When you are free, don’t just let your mind wander freely. You can breathe mindfully, or keep repeating Bhuddo. Don’t waste your breath by doing nothing. Though there are only 5 minutes or 10 minutes, just keep practicing.
At this temple, there are many fruit flies in the summer. I didn’t know it before moving here, so it didn’t look dangerous to me. When it sat on my skin, I just left it, then it started biting a wound and caused an infection. So you should be careful of it. It is small but dangerous. Have you realized that your mind becomes cautious when I mentioned the fruit flies?
Try to combine practicing to your normal life. Don’t be good at it only when you do formal meditation. If you can’t practice for the remaining time apart from that, then you won’t see any result because each day you have lots of work to do and have only few times for formally meditating. Unlike people in the past, they were farmers. They started working in a field when sunrise and stopped after sunset. Each year, they worked only for one period and they were free for many months, so people who were interested in practicing had plenty of time to practice. Nowadays we are too busy to do it that way. I am not sure if your life is happier than theirs though. We have more amenities, but they had more time. Nevertheless, we have no choice since we were born on this era.
Are you lost? Don’t be an expert only in a meditation room. That’s not enough. Be mindful on whatever you do. As Luang Por used to do before, I use a hand fan in summer to cool myself so I am fanning like this, feeling comfortable, know it, waving, know it. When looking at the arm, it is like a robot. See our body as a robot that is moving, it is not ourselves. In your daily life, you can practice for 2 levels. One is to be mindful and observe your body movement. The other is when the wisdom occurs, that is, the wisdom will occur just for a second to see that the body that is moving is not ourselves, it is just an object like a robot.
Try to perceive in the way of the three characteristics
People like us can practice this way. If you are sitting, then you are aware that the body is sitting. Don’t slip way to think randomly about other things, and ignore your body and mind. If you are aware that you are sitting while you are sitting, then you are mindful. See that only the body is sitting. Here the perception (Sanna) is aware of the three characteristics of the body, for example, Luang Por is aware of being non-self (Anatta). Some people may see impermanence (Anicca) and some may see suffering (Dukkha). Each person will see differently and we can’t choose what to see.
When the perception comes to understand that the body is impermanent, suffering or non-self, the wisdom occurs. When it recognizes the body as the three characteristics, the wisdom also occurs, it will see that the body is under the three characteristics, not ourselves. Be mindful with the existence of our body, the body standing, walking, sitting or lying down, feel it. The mindfulness is one to feel and the perception is one to understand. For most people, when they feel their body, the perception recognizes the body as themselves. Do you notice that whenever you feel your body you feel that it is yourselves? That’s why the wisdom doesn’t occur for many people because they have never perceived that the body is non-self.
We can practice by observing our body in the way of the three characteristics. If you are adept at impermanence, then you can see that the body breathing in has occurred and gone, the body breathing out has occurred and gone, the body standing, walking, sitting, lying down has occurred and gone, the body that is moving or staying still has occurred and gone. Be mindful continuously. If the perception doesn’t perceive the three characteristics, then we have to help it to consider in such the way. When it sees the arising and falling, we already have a good perception in the way of impermanence. It is called Anicca-sanna (contemplation on impermanency). Good perceptions for vipassana meditation are Anicca-sanna (contemplation on impermanency), Dukkha-sanna (contemplation on dissatisfactions) and Anatta-sanna (contemplation on impersonality). These are the perceptions of impermanence, the state of being compelled, and the state of being uncontrollable, respectively. The mind will understand any one of the three characteristics as it likes.
When people with lots of faith see a body, they will see it as changing frequently, for example, the body breathing in has occurred and gone, the body breathing out has occurred and gone. For people with strong wisdom, they mostly see a body in the sense of Anatta-sanna, for example, when sitting, they see that the body is sitting not they are sitting, the body is breathing not they are breathing. If we feel it this way, then you are practicing vipassana meditation, that is, you can recognize the three characteristics of materiality and mentality. If the perception can’t recognize the three characteristics, then you can help it by contemplating in such a way.
As before, a venerable teacher in a forest monastery would tell disciples to repeat bhuddo and contemplating the body. When they repeated bhuddo until their minds became calm and concentrated, but it didn’t have a perception of the three characteristics. Then the teacher would tell the disciples to contemplate components of the body: head hair, body hair, nail, teeth, skin, flesh, tendon, bone, in the way that each of them is just a matter element, not themselves, not theirs and impermanent. For example, head hair is impermanent because it changes from black to grey, short to long and then falling. This way of contemplation is to stimulate the good perception to start processing. However, if some people practiced the wisdom development from their past lives or they heard about it in this life already, then their mind can perceive the three characteristics unintentionally.
