We have heard the teachings on the abandoning of the fetters of the Sotapanna that the Sotapanna is the one who abandons: 1. Sakkaya ditthi. This definitely means abandoning the wrong view about the self, which is a gross thing that is present in ordinary people and is less so in good people who aspire to practice Samatha and Vipassana, until they begin to abandon wrong view momentarily, which will eventually lead to abandoning wrong view. 2. Vicikiccha: hesitation and doubt, focusing on hesitation and doubt about the Triple Gem. Some people are confused as to why it is bad if we have hesitation and doubt. Many times, hesitation prevents us from easily believing things according to what others say, such as if someone deceives us or even does not deceive us, because they think that teaching is correct, this teaching is incorrect, because in many schools, wherever we go, we hear only stories that it must be this way to be correct, we must do it this way only. Hesitation and doubt create self-control and not believe things easily. Isn’t it good? If you look at it this way, it is definitely good because that is a form of right reflection to carefully consider to see the truth for yourself. Believe me, everyone thinks that they are right. If he said he was wrong, would he still do that? But the doubt in this fetter focuses on the doubt in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Noble Sangha. Because the Sotapanna is the one who enters into practice according to the Noble Eightfold Path, gradually purifying the defilements until seeing for himself that all sufferings are gradually becoming lighter. He does not think that he is this or that because everything is about suffering. When the suffering decreases, the mind becomes more stable and begins to see the truth according to reality until seeing for himself that the self, the self that he has misunderstood all along by creating the self, does not really exist. It is only a feeling created by ignorance. When anyone reaches this point, we can imagine for ourselves that he will definitely have no more doubts about the Dharma because practicing the Dharma has led him to freedom from suffering. And he will know for himself automatically that there could be Dharma teachings if there was no wisdom of the Buddha’s enlightenment. This principle, which is the logic of cause and effect, is natural for noble persons. And freedom from suffering truly occurs in those who practice the Dharma. Here, it will allow those who come into contact to understand clearly by themselves without having to listen to anyone else’s explanation. This is the origin of the Buddha asking Sariputta that Who do you think is a Sotapanna here? Sariputta replied, I think that those who practice the Noble Eightfold Path are the Sotapanna. Because the Four Sotapanna characteristics clearly state the 1st-3rd points are those who respect the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha firmly because they have seen it for themselves. This is the result that arises in the minds of all noble individuals, which the Lord Buddha well knows. It is not a follow-on respect. As for the Four Sotapanna points, the Fourth point is those who have unbroken precepts, tainted, and tainted. It is precepts that are not touched by view. This comes from practicing the Path points 1 and 2 until wisdom arises. They have precepts with wisdom, not thinking that keeping precepts will be good and will take them to heaven. That is still touched by view. Therefore, the Four Sotapanna points are definitely the result that arises in noble individuals at all levels. If they practice until they feel that “they are liberated,” but still hesitate in the Buddha’s teachings, thinking this is right, this is not right, is this really what the Buddha said? The Fourth Noble Path must be wrong? Because what “I” have achieved is not like this? If so, I’ll have to hire an outsider to see who is more likely to be wrong, between the disciples and the Lord Buddha. If they are really wrong, today there won’t be a single Arahant at all. Because it has already been 2,600 years. Or were the people who said that an Arahant? By having self-realization? Therefore, doubt is not just daily doubt or doubt about worldly things like science and mathematics. But it is hesitation in the Triple Gem. As for point 3, “Sīlapataraparamasa”, it is something that people follow often, believing that doing this is good, doing that will release suffering. These things will disappear from the hearts of those who see the truth. Because those who see the truth will see that no matter what they do, no matter how much, they cannot make the aggregates, which are in a state of suffering, become happy. So take care of them as much as you can because they only deteriorate. Don’t even mention maintaining them. No matter how much you adjust the environment to make them splendid, no matter how much you change your name, number, or direction, the aggregates can never escape from the state of suffering. There is only the practice of letting go of clinging to the aggregates. That is when true suffering can be released. So your own imagination must be able to say that No one would waste their time doing something useless like spitting on an ice cube and then freezing it to eat. These are the three of the ten fetters that can be abandoned by the Sotapanna. 2013-06-14

