Chapter 1 : The Light of Insight
In this episode, we present a teaching from the venerable Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo. This reading is an English translation of the original teaching, drawn from an audio recording known as "'Ofaak' (A Gift of Dhamma)." Find a quiet moment, allow your mind to settle, and let these words guide your heart.
At Asokarama Temple, on May 19th, 1960... amidst a great gathering of devotees celebrating a sacred ceremony, the venerable Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo offered a 'spiritual gift' for his disciples to take home. He expressed his gratitude for the wholesome intentions of all who came to support the temple, whether by invitation or simply upon hearing news of the meritorious event. He explained that this mutual support creates a profound 'bond of goodness' that would connect them long into the future. But for those who were far away, unable to offer physical help, Ajahn Lee pointed to a deeper, more mysterious way of supporting one another... through the development of mind of insight. And so, the venerable Ajahn Lee began to teach, saying...
The cultivation of the mind of insight (Vetacitta) is a profound matter, one that is difficult to perceive. It is like a light that issues forth from our eyes. This light, which must project out into the space around us, is present in everyone, much like the headlights of a car shining down a road. But the light in a person’s eyes is faint. No matter where we look, we cannot see its beam because the current is weak. A weak current, however, can travel far. A strong current can only travel a short distance. When the mind of a meditator is firmly established in Concentration (Samādhi), it is able to perceive a hidden world.
The nature of this light in the eyes is limitless, but it cannot be used. Why is this? Because the mind is not calm. An unquiet mind is like a person in turmoil, constantly busy, constantly agitated, constantly in a state of unrest. When the mind is in such a disquieted state, the power of the eye faculty is of no benefit, even though the light is there. This is because the light is faint and subtle, and though it can travel very far, its one flaw is that the mind is not calm.
If the mind is calm, it can see far instantly. This is called the Divine Eye (Dibba-cakkhu). This is the way it is. This is called the ordinary, natural state that exists within a human being. If a person’s heart is weak, the various currents of the world will sever this light completely. If a person’s heart is strong and courageous, the various currents in this world cannot cut off the beam of light from that person's eyes. Therefore, even with eyes open one may see far, and with eyes closed one may also see far.
This pertains to the inherent qualities of the human body. The body naturally possesses great qualities, but it cannot be utilized because its owner has a scattered mind. When the mind is distracted in this way, it is like a person who is thoroughly drunk. Even with tools at their disposal, they cannot accomplish anything useful; they are more likely to use weapons to harm and kill one another.
If that person were a good person, those same tools would become instruments for accumulating, building, and seeking wealth to support the body in happiness. If that person were mentally unstable, a knife in their hand would lead them to strike another person on the head, causing themself to be imprisoned. Even if not imprisoned in an external jail, they would have to be confined in a cell or cage within their own home.
So it is with all human beings born into this world. Even though this good nature exists within them, their minds are not yet normal. The good things within them can turn into various harms. This has been a discussion of a natural principle. Now, turning to the deeper matter of the mind and of the Wholesome (Kusala), this is more profound than the body. Therefore, helping one another on the level of the mind is deeper still. If a person trains their mind, practicing diligently until they attain peace and happiness, and then learns of the suffering that has befallen other people, if they see a way to help, they can use the power of their mind. By making the mind firm, they can send out that current to provide immediate assistance.
Chapter 2 : The Four Floods of Suffering
It is said that ordinary people are like the saltwater of the great ocean. Bathing in the saltwater of the ocean is not comfortable for the body or the mind, though it may serve as a temporary solution. We cannot drink it to nourish our bodies and promote growth, although if there is truly nothing else, it might suffice.
In the same way, the minds of human beings in this world are said to be floating in a great ocean, which is called The Flood of Sensuality (Kāmogha), The Flood of Becoming (Bhavogha), The Flood of Ignorance (Avijjogha), and The Flood of Views (Diṭṭhogha). These four great oceans are deep—deeper than the watery ocean of the seas. We rely on our minds, which are swimming in this great ocean, submerged in this saltwater. For this reason, if the water becomes very salty and the waves are high, some people will toss and turn just like the waves. They cannot sleep. They turn to the left, and still cannot sleep; they turn to the right, and still cannot sleep. They become the waves themselves.
Where do these waves come from? They come from the great ocean. That is to say:
The Flood of Sensuality: the wave of sensuality, of sensual objects and sensual defilements.
The Flood of Becoming: the wave of wanting to be and wanting to exist, the struggling and striving to escape one's current state.
