He gave this most emphatic reminder: when water is clear, shrimps, shellfish, crabs, and fish can be seen plainly — but when the water is murky, nothing within it can be seen, however plentiful. Therefore, keep the mind especially clear; do not be swept away by the turbulent current. Keep the mind clear and guard it well.

Our forebears offered this illustration: when two people engage in a tug of war — two people pulling a rope against each other — whoever releases the rope first is the one who wins, for the moment one lets go, the other falls flat on their back. Yet most people are unwilling to release first, because upon letting go, they cannot conceive of what to do next — and so both pull with all their might until the end, and ultimately both fare poorly.

In this regard, the person whose mind is clear will perceive the solution first, and will therefore release their hold first. But if the mind is clouded and both parties pull back and forth, it is uncertain who will prevail — and more often than not, both lose.

As for whoever makes a regular practice of keeping the mind clear — such a person will readily see what must be done next, release their hold first, and remain unharmed. But whoever keeps a clouded mind, focused solely on defeating the other without regard for reason or circumstance, will more often than not fail to find the right solution — for the only aim is to win — and will ultimately make a grave mistake.

May 25^th, 2014

But if one is able to transform the mood of being drawn into agitation by the news into a clarity and purity of one’s own mind instead — that is consuming media wisely.

March 17^th. 2014

Therefore, when a crisis in life is encountered, strive to keep the mind clear and bright. Invite one another to chant and sit in meditation, maintaining a clear and radiant mind. With such clarity, wisdom will arise — wisdom capable of turning every crisis into an opportunity in all circumstances.

March 17^th. 2020

Why is chanting the better course? Commit this well to memory: having entered the path of the temple, do not allow the wrongdoing that others hurl at us to become the cause for us to commit wrongdoing in return. We will not do so. When someone assails us with a torrent of harsh words — hurling their wrongdoing upon us — we do not hurl it back. We do not retaliate in kind. Instead, we simply continue with our chanting.

This is what is meant by not allowing the wrongdoing of others to become the cause for us to commit wrongdoing in return — or in other words, not taking the wrongdoing of others as a cause for inner disturbance — and this is achieved through the power of our own patience and forbearance, khanti. Before long, all will right itself.

March 1^st, 2020

When one travels abroad and makes a comparison, one finds that our country today — compared to how it once was in earlier times — was in fact cleaner then than it is now.

Neighboring countries at present understand this matter well. As a result, they keep their cities and towns clean — and this in turn brings about a good state of mind among their people, who then naturally think well, speak well, and act well in kind.

But in any country where people allow their homes and their cities to fall into disorder and uncleanliness, wholesome thoughts, wholesome words, and wholesome deeds cease to emerge. Irritability sets in from the very outset.

These are things that, if one does not observe, one will never notice — but once one begins to observe, one will find them everywhere.

Kaewsarapadneuk Hall, Wat Phra Dhammakaya March 1^st, 2015

(Section 6: Emotional Intelligence)

Take the principles of the teaching as your foundation, gather the relevant information, and present it to them — so that correct understanding may arise. In doing so, you will gain those who will come to support the work of the Sasana, and those who will increasingly support the training and development of the bhikkhus in the future.

For when a person does not understand and comes to question — or perhaps speaks in terms that are less than agreeable, owing to their misunderstanding — viewed in one light, their manner may appear as that of anger. Yet viewed in another light, it reveals something else entirely: it reveals that those individuals harbor genuine concern and care for Buddhism, and it is out of this very concern — combined with their lack of knowledge and understanding — that they have come forward to question.

Therefore, one must explain. And if they have already sought information on their own yet have arrived at a mistaken understanding, all the more reason to explain patiently until they truly understand — for they hold the same love and the same concern for Buddhism as we ourselves do.

Admonition given at Kaew Sarapat Nuek Hall, Dhammakaya International Meditation Center, Wat Phra Dhammakaya Sunday, 8 February B.E. 2558 (2015)

However, if a person already knows full well what we are about, yet deliberately seeks fault with us nonetheless, the Great Master given this guiding principle: “Neither fight nor flee — simply resolve to continue doing good.” Do not lose your composure. Guard your state of mind well.

For if we allow ourselves to lose our temper with such a person, we may well lose our head entirely. In such a situation, one must cultivate equanimity and let the matter rest there. Do not engage in argument or dispute — it serves no purpose. When the time comes that the other person reflects and arrives at understanding, the matter may be revisited. If they have not yet come to that point, one must simply let it be for now.

February 8^th, 2015

1. Endurance of hardship and physical exertion — simply put, enduring sun, wind, and rain; enduring the elements and unfavorable natural conditions. This is the most basic level of endurance that a person must train in.

2. Endurance of painful sensations — not becoming feeble or self-pitying over minor illness or discomfort; when the time comes to work, carrying out one’s responsibilities without feeling discouraged or despondent.

3. Endurance of conflict and friction with others — for no person can live in isolation; one must inevitably live alongside others. Just as two objects occupying the same space will inevitably come into contact, people living together with differing temperaments and dispositions will inevitably encounter friction. Without endurance, quarrels will ensue and harm will follow.

4. Endurance of temptation and enticement — that is, endurance against the power of defilements; endurance against infatuation with gain, status, and praise, which cause one to lose the wisdom needed for careful and thorough reflection. This is the highest level of endurance, and requires meditation and mental cultivation as its essential foundation — without which it cannot be achieved.

Without endurance at all four of these levels, success in life will be difficult to attain. Moreover, the absence of such endurance will give rise to a multitude of problems and hardships throughout one’s life.

The Lord Buddha was able to contend with, subdue, and overcome the defilements and Māra precisely because he had previously trained in all these forms of endurance — making him the supreme embodiment of patience and perseverance — until at last he attained Enlightenment. These four levels of endurance are what the Lord Buddha wished for all Buddhists and all people of the world to possess.

“Khantī paramaṃ tapo titikkhā” — meaning: patience and endurance are the highest austerity, the supreme means of burning away evil and consuming defilements.

Success in human life — whether in worldly or spiritual matters — requires as its foundation, as the bedrock of the mind, the quality of steadfast patience and endurance. Without this quality, one cannot persevere. In worldly life, one cannot excel; in spiritual life, one cannot excel.

February 9^th, 2015