If we want to get to know the world, we must not cling to the district we stand on, but rely on the grains of soil and sand beneath our feet to learn about the world. But if we cling to the grains of soil and sand beneath our feet, we will only gain geological knowledge and not know the world. What is the meaning? “If we want to get to know the world,” the worldly language or the Dhamma language in the first sentence almost have the same meaning because it can be this world or the world of aggregates. “We must not cling to the district we stand on.” This means do not cling to precepts. Here the meaning starts to become complex. For example, if we cling to the fact that we are in this district, we will not know other districts even though the word “district” does not exist. Otherwise, if we know the area we are in, we will know everywhere because they are the same. The same goes for practice. If we look at the legs as legs, we will not understand the form. If the observer is us, we will not understand the true abstract. “But rely on the grains of soil and sand beneath our feet to learn about the world.” But learning all of this world relies only on small grains of soil and sand that show the three characteristics, as a tool to return to the form and name. When you understand the form and name of the grain of soil and sand, you will be able to understand the whole world as well, because they come from the same origin and are under the same law. “But if you cling to the grain of soil and sand under your feet, you will only gain geological knowledge and not know the world.” But if you study with the clinging to “soil” by being “soil,” you will not reach the true “soil”, because the true “soil” has never actually been “soil,” but is merely a cause and condition that creates change into what we call the temporary state of “soil.” But it itself is not “soil” and has never been “soil,” it is still “soil.” But if you just cling to being soil, and I know about soil, I am a person who is knowledgeable about soil, you will still be only a person who knows, a person with right view. You will only be a person who has knowledge of soil and sand, not knowing the true “world”. You will still not be able to enter the end of suffering until you let go of your mindfulness and wisdom, because right view is the ultimate, giving rise to right knowledge and right liberation. That is when there is true peace. If you are a warrior You might say, “The earth, the sand, the world, there’s only Dhamma,” or “Why should I care? Things are suffering. The more you get involved, the more suffering you bring.” This is a sword swing back, and the speaker will immediately know that the person they are talking to is not ordinary, but is starting to return to normal. … The first two answers focus too much on practice, and don’t see the big picture. If it truly comes from the mind, the state of consciousness ceases, consciousness, wisdom, name-and-form cease. But the final answer, gets very close to the truth of nature, called Nirvana, because it lets go of even the self, has no owner of any state at all, and dissolves back into nature, reaching emptiness. The rest, go and make it happen according to what you understand. All warriors, go and practice throwing swords. 2013-09-25

Introducing the “Joy Maker” “Maybe happiness is not something we need to search for, but it is something right in front of us, but we can’t see it yet.” Today, we still “don’t have” happiness because we still “don’t understand” happiness. In the brain of every human being, there are 4 types of neurotransmitters that, when released, will make us feel “happy”:

Dopamine
Serotonin
Oxytocin
Endorphins

These four happiness substances always work together. The function of each substance can be briefly explained as follows…

Dopamine (the success substance)

Will be released in large amounts when we receive what we want and when the desire is satisfied, such as wanting to eat cheesecake and get to eat it, wanting to kiss someone on the cheek and get to kiss them, wanting to compete and get first place and succeed, etc. —

Serotonin (the calming substance)

Will be released in large amounts when we feel calm, comfortable, and relaxed, such as when we are meditating, when we are lying down listening to our favorite songs. When we are lying on a comfortable sofa, etc. —

Oxytocin (relationship hormone)

Will be released when we are in love, when we hear our lover’s voice, are near our lover, or touch our lover. And will be released in large amounts in mothers who have just given birth. Oxytocin is released in both young love, family love, and friendship love that is very connected. Oxytocin makes us feel comfortable, safe, and warm. —

Endorphins (feel-good hormones)

Will be released every time we feel happy. Therefore, endorphins are released together with dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. In addition, endorphins are released in large amounts when we exercise, laugh, or smile. And it acts as a natural pain-killer/morphine from nature. Therefore, when we are happy, we feel less pain, both physically and mentally. Wounds, fatigue, and bad memories … these things seem to be able to harm us at all while we are happy. ::::::::::::::::::   Memorizing the similarities or differences of these happiness chemicals is not important. But what is important is to be aware of these four chemicals. It does not exist in any object. But it is abundantly present in our own brain… The thousand-baht note does not contain dopamine, the world’s softest chair is not coated with serotonin, the voice of our loved one does not contain oxytocin, and no food in the world contains endorphine… Our brain synthesizes all happiness… Everything outside of us only serves to “stimulate” the happiness substance in us to secrete. But all things in themselves do not have any happiness substance imprinted on them. A thousand-baht note is just an annoying piece of paper. For a billionaire who does not value money, the world’s softest chair is suffering. For a person with giant hemorrhoids, the voice of a lover is extreme sadness, if the owner of the voice has already left this world. And the most delicious food in the world is a terrifying poison. If the eater is allergic to it ::::::::::::::::: All things? Happiness All things + embellishment = happiness Things are meaningless and unhappy by themselves. But our mind synthesizes happiness from… values, interpretations, experiences, feelings (feelings), memories (sentences) and embellishments (formations). From young to old, we let our subconscious automatically synthesize happiness from things. And the results are often not what we want. The fact that humans try to seek happiness from things that do not create happiness in themselves is what causes countless people who, despite being famous, rich, beautiful, and talented, may suffer more than beggars sleeping under a footbridge covered in torn towels. If fame gave happiness… there would be no frowning celebrities. If wealth gave happiness… there would be no crying millionaires. If beauty gave happiness… no good-looking people would commit suicide. If a soulmate gave happiness… no one would suffer after getting married. :::::::::::::::::: Humans entrust other things to synthesize happiness. From… things, money, fame, compliments, weather, traffic, position, job, lottery, boyfriend, mother, father, child, boss, subordinate, political party, politician, movie, drama, Facebook, Facebook game, etc. But when we feel that these things can’t synthesize happiness as our heart desires (anymore), we start to feel irritated, bored, stressed, angry, depressed, and many times we will blame the world, blame society, blame others, blame ourselves, blame fate or blame karma for making us suffer. According to the law of three characteristics, which is the iron law of the universe… nothing is permanent (anicca)… nothing is durable (suffering)… and nothing is real (anatta). Therefore, when we put our hopes in something impermanent, unreal and impermanent to synthesize happiness for us, it is natural for us to be disappointed and feel sad. We act like a billionaire who vows that he will not be happy until he wins the lottery, which means that we already have immense happiness because we are the only source of happiness in the universe. But we set the conditions for happiness ourselves. By placing it in things (and people) that are uncertain… :::::::::::::::::: What does all this mean? Does it mean that we should stop chasing dreams and seeking everything, and just sit still to synthesize happiness by ourselves until we wither and die? No. But it means that no matter where we are, who we are, or what we are doing, in reality there is always “happiness” hidden within all of us. It’s just a matter of whether we “know how” to synthesize it ourselves. The first way to synthesize happiness is to start…

