August 14, 2546 B.E.
Ehipassiko
Today is the 32nd day of this Rains-Retreat which is the season for attaining the Dhammakaya that can be found inside every human being regardless of his race or creed and whether or not one knows about Him. How can one know this? Ehipassiko! One must prove it, of course! One can prove the existence of the Dhammakaya by keeping one’s mind still and quiet at the seventh base in the center of one’s body. One has no need to do anything else.
Cessation of all thoughts is the key to success. This is the truth that everyone must bear in mind if one wants to succeed.To prove the existence of the Dhammakaya, one must keep one’s mind absolutely still. When one looks at a chili pepper, one can never know what it tastes like. One may have heard that chili peppers taste hot, still one does not know what it means unless one has tasted them. The same principle applies to the existence of the Dhammakaya. One must prove it by one’s self by practicing accordingly.If one wishes to meet with fulfillment and true happiness in life, if one wishes to find out why one is here and what one is here to do, if one wishes to find out what one’s life-goal is and how to go about achieving it, one must find the answers one’s self. One must practice meditation accordingly in order to attain the Dhammakaya and prove the fact that He exists inside one’s self.
Spending One’s Time Wisely One’s time on earth is limited. Therefore, it must be spent performing wholesome deeds and pursuing Perfections. One’s day can be divided into three parts, each part containing eight hours. One part or one third of one’s day is spent sleeping. One third of one’s day is spent earning a living; and it is more if one has to work overtime. The last third of one’s day is spent doing things like eating, bathing, brushing one’s teeth, watching TV, etc.
Although each one of us has the same twenty-four hours a day, not everyone spends the time he has wisely. To spend time wisely here means to spend time performing wholesome deeds. Sleeping does not earn one merit. Merit has to be earned by performing wholesome deeds. Most people spend their time accumulating deeds of demerit like drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, womanizing, going out carousing at night, frequenting bars and pubs. One must be cognizant of the fact that one is here on earth to make clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana and to pursue Perfections. Otherwise, one will be lost and one’s life will amount to nothing.
The Lord Buddha had taken countless existences undertaking self-training for the purpose of attaining the Path and Fruit of Nibbana. And He did eventually. The Lord Buddha is all-knowing, fully awake, gloriously joyful, and devoid of defilements. Therefore, His Teachings are true and they apply to every being.Each of His previous existences was for the purpose of making clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana and pursuing Perfections. Once HisPerfections had been pursued to the fullest extent, he was able to attain Self-Enlightenment and became one of the Buddhas. There are three categories of Buddhas,namely, Pannadhikabuddhas, Saddhadhikabuddhas, and Viriyadhikabuddhas depending on the level of their accumulated merit and Perfections. When it was time for our Bodhisatta to attain the Path and Fruit of Nibbana, He did so by sitting still. He did not use a hoe or a shovel to dig in the garden. He did not play golf. He did not go to the library to read a book. He did not sit in front of a computer using the Internet. All He did was sitting still in a half-lotus position, closing His eyes, maintaining mindfulness, and being completely removed from pleasure and displeasure.
Atapi sampajano satima vineyya loke abhijjhadomanassan…Atapi means endeavoring to practice meditation earnestly and burning off defilements. When one endeavors to practice meditation earnestly, one’s defilements will become so hot that they simply evaporate. This is of course just an analogy.“Sampajano satima vineyya loke abhijjhadomanassan” means being fully self-aware and completely removed from pleasure and displeasure. His mind was in complete balance, neither tilted toward pleasure nor displeasure. His mind was quiet and just right. As He sat under the Bodhi Tree and kept His mind still and quiet, He was able to attain Self-Enlightenment and become the Lord Buddha. The Lord Buddha is our best role model and we must follow in His example.It is a shame that some Buddhist monks and novice monks allow their days to pass by without achieving life’s gain and may be even achieving life’s loss. They forget that they entered the monkhood or the novicehood for the purpose of making clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana, since they do not have to earn a living and have all the time they need to practice meditation.
It is the duty of the monks and novice monks to practice keeping their body, word, and mind still. But some of them watch TV instead. They need to be practicing meditation in earnest in order to make clear the Path and Fruit of Nibbana so that they can have their own refuge and teach what they have experienced to the lay devotees. Therefore, in this Rains-Retreat, the monks must see the Dhammakaya, the novice monks must see the Dhammakaya, and the lay devotees must see the Dhammakaya because it is the season for attaining the Dhamma.Members of this temple and all of our branches in the country and abroad must endeavor to practice meditation earnestly. The further away you are from the main temple, the more watchful you must be because there are enemies all around you. They do not carry a weapon or ride in a tank but they are enemies of wholesomeness and chastity practice.
Enemies that carry a weapon are not as dangerous as enemies that look pretty and alluring. Therefore, be watchful and take good care of yourself. Kru Mai Yai will send you willpower from here.You must endeavor to practice meditation wherever you are right now, and you will never feel lonely. You can always close your eyes and talk to the Dhammakaya or the Crystal Sphere inside you. If you cannot see them yet, just talk to the darkness inside you, listen to the sound of silence in your mind or the sound of “Samma Arahang” in your mind, and you will not feel lonely.
