The Mind’s Refuge

When you’re doing a sitting meditation, don’t alter your mind. Almost all practitioners alter their minds to make them more still and dull. Instead, sit with mindfulness. If the mind doesn’t struggle, it will be peaceful. When you alter the mind, the mind needs to work; it can’t rest. So, the restful type of Samadhi can’t arise. Don’t alter your mind. Keep practicing and ignore the mind’s peacefulness and restlessness. Let it be. It’s the mind’s business, not yours.

When you observe breathing, be mindful. If the mind is restless, know so. Don’t alter the mind to be still or force it to be calm. Most people who practice don’t know this principle, so they over-focus and control, and their minds are uncomfortable. If the mind is uncomfortable, it won’t be calm. Sukha (happiness) is the immediate cause of Samadhi (stability). If you don’t alter your mind, it will be peaceful, comfortable, and luminous by itself. The Buddha said that the natural mind is luminous, but it gets tainted by impurities that arise. This means Kilesa (impurities/defilements) are not persistent. They arise now and then.

When you think about doing a sitting meditation, Kilesa may arise: you want peacefulness. This is Lobha (greed) for peacefulness. This is an impurity that arises, so the mind is no longer luminous. The natural mind is luminous, bright, but impure. So, the natural mind is luminous. But with impurities that get mixed in, luminosity ceases and a defiled mind arises.

So, when you practice Samadhi, don’t let Kilesa (impurities) dominate. Just do it with a natural mind. Use this natural mind to know. See the body exhaling and know so. See the body inhaling and know so. Disregard peacefulness and breathe comfortably. Don’t force the mind to be still; it will be stressed. Stress means the mind has worked, and it’s no longer peaceful. It had to do some work. Or, if you want to be good or happy, the mind needs to work and won’t be able to rest.

Samadhi (stability) is essential

When you practice Samadhi, don’t interfere with the mind, so it can get some rest. That’s the way it’ll become peaceful. This isn’t difficult. Be mindful and know what’s behind your practice. What drives you to do sitting meditation? Is it greed for peacefulness or wholesomeness? Some people’s motivations are even worse. They want to see supernatural things, like ghosts, heavenly beings, next life, or past lives. That’s a lot of work and the mind won’t get rest. The mind is like the body. It needs rest. After physical work, you clean the body and let it rest. The body will then be fresh. The mind works heavily. It thinks, composes, and fabricates all day. If you don’t let the mind rest, it will lack strength.

So, practicing is leading the mind to rest with your practice object. For me, I use Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) while silently reciting “Buddho.” I inhale with “Bud” and exhale with “dho.” I let the mind rest with this. I don’t anticipate goodness, happiness, or peacefulness. Once the mind is with the practice object and its struggling ceases, the mind will be in its natural state, which is luminous. The mind won’t be dim, dense, heavy, tense, rigid, or dull. These are unnatural.

Use a normal mind, and stay with the practice object. The mind will be peaceful after a short while, and the mind will also gain strength, because you no longer let the mind work. Like, when impurities arise, the mind works heavily. When Raga (lust/greed) arises, the mind struggles to satisfy it. When Dosa (aversion) arises, the mind also struggles to satisfy it. You may want to get revenge on the people who made you feel angry. The mind that is struggling is constantly working, and it will lose energy. It will be weak and lack rest.

So, for the practice, you cannot abandon peacefulness practice. This is a kind of Samadhi (stability) called Aramanupani-jhana. It is essential. If your mind is always working and never gets rest, it will lack strength. Without strength, there’ll be no stability. The mind will tumble around like a weak person who can’t properly stand up.

So, practice peacefulness every day. Use an object that you’re skillful at. Slightly lean the mind into the practice object continuously. “Slightly lean” means periodically recall the practice object. Sati (mindfulness) is the tool to recall and recollect. So, Sati is required for Samatha (peacefulness) practice. If the mind lacks Sati, it will sneak off to work, with desires to be good, happy, peaceful, know, see, be, or attain something.

Once cravings or desires arise, the mind will struggle. The struggling mind is restless. If this persists, the mind will be exhausted. If you cultivate wisdom when the mind lacks strength, Vipassanūpak-kilesā (impurities that arise when doing wisdom cultivation without sufficient stability) will arise. It can mislead you to believe that you have attained enlightenment, which is impossible, since you still haven’t attained Samadhi (stability). So, use a normal mind to know your practice object.