Being scolded by your boss, being scolded by your husband, being scolded by your children, being scolded by your co-workers, being scolded by customers. You are suffering, sad, discouraged, disappointed, lamenting that we have tried our best but they do not see our goodness and intentions. Let me put it this way: I believe and understand that we have done our best. I support women. I sympathize with women. I always secretly hope that in the future, many women will attain the Dhamma. Those unwholesome emotions that make the mind depressed and stuck will return to wholesomeness, moving forward without giving up. Like Queen Pajapati, the Lord Buddha’s aunt. She held a high position. She was old but shaved her head. She walked barefoot to see the Lord Buddha to ask for ordination. But the Lord Buddha did not permit it. She cried and was sad. But in the end, Venerable Ananda tried to persuade him until the Lord Buddha agreed to let her ordain. And in the end, she attained the Dhamma. Do not be immersed in sorrow today. There is still a path to freedom from suffering. Women, do not wait for fate. Do not wait for the next life. Do not wait for it to be this or that. No matter who you are, where you are, or how much suffering you have. Now, you are born as a human being. You have met Buddhism. You have learned the Noble Eightfold Path, put aside your sorrow or suffering, and regain your mindfulness, and return to being a human being to make it worthwhile to be born as a human being. If there was anyone who was sad, Nang Patacara was more sad than anyone else. But on the day she was most sad, she regained her senses because of the Buddha’s words. The Buddha said to Nang Patacara, “Regain your senses, little sister.” At that moment, she regained her senses by the power of the Buddha. At that moment, she determined that her cloth had come off, which caused her to have shame and embarrassment, so she sat on her haunches. Then a man threw a blanket to her. She put on the cloth and went to see the Buddha. She paid homage with the five-tiered garlands at his golden feet, and said, “Please be my refuge, O Lord, because a hawk clipped one of my sons. One was swept away by the water. My husband died on a deserted path, Mother, father and elder brother were crushed to death by the house, and they were cremated on the same pyre.” Hearing her words, the Buddha said: “Do not think, Patacara. You have come to the abode of one who can be your refuge and shelter. Just as one of your sons is snatched away by a hawk, another is swept away by the water, your husband dies on the deserted road, and your mother, father and elder brother are crushed to death by the house. So are the tears that you shed in this suffering, when your beloved children and so on die, more than the water of the four great oceans.” Then he uttered this verse: “The water in the four great oceans is very little. The tears of a person who, when touched by suffering, grieves are no less than the water of the great ocean. Why are you heedless, my sister?” As the Buddha was reciting the Anamatakkapariyaya Sutta, the sorrow in her body Attained the lightness. Then the Buddha, knowing that her grief had lightened, warned her again and said, “Patacara, a beloved person with children, etc., cannot be a resistance, a refuge or a protection for those who have gone to the next world; therefore, even if they exist, they are considered to be nonexistent. A wise man who has purified the precepts should only purify the path that will lead beings to their own nirvana.” When he was about to teach the Dhamma, he said these verses: “There are no children to resist, no father, no relatives. When a person is overcome by death, there is no resistance from relatives; a wise man who, knowing the power of that benefit, restrains himself in the precepts and purifies the path to nirvana quickly.” At the end of the sermon, Patacara burned up the defilements as small as dust on the great earth and established herself in the Sotapanna stage. Many others also attained various noble stages, such as the Sotapanna stage, etc. Thus. 2013-09-24