The Flood of Views: the stubborn clinging to one's own opinions alone, which leads to quarrels and disputes. This too is what it means to be floating in saltwater.
The Flood of Ignorance: this is Ignorance (Avijjā), which is darkness. It is darkness about the past, not understanding former lives; darkness about the future, not understanding what is to come; and darkness in the present, not knowing what is good and what is evil within oneself. One has never thought to investigate but has let the mind wander according to the ways of the world. This is called Ignorance.
This is the state in which the minds of ordinary Buddhist followers are accustomed to wandering. It is for this reason that the Blessed One, out of his great compassion, wished for us to make merit and perform wholesome deeds. He therefore advised us to practice Generosity (Dāna) and to build a boat. The boat is our body. The provisions for crossing the ocean are the four requisites, which we Buddhist followers have sacrificed for the benefit of the monastery, which is called the practice of wholesome giving.
Whoever does much will be able to cross the great ocean because they have sufficient provisions. Whoever does little will exhaust their supplies and may end up stranded in the middle of the sea. Sometimes the waves may wash them ashore, and they survive. But if the waves are large and the boat is small, it won't be able to reach the shore and will sink into the great ocean.
The Blessed One considered things in this way and so he advised us, "You should all cultivate goodness." This goodness of ours is twofold: the goodness related to material wealth, and the goodness that comes from practicing, repairing, modifying, and healing our bodies to make them pure and complete. When this is the case, we will receive two kinds of results. First, our boat will not sink. Second, with abundant provisions, we will be able to cross the great ocean bay. It is common for those who travel across the ocean by boat with provisions on board that some will run out of drinking water. Even if other provisions remain, they will face hardship.
This being the case, the teachers have discovered another technique: to distill the saltwater itself for drinking. When we have wisdom, we can distill the saltwater to drink. We could travel to America without ever stopping on land. We drink the saltwater—that is, we have wisdom. What kind of wisdom? Saltwater comes from freshwater, and freshwater must become saltwater. Where there is salt, there must also be fresh. They cannot be separated. When this realization arises, a person can travel across the ocean, around the whole world. And it is really so. If we know how to distill it, our own saltwater will become freshwater. When we are able to turn saltwater into freshwater like this, we are at ease. We can live in the sea and still have freshwater to drink and use to wash our bodies, which is very comfortable.
Chapter 3 : Preparing the Boat: Virtue & Restraint
So it is for us who are swimming in the great ocean of this world. We must:
First, caulk our boat well.
Second, load our boat with sufficient provisions.
Third, find the method to distill saltwater into freshwater.
The boat is our body. It is not a large vessel. If it were larger than this, it would be a great burden for a human. Our body is said to be a cubit wide, a fathom long, and a span thick. This is the boat, and we must caulk this boat well. Caulking our boat is the practice of restraint, called the Restraint of the Senses (Indriya-saṃvara-sīla). This means guarding the eye, being careful not to let evil and bad karma arise, not to let the barnacles attach. Guarding the ear means being careful not to let things that are sinful and unwholesome enter our ears. Those sinful things are the barnacles. It is the same for our nose, tongue, body, and mind. Whatever is sinful and blameworthy, we should pay it no mind, because we see that it is a barnacle, a termite, something that will cause our boat to decay and fall apart.
This is why the teachers instruct us to guard the body, guard the eye, guard the ear, guard the nose, guard the tongue, and all the way to guarding our mind. Whatever should not be done, what is karmically unwholesome, we must not do. We should conceal, be careful, restrain, and consider things well first.
When barnacles attach to this whole mass of our body—the vessel of the body—it will wear down and be damaged, which can cause it to sink into the great ocean. That is one way. Our mind is another. We must not let defilements arise in the mind. We must be careful and restrained in this way at all times. When we have the caulk, and we are constantly caulking our six sense bases, we are perpetually sealing them.
The eye must be caulked with forms.
The ear must be caulked with sounds.
The nose must be caulked with smells.
The tongue must be caulked with tastes.
The body must be caulked with tactile sensations.
The mind must be caulked with dhammas.
How does one caulk the eye? By cultivating the Divine Eye (Dibba-netta). Anything that is meritorious and wholesome, that is beneficial whether outside the monastery or inside, when we encounter it, we should not be indifferent. We should help to remedy any deficiencies there, filling them up step by step. This is called caulking the eye.