When I was 7, I learned from Taan Por Lee. In 1959, my dad took me to pay respect to Taan Por Lee. I was still little and he was fond of kids. Sometimes, he would let boys sit on his lap and teach them. Sometimes he handed out candies. He taught me that when I get home, breathe in and silently recite “Bud.” Breathe out with “dho,” then count “1.” After the next “Buddho,” count to 2. Count up to 9 or 10, and then start counting down, like when you are doing a rocket launch. “Buddho 9. Buddho 7. Buddho 6.” He told me to count up and down.

Back then I was too little. I wasn’t even in the first grade. I couldn’t count down. When counting down, my mind became restless and uncomfortable. So, I disliked counting down. I modified it to “Buddho 1. Buddho 2”, until I reached 100. Then I started at 1 again. I modified the practice to suit my mind. If the practice is uncomfortable, it won’t lead to peacefulness.

This is like the time I went to study with Luang Ta Bua. Back then I had a problem: I abandoned Samatha. I didn’t practice Samadhi. I focused only on wisdom development. The mind got brightly stuck outside. I couldn’t see it. It was a Vipassanūpak-kilesā called Obhāsā (luminosity). When Luang Ta Bua looked at me, he quickly told me that “You must believe me that you’re no longer observing your mind. This is important. I have practiced past this obstacle myself. The best practice is to silently recite Buddho.” This is so because Luang Ta Bua used reciting “Buddho” as his practice object.

So, I tried reciting “Buddho” like he suggested. My mind got tense. The mind didn’t like reciting “Buddho,” so I contemplated why he suggested it. It meant my Samadhi (stability) was no longer sufficient. I lacked Samatha and the mind lacked strength. When the mind lacks strength, it runs away and stays with outside luminosity. So, I resumed practicing what I was skillful at. Breathe in “Bud.” Breathe out “Dho 1.” I repeated until I reached 28. The mind then became stable and focused without any intention. The mind was then stable on its base. Once the mind left deep Samadhi, I almost hit myself in the head. For a long while, I thought I was observing my mind, but I wasn’t. The mind stayed outside and got stuck with luminosity. I really wasn’t observing the mind.

So, Samadhi (stability) is essential. If the mind lacks Samadhi, the first thing that you lack is strength. Without sufficient mental strength, doing wisdom development will lead to Vipassanūpak-kilesā. The one I encountered is called Obhāsā (luminosity). This is the first one. Most practitioners who practice observing the mind will encounter this one. The mind feels luminous and empty and will get stuck there. The mind must, instead, be stable on its base.

So, practicing Samadhi will help your mind to be stable on its base. It is an essential practice if you aim for enlightenment in this lifetime. Choose a practice object suitable for you. It can be anything, since Samatha (peacefulness) practice can be done with any object. You can use a common object like contemplating hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin. You can contemplate death, the virtues of the Buddha, his teachings, and his disciples. Or you can contemplate the virtues of heavenly beings. What good qualities do they have? They have Hiri and Ottappa. Hiri is the shame of evil actions. Ottappa is the fear of the results from evil actions. These two are heavenly beings’ qualities.

Or you can practice Metta (loving kindness). Think of all the countless beings. Wish them happiness. This is practicing Metta. Wishing them to be free from suffering is Karuna (compassion). Having emphatic joy when they encounter good things is Mudita. And when you contemplate and see that some creatures are Peta (hungry ghosts), Asura (fearful ghosts), hell creatures, or someone encountering difficulties that you can’t help, you know that all beings are shaped by their Kamma (past actions or deeds). When, after your best effort, you’re still incapable of helping them, you must have Upekkha (equanimity).

Without Pannatti (equanimity), the mind that is full of loving kindness, compassion, or empathic joy can turn unwholesome. For example, when you have great Metta (loving kindness) for someone, you may fall for that person. That Metta has turned into Raga (lust/greed) and attachment. Be mindful of this. Once you’re mindful, the mind will attain equanimity. This is also for when you see suffering, like seeing a dog that got run over by a car. If your best effort from your compassion still results in its death, you must have equanimity.

Or, when you see someone drowning, and you yourself can’t swim, and there’s no one else around, nor is there any object that you can use to rescue, you see that person drowns to death. Jumping into the water without knowing how to swim is foolish. If your best effort still results in their death, you must know that all beings are shaped by their Kamma (deeds).