Whose house was in Bang Phli area many years ago? The life was quite peaceful. After that, when Suvarnabhumi Airport moved in, the sound of planes taking off and landing was so loud that the villagers living in the plane take-off and landing line almost had to plug their ears and the planes took off and landed every day almost every minute. From that day until today, many years have passed since the airport opened. No one feels that sound anymore. The plane came…stopped talking. The plane passed…continued talking. Everyone seems to have adjusted their way of life. Try asking the villagers who live in the area with stagnant water. From the time that passed, the perception of the stench was as if it no longer existed. The child was sent to boarding school. At first, he didn’t want to stay at all. But after staying for a while, he didn’t want to go home anymore. He wanted to stay with his friends instead. Today, he likes to eat chili paste and mackerel. He was sent to India. Believe it or not, at first, he couldn’t eat it. But then, when there was nothing to eat, he had to endure it. After a while, he would enjoy the Indian food. When we stay with something for a while, we get used to it. What is behind the truth that we seem to know? The truth is, we don’t get used to it (where is “us”?) Because that is only the apparent result. The truth is The nature of all forms and names (both form and name, body and mind) has the property of adapting to new conditions. Adapting to a new condition is natural because this is the survival of animals and plants. This is because the environment changes due to factors all the time. For example, a meteorite from outer space hit the earth, causing a violent impact, the ocean splashed, a huge tsunami occurred, a volcanic eruption buried the dinosaurs and killed them all. The atmosphere was filled with thick smoke and dust. The sunlight did not reach the ground, so the earth became ice. Humans had to adapt and plants had to adapt. Time has passed until the present. We are becoming aware of global warming because we are accelerating various factors by digging things up from underground to burn them on the ground. The state of balance has changed and caused a chain reaction. Animals and plants have also had to adapt. Adaptation has always happened because unstable external factors affected internal factors. And internal factors (abstracts, feelings) that are also never stable (due to ignorance and fabrication) also try to change the external factors and environment to be as desired. Since adaptation is always present, adapting to new things or new conditions constantly creates familiarity with the new conditions. Plants also adapt to the new environment. Animals are the same, humans are the same. This new adjustment, in animals that have feelings of happiness, suffering, indifference, they adjust from suffering to indifference. When they are indifferent for a while, happiness arises. When something changes again, there is suffering again, so it adjusts again to indifference, and then it becomes accustomed to it and begins to be happy (stupidly going around in a circle, stupidly going around in a circle like this). This is the condition that is seen as a result. The ultimate condition is when the mind first encounters a new condition, it will struggle and sway because it has to protect itself, until it feels safe and then it will not cling to that matter anymore. At first, it suffers because the mind struggles, but when the mind stops struggling, it feels indifferent. But the cause might also come from the body, for example, when living in a cold country and then moving to a hot country, the body’s skin is exposed to the heat, which affects the change and adaptation. There is movement and water is expelled to cool down. When the change occurs, the feeling is transmitted through the abstract, continuing in a chain. Contact arises, the consciousness translates it into positive and negative values, so there is suffering. This creates suffering pain for a while, and the feeling changes from suffering to indifference because the mind no longer clings to that thing like it did in the beginning. Or for example, when a conscript is first sent to a military camp, he will suffer a lot for a while, then he will adjust to the new condition and become a disciplined person. The hardships in the early days became normal. The body was achy on the first few days, but it adjusted itself because it had to struggle to stay in this state, so muscles were formed. These conditions occur because there were triggers for them. They do not have any real existence. In the end, good habits become attached to it, waking up early, being strong, and disciplined. But if new factors do not continue, it will adjust itself again. So it is said that it is the same as before, it just looks similar. How can it be the same? However, this new adjustment is not only positive like the examples above. When being in a group with bad habits, the body will also absorb the badness, the lack of discipline, and the selfishness that are the conditions of the environment. When immersed in normal water, the body gets used to normal water. When immersed in hot water, at first the body will be uncomfortable with the hot water, suffering from the hot water, and then get used to the hot water. This is the adjustment of the form and name, and of animals with feelings. Today, because of this, it has been obscured because we do not see the truth, so we are mistakenly fabricating feelings, even though that is how it is. If we see the truth, we will find the unbelievable truth that the adjustment of the form and name, both animate and inanimate, both with spirit and without spirit, both with feeling and without feeling, is always adjusting regardless of whether anyone owns it or not. This is the term that explains this truth in a single sentence: “Because there is this, this is a factor, this and that arise.” This condition was coined by the Buddha and called “Itabpaccayatā.” Therefore, all things in the world are subject to Itabpaccayatā. When the result we see this second comes from the cause in the previous second, and the previous second has a cause from the second before that, that makes us understand that everything changes according to causes and conditions all the time. There is no condition for a stable self. This is why there is no way that all things can be stable. It causes us to see impermanence. This is a condition that goes back to the root. Those who see impermanence see only the result that manifests of form and name. True wisdom or the truth is to go in and see the true cause of all things. Then we can let go of clinging. But no, we are not there yet. We will move forward to expose the truth of the world that has been misleading us. Although all things are dependent origination, including all things, the ones that will truly relate to beings are those with feelings or those with suffering. Therefore, the teachings of the Buddha will focus only on beings with suffering in order to escape from suffering. Dependent origination is therefore narrowed down to only dependent origination, which will relate only to beings with suffering. Then we will find the truth that there has never been a “person” or “I” in beings. Our being comes from clinging. If you look at what I have read, to summarize it simply, feelings – happiness, suffering, indifference – come from changes in external conditions and affect the body and mind, or from internal struggles that want to change the external. Then the feelings will go around because of ignorance of the true truth, so we cling to them. So, is it good to get used to it? Getting used to it is good, but getting used to it is stupid. The Lord Buddha had great wisdom and intelligence. He realized the Noble Truths because he saw the truth. So he knew that only the Path could lead beings to freedom because they would see the truth. In the Noble Eightfold Path, it will pull beings out of the habit of demerit, which is the instinct to want to harm, to oppress in order to survive, to change to not want to harm instead with precepts in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th elements of the path, with wisdom from the 1st and 2nd elements of the path. Then, when the body and speech are calm, it will go to manage to change the abstract, which is the mind and spirit, to be on the path of merit, abandoning demerit in order to move the deeply rooted habits from the bank of demerit to be on the path of merit instead. Therefore, the first tool, the 6th element of the path, is used to have beings abandon demerit and change to develop merit instead, staying with merit as much and often as possible until they are accustomed to merit. The nature of form and name as explained will adjust to the new state. Then, the form and name, body and mind, or the 5 aggregates will begin to become attached to merit. Hence the next word that the Lord Buddha spoke: It is easy for good people to do good, difficult for bad people to do bad, easy for bad people to do good, difficult for good people. Then that person will continue to do merit, but merit such as loving-kindness and compassion is good in living together in society, but the merit that the Lord Buddha wanted to connect to and will be beneficial to the highest goal is anapanasati. Why? But when staying with merit and doing merit until becoming accustomed to it, Then, one will become accustomed to doing good deeds. Then, one must use the seventh element of the path, Right Mindfulness, to let go of clinging to good deeds, but will not stop doing good deeds. Then, one will not do good deeds by contemplating and making them one’s own again. One will begin to do good deeds with a free mind. One will gradually find the truth. When the journey has arisen a lot from abandoning evil deeds, and the mind relies on good deeds, it will create an identity for clinging to good deeds, which is the nature of the mind with ignorance. Therefore, in order to see the truth, the mind must be allowed to see that the various bases that the mind circles through, namely the body, feelings, mind, and mental objects, doing evil deeds results in evil deeds. Doing good deeds results in the mind being good deeds. (Many people are confused at this point that whether good or evil deeds, they all arise and pass away. This is true. But if delusion takes over, they will say that doing evil or good deeds is the same. This is where they have lost their way.) When one sees the truth that everything arises and passes away, that will lead to the correct view, which is the non-self. While traveling through the four bases, with repetition, one will begin to see the truth that will be the wisdom of the Noble Truths, that is, the four bases are tools to know the truth of what the five aggregates are. Because of the repetition of seeing the four bases, there is the knowledge that the five aggregates are components that come together, hidden and overlapping by traveling through the four bases. Therefore, the four foundations of mindfulness are not the wisdom that is right view. This path is still classified as samadhi, not wisdom. Today, many people are mistaken that the four foundations of mindfulness are vipassana. The real vipassana is in the first component of the path, that is, when mindfulness is developed, the wisdom to understand that the five aggregates are not the self arises. That is vipassana. When understanding the four foundations of mindfulness, one will know that the body, feelings, mind and phenomena have no self. That is the same complex meaning that will be the continuation that form, feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness have no self and are not-self. This understanding comes from the mind that is firmly established in right concentration. The factors for the arising of right concentration have been since right view, until renunciation, until morality, the mind becomes firmer. Until abandoning demerit, the mind becomes firmer. Until developing wholesome things, knowing the wind, anapanasati, the mind becomes firmer. This leads to the development of mindfulness well, understanding the truth and letting go of wrong views, and the mind becomes more established again, until it is finally established, seeing the truth and clearly knowing the Noble Truths: this is suffering, this is the cause of suffering, this is the complete cessation of suffering, and this is the path to the cessation of suffering. This is the highest right view, destroying those who cling to the aggregates because the mind itself clings to itself as the origin of all matters. Therefore, there is the eye-awakening (eye-awakening in us), the knowledge-awakening (intelligence-awakening in us), the wisdom-awakening (wisdom-awakening in us), the knowledge-awakening (knowledge-awakening in us), and the light-awakening (light-awakening in us) because the mind has let go of all the wrong views that have dominated the long journey through samsara. Therefore, the result is right knowledge, the true right knowledge, and right liberation, which is true liberation. There is no one who owns all things anymore. The mind returns to its original nature. If you understand the path that the Lord Buddha realized, would your disciples disrespect his words? Would you argue about whose thing is right? Don’t be stupid and layer yourself with stupidity. Come back to study the path, practice in accordance with the path, you will find true peace. Each of us has only a little time left. Don’t be like the chickens in the cage that are being transported to the slaughterhouse, but all the ignorant chickens still argue that their cage is better, that they are better, that that cage is no good. When we get there, I must lead because I know the truth. All the chickens, whether they are subordinates or bosses, talk about the same thing, develop the same wrong view until it becomes group delusion. They will see the group as “we are right” without seeing any truth. But how could they not? As soon as the car stopped, the pickup truck was unloaded, the cage was lifted down, and all the chickens, whether they were leaders or subordinates, were thrown in.