Now, caulking the ear. When we hear something, whether they intend to tell us or teach us or not, when it strikes the ear, we should consider that thing as a virtue that will bring benefit to ourselves. It doesn’t matter what kind of person is speaking—a child, an adult, a monk, a novice, an elder, or a nun; high or low, dark or fair, all such distinctions are set aside. We must choose only what is beneficial. Whichever part will bring benefit to oneself, we should be intent on listening to that. This is called using sound as the caulk for the ear, like hammering oakum into the seams of a boat.
When we encounter a smell that comes to our nose, if it is a scent that brings about a joyful heart and is a conduit for merit and wholesomeness, great or small, we should seek out that scent to caulk our own nose, causing the heart to receive coolness and peace.
Now, caulking the body. This is what we are doing when we come to sit and listen to a Dhamma talk in a calm and composed manner, without restlessness. It includes practicing meditation, sitting and listening to talks, chanting, and doing walking meditation around a stupa. We use our body to raise up in respect, to bow in homage, and to venerate the Buddha with the Five-Point Prostration (Pañcaṅga-patiṭṭhita). This, too, is like hammering oakum into the boat. This is called the instrument for caulking the body.
As for caulking the mind, that is the Dharma as Medicine (Dhamma-osadha). We must caulk it with reflection and thought. Whatever we think about that causes the mind to become distressed, we must not think about it, whether it is a worldly matter or a Dhamma matter. If it is a cause for the mind to experience anger or delusion, we must not pay attention to it. We must turn our recollection to the path of merit and wholesomeness that we have built up in the past. For example, when we come together to recollect the goodness from the year 2500, even though we are now separated and live far apart, we can come together to perform wholesome deeds once again by recollecting that original state. This is called an instrument for caulking the mind.
Furthermore, we should strive to develop a particular kind of goodness called the development of Concentration. The development of Concentration is the caulking of our mind and heart. We must not allow our mind to have any holes in it. This is called caulking our boat, which is the body. In Pali, this is called the Restraint of the Senses. With restraint of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, our boat will float in the great ocean and will not sink. This is what is meant by caulking the boat.
Chapter 4 : Provisions & The Sail
Now, what about our boat? We must load it with cargo. This refers to the fact that we have been born into this world and experience happiness through the support of the four requisites: the consumption of food; the wearing of robes and clothing; the reliance on dwellings as a place to live; and the reliance on medicines to heal the body. It is because of these that we have experienced comfort, coolness, and peace up to this point. When we consider and see things in this way, we then turn to reflect on the living conditions of others. Seeing our own situation, we then transport these requisites—for example, by offering food alms as an act of Generosity, and offering the material things that fulfill the four requisites. This is called loading the boat.
Next is to raise the sail to the wind. This is inviting a monk to ascend the Dhamma seat to proclaim and teach the Dhamma, in order to guide our minds to incline towards what is good and right. The mind will then speed along with the current of the Dhamma, and the body will go along with it.
For example, after listening to a Dhamma talk, one is pleased and wants to listen again, wants to go again. This is our boat being propelled by the wind. The boat moves swiftly, and the wind is strong, causing our boat to reach the shore with ease. If there is no sail to provide propulsion, and the boat is heavily laden with cargo, it can sink just the same.
For this reason, when making merit and performing wholesome acts of giving, it is customary to have a Dhamma talk as a means to drive and push our minds to flow along with the current of the Dhamma. For our boat to move, it must rely on a sail. Regardless of the amount of cargo, it will travel according to the will of the person sailing it. This is the second point.
Chapter 5 : Distilling Saltwater
The third point is the method of distilling saltwater into freshwater. This is the practice of Tranquility Meditation (Samatha-kammaṭṭhāna) and Insight Meditation (Vipassanā-kammaṭṭhāna). One contemplates with Applied Thought (Vitakka) and Sustained Thought (Vicāra) arising within oneself. What is the saltwater? It is the defilements. These defilements are much saltier than salt. If we eat even a tiny bit of salt, we say it is too salty and cannot swallow it. But the defilements are saltier still. They are capable of immersing a person, causing them to rot, decay, and be ruined in various ways.
This being the case, what is to be done? We must distill or filter it. This filtering is called Wise Attention (Yoniso manasikāra). Before we undertake any practice, we must first reflect and consider it carefully from all sides. This is the first distillation vessel. The second distillation vessel is the practice of meditation, contemplating one’s own conditioned reality with skillful means, and developing the factors of jhāna. This involves Applied Thought, directing the mind to an object that will serve as its foundation, called a meditation subject. This will be the guide that leads our mind to travel on the correct path. This is the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna). This is the method for distilling saltwater.
The practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness consists of: Contemplation of the Body (Kāyānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna), Contemplation of Feeling (Vedanānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna), Contemplation of Mind (Cittānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna), and Contemplation of Dhammas (Dhammānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna). These four aspects are all contained within the body and mind. In one sense, this is the Forward Order (Anuloma). As for the Reverse Order (Paṭiloma), it is making the four into one, one in four, and four in one. This is the Reverse Order.
The Forward Order is simply Applied Thought and Sustained Thought. When we contemplate the four as one—that is, within our own body—we can take up any single part, as stated in the Pali of The Great Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness (Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta): "a body within the body." This can serve as an object for tranquility meditation. That is, the four components convene and are collectively called the physical body, a collection of the earth, water, wind, and fire elements mixed together into a single mass. This is what is meant by 'body'. When we see that it is too much, that there are too many different things, leading the mind to distraction and a lack of calm, we can choose just a single aspect.
For example, we can discard the fire element, discard the earth element, and discard the water element. We will remain solely with the wind element. We then focus down on the wind element that we are thinking of. This is called 'a body within the body'. The wind element is the in-breath and the out-breath. When we establish mindfulness and fix our attention on this continuously, this is called developing 'a body within the body'.
We watch the breath come in.
We watch the breath go out.
We observe it continuously.
Sometimes it is coarse.
Sometimes it is subtle.
Sometimes it is cool.
Sometimes it is warm.
Whatever may arise, so be it. Sometimes, just when we are about to reach something good, discouragement sets in. It is like when we boil water; there are two possibilities. One, if the fire is too strong, the water boils violently, creating a lot of steam, and boils over, extinguishing our fire. Sometimes the fire is too weak, the water doesn't boil, and no steam is produced. And sometimes it is just right, not too weak and not too strong, a moderate level which is called The Middle Way (Majjhimā paṭipadā). Our fire is then suitable. When steam arises, it doesn’t have to push the lid open, but there is steam emerging from the pot we are using for distillation. The steam that emerges becomes freshwater. This is what you are told to observe.
When we desire for it to happen quickly, our mind is not calm, and the breath becomes agitated and is not subtle. This is desire interfering. Sometimes, we are too lax. We sit peacefully, the breath becomes subtle and light, and we fall asleep. In this way, it will not be "cooked." We must adjust it well, making it suitable, with mindfulness and clear comprehension supervising at all times.
When our mind is with the coarse breath, we are aware.
When our mind is with the subtle breath, we are aware.
When we have mindfulness and clear comprehension present in this way, the result that arises is Rapture (Pīti). The body is comfortable, light, calm, and cool. The mind feels satiated, joyful, and radiantly clear within the state of Concentration. This is it—the freshwater has arisen! The saltwater disappears. Sensual Desire (Kāmacchanda) vanishes. Ill Will (Byāpāda) vanishes. Sloth and Torpor (Thīna-middha) vanishes. Restlessness and Remorse (Uddhacca-kukkucca) vanishes. Doubt (Vicikicchā) vanishes. The tendencies to let the mind run to the past or to the future cease, and one does not have clear knowledge of the present. When our mind settles down and becomes subtle, calmness arises, and with it, happiness. The mind is satiated and joyful. One can sit for many hours.
It is like this: if someone brings a single jar of freshwater onto a boat, but then has the wisdom to distill saltwater into freshwater, that one jar will become a source of wonder. We can distill saltwater to drink all the way around the world.
Therefore, for one who develops Concentration, when Applied Thought lifts the mind to its object, that is the first stage of the First Jhāna (Paṭhama-jhāna). Sustained Thought contemplates our meditation object, making it more and more subtle.
When our body has been well-contemplated and selected, and our mind has considered and seen the harm in the five Hindrances (Nīvaraṇa), then the body will become calm, which is called Tranquility of Body (Kāya-passaddhi).
The mind will become quiet, which is called Tranquility of Mind (Citta-passaddhi). The body is at ease, with no aches, pains, or numbness. There is a sense of Lightness of Body (Kāya-lahutā).
This is how Rapture arises. The mind is full and content, not restless or agitated, like a person who has eaten a satisfying meal, or a child who is full and no longer bothers its parents. Virtuous followers, when one's mind is governed by Rapture, it will be free from anxiety. The heart will be cool.