If you’re thinking or contemplating, the objects are known as Pannatti (conventional truth), and are suitable for practicing Samatha (peacefulness). Contemplating death or undesirability of physical objects can lead to a peaceful mind. These are Pannatti (conventional) objects. You can use physical objects, like breathing in and know so. Breathe out and know so. The breathing is physical. You slightly lean your mind to the breathing and the mind won’t wander off. Know breathing comfortably, with a relaxed mind. See the body breathing with a relaxed mind. The mind will be focused and peaceful. This is using a physical object to practice. Breathing is physical.

Or you can do walking meditation. You see the body walking, and see that the mind doesn’t fabricate things. Seeing the body walking continuously will lead to peacefulness. This peacefulness is attained by observing physical objects. You can also use abstract objects, like I do. You can observe your mind. See it fabricates things. Once you’re mindful of the fabrication, the mind will be luminous. You can lean into the emptiness and luminosity and rest there. Samatha (peacefulness) practice can also be done with abstract objects.

This is where the mind has Sati (mindfulness). If it lacks mindfulness, it’ll be like what I told you earlier that Luang Ta Bua had to advise me. That mind wandered outside and became luminous and empty, but it wasn’t mindful. I didn’t see the mind wandering out. That one was wrong. But if you want to rest, you lean the mind towards emptiness, and be mindful that the mind has embraced emptiness. That is ok. The mind will be peaceful. There’s another object to use, and that is Nibbana (Nirvana).

“Once the mind has a refuge, it will be happy, and will gain strength to practice to eradicate impurities”

There are 4 types of Arammana (objects). Objects are the things that the mind knows. The duality of Aramana (object) is Citta (The mind). The mind is the knower of objects. There are 4 types of objects. One is Pannatti objects (thought objects). The next is physical, like if you’re sitting, and the mind sees that the body is sitting. The body is the physical object. If the mind sees the body breathing, the breathing is the physical object. The next is an abstract object, like seeing the mind that is empty, or the mind that knows the succession of previous knowing minds. The practice of seeing the previous knowing minds is difficult and isn’t recommended. If you get stuck with this practice, undoing it can take a year.

So, if you practice using abstract objects and you want some rest, lean into the feeling that you feel when the mind is comfortable and luminous. It is as if you’re sitting in a bright spot under a full moon. It is comforting and happy. When you’re with luminosity, you can lean into the empty space. This is an abstract object. The luminosity is physical, but the empty space that the light occupies is abstract.

Or you can lean the mind into nothingness. For example, when the mind starts to lean towards an object, you stop and reel it back towards the knowing mind itself. When it’s about to reach the knowing mind, you also stop. The mind will let go of both itself and an object. It will enter absorption and will be free from both a physical or an abstract object. That’s another object which is neither Pannati (conventional), physical, nor abstract; it is Nibbana.

So many objects can be used to practice Samatha (peacefulness). Pannatti objects are the ones we think up, like death. There are many physical and abstract objects. An abstract object like Metta (loving-kindness) is not a thought. You fabricate this in your mind. At first, make the mind luminous, like a sun or a moon, floating in emptiness. Then you radiate the feeling of loving kindness in all directions, without specifying a receiver. This is called Metta-Appamanya (unbounded loving kindness). You use Metta as an object to practice Samadhi and Samatha.

But if you want to be specific. Think of that person first, then forget them. Make your mind empty and develop Metta (loving kindness). The mind that was pre-conditioned to focus on that person will continue its job, and the loving kindness that radiates will flow to that person. So, practicing Metta is using an abstract object.

You still don’t know how to use Nibbana (Nirvana) as an object, because you haven’t seen it. So, you use the objects that you know. They can be Pannatti (conventional), physical, or abstract. By practicing loving kindness, if you’re still thinking, the object is conventional. But if the mind is full of Metta (loving kindness) and Metta radiates out, this is using an abstract object. Their characteristics and qualities differ significantly.

We all should have a refuge for our minds. It’s a place for the mind to rest. When we’re tired from work, we go home, or somewhere restful. If you’re homeless, you stay under a tree. No matter what, there must be a refuge. Once the mind has a refuge, it will be happy, and will gain strength to practice to eradicate impurities. When your body gets tired, you rest. Once you’re restful, you’re ready to do more work. For the mind, the mind’s work is the practice.