Practitioners will have heard the terms, “the knower and the known.” Before entering the practice, people will not have a knower and a known person. Because in life, there is only the feeling of “mine” and “mine” all the time. For example, if someone makes a loud noise, we get angry and dislike it. This becomes “I am angry because someone else did it.” There is no “knower, the known.” Then we start to practice, have mindfulness, awareness, learn to meditate, and begin to have a “knower” to observe the “breath.” The breath then becomes the “known.” When we do it frequently and skillfully, it begins to develop into daily life. When someone makes a loud noise and we feel dissatisfied, at that time mindfulness arises, so the “knower” arises to observe the “emotion of anger.” The angry emotion becomes the known. When this happens frequently, we begin to see the details of the “known.” For example, the “known” arises and then ceases. Sometimes we see that when something impacts it, This being known also arose following, or perhaps the same impact, but why is the “being known” this time not the same as the last time, etc. Like this, the “knower” begins to learn about the “being known” until one day he understands and makes a decision from continuous learning (at this time the precepts must be complete, otherwise he will see with his own wisdom that if he continues to break the precepts, suffering will occur all the time, making it very difficult to lead to stable peace). The “being known” does not have a self, it is just something that arises and ceases. It arises because there are causes and conditions, and it ceases when the causes and conditions are exhausted. Whoever sees clearly all the time like this, that person will eventually abandon the wrong view of being a self. Even during the practice, this kind of seeing also occurs even if one has not yet reached the Dhamma to abandon wrong view. Even though sometimes it returns to having a self, it is normal because the mind has not yet seen completely white. So do not worry. From the ceaseless practice of meditation, it will see the truth more and more until it completely pushes out the wrong view of being a self (sakkayaditthi) completely. Then there will be no more wrong view. Which means that right view is born. Now, when the “knower” continues to observe the “known”, the determination in right concentration will increase, making him begin to notice that the “knower” himself is also arising and ceasing. In the past, because of the focus on observing the “known”, the “knower” itself gradually emerged as a self. He began to gradually feel that “I” understood. “Wisdom” arose. Then what would automatically follow, which the person might not be aware of, is the clinging to “wisdom” as “mine” immediately and increasingly more firmly at a subtle level. Even though the wrong view of the self is abandoned, the clinging to the aggregates still exists. As long as the mind still has ignorance, the stupid mind will cling to everything. Because the cause of everything is because the mind clings to itself. The development of the path will lead to the realization of the Four Noble Truths. When the realization of the Noble Truths arises, it will lead to the seeing and realization of Dependent Origination. Since they are the same thing, it leads to right view at a deeper level, until the person sees that consciousness itself is arising and clinging. Now the mind begins to see the truth more and more, leading to the right view that even the “knower” also arises and ceases. If the “knower” and the “known” are compared to a xylophone and its mallets, the xylophone and its mallets are in a set, but they are not the same. They have different functions. However, the mallet misunderstood and believed that the mallet was its own. The sound that was produced was made by it. However, when observing with determination and neutrality, the mallet began to discover the truth that the sound of the mallet was only from the impact, it did not belong to the mallet. It was only the impact because there was a cause. Because the mallet misunderstood that both the mallet and the sound of the mallet were its own, this had always led to suffering. Finally, all of the deepest misunderstandings arose from the identity of the mallet itself. Everything is natural, empty of the meaning of identity, because of the misunderstanding that mindfulness is mine, wisdom is mine, we have already known clearly. Even though right view exists, it still cannot let go of right view. Finally, from the ultimate realization of the Noble Truths, right view is the cause and result in right insight and right liberation. Here, it is true insight (knowledge, wisdom) that is free from anyone clinging. This is true liberation, empty of the liberated (liberated), it is a return to nature without any self that previously caused any clinging at all. When right view arises, the xylophone mallet, the xylophone, the sound of the xylophone, are all free and empty of self. In truth, they are already empty. It is just a feeling that was created by itself out of ignorance. This then creates the cause of the arising of the aggregates, the continual existence, and the non-stop birth. On that day, both the “knower” and the “known” are truly one thing. They are all nature that is empty of self. At that time, any causes and conditions for the arising of suffering will be eliminated, because the causes are eliminated. The creation of any birth will stop. This is the end of suffering, which is Nirvana. 2013-09-04

