Just know-Nibbana: Revised by (Ramona) “Look! Pahiya.. As when you see, just see; when you hear, just hear; when you know, just know; when you enlighten, just know that you are enlightened. At the moment, you will not exist. You will not exist in this world, in the next world, nor in between. That is the end of suffering.” – Lord Buddha’s saying. “Just know; just know your mind as it is. Whatever your mind shows or feels, just know it as it is. Don’t try to make it to be as you want, just know. This is the path. Just knowing is the present. No matter how the mind is, just know it as it is. This is the pathway of Arahants. You shouldn’t want anything. As for the mind is not good, you want it to be good. When your mind is something, you want it to be another…This is Kiles-Tanha which is the opposite way of Nibbana,; it is not the way Buddha or Arahants do.” – Luang Pu Ta Charudhammo Preface As there are so many people discussed with Ajarn about their problems about the practice, we have had opportunities to listen most of the problems. Sometimes, ajarn also told many stories for clearer understanding. Some problems are repetitive but it occurred with different people, even us. Nevertheless, ajarn has always been so kinds showing the right way until many problems are cleared. We have seen that these problems are very useful for practitioners and we would also want to minimize the workload for ajarn so that he wouldn’t have to answer the same questions over and over again. So we asked the permission from ajarn to gather all questions in writing. Even though all questions are not recorded, we have done our best to reserve all detail as close as what actually happened. Then ajarn made the some edits, especially in his answering part, he would also exemplify the parts that are essential in order for many people can follow the practice. Those who read this book should also read …….or listen to ajarn’s teaching in CD and have been practicing mind training to get clearer understanding. You should also read this book repeatedly to prevent the mal-practice or misunderstand something during the practice because if you misunderstand for a little, it can create a lot of misunderstanding. In addition, you should find time to ask and talk Dharma to ajarn who can guide you through the process in order to develop your mind faster. We hope that this book will be very useful to anyone who is interested in practicing Dharma.
“…We do not see Dharma as something else that causes disasters, like being careless, lazy, greed, unconsciousness, - Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” “Those who were born with a lot of boon and parami but hang around with those who are bad can lower themselves to those bad people. Though some who wasn’t born with lots of boonparami, stay around with those who are good can increase their boon-parami. Therefore, you should associate yourself with good people to increase your boon-parami.”- Luang Pu Mun Phuritatto Page1 The misconception of the essence of Buddhism S: I have heard someone saying Buddhism only teaches people to meditate by sitting still, closing their eyes or walking slowly which cannot bring it into use in everyday life. I don’t agree with them but I just don’t know how to explain to them. A: This is the misunderstanding. Buddhism doesn’t teach anything like that but it teaches people to correct their own bad habits. Because of these habits, they cause suffering and troubles to themselves and others. Each person has different habits, such as, being obsessed with desire, lust and passion, being greedy, tempered, frustrated, depressed, worried, and many more. S: So what is the way to fix all these bad habits? A: Just try to have sati, Samadhi, and panna and also you must have sacca (the strong will and keep that promise) to ease all bad things and do good deeds. Train your mind according to the Buddha’s teaching. Have Viriya (perseverance) continually to keep doing what you have promised to do. Have Khanti (patience) by not following your own desire to talk or think or act in the way that creates kiles and tanha (defilements and craving) to cause suffering and trouble to yourself and others. Have Hiri-Ottappa (moral shame and moral fear) to all papa (sins) and Have Metta-Karuna (goodwill and compassion) towards others. S: Will there be any effect to our normal life in the world? A: Certainly! When you fix your bad habits, your mind will have Samadhi, and become peaceful. You will have Samadhi, sati, and panna in studying or working as your mind doesn’t wander around anymore. You will make better progress in your work and in your life. This teaching can be brought into real life.
PG2 Determination can generate more boon and parami (good virtue) S: I don’t know what is wrong with me. I have been mediating and practicing Dharma for a long time but I cannot understand anything nor see Dharma through. I’m afraid that I would die before I could reach the core of Dharma. A: You don’t have enough boon and parami. Still you can make it. You must have strong will to practice Dharma. Your mind must be like Bhuddha, Dharma, and Arahant. That is your mind must be out of all fire: Raga (lust and greed), Dosa (hatred), and Moha (delusion). Making boon and parami by having sacca to have the mind like Arahant. Remind yourself all the time that there are Bhudda, Dharma, Sangkha, and Ajarn knowing all your mind, your thought, your speech, and your action. Have perseverance to do as you give sacca Have Khanti (patience) not to follow your own kiles or desire Have Hiri-Ottappa (moral shame and fear) in doing sins or bad deeds If you can do as you give sacca, it will be boon and parami right away. This is the fastest way to gain boon and parami. But it is the most difficult to succeed it as you aim for. You must be true to yourself and be serious about it in order to accomplish it. “Only the true person will get the real thing” PG3 “…What are the 2 Dharma that is Vijja? Those two are Samatha and Vipassana. What is the good of Samatha? It trains the mind. What is the good the trained mind? It eliminates lust and passion. What is the good of Vipassana? It trained wisdom. What is the good of the trained wisdom? It eliminates Avijja (ignorance and delusion).” “…the tainted mind full of raga cannot be free or the tainted panna (wisdom) full of avijja cannot be progressed. As a result, the extinction of raga is Cetovimutti-deliverance of mind. The extinction of avijja is Pannavimutti-liberation through wisdom.” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam”
PG5 Samatha and Vipassana S: I have just started the training. A: Your mind is still weak. You don’t have Samadhi and are full of worries and proliferation. You must meditate in order to train your mind to have Samadhi. Practice by having sati to a mind luring object e.g. reciting “Bhuddho”, know your breath, know the movement of your hands or body in every action, or stay with work you are doing in every present moment. S: While practicing samatha by staying with a mind luring object, I notice that my mind tends to wander around. I’m not sure if I know the thinking mind or I try to pull it back. A: It is not correct to know the mind while you are practicing samatha. The right way is to have sati-sampajanna, knowing your body all through while staying with the luring object clearly continuously. Whenever your sati is lost, try to be aware of it, know yourself and get back to the luring object clearly and continuously. Then your mind will come back to that object once again. By having sati-sampajanna, knowing yourself along with staying with the mind luring object, it means that your mind does not wander around. You don’t need to care or know about the thoughts or try to pull your thought back. If you practice samatha but try to know the thought, your mind will not be Ekaggata (one-pointedness of mind or concentration), meaning that your mind doesn’t become one with the mind luring object. PG10 How to know the breathing S1: Why do I feel suffocated when I try to know the breathing in and out? A: Because you are not relaxed and you just don’t know the breathing naturally but you keep interfering with it. S1: Just when I start to observe the breathing, I get suffocated. A: You don’t only know the breathing, but you also have Cittasaïkhàra or mental formation interfering it. You want it to be the way you want. It is tanha. This causes suffering which in this case the suffocation. S1: How should I correct it? A: You must feel relaxed. When you are breathing in, recite “Bud” and when your are breathing out, recite “Dho”. By doing this, your mind will have a job to do. As when you’re breathing in,
your mind’s job is to recite “Bud”, and when you’re breathing out, your mind’s job is to recite “Dho”. At the same time, your sati-sampajanna will know the body all the time that every breathing in an out, your mind is always recite “Buddho” continuously. When the mind and sati have something to do, they will not interfere with the breathing. S2: Why do I feel sleepy or drowsy when I try to know the breathing? A: Because you are out of sati so you get carried away with the light and tranquil feeling without knowing the breathing in and out clearly continually or you might have suppressed the mind. S2: How do I correct it? A: You should know the detail of your breathing clearly and continuously. For example, know if the breathing in and out is delicate or rough, short or long, gentle or strong. Notice when the breathing is calm, your mind is also calm. Then you will see that in the calmness, there is the tainted mind or the movement of the mind. PG12 “It is true that the way to develop panna must use Samadhi; but it doesn’t have to be jhana. Just use the tranquil mind that is free from nivarana (5 hindrances) is enough to be the base for vipassana.” “As when you lose sati, you lose perseverance; even when you meditate by walking or sitting, it’s just only you do it without knowing. This is not the perseverance. Therefore, you must emphasize on Sati more than any other Dharma because Sati is the important root of all perseverance. Keep going until it becomes maha-sati (great sati) and panna will come along. At the beginning, you need more sati to achieve the calmness, but later you must have sati and panna altogether until the end.”-Luang Pu Mun Phuritatto PG15 Understanding about the self awareness A: Why do you look so groomed? S: I saw the lightness in the mind and I tried not to care then I lost sati. When I spoke to others, I just lost sati-sampajanna, forgetting about myself, not to care about the lightness or get carried away with the thoughts. A: This shows that you have misunderstood about having Sati-which is about knowing or recalling what is going on and Sampajanna-which is the self-awareness. As when something happens, you try to be aware of your body or focus on your body (just like having an arrow shooting at your body). This will cause the discomfort or dullness. And by trying to tell yourself
not to cling on to something, it is already the attachment because you don’t want to get attached or are afraid of being attached. S: While I am talking or working, if I am not aware of the body, will I get carried away with the talk or the thought? A: While talking, be aware of your body, along with talking. While working, be aware of yourself, along with working. Don’t get carried away or proliferate to others. Your mind stays with the conversation or with the things you are doing at that moment continuously. This is SatiSampajanna every moment. But if your mind wanders around, thinking about something else within these 3 cases, your sati-sampajanna is lost: 1. While seeing or talking with people you like or don’t like or while doing something, standing, walking, sitting, or lying down, your sati is lost. Avijja, Tanha, and Upadana will occur; then your mind wanders around or proliferates or thinks about someone or something around you. You become impatient; your mind is struggling, demanding something. If it is something or someone you don’t like, you want to complain or condemn about that or want to get rid of it, or want it to disappear. Just have sati, recalling and knowing that. Have sati-sampajanna being with the talking, working, or any actions at that moment right away. But if you have sati-sampajjana every moment, your mind still proliferates. Just know it at that moment. Don’t get carried away and become avijja, tanha, upadana. Have satisampajjana being with the talking or working at that moment. Don’t try to observe the mind or try to do anything with the proliferated mind at the moment. This is called having sati-sampajjana. 2. While seeing or talking or working or doing any actions, but your mind wanders outside. Sati is lost, causing avijja, tanha, upadana. Your mind wanders around until you cling on to that pleasure or happiness. Just have sati, knowing that and have sampajanna, being aware of yourself, along with that talk or activities in every present moment. PG17 3. While seeing or talking or doing any activities, sati is lost, causing avijja, tanha, upadana and your mind wanders outside. Then you try to concentrate on the feeling, trying to focus on the body or observing the mind all the time. You struggle to have the mind stayed the way you want. Have sati, knowing that you are trying to do such thing. Then have sampajanna, being aware of yourself, along with the talking, working, or any activities at the present moment right away. If without these 3 actions, mentioned above, this is called having sati-sampajanna, being aware of yourself in every present moment. By having sati-panna, see-just see, hear-just hear, and just know all actions both through mind and body; just know or know whatever happens straightforwardly according to what actually happens in every present moment, avijja, tanha,