Therefore, if the mind can perceive the three characteristics without intention, then we don’t need to help it to contemplate the three characteristics because it will cause more burdens to the mind. For example, when you fan, if the mind recognizes by itself that the body that is moving is not ourselves, then the perception knows correctly and the wisdom arises to see that the body is not ourselves. The wisdom is the cutter to stop the wrong perception, wrong view and wrong attachment. When there is a clinging, there is the wrong view. Wisdom and mindfulness work together in the way that the wisdom is the cutter and the mindfulness is the catcher that catches all current phenomena of how the body is, how the thought is, and whatever arising from the body and mind at that moment. However, some people may not gain any wisdom even though the mindfulness detects the present phenomena.
For example, we are aware of our body breathing and don’t think about anything, just concentrate at the body breathing, then we only become calmness and practice Samatha meditation, there is no wisdom to gain. But if the perception can understand that the body breathing in is not permanent, the body breathing out is not permanent, breathing to avoid suffering, eating to avoid suffering, defecating to avoid suffering, then this is the right practice to develop wisdom. It is the best if the mind can perceive the three characteristics on its own. If it does not, that is, the mindfulness catches the present phenomena but it does not develop the wisdom, then we must help it by contemplating the three characteristics. However, it is the best if it understands the three characteristics on its own, such as, it sees that the body that is sitting is just an object that is sitting and it is not ourselves. If it gets the wrong understanding, then it will see that we are sitting, we are breathing in and we are breathing out. The right perception is to see that only the object is breathing and it is not ourselves.
If the right understanding occurs more often, the right thinking will occur whenever we think, and the right view will also arise afterward
From the right understanding, the wisdom will clarify the wrong views. If the right understanding occurs more often, the right thinking will occur whenever we think, and the right view will also arise afterward. The wrong understanding makes us see our body as ourselves or body sitting as we are sitting, and that misleads us to believe in the existence of selfness. Thus, we use mindfulness to be aware of the being of our body and use the perception to see the body in the way of the three characteristics, whichever it can see. Continue knowing like this, then at some point we will gain the wisdom as the right understanding or the right knowing. The wisdom here will clear the wrong views, wrong understandings, and the wrong thoughts that cause us the clinging. When the right understandings take place, we will see that our body is not ourselves just an object, and hence no more clinging to it. This is how the process of the practice works.
The mindfulness and the perception will develop until the wisdom arises. Wisdom doesn’t occur from thinking. If we think to attain the wisdom, then it is only the wisdom resulting from reflection (Cintamaya-panna), it is partly mixed with thought. The wisdom that can eliminate the defilements is Vipassana Panna, the wisdom with insight. Vipassana comes from the words “Vi” and “Passana”. The word “Passana” means seeing or knowing, and “vi” means clearly knowing, truthful knowing, or right knowing, that is to understand the three characteristics, to understand that it is non-self. We can also be aware of matters (Rupa), feeling (Vedana), perception (Sanna), mental formation (Sankhara), consciousness (Vinnana) in the same understanding that it is non-self. Luang Por gave the example of the body contemplation, but in fact, you can start contemplating from any one of body, feeling, mind or phenomena (Dhammanupassana) whichever you can.
Be aware of a body, then the perception understands the three characteristics of a body, and later the wisdom arises. Be aware of the feelings, the feeling of happiness or suffering, then the perception understands correctly and later the wisdom occurs and no more holding. When the wisdom arises, it will let go of the holdings. The wisdom is the stopper to release. It will let go by itself. No one can order the wisdom to occur, it happens when we keep developing mindfulness and perceives the truth correctly. When we are sitting, don’t think that we are sitting, just try to feel it. If you can’t feel it by yourselves, then try to feel that the matter is sitting and keep knowing like this continuously until you know it unintentionally. When the body is moving, it will know that the matter is moving and it isn’t you. When you have the right understanding, the right thoughts also occur and later the right view arises. The right view is the wisdom, that is, if you have the right understanding, then the right view, which is the wisdom, will arise.