So, I recommend you to observe yourself. Choose the practice object that makes your mind become peaceful easily. Use that object for practice. For myself, I silently recite “Bud” when inhaling, and “dho” when exhaling. My mind gets peaceful easily because my mind likes it and is familiar with it. Silently reciting “Buddho” without observing breathing wasn’t as comfortable for me. But right now, I can do it. Once you’re skillful in practice, all practices are similar. This is because you know how to take good care of your mind with mindfulness. You can attain peacefulness by any type of object. Practice whatever you can, but when you start out, have an object as your home base.

Do you want to try? Raise your hand if you like observing breathing. Anyone? Be courageous. Ok. You can lower your hand. Use a normal mind, like right now. Don’t alter it. See the body breathe out. See the body breathe in with a normal mind. Many minds had wandered off to think. You need to practice more. With only 2-3 cycles, the mind has already forgotten breathing and wandered off to think. This is ok. Just start again.

Raise your hand if you like to observe the belly expanding and contracting. Anyone? Be courageous. Is there only one person? Keep observing the belly expanding and contracting. Observe this with a normal mind. Do not force it to be still. This is the critical point. You won’t attain peacefulness because you start your practice by trying to control and alter the mind. Ok. Now everyone, start your Samadhi practice. Stay with your practice object with a normal mind. Use a normal mind. That guy with the gray shirt and white mask is trying too hard. Your mind will be tense. Relax. Be comfortable. But don’t be too relaxed until you fall asleep. That’s not good. Keep being mindful. Go practice.

Go practice at home. So, the mind will have a refuge. Otherwise, you’re too punishing to your mind. Pushing it too hard won’t cause peacefulness. It’s like you’re driving a slave to work all day and all night without rest. They will die soon. You use your mind all day. Use it to think, imagine, fabricate, and it gets contaminated. It gets soiled with dusts called impurities. The mind is stained all day long. The mind is then without happiness or peacefulness, so it loses its luminous nature. The mind’s natural state is luminous and bright. So, we practice Samadhi to converge it to peacefulness and luminosity. After that, the mind will have enough strength to cultivate wisdom.

When the mind has enough strength, it will cultivate wisdom.

The first step of wisdom development (also called wisdom cultivation) is to separate the aggregates. If you see yourself sitting, you know that the body is sitting. When the body exhales, know that the body exhales. Do the same for inhaling. Observe that the mind and the body are separate entities. The body that is breathing or moving is something that the mind observes. When you see the body and the mind as two separate aggregates, wisdom development has begun. The first step in wisdom development is to separate the aggregates. The essential aggregate in every separation is the mind. The mind is Vinnana Khanda (bare consciousness). The mind is one of the abstract aggregates, and it is the leader of all Dhamma.

So, when separating the aggregates, you’ll see that the body is sitting, and the mind is the knower. Try now. The body is now sitting. Can you see so? Can you see that the body is being observed by the mind? Like, I’m chasing away the fruit flies. You see that the moving body is being observed by the mind. The same applies for this fan and this arm. They are both physical objects that are observed by the mind. If you can see this, that means you can separate the aggregates. You can also separate the abstract aggregates if you see happiness or sadness as something that the mind knows. Do not seek where the mind is. Just know that the body is something being observed, and eventually the mind will see that the mind itself is the knower.

Try smiling. Do you see that the smiling body is something that is being observed, and the mind is the observer? Practice separating physical and abstract aggregates like this. See that the physical aggregate, which is the body, is distinct from the mind. Or you can separate two abstract aggregates. When happiness or sadness arises, see that happiness or sadness is something being observed by the mind. The mind is the knower. When greed arises, see that greed is an object that is known by the mind. Greed is not the mind. You can see that the physical, happiness, sadness, wholesomeness, and unwholesomeness are not the mind.

Keep observing and after a certain point, you will see that the mind is not the mind. That means you’ll see that the mind arises and falls at eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and the mind itself. Wherever the mind arises, it ceases. Remember this. There isn’t one mind. Like, if the mind wanders off to see something, do not reel it back in. Right at the moment that mindfulness arises by knowing that the mind has just wandered off to see, the mind that has wandered off to see has ceased. The knowing mind has arisen instead. The mind keeps arising and ceasing all the time. This is aggregate separation that will lead to wisdom.

At first, you see that the body and the mind are separate objects. Next, you’ll see that the body isn’t self, nor is it yours. If you see the feelings and the mind as distinct, you’ll see that the feelings aren’t self nor yours. They’re just something the mind knows. When wholesomeness or unwholesomeness arises, and the mind knows, you’ll see that wholesomeness or unwholesomeness isn’t the mind. The mind has never been wholesome or unwholesome. The mind’s nature is the knower. The knower is never wholesome or unwholesome, but it gets tainted by wholesomeness or unwholesomeness. It gets tainted by these mental compositions, so the lucid, knowing mind disappears.