upadana will not occur. It is the end of the attachment. You will reach nibbana or free from suffering. But be careful, not to try to block out all those 3 cases to happen. It will become tanha. What you should do is to have sati, knowing that (the mind wanders outside or proliferates to 3 cases) at the moment when sati is lost. When you have sati or know that you lose sati, have sapajanna, being aware of yourself and stay with that talking, working or any activities in every present moment. PG18 Working and Sati-Sampajanna S: I work all day and I don’t really know what is going on around me or don’t observe the mind. Does this mean I have sati-sampajanna? A: Are you aware of yourself when your mind wanders around? S: Not really! A: If you don’t know what is going on whether your mind proliferates or not, this means that you don’t have sati-sampajanna. You have to practice having sati-sampajanna both while working and not working. You have to have sati-sampajanna in every movement in every present moment; especially you should keep walking a lot. If you proliferate a lot, walk faster or even run. S: But while I was walking, I can’t walk for long because I got sleepy. A: This is because Sati-Sampajanna is lost. So it suppressed the mind to stay still or it caught the lightness in the mind, which causes the sleepiness. Or before you walked, you ate too much and your mind proliferates too much. You have to eat less, sleep less and work hard on the practice. Don’t get too carried away. PG20 “…if the monk relieves from satisfaction and dissatisfaction that occur instantly without any effort, just like a person with good eyes blinks, Upekkha will remain (at that particular moment)…” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG20
“Whatever you try to keep in good condition in this world is not yet compared to keeping the mind. It is the best in this world. If you have the mind, you have Dhamma. If you see the mind, you see Dhamma. If you know the mind, you know Dhamma. And if you reach the mind, you reach Nibbana.” - Luang Pu Mun Phuritatto PG21 How to be aware of yourself S: After a few days since I met you, I felt confused. So I analyzed myself if I was over awake or alert. But when I didn’t try to stay awake, I felt dull. So I thought that what I did was right. The question is when we are sitting, and we try to move ourselves all the time, this will be like blocking the thought. But if we don’t move all the time, we then try to know it accordingly. Is this correct? A: Don’t follow the thought or try to know but have sati knowing when the mind gets carried away, thinking without knowing yourself. S: But if I don’t move, it’s like there is no one to wake me up. A: If sati is lost, the mind will be Cittasankhara (mental formation) or the mind will wander outside. You have to have sampajanna, being aware of yourself altogether with any activities you are doing in that present moment. But when you have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of what you are doing in every present moment without getting carried away or getting attached to anything, without trying to push any thoughts nor feelings away, just know through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind (especially the mind). When you feel something, think about something, or have any emotions both good and bad, just know or know it as it is. Don’t make the mind be the way you want or don’t want and don’t try to block the thoughts, emotions, or feelings from the mind and choose only the things you want. S: While I was walking in the park, firstly, I walked fast and I felt relaxed. When I heard the sound of the ball, I thought of a player, then I came to know myself again. A: If you think and are still aware of yourself (you intend to think) or in the case that you have sati-sampajanna, knowing every moment but your mind still proliferates and you know it. This is called having sati. Then you just know it or see the mind as it happens at that moment, the same as your eyes see things, your ears hear things. Just know it as it is. See, just see; know, just know accordingly as it is every present moment. But if you lose sati, thinking without knowing. You must have sati to recall or know it right away and have sampajanna to be aware of yourself in that present moment as well. You have to be alert and be aware of yourself in case that you lose sati: your mind proliferates, it gets carried away, it wanders around, it feels dull, or it sinks into one state. You must have sati
and sampajanna, knowing and being aware of what is going on at the present moment. If you don’t have anything to do, have sati and sampajanna knowing your every movement. Don’t pull your mind back and concentrate to the body. Just be alert and be aware of yourself in every action or movement in the present moment. Don’t let the mind get carried away without knowing. If you try to concentrate your feeling toward your body, your mind will be set or tainted. Once you try to push your feeling outside, you will feel dull or uncomfortable. S: As you said that “know it and let it go, or know it fast and let it go quickly.” What does this mean? A: I mean that if sati remains, just know or know it as it is through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Or simply know accordingly as it is in every present moment. This is called “Know it and let it go or don’t get attached to it.” in every present moment. But if sati is lost, and your mind gets carried away, just have sati to recall it or know it fast and have sampajanna to be aware of yourself in everything you do in the present moment. Then the things that are known or have an influence over the mind at that moment will be let go automatically. This is “know fast and let go quickly”. Remember that by having sati-sampajanna, it doesn’t mean making the things that are known disappear. Just have sati-sampajanna every time your sati is lost. For all things that are known, including thoughts, emotions, or any actions (whether good or bad, liked or disliked) are not important. Whether those will be gone or not is non of your business. When you don’t lose sati (holding on to something), it occurs and dies down by itself because it is natural under the rule of Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (suffering), Anatta (non-self). If you lose sati and cling on to something, give value to something, or try to push it away, you will have that in your mind all the time until you feel that it never leaves you or go away. While the mind is full of sati-sampajanna, just know everything naturally as it is. Just know it through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind straightforwardly as it is without being bias. Your mind will then be pure. PG27 Bhavana A: I have asked many times what you mean when you say “Bhavana”. S: It is when I forgot to know my mind or body and I try to feel it, I start with feeling the body and then try to know the mind… A: Then, what happens?
S: It’s like I got stuck. It feels dull and uncomfortable. But when I got out of it, it feels at ease and relaxed…so I remember it. A: This is the attachment. When you feel comfortable, you cling on to it. When you feel uncomfortable, you try to chase it away. It becomes tanha unintentionally. The right way is to have sati-sampajanna while you feel everything through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind naturally. Don’t be absent-minded, get attached to anything or try to suppress your feelings or chase away anything, and don’t try to see the mind, following it. You will unintentionally attach to it. This is the tainted mind. You cling on to something without knowing; when your mind is good, you are satisfied and want to stick with it; but when your mind is not good, you try to push it away. These are all kiles-tanha. This practice is “Bhavana”. PG28 Misconception about Vipassana S1: I bhavana by concentrating on the breathing in and out continuously until I feel the heat spreading all over my body and this makes my mind energetic and strong. Is this the correct way? A: What do you think you are doing? S1: I practiced Vipassana. A: What you did is practicing having power, not vipassana. Because vipassana is practicing to have sati-sampajanna or sati and insight wisdom, knowing everything as it is naturally in 5 khandha (Rupa-form, Vedana-feeling, Sanna-perception, Sankhara-mental formation, Vinnanacognition) that these are all Anicca-impermanence, Dukkha-unsatifactoriness, Anatta-non-self. Everything is impermanent; it doesn’t stay the same and causes suffering; and it’s not self. You have to understand this in order not to get attached to it until it makes you suffer. S1: Should I continue practice power to strengthen my mind, and then do vipassana later? A: It’s alright to do as you said as long as you know what you are doing. For example, if you practice power, do it. If you practice jhana (state of serene contemplation), do it. If you practice vipassana, know it. Don’t mix it all up without knowing or else you will get lost and confused. S2: As I meditated and saw the lights or crystal ball, or Buddha image, or heard some voices. I tried to catch it but I couldn’t. A: Don’t care about those nimitta (mental image) because you will get carried away with those things, and it could be dangerous. When you see them, try to go to the knower; then just know it without losing sati, get carried away with all those things or get scared or try to push them away.
PG 29 Absent-minded: Get carried away S: I practice by parikamma (chanting) or say a pray but my mind doesn’t stay with the parikamma or pray; it always get carried away. What should I do? A: You must add sampajanna or the awareness of your body. S: How do I do it? A: You must feel and be aware of yourself what you are doing at that moment or pay more attention to it. Don’t just parikamma or say a pray or even meditate. If without sati-sampajanna to recall and be aware of yourself while you are doing such things, it’s not the dhamma practice anymore. PG 30 “When there’s sati-sampajanna, Hiri-Otappa (moral shame and moral fear) remains completely… When there’s Hiri-Otappa, Indriyasamvara(sense-restraint) is complete…When there’s Indriyasamvara, Sila is complete…When there’s Sila, samma-samadhi is complete…When there’s samma-samadhi, Yathabhutananadassana(knowledge and vision according to reality) remains complete…when there’s Yathabhutananadassana, Nibbada(disinterest) and Viraga(detachment) is complete…When there’s Nibbada and Viraga, Vimutti-nanatassana (real knowledge of emancipation or liberation) is complete, just like a tree that is fully grown and has branches and leaves. Even when we peels off the outside, the core of the tree remains complete.” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 31 Have sait-sampajanna, stay alert, just like being in a car race S: At the present, am I always absent-minded? A: You must be able to read your own mind and know yourself. You just can’t keep asking my all the time. For example, while your mind is being still, and you don’t know it, this is losing sati. You must be aware of yourself right away. In your daily life, you must have sati-sampajanna,
being aware of yourself all the time while seeing, hearing, knowing anything through your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. Know your mind just like being in a car race or driving a car fast in heavy traffic. You must be aware not to get off the road or crash onto others. You must have sati-sampajanna all the time, without getting carried away or being absent-minded, getting attached to anything or pushing anything away without knowing yourself, especially, knowing through the mind. When there are some thoughts or any feelings, you must know it all the time. S: But if I am aware of myself all the time, I will feel like having stress as well. A: At the beginning, it will be like that, like a new driver. You just can’t be relaxed and cling on to something without being aware of anything. You must have sati-sampajanna, recalling and being aware of yourself all the time. Don’t try to follow your thoughts or your mind within because you will lose sati or cannot be aware of anything while something comes into contact with eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind. Also have panna accepting everything as it is by just know everything according to what it is going on as it is, without getting bias, intervening anything, whether the things you know are good or bad, you like it or hate it. If you know it but get attached to it, it is “sammuti” (unreal). But if you know it but don’t get attached to it, it is “vimutti” (deliverance), which is free from all sankhara or free from suffering. PG 34 “ You must have “sati”-being aware of yourself and have “sampajanna”-knowing all in ayatana (senses), phassa (contact) and vedana (feeling) according to the reality. Anusaya (habits) and tanha (desire) will not rest aside or have any effects.” “Living things and nibbana and khadha have the mind inside. This is called “Living”. When you consider it and let it go as it is, the mind will just know. Know and see things in the present moment; practice sati to be maha-sati, practice panna to be maha-panna, and then see thing normally.” Luang Pu Mun Phuritatto PG 35 Be fully aware of yourself, Don’t try to know anything S: I cannot see any thoughts during these days; I just feel blur and soaked in. A: Do you know that you have these feelings now? S: Yes! A: Then you know it and let it all go. Have sampajanna and try to be feel your body and be aware of it, along with knowing what you are doing or thinking in the present moment.
