July 14, 2546 B.E.
The First Vassa for Attaining the Dhamma
Today is the first day of the Rains-Retreat. And all of us have meant for this Rains-Retreat to be the season for attaining the Dhamma or the Dhammakaya. This is the Rains-Retreat where the monks can see the Dhammakaya, the novice monks can see the Dhammakaya, and the lay devotees can see the Dhammakaya. This is our intention. Therefore, let us begin accordingly on this first day.
Seeing the Dhammakaya is not difficult. But it is not easy, either. It ishowever doable. Seeing the Dhammakaya is not difficult because the Dhammakaya exists inside each of us. He can be found inside our person.
He cannot be found in the forest, in the mountain, in a pond, in a canal or in a star. He dwells inside us. If we practice meditation earnestly and correctly according to Vijja Dhammakaya, we will definitely be able to attain the Dhammakaya. That is the reason why seeing the Dhammakaya is not difficult.
Seeing the Dhammakaya is not easy for a lazy person because nothing is easy when a person is lazy. Therefore, if one is diligent and practices meditation earnestly and correctly, one will be able to meet with success within this Rains-Retreat.
One must count one's self lucky for having been born a human being because the human body is the best vehicle to learn the greatest knowledge in life and to attain one's ultimate life-goal.
In the process of attaining Self-Enlightenment, the Lord Buddha penetrated the fact that life in the round of rebirth was fraught with danger and suffering. He saw and knew all of the thirty-one realms of existence with His Dhammakaya-Eye and His pure Supernormal Insight.
The Forgotten Promise
Life in the hereafter has two main destinations, namely, the States of Happiness and the States of Unhappiness. Before one is reborn a human being, one has to come either from the States of Happiness or the States of Unhappiness.
Before being reborn in the Human Realm, if one came from the States of Unhappiness, one would be told by Phya Yamaraja, "You are about to be reborn a human being. From now on, you must abstain from all unwholesomeness. You must perform wholesome deeds and keep your mind clear. However, if you commit unwholesome deeds which will cause your mind to be gloomy, you will end up here again. You should know very well by now what horrific suffering you have had to endure in this place." The individual told Phya Yamaraja that he understood everything. But as soon as he entered his mother's womb, everything was forgotten and he is forced to undergo the round of rebirth endlessly in the States of Unhappiness.
If one came from the States of Happiness such as the Celestial Realm, one would be told by the sovereign of the realm, "Deva, once you descend to the Human Realm, you must take care not to be reckless. You should know by now how life in the Celestial Realm is filled with fun and joy in the forms of great celestial wealth, magnificent celestial castle, retinue of attendants, celestial food, entertainments, celestial vehicles, being surrounded by things that please the ears, the eyes and the mind. There are no corpses to be seen here. There are no old celestial beings because every celestial being is youthful-looking. Be sure to abstain from all unwholesomeness. Be sure to perform wholesome deeds and keep your mind clear so that you can come back up here again."
The individual said that he understood everything. At the moment of conception, he falls into the seventh base of his mother's body and is subsequently covered and nourished by the coarse elements in her body until it is time for him to be born. At birth, everything is forgotten except for a Bodhisatta who possesses a vast amount of merit. Unlike ordinary human beings, he does not forget his previous existences. As a result, he knows only too well how dangerous life in the round of rebirth really is.
Why Are We here?
This morning, Kru Mai Yai (the name Luang Por Dhammajayo uses to refer to himself when teaching in the Inner Dreams Kindergarten) told our monks and novice monks that all of us are here in the monkhood or the novicehood because we are well aware of the dangers which exist in the round of rebirth. Very few people on earth are aware of this fact. But the Lord Buddha saw the Truth and kindly taught us that as a human being, one must pursue Perfections. Most importantly, one must make clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana.
There are myriad forms of danger in the round of rebirth. There are the forms of danger caused by wrong-viewed persons, wild beasts, natural disasters, sickness, Kilesa (defilements), not to mention the forms of danger in the States of Unhappiness. There is only one way to escape these myriad forms of danger. And that is to make clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana. This is the most important task in the human life.
Therefore, making clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana is the real objective of rebirth in the Human Realm whether or not one knows it; whether or not one believes it. Everything else in life is secondary. Human beings must pursue Perfections. In other words, every person must perform wholesome deeds, abstain from misdeeds, and keep his mind clear.
