Categories: Other Meditation Teachings
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, it is a perfect time to reflect on our path and set our intentions for the journey ahead. For several years now, these teachings have been shared to support your quest for inner growth, and it has been a joy to witness a diverse community of individuals engaging with this path. People from all backgrounds and age groups have been working to understand their own minds through both calming and insight practices.
Many of you are diligently practicing chanting, observing rituals, and engaging in devotional acts. Every teaching shared here is born from practical experience, and seeing you apply them to gain your own insights is a source of deep satisfaction. This journey of spiritual development is a continuous aspiration, and my greatest happiness comes from knowing that even one person finds these words helpful and puts them into practice.
The benefit you receive is not for me; it is for your own journey through saṃsāra, the long cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and, ultimately, it provides the tools to end that journey. The experiences you gain, whether through calming meditation, known as Samatha, or insight meditation, Vipassanā, are yours to understand and cherish.
Beyond Prophecy: The Wisdom of Practical Action
As we look toward the coming year, you may have encountered various predictions and prophecies, especially online. You might be holding onto certain hopes or fears based on these forecasts. But I ask you to reflect: did those things come to pass? If you spent time feeling foolish or ignorant, waiting for prophecies that never materialized, now is the time to become wise. Realize that the time spent consuming such content is a waste. Use your intelligence to focus on your own spiritual development.
Do not waste precious moments on videos or articles that offer nothing of real value. That time could be spent on your work, your studies, your family, or, at the very least, a few minutes of meditation. Listening to such things only leads to further delusion. Make a firm resolution, a strong determination, for this year and all years to come: ‘I will not live my life based on the predictions of others.’
The Buddha taught us to live practically. My message for you this year is to make a resolution to follow the path laid out by the Buddha (the Enlightened One), the Dhamma (His teachings), and the Sangha (the community of noble disciples). Resolve to practically train in the methods they taught. By following this powerful Triple Gem, you will only bring goodness to your journey through life; no harm can ever come from it. Cultivate a deep trust, what we call saddhā, or faith based on understanding, and act with that confidence.
The Foundation of Virtue: Cultivating Ethical Conduct (Sīla)
If you wish for a true spiritual transformation this year, begin with your ethical conduct, known as Sīla. If you have struggled to maintain the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla), the commitment to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants, make a firm resolution to protect them starting today.
For those of you who are unmarried, both men and women, you might consider observing a celibate life, a practice known as Brahmacariya. You can make a strong determination: ‘From this day forward, until I marry or for the rest of my life if I remain unmarried, I will protect this precept.’ This commitment to ethical purity is the very foundation from which the purity of mind begins.
Make this resolution by recalling the virtues of the Triple Gem, thinking, ‘May I receive the blessings and infinite power of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.’ With this mindset, you can begin this practice. If you wish to go further, you can undertake the Eight Precepts, the Nine-factored Uposatha Precepts, or the Ten Precepts. And if your heart yearns for the monastic life, make a firm resolution for that as well.
Whether you are a man or a woman, hold the intention to enter the ordained life, and as you protect your Sīla, the right environment will naturally form around you. You will receive help from the unseen world, from benevolent deities (devas) and celestial beings (brahmas), and even from good-natured spirits. The unseen world is full of beings who will offer their protection and guidance when you walk a correct and righteous path.
Cultivating the Heart: The Power of Loving-Kindness (Mettā)
Ethical conduct alone is not enough; we must also cultivate the heart. Make a resolution this year to practice loving-kindness meditation, known as Mettā Bhāvanā, every morning and evening. Even if you can only manage it in the morning, commit to it. We have shared teachings on a specific technique, the ‘Third Eye Mettā Meditation,’ and how to practice it. Resolve to engage in this practice, extending boundless kindness to all beings in the world, to the people of your country, your community, your relatives, friends, and family, to all seen and unseen beings. This will transform your mind into a beautiful state.
Some people, even young individuals, have shared with me that after practicing this, their anger has significantly decreased, and thoughts of loving-kindness arise naturally and constantly. This is the direct experience and result of cultivating Mettā. Make a resolution to develop this quality this new year. Furthermore, engage in the regular observances we often discuss, such as chanting protective verses (pirit). If you can only do it once a day, do it once, but do it correctly. This combination of Sīla, Mettā meditation, and regular observances directly supports your spiritual development. Remember this, it is an absolute certainty.
The Two Wings of Practice: Calm (Samatha) and Insight (Vipassanā)
This year, you must commit to a daily meditation practice. We have taught various methods of calm-abiding meditation, or Samatha Bhāvanā, from different angles, like the ‘Practical Third Eye Meditation’ and the ‘Practical Meditation to the Brahma Worlds.’ There are also methods using mindfulness of the Buddha (Buddhānussati) and loving-kindness (Mettā) to awaken the third eye. You can easily find these teachings organized in playlists for your convenience. Set aside a specific time each day, perhaps early in the morning, no matter how busy you are, and practice without fail.
Life gets busy, then less busy, it fluctuates. But whether we are busy or not, we can die. Whether we have responsibilities or not, our time can come. Always remember this. Because death is certain, dedicate a part of your day to Samatha meditation. Strive to develop the states of deep meditative absorption, known as Jhāna.