S: All day, I have been busy with works and other things. I get carried away and absent-minded all the time. A: Every moment when your mind wanders around, try to be aware of yourself. But while you are working, your mind stays with it, be aware of it. But when you are absentminded or get carried away from work and you know it every time it happens, you already have sati-sampajanna all the time. S: What should I do if sati is often lost? A: You must practice having sati knowing and staying with a mind-luring object (e.g. “Buddho”), along with seeing the mind that tries to intervene the process every present moment. Don’t lose sati and get carried away from the mind-luring object and become the doer yourself. PG 36 Emotions over the thoughts A: How are you doing? S: I don’t really have time to practice. I just came here 2 times. A: Good that you admit this. The fact is your mind is good for the practice. S: How should I do it? A: Your mind is full of emotions. You get tempered very easily and you cannot know the mind just in time because your emotions take over the mind. You should try to be aware of your emotions because when you think, emotions occur right after it. Sometimes, you just cried about it, right? S: Yes! A: That is the way for you to practice. When you have emotions, just be aware of it right away. Don’t mind about the thought because when you are aware of your emotion and you let it go fast, your emotions will lessen until you can see the thoughts that cause all emotions. Then be aware of your thoughts and don’t get carried away with it. PG 40 “…Rupa…Vedana…Sanna…Sankhara…Vinnana is impermanent (Anicca). As something is impermanent, it is Dukkha. As something is Dukkha, it is Anatta. As something is Anatta, it is not you or yours. Ariya-savaka (Arahants) see this fact with panna as it naturally is…” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam”
PG 41 Attachments S: When I got angry, I watched it until it faded away. A: You shouldn’t do that. By watching the emotion like that is like watching ice, melting away. Then you will be satisfied with that fading anger without knowing it. It is the practice with attachment. S: I don’t realize that it is the attachment. A: Notice that you told me you watched it until it faded away. That means you are satisfied with the fading of emotion or no emotion or emptiness or lightness. At the same time, you are not satisfied with the emotion occurring at that moment. This is the attachment both ways. Both satisfaction and dissatisfaction happens at the same time-both are attachments. For example, If you like the feeling of lightness or emptiness, you will not like the feeling that is opposite. On the contrary, if at any moment when you don’t like or are not pleased with the moving mind or feeling tightness or dullness, it means that your mind clings on to or is pleased with the still mind or lightness or comfort. Practitioners who try to follow the mind, vedana, or emotions always get attached to this without knowing. Most importantly, you will not see that the follower is already sankhara or the tainted mind. You have to see it since the beginning; have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of what you are doing at that moment. Be aware of all receptions through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body as it is every present moment. Don’t lose satiproliferating and getting attached to anything. Your mind will automatically purify as it naturally is. S: Can I try to follow and watch vedana, thoughts, and emotions in order to see Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta? A: What would happen if you see that? S: So I don’t cling on to it. When I don’t get attached to it, thoughts and emotions will be extinguished. A: Then what’s next? S: My mind will be empty. A: This means you already do it with attachment. You want your mind to be empty. You don’t really see Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta because if you see these as it is until your mind surrender to it as it really is (Yathabhutananadassana-knowing and seeing things according to reality), you will truly understand that there’s nothing to hold on it; even if you want your mind to be what you want, you cannot do it because there is no You, nor yours-nothing exists. When
one thing happens naturally, that thing will all extinguish naturally (Youngkijji samudhayanadhamma sappantang nirodhadhamma). Have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of what you are doing in every present moment, and just know everything through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind as it naturally is every present moment. Don’t get carried away by anything or proliferate and get attached to anything. You will truly understand the reality of Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta as it is and as your mind accept it, you will know that there’s nothing to hold on to; there is no you, nor yours; nothing exists. One thing happens naturally, it will always die down. As your mind willingly accepts it, it can see the reality of everything that happens in the mind without getting attached to anything. S: I understand it. PG 44 Being without sati for all day, what should I do? S: I am always absent-minded and get carried away with many things for all day and I don’t have sati at all. A: If you don’t have sati, you must know it right away. And if you still get attached to it, just be aware of yourself, be alert, or be conscious of your body strongly. But if it doesn’t work, you have to do samatha-have sati staying with one mind luring object, such as reciting “Buddho”. PG 44-45 Get attached to the thought S: I see the thoughts but I get attached to it. I don’t really have Samadhi. A: It’s not that you don’t have Samadhi but it’s because you don’t have sati to know the mind while it thinks or shows any actions. By following the thoughts, you may get lost and become the mind yourself. The right way is to have sati while seeing the thinking mind or the acting mind in every present moment without getting attached and becoming the mind yourself. PG 48 Misunderstand as having sati all the time S: I would like to know if I have practiced vipassana correctly.
A: What have you done? S: I have sati in every action. A: What do you mean by that? S: I try to know every action by using parikamma (recitation). A: You shouldn’t do that. By doing that it is samatha but mostly it is hypnotizing or suppressing the mind. The result is you will easily forget things. S: That’s it. I noticed that I couldn’t remember my friends’ phone numbers. Sometimes when I put something down somewhere, I tend to forget where I put it. So what should I do to practice the right vipassana. A: Just have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of yourself in every action you have been doing in every present moment. That is enough. Don’t do the recitation with it. And don’t get carried away, getting attached to anything without knowing. But if you lose sati, you have to bring it back and know yourself fast and let go of things quickly. S: I recite “Buddho” in my mind and I don’t really know anything around me. Sometimes, I drove past my home or workplace. A: That means you don’t have sampajanna which is the awareness of yourself and know what you are doing all the time. If you only know “Buddho” inside, you cannot live a normal life. PG 50 “The one who suffers has comfort; the one who feel comfortable has suffering. Bhikkhu is the one who doesn’t have comfort and therefore, he doesn’t have suffering.” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam “Just see the present Dhamma, don’t send your mind to the future or the past” “The result of sending the mind outside is losing sati” “The mind that doesn’t cling on to any emotions…it is pure.” Luang Pu Mun Phuritatto PG 51 How to let go S: Before I know myself, I already proliferate for a long time.
A: Don’t think too much without knowing. If you do, have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of yourself right away. Know it fast and let go of all actions quickly. Try to have satisampajanna more and more quickly. S: What should I do to have sati fast…sometimes, I just don’t know myself all day. A; “Sati” must be trained, then you will know yourself more quickly until you can have sati, knowing the mind while it starts to think or get carried away before it becomes tanha every present moment. S: What is the trick for me to diligently practice sati? A: Do you feel miserable or not? S: I don’t really feel it. A: Actually, you are already suffered until your eye sockets turn black. You stay with it but you can’t see it. It’s like a person who raise the pigs but can’t smell it. If you don’t see the proliferating mind or the comfort or send the mind outside which are the cause of suffering, you don’t need to know how to practice to have sati fast. S: By knowing the mind, how could it cease the suffering? A: While you were sleeping tightly (no dream), do you feel miserable? S: No. A: That’s it…because while you were sleeping tightly, your mind didn’t proliferate and became suffering. But when you are awake, you recall events or things that make you miserable. Then you think about it more and become even more miserable. Therefore, you must practice sati until you can know the thinking mind since it begins to think or proliferate in every present moment. PG 52-53 Stay awake only A: Your mind is like the sun under water. It proliferates and is full of worries, depression, and desperation. S: Correct. In a sudden I just feel like this. And I feel like I want to get away to be alone to practice dhamma. A: The boredom, depression, desperation or any others are all emotions. You must be awake from it. Don’t follow it up because you will get stuck in those emotions, like being in a dream. You must be awake from those dreams. You don’t need to do anything now. Just try to be awake, along with turning your attention to something else first.
PG 53 The weak mind S: I always fall asleep. You told me to pray but I can’t do it in my mind. It will fall asleep. A: Your mind is weak. So you have to say a pray out loud and aim for the end result from the pray, such as pray to keep your safe or for compassion. S: Sometimes, I recited “Buddho” but I feel very light and blurry. A: That’s not right. You lose sati-sampajanna; then Samadhi is gone and so as panna. S: I have to know and be aware of my body. A: You cannot only do that because you will feel dull and blur. If you only know, it is like dusting in a room. All dust and other things will still remain in the room. You have to say a pray out loud and aim for the result of it, along with being aware of your body strongly. Don’t try to know anything. When you are asleep or feel dull, be aware of your body strongly. PG 54 Proliferating S: I’m proliferating. A: That happens because you don’t have sati. You are absent-minded and get attached to the tainted mind without knowing yourself. You must have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of the things you are doing, thinking, or speaking in every present moment. Then you can get out of the thoughts right away. S: What if I know that I’m proliferated but I can’t stop it? A: Just have sati, knowing the thought faster and faster, and have sampajanna, being aware of yourself in the present moment. At first it may be slow. When you practice it more and more, you will know it faster until you can know the thought since the beginning-which means when you start to think, you know it right away. And don’t get annoyed or frustrated about anything and don’t try not to think.
PG 55 Let go of all too much determination S: I am still absent-minded. When I am aware of myself, it seems that I overdo it. A: Just know that determination and then let it go. PG 55 Practice dhamma with relaxation S: Why do I get a headache when I train my mind? A: You are too stress or tight about it. You just need to loosen it up. As you wave your hand (doing samatha), if you did it but your body ache, that means you did it wrong. You must not be too tight or too attentive about it. You must do it as relaxed as possible. But for practicing vipassana, you must not take anything. Let go of everything that you know every present moment. If you know something, don’t take it. Whatever happens, don’t mind it. Many ajarns taught that throw everything away. Just throw it away. Even the lightness or emptiness, let it all go. Just let everything go. PG 58 Relax first A: Your mind is too still. It is inactive. You must relax. S: I try to know the moving hands A: You have to know the status of your mind first-it means while your mind stays still, it is because you try to suppress and control it until it becomes too tense. You have to find way to loosen it up. It depends on your own wisdom. PG 58-59 Regretful S: Ajarn! All symptoms and mind actions have been gone. A: What symptom? I don’t remember. S: The ringing in my ears and the feeling of the floor shaking.