Some practitioners dislike perception (Sanna) and say that the perception is not good and it is an opponent to wisdom. In fact, the perception is necessary and it will occur with all types of minds. There is no mind without perception, only just that it is either right or wrong perception. Some dhamma phenomena occur with all types of minds, for example, feelings (Vedana), like happy, unhappy, neutral, occur with all types of minds. The arahants’ minds still have feelings, but they are mental happiness (Somanassa-vedana) and indifferent feeling (Upekkha-vedana). For non- arahants’ mind, there are 3 kinds of feelings which are happy (Somanassa), unhappy (Domanassa) and neutral (Upekkha). Perception also occurs with all kinds of minds. The perception of normal people that have never heard about dhamma is the distorted perception (Sanna-vipallasa) and the perception of people who practice dhamma will be the correct perception which is the one that can see the three characteristics. This is the great perception.
Therefore, don’t hate the perception. Perception occurs together with all kinds of minds, but it will perceive either the right views or the wrong views. Most people, if they have never practiced dhamma or never heard about dhamma before, will see their bodies as themselves whenever they look at it. When the body is sitting, feeling itchy, being anything, or when the mind is happy, unhappy, who is happy?, we are happy, who is unhappy?, we are unhappy, who is greedy?, we are greedy, who is angry?, we are angry, who is lost?, we are lost. If we know correctly, then the body is not ourselves, the feeling of happiness or unhappiness is not ourselves, what is good or bad is not ourselves, the mind is not ourselves. There is no ourselves. Matter isn’t ourselves, feelings isn’t ourselves, perception isn’t ourselves, mental formation isn’t ourselves, the mind which is consciousness isn’t ourselves, there is no ourselves. This is the wisdom. If the power of percepts (Sila), meditation (Samadhi) and the wisdom are combined and powerful enough, then supramundane wisdom (Lokuttara-panna) will occur and clean up defilements and bondages (Samyojana) in the mind permanently.
Therefore, don’t hate the perception and try to perceive it correctly instead, for example, when your boyfriend/girlfriend is walking toward you, most people will perceive wrongly and think that her boyfriend/ his girlfriend is coming, but if you understand correctly, you will know that it is just a phenomenon and a matter is moving, like an object moving, however, this will happen after practicing in more advanced level. Now, just keep observing yourselves, considering other people is harder. Be aware of yourselves. Try to ask your mind, “what is sitting?”. You are sitting or the body is sitting? Who feel that you are sitting? Raise your hand. Be honest. Very good. Who see that a matter or object is sitting? Raise your hand. How’s about the remaining, you don’t see anything? Most of you are confused. Luang Por already told you to ask your mind whether you feel that the thing, that is sitting right now, is you are sitting or just a matter is sitting. If you feel that you are sitting, then your perception isn’t correct which is called the distorted perception (Sanna-vipallasa).
To have “Sanna-vipallasa” (distorted perception) doesn’t mean that you are crazy, but you understand wrongly form the truth. Our body is not ourselves, it is just an object. Basically, A body comes from the cells of your father and mother, half from each and then consumes water, air, food, which belong to the world, to grow up. Do you see that all belong to the world? It isn’t yours. It isn’t yourselves. For example, some people do pig farming. So, they feed the pigs by rice or rice bran. After the pigs grow up, who are the owner of them? They will say that the pigs are theirs. People in the world will be like this. Our body is the same as a pig that we are feeding so it is ours. If you understand correctly, we will see that a body is just an object that elements come in or come out all the time.
Therefore, practice to be mindful of your body. If you are mindful of the body, then try to see more that the body is under the three characteristics. Don’t just see that it is yours. Then the wisdom, right knowing, right understanding, will occur and that can wipe out defilements. The defilement here is the wrong knowledge and all of the wrong understandings. It is the ignorance (Avijja). The ignorance can be wiped out by Vijja, the ultimate wisdom. Then just be mindful. If you are aware of a body, then perceive the three characteristics of the body.
An object for the mind to know and for the mindfulness to be aware of
If the mind doesn’t perceive that we need to help it considering that a body is just an object and just a solid element that there are elements flowing in and out. A body is suffering all the time. A body is suffering if it sits, walks, stands or lies down for a long time. If it feels too hungry or too full, it is then suffered. Even when it wants to use a restroom, it is also suffering. By observing the phenomena of the body sufferings, we already perceive correctly in the way of Dhukka. If we see a body as a solid element or object, then we perceive it in the way of non-self (Anatta). It isn’t a human, animal, ourselves or oneself. To perceive the impermanence of a body, it can be done in many levels. For the rough level, you can see that now your body becomes the body of a young person, but before it was just a baby; or it is now old, but it was young before. Our body isn’t permanent at all. Here is the rough level. For the detailed level, we can observe that the body breathing-in isn’t permanent, the body breathing-out isn’t permanent neither.
