the mind. Not only is this the consequence of vicious karma, but we also commit new karma by letting anger take control. Committing both past and present vicious karmas is super vicious, as it shows no improvement. However, if the consequences of negative karma manifest, leading us to encounter unfavorable senses, and we notice the arising anger, anger will dissipate. The mind no longer has anger and becomes a virtuous mind once we are mindful. Although our past karmas might be vicious, our present ones can be good, if we are mindful.
That’s why we shouldn’t regret the past. Whatever it was, let it be. When our previous karma manifests its consequences, we have no choice but to encounter certain circumstances. Whether they will be favorable or unfavorable depends on our karma. However, no matter how good or bad sensations we’ll face, we must be good, by having mindfulness. For example, if virtue manifests its consequence, we’ll see beautiful flowers. This favorable sensation is a result of our virtuous karma. In contrast, if greed arises in the mind at the time and we’re not aware, we might secretly pick those flowers, which might belong to someone else’s. This is an example of previous virtuous karma ending up in vicious karma because of mindlessness that leads to the mind being taken over by defilement.
When our past virtuous karma manifests, such as when we see beautiful flowers, if satisfaction arises in the mind, know it. This allows the mind to proceed with cultivating wisdom. With mindfulness and wisdom, we’ll see that satisfaction arises, exists, and then disappears. Ideally, both past and present karmas should be good. However, if vicious karma manifests, such as the separation from someone we love, like when our parents or loved ones die, and we notice sadness in the mind, this sadness will dissipate. Once mindfulness arises, anger can no longer exist in the mind. A sad mind is the mind that harbors anger. So, the death of our parents signifies the consequences of our previous bad karma, leading to the separation from someone we love. However, even if our previous karma is bad, we can cultivate a good one in the present by observing that sadness rises and falls
On the contrary, if one faces the consequences of their vicious karma and also creates new ones, these actions will be categorized as bad deeds both in the past and present. Therefore, we must keep observing. When a contact is made with either favorable or unfavorable sensations, it signifies the consequences of our previous actions. However, after the contact, a new karma is formulated when our mind fabricates virtue or vice. As long as we are mindful of this process, it will become a very powerful virtuous karma.
When we hear of a fundraising to gild a Buddha image or a pagoda, some interpret it in a good way while others don’t. Even though it is the same story, those who see it positively become delighted, thinking that if people still respect Buddhism, the religion will continue. Conversely, those who see it negatively would consider it nonsense and too good to be true to continue the religion with a sculpture. They don’t see when their minds criticize and when anger arises. This is an example of the mind becoming vicious after sensing a good contact.
Keep observing will naturally develop into precepts, concentration, and wisdom.
You see, even though we witness the same thing, each individual can develop good or bad karma differently. Don’t dwell on past karmas because there’s nothing we can do about them. Instead, focus on cultivating new virtuous ones, by being mindful. Whenever we are mindful, our mind will be virtuous. Whenever we are mindless, it will become vicious. So try to be mindful. Be aware of the phenomena that arise in the mind, as Luang Pu Dune said, “Read your own mind.” Reading your own mind means knowing what is happening in your mind, without attempting to control, intervene, or modify. Just observe it as it is.
Once we are mindful, the mind is already virtuous. The accumulated virtue will naturally develop into precepts, concentration, and wisdom. The cultivation of adequate precepts, concentration, and wisdom will lead to the emergence of deliberation. This deliberation signifies that the noble path and noble fruits have arisen. No one can intentionally make it happen. Rather, the mind achieves this spontaneously when precepts, concentration, and wisdom are fully cultivated. What we can do is to be as mindful as possible, allowing these qualities to gradually mature. However, if you are mindless, you’ll be unable to cultivate them, as the mind tends toward vice.
Whether your past karmas were virtuous or vicious, refrain from cultivating new negative ones in the present. It doesn’t matter whatever karmas you cultivated in the past. The key is to be mindful in the present. The past is over and there’s nothing we can change about it. Do your best in the present by being mindful and observing your own mind. One day, you’ll be deliberated. Is it understandable? Today’s teaching is very simple. However, some people say that it’s easy for me, but difficult for them. Well, initially it’s difficult for everyone. In your initial attempts at any activities, challenges are common. Gradually, as you become more skillful, it will become easier.
I often mentioned that mindfulness practice was easy. I really felt that way because I had extensively practiced concentration (Samadhi). The mind had already transformed into the Knower/Watcher. Consequently, Luang Pu Sim called me, “Knower”, like a nickname. Luang Por Phut called me “Practitioner”. They didn’t know my name, so they called me by nicknames instead. As the mind has become the Knower, we use it to learn the truth about our body and mind. Keep observing changes in the body and mind, with a stable-knowing and unbiased mind. The Knower mind is stable and unbiased.
I often say, “observe the body and mind as they really are.” “As they really are” refers to the recognition of the three characteristics of existence. And it’s not merely about observing the body and mind as they really are, but also “with a stable-knowing and unbiased mind.” If you observe the body and mind while acknowledging the three characteristics of existence, but the mind is not stable-knowing, it will be entangled in thoughts. This is not correct Vipassana. .That’s why the stable-knowing mind is very important. You must develop this by recognizing when the mind has gone off. Through continuous awareness, the mind will naturally become stable-knowing. We can’t force the mind to be stable-knowing. It develops on its own. Our role is to diligently practice mindfulness. Be aware whenever the mind has lost in thoughts, seeing, listening, tasting, feeling bodily sensation, or smelling.
Keep being mindful. Know when the mind has gone to operate at the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Keep knowing. Otherwise, the mind will fabricate virtue and vice. However, if we are mindful, the mind promptly aligns with virtue. While virtue involves fabrication, it’s a good one. Conversely, vice is also a form of fabrication, but a bad one. Attempting to avoid fabrication itself constitutes another form of fabrication, the third type. So let the mind fabricate naturally without enforcing emptiness. In my early practice, I aimed for an empty mind. It was the third type of fabrication known as the “formation of the imperturbable”, which Luang Pu Dune said was incorrect. Hence, if someone claims that he/she is a disciple of Luang Pu Dune but advocates for fabricating an empty mind, you know that the person is fake. His/her method is wrong.
Observe the mind as it really is. Know when it fabricates virtue or vice. Know when it wants to avoid fabrication. As you continue to observe, one day you’ll come to understand that the mind is under the three characteristics of existence, that the mind is not us nor ours.
Wat Suansantidham
25 November 2023