A: You don’t need to care about it. It’s just like that. It’s impermanent. Don’t mind it nor give value to it. Just do whatever you have to do. Then all these actions or symptoms will be gone by its own because it is anicca, dukkha, and anatta. S: When all these symptoms are gone, I feel comfortable and light. A: Don’t even care about it. Don’t take it or mind it or give importance to it. S: I just regret to lose it. A: All regretfulness and mournfulness is kiles-tanha. You have to let it go. PG 59 Sati-Sampajanna S: How do I do in my training? A: Your mind sinks into the light emotion-just like a sun setting in the evening. The mind is not liberated. S: What do I have to do? A: Don’t do anything more. Just notice that mind at this moment. See that it gets stuck in the light and tranquil emotion. Then it will come out by itself because it’s not much. Just only the more delicate mind got stuck into it. Notice it and it is the experience to learn from, then you won’t get stuck again. But if the mind is not liberated, it got stuck into one emotion or feeling until you feel depressed or blurry, just have sati, recalling or knowing it, along with having sampajanna, being aware of yourself strongly and staying with whatever you are doing at that present moment. S: If my mind is stuck in that emotion, will I be able to just know it and don’t do anything? A: No, you can’t. You need to have sampajanna and awake yourself strongly, stay with whatever you are doing-speaking, thinking, or doing things in the present moment. S: By doing that, isn’t it like escaping from it or pushing it away? A: No, it’s not. Only having sampajanna getting out of the things you get stuck to and stay with the present will only assure that you have panna. But if you try to push all emotions or feeling away in order to get rid of it without having sampajanna (being aware of yourself in the present moment), it will be kiles which causes avijja, tanha, upadana, and dukkha or suffering.
PG 61 S: When I slept and then felt so cold. But as I woke up, it was all gone. A: It is because while you were sleeping, you lost sati so you got stuck into or soaked into feeling or emotion. S: I didn’t do anything, did I. A: I suggest you sleep less so that you don’t lose too much sati. When Luang pu and ajarns practice dhamma, they didn’t even have much sleep or they slept less and less because they didn’t want to lose sati. PG 61 S: I feel asleep because I don’t see the mind. What should I do in order to see the mind better? A: You should eat less and sleep less. Practice by walking more continuously; it will make you body and mid feel light. Then you can see the mind clearer. PG 62 “…All satisfaction and desire happens because it depends eyes and forms…ears and sounds…nose and smells…tongue and tastes…body and touch (tangible objects)…and mind and emotion (mind objects). Those are the thing that is attachment in your eyes and forms, for instance…” “…The eyes of Lord Buddha truly exist. He can see thing through his eyes…hear thing through his ears…smell thing through his nose…taste thing through his tongue…feel thing through his body…know thing through his mind. But he never has satisfaction or desire because he has the mind that is truly liberated...” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam PG 69 Not sure S: When there are thoughts and emotions, do I have to shake it off or just know it or do both? A: If that thought or emotion is not too strong, you don’t need to do anything. Just know it. But if the thought or emotion is very strong and have influence over your mind until you get attached to it, you can use any methods to get out of it. There is no exact step or way to do. Don’t look for any reason. Move your body right away.
S: When we practice, it will happen both ways, won’t it? A: Yes. You need to notice it. You will gain more experience. PG 70 “…You all must abandon desire, satisfaction in rupa (form or body)…vedana…sanna…sankhara…vinnana. As you do that, rupa, for instance, will also be abandoned, rooted out. It’s like a palm tree with no top. Then nothing will remain. Nothing will be reborn again…” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 71 Misunderstanding about the working process of 5 khanda S: When I see someone walking by, I try to just know it, like seeing things. But I just can’t do it. I always look into detail about them. A: This is micchadhitti (wrong view)-that is you misunderstand about it so you practice it wrongly. It is Attakilamathànuyoga (self-mortification). Even though you have practiced dhamma for a long time, you will not be free from suffering. As you don’t want your eyes to see things, it is tanha. You must let go of this desire. The nature of the mind is to think, or show any actions. Just have sati, knowing it or just know the mind that thinks or shows any actions in every present moment without getting attached to anything-love, desire, feel happy, or push away things both inside and outside (5 khanda). PG 72 “…Monks who have 3 dhamma items are the true practitioners. And they are known as the persons who train their panna to get rid of all Asava (defilements). So what are the 3 dhamma items? They are monks who keep their five senses in manner. They are monks who are moderate in eating. And they are monks who have perseverance in practicing dhamma…” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 73 Who knows that you are calm?
S: I always do as kiles take me to. A: Practicing dhamma is like constructing chedi. It starts from the base and up to the top. If it’s too tiring, just rest. But don’t fall down to the base. If you fall, just get back up, like a child learning to walk. One day you will be able to walk and run. S: Now I feel calm. A: Let go of this feeling. S: Why the calm or still mind is not good? A: If you hold on to the stillness, you will get sick or have a fever. You can notice that if you change you attention to something else or you have a friend to chat with, all these symptoms will be gone. That means this illness is caused by the attachment to the inactive mind or the emptiness. S: How do I correct it? A: Let go of all the stillness or the emptiness or the illness. Don’t hold on to, or mind, or give value to, or try to push it away. Just change your attention to something else right away. Don’t get obsessed with it. S: What’s next? A: Put a lot of perseverance and have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of yourself and the things you are doing in every present moment when there are something coming into contact with eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. And have panna accepting things as it is-no matter it is satisfactory or not. See, just see. Hear, just hear. See the mind that thinks or shows any actions. Just see the mind or just know the mind every present moment. PG 74-75 The non-active mind S: Now when I pray, I can’t concentrate at all. A: It’s not just that. Your mind is gloomy and inactive. It’s like being in a dream. You have to be awake from it. S: Can I stay with rubbing my fingers. A: That’s not enough. It will get even worse because your mind is soaked into the thoughts or emotions for too much. Rubbing your fingers is very delicate action. It cannot bring your attention out of the thing your mind gets stuck to. You have to feel yourself strongly or turn your attention to something else right away or do anything to wake your mind up.
PG 75 The mind of a child A: Today your mind is not like the age of menopause (being fluctuated without any reasons) anymore, isn’t it? S: (laughing)…Yes. A: Your mind is normal like a child-not thinking too much and not having anything stuck in the mind. It’s joyful. Let it be awake like this-fresh, rejoice, and cheerful. Don’t do anything more. When you start to think too much, or start to feel uncomfortable, or depressed, just know it fast, along with turning your mind around to be awake and cheerful. Don’t forget this. S: Yes. PG 78 Knowing but still getting attached S: How should I practice? A: Your mind is always full of Piti (joy). If it’s too much, it will become an obstacle to your practice. Your mind will be dull or thick and it won’t be able to know anything fast. The power of samatha that is too strong will cause you to know but get stuck; it’s like being too concentrated and pressing against the knowing. It will know but get stuck inside the mind. It’s not clear and through. But for those who have piti but not too strong, they will not be like that, but the bad side is they will easily get carried away. S: How do I solve it? A: Instead of knowing only the thing that you know. You have to know of the knower that shows actions like gazing or concentrating, plus you have to let it all go right away. Know it fast and let it go quickly. S: Can I know my breath and my mind at the same time? A: No, you can’t because in your case, you have strong piti. You have to know the thing you are doing or any actions in the present moment. And just know the mind only. When the mind shows actions-feeling, thinking, analyzing, or proliferating, you have to only know it or just know as it is. But if you lose sati, getting attached to anything, just know it fast and let it go quickly. PG 81
Keep one’s manner S: By being alone, not talking to anyone, isn’t it a way to keep my body and mind in manner? A: If you are alone but your mind goes outside-causing satisfaction or dissatisfaction in something outside or inside your mind (5 Khandha- rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana); this is not how to keep your body and mind in manner. But if you are with someone and have sati every moment while you know everything through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. And you don’t lose sati, getting attached to anything or proliferating outside or inside. This is called keeping your body and mind in manner. This is the awaken person who always has sati. S: So I have to know everything through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind all the time, don’t I. A: Have sati, keeping your mind in place every moment that there’s something coming into contact with eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. This is like having sila and sati at the same time. PG 82 “ We said that Dhamma is the way to eliminate the satisfaction and dissatisfaction in kama or desire. It is the tool to ease sleepiness. It is the tool to stop irritation. We have Upekkha (neutral) and Sati as pure Dhamma. We have analytical reflection to see that Dhamma is a tool to destroy Avijja that block us from liberation.” Buddha’s words from the book “Soros-panha” by His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara The Supreme Patriarch of the Thai Sangha PG 84 Knowing, Being awake, Being Delightful S: My mind is at ease and it feels good. A: You have to wake your mind up a little. Now it’s stuck with the stillness. S: Is that so? A: Remember! The mind must be Bhddha or Buddho which is being the knower, being awake, and being delightful. If it’s not in these three characteristics, it’s not correct-not Buddha or Buddho.
PG 84 Afraid of not training the mind S: Now I feel relieved, no suffering. I’m afraid that if I continue being like this, I will get stuck with this happiness and don’t train my mind. A: When you feel comfortable, just know it. And for the feeling that you are afraid that you don’t train your mind, you just have to know it as well and let it go. S: It’s true; I keep forgetting about it. PG 84 Afraid of not training the mind S: Now I feel relieved, no suffering. I’m afraid that if I continue being like this, I will get stuck with this happiness and don’t train my mind. A: When you feel comfortable, just know it. And for the feeling that you are afraid that you don’t train your mind, you just have to know it as well and let it go. S: It’s true; I keep forgetting about it. PG 85 Just know S: Now I feel that I cling on to happiness. I tend to smile all the time. A: That’s ok. Just know that you are happy. S: Is it ok to get stuck with it? A: It’s like a coin has two sides. Nature also has this. You must not destroy it. Just know it and know the mind that proliferates or shows any actions caused by feeling happiness or misery. S: Yes. A: But I see that you still get involved with all actions that happen. You still are a director or critic to it, analyzing the mind. You are a boxing narrator. You must be an audience, not the narrator. PG 86
Give up everything you know S: I don’t know what to ask and I don’t how to practice. May I ask for an easy way to practice? A: The easiest way is that when there’s something happening in your mind, just know it. But if you get carried away or attached to anything, just know and let it go right away. That’s all. S: What if I don’t know anything, what would I let go of? A: While you don’t know anything, just let it be. And just let go when you know something, instead. S: You said like it’s that simple. A: As I said it’s the easiest way. PG 86-87 How to know something that happens in the mind S: What are things that happen in the mind? A: Things that happen in the mind are feelings, thoughts, consideration, deliberation, reflection, analysis, and proliferation, such as staring, gazing, determining, noticing, and all emotions, including knowing your body-which is all cita (mind). You have to train it to have satisampajanna, knowing and being aware of everything since the mind starts to think or show any actions. When you newly train your mind, you may get carried away for a long time before being aware of it or knowing yourself. As you continue constantly, you will be able to know it faster and faster until you know it at the beginning (since the mind starts to think). This is called the mind and sati is just in time to each other. S: How do I practice to see the mind or know the mind faster? A: You have to have the mind luring object first, such as Buddho or have sati-sapajanna, knowing every movement of the body in the present moment. If you don’t see the mind clearly, you can’t give up the mind luring object. Or else the mind will proliferate or get carried away with other things. S: When should I leave the mind luring object? A: Until you are able to know the mind at the beginning…or since the mind starts to think or show actions. It will leave the mind luring object itself, remaining only sati or knowing. S: What is the trick to make me diligently train my mind? A: There’s no trick. Do you want to be free from suffering? If you do, you have to train it.