In a meditation center, there were many male and female practitioners, children and adults crowding the center. One day, while the teacher was walking around to check how neat the disciples were in the center, he found a cute little girl diligently sweeping leaves. The teacher walked over to her, admiring her diligence and said, “You’re really diligent.” “I’m not diligent. I just sweep,” the disciple replied. “Sweeping like this makes merit,” the teacher continued, “Sweeping the floor, sweeping the heart.” The disciple continued sweeping. The disciple stopped sweeping and turned to answer the teacher, “A clean heart, that is merit. If you add merit, and the heart is heavy and dirty, you have to sweep more.” The teacher smiled, admiring the little disciple’s answer. “Very good. In that case, I will reward you for your good deed. Let me ask for one thing.” The teacher smiled and made an offer. The disciple looked at the teacher and asked, “Anything is fine?” “Yes, anything,” the teacher confirmed. The little disciple stood thinking for a while and then told the teacher, “Then I will hug the teacher.” The teacher was stunned for a moment because he did not expect the intelligent disciple to ask for something like this. But he agreed to let the disciple do as requested. So he opened his arms. The little boy came and hugged him, happily burying his face in his arms. When he finished, the teacher was curious and asked the wise disciple, “Why did you ask for something so meaningless?” The disciple asked the teacher, “Like what? Meaning?” “Like the highest teachings or how can I attain enlightenment?” “Oh.” The disciple smiled and answered the teacher, “The highest teachings. The teacher talks about them every day. As for attaining enlightenment, you have to do it yourself. You cannot ask the teacher for it. But no one in the entire sect has ever gotten a hug. I think that is the greatest.” 2013-08-17