Practice patiently. At first, you must practice until the mind is naturally strong and stable. Then use this mind to cultivate wisdom and insight. It’ll do so when the mind sees that the body, feelings, wholesomeness, and unwholesomeness are not the mind. Luang Ta Maha Bua summed it up very well. He said, “If you still can’t separate the aggregates, don’t boast to me that you are developing wisdom.”

For separating the aggregates, the physical is one, the mind is another. There are 5 aggregates: Rupa (the physical), Vedana (feelings), Sanna (memory and perception), Sankhara (mental compositions, including wholesomeness and unwholesomeness), and Vinnana (bare consciousness) that knows the objects via eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and the mind. This Vinnana is Citta (the mind), but different names may be used when it is performing different functions.

Carefully observe, and you will see the separation. There’s no need to separate out all 5 aggregates. That’s too complicated. You only need 2, like the body and the mind, the feelings and the mind, the mental compositions (wholesomeness or unwholesomeness) and the mind. This is how you separate. Note that for every separation, the mind must be the one that is separated out. For example, you cannot separate the body and feelings without the mind. This is so because the mind is supreme. It is the leader in all phenomena.

So, when you separate the aggregates, the mind must be the knower. If the mind sees the body as an object it knows, the aggregates are separated. You don’t need to separate all 5. You just need an object paired with the mind for separation. Once the mind is skillful in observing a pair of aggregates, it’ll eventually be skillful at separating the rest. This isn’t difficult, because the mind already knows how to be an observer. If your mind has a tendency towards anger and aversion, I recommend you to practice observing anger and aversion that arise. See them as something the mind knows. The irritation is something that the mind knows. Expect that you will see anger and aversion as something that the mind knows. The mind will become a knower quickly. It’s easy.

So, if you’re prone to greed, desiring objects or statuses all the time, know when greed arises in the mind. Greed is something being observed. Greed isn’t the mind, but it is a contaminant that arises and takes over the mind. Keep separating and observing.

In the beginning, you can separate the body and the mind. This is Kayanupassana Satipatthana (mindfulness practice using the body). If you don’t like it, you can separate the feelings and the mind. This is called Vedananupassana Satipatthana (mindfulness practice using the feelings). You practice by seeing happiness and sadness. If you still don’t like this, you can practice Cittanupassana Satipatthana (mindfulness practice using mental compositions), by observing wholesomeness and unwholesomeness as objects that the mind observes. This is also a separation. When the practice is more delicate, you can separate different kinds of minds. Some mind is an observer, while some is a thinker. You see that the observer and the thinker are two separate minds. You also see that the mind that observes visions, or the mind that hears sounds are all different from the knowing mind.

You need to have a knowing mind first to be able to separate the mind that wanders off to think from the knowing mind. If the mind wanders off to see, hear, or think, but is never mindful of itself, that mind is fully consumed by Pannatti (conventional or relative truth). Pannatti consists of thoughts. It cannot be used for practice. You must first have a knowing mind, and this knowing mind will see different minds rise and fall. This is where wisdom development is.

You’ll see different minds arise, stay, and cease. You’ll see that the mind isn’t self or yours. You cannot command or control it. If you can see this, observe it. This is the shortest path of practice. But if you cannot observe different minds rising and falling, observe the body first. This is the coarsest object. See that the body and the mind are two different objects. When the practice is more delicate, you’ll see happiness, sadness, and the mind as distinct.

Right now, every mind of yours will have an accompanying feeling. If the mind is not happy, it must be either unhappy or equanimous. There are 3 abstract feelings: happiness, sadness, and equanimity. These 3 rotate around all day. You can see that the happy, the unhappy, and the equanimous minds all exist temporarily. If you see this, you’re doing Vipassana (wisdom development). Or you can see the body as a separate entity from the mind, and that the body isn’t self. This is also Vipassana by seeing Anatta (non-self) characteristic of the body. You can also see that the body is constantly under pressure from suffering. This is also Vipassana.