PG 88 “…At any time, bhikkhu (monk) can abandon Avijja (lack of knowledge or delusion), Vijja (wisdom or knowledge) will happen. At that time, bhikkhu would not act or do anything to be boon (virtue), papa (wrong action), or Anencha (don’t hold on to emptiness or existence). As when he doesn’t do anything, or doesn’t have intention, he doesn’t cling on to anything to this world. As when he doesn’t cling on to anything in this world, he wouldn’t be swayed by anything. As when he isn’t swayed by anything, he is nibbana by himself. He will know that this is the end of his life cycle. If he is happy, he acknowledges that happiness is not permanent because he doesn’t cling on to his self caused by tanha, or he doesn’t indulge himself with tanha. If he is miserable, or even neutral, he acknowledges that those are all impermanent. He doesn’t get attached by anything with tanha. He acknowledges and lets go of everything. When he has vedana through his body or his life, he knows it clearly. He knows that all vedana which is tanha will not get him carried away, remaining only his elements when death has come…” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam PG 102 Alert and Be aware of yourself S: How do I do in my practice? A: Now your mind is inactive. It’s not awake. You must have sati-sampajanna, getting out of this or else when you have thoughts, you will circle around in your own thoughts, just like being in a dream. S: If I play some sports, will it help? A: It’s not relevant. The truth is there’s nothing much about this. When you are aware of yourself even for a bit, your mind will be bright and cheerful. But it will keep going down. As I told you here, your mind is awake now. Only if you are aware of this that the mind will always sink into the thoughts, you will be alright. It is thinamiddha (torpor and drowsiness)-it is one of nivarana (5 hindrances). It’s your own mind habits. You only need to correct this habit by being aware and knowing that it begins to get drowsy, along with being alert and getting out of this. S: Sometimes, I get dull and drowsy without knowing it. So it gets carried away and turns into raga, dosa, and maha… A: Absolutely; only having one nivarana, other things else will follow. What matter is you can read your mind while it starts to sink into drowsiness, and start getting aware of yourself right away. But don’t try to push your feeling from inside. It will cause some energy and make you suffocate. Or don’t try to make that drowsiness to go away because it is tanha and you will waste your time with that action. You have to start moving your body without any patterns right away.
PG 104 Moving without pattern is the best technique A: How are you today? You look a bit dull and dark. S: I get very tense. A: Your mind has jhana (meditative absorption) and energy force so when you are misery, you will have tenseness, pressing upon you. This makes you headache and much more suffering than others. You must be aware of the thoughts and emotions quickly and turn away from it. Try moving your body…(after a while) A: See that! Only for a short while, you look fresh and bright. It’s only a mind moment. You must turn away from it quickly. S: If I am lazy to turn or move my body, what would it be? A: You will get stuck with it…more on more. Then it will be difficult to turn away from it. S: Sometimes, I move or turn to something else, but it’s still there. A: You must move without pattern. If you still use the some trick or movement, the mind will recognize it and it will get stuck again. Have you heard “The best movement is the nonpatterned movement so that the mind can’t catch up with it.” S: Laugh! A: Another thing that you all love to do is that you turn away from it but still keep checking how it does or see how it goes. Or you try to move your body in order to make something go away. That’s not the way. You must not mind it. If you do, it will get stuck ever more. Don’t hang on to it. Just turn away and do something else. Don’t mind it. S: By turning away from it is to move my body, isn’t it? A: Yes. Moving your body or make the movement and then be aware of yourself along with staying with what you have been doing (any actions: standing, walking, sitting) in the present moment. Don’t try to fix something in your mind. When you get caught up with something-it’s like being sucked into the quicksand-if you try to get in and help out, you will also get caught up with it. You must make some movement instantly. Use the non-patterned movement. S2: Ajarn, why does she still have a tense face? A: This is good. You help out with each other. This is called “Kalayanamitr” (true friend). What happens is that the mind action always shows through the face and body. Sometimes, you cannot tell it by yourself. You must have someone tell you like this. The reason she still have moody face because there is another mind action that she doesn’t notice. That is when there’s something in the mind, she will pause for a bit and then start
moving the body. It’s like your car almost crashes, you hit the break instantly and hard, then turn the wheel away. This is not correct. You must turn away right away-the same way as the nonpatterned movement and don’t mind that something in the mind will be gone or not. Make a move and never follow it any longer. S: It’s different from one to another, isn’t it? A: Yes, it’s for individual. The mind like this, when there’s suffering or dissatisfaction, it will suppress and won’t show anything. Then it will try to consider the cause and let go later. But like you (another person), it will burst out. This is extreme action. And for you (another person), the mind will get carried away without knowing. It’s all the same principle. That is when you get stuck with something; you must make movement-make non-patterned movement instantly. The important thing is you must know your mind (know what it’s like, what is its habit) and correct it without doing as it pleases. Have sati, being aware of everything in every present moment. Don’t be absent-minded, or get carried away with anything without knowing yourself. If you let go until you get used to it, it will be difficult to correct it. Just as the old saying “Habit can be fixed, but as it becomes innate, it’s difficult to change or fix it.” Don’t try to stop it or make it go away. Just when you get stuck with it, turn away from it or make non-patterned movement. But if you don’t get stuck with anything, just know or know straightforwardly through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind as it naturally is in every present moment, without bias, intervention, pushing away, getting carried away, or wanting anything. PG 123 Understand correctly about Uppekha S: I feel that I try to know everything. A: Just know that effort and let it go. S: When I know something, I always get attached to it easily. A: It’s a matter of the mind that gets used to this. S: But sometimes, I know something and feel that the mind is neutral. All the thoughts and feelings are gone. A: That is not the neutrality. The mind that doesn’t have thoughts or feelings is another mind action. You have to let go of it and don’t hang on to it. S: Is that so? I fell like I have been trying to maintain that emptiness. A: That’s not correct. It’s kiles and tanha. It doesn’t occur at the emptiness but it occurs at the person who is attached to it. As long as you still hang on to the emptiness or neutrality, you still have you or yours in that emptiness. It’s like locking yourself in the empty room; you cannot be
free from suffering. So you have to let go of the emptiness or the neutral feeling. And don’t mourn over it; you will not have you or yours in that emptiness or neutrality. Then have sati: just see, just listen, and just know the mind that thinks or shows any actions in the present moment. Don’t lost sati, and become the mind or get attached to it. You can be free from suffering. PG 136 Getting sick because of the mind S: I don’t feel well now. I have a fever. A: It’s caused by the mind because you try to maintain the still mind or empty mind. S: Why does the still mind make you sick? A: Naturally, the mind must have moments. It occurs and dies down all the time. If you try to stabilize the mind, it is unnatural. And this will make you sick. S: When I get sick, I step back to see the mind that is suffering from the illness. A: Just know the mind that steps back to see the suffering mind. And let it go quickly. S: When I step back to see the mind that moves, the knower doesn’t move and I feel that it’s good. A: The knower that doesn’t move or stay still is only cita-sankhara or tainted mind, which is to be known. You have to let go of it right away. PG 137 Getting sick because of the attachment in stillness S: I’m afraid to come to see you because I will transmit the cold to others. A: You have practiced incorrectly. So you get sick. S: Have I? A: Yes. The mind is stuck with the stillness, lightness, or emptiness, which is sukha-vedana. S: That thing is I went to practice Dhamma at the temple and I got attached to the walking (jongkrom). When I walked, I felt at ease. When I stopped, I felt uncomfortable. So I started walking again, and go home with the still mind.