During the time of the Buddha, many people tried to find the path to Nirvana. The escape from the cycle of birth and death was what the people of that era desired. That is why we see hermits, nuns, forest dwellers, and wanderers trying to practice. They did everything, even though it was very difficult, but they endured it. That shows that they truly wanted to escape suffering. Having said that, it may have been easier for the disciples back then because there were already people looking for a way out. Today, the situation is different. People are infatuated with sensual pleasures, luxury, and convenience. Why should they come and suffer? Forget it. In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha said, “Bhikkhus, there are two extremes that monks should not indulge in: sensual pleasures, which are for the common people and for the common people; and self-mortification, which is for the suffering, not for the benefit, and not the practice of the Noble Ones. The Buddha has already spoken about both infatuation with sensual pleasures and self-mortification. Then he pointed out that there was a middle way, which was the way to Nirvana, to peace. He then announced that the middle way was what he had realized, consisting of 8 elements: the Noble Eightfold Path. He had already shown the way out of suffering, and had already led the way. This cycle of existence is a strong prison for animals. There is no way for animals to escape with the wisdom of ordinary people who are weak. There is only the infatuation with deception. But now the prison door has been opened by his wisdom of enlightenment. At the same time, the door of each prison cell, each room, seemed to be closed, but in reality, each door was not locked. When the disciples listened to the Buddha’s words and practiced them, they found a great miracle. They saw the truth that the great door of samsara had really been opened. All the disciples rushed to announce to the people in the prison to wake up and yanked the bars of each room with all their strength. They were surprised and happy for the second time that the doors of each cell were not locked. They quickly told of the miracle they had found with the wisdom of enlightenment of the Lord Buddha in a trembling voice. But the happiness and joy gradually faded because… almost no prisoners were interested in following him out. They devoted their body and heart to the prison cell that the warden had decorated to be fascinated. This became a prison that was more subtle and subtle than any other era. To the point that the warden didn’t need to have guards or lock the cell. Instead, he smiled at the main door and let his disciples walk up to his cell to invite him, laughing with pity and satisfaction, both for the disciples who had to work hard and for the foolish prisoners who were only fascinated by temporary and illusionary things, and were serious about meaningless things. The warden had once asked the Lord Buddha to let him leave his body and enter nirvana. In fact, the prison door should have been closed since that day. But with the Lord Buddha’s wisdom and dedication, he announced the Patimokkha and established the Dhamma and Vinaya for the monks to chant and listen to every fortnight, so that Buddhism has survived to this day. The prison door has been wide open 180 degrees for 2,600 years after the Enlightenment, but the prisoners did not know that the main door of the prison The prison officer walked over to pull the door to close it back like before. The main door of this prison is slowly closing. The prisoners do not know about it because the karaoke that they are shouting at the mouth drowns out everything happening around. Because they are fascinated by the wardens’ creation in the cell, the prisoners do not see the truth that they are laughing and enjoying the flat screen TV, iPads, iPhones, Hi-speed internet, bags, clothes, and all those temptations, even though their fellow prisoners in the next cell are being dragged out to be executed every day. The followers tried to say, “You have also been sentenced to death. Why don’t you find a way to escape while there is still time, who knows how much, before they come to drag you out to be executed?” The answer they got caused the followers who were waiting to help show the way to lower their heads and sigh in exhaustion, even though they were standing there waiting with bated breath, even though they had nothing to do with it because the truth was, “I had nothing to do with it. But people keep saying that it is your duty to tell me. Whether I do it or not is my right.” The followers stood anxiously looking at the clock and then looking back at the main door, afraid that it would close first, afraid that the prison officer would come and drag them out. That person was executed first. But the answer he got was, “Wait a minute. Let me finish watching the drama first. It’s the final episode now. You can go tell the other rooms first.” Up until today, all the disciples have found the truth from the lessons they’ve encountered. They don’t suffer with anyone anymore. They can only do their best to the best of their abilities in the remaining life because they have accepted the truth that…all living beings are subject to karma. 2013-09-01