The roughest level is to consider what happened in the long period of time, for example, comparing pictures of yourselves 2-3 years ago to the pictures taken 5 or 10 years ago you will see that a body isn’t permanent. Before you were small and now you become bigger, or you were beautiful but now there are lots of wrinkles. This consideration of pictures will help you to see the impermanence of your body and will trigger the knowing of impermanence of the body. It can be done by many levels from the rough, medium to the finest. The finest level is to see right at each moment or instance.
This is the consideration on a body, just keep being mindful to the body and see it in the way of three characteristics, just keep on knowing it. However, you can’t know the three characteristics without seeing the real object. For example, when you are aware of the body sitting and realize that it is impermanent, suffering and non-self, by knowing this way the wisdom from insight-knowledge will occur. If you are sitting but thinking of how you looked like in the past and imagine how your face will be when you get old, then it is a contemplation without real objects. It is no use and too much thinking. It is just a discursive thought in dhamma.
Sometimes it can happen that you think constantly until the mind converges, it then becomes Samatha meditation not vipassana one. For Vipassana meditation, you need to see real phenomena, realize the truth of them and understand the truths from what actually happen, not from your imagination. Some other places may teach their followers to contemplate the three characteristics all the times and keep thinking without consciousness, in that case the consciousness immerses in thoughts and keeps on thinking that a body is not oneself, then this practice will at most lead to a Samatha meditation that brings a calm mind. We then have to practice with real phenomena by having the objects for the mind to know and for the consciousness to be aware of.
Venerable father Budh Thaniyo always taught that “there must be an object for the mind to know and for the mindfulness to be aware of”. For example, we can use our body to be an object for the mind to know and for the mindfulness to be aware of. When we are aware of the body, like the body sitting, or the body moving, it is a Samatha meditation, but if we perceive correctly, then we can see that the body is not ourselves, and hence the wisdom occurs. This wisdom is an insight knowledge that can eliminate defilements. If there is no real phenomenon, then it can be only the wisdom resulting from reflection (Cintamaya-panna), just an imagination by yourselves.
If you keep on thinking while listening to Luang Por teaching and become understanding, this wisdom is a knowledge that is learned from others, called Sutamaya-panna. The knowledge that is thought out without seeing real phenomena is Cintamaya-panna. If we have an object for the mind to be rooted at, it is called a basis of mindfulness (Satipatthana) because the mind needs to have a basis to be aware of. This is what Venerable father Budh Thaniyo called an object for the mind to know and for the mindfulness to be aware of. He said “to have an object to be known by the mind”. Do you see that the body is an object that is known? What is known is called “a known object” according to his words. Here a body is a known object and is the object for the mindfulness to be aware of. That is, the mindfulness is aware of this body.
If you have ever heard about the three characteristics or ever practiced or developing wisdom before, then your mind will perceive the three characteristics unintentionally. If it can’t realize the three characteristics, you can help it by contemplating in the way of the three characteristics, this contemplation must be under real phenomena to have an object for the mind to know and for the mindfulness to be aware of, for example, a body, feelings, mental formations, volitional of good or bad activities. Today Luang Por only give an example about contemplating a body. If Luang Por talk about all of them at once, then you will get confused and won’t be able to catch the concepts. Just only this, do you understand the concept of the practicing? When you are aware of your body, then the body becomes a known object for the mind, it becomes the thing to bear the awareness of the mind, and the object for the mindfulness to be aware of. If it is moving, then the mindfulness is aware of the movement and the perception will realize that it is impermanent, suffering and non-self, just only one of them. For example, Luang Por see that it is non-self (Anatta), it isn’t Luang Por, just an object, a solid element, then the mind will cut defilements off. The cutter here is the wisdom.
There was a time I went to pay respect to Venerable father Budh Thaniyo. A road in his temple was full of dog poop that I had to walk carefully otherwise I would step on it. While I was walking, my mind felt disgusted but still bearable until I met the champion, the biggest pile. This pile was wet and there were worms on it. Many big files landed on it and flying out. I was worried that it would fly toward me, so my mind felt extremely disgusted, however, at that moment the consciousness perceived the truth of the dog poop and then the mind became composed. The wisdom occurred to differentiate the dog poop that the smell came in the air, and the wet part was the water element. When the mind was aware of it and powerful enough, the mind jumped into the dog poop and separated it into 4 elements: the part that was the water element, the part that was the air element, the part that was the fire element, and eventually the poop was just the earth element, there was no clean or dirty. It was a process that the mind came to understand that the dog poop was just elements, and so the wisdom occurred with the right understanding that it was just a matter element. There was neither pleasure nor displeasure, instead it was neutral, the same as the land that was clean and beautiful.