So, at first, separate the aggregates to see that each aggregate has Trilaksana (the three characteristics). If you cannot separate the aggregates, you will not see Trilaksana. The mind requires stability and strength to be able to separate the aggregates. This is logical. Having strength alone isn’t sufficient. This strength needs a home base. When the mind is at its home base, the mind is stable. Once the mind is stable, it will be able to separate the aggregates. Once the aggregates are separated, every object the mind observes will show Trilaksana (the three characteristics), except the subject of your thoughts. There’s no Trilaksana there. But if the objects are physical or mental phenomena, Trilaksana will show.

So, keep practicing repeatedly. If you’re skillful at observing the body, separate the body and the mind (Kayanupassana Satipatthana). If you’re skillful at observing happiness, sadness, and equanimity, and have the observing mind seeing the feelings, this is Vedananupassana Satipatthana. If you’re skillful at observing wholesomeness and unwholesomeness, like, if you’re prone to anger and aversion, and you see the mind with anger alternating with the mind without anger, while having an observing mind seeing that anger and the mind are two separate entities. Separate the aggregates out like this. You’ll see anger arises, stays, and decays. You see that it is impermanent. It can arise and cease without your control or action. You also cannot prevent anger from rising. You see Anatta (non-self) characteristics. This is Vipassana (wisdom development).

There are 3 levels of wisdom development

There are 3 levels of wisdom development. The first one is still led by thought. Like, if you think that “the body is something that the mind knows. The body and the mind are separate entities.” But once the mind gains strength, it will see and feel this separation by itself. The body can be moving and the mind sees that the moving body isn’t self. This is possible. This is the second level, called Vipassana. It means you can see Trilaksana (the three characteristics: impermanence, conflict and decay, and non-self) without thinking. The third level of wisdom is called Lokuttara Panna (wisdom that is above the world). This level of wisdom happens at the moment of Ariya-Magga (enlightenment).

Lokuttara Panna’s function is to permanently eradicate Samyoja (shackles), which are delicate impurities. These shackles tie us to Bhava (existence and becoming) and the world. Asava (mental intoxication) are impurities that the mind is immersed in. The mind is immersed in Asava because the mind is accustomed to them. Like, if you’re accustomed to kama (sensual pleasure), your mind is immersed in Kamasava. Or, if you’re accustomed to Bhava (existing and becoming), the mind will constantly “become” something by constantly composing objects. And then the mind will be lured into this composition because it is so accustomed to existing and becoming. This is Asava. Nivarana are hindrances to wholesomeness development.

There are many Kilesa (the mind’s impurities). Normal Kilesa are greed, anger, and delusion. Samyoja (shackles) are the impurities that the enlightened ones can eradicate. Asava (intoxication) are impurities that the mind is immersed in. Nivarana are the impurities that hinder wholesomeness. When you’re practicing Samadhi, Nivarana arise to destroy Samadhi. When you’re practicing Vipassana (wisdom development), Nivarana cause laziness and make you stop practicing. They hinder wholesomeness. The finest impurity is called Anusaya. They are the latent traits of the mind. Only the power of Ariya-Magga (enlightenment) can eradicate Anusaya.

Anusaya cannot be observed. They’re latent and without trace. They hide themselves completely. So, if you study the Buddha’s teachings carefully, he taught us to observe easier things, like greed, aversion, and delusions. We practice by observing these, but we cannot observe the 7 Anusaya. Google them. Anusaya are latent traits that cannot be observed, but they work by composing Nivarana, Samyoja, Raga (greed), Dosa (anger), or Moha (delusion). We observe the results of Anusaya’s work instead. But at the moment of Ariya-Magga, Anusaya and Samyoja will automatically be eradicated. For Nivarana (hindrances), once the mind attains Samadhi (stability and concentration), Nivarana will disappear. We have to fight many impurities, so we have many tools to do so.

Is today’s teaching too difficult? It can’t be helped. You must learn. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in baby mode, helplessly relying on teachers and other people. Be strong and fight. Before every master attained mastery, they fought very hard. There is no free lunch. Start practicing from the dim mind that is caused by passing impurities with Samadhi until the mind becomes luminous. After that, develop wisdom until the mind attains purity.
Luminosity and Purity are different. A luminous mind is bright and clear, but isn’t necessarily pure. It’s like clear water. Clear water may contain a lot of germs and fine impurities. So, luminosity isn’t necessarily pure.