A: It’s because you are satisfied with the still mind, or get carried away with sukha-vedana. So you are stuck with it and this makes you sick. S: What should I do? A: Don’t mind that still mind or empty feeling. See the mind every moment when it thinks or shows any feelings or emotions toward the still mind or empty feeling. The still mind or empty feeling is like a corpse. Where there’s a corpse, there’re vultures, eating the corpse. The vultures are like the mind that stays busy with the still mind or empty feeling. The job to see the mind every moment when it moves in the present moment will never cease. This is called “Magga”. It is a way to practice in order to be free from suffering. And the result from the mind seeing the mind in every present moment is “Nirodha”, which is a way to extinguish suffering. PG 149 Accept things as it is S: I like to blame myself when there’s raga or dosa. What should I do? A: When you have raga or dosa, it’s normal. You can’t do anything about it. Just accept it as it is but don’t get carried away and get attached to it. PG 192 “…A person who thinks about something without knowing would become part of it. A person who doesn’t think about anything wouldn’t be part of it…If a person thinks about rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana, he/she would be part of rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana. If a person doesn’t think about rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana, he/she wouldn’t be part of rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana.” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 193 Thinking about something frequently is to hold on to that thing S: Why does only thinking about feeling or emotion or something become attachment? A: It’s like thinking about ex-girlfriend on and on shows that you still hold on to her. You must have sati, knowing the mind that think about something in every present moment without getting carried away and stuck with the mind that thinks at that moment. PG 201
Too slow to be aware of yourself S: I want to ask you if I have practiced dhamma correctly. A: You are too slow to be aware of yourself. You tend to become to the mind that shows action or drift away to be the tainted mind. You must train sati and mind to be equally up to each other in every mind moment. If you have sati to know the mind just in time, you will not drift away with thoughts or become the mind that think. Train to know it faster. PG5 S: What are the difference between practicing Samatha and Vipassana? A: Practicing Vipassana 1. Train your mind to have sati-sampajanna or the full awareness of yourself by being aware of the mind luring object along together with knowing the thinking mind or proliferating mind equally…just like a scale that has 2 plates on each side to make a balance or the symbol of this court. The mind luring object is on one plate while the thinking mind or proliferating mind is on the other. If you know only the luring object without being aware of the mind, you will then go into samatha. But if you know the mind only, you will become the thinking mind or the proliferating mind yourself. But if you balance both side, you will be know the mind or see the mind in every present moment without getting attached to the mind only or get attached to be the proliferating mind. 2. When you don’t get carried away being the thinking mind or get attached to the mind that care or give value to anything, your mind will let go the mind luring object by itself. Because there’s no need to use that luring object anymore, just like a person who can swim, he or she doesn’t need any life-support anymore. 3. Training sati-sampajanna to be aware of yourself or body in everything you do, act, and speak in every present moment. At the same time, be aware of everything that is affected your senses through eyes, ears, nose, tongu, and mind all the time in every present moment. Don’t lose your sati getting attached to anything or try to get rid of any feelings. Have sati-sampajanna just like driving a car fast all the time. Don’t care about or be watchful of or try to know anything. For example, by trying to know the mind, you will lose sati and become that thinking mind yourself because when you try to know the mind, it is already the proliferating mind. Then you will not be able to know or that mind because if you lose sati and become those thinking mind yourself, you will not be a knower. But if you are the knower, you will not get carried away and attached to the proliferating mind. It must be one or the other only. 4. While you lose sati, get carried away with thoughts or mind or become the thinking mind (get attached to something, care or mind about something, or give value to something-pleased or displeased, want something or don’t want something.), just try
to have sati-recall and be aware of yourself that you lose sati and have sapajanna-be aware of your body and yourself toward the thing you are doing, speaking, or thinking in the present moment right away. Then you will get out of those thinking minds or detach from those attachments. Try to be aware of yourself fast and let things go fast. 5. Have sati – being aware of the mind that thinks, acts, shows anything in every present moment because the mind is illusion. It will delude you to get attached it. You must have sati-panna knowing this in every recurring mind in every present moment, just like knowing the cheater all the time so that you will not fall for them. 6. Then have sati-sampajanna, just know everything naturally as it is through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind according to the reality in every present moment. No matter you like it or not, whether it is good or bad, it is boon or papa, don’t get carried away or get attached with anything and also don’t try to get rid of anything or try to suppress anything. Just know and have sati-sampajanna in every present moment no matter what you are doing, speaking, thinking or in any actions. PG9 Practice Samatha together with Vipassana S: I would like to know the method for practice that is suitable for me A: In your case, your mind is basically good but it doesn’t show much samatha (or concentration: your mind wanders around without knowing) and your sati-sapajanna (vipassana) is not cleared. It means that your mind has jhana (the state of serene contemplation from mediation) and vipassana. You are not the kind of person that thinks too much. But if you want to do vipassana by knowing the thoughts or emotions, your mind still doesn’t have enough strength to know and let it go. In the end you will not be able to see the more delicate mind. But if you start with samatha, you might linger on to happiness and cannot let it go. S: Can I do both samatha and vipassana altogether? A: Certainly! S: Sometimes, I can see my thoughts clearly, sometimes I can’t. I have to wait until my mind is good to see it. A: You should practice samatha to clear away the clouds (the emotions that block the thoughts) that make you see your thoughts unclearly. These clouds in your mind occur from not knowing your thought or emotion at time. However, when your mind is at ease, these clouds will be gone. You then can see your mind clearly. So don’t take it for granted. PG13
Can I practice sati without meditating with closing my eyes? S: Can I train my mind without sitting and meditating with my eyes closed or walking slowly? A: It is not about closing the eyes or opening them nor walking slowly or quickly. If your mind doesn’t proliferate and you are able to have sati-sampajanna which is the total awareness of your body while you are doing something or moving your body in the present moment without losing sati or get carried away or proliferating or getting attached to something. And if your mind wanders around, try to get sati back and be aware of it as fast as possible, along with having sampajanna, be aware of yourself right away. This is vipassana, which is having sati knowing what is going on at every present moment because Samadhi at the stage will occur from having continuous sati-sampajanna. That is: If Sati is lost, Samadhi is lost, and Panna is lost; it is suffering; it is not Dharma. If Sati remains, Samadhi remains, and so does Panna; it is not suffering; it is Dharma. If sati is Maha-sati (great sati), Samadhi is Maha-samadhi, and the same as Panna. It is free from suffering. It is nibbana. PG14 “…what is the reality of being rupa (form)…vedana (feeling)…sanna (perception)…sankhara (formation)…vinnana (cognition)” “…people in this world always get carried away with Tanha (desire) in rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana. When you take pleasure in form, you will be satisfied. All this pleasure or satisfaction is Upadana (attachment). And because Upadana of that person is a cause, there is Bhava ( the state of existence). And because Bhava is a cause, there is Jati (birth). And because Jati is a cause, there is age, death, sorrow, suffering, and dissatisfaction; and all suffering occurs because of all these. “…what is the extinction of rupa (form)…vedana (feeling)…sanna (perception)…sankhara (formation)…vinnana (cognition)” “…All monks must not take pleasure in or get carried away with rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana. When you don’t get carried away with in all these, the pleasure in rupa (for instance) is extinguished. Upadana is extinguished. Because Upadana is extinguished, Bhava is extinguished. Because Bhava is extinguished, Jati is extinguished. Because Jati is extinguished, all age, death, sorrow is extinguished. All suffering will also be extinguished. Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 25 The intention to know is the tainted mind S: As you gave me homework, I begin to see the mind when it wanders around or gets carried away…
A: That’s good. Next try to have sati knowing every moment you lose sati or absent-minded. S: When we try to have awareness knowing ourselves, sometimes, it is too much and it becomes too attentive. A: At the beginning, you must pay a lot of attention to feeling and being aware of yourself as you work, or do any activities every present moment. But as you are experienced, you don’t pay too much attention anymore. It’s like learning how to drive a car. At the beginning, you have to pay a lot of attention when you drive. But as you are skillful, you can be more relaxed. But don’t try to be too focused or fix your mind to it inside or try to follow vedana that happens in your mind because if you do that, you will get attached to it or your mind will be tainted and becomes an executor itself. Then you will not be able to see the mind action and you are not the knower. But if you are the knower, there will not be the tainted mind as you will know it. Therefore, if you pay attention to be aware of yourself but it becomes to fixed or focused, try to have sati knowing that action since the beginning or since you start to be too attentive; then let go of all attentiveness. But if you lose sati and get carried away, getting attached to something, pushing away some feelings which causes avijja, tanha, upadana, and so on, you cannot just stay still and know it, you must have sampajanna, being aware of yourself in that present moment (be aware of what you are doing at the present moment) right away. PG 32 Get away from world trouble to ease your mind S: I try to get away from the world trouble and come to practice dhamma in order to ease my mind. A: The world trouble must be fixed according to reasons and your wisdom. Don’t leave the problem behind; it will make your mind unclear, which leads to trouble in dhamma practice. It will block you from seeing your mind and let go of it. As for dhamma practice, you must have peacefulness enough to know the mind of the thinker or the doer in every present moment. If you don’t have peacefulness in your mind, you will not have sati-panna to see the mind. But you will be misguided to be the thinking mind that shows any actions, or performs the actions yourself. S: That means my mind must be calm enough? A: The calmness doesn’t mean making your mind still or empty. But you should be calm in order to see the thinking mind, or the movement of the mind in every present moment. But if you try to make your mind still or stop it from moving, how could you be practicing sati to see the thinking
mind or the mind movement in the present moment? Because seeing the mind is magga (the noble path)-it is the way to practice to be free from suffering. And the result of seeing the mind is nirodha (the extinction of suffering). PG 37 Why anger doesn’t go away? A: You looked exhausted today. S: I was exhausted because I had so much work to do. A: If you work hard, your body get tired; but your mind got tired, this is because of the emotion that was caused by the tainted mind-caused by anger or dissatisfaction. It is dosa (anger). You are proliferated without knowing it. It is moha (delusion). When you don’t have sati, being aware of it, you will cause your mind to suffer-becoming discouraged, depressed, and desperate. S: When suffering occurs, Should I see it until it disappears? A: You cannot see the suffering because you will cling on to it and cause even more suffering. This can turn you to be depressive person. If suffering occurs, you must turn your attention to something else. S: In that case, should I meditate to calm my mind? A: No, you shouldn’t. Because it will suppress your suffering in your mind. It just waits to be exploded or it can turn into depression. S: Sometimes, someone makes us miserable; for example, saying something hurtful to us. What should we do? A: When you are angry or really dissatisfied with something, just try to turn your attention to something else first. The anger at the beginning is caused by the voice you heard but the anger that occurs later is caused by the memory that is proliferated. Of you just think about it over and over again. You must be aware of it every time. S: What if I am aware of it, and it still happens or I recall it? A: If that thought is intense because it just happens shortly. As you are aware of it, turn your attention to something else first. As the time passed, those thoughts and emotions will lessen. Just be aware of it continuously and turn your thought into positive thinking; for example, if it’s not because of them, you might not have had enough will-power, or effort to practice your mind until it gets better today. S: As we suffer or worried about others, is it because we take hold of others and let them have influence over us or because we get carried away with those thoughts and feelings?
A: Suffering is caused by the attachments. If you cannot let go of all attachments right away, just turn your attention to something else and try to have passionate towards others, thinking that as they do what they do because they don’t know themselves. And be neutral towards anything. S: I understand according to what you said but why can’t my suffering disappear? A: Because you want those feelings to go away right away. It goes round and round like this. You want the suffering to disappear; you don’t want it to occur again. All these desired and undesired thoughts is tanha which is the cause of suffering. The new suffering occurs all the time continuously because of your desire (tanha). When tanha is eliminated, suffering will then be extinguished. PG 45 Absent-minded A: How do you do in practice? S: I am still absent-minded and lost. A: That’s not good. You are a person whose mind is weak, proliferating, and anxious. You must have the mind knowing at one thing, such as waving hands, body movement, the word “Buddho”, or the breathing in and out. If you are too proliferated, have sati, staying with the mind luring object, along with knowing the mind. Try to balance it like a two-handed scale or the symbol of the court-by having the mind luring object stayed on one hand and having the mind stayed on the other. (After many days, this person came back again.) A: You seem calmer. Next you should have sati, knowing the mind that thinks, analyzes, and proliferates (e.g. it is too focused on something, it wants or don’t want something, it tries too hard to do or be something.) by showing upon the face (your face is crooked or twisted, or your eyes look down or up, or your mouth become too tight.) You must know this right away and try to stop that action or let it go fast. Know it fast and let it go quickly all the time. PG 46 Getting confused in practice S: You used to tell me that I always stay soaked inside my mind; I must have sati knowing it right away. But then you told me I often lost sati and get carried away with the thoughts without
knowing so I have to fix it by having sati, staying with the word “Buddho”, along with seeing the mind that thinks or proliferates all the time-staying balance on the scale. A: So how did it go? S: I wonder if I have to stay alert, having sati with the word “Buddho”, along with seeing the mind that thinks all the time, my mind has to know it inside. Wouldn’t this makes me soaked my mind inside again? A: At first, you don’t have sati, staying inside without knowing it, so you must have satisampajanna, knowing and being aware of you are doing at that moment or being aware of yourself in every present moment. And in any moment, if you lose sati, get carried away with anything, or proliferate about anything, have sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of what you are doing in every present moment. But if you are doing something, have sati-sampajanna being and knowing the things you do at that moment. You don’t need to recite anything while working. Only when you finish the work, you can have sati-sampajanna, staying with the word “Buddho”, along with seeing the mind. By having sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of yourself-staying the word “Buddho” and knowing the thinking mind or the acting mind, it is the way to practice sati-just know the thing that happens in the mind all the time which is the knowing through the mind naturally. When you practice your mind until you can have sati every time you know anything through the mind, you can then have sati, just know everything through the mind and other ways naturally all the time in your everyday life. By knowing through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind naturally, you cannot choose to know only the things you want, nor reject the things you don’t want. Just simply know everything straightforwardly as it is without bias or intervention whether it is good or bad. Therefore, if you have sati, just knowing it or knowing things through every reception naturally in every present moment, your mind will be natural or it is called “the Dhamma mind”. PG 56 Too tense S: I have trained my mind for as long as my friend does. I don’t have any questions. Just see the mind but sometimes, it is avijja. A: How do you know it is avijja? S: I think that there must be something more about it. Sometimes, I am very determined and I can’t follow up on the present. A: Don’t try to chase it. If you chase after it, it will be cittasankhara (mental formation) or tainted mind. Then you will not see dhamma.