The freshwater that arises from the saltwater is to be used for washing. We can wash our clothes and fabrics. It is to be used for bathing the skin. Then, we must also do the washing of: the earth element, which is one rag; the water element, which is another rag; the wind element, which is another rag; and the fire element, which is another rag. They are constantly wearing out, becoming soiled and stained, and in constant need of care. When the mind has attained Concentration, the power of Rapture will come and cleanse the earth, water, wind, and fire elements. Subsequently, if one desires heat, one does not need to go out into the sun. If one desires cold, one does not need to expose oneself to the wind. In the sun, one can feel cool if desired; in the water, one can feel warm if desired. The body and mind are at ease, like a person who is well-clothed and feels no embarrassment in any social situation.
This is why practitioners are not afraid of hardship. Why are they not afraid of hardship? Because they have a source of support. They have freshwater to drink, water to bathe in. Their utilities are taken care of, namely, they can cleanse the body: cleanse the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; cleanse the earth, water, wind, and fire elements. This is for external use.
For internal consumption, that is, to drink, one develops the higher Dhamma, causing the mind to give rise to Rapture and happiness. Happiness arises in the mind. When the mind is happy, the body is happy and the heart is happy. The mind drinks only happiness. There is no happiness greater than the peace of a calm mind. For this reason, Rapture is for use, for cleansing the body and, separately, the mind. Happiness, however, is for cleansing the mind alone.
Therefore, whoever has the wisdom to distill saltwater into freshwater will experience coolness and peace. This is the first distillery.
Chapter 6 : The Cloud of Insight
After the second distillery, there are still other things that remain, which must be distilled to a finer level. For example, when they refine sugar, some alcohol may still remain. Then it goes to a second vessel to be refined further. This is the practice of Insight Meditation. It is subtle and cannot be seen with the eye. But whether standing, one can practice Insight Meditation. Whether sitting, one can practice Insight Meditation. Whether lying down or even giving a Dhamma talk, the mouth speaks while the mind thinks and reflects according to its object.
Whether one is composing speech or it is a Mental Formation (Citta-saṅkhāra) arising on its own, one is not attached to Bodily Formation (Kāya-saṅkhāra), which is the state of the body. One is not attached to Verbal Formation (Vacī-saṅkhāra), which is the thinking process of composing words for others to hear. The mind does not follow the thoughts that arise from Ignorance and craving. One has timely knowledge of the mind and is not involved with Bodily Formation, not involved with Verbal Formation, and not involved with Mental Formation. The mind then becomes liberated, freed from all formations. It is said that whatever formation arises is subject to change and will ultimately cease. Bodily Formation is the same. Verbal Formation and Mental Formation are also the same.
When one sees these things as sharing the same universal characteristics, one reflects and sees Impermanence (Anicca)—constantly changing and revolving. One sees Unsatisfactoriness (Dukkha)—it is stressful and hard to endure. One sees Not-self (Anattā)—it cannot be controlled or commanded according to one's will. Whether one is standing, sitting, lying down, or engaged in any bodily action or verbal action, or even just sitting and thinking alone, goodness will flow in continuously. This is one who practices Insight Meditation.
That person is able to set up a massive distillery, able to turn the water of the great ocean into a cloud.
When one can turn the water of the great ocean into a cloud, it will float high up in the sky. Then, when humanity experiences suffering, hardship, and drought, the water from that cloud will fall as rain upon the earth where humans live. Farmers and gardeners will benefit and live with ease. So it is with one whose heart is free from worldly cares. Their virtues are like a cloud, and when that cloud becomes rain, it will help the public to find coolness and peace. This is one aspect of the goodness that arises from one who has wisdom.
Virtuous followers, you should all determine to take up these three instructions.
The first instruction: Caulk your own boat.
The second instruction: Raise the sail, set the mast. Whichever way the wind blows, turn your sail to fly in that direction. And at the same time, load provisions onto your boat, which is the practice of performing wholesome acts of giving.
The third instruction: Distill the saltwater into freshwater.
Whoever develops this knowledge within themselves will, at the very least, be born a human and become a good person. If one is not heedless but strives and perseveres in the practice continuously, one will be able to free one's mind from the cycle of existence.
Therefore, as all you virtuous Buddhist followers have gathered together to make merit on this occasion, I would like to offer this Dhamma that has been explained to all of you. Please take it and put it into practice, and you will encounter nothing but happiness and prosperity, flourishing in the Buddha's dispensation. Having spoken thus, it is now a suitable time. Evaṃ.