This is an example of the process that after seeing the poop, the mind felt disgusted, be aware of that, so a right concentration occurred, then the mind jumped into the poop to perceive its being as elements, and finally the wisdom stopped the feeling of disgust. After that I walked happily with no worries about the poop, however, I didn’t step on it at all because I was mindful. It wasn’t like that you had to be neutral and stepped on each pile to train the mind not to feel disgusted, that isn’t the right way. When we are mindful, we will know what we should or shouldn’t do. To step on it is what we should not to do. Luang Por considered the dog poop in the right way, and after that I went to see Venerable father Budh and he said to me that “Oh…the practitioner, you look so bright today what have you done?”. I said “I have just seen the dog poop”. The example of the dog poop here is an example for you to practice.
When we consider our body, it is the same as the dog poop. Does the body have earth element, water element, air element and fire element? If we are aware that it is just a matter element that consists of earth element, water element, air element and fire element, then the wisdom will stop the wrong understanding. This body is not ourselves or ours. It is an element that belongs to the world, there is nothing to get hold of because it isn’t ours, why we have to get hold of it. Try to look at your body and compare it to the dog poop as Luang Por told you. The mind must be composed. As Luang Por saw the dog poop and the mind felt disgusted, then the consciousness was aware of the feeling of disgust, the feeling was gone, then the mind became concentrated, later on when eyes saw the dog poop the perception knew that the dog poop was just a matter element, it wasn’t disgusting, adorable or hateful. When we develop the wisdom until we are free, there is no love, no hate, no covetousness (Abhijjha), no pleasure, no displeasure (Domanassa).
The attachment is cut by the wisdom
Therefore, the foundations of mindfulness (Satipatthana) begins with having a certain object of consciousness (Vihara-dhamma) for the mind to know and for the mindfulness to be aware of. For example, you say that you have a body with in body to be an object of consciousness, but instead you just see the body and enjoy life. That isn’t called having an object of consciousness. You must have earnestness and perseverance to overcome defilements. It isn’t just observing a body and staying comfortably. We must observe a body so that defilements won’t be accumulated or developed more. To have clear comprehension (Sampajanna) is to know that we practice for the right knowing and the right understanding. All venerables said “Kaye Kayanupassi Viharati”. “Viharati” is to be an object of consciousness, “Atapi” is to have perseverance to burn down defilements, “Sampajano” is to have the clear comprehension for what to do and for what reasons, and to have mindfulness.
After having mindfulness, there is the statement “Vineyya Loke Abhijjhadomanassam (having removed pleasure and unpleasure towards the world)” If you observe a body and feel unpleasant, or hate the body, then it isn’t correct. It is not the level of developing the wisdom because a mental sensation can still occupy your mind. If you practice correctly, then you will observe it like Luang Por saw the dog poop. There will be no love nor feeling love, no hate, no pleasure, no unpleasure. The mind becomes impartial, no struggling with anything, and so it reaches an equanimity which is a state of being clam and peaceful. The mind that stays equanimous is the mind with the ultimate happiness. Nirvana is the void state as said “Nibbanam Paramam Sukham: nirvana is the ultimate happiness”. What is called “nirvana”? It is the ending of craving (Tanha). When we have no craving and no desire, the mind will stop moving to fabrications and then it reaches the state of peaceful happiness.
If you see dog poop and your mind feels disgusted, and then it becomes jiggling. The consciousness is aware that the mind isn’t neutral, that is, eyes see a matter, and the consciousness is aware of the non-equanimity of the mind, then the composed mind occurs and recognizes its being as a matter, so the mind stops the feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction toward the dog poop. For you guys, you can contemplate your body until you feel love or hate toward it. See the body as one pile of a dog poop, but this plie is quite big. Just keep practicing. This is an example of contemplating a body. It is the same for contemplating feelings. When happiness occurs and the mind feels pleasure and satisfied, just aware of it. Passion (Raga) arises and falls, the mind then becomes composed. A perception recognizes happiness, sadness, aloofness, and others. The perception is aware of its impermanence, or non-self. It arises by itself and falls by itself. Later the wisdom will occur, all perceptions has no essentials, the mind then let go of the clinging. The attachment is cut by the wisdom.