Just know and let it go little by little. Don’t hold on to anything or don’t give value to anything in the present moment. But as I see, you are too tense. Do you often have a headache? S: I don’t really have it now. But I got it a lot before and I also had gastritis because I got too stressful about the mind training. A: Be cheerful. Even now you are a bit tense. S: Don’t I have to see the detail or try to know the mind since it starts to think? A: No, it’s not that. If you try to see the detail or try to know the mind since it starts to think, you will get a bad headache. And you must understand that when you start to chase after the mind, it will become tainted right away. Just know it, along with letting go of the mind actions that try to know the mind right away. Don’t try to stop thinking nor chase after all the thoughts. Just know yourself and be aware of it in the present moment all the time without trying to see or know anything. And if you lose sati (don’t get attached to the thoughts or the mind or anything), you will see the mind action or mind behavior by yourself in the present. Then just know and let it all go. PG 63 Misunderstanding about the “Mind” S: Why my mind wasn’t at peace when I practiced my sati, being with the waving hands? My mind tended to think about other things. A: Do you know yourself while you were waving your hands S: Yes. A: Good for you that you can know the waving hands and see the mind that thinks about others. But do you know what you are thinking about? S: Yes…(pause for a moment); I was wondering if a person, standing in front of me could do as you teach. A: Do you know that you think about others like that. S: No. A: This means you lose sati. You must have sati, which is knowing the mind that thinks about other, along with have sampajanna, being aware of yourself in order to get away from the mind that tends to think about others.
You must practice sati to know the mind faster and faster. Then as you are absent-minded, or get carried away with the thought, you will know it faster and all these things will become shorter and shorter until when the mind starts to think, sati will know it right away at every present moment. S: As when sati and the mind are together, it will stay still, doesn’t think, and is empty…isn’t it? A: No…This kind of understanding or expectation is Micchaditthi (wrong view) which is having ideas or understanding wrongfully from the true nature of the mind because the true nature of the mind is always tainted or proliferating or shows any actions. But the true nature of knowing elements is only know the mind that thinks or shows any action straightforwardly. There is no bias, nor pick the side, nor get attached to anything, nor intervene any thoughts or actions because the nature knows everything as it is-only kiles that has brought our mind to be so many things. If you anticipate that when you train the mind properly, your mind will stay still or empty, this is not the true nature of the mind. If you try to prevent the mind from thinking or stop the mind not to act, it is like hypnotizing. Your mind will be distorted from the true nature. This will make you more miserable-being dull, depressed, or being sick without the cause. So you have to practice it the right way. PG 67 – 68 Misunderstanding about practitioners A: I notice that you misunderstand about practitioners that they have to be calm, slow, or wellbehaved all the time. This will make you lose your own personality. Practicing dhamma will get rid of kiles and tanha more and more until it’s extinguished. As for your own personaltity or habit, it will not change that much. S: That’s it. Before I don’t behave like this. I am cheerful and active. But now I hardly remember things and I tend to think slower. It’s not as active as before. PG 68-69 Know your mind while working S: Last week I have sait, knowing myself faster. A: That’s good. S: I am a bit curious. I read the your purple book “ Lessen your worries, lighten your stress” about working that when you work, you have to plan ahead…Doesn’t this become the tainted mind?
A: Thinking about work is something you have to set your mind to in order to finish it. But other thoughts or emotions that happen during the work (e.g. why do you work harder than others? Why do they work like this or that?) is the tainted mind that you don’t intend to think. This will cause some emotions mixed in while working, such as feeling frustration (This is kiles-tanha). You have to have sati, knowing those tainted thought and emotions that come between working. Then you have to let them all go. Seeing that it’s normal to have tainted thoughts and emotions intervened the work. Just only have sati, knowing it and let it all go. Don’t get frustrated over it and don’t get carried away by it. If you do, just have sati knowing it and let it all go. PG 76 The Arahant’s mind is like an innocent child S: I wonder about person whom you told that his/her mind is like an innocent child. Does that mean his/her mind is ready to do vipassana? A: There are many people who are like this. They don’t need to do anything much-their minds are already bright and cheerful. Whenever, the mind is less bright and cheerful, it means that sati is lost-becoming the tainted mind (pushing things away or getting attached to anything, both inside and outside the 5 khanda-rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana). You have to know yourself fast and let things go quickly. Then take your mind back to the normal-bright and cheerful stage all the time. They don’t need to know any dhamma. The minds is already dhamma or natural. Just like I used to tell you about Luang Pu Budda Thavaro, he showed that the mind of arahant is like an innocent child. S: Yes. I remember. A: Therefore, if the mind does something that an innocent child wouldn’t do, it’s wrong. Don’t do that in the mind. For example, chasing after and trying to know the mind. Attempting to do something in the mind in order to be or get to something. Or getting frustrated, pushing away actions that are not satisfactory. Wanting, controlling, or criticizing something which causes raga (passion), moha (delusion), or dosa (hatred). This is avijja-the mind is proliferated until it becomes tanha, upadana, bhava, and chati. Just know all these and let go of the mind that is proliferated or shows any actions right away. Then the mind will get back to the normal and innocent stage, just like an innocent child. PG 77-78 Thinking repeatedly S: I like to proliferate and think repeatedly A: In your case, I notice that you don’t really do that; you only proliferate. And when this happens, have sati-sampajanna, knowing yourself or moving your body.
S: Someone suggested me to recite “Buddho”. But I can’t do it for long. A: Have sati, knowing yourself every time that your mind gets carried away. It won’t be long until you are skillful about it because your habit doesn’t seem to get attached to anything much. As you proliferate or get carried away, move your body fast. It’s maybe hard to constantly have sati, knowing yourself fast. PG 79 Know and let go S: Someone suggest me to use “Buddho” but I feel uncomfortable. A: In your case, you can’t do that. It will feel uncomfortable because your mind has been covered with power and emotions. If you parikamma (recitation), you will be tense and stressful. The way for you to practice is to know your thoughts and let it go quickly with relaxation. As you know it, let it go quickly. Know it fast and let it go quickly. That’s it. PG 83 The mind is attached to the symptoms S: When I know that my mind is attached to the symptoms or any actions, I feel frustrated right away. A: That feeling is the tainted mind caused by missing sati then proliferating about it. You want it to go away. When it doesn’t, you feel frustrated. You have to see the mind that wants the feeling to go away. Don’t it about it by yourself. Just know fast and let go quickly. Let go of all desires. S: When I am aware of myself, why doesn’t it end? A: You have to end it at mind. The desire to end it is tanha and tainted thought that you have fallen into being the thinker yourself. You can’t make it end. Just know it and don’t give any value to it. Have sati-sampajanna know it as it is. Just know it straightforwardly as it is. And that’s it. PG 84
Knowing, Being awake, Being Delightful S: My mind is at ease and it feels good. A: You have to wake your mind up a little. Now it’s stuck with the stillness. S: Is that so? A: Remember! The mind must be Bhddha or Buddho which is being the knower, being awake, and being delightful. If it’s not in these three characteristics, it’s not correct-not Buddha or Buddho. PG 89 Get attached to the mind to have only one condition S: When practice dhamma, do I have to do it until the mind becomes upekkha (neutral)? A: What do you mean by that? S: It means that if something comes into contact, my mind will not feel tremble or shaken and feel no suffering. Doesn’t this correct? A: That’s not it. When something comes into contact with the mind, you will have vedana according to it because vedana is part of 5 khanda; and there are 3 of them as follows: when something comes into contact with the mind, you feel happy-it is Sukkha-vedana. You don’t feel happy-it is Dukkha-vedana. You don’t feel anything or feel neutral-it is Upekkha-vedana. Therefore, all vedana actions change all the time according to thing that comes into contact with the mind through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind in every present moment. So you can’t choose to have only upekkha-vedana or sukkha-vedana. And if you try to have only upekkha-vedana, you will not be free from suffering because you misunderstand it. And it becomes an attachment to have only one condition in the mind. S: What do I have to do when I have dukkha-vedana? A: Just know it. Don’t get attached to it. Don’t suppress it or get carried away with it. You have to accept it as it naturally is, no matter what. Just know or know it straightforwardly as it is every present moment. This is upekkha knowing. This will ensure your being free from suffering. You will see that upekkha-vedana and upekkha knowing are different. S: If it isn’t upekkha knowing-which is when something dissatisfactory occurs, I get stuck with it, just like having something wrapping the mind around. And I can’t see the proliferated thoughts. What do I have to do? A: You have to train your sati-sampajann, knowing and being aware of whatever you are doing at the present moment.