Every person's only option if he wants to escape from the round of rebirth is to train his mind to be still and quiet so that he can attain the Dhammakaya that exists inside him.
This Rains-Retreat must be the season that everyone attains the Dhammakaya. Therefore, everyone must endeavor to practice meditation in earnest.
No one else can help one except one's self. However much in love people may be, in the end, everyone has to go his separate way. Even the Lord Buddha can only teach us what to do, but the doing is up to us. We must work for our emancipation. No one can redeem us from the fruits of our misdeeds. Nothing can wash away our misdeeds. We alone can help ourselves.
If one wants to live, one must do the breathing one's self.
If one wants to see something, one must look at it one's self.
If one wants to hear something, one must do the listening one's self.
If one wants to know if something is delicious or not, one must taste it for one's self.
In all things, one must do them one's self.
Atta hi attano natho: One is one's own refuge.
Every Day Presents Us with the Opportunity to Attain the Dhamma
All of us live from one day to the next because death can come to us anytime. If one inhales but does not exhale, one dies. If one exhales but does not inhale, one dies. If one can neither inhale nor exhale, one dies. Death can come to us anytime. However, there is no need to fear death, for the fear of death cannot stop death from happening. Therefore, it is better to accept the fact that one lives only from one day to the next. This is not meant to depress anyone. Since it is a fact that one can die anytime, it is also a fact that each day presents one with the opportunity to attain the Dhamma or the Dhammakaya.
It all depends on one's self. It all depends on whether or not one practices meditation earnestly. It all depends on whether one is diligent or lazy.
There is no need to ask anyone for willpower. One has it within one's self and lots of it too. One needs to begin using one's willpower often because the more willpower one uses, the more willpower one will have.
If all one does is to lie in bed, one cannot hope to have any stamina. If one wants stamina, one must perform physical exercise. Likewise, the more one uses one's willpower, the more willpower one will gain. If one does not use it, it just lies dormant. One is responsible for everything in one's life, not someone else. When one is lazy, it is one who is lazy and not someone else. When one is diligent, it is one who is diligent and not someone else.
Everyone must endeavor to practice meditation earnestly. Each day must be filled with the realization that one has performed wholesome deeds from the time one wakes up to the time one goes to sleep. One makes sure that one completes the ten daily assignments*. One makes the time and effort to practice meditation and one is mindful of how one's practice is progressing. It does not matter whether one sees any inner images just yet. What matters is whether one feels comfortable in body and mind when one practices meditation. It is important that one keeps one's mind light and soft until one is filled with joy before one falls asleep at night. Such is the practice of Ariya Personages and wise sages. One goes to sleep the way that an all-knowing sage does. One should not fall asleep the way an unknowing person does.
In this Rains-Retreat, let each person begin life anew daily. Let each day be the day of searching for the Dhammakaya. The Dhammakaya is the source of merit. He is like the sea of merit. He is like the sky which is filled with the stars. All rivers run to the sea. Likewise, the Dhammakaya is the source of merit, the source of wholesomeness and the source of everything one wishes for. There is no need to look elsewhere for the Dhammakaya, for He is inside each of us.
*The ten daily assignments are given
1. When you return home from the temple, bring the merit earned to everyone at home.
2. Keep a journal of your meditation practice.
3. Before you go to sleep, recall all of the merit earned so far.
4. When you fall asleep, do so in the sea of merit.
5. When you wake up, do so in the sea of merit.
6. As soon as you wake up, keep your mind on the Dhammakaya for one minute. And in that minute, think of how fortunate you are to be alive for another day. Wish all living beings happiness but know that you will surely die.
7. All day long, feel as though you are inside the Dhammakaya and the Dhammakaya is inside you. You are the Dhammakaya and the Dhammakaya is you.
8. Every hour, take a minute to keep your mind still as you recall the Dhamma Sphere, the Dhammakaya, or just keep your mind quiet and empty at the seventh base in the center of your body.
9. Every activity from the time you wake up like bathing your face, taking a shower, getting dressed, having your meal, doing the dishes, cleaning your house, doing exercise, driving, working, be sure to keep your mind on the Dhamma Sphere or the Dhammakaya.
10. Create a good and cheerful atmosphere with smiles and endearing speech.