The mind by itself is clear and luminous. It becomes tainted by impurities. So, we practice Samadhi (stability and concentration). Samadhi will temporarily suppress impurities and make the mind luminous. It is like we have a water container. When you keep water in there for a long time, sediments fall to the bottom of the container. If you stir up the water, the sediments rise from the bottom and make the water muddy. Once we stop stirring, the sediments fall to the bottom of the container again. The mind is like that.

When there’s Phassa (contact between senses and objects), the water is stirred. The mind is working. The mind then becomes tainted. The sediments at the bottom rise. When we practice Samadhi, we don’t stir up the mind, so the sediments fall to the bottom of the container, and the mind is clear and luminous. Once the mind is luminous, you must develop wisdom to attain purity. Purity and luminosity are different. Luminosity and clarity are obtained by Samadhi, but purity is obtained by Panna (wisdom). The Buddha said, “one attains purity through wisdom.”

The lowest level of wisdom development needs thoughts as guidance. The middle level is the ability to see Trilaksana. This is called Vipassana-Panna. When thoughts are still needed, it is called Cintamaya-Panna. The highest level is Lokuttara Panna. This level of wisdom and understanding arises without the mind’s intention. The mind becomes wise by itself. This is the way. One day, you can attain purity, but before that, let the mind be clear and luminous. If it is tainted all day, it cannot separate the aggregates.

If the mind is clear and luminous, it will not be busy. It’ll be restful. With some observation, the mind will see the body and itself as separate entities. The aggregates will be separated and the mind will be stable automatically. Or you can comfortably practice with your practice object. Once the mind wanders off from the practice object, know so. The mind that wanders off will cease, and a stable mind will rise instead. A stable mind arises from having mindfulness seeing the occurring phenomena.

Like, if you get angry and mindfulness knows that anger has arisen, anger will cease, and the mind will automatically be stable. When the mind has wandered off to think and mindfulness knows so, the wandering (which is a form of delusion) will cease and the mind will be stable automatically. Practice peacefully, and the mind will be both stable and luminous. Luminosity arises because of Samatha (peacefulness) practice. Stability arises from observing the unstable, wandering mind. This is a simple trick. But if you’re skillful at Jhana (deep absorption), when the mind reaches the second Jhana or above with mindfulness, you’ll attain a very robust stable mind. This robustness can last up to 7 days. But if you gain stability by knowing the mind that wanders off, that stability won’t last long, so it is called Khanika Samadhi (momentary stability).

Practice patiently without rushing. When you meet a teacher, tame your arrogance. Most of you aren’t full of hubris, but some are. And some of them are monks. They are stuck up. Luang Pu Mun warned these monks by saying “Showing fangs like dogs. Showing tusks like elephants.” Showing egoistic ferocity is like Tiracchana (animals). So, when you study Dhamma, have an open mind that’s ready to receive new things. If your mind is so wholesome, you don’t need to study. You study because your mind is still unwholesome. So, don’t defend your own impurities. Open your mind so Dhamma can be absorbed.

An open mind will be humble and gentle. First, have some acceptance of the teachers. Be humble and respectful of their teachings. When you have some acceptance, you want to be nearby. When you’re nearby, you carefully listen. The Pali scripture says, “When acceptance/faith arises, one approaches the vicinity. Once near, one listens carefully.” This is the ancient text, meaning when you have some faith or confidence, you approach the teacher and carefully listen. Then you practice what you hear to purify your mind.

Some people are very skillful. They attain enlightenment when they’re hearing the teaching. A master was teaching and doing wisdom development at the same time. Then, in a flash, he attained a high level of enlightenment. This really happened. Some attained enlightenment while listening, and some attained enlightenment while teaching. Some attained enlightenment while practicing. Enlightenment can happen at any time once the mind is ready.

So, make sure the mind knows some humility and gentleness. “I’m above you all” isn’t true. If it were true, your mind wouldn’t be suffering. If the mind can suffer, the mind can be burning, and that’s not superiority. Remember that showing your arrogance is like dogs showing off their fangs or elephants showing off their tusks.

Someone wrote a song called “Nok Lae” and the lyrics start with “Nok Lae Kor Kue (is like) Nok Kaew (a parrot).” M.R. Kukrit said that the lyrics are wrong. “Kor Kue” means “is like” or “similar to.” But “Nok Lae” and “Nok Kaew” are exactly the same thing (a parrot). But for northeastern Thai dialect, “Kue” signifies similarity, but not exactness. So, when you study Dhamma, don’t show your fangs or your tusks. That is an animal behavior. Animals have closed minds and cannot absorb Dhamma.