S: If I just only stay with the present, when will I see the mind? A: If you can truly stay with the present, you will know the mind when it wanders outside just in time. Or you will truly see the mind…Have you ever been able to stay with present yet? S: Not yet. I happen to be only a blink of time then it comes back to its habitual state. When I do something or talk with someone, I keep checking the mind or intend to notice the mind so I don’t really stay the present 100 percent. S2: I notice that if I know something inside the mind with being with the present, I will give value to everything that happens in the mind. This is not good. I want something to be like this or that. It’s a chaos in the mind. A: You have to train it. You have to practice having sati-sampajanna, knowing and being aware of yourself in the present moment continuously. S: I try to get out of the action inside my mind in order to have sati-sampjanna in the present but it doesn’t. A: Just know in the present moment. It doesn’t matter if it tries to see the mind or notice the mind. You don’t have to care about it. Just stay with the present continuously. It will just know and let go by itself. If you don’t mind about anything, there is nothing in the mind to cause you suffering. You don’t suffer from the actions in the mind but you suffer because you pay attention to it. S: I understand that paying attention to it is suffering. But how come it doesn’t end? A: This is because there is a determination not to pay attention to it. This also shows that you still pay attention to it so you cannot be free from suffering. PG 92 “…A person who sees that eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind are not permanent will be able to get rid of Micchaditthi (wrong view). A person who knows Cakkhuvinnana (eye-cognition), Sotavinnana (ear-cognition), Ghanavinnana (nose-cognition), Jivhavinnana (tongue-cognition), Kayavinnana (body-cognition), and Manovinnana (mind-cognition), knows Cakkhu-samphassa (eyes-contact), Sota-samphassa (ears-contact), Ghana-samphassa (nose-contact), Jivhasamphassa (tongue-contact), Kaya-samphassa (body-contact), Mano-samphassa (mindcontact) or knows Sukha-vedana (happiness), Dukkha-vedana (misery), and Adukkhamasukhavedana (neither misery nor happiness) that they are all impermanent will be able to get rid of Micchaditthi.” “…A person who sees that eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are dukkha will be able to get rid of Sakkaditthi (the delusion of self).”
“…A person who sees that eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are anatta will be able to get rid of Attanuditthi (the view of being self)…” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 93 You cannot choose only the good mind. S: When I woke up in the morning, why doesn’t my mind feel alright? It tends to show lots of emotions and makes me feel uncomfortable. A: The fact that you feel your mind is abnormal is truly natural. It is the way it is because it is… “Anicca” that is impermanent. “Dukkha” that is the intolerant to stay only in one state…no matter that emotion is satisfactory or dissatisfactory. It has to change alternately. “Anatta” that is it is not we, us, or ours. And we don’t own it. So we can’t control any of it. It’s like the weather. It is impermanent and changeable and no one owns it. It is not ours so we can’t control it. Sometimes, it rains, sometimes, it’s very hot or very cold, or sometimes, it’s just perfect. Practitioners must admit this fact both inner and outer self that it is anicca, dukkha, and anatta. When you finally and fully accept it as it naturally is, you will not feel miserable about anything that happen in the present moment. But if you can’t (you try to avoid the reality or hate suffering but love happiness), you will feel suffered with all those emotions, as well as naturally causes forever. S: What do I have to do so that my mind will surrender to this fact? A: You must have “Yonisomanasikara” (thorough consideration) which is considering the reality of anicca, dukkha, and anatta in 5 khandha (rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana) continuously until your mind gradually accept the truth entirely (Yathabhutananadassana: knowledge and vision according to reality) then you will not get carried away or try to push away things that you don’t like (tanha is gone). Just know according to the reality. You will not pick sides or try to defy the true nature (your mind is truly dhamma (natural) with all emotions and symptoms with no bias anymore). S: I always keep checking the mind whether it’s good yet. And every time I check it, I feel uncomfortable. What should I do? A: That is good that you know this. You have done that because you have tanha. Now try to notice your face when you check your mind…what will it be like?
S: (notice it for a while). A: You see that every time you check your mind, your eyes looks down or your eyes expression shows stillness. But if you tend to think, your face may be crooked. If you force things to happen the way you want, your face may turn red or black, your eyes expression is stiff or aggressive, your mouth is tightly closed, and your face will be different from your natural state. S: Yes. I didn’t really notice this before. A: That’s it. Now be perseverance to have sati, being aware of every action of your life, along with having sampajanna, knowing yourself and stop those wrong behaviors when you know it. Then all your action that tries to check the mind or try to do something with the mind or try be something will be lessened until it is gone. S: If I don’t mess around with the mind, I tend to get carried away with other things or feel sleepy. What should I do? A: If you lose sati or get carried away, just have sati, being aware of it every moment, along with having sampajanna, knowing yourself and staying with the action you have been doing in the present moment right away; then all other things that make you drift away will be extinguished at that moment. And it will happen less and less until it’s totally gone. S: In that case, can I try to make my mind to be neutral or empty? S: You must not do that. It is tanha and upadana. It is the attachment. This will make your mind still and inactive. You will not get out of suffering and will cause ailments. Because if you try to make your mind in such a way, you will feel uncomfortable, get headache, chest pain, or rashes; have fever, running nose; feel restless or don’t want to eat anything. Try to be perseverance to have sati, being aware of every moment when you lose sati, along with having sampajanna, knowing yourself in every present moment. And give up all those wrong doings. And don’t try to prevent it or try to be aware of it before hand because this is the tainted mind that will cause you suffering. S: What should I do to quit messing around with the mind action? A: You must have sati and panna. Know and see things according to the truth all the time that all mind actions is anicca, dukkha, and anatta. There are changes all the time. Any satisfaction yields happiness; dissatisfaction yields misery. Therefore, don’t lose sati and panna, getting carried away with anything. Don’t fall into happiness or hate dukkha. This is avijja. You must have panna, knowing and seeing thing that all happiness and misery are naturally together. You cannot choose just one. Buddha said that let go of all happiness and misery, then nibbana will be in place right away. PG 98
“You must have “sati” seeing the world that it is empty (empty and free from the self-you or yours). You must withdraw your opinion about the self. Then you can overcome the soul reaper. When you see the world like this, the reaper will not see you.” Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” “…We said that the world is empty because it is empty from the self or the self belonging. And what is empty from the self or the self belonging?…eyes…ears…nose…body…mind…form…sound…smell…taste…tangible object…cognizable object… Cakkhuvinnana (eye-cognition)… Sotavinnana (ear-cognition)… Ghanavinnana (nose-cognition… Jivhavinnana (tongue-cognition)… Kayavinnana (bodycognition)…Manovinnana (mind-cognition)... Cakkhupassa (eye contact)…Sotapassa (earcontact)… Ghanapassa (nose contact)…Jivhapassa (tongue contact)…Kayapassa (body contact)… Manopassa (mind contact)… Sukhavedana…Dukkhavedana…or Adukkahmasukhavedana…All of these have contact as the main cause. It is the emptiness from the self and the self belonging; and it is because it is empty from the self and the self belonging. Therefore, the world is empty. Buddha’s words from the book “Buddhism from Buddha’s teaching by Saeng Chan-ngam” PG 99 When you know something and then make your mind empty. It is wrong. A: How do you do in your practice? Do you have any questions? It feels like you have stuck inside. You look a bit cloudy. S: I know that I try to keep the feeling so I try to make my mind blank. A: As I notice this, when you know something, you make your mind empty. And by doing this, it’s not correct. You must have sati-panna, considering that rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana are all free from the self-you or yours. There is no one to take it or hold on to it. S: Is that so? A: As a matter of fact “Know” is knowing as everything is naturally through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Knowing through the mind channel is knowing everything from the mind; it’s not something you proliferate about it or try to know it from outside and see it inside, just like using the eyes to see something in the chest. S: That means when I know something, I tend to do something about it. A: Yes, when you know something through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, you try to make your mind empty (trying to simply know) or you try to do something with the mind to make it empty. It’s not the knowing naturally as it is. It’s not “Just know”. And you keep checking the mind inside or try to see the mind with hidden craving all the time. This is “Tanha”.
S: If I try to move my body, will I get out of this stillness? A: You don’t just move your body. But you try to fix this mind action by pushing it outside. It’s not this. When you try to do something like this, you can’t get out of it. In fact, if you try to be free from it, you then create the tainted mind which is tanha. S: What should I do? A: Don’t mind about it. Just get up and do something else. Don’t forget that your mind must be “Buddho” or “Buddha”, which means Knowing, Being awake, and Being Cheerful. It’s not like this (Ajarn shows the eyes that is sleepy). S: (laughing). PG 101 The foolish mind and the smart mind S: I can’t make any progression in my practice. I don’t feel lively. And when I’m alone, I tend to go astray for a long time. When I come to senses, I know it just that. I don’t realize it or be perceptive. A: It’s just a single mind moment. S: I got stuck being inactive. I put effort to be free from it but I can’t. Sometimes, when I extend loving kindness to everything, I still feel gloomy. A: When you sit in front of me, I don’t see that you get stuck with anything. You don’t feel sad. When you put your effort to get out of any actions, that will make you stuck even more. I’ll make a comparison like this: The first mind that is sad is like a man getting electrocuted. The second mind, if not knowing or knowing but don’t do anything about it, is also get electrocuted. It happens on and on like this until the new mind has panna or smart enough to get in and help. The mind at that moment has sati-sampajanna, being aware of yourself with the things you are doing, speaking, thinking, standing, walking, sitting, sleeping, or moving in any actions. The mind is strong enough and it becomes normal as it naturally is right away automatically. This happens in each single mind moment. S: I feel that I get stuck all along. A: That is there’s no smart mind yet. So it gets stuck in every single mind because you thinks that there’s one mind or cling on to the thought that the mind has self or form or it is your mind or you think your mind get stuck so you try to bring back the old mind. This is very important. You must understand it clearly. S: I want to have the cheerful mind.
A: By trying to have only the cheerful mind, it is the attachment. So the mind is not cheerful. Any mind that is not attached to it will be bright and cheerful because it is the true nature of the original mind. It will not get stuck to anything. You will smile by yourself, without making it. Don’t create the cheerfulness. Remember that there are always new mind happening. There’s nothing left in the mind. S: (Smile with cheerfulness) PG 107 It’s different. W: Why doesn’t that person need to hit his body strongly or blink his eyes quickly in order to get out of the feelings or thoughts that cling on to the emotions, just as you told others? A: He holds on to the emotion; but it’s only lightly. W: I see him speaking very slowly and softly, and he also moves slowly. I thought that he gets stuck deeply. A: Not at all. So I told him to be aware of it and ask him to know everything naturally. At first he couldn’t do it because as he thinks that he knows, it’s only a delusion (thinking that he knows). He is lost in his feelings or emotions that is very light, until he can truly know everything through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind-not by thinking that he knows but in fact he is lost inside or deludes himself into light feeling or emotion. W: He looks like he is very determined. A: His nature habit doesn’t have much emotion. He is very easy going and doesn’t have much ditthi-mana (false view and ego). In addition, he has so much faith. When I tell him to do something, he does it right away. W: I understand it now. From being slow and dreamy, his face turns fresh and bright. A: Yes. W: But why doesn’t other person seem to be like that? A: Because he still has doubt within his mind. He still has so many thoughts and set value to something in his mind. And he is not willing to change it yet so he won’t do it fully. W: That’s it. When they were told to do the same thing, at the same time but the result comes out differently. A: It must be corrected accordingly (differently for each and every person). Just like a doctor prescribe medicine to different symptoms. W: What should be done for the latter person?