If you were a father, mother, brother or sister of someone who came to ask for their daughter or family member to go in marriage, and then they became a monk, leaving your daughter or family member who they came to ask for to marry to be alone, lonely and sad like Queen Phimpa, would you be angry? Would you go and scold her? You might hold a grudge and not cremate her. Or if you met her again, you would have to go and scold her or find a way to harass her to make yourself satisfied by what you did to my lover. You feel that you are justified in doing that because that person did it to “my family”. Let’s look at the truth that we think we know. Are you sure that “we” have the right? During the time of the Buddha, Suppabuddha, who was the father of Phra Thevadat and Phra Nang Yasodhara Phimpa, the wife of Prince Siddhattha, when he knew that Phra Thevadat was swallowed up by the earth because he wanted to destroy the Buddha, instead of being aware of his sins and merits, he became angry and resentful. He was also angry at Prince Siddhattha for abandoning his daughter to become a monk, so he led his ministers and courtiers to sit and drink liquor, blocking the Buddha’s way to preach to the people. This prevented the Buddha from walking because there was only one way out. He had to go without food for one day. When Ananda asked Suppa Buddha about his fault for doing so, the Buddha, who knew by his intuition, said, “Ananda, after seven days, Suppa Buddha will follow Devadatta to hell.” When Suppa Buddha learned of the Buddha’s words, he went up to the seventh floor of the castle and ordered the gatekeepers to prevent him from leaving the castle for seven days. Suppa Buddha stayed in the seventh floor of the castle until the seventh day when he heard the sound of his favorite glass horse neighing. Worried about the horse, Suppa Buddha ran down. The gatekeepers thought that the seven days had passed as prescribed, so no one prevented them. When Suppa Buddha stepped out of the castle, As soon as his foot stepped on the ground, the ground opened up, sucking Suppabuddha into the deep hell as the Buddha had said. If Suppabuddha thought correctly as most people saw this as righteous, such as I could do it to him because he did it to my family, and we still don’t understand how Suppabuddha was wrong because he did it for his family, that shows that we ourselves don’t understand merit, demerit, and sakkayaditthi, wrong views of the self, person, us, them. Or do we just think that it’s wrong because Suppabuddha did it to the Buddha, because he is a person with great merit, obstructing him who is about to save beings is a heavy karma? Yes, thinking like that is definitely not wrong, but it still won’t reach the root of the action. But the starting point when Suppabuddha did this, did it start from the feelings that were written down at the beginning, right? That’s why we started to do these things. If we were in the same situation, we might not think or act any differently, because we ourselves are in the fabrication of our thoughts. However, the person we did it to is not the Buddha. That doesn’t mean it won’t have an effect, but the effect will be less severe, from our own evil and resentful minds. Does that mean we won’t be able to do anything for our family? Of course, because all the karma comes from our own hatred and evil deeds. And those evil actions have even more severe consequences because they are done to people who are the world’s field of merit. That is why they result in heavy karma. But don’t forget that we thought that Her Majesty did not deserve to be abandoned like this, in the end Her Majesty Queen Phimpha attained enlightenment and became an arahant after Prince Siddhattha became a monk. Because of misunderstanding, people never stop creating karma. And if we do things with the same feeling as Suppabuddha, believe me, there will always be an inner voice trying to find a reason to protect ourselves in what we will do or have done. That may make us feel that we are doing the right thing, but the truth is not dependent on anyone’s beliefs or feelings. So how can right view or right opinion arise? How can we understand these things according to the truth? Let’s practice Dhamma… listen to Dhamma. Don’t just think about it. 2013-08-30

In a meditation course of a university student, after the students had practiced and listened to the Dhamma until the end of the course, on the last day, there was a group of comments. A male student came out to tell his story in an interesting way. “When I was 17 years old, one evening while I was at home, my younger brother came home from school running into the house gasping for air and told me, “Brother, I was chased and beaten by a gangster. They are waiting in front of the house right now.” Suddenly, I felt very angry, so I ran to grab a gun and went out in front of the house to chase and shoot at them angrily. From the incident that day, I was arrested by the police. But because I was not yet 18 years old, I did not go to jail.” But how I feel now after listening to the Dhamma and practicing Dhamma with the teacher is that I feel that I did something wrong that day. But what I am curious about now is why did I feel that I did the right thing at that time? I was protecting my younger brother. So I have a feeling that everyone who does wrong will feel that they are doing the right thing. Teacher, who will tell me when everyone is doing something wrong? But there will be a feeling inside telling us that we are doing the right thing. This student is very wise. He saw the truth more than what ordinary people should see. Ordinary people only see themselves, but this sees it out to everyone. This is the symptom of a person who has temporarily broken down sakkayaditthi. This answer is interesting. I believe that most people, if asked to answer this question, will answer “mindfulness”. But for me, the answer is “right view”. Why do we still do it even though mindfulness warns us? Angry – we know everything, can’t help it. Greedy – we want to get it. Mindfulness warns us, but in the end we buy it. Delusion – we accept being deluded because it is enjoyable, it is fun. Craving arises. We accept doing wrong just because we can’t stand it. Please, these people are all warned by mindfulness. When right view arises, that is, wisdom arises that truly knows right from wrong, reaching the heart and mind of each person. That way, there is no way to intend to harm or harm anyone else. 2013-06-28