The wisdom is the cutter while the mindfulness is the holder that catches phenomena. When the mind becomes composed, a perception recognizes the phenomena. Then the wisdom occurs. It will cut the wrong understanding, and the mind will be in an equanimous state. It stops fabricating any state. Happiness or unhappiness are the same, they both arise and fall. When feeling happy, the mind isn’t lost in pleasure, and it stops all covetousness (Abhijjha). When feeling distressed, the mind isn’t lost in sadness, and it stops a painful mental feeling (Domanassa). It lets go by itself. The mind has no covetousness, no griefs, no pleasure nor unpleasure, no more craving, the mind then stops fabricating and reaches the ultimate peace (Santi) which is the nirvana.
Another way is to know mental formations or fabrications of good or evil state, such as greed, hate, being lost. For example, greed occurs and the consciousness is aware of it, then the greed sudden falls and the mind becomes rooted in awareness. The consciousness realizes furthermore that the mental formations such as greed that occurred, arises by itself and falls by itself. When we know defilements, we know after it has occurred unlike knowing the body. When we perceive the body, we perceive it right away that it is moving. To see that the mind is being greedy, hateful, or lost, we see it after its occurrence. We see that the mind has just felt hatred but now it is rooted in awareness. Then the perception contemplates that the hate occurs by itself and falls by itself, we didn’t stop it. When the consciousness is aware of the hate, it falls by itself. It arises and falls by itself, it isn’t ourselves nor ours.
This is how we see mental formations. We just practice the same way and the same principle. The tool is the consciousness or the mindfulness. Have a composed mind to have a right concentration, have the perception to recognize correctly, Wisdom occurs to stop the wrong understandings. When the wisdom is strong enough, then it becomes the transcendental wisdom (Lokuttara-panna) which is the wisdom for the (four) noble paths (Ariyamagga). If the wisdom happening for the noble paths is the supramundane wisdom, then the perception occurring at the same time must be the supramundane perception (Lokuttara-sanna). Therefore, for the supramundane state it doesn’t mean that there is nothing. I have told you that perception occurs with all kind of minds. In a supramundane mind (Lokuttara-citta), there are also perception, feelings, and attentiveness (Manasikara). When the mind perceives mental states with the supramundane mind, it is one-pointedness (Ekaggata) that can know only one state at a time.
Hence in the supramundane state, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing. There is the supramundane mind and also a mental factor called Cetasika, which is a supramundane mental factor (Lokuttara-cetasika). The supramundane mental factor will do its job. Defilements also do the job to create a state of existence (Bhava) and rebirth (Jati) for us. The Noble Paths (Ariyamagga) do the job to eradicate a state of existence (Bhava) and rebirth (Jati). However, the Noble Fruits (Ariyaphala) have no duty. All duties have ended at the noble paths and noble Fruits. The noble fruits are like the big prizes you receive after all hard and exhausted fighting ended. After receiving the big prizes, you will only wait for the jackpot. It’s just like that we practice until we reach the final state that we get all of the big prizes, the remaining time we have is to wait for the jackpot which is the Nirvana.
The Buddha said that the Arahant is like the person who finish all his duty and only wait for his wages. The greatest prize is the Arahant’s mind which is the mind in the state of the noble fruits. It is the mind with no more struggles and fabrications. In the Fruit of the Worthy One (Arahattaphala), the mind sees the time when the aggregates (Khandha) and elements (Dhatu) pass away and become extinct with no fear. The purified mind has no clinging to any of them, and see that the five aggregates are sufferings. But for you, you don’t see that the five aggregates are sufferings, that’s why you become suffered and worried when they are passing away. The Arahant sees the five aggregates as sufferings. If the sufferings are dying, the Arahant feels joyful instead of mournful because there is no more burden to take care of, no need to take it to a restroom in the morning, no need to bush teeth for it, and no need to feed it.
Thus, we just keep on practicing and review what Luang Por taught today. See your body as a dog poop and keep knowing it. That’s it for the teaching today. I planned to teach easy dhamma, however, it becomes difficult every time. It’s because before I already taught a lot of easy dhamma. I have taught for 2,000 tracks already without no books, no memorizing or no scripts. I just teach according to you, the audiences. So, all of the dog poops here just keep on being mindful.
Wat Suansantidham
29 April 2023