In the coming years, we will continue to explain how to progress towards the five supernormal knowledges (Pañca-Abhiññā): the divine eye, the divine ear, the ability to know the minds of others, the recollection of past lives, and psychic powers. We have already provided guidance on attaining Jhāna and will continue to support you with brief, focused answers to your questions via our WhatsApp voice messages.
Next, you must also train in insight meditation, or Vipassanā Bhāvanā. We have provided a series of teachings on the establishment of mindfulness, the Satipaṭṭhāna. Practice these, especially the teaching on silently watching the mind. Train yourself to observe your thoughts, your attachments, and your aversions. Make a firm resolution to practice these methods this year and in the years to come.
This two-fold path of Samatha and Vipas sanā is the direct way to advance your spiritual development. It is the path that leads to the noble stages of awakening: Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna), Once-returner (Sakadāgāmī), Non-returner (Anāgāmī), and the fully awakened being (Arahant). We will provide further teachings on how to recognize these stages and how the defilements are destroyed. Your part is to resolve: ‘I will practice this.’
Three Pillars of a Resilient Mind: Patience, Non-Anger, and Calmness
To walk this path, especially this year, you must cultivate a few essential qualities. I mentioned Brahmacariya (celibacy) earlier; try your best to protect it. You can explore our teaching titled ‘Should we be celibate when we meditate?’ for a detailed explanation.
This year may bring conflicts. Don’t waste time trying to figure out if it will happen or not. Conflicts can arise in your life, especially when you are on a good path like this one. Unseen forces, unwholesome spirits, deities with wrong views, or even Māra (the tempter), may become agitated and try to disrupt your journey. Therefore, you must remain mindful, wise, and clearly aware (sati-sampajañña).
To face this, there are three crucial qualities to develop:
Practice these three qualities, patience, non-anger, and calmness, starting today and continuing for the coming days, weeks, months, and years. They are your direct support for spiritual development.
Integrating the Path: A Balanced Life of Wisdom and Practice
This message is for this new year, but its relevance lasts until the day you die. If you do not realize Nibbāna (liberation) in this life, these principles will belong to you for this entire existence. You can live a lay life with these qualities, regardless of age, caste, race, or religion. Continue your education, do your job. It doesn’t matter if you are busy or not, educated or not. If someone says you cannot live a worldly life while cultivating these qualities, they are mistaken. It is absolutely possible. Try, little by little, and you will prove to yourself that it can be done.
If you wish to ordain, as I mentioned, hold that intention. For those who are interested, you may send a message to our WhatsApp number. But do not have immediate expectations. Be patient. We will consider it and inform you if and when it is appropriate. This is another opportunity to practice patience.
Do not get caught up in spiritual fads or ‘waves’ that sweep through the country. Many people have been deceived by such trends. Do not fall for a sudden ‘spiritual renaissance’ or fad. Proceed at a moderate pace, with good mindfulness and wisdom. Even with your teacher, listen with mindful intelligence. Blind faith can make you follow a teacher even if they give wrong advice, as happened to Aṅgulimāla, who was misled by his guru. If a teacher gives good advice, you can trust them fully. But if the advice is unwholesome, you must be discerning.
Navigating the World with a Transformed Mind
If you train in these qualities, you will become a wise and discerning person. You will be able to watch the news, browse social media, or listen to the radio with mindfulness, understanding what is truly being conveyed. This leads to profound spiritual development.
Your worldly life may succeed or fail; you may face ups and downs. This is the nature of the world, governed by what is known as the Eight Worldly Winds (Aṭṭha Loka Dhamma): gain and loss, status and disgrace, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Do not be shaken by them. This is why spiritual development is so important. By training your mind, you can remain strong whether you experience gain or loss. Your mind will become incredibly light.
At the same time, develop your worldly life, your education, your career, your home. But always keep in mind that all of this can change or disappear at any moment. Remember the three fundamental characteristics of existence taught by the Buddha over 2,500 years ago: Anicca (impermanence, the nature of constant change), Dukkha (the unsatisfactoriness or stress that arises from this change), and Anattā (the truth that there is no permanent, independent ‘self’ to be found in anything). We will continue to teach these concepts systematically so you can see their truth for yourself. When you understand this, even if worldly things collapse, your house, your job, your mind will remain strong and unshaken.
To put it simply, no matter your race or religion, try to live in accordance with the Dhamma. Increase your knowledge of the teachings by reading the works of authentic masters like the Venerable Rerukane Chandawimala Thero, and listen to the discourses of monks who teach the true Dhamma. Balance this with your worldly progress. If you are a student, succeed in your studies. Develop your career. This balance is crucial for a layperson. If you choose ordination, find a proper place that supports your spiritual development, where you can protect your virtue, develop concentration, and grow in the way we discuss in these teachings.
I have shared the necessary points. In the coming year, I will continue to provide teachings from various perspectives. Your task is to apply them practically and consistently. Do not be someone who merely listens to teachings with one ear and lets them out the other. I will conclude this teaching here.
May this new year be a time of spiritual revolution for you. May you step into a new spiritual era. May it be a year where you strengthen and develop your mind, attain Jhānas, the paths and fruits of enlightenment (magga-phala), and the higher knowledges (abhiññā). May you awaken wisdom, mindfulness (sati), and clear comprehension (sampajañña). May this be a truly blessed and practical new year